Carnival Freedom Review

A Big Surprise!

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Freedom
User Avatar
mckennasit
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Aug 2009

I love crusing...this was our tenth on Carnival...and our overall 24th....When I book a cruise, I always go and check out the reviews on cruise critic...just to get an idea...most of them were good, but some talked about the gawdy decorations and food being terrible and shows...WELL...it turns out that this was a big surprise...This cruise was wonderful....Since we live in the Tampa area, we drove to fort lauderdale....the parking is right next to the ship...and we drove into this line..dropped our luggage off and then parked...what a great idea!!..since this was our tenth on carnival...we got into the VIP line....ahead of about 500 or more trying to get on the same time...we still had to wait about 20 min...not bad...the one thing that really bothered me was that fact that if you do not give seperate credit cards on the carnival website, they put you both under cash, and they can not change it there, you have to change it onboard?...WHAT???..this is really stupid carnvial...I had to put me and my companion on my credit card...and then we had to change when we got on board...we were informed we had only 24hrs to do this...I do not like giving my credit card info online...so in the past, when we arrive at the ship, I give my credit card, and he gives his....I guess the rules have changed...this was the worst part of the trip...so I am not going to spend anymore time....we got to our room, inside deck 7...it was wonderful..put our bags down and had lunch...THis ship is beautiful...gawdy?....I just didn't see it at all..its wonderful...the food was excellent...we ate most breakfast on the lido deck...we did go to the posh dining room for one breakfast and one lunch...otherwise, the buffet had soooo many varieties....grill, mexican, indian, sandwhiches, and more....the dining was wonderful...sat with 5 other folks and made friends...the food was good as well...maybe not 5 star quality...but in the very good category....everyone, the waiters, room stewards, casino....were very friendly...but the best was the cruise director...john heald...read his blog...johnhealdblog.com AT first i thought..oh great an old fat guy for a cruise director....and then the fun began..he is, without a question, THE BEST cruise director we have seen in the 24 cruises we have been on!!!...HE made everyone laugh with inviting folks up to the stage and just doing silly things...I won't give everything away here, but this guy could give david letterman a run for his money....the shows were also great...especially the tribute to the beatles....the adult comedy was funny as well....as far as the cruise excursions....we had been to cozumel sooo many times that we only went shopping here...we took the bus, train, boat tour for costa rico...it was OK....not much to see...but interesting....the 8hour tour of panama was well worth it....we had a great guide, they stopped for lunch...nothing to brag about here, but seeing the old panama with the new was nice and looking how the locks worked was interesting as well...all and all..this was a great cruise

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.