Freedom Review - GT, La Romana, Aruba & Curacao

[MyTempered]

Great review - looking forward to reading more! We'll be on the Freedom in 2 weeks!:)

[mara93]

LOVING your review!!! Thank you so much. Your son is precious!! Doing this same cruise in August.

 

Thanks!

 

Love your review so far! Keep it coming!:)

 

Thanks!

 

We are doing the same cruise in January so keep it coming. On a side note we have stayed at the Hyatt North the last 2 years and loved it, no problems at all. Last January they were under new ownership, are they not keeping things up? We are planning on staying there this January also but now am wondering if we should try ES.

 

They were remodeling/updating when we checked out. Hauling in new furniture & removing the old, I don't know if they're planning on doing more beyond that but the hotel needs it. You can tell it's been recently painted outside but the carpets & AC units need to go.

[mara93]

Do you know if other food can be taken up to the Fish & Chips area? When we were on the Dream in December we went to the pasta bar (same general area as Fish & Chips on Freedom) for our lunch - it was a nice place to stay out of the crowds. Only two of our five people eat fish/seafood, I would like to sit up in that area on our June 2nd cruise, but three of us would have to get other food and bring it up there (on the Dream it wasn't allowed).

 

Yes!! It's quiet & empty compared to the main buffet area. Definitely head upstairs!

 

Yes, we took our food up there a few times as there were plenty of seats open.

 

Magda: love the photos. Sweet memories! last week at this time I was napping! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh If you guys come on the Sept 3 Glory cruise, please tell Gabe we can look for whales!!

 

Aww, would love to! We're actually looking at the Dream next year. We'll see. I have pictures of you & Gabe at the sandbar, very cute!

 

Enjoying your review, please keep it coming!

 

Coming right up!

[trutojc]

Don't want to be a debbie downer on ur awesome review but did you see any signs of that nasty Noro that I've been reading so much about?

 

 

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[mara93]

Yes, some people from our Roll Call caught it as well as my hubby & our friend.

We didn't realize it was Noro. My DH thought it was symptoms from an ailment he suffers & our friend thought it was something he ate on an island.

 

We didn't find out until we got back home that it was Noro from members of our Roll Call.

[trutojc]

So sorry to hear that, glad that you still had an amazing cruise, some people get on here and complain about how bad the cruise was "in general" because they or someone in there party got sick. I am cruising in September and am excited jus hope they have it all cleaned up by then!

 

 

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[mara93]

Sea Day 1

 

We had an interior room on Deck 10 & if you've ever had an inside you know they are like CAVES! I wake up & thinking it's 3am am prepared to go back to sleep but check the time just in case - it's 9:30!!! Eeek! I don't want to miss out on my vacation!

 

FYI - Breakfast is served until eleven or noon for Late Risers on the Lido Deck.

 

I do have to say that this room seemed to be the smallest out of the ones we've had. There's only the bed, there was a drop down bed for Gabe. There's a small dresser with 3 1/2 drawers, vanity area & three closet spaces. 2 small bedside tables & that's it. Small & not even drawer space.

 

Today, we are lazy (as you've already inferred) & we lounge. Explore the ship, have our Meet & Greet, and prepare for Elegant Night.

 

The Wake

 

We spot Funship Freddy outside of Camp.

 

We had a Meet & Greet with our Roll Call at 2pm today. What an awesome group of people. Had a blast meeting them & then running into them on the ship throughout the week. I felt like a celebrity!

 

Here's our group photo

 

Tonight is Elegant Night, so we spiff up.

Here is my little guy with Freddy

 

Elegant Night Pic

 

This year I tried the Pasta Carbonara App & it was delicious!

[mara93]

Of course, we had the lobster (won’t bore you with another lobster pic) and the Banana Cake on the Spa Menu for dessert. Mind you, not for dietary purposes, it was the only thing that sounded good.

 

After dinner, we head to the Victoriana Lounge to catch the show The Big Easy, which was good. I was surprised by how much Gabe enjoyed the shows! He was entranced by the singing, dancing, lights, props, etc.

Enjoying the show

 

After the show, we change & drop off the little guy at camp for a bit so we can sit in on the Adult Comedy Show. Tonight, we see John Rathbone (very funny) but the International Lounge is packed. Carnival really needs to find a bigger venue for these shows. Every night seats are taken before showtime & many people have to stand along the walls to enjoy the show.

Shows over, we pick up Gabe from camp & head outside. Tonight’s MUTS is Lord of the Rings.

 

[mara93]

So sorry to hear that, glad that you still had an amazing cruise, some people get on here and complain about how bad the cruise was "in general" because they or someone in there party got sick. I am cruising in September and am excited just hope they have it all cleaned up by then!

 

We had a great cruise apart from DH & friend being sick. We washed our hands constantly & used the sanitizers throughout the ship. Don't worry & have a great cruise!

[mara93]

Today we arrive in BEAUTIFUL Grand Turk!

 

Tried to get up early enough to catch the sunrise over GT but I slept in. Oops!

We're up early enough to catch a quick breakfast & get chairs in the shade right in front of the ship since we have nothing planned for this day.

 

Views of GT from Deck 10.

 

 

Front Row Seats - Yeah!

 

Gabe is settling in for a sand filled day.

 

Floating the day away

[mara93]

As you can see, we loved Grand Turk!

 

Perfect Day!

 

 

After spending the majority of the day in front of the ship, we decide to explore Margaritaville & the surrounding areas.

 

Margaritaville Pool area & Flow Rider

 

Swings right outside the bar area

 

OMG!! THERE'S NO SHELL!

[mara93]

BBL to finish GT, computer is acting up. :)

[navybaby1113]

Loving your review so far!

[adrianypr]

Loving your review so far! I will be aboard the Freedom for 8 days in December for my first solo cruise and can't wait!

 

Moraima

[mara93]

We head over to the other side of the island & see the big whale.

 

Splashdown!

 

New Screen Saver!

 

Whale butt!

 

GT

[mara93]

Great review thus far. Love the pictures. Kids loved seeing Aaron (magic man). For those who love the Freedom or want to read another perspective, I have been recommending the following for a good read:

 

http://voices.yahoo.com/carnival-freedom-great-cruise-11259688.html?cat=16

 

Thanks!

 

Loving your review so far!

 

Thanks!

 

Loving your review so far! I will be aboard the Freedom for 8 days in December for my first solo cruise and can't wait!

 

Moraima

 

Thanks & have a great cruise! :)

[mara93]

We're slated to leave GT at 2pm but we're back on board a bit after noon. Grab lunch & take a nap.

Tonight is the Past Guest Party so we clean up a bit & head over to that. There were plenty of servers & plenty of drinks going around.

 

Oh, our cruise director was Jacques De Lange (hubba hubba) & we didn't see him much around the ship, only at shows & such.

 

Melonball (Yum) & a smoothie for Gabe.

 

After the PGP we head over to the Dining Room.

 

First up, a Study in Sushi

 

Salmon (from their everyday menu)

 

Polenta (Vegan Option)

 

Dessert - The Warm Date, Fig, & Cinnamon Cake - YUMMM!

 

Manny breaking it down!

 

After dinner, we head to the Lounge & watch Jump, Jive & Wail which was good.

Up next, our favorite day - La Romana, Dominican Republic.

[momof4boys]

Love your review and the pictures! And your son is darling!

[CharmedMom]

Love your review and the pictures! And your son is darling!

 

Your son IS darling, and he looks so handsome all dressed up (the elegant night pics). ;)

[RaiderFaninNM]

GREAT REVIEW.......................................so far;)

 

Glad you had a great time and sorry about your hubby getting noro. From some threads I read it seemed like a major outbreak, I know 1 person is too many but we are heading out in 15 days and PRAY this is gone by then as we are a party of 13 and 6 of us are new to cruises.............

 

Please keep up with the pics!!!

 

 

And THANKS!

[sunshine&shiningstar]

Review of our amazing cruise on the Freedom. We had 8 fun filled days. It's hard being home & not having someone cleaning, cooking, pampering me!

 

On this cruise, it's myself, my husband, my 3yr son, & we were accompanied by my DH's BFF & his girlfriend. We flew from O'hare to FLL the day before the cruise & stayed at the Hyatt Place North 17th St. Convention Center. We arrive in FLL around noon and ...

 

The Hotel -

 

Hyatt Place North - 17th St. Convention Center

Chose this hotel because of it's proximity to the Harbor Shops. The convenience of walking to dinner vs. having to catch a cab & head out somewhere convinced us. (Plus, there was an optometrist convention in town & the Embassy Suite rates were ridiculous)

 

Pros

- Complimentary breakfast was good. Bagels/toast/English muffins, cereals, fruit, oatmeal, biscuits/gravy, and tea/coffee.

- Nice pool area although it's due for a scrubbing.

- Employees are extremely helpful.

Proximity to the Harbor Shops.

Free shuttle anywhere within a 5 mile radius if the hotel shuttle is not in use.

- Big, comfortable rooms. A sectional sofa & desk area allow for a nice visiting area.

- Airport Shuttle included.

 

Cons

- All rooms STINK. There is a wet carpet smell in every room.

- Carpets in rooms and hallways are dirty/stained.

- AC units are old & moldy. While switching the knobs around, dirt/dust/mold flew out from the unit in our room. BLECH.

- Showers don't drain.

 

We changed rooms until we found one where the smell didn't overwhelm us.

Head over to the Harbor Shops for lunch & decide on the Lauderdale Grill.

Second mistake. If you're in the area, head over to Joe's Cafe. Better food, better service, and better prices.

Our traveling companions join us around 8pm & we all head out to dinner.

 

Couple of pictures from our 1st day:

 

My son is plane/train obsessed. He's carefully studying the emergency evacuation guide.

 

We've arrived in sunny Florida!

 

Enjoying the pool at the hotel.

 

 

Next up: Embarkation!

 

Great review i noticed that your husband had a Kodak watersporrt did you take these pics with that? i bought one and im going to try it any suggestions?

[spiritfox]

Great review--thanks for taking the time to post all the pictures too! We set sail on the Freedom Jun 2 for that itinerary--looks like some beautiful spots along the way!

[tiggerlover]

Did you walk or ride to the area with the whale & astronaut? Really enjoying your review. Thanks for sharing!

[navybaby1113]

We head over to the other side of the island & see the big whale.

 

Splashdown!

 

New Screen Saver!

 

Whale butt!

 

GT

 

How far of a walk is this from the ship?

[Notion_of_the_Ocean]

Awesome review so far! Can't wait to see what you have to say about La Romana! :D