The next deck down hosts Spa, which seemed rather small compared to many newer ships, and the Gymnasium looking forward over the bridge.
The spa sales pitch for `maintenance products' has a permanent home these days in a spa shop, although I don't know whether that has reduced the post treatment pressure selling. At the after end, around the funnel is the sports deck with a basketball court, jogging track and up a few steps a mini golf course directly around the base of the
funnel. Rather oddly clubs and balls for this are only available from the towel stand, 2 decks down in the forward `timeless' lido.

Deck 10 – Panorama deck is effectively the upper level of the Lido. There are cabins forward and the `stress less' pool and Jacuzzis forward, although whether one really stresses less by sitting at the
exit from the slide is anyone's guess. Moving aft is the Sun King extra tariff restaurant – think lobster and gigantic steaks with music and fine service, for $30 per person additional.

Further aft still is the upper space in the Lido buffet. This houses one of many different food options – here boasting Fish and Chips, with real vinegar for your chips on the tables. The buffet area is called the Freedom restaurant. The focal point is a reproduction of the statue of liberty, stretching through both decks and little liberty mask light fittings are throughout the area.

On this deck there is a wide range of self-service dining options including a Tandoori Grill and separate Hamburger Grill forward in the pool area, a Mongolian Wok station and Taste of Nations (different country theme food each day), an Oriental and a Deli counter, the Grand Buffet (unthemed regular cruise fare) and further aft another grill, called Grille, and a 24hr Pizzeria both in the area of the `Endless pool'. Although there is a
wide choice, the design and layout is such that its quite a trek between counters to see what is on offer, several of the counters have no obvious queueing space to the queues often block passageways. At mealtimes the place was crowded, but simply by carrying one's tray
upstairs to the Fish and Chips area it was easy to find a table. A limited range of counters also opens at dinner. The Mongolian Wok station was a nice innovation with passengers loading a bowl with
meat, fish and vegetables they want in their dish and then specifying the cooking to a couple of chefs behind the counter who cooked it in
woks there and then (shown below)

The Endless pool area is covered with a retractable roof which was never opened during our cruise.

The next decks down are cabin decks, until reaching Promenade deck. This is the upper of 3 decks with public rooms. Slightly misnamed because the actual promenade deck is 2 decks down on Lobby deck!. This contains the now conventional arrangement of public rooms with
the showlounge forward stretching through 3 decks. Moving aft is the Millennium Atrium, which stretches from decks 2 – 10 with a glass roof above. Around the atrium are the shops and Players Bar – a sports bar which leads into the Babylon Casino. As well as the shops you find on most cruise ships, Carnival also have a place called
formalities. In here you can buy those little celebratory items like birthday banners for cabin doors, floral arrangements, special chocolates and also hire evening wear .

The showlounge is called Victoriana and purports to be a step back to 1880s London theatre land. There are small Victorian pictures in the arms of the seats, a stage flanked with curlicules and at the aft
wall, some silk wall coverings. The piece de resistance is the central chandelier and roof treatment which looks for all the world like one has landed in a Victorian merry go-round ride.

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Matts ]

Then one reaches the 70s disco Studio 70. With old fashioned TV screens on the walls, the roof and surrounding the doors and giant mirror balls spinning, a multi coloured dance floor and colourful sofas, this place does `groovy' quite well.

Just outside is Bar Nouveau, an art nouveau wine bar,

followed by Scotts piano bar (where naturally one sits at tables looking like piano keys.

The Swingtime bar and lounge are portside aft, being the ballroom dancing venue and all the way aft is the International lounge. Designed to evoke the roaring twenties, this large space filled with brown leather sofas which spin round on their poles looks to me much more like a bad airport lounge from a Leslie Nielsen movie. Its here that our Karaoke hostess practices her poker face whilst guests murder this tune or that.

Also on this deck is something I have never seen before on other cruise ships, a special `mustering' deck where passengers gather at lifeboat boarding points.

This deck is inboard of the lifeboats but at what would be the upper level of a 2 level space on most ships. It is not used or accessible except for boarding liveboats. Cold grey and white painted steel makes you realise you ar here for a reason which is not entertainment or eating!.

The lowest of the main passenger decks houses the lower level of the theatre, the lowest point of the atrium and the Millennium bar which is in it.

Also the pursers and shore excursion desks, together with the lower level of the dining rooms. Two spaces worth mentioning – the Monticello Library – there are real books in here (they were fake spines on the Legend),

and the out of the way boardroom – a room with fireplaces and steamer pictures, located just off the Chic upper entrance – so out of the way was it that it was almost unused on my sailing.

Port and starboard are the teak lined promenades which enable passengers to walk forward and aft but not complete a circuit.

It is at this point that its worth noting what must surely be the weak links in the design and layout of this class of ship. The teak promenade can only be accessed from doors coming from the atrium. Thus passengers come outside, walk along only to find they have to
return through the doors they originally used. Why does this matter? Well it presumably is part of the reason for a completely separate muster deck – since muster stations would need to be more accessible. And the placing of that muster deck has the knock on effect of virtually eliminating natural light to the sides of the dining rooms (except right aft). Moreovr by placing the Casino – a space which
needs no windows really – on the only passenger deck which does have real windows, they displace other rooms.

The need for 2 dining rooms and the placement of the kitchens means forward to aft access is not possible on 2 of the 3 main passenger decks, except by walking through a dining room. And in a further triumph of appalling layout, the Habana cigar bar is placed so that smoke drifts easily into the dining room entrance on the upper level
in posh, and forcing those who want to use the internet to make their way through the fog of smoke. Thankfully the new Costa ships (from
the same class) seem to be slightly better laid out and there is a large ballroom space where the Freedom has her casino, with the Casino moved aft and to one side.

Although the Carnival Freedom is a new ship, there seems to be nothing new in her design. Atriums, large theatres and all her features have been in ship design for almost 20 years now. What did
strike me was the similarity of a lot of things between her and the Carnival Legend. In colours and layout there were strong similarities. The cabins were absolutely identical. The Spirit class
is an infinitely nicer class of ship to sail on with a much less awkward, queue inducing design.

Leaving aside the design of the ship, what of the experience. Well as before Carnival kept surprising me. The food was much better than expected and certainly IMHO a step up from Royal Caribbean. Carnival have their own `celebrity' chef in Georges Blanc and almost every one of his signature dishes on the main menu was a winner. Entertainment
in the evenings was always superb with extremely good production shows, and some good musicians and comedians. I sailed on the ship on the Greece and Turkey itinerary, calling at Naples, Rhodes, Izmir (for Ephesus), Istanbul, Athens (Piraeus), Katakolon (Olympia) and Livorno (Florence). The programme was unashamedly catering to
transatlantic travellers with allowances for jet lag built in. Whilst that is good, as a European passenger, to be told there was no show
on the first evening so that I could overcome my jet lag was irritating. The itinerary has an overnight stay upon return to Rome. I had expected the ship to be fairly quiet with most heading off on
excursions but what I wasn't expecting was Carnival basically to offer no entertainment at all on the last day or evening. Effectively
this cruise ended one day early whilst passengers remained onboard an extra night.

The weather during this March trip was 50% good, 50% wet and windy. And when I say windy, I really mean it. In the latter half of the cruise, winds of 40mph were not unusual and we spent over 3hrs
waiting for Piraeus port to open in 55mph winds one morning. That said, the ship handled them superbly and the only place the motion was obvious was in the Posh dining room where the screws felt like they were right under your chair on rough nights. There was however some considerable rolling as we treaded water outside Piraeus and upon approaching the harbour we had the sea on our beam and the roll angles for a few minutes made standing up quite difficult. I was on
the upper deck of the Lido space at this time as I heard a large collective scream during one particularly ambitious roll (I'd guess maybe 15degrees). Looking down I saw this was because the Jacuzzi and Lido Swimming pool had chosen to empty themselves during that roll and were flooding across towards the buffet.

Overall Carnival do a solid cruise product. They get the basics done very well indeed and itineraries and pricing are attractive. That said, this is probably the worst designed/ laid out ship I've ever
been on. The layout is simply a mess and the `Freedom' décor, designed to show fun through the ages, is in places dull, on others tacky and in some case both. There are well designed, attractive
spaces on the ship, but they are often in the wrong place or let down by other thoughtless points. My personal view – you get the good points of these ships in terms of range of facilities and good value
Carnival cruises, but without the crowds and rubbish layout, by travelling on a Spirit class ship.

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Matts ]

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Matts ]

It will be interesting to see what Carnival comes up with for the Dream in 09. I know that the Splendor is just another modified Conquest design so that will be nothing new.

Thanks again for the review.

I have no desire to return to this class of ship which unfortunately leaves out a good portion of Carnival and Costa fleet.

I'll stick with the Spirit Class.

Ernie

quote:

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Originally posted by Atlcruiser:

It will be interesting to see what Carnival comes up with for the Dream in 09. I know that the Splendor is just another modified Conquest design so that will be nothing new.

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Gordon,
Do you really think Dream will be a completely new design? I know Carnival has stated this, and the tonnage is higher, but I wonder if it really will be? It could be another stretched and enlarged Conquest Class. I hope not, but I would not be surprised.

...many different food options – here boasting Fish and Chips, with real vinegar for your chips on the tables.

I did not know that American's consumed vinegar with Fish & Chips? Matts, is this an April Fool's joke?

I'm a big 'Vinegar' fan!

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

For those who want the fuller Carnival experience hopefully this video will work - of dinner....

Dinner Dancing

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Matts ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

I did not know that American's consumed vinegar with Fish & Chips? Matts, is this an April Fool's joke?

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Matts does the MUTS carry adverts for on board services or any other propaganda?

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

A couple more videos (should be up and running now)
Beetles show

Dinner singing finale - last night

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Matts ]

What nationality were your fellow guests? What were they like? Euro-Chav's or high class like yourself?

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

quote:

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Originally posted by eroller:

Gordon,
Do you really think Dream will be a completely new design? I know Carnival has stated this, and the tonnage is higher, but I wonder if it really will be? It could be another stretched and enlarged Conquest Class. I hope not, but I would not be surprised.

Ernie

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Ernie, in reality I just expect the Dream class to be an enlarged version of the Conquest class. More of the same ole from Carnival.

quote:

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
Nice review Matts. You would not think that the world's leading cruise line had such badly designed ships.

...many different food options – here boasting Fish and Chips, with real vinegar for your chips on the tables.

I did not know that American's consumed vinegar with Fish & Chips? Matts, is this an April Fool's joke?

I'm a big 'Vinegar' fan!

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Some folks use cocktail or tartar sauce. I happen to like vinegar with mine.

quote:

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Originally posted by Matts:
Blueish lights - you mean like this?

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quote:

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Originally posted by GregD:
Hey,
If I remember correctly from my cruise on the Glory back from 2005. The front decks I basically lived on during the cruise. The floor is painted aluminium. It is like a blue textured paint. The lights are white but the reflection off the blue aluminium makes the whole area seem blue.
-Greg

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That does not explain the promenade deck. On the Triumph the outer promenade deck had those same lights and she has a teak deck as does the Glory. The lights that I saw were blue and not white.

[ 04-01-2007: Message edited by: Atlcruiser ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Frosty 4:
Is H. Salt still around??
Frosty 4

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jekyll:

OK maybe this is because I am Canadian - but what else would one put on their "Fish and Chips" I have only known it to be vinegar...what do Americans put on??? Catsup? Or do they use something else?

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