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Carnival Freedom 2017 7-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 2            July 9, 2017                        Day At Sea                                                   
​Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!       
Early Morning (Pre-Breakfast) Long Walk Around The Ship:
              My morning began around 6:20am when my alarm went off. Since I had slept well the night before, I was full of energy and ready for a full day at sea. I quickly got dressed, checked the time breakfast was scheduled to begin, and left my stateroom to go walk around the ship. At this time of the morning the public areas of the ship were mostly empty. I walked down from Deck 6 to the Promenade Deck (5). 
Carnival Freedom Deck 5 Atrium
Deck 5 - Right By The Atrium & Jewelry Shops
Carnival Freedom Atrium
Looking Down At The Atrium's Bottom From Deck 5
Carnival Freedom Deck 5
Looking Up The Atrium - From Deck 5
                 Located near the atrium part of the Promenade Deck (5) is Cherry On Top.  Cherry On Top serves a variety of candies, sweets, cakes, and other specialty items that can be purchased. There are many things available for sale in this shop that are great for special occasions. At this time of the morning, Cherry On Top was still closed, but I took pictures of the shop from the outside glass. 
Carnival Freedom Cherry on Top
Entrance To Cherry On Top
Carnival Freedom Cherry On Top
Looking Inside Cherry On Top
Carnival Freedom Cherry on Top
Looking Inside Cherry On Top
                  The Promenade Deck contains many of the ship's public areas. The official name of the Promenade Deck on the Carnival Freedom is Centuries Boulevard. Centuries Boulevard contains the ship's casino, casino bar, the Taste Bar, entrance to the 70's Disco, Alchemy Bar, Scott's Piano Bar, International Lounge, and a few other places.  The Carnival Freedom's Internet Cafe is located on Centuries Boulevard around the middle of the Promenade Deck. If you see the specialty coffee bar and Future Cruise & Loyalty Desk the Internet Cafe is located directly in front of this. 
Carnival Freedom Promenade
Centuries BLVD Promenade Walkway
Carnival Freedom
Promenade Stage - Located By The Casino Bar
Carnival Freedom Casino Bar
Casino Bar
                    The Carnival Freedom is one of Carnival's ships that has received the Red Frog Pub. The Red Frog Pub was a popular place when it was opened. At the front of the bar, guests will find typical bar-stool seats and around the back area of the bar is some tables. In addition, the back of the bar has game tables and stacks of board games. 
Carnival Freedom
Approaching The Internet Cafe & Coffee Bar
Carnival Freedom Red Frog Pub
Entrance To The Red Frog Pub
Carnival Freedom Red Frog Pub
Red Frog Pub - Area Right As You Enter
Carnival Freedom Red Frog Pub
Bar Area In The Red Frog Pub
Carnival Freedom Red Frog Pub
Areas To Sit Near The Back Of The Pub
Carnival Freedom Red Frog Pub
Gametables & Board Games
Carnival Freedom Red Frog Pub
Very Back Of The Red Frog Pub
Carnival Freedom Red Frog Pub
Mini Stage Area In The Red Frog Pub
Carnival Freedom Red Frog Pub
Bar Counter
                  The Carnival Freedom's arcade, known as "The Warehouse", is also located along the Promenade Deck (5). The arcade games cost extra. There are a variety of different arcade games located in the Carnival Freedom's arcade. 
Carnival Freedom Arcade
Arcade Games In "The Warehouse"
Carnival Freedom Arcade
Arcade Games In "The Warehouse"
Carnival Freedom Arcade
Arcade Games In "The Warehouse"
Carnival Freedom Arcade
Arcade Games In "The Warehouse"
Carnival Freedom Arcade
Arcade Games In "The Warehouse"
Carnival Freedom Arcade
Arcade Games In "The Warehouse"
                   The Carnival Freedom's Alchemy Bar is located near the back of the Promenade Deck (5). This feature was installed during one of the Carnival Freedom's previous dry-docks and is a part of Carnival's Fun Ship 2.0 initiative. The Alchemy Bar mainly serves cocktails that are customized by the individual guest.
Carnival Freedom Alchemy Bar
Approaching The Alchemy Bar
Carnival Freedom Alchemy Bar
Alchemy Bar
Carnival Freedom Alchemy Bar
Alchemy Bar
                       As I continued to walk towards the back of the Promenade Deck, I found Scott's Piano Bar. The piano bar was mainly used for singing in the evenings. Several bar-stools were available right by the piano and throughout the small lounge were tables, chairs, and booths. 
Carnival Freedom Piano Bar
Scott's Piano Bar
Carnival Freedom Piano Bar
Scott's Piano Bar
Carnival Freedom Piano Bar
Piano Bar Counter
                          At the very back of the Promenade Deck (5) is the International Lounge. The International Lounge is the Carnival Freedom's aft lounge and is mainly used for karaoke and comedy. 
Carnival Freedom International Lounge
International Lounge - View Of The Stage
Carnival Freedom International Lounge
Looking At The Seats Throughout The Lounge
Carnival Freedom International Lounge
Bar Counter Area In The International Lounge
                     After walking throughout all of the Promenade Deck (5) I walked down one deck to the Atlantic Deck (4).  One of the first places I walked through was the Habana Bar. I did not see this area get used during the cruise for anything, except for a wedding reception on the first day. 
Carnival Freedom Habana Bar
Habana Lounge Dance Floor
Picture
Seating Areas In The Habana Lounge
Habana Lounge Bar Area
Bar Counter
                    Between the Habana Bar and Club 02 lounge on Deck 4 is a single stairwell that goes up to the Promenade Deck (5). I do not understand why Carnival decided to put a random stairwell, but it is convenient for those that need to go quickly between Decks 4 & 5. This stairwell must improve the layout of the ship because Carnival's Dream class (Dream, Magic, and Breeze) vessels also have the single stairwell that goes between Decks 4 & 5 too. 
Carnival Freedom
Stairwell Up To Deck 5
Carnival Freedom Chic Dining Room
Chic Dining Room - Deck 3 Level
Carnival Freedom Chic Dining Room
Chic Dining Room - Deck 3 Level
                      The final stop on my morning walk was the Lobby Deck (3) of the atrium. The atrium's Deck 3 level is home to Guest Services, the Shore Excursions Desk, atrium bar, and several areas to sit. 
Carnival Freedom Atrium
Atrium Lobby Bar
Carnival Freedom
Deck 3 Level Of The Atrium
Carnival Freedom Atrium
Looking At The Doors That Go Outside
Carnival Freedom Shore Excursions Desk
Shore Excursions Desk
Carnival Freedom Guest Services Desk
Guest Services Desk
Carnival Freedom Atrium
Carnival Freedom's Atrium
                 On the Lobby Deck (3) in the atrium are doors on each side of the ship that lead to the outside. Both sides of this deck have an outside deck area. One side was used as a smoking area (I cannot remember which side). I opened the doors to step outside to see if I could see the sunrise. After waiting a few minutes for my camera lenses to unfog, I managed to get a good picture of the sunrise. 
Carnival Freedom Deck 3 Outside Area
Deck 3 Outside Area
Carnival Freedom Outside Area
Deck 3 Outside Area
View Of The Sunrise From The Carnival Freedom
Sunrise
                   Since it was nearing breakfast time, I decided to go from the Lobby Deck (3) to the Lido Deck (9). Due to my morning laziness, I took the elevator instead of the stairs to the Lido Deck. For those that don't know, normally I take the stairs to get in a little exercise when I am cruising. The Lido Deck was not yet crowded. There were several deck chairs available, but later in the day most of the area surrounding the pools would be crowded. Unlike the first day, the Lido main pool was operational and available for guests to enjoy. 
Carnival Freedom Lido
Lido Main Pool Area
Carnival Freedom Hottub
One Of the Ship's Hottubs
Carnival Freedom Pool
Main Pool - Would Open Later In The Day
Carnival Freedom Red Frog Rum Bar
Red Frog Rum Bar
Carnival Freedom Blue Iguana Tequila Bar
Blue Iguana Tequila Bar
Carnival Freedom Sunrise
View Of The Sunrise From Deck 10
First Breakfast On The Carnival Freedom:
​                       Today was my first breakfast on the Carnival Freedom. The Carnival Freedom offers cruisers multiple breakfast options to choose from. For cruisers that wanted to eat at the Freedom Restaurant (lido buffet) , breakfast was scheduled to begin at 7:30am and end at 10:30am. Continental breakfast (pastries, juices, and fruits) opened at 6:30am. Late Risers Breakfast was scheduled for 10:30am - 12:00pm in the Freedom Restaurant. For cruisers that did not want to eat breakfast in Lido buffet, Sea Day Brunch was available in the Posh Restaurant (aft main dining room) from 8:30am - 1:00pm.  
​                     My first stop at the breakfast buffet was the omelet station.  The Carnival Freedom had an omelet station located in the Deli area and the Mongolian Wok area. I alternated between using the omelet station at the Mongolian Wok and Deli. On this day of the cruise I visited the Mongolian Wok omelet station. My omelet tasted good, but looked like a stuffed blob because it was filled with vegetables. Here are some pictures of the breakfast buffet lines at the Freedom Restaurant: 
Carnival Freedom Continental Breakfast
Continental Breakfast - Pastries
Carnival Freedom Continental Breakfast
Continental Breakfast - Pastries
Carnival Freedom Continental Breakfast
Continental Breakfast - Pastries
Carnival Freedom Continental Breakfast
Continental Breakfast - Pastries
Carnival Freedom Continental Breakfast
Continental Breakfast - Cereals
Carnival Freedom Continental Breakfast
Continental Breakfast - Meats & Cheeses
Carnival Freedom Continental Breakfast
Continental Breakfast - Fruits
Carnival Freedom Continental Breakfast
Continental Breakfast - Fruits
Carnival Freedom Continental Breakfast
Continental Breakfast - Pastries
Carnival Freedom Breakfast
Main Breakfast Buffet Line - Assorted Foods
Carnival Freedom Breakfast
Main Breakfast Buffet Line - Assorted Foods
Carnival Freedom Breakfast
Main Breakfast Buffet Line - Assorted Foods
After Breakfast Walk Around The Ship's Outside Decks: 
                     I wanted to keep walking around the ship to see as much as possible before the public areas got crowded. My walk began the very back of the Lido Deck (9). I walked by the aft pool and Pizzeria. The Carnival Freedom's pizzeria is located at the very back of the Lido Deck (9). Like all Carnival ships, the Carnival Freedom's Pizzeria was open 24 hours a day throughout the cruise. 
Carnival Freedom Pizzeria
Pizzeria - Located Near the AFT Pool
Carnival Freedom AFT Pool Bar Area
AFT Pool Bar Area
Carnival Freedom AFT Pool
View Of The AFT Pool From Deck 10
                       I went up one deck to Deck 10. I started at the back of Deck 10 and headed towards the deck's front. As I walked I went by the Lido main pool as well as the waterslide's landing and a secondary pool area. 
Gulf of Mexico
Blue Waters of the Gulf of Mexico
Carnival Freedom Main Pool Area
Main Pool Area - View From Deck 10
Carnival Freedom
Deck 10 Hottub & Waterslide Landing
                       Deck 10's front area is one of my favorites because I am able to look down the sides of the ship. While there were no deck chairs located out here, this area is nice for those that want a good view and to be outside for a little while. 
Carnival Freedom
View Of The Ship's Side From Deck 10
Carnival Freedom Ship's Front
Looking Down At The Ship's Front
Carnival Freedom Deck 10 Front Area
Deck 10 Front Area
                             After enjoying the view from Deck 10, I made my way up to Deck 14. The waterslide was not yet open. Some people had already claimed deck chairs and were enjoying the nice sunny day. People were reminded to put sunscreen on through a midday PA announcement (can't remember who made the announcement). 
Carnival Freedom
Looking Towards The Back Of The Ship
Carnival Freedom Waterslide
Waterslide
Carnival Freedom Waterslide
Waterslide's Entrance - View From Deck 14
Live Morning Show With Malcolm:
                       At 9:30am in the Victoriana Theater was our cruise director's morning show. On this day of the morning show ports of call were discussed as well as some of the events that were going to be taking place on the ship. I stayed for almost the entire show, but I wanted to get to a trivia on-time so I left a few minutes early. 
Morning Trivia Games
Times:  9:30AM - Morning Trivia      10:00AM - Slogans Trivia    10:30AM  - General Knowledge Trivia 
                       All three of these trivia games were scheduled in the Swingtime Jazz Club, which is located at the very back of the Promenade Deck (5). Since I was at the morning show I did not go to the 9:30AM Morning Trivia. However, I did attend the 10:00AM Slogans Trivia and did awful. I stayed in the Swingtime Jazz Club for the 10:30AM General Knowledge trivia, but no entertainment staff members showed up to host the trivia. After waiting over 15 minutes for someone to come, we left because others were leaving too. 

                     After being out and about for nearly the entire morning, I headed back to my stateroom. Our stateroom steward had come by and left us a new towel animal. He made the beds up and cleaned the stateroom (as well as bathroom). It was nearly lunch-time, so I headed up to the Lido Deck (9).

                      As I got in line for food, I saw the Carnival Valor was passing by us in the Gulf of Mexico. I got out of line and went to take pictures. Exactly two weeks prior on this day, I was on the Carnival Valor sailing back to Galveston and the Carnival Freedom passed us by in the Gulf of Mexico. 
Towel Animal Elephant
Towel Animal - Elephant
Carnival Freedom
Waves At The Back Of The Ship - View From Deck 10
Carnival Valor
Carnival Valor Passing Us By
Second Day's Lunch:
                     Today I decided I wanted to try the Carnival Freedom's Pizzeria. The first time I got in line at the pizzeria it took nearly 15 minutes. Right after I got my pizza and walked away, I dropped my pizza on the floor. The second time I went back the line was not as long, but I also decided to get a Caesar salad too. The pizza and salad were both good. For dessert I had a piece of key lime pie. This is my favorite dessert on Carnival's Lido Buffet. It always seems to be served on the cruise's second day.  
                       The Chef's Choice buffet line was serving American food on this day of the cruise. Other choices at the Lido buffet included the Mongolian Wok, Deli, Comfort Kitchen, Pizzeria, Guy's Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina, and the dessert station. The Seafood Shack and Sushi At Sea were open, but both of these places are not free. 
Carnival Freedom Pizza
Pepperoni Pizza
Carnival Freedom Caesar Salad
Caesar Salad From The Pizzeria
Carnival Freedom Key Lime Pie
Dessert Station - Key Lime Pie!
Carnival Freedom Dessert Station
Dessert Station
Carnival Freedom Dessert Station
Dessert Station
Carnival Freedom Dessert Station
Dessert Station
Carnival Freedom Dessert Station
Dessert Station
Carnival Freedom Dessert Station
Dessert Station
Carnival Freedom Dessert Station
Dessert Station
                After lunch I walked around more. The Carnival Freedom's gift shops were open. I try to collect a model ship each time I cruise and since I had not cruised on the Carnival Freedom before I made sure to buy one on this cruise. The gift shop had a wide variety of different Carnival logo items.
Carnival Freedom Victoriana Theater
Victoriana Theater - View From Deck 5
Carnival Freedom Shops
Fun Shops - Carnival Logo Item Merchandise
Carnival Freedom Shops
Fun Shops - Carnival Logo Item Merchandise
Carnival Freedom Shops
Fun Shops - Carnival Logo Item Merchandise
Carnival Freedom Shops
Fun Shops - Carnival Logo Item Merchandise
Carnival Freedom Shops
Fun Shops - Carnival Logo Item Merchandise
Carnival Freedom Shops
Fun Shops - Carnival Logo Item Merchandise
Carnival Freedom Shops
Fun Shops - Carnival Logo Item Merchandise
Carnival Freedom Shops
Fun Shops - Destination Specific Merchandise
                      I walked to the back of Deck 4 to go see the Posh Dining Room. The Posh Dining Room is the ship's aft dining room. Like the Chic Dining Room, the Posh Dining Room has two levels (Decks 3 & 4). Here are a few pictures of the Posh Dining Room:
Carnival Freedom Posh Dining Room
Posh Dining Room - Deck 4 Level
Carnival Freedom Posh Dining Room
Posh Dining Room - Looking Down At The Deck 3 Level
Carnival Freedom Posh Dining Room
Back Tables On The Posh's Deck 4 Level
PictureAmerican Feast Sign Outside The Chic Dining Room
Formal Night's Dinner In The Chic Dining Room:
                  Tonight was our cruise's first of two formal nights. This meant cruisers were expected to dress nicer for the dining room. There is a dress code, but I am not going to elaborate on the dress code because I do not have the list of non-allowed clothing items. 
                   Due to the large amount of cruisers expected to eat in the dining room, the Chic Dining Room opened its doors at 5:30pm for Your-Time Dining. We asked for a table that would accommodate 11 people. The food and service were once again very good! We had a different set of waiters and waitresses on this night. They did a great job and we had them again several times throughout the rest of the cruise. Since we were celebrating birthdays on this cruise, one of my family members purchased two cakes from Carnival. We asked the dining room to serve these cakes to use after dinner. They sang before the cake was served and made the occasion very nice!

Below you will find a few menu pictures. Since I did not see the dessert menu from this night of the cruise, I did not get a picture of it.
​Click on any picture to make it larger!

Carnival Freedom Dining Room Menu
Appetizer Menu
Carnival Freedom Menu
Entrees Menu
Carnival Freedom Menu
From The Grill Menu & Steakhouse Selections Menu
Carnival Freedom Dinner Bread Basket
Bread Basket
Carnival Freedom Shrimp Cocktail
Appetizer - Shrimp Cocktail
Carnival Freedom Fried Oysters
Appetizer - Fried Oysters
Carnival Freedom Mushroom Cream Soup
Appetizer - Mushroom Cream Soup
Carnival Freedom Caesar Salad
Appetizer - Caesar Salad
Picture
Main Course - Slow Cooked Prime Rib
Picture
Main Course -
Picture
Main Course - Lobster (With Side Baked Potato)
Picture
Main Course -
                  The slice of cake I had was extremely good! I really enjoyed the chocolate inside part of the cake. As I write this review, I wish I had a piece of this cake again! Here are some pictures of the cakes purchased from Carnival: 
Carnival Freedom Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Cake #1
Carnival Freedom Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Cake #2
Carnival Freedom Chocolate Cake
My Piece Of The Chocolate Cake
Carnival Freedom Sunset
Sunset - View From Deck 3
Carnival Freedom
Looking Out From Deck 3
Carnival Freedom Sunset From Deck 3
Sunset - View From Deck 3
Carnival Freedom 88 Keys
88 Keys Stage
Production Show - "88 Keys"
              Tonight was the first major production show of the cruise. The shows were scheduled at 8:15pm and 10:15pm. However, 30 minutes before each production show began a pre-show. The pre-shows for 88 Keys began at 7:45pm and 9:45pm. Our 88 Keys pre-show consisted of the piano bar's entertainer singing several songs. Since the pre-show was interactive, many people sang along and it looked like everyone was enjoying the pre-show entertainment. 
                 Right around 8:15pm, the production show began. The show consisted of a variety of music that had some kind of ties to a piano. I recognized several of the songs. This was the first time I had watched a Playlist Productions show. I really enjoyed this show! The singers and dancers did a great job and were extremely talented! 
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​Day 3 Part 1's Cruise Review Is Ready!!
​Day 3's cruise review is in two parts. Join me for my trip to Downtown Cozumel, Punta Langosta, and Puerta Maya in Cozumel. In addition, food photos as well as areas of the ship are included in Day 3's review. 
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