Two Carnival Cruise Lines ships earned top honors in Cruise Critic’s “Cruisers Choice Awards” with Carnival Liberty named best value for the money and Carnival Freedom best shore excursions. The awards are based on reviews of Cruise Critic readers who rate ships in a wide variety of product- and service-related categories.
The first ship to undergo the extensive upgrades of the line’s $500 million Fun Ship 2.0 enhancement program, Carnival Liberty received accolades for its wide range of complimentary on-board offerings, from Guy’s Burger Joint developed in tandem with Food Network personality Guy Fieri to the BlueIguana Cantina, a Mexican-themed eatery serving authentic tacos and burritos. Other popular free-of-charge Fun Ship 2.0 choices include hilarious performances at the Punchliner Comedy Club presented by George Lopez, nightly Dive-In movies shown on a massive poolside LED screen, and Hasbro, The Game Show, featuring larger-than-life adaptations of the brand’s iconic games. Carnival Liberty will operate seven-day Caribbean cruises from Miami before repositioning to Port Canaveral in May for five- to eight-day Caribbean departures.
The quality and variety of shore excursions choices aboard Carnival Freedom’s five- to eight-day Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale were also recognized. On five- and six-day cruises, guests can enjoy everything from kayaking and paddle boarding in Key West to scuba diving and ziplining across Cozumel’s lush countryside to horseback riding at the private island paradise of Half Moon Cay. Eight-day cruises are just as varied as guests can participate in a regatta race in St. Maarten, explore El Yunque Rainforest in San Juan, get a bird’s eye view of Antigua during a helicopter tour, or marvel at Colonial architecture and shop for duty-free bargains in St. Thomas. Earlier this year, Carnival enhanced the value of its shore excursion offerings, launching the first-of-its-kind shore excursion guarantee that provides 110 percent of the difference in the form of a shipboard credit for guests who find the same tour offered by another operator at a lower price.