We recently had a family vacation on the Carnival Freedom. My husband and I went with some family members and friends. The Carnival terminal in Miami is much improved since our last Carnival cruise a couple of years ago. Since we had a mini suite- and completed our paper work on-line- we were able to pre board early and efficiently. We did however, had our carry on luggage as our rooms weren't ready when we boarded. We had a nice lunch on top deck- many choice and presentation was excellent. Our cabin was very nice- plenty of closet and drawer space. Our bathroom had two sinks a tub and was a reasonable size- not like the small inside cabins the comedians enjoy joking about. My only complaint was that instead of carnival shampoos, soaps, conditioners and the usual basket of goodies- they gave us "free samples" directly from the manufacturer- tacky- The pool deck didn't have enough shaded locations- people are concerned as to the rise in skin cancer and the cruise ships should have adequate shaded areas. Also, many smokers on the ship who smoked in non-smoking areas- but the staff ignored them. Usual selling all day- like an infomercial- we wanted to relax- but really couldn't at the main pool. They do have a rear pool which is quieter. Was surprised that the main pool which is very small didn't have an attached children's pool. No facilities for kids unless they go to the camp. We had early dinner at the posh restaurant- our waitress was very hard working and always smiling- she was great. The shops were okay- not spectacular. We did bring our laptop, and had access all over the ship. It is a good thing- because in order to get to the on-line room you had to walk though a cigar bar- unfortunate because they also serve a really nice english tea in the cigar bar each afternoon- but it really has an offensive odor if you don't smoke cigars, and holds people away- It amazes me how people don't understand how to properly dress- especially formal nights- I realize not every man owns or can afford to rent a tux- but some people made no effort to look like they were going to a formal party- Show some class- The speciality restaurant was really very good- we had dinner at the restaurant on our last night- Overall we really had a nice time- having previously gone on other Carnival Ships- I know what to expect.