Cruise Travel....

CARNIVAL FREEDOM
Sailing a New "Fun Ship" In the Intriguing "Old World"

The debut of the Carnival Freedom in Italy this past spring, it brought a new ship, innovative amenities, and unique “Fun Ship” atmosphere to ports in the old world. The ship and itineraries have already proven so popular that Carnival Cruise Lines plans a return visit for the ship in 2008.

Famed ship designer Joe Farcus added or enhanced several areas of the Carnival Freedom, fifth in the line's successful Conquest Class, resulting in a great new base for visiting the Old World. During a recent 12-day Mediterranean cruise, we found Farcus’s latest work to be better than ever.

As always, there’s a method to his seemingly “mad” themes. For the Carnival Freedom, Farcus takes passengers on a journey through the centuries--generally by individual decades. From ancient Babylonia to the heyday of disco and from the 19th century Victorian era to the contemporary style of the 1990s, the public rooms of the Carnival Freedom celebrate many famed time periods.

“I thought it would be interesting to go back in time to find inspiration,” recalls Farcus. “As always, I tried to use the function of the room to suggest how the room will reflect the central design theme.” Starting with the atrium, his function-led design is one for the ages.

The Millennium atrium is a whimsical Farcusian look at the upcoming decade of the 2010s. Curved railings are carved from blue glass, wood veneer cutouts have been dyed to look like tiger skin and lined with polished copper, and cylindrical forms are painted in iridescent lacquers with red or gold tints depending on your angle of view. Glass and copper chandeliers hang from the ceiling, with smaller versions used as color-changing wall lights. The futuristic design carries through to the nine-deck elevators, with stainless steel doors and dramatic copper decoration.

Britain’s Victorian era receives the Farcus treatment in the Victoriana show lounge. Designed to evoke London’s West End theaters, there’s a stunning mural-decorated dome and crystal chandelier as the large room’s centerpiece. The arches between the windows contain pre-Raphaelite paintings (popular during the Victorian era), while twinkling lights, marble, gold leaf, and ornate moldings abound.

Jumping a century ahead, the Studio 70 dance club focuses on the decade of disco. Here, Farcus created an updated version of the famed Studio 54 dance club. Stainless steel walls, color-changing lighting, spinning mirror balls, and sofas done in giant seven and zero shapes make for a whimsical retro feel.

Those who like their entertainment in the form of ringing slot machines will love the theme of the Babylon Casino. Recalling the Babylonian palace of Hammurabi, this is the earliest era evoked on the ship (1000 B.C.). There’s a reproduction of the legendary Ishtar Gate, depictions of the Hanging Gardens on polished stainless steel, and lots of “brick” columns between the slots and tables.

Chic and Posh, the ship’s twin dining rooms, pay tribute to the style of the 1990s. Highlights here include lots of polished marble, ornate grillwork, and a special wood veneer laminated in a python skin pattern (Farcus is rumored to have purchased a real python skin to make the design truly true to life).

Up in the Sun King Supper Club, the glory days of the 18th century (and the “Sun King,” Louis XIV) come alive. There’s a period chandelier hanging from the skylight dome, with smaller versions throughout the popular alternative restaurant. Between bites of high-quality beef, we also fell for the elaborate tapestries, antique mirrors, and a large trompe l’oeil mural depicting the court of the king.

The casual Freedom Restaurant has various replications of the Statue of Liberty, including a two-deck version leading up to the popular Fish & Chips station. We located little Lady Liberty headpieces throughout this indoor and outdoor area (as well as several nice bronze sculptures of poolside bathing beauties).

Other decades represented in public rooms on the ship include: the Habana Cigar Bar (1940s Havana, Cuba); Bar Nouveau (art nouveau of the 1890s); Scott’s piano bar (the early-1900s of Scott Joplin); Player’s Sports Bar (sporting memorabilia from the 1950s); Swingtime jazz club (jazz of the 1930s); the Monticello Library (Jeffersonian 1770s); and Club O2 (the teen club, with highlights from the first year of the 21st century).

For us, highlights of the new ship included: “Georges Blanc Signature Selections” from the famed French master chef in the dining rooms and in the supper club; a huge spa; stem-to- stern wireless internet; the giant outdoor movie screen; an excellent kids program; and the 214-foot-long water slide for kids and kids at heart. In the cabins, we enjoyed several new or relatively new additions for the Carnival Freedom, including luxuriant upgraded bathrobes, the Carnival Comfort Bed system with two choices of pillows, and large flat-screen TVs.

All of these options made the Carnival Freedom a bit difficult to leave. However, the Mediterranean ports-of-call and longer 12-day itineraries lured us away from the ship many times--but we couldn’t wait to get “home.”

Carnival is offering "Fun Ship" aficionados two distinct Southern European itineraries aboard the Carnival Freedom. Ours was called “Grand Mediterranean,” (the other is “Mediterranean & Greek Isles”. Both are 12-day cruises roundtrip from Civitavecchia, the port for Rome (pre- and post-cruise stays are quite popular and we chose a post-cruise option with a bit more Italian under our belts and on our tongues). The "Grand Mediterranean" itinerary is port intensive, with just three full days at sea and calling, in order, at Naples, Venice (overnight), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Messina (Sicily), Barcelona (Spain), Cannes (France), and Livorno (back in Italy). Each port offers interesting and quite numerous shore excursion options.

Naples, Italy’s third most-populous metropolis (behind Rome and Milan), is a great walking city, with dozens of historic restaurants specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza; “Margherita,” (with tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil) is a local favorite and we tasted several versions. Shore excursions options out of Naples include Mount Vesuvius, the ruins of Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, or a tour by boat to the romantic Isle of Capri.

After a day at sea, Venice awaits with a unique overnight call. Sailing right past historic St. Mark’s Square, the Carnival Freedom is a floating palatial hotel for discovering this Renaissance realm of canals and bridges. There’s time for exploration by foot, boat, and even gondolier, as well as a romantic dinner ashore or an excursion out to the island of Murano, famed for centuries of glassmaking.

Just across the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik is next. This centuries-old trading center features a walled old town with narrow cobblestone streets lined with restaurants, museums, and shops. Nearby, Carnival has arranged for truly different shore excursions, like our “Country Home” tour, which featured local food and wine at a family farm. In fact, Carnival offers more than 150 different shore excursions on the ship’s Med itineraries.

After another day at sea, Messina means access to the historic town of Taormina and possibly great views of towering Mount Etna--depending on cloud cover, which we had. Those, like us, who chose to stay in Messina will be charmed by the nearby cathedral (“duomo”), which features the world’s largest astronomical clock and slow-moving bronze statues that perform quite the show on the hour--including roaring lions.

The final day at sea precedes a call on Barcelona. This modern Catalonian city is famed for always-busy Las Ramblas, a fashionable main thoroughfare, the Boqueria market, with several tasty tapas bars, the Picasso Museum, and--of course--the architectural wonders of Antonio Gaudi (see "Day in Barcelona," Cruise Travel, August 2007).

Next, Cannes brings French flair to the itinerary. There are popular tours to Nice (including another excellent public market), St. Tropez, Monaco, Monte Carlo, and more. Cannes also features one of the best beach options on this itinerary, with tops optional for female passengers who really want to adopt the French lifestyle--if only for the day in port.

Finally, Livorno serves as the gateway to the wonders of Florence and Pisa for many Carnival Freedom visitors. From Michelangelo’s statue of David to the ubiquitous Leaning Tower, Livorno leads to many Italian icons.

"Mediterranean & Greek Isles," the Carnival Freedom's other southern Europe itinerary, repeats two of the “Grand Mediterranean” ports (Naples and Livorno) and adds several great calls in Greece and Turkey, including Rhodes, Piraeus (Athens) and Katakolon in Greece and Izmir and Istanbul in Turkey. Those looking for a taste of Italy and a full helping of Greece and Turkey may want to consider this itinerary.

These combinations of a great new ship and interesting ports has proven quite popular with both Carnival veterans and first-timers looking for an economical way to visit the Old Country. It’s easy to see why the ship will head back there in 2008-- and we hope to as well, although the new Carnival Splendor, which debuts July, 2008, will be sailing on appealing new Northern Europe itineraries.

In the meantime, "Fun Ship" fans can sample the new Carnival Freedom out of Florida this winter season as she sails alternating weeklong Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, roundtrip from Miami.  The eastern route visits San Juan, St. Thomas/St. John, and St. Maarten; the western cruise calls on Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios.

For more information contact your travel agent or Carnival Cruise Lines (Cruise Travel Magazine), 3655 NW 87th Ave., Miami, FL 33178; or log on to www.carnival.com.