First time cruisers here, I am 27 and my husband is 35. I picked the Freedom because it was a good price and I was very curious about the ports. I've traveled a lot in the United States, but never outside of the country.

Overall, our experience was very positive and I am looking forward to booking my next trip with Carnival. The cruise director Felipe was quite funny and energetic and I felt like he added to the fun atmosphere. Embarkation and debarkation were very smooth. From what I had read on the message boards, I was expecting worse, so that was a pleasant surprise.

The food was fantastic overall. I loved the breakfast buffet, and enjoyed the crispy bacon and a bowl of Lucky Charms every morning. For lunches, I ate mostly pizza or fried fish, the pizza was decent, but the fried fish was very tasty. My very favorite was the chocolate buffet, I had two plates of sweet desserts and chocolate covered fruit. We both enjoyed dinners in the Main Dining Room, I had fruit appetizers most nights and they were always a fresh and healthy option. Our favorite appetizer was the thai marinated chicken tenders. For the main dishes, I typically got the chicken dish, never a disappointment. My favorite in the MDR was the panko crusted shrimp and hubby's favorite were the ribs. I had the chocolate melting cake every night after the second and obviously loved it. It is now my favorite food. Read more