We have sailed Carnival many times and have never been disappointed - and the Freedom has now been added to our list of "must do again"! When we arrived at the cruise port we were immediately registered, photographed and given our cabin key - we are VIP and boarded the ship immediately. The process took approximately 10 minutes. Once we boarded we could go directly to our stateroom, a Grand Suite - which was exactly as we expected. Our luggage arrived a very short time later tagged VIP - Faster to the Fun - hats off to Carnival - it really is faster to the fun as we were unpacked and ready to explore the ship before noon. The ship is big, but we have sailed the Breeze and the Liberty so we knew what to expect. The décor was nice, and all areas clean and fresh - absolutely no complaints. Lifeboat drill was quick and easy and sail away was from our balcony, as this is what we both love - we had preordered liquor from Bon Voyage, so with drink in hand we said goodbye to Ft. Lauderdale. Next up was the steakhouse as we had made our reservations on line weeks before. It's nice to have the complimentary bottle of wine with dinner on the first night. Our meal was everything expected and service was exceptional. The shows were a pleasant surprise - we sometimes opt not to go, but I love anything New Orleans and the first production show was centered around the "Big Easy". I have to say, this was one of the best shows we have seen at sea. Absolutely Loved it!Our ports were wonderful, we had never been to the Keys, opted to do the jump on-jump off tour - this was a great way to see the sites of Key West. Very beautiful, clean, welcoming adventure. No tour in Grand Cayman as we have visited there many, many times. We just took the tender in and did some shopping and walking around on our own. Jamaica was our last stop and this was wonderful fun as we tried the new excursion that takes you to the top of the mountain via a ski-lift. The views were incredible and we loved the ride up and down. The highlight of the cruise for us were the new friends we made - we seemed to have had a group of us who would meet at the 3-card table -- we laughed, cheered each other on and had fun! In fact, some of our new friends are booking our next cruise with us so we can do it all again. The weather offered us some challenges, but nothing so bad that it spoiled any of us fun. There were more showers than we have experienced on previous cruises but you just make the best of what you are given. Our cabin was incredible - we had received a call from the upgrade fairy/upsell fairy a few days before the cruise offering us a Grand Suite instead of the Ocean Suite we had booked. The price was right so we jumped on it - it was wonderful to be right in the center of the ship - everything easily accessible. Odum kept everything fresh and was a joy! The food was great - we opted to be careful and not go off our diets - this too was accomplished. We are both doing Atkins and I found we could easily accommodate our needs both at the lido and in the dining room. We opted for My Time Dining as we like to eat dinner when we are hungry, not on a set schedule. The Freedom offered everything we expected and more, she is bigger than I personally like, but wonderful fun just the same.