Freedom Review - Jan. 16-24

[Javacruiser]

Vacation is over and we are back to real life. Just had a great cruise on the Freedom for 8 days and would like to share some thoughts. I don't want to get too involved with my descriptions but will be happy to answer any questions.

 

Flight in to FLL - Fly in a day early..... That's all you need to know

 

Pre cruise Hotel - Stayed at Bahia Mar across from the beach & very near cruise port. Highly recommend it. Easy access to beach via walkway & walking distance to Bubba Gumps for our pre cruise dinner gathering.

 

Transportation - We rented a car pre cruise for our family of 4. It cost us less than taking a cab or shuttle from FLL to the hotel & then from hotel to cruiseport. It was also handy for precruise shopping. Thrifty, Dollar, Budget & Ace all have FLL pickup & cruiseport drop off. There may be others but we used one of these.

 

Embarkation - We were dropped off at the port around 11am. Shuffled right in & were waiting in the holding area until about 12:30. Up on deck having lunch before 1pm. Stateroom was ready about an hour or so later. Everything went smoothly overall.

 

Dining - We chose "Your Time" dining because the reviews appeared to be good and we had my wifes children (ages 11 & 10) with us and we wanted some flexibility working around Camp Carnival functions. The first night there was Camp Carnival orientation at 7:15 so we went to the dining room at 5:30 to make sure we could be seated early. We were the first ones seated at 5:45 so we thought we were in good shape...... Not the case. Our main server was a real sweetheart but they were so overwhelmed & disorganized that we did not get done until 8:15. We had no bar service and no extra entrees or anything else that would slow down service. We decided to hold off judgement until day 2 and we reluctantly asked for a different server to see if there was improvement. It was better the 2nd night but there were different issues. There was a group of 30+ people that all wanted to sit together and they seemed to think that as long as a few got there early they could save space for everyone. The dining room is set up for groups of 2,4 & 6..... 8 can be accomodated with some shuffling. It is not a set up that is convenient for large groups. This caused some issues with table assignments but we were able to get seated shortly after 6pm and finished in about another hour and a half. Still longer than we would like but a similar time to traditional so it was fine. We didn't like our server as well and the food was actually inconsistent for quality & temp. These are problems we never had in the Traditional dining so the overall experience was only OK. The third night we showed up at 5:30 (15 minutes before the doors opened) and there were already 50 people in line! We decided to try the buffet that night instead. By the 4th night we were hearing rumblings on the ship of dissatisfaction with the "Your Time" dining and the lines were growing even longer. We tried to get with the Maitre D to voice our concerns and were unable to do so. We went to Guest Services and they were very nice and suggested we request being changed to early seating. They said they would have the Maitre D contact us. The only contact we had was a card saying we couldn't be switched to early seating. We did not use the Main Dining Room the rest of the cruise...... Which means we can give you informed opinions on the other dining options!

[tiggerman101]

Wow, sorry to hear about your troubles. I will be trying out MTD on the Spirit in May for the first time. I work in a nice restaurant and have done so most of my life. It never fails to amaze me what some people feel is "OK" to do. Holding up tables for 30 people like that is absolutly ridiculous. I hope the rest of your cruise turned out well. I was on the 8 day Western in October and we had a great time. Thank you for taking the time to write this.

[Javacruiser]

Dining comments Continued........

 

We did not try the Steakhouse so I really can't comment. Didn't hear from others about it either so on to the rest.....

 

Traditional dining appeared to be fine based on comments from other Cruise Critic friends on board (There were over 50 of us). Can't speak first hand though as we were unable to change to early seating.

 

Buffet - We spent way more time there than we planned because of our other issues. Our other 2 Carnival cruises we always ate EVERY dinner in the MDR. We had planned to do the same on this cruise. I'll break down the buffet by mealtime:

Breakfast - Had omelets every day & they were very good. Lines were never too long and moved quickly. Yes bacon is no longer self serve as has been posted by many but if you want extra, they will give it to you. Usually had no real issues with slow lines or table availability but that varied based on sea or port days as well as the time. Overall selection & quality was just fine.

Lunch - For lunch the buffet is a nice option because of all of the choices. You can go upstairs for the Fish & Chips. There were mixed reviews on this from others we talked to but we thought it was very good. It was also much quieter up there as the only food served on level 2 are the Fish related items. The pool area has the Burger, Hot Dog & Chicken Fingers which were popular and also very good for buffet fare. We didn't try the Mongolian or Deli (Not sure why..... just didn't) but I hear they were good.

Pizza was always available at the Aft pool and that was very good. Overall we were satisfied with all of the lunch choices & quality. It was very easy to access all of the above options at lunchtime so if your group wants different choices, it works very well.

Dinner- At dinner they served several items that were featured on that nights MDR menu including the desserts (Melting cake was always there). The overall selection and quality were very good for buffet food. We would have preferred to dine in the Main Dining room but since we wanted to eat early, late seating (the only option available) was not an option for us. Service was a bit slow removing trays & clearing plates but otherwise we were satisfied.

 

We did not use room service so we can't comment on that.

[golfadj]

Thanks for the review.

 

Always liked traditional dining where you got to know the folks at our table.

 

How was the entertainment including piano bar and lounge group?

 

Will be going on Freedom in two plus weeks

 

Golfadj (and member of miracle waiters)

[michelle1836]

what ports did you sail to? we are going to Cozumel, Panama and Costa Rica

[dommer573]

Thanks for the review, can't wait for more. That a bummer about the anytime setting services, though. To bad you didn't try the deli, I am so missing the Turkey sandwich.:rolleyes: it was great.

[Elaine515]

I have a couple of questions if you wouldnt mind answering them..

 

 

1. Is there chair hogging in Serenity?

 

2. If my 16 yr old daughter wants to find us there, is she "allowed in"?

 

3. Which is the dining room in the center of the ship? Our cabins are in the center and I don't want to walk all the way to the back of the boat.

 

4. Anyone know who the Casino Host is and how is he/she?

 

5. What shows should we absolutely see, which ones are ok to skip over?

 

6. What movies were playing on the big screen?

 

 

 

We are already confirmed for early dinner and I am so sorry you had a problem with Anytime. I certainly hope your family had a good time apart from the dining. Please also tell us what and with whom you did at each port.

 

Thnx....

[Javacruiser]

Thanks for the review.

 

Always liked traditional dining where you got to know the folks at our table.

 

How was the entertainment including piano bar and lounge group?

 

Will be going on Freedom in two plus weeks

 

Golfadj (and member of miracle waiters)

 

Hey, Stu...... Sorry you couldn't join us this year! Piano bar was a dissapointment as it seemed to either be closed or dead all the time. It probably didn't help that it was hidden away a bit though. We never spent any time in there. I'll get to the rest when I continue here.

 

Happy sailing to you and Sheila!

[Javacruiser]

what ports did you sail to? we are going to Cozumel, Panama and Costa Rica

 

We did the same ports.... will go into detail later in the review

[Javacruiser]

I have a couple of questions if you wouldnt mind answering them..

 

 

1. Is there chair hogging in Serenity?

 

2. If my 16 yr old daughter wants to find us there, is she "allowed in"?

 

3. Which is the dining room in the center of the ship? Our cabins are in the center and I don't want to walk all the way to the back of the boat.

 

4. Anyone know who the Casino Host is and how is he/she?

 

5. What shows should we absolutely see, which ones are ok to skip over?

 

6. What movies were playing on the big screen?

 

 

 

We are already confirmed for early dinner and I am so sorry you had a problem with Anytime. I certainly hope your family had a good time apart from the dining. Please also tell us what and with whom you did at each port.

 

Thnx....

 

1. Serenity is in a kind of strange spot, right next to Camp Carnival. They had to cover the Camp Carnival windows so the kids couldn't see out there. We did go up a couple of times and it was nice and we never had a problem finding spots.

 

2. Never saw kids there but don't think there will be a problem getting a message to you.

 

3. The center is the Chic which is used for Traditional dining below and Anytime dining above

 

4. Don't recall the name but everyone was very nice in there. I even came out ahead at the end so no complaints on the casino

 

5. We saw the comedian/juggler who was better than I thought he would be. I think he was on the 2nd night. Not a "must see" but not bad......... We saw "Ticket to Ride".... the Beatles tribute. If you haven't seen that, do so. It is excellent. We also went to the Legends show. Entertaining but it is hit or miss depending on the passengers talent level.

 

6. They were playing a mix of kids and edited adult type movies. Usually 2 movies each night at 2 different times between 6pm & midnight. Off the top of my head they played "Up", "Taking of Pelham 123", Angels & Demons, Witch Mountain, Etc.

[Javacruiser]

Pool Decks - There never seemed to be a real problem with chair hogs on our cruise. This is at least partially due to the fact that there were a lot of senior cruisers. I believe the Coz/Panama/Costa Rica itinerary is attractive to the senior crowd as it is a better cruise from a historical & cultural standpoint than a lot of others. Our group used the pools, hottubs and serenity area and there was never a probem with rowdiness or overcrowding.

 

Casino - Probably spent more time there than I should have..... Very nice people throughout....... dealers, attendants, cashiers, bar servers. Slots and video poker were not kind to me but tables were generous enough to help me pay off most of my onboard account so ......Thumbs up to the Casino

 

Guest Services - Very helpful and efficient. Had issues with the dining room that were handled very well. Questions were answered politely and promptly..... By the way, for those of you with kids that you want to have spending privileges but not "Carte Blanche"...... go to guest services and they will put a limit of your choosing on the card. A good way to teach them responsibility for watching spending. We told them they could have sodas all they wanted as long as it went against the limit we imposed. They decided free drinks were just fine and never did buy a single soda until the last day.

 

Entertainment - Wee Jimmy was the CD but I believe ours was his last cruise on the Freedom so I can't vouch for the new CD. Jimmy was a hoot though & was very visible and always trying to make things fun. We saw the comedian/juggler who was better than I thought he would be. I think he was on the 2nd night. Not a "must see" but not bad......... We saw "Ticket to Ride".... the Beatles tribute. If you haven't seen that, do so. It is excellent. We also went to the Legends show. Entertaining but it is hit or miss depending on the passengers talent level. We attended karaoke a few times. The host was very personable and pleasant. She was apparently very new to doing karaoke but she handled herself very well. They only had 3 books to pass around but she encouraged people to make any requests they wanted as she had many songs that were not in the books. She was able and willing to use CDG's brought on by passengers also. Lounges were rarely packed and often downright dead. Again, this was due in part to the demographics of the passengers. The livliest place seemed to be the entertainers in the casino common area...... I suppose this was by design to a degree.

 

Room & Steward - Very professional and efficient. Towel animals most nights and he always seemed to have great timing on making up our room. When we saw him he was always smiling and helpful. Removed contents of our fridge so we could use it for our bottled water. We squeezed 4 of us into an inside with upper bunks. It was tight but we are campers and felt just fine with it. We were located on Lido deck (9260) and LOVED the location. We would get a little rocking at night but the location was so convenient.

 

Please feel free to ask questions about anything!

 

Overall we were very happy with our cruise. Although the ship is much larger than the other ships we have been on (Miracle & Imagination) it never seemed overwhelming at all. The ship was immaculate and the crew seemed very happy in their jobs.... I have heard some reviews that felt ship morale was so-so..... I certainly did not see that.

[Javacruiser]

This was the 8 day Cozumel, Costa Rica & Panama cruise

 

Cozumel - We booked an all inclusive at Mr Sanchos through Cozumel Watersports. We had some issues with the bookings..... There were about 25-30 of us that booked this, each of us on our own. 3 of our bookings were not in Mr. Sanchos "reservation book" and those 3 also did not have the coupon we were supposed to have showing our deposits made. Everyone else had the coupons from Cozumel Watersports and were in Mr. Sanchos book. Fortunately, the 3 all had brought Paypal receipts for the deposits and the letter from Cozumel Watersports. Mr. Sanchos had to call the booking company (Cozumel Watersports) to get it ironed out which took about 30 minutes. I only go into this detail because other than that problem, I highly recommend this tour. Just make sure you get your documents before going. The cab ride to Mr. Sanchos was $15 each way. There were 4 of us in the cab so with tip it was about $5 each way per person. The resort didn't open right away as we were too early but we were at least able to swim. When they did open we had all you can eat & drink and we certainly got our moneys worth. They were very good about waiting on us at the many tables or down on the beach. Food included a nice buffet with Nacho Fixings (homemade), Chicken Wings & other basics. We could also order from an extensive menu which was very good. Drinks were delivered quickly and were very good. The beach was clean and had lots of chairs & free swimming, snorkeling equipment & kayaks. Overall a really nice day and worth every dime of the $45 we paid.

 

Costa Rica - We booked through Charlie Soto/ Okey Dokey tours. Our tour included a visit to a Del Monte banana plantation, a ride down the river for wildlife sightseeing, stops to try some of the local fruits, a short beach break, lunch at a local restaurant for beans, Rice, Chicken & Fish. Our guide was very friendly & knowledgeable and the tour was very enjoyable for an overall quick view of Costa Rica.

 

Panama - We did not take a tour here but many from our group went with My Friend Mario on a tour of the Canal and a local fort and the reviews we got from them were very positive. We did go off the ship & into the Cruiseport part of the village for some light shopping. You will be bombarded with taxis, tour companies, children trying to sell you items, etc. as soon as you enter the shopping area. If you don't handle this well, stay on board. We just told them we weren't going anywhere and they were generally fine with that & didn't harass us...... I don't recommend going for a stroll through town though. The large gentlemen in uniform with machine guns can be a little scary.

 

If I have forgotten anything, I welcome any questions you may have.

 

Bill

[golfadj]

Hey, Stu...... Sorry you couldn't join us this year! Piano bar was a dissapointment as it seemed to either be closed or dead all the time. It probably didn't help that it was hidden away a bit though. We never spent any time in there. I'll get to the rest when I continue here.

 

Happy sailing to you and Sheila!

 

Sorry we could not make it but great itinerary so we will go in two weeks. Have you guys decided where you are going next year?

 

Did you do Frank Sinatra again?

[Javacruiser]

Sorry we could not make it but great itinerary so we will go in two weeks. Have you guys decided where you are going next year?

 

Did you do Frank Sinatra again?

 

No plans for next year.... They tried to talk me into doing Sinatra again but I decided not to try out

 

Have fun on your cruise