So, we booked our 14th cruise on Carnival's Freedom of the Seas for the Western Caribbean....I wish we had chosen another ship! We've had wonderful experiences on other Carnival Ships (Inspiration, Imagination & Paradise) so we thought one of the newest ships would be fantastic, but I can honestly say it was the worst cruise we ever had.

The first thing you notice about the ship is the lack of crew. The ship accommodates more than 2500 passengers and the ratio of crew to passengers is pathetic. Our cabin was not fully ready when we arrived. Our mini-bar/refrigerator still had yogurt and water from the previous passengers & the bathroom was not stocked with towels or amenities (we arrived 45 minutes before we set sail). The casual dining on Lido deck was a constant game of finding a table; again, no staff to assist you with your tray and there were always numerous tables that had dirty dishes still on them. We would have ordered room service, but the daily paper listed warnings about how there would be at least a hour delay for every order. We had second seating (8:00 pm) in Posh Dining Room. Our wait staff was EXCELLENT; they knew our names by the second night and were always warm and friendly. However, the menu needs to be revamped. Beef, beef and more beef; primerib was the featured entree twice! There were no them nights (i.e., Italian night, Caribbean night). We have always looked forward to having cuisine matching the chosen themes on past cruises.

John (one of our favorite cruise directors) left to go to another ship. His replacement was awful. Norjee (sp) was not as outgoing as other cruise directors & she had a small staff assisting her. The on-board activities for the three days at sea were very limited (unless you liked the casino). Read more