handwcruisers

Thanks Bob

This probably sounds funny but I was wondering if anyone has a picture of Liberty from the front before the new cabins were added. We have never sailed her before and I have heard so much about how different the front looks now would like to see the comparison. Thanks

Oct 30. Halloween cruise. Are you on that one?

No, we are doing Oct. 9th and Oct. 16th.

Any number of 1st for us.

first b2b

first time on Liberty

first time on anything bigger than Explorer

first time out of Galveston - we live in Oklahoma and so are driving to Galveston

Enjoy your cruise

Thank you for this great review! Very helpful to me, as we just booked Liberty for October 2016, and it has thus far been our favorite ship :)

We are booked on a b2b on Liberty in October 2016, what week are you going?

We like to dress up for formal night and I enjoy seeing the different dresses that other women wear on formal nights. My DH says he doesn't know any women who doesn't want the opportunity to get all decked out once in awhile. That being said I know it's not for everyone. To each his or her own.

Denise,

We are taking our 1st trip on Liberty next year after dry dock, we have sailed on Explorer 3 times. With all the difference that you are talking about between the 2 ships like the artwork, the food art, the cooking and food carving classes will we be disappointed with Liberty after having sailed on Explorer so much.

What time does she sail away today?

I'm super excited. Chandler is actually a suburb of Phoenix so it shouldn't affect the cruise that much. Most Arizonans head to Disneyland during the 2 weeks of fall break.

Oh, thanks. I would say let me know how things are on your trip but unless you are going to do a live review we will be getting on as you are getting off.

We're on the 10/2, it's the first week of fall break for Chandler schools.

Are you as excited as we are?

Is Chandler a local school district? If so is that fall break for a lot of Texas?

If 10/2 is the first week of fall break how long does it last?

Trying to see if that means more kids for our 2 weeks.

It might be worthwhile to search for recent B2B cruisers on Navigator. As someone mentioned each one seems a little different per ship, but it seems to be a dance between the ship and the port. With you being in Oklahoma, I assume you are looking Liberty out of Galveston. When are you going? I believe this is the first time Royal is bringing this class of ship to Galveston and those first times always seem to be a bit precarious.

Yes we are going Liberty out of Galveston, we are not cruising until Oct 2016 but are all ready looking forward to it and counting down the days. I am a big planner and start early. That is part of the fun for me. I try to plan excursions or things to do on our own without using ship excursions. Yes it is the first time for this size ship in Galveston and the port is terrible right now from what I understand but by Oct Liberty will have undergone the dry dock in Jan 2016 and they are supposed to be done with the new cruise terminal (which will make 3 ). Hopefully the new terminal will have things running more smoothly by Oct, only time will tell.

We do have the same room on both cruises, we are in a handicapped as I need handicapped bathroom, walk with a cane and bring a regular wheelchair just in case I need it (did have to use it for a day and half on New England/Canada on our last cruise). My DH and I were just talking a couple of days ago about how nice it will be to spend the last day of the first cruise not having to worry about packing up. We are staying on board during turnaround and enjoying the time at the pool without crowds. Am hoping that they do have a lunch somewhere for us, would enjoy meeting others who are doing the same thing. There are already 1 other couple on our first week that will be b2b with us on the 2nd week.

And that does sound like fun being able to walk to the room thru the fire doors while everyone else has to wait til 1pm.

Our week 2 will be a different set of ports with the exception of going to Cozumel both weeks.

I am planning to have as much as I can paid for on both weeks that we don't have to spend much except spa (gotta have a couple of couple massages) and specialty restaurants. We don't want to book and pay for those early to see what specials we can get on board.

We are planning to get at least one beverage package on each leg.

I'm excited to read along with you. We just booked Liberty for October 2016 in the family panoramic, first time on RCCL.

When in Oct are you going? We are on a b2b Oct 9th and Oct 16th

Thanks I know that anything can be good or bad experience depending on the people who are running it or whatever comes up but we definitely planning on trying to be where we are supposed to be at whatever time.

With this being our first b2b

First on Liberty

Being our first out of Galveston. We haven't cruised at all since 2010, we had a car accident that left me with a number of issues and it has made it hard for me to fly unless we were to do first class (and that would cost more than the cruise). So we are driving down to Galveston from Oklahoma, going a couple of days before the cruise to do some sightseeing in the Galveston area.

We are so looking forward to this, we have almost a year to go before the cruises but are already looking forward to it. Counting the days and enjoying the planning.

Thanks for the link. Have you done b2b on Liberty? Do you know how they handle things.

We are going on our first b2b cruise on Liberty next year and I know I have seen something that tells exactly what all the benefits are. I know about meeting the day before the disembark and escort off the ship and back on but somewhere I had seen a list that was on Royal's website and now I can't find that. If anyone could help out I would greatly appreciate it.

We haven't cruised in a few years. Does anyone still take travelers checks instead of taking so much cash, we plan on taking a bit of cash but usually take travelers checks.

We like early traditional dinner at a table for 2.

I know sometimes it can be a bit rushed getting ready after a day out on excursions, but it's what works best for us. We like 2 top because we are on vacation and like to relax and enjoy our time together plus I have severe fibromyalgia and so after a day of walking or snorkeling my body starts to shut down and if we had a table with other people it's hard to feel like making conversation with people.

Also because of eating early I can still try to go to some of the shows before I am to exhausted and if my body does crash after dinner then I can relax in bed and read. If I have to rest then I don't mind DH slipping out to enjoy a shop before heading back to join me.

It works for us.

I know it's the way they have been going when they dry dock a lot of the ships but I really disappointed that they are doing away with so many of the open spaces.

I have had severe fibromyalgia for over 11 years now. For those not aware of what this disease comes with, you hurt all the time all over, you have nerve pain that is effected by noise, it causes constant fatigue, you wake up feeling just as bad as when you went to sleep because you never get to a deep sleep. I also have a meniscus tear in my right knee and it buckles or locks without notice. I walk with a cane all the time because of the pain and sometimes instability. Most of the time just looking at me you can't tell how much pain I am in. I bring a wheelchair with me on a cruise just in case I need it, which I did a few years ago when leaving Bar Harbor. On the way to the bathroom before getting on the tender my knee twisted and buckled. I screamed in pain and a very nice young lady from the tender company came and helped me, got me a wheelchair and helped me to the bathroom. I was in horrible pain, when we got back to the ship the staff from the ship helped hold me up and one was behind me and said I'm here if you start to fall. My husband went to the room and got my wheelchair and I used it for all of the next day at sea and by the time we docked in Nova Scotia I was able to walk with the cane again. My point with all this is that sometimes you can look at someone and they look find but you don't know what pain they may be going thru. Also some of those people that you think might be causing all the trouble riding a scooter and then park it to get up and walk around like in WJ to get there food, maybe they need it because they can't walk enough to get around the whole ship but they can walk short distances. I know that a some people take advantage of the scooters and are rude but there are rude people in all sorts of life. So when you see someone like me who at times may look like I don't need that cane, you have no idea what other people are going thru and you need to be thanking God for the fact that you don't have to use a cane, walker, wheelchair or scooter and give the people who do some grace because you don't know how bad a day they might be having or how much pain they are going thru and they just want to enjoy their vacation just like you do. Thanks for letting me rant and I am sorry for the people who give some of us who have a disability a bad name.

My husband left a pair of prescription sunglasses on board a few years ago. We noticed it as we were on the way to our hotel in Vancouver for a couple of after cruise days and called to see if we could come back and get it from the ship (he was sure he had left them in the cabin on the way out that morning) we were told that would not be possible. We were only 5 minutes from the ship. They said they would let us know if they found them and we gave them both of our cell phone #'s and the name of the hotel. We never heard from them and made a number of calls to RC customer service and corporate and never heard back from them. We were very upset at the lack of concern especially when we called right after we got off the ship and we could have gone right back to the port to pick them up, if they had just checked the room.

Thanks for the menu, sounds good but Portofino has always been our favorite, will look forward to comparing it

Thanks, anyone know how the food is and what the menu is like

What type of restaurant is it? Sounds Italian? I read that it is replacing Portofino is that true? Is it free or cost?

Does anyone know what Giovanni's restaurant is and if it is free or cost? Also is it already in or will it be in replacing Portofino when Liberty gets redone in 2016

I agree with the don't bring an iron on some cruiselines, Royal Caribbean for sure, it is a big no no. Considered a safety hazard and if you do try to bring one you may find a note to come open your luggage and remove and they take the iron. They don't look highly on it. Same with candles-fire hazard.