Carnival Freedom is a Conquest class ship that is large enough to have a nice amenity set and good sailing characteristics, but not so large as to overwhelm you.
Embarkation: Galveston has great parking for the cruise terminal. Getting to the ship is a snap. Porters seemed helpful without being pushy.
The check in was well handled and seamless. We had priority boarding which really did help.
Chilled downtown. Good shopping. Discovered a great little new coffee and espresso venue called Coz Coffee Roasting Company. Yum. Good coffee and people watching. The place is run by a guy from Montana and another guy from Italy.... in Cozumel. Go figure but good stuff.