Carnival Freedom to Galveston

[Therobielyn's]

Hi guys,

We are booked on the Carnival Freedom for February 1st of 2015 and after reading all of the rumors on here regarding the ship moving to Galveston before that, I called carnival directly today and spoke to a PVP, who in turn spoke to a supervisor, who in turn, spoke to the deployment area directly. AS OF NOW, there are NO PLANS to move Freedom to Galveston and it will remain in Fort Lauderdale through the current available booking dates. They WOULD NOT guarantee this, BUT even the deployment area had not heard anything about this. It is simply rumor.

If they did move the ship and cancel the cruise, they would refund the fare AND any applicable non refundable flights booked.

We are booked on the Freedom for Feb 1 and then walk down the pier to get on Oasis on the 7th, but our flight is already booked for the 29th of January so we were a little worried.

We won't worry anymore as at least we will know that the flights will be refunded.

[jst]

We were just on Triumph and during our Top Tier Welcome Back they announced that there

will be three ships in Galveston, the edition being Freedom that will be doing 7 day cruises.

As of yet they did not give a moving date. :)

[PSkinner]

On our very first cruise back in 2001, we booked on a Saturday and on Monday we were called and told that our ship was being moved. We had the option to cancel the booking or make the change with a 2 cat upgrade. We took the upgrade and have been cruising ever since. I am sure someone new the ship was being moved but sure did help us out.

[hammsz]

its a possibility

[christyran1228]

We were just on Triumph and during our Top Tier Welcome Back they announced that there

will be three ships in Galveston, the edition being Freedom that will be doing 7 day cruises.

As of yet they did not give a moving date. :)

 

 

I do hope this is true, and if it IS true, I hope it helps get the prices for cruising out of Galveston down a little - at least to the level of Florida or NOLA.

 

It was cheaper for us to drive the 9 hours to New Orleans and stay the night than it was to drive the 3 1/2 hours to Galveston the same morning for the same cruise. Not a fan of that 9 hour drive home :( . lol

[CdrescherRBL152]

If it does happen and until there are bookings available on the Freedom out of Galveston I will con't. to look at the move as rumors. It won't come until they move another ship to Fort Lauderdale.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Disconnections]

If it does happen and until there are bookings available on the Freedom out of Galveston I will con't. to look at the move as rumors. It won't come until they move another ship to Fort Lauderdale.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Why would Carnival need to permanently have any ships in Fort Lauderdale? They can drop ports at any time without replacing a ship. They may have to pay fees for breaching their contract with the port agency. Look at Carnival with Mobile. Look at other cruise lines with the west coast.

[lovestocruise19]

I'm hoping Freedom does move to Galveston because I heard rumor of an amazing 12-day repo cruise! :D We shall see!

[CdrescherRBL152]

Why would Carnival need to permanently have any ships in Fort Lauderdale? They can drop ports at any time without replacing a ship. They may have to pay fees for breaching their contract with the port agency. Look at Carnival with Mobile. Look at other cruise lines with the west coast.

 

Other then the Freedom sails from Fort Lauderdale now with an average of 90% + cabins sold. Although they could pull out of Fort Lauderdale from a business point of view, that wouldn't make sense.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Disconnections]

Other then the Freedom sails from Fort Lauderdale now with an average of 90% + cabins sold. Although they could pull out of Fort Lauderdale from a business point of view, that wouldn't make sense.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Carnival has mostly pulled out of Fort Lauderdale. The Miracle and the Splendor no longer sail from there and they are down to one ship. Other cruise lines continue to expand on their Fort Lauderdale departures, whereas Carnival is repositioning ships to Miami.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Disconnections

[picomullet]

I'm hoping Freedom does move to Galveston because I heard rumor of an amazing 12-day repo cruise! :D We shall see!

 

Ditto!! And we are anxiously awaiting news on that one@!

[cantw82cruise]

Hi guys' date='

We are booked on the Carnival Freedom for February 1st of 2015 and after reading all of the rumors on here regarding the ship moving to Galveston before that, I called carnival directly today and spoke to a PVP, who in turn spoke to a supervisor, who in turn, spoke to the deployment area directly. AS OF NOW, there are NO PLANS to move Freedom to Galveston and it will remain in Fort Lauderdale through the current available booking dates. They WOULD NOT guarantee this, BUT even the deployment area had not heard anything about this. It is simply rumor.

If they did move the ship and cancel the cruise, they would refund the fare AND any applicable non refundable flights booked.

We are booked on the Freedom for Feb 1 and then walk down the pier to get on Oasis on the 7th, but our flight is already booked for the 29th of January so we were a little worried.

We won't worry anymore as at least we will know that the flights will be refunded.[/quote']

 

 

We also just booked the Freedom for 2/1/15 and have 6 cabins booked so I hope it stays put.

[Sparky2]

We also just booked the Freedom for 2/1/15 and have 6 cabins booked so I hope it stays put.

 

Hi, cantw82cruise. I think we cruised together on Miracle a few years ago.

 

We have a B2B booked for 1/18 and 1/24 so I also hope it stays put at least till after we cruise.

[christmas]

Hi guys' date='

We are booked on the Carnival Freedom for February 1st of 2015 and after reading all of the rumors on here regarding the ship moving to Galveston before that, I called carnival directly today and spoke to a PVP, who in turn spoke to a supervisor, who in turn, spoke to the deployment area directly. AS OF NOW, there are NO PLANS to move Freedom to Galveston and it will remain in Fort Lauderdale through the current available booking dates. They WOULD NOT guarantee this, BUT even the deployment area had not heard anything about this. It is simply rumor.

If they did move the ship and cancel the cruise, they would refund the fare AND any applicable non refundable flights booked.

We are booked on the Freedom for Feb 1 and then walk down the pier to get on Oasis on the 7th, but our flight is already booked for the 29th of January so we were a little worried.

We won't worry anymore as at least we will know that the flights will be refunded.[/quote']

Until it is confirmed by Carnival I will still see it as a rumor. However, my PVP, John Heald and Hai the Future Cruise Expert on the Sunshine have all talked about Freedom moving to Galveston.

[cynt]

I do hope this is true, and if it IS true, I hope it helps get the prices for cruising out of Galveston down a little - at least to the level of Florida or NOLA.

 

It was cheaper for us to drive the 9 hours to New Orleans and stay the night than it was to drive the 3 1/2 hours to Galveston the same morning for the same cruise. Not a fan of that 9 hour drive home :( . lol

 

Ditto. I'm in DFW. I've done the drive to NOLA once and I flew the 2nd time. Still cheaper.

[cantw82cruise]

Until it is confirmed by Carnival I will still see it as a rumor. However, my PVP, John Heald and Hai the Future Cruise Expert on the Sunshine have all talked about Freedom moving to Galveston.

 

I don't mind it moving so long as it is after 2/7/15

[cantw82cruise]

Hi, cantw82cruise. I think we cruised together on Miracle a few years ago.

 

We have a B2B booked for 1/18 and 1/24 so I also hope it stays put at least till after we cruise.

 

Hi Mary I do believe you are correct...

[cantw82cruise]

Hi guys' date='

We are booked on the Carnival Freedom for February 1st of 2015 and after reading all of the rumors on here regarding the ship moving to Galveston before that, I called carnival directly today and spoke to a PVP, who in turn spoke to a supervisor, who in turn, spoke to the deployment area directly. AS OF NOW, there are NO PLANS to move Freedom to Galveston and it will remain in Fort Lauderdale through the current available booking dates. They WOULD NOT guarantee this, BUT even the deployment area had not heard anything about this. It is simply rumor.

If they did move the ship and cancel the cruise, they would refund the fare AND any applicable non refundable flights booked.

We are booked on the Freedom for Feb 1 and then walk down the pier to get on Oasis on the 7th, but our flight is already booked for the 29th of January so we were a little worried.

We won't worry anymore as at least we will know that the flights will be refunded.[/quote']

 

 

Hello, there is a roll call stated for this cruise if you would like to stop by.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1995407

 

John

[JHTX01]

MIAMI, April 24, 2014 -- Carnival Cruise Lines – Texas' number one cruise line – will add a third year-round ship in Galveston when Carnival Freedom launches a seven-day cruise schedule on February 15, 2015, marking the first time that a cruise line has deployed three year-round ships in Texas.

 

Carnival's re-positioning of Carnival Freedom represents a 38 percent capacity increase for the line in Galveston, carrying more than 600,000 guests a year from that port – the most of any cruise operator.

 

Prior to its arrival in Galveston, Carnival Freedom will undergo a previously announced dry dock makeover that will add an array of innovative new features that are part of the line's fleet-wide Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancement initiative.

 

With the addition of Carnival Freedom, Carnival will offer three highly innovative and exceptional ships sailing year-round from Galveston that offer a huge variety of exciting features. Carnival Freedom will join Carnival Magic, which offers seven-day Caribbean cruises, and Carnival Triumph sailing four- and five-day departures to Mexico. Together, these three ships will operate nearly 200 four- to seven-day voyages annually from Galveston, providing consumers with an array of cruise lengths, departure days and itineraries for "Fun Ship" cruising from Texas.

 

"Galveston is already one of our most popular embarkation ports and with Carnival Freedom we're not only dramatically expanding capacity in the market but also providing consumers with yet another exciting opportunity to experience our spectacular Fun Ship 2.0 innovations on a Texas-based ship," said Gerry Cahill Carnival president and CEO. "In partnership with the Port of Galveston and the local community we have been able to increase our passenger counts five-fold since we first launched service from Galveston in 2000. Additionally, we are extremely grateful for the support of our travel agent partners who have played a key role in the growth of our Texas cruise program," he added.

 

"We are thrilled to have an additional member of the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet, Carnival Freedom, call the Port of Galveston its new home," said Galveston Port Director Michael Mierzwa. "For the past 14 years, the Port and Carnival Cruise Lines have enjoyed a wonderful partnership. Not only does home-porting these three ships represent the largest-ever capacity commitment by a cruise line to Texas but it also reinforces the partnership that we have fostered with Carnival through the years."

 

Attractive Caribbean Itineraries from Galveston...Carnival Freedom will kick off its new schedule from Galveston with a special six-day Caribbean voyage to Costa Maya, Mexico; Belize; and Cozumel departing Feb. 15, 2015.

 

Following the six-day voyage, Carnival Freedom will launch year-round seven-day departures from Galveston...Feb. 21, 2015, encompassing three different itinerary choices that visit beautiful ports throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida.

 

Carnival Freedom's week-long itineraries from Galveston include:

 

Exotic western Caribbean voyages departing Saturdays to Cozumel; Belize; and Mahogany Bay, Roatan

 

Western Caribbean voyages departing Saturdays with stops at Montego Bay, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel

 

Eastern Caribbean sailings departing Saturdays visiting Key West, Fla.; and Freeport and Nassau, The Bahamas

 

Value-Packed Short Cruise Options from Galveston...Carnival Freedom will also offer a series of four- and five-day cruises from Oct. 24 through Nov. 21, 2015; and Jan. 16, 2016 through Feb. 13, 2016. Four-day cruises visit Cozumel, while five-day cruises call at Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico.

 

Special Voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Galveston...In preparation for its Galveston arrival, Carnival Freedom will offer a unique 12-day cruise departing Fort Lauderdale Feb. 2 and arriving in Galveston on Feb. 14, 2015. The one-time voyage will feature port calls at five magnificent Caribbean island destinations – St. Kitts, St. Lucia; Curacao; Aruba; and Grand Cayman, each of which boasts gorgeous white-sand beaches, a variety of water sports opportunities and an array of shopping, dining and sightseeing experiences.

 

Carnival Conquest, currently based in Miami, will assume Carnival Freedom's year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean schedule from Fort Lauderdale, beginning Jan. 18, 2015.

 

Exciting Fun Ship 2.0 Innovations A wide range of popular Fun Ship 2.0 features will be added to Carnival Freedom this spring. Here's a look at the many new offerings:

 

Guy's Burger Joint, a free-of-charge poolside venue developed in partnership with Food Network personality Guy Fieri serving hand-crafted burgers and fresh hand-cut fries in an atmosphere that celebrates the chef's California roots and love of car culture

 

Blue Iguana Cantina, a complimentary poolside Mexican eatery where guests can enjoy authentic, freshly made burritos and tacos on homemade tortillas that can be personalized with a variety of salsas and toppings

 

EA SPORTS Bar, a sports and video game lovers' paradise where guests can catch live sporting events, check out scores on the real-time 24/7 sports ticker, and play the latest EA SPORTS games on a 16-screen video wall

 

Blue Iguana Tequila Bar, a fun and festive outdoor watering hole offering a laid-back Mexican-themed atmosphere and tequila-based frozen drinks and beers, perfect for chillin' by the pool

 

Alchemy Bar, a vintage-themed cocktail "pharmacy" that's the go-to spot for guests seeking a unique experience with mixologists who "prescribe" concoctions from different elixirs and ingredients or guests' own custom-created cocktails

 

Red Frog Rum Bar, a poolside adaptation of the Red Frog Pub offering the quintessential Caribbean vacation vibe with refreshing Caribbean rum-based frozen drinks and beers, including Thirsty Frog Red

 

Hasbro, The Game Show, where guests are part of the show through a series of larger-than-life productions and entertainment activities based on the company's iconic and popular games

 

Playlist Productions, which builds upon Carnival's reputation for high quality entertainment by combining captivating live performances and spectacular staging and special effects to create enthralling music revues produced by the top directors and choreographers in the industry

 

Cherry on Top - which celebrates the joys of simple indulgences with bins of bulk candy, fun fanciful gifts and novelties, custom apparel and more

 

Red Frog Pub where guests can enjoy the Caribbean's best rums and beers – along with Carnival's own Thirsty Frog Red private label draft brew – while soaking up the distinct British-West-Indies-meets-Key-West ambiance (scheduled to be completed by the departure of May 18)

 

Camp Ocean – a new marine-themed children's program that will immerse kids ages 2-11 in the wonders of the ocean through fun, educational experiences with more than 200 new activities, all hosted in engaging custom-created spaces inspired by the sea (scheduled to be completed by the departure of May 24)

 

Dr. Seuss Bookville – part of Carnival's recently announced Seuss at Sea program, this unique play space will feature iconic decor, colors, shapes and funky furniture inspired by the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss (scheduled to be completed by the departure of May 24)

 

The Warehouse, a family-friendly entertainment center where the young – and the young at heart – can play a wide variety of video and arcade games and win tickets that can be redeemed for fun prizes (scheduled to be completed by the departure of June 14)

[Disconnections]

MIAMI, April 24, 2014 -- Carnival Cruise Lines – Texas' number one cruise line – will add a third year-round ship in Galveston when Carnival Freedom launches a seven-day cruise schedule on February 15, 2015, marking the first time that a cruise line has deployed three year-round ships in Texas.

 

Carnival's re-positioning of Carnival Freedom represents a 38 percent capacity increase for the line in Galveston, carrying more than 600,000 guests a year from that port – the most of any cruise operator.

 

Prior to its arrival in Galveston, Carnival Freedom will undergo a previously announced dry dock makeover that will add an array of innovative new features that are part of the line's fleet-wide Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancement initiative.

 

With the addition of Carnival Freedom, Carnival will offer three highly innovative and exceptional ships sailing year-round from Galveston that offer a huge variety of exciting features. Carnival Freedom will join Carnival Magic, which offers seven-day Caribbean cruises, and Carnival Triumph sailing four- and five-day departures to Mexico. Together, these three ships will operate nearly 200 four- to seven-day voyages annually from Galveston, providing consumers with an array of cruise lengths, departure days and itineraries for "Fun Ship" cruising from Texas.

 

"Galveston is already one of our most popular embarkation ports and with Carnival Freedom we're not only dramatically expanding capacity in the market but also providing consumers with yet another exciting opportunity to experience our spectacular Fun Ship 2.0 innovations on a Texas-based ship," said Gerry Cahill Carnival president and CEO. "In partnership with the Port of Galveston and the local community we have been able to increase our passenger counts five-fold since we first launched service from Galveston in 2000. Additionally, we are extremely grateful for the support of our travel agent partners who have played a key role in the growth of our Texas cruise program," he added.

 

"We are thrilled to have an additional member of the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet, Carnival Freedom, call the Port of Galveston its new home," said Galveston Port Director Michael Mierzwa. "For the past 14 years, the Port and Carnival Cruise Lines have enjoyed a wonderful partnership. Not only does home-porting these three ships represent the largest-ever capacity commitment by a cruise line to Texas but it also reinforces the partnership that we have fostered with Carnival through the years."

 

Attractive Caribbean Itineraries from Galveston...Carnival Freedom will kick off its new schedule from Galveston with a special six-day Caribbean voyage to Costa Maya, Mexico; Belize; and Cozumel departing Feb. 15, 2015.

 

Following the six-day voyage, Carnival Freedom will launch year-round seven-day departures from Galveston...Feb. 21, 2015, encompassing three different itinerary choices that visit beautiful ports throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida.

 

Carnival Freedom's week-long itineraries from Galveston include:

 

Exotic western Caribbean voyages departing Saturdays to Cozumel; Belize; and Mahogany Bay, Roatan

 

Western Caribbean voyages departing Saturdays with stops at Montego Bay, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel

 

Eastern Caribbean sailings departing Saturdays visiting Key West, Fla.; and Freeport and Nassau, The Bahamas

 

Value-Packed Short Cruise Options from Galveston...Carnival Freedom will also offer a series of four- and five-day cruises from Oct. 24 through Nov. 21, 2015; and Jan. 16, 2016 through Feb. 13, 2016. Four-day cruises visit Cozumel, while five-day cruises call at Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico.

 

Special Voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Galveston...In preparation for its Galveston arrival, Carnival Freedom will offer a unique 12-day cruise departing Fort Lauderdale Feb. 2 and arriving in Galveston on Feb. 14, 2015. The one-time voyage will feature port calls at five magnificent Caribbean island destinations – St. Kitts, St. Lucia; Curacao; Aruba; and Grand Cayman, each of which boasts gorgeous white-sand beaches, a variety of water sports opportunities and an array of shopping, dining and sightseeing experiences.

 

Carnival Conquest, currently based in Miami, will assume Carnival Freedom's year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean schedule from Fort Lauderdale, beginning Jan. 18, 2015.

 

Exciting Fun Ship 2.0 Innovations A wide range of popular Fun Ship 2.0 features will be added to Carnival Freedom this spring. Here's a look at the many new offerings:

 

Guy's Burger Joint, a free-of-charge poolside venue developed in partnership with Food Network personality Guy Fieri serving hand-crafted burgers and fresh hand-cut fries in an atmosphere that celebrates the chef's California roots and love of car culture

 

Blue Iguana Cantina, a complimentary poolside Mexican eatery where guests can enjoy authentic, freshly made burritos and tacos on homemade tortillas that can be personalized with a variety of salsas and toppings

 

EA SPORTS Bar, a sports and video game lovers' paradise where guests can catch live sporting events, check out scores on the real-time 24/7 sports ticker, and play the latest EA SPORTS games on a 16-screen video wall

 

Blue Iguana Tequila Bar, a fun and festive outdoor watering hole offering a laid-back Mexican-themed atmosphere and tequila-based frozen drinks and beers, perfect for chillin' by the pool

 

Alchemy Bar, a vintage-themed cocktail "pharmacy" that's the go-to spot for guests seeking a unique experience with mixologists who "prescribe" concoctions from different elixirs and ingredients or guests' own custom-created cocktails

 

Red Frog Rum Bar, a poolside adaptation of the Red Frog Pub offering the quintessential Caribbean vacation vibe with refreshing Caribbean rum-based frozen drinks and beers, including Thirsty Frog Red

 

Hasbro, The Game Show, where guests are part of the show through a series of larger-than-life productions and entertainment activities based on the company's iconic and popular games

 

Playlist Productions, which builds upon Carnival's reputation for high quality entertainment by combining captivating live performances and spectacular staging and special effects to create enthralling music revues produced by the top directors and choreographers in the industry

 

Cherry on Top - which celebrates the joys of simple indulgences with bins of bulk candy, fun fanciful gifts and novelties, custom apparel and more

 

Red Frog Pub where guests can enjoy the Caribbean's best rums and beers – along with Carnival's own Thirsty Frog Red private label draft brew – while soaking up the distinct British-West-Indies-meets-Key-West ambiance (scheduled to be completed by the departure of May 18)

 

Camp Ocean – a new marine-themed children's program that will immerse kids ages 2-11 in the wonders of the ocean through fun, educational experiences with more than 200 new activities, all hosted in engaging custom-created spaces inspired by the sea (scheduled to be completed by the departure of May 24)

 

Dr. Seuss Bookville – part of Carnival's recently announced Seuss at Sea program, this unique play space will feature iconic decor, colors, shapes and funky furniture inspired by the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss (scheduled to be completed by the departure of May 24)

 

The Warehouse, a family-friendly entertainment center where the young – and the young at heart – can play a wide variety of video and arcade games and win tickets that can be redeemed for fun prizes (scheduled to be completed by the departure of June 14)

 

Thanks for sharing the press release from April...

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Disconnections