Carnival Freedom May 23-31 2009

[coloradocruisers]

Really enjoying this review, but I think I'll pass on the yellow hot tub!

[JoeyandDavid]

Carnival Freedom Part 5

Wednesday, May 27 09

Antigua

On this beautiful weather day in Antigua, we had 2 excursions booked, and we had to rush a bit to fit both of them in!

First thing in the morning, we met on the pier at 9 a.m. For our Sail, Snorkel and Beach excursion.

After a short walk, we boarded the sleek, new, Wadadli Cats catamaran, which was clean, well equipped, and the crew were friendly and funny.

We motored our way out from the port of Antigua, enjoying just basking in the sun and listening to Bob Marley, on this glorious sunny day.

After about 1/2 hour, we arrived at the snorkeling site, and everyone got in the water with their snorkel gear.

It was a difficult climb down a tiny ladder off the boat, so James stayed behind to film me.

I enjoy snorkeling, but I much prefer doing it off the beach where I can touch bottom.

We were way out in the middle of nowhere, and the waves were a bit choppy, and I was having trouble keeping up with the group, who were swimming further and further away from the boat. I started to panic, and couldn't breathe properly in my mask, so I swam back close to the boat and snorkeled a little bit there, seeing nothing but coral and seaweed, not a single fish!

Tired from paddling the waves, I climbed back on the boat long before our time was up, and just enjoyed the sun.

Once everyone was back onboard, the crew put up the sails, and we set sail for Dickenson Beach, about a 40 minute sail away.

Once at the beach, the catamaran was able to pull right up onto the beach, where we jumped off either into the water or onto the beach.

The water was lovely and warm, and we could see fish and the occasional stingray swimming around the boat.

It was also a nice spot for beachcombing, and I managed to collect some pretty and interesting shells.

Too soon, it was time to get back onboard, and we motored back to Antigua.

Since all the swimming and snorkeling was finished, the bar opened and the rum punch was flowing, everyone loosened up and the dancing began.

There was a conga line, and a limbo contest, great music and a lot of fun.

When we arrived back in Antigua, I'm sure everyone on the Freedom could hear us coming, with the party music and whooping and hollering going on!

Unfortunately, we had arrived back at the pier about 40 minutes later than we expected, and we had exactly 20 minutes to rush back to the ship, grab a quick bite to eat in the Lido restaurant, and be back on the pier for our 1 p.m. Tour!

To be continued......a perfect afternoon in Antigua....

[coloradocruisers]

Donna, sorry about that trouble with your mask, but looks like you had fun anyway. Isn't it fun, to see people having fun?!

[JoeyandDavid]

Editors note Chapter Six will be posted in two parts

Carnival Freedom, Part 6 (A)

Wednesday, May 27, 09

Antigua continued.....

We had enjoyed a wonderful morning excursion in Antigua on a Sail and Snorkel catamaran, and now, still chewing our rushed lunch, we were ready for our afternoon excursion!

Back on the pier at 1 p.m. We met up with our bus for the "Devil's Bridge and Beach Tour."

The bus ride was about 40 minutes, and was a rough ride. The scenery was pretty though, and the island did not seem as impoverished as parts of St. Thomas.

Our first stop was in a National Park, to see a geological wonder called "Devil's Bridge".

Located on the northeast point of Antigua, Devil's Bridge was created by centuries of crashing waves eroding the limestone ledges of the island, forming a bridge.

Legend has it that slaves from the neighbouring islands used to come there to commit suicide, so it was said that "the Devil has to be there".

I don't know how true that is, but the site is definitely interesting, with the waves erupting out of the hole like a gyser, and the terrain surrounding the area resembling a moonscape.

Very difficult to walk on and about the rocky terrain, but the views of the sea and surrounding islands were magnificent!

It was still a beautiful weather day and we were anxious to get to the beach, so after our little tour of Devil's bridge, off we went in the bus to Long Bay Beach, which was absolutely stunning!

Powder white sand, clean beach, clear, calm, warm water, no waves, no boats, no loud music, just peace and tranquility!

Beach chairs and umbrellas were provided at no extra cost, and a free drink was included (rum or fruit punch).

There was a row of colourfully painted beach huts along the shore, each one selling various souvenirs; T-shirts, beach wraps, hats, bags, jewelry, etc. And because they were stationary, you could go to them if you were interested, and no-one came to bother you on the beach to sell, sell, sell.

This was the best idea I have seen at a beach, and I wish other beaches would take note!

Our wonderful beach afternoon came to an end all too soon, and we had to return to the ship.

While in port, I visited a few specialty swimwear shops in my on-going search for the perfect bathing suit.

I nearly choked when I saw some prices well over $200 for a 1-piece suit!

Needless to say, my search continued....

donna

[JoeyandDavid]

Editors note: Chapter six Continued

Back on the ship, we relaxed by the adults only aft pool (our favourite spot!) and enjoyed Carnival's pizza and ice cream once again.

This evening, we had a reservation to try the Sun King Supper Club, so we attended the early show in the main theatre.

We only had time to see about 1/2 the show, but crooner Jamie Frasier from England, was very entertaining, with his engaging personality, and his tributes to the great crooners like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Englebert Humperdinck.

For a very young man, he impressed me with his appreciation of the older generation of singers, whose lyrics you could understand, and whose music you could enjoy.

Unfortunately, we had to rush off to the Supper Club before he was finished, but I was glad I got to see some of his show.

We always make an effort to visit the specialty restaurants on each ship we sail, and this was no exception .

The Sun King Supper Club is located on Deck 10, right near the red funnel.

In fact, on the first day onboard, while we were exploring the ship up on the Sports Deck, we came across a tinted glass enclosure, which was actually the skylight looking down into the Sun King, and featuring it's beautiful chandelier.

There was a sign posted on the frame of the glass which made me laugh, and I had to take a photo of it:

Apparently, it is dangerous to "sit on the glass", so you don't fall down into the restaurant!

Now back inside the Sun King, that chandelier is indeed a special feature, and the restaurant itself is very classy and refined. It also smelled wonderful as we walked in!

Our table was waiting for us, and it was beautifully set with the best china, crystal and silverware.

Attentive wait staff was readily available, and very pleasant and friendly. We started our meal with a wonderful wine called "Conundrum", which we'd had once before and thoroughly enjoyed.

We both had the same appetizer, the baked onion soup, which was absolutely delicious, and I suspect, cooked with some rich red wine. I also had a crisp, fresh and tasty Caesar Salad.

For our main meals, we ordered Filet Mignon for me, and the Filet Mignon/Lobster Tail Surf and Turf for James.

They were beautifully presented, and my steak was perfectly delicious, but James was disappointed that his steak was underdone when he had ordered well-done, and it was served pink and difficult to cut.

However, the side dishes were absolutely delicious, including carrots, asparagus, and the most heavenly, buttery, garlic mashed potatoes I'd ever tasted!

Even after all this we still managed to order dessert!

James ordered a wonderful mixed fruit cup in which all the fruits were artfully carved, and I settled for a very light, but incredibly delicious Granny Smith apple sorbet - so light and refreshing after a heavy meal!

Before leaving the restaurant, we inquired why we had been subjected to endless piped-in Celine Dion and others, wondering what had happened to Carnival's usually talented and entertaining live musicians.

There was a stage area set up with a piano, amps, mikes, and a dance floor, but apparently since January 09 the Freedom has not renewed contracts for live entertainment in their Supper Club.

We felt this was a shame, as the live entertainment certainly enhanced the dining experience in the past, and we hope that Carnival will reverse their decision.

On our way out, we made a point of saying goodbye to old Louis (XIV), the original Sun King!

Pleasantly stuffed, and extremely tired after a long but enjoyable day in Antigua, we headed off to bed after our late dinner.

There was a ship-wide, lounge-crawling activity going on that evening, pitting the Red, White and Blue Colors teams against each other in various venues, singing, dancing, cheering, chanting, face-painting and general mayhem, ending up on the Lido Deck for a big celebration announcing the Color winners.

We witnessed some of the fun on our way back to our cabin, but we were too tired (or maybe too old) to join in!

It was off to bed to rest up for our day in Tortola tomorrow.

Goodnight Mr. Elephant....

to be continued......in Tortola......

donna

[cruisetarp]

Donna - I am really enjoying your review of your cruise.

[deb1220]

Donna - This is the best review I've ever read! I don't want it to end

[gymbrat33]

Thank you so much for your detailed and interesting review. I love all of the pictures.

[JoeyandDavid]

Carnival Freedom, Part 7

Thursday May 28, 09

Tortola

Our 6th day onboard the Carnival Freedom got off to a rather unusual start, at the ungodly hour of 5 a.m.

Long before we docked in Tortola, we were rudely awakened by the "bing-bong" message broadcast in the hallway and cabin, regarding a missing person.

One of those messages that you usually hear just before sailing from a port, when perhaps one or more passengers haven't returned to the ship on time, but this time, it was 5 a.m. And sounded very serious.

This missing person was asked to contact the Main Desk immediately, and the pleas continued about every 15 or 20 minutes all morning.

As we left our cabin for breakfast that morning, Security was visible in the hallways, and all room stewards were being handed a sheet of paper with the photo and vital statistics of the missing person.

In the Lido restaurant, there were more security officers, handing out fliers to all staff members, from those serving behind the counters, to the wait staff and bus boys.

I managed to catch a glimpse of one of the fliers, to see a white, 39 year old woman with dark hair.

Of course, the worst case scenarios go through your head when something like this happens; suicide, accidentally falling overboard, or even murder. I could just imagine the press having a field day with this news - another passenger missing from a cruise ship!

All staff members, and especially the security staff, looked very grim, and we knew this was a very serious situation.

Around 7:30 a.m., our usually bright and chipper Cruise Director made an announcement that was anything but bright and chipper.

In a very serious tone verging on panic, he informed us that they were investigating a missing person case, and would all passengers please co-operate with ship security as they conducted a cabin-to-cabin search!

Sure enough, when we returned to our cabin to collect our things for our shore excursion, room stewards and security staff were going door-to-door, waking people up and asking to search their cabins.

Clearance for disembarking in Tortola was slightly delayed, and I was actually surprised they let anyone off the ship, given the seriousness of the situation.

We had to be on the pier by 8 a.m. For our tour, "The Best of Tortola, Beach & Lunch Tour", but our concern about this missing woman clouded most of our day.....

Our tour began on an open-air bus, taking us through the town and up, up, up the very steep winding hills and hairpin curves of the island. It was very scary, but the views from each vantage point were amazing!

Our bus driver was an affable fellow who's "real" job was as an island police officer. He drove tour buses in his spare time, and his wife also worked in the tourism industry.

Eventually, our hair-raising ride ended at Cane Garden Bay, a gorgeous beach featuring clean, clear, calm water, pretty sailboats, no loud music, and very friendly and helpful staff.

Again at this beach, vendors were confined to a separate tented area, and not allowed on the beach.

The tents were full and business looked to be doing quite well!

Lunch was included with this tour, and we were directed to an enclosed area with tables, chairs and tablecloths, and in a very orderly fashion, each table was invited up to the buffet to be served a feast of ribs, chicken, fish, rice, potatoes, stir-fry vegetables, salad and bread. Staff members circulated amongst the tables serving fruit punch as well.

Our meal was excellent, service was pleasant, and we even found Bushwackers at the bar for a mere $5!

A wonderful beach excursion, and highly recommended!

While waiting for the bus back, we heard through the grapevine that the missing woman had been found, but there were no details whatsoever.

It wasn't until 2 days later, while speaking to a staff member on the ship, that we found out the story behind the disappearing woman.

Apparently, she was found in a cabin with "another man", which was bad enough, but the woman was on her honeymoon! When her husband found out, he promptly left the ship, and presumably, his marriage......

Despite the scandalous outcome of this incident, I must say I was very impressed with Carnival's handling of the situation. They were prompt, serious, efficient and thorough, and we were relieved that the whole thing had a somewhat happy ending (she was found alive and well).

After our lovely morning on the beach, we were able to relax on the ship for the afternoon, mostly by the aft pool, but I also spent a little time by the main pool, checking out the movie playing on the Seaside Theatre.

Unfotunately we just never got around to seeing an evening movie under the stars, because there didn't seem to be very interesting choices of movies available that week.

On this evening, the real Repeat Passenger party was held in the Victoriana Lounge at 5:15.

There was a large turnout, and real (strong) drinks, delicious h'or d'oeuvres, live music, dancing and door prizes.

The usual Carnival video was screened, and everyone cheered for each ship they had sailed. Funship Freddie made an appearance, and all the entertainment staff as well as the Captain were on hand.

It was a very nice time, and we were impressed with Carnival's customer appreciation.

Dinner this evening was another outstanding meal. We just could not get over how wonderful the main dining room meals were on the Freedom!

I had a delightful California Spring Mixed Salad, and one of my favourites, Tom Turkey. James had his nightly order of Tiger Shrimp, which he loved, as well as Mushroom Soup and a Filet Mignon that was better than the one he'd had in the specialty restaurant the night before - at least it was well-cooked!

Dessert for us both was a delightful Chocolate-Raspberry Vanilla Cream Cake with Raspberry Sorbet, that proved that the pastry chefs were as good as the meal chefs onboard!

The evening's entertainment was a comedian by the unusual name of Happy Cole.

We attended his show, which was hilariously funny, especially for me, when he imitated spoiled demanding children whining gibberish at their parents. I was laughing so hard I was choking!

Once again, after the show, we were too tired to do anything else, so headed off to bed, hoping there would be no more rude awakenings at 5 a.m.!

Goodnight Mr. Dinosaur! See you tomorrow at sea.....

donna

[cruisetarp]

Another great installment Donna. What a scare that must have been with the missing women but it is good to hear that Carnival handled the situation well. Glad there was a (sort of) happy outcome.