mets07

Hi all. Just returned from Liberty of the Seas, 9 nights from Cape Liberty NJ to Bermuda, Labadee, and two stops in the Dominican Republic. First Liberty sailing from NJ since I think 2015. Our first experience with this class. 

Loved having the Viking Crown.

We did not find the new MDR menus as bad as described in other threads. Missed the Apple Blossom dessert. Appetizers were good and managed to find an acceptable entree each evening. My husband's food could have been hotter a couple times. Ate dinner 5 nights in MDR, 3 specialty, 1 Windjammer. All breakfasts and lunches in Windjammer.

Saturday Night Fever was outstanding.  This coming from people who do not enjoy most shows. Also loved the ice show (we went twice). 

Had one disappointing excursion (Saona Island from La Romana, DR.) 

Unfortunately, debarkation was lengthy and chaotic. Did not matter for us as we only had about a 45 minute drive home. Felt bad for others.

Departure:

Arriving at Bermuda:

Arriving home:

My husband has a favorite drink that he requests that is his variation on a Manhattan. It includes the normal rye (your favorite brand), 1/2 the normal vermouth, and the other 1/2 (instead of vermouth).... Grand Marnier. 

He calls it the New Old Manhattan.

😉

You do not need a reserved time. You can go anytime that they are open for My Time Dining and get on the "no reservation" line.  You may have to wait a bit. How long you have to wait can vary day-to-day. 

Enjoy your cruise.

So, sign in to RC. Within the specific cruise either click Internet and you should see the word Reserved on Voom Surf & Stream OR click on your initials in upper right and click on Order History. Open each item. One item listed should be Voom Surf  & Stream. 

Hope that helps. Enjoy your cruise. 

We submitted for renewal via new (pilot) online process Jan 19/20. We did not pay for any expediting. We received the new passports about 9 days ago .... almost 12 weeks vs. the original 5-9 weeks indicated as the expectation (at that time).

Went to the NY Mets baseball game today.  Beautiful day for major league baseball at 80 plus degrees F. I have been to many April games wearing a winter coat, hat, blanket, etc. I love baseball!

We had two of our grandchildren with us. Our grandson is 5, a couple weeks shy of 6, and our 4 year old granddaughter.  They loved screaming when the big screen said to "get loud," eating lots of stuff, and yelling Let's go Mets! Lots of fun. 

Best to all.

52 minutes ago, blondcat said:

either way I think we'll end up on south beach - I'm more than happy with a towel on the sand

There are tons of free lounge chairs and umbrellas at South Beach.

Enjoy your cruise!

50 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Hmmm, I didn't know he was going to be at the Sun. How was the show?

Outstanding. He never disappoints. 

We bought the tickets last November. This year he is doing "smaller" venues instead of stadiums. Ha. 

Went to (another) Kenny Chesney concert last night. Mohegan Sun, Connecticut. Kelsea Ballerini was the opening act.  Whole thing was really fun, as usual.

Happy Easter!

We had a CP balcony on Harmony (deck 11) and did not have issues with noise. Music in CP tends to be peaceful/soft in my experience. 

8 hours ago, Momof3gurlz said:

Seeking advice here on cabin choice for Bella2.  We’re thinking of trying a Central Park balcony.  Between group activities and port days, we barely used our OV balcony on Bella1.  There are several available on decks 10,11 & 12, including one of the double balconies on deck 12.  From my research, I saw comments there can be some noise from crew areas near the double balcony.  I also saw some comments that CP balcony cabins can hear noise from a large screen, but I don’t see a screen in any photos? Doubt they’d be playing movies in CP, where would you sit to watch? 
Appreciate any input!  
 

We have only done one CP balcony. It was on Harmony and we really enjoyed it. We tend to like higher decks, but ensure only staterooms above and below us. We were on 11th deck. 

Enjoy!

Our most recent Anthem/Cape Liberty experience was that we had the earliest check-in time, but no one was verifying it. We went through the check-in process and then were seated in a large seating area. Once the go-ahead was given, they had us get up row by row to proceed to the ship. 

We have had varying experiences in the past there including where someone was outside calling for cruisers to check-in by time slot.

Enjoy your cruise! 

10 hours ago, Toddcan said:

Buying a Gift Certificate is also possible, but will need to be converted to OBC by calling again AFTER final payment but BEFORE sailing date - too much of a pain in the butt process, imo. 

We got one for Christmas. It was quite easy. We received an email ... see below. We went to the website and provided the requested info and said we wanted to use as OBC. The person giving the gift did not need to know our reservation number. 

With a Royal Caribbean Gift Certificate, the possibilities are endless.

You can use it for extra perks onboard or even to help pay for your cruise.

Just remember to redeem your gift at least 10 business days before you set sail.

Certificate Serial Number:  xxxxxxxxxxx

Certificate Authorization Code: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Redeem by Phone: 1-800-722-5970

Redeem Online: RoyalCaribbeanCertificates.com

4 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

But when we got to luggage hall, our bags were on a trolley, wrapped in cellophane.  Then they start 'discussing' who will open them. So Laura starts doing it, but gets screamed at. We need a Longshoreman to do it. But then he won't take them off the trolley, so Laura and I did. Crazy

Good grief.

Thanks to all on the Bella cruise who contributed. Lots of fun to follow.  

We would love to be on Bella2 however it is the week of one of my little grandchildren's birthdays. Hate to miss those. 

Safe travels. ☘️

☘️🌈

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again.   (virtually or otherwise)
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

and another...

May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door.

Happy St. Patrick's Day. I wished this to my 4 year old granddaughter today and she said ... "It's not

St. Patrick's Day YET."

6 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Based on the EMG and my symptoms the Neurologist says ALS is probable.   With the MRIs being put off she has asked me to come in to discuss different treatments.
I, like most here, know the care we have for one another so I felt I should share.

Try to take it one day at a time until things are more conclusive. Easy for me to say. I am praying for you.

☘️

2 hours ago, niksmom630 said:

he cheese plate is still here. Needless to say, I won’t be snacking on it any longer. 🤢 not sure why our cabin attendant hasn’t taken it away yet. I hate putting plates in the hallway but it needs to go! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Similar to someone else, in my case I simply put the plate on the floor right next to the garbage/trash can. It works.

Enjoy the rest of the cruise!! Have fun, everyone!

Looks pretty. All we (North East New Jersey) have had so far is snow flurries. Nothing sticking yet. A bit windy. 

2 hours ago, shofer said:

I always like this topic and find new fruity drinks to try.  My favorite is a BBC (Baileys Banana Colada).  On our last cruise on Symphony we were new Diamond members and loved the free drinks, even prime brands for DH.  However, as many times as I asked for a BBC in one of the bars, they would always tell me that they didn't have any bananas.  (I didn't try by the pool, didn't think of it).

Good grief. It is also my favorite (after cabernet, ha).  They make it all the time for me on Royal ships, but it has been mostly at pool bars. I am sure they are capable of making it elsewhere. 

I am sure you all know being super-organized and even super-extremely organized as a personality trait is not OCD. If you have ever had a family member or friend diagnosed with OCD, you will understand. 

I hope all of you have a wonderful and very fun cruise!! 🛳️

7 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Back a good number of years ago, when bottled water sales were starting to gain a foothold in the US, Consumer Reports ran a blind taste test using a variety of (primarily European) bottled waters and a few samples of US city waters. The surprising (?) winner was good old NY city tap water!

Truthfully, not surprising to anyone who grew up in any of the five boroughs of New York City.    

Here is some background info:

A combination of aqueducts, reservoirs, and tunnels supplies fresh water to New York City. With three major water systems (Croton, Catskill, and Delaware) stretching up to 125 miles (201 km) away from the city, its water supply system is one of the most extensive municipal water systems in the world.

New York's water treatment process is simpler than most other American cities. This largely reflects how well protected its watersheds are. The city has sought to restrict development surrounding them.

11 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

Now I'm reading Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner. Just started but I think it will be a good one.

@Bailey & SophieI read that and most of her other books. They are very good.

23 hours ago, jmh2006 said:

I grew up in NJ and DH grew up in MI.  One name stood out, VanBuskirk, and sure enough that is our common ancestor who settled in then New Amsterdam, moved to NJ, and had many sons who during the revolution were divided between the King and the Colonists. 

This family name is indeed very familiar in Northern NJ, with a small park near us and other historic sites and houses with the name Van Buskirk. 

My favorite concerts are Kenny Chesney concerts and I have been to a ton of them. Whether you like island / country music or not, he is a great performer and crowd-pleaser. 🌴🏖️

Probably the most famous person I saw in concert was John Lennon. Madison Square Garden, NYC.  I was a young teenager. It was called the One to One concert and I was able to go as I was a volunteer with the mentally disabled. "Imagine" all the people.... 🎸 🎶 ☮️