Carnival Freedom Review

4.5 / 5.0
1,366 reviews

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Freedom
User Avatar
greenmanalishi
First Time Cruiser • Age 20s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2009
Traveled with children

I'm going to focus mostly on what happened on the Freedom, more than the ports. We went with our 12 year old daughter. It was clearly spring break for a lot of people, including us. Most of the kids on board were teens. This accounted for a lot of noise, chaos, and kids who aren't interested in following the rules. We saw a bunch of kids running around the dining areas with wet bathing suits and no shoes, which is supposedly a no no. We also had the usual kids running down the halls screaming and yelling at midnight or later.

The main area is the Lido deck, with the pool, water slide, big screen, and bar and grill area. Get a chair early in the day if you want one. One of the biggest complaints I've heard over the years still rings true: people put a towel on a chair or two, and it sits there for hours. It's annoying and sort of inconsiderate, considering there are 3000 people on board, and nowhere near that many lounge chairs. They have signs that say no saving chairs, but no one enforces that. The water slide wasn't open at all times, we couldn't figure out the schedule. If you get a soda card, be prepared to wait at one of the bars to get a drink. The bartenders don't seem in any hurry, especially if they see your soda card. So pull up a chair. Also, we got two cards for the cruise, and it was $78. So be prepared to suck down some Cokes to make it worth your while. Don't forget, there is a 15 percent tip added to every drink purchase, which is one of the biggest jokes of going on a cruise. During the day, there is a band up top, playing the same old steel drum songs you were tired of 20 years ago. Sort of hard to hear your ipod or get any peace and quiet with HOT HOT HOT blasting over the speakers. It was cool to watch a movie at night on the big screen, but the wind often makes it hard to hear. We tried to get someone to turn it up, but not too many employees are interested in making sure your complaints are fixed. They usually just pass the buck , or say something in another language that you don't really understand. Although, we watched the national championship college basketball game, and it was cranked up pretty high.

Our room was on floor number one, and it was an inside room. Pretty nice, with a bed that pulled down from the ceiling for our daughter. Our steward was alright. Mostly you see them once a day, and they nod and smile. The room was always clean. So that gets a thumbs up.

Cabin Review

previous reviewnext review

Find a Carnival Freedom Cruise from $239

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.