My Review of Carnival Freedom 9/19-9/25 with Pics

[cuted126]

Each day's pictures are more spectacular than the day before. I LOVE those clouds in the Grand Cayman approach. You need to appy to Nat'l Geographic as a photographer !

 

Glad you enjoyed my review. Yes, try the Legend, or Miracle, the size and layout are great. The Pride goes out of Baltimore, but I don't want to spend several days just getting TO FL. I'd rather fly to FL to board a ship.

 

Can't wait for more. I'm so glad I decided to start reading random reviews even though I do not have specific plans for those ships. Landing on yours review was pure luck. I am really anxious for the next post.

Aaawww,thank you! I love photography. Dh brought me a nice DSLR for Christmas and I have been snapping nonstop pics ever since! We are deciding on the Liberty or the Legend. maybe even the Valor. I do wanna try the Miracle too. All in due time,I guess! I here you on the Pride,I don't wanna do that either. Thanks for reading along! I am having a good time writing this!

 

I love your review and photos....please continue! :)

Thanks!

 

Cuted126 - STILL loving your review! Look forward to reading/seeing every night. BTW - you're right, lots of Virginian's on here. We're from the Hampton Roads, Yorktown Area. Small world huh?! :D

Thanks! Yes,it's definitely a small world!! Wouldn't it be great if Carnival had a ship going outta Norfolk year around. All of us Virginian CC members could unite:)

[cuted126]

Loving this review, thanks! Most Freedom reviews I've seen cover the 8-day itinerary; we leave on the 6-day 10/17 so I'm thrilled to see your detailed review.

 

 

 

*AHEM* Gee Drea, you coulda shot me a Facebook message to let me know you'd found a great Freedom review. WELL. ;)

You are gonna have so much fun! Your only complaint will be that you had to get off th ship!! Makre sure you do a review when you come back!!

 

Hey neighbor! Yes, there are a bunch of us VA folks hiding on here! :cool:

 

DH and I are looking at this itin on the Freedom for next Dec for my **th b-day! :eek: and yes, that's blank on purpose! so I am really loving your review and tons of pics! Keep it coming!

Judging from your pic,your 20th birthday,right?!? Go and have a ball!!!

 

I'm anxious to see/hear about Jamaica!

I got it coming up in the morning!

[EMMOM]

I love your review and pictures, thanks for taking the time to do it. What kind of camera do you have? I am looking for a new camera and yours takes great pictures. :D:D

[anewmac]

Love it, keep it coming.

 

Your pics of Grank Cay take me back to 7mile, my dh wants to buy a house there LOL.

 

I love how you mention all the Drink of the Day, I cant wait to try them all! :)

 

oh and AQW, sorry hun thought you may have found it already, im always late to the party. OHH and yours is getting close, cant wait to read your review.. (your gonna do one right?!!!!?.. lol)

[disneyden]

 

I love how you mention all the Drink of the Day, I cant wait to try them all! :)

 

Me TOO! I'm making a list of all of the drinks that I want to try.

I normally don't drink, but my list is getting pretty long!

My DH said that I'm going to stay drunk the WHOLE time! LOL!! :D

[JMS920]

!

 

I doubt that we're going to do any planned excursions... we're just going to find the beach at each port, grab some drinks and chill. So any pics or recommendations of any beaches would be awesome. Thanks to you, I'm already planning on hitting the Whistle Bar... place looks great!

 

 

 

In Key West, Smather's Beach is beautiful! It has restrooms and vendors. It's located on the Atlantic side of the island. I'm not sure what the best way to get there is, maybe a taxi. It is free and you can rent chairs from vendors along the street. There are "trucks" parked there also where you can purchase lunch. Food is pretty good.

[disneyden]

Let's talk about the dessert bar. I loved it and as small as it is,there was never a line when I was there. Maybe I just got lucky. Okay,today's taste of the nation was southwestern and the drink of the day was Yellow Bird.

 

Did you like the Yellow Bird? What did it taste like?

It sounds like it would taste like bananas. :rolleyes:

[Crusin Karen]

Me TOO! I'm making a list of all of the drinks that I want to try.

I normally don't drink, but my list is getting pretty long!

My DH said that I'm going to stay drunk the WHOLE time! LOL!! :D

Try "The Cruiser." It's not a DOD, but it's on the bar menu. Very pricey and very sweet, but OH SO GOOD! ;)

[disneyden]

Try "The Cruiser." It's not a DOD, but it's on the bar menu. Very pricey and very sweet, but OH SO GOOD! ;)

 

 

It's just been added to the list...Thanks!

WOW, this list is getting looonnggg! :eek:

[Nannydd12]

Disneyden, the yellow bird is delicious, it is a fruity drink that has rum, orange juice,pineapple juice,galliano and creme de banana in it. It is very easy to drink several of these because they taste so good but I didn't have any hangover the next day which was a port day so that was good. Looking forward to drinking more of them next April on the Miracle.

 

This is a great review of the Liberty, we sailed on her last March and she is a beautiful ship. We also loved the color changing chandelier and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Can't wait to read more and see more pictures.

[Name Of The Game]

Hope you continue this great review today!

[mrpayroll]

Been enjoying your review. Loving the pictures. We are going on Freedom in January.

[cuted126]

I love your review and pictures, thanks for taking the time to do it. What kind of camera do you have? I am looking for a new camera and yours takes great pictures. :D:D

Thanks! I used two camera this trip. My beloved DSLR Canon Rebel XS and my smaller point and shoot a Canon Powershot A560.

 

Love it, keep it coming.

 

Your pics of Grank Cay take me back to 7mile, my dh wants to buy a house there LOL.

 

I love how you mention all the Drink of the Day, I cant wait to try them all! :)

 

oh and AQW, sorry hun thought you may have found it already, im always late to the party. OHH and yours is getting close, cant wait to read your review.. (your gonna do one right?!!!!?.. lol)

Grand Cayman is so beautiful! I would love to live there or at least have a vacation home there. I don't think I could ever get used to the driving on the wrong side of the street though. DOD's are the bomb!! My favs are Carribbean Breeze and Goombay Smash:::yummy:::

 

Me TOO! I'm making a list of all of the drinks that I want to try.

I normally don't drink, but my list is getting pretty long!

My DH said that I'm going to stay drunk the WHOLE time! LOL!! :D

Make sure you try a BBC and Miami Vice!! Nothing wrong with being drunk the whole cruise,lol!

[cuted126]

Did you like the Yellow Bird? What did it taste like?

It sounds like it would taste like bananas. :rolleyes:

I didn't really care for the yellow bird. It does have some type of banana liqour in it.

 

Try "The Cruiser." It's not a DOD, but it's on the bar menu. Very pricey and very sweet, but OH SO GOOD! ;)

I started to try that myself,it is on my list for my next cruise!

 

It's just been added to the list...Thanks!

WOW, this list is getting looonnggg! :eek:

I had a long list before I left too!! Let us know which ones are your fav!

[cuted126]

Hope you continue this great review today!

I was gonna post Jamaica this morning but I had to take my son to the eye doctor. He has not been happy all day cause he has to get glasses. So i've been spending time with him! I will have the rest posted soon!

 

Been enjoying your review. Loving the pictures. We are going on Freedom in January.

Thanks!

[cruisenavigator68]

Great job; can't wait for more! Leaving on the Freedom on October 17th! woo hoooooo!

 

 

We are sooooo there with you!! cannot wait ! about to pop-- going to the Floridas Largest Flea Market first on Saturday then cruizin!! Our 2 favorite things - Flea Markets and Cruises!!

[mouche]

So yeah,I did say that I knew how to get to the SMP,but the lighthouse not to much. We ended up walking up Duval,just to end up going all the way back the other way. Did I mention there were roosters walking around everywhere.

 

And beautiful trees and flowers everywhere

 

I thought the Conch train was so cute

 

And here is dh acting a fool again lol

 

 

Great review and pics, I had to laugh, because I took a pic of my FI with this statue doing the exact same thing your DH is doing, how odd is that??? MEN!!! LOL!!!

[Crusin Karen]

Okay, Cruisenavigator68, I just have to ask cuz it's driving me nuts....what is a FI? :confused::confused::confused:

[DFritz]

It's just been added to the list...Thanks!

WOW, this list is getting looonnggg! :eek:

 

Don't forget to try the Tiramisu Martini. If you love a combination of Chocolate and Coffee you will enjoy this drink.

[cuted126]

We are sooooo there with you!! cannot wait ! about to pop-- going to the Floridas Largest Flea Market first on Saturday then cruizin!! Our 2 favorite things - Flea Markets and Cruises!!

Have fun!!!!

 

Great review and pics, I had to laugh, because I took a pic of my FI with this statue doing the exact same thing your DH is doing, how odd is that??? MEN!!! LOL!!!

Too funny! it must be a man thing cause that's the first thing he did when he saw this statue!

 

Okay, Cruisenavigator68, I just have to ask cuz it's driving me nuts....what is a FI? :confused::confused::confused:

Fiance

[cuted126]

Jamaica Day 5

First, todays taste of the nation was American and the drink was Riviera Delight. I am going off memory,cause the tearable part of my capers are gone. I am pretty sure I am correct though cause I remember that good ham this day that coincided with my husbands' hangover,lol <---more on that later.

　

Okay,aaahhh Jamaica we've arrived. I intended to set my CELL PHONE alarm the night before because this is the only port we actually had an excursion planned for. Our tickets (which arrived under our door the first day) stated that we needed to be at the dock at 9:00am. We had paid for the Bamboo Beach Club excursion well in advance online. The description started out like this This retreat features a beautiful beach, unlimited food and drinks, a live DJ, fun entertainment, complimentary towels and lounge chairs. So we wanted to check it out!

I looked out the window and people were already getting off the boat,wow it was only 7:15am! Anyway,Jamaica is beauitful and mountainous. I woke DH and told him we needed to get ready so that we could get some breakfast before heading off the ship. We got ready and I asked him to look at the time on the tv and good thing I did!!!!!! Ship's time was 8:50,my cell had picked up jamaican time!!! We were supposed to be at the pier at 9am! So we haul ass down to deck zero forward,which is quite a hike from our aft room when you are under pressure! Let's pause right here....

　

I blame it on all the Long Island Ice Tea's the previous night because I have been reading cruise critic forever and not too mention it says on the back of the fun times that your cell phone may show a different time! I know not to go by my cell phone's time. What in the world got into me(long islands right,lol),we shoulda did a wake up call!! Anyway,we made it without getting left,matter of fact there were still people lining up in their respective areas. The lady for Bamboo Beach club,didn't have a sign and must've saw the look of panic on my face cause she walked up to me and said in a heavy jamaican accent "Bamboo Beach Club"?! Thank goodness! No more Long Islands for me :)

 

She took us outside and there we stood for about 15 minutes waiting for another bus to come back. It started to rain slightly,but stopped soon. It was overcast alot during the day. The bus finally came,and they packed us on it! Out came the aisle seats again and our total was 27 people,plus our 2 tour guides and the driver.

 

We were with a fun crowd on this bus. I believe some of them were already wasted at 9:30am,but hey we were on vacation. We drove through the city and the girls told us facts about their country. Like how they don't have states,they call them parishes and how everytime you ride into a differnt parish(or maybe she said town) there will be a clock. They also told us what the colors of the flag stood for. In short,yellow/gold for the sun,green for the grass and black for the hardships the people have overcome. The beach club was a short drive away from the pier,maybe about 15 minutes. She told us when we arrived that we didn't have to do anything but have fun,eat and drink. Yell for either one of them if we needed anything and they would do it, everything except take us to the bathroom.

　

We walked off the bus and was greeted by a young lady with a drink tray. They had rum punch,mojitos,red stripe beer,fruit punch and lemonade. I am sure there was one more kind of beer that i'm leaving out. We walked down near the beach area and they had a TON of chairs lined up. For some reason they were not lined up towards the ocean. I guess they had them situated this way so that you can see the entertainment they provide. We turned a couple of chairs towards the ocean and sat down to relax.

 

I am not gonna lie,my first impression was not good. I mean the beach was really small. Lengthwise it was okay,but it just felt small and cluttered. I am sure it was because there were just chairs everywhere. You could move your chair anywhere you wanted too though. The workers took great care of you. They came around alot with drinks and then jerk chicken,jerk pork,potato wedges,rice and different kind of desserts.

 

They were offering massages for a good price and also other spirits from the bar as well. Since me and dh missed breakfast,it was not a good idea to be drinking so many rum punches. I can drink with the best of them,but these were sneaking up on me quick. I ate some of the potato wedges and I was fine. Dh didn't eat much of anything at all. We ended up walking up the beach some and then back down. The water was clear,but nowhere near as beautiful as Grand Cayman.

 

Soon the entertainment came on. They had line dances and then they had a guy(or maybe it was two different guys) come out and limbo. He really went low too,it was pretty impressive. He also did some tricks with fire as well. Overall,this excursion was good. We had a decent time,but I think it would've been better coupled with the Dunns River Falls. Carnival does offer that as well. It was just a long time to be at the beach for me. I mean maybe if the beach was longer like Seven Mile and if there was more to see,I don't know. It wasn't bad by any means and I would tell a fellow cruiser to go anf enjoy themselves,but next time I think I would love to see a highlight tour of Jamaica or something like that!

 

 

 

Pictures coming up...

[cuted126]

The view from my chair,see there were chairs everywhere!

 

 

The chairs were turned towards this area. This would be where the entertainment was

 

Note the 2 rum punches on my chair

One of the guys that entertained us

 

This area of the beach was beautiful!!!

and picturesque

[INCHARGE]

Cuted126...I am loving this review. So much so, that I have saved it to my favorites for future "Freedom Fixes." baby girl, you and hubby are the cutest couple. Thanks for sharing all of this info. BTW... I am also from Virginia, near Quantico Marine Corp Base. We are about 20 miles from DC. Looking for more pictures and review. Wonderful job. :)

[cuted126]

The massage area

 

This little guy washed up right in front of us

 

Despite it being overcast at times it was a beautiful day

[cuted126]

The Limbo guy

He was amazing! I would be in an ambulance if I ever tried something like this!

 

This is the opposite end of the beach