FREEDOM REVIEW - 8 Day Western

[jbroons]

This is a great thread for me. My family is going on this ship April 5th. Much better than reading reviews in the review section. I also like the link to the pictures of the ship.

 

Lisa, your comments about people getting different parts of the meal at different times, I have read that in other reviews. I hope we won't see that, but I have learned to go with the flow. I am also concerned about seating for dinner as just 3 of us are going. Who knows who we will be stuck with?

 

Anyway, great review. I saved this thread as a link, so if you have any more info, I am all ears.

 

Peter - I will also be on the 4/5 Freedom cruise with my daughters 15 & 17....check out our Roll Call if you haven't yet. Check out this link!!

 

https://www.bookccl.com/irman/

[peter78]

Peter - I will also be on the 4/5 Freedom cruise with my daughters 15 & 17....check out our Roll Call if you haven't yet. Check out this link!!

 

https://www.bookccl.com/irman/

 

Thanks, I will go ahead and do that. I must warn you I have a 17 year old son whose birthday is in March. So, he will be 18 on the ship, maybe we should keep your two daughters and my son apart from each other.:p

[Eeyore_Lover]

Thanks so much for your review of this itinerary. I am on the May 9th sailing, and can't wait. The info on the Hyatt Place is helpful, as I will be flying in on Friday, as well, and have yet to book a room. Re: the cruise, did you happen to purchase a Fountain Card for either of your daughters? I was wondering what the cost is now for one. And did you visit the Spa?

[LizaMM]

Thanks so much for your review of this itinerary. I am on the May 9th sailing, and can't wait. The info on the Hyatt Place is helpful, as I will be flying in on Friday, as well, and have yet to book a room. Re: the cruise, did you happen to purchase a Fountain Card for either of your daughters? I was wondering what the cost is now for one. And did you visit the Spa?

 

I liked the Hyatt Place. I was able to get it for a good price on Priceline ($110). I don't think I would have paid the 240 (aaa rate) they were asking for on the Hyatt website for my dates though!!

 

This was the first time I did not get a fountain card. My kids don't drink much soda...maybe one at dinner a couple of nights....so I am not sure how much it was.

 

I had every intention of going to the spa - usually get at least 1 massage per cruise - but I was so relaxed and enjoying the time with my kids and on deck that I never went.

 

I will be posting my review of the evening entertainment and lounges a little later.

[LizaMM]

Evening Entertainment

 

Shows – We did not go to any of the Main Production Shows. We did however go to some Comedy Shows. The juggler/Comedian was great! We really enjoyed him and thought he was funny. This was in the Victoriana Lounge before dinner. We also saw his R-Rated show which we also thought was funny. There was one another comedian during the week and we went to both his Main Show and R-Rated as well. I had no problem bringing my DD (16) with me. I did however see them kick out a younger boy who was not with any adult one night.

 

Promenade Music – I usually enjoy the music outside of the Casino on the Promenade Deck but anytime I stopped by there he was on a break or playing very boring music so I passed.

 

Habana – I stopped in here every night for a cigarette before and after dinner. This is also where I met up with people who I met that were dining in the Chic Dining Room after dinner. There was a nice variety of music and some nights it was packed. Most nights a Salsa Band was playing and I thought they were very good. A lot of people danced and seemed to enjoy them as well. Some nights there was Piano Music which was also very nice. Once or twice we caught a woman vocalist (Tina??) who we did not like at all! Her voice drove us nuts and we found her to be boring. Her male accompanist would sing a few songs and we thought he was really good!

 

Club 70 – I did not get into the disco until Friday night. Usually I am a real night person on a cruise and hit the disco after closing down the Piano Bar but I had a bunch of nights that I went to bed early for me. My DD said she tried to go to the disco a couple of times earlier in the cruise but it was dead. That Friday night we went with a few people and we had a blast! I went back there Saturday night as well.

 

 

Deck Parties – There were 2 on our sailing. The first one was the night we left Cozumel and the second was after Panama.

 

I did not make it to either!!!!!

 

The first, I was exhausted. I went back to the cabin after dinner to change my shoes and just did want to leave! I sat on the balcony and listened to the water and got so relaxed and sleepy…..something that I have not had much in my life lately! I wound up getting into bed and going to sleep. My DD’s went for a while and they had a good time.

 

The second Deck Party was after Panama. We started to experience rough seas in the early evening. We were at the comedy show before dinner in the Victoriana and let me tell you it was rockin and rollin and you could hear waves crashing against the ship!!

 

(I did not personally experience any motion sickness nor did Rachel. Emma was feeling a little queasy so I stopped by the Pursers desk and they gave us meds for free. )

 

We went for dinner and as I said earlier it was not to crowded in the Dining Room. I went back to the cabin to change and had every intention of going to the deck party after a short rest. BUT I sat down on that bed and it was like being a baby in a cradle….the ships rocking just lulled me to sleep…My girls as well…..we all missed that one together!

 

Scott’s - OK….this is an interesting one for me. The Piano Bar is often one of my favorite evening venues on a Carnival Cruise. You can usually find me in there every night that it is open for awhile and in the past I have often stayed until closing and then gone to the Disco. I have sailed with Damian a couple of times and my very favorite, Barry Miller. My last cruise on the Legend had the worst Piano Man I have ever experienced so I was really hoping for a good time this cruise!

 

I keep up with the Piano Bar thread on CC and I also inquired over the previous months from people who posted reviews of their experience in the Piano Bar with Peter. I had not heard anything very encouraging to say the least!

 

And for the most part if I had to say was Peter good or bad I would have to say bad. He was far from the type of entertainer that one usually wants to experience in a Piano Bar! The first couple of times it was a bit painful!

 

That said…..I DID wind up having some fun in there by the end of the cruise. Peter kind of grew on me! Also, I took some time to talk with him and after that he was more enjoyable. He always made sure to play songs I had mentioned on previous nights without me having to make requests. I generally like the fun sing along type songs so with him playing more of these the atmosphere was better.

 

The last 2 nights of the cruise I stayed in Scott’s until he closed down and then went to the disco. So I guess you could say all in all I was able to have some good times with Peter. Given the choice I would much rather have a Barry Miller type of Piano Man but from keeping up with the Best Piano Bar singer thread it seems as if there are fewer and fewer of these really great ones and more and more mediocre to downright boring.

 

 

 

 

All in all a FANTASTIC Cruise!!!!

[cruisebie]

Your review has been great. It's really getting me excited for our trip on the Freedom in June. We are doing the 6 day instead of the 8, though.

 

I hope the piano bar livens up before we get there. I've been to piano bars on land that were lots of fun. It would be great to have that experience on a ship! I have to agree with you about the Legend. If it was the same guy that was there when I was last year, he seemed to be more interested in his breaks than playing.:rolleyes:

 

Thanks again, for a great review!:)

[LizaMM]

Your review has been great. It's really getting me excited for our trip on the Freedom in June. We are doing the 6 day instead of the 8, though.

 

I hope the piano bar livens up before we get there. I've been to piano bars on land that were lots of fun. It would be great to have that experience on a ship! I have to agree with you about the Legend. If it was the same guy that was there when I was last year, he seemed to be more interested in his breaks than playing.:rolleyes:

 

Thanks again, for a great review!:)

 

t looks like Vince is in the Piano Bar on the Freedom until sometime in June - hopefully you will have him since I have read really good things!

 

Here is a link to the Best Piano Bar Entertainer thread so you can keep track:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=362780&page=151

 

I was on the Legend for Thanksgiving '06 and then I sent my parents on a cruise on the Imagination in Feb '07 and they had the same Piano Man :mad:

 

Hopefully you have a wonderful experience this time!

 

The Freedom is a great ship!

 

ENJOY!!

[travelingran]

thanks for the info. hop to hear more soom