Carnival Cruises
This fun-filled, casual cruise ship really comes alive at night
The Ship. Carnival Freedom shares the same generally balanced profile as sisters Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Valor, and Carnival Victory. Immediately recognizable is the trademark swept-back wingtip funnel.
Carnival’s Seaside Theater for movies on an upper outside deck recalls those classic drive-in movie theaters, with seating in tiered rows and the screen in front. Also outside is Serenity, an adult-only quiet spot at the top and front of the ship – a nice escape from all the hubbub on the open decks below.
Inside, the decor is a kaleidoscopic blend of colors (most are a mix of dark and gaudy) to stimulate and excite the senses, and it is dedicated to time and the decades. The deck and public room layout is fairly logical (except for getting from the aft-placed Posh Dining Room to the showlounge, because you have to go up and down a deck or two). Most of the public rooms are located on one deck off a main interior boulevard, above the two main dining rooms (Chic and Posh). Public rooms include the Babylon Casino with gaming tables and over 300 slot machines, a fine Havana Cigar Bar, Monticello Library (sadly, there are few books), Conference Center, Scott’s Piano Bar, Swingtime Bar, and a popular Wine Bar, among others.
Carnival Freedom is a large floating playground for the young and young-at-heart, with lots of participation events, together with the three ‘Gs’ – glitz, glamour, and gambling. This is cruising Splash Vegas style – and a fun, all-American experience. Because it’s a large resort ship, expect lines for shore excursions, security control when re-boarding, and disembarkation.
While the cuisine is just basic, the fun begins at sundown, with razzle-dazzle shows, and late-night reverie.
Niggles include the many pillars that obstruct passenger flow, particularly in the dining room, where it’s difficult for the waiters to serve food properly; the non-stop infomercials on the in-cabin infotainment system (you can, however, turn the system off); the super-loud rap and rock ‘music’ everywhere; and some rather juvenile cruise directors.
Accommodation. There are numerous cabin price categories, in several different suite/cabin types, sizes, and grades. These include suites with private balcony; deluxe outside-view cabins with private balcony; outside-view cabins with private balcony; outside-view cabins with window; cabins with a porthole instead of a window; interior cabins; and interior (no-view) cabins with upper and lower berths.
There are five decks of cabins with private balconies. The standard cabins are of modest size, although the furniture is square and angular (no rounded edges). However, there’s plenty of drawer space, and space for toiletries in bathrooms. Three decks of cabins (eight on each deck, each with private balcony – they are very pleasant) overlook the stern. Most cabins have twin beds that can be converted to a queen-size bed format.
There is also a group of 18 ‘spa’ cabins, located directly around and behind SpaCarnival; so fitness devotees can get out of bed and go straight to the treadmill without having to go through any of the public rooms first.
Dining. There are two principal dining rooms (Chic, located midships, seating 744; and Posh, aft, seating 1,122). Both are two decks high and have a balcony level (the balcony level in Posh is larger than the one in Chic). There’s a choice of either fixed-time dining (6pm or 8.15pm) or flexible dining (during opening hours). Note that they are not open for lunch on port days.
Overall, the food is quite starchy, with simple presentation, few garnishes, and many dishes disguised with gravies and sauces. The selection of fresh green vegetables, breads, cheeses, and fruits is limited (bread is thawed and then baked from frozen ‘starter’ dough), and there is heavy use of canned fruit and jellied desserts. The waiters sing and dance, so think ‘foodertainment’ rather than food quality. There are no wine waiters, and wine glasses are really small. For something really simple, an ‘always available’ list of ‘Carnival Classics’ includes mahi-mahi (fish), baby back ribs (beef), and grilled chicken.
There are few tables for two, but among my favorites are two tables for two right at the back of the restaurant, with ocean views astern.
The Sun King Supper Club (reservations required) has good table settings, china, and silverware, and features prime dry-aged steaks and grilled seafood items. It’s worth paying the cover charge to get a taste of what Carnival can deliver in terms of food that is better quality than the fare from the main dining rooms.
The Freedom Restaurant, a casual self-serve international food court-style lido deck eatery, has two main serving lines. Each night it morphs into Seaview Bistro and provides a dress-down alternative for pasta, steaks, salads, and desserts.
Other casual eateries include Guy’s Burger Joint (named after TV’s Guy Fieri), Blue Iguana (Mexican cantina-style), and seafood shack.
Entertainment. The Victoriana Main Lounge (named after England’s Queen Victoria) is the ship’s multi-deck showlounge, seating up to 1,400 and staging colorful Las Vegas-style production shows and major cabaret acts. It has a revolving stage, hydraulic orchestra pit, good (but overly loud) sound, and seating on three levels (the upper levels are tiered through two decks); a proscenium arch acts as a scenery loft. The decor is medieval – drinks tables look like shields, and coats of armor and towers with stained-glass windows flank the stage.
An alternative entertainment venue is the aft lounge, with 425 seats, live music, and late-night cabaret acts including smutty adult comedy.
There’s also the 100-seat Scott’s Piano Bar.
Body-throbbing loud music sensations can be found in the disco, which includes a video wall with live projections from the dance floor.
Spa/Fitness. SpaCarnival has an area of approximately 13,300 sq ft (1,235 sq m), is located above the navigation bridge, and accessed from the forward stairway. Facilities include a solarium, eight treatment rooms, lecture rooms, sauna and steam rooms for men and women, a beauty parlor, a large gymnasium with floor-to-ceiling windows including forward-facing ocean views, and an aerobics room with instructor-led classes (some at extra cost), for which you’ll need to sign up.