Although we have cruised many times, this was our 2 cruise with Carnival. But in short, we, as a Family, had a blast! The kids were highly entertained. Cozumel was super fun! I counted 8 Ships, but later noticed 2 more. Safe to say around 20 to 30 thousand people......The Island was packed. Everyone was having a great time. My husband and I have already booked our 33rd and 34th cruise with Royal in August 2020 and December 2020. Our 35th cruise in April 2021 with Princess. We have always in all our travels, practiced safe sanitizing...and have never, in all our cruising trips have ever gotten sick. I'm now in my late 50's and my husband in his late 60's. I will say how excited we were that on this Carnival cruise, the sanitizing Team Members were constantly cleaning hand rails, public bath rooms, casino slot machines, etc. All 8 family members returned home with no illness. The cruise industry can count on our support. Read Less

This was my first cruise and probably the last one. To start with when we arrived we were not told that the bags could be checked in and taken to the rooms when it was ready later. The room was not available until 2 pm. We had a check in time of 1130-1200. The service form the start was terrible. We were not informed of any of the events that were planned for the cruise. We missed the clue game, that ran for the entirety of the cruise. I am a disabled veteran and I was trying to get the priority boarding. I was not able to get this and even when I was there and talking to the Carnival representatives, the only answer is that we can get a wheel chair. This is not the issue. What i needed was time to be able to get on and off, not in the crush of people. A sign we should have recognized as the beginning of the worst vacation customer service we have ever had. The first 2 days the trip was miserable as you could not walk around without wobbling because the ship was so turbulent. There never was any announcement or mention as to what was going on, or saying that we apologize for the roughness and let us do something to make it better. The room was small and run down. The bed was supposed to be a king but would not pass for a queen. The remote would not work. The ship as a whole looked tire and rundown and in need of maintenance. The food was mediocre at best. The hot food was not hot and the cold food was not cold. The plates and silverware was often dirty. The tables were constantly dirty and we had to move the dishes and things so we could sit down. The tables when cleaned was with a cloth, no sanitation spray was used. The serves were touching their face with the gloves and not changing them before serving food. Even the Posh Restaurant was simply OK. All of the steak was choice steak not prime rib or otherwise stated. To find clean silverware you had to check at least 4 sets. Overall not memorable food, even Guy's Burger Bar was not that good or up to my food standards. The best meal of the trip ended up being the BBQ place. Even that was simply OK. The pool was very small and always packed with kids. The kids were in the hot tub constantly and getting them dirty with orbees and other items just thrown in the hot tubs. When this was brought to the stewards attention, there was nothing done about it. There were teenagers running around throughout the ship at all hours of the day. The shore excursions was another aspect of disappointment. The one had a snorkeling session. The session was less than 45 minutes and then they were worried about getting us back to the shops. The focus seemed to be about shopping and not the excursion and some shopping on the side. It seemed to be that the on-board shopper was getting some money back for getting us into the stores as that was the primary focus for 2 of the 3 excursions. That is truly not what we were vacationing for. Once back on the ship we talked to guest services. The excursion manager was quite rude and explained that all of the excursions with water activities was 15-45 minutes. This was not in the magazine description whatsoever. Cleanliness was also a disappointment. My children went to Camp Ocean once and only once. There was over 1500 kids there. There was 2 attendants for over 70 children 6-8 years old. There were several that threw up due to sea sickness. The way they cleaned it up was by placing a towel over the spots. There was limited activities, no drinks or snacks. It took us almost 2 hours in line to pick them up afterwards. Smoke was also an issue. There was smoking on level 5 of the ship. You could still smell it several decks above. All of the music and entertainment, pictures and so on was on this level. This was extremely disappointing as we like to play games and listen to music. Something you could not do without putting up with second hand smoke the entire time. We were also conned by the on-board shopper. The man could pass for a modern day snake oil salesman. All of the savings that he supposedly had lined up were lies. We never received them even with the coupons. Also after the shore excursions were completed he conveniently disappeared for the remainder of the cruise home. When addressed with guest services we were told that we would have to speak to corporate. They simply passed the buck and did not care. The final insult to this disappointing trip was the debarkation process. We were all kicked out or our rooms at 830 am. We were then told to stay on the 5th floor or the 9th floor. They also did not limit the smoking for this process. so the smokers were puffing away. I am sensitive to this and it causes my sinuses to become swollen and painful. I would not use carnival if you value your health, happiness, money, or time. They do not care and are only looking to make money and your need and desires comes dead last. Read Less

This was my first cruise. I had a good trip, even with the changes caused by the corona virus. The food was very plentiful and the varieties seemed endless. There was dinning for every type, from the burger joint to the verrrry formal. Like what you saw on pictures of the movie THE TITANIC. The restaurant staff was very polite and tables were always available. The dinning times kept your eating times regular. The stewards I can not say enough good about them. Seemed to be there when ever needed, every time you turned around, but not intrusive. The live entertainment was good and there seemed to be something for all interests. The excursions : since things were changed by the virus, I will not say much about then except that for last minute arrangements were good considering the time allowed. Shipboard activities were available if you had the sense to take advantage of them. Since the itinerary was changed every cabin received $200 back. Totally unexpected. As a summery I would give this cruise a rating of 9.5. Granted I have on other cruises to compare the cruise with. All though I am no longer a neophyte. The Doing Listener --- No kids -- Party of four -- Do it again -- Middle age ---- ! Read Less

The last dinner (Valentine’s Day) with my family was almost ruined by our waiter... He forgot a lot of items ordered and got most of the Entrées completely wrong. He was too busy talking to the table full of ladies instead of giving his full attention to our table. But other than that everyone (expect for the last waiter) on the ship was great. Rooms were clean, Hallways were clean, and Restrooms in the main lobby areas were clean. The Cruise Director TJ was awesome!!! His personality is incredible. If TJ’s name is on the Cruise Ship Details while planning our next Cruise Vacation, it will make it way much to say YES!!! and book it! My wife and I enjoyed his Lip Sync Battle performance. I was hilarious! We booked 2 Excursions through Carnival and 2 Massages. The Excursions were great! 1 of the 2 Massages was great. I will never book a Swedish Massage again. Debarking was a bit of a hassle which made us late to pick up our four-legged child from where we had him boarded. But I will be booking another cruise soon! Read Less

Just complete a 7 day cruise on the Carnival Freedom, Feb, 2nd-9th 2020 this was my 3rd cruise on the Freedom. The Freedom is beginning to show it age the upper deck track need to be resurfaced, I notice several area where what appear to be some sort of access panel where rise or maybe the painted surface was loose. Freedom TV was not great, it was hard to hear announcement, while in the room I had to open the door and listen, I choose the mid price internet service and it worked very good had no problem connecting . I notice that coffee was always piping hot in the morning and only warn after 8:pm maybe it was just me seem to me as if they was try to save energy and l lower the temperature of the coffee pot at night. The safe in my room would lock; I did not complaint to my room. Steward Andri. I have cruised on the Vista and like the way I could check my account on my TV in my room at any time. This would be a great improvement the next time the Freedom goes into dry dock .My room was mid-ship 2375,My Toilet was little tricky to flush, Had push the right spot, Each night I would hear a sound that sound like some was moving furniture over a wooden floor. Several nights I could see a rope outside of my window however I never saw it during the daylight hour, additionally we could hear a popping or slapping sound as if the wind blowing against something that was tie down like a tarp or the net over the basketball court. My group had several rooms on this hallway starting at 2363 ,2367,2375,2387 and 2389 and we all could these noise during the night and was not able tell what it was and where it was coming from. Room 2363 is next to a mechanical room and stayed the engineers may several attempts to bring the temperature down. We spoke with another guest who was having the same problem with her room; final solution was adding fans to the rooms. We all had a good time on this cruise but have decided not to book another cruise on the Freedom. I could like say that we had a great room steward his name was Andri all the members in my group was very please with Andri and his helper I do not remember her name but they great. Andi would assist my wife getting in and out of our room if I or other members of my group was not present. My wife uses a scooter on this cruise and really appreciated his help when she needs it. Read Less

My husband and I went on a 7 day cruise to get away from everyday life as to relax.our bathroom was very dirty,, it smelled of urine. The couch was peach in color and you could see the dirt on the edge as soon as we went into the room. I use Clorox wipes on the floor in restroom which were brown and the couch was the same. After the clean up by myself it was much better. I don’t know what kind of cleaning standard they have but it was gross. The balcony was filthy as well. They came to clean it on our 6 th day on the cruise.. the dining was at a table with 4 other couples,which gave me anxiety the first evening. Not very romantic as I was planning on a one on one date with my husband. The couples were nice and we did have good food,just didn’t expect to have to set with strangers on my vacation. Then we asked someone that worked on the ship where the comedy club was located , this man was rude and condescending .we felt like he didn’t have any desire to help us out. When we got to the show, the same man that was so rude was the director of the comedy show. The food was good ,the entertainment was good , but the dirty room and the rude man really made us feel like carnival might not be for us. Read Less

My husband and I booked last minute for this cruise. We literally had the last outside Jr.Suite. The room was clean and too comfortable:) We were greeted at IAH by the Carnival transfer represented (very pleasant) and organized. Comfortable one hour bus ride(took a nap). Arrived where our luggage was taken promptly to the ship. The smoothest check in no hassles. We were greeted with champagne as we boarded. At check in the representative advised us that the cabin and our bags will be ready the latest 3pm. While wait we could get lunch and more champagne.So many places to eat on board and all of it was great! Adinta Yulinda / team head waitress always had a smile on her face that you can tell was genuine. She is so personable and treated us with such kindness. We could wait to see her at dinner time her smile was so infectious. She has such a personality. Tinton Apriyanto Wijaksono / team waiter would swoop in and make sure we had what we needed from the bar and always with a warm smile. My husband enjoyed talking to him. He is a really nice person. Last but not least Manisha Pradhan/ asst. team waitress she completed the team. Simply an asset to the Carnival crew they worked seamlessly together. They made us feel that we were the only ones they were serving in a very busy dining room. The entire wait staff put on a dance performance in the dining that also included the guest everyone had a great time! Mario / Maitre D went out of his way to make sure he set my husband up with his beloved buttermilk every morning and evening with Nyoman Widyanata “Nata” for short at the Blue Iguana Catina. Mario always checked on us at dinner. We enjoyed exchanging stories of his culture and family. They made us feel like part of their family. TJ/ cruise director was so funny. The Punchliner Club was hilarious. The best comedy on land or sea. Not sure if this good or bad, but bartender knew my name and my drink, lol. Loved the specialty coffee shop (every morning and evening) did not miss Star****s at all. The 88 show dedicatedto Billy Joel was outstanding. I loved the Serenity area and adult only jacuzzis. I am really hlad we bought the “cheers package” really convenient. We also had the opportunity to meet Sylvia/ beverage operations supervisor. She is so knowledgeable and super individual. I am not a whiskey drinker, but my husband is. Sylvia invited us to the Mixology class and it was so much fun. I really enjoyed the class. The excursions were well worth it. We did the VIP Beach Escape in Cozumel definitely recommend it. In Belize we did the Mayan ruins and cruise that was a lot of fun and the guides were very informative. Lastly, in Mahogany Bay, Honduras we went to French Key Private beach. I would highly recommend this it was so relaxing with water sports if you wanted to do it or absolutely nothing. It is so beautiful. The crew was so welcoming. The cruise and crew are outstanding. This is not my first cruise and I am ready to book next year. Read Less

Unfortunately the Ship, or whom-ever decided to have the "Meet N' Greet" on a strange date ( last Sea Day) and also at the 6:00 PM Dining Time. We had early dining and it was Elegant Night, with Prime Rib and Lobster ..... GUESS which one we went to . The rest of the Cruise was wonderful - with a great Cruise Director - "T.J." ........ and the Shows were the best we have ever seen on a CCL Cruise !!! The Food was awesome, and the Service in the Main Dining Room was wonderful to say the least, as our Waiter, "ETHEL" was the best !!! We loved Key West, and enjoyed the Bahamas, (but not so much) still pretty trashy and loads of beggars, etc. The shops were all the same stuff, and we did not do much there except walk around - no tours, and just went back to the ship. All in all, it was a great Cruise as we do like Key West, and this was just to get away from the cold and relax for a week. (# 39 for us) Read Less

We were already scheduled on the Freedom for 22 December with family, but found a suite on the 15 December cruise and decided to make it a back-to-back. Luckily it was a fantastic choice. We've sailed Carnival before and had some good and some not so good experiences, but dang. Things have changed. I'll say up front that I don't know if the great changes are company-wide or if it's just on the Freedom, but Carnival has really upped their game. From check-in to debarkation, we couldn't have been more pleased. Well, perhaps if one of the lady passengers hadn’t already been so drunk when we did the muster drill that she spilled the ample contents of her stomach all over the deck and the passengers unlucky enough to be standing near her, that might have started us out a little better. But the crew handled it perfectly and that was that. The cabins on both cruises were clean, well-kept and spacious (7299 on the first cruise and 7262 on the second). The Grand Suite was the biggest room we've ever had on a ship before and the Ocean Suite on the second half of the cruise was more than adequate. The Grand Suite even had a jetted tub, something I used several times with much enjoyment. Cabin stewards in both were great, but Putu was outstanding on the second voyage we took. More importantly, Carnival treats you as a suite guest even if you're not in their largest suites. We cruised Royal Caribbean in April of this year and had a Junior Suite. They don't consider the Junior Suite a suite, regardless of what they call it. That was disappointing, and it was great to not have a similar experience with Carnival. The first sailing had ports of call in Cozumel, Belize and Roatan, but due to a very strong, fast-moving cold front we were only able to port in Cozumel prior to the front's arrival. After the front passed, we had 10-20 foot seas and 50+ knot winds - gale conditions. First off, the ship handled beautifully. We could tell there was adverse weather outside, but skillful navigation and decision making by Captain Costi gave us a great ride. We did not port at either Belize (no shore excursions planned) or Roatan (a sailing shore excursion planned). One negative comment here - we tried to discuss the situation with the Shore Excursion folks, but the fool behind the desk actually said "I have no idea what you're talking about." when we were discussing the gale conditions. I know there's money on the line with them, but it seemed when there was bad news to be passed, the Shore Excursion people would simply disappear. And when you could find them, those we found were completely unresponsive to any adverse conditions. Anyway, shore excursion money was always immediately refunded to our onboard account and we could then cash that out with the Guest Services desk or spend it as we saw fit. While discussing Guest Services, I'll say that one of our (new) suitcases was damaged when it arrived to our room. I believed that because there was no way of knowing who had damaged it or when the damage occurred there was nothing we could do about it. While being escorted to Customs during the middle Sunday of the cruise for the back-to-back, I mentioned the only issue we'd had yet was the damaged luggage to Shineca (Guest Services). She told me to bring the broken suitcase down to them and they would see what they could do. I was amazed, and told her my thoughts about not knowing who had damaged the suitcase. She was unfazed and said it didn't really matter. When we got back on the ship I took the suitcase down and talked to Tin, Guest Services manager. He took the item and told me they would see if they could get it repaired in Cozumel (3rd stop on the 2nd cruise). If not, they would find a replacement for us. After Cozumel, they called and I returned to Guest Services to find a brand new rolling suitcase, slightly smaller than the original that had been damaged. Because of the size difference, they offered us an additional new bag to make up the difference. Since I felt the difference was not that large and we could make do with just the one, I opted to just take only one suitcase. Tin found me a few minutes later and wanted me to take the second bag. He felt they weren't doing their best to provide us with only the single suitcase because it was slightly smaller. It was a bit difficult to convince him one bag was sufficient, that they should keep the second for another mishap. Really outstanding service. While I’m talking about Guest Services, I’ll also say that Karin was always smiling, even through the worst of the weather and the crush of disappointed guests after 2 ports were bypassed for safety. Her laugh and her enthusiasm absolutely represented Carnival as any corporation would love. Rodelisa was also helpful throughout. All-in-all, a fantastic crew in Guest Services, and I’d like to think they were being watched for promotions. I’d also like to think we’ll run into Karin again on other cruises because she’s so great to work with. At the atrium bar, Prakash and Nipa were also always there, always smiling. You might not know it, but when you cancel a port of call for weather, every one of the ship’s crew gets pressed into duty for the unscheduled sea day. This happened twice on this cruise (and we’ve never ever missed a port for weather before this cruise). Prakash and Nipa, no exception to that rule, were completely professional, always smiling and not fazed at all. You couldn’t tell they were operating on less sleep and less personal time. Really outstanding folks. As for the entertainment, I can’t speak to a lot of it. We were transfixed by a single act for both cruises. The Cats String Trio was easily and by-far the best cruise ship entertainment I’ve seen in 20+ years on the water. These three ladies, two from Ukraine and one from Bulgaria, play electronic violins in unison and there really isn’t any way to describe how fantastic their music is. We had plans to check out most of the other shows and performers, but somehow ending up listening to their beautiful music again and again. I’d go so far as to say that if I knew they were going to be on a ship for a potential cruise, their being there would sway my decision. Finally, the Captain and his staff. To say this week’s cruise was challenging would be an understatement. When the front caught up to us as we sailed south from Cozumel, it was a monster. I’ve been a weather geek as long as I can remember and this storm was impressive on many levels. I’ve also never been on a ship when the waves were this tall and the wind this strong. That 50 knots I spoke of was not just wind across the deck, added to by ship’s speed. It was a pure 50 knots, yet some of the guests simply could not understand why we were not going into the ports. I understand the disappointment of booking a cruise with 3 ports and missing 2 due to weather, but some of these guests were simply unable to comprehend the effects wind and waves have on a massive ship. Even in Roatan where a large part of the island had lost power in the storm, people were still angry we were not docking. It’s hard to explain reality to those fine folks. However, Captain Costi did have a Question and Answer session in the main theater, and he handled the questions beautifully. He defused an angry mob and skillfully handled the guests that seemed to want their cruise costs fully refunded because they couldn’t understand the difference between comfort and safety. And I’ll add that the next day was the day the Glory and the Legend collided in Cozumel under strong winds. But as the saying goes, you can’t fix stupid and some people still left unhappy. Captain Costi worked with Carnival headquarters in Miami and found an unscheduled port for Friday though – Costa Maya. It wasn’t a great port for shore excursions and we didn’t stay that late, but it did allow people to get off the boat for a while after being in such bad weather. Again, kudos to the crew and Carnival for making the best of a bad situation. Food. Back to the April 2019 cruise on Royal, it seemed everything was an additional charge, including room service. On these 2 weeks, the dining room staff was very good though the food wasn’t all that memorable. However, Carnival has multiple other venues with really fantastic food and without additional charges like Royal did. Guy’s Burgers, The Blue Iguana, the Deli, the Omelet Station/Mongolian BBQ and the barbecue counter were all incredible. We often chose the dining room for the atmosphere (and elegant nights), but were just as happy in the other venues. Speaking of Elegant Nights (ex-Formal Nights), almost no one wears a tuxedo anymore. There probably weren’t more than 5 tuxedoes on the entire ship. Just FYI. I don’t know if the percentage is greater on other lines… Just one downside to the cruise, not a them deal-breakers but I wish it would be addressed. The casino deck, Deck 5 on the Freedom, was like walking through an ashtray. This is 2019 and I know there are better smoke scrubbers than the Freedom is using. Everything on Deck 5 smelled like smoke, even bars that were away from the casino. We tried going into the Red Frog Pub (which by the way had the only unfriendly crew on the ship) to watch the college playoff games. Stunk. And as an aside, I don’t understand why the playoff games couldn’t be shown on the big screen by the center pool if they could be shown in two of the smallest bars. We were told they didn’t have the license to show it – but how can it be on it the bars if that’s true? Oh well, OU lost, and it didn’t matter much after the first quarter. Disembarking today was a breeze. I don’t know if all Carnival boats now follow the same procedures, but if they do not, they should. The Fun Crew was mostly in charge of herding us around and they did a wonderful job. Everything was logical and flowed perfectly, clearing the ship in no time at all. Best yet seen for that. Overall, we were very impressed from start to finish with Carnival. So as soon as I finish this review, I’m going to begin looking at another Carnival cruise. Well done to the entire Carnival Freedom crew. Read Less

This was a short 6-day cruise from Galveston to Costa Maya, Roatan and Cozumel, with two days at sea. The bright spots first: 1) food overall was very good - and a complete surprise to us 2) staff in the restaurants and cabin were very good 3) cabin size was very good and was comfortable 4) the live band in the Red Frog Pub was great Now the Bad: 1) entertainment in the main ballroom was basically very bad 2) time in each port was very short - even though we had plenty of time between ports 3) my complaints to guest services about people smoking on an upwind balcony fell on deaf ears 4) food in the Seafood Shack was very bad (fish & chips was not cooked long enough) 5) disembarkation process was horribly slow - taking almost 3 hours 6) the Costa Maya port is a joke and not worth stopping at The ship has lots of kids, but the area in the aft of the ship has a pool, two hot tubs and a bar for adults. An average cruise that will probably appeal to the average person Read Less

i didn't enjoy my time on the ship there was nothing to do no party on the boat the club was not good the d.j didn't play music that made you want to dance after an hour and he didn't take request I left.I had more fun at the ports then I had on the ship. The lines for breakfast,lunch and dinner was to long of a wait I ate the same breakfast every day.My housekeeper did not clean mt room good at all he left trash and dirty glasses in the room the trash bag stayed there the whole trip will not be cruising on this ship for a long time my cruise I will be trying the royal caribbean cruise line. you guys need to have more fun thing to do i could no enjoy the hot tub for all the children playing in wanted to relax but that did't happen Read Less

Nothing better to me than Carnival and Freedom is my all time favorite,. I've sailed 4 times this last year. Once on Carnival Vista, however nice, Freedom is my choice how the crew remembers me and always makes you feel so welcomed.. The food is worth every cent, the entertanment is always amazing. Would like to sail to different places, but can only leave out of Galveston. When we had a power outage, the Captain and the crew made us feel at ease. We were dining at the time, instead of a panic we were enjoying entertainment. Finished our meal with the back-up lights and still had an amazing evening. We sailed on the July 4th Cruise, that was done that made my heart so full of pride to be an American. The respect that they showed our veterans and the way we got to show them how much we appreciate what they have done for our Country. Thank you so much Carnival Cruise line,I will always be your cruiser. Read Less

Graduation celebration cruise for the kids - our 2nd cruise and won't be our last. Embarkation in Galveston was fantastic again. Drop off to on deck in under an hour. The Freedom was nice but we all preferred the Valor more (just a more beautifully decorated and themed ship despite the same layout). Service, food, and entertainment were all good. Nothing stood out as fantastic or negative, just good overall value. The only real complaints would be occasional foul smells by the elevators on the main deck. (2nd level) and the washers/dryers not working. Booked transportation in advance and went snorkeling at Doctor's Cave Beach in Montego Bay. Great value and looks just like a postcard. Did the Sea Turtle Excursion in Grand Cayman. It was enjoyable but not nearly the experience we were anticipating. Fun but a little let down. Shopping in Cozumel is always good. Absolutely ready for another! Read Less

There were so many wrong things about this cruise...where to begin? Let me start with the positive. Our cabin steward, Wejaya and his assistant Anna were great! They kept the room sparkling clean, with fresh ice and a new towel animal every day. Our room was on Lido deck, close to the buffet areas and pools. Anna and Wejaya worked hard from dawn to dark but were always pleasant and greeted us personally. Our cruise was 14 days from Galveston and honestly, it took that long to learn the layout of the ship. A map in the room would have helped, but there were only the maps at the elevators to guide us through the maze. All floors do not connect. For instance, to get to the Posh Dining Room on level 3 or 4, you must cut through another floor such as the casino floor (deck 5) and then take stairs or elevator. After this experience, I will not cruise on another ship with disconnecting floors! Speaking of the casino, the slots were fairly loose the first night. After that, slot hits were few and far between. At the disembarkation talk near the end of our trip, the Cruise Director asked “anyone have a big win in the casino?” Dead silence overtook the room and Not a single hand went up! Also, be sure to check your folio frequently as we had drinks charged to us which we did not purchase! Food Service: The Lido buffet was always busy. Food choices were so-so. After one breakfast of floppy undercooked bacon and runny scrambled eggs, we usually ate breakfast in the dining room. Breakfast in the MDR is good but service is terribly slow. Some days we waited nearly an hour to receive our food. The BBQ restaurant just above the Lido deck is ver6 good and the line moves quickly. Dinner in the MDR (Posh) was usually a disaster. Even though we had an assigned dining time, the wait staff repeatedly requested our names. Drinks were not usually refilled unless we asked. One evening husband and I both ordered steaks, both medium well. One was cooked correctly but the other was extremely undercooked. We asked the waiter to take it back and that was the last we saw of it! Guess we didn’t make it clear that we wanted it back after it was put back on the grill! Two nights later, husband ordered steak tacos for dinner. Most of the meat was inedible gristle with a bone! Again, we returned it to our waiter who said she would show it to the chef. The maitre’d came to our table with a plate of muffins and an apology. Gee, thanks! My entree on our last night was shrimp with penne pasta. The shrimp was fine but the pasta was severely undercooked, tough, starchy and inedible. If you are lactose sensitive, good luck finding a dessert without a lot of cream. Although the cakes are delicious, all are heavily decorated with whipping cream type frosting. Fruit pies were only offered on the two last cruise dinners! Almost every single dinner ended with the announcement of “It’s Showtime!” at which time the wait staff would sing and dance around the room. Once a cruise is definitely enough entertainment and many of the guests felt the same way we did, bolting for the exit at this announcement! Carnival, please update your inroom phone system! The shore excursion desk does not answer their phone after 7 pm and the phone system directs you to reserve your excursions through the interactive TV. There is no interactive TV! The phone option to check port times was totally incorrect and had the itinerary for a prior cruise, not the current cruise! Speaking to our fellow cruisers, many were of the same opinion, and had experienced the same issues as we did. We are not “foodies” and don’t expect 5-star meals, just something Tasty and edible. On the bright side I did lose 2 pounds on this cruise, thanks to the awful food! We are “Gold” Carnival members, this being our fourth cruise and second “Journey” cruise. Our Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle meeting was not scheduled until Day #12 of this 14 day cruise. Hey, Carnival: The purpose of Meet and Mingle is to get to know your fellow cruisers. We do not plan to cruise with Carnival again. As many of our fellow cruisers stated: “Enough is enough!” Read Less

My husband and I have cruise with Carnival many many times never a bad cruise. All though there are things that can be done defiantly our vacation was amazing. Embarkation was easy with no issues got right on the ship we were early for our embarkation there was no problems. Disembarkation was a slap in the face that our vacation was over ( not Carnivals fault) we were in line for 2 and half hours going through customs not sure why it took so long but it was tuff. Ship was what we excepted we have been on this class of ship many times. I was keep very clean. We had an extended Balcony as we wanted to get the whole experience of the Panama Canal, it was great, two chairs,two lounge chairs, and a table. The best part of the experience on the ship was the Alchemy Bar, our bartenders Jakub, Katia and Illan were the best we have come across in all of our 14 cruises. They made you feel like you were walking into their home and welcomed you that way every time you sat down. Their acknowledgment when you came to the bar and their way of making each drink their own was what made this experience unique. Cant say enough about them!!! Entertainment was very good some better than others but for the most part enjoyable. Food on the other hand was not great, we did go to the steak house not what we were use to on other ships (service felt like they were short handed) so when my side of potato's were cold I didn't want to bother them. MD was not great either some nights ok some night not good, service was good though. Buffett food about what we are use to not bad not great Deli was really good, the paid Sea Food Shack was very good ( price very reasonable) also the Sushi was worth the price . Blue Iguana was good. All and All a great trip Read Less

People from the freedom treated us like family. our server ricky at the chic restaurant has been perfect. we didn't miss a show. we dance a lot and we can tell that the cast on the ship were outstanding. jade and matthew the dancers are beautiful to see and pleasant to speak, there is a violin trio called accidental strings trio. we did many cruises and never we saw violin players like that. these guys are amazing. they can adjust their music with the kind of audience. this is unusual. most of the bands are in their routine and doesn't change . We had so much fun hearing them and dancing on their music thye are the best of the seven seas! finally all your personnel are warm and friendly. a very good mention to jennilyn the hostess at the chic restaurant, always kind and smiling. 29 days on the freedom was too short. WE WILL NEVER FORGET THIS EXPERIENCE THANK YOU Read Less

I chose this cruise because it was going to different places that I had not been to before. Getting on the ship was easy! Dropped off the luggage and walked on board, total time, less than an hour! Had lunch at Guy's Burger, it was an average lunch. Suitcase was already at the room before we went to the room. We were in cabin 6201, the room itself is nice. In a quiet area of the ship (nice for sleeping) it has a beautiful view and a larger area to walk outside and watch where the ship is going. FOOD: The dining area gave me the feeling of being entirely closed in, the tables separated by tall semi walls. The food was mostly average, however, the local picks that are added were very interesting. The jerk pork loin, very tasty. Breakfast in the dining room was a very different experience, food was hot and good. Room was open and you could actually see out to the water. Lunches were hit and miss, depending on where you eat at. The BBQ place was hot and had plenty of food if you wanted to taste everything. The taco place had two lines, one with tacos, beef, chicken and fish, the other with burritos. Lunch at the buffet was always interesting, but food went quick and they close very early whether or not everyone is finished. We went on 2 excursions: The Sea and See in Mahogany Bay was the best of the lot, the glass window underwater boat was perfect way to see all things under water, then we went shopping in several different areas, we did go to the rum cake shop and the chocolate factory. The 2nd one in Belize, the ruins and the river boat one. The ruins were different, but after using a complete can of bug repellent between the two of us we were ready to leave. The river boat might have been nice but we got stuck in a downpour! The driver did try and point animals out to us but it was hopeless (the rain NOT THEIR FAULT). Now lets talk about the SPA! The services I received were awesome, HOWEVER, they can not get their billing right, I was charged twice for one service, to much for 2nd one. It took 4 trips to the SPA to get it right and one trip to guest services to get it right. I would not suggest using them unless you have plenty of spare time and you keep a close look on your account. I will repeat though, this is not the fault of the actual people working there for you! The shows that the crew performed AVERAGE. The comedy show AVERAGE The trivia games, fun but AVERAGE The adult pool area was full of kids (not in the pool) but everywhere else. There was no one there from the crew to not let them in, just a sign saying 18 or older. SO AVERAGE TRIP, AVERAGE SHIP. I will trying a different cruise line next time. Read Less

We normally cruise Royal. We've been wanting to see the Bahamas and like departing from Galveston because we can drive there easily, so we thought we would try Carnival. We traveled with four other families for a total of 15 people. Carnival does some things better. We liked the food, the kids club, and the entertainment were all impressive compared to Royal. The ship layout is horrible though. The buffet was disappointing and the volume of the music and PA on the pool deck made conversation impossible. Even our kids wanted to leave after the music got cranked up. Royal has better onboard ship features and activities. This ship had problems with sewage, water pressure, and air conditioning. My biggest complaint was the smoke from the casino poured out into decks 3,4 and 5 where all the activities and clubs were. My biggest compliment goes to the crew. Everyone was very nice and helpful. I was impressed that even the stage show performers seemed to enjoy interacting with the passengers. That was something I have never seen from Royal. Will probably still prefer Royal over Carnival, but might give them a try on one of their newer ships. Read Less

I chose this sailing for smaller ship size and ports. The service for the past few cruises has declined due to massive cutbacks in personnel. This effects the customer and turnover rates. This last sailing, I actually got a steward who verbally insulted me, made up the room only twice in one week, never brought the one item we asked for (ice), left our clothes at the laundry (we sent out 2 bags) for half our sailing. Leaving us dirty clothes to wear for half the week. Turnaround is supposed to be same day. We called down to laundry and were told they were ready same day but stew "forgot" to pick them up. Service in MDR - forgot what we ordered every single night. Only 4 at the table. MDR not busy. Cabin: toilet not flushing on arrival. Fridge DOA. Service in casino - more often than not - had to go to bar and get it myself. One guy tipped a waiter $100 bill just to make sure he would get service that night. Found out Carnival now only gives free vouchers for free cruise if you're in the top 5-10% of "whales" spending in casino. One guy I met spent 30,000 and didn't get one..he got free drinks in casino. That's it. So the little guy and the middle income people..unless you are one of the ever increasing few that gets incredibly lucky..u get nothing but maybe free alcohol. The rich will get the comps. Food was just ok overall. Embarkation was horrible. It was searing hot. A 2 plus hour wait in the heat without water (you're not allowed to have water in bags to get on this cruise line to go through scanners). People were dropping bc of heat..While Royal Caribbean stood outside handing out ice water to its customers..knowing it was too hot for them to be out there without some hydration. Shore excursions not booked through Carnival. I'm done with Carnival. Never ever again. Read Less

the trip started out badly when we got a notification that our credit card was hit for $200 by Carnival before we even left on the trip. What! Called and told this was 'normal'. Requested a handicap cabin for spouse, It was a standard cabin with a normal shower stall but had a pull down seat. Had to take handles off scooter to get thru door. A foot high step to get into bathroom and a step (normally a ramp) to access balcony. Had to get a chair removed so we could even move in cabin with scooter in cabin. You'll love this one. the cabin safe require a credit card or drivers license to open/close. No, they didn't charge for use, but if we used my license and wife wanted in safe and I'm out on the ship somewhere, she would have to hunt me down to open safe. Instead of using the cabin key (used for everything else, rigtht?). Oh, and lockers in the gym were keypad, 4 digit open/close. DUH@ New rule: ship can't leave until all CPAP users verify they have them in their possession. They called the cabin 7 times asking if we had the CPAP. Each time the answer was the same, haven't received luggage yet we'll call you when it arrives. Oh,, and be prepared to pay for the needed distilled water. Good luck for lunch. The Lido buffet is not open for lunch. Also, stops serving dinner at 9:30 PM So no cookies/desserts post show time. Grab em early and put in room. Grand Cayman is a tender port which is usually no issue, especially if you have a carnival booked excursion. Wrong. We were on our own to catch a tender in time to meet our excursion on the dock. Crazy! Okay, good stuff. booked excursions at all three ports and everyone of them was wonderful. The dining room experience for dinner was very good. Never had to wait for a table using anytime dining. Service was excellent. variety of food was exceptional, Quality of food was good. Cabin service was excellent. However, the one time we ordered breakfast, it arrived an hour early. Somewhat inconvenient, but better than an hour late. Read Less

We choose this cruise to go with another couple that this was their first cruise. The ship was looking good inside and out after the dry dock. We had an ocean suite on the 7th floor. Room was nice, lots of room and storage. We were a bit surprised that the suite did not have a bathtub as the suites do on the bigger ships. Still had a nice big shower, but the wife really like a tub to soak in. We did the first night dining in the steak house which was very good. Service was very good. Food was great but there was a lot of food and we all over ate. The first night in the main dining room, level 3, early dining, was ok, food was good but the service was a bit slow. We were there 30 min. before we even got water and the breads. I did overhear a large group next to us complain that they had been waiting for over an hour for service. The place was full and they were very busy, so I think it might have been some new staff members. We only dining the main dining room once more and this second time the service was much better. The entertainment was very good but on the last night there was a power outage that affected the whole ship and they could not get the special effects to work in the theater so the performers just sang and danced as best they could given the short notice. We have two more cruises booked on the Freedom and are looking forward to those. Read Less

This was our 24th cruise on Carnival and would rate this one of the best!!! We like the size of the freedom. The crew was top notch,always happy and speaking to us in a happy manor. We found the food in main dinning room to be very good, and the service to be outstanding. We have cruised on the Carnival Vista 4 times this year as well, the Freedom we find is a much better ship, there are a few things we wish the Freedom had that the Vista has, but overall would choose the Freedom over Vista. We wish Carnival would make the casino NO smoking, the smoke was not nearly as bad as on the Vista. My wife and I are ex smokers but find the smoke very hard to tolerate. The service in main dinning room was far better than any ship we have been on in the past hew years. The only draw back was the steak house, the food was great, service was very poor. We judge the steak house in comparison to past experiences, we have eaten in carnival steak houses well over 40 times,and due to cut backs by Carnival, it has become not a great experience as it once was. Read Less

We had a cabin on deck 8 and it was a balcony. We went to Costa Maya, Roatan, and Cozumel. Embarkation was fast and easy. Arvin was the best steward ever. He helped us with water, extra pillows, mattress pad, and kept things clean. We only requested service once a day because we tend to be in and out of our cabin a lot, and he was great about keeping things tidy while we were away. We got to enjoy towel animals regularly even though we were only traveling with adult kids. No matter the age, we still enjoy the fun stuff! Very nice man! The cruise director and her staff were probably the best we've ever experienced. Emma and Laylay and the gang were lots of fun. Make your way to the atrium lobby for music and dancing (ignore that it says music trivia; it is really about a party time). We loved the Clue game, but we arrived a couple of minutes late to the first event and didn't get all the instructions or starting "book". I tried to check in with the staff about it, but apparently there were not enough copies. I asked about it but I guess I was misunderstood. It would be nice to add the instructions for the game to the hub so that people can join in. There seemed to be enough clues available at the cafe, but one of the in person clues was during our dinner, so we didn't get that one (8:15 first night). My 20 year old enjoyed the clues and the daily sudoku.The hasbro game and love and marriage were really fun to watch. I only saw one comedian. He had some funny stuff, but a lot of it was just so so. I'm not big into disparaging humor. My son really liked it. We were looking forward to some nice photographs, but only bought one. I'm glad we didn't get the package beforehand. Pixel sets up for evening shots in crowded areas. I did find out that in the atrium lobby, there were some backdrops set up without as much crowding. The photo we bought from Pixel had us pretty crowded, so we were not centered with space on either side. I would have stood in line for some of the other spots if I had not set up an appointment with Dreams Studio. Dreams Studio is a great idea if you have the time and stress level to get it done. However, it was not what I imagined. First, the girls (me and my daughter) were running a couple of minutes late, so that affected my stress level which no doubt affected the experience (my bad). However, my husband and son were on time and got their photos done, then my husband and I, then my daughter joined. So really, the photographer did not have stand around waiting for us time. They only schedule for 30 minutes total. We were told when we got there that it would be only the black backdrop photos. We would not have photos taken at any of the pretty places on the ship. I had also asked about beach shots. In the initial emails, he told me that we could check with him once on board. However, when we got on board and asked on the phone, he said that it was too short of a cruise. I would have hired a photographer at port if I had known before that. Heck, even some photos in the Havana room would have been nice with their pretty chairs and window shades. All we were told was that the deck was too windy. They were not upfront about a few things. I asked for pricing starting with emails and kept getting put off on it. So I did not see pricing until our appointment to see the photos on the last day (we had an appointment for two days after our sitting, but we arrived early and were asked if we could put off from our 7:30 appt until 8:00; which we couldn't because of dinner, plus, who wants to run down to the Havana room over and over (it isn't easy to get to)). The $149 package includes only 2 prints. It would be $299 for 3 prints). To get any digital, you have to pay at least $200 for one photo and that includes the release. Packages started at $499 after that. At this point, the photographer was getting pretty testy/abrupt/snarky (which was evident at other times with our interactions as well). We ordered 2 prints for $149. This was our 25th anniversary celebration, so I was hoping for at least something. When we picked them up on the last day, the one of my husband and me was nice, but the one with us and our two kids was very dark with deep shadows on the sides of our faces. That is not how it looked when we saw them in the studio. We asked to speak to the photographer, but admittedly did not remember his name. The other photographer came by and agreed that it looked dark. He tried to contact the one who took our photos, but that one apparently just said they could reprint (for which we would be responsible for finding them to get it before getting off the ship) or we could get a refund. No offer of the other one that printed correctly for a lesser price (I would have paid 80 for just the one). No offer to reprint it correctly and have it sent to our room. No offer to reprint it and mail it to us. All of it was for nothing. Very disappointed. I should have stuck to my usual professional photographer at home. It felt very much like low balling and switch and bait. A waste of our time. I'm glad I took the one with Pixels right after, or I would have nothing to show for all that time. This is of course only our experience. I hope others have had much better. Casino: I like the computer poker table because we can play cash games. The poker tournament was a bit crazy though. $150 buy in. Only 10 people total (so get there early). Only 1st place is paid with $750 and seat in $175,000 tournament on another cruise (cruise not included). 2nd place (me) got a seat to that big tournament. I found out later that we could have both quit at the same time and split the pot at the cage, but didn't know it was possible with the computer set up. Please, note, they did not have a dealer or anyone watching the game, so this costs them no money beyond the computer poker table. The slots are VERY tight. The dealers at table games did well. I did not see any errors and they were always nice and friendly. Bingo includes just 3 games each time at $40 for dauber, 9 cards per game, and pull tab game. You get extra cards for the last game which can win $5000 if blackout in 49 balls. Food really ranged from excellent to average. The carnival cake is wonderful. I had ordered an anniversary cake that was also very good. It was too big to eat the first day, so we found a way to shove it in fridge. They do not provide a box so that you can eat later. Filet mignon, lobster, pizza, french toast, bacon were all good. Bread for dinner was definitely good!!! Salmon was dry, scrambled eggs were runny. Waitstaff was fun. Drinks from the bar were pretty good for the most part. We did not book shore excursions from carnival. Now that they are price matching better, we probably should have. This 6 day cruise made for little time in the ports and they were 3 days in a row--exhausting. The itinerary says 8 hours, but that is not really how much time you have once you dock and so forth. carnival excursions guarantee you will get back on board in time. That is definitely a plus, as we watched arrivals well after the time we were set to leave. Disembarkation was a bit long, but to be fair, we didn't understand to get the luggage tags early (look for them the day before on deck 5 midship). We should have listened to Emma better, lol. I definitely will choose a 7 day over 6 day next time. However, on the Freedom, it does not feel overcrowded (except during photo times) and did not have long lines. It is a trade off to consider when booking your cruise! Overall, I rate it as number 2 out of 5 cruises that I have been on. Read Less

9 out of 10 hand sanitizers are empty. Cabin is HOT! I have 2 fans that I brought on board and wouldn’t have made it without them. The two cabins next to mine received room credits because their rooms were so hot. Food: it is without a doubt the worst food ever. I’m you like bland carbs that taste less me cardboard then this cruise is for you. Only decent food is Guys Burgers. Nightly dining room meals are horrible. Food arrives cold and has no taste. Even the fried Shrimp was bad! Breakfast is no different.cold pancakes, waffles and lets not forget the hair in the hash brown! If you are planning on gambling know that the casino is full of smokers! It’s horrible just having to pass by it. This is not my first cruise. This is a 7 day cruise and when compared to Princess cruise that I was in for the same amount of time, there’s nothing in common other than they are both floating in water. I’ve been told that Princess and Carnival are owned by the same company and it’s very hard to believe.This Carnival cruise has been like a cruise for the poverty stricken compared to the Princess Cruise that was definitely and huge step up. Oh and let me not forget to mention the sewer smell! It’s terrible! Our cabin is on the second floor and the smell has continually been present in the hallway. They were busy trying to clean wet carpet which that I suspect was toilet overflow! My suggestion is save yourself the money and try a different vacation. Read Less

We really enjoyed our cruse on the Carnival Freedom. The crew was very nice and everything was very clean. The main pool and water slides are also fun. The ship is not huge so the number of people on board is not crazy. So the lines are not to crazy. If you happen to go to their private island, Half Moon Cay the line to get back on the tender will be very long at the end of the day. So either stay on the beach till they tell you to leave or get back to the ship early. I would stay on the beach, it's amazing. Be careful on on the back adult pool though. The smoke stack drops something red and it will get on your cloths. However, if you bring it to guest services they will remove the stains and no charge. The food was good, the shows were awesome but be sure to read my review on our room, cabin 6368. Read Less