Freedom Review

[mebjar]

I know Freedom reviews are few and far between around here, so I thought I’d post a quick one about ours (December 17th-24th) and stick around to answer a few questions, if there are any.

 

Embarkation:

I promise that we will never, ever sail Carnival again without FTTF. We arrived around 12:30 and in less than 30 minutes, we were in our cabin. FTTF was worth the cost if for no other benefit than to be able to bypass the lines that snaked through the terminal at embarkation. It was an odd mix of giddiness and sympathy as we walked passed all of those people in line. It was as close to feeling like a VIP celebrity as we’re likely to ever get!!!

 

As we entered the closed doors to our hallway, we actually got fussed at by a fellow cruiser who was waiting. I wish that there was signage stating early room access for FTTF. Might cut down on the glaring a bit! However, we still had to wait a few minutes for our cabin to be vacuumed. It was all fine though, since I wasn’t the one having to do the cleaning!!! I can’t say that our luggage arrived any earlier than anyone else’s, in spite of having the yellow FTTF tape, but again, no worries BECAUSE WE WERE ON VACATION.

 

 

 

Food (and drinks):

OK… for anyone who has never tried a Guy’s burger? They TRULY live up to the hype. I would kill for a “Straight-Up” right now!!! Yes, there were always lines but they were never slow. Same with the Blue Iguana. We did a good mix of eating in the MDR, at the buffet and other food venues for this cruise. All but one night was excellent in the MDR. My daughter discovered she likes escargot and of course, everyone devoured the chocolate melting cake. For the most part, the buffet food was mostly good (some of the desserts did miss the mark) and pizza and the deli rocked. My kids ate chocolate cake EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. And that was after the chocolate melting cake!!! So, I can attest that there was not a problem with room service!

 

We ate brunch three mornings, and it was always delicious with the steak and eggs being a favorite. You know you’re on a cruise when the waiter talks you into a breakfast dessert! My daughter and I attended tea one day and it was lovely. We never, ever went hungry and if someone says that they couldn’t find anything good to eat on the Freedom, then there is something seriously wrong with them. I know we all gained weight on this cruise and there are zero regrets about it.

 

My husband and I had Cheers and we would do that again in a heartbeat. I loved not having to worry about what things cost and I felt indulged by being able to order whatever my heart desired. My husband made friends with David at the Tequila Bar and got potent margaritas as a result. We both loved the Alchemy bar and a Deal Closer made the PERFECT nightcap.

Edited December 29, 2016 by mebjar

[mebjar]

The Ship (and our cabin):

Having only ever cruised Fantasy class ships, it did take some time to get used to navigating the Freedom. Our cabins were on Deck 8, so it was super easy to get around once we figured out where things were located. I loved our cabin location. It was very quiet, yet we weren’t that far from food or entertainment. If I had to do it all over again, I would pick 8228 and 8230 again. I will say this about our balcony cabin though. The people who had it before us were VERY rough on it. When we arrived, the curtain track was broken and hanging down, the lamp was broken, the plumbing panel in the bathroom was knocked out and even the pen on the desk was broken in half! Our stewardess, Yuni was very apologetic and had everything fixed by that evening. She was wonderful, so very friendly, and worked hard to make us comfortable.

 

One of my complaints for this cruise was about how hard our beds were. I remember on our previous cruises, not wanting to ever get up in the mornings. No problems this time around. Both cabins had VERY firm mattresses and we weren’t fans. I was looking forward to sleeping-in during this trip, and just could not manage it because of how hard the beds were.

 

Even though we got used to it by the end of the week, I can’t say that any of us loved the Freedom’s décor. I have no problem with Carnival craziness, but the fuchsia snakeskin ceilings during brunch is a bit much, lol.

 

 

Fellow Passengers:

Since this cruise was the week before Christmas, it was filled with mostly multi-generational families. It was wonderful! My first clue that something was a little different this time around was all the open slot machines in the casino, lol! I’d heard horror stories about the smokiness of the casinos and it wasn’t bad at all this cruise. I loved seeing all the families playing games and just hanging out. Speaking of games, a change from our last cruise was all of the board games! We loved it! My family ended up in the Red Frog Pub so many times. We’d grab a few drinks and play corn hole or a game of Connect Four, which is infinitely more fun with a few cocktails under your belt.

 

Entertainment:

Malcolm’s “woo-hoo’s” annoyed me about as much as I predicted they would, lol. But overall, I think he was a good and don’t have any complaints. He did a good job of keeping everyone informed without being overbearing. If anything, his second in command, Richey, probably got on more nerves more. We went to a few shows and attended a couple of trivia and lido deck events.

 

There seemed to be music EVERYWHERE on the ship and it was all good. From Caribbean, to Latin, to Classical, to Pop or Christmas, it was everywhere, seemingly all the time. The Freedom does a wonderful job with music.

 

We spent more time in the casino on this cruise than probably all of our previous cruises combined. What we probably had the most fun on was the quarter pusher machines. My over 18 kids spent a lot of time playing these and probably came close to breaking even at the end of the week. There were always people waiting to play while slots and video poker machines sat vacant. The casino was never more than half full and the smokiness level was bearable.

Edited December 29, 2016 by mebjar

[mebjar]

Ports:

Our scheduled ports were Falmouth, Grand Cayman and Cozumel (of course).

 

Our stop in Jamaica ended up being canceled since the ship couldn’t dock due to the current and winds. They tried for about 15 minutes before giving up. We were all very disappointed and felt sorry for ourselves because of our missed day of fun (and missed jerk chicken at Scotchies!!!). But, we quickly came to the conclusion that everything happens for a reason and if another sea day is the worst that could happen? Well, then we would be just fine. We grabbed a Bite of the Iguana, a burger and lounge chair and the world was great again. Jamaica will be there the next time around.

 

Grand Cayman was wonderful. It was our first visit there and I can say that we are all fans. We chose Stingray Sailing with Captain Chip. Loved him and his catamaran. He is knowledgeable and we always felt safe. The same winds that were a problem in Jamaica were an issue here too. Chip said that the conditions would be borderline and left it to us if we wanted to continue. We are all strong swimmers, so we said of course. Some of the reviews on a famous travel review website said that the stingrays flock to his boat, and that is the truth. After seeing the sardine-like conditions of some of the ship’s excursions (there were only 10 including us on our boat!!!) and the number of rays that came to us, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Stingray Sailing to anyone. After, he dropped us off at Rackam’s and we had a delicious (but pricey) lunch. It’s within walking distance to the port, so we shopped a little before heading back to the ship. We had a great time and would love to visit again.

 

Since we have only cruised out of Galveston, Cozumel has always been a stop. We wanted to do something a little different this time around so we chose a visit to the Cozumel Pearl Farm. Their reviews are beyond excellent and with 8 ships in port, the idea of a private beach sounded like something we couldn’t pass up. Since I was “unplugged” this cruise, I didn’t know that Isabel had emailed me a couple of times during the week warning that the winds might cause an excursion cancellation. She was waiting for us at the Aqua Safari pier and said that she had been out to the north side of the island that morning and that the conditions were awful (the wind got us again!!!), but if we were game, she could take us to the far south and visit Punta Sur. We like her instantly and I had no doubt to her trustworthiness, so we said yes. We decided to meet back in an hour which left us time to shop and grab some nachos and a beer. In the meantime, she rented a brand-new minivan, bought us delicious shrimp sandwiches, stopped by the store for water, beer, and sodas and surprised my kids with Mexican snacks. We met up and headed to the National Park for snorkeling and relaxation. Punta Sur is unspoiled and breathtakingly beautiful and with Isabel’s direction, we were able to snorkel out to a sea fan field. I have always wanted to see the “other” side of the island, so we took the long way back to port. Isabel is funny, kind, highly-educated and wanted nothing more than to see us have a good time. What we all figured would be our least favorite stop on the cruise ended up being our favorite, all due to Isabel. There is no doubt that the next time we are in Cozumel, we will give her a call.

 

 

Debarkation:

Oh… Galveston and fog. It’s always a gamble to cruise out of this port during the winter. Sure enough, I woke up early to finish packing and saw the fog. One of the main reasons for purchasing FTTF was because we needed to get off the ship ASAP because of family Christmas Eve plans that day. We crossed our fingers and went to the Victoriana at 7:15 for early debarkation. Not too long after that, the announcement was made that the Port of Galveston was closed. Cue the sad trombones. But we were comfortable in the lounge and were close enough to shore to get cell phone coverage. So we chilled out and began our re-entry into the real world by answering texts and clearing out a week’s worth of emails. We ended up getting cleared a little after 11 am and were in our car and on the way home by 11:40. Getting off the ship couldn’t have been any easier and we were only a little bit late for Christmas Eve festivities.

[mebjar]

Miscellaneous (and to wrap it up):

I know a lot of people question whether or not to purchase Cheers and FTTF. For us, it made all the difference in the world to the enjoyability of our cruise. Both will simply be considered part of the fare from here on out.

I think the weeks around Christmas are wonderful times to cruise. This was the most family-oriented cruise that we have ever been on. I didn’t see much of a party ambiance at all. Just lots of multi-generational families spending time together. The Christmas decorations were gorgeous and made the ship festive. All of the staff we encountered were helpful and seemed happy to be there. The ship was always being cleaned and seemed to be, for the most part, in good shape for her age.

 

My youngest signed up for Circle C and enjoyed it for the most part. Besides the hard beds, my BIGGEST complaint had to do with her not being able to fully access the chat feature on the Hub app. Circle C is for kids from 12-14. Only those 13 and older have full access to the Chat on the Hub app. So, what happens to those 12-year olds who want to meet up for ice cream or find out what the rest of the group is doing but are always getting left behind because no one can reach them? She was old enough to attend and make friends in Circle C, yet not old text anyone in the group. We went to customer service and were told that it is a safety measure that they could not lift. Not cool, Carnival.

 

But all in all, we did have a fabulous time and I loved the family ambiance of a holiday cruise. We would love to go the week before Christmas again, even knowing we would be gambling against north winds and Galveston fog. The Freedom is a great ship!

[bobkat12]

We were able to dock at Falmouth on Harmony OTS, and it was kind of sad to watch you have to sail away, honestly. Which we had known about Schotchies? Walking distance from the pier?

 

 

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[Saint Greg]

Thanks! You didn't by chance keep all of your fun times did you?

[Clarea]

Enjoyed the detailed review, thanks!

[bury me at sea]

Thank you so much for your detailed review.

 

Our last four cruises have been on the Magic and the Breeze from Galveston.

 

Do you think the Freedom offers as much opportunity for fun for older teenagers? I like the itinerary better for the week I am contemplating than that of the Breeze.

[AussieOmni]

Thanks for posting this, I'm doing the exact same itinerary on the exact same ship next month. I bring my own boardgames each cruise anyway, but maybe I can avoid bringing the classics. So if anyone is on my cruising I'll have board games!

 

I doubt you paid attention to it but what were the vegetarian options in MDR? Am I stuck with Indian every night?

Edited December 29, 2016 by AussieOmni

[mebjar]

Thank you so much for your detailed review.

 

Our last four cruises have been on the Magic and the Breeze from Galveston.

 

Do you think the Freedom offers as much opportunity for fun for older teenagers? I like the itinerary better for the week I am contemplating than that of the Breeze.

 

I'm not sure about older teens. I saw a lot of kids, that if I had to guess, fell into the 15-18 range just sitting around and socializing. Everyone looked to be having a good time and never saw anyone doing anything that they shouldn't have been. I can't answer about the planned activities.

 

 

Now, my older kids are 18 & 20 and I'd have to answer a resounding no for things to do for them. Luckily (or unluckily???) they were able to play in the casino and then just spent a lot of time with us. It was all good and they had a great time, but this age group is definitely in between and kind of left out.

 

I really liked the Freedom, but I can't help but think the extra outside attractions and the Thrill Theatre would be great for older teens.

[mebjar]

Thanks for posting this, I'm doing the exact same itinerary on the exact same ship next month. I bring my own boardgames each cruise anyway, but maybe I can avoid bringing the classics. So if anyone is on my cruising I'll have board games!

 

I doubt you paid attention to it but what were the vegetarian options in MDR? Am I stuck with Indian every night?

 

No, I'm sorry. We are hard-core carnivores at our house. I think the most vegetarian meal we ate was a cheese pizza and ice cream! ;)

 

I do remember some of the games, though. Connect Four, Battleship, Trivial Pursuit, Uno, and Scrabble are some of the ones I saw most commonly. They were easily found in the Library and the Red Frog Pub.

[mebjar]

Thanks! You didn't by chance keep all of your fun times did you?

 

No, I'm sorry to say that I did not.

[bury me at sea]

Thanks for your response OP. We both know we love the Breeze and I think I will stck with her as long as she sails from Galveston.

 

Eighteen is an awkward cruising age. I am considering a spa cabin to give her more options for sea days.

[easyboy]

Glad you had a fabulous time. Thanks for your feedback.

[riclop]

Thanks for your thoughts.

[AussieOmni]

No, I'm sorry. We are hard-core carnivores at our house. I think the most vegetarian meal we ate was a cheese pizza and ice cream! ;)

 

 

 

I do remember some of the games, though. Connect Four, Battleship, Trivial Pursuit, Uno, and Scrabble are some of the ones I saw most commonly. They were easily found in the Library and the Red Frog Pub.

 

 

Figured it was a long shot, but thought I'd ask. Sounds like I just need to bring my modern games though!

 

 

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[Jamericannn]

Miscellaneous (and to wrap it up):

I know a lot of people question whether or not to purchase Cheers and FTTF. For us, it made all the difference in the world to the enjoyability of our cruise. Both will simply be considered part of the fare from here on out.

 

That is the way to look at it. I always tell people that its worth it if you are not yet at the level where you get priority. I never do the cheers program. I just order a couple cases of water from carnival and have it delivered to my room and each of us take on our 12 pack soda and a wine.

[Marine91]

Thank you for your review. We will be sailing on the Freedom in July for our first cruise ever.

[cruise pup]

With whom did you book this? Thanks.

[mebjar]

With whom did you book this? Thanks.

 

I think I first contacted Isabel through a PM on the book of faces. She asked for my email and we took it from there. She's a marine biologist who has studied in both Mexico City and Germany and her English is a good as mine, so no problems with communication. I know they're on other social media platforms too, so "follow" and "like" to see some gorgeous pictures. I really don't think anyone could go wrong with choosing them, especially if you're looking for something a bit different in Cozumel.

[mebjar]

With whom did you book this? Thanks.

 

I think I first contacted Isabel through a PM on the book of faces. She asked for my email and we took it from there. She's a marine biologist who has studied in both Mexico City and Germany and her English is a good as mine, so no problems with communication. I know they're on other social media platforms too, so "follow" and "like" to see some gorgeous pictures. I really don't think anyone could go wrong with choosing them, especially if you're looking for something a bit different in Cozumel.

[CARNIVALCRUISE3]

Thanks so much for your well written and interesting review. So glad that you had a great time.

[LouisianaCruiser4200]

Thanks! You didn't by chance keep all of your fun times did you?

 

I was on this cruise, and I kept the Fun Times!

[LouisianaCruiser4200]

Miscellaneous (and to wrap it up):

I know a lot of people question whether or not to purchase Cheers and FTTF. For us, it made all the difference in the world to the enjoyability of our cruise. Both will simply be considered part of the fare from here on out.

I think the weeks around Christmas are wonderful times to cruise. This was the most family-oriented cruise that we have ever been on. I didn’t see much of a party ambiance at all. Just lots of multi-generational families spending time together. The Christmas decorations were gorgeous and made the ship festive. All of the staff we encountered were helpful and seemed happy to be there. The ship was always being cleaned and seemed to be, for the most part, in good shape for her age.

 

My youngest signed up for Circle C and enjoyed it for the most part. Besides the hard beds, my BIGGEST complaint had to do with her not being able to fully access the chat feature on the Hub app. Circle C is for kids from 12-14. Only those 13 and older have full access to the Chat on the Hub app. So, what happens to those 12-year olds who want to meet up for ice cream or find out what the rest of the group is doing but are always getting left behind because no one can reach them? She was old enough to attend and make friends in Circle C, yet not old text anyone in the group. We went to customer service and were told that it is a safety measure that they could not lift. Not cool, Carnival.

 

But all in all, we did have a fabulous time and I loved the family ambiance of a holiday cruise. We would love to go the week before Christmas again, even knowing we would be gambling against north winds and Galveston fog. The Freedom is a great ship!

 

I was on this same cruise! We had fun, but were really bummed about missing Jamaica

[Saint Greg]

I was on this cruise, and I kept the Fun Times!

 

 

Any chance you could share pics? I'm particularly interested in the daily schedule part.

 

 

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