Carnival Freedom 6-Day Western Caribbean Cruise

[jwalk03]

 

 

 

 

 

All the pictures were taken with a waterproof camera, and sometimes water on the lens made them blurry, they really don't do the falls justice. If you port in Ocho Rios, go to the falls! There are numerous excursions that include the falls. Pick one a go to the falls!

[Liverpoollovely]

My family and I sail on the freedom in February 23rd for a b2b cruise I am so looking forward to it now thank u for the wonderful pictures!

[jwalk03]

After the climb there is a small market and numerous people trying to sell you various trinkets, and hair braiding, etc. The vendors are persistent, but just be firm and keeping walking if you are not interested and you won't have any issues.

 

One warning the crew on the excursion boat provided was to NOT purchase the DVD of your climb, as it was a scam, and the DVDs they sell are often blanks. I didn't see anyone selling these DVDs, but it sounded like it was a frequent problem, so something to be on the look out for.

 

After the climb it was back to the catamaran for a longer trip back to the port area. The trip back is longer because you sail around for a while and party on the ship with rum punch, and Red Stripe. The ride back was quite enjoyable, and again the views of the island, and perfectly blue water are awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

[jwalk03]

 

 

Dancing around with a tray full of drinks on your head is impressive. Doing this on a moving catamaran in choppy waves is unreal! This was worth the price of admission right there! lol

 

 

 

 

I highly reommend this excursion! The falls were great, and there are numerous excusions that include the climb up the falls, but this excursion also included the awesome views from the boat ride, and the drinks and partying on the way back after the climb. Quite fun.

 

Our friends did the climb on the falls combined with a beach day, but they found there excursion less enjoyable. They had a much shorter time at the falls, and felt rushed, and the beach was not that impressive, and rocky.

[jwalk03]

After the excursion we still had plenty of time for lunch and shopping in the port. There are a small number of "approved" vendors selling things inside the port area fence. If you are interested in buying anything, barter! You may just get a very good deal. My girlfriend purchased several beautiful sun dresses that she loves.

 

 

We decided to venture outside of the fenced in port area. First stop- Margaritaville!

 

 

The Margaritaville is in a shopping plaza just outside of the port area, very walkable. Don't let the taxi drivers convince you that you need a ride!

 

The shopping plaza itself is quite deserted! Numerous empty building and really not a whole lot to see in it. My guess is the poor economic conditions have hit this area pretty hard, as most of it looked relatively new just empty, maybe it will rebound in the next couple of years and fill up again.

 

 

 

[jwalk03]

 

 

Another Margarittaville, another waterslide to try out!

 

 

 

 

This was the best one! Very very fast, and as you can see from the splash, a lot of fun!

[jwalk03]

The excursion did not include any food so we were quite hungry by this point and decided to grab some food and drinks at Margaritaville while we were here.

 

 

This guy was selling shots as well! and boy were they BIG shots!

 

 

 

 

[jwalk03]

The Margaritaville also had a beach available to use as well.

 

 

 

 

and check out this exchange rate!!! unreal!

 

[jwalk03]

After Margaritaville it was off to do a little more shopping. We found another shopping plaza within walking distance that actually had a couple of stores.

 

 

 

Check out Cruise Booze for FREE shots, and some cheap liquor to take home! Much larger variety than whats available on board the ship.

 

 

We also went to the Taj Mahal Shopping plaza, which is the home of the former Hard Rock Cafe Ocho Rios until it closed last year. Such a shame, it looked like a pretty cool Hard Rock. I should have taken this cruise last year so I didn't miss out on my shot glass I guess.

[jwalk03]

The old Hard Rock, you can still see where the logos were on the building and the guitar's in the walls and doors.

 

 

 

 

It looked like they were working inside, but no idea what they may have been doing.

 

At the center of the shopping plaza

 

 

[RWolver672]

Sharing some pictures and thoughts from my 6-Day Western Caribbean Cruise on the Carnival Freedom!

 

First up embarkation at Port Canaveral.

 

Really enjoyed your review. We are doing the eight day cruise on Feb 23rd. Just wanted to add that she leaves from Port Everglades though.

[jwalk03]

I'm sure there is a lot more to Ocho Rios but that is all we saw. Many of the shopping areas around the port had multiple vacant buildings. It seems like the port was probably much nicer at some point. Hopefully it can return to its former glory sometime in the future, as I really though the area around the port was quite beautiful, and Dunn's River Falls was great!

 

I'll definitely return if they ever open up a new Hard Rock location!

 

Some of what you read about this port is also true, with overly aggressive vendors and taxi drivers. They will invade your personal space a bit and try to get you to buy things from them, but a firm no, and just keep walking and they will usually move onto the next person. Also you will most likely have more than 1 person offer to sell you some weed or make a smoking gesture your way, just ignore them and move on, and you should not have any problems.

 

A couple more pictures, and then back to the ship before sail away!

 

 

[jwalk03]

Really enjoyed your review. We are doing the eight day cruise on Feb 23rd. Just wanted to add that she leaves from Port Everglades though.

 

Duh! I have Port Canaveral on my mind since I'm planning a cruise on the Dream for this year! Your are of course correct that the Freedom sails from Port Everglades, not Port Canaveral. Thanks for pointing that out. Glad you're enjoying the review.

[mickym]

We will be going to Dunns River Falls as well but I think I'm going to pass on the climb. Do you still need to wear a swim suit and water shoes if you take the stairs around the falls?

[jwalk03]

We will be going to Dunns River Falls as well but I think I'm going to pass on the climb. Do you still need to wear a swim suit and water shoes if you take the stairs around the falls?

 

The water shoes would not be necessary, I would still wear your swimsuit though, as there are places where you can get in the water at the falls without doing the actual climb.

[GAMOM4]

Loved your pictures and your review! How did you get your pictures to post that size? I just did a review a couple of weeks ago but my pictures were so little....

 

When you were doing the shopping in Ocho Rios (the one port I am not looking forward to) did you just walk outside the gated area and find the places....or did you have a map telling you how to get to them? How far did you have to walk to get to the shopping you did? Did you have people bothering you as you were walking to Margarittaville?

 

I am not one that is good at climbing anything....so I am not sure about the Dunn's River Falls thing..is it worth the money that it costs to just walk up the steps?

[jwalk03]

Loved your pictures and your review! How did you get your pictures to post that size? I just did a review a couple of weeks ago but my pictures were so little....

 

I just uploaded the pictures to photobucket (the account is free) and then you just copy and paste the direct link from photobucket into the insert image function on here.

 

When you were doing the shopping in Ocho Rios (the one port I am not looking forward to) did you just walk outside the gated area and find the places....or did you have a map telling you how to get to them? How far did you have to walk to get to the shopping you did? Did you have people bothering you as you were walking to Margarittaville?

 

I believe they had maps on the ship you could pick up as you are leaving but they really are not necessary. You can see the sign on top of Margaritaville from inside the port. The walk to it is like .5 mile or so, not far at all.

 

On the way to that plaza where Margaritaville is you walk right by the cruise booze place and the shops around it. You just keep walking straight and you run right into the Harbor Shops (which is where the Piranha Shop, Del Sol, Diamonds International, and a few other places are located.

 

From the Harbor Shops if you go right that is the entrance to the shopping plaza with Margaritaville (and very little else other than empty buildings), and if you go left the next plaza is the Taj Mahala Plaza, which had several shops.

 

It really is very easy to get to all of these places, but that is as far as we ventured so not sure what else is in walking distance.

I am not one that is good at climbing anything....so I am not sure about the Dunn's River Falls thing..is it worth the money that it costs to just walk up the steps?

 

I think it would still be worth it, even without climbing the falls themselves. Just do one of the excursions that includes the Falls and something else. There are several options, I really enjoyed the one we did with the Catamaran sail to and from the falls which included drinks and a good time on the catamaran in addition to the falls climb.

 

My girlfriend actually found out she was pregnant after we had booked the excursion and she was not able to climb the falls, but she still enjoyed the views climbing the stairs while I climbed the falls.

 

Or if sailing isn't your preference I know they also have a city tour and falls, beach day and falls, and several other options I'm sure. The travel book I read when I was researching and planning the trip said going to Ocho Rios and not seeing Dunn's River Falls would be like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower, so that was enough to convince me I had to see the falls.[/color]

[jwalk03]

When we headed back to the ship and went through security, they noticed the bottle of Jamaican Rum in by back and told me to drop if off at the next table, but when I went to the table there was no one there. Needless to say I did not wait around for some one to show up and proceeded back to my cabin with my rum in hand. This came in handy the next day for our last sea day!

 

Re-boarding was very easy, we came back about an hour earlier than necessary and there was no line at all, and we dropped our stuff off and head straight for the Lido Deck to grab pool side chairs and enjoy the view sailing away from Jamaica and the gorgeous day it turned out to be!

 

Once our friends returned from their beach excursion, (which they thought was just ok. The beach was not that nice, and the service was slow with the free food and drinks that were included with the excursion) they joined us poolside. We all spent the next few hours here. We did finally managed to squeeze in a game of putt-putt after sail away though.

 

 

 

 

 

After the sun started to set we decided it was time to head in. We decided just to eat from the buffet areas ago instead of changing for dinner. This day is the 2nd Formal Night on this itinerary, and the menu just never seems to be as good as for the first formal night. This is another reason I like the anytime dinning, I feel less obligated to go to the dinning room each night for dinner, if we just feel like relaxing on deck we can.

 

After dinner we did go to the main show lounge for the "Big Easy" show about New Orleans. We really were not very impressed with this show and left about halfway through. After we left the show we just kind of wondered around the ship checking out various things this rest of the night, not really deciding on any one thing or place to stay very long.

 

And then it was off to bed. Tomorrow, Sea Day #2, and our last day.

[thunderbug88]

Love your review! I leave for my 6 day on the Freedom on Sunday... I'M SO EXCITED!!!! :D

[jwalk03]

Forgot last night's towel animal.

[jwalk03]

Day 6- Sea Day #2

 

Since this is our last day, our only plan is to enjoy one last day of warm Caribbean sun by the pool. O and to have dinner in the Sun King Steakhouse, more on that later!

 

We headed to the Lido Deck early to make sure and get prime spots near the pool, and it worked out pretty well. grabbed chairs right by the hot tubs and the Lido Deck pool. The Aft pool area was already quite packed at 8AM, so we couldn't grab a spot there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was quite the party, and a lot of fun for the last day!

[jwalk03]

 

 

 

 

 

Even though the deck was packed and the hot tubs were VERY packed, the pools still never seemed to be, which was nice. I think having 3 pools really helps in that regard.

[jwalk03]

Around 1 or 2 they had a Jimmy Buffet cover band that performed on the Lido Deck stage that was quite good, and really amped up the party atmosphere even more!

 

Parrothead

 

 

 

 

[jwalk03]

After the band they also held the King & Queen of the cruise competition. This was quite fun and entertaining to watch as well!

 

 

 

 

 

[jwalk03]

 

 

 

 

 

I can't actually remember which couple won, I think it was the 2 girls actually.