My wife and I cruised with a few friends on the Carnival Freedom, taking a Western Caribbean tour that included Key West, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We booked three adjoining rooms on the Verandah deck with extended aft balconies. We couldn't find many videos or reviews of this type of room, so we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best.

We set sail April 28, 2013. The boarding process was mostly painless. Carnival provides a shuttle from the airport ($15 from Fort Lauderdale; $30 from Miami, per person). *TIP!* Handle your own bags; porters will hustle your luggage onto a cart and take it to the shuttle, rudely demanding a tip afterward. Save the tip for the shuttle driver instead.

Boarding began at 2:00 for a 4:00 departure. Cabins were not available at first. The Lido deck had food available right away, though. If you plan on boarding early, take a small carry-on with essentials, and take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the Freedom's layout. Read more