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Good Times Roll And Rock On New Carnival Freedom

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By JAY CLARKE McClatchy Newspapers

Published: February 3, 2008

If you've ever sailed on a Carnival Cruise Lines ship, you know the drill: big ships, exuberant interior designs, activities galore, Broadway-type entertainment, lots of action. It's a formula that has worked well for the cruise line and for its passengers.

Carnival's newest ship, the Carnival Freedom, sailing from Miami this winter, is no exception. On a recent sailing, the ship was rocking with passengers having a good time.

The last of the five Conquest-class ships built by Carnival, the 2,974-passenger Freedom is much the same as the previous four - except, of course, for its interior design.

That's the province of Joe Farcus, interior designer for all Carnival ships, who dreams up the imaginative ship decor he calls "fun architecture." Some people think his penchants for twinkling Tivoli lights and bold designs are a bit much, but there is no doubt they impart a carefree ambience to the ship.

For Freedom, Farcus came up with a "decades" motif, which he insists isn't a theme.

"It's an idea to follow through all public rooms," he says.

So for the International Lounge, he chose Bauhaus minimalist designs of the 1920s with muted rich woods. The Sun King supper club harks back to the 1700s, with crystal chandeliers and a gold statue of Louis XIV.

The disco has mirror balls a la 1970s, and the Swingtime Jazz Club reflects 1930s Deco. Large wall murals in the Habana Club reproduce 1940s Cuban cigar box tops, and the multistory Millennium Atrium is layered with dozens of large headlightlike bulbs that constantly change color, Farcus' nod to the 21st century.

Definitely Eye-Catchers

Some designs are puzzling. Like what does Nebuchadnezzar and the Ishtar Gate have to do with casino gambling? Why have so many Statue of Liberty heads peering down in the casual pool-deck restaurant? And then there are the python-skin-patterned wood veneers in the two main Posh and Chic dining rooms. Why pythons?

It's a strange mix, even outlandish, but it certainly catches your eye.

On things that matter most to passengers, however, the Carnival Freedom is pretty straightforward.

Entertainment runs the gamut from musical revues and late-night comedians to blackjack, bingo and bean tossing. The food is good and plentiful, featuring George Blanc signature selections in the main dining rooms, dry-aged steaks in the elegant Sun King restaurant ($30 per person) and a variety of casual eateries, among them a New York-style deli, hamburger stations and a pizzeria.

Therapists in the 13,300-square-foot spa will treat guests with heated volcanic stones and therapeutic oils as well as more conventional full-body massages and seaweed wraps.

The ship's expansive Camp Carnival provides lots of activities for younger kids; teens 15 to 17 have a special venue, Club O2, with a dance floor and nonalcoholic "mocktail" bar.

For those who like the water, the ship has four swimming pools, seven whirlpools and a water slide. And bathers can tune in on a huge 22-foot-wide outdoor screen on the pool deck that displays movies, sporting events, concerts and other programs.

Cabins are decent-sized and comfortable. In my balcony stateroom (one of 504 on board), I especially liked the bathroom, which was roomier than many I've seen on other ships, with a wall-width mirror and shelf space on both sides for his and her toiletries. One caveat: Don't book a stateroom directly below the pool area; you'll hear chair bangings and scrapings day and night.

All these and other amenities are pretty standard on Carnival's Conquest-class ships, which is both good and not-so-good. Good because that's what passengers like. Not-so-good because the line hasn't added new offerings or redesigned elements that don't work as well as they should.

Could Be Better

Having food stations in the casual restaurant, for instance, works much better than a standard buffet line, but Carnival Freedom still sticks to the old-style lines, which the passenger in front of me described as "the slowest I've ever been in." I agreed.

In staterooms, the television sits on an immovable shelf that juts out above the refrigerator. It's easy to crack your head on that shelf, so why hasn't anything been done about it?

Although Carnival Freedom has cell phone capability and bow-to-stern Wi-Fi access, passengers have to cut all the way across the smoky Habana Bar to get to or from the Internet cafe, a narrow space that looks like a design afterthought.

And for a ship that came into service in Europe last spring, some aspects still need attention. The lifeboat drill, for instance, was poorly organized, forcing passengers to stand at deck stations much longer than normal. They also had to wait in line to get a seat for breakfast in the main dining room - even though the place was three-quarters empty.

In a time when other cruise lines have come up with such innovations as freestyle dining, on-board ice rinks and bowling alleys, Carnival seems reluctant to venture into new directions.

But hey, it works. Carnival fills its ships and its passengers come back for more. And that's what counts.

CARNIVAL FREEDOM

LENGTH: 952 feet

WIDTH: 116 feet

GROSS TONNAGE: 110,000 (a measure of volume)

PASSENGERS: 2,974 double occupancy, 3,700 including upper bunks

CREW SIZE: 1,160

TOTAL CABINS: 1,487 (570 inside, rest ocean-view)

BARS AND LOUNGES: 22

HOME PORTS: Miami (this winter), Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy (summer), Fort Lauderdale (fall and next winter)

ITINERARIES: Seven-night Caribbean cruises out of Miami this winter, 12-night Mediterranean cruises out of Civitavecchia next summer, six- and eight-night Caribbean cruises out of Fort Lauderdale starting next fall

INFORMATION: 1-888-227-6482; carnival.com

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