CruizCuz

Ok, so I had some available time and thought "why not book a short cruise?"  I believe ANY cruise is better than NO cruise.  I was on the Liberty this past October and had a wonderful time.  However, one of my traveling peeps said the Liberty was her least favorite.  I realize that everyone has differing opinions.  I started reading all the reviews since I cruised the Liberty in October and they are ALL BAD.  Seriously.  I'm thinking to myself what the heck has happened?!  Now, I don't want to cancel or change as I will have a good time regardless (I hope).  But if you have sailed on the Liberty since I did in October, and have had a good time or want to post something positive, I would really appreciate it.  I truly respect and appreciate all the honest comments and reviews.  But once I am "locked" in, I want to read the good stuff.  LOL!  Help me please......

5 hours ago, sc4125 said:

So, did you ask the cabin steward to set them up that way?  I will definitely make sure that we ask for that layout.  Thankfully this will also be a quickie 4 day cruise - not sure if I could handle that if it was 7 days or longer.  Thanks for the info.

We actually enjoyed the room.  It felt as if it was bigger than if only 2 beds made into a king.  When we got to the room we decided to move the beds ourselves.  It wasn't anything heavy or hard.  We saw the room steward later and he was cool with it and said it was indeed a better layout!

We had a trundle bed for a "quickie" cruise on the Elation out of Jax last year.  I was concerned but someone on these boards made a layout suggestion and it worked perfectly.  Our OV room was place with one bed under the window, the other two beds against the walls.  It left PLENTY of floor space and we had lots of room.  It was shaped like a "U" in the room  The trundle was small, so my mom who was the smallest slept there.  She said it was lower to the ground and a little more difficult to get out of it, but was comfortable.  Hope this helps.

On 6/10/2019 at 1:28 PM, GTO-Girl said:

 

We much prefer the food at Grills over Fish Lips....and we still get to see the ships leave.

Thank you for the suggestion!  I will definitely try Grills in August before our next cruise.  Sounds yummy and I love that you can still see the ships!

20 hours ago, Lee Cruiser said:

Cannot speak to either of those.  However, my wife and I stay regularly at the Homewood Suites just across the road from those two.  We love it.  Rooms are great and the shuttle service to the port works out nicely.

When checking out the hotels in the area, I found Homewood Suites to be more expensive.  It does look very nice, and I appreciate the suggestion.  If the price drops, I may have to take your suggestion.  Thank you!

21 hours ago, slidergirl said:

 I would love to help,  but I always stay at my friend's beach shack in Cocoa Beach...

 

I know there was some discussion in May about the hotels right there by the port.  Yes, the Search function on CC sucks boulders, but give it a try.   

 

Me?  If having the bar was a nice thing in the past, I'd stay at the Raddison anyway.  It's a known quantity to you.   Are you still driving there or taking a shuttle from MCO?  To me, a car or using Lyft/Uber is important for that day since there really isn't much in the way of good eats in the area.  Just Southern Charm and Thai Thai - everything else is chain/junk food.   Euro Cafe in Cape Canaveral is gaining a good reputation lately and Darci's Bacon Blues is fab for breakfast.  Or head down in to Cocoa Beach for the 4th st. Fillin' Station for a 17 page beer menu and good casual food (the cauliflower appy is amazing), or down to Coconuts on the Beach for a lively bar scene.  

Thank you for the suggestions on restaurants.  We are driving, but will more than likely take Uber or Lyft to eat somewhere.  I have eaten at Fish Lips and the food was "meh", but would go again to see the ships leave.  The 17 page beer menu sounds amazing!  I will definitely have to suggest that to my dh.  He will love that!

Good morning!  I am leaving on the Liberty at the end of August and will be traveling to Port Canaveral the day before our cruise.  We have cruised out of the Port many times and any time we have stayed at a hotel, it was always the Radisson at the Port.  We have usually traveled with kids and they loved the pool.  However, this time it will be just my DH and me.  Has anyone stayed at both hotels and have a preference one way or the other?  We enjoyed having a bar at the Radisson, but the rooms look nicer at CI&S.  Please let me know your opinions.  Also, we have never used CI&S shuttle service - opinions? The Radisson's shuttle service is great and we have also parked at the port.  

We sailed the Sunshine last August, 2018 for our anniversary.  Obviously based on comments, we booked our anniversary dinner at the steakhouse.  And because it was a special cruise, we also booked the specialty restaurants and only ate in the MDR once.  The definite hidden gem is JiJi's Asian Kitchen.  It was amazing and we ended up making another reservation while on our cruise.  The steakhouse was as expected and certainly delicious, but we enjoyed JiJi's more.  

I never ordered a martini at any bar other than the Alchemy Bar so I can't answer that question.  The Alchemy Bar on all carnival ships is the place to be!  But they open at 5 and if you want to really have the VIP experience, then get there early.  I feel the drink package is worth it regardless off port days.  But we prefer to spend a lot of time on the ship, even with stops at ports.  

I have sailed several times on RCCL ships (Radiance, Enchantment, Grandeur) but mostly CCL.  I personally prefer CCL for the $$ savings.  I have found the food on CCL to be a bit inconsistent.  I have been on some ships where the food was MUCH better than RCCL, and others that weren't.  I have sailed the Sunshine once and it was last August.  I found the specialty restaurants to be OUTSTANDING!  I would suggest eating in at least one during your sailing.  Many have complained about the layout of the Sunshine.  I personally loved it.  Get familiar with the deck plans before sailing.  It really did help and made the trip much more enjoyable and less frustrating.  I loved the location of the piano bar on the Sunshine.  Visit there at least once and go to the Steakhouse bar for a drink prior.  It's next door to the Piano Bar.  Definitely go to the Alchemy Bar as suggested by many previous posters.  I love that CCL still does towel animals.  It's hit or miss on RCCL.  I loved having CHEERS.  Definitely try some of the more expensive items on the drink menu.  If you don't like it, no worries.  I carry 15 one dollar bills with me.  I always tip at least one dollar and that's how I keep track of how many drinks I have left. When my ones are gone, I am done.  I'm not a big drinker, but it's amazing how fast those drinks disappear, especially on sea days.  Non-alcoholic drinks are unlimited.  No, they don't carry CLAWS.  I love those too, but they aren't on the ships.  I usually do a flavored vodka with club soda.  It tastes very similar to a CLAWS drink.  I LOVE the deli and pizza area on CCL ships.  The pizza is WAY better than RCCL.  Also you have to try the Reuben sandwiches, either by room service or at the deli.  They are DELISH!  You can print out as many luggage tags as needed but Carnival prefers you limit your checked bags to 2 per person.  That's about it for suggestions.  Enjoy!

I have sailed on both the Valor and the Liberty.  I have sailed on the Liberty several times and have 2 more trips booked on her.  I loved the Valor and would sail on that ship again in a heartbeat.  My decision would be based on which port do you prefer and if the destinations are different.  The crew on both ships are happy and cheerful.  Both ships were well maintained in my opinion as well.

I have sailed on the Carnival Liberty 4 times, with 2 future trips already booked on her.  The  Liberty is easily one of my fav Carnival ships.  For me, this ship isn't too small or big.  I love the deli and pizza, although both can get quite crowded during times when nothing else is open.  Try visiting them during meal times.  I have found the staff on this ship to among the friendliest.  I LOVE the Alchemy bar.  The Comedy shows were good, but it always depends on who the comedians are.  Get there early, as it fills up fast.  Port Canaveral is our fav port to sail out of.  Very quick and painless and often onboard by 11:30 am.  I sailed during Halloween week and it was lots of fun.  Bring a costume, but make sure you check the rules of what you can't bring first.  

Thank you for the honest and thorough review.  I too, have enjoyed the Liberty, both 3 and 4 day cruises.  I seldom have written a review, because somehow people have felt the need to argue and dispel anything positive I've written.  I'll be honest here....I have been on the Liberty 5 times and have 2 more planned.  I have NEVER had a bad cruise on her.  I have had some better than others, but all good.

1 hour ago, abby1257 said:

I'm sorry....I have to ask, how can you have 15 drinks in one day and not be blitzed????

I usually get CHEERS on 5 day or less cruises.  Especially when the cruise is to ports that I have visited many times, and would prefer to stay on the "private" ship when in port.  I don't drink quickly.  When I have CHEERS and the beer I am drinking gets too warm, I toss it and get another frosty, cold one.  I also like to try new drinks with out the pressure of having finish them if I don't like them.  That's usually how I get to 15 in day, which I do a couple of those days.

I know this has probably been answered somewhere, but I can't find it.  Do you remember if the Liberty has USB ports in the cabins?

VERY nice video!  Thank you for taking the time to make and share!

Awesome review, thank you!  I leave on the Liberty for a 4 day cruise, this Sunday, the 28th.  Halloween night will be our last night.  Sounds like you had a good time!

Thank you for the review!  I will be on the Liberty this Sunday, the 28th, and can't wait!  I have been on the Valor in the past, but never the Liberty!

I have found the Hub app to be the most beneficial.  However, I never seem to get notified when someone messages me, despite doing all the correct actions to notifications happen.  But what we do is to check our app whenever we want to change locations and send a simple text.  Often I will see that someone has already messaged me.  It does work, but there simply isn't a perfect system that works as well as when you are on shore.

I usually tip $1 per drink when I purchase Cheers.  I realize that is on top of 15% already.  But when I receive good or great service in a restaurant, I usually tip 18-20%, so I do the same here.  I also put $15 each am in my wallet.  That's how I know where I am in my Cheers drink count.  I simply count my one's and know how many drinks I've had and how many are left.   I figure out on day 1, who the good bartenders are, and who are just so-so.  I return time and again to the ones who go above and beyond for me.  

Thank you for your honest review! It's refreshing to read. We will be on the Liberty during Halloween week. It should be a blast! I have been on the Valor before, so they should be alike.

Thank you for the awesome review! I too, love the Elation and have sailed her many, many times. I will be sad when Carnival takes her elsewhere and replaces with the Ecstasy. It seems Jax gets the older ships before refurb. They then go into refurb a year or two later, then get moved somewhere else. I don't understand it, because the ships that sail out of Jax Port are almost always full.

We had a love seat on the Sunshine, but didn't have a couch on the Splendor. Our beds faced the windows on the Splendor, but faced the wall (with our headboards on the window wall) on the Sunshine.

We just got off the Sunshine and had an L shaped balcony cabin. I previously sailed on the Splendor last year, in an L shaped balcony room. I ditto what previous posters have said. The room is VERY quiet and you are next to the aft wrap balcony. Both of our balcony cabins had a recliner/lounge chair and 2 chairs and a small table. It was nice and large. I enjoyed the bathroom being on the other side of the room away from the closets. We could open and close the closet doors without worrying about someone coming out of the bathroom. The rooms seemed a tiny bit smaller and more "boxy" shaped instead of rectangular shaped like regular balcony rooms. I wouldn't hesitate to book this room shape again and again!

It seems that anytime a thread opens about FTTF and someone is thrilled to have gotten it, the debate begins. LOL! I purchased FTTF the first time, when I was cruising with my young son, my mobility challenged dh and elderly parents. Trying to keep up with not only my things, but theirs, was going to be a challenge. Being able to be one of the first to board, go straight to the room, drop off the carryon's and then go to the Lido deck, was a HUGE benefit for me. My parents didn't have to stand a long time in the food lines and were able to unpack early. My mom would always stress until her suitcase arrived. Also, inevitably there is always a problem with charges, losing something or even a problem with S&S cards. NOT having to stand in the long GS's lines was well worth it as well. For me, FTTF is worth every penny spent.

I will give a differing opinion here. I would absolutely do a 3/4 B2B cruise. In fact, I am lobbying for that now. Would I like to do a 7 day cruise? Absolutely I would. However, there are things that for us, stack up against that.

 

We live far away from any ports, and can really only get away from work in winter. With the traditional holiday expenses eating a hole in the wallet, it's nice for us to be able to plan a quick 4 day getaway that we can afford...and maybe add on to it if things look good down the road. I'd rather have an extra muster drill than an extra day at the office, but that's just me.

 

On top of that, we kind of like the Cheers program. As we're maturing, though, we're pretty well aware that we'd never use all 7 days of it. We like the idea of having two kinds of trip in one - a booze cruise and a virgin voyage with the occasional cocktail. It's budget-friendly for us.

 

Finally, the last item is variety of ports. I like the idea of hitting Nassau, Key West, and Cozumel in one fell swoop. The time I like best is time at sea, and that works out pretty well.

 

All in all, as with everything else, a B2B is what you make of it. If you have unlimited funds and unlimited time off...hell, do whatever because it doesn't matter! BUT, if things are fluid, and you might be able to sneak a little bit extra onto what you know you can do...look at that short term b2b as a way to get a little more time on the water.

Everything you said, is exactly what I was thinking. I am dealing with family issues right now that I hope will be resolved this time next year. But I keep wondering, what if they aren't? This cruise would be for my 60th, and I was thinking if I booked a 4 day and if things were calm, book another 3-4 day, then that would be better. I love 7 day cruises. I haven't been on one in years, because of the issues mentioned. I also thought if I booked 2 separate cruises, then maybe it would be easier for my GF's to go on at least one of them to celebrate my birthday. Then my dh could join me for the other one. But then, I also agree with the posters who discuss the positive reasons for booking a 7 day cruise over the B2B's. Either way I AM going on another cruise next year. Thank you for giving me all of your amazing suggestions and opinions! They are very much appreciated.