MdSue's: Live from CARNIVAL FREEDOM, March 23-31, 2013, Review, Pictures, and more!!!

[MDSue]

More exterior shots from the Panorama Deck:

 

 

It is an easy walk from the staterooms on the 10th floor to the pool area:

 

 

 

 

[Momma Mojito]

Momma Mojito- the next pictures are for you and anyone else on the Panorama Deck. I think you made a great choice; it is a very pretty and convienent location. The rooms are located on the front part of the ship and the Steakhouse and exit to the pool and slide area to the rear of the ship. You'll have your own pool area up there at the bottom of the slide. You can walk out onto the upper levels of the main pool/deck areas

 

I really appreciate you taking the time to take pictures of the Panorama Deck. We have 4 balconies on there for our August 10 family cruise. All your pictures that you have posted are just beautiful!! I have enjoyed all of them as I'm sure everyone else has. Glad you and your sister had a great time. Now it's time to plan you next cruise!

[MDSue]

I really appreciate you taking the time to take pictures of the Panorama Deck. We have 4 balconies on there for our August 10 family cruise. All your pictures that you have posted are just beautiful!! I have enjoyed all of them as I'm sure everyone else has. Glad you and your sister had a great time. Now it's time to plan you next cruise!

 

You will love it up there- I admit I was envious after expolring the deck; it was very nice, with great views and easy access to the pool areas. Enjoy your trip- I'll post some island shots soon!

Susan

[scm200]

I really appreciate you posting the Panorama deck pictures also, we are on the Freedom on 4/6 and have inside cabins on 10. We had inside on the Glory last summer and enjoyed the location very much, very convenient. The secret area in front of the cabins you showed at the bow of the ship was closed, but that could have been because we were on a NE/Canada Cruise.

[MDSue]

I really appreciate you posting the Panorama deck pictures also, we are on the Freedom on 4/6 and have inside cabins on 10. We had inside on the Glory last summer and enjoyed the location very much, very convenient. The secret area in front of the cabins you showed at the bow of the ship was closed, but that could have been because we were on a NE/Canada Cruise.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed them. I can see how this deck would be a great place to stay. The bow area was open when we were there, but they did occasionally close up the top decks due to heavy winds. Perhaps, that is why it was closed on your cruise.

[WorkHardCruiseHarder]

Thank you for the review! I will be on the Freedom in May (only the 6 day itinerary, but I still love looking at pictures of the ship).

[MDSue]

Thank you for the review! I will be on the Freedom in May (only the 6 day itinerary, but I still love looking at pictures of the ship).

 

We had a great time on the ship. The wait staff was wonderful, the food good, and the room steward very good as well.

 

We had a few issues with the balcony door not latching in our room (making for very loud wind noises for a few days). We finally got that fixed after three attempts of asking for service.

 

A few days the water and wind was pretty rough and we heard a constant banging coming from somewhere (maybe the stabilizers). I think our room location (6th floor, near the front of the ship) was a big factor in the rough ride and noise. I think we will book higher up and mid ship or further back next time:)

 

Overall, I thought the service and staff were excellent and the ship was very well maintained.

[MDSue]

If you want to pay a little extra, you can purchase these goodies from the Viennese Cafe

 

 

 

Coming up next- our port excursions:

 

Freeport, Bahamas- A beach and shopping day in Port Lucaya

Dominican Republic- A speedboat tour with Seavis to Saona Island, snorkelling, beach, lunch, and a visit to a sandbar with lots of starfish (and rum punches)

Curacao- A walking tour of the city- the most beautiful city in the Caribbean

Aruba- A visit to the Radisson at Palm Beach and shopping in Orangestad.

 

Tomorrow is back to work for me:(, but I'll try and post pics of a new island each day

[NYFive]

Thank you so much for the pictures and the review! We are booked on the Panorama deck in August (I suspect right after MommaMojito from her countdown) and I'm so excited to see a sneak peak! We are the Western Caribbean itinerary, so different ports, but same ship.

[MDSue]

Thank you so much for the pictures and the review! We are booked on the Panorama deck in August (I suspect right after MommaMojito from her countdown) and I'm so excited to see a sneak peak! We are the Western Caribbean itinerary, so different ports, but same ship.

 

Your welcome, I love the Western route as well; went on the Legend a few years ago- would love to go back to Roatan soon! After seeing this deck, I think it's definitely a great choice!

[lovebelle]

 

The one thing I've noticed is the lack of the maitre'd showing up on the final night for tips (maybe he was downstairs, but we never saw him). I have to admit to resenting feeling obligated to provide a tip to someone I never see or interact with. This tradition seems to be a thing of the past; at least on the past 2 cruises.

 

I agree. The last few cruises I have never seen nor interacted with the Maitre D' once. I just wont tip them in those instances. My first cruise I remember the Maitre D' stopped by our table every night and was wonderful! I had no problem leaving a generous tip on that occassion (but then this was also before auto gratuity).

[MDSue]

I agree. The last few cruises I have never seen nor interacted with the Maitre D' once. I just wont tip them in those instances. My first cruise I remember the Maitre D' stopped by our table every night and was wonderful! I had no problem leaving a generous tip on that occassion (but then this was also before auto gratuity).

 

We had a wonderful Maitre D' two cruises ago (on Princess). One of our tablemates had a special needs diet with many food restrictions. The Maitre D' stopped by the table every single night to go over the menu with her for te following night. He would stay and chat with us about his family and other subjects often. He was so thoughtful and concerned that we had no problems leaving him a generous tip, even though we did not have any special needs ourselves.

 

For many years, it seemed like the only interaction we ever had with the Maitre D' was on the last night when he was conspicously waiting for tips at the end of dinner. I figure that would be a pretty hefty salary if every diner left him $10. I wonder if the cruise lines increased their pay and put an end to this practice.

 

We did have a realy hysterically funny Maitre D' on my last Carnival cruise and he made the nightly entertainment a hoot every night- so I guess it varies from ship to ship.

[MDSue]

So, my expectations weren't too high for Freeport judging from all the negative reviews I've read over the years. However, I think that for the most part, the people who don't like a particular port never ventured away from the main port area.

The port of Freeport is located in a definitely woking port. We arrived before dawn and my first images gave me pause as to whether we would find anything of value to do here- but we were determined to make the best of our alternate port. It wasn't Grand turk, but we would find something fun to do!

 

 

 

 

We dawdled until around 8am and then wandered off the ship in search of prettier scenery, shopping, and a beach. We found it all!

[MDSue]

Once we exited the ship, the scenery did improve a bit- typical Caribbean colors and a few typical port shops and markets.

 

As with every stop, no port is complete without a Senor Frog's. This was the first place we saw after walking off the ship. Somehow, a drink there at 8am was the last thing I wanted so we wandered further to the taxi stands:

 

 

Really, not too much else to see here. You definitely need a plan to get away from the port area:

 

 

 

It does get better...

[MDSue]

For $10 each, we purchased a round trip ticket to Port Lucaya

 

 

The driver pointed to one direction to go to the shops and another pathway that lead to the public beach area. The cab dropped us off in front of the casino and gave us a return ticket for the trip back.

 

As you can see, the place was fairly deserted at 8 in the morning, and we feared the shops may all be closed for the day since it Sunday

 

 

We decided to walk over to the beach area and hang out there for awhile. The beach was pretty deserted at first and the wind and waves were pretty rough. But hey, it was warm and sunny which sure beat my home state where it was currently snowing!

 

[MDSue]

We claimed a spot near the beach and I decided to walk down the beach to see what I could find. The area by the public walkway didn't have too much to offer- but a few swimmable beach areas. Lots of vendors were walking the beach and looking for people interested in renting jetski's or to take a banana boat ride. The surf was too rough for the Catamaran rentals or snorkel tours (even though the ship offered many snorkel tours that did take place).

 

The public beach area:

 

 

The crowds picked up throughout the morning and the kids and adults seemed content to play on the beach, in the surf, or on the water sports

 

 

 

You can see the waves were a bit rough, but not bad enough to keep people out of the water.

 

[MDSue]

Down by the Grand Lucayan Resort, the beaches got a little nicer. Many people were enjoying the pool at the resort. I've read about buying day passes for here, but don't know anything about the deal. The beaches in front of the resort are public and easily accessible, so unless you want to use the pool or the resort amenities, I'm not sure it's worth the added expense:

 

 

The pool:

 

 

A red flag beach day- no lifeguards on suty when we were there:

 

 

I'm not really sure who these grounds belonged to- maybe the casino.

 

[thechandlers99]

MDSue - Thank you for posting this review. A group of 6 of us will be on the Freedom on May 18th to celebrate our graduation from nursing school. We cannot wait!

 

I looked at your CB review too and noticed that you stopped in Antigua and Tortola. Our ship will be calling at those ports too. I was wondering if you could provide a little advice about those islands.

[MDSue]

After about 2 hours on the beach, we walked back to the Port Lucaya shopping area. By then, the shops were all open and the place was hopping. The bars and restaurants were busy and the stores were full of shoppers. The straw market had plenty of vendors offering typical Caribbean souvenirs:

 

 

 

 

 

[MDSue]

My sister and I dicovered a nice art gallery in the marketplace. The artist, Leo Brown, kept a studio full of beautiful original Caribbean paintings, lithographs, and prints.

 

The originals were pricy (but his talent immense). I would have loved to buy one if my budget allowed. My sister bought a signed lithograph of his lastest Parrots of the Caribbean painting- a must see.

 

If you like artwork, I would make an effort to find his studio there.

 

After a little shopping, we headed back to the ship and waited in a nice long line to get back on the ship.

 

I was happy to have gotten a few hours of port time versus an extra sea day. Freeport is not my ideal stop, but did have plenty of activities. Carnival offered a few pages worth of excursion opportunities.

 

Next stop- Dominican Republic and a fabulous day including a trip to Bayahibe Beach, a speedboat ride to Saona Island, a ride through protected mangroves, and a stop on a beautiful sandbar loaded with starfish.

[MDSue]

MDSue - Thank you for posting this review. A group of 6 of us will be on the Freedom on May 18th to celebrate our graduation from nursing school. We cannot wait!

 

I looked at your CB review too and noticed that you stopped in Antigua and Tortola. Our ship will be calling at those ports too. I was wondering if you could provide a little advice about those islands.

 

Antigua and Tortola are two of my favorite ports. In Tortola, most of the open-air taxis go to Cane Garden Beach (about $6 each way). This is a great swimming beach, and we loved the area. The island is very mountainous and the taxi ride is hair-raising, but fun. I would recommend that any kids sit in the middle- not the edge of the seats.

There are other beaches like Brewer's Bay that are better for snorkelling and less crowded, but since the main taxi's don't go there, you have to pay more to get to them (unless you have alarge group that can fill an open air taxi.

 

I love walking around and shopping in downtown Antigua, but the island is mainly known for it's 365 beaches. We went to Valley Church beach, which I loved. It costs us $8 each way in a van size cab. It is very easy to go to the tours booth as you walk off the pier to find the activity or tour that meets your needs.

 

We've also taken a 3 hour island to Nelson's Dockyard and Shirley Heights. This was a great way to spend a few hours if you don't want to go to the beach. (We were too sunburned on the day we did the tour).

 

On our very first trip, we took a ship-sponsored helicopter tour over to Montserrat Island, which was mostly destroyed by a volcano eruption over a decade ago. This was the priciest, buut coolest excursion I've ever done.

 

Our tablemates paid much more to take a ship excursion to a local beach in Antigua and they said it was very crowded.

 

I would definitely check the port of calls boards for more ideas for these islands, but you will enjoy them both!

 

Congrats on your graduation from nursing school! You deserve a great vacation:)

[crusinfamof4]

Thanks for the review! We will be on the Freedom in August, cannot wait!

 

Way back in '95, my mother and I did one of the those day cruise things to Freeport. While I know it's no ones fav port, I still remember how it smelled when we disembarked, the flowers smelled amazing! Still, all these years, that is what I remember. We stayed a week and did a day cruise back to FL, and just the smell of the flowers. I see not much has changed in Port Lucaya as far as the shops go.

[MDSue]

Thanks for the review! We will be on the Freedom in August, cannot wait!

 

Way back in '95, my mother and I did one of the those day cruise things to Freeport. While I know it's no ones fav port, I still remember how it smelled when we disembarked, the flowers smelled amazing! Still, all these years, that is what I remember. We stayed a week and did a day cruise back to FL, and just the smell of the flowers. I see not much has changed in Port Lucaya as far as the shops go.

 

I thought the Port Lucaya area was pretty. I loved all the Caribbean colors and the shopping and restaurants were fine. The beaches weren't my favorite, but not bad overall.

 

My sister and I made up our minds we were going to have a good time and we did.

That's pretty cool that the Port Lucaya area is still the same as so many years ago. It was clean and well-maintained, and yes, I even took some pictures of the pretty flowers (even though this was wasn't the best pic)!

 

[CdrescherRBL152]

We had a great time on the ship. The wait staff was wonderful, the food good, and the room steward very good as well.

 

We had a few issues with the balcony door not latching in our room (making for very loud wind noises for a few days). We finally got that fixed after three attempts of asking for service.

 

A few days the water and wind was pretty rough and we heard a constant banging coming from somewhere (maybe the stabilizers). I think our room location (6th floor, near the front of the ship) was a big factor in the rough ride and noise. I think we will book higher up and mid ship or further back next time:)

 

Overall, I thought the service and staff were excellent and the ship was very well maintained.

 

 

More toward midsip should help even out the ride. However the higher up you go the more you will feel any side to side movment. The higher up ypu are the more of a mvement there will be. Grat way to see how this hapens hold a pen tip down on a desk. Now tip the pen one way or the other. the tip of the would be the ceneter line of the ship at the waterline. the rest of the pen the ship going up.

[Orpheo]

Nice review. Enjoying it a lot.

I have 9 uncles and aunts living in Curacao. With their children and grandchildren....oh my!

And can you imagine that I haven't seen Curacao yet!:o hahahaaa