Because our family is spread throughout the US, this year, we decided to take a cruise together for Christmas. Our group consisted of my dad, in his late 60s, my sister and her husband (late 30s), and me, my husband, and our twin 13 year old sons. My dad selected the cruise based on the fact that it sailed from Galveston and fit in the kids' school break. None of us had cruised with Carnival before.
Our departure was delayed a few hours because of fog, but Carnival kept us updated with emails and texts. Despite this, the embarkation process was very smooth. Because we were boarding much later than normal, the dining and activity schedules were adjusted and we were given that information via announcements.
We stayed in a balcony cabin on the 6th level. It was our first time cruising with a balcony room and we loved it! The two other cabins in our group were ocean view on the 2nd level. Aside from the balcony, they all seemed about the same size. The room had so much storage--tons of closet and drawer space, and even the bathroom had shelving for everyone's toiletries. Because one of our sons was in our room, our sofa was converted to his bed for the trip. Our room steward, Wayan, was amazing! He introduced himself to us right away, recognized us and called us by name whenever we saw him on the ship, and made us feel very welcome. In fact, our whole family group agreed that compared to other cruises we've been on, the staff in general on Carnival Freedom was much more friendly, caring, and approachable than other cruises we've been on. It was a definite plus and gave the whole trip a friendly vibe.
Very well-organized to make the best use of space and maximize storage. Close, but not too close, to elevators, stairs, easy access to pools, dining, and comedy club. The only downside to our room was that it was directly above the 24 hour arcade--it didn't bother my husband, but I could hear the video game noise at night, so I started using ear plugs when I slept and that took care of the problem. Look at the decks plans when choosing a cabin to avoid this! I'll know next time.
Easy place to embark.