Freedom Review Jan 5-12 - Part III: Wild riders

[bobbygirl]

Staff

 

The stewards were friendly yet unobtrusive and kept the rooms spotlessly clean. At the beginning of the cruise our main steward, Ibrahim from Honduras, made a point of meeting me, and I had to sign a paper acknowledging that he had introduced himself – this is the first time I’ve experienced this, is it a new CCL policy? Aside from the “green stuff on Lido deck only” imbroglio, our waitresses in the Posh, Sladjana and Jana, did a very nice job and were particular favourites of our DD. Todd Wittmer, our CD, was the best I’ve experienced. He didn’t overdo the announcements or oversell the services on board. He came across with a low-key Ryan Seacrest vibe which could be summed up by his Thursday pm announcement that he had “spent the afternoon in the spa getting a hot stone massage and a facial”...!

 

The maitre d' in the Posh dining room, Ken from Ireland was very entertaining and sang beautifully. My DD was especially entertained by the dancing waiters although DH just rolled his eyes...

 

On this cruise we got the impression that there were less staff than usual – or perhaps we didn’t see them as much. The staff seemed tired (a lot of dropped plates, glasses and silverware on calm seas) and when you caught them without their game face on, they seemed to be staring out into space. Maybe several were at the end of their contracts.

 

Entertainment

 

The juggler/comedian Dana Tison was terrific and received a standing ovation. For us, his act was the entertainment highlight of the cruise. DH also enjoyed the music in the atrium. We would have loved to spend time listening to the jazz trio, but unfortunately they played in the Habana Bar and there was way too much smoke in there. Note to Carnival: more jazz in other venues please!

 

The Big Easy: not to our taste – the depiction of whorehouses with scantily-clad dancers was a bit much and the sound was way too loud.

 

Jump, Jive and Wail: excellent show.

 

Ticket to Ride: again, excellent with interesting visual effects.

 

Carnival Legends: the “best” of the karaoke passenger auditions which were held on the Lido deck and in the International Lounge (by some slightly inebriated guests according to DH.) Some were genuinely talented; others would have been American Idol rejects... This was an entertaining show which included skits by the CD and his staff.

 

We watched a movie on the big Lido deck screen – a fun experience under the stars but the popcorn tasted like it was air-popped (bland!)

 

Shore Excursions

 

We booked all of our excursions with outside companies, making our arrangements online before we left. We’d been to Grand Cayman and Jamaica before, so we felt confident enough to book (especially in Jamaica) with reputable and well-reviewed companies.

 

Cozumel: ATV and snorkelling with Wild Tours. We booked this through Island Marketing since the Carnival ATV tour was 18+ and DH is 16. This was a fabulous tour, but not for the faint of heart as it was very rough, muddy and challenging. I held on so tight to the handles that I ripped a hunk of skin the size of a quarter off of my right hand – a deep blister. Sounds gross, but the guide wrapped my hand up well and I felt like a warrior (hahaha)! We visited a cenote, a cave and some ruins. We were transported to a rocky beach for snorkelling and we had free drinks (margaritas, beer, soda) and purchased some very tasty food which was ready for us upon our return from the water. We highly recommend this tour – the guides were genuinely friendly and informative.

 

Grand Cayman: We were scheduled to do the Waverunner/Stingray tour with Ebanks Watersports. However it was too windy to use the waverunners properly on the north side of the island, so they substituted their other waverunner tour, 7-mile beach/snorkelling. We had a blast, but it was more independent than most tours, more of a pick-up/do the activity/drop off excursion. Although the kids were disappointed not to interact with the stingrays, they had a good time. Again, kinda rough but a very exciting ride!

 

Jamaica: we did the beach horseback riding tour with Hooves Jamaica. I had high hopes here, as they were very positively reviewed across the CC boards and on Trip Advisor. However, we were much delayed leaving the port waiting for our van to fill – it was unclear whether the others were late or they had a different booking time for the mountain ride. The horses were well cared for and many had been rescued from mistreatment elsewhere. The guides were pleasant and informative, but overall we got the impression that things were a little staged for tips and video/picture purchases. On the other hand, we got a very good deal on some nice necklaces made from real stones. On the way back onto the ship, the Jamaican policeman at the gate thoroughly checked my DS and went through every nook and cranny of our back pack, the officer even feeling my son’s jean pockets. He was a little taken aback since he doesn’t even smoke and was with the rest of us. We joked afterward that he must fit the college-age profile for substance sampling! We’ve done Ocho Rios twice now, and we’ve had our fill - if we ever have it on our itinerary again, we’ll stay on the ship for a quiet day around the pool.

 

Debarkation

 

This was painless (except for the early symptoms of cruise withdrawal) and well-organized with Carnival’s new number system. We had hoped to take the Everglades excursion because of our late flight, but since we were flying out of FLL it was not available. We were surprised by the airport-style luggage pickup in the cruise terminal – we were used to the warehouse-style setup. We were at the airport early and had to spend all day there, mostly in terminal 3. Kind of annoying, but c’est la vie.

 

In Summary

 

We chose the Freedom partly because it was a new ship, which generally means better staff the first year out. Although it was very windy, we found the ship to be extremely stable. Sailing in January was certainly easier on the budget, but not as warm as sailing in March – the water was cooler and we had more rain and clouds this time around (hard to control, that...) We enjoyed the Freedom more than the Destiny, our previous CCL experience. There seemed to be a lot of college students and drinking on the ship, with a few rowdy moments but nothing too wild. Our kids loved the ship and had a fabulous first-time cruise experience. We’ll sail with Carnival again, but our best experience so far has been on the NCL Jewel.

 

Questions? Post 'em here and I'll do my best to answer! ;)

[tektron]

Thanks for the detailed 3-part review...very informative.

[leadout_kv]

Hi BobbyGirl

Your review sounds strikingly familiar. My DW, DD5 and I sailed on the Freedom from Dec 08-15/2007. We also had a wonderful cruise. As soon as we returned we looked for a cruise for next year. Since DD is starting school this fall we have to go during New Years but unfortunately the Freedom doesn't sail then. Oh well, we had to pick the Splendor which is newer than the Freedom. Bummer...NOT.

 

Thanks for your review.

[Manitoba Mom]

Hi,

We are cruising in a couple of weeks...any good suggestions on quiet spots, easy to find dining tables if we eat at the buffet, or any other insider information?

Thanks:)

[bobbygirl]

Quiet spots - do you mean outside? I would usually be able to find something quiet either in the very front of the ship on the upper decks near the spa, or else on the Sports deck.

 

Inside - I never saw anyone in the Library.

 

Indoor Lido buffet tables are hard to find during peak hours. One of the kids would scout one out while the other waited for pizza. There's more available around the adult-only jacuzzis.

 

It's worth it to really sort through the $10 Bijoux Terner costume jewellery. My daughter & I were able to find a lovely necklace and earring set that looked a lot more expensive than it was.

 

My full review is now posted in the "Reviews" section of Cruise Critic. In case you missed parts I & II...

 

Part I: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=693413

Part II: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=693419

Part III: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=693425

[Manitoba Mom]

Hi,

Thanks for the help. I actually read your review - very good! I am going to check out the jewelery now, I usually find that they are either too expensive or gaudy.

Thanks

[mac4cruise]

We were on this cruise also had great time. The ship was full 3,500 plus on board a lot more kids then I thought 700 plus but didn't notice them to much. But on the sea days the decks were full so when had enough of the crowds all we did was go back to our wrap around balcony to enjoy the peace & quiet.

[kjules]

I am taking my 18 year old son, my 15 year old daughter and my 11 year old son on the Freedom March 22 on a 7 day eastern Carribean trip...can you reccommend where to book excursions besides the ship? Thank you.

Julie