Summary - I sailed the Carnival Freedom's 6-day itinerary from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West, Grand Cayman, and Ochos Rios, Jamaica. Overall it was a good cruise experience that I would recommend. Carnival continues to be a great vacation value. The condition of the ship and the quality of the food, service, and entertainment were high relative to the cost of the cruise.
Pre-Cruise -â€" Earlier in the year I had stayed at the Embassy Suites Hotel on SE 17th St. in Ft. Lauderdale. I liked the hotel and the location so much, I booked it again for a 2-night stay before for this cruise. Since I didn't get a rental car, it was important to me to stay somewhere that had what I needed within walking distance.
The Harbor Shops are located behind the hotel, and feature a variety of shops and restaurants. I bought wine to take onboard with me at Publix, as well as snacks and food for lunch. There's also a wine store for those with more upscale tastes. Both nights I ate dinner at locally owned restaurants within the complex. The day before the cruise I got a manicure at the Harbor Shop's nail salon for a fraction of what one would cost onboard the ship.