Carnival Freedom Review Feb. 15th-21st 2015

[Patcap38]

I have photos, just not that many from the ship itself, but plenty from the excursions.

 

Carnival Freedom Cruise February 15th-21st, 2015, leaving from Galveston, TX.

Overview:

Carnival works very hard to make their passenger’s experience as pleasurable as it can be. The baggage drop off is very easy and parking is a breeze. We had pre-paid private parking. Embarkation was very easy, as well.

The dining experiences were, for the most part, good. The food was good and the service was excellent most of the time. We’re not big drinkers, but our experience in the bars was a positive one, until we got our final bill! LOL! I think our favorite was the Alchemy Bar.

Our cabin steward, Michael, was excellent and very understanding. He was subtle and really took care of his business.

Our cabin was a porthole cabin on the starboard side forward (2221). It was comfortable, BUT, it was directly under the stage area of the theater and during the night we would hear all kinds of dragging and banging when they were moving equipment around. Also the seas were somewhat rough most of the trip, (thank God for seasickness patches), so every time the bow would cut through a wave it would slap the side of the ship and shake our entire cabin. We were also apparently above the thrusters and when they were turned on it would also shake the entire cabin. The sound of electric motors starting and stopping were present often. I don’t know if they were for the stabilizers or what, but it seemed that every time the seas picked up they would activate and the ride would smooth out. All in all I would not recommend this cabin if you want to get really good sleep. I think the next time I will look for a balcony cabin.

The entertainment on the ship was fun and lively. We loved the comics and the bands as well as some of the shows in the theater. I’ve heard some complain about the cruise director, Jen. While we did not have any personal one on one contact with her, our experience is that she is a fun person and it was apparent that she works her tail off on that ship. She was everywhere!!

[Patcap38]

We arrived in Galveston, via the ferry, from the Bolivar Peninsula at about 9:30 am.

 

 

On the way to Bolivar:

 

 

Along the Gulf of Mexico:

 

 

Boarding the ferry to Galveston Island:

 

 

Ferry Ride:

 

We had arranged pre-paid parking about a month prior. Dropped off the family, (wife, daughter, and my dad), with our baggage at the terminal. Drop-off was pretty painless. Drove to the private parking, parked and after a short walk across the street I joined them.

[Patcap38]

Once in the terminal things went very smoothly. The Carnival staff was very friendly and helpful while directing us down the proper path. We checked in, got our sign and sail cards, and sat down about 10:30 am. It was a very efficient process. Boarding of the passengers went smoothly as well. Once on board we dropped off our carry-on luggage in our stateroom (2221) and went for a bite to eat in the buffet. The food in the buffet was better than I expected it to be. All I had to compare it to was the buffet from our previous Carnival cruise and that was a bad experience all around, but that’s a story for another time. The buffet was excellent every time we ate there. After lunch we were able to occupy our room, so we went and got everything set up just the way we wanted it. We went up on deck for cast off. It was cold and windy but they already had a party going on the Lido Deck.

Just above the Lido Deck waiting to get underway:

 

Pulling Away:

Afterward it was time to eat dinner 6:00 pm dining. The service was consistently excellent at dinner throughout the cruise!! The food was good, but I have to say I was really expecting better. Again all I have to compare it to is our previous experience in 2003 and the one thing about that cruise that was excellent was the dining room food for dinner. We were pretty tired after a day of traveling and check-in, so we didn’t do much that night except get some rest.

[Patcap38]

First day at sea:

Went to sea-day brunch and the food was about on par with the dinner, good, but nothing really to scream about. The only complaint I have is that the pastries they served prior to ordering were really stale with the exception of croissants. The service was good that day as well. We spent part of the day exploring the ship, though the weather was cool and very windy, so we didn’t spend much time in or around the pool area. My 9 year old daughter went to Camp Ocean and had a good time, but I got the feeling she could have taken it or left it. That’s no reflection on the program, she likes to spend time with us on vacation and I am more than okay with that!!!

 

 

[Patcap38]

First port of call: Costa Maya

The ship arrived at about 1:00 pm. We went to the Tropicante with some friends for some relaxation, since we didn’t book an excursion. The water was perfect, the food was good and the drinks were cold. We had a great time swimming in the ocean and relaxing on the beach under the palms. The staff at the Tropicante were friendly, accommodating, and very good at what they did. The taxi ride to and from the ship was only $2.00 per person each way and was very quick, although a little thrilling at times. LOL!! This was the only night we didn’t eat dinner in the dining room. Dinner at the buffet was good as well.

 

Entrance from the port:

Water At the Tropacante:

 

The wife and I:

[Patcap38]

Second port of call: Cozumel

Because of expected high winds later that evening Carnival pushed our docking time back an hour, which consequently made our time to disembark the port an hour earlier. We had booked the Dolphin Swim excursion at Dolphinaris with all your can eat and drink included. When we arrived at the point of contact for the excursion we were informed that due to high winds and rough seas the extra activities such as snorkeling and kayaking were cancelled. We were okay with that and opted to continue with the excursion. This, by far, was the highlight of our trip. My daughter thought she had hit the lottery!! She loves animals and dolphins are at the top of the list right under unicorns!! LOL!! We all had the best time in the water with the dolphins. The trainers and the staff were great and it was apparent that the happiness and well-being of the animals were paramount. The only critical thing I can say about it is that when they herd you into the area to view the photos and video that was taken of your encounter it becomes apparent that this is where they really hammer you for money. It took away from the entire experience for me and there was no way I was getting away with not buying a picture package with my daughter present so I ponied up. After my daughter was finished eating she just sat next to one of the dolphin pools, mesmerized, and watched them play as we finished our drinks and lunch.

 

Here are the above mentioned photos:

 

 

 

 

 

Our view from our table:

 

The pre-paid taxis took us back to the shopping area and we looked around for a while. We bought a few things, but most of the shops seemed to have very much the same things for sale. The shopping area was very clean and the people very nice. It was a pleasant experience.

 

At the port entrance/exit:

 

Dinner in the dining room.

 

[Patcap38]

Third port of call: Progresso

Again, the time of arrival at the port was an hour early. We had booked the Chichen Itza ruins for this port of call. All together it’s a 7 hour excursion. Cutting it very close to begin with. Carnival made sure that adjustments were made with the tour to accommodate the change in arrival for our ship. We met in the theater, as there were over 300 people taking this tour just from our ship. The disembarkation and the walk to the buses was very efficient and smooth. The bus ride was about 2 hours one way and our tour guide, Juan, was very informative during the beginning of the ride to the ruins. I did get the impression that he was trying to get all of us to buy from specific vendors at the one stop on the way for a bathroom break and lunch. I had some inside information from a friend that we would be able to get better merchandise from vendors at the ruins, and he was correct. The ruins were nothing short of spectacular. We had a history lesson from our tour guide for the first 30-40 minutes of the tour as he took us around the compound and I have to say that really enhanced the rest of the tour as we looked around on our own. I was very surprised how interested my daughter was during the guided tour. She would always muscle herself up front to make sure she could see and hear all of it. The time really flew as we looked around and before we knew it we had to head back to the bus. The bus ride back was non-stop and we had time to rest.

 

Bus Ride:

 

 

Juan the tour guide:

 

 

Juan with a 92 year old Myan woman:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner in the dining room.

[Patcap38]

 

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 2015 by Patcap38

[Patcap38]

Second sea day:

Slept in a little and went to the sea day brunch. The food was about the same, but the service really suffered. I suspect that the servers were not really all that experienced or trained. Again the pastries were stale and it was difficult to get my water glass refilled. The wind had finally died down enough for us to get on the upper decks and play some mini golf. My daughter loved it and I think my 82 year old father loved it as much as she did. We played 4 rounds and finally decided to call it quits because it became quite crowded up there.

 

 

 

 

The pool water had little chunks of ice in it, but my daughter did not care a bit about that. She swam while my wife and I sat in the sun. Until that day it was way too windy to enjoy that much.

 

I joined my daughter in the pool later and we swam and played for a while. We finally got hungry again. We had been eyeing the taco bar, so we went over and discovered that they were closed. At 2:00 pm the ONLY place to get something to eat was the pizza kitchen. This was not only disappointing but a little irritating to say the least. The pizza was pretty good, but not what we wanted. Again, dinner in the dining room. After dinner we began the unhappy task of packing and placing our luggage in the hall for pickup.

[Patcap38]

Last day of the cruise: :(:(:(:(:eek::eek:

We had to be out of the room by 8:00 am, so up early it was and we got our carry-on luggage together. We ate breakfast in the buffet again and just waited for our number for debarkation to be called. The process was quick and relatively painless. Customs was a bit of a nightmare, just because of the long lines, but we made it through and before we knew it we were in our car and on our way home.

In conclusion, I would have to say that this cruise was a great experience for all of us. This was our daughter’s first and she seemed to really enjoy it!! I was very skeptical when trying to book a cruise because of our last experience with Carnival in 2003. I swore I would never book Carnival again, BUT, the only two cruise lines who really cater to kids were Carnival and Disney and I was NOT paying $6000.00 for a cruise, so I took a chance and I’m really glad I did!!

[erewhon]

Thank you for reviewing your cruise and sharing your photos.

 

Pleased that you had a great experience.

[josefina022]

Thanks for the review! Sorry to hear about the noise in the room, we are also staying under the stage and figured it'd be quiet at night. Oh well, thanks again!

[SMSACE6]

thanks for your review, I am enjoying. I think that is the same room I stayed in on my 2010 cruise on the Freedom. Yes, I also had the same noise issues. It did not bother me much though because I have similar "noise" issues at home LOL (too long a story). Looking forward to the rest of your review.:)

[pbxtech]

Enjoying the review. :)

[KPfromCT]

Thanks for the review! It was great, short, pictures, and right to the point.:D

[SMSACE6]

Awwww...I was hoping for more:( Thanks though, enjoyed it.

[Patcap38]

thanks for your review, I am enjoying. I think that is the same room I stayed in on my 2010 cruise on the Freedom. Yes, I also had the same noise issues. It did not bother me much though because I have similar "noise" issues at home LOL (too long a story). Looking forward to the rest of your review.:)

 

Room 2221 on the main deck...

[Texasbum]

Good review thanks