We just booked on the Carnival Freedom next February and I'm a little worried about the room we picked. It's an oceanview obstructed, 9201, but it's not the classic Carnival obstructed that we've had in the past, with the lifeboat in front of the window or whatever. It's facing the bow and it has a veranda in front of it that I guess anybody can walk onto? And a staff staircase next to it, which worries me a bit. Has anyone stayed in these bow-facing obstructed rooms before? I'm curious to see pics or hear more about it.

Cortney......You appear to be booked in a Category 4J Cabin. I have done this Category in the past and will be doing so again in Feb.2012 aboard the Carnival Splendor (Cabin 9203). They are fine and comfortable cabins, some of which are quite roomy. you will have easy access to the forward veranda/balcony and, though it may be a bit windy when the ship is underway, you will enjoy a lot of privacy out there. Don't worry about the stairs...the staterooms are quite well insulated and it is a very low traffic area! We like these forward cabins.The Carnival Freedom is a wonderful ship!! We just cruised on her to the Panama Canal last week! The Maitre'De in the Posh Dining Room Goran Gorigjewski is awesome!!

Just remember to keep your curtains closed when you are in your cabin and want privacy. Anyone can walk out on that deck (although its not an obvious place to go) so they could look in your cabin if they so choose to. During the day its not a big deal because its so bright outside that it make it nearly impossible to just look in an see anything but at night when your cabin lights are on.. its a different story.

An odd thing about those cabins going by the deck plan is that 9202 and 9203 look so much bigger than 9201. Yet when I check the square footage they all say 185. Aren't those the cabins that have the sign in them "Please keep the window curtain at night time closed for the safety of navigation."?

Dwayne.....Cabins on Deck 9 are above the bridge and do not affect the night vision ... the design of the Forward Verandah effectively shields the light. Due to the forward location the area does not have high passenger traffic volume.