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Carnival Cruise Line

MS Carnival Freedom

Your Rating:
Reviewed by:Bill Ehrke
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: April 19, 2007
Itinerary: Europe

This was our first cruise, so we have no standard for comparison.

However, with the exception of our initial transfer to the ship, our overall experience was wonderful and we'll cruise again. The Freedom crew was exceptionally friendly, dining service was excellent, ship was constantly being cleaned, cabin housekeeping was wonderful.

My wife uses a motorized wheel chair - the crew went out of their way to clear obstacles out of her path, as did most passengers. However, some of the sales activities created so much congestion on walkways in front of the shops that she was unable to get past the booths and crowds on Deck 5 when sales were in progress.

The low spot of our trip was our transfer from the Rome airport to the ship.

This was incredibly disorganized - info from various Carnival agents was contradictory as to where we should wait, which agent we should follow, what bus we should board, and so forth. What seemed like hundreds of us were herded back and forth in large groups while the agents and bus drivers conversed.

My wife had completed a Carnival form in advance describing her handicap and the size and weight of her chair. We believed we would be met by a mini-van with low, easy access and a secure area for the chair. However, the Carnival agents at the airport clearly had no notice of her needs. Our bus driver was displeased at having to enlist several of his colleagues to help stow the chair in the luggage compartment, and the agent was obliged to clear another couple out of the front (handicap-reserved) seats while several fellow passengers helped my wife up the steps and into her seat. (This, of course, was not true of the crew on board the ship, who handled every challenge smoothly.}

Loved the decor of the Victoriana theater. Although we're nonsmokers, we also enjoyed the Havana Cigar Bar because of its high quality live music.

Dinner was at the first sitting in the Posh room. Service was excellent and very personal. The waiters were very efficient, courteous, and thoroughly enjoyable. Menus changed every evening, offering a wide variety of good food. One of the steak eaters in our group was often dissatisfied with the beef (too gristly, too fatty, too rare), but the rest of us had no complaints. The buffet areas had a good variety of food, but the lines were often congested - especially at breakfast. Despite this there was always plenty of food and we learned to head for breakfast a little earlier.

We enjoyed an anniversary dinner at the Louis XIV "Sun King" room (formal), and really felt pampered.

Our cabin (#9292) was a handicap room that was slightly small - partly because the motorized chair takes up some space. Nice king-size bed and roomy bathroom. Closet space was a little small, but on the other hand we packed too many clothes. The comforter became hot during the night and we were often kicking it off or pulling it back up.

My major complaint on board the Freedom was the noise in our room. We were located close to the outdoor movie/pool area. The volume of the sound system was way too loud for people on deck and nearly as loud inside our room. It ruined our afternoon naps on sailing days.

My wife loved the cruise director and the shows that she attended. (I'm not a show person - spent my free time reading.) The musicians throughout the ship were first rate.

One or both of us took shore excursions to Naples/Pompeii. Izmir/Ephesus, Florence/Pisa, Athens/Corinth, and Rome. There were 28 in our group of friends and relatives, traveling with our own travel agent who arranged some of the excursions privately rather than grouping us into Carnival tours. We seemed to be more satisfied with our private excursions than some of the folks who went with the larger tours.

We had a great time not only with our own group but also with all the new friends we met. There are always a few clods in any big group, but the vast majority of fellow cruisers were delightful companions.