Carnival Freedom

Carnival Freedom is the fifth and last of the Conquest class, delivered by Fincantieri at Marghera in February 2007, some 110,300 gross tons and 2,974 lower berths. Joe Farcus dressed her around one conceit, time and the decades, and the naming still carries it: the Timeless and Stressless pools, the adults only Endless Pool aft, the Victoriana Show Lounge, Swingtime Lounge, a 70s Night Club and a Sun King Steakhouse borrowed from Louis XIV. The decision that now defines her, though, was not Farcus's. She has burned twice at the funnel. In May 2022, alongside at Grand Turk, fire took the starboard wing of her whale tail, and emergency work at Freeport left her with a plain straight stack. Navantia at Cadiz built and fitted a replacement funnel in October 2023 and the tail came back. Five months later, on 23 March 2024, in heavy weather off Eleuthera and with eyewitnesses reporting lightning, the port exhaust caught fire. The damage was plain to see, the 25 and 30 March departures were cancelled, and the wings were cut away once more at Freeport with the exhausts rerouted. She has sailed with a conventional stack ever since. Port Canaveral remains her homeport, on short Bahamas runs.
What she does well is the cheap and cheerful daytime economy. Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Pizza Pirate and Bonsai Sushi Express carry the Lido at no surcharge, the Seafood Shack is worth the extra, and Sun King is competent rather than memorable. Alchemy Bar and the RedFrog Pub are the two rooms with real character, and Serenity is quieter than its position above Camp Ocean suggests.
The reservations are those of a 2007 hull. Cruise Critic's editors give her 4.5 out of 5 but note lounges without a clear identity, a library that sits oddly, and a spa left behind by the rest of the fleet. Her recent yard time has been forced by fire rather than spent on refreshment, and the 2019 Fun Ship 2.0 work is now well aged.
She suits families and first timers after a short break at a low fare, and repeat Carnival guests who know the layout. She will disappoint anyone wanting contemporary calm, a balcony as standard, or space at the pool on a sea day.
Cabin choice matters more here than the ship does. Deck 8 Verandah sits directly beneath the Lido pools and buffet, which means chairs dragged overhead from early morning, and deck 6 Upper sits above the Promenade lounges and casino. Aft is the interesting trade: the extended balconies there run 60 to 75 square feet against a standard 35, but carry wake vibration and sit under the Endless Pool. Category 6B ocean views are the obstructed ones, and a handful of cabins have portholes rather than windows.
Read the deck plan first. On Freedom it is the decision.