Carnival Freedom 2017 7-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 1 Part 1 July 8, 2017 Galveston, Texas
Scheduled Departure: 4:00pm
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Day 1 Part 1 July 8, 2017 Galveston, Texas
Scheduled Departure: 4:00pm
Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!
Arriving Early In Galveston & Parking:
The day started around 5:00am when my alarm went off. Normally, I would not be happy about getting up this early, but today was different because it was time to finish packing, eat, and get ready to leave for the cruise! I was excited and could barely eat breakfast because of my high level of excitement. After eating and finishing packing, we loaded our car and started heading towards Galveston. Since it was a Saturday, Houston traffic was not too bad (other than road construction) and we arrived in Galveston before 9:00am. Since we were too early to park, we stopped at McDonald's to get a drink and use the bathroom.
We parked at EZ Cruise Parking, which is not far from the cruise terminal. Prior to the day of our cruise, we pre-paid online and booked their Park & Walk Special. The Park & Walk Special meant we received a discount for not using the parking lot's shuttle. We had to walk to the cruise terminal and at the cruise's end walk back to the parking lot ourselves. The staff at the parking lot were friendly and gave us clear directions on where to park. After securing our vehicle and taking our belongings, we started walking to the cruise terminal. The walk was no more than 5-7 minutes. Crossing Harborside Drive was a little difficult because of heavy traffic, but a crossing guard helped us get across an intersection that normally does not have a crosswalk.
The day started around 5:00am when my alarm went off. Normally, I would not be happy about getting up this early, but today was different because it was time to finish packing, eat, and get ready to leave for the cruise! I was excited and could barely eat breakfast because of my high level of excitement. After eating and finishing packing, we loaded our car and started heading towards Galveston. Since it was a Saturday, Houston traffic was not too bad (other than road construction) and we arrived in Galveston before 9:00am. Since we were too early to park, we stopped at McDonald's to get a drink and use the bathroom.
We parked at EZ Cruise Parking, which is not far from the cruise terminal. Prior to the day of our cruise, we pre-paid online and booked their Park & Walk Special. The Park & Walk Special meant we received a discount for not using the parking lot's shuttle. We had to walk to the cruise terminal and at the cruise's end walk back to the parking lot ourselves. The staff at the parking lot were friendly and gave us clear directions on where to park. After securing our vehicle and taking our belongings, we started walking to the cruise terminal. The walk was no more than 5-7 minutes. Crossing Harborside Drive was a little difficult because of heavy traffic, but a crossing guard helped us get across an intersection that normally does not have a crosswalk.
Carnival Freedom Docked In Galveston
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Terminal 1 Entrance Area And Ship's Funnel
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Galveston Cruise Terminal #1
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Waiting Behind Crowd Control Ropes To Enter The Terminal
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Arriving At The Cruise Terminal & Check-In:
Once arriving at the cruise terminal, luggage porters took our suitcases and bags. We were directed to an area outside. Since it was extremely early, the cruise terminal was not yet open for checking incoming guests. Platinum, Diamond, Faster to the Fun, and Wedding Party guests were directed through a separate line that would take them inside the cruise terminal. However, regular guests had to wait outside until the terminal was ready to open its doors. The staff working outside were friendly. Around 10:00am, the terminal staff allowed us to enter the cruise terminal. Our first stop inside the cruise terminal was getting our passports and boarding passes checked. Following this checkpoint, we went through a security screening. This involved having belongings sent through a scanner and us walking through a metal detector. After security, we proceeded up escalators to the terminal's second floor. There was no line for the general check-in areas. Check-in was a quick and easy process. We got our picture taken for Carnival's security system and received our Sail & Sign cards. After getting checked in, we were directed to sit in Zone 1 since our boarding passes were stamped with zone 1. At this point in time, there were very few people in the entire cruise terminal. Water & lemonade were available for free for cruisers to enjoy while waiting for boarding to begin. All of the cruise terminal staff were friendly and did a good job! |
Pictures of the interior of the cruise terminal are not allowed. I found a window along the terminal's exterior and took pictures of the ship. Since my pictures did not include the terminal's insides, I was not told to stop taking pictures. At this point in time, supplies and luggage were being loaded onto the ship's Deck 0 level. Here are three pictures of the ship taken from the cruise terminal:
Looking At The Carnival Freedom From The Window
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Supplies Being Loaded Into The Ship's Back
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Embarkation and Boarding:
Around 11:45am, terminal staff started making announcements that boarding would begin soon. The announcements included information about how the boarding process would work as well as what to expect once on the Carnival Freedom. First the wedding party guests were called. I think there were two weddings on this day. Next, the VIFP Diamond guests were allowed to board. These guests have sailed with Carnival more than 200 days and are at the highest tier on Carnival's VIFP loyalty club. Following Diamond guests, Platinum guests were allowed to board. These guests have over 75 days with Carnival or under the old loyalty program sailed 10 cruises (those people got grandfathered in about 4 years ago). After Platinum guests boarded, Faster to the Fun guests were allowed to board. Cruisers with Faster to the Fun paid extra for priority boarding as well as a few other perks. There were several Faster to the Fun guests sailing on this cruise. Once Faster to the Fun guests boarded, the boarding process continued by zones. I was Zone 1 and this zone was the first to be called. About a minute before my zone was called, I stood up from my seat and inched closer to the boarding pass checkpoint. When my zone was called, I rushed out of my seat and got in line to get my Sail & Sign card scanned. This process did not take long at all. After getting my card scanned, photographers were around wanting to take pictures, but I bypassed this. The walk to the gangway was not long and there were several people in front of me. After crossing the gangway, I was officially on the Carnival Freedom!
Around 11:45am, terminal staff started making announcements that boarding would begin soon. The announcements included information about how the boarding process would work as well as what to expect once on the Carnival Freedom. First the wedding party guests were called. I think there were two weddings on this day. Next, the VIFP Diamond guests were allowed to board. These guests have sailed with Carnival more than 200 days and are at the highest tier on Carnival's VIFP loyalty club. Following Diamond guests, Platinum guests were allowed to board. These guests have over 75 days with Carnival or under the old loyalty program sailed 10 cruises (those people got grandfathered in about 4 years ago). After Platinum guests boarded, Faster to the Fun guests were allowed to board. Cruisers with Faster to the Fun paid extra for priority boarding as well as a few other perks. There were several Faster to the Fun guests sailing on this cruise. Once Faster to the Fun guests boarded, the boarding process continued by zones. I was Zone 1 and this zone was the first to be called. About a minute before my zone was called, I stood up from my seat and inched closer to the boarding pass checkpoint. When my zone was called, I rushed out of my seat and got in line to get my Sail & Sign card scanned. This process did not take long at all. After getting my card scanned, photographers were around wanting to take pictures, but I bypassed this. The walk to the gangway was not long and there were several people in front of me. After crossing the gangway, I was officially on the Carnival Freedom!
View Of The Ship's Back From The Gangway
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View Of The Ship's Front From The Gangway
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View As I Crossed The Gangway
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First Lunch On The Carnival Freedom:
After boarding the ship, we headed up to the Lido Deck (9) for lunch. Lunch was being served in the Carnival Freedom's buffet known as the Freedom Restaurant. Today, for lunch I went to the Blue Iguana Cantina for a taco salad bowl. The Blue Iguana Cantina is divided into a line for tacos and another one for burritos. The taco salad bowls are not mentioned on the menu, but they are available at the burrito line. There was virtually no wait for food at the Blue iguana Cantina. Once I got my bowl, I was ready to sit down and eat. The following three photos are of burrito and bowl fixings that were behind the counter:
After boarding the ship, we headed up to the Lido Deck (9) for lunch. Lunch was being served in the Carnival Freedom's buffet known as the Freedom Restaurant. Today, for lunch I went to the Blue Iguana Cantina for a taco salad bowl. The Blue Iguana Cantina is divided into a line for tacos and another one for burritos. The taco salad bowls are not mentioned on the menu, but they are available at the burrito line. There was virtually no wait for food at the Blue iguana Cantina. Once I got my bowl, I was ready to sit down and eat. The following three photos are of burrito and bowl fixings that were behind the counter:
Fixings For Burritos At The Blue Iguana Cantina
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Taco Salad Bowls & Fixings In The Background
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Fixings For Burritos / Taco Salads At Blue Iguana Cantina
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There is a salsa bar located in front of the Blue Iguana Cantina. It serves a variety of salsa and additional toppings (mainly for tacos). Here are a few pictures of the salsa bar:
Salsa Bar
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Salsa Bar
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Salsa Bar
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Everyone that has read my past cruise reviews knows I love taking cruise pictures at all meals. Here are some of today's food pictures:
Taco Salad Bowl From The Blue Iguana Cantina
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Turkey Wrap Sandwich From The Deli
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Iced Tea With Lemon
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Assorted Variety of Food
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Food From The Comfort Kitchen & Mongolian Wok
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Mongolian Wok Stir Fry
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The Carnival Freedom's Lido buffet has several options available for cruisers. Some of these options include a Chef's Choice buffet line, Comfort Kitchen line, Mongolian Wok, Guy's Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina, Ol' Fashioned BBQ, Pizzeria, and the Deli. The buffet also has a Sushi line and Seafood Shack that cost a little extra. The Chef's Choice buffet line was serving Italian food on this day of the cruise. After eating my taco salad, I got in line at the Comfort Kitchen. The line was long, but it moved quickly. As I went along the line I took a few food pictures to share with you. Here are my Comfort Kitchen buffet line pictures:
Comfort Kitchen Buffet Line
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Comfort Kitchen Buffet Line
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Comfort Kitchen Buffet Line
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Comfort Kitchen Buffet Line
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Comfort Kitchen Buffet Line
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Comfort Kitchen Buffet Line
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The day's lunch review would not be complete without dessert pictures. I always enjoy Carnival's chocolate chip and plain cookies served at the lido buffet. The cookies are always flavorful and consistent on each Carnival ship. Here are a few dessert pictures:
Dessert Station
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Dessert Station
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Dessert Station
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First Afternoon Walk On The Carnival Freedom:
After eating a tasty first lunch, it was time for a walk around the Carnival Freedom's exterior decks. Since dark clouds were forming in the distance, I felt like it was only a matter of time before we got some rain. Luckily, I managed to cover the outside decks before it started sprinkling. Normally, light sprinkling would not bother me, but since I wanted to protect my camera I went inside. My walk started at the back of the Lido Deck (9) around the aft pool. I headed up a back stairwell to the Panorama Deck (10).
After eating a tasty first lunch, it was time for a walk around the Carnival Freedom's exterior decks. Since dark clouds were forming in the distance, I felt like it was only a matter of time before we got some rain. Luckily, I managed to cover the outside decks before it started sprinkling. Normally, light sprinkling would not bother me, but since I wanted to protect my camera I went inside. My walk started at the back of the Lido Deck (9) around the aft pool. I headed up a back stairwell to the Panorama Deck (10).
AFT Pool - Lido Deck (9)
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View Of The AFT Pool From Deck 10
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Looking Back At Cruise Terminal #2
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Looking At Harborside Drive
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Looking At Our Parking Lot In The Distance
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Trying To Spot Pleasure Pier & The Seawall
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Deck 10 - Very Close To The Back
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Galveston Skyline
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Deck 11 & Galveston Off To The Side
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After walking around the Panorama Deck (10) I headed up one deck to Deck 11. Deck 11 is split into two parts. The front part of Deck 11 contains the SPA & Gym and the back part of Deck 11 contains the jogging track & shuffleboard game areas. My walk took me to the back area of Deck 11. I walked along the jogging track and came across a small set of stairs that took me to the basketball court and volleyball court area. From this area, there are additional stairs that will take guests up one deck to the mini golf course. The mini golf course appears to only be accessible by stairs.
Volleyball Court
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Basketball Court
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Basketball Court
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After a quick look at the back half of Deck 11, I went down to Deck 10 again and walked above the main pool area. The main Lido deck pool as well as the AFT pool were closed on the first day. The AFT pool opened after sail-a-way, but the main pool stayed closed all day. Crew members were doing work inside both pools. It appeared some of the work included scraping and painting. By the next day, both pools were open as normal. After cutting across Deck 10, I headed up to Deck 12 to take a look. One side of Deck 12 has ping-pong tables, chess, and a Camp Ocean outdoor playground. The other side of Deck 12 consists of the Serenity Adults Only Retreat, which is for adults 21 and older.
View Of The Main Lido Pool From Deck 10
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View Of The Pool & Funnel From Deck 12
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Deck 12 - Deck Chairs & Umbrellas
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Ping-Pong Table On Deck 12
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Chess Board - Located On Deck 12
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The Camp Ocean play area is located on Deck 12. I never saw any kids using the play equipment during the cruise. The playground rules says this is for 2-5 year old children.
Entrance To Camp Ocean Outdoor Playground
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Camp Ocean Playground Equipment
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Playground Rules
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After walking around the Deck 12 area, I headed up to Deck 14. Deck 14 is the highest deck area on the ship. Please note, there is no Deck 13 on the Carnival Freedom as well as other Carnival ships too. Deck 14 is where the line for the waterslide begins as well as the upper level of the Serenity Adults Only Retreat.
View From Deck 14
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Looking Down At The Waterslide From Deck 14
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Waterslide Entrance On Deck 14
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View Of Galveston & Deck From Deck 14
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Looking Down At Galveston
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Galveston Skyline
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Since I had already walked up to Deck 14, I figured I would take a look at the Serenity Adults Only Retreat that was on this deck level. The Serenity Adults Only Retreat is for adults 21 and older. The Deck 14 level of the Serenity has several deck chairs, hottubs, and hammocks. This was a very nice area of the ship. For those that want to be away from younger children, this might be a place you want to consider relaxing.
Serenity Entrance On Deck 14
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Serenity Deck Chairs
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Hammock
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Serenity Adults Only Retreat
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Hottub
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Deck 12 Level Of The Serenity Adults Only Retreat
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After walking around the outside decks, I wanted to take a look at the interior areas of the ship. I headed down to the Promenade Deck (5) to start looking around.
Main Pool Area - View From Deck 11
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One Of The Elevator / Stairwell Lobby Areas
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Stairwell
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The Fun Shops are located on the Promenade Deck (5) near the front of the deck. On one side you will find a shop with logo items and convenience items. The other side of the shopping area consists of various jewelry items.
Logo Item Shops - Deck 5
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Logo Item Shops - Deck 5
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Continue To Day 1 Part 2!
Day 1 Part 2 includes a review of the ship's interior, muster station drill, Galveston sail-a-way, dinner, and the welcome aboard show! The next part of this review will allow you to enjoy several pictures of Galveston sail-a-way, dinner, and around the ship! Click Here To Go To Day 1 Part 2 Click Here To Return To The Review's Main Page |