We cruised during college break on the 3/2 sailing. Never again. Carnival catered to their needs mainly because they spent money on booze. The Caribbean party on the pool deck one night was geared only to them. It was like a free-for-all dorm party. Not a variety of music to suit all ages. The Serenity pool area which is meant for relaxation and quiet was taken over by the breakers. Could not get into the hot tubs because they dominated them. They were loud and rowdy.

I will say, however, that the service people (steward, wait staff, bartenders) gave exceptional service. Our room which was an aft facing balcony cabin was cleaned twice a day. The public areas of the ship was always kept clean. They should definitely get rid of those pesky shower curtains and opt for a shower door like some other cruise ships now have. The Freedom is starting to show its age and probably should be refurbished soon. Another con was the layout of the ship. You could not go straight from front to back without having to go up or down and then around. It took awhile to get used to.

Room was on the Verandah deck and was large and had plenty of storage space. The best part of the room was the extended aft facing balcony. How beautiful to see out the back of the ship! Room was kept spotless by our cabin steward and we left an additional tip to him. I would probably next time opt for a lower deck because our room was directly below the Serenity pool and hot tubs and the pizza hut. The chairs made a lot of noise sliding back and forth. We didn't receive any complimentary toiletries. I would also have liked an ice bucket in the room. The bathrobes were great to use. Read more