Carnival's Freedom takes on the Mediterranean

REVIEW

By Anita Dunham-Potter

Travel columnist

updated 11:49 a.m. ET July 30, 2007

Anita Dunham-Potter Travel columnist • Profile • E-mail

Earlier this year, Carnival Cruise Lines introduced its newest megaliner, Carnival Freedom, a 112,000-ton vessel that can accommodate 3,700 passengers when it is completely sold out. The ship was deployed to the Mediterranean for the spring, summer, and early fall seasons (it sails the Caribbean in winter), and passengers have responded so positively that the ship will return next year with more Mediterranean sailings and itineraries.

This is Carnival's second entry into European waters, and I was interested to see how an American "Fun Ship" would fare in the sophisticated Mediterranean cruise market, so I signed up for Freedom's 12-day "Mediterranean & Greek Isles" cruise, with port calls in Italy, Greece and Turkey. I also signed up my two daughters, ages 10 and 13. After all, Carnival ships have a well-earned reputation for being family-friendly. I wanted to see if we could combine a great family vacation with an edifying European tour. Would it be fun and educational, or would it be hell?

It looked good from the get-go. The cruise had a promising if ambitious itinerary (Naples, Italy; Rhodes, Greece; Izmir (Ephesus) and Istanbul, Turkey, featuring scenic cruising of the Dardanelles; Athens and Katakolon, Greece; and Livorno (Pisa/Florence), Italy), and it offered 99 shore excursions, so the education and culture angles were covered. The passengers' age range looked promising for family fun, too. A quick scan of the morning buffet line revealed that this group was decades younger than those I've sailed with on other Mediterranean cruises. In fact, Freedom was packed with families, and there were plenty of couples and groups in their 30s and 40s. That makes perfect sense, given the ship's offerings.

Freedom fun
The minute you step aboard the ship, you are struck by the exuberant vision of ship interior designer Joe Farcus. The theme takes guests on a journey through the centuries, from ancient Babylonia to the heyday of disco. The shipboard activities are equally varied, offering diversions from morning until well into the night. All this unfolds against the casual, carefree and energetic vibe that Carnival is famous for.

A 4,200-square-foot play area anchors Freedom's Camp Carnival program for kids. The facility is divided into five areas: a movie room, an arts-and-crafts center, a "soft play area" for toddlers, a gaming area with PlayStation 2 consoles, and a library of children's books. While this setup is great for kids under nine, I found my daughters and other kids in their age range (10-14) not thrilled to be in the same room as toddlers. They felt older kids should have their own room like the amazing, 1,800-square-foot teen center dubbed "Club O2." Designed for kids ages 15 to 17, that facility includes a dance floor, DJ, state-of-the-art sound and lighting, a nonalcoholic specialty drink lounge and a game room. A library offers teen-oriented books. The ship does have a huge arcade area for all ages, with a fun selection of games from classic to virtual reality.

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Probably the most popular family attractions are the four pools (one lies beneath a retractable roof), a 214-foot water slide and the Seaside Theatre, on the Lido Deck, which has a 270-square-foot LED screen on which passengers can watch blockbuster movies while comfortably ensconced in lounge chairs under the sun or stars. In addition to pool games, dance classes and themed parties, shipboard offerings also include more sedate family pursuits like reading in the library, afternoon tea in the Posh Restaurant and extensive shopping in the Promenade.

Spectacular entertainment is also a Carnival hallmark. Elaborate sets and costumes, along with pyrotechnics and special effects, take production shows to new heights. In the Victoriana Show Lounge, I enjoyed several high-energy Las Vegas-style extravaganzas, including "The Big Easy," a flashy tribute to New Orleans, and "Ticket to Ride," a fun Fab Four songfest showcasing a terrific Beatles tribute band. At the center of this entertainment circus is perhaps the best cruise director sailing the seven seas: the dynamic John Heald. His wry British wit enlivens everything from his live "Morning Show" to the silly passenger participation shows, with many moments that are laugh-out-loud funny.

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The Spa Carnival Health and Fitness facility offers a wide range of indulgent, European-style treatments and therapies. The fitness center offers fitness classes along with just about every workout machine available; it was always busy.

This was a working vacation for me, and I was glad to be aboard one of the most technologically advanced ships afloat. Freedom has bow-to-stern wireless Internet access and cellular phone service, so I was able to keep up with the news and check my e-mail on my laptop everywhere aboard ship. There's also a 24-hour Internet café for those not lugging a laptop.

Home away from home
When you board the Carnival Freedom, a crew member says, "Welcome Home," and your cabin truly does become your home for 12 days. Freedom's 1,487 staterooms are defined by six categories ranging from inside cabins to penthouse suites. Our 220-square-foot outside balcony cabin afforded plenty of room for the three of us — we never felt cramped, and there was plenty of drawer and closet space. I am a big advocate of balcony staterooms, which offer a tranquil and private escape from the hectic pool area. They are always worth the extra expense. On this cruise, the balcony was especially welcome; it was like having box seats to the Mediterranean's most amazing places.

Nice touches in the cabin included a hair dryer, refrigerator, safe, robes, plush towels and Carnival's amazingly comfortable beds with high-thread-count linens, crisp duvets and fluffy pillows. Carnival's cabin stewards are wizards at keeping the space tidy twice daily. We found ourselves looking forward to discovering which type of sculpture our steward would make with our sunglasses and towels. Sometimes we got a monkey hanging from the ceiling; other times an elephant or swan perched on the edge of our beds.

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