Currently on Freedom..Not impressed!

[springs741]

I too am just off the Freedom 12 day repo cruise. While it wasn't the best cruise I have ever had it wasn't the worst either.

 

Casino did seem to be tighter than normal. Every cruise I bring the same amount per day to gamble. I usually have the DOU card by day three or four at the most. I didn't get one this trip. I was just short 100 points. No biggie as I don't drink often anyway.

 

Food, again not the worst not the best. As to the buffet, let us just say I was underwhelmed.

 

The MDR was better but inconsistent. I ordered veal one night and was served beef loin. I did mention that I didn't think it was veal but rather Carnivals version of veal. I latter realized I was served the wrong meal. There was a beef loin on the menu. Most nights I would order two apps and one entrée. Most nights I would get one app delivered. When my en

 

 

Breakfast for hubby and I is always either steak and eggs or eggs benedict. Some days the steak was fork tender others chewy. Eggs ranged from near perfection to so hard they would have bounced on the floor. One day hollandaise sauce almost burned. That is the only request we make is that sauce be served on the side. That was also the only day we sent our food back.

 

I hate to complain. I know the servers have a tough job. I don't want to add to their workload. But there seemed to be a lot of inconsistency in the food preparation. We had some new dinner menus and that certainly could have contributed to mix ups but the breakfast and brunch menus have been out for several years.

[sjn911]

OP...I understand..you are not a complainer....you just want it to be a little like that other very special cruise and it is not.

 

I truly agree with many who say the cruise after a change or just before a change has the ability to be off...

 

I only have 2 Carnival cruises..7 total when I sit down and go over it..that is over..GULP..the last 35 years..I am a 55 year old who keeps saying it to face it.

 

The second was the Spirit before it went to Hawaii and then down under. The whole thing was like odd tasting butter (old) , stale rolls, not fresh spinach salad and cold sides in steakhouse...filet and service good but the evil eye when i signed up..if my clothes would arrive or not and my comfy tennis shoes were a scare...the suitcase did arrive and the same gal was seating and had this look of relief..and others were in there with not fancy or just nice like me..waiting for their clothes I am sure..

 

Sometimes the luck of the draw in more ways than one is not in your favor...but i think you are doing the right thing..

 

You did not bottle it up..you had the guts to come here and take it..and you are reasoning with yourself and us on how to make it good and how to change what is not.

 

What I did not do that would have changed everything on Spirit that i did on the Paradise wonderful cruise:

 

Dining room for lunch once...

Find that deli carver...

 

Ask for a bucket of ice..whatever is a cheap splurge and floats your boat..no ice or very little for my cokes on my first big Europe study and travel time taught me alot..and insist on the shower working. Things with energy are splurges..after living with a French family in the 80's oil crisis and the more expensive gas than you can imagine and 2 hot baths a week limit. Ice will cool you with a wash rag and fill your drinks with decadent coolness..get you fav drinks for your room.

 

Go to spa..if you like anything like that..i tell you a massage and a shower in their nice facilities and private shower set ups makes you feel special..usually neat ladies to chat with too. I met one that well we sat there in our robes on the ledge that had a window to sea we could both lean back and stretch our legs out and have that one time heart to heart that just was heaven. I think on freedom there is free non cloud nine stuff..and of course the paid services.

 

Try to get the new hot pastries at breakfast wherever they are if you like bread...LOL.

 

Keep up the fast food you like...Blts are fabulous if you like them for room service.

 

Splurge on fancy treats and ditch the casino if not working...I am the type that dies if I loose 50 and have done it a few times...but only once won at a casino and the Native American ones in Oregon kind of cured me..more despair than joy..but I do not judge and sometimes with right people can see an occasional low budget fun there..it is just not working so ditch it..We humans always try to make the same thing work.

 

Find a different shore place to go..an excursion or just adventure you find that is safe and fun.

 

This is what I did not do enough on the Spirit when everything was flopping. Finally I got myself to the MJ dancing hour at the disco and remembered my 80's moves..lol and the cruise director came to check out the scene and giggled with us..he was sincere ans knew things were off...

 

I am back and forth if I will be on a Carnival Cruise in a better cabin and with a few more splurges or something else next time..it is a tighter solo last minute deal for me..best to plan only 30 day out with doing my own deal for work.

 

More people here are reasoning than lamb blasting and that alone is a cheer up.

 

Carnival is usually the best bang for the buck but the Chevy Impala is down to the Ford Pinto ((used like my sister's and my first high school wheels not useable in winter LOL)) some these days with the economy..and e very level all the way up to Silversea feels that..the 5 and 6 star people have complaints..anything that is less is hard and bottom line..when not "new" or a special break with enough going right...things get jaded and we all get pickier..well most of us.

 

Just ideas..you are already turning it around girl...ENJOY yourself and change it up...Sarah

Edited February 17, 2015 by sjn911

[cruizinisthebest]

So my husband got too much sun and crashed. Happens every time! :p

 

I hope you guys don't think I am complaining about loosing money. I'm NOT! I bring a certain amount of money that I know I will leave at the casino. I never EXPECT to win hundreds! If I do, it's a bonus! When I go to a casino I do so to have a little fun. I just wish they wouldn't have the slots so tight. That is my complaint. They invite us to come on a "Casino Cruise" then tighten up the slots. We were on the Freedom before and it wasn't as bad. And no, we didn't win big on that cruise. We lost, didn't take home any money but at least we were able to play each night without spinning the wheel 50 times without a single hit.

 

I wasn't complaining about the trash can either. My DH always accuses me of hiding things (he just can't find things). Our room steward put it under the chair(not the stool), by the window next to the bed, and in the bathroom. And my husband thought I was doing it to trick him. We got a laugh out of it!

 

You should go back and read this post and the first one. You are absolutely complaining about losing money.....in the casino. I would complain too cause I can't stand losing money gambling. But then I'm not much of a gambler, because losing really frustrates me to no end!

 

Sometimes it's not good to write a review right as things are happening or soon after something has irritated you. It may not come across the way you intend long term. Please enjoy the rest of your cruise!

Edited February 17, 2015 by cruizinisthebest

[YourCruiseGurl]

At 73.5 I would be freezing. lol

 

 

During the day that would be too cool for me, but when I'm sleeping, it wouldn't be cool enough. Go figure. Lol

[LCTXcruiser]

I'm sorry to hear that you're losing so much to the casino. However, I'm going in 3 weeks so let me know what's what slots you are playing maybe I'll win the money back :-) :-) :-). Don't let the casino ruin the trip. Get some rest and get to the MDR and have a good meal. a bad day on a cruise is still better than the best day at work!

[SMSACE6]

During the day that would be too cool for me, but when I'm sleeping, it wouldn't be cool enough. Go figure. Lol

 

I must admit also, that on my November cruise, I found my room to be very very warm in the day time, even though I drew the drapes. It was not a big deal though because I was only in and out of there during the day. By night/bed time, I still found it warm, but not as bad as day time.

 

It still was too warm for that lovely duvet they have on the bed, at least for me. I ended up sleeping with just the sheet over me, and sometimes woke up at about 3am, and the room seemed cooler, but never cool enough to pull that duvet over me. 73.5 is too warm for me. So while I had an awesome cruise, and the room temp did not affect me greatly, I find this temp is not in my comfort zone.

 

LOL..we are polar opposites with regards to the temps

Edited February 18, 2015 by SMSACE6

[EdmundXXIII]

Sorry, but I too have a hard time believing some of your complaints. Slots not paying? Quit feeding them.... Maybe your DH is coming down with something? We keep our house at 72-73 degrees during the dead of summer when it's in the 100's out...As far as the trash can, the stewards ALWAYS place it under the vanity stool. Check there for it.

 

 

 

We have been on the Freedom 3 times and have never had any issues at all. The room stewards have been the best out of all our cruises. We find the casino to be one of the better ones. As far as the food goes, I don't eat at the buffets, just not my thing. But if you are having room service and pizaa (which is delicious) then how can you be loosing weight? Not to mention fish & chips, deli, tandoori, Mongolian wok, Guys burgers, Blue Iguana, and of course, my favorite, the Steakhouse.

 

 

Came here to basically say all this.

[EZ4]

They better get it together. BC9 will be on Freedom next year.

[Surf and Suds]

This is our second cruise on Freedom, the first was back in 2009 for our Honeymoon. This is our Anniversary cruise. I have to say this has been very disappointing. The service on board has really gone down since our last trip. I apologize ahead of time. I didn't bring my camera, so I won't be posting any pics.

 

Cabin

 

We got an OV room 2435. The room is nice, location great. But the shower stopped up during the first shower. The air in the room doesn't seem to circulate. I went to guest services and they sent maintenance who checked and it registered 73.5 which iws "within Carnival standards", so they would not do anything to fix it. Kimberly at the desk did graciously give me a fan for my DH who keeps sweating. She told me they are reserved for guets with medical conditions who need them to sleep.

 

Our steward likes to play hide the trash can, so we have been having fun with that one. We are Premium Casino guests and he keeps forgetting to leave our casino drawing tickets and such. We missed the cocktail party and drawing the first night and a few other things. I have to check each day to make sure we got everything.

 

Casino

 

The slots are HORRIBLE!!!! I lost a LOT of money. Can't hit anything! This has been one of the worst gambling trips we have ever been on.

 

You cannot get service while playing. We get free drinks and it doesn't matter if you tip or not. We always tip, and they still don't come around. Waited 30 minutes one time for a soda. Twice we ordered and the same girl came by and asked if we wanted something 15 mins later without bringing a drink.

 

Food

 

We haven't made it to MDR. The buffet is terrible, terrible, terrible! We just ordered room service or pizza. I may loose a few pounds if we dont make it to MDR soon.

 

I am really disappointed in the Freedom. We were really looking forward to this cruise. It was one of our favorite cruises from the past, and now we probably won't be back.

 

Well.. i better get back to some sun. :)

 

Sorry to hear you are unhappy with your cruise. I am booked on the Freedom sailing 11/Apr/2015. I also enjoy a casino but I never seem to have luck with slot machines. You may want to try some of the table games such as craps or blackjack. I am taking my "secrete" gambling weapon with me this cruise. Wish me luck!

[swscruiser]

We have done a couple of premier casino cruises and will never do another. The slots are set much tighter than regular cruises. We also take X amount of dollars to gamble with and never expect to make money, but on the premier cruises our money seems to go much faster.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

This is our second cruise on Freedom, the first was back in 2009 for our Honeymoon. This is our Anniversary cruise. I have to say this has been very disappointing. The service on board has really gone down since our last trip. I apologize ahead of time. I didn't bring my camera, so I won't be posting any pics.

 

Cabin

 

We got an OV room 2435. The room is nice, location great. But the shower stopped up during the first shower. The air in the room doesn't seem to circulate. I went to guest services and they sent maintenance who checked and it registered 73.5 which iws "within Carnival standards", so they would not do anything to fix it. Kimberly at the desk did graciously give me a fan for my DH who keeps sweating. She told me they are reserved for guets with medical conditions who need them to sleep.

 

Our steward likes to play hide the trash can, so we have been having fun with that one. We are Premium Casino guests and he keeps forgetting to leave our casino drawing tickets and such. We missed the cocktail party and drawing the first night and a few other things. I have to check each day to make sure we got everything.

 

Casino

 

The slots are HORRIBLE!!!! I lost a LOT of money. Can't hit anything! This has been one of the worst gambling trips we have ever been on.

 

You cannot get service while playing. We get free drinks and it doesn't matter if you tip or not. We always tip, and they still don't come around. Waited 30 minutes one time for a soda. Twice we ordered and the same girl came by and asked if we wanted something 15 mins later without bringing a drink.

 

Food

 

We haven't made it to MDR. The buffet is terrible, terrible, terrible! We just ordered room service or pizza. I may loose a few pounds if we dont make it to MDR soon.

 

I am really disappointed in the Freedom. We were really looking forward to this cruise. It was one of our favorite cruises from the past, and now we probably won't be back.

 

Well.. i better get back to some sun. :)

 

If you are having such a bad time, invoke the 24 hour guarentee and ask to be left off at the 1st port and be provided with a flight home. I would love to hear what the responses are to you "bad" cruise claim. After all, we all know that the slot machines are supposed to pay off all the time.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Retired_to_Cruise

[v3cruiser]

Sounds like first world problems to me. How you feel on the inside is often what you receive on the outside! IMHO, Id never bet against the MDR vs the buffet, unless your talking mexican night! Boom!

[Viscus]

Wait, so when I lost a few hundred on the craps table on my last cruise, it was Carnival's fault? Sweet, sending an email to my PVP now to get some free stuff!

[mnsawyer]

Get to the dining room - will make a huge difference!

[luvslexi]

Aww that stinks!! I am sorry you are not enjoying your time! Happy anniversary!!

[PathfinderEss]

Sorry that this cruise does not muster up to your first on this ship. Hope you can make the most of it anyway.

[MCFTJCH2V]

Well we made it to Costa Maya. We didn't book any excursions. We have been to this port many times and decided to stay on board and relax. My DH is still soaking up the sun. He's much darker than I am, so I have to take it easy in the shade.

 

I don't want anyone to think I am a constant complainer. I am always positive. Please go back and read my other posts. I loved my last cruise on Freedom, and all my other Carnival cruises. I am enjoying this cruise too. I just feel this cruise has had a few issues.

 

We missed the dinners in MDR because of late naps. I know it is our fault for missing the dinners, but I still feel the buffets should offer a nice selection. We have been on cruises that offered similar food to what is being served in the MDR, without table service. I always thought that was a nice alternative. The food in the buffet this cruise seems to all be drenched in sauce. Baked fish covered in sauce, chicken smothered in sauce, etc. Even the vegatables are covered in some type of sauce. It all seems similar each night. I am not a picky eater. I just don't like all that sauce on my food. I have to say the carved meats are good.

 

We enjoy the casino that is why we were offered the Premium Casino offer. We still paid for this cruise, it wasn't free. We never spend more in the casino than we plan to loose. The thing is you do expect to hit a little bit now and then. My husband always says, "they are going to get our money eventually, why can't they let us have fun and win a little in the mean time?" Some people enjoy excursions, others enjoy the shows, we enjoy the casino.

 

If someone came on here and reviewed the evening show and said it was horrible people wouldn't tell them to just get up and leave it's your fault for staying not Carnivals. I truly believe Carnival is somewhat at fault for giving us bad "entertainment". I know I am going to get blasted for that statement, and that is OK. It will be from people who don't enjoy gambling.

 

I wish I could find it, but I was reading someone who is doing a B2B which included the reposition. They are reporting it's as if it were 2 different cruises, as if everything just changed after the repo, and not for the better. I wonder if there was a crew change?

[Tammylyne]

.... Maybe your DH is coming down with something? We keep our house at 72-73 degrees during the dead of summer when it's in the 100's out....

 

To OP sorry you are having a bad cruise. I don't understand why people dont believe someone can actually have a bad cruise. :rolleyes: I have had great cruises and cruises that just didn't do it for me. But a cruise is a cruise and I always try to make the best of any given situation :)

 

As for the above comment glad you are comfortable in 72-73 degrees. I keep our thermo set at 68-69 anything above that and I am dying. My mother in law is always cold. Its the individual makeups of our bodies, because yours is different doesn't make the OP's husband sick?

[NCTribeFan]

I was on Freedom 12/1 Premier Casino Cruise. The entire week's list of drawings was in the Goody Bag when I entered my cabin. There was no need to look for the daily cards (although I got them). Plenty of announcements for upcoming Premier events in the casino, too.

 

Slots weren't kind to me, either, but I played Roulette for the first time and may actually have come out ahead. Really enjoyed it.

 

I had an inside on Riviera and it was warm. And I'm always cold, so if it was warm for me, it was really warm! Same result when I called the service desk. Temp was about 73 and I was told that was within their acceptable range. I simply slept without the comforter on and since I spent no time in the cabin other than sleeping and getting ready for dinner, it wasn't that big of a deal.

 

After the 2nd day, every drink server in there (I had a couple of favorites), knew my name and what I liked to drink. I was practically beating them off, they were so anxious to bring me another drink! Oh, and I do tip on the free drinks as well. I'm not sure everyone does that. Those folks worked their butts off, so even if the casino pays the tip on the freebies, I felt they deserved something from me.

 

I almost never eat buffet food. I have a made-to-order omelette for breakfast. On a 2.0 ship, there are too many other lunch options to eat buffet. And the Conquest-class ships also have the fish and chips upstairs. I love to get a Thirsty Frog draft and take it up to wash down my F&C.

 

I did have some issues with MDR (I picked YTD for only the 2nd time and had some long waits (I was solo)) and felt I was rather ignored most nights. The food, though, was quite good (better than it had been on Splendor a month earlier).

 

Everyone has different experiences. People in neighboring cabins on the same sailing have different experiences! It's the sweeping generalizations - that YOUR experience means that the ship and Carnival in total have gone way downhill - is what generates the comments from those who don't see it the same way.

 

I've been sailing Carnival now for about 15 years. The past few years, I've sailed 2-3 times a year. I personally don't think Carnival has slipped nearly as much as some others think. I still believe, for the money, it's a great vacation bargain. But then, I do lots of reading about a particular ship before I sail and I board having very realistic expectations.

[lisajm]

OP,

Aside from the slots not paying off, you truly have my sympathy! As a middle age female suffering from "power surges", I would be truly miserable @ 73.5 degrees. I'm glad they gave you a fan.

 

And not having a properly working shower in my book is unacceptable.

 

Inflection in the human voice is so important in communication because it gives the listener insights to the emotions behind the statement or question.

When someone is typing (for the most part) it is not always easy to understand where the other person is coming from.

 

OP, hope the experience is turning around for you!

[Georgie562]

This is our second cruise on Freedom, the first was back in 2009 for our Honeymoon. This is our Anniversary cruise. I have to say this has been very disappointing. The service on board has really gone down since our last trip. I apologize ahead of time. I didn't bring my camera, so I won't be posting any pics.

 

Cabin

 

We got an OV room 2435. The room is nice, location great. But the shower stopped up during the first shower. The air in the room doesn't seem to circulate. I went to guest services and they sent maintenance who checked and it registered 73.5 which iws "within Carnival standards", so they would not do anything to fix it. Kimberly at the desk did graciously give me a fan for my DH who keeps sweating. She told me they are reserved for guets with medical conditions who need them to sleep.

 

Our steward likes to play hide the trash can, so we have been having fun with that one. We are Premium Casino guests and he keeps forgetting to leave our casino drawing tickets and such. We missed the cocktail party and drawing the first night and a few other things. I have to check each day to make sure we got everything.

 

Casino

 

The slots are HORRIBLE!!!! I lost a LOT of money. Can't hit anything! This has been one of the worst gambling trips we have ever been on.

 

You cannot get service while playing. We get free drinks and it doesn't matter if you tip or not. We always tip, and they still don't come around. Waited 30 minutes one time for a soda. Twice we ordered and the same girl came by and asked if we wanted something 15 mins later without bringing a drink.

 

Food

 

We haven't made it to MDR. The buffet is terrible, terrible, terrible! We just ordered room service or pizza. I may loose a few pounds if we dont make it to MDR soon.

 

I am really disappointed in the Freedom. We were really looking forward to this cruise. It was one of our favorite cruises from the past, and now we probably won't be back.

 

Well.. i better get back to some sun. :)

 

That's what Casinos do... they take your money. Casinos always win. :rolleyes:;)

[cruiser fanatic]

I am sorry that this cruise has not been your best. However, you complaining about the slot machines is ridiculous. You might win or you might lose. Nothing to complain about. As for the food, I have never had "outstanding" food on any ship. The Buffet food is better then the MDR IMO.

[mamieof3]

We have done a couple of premier casino cruises and will never do another. The slots are set much tighter than regular cruises. We also take X amount of dollars to gamble with and never expect to make money, but on the premier cruises our money seems to go much faster.

 

 

I have to agree with the 'tighter slots' on Premier Casino Cruises. I also understand the point of view (paraphrasing) "I don't have to come out a big winner every cruise but just let me win enough to play". I enjoy slots and table games. I, too, take a specific amount of $ to 'lose' and if I win, yippee!, if not, that was my 'entertainment' money. Everyone on here giving you a hard time about losing at the slots probably enjoys a 'splurge' at the Chef's Table, Steak House, Excursions, etc....some of us enjoy gambling when given the opportunity...for me, it is the only opportunity I have to gamble and I would rather spend my 'spending money' on slots and tables rather than the other stuff I listed above. we all view entertainment differently, what is fun to you, may not be my cup of tea and vice versa....does it really matter? Does she really deserve so much wrath? geesh. OP, I do hope you enjoy your cruise and I suspect you will. Any day with a view of the bright blue sea is a good day :)

Edited February 19, 2015 by mamieof2

[PanamaKay]

Was on the final Freedom cruise from Fort Lauderdale right before the repo. It was a grand cruise. Great room, great food, and I won $1,000 in the casino last night. Sorry you are having such an awful time.:confused:

[foundmyMcGyver]

Sorry to hear you're not having a good cruise. We just got off the 12 day repositioning on Freedom on Saturday and had an awesome time! We have no complaints at all!

DH and I just got the repo cruise as well. No complaints. Awesome cruise with a 4 day mini vacation in Texas after as we couldn't get back home to N.H. :-)