Freedom Good and Bad

[br76jook]

Just got back from the Carnival Freedom and before I get started, I want to say we had a great time.  I know people will say I just want to complain and some people can't have a good time, etc.  Thant's not the case, despite the negatives, we really enjoyed ourselves.  

 

Embarkation was quick and easy.  We were on the boat in about 30 minutes.  We didn't get any information about lunch, room availability, muster stations, room cards or anything.  We were just told we could go board.  We figured everything else out by asking once on board.  Lunch was typical for embarkation day.  Very crowded but good.  It was the only time the entire cruise the deli line was short enough to bother waiting in.  Our room was available at 1:30.  We booked an inside stateroom and were shocked by how small it was.  We are both gold VIFP members and have cruised several other cruise lines.  This was the smallest room we have ever had, including other inside rooms.  We were also shocked to find a dirty pair of underwear and a sock in the closet.  We later found old candy under the bed.  Not a stellar start.  Next problem came when my wife went to a 5:00 massage she had booked in the spa.  The spa was loud cheering people there for some sort of giveaway.  When checking in, she asked if they would be there during her massage since the noise wasn't very relaxing and was told they would be leaving before she got started.  They then sent her to wait for her masseuse and promptly forgot about her.  About 20 minutes after her appointment time, she got someone's attention who tried to say they didn't know she was there.  My wife told them to cancel her appointment due to it running late and the commotion still going on in the lobby.  They were very resistant and tried to blame her.  The rest of the night went well, we had a great dinner and evening around the ship.  

 

Following day was a sea day.  We got up early and got some decent chairs near the bottom of the slides.  Breakfast was good as was the day.  We did notice the lack of bar staff.  We understand the staffing issues and had no problem going to the bars ourselves.  The DJ and other entertainment was pretty good.  The DJ talked through the music as much as he let it play.  The cruise director was good and we saw him everywhere.  Dinner was good again and afterwards we found the Red Frog Pub on the fifth floor.  It is a hidden gem and where we spent a lot of time.  It was never crowded and had lot of pub games to play.  The ladies behind the bar were outstanding.  

 

Our first stop was Amber Cove.  The port was clean and nice with several of the usual shops.  My wife picked up some amber/larimar jewelry and I got some rum.  We booked the Ocean World VIP dolphin experience.  Mixed feelings about this.  We liked Ocean World and loved the dolphin experience.  The VIP part.... not our favorite.  We had a guide who walked a group of us around to difference shows and activities.  It seemed somewhat unorganized.  We walked in circles a lot and never really knew what we were doing.  He took us to the sea lion show and it was already overcrowded with nowhere to sit.  There wasn't even anywhere to stand where we could see and our guide didn't seem to have any thoughts about an alternative.  So we all just figured out what we could do to get the best view possible.  The bird area was nice but the bird show was nothing great, we would have rather skipped.  We had about 20 minutes free time before we did the dolphin experience.  This was our only free time all day.  The dolphin experience was great and the photos/video were not a bad price.  They were not at all pushy about selling them.  After the show, we were taken to a buffet lunch.  It was ok.  If we went again, we would find out when out dolphin experience was and do our own thing until then.  There was a lot of wasted time walking in circles, going to the lockers and doing shows we would have skipped.  There were a couple things there we would have rather done instead. 

 

Grand Turk was fun.  We spent time in the pool and on the beach.  It was really crowded since the Mardi Gras was there as well.  We had a long wait for dinner.  It wasn't a big deal but we were told 20 minutes and it ended up being an hour.  This happened on the second night as well.  Overall dining was pretty good.  My wife is a vegetarian and had a little bit of a hard time.  The Indian options at dinner were good but too spicy for her.  It would have been nice if Guy's had a vegetarian burger. 

 

The last day was a sea day.  We started with seaday brunch.  We sat for fifteen minutes before flagging down a waiter for service.  The entire meal was really slow.  My wife mentioned she was a vegetarian when ordering and did a build your own omelet.  Her first bite had ham in it.  I looked through it and found more.  They made her another one and it was obviously rushed.  We spent the day trying some things we don't normally do.  The towel folding class and bingo were a lot of fun.  We also went to a family game show.  It was good but really crowded.  That night we ate at the steakhouse.  We were really disappointed.  Service and food were both lacking.  First thing we noticed were several item on the menu online were not on the menu.  Of course they were items I was really looking forward to.  When asked, the waiter insisted the items were not on the online menu.  We had stopped by the steakhouse two days prior and let them know we had a vegetarian.  They said no problem, the chef would be happy to make something.  Her main course ended up being spaghetti with tomato sauce.  For $42?  Really?  During dinner we waiting about 20 minutes each time we ordered something from the bar.  We also had to remind our waitress of items we ordered that were not brought.  I had the cowboy steak.  It was okay but nothing impressive.  We went to the Getaway Island show that night and enjoyed it.  We wished we had made some of the other shows but always seemed busy. 

 

Debarkation was slow.  We were told we would be off the ship by 9:30 but it ended up being about 10:30. 

 

Overall we had a good time but were really disappointed.  During the cruise we learned it was the most crowded cruise the ship had ever had.  It showed.  Especially the lines at the deli, pizza, Guy's and the Blue Iguana.  We left thinking our next cruise would be a different cruise line.  I guess you do get what you pay for.          

[mz-s]

I guess my main question is why would a vegetarian even consider eating at a steakhouse. Although I certainly agree a spaghetti and tomato sauce meal isn't commensurate with the upcharge, it is vegetarian and this venue typically does not have vegetarian menus available.

 

I do believe that Guy's can prepare you a vegetarian burger by request. They do not keep them prepared so there will be a wait for them however.

 

What did guest services say when you mentioned the unacceptable state of your cabin with left behind clothing and food?

 

Outside of that it really sounds like the typical overcrowded summer Carnival cruise - frankly exactly why my wife and I do not cruise in the summer time.

[cruisingguy007]

21 minutes ago, mz-s said:

I guess my main question is why would a vegetarian even consider eating at a steakhouse.

 

Fair point, the equivalent would be a meat eater going to a vegetarian salad-house restaurant and complaining about lack of meat dishes or creativity. They even have fish/seafood, soups, sides and salad at the steakhouse so there are options. Might have been better off just eating in the MDR and ordering the steak for the meat eater at the up-charge, certainly cheaper. 

[Knights on the Beach]

2 hours ago, mz-s said:

I guess my main question is why would a vegetarian even consider eating at a steakhouse. Although I certainly agree a spaghetti and tomato sauce meal isn't commensurate with the upcharge, it is vegetarian and this venue typically does not have vegetarian menus available.

 

Well it might be for the same reason this girl (who is allergic to shellfish and doesn't eat any seafood at all) will be going to Rudi's on Mardi Gras in December. My husband and the other couple we're cruising with all love seafood and I don't want to be the Debbie Downer. But at least I know I can get steak there (although I might prefer spaghetti, broken or not because that doesn't bother me).

 

To the OP, thank you for posting your experience. Sorry you had some issues but seems like you had a pretty good cruise in spite of them. We'll be on Freedom in October with our kids and grandkids and are hoping it won't be quite as crowded.

[phoneman69]

Thank you to the OP for your candid post. DW and i will be on the Freedom in Sept. You gave me some interesting insights. We will be eating in the MDR so the wait time should not be an issue. Was the APP highly used by you ? Was the APP required to get a breakfast table in the MDR ?

 

[ninjacat123]

My DH, myself and 2 DDs (21 & 23) will be on Freedom Jan 2024.  Thank you for the review!

[kctwinmommy]

Sounds like our Freedom cruise for November, this itinerary. We've been to both ports before, so we kind of know what to expect. Although Amber Cove was not 100% open when we went before (we were detoured there due to bad weather). We already booked a poolside cabana for there, so nothing that we're worried about. At Grand Turk, we'll probably just find a spot on the beach or near the pool and hang out again. We're not overly concerned about the ports (just happy to be going with some friends for a little getaway).

 

We've been on some crowded cruises before, so that's always something we know we have to deal with. Sorry you had some hiccups on yours though. It does suck when the service gets rushed, and it's so unfortunate.

[br76jook]

My wife never has a problem going to steakhouses or other meat heavy places and finding something to eat.  With the steakhouse being a flat fee for dining we checked ahead of time about them being able to accommodate a vegetarian.  We were told the chef "loves the challenge" of creating a dish for vegetarian diners.    Even though it was good, that's what made spaghetti with sauce disappointing.  The appetizers she was able to get off the menu were very good. 

 

We asked Guy's if they had a vegetarian burger and were told they do not.  They thought maybe the deli had one available. 

 

We had our time dining which was the cause for the waits.  We used the app to check in but it gives no estimate about wait time.  The first night we were seated pretty quickly.  The other two nights we asked about wait times after checking in and both times were told about 20 minutes.  One night it was about 40 and the other over an hour. 

 

Although I understand the reason for going to everything being app based or phone based, I'm not a big fan.  I miss looking at the paper copy of the fun times.  I believe they are still available at a couple places around the ship.  I also didn't like needing your phone to scan qr codes to access menus everywhere.  Cruising was one place I felt I could totally disconnect from my phone and even though I was only looking at a menu it still felt weird.  As far as I know the app is needed any time you dine in the MDR.  I know we needed it for the sea day brunch.  They don't even allow you to check in by visiting the hostess.  The hostess just instructs you to use the app.  Same thing with menus.  We asked for a paper menu and were directed to the qr code.  

 

If you have kids I recommend the red frog pub on the 5th floor.  It was not crowded and had live music at night.  The women behind the bar were very accommodating with kids' drinks.  They had connect four, jenga, cornhole, tabletop shuffleboard, foosball and other games to play.  It was open and available all day, even when the bar was closed.    

[mz-s]

7 minutes ago, br76jook said:

Cruising was one place I felt I could totally disconnect from my phone and even though I was only looking at a menu it still felt weird.  As far as I know the app is needed any time you dine in the MDR.  I know we needed it for the sea day brunch.  They don't even allow you to check in by visiting the hostess.  The hostess just instructs you to use the app.  Same thing with menus.  We asked for a paper menu and were directed to the qr code.

 

Fully agree. I enjoyed being able to unplug. People on here say you can ask for paper menus and check in at the door etc. But after the second day it gets tiring having to explain to the crew that you just don't want to use your phone on vacation. So I gave in. I don't like it but it is what it is.

[karmamule]

8 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

Fully agree. I enjoyed being able to unplug. People on here say you can ask for paper menus and check in at the door etc. But after the second day it gets tiring having to explain to the crew that you just don't want to use your phone on vacation. So I gave in. I don't like it but it is what it is.

 

Regarding phones and unplugging but still needing apps, one strategy to consider is getting another phone via amazon, best buy or store of choice and just don't get any data plan or carrier for it. Use it only via wi-fi, and if you want set up an alternative gmail address and only give that out to people you WANT to be able to get in touch during your cruise.

 

That way you don't have to see work texts or e-mail, or texts or e-mails from people you don't want to hear from during your cruise. It's the best of both worlds because you can use apps and such via wifi, but still feel disconnected because you don't have to see all the noise associated with your regular phone's texts/e-mails/etc.

[quattrohead]

Going on Freedom Monday, thanks for the report.

I also do not go on cruises to watch TV or fanny around with a cell phone.

[mz-s]

35 minutes ago, karmamule said:

 

Regarding phones and unplugging but still needing apps, one strategy to consider is getting another phone via amazon, best buy or store of choice and just don't get any data plan or carrier for it. Use it only via wi-fi, and if you want set up an alternative gmail address and only give that out to people you WANT to be able to get in touch during your cruise.

 

That way you don't have to see work texts or e-mail, or texts or e-mails from people you don't want to hear from during your cruise. It's the best of both worlds because you can use apps and such via wifi, but still feel disconnected because you don't have to see all the noise associated with your regular phone's texts/e-mails/etc.

 

I wish I could get the Carnival app to run on my Android Fire tablet. They're only like $50 brand new too. It's perfect I use it for reading on the cruise etc. But the Carnival app won't install. I'm not really interested in buying another device but that might be a good option for some.

[TechDiva]

1 hour ago, karmamule said:

 

Regarding phones and unplugging but still needing apps, one strategy to consider is getting another phone via amazon, best buy or store of choice and just don't get any data plan or carrier for it. Use it only via wi-fi, and if you want set up an alternative gmail address and only give that out to people you WANT to be able to get in touch during your cruise.

 

That way you don't have to see work texts or e-mail, or texts or e-mails from people you don't want to hear from during your cruise. It's the best of both worlds because you can use apps and such via wifi, but still feel disconnected because you don't have to see all the noise associated with your regular phone's texts/e-mails/etc.

You can just put your phone on silent mode/do not disturb and/or airplane mode to prevent getting the notifications.  Buying an extra device when most phones have the ability to silence the outside world seems like a bit much.

[TechDiva]

1 hour ago, br76jook said:

If you have kids I recommend the red frog pub on the 5th floor.  It was not crowded and had live music at night.  The women behind the bar were very accommodating with kids' drinks.  They had connect four, jenga, cornhole, tabletop shuffleboard, foosball and other games to play.  It was open and available all day, even when the bar was closed.    

We loved the Red Frog pub when we cruised on the Breeze and Magic!  I cruised on Horizon in June (which doesn't have the pub) and I really did miss it.

[br76jook]

I didn't have a wifi package so I didn't get notifications and my email and texts didn't update so that wasn't a problem.  Just the fact I was having to grab my phone for everything gave me that feeling of being connected.  

[karmamule]

3 hours ago, TechDiva said:

You can just put your phone on silent mode/do not disturb and/or airplane mode to prevent getting the notifications.  Buying an extra device when most phones have the ability to silence the outside world seems like a bit much.

 

Well if you're connected to wifi e-mail would still come through, or if you DID want a controlled set of notifications it would be an easier way to do it. Just suggesting it for people who want complete isolation. If you're not bothering with a data plan there are some really good phones from Motorola, OnePlus, and others that are not much money.

Edited August 10, 2022 by karmamule

[pc_load_letter]

On the west coast on Miracle and Radiance I had zero problems getting paper menus at the MDR or for bfast and sea day brunch.

[ZoeyVictoria]

@br76jook,

 

Thank you for the fair and honest review.  It is helpful to know where others may have had issues and possibly adjust our expectations.

 

You mentioned the Getaway Island show, do you remember what other shows were available?  And did you spend any time in Serenity?  

[cellfree]

On 8/10/2022 at 8:59 AM, quattrohead said:

Going on Freedom Monday, thanks for the report.

I also do not go on cruises to watch TV or fanny around with a cell phone.

Lucky you. We did a B2B on Freedom couple months ago and loved it. But then again we  have yet to be on a cruise we did not love, well I should say enjoy, love is a strong word. 

[CruizinSusan70]

On 8/10/2022 at 8:40 AM, karmamule said:

 

Regarding phones and unplugging but still needing apps, one strategy to consider is getting another phone via amazon, best buy or store of choice and just don't get any data plan or carrier for it. Use it only via wi-fi, and if you want set up an alternative gmail address and only give that out to people you WANT to be able to get in touch during your cruise.

 

That way you don't have to see work texts or e-mail, or texts or e-mails from people you don't want to hear from during your cruise. It's the best of both worlds because you can use apps and such via wifi, but still feel disconnected because you don't have to see all the noise associated with your regular phone's texts/e-mails/etc.

Why buy another phone?  Just use your regular phone and put it on airplane mode so that you will not have access to your regular emails/texts etc and you'll be able to get access to the Carnival app in order to use it for check in purposes at the MDR and to peruse the ships calendar of daily activities.

[karmamule]

3 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Why buy another phone?  Just use your regular phone and put it on airplane mode so that you will not have access to your regular emails/texts etc and you'll be able to get access to the Carnival app in order to use it for check in purposes at the MDR and to peruse the ships calendar of daily activities.

You’re right that’ll work, but this  lets you keep things easily segregated and you can still keep Wi-Fi on and be fully connected, but only to what you WANT to be connected to. There are some nice phones that are still quite inexpensive so it’s one option if someone wants.

[FireEater]

I used my phone, with no internet service for the app.  I booked a spa item in person, and got a text reminder on my phone about 15 minutes before the schedule time.  Guess my phone number is linked to my room so they send texts that way.

 

I also used the app to make breakfast seat appointments.  It worked just fine.

 

With my phone, I was able to see the scheduled events throughout the day, just not the menus. 

 

As for menus, I just off the Liberty Friday.  No menu would show up.  Our table mates for dinner had the same issue.  Screen would keep timing out and not produce any of the menus.   I kept checking through the day, and still nothing.  Not sure what happen.

 

I have a December cruise booked on Freedom.  Bottom floor, last room, inside cabin.  Inside cabin and that low will be a new experience to me. LOL. I want to see if inside cabins will suit my needs for future single cruises.   I am use to balconies and suites.  

 

 

Edited August 21, 2022 by FireEater

[CruizinSusan70]

6 hours ago, karmamule said:

You’re right that’ll work, but this  lets you keep things easily segregated and you can still keep Wi-Fi on and be fully connected, but only to what you WANT to be connected to. There are some nice phones that are still quite inexpensive so it’s one option if someone wants.

I only keep wifi on if I am cruising on a line that includes it such as Celebrity or Princess.  If I have to purchase it a la carte, the phone stays in airplane mode.

[ninjacat123]

6 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

I only keep wifi on if I am cruising on a line that includes it such as Celebrity or Princess.  If I have to purchase it a la carte, the phone stays in airplane mode.

My DH needs it for connection for work so I can "borrow" wifi if I need it.  I like being able to text my mom who lives with me or post on FB.

[CruizinSusan70]

38 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

My DH needs it for connection for work so I can "borrow" wifi if I need it.  I like being able to text my mom who lives with me or post on FB.

I understand that some people need it on occasion, I was just comparing it to buying a separate cheap phone to use on a cruise.