Our cruise on the Carnival Freedom was truly memorable. We booked through our travel agent who helped us get Carnival Air through the Fly Aweigh Program. As well, we were booked on the Miracle until it experienced mechanical problems and had to change its itinerary; then our TA got us switched to the Freedom -going to Panama- for a very minimal charge. Embarkation was a snap. We didn't get there till 2:30 and basically just walked on the ship after all the paperwork was done We are so happy we were able to experience this ship. It is in great condition! All of the staff and crew were very friendly, helpful and never rude or irritating. We did lots of shopping at the Fun Shops and our dining room stewards were exceptional. We even got to see our previous dining steward from our cruise two years ago-Luis. He even remembered us...now that was neat! Our balcony stateroom was great. Clean, spacious, lots of supplies. Our steward, IWAYANS was very attentive and almost always used our names when we met up with him. He made sure we were happy and was willing to give us anything we wanted out of our rooms. I say this because my sister really wanted to take home a pillow -and he would have simply overlooked it- but she didn't. He did leave us a brochure on how we can order the Carnival Bedding... Our dining room staff Lana & Inenagh were great! We could always order as many starters as we wanted and we really put them to the test. It is good that we had to come home because we were getting really good at ordering one of everything and sharing it amongst the four of us...Thank goodness we always used the stairs because it would have been very easy to gain a few pounds...ha...ha...oh, and cant forget the maitre d' -"Z"- very special. We enjoyed the Sushi bar a few times. Just had to be mindful that it wasn't always open. Check the Capers for the times. We checked out the Ticket to Ride show. It was well worth it! Make sure to get there early because the theatre filled up fast. I went 40 minutes early and checked out which seat I wanted. Be mindful that there are obstacles in many places in the theatre. Large pillars or metal bars seem to block the views on the upper levels in many places. Be sure to visit Dragan, Gabriela and Elvir at the jewelry shop. They are smiling faces and will help you try on whatever you want. They are more than happy to have their photos taken -as is every member of the staff on this ship. They really do become like family and some are hard to say goodbye to on the final day. There is so much to do! We would never have accomplished everything we wanted. Had to make some decisions. We did the Walk For the Cure and had some hilarious moments. Sure was windy but we stayed on the track. Watched one evening karaoke competition. Not many participants but that was ok... Disembarking was a breeze...we enjoyed an early breakfast in the dining room while we waited for our level to be called and once again, just walked off the gangway with not even a lineup. Much different than our cruise two years ago. They have made some definite improvements. Our cruise director was Todd Wittmer. He is pretty cool. Not always in your face but always there to let you know what is going on, where, when and how. He was a real trouper on the last couple of days. Even though he had the flu he did his disembark talk and helped all disbark on the final day. Hope his recovery went well...he was in rough shape. Anyone cruising on the Freedom...enjoy it...you will have lots to do, eat, drink...! Any questions? I would love to hear from you... ourcountrytrail@yahoo.ca