Video Montage of Carnival Freedom Trip!

[samssham]

Hello all! This is my first post on Cruise Critic (which is fitting, as I've recently returned from my ~first cruise), but I'm been skimming the boards for awhile. I noticed that a lot of people post reviews from their trips, so I figured I'd follow suit. Instead of writing a report accompanied by pictures, however, it's comprised of mainly video clips.

 

In short: I created a video to document the Carnival Freedom cruise from 1/5-1/10 that my partner and I went on. It's embedded below, but if that isn't working you can click the following link to take you to Youtube:

 

 

[YOUTUBE]

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For some context, we're both relatively new cruisers. This was my first cruise since I was about 10 years old -- we went on the Disney Magic and while I enjoyed it, I don't particularly remember it -- and Cait went on her first cruise last year. As we're from the Northeast of the United States, we sought out relatively low-key excursions that revolved around optimizing our beach time. Our cruise departed from Fort Lauderdale and traveled to Key West, the Cayman Islands, and Cozumel. We played it safe by booking everything directly through Carnival itself (more on that will follow shortly). While I understand that this video format isn't necessarily informative in the same way that a review might be, I think it gives somewhat of an outline of what the excursions we took were like. Additionally, I'm happy to answer any questions that folks might have about the specifics and/or details in general.

 

Key West: At Key West, we went on the Ernest Hemmingway tour that led us from the port to his house and then to his alleged favorite restaurant. As we're both writers who had read Hemmingway, we greatly enjoyed this excursion, and had a wonderful time. While we likely could have found his house by ourselves, sans the tour guide -- as Key West is still part of the United States, we still had cellphone service and could consequently access the internet -- I personally loved what our guide, Peter, had to say. He knew facts about the small neighborhoods and such that I would not have known otherwise and was great at engaging us as a group. If you want to save a bit of money you could skip out on the tour and just go to his house, but you should know that there is an entry fee. The Hemmingway itself was very interesting and the guide we had there (separate from Peter) was additionally lovely. I would definitely recommend the house, as it's fascinating to look at the space in which he worked -- and even play with some of his six-toed cats! I know I said this was a video review, but I will include a quick selfie of us with one of them:

 

 

After the hour-long tour throughout the house (which was definitely not handicapped accessible, by the way), Peter took us back throughout the town and into the heart of Key West, where most of the signature shops and restaurants are. Again, while we could have found this area by ourselves, we really did enjoy hearing what he had to say. From there, we could choose to eat lunch at the place where Hemmingway frequented or venture off to do our own thing. We actually ended up returning to the ship for a quick lunch, as to save a bit of money, before getting back off the boat to venture around the town and buy some souvenirs. All in all, I would recommend this excursion.

 

The Cayman Islands: At the Cayman Islands, we took the Seven Mile Tiki Beach Excursion with all-inclusive drinks and lunch. Upon debarking the ship, we were awarded with coupons and a wristband, and then were put on vans that took us to the Seven Mile beach. A guide drove the vehicle and explained some of the beach's history -- including the local myth that it had gotten its name from -- before dropping us off. The beach itself was lovely, as to be expected, and immediately wooed us with its soft sand and crystal clear water. We wanted to be away from the general crowd so it took us a few minutes to find empty chairs, but in the grand scheme of things we were still fairly close to the main area and had an amazing spot on the beach. It was a win-win, really. From there, we alternated relaxing, tanning, and even swimming a bit. You could rent snorkels and other gear for an additional, but as I would be snorkeling the next day I didn't think it necessary. The inclusive lunch was a buffet-style cookout with a variety of vegetarian options and sides. The food wasn't particularly exciting -- if I remember correctly, I had a hotdog, pasta salad, beans, chips, and corn-bread -- but it did the job. There were spots to sit in the shade, so whether you had opted for this option or not you could escape from the heat. Additionally, the all-inclusive package allowed us unlimited rum punch, which we gladly took advantage of. You handed the person serving you your ticket the first time and then afterwards they let you have as much punch as you wanted. Cait noted that only one of us really needed to purchase the all-inclusive package, as the other could have simply got rum for whoever didn't have it, but we didn't expect that to have been the case. At any rate, we enjoyed this beach and would recommend going to anyone who wants a bit of relaxation, so long as you don't mind a bit of a crowd. It ended relatively early, though -- I believe we left for the ship at 2 or 2:30 -- so if you can eat lunch late, then perhaps I'd suggest not getting the all-inclusive option and instead eating on Lido once you board again. That's just my opinion, though.

 

All-Inclusive Private Beach Retreat: Finally, our last excursion was an all-inclusive private beach retreat with only 14 other guests. This was easily my favorite event of the trip. Similar to the Tiki Beach, we were loaded into vans and taken to the beach, but dissimilarly we had an entire beach-house to ourselves (with the other 14 guests, of course). The area surrounding the house was gorgeous, with palm trees, hammocks, and a massage area, and the stunning beach was mere meters ahead of it. Every two chairs was accompanied by an umbrella and you could be as close to the water as you wanted. Servers came around to take your food and drink orders, which were included (and unlimited!) Throughout the day, we had bread and cheese appetizers, chips with guacamole, and pollo de molle (chicken with a chocolate-based sauce and rice) for lunch, plus a plethora of drinks (to get the most of our money, of course). If you wanted you could go inside the house and learn how to make some Mexican food for lunch, but we opted to remain on the beach instead. While I went snorkeling with the excursion leader and a few other guests, Cait got a full-back massage for half the price that it would have cost on the ship. Then we ate, swam, hung out in the hammocks, and even ventured into the house when we needed to cool down. I spoke to the bartender in Spanish, which was great as I was looking for a chance to practice throughout the trip. Everyone else at the house spoke English, though. We had been a little worried about this excursion because upon docking, someone from Carnival had alerted us that many excursions were going to be cancelled due to choppy water, but I didn't feel there were any problems with it. While the snorkeling was a tiny bit rougher and less scenic than ideal, I was able to see a number of fish and enjoyed it nevertheless. If I were to choose a top excursion for this trip, this one would definitely be it. While hanging out in the hammocks, we even got to experience nature first-hand when two gorgeous peacocks wandered out of the woods and across the shaded beach area. For kicks, here's a photo of Cait with one.

 

 

And that's it, really! I apologize for rambling so much, but at the very least I hope you all enjoyed the video. The clips are of us and our experiences. I'm the brown-haired girl, just for reference. If anyone has any questions about our trip or the Freedom ship in general, I'd be happy to answer them!

Edited February 9, 2015 by samssham

[Jeansfanatic]

Oh snap crackle and pop... the video isn't working for me! LOL! but pictures are awesome!! They show ya'lls (LOL.. southern came out) excitement!

Edited February 9, 2015 by Jeansfanatic
clarity

[samssham]

Ahh, I just noticed that! What a great way to kick off my post.. I just edited it to include the link, if you want to click that! :) And thanks so much, we definitely had a ton of fun.

Edited February 9, 2015 by samssham

[Jeansfanatic]

Ahh, I just noticed that! What a great way to kick off my post.. I just edited it to include the link, if you want to click that! :) And thanks so much, we definitely had a ton of fun.

 

Thanks for adding the link! That was an awesome video!!!!!!!!! I love seeing people enjoy their cruises!!! :D

[samssham]

Haha I'm glad you enjoyed it!!! I feel the same way!

[Robwerks]

Great review! Loved your video!

[crisstyd]

Awesome video! You two look so happy! We leave for the Freedom in a few days and this definitely gets me excited for the trip. Thanks for sharing!

[samssham]

Thank you, Bob!

 

Awesome video! You two look so happy! We leave for the Freedom in a few days and this definitely gets me excited for the trip. Thanks for sharing!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed it! You're going to have an amazing time, it's wonderful experience in just about every sense. I'm definitely jealous! :p

[fer]

Looks like a fun time. You both looked like you were so happy. Made me grin!