Freedom Review! Dec 14-20

[crsnfun]

Anna,

 

I had to laugh about the Tarpon. When I was in GC in 2003 I was snorkeling and out of the corner of my eye I saw this big gray looking thing. I sort of screamed thinking it was a shark.:o Then I calmed down and looked and saw it was a fish. In all there were about 5 of them. I tried to follow them to get a picture but they were not having any of it. They were huge fish. I would say about 5 or 6 feet long. I understand why she would have thought it was a shark.:D

I am loving the review. Please keep it coming. I love all the pictures.:)

 

Oh, that is FUNNY!!

I am glad I didn't see it...I really would have freaked out! :eek:

Other people on the boat said there were many of them...Stacie saw one and freaked out, I can't imagine if she would have seen more!!

[amcjeep4life]

Hey Anna! I am really enjoying your review. I like the long-winded ones with lots of details. :p We went on our first cruise last month and are now addicted. We have chosen the Freedom as our next cruise, and I was hoping you had some pictures of the horrible decor I keep reading about. I'm like you, I'll just be happy to be on the ship. Can the decor really ruin my trip?

 

Anyway, keep up the good work. I can't wait to see her myself!

[sube]

I am too pathetic! Did not go to the Past guest Party!! :D

But, they did give us really neat pins that said "Carnival Freedom" on them.

 

I was on the same cruise you were on and I went to the past guest party. It was okay, but you didn't miss much. I'd rather be outside enjoying the sun and fun.

 

Thanks for posting the review! It's a nice remembrance for me. I never made it to the 7 mile beach though and my stingray swim was cancelled so I'll just have to go back to Cayman one of these days. :D

[crsnfun]

As STLRBOO mentioned, the sail form Grand Cayman to Jamaica was a little rough. The myth is as goes: When you get on a ship, you are stumbling and falling all over the place so the idea is to have an alcoholic drink to straighten you out!!

It was bumpy, it was rocky....we sat at the slot machines and held on for dear life! Ok, ok, so it wasn't that bad but, they did have the "barf bags" out.

I sat at the slots and my stomach was not feeling well...I was determined to spend my $10, had about $1.25 left..max bet and sure enough, I won $85!

We had no shore excursion planned for Ocho Rios which, I have heard, is not such a good idea. We intended to plan something but, really never got around to it. I was pretty sunburned from the day before and weren't sure about the weather so, didn't think snorkeling again was a good idea.

Today is Stacie's birthday so, I asked her what she would like to do. She really wanted to be able to just relax on the beach somewhere. So, I thought we'd give it a shot.

We got off the ship and found that we were the only ship in port that day. Some might think this is good, but, when you look at the whole picture, there is only one ship, one group of people to harrass instead of 2 or 3! So, sure enough, we were harrassed...

Come to my store!

Buy my necklace!

Do you party?

Would you like some drugs?

Um....No, thank you.

So, here's the deal....I have never been to Jamaica...that was one of the reasons I chose this itinerary. Stacie loves Key West and I really wanted to check out Jamaica.

So, I have been reading posts about Jamaica...how the people are pushy and bother you. So, I told Stacie what to do...just say "No, Thank you". Whatever they say, smile, say no thank you and just keep walking.

Ok, we can do this.

Off the ship we go...we purchased a plastic holder that goes around your neck to keep all of our money, ID and credit cards in.

This came in handy! Get one if you can! It works well!

So, we hop off the ship....a little nervous but sure everything will be fine...

We get to the end of the dock and there are people waiting there. They ask us if we have a tour planned and we say no. We continue to walk and see a huge sign. On this sign it states places you can go and things to do in Jamaica and how much, per person, it will cost you to take a bus there.

We decided that we would do Dunn's River Falls. It was $10 per person, round trip to do the Fall's, plus entrance to the Fall's ($15 per person). We decided that this would work out well...we would spend the morning there. We asked several "Tour Guides" where we could go to do an all-inclusive beach after we were done. The gentleman mentioned the name of a beach I had never heard of and said that he would be our personal driver for the day. Take us to Dunn's River Falls, take us to the beach and then to do some shopping. $80 per person, I think or maybe it was $40 per person, $80 total...geez....I don't remember! Anyway, we declined. We asked about the Bamboo Beach Club and he said that you have to purchase that through the ship. =(

We paid our $10 per person to get to Dunn's River Falls. Yes, it did rain a bit. A little overcast but, it was still warm and we were still on vacation so I didn't care.

Our driver told us that in Jamaica, they drive on the left side of the road..

"Left is right and right is suicide", she says!

We got to DRF and Stacie got out before me. There were about 25 people on the bus. So, I get off the bus....and, immediately I am approached by 2 gentleman.

"Peace beads? We offer peace in Jamaica. Free peace beads"

I am a little taken back and say no thank you.

Another gentleman:

"Water. Get your bottled water. We do not drink water from the Fall's. You need to have bottled water."

OF COURSE!! Sure, I will take some water! I thought this was part of the tour...um...no! I take the water and the gentleman says "And, for your lady-friend, she would like one too?" OF COURSE SHE WOULD! And, after 2 bottles of water, I am asked for $5!

"Peace Beads? FREE Peace beads" he says! Ok, yes, I will have some FREE peace beads! Um....no! Small donation please?

HILARIOUS!! Here I am telling Stacie to tell EVERYONE no thank you and I have just been sucked into the tourist trap! Not again, I tell myself! I wised up quickly!

They took us down a walkway and I was not sure what to expect...there was an opportunity to change into your swimsuit and rent water shoes for $7. I think she said that you get $5 back when you turn them in.

We also had the option to put our things in a locker. We had a book bag with us that had our $5 water and a few other things. We opted to keep that with us.

The Falls were incredible! They lead down to a "Corona commercial" beach.

I was actually a little nervous...the water was rushing and there were many people...but, after a while, you get used to it. It was an amazing experience and, even though, we were hassled, it was worth it. There was a tour guide helping us up the Falls and, of course, they made a video that you could purchase at the end and photos. We ended up purchasing a photo...it was so adorable! Cost was $8.

Yes, we had to go through a maze of shops on our way back to the bus...we just said No, thank you and kept walking.

We arrived in a little food court and I decided to get a beverage. I asked the gentleman what he recommends and he says RUM PUNCH! Well, ok, I will have one of those. $5 for rum punch and he told me to try it firrst because if I didn't like, he would buy it for me. Whoa, that was one strong drink! Very good and well worth my $5. I think it must have been straight rum because, by the time we got back to the bus, I was feeling pretty good. Combination of sea legs and rum, I presume!

More from Jamaica to come----

[stlrboo]

I am too pathetic! Did not go to the Past guest Party!! :D

We didn't either...!:rolleyes: Too crowded for my tastes..!!:p

 

As long as we had our 'ship' pin, we were happy!!:D

[stlrboo]

By the way Anna, we took a private tour, arranged thru Marva Shaw, and had a wonderful day, BUT...

We had been to Jamaica before, and were feeling brave, so asked our driver/guide to drop us off at the 'local craft market'..:eek:

When we finally escaped thru the fence, we knew why our driver had given us that 'funny look'!:rolleyes: Live and learn! WOW... Talk about 'pushy'... ACKKK!

 

ps: LOVE your review.. almost feels like I'm still there!:p

[ManyMore]

I agree, great REVIEW! I love reviews like this, it really puts you right there in the place.

[crsnfun]

Downloading Stacie's photos to Photo Bucket today while I am supposed to be working!! I will continue shortly!

 

:D

[crsnfun]

Hey Anna! I am really enjoying your review. I like the long-winded ones with lots of details. :p We went on our first cruise last month and are now addicted. We have chosen the Freedom as our next cruise, and I was hoping you had some pictures of the horrible decor I keep reading about. I'm like you, I'll just be happy to be on the ship. Can the decor really ruin my trip?

 

Anyway, keep up the good work. I can't wait to see her myself!

 

To be honest, i am not even sure if I took a whole lot of pictures of the decor...

I will check thru and see...

And, no, the decor will NOT ruin your trip! Trust me! :D

[crsnfun]

So, after we got dropped off the bus near the dock after Dunn's River Falls, we decided to stop at a little restaurant called "The Watering Hole" and get some jerk chicken. I went to the restroom and Stacie found us what she thought was a great seat on the patio, overlooking the water.

When I came out of the restroom, I noticed she was talking to someone (though I could not see anyone)....turns out this so called "perfect place" was perfect enough for hagglers to see right through the deck and .....

"Pssst, hey pretty lady, would you like a necklace?"

"Would you like to party?"

"How about some drugs?"

Yes, nearly the entire time we were having lunch, one after the other, these guys bugged us. We almost had to laugh at it!

We ordered drinks....

STRONG DRINKS!!

These drinks were fabulous! The reason you see 3 drinks for 2 people is because the blue drink in the middle, Stacie ordered it and then when she tasted it, it tasted like BLACK LICORICE! She hated it! So, she ordered another. We actually tried to give the black licorice drink to the guys on the beach selling necklaces...they didn't want it!!

We also ordered Jerk Chicken. It was FANTASTIC!

 

As you can tell, the drinks went right to our head!

3 drinks and jerk chicken to share total bill: about $30 plus tip

[crsnfun]

CORRECTION:

I am NOT color blind...it is the GREEN drink, not the BLUE drink that tasted like black licorice!

[crsnfun]

So, after we finished eating, we headed over to Taj Mahal (shopping center) to pick up some souvenirs.

Harrassed the whole way there but, by that time, we didn't care!

We came around the corner and ran into a husband and wife, on their honeymoon who were disappointed because they spent all their money shopping and didn't have enough left for a Red Stripe beer...I felt bad for them and offered to buy them a drink. They said thanks but, no thanks...I guess it is just programmed into your head to say that to everyone when you are on this island! :D

We saw the Hard Rock Cafe and stopped in for a to-go drink. RUM PUNCH! 2 drinks: Cost was about $20.

We went from shop to shop, hoping to get a deal on something. We picked up t-shirts, coffee, shot glasses, rum, dolls, cigars....you name it, we bought it. Those drinks kicked in and at one souvenir shop, the woman who checked us out said that she would sell us 4 Red Stripes for $10! Heck Yeah!

So, one more store to go where Stacie purchased way to much stuff without thinking about the fact that we had to carry it all back to the ship!

In fact, because of her $40 liquor purchase, she was given a FREE keychain

"Why Drink and Drive when you can Smoke and Fly?"

LOL..is that not SO fitting?!?!?

She was finishing up and I stepped outside to burn one and along came Oswald "Jerry"! He was not harrassing me, just came over to chat:

"Where are you from?"

"First time in Jamaica?"

"Are you married?"

We chatted for a while but, guess what, when it was time to go, he would not leave! He followed us to the little bar on the corner where he told the bartender to get us a couple of Rum punches and then insisted on carrying our bags back to the ship for us! He gave me his number and address and said if I was ever back in town to call him...yeah, right!

Now, at the time, this seemed like a really great idea until we thought of all that could have happened...he could have put something in our bags and we would have been stuck in Jamaica foreva!

Fortunately, that did not happen...

Oh, BTW, it is Stacie's 29th birthday and after lots-o-rum in Jamiaca, she announced it to every person on their balcony watching us walk back to the ship and even had several people sing to her!

[crsnfun]

Thursday night was a formal night...

As you can see, we did dress to the 9's. I didn't see anyone who was not dressed up. Maybe not in gowns and tuxedo's but, I didn't see anyone in jeans (on both formal nights).

It was Stacie's birthday that night so I arranged a cake to be delivered to dinner.

Keep in mind....I ordered the cake ahead of time, online. When I purchased it, there was not a place to specify where I wanted it delivered. When I contacted my PVP about this, he said I needed to contact the Bon Voyage Department. I was so busy before I left that I did not get around to this. When we boarded, I went to the Sail Away store and they said that I had to go to the Pursors Desk. The woman at the Pursors Desk set it all up for me. So, this is just an FYI that if you do order a cake, you need to call and specify where you want it ordered. The cake was phenomenal!! It was the chocolate with the chocolate filling! So freaking delicious! We shared with our table mates and had 2 pieces leftover. The waite staff sang and it was wonderful!

[crsnfun]

Here are some more food pictures..

I am not sure what I already posted so sorry if you saw it already..

This is amaretto cake...I did not care for it but Stacie said it was Delicious!

This was lobster bisque...wonderful!

[crsnfun]

And some more... :)

[crsnfun]

Our last day at sea was one of relaxation...

We slept in a little, had breakfast in the dining room..superb!

We hit the casino for a while and then Stacie napped while I packed.

Let me tell you, I am not sure how this happened but, we came with 2 large suitcases and one small one and, I swear, when I packed, we had one of our large suitcaes completely EMPTY! Yes, I checked every drawer and every closet and everything was packed! So, it worked out well because we had one entire suitcase to bring back our souvenirs.

While we were in Grand Cayman, we bought cigars. We don't normally smoke them but, thought, what the heck! So, for $12 a piece, we were prepared to smoke a cigar and have some brandy....

Freedom has a fantastic cigar bar, the Havana Bar. We had dinner and then made our way down to the bar to smoke our cigars.

In the Havana Bar, the had some great Salsa music going...there was a band (Well, really just 2 guys but, that was all they needed!). And there we sat, sparking our cigars...

[crsnfun]

Alright folks, winding down now...

This is what was left of the cruise....

Debarkation was a breeze...

We packed up everything on Friday, left our suitcases out and they were gone by 11 pm. As normal, debarkation was done according to #'s...ours was 22, I think. We were up at 7, out of the room by 8 and in a cab absolutely no later than 9:30. I think the numbers went as high as 35 but, I could certainly be wrong.

We ate breakfast on the Lido deck buffet. It was pretty crowded but, we did manage to get a seat.

There were probably 50 or more people waiting outside of the terminal for cabs. Stacie gave the guy $5 and we had a cab within minutes. The cab ride back to the Hyatt cost us somewhere around $35 so, with tip (plus the $5 tip to the guy who hailed the cab) it was about $50, total.

Yes, my car was safe and sound when we arrived back at the hotel, thank goodness!!

[crsnfun]

So, now that I have reviewed each port, I will just give a quick rundown of some questions people might have:

Embarkation:

Was a breeze. We got to the terminal around 10:30, checked in and were on the ship no later then noon, having lunch.

Food:

Decent. Nothing to write home about. Stacie insisted if they would only had some spices to their food it would have been so much better! Her lobster was over cooked, mine was fabulous! She LOVED the tandori station. It was on the Lido deck, on the opposite side of the burgers/fries station. She ate there almost every day. This sounds odd and I am not sure if you guys have ever had it but, she said that it kind of tasted like Skyline Chile! The sushi was to die for! Room service: Outstanding! I can't really complain about the food at all. As always, the warm chocolate melting cake was yummy! I had it every night for dessert! We were scheduled to eat at the Supper Club on Tuesday without realizing it was a formal night so we did not go. The buffet was good. Yes, there was a mass production of food but, I thought it was terrific! We skipped dinner in the dining room on Wednesday and ate on the Lido deck...Stacie wanted to try the Mongolian BBQ...I hated it! I mean truly, really, it was flavorless! Sorry folks! I was disappointed too! The fish and chips station is located on the second floor of the Lido buffet...we discovered it around the 3rd day. Once again, phenomenal! Try it, you will not be disappointed! Stacie had some pizza from the 24 hour pizza station, she said it was quite cheesy but, guess what, it must not have been too bad cause she ate it all! LOL!

Decor:

Come on people! Yes, the decor was over-the-top in some places but, I mean does anyone really go on vacation to evaluate ways to re decorate? Although the Statue of Liberty Heads were a little scary!! :D

Casino:

Fun, fun, fun! But, hey we are gambling folks! If you enjoy the slots and tables, go for it! No guarantee that you will win but, someone was playing craps one night and we heard ALOT of yelling so someone was hitting it big!

Waite Staff:

Dear God, SLOW DOWN!! I swear to you guys, when I was finishing my meal, I picked up my bread and took a bite and looked over and my bread plate was GONE! We sat down to dinner around 8:15 and were completely finished and out the door by 9:30. This was the fastest I remember getting through dinner on a cruise! Yordan was our waiter and Roberto was his helper. They were all very nice people. We took a bottle of wine, 2 seperate nights to dinner and were not charged a corkage fee. In fact, Yordan even offered to recork our 1/2 bottle of red wine for the next night!

Shows:

Sorry peeps, we did not see a single show! Do I regret not seeing any? No. This is a reason to get my butt back on a cruise even sooner!

Helpfulness/Friendliness of Staff:

Everyone was wonderful! There was not a time when we were not greeted with a smile, welcomed everywhere and felt like royalty!! Smiles on everyone's faces! Staff willing to help when they could! I can not say enough good things about the Freedom staff!

Friendliness of other cruisers:

WOW!! I have never met so many HAPPY cruisers! we had SO many people that chit chatted with us! I mean ALOT of people! We sat with complete strangers at the Captains party! Everyone seemed generally happy!

Weather:

I will NEVER hesitate to cruise in December. The weather was perfect!

Chair hogs? What chair hogs?

The ship was decorated for the Holidays.

Christmas music played but was not overwhelming.

Did I miss anything?

Oh---a few downers:

I know, I am a mere 27 years old but, my goodness, the music on the Lido deck was enough to make you go deaf!! Too bad that there was no music around any other pool. It was either LOUD music or none at all.

Also, it would be much better if there was fresh water instead of salt water in the pools.

Oh, and one more thing: Carnival should consider staying in ports longer! 7-3 is just not enough time!

Um...THAT's ALL!

_________________________________________________

I would recommend this cruise to anyone who asks. This ship is a beauty. She has been taken care of and her staff was more than pleasant to be around.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to throw'em at me! I have all the Capers and a pretty decent memory!

Oh, one more thing...

WE WENT TO DISNEY AFTER WE GOT OFF THE SHIP!!

So, from Columbus, OH to Columbia, SC to Fort Lauderdale, FL to Orlando, FL to Atlanta, GA to Columbus, OH....we finally made it home!

[arh53197]

What a fabulous review. Thank you so much for sharing. I am even more excited about my 6/6/09 Freedom Cruise now!!! :)

[crsnfun]

What a fabulous review. Thank you so much for sharing. I am even more excited about my 6/6/09 Freedom Cruise now!!! :)

 

You will have an incredible time!!

I wish I could go back that soon!

[crsnfun]

I forgot to post pics of the Putting Green!!

[WillyWayne]

Hi Anna,

 

What an outstanding review, I really enjoyed reading it. We cruised on the Freedom our next to last cruise and we really enjoyed her too. Again your review is probably the best I have ever read. Nicely done.:)

[crsnfun]

Hi Anna,

 

What an outstanding review, I really enjoyed reading it. We cruised on the Freedom our next to last cruise and we really enjoyed her too. Again your review is probably the best I have ever read. Nicely done.:)

 

Well, thank you very much! :)

I think for me, it is also nice to relive it as I am typing it!

[iluvazsun]

Food? You want FOOD PICTURES?!?!?!

 

Stacie is quite a cook! If it weren't for her fabulous cooking, I would be 20 pounds lighter!

 

I was excited for her to taste some great cruise food and come home with ideas for some new meals!

 

She enjoyed the food but did not LOVE it....she was more excited with the sushi bar which was, I must say, DELICIOUS!!

 

The food was good, not great. Some might beg to differ...I am no connoisseur, I just eat what I like and this included the Warm Melting Cake...EVERY NIGHT for dessert!

 

Here you go folks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More to come!

 

What's the 4th picture of? Steak? I cruise Feb 22nd and this is all making me soooo hungry! And making me go to the gym tonight so I can lose a few lbs so I can eat all this yummy looking food!

Thanks for your review. It's awesome!

[crsnfun]

What's the 4th picture of? Steak? I cruise Feb 22nd and this is all making me soooo hungry! And making me go to the gym tonight so I can lose a few lbs so I can eat all this yummy looking food!

Thanks for your review. It's awesome!

 

Sure is!

This is weird but, I think I actually lost weight during vacation!!

I mean walking around Key West for 4 hours and climbing Dunn's River Falls! That is alot of excercise for vacation!