ABOUT US: We are a family of four. Our daughter is seven and our son is five. Our youngest is autistic which certainly gave us a unique perspective on traveling to Europe. This was our kids' first trip to Europe. I apologize in advance for the long review.

THE SHIP: Overall, we loved the Carnival Freedom. The two most common criticisms I've heard about the ship was that the dEcor was too garish and that the layout was too confusing. I understand both criticisms, but disagree. The dEcor is exactly what one would expect from Carnival - colorful, lively and cheerful. If you are looking for understated and elegant, you'll find it on a line other than Carnival. The layout does take some getting used to, but there are maps of the ship everywhere. If you spend a half hour reviewing the layout of the ship, you'll have no problems. The decks that seem to confuse people the most are 3 and 4. You cannot walk from stem to stern on these two decks because the galley for the two restaurants sits in between them. If you simply go to the right elevator bank for your restaurant, you'll have no problems.

THE CABIN: We had a balcony cabin midship on the starboard side of Deck 6, a Category 8A. It comfortably held the four of us. I would highly recommend a balcony cabin for this cruise because there are a lot of spectacular things to see while cruising (sailing into Venice and Stromboli are at the top of the list) and it is more comfortable to watch these from your balcony then to fight for Lido Deck space. Read more