Carnival Freedom Review
Star-Trek Decor, But Great Service & Clean Ship!
Rating by category
Additional details
My wife, two kids (17 & 13), and my mom took the 8-day Panamal Canal Tour, departing from Ft. Lauderdale in early June. We arrived in Miami and caught a shuttle to the Springhill Suites near Port Everglades. The hotel was great. Hot & muggy in June, but this hotel has a couple variety stores and a ton of restaurants near it, so it's a great location for last-minute purchases before embarkation.
We used the hotel shuttle to the port. No problems at all, but be sure to tell the desk staff as soon as you arrive, as they put you on the "next available" shuttle the morning of the cruise.
Embarkation day was slick. We had little difficulty getting through Carnival's process. Staff was good, although the building we embarked through was a little like a bus terminal, and we did have to wait about 30 minutes before our zone was called. Even then, it wasn't that bad.
Cabin Review
Our cabin (6473) had an extended balcony. Few know about it. If you have the chance, look into it. We had twice the space that others had. The only caveat was that the disco is right below cabins in this area, and occasionally we were drubbed by the vibrations of the sound equipment. However, it just wasn't that bad. Had heard horror stories from prior cruisers, but our experience was good. I'd book that cabin again.
In fact, Carnival Freedom had the best accommodations (by far) of any ship we've ever been on.