Carnival Liberty - FULL REVIEW from SanFranBayCruiser

This review is going to be VERY long and, I will include as many details as possible. If you have questions please ask and I will try to answer! If you hate long, detailed reviews, then you might want to skip this one. Lastly, be advised I am telling it like it is...no sugar coating...the good, the bad, the ugly and the funny!

About Us - My husband and I are both in our late 30s, we've been married 7 years and, we have no kids. My husband was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. I was born and raised in NYC. We currently live in the San Francisco Bay area. We traveled to Europe with two sets of friends. One couple from California, the other couple from NYC. All of us are professionals - in our group we have a doctor, an accountant, an engineer, two attorneys, and, a retail manager for a major upscale department store.

Pre-Europe, Saturday July 16 - My husband and I flew to NYC to spend a few days with my family. For this reason, I am considering the officially starting point of our vacation to be JFK airport. For a Saturday, we got to the airport incredibly fast from Manhattan and for anyone familiar with the Van Wyck, this was a miracle all in itself! Check in was fast and easy!

Pre-Flight - After a fair dinner, we checked out some of the shops, bought some magazines to read on the plane and on the ship and made our way to our departure gate. We finally boarded the plane for our long awaited trip to Italy and our cruise on the Carnival Liberty. The Alitalia crew was friendly but, some of the flight attendants have very heavy Italian accents and were hard to understand at times, however, our flight went off without a hitch. And business class was worth every penny!

ROME! FCO Airport, Sunday July 17 - Airport, Italian Style!! It took at least 40 minutes for luggage to start coming off the plane and the airport was hot!!! However, between getting off the plane, getting our luggage, doing the customs thing, and then finally finding our driver (we hired a private limousine for a transfer to our hotel in Rome), I'd estimate we spent about a total of 1.5 hours in FCO airport to our hotel in the center of Rome. All things considered, I say we did well. No hassles at customs, no lost luggage, our driver met us and had the car ready and waiting... Pretty easy! It took about another hour to get from FCO airport to our hotel in the center of Rome. I can recommend http://www.romelimousines.com - cost was about 190 Euro for an airport to hotel transfer (that included tip).

ROMA! - traveling into Rome both my husband and I remarked how much the Italian landscape looks so similar to the California landscape...we felt right at home immediately. We booked 3 nights at the Rome Marriott Flora. I had a ton of points with Marriott built up and we figured this was an excellent opportunity to use them. The Marriott is located on Via Vittorio Veneto which turned out to be an excellent location! Upon check-in we were warmly greeted by the front desk but, then my heart stopped for a moment when the young lady told us we had a message waiting for us. This is the moment where a thousand horrible thoughts flood your mind all at once, LUCKILY the news wasn't all that bad, our friends from California had a flight delay due to some type of mechanical problem and they wouldn't be checking in until very late that evening.

PHEW! With that we proceeded to our room - we were VERY PLEASED! This Marriott is pricey but, if you have the means, it is clean, the staff is friendly and highly knowledgeable and the area is wonderful. We took a few moments to refresh ourselves before heading out to explore Rome.

We stopped by Conceirge desk to ask for recommendations for places for lunch. I guess a look of horror must have crossed my face when the Conceirge told us there was a Hard Rock Cafe very close by...I didn't travel thousands of miles to eat at a burger joint I can visit anytime I'm home and, the concierge picked this vibe up... So quickly the concierge told us about several other restaurants in the immediate area. We were starving and it was approaching noon at this point so we decided to lunch first. Just as we were heading out, our friends from NYC who had taken a different airline and flight were coming in. We hugged and told them we'd wait while they checked in and got settled. After about 15 or 20 minutes, they met us in the lobby and off the four of us went for our first Roman meal. We ended up at a restaurant called Cafe Veneto (http://www.cafeveneto.it) - very, very price but, excellent food. We enjoyed a long lunch there.

With our bellies full and feeling a bit jet lagged we decided we wouldn't push too much today. So, we did our own walking tour of the area we saw the Trevi fountain, did a lot of people watching and window shopping and, of course, went to the Spanish Steps. While both the Trevi fountain and the Spanish Steps are very touristy, both are “must see” land marks.

On a side note - ladies, everything you've heard about the Italian men are true. They are VERY flirty and VERY persistent! My friend Beth and I went off on our own for about 30 minutes and we were approached no less than 10 times!! Just firmly tell them no and, most will leave you alone. If not, just briskly walk away. They mean no harm, it's just the nature of the local men!!

Late Sunday afternoon in Rome in July can only be described as warm. I mean that both literally meaning the temperature and figuratively...we saw lots of families having picnics in the park of Villa Borghese, couples strolling hand in hand...it just gave us all a feeling of peace and happiness to witness the Roman lifestyle on a weekend afternoon. And, yes, it was very hot but not unbearable.

We headed back to the hotel to rest and refresh ourselves. Once again we stopped by the concierge for evening meal recommendations. We were thrilled to find out that there was a bit of a festival taking place at Castel Sant'Angelo so that's where we set out to go. We found a cab and off we went...the location was across the Tiber river near the Vatican. What a unique experience! There was folk music, clowns, jugglers, guided tours and yes a place to eat! Admission was 8 Euro's per person - not including our dinner, we thought it was money well spent. Unfortunately, we were all very tired and, it probably would have been wiser to save this experience until our second night. This festival is running until August 15th. Visit http://www.castelsantangelo.com for more information. However, I am giving this a thumbs way up!

While we were at the festival, we found out that during the summer, the banks along the Tiber turn into a “beach” called Tevere Village and it is set up on both sides of the river between Ponte Sant'Angelo and Ponte Umberto, complete with sand, showers, changing rooms and 2 swimming pools. You can also play mini golf, boccio, billiards and get a workout. There are two bars and two restaurants as well as live music. We never did back to try it....

By the time we got back to the hotel, our friends from California had arrived, and, our group was now complete.

Monday, July 18 - The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and set out for our first full day in Rome. We are all Roman Catholics, so, going to the Vatican was high on our list of things to do. So, after a good night's sleep and breakfast we found a cab and headed over to the Vatican. Now, I cannot stress this enough - the lines before noon are LONG!! To get in without much of a wait, go after 1:30pm. All I can say is that is a wonderful, uplifting experience to visit the Vatican. To see it on television is one thing, but, to see it in person...I'm still overwhelmed by the artwork, the details and the beauty. And, no we didn't see the pope, it wasn't one of our goals, but, I am truly glad to have had the experience of visiting and, I recommend it for Catholics and non-Catholics alike! You can easily spend the entire day here and we did! One side note - we were warned that the restaurants in this area (near the Vatican) are tourist traps and indeed they are...so just be ready for overpriced and just “ok” food.

That evening we ate at Birreria Peroni which is basically a beer hall with food. It was very enjoyable due to the fact it was a place were locals go and not many tourists seem to know about it. A great place to spend an evening after a long, hot day of touring. This restaurant is on the Vatican side of the Tiber river. We were pretty beat after dinner and called it a day at 10pm.

Tuesday, July 19th -The next morning we all agreed that we wanted to sleep in and did just that...we met at noon for lunch. We ate at the famous Cafe Doney. This place is EXPENSIVE but, it was money well spent, we had a wonderful outdoor table, in the shade - the food was excellent, the service was flawless. And what a place to people watch!! Ok, now we were ready to shop!! Ladies, clear up those charge cards before leaving home, you'll have so many shopping choices you won't know where to begin! After about an hour of shopping the men told us girls that they had enough and they were heading back to the hotel for drinks. So, husband free...we were off and running! I won't even tell you how much I overspent!! :D

Our last evening in Rome...and we haven't any pizza! Ok, our quest was to find a pizza place, but, how do you pick? There is a pizza place everywhere you look, so, once again we asked our concierge for a recommendation and we were sent to the Pizzeria da Ricci - now you have to look for this place because it is on a dead end street but, wow is the pizza good...but they are small so order two each! So with pizza in hand at a local place, we can truly say we enjoyed our brief stay in Rome but, now we were excited, tomorrow is Wednesday and we head for the ship! Our home for the next 12 days!!

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - FINALLY CARNVIAL LIBERTY! Once again, we made arrangements with Bob's Limos (http://www.romelimousines.com) for our hotel to pier transfers. Our limo arrived on time 11am and we packed our things into the mini-van they sent for us and off we went. We had a few traffic delays, not bad at all, it took just about an hour to get from the center of Rome to Civitacecchia. And there she stood, gleaming white and just waiting for passengers, the Carnival Liberty but, we were early...very early. It was only a little after noon, so, we had to wait.

Finally embarkation started!! Since we were some of the first people in line...I'd estimate there were maybe 50 people ahead of us, checking in only took about 15 or 20 minutes. In the meantime, we chit-chatted with the people around us, most had come straight from the airport and had that overnight flight daze in their eyes, but, we were all happy and excited to be at the ship!

Onto the grand vessel!! Wow! I've been on many cruise ships but, the Carnival Liberty really has a “wow” factor and I mean that in a good way! The Carnival Liberty is one of the prettiest ships I've been on within the Carnival fleet. It's more refined than the Destiny class ships - very little neon; and, more on par with the Spirit class ships regarding decor. We made our way to our cabins on Empress Deck. No complaints here!! Within minutes our cabin steward appeared and what a happy, pleasant person! We knew we'd be taking care of him! He told us how to reach him by beeper and that he'd be happy to help us in any way possible. We had a Category 11, mini-suite.

While we've had mini-suites and suites on other cruise lines, this was our first time in a Carnival mini-suite. Was it worth the extra money compared to a regular balcony cabin, for us the answer is yes. We had a full bathroom, complete with tub/shower combination...to me that's a luxury! Our balcony was larger (note this is longer but, no wider than other cabins), and we had LOTS of storage room. Our friends booked regular balcony cabins, also on Empress Deck and they were the standard balcony cabins - still plenty of room and storage space but, missing the upgraded details and extra square footage of our Category 11. Needless to say we spent our social times together - like having pre-dinner drinks in our cabin since we had the extra room.

MOO! Time for lunch! Can you tell I've sailed with Greg Kneale?? :D Anyhow, we made our way to the buffet. Lots of confusion...there seemed to be more first time cruisers than normal on the ship or if not, we had a knack of finding them! Anyhow, as usual, Carnival had an excellent selection for the embarkation buffet, so, we ate, had dessert and then sat back to make our game plan. Us girls figured out what we wanted to do at the spa and the guys were figuring out if they were going to golf or not.

So, we left the guys and headed for the spa. We all booked massages for our first day at sea. Turned out to be money well spent. More on that later. The guys promised to make reservations for the alternative restaurant and to find out about golfing shore tours.

My husband and I booked our shore tours online prior to leaving home, but, we agreed to remain flexible and take any losses for canceling our prepaid shore tours (if necessary) in stride. Keep in mind, canceling pre-booked shore tours have HEAVY cancellation fees (25% cancellation fee). Turns out the guys decided not to golf since none of them brought their own clubs and, so, our shore tours remained in place. Our friends were able to book some of the same tours we were on but, were disappointed to find out some of them had already sold out.

So, moral to this story. If you want a specific tour - book it before you leave! Otherwise, you will end up taking second or even third best. It was a bit disappointing that we wouldn't have our friends with us on certain excursions but, we made the best of it.

The Ugly American Tourist - We met the guys after getting our chores completed for a drink in main lobby bar - where the glass elevators are located. Well, we weren't there long when some loud, big mouth was boarding and “jokingly” said “these people need to learn to speak English”.

Not funny. Not assuming. Certainly not a comment to make aloud. People please realize WE are the foreigners in the country and yes, at times there are going to be language barriers. Don't promote the image of being the “ugly American” by making such comments in public. I felt bad for his poor wife (or girlfriend...who ever the poor woman was)...her face grew beet red and she grabbed him before he could make a further A** of himself.

At 4:00pm we had our Welcome Aboard and Discover Europe talk with cruise director John Heald in the Venetian Place. I knew right away that I was going to enjoy John Heald's sense of humor. He kept it brief, the presentation lasted about 40 minutes. The lifeboat drill took place around 5:15pm.

No show scheduled for the first night. People were too tired and, most went to bed early. However, the dinning room did serve regular sittings (no open sitting, you go to your assigned table). If anyone wants a great wait team ask for Kenneth and Isabello!

To give you an idea of John Heald's sense of humor, they ran the movie “Titanitc” on the outdoor movie screen. Not many people attended but, we did and we really enjoyed the movies under the stars. Popcorn is available and is $1.00 per bag.

Thursday, July 21, 2005 - NAPLES

You are going to be warned and warned again about pickpockets and beggars throughout this review and also on the ship. They are very real and you need to keep yourself very alert in all ports of call, Naples is no exception. We switched our original plans and took the Amalfi coast tour. I've seen the photos and documentaries on the Amalfi coast but, no words or photos can describe the beauty of this area. It is a must see!

This was a long tour worth every penny. We stopped in the town of Sorrento for a break and lunch. It was great! It's a beautiful town and the lunch was very nice. Nice shops to visit. We then proceeded down the coast with a few stops for photos and then your final stop before heading back was the actual town of Amalfi. Again, very picturesque! Overall, this is an easy tour for those who might have a hard time walking or for those who really enjoy just sitting back and relaxing and enjoying the scenery. I can highly recommend this tour.

Back on board, they had the Welcome Aboard Show. I will try to get all the Carnival Capers scanned to share. However, I didn't get the dinner menus, sorry about that but, I can tell you that the food was very good to excellent every night.

You dock in Naples.

Friday, July 22, 2005 - DAY AT SEA

Seems like everyone took advantage of this much needed day at sea. Even with 3 days in Rome prior to the cruise, we were all still very tired and decided to sleep in...

At 11am John Heald gave a talk on Dubrovnik, Croatia. Very informative. Lots of activities throughout the day.

Out by the pool, they held trivia games and had CNN (British version) during the mornings. By the way, the movie screen outdoors worked out very well!!

Formal night! I'd say 90% of the passengers conformed to formal night. Most had on long gowns or cocktail dresses, and, I applaud the gentlemen, I saw lots of tuxedos, maybe 10 - 15% of the men decided to wear tuxes.

Lobster was good, not great but, we all ordered two!

PS - if you want something fun and silly to do at days at sea, try one of Butch's Dance Classes, they are fun!

Saturday, July 23, 2005 - Dubrovnik, Croatia

I honestly didn't know what to expect here. I was surprised how nice Dubrovnik turned out to be...it's pretty and the locals are friendly. Yes, there is lots of evidence of the war but, they are turning things around but, it is a very “new” city with the exception of the walled Old City.

We took a kayaking tour today. It rained as we hurried to paddle back but, luckily it was only a passing storm and it had stopped by the time we got back. This is a tour best recommended for those in shape. Some people were struggling in the end.

We had dinner at Harry's tonight. WOW! Be advised it is now $30 per person, but, worth every single penny. Allow plenty of time, we scheduled our dinner for 6:30pm and we had plenty of time to get to the show at 10:30pm. Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!! Highly Recommended!!

Show tonight was the singer Marcus Anthony...read carefully, NOT MARC ANTHONY. A few teenagers that sat behind us got the shock of their lives! Poor kids, they really believed that Marc Anthony was onboard!! (However, Mira Sorvino - the godmother of the ship, was onboard!!)

The show turned out to be “ok”, not exactly our type of music so we left and went to the casino.

Turned out to be a good thing...I won $100 on video poker!!

You dock in Dubrovnik.

Sunday, July 24, 2005 - VENICE, ITALY

I don't want to sound sappy but, tears literally came to my eyes pulling into Venice. I found it extremely moving and this is absolutely my favorite port of call for this cruise. I'm not sure you'll have the same luck but, we were lucky enough to dock only a few blocks from St. Mark's Square and we didn't have to dock with the rest of the cruise ships that were forced to dock further away.

We went on a short tour, just an overview of Venice by boat today. It was short, only 2 hours but, it gave a good tour but, why they took us past the garbage dump...that still boggles my mind. But, again, a very good tour for those with physical limitations.

We decided to eat at the Lido deck restaurant today because we wanted to get off the ship and explore Venice on our own. Ladies and Gentlemen, be advised, we eye-witnessed a purse snatching this evening. Please, for your own safety be aware of your surroundings!! Be aware of who is around you and if you stop at ANY vendors try to do it in pairs, one to keep an eye on who is around and one to do the purchasing.

Luckily, the police were right there (that's how brazen these thieves are...). They caught the guys two blocks away but, the poor lady was thrown to the ground, her purse stolen and while she was physically ok, she was very shaken. This probably the worst memory of this trip.

Monday, July 25, 2005 - Venice, day two

Today we took a tour that included the glass blowing at Murano Island and St. George plus the Gondola ride. This was a very nice tour. One of the funniest events of our vacation took place on this tour. On the gondola ride, we were hit by a power boat...believe me, it isn't as bad as it sounds but, the show put on afterwards was hysterical. There is nothing funnier than seeing two local Italian men yelling at each other, arms waving and the cursing...very, very funny!! No one was hurt, not even the gondola and we'll have a great memory of our gondola accident in Venice.

Leaving Venice was sad. There is so much to see and do here, we're planning to return to Venice soon, just explore it better.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - DAY AT SEA

Spa day for us! While they did push products, it was well worth the money. I did get some spa prices and as soon as I am able to scan, I'll post them for you. Hint: try the warm stone massage!! It was EXCELLENT!!

Typical day at sea. Trivia games, etc. Do try to get to afternoon tea served at The Cabinet on Deck 4. Very nice way to spend 30 minutes to an hour in the mid-afternoon. Yes, you may go in shorts.

Tonight's entertainment - Hypnotist Chuck Milligan. We were NOT impressed, we walked out and went to the casino.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - Messina, Sicily, Italy

My family is from Sicily and growing up I heard all the stories about how “horrible” it was there...this is one of the reasons we booked the Carnival Liberty because it did stop in Sicily. Well, I have to tell you, this port was a pleasant surprise for me. We only took the city tour but, personally, I was impressed. Messina is clean, sane (compared to Rome) and the shops were tourist friendly. I was honestly expecting dirt roads and donkey carts but, that isn't true of Messina. While there isn't a heck of a lot to see or do here, I feel personally fulfilled that I got to see it.

We skipped the Guest Talent Show but, they ran National Lampoon's “European Vacation” tonight. Even though we must have seen this movie 10 times, it was great to see it on the big screen by the pool.

You dock in Messina.

Thursday, July 28, 2005 - DAY AT SEA

It sounds like a lot of time at sea but, the truth is, you really need these days to rest up. You are going to get your Debarkation information and have the meeting about getting off the ship today. I highly recommend attending this as the information is important.

We went to the show tonight called Rock Down Broadway. Again, we stayed for two numbers and walked out. I don't mean to imply that the shows are bad, they just aren't “our thing”. So again, we went to the casino and my husband won $600 at blackjack.

Second Formal night in dinning room.

Friday, July 29, 2005 - BARCELONA, SPAIN

Wow! This is one clean city! I would love to go spend a week in Barcelona just to see it better. We did this city on our own but, there was so much to see and do...we just didn't have enough time here. Please note, you do NOT dock downtown. Allow yourself at least 1 hour due to traffic to get to and from the ship!!

Shopping on Las Ramblas was great! Highly recommended.

Show tonight was a comedian, we were tired and skipped it.

Saturday, July 30, 2005- CANNES, FRANCES

Again, what a pleasant surprise! I was waiting for the worst...dirty streets, bad attitudes...it didn't happen. I was very impressed by Cannes. We took an easy day and just went to the beach and went to the local shops. The locals are pleasant and if you just use a few words in French, the attitude is immediately dropped. One of the best words of advice I received that I will pass along to you is that try to remember that the French treat their businesses like their homes...if you enter without saying hello or say goodbye leaving, you will be considered rude and treated that way. However, if you make the effort to say hello and goodbye, they will treat you warmly!

Be advised, you tender at Cannes.

Carnival Legends Show tonight, we skipped it and went to the casino.

Sunday, July 31, 2005 - Florence/Pisa

Sadly our last port of call. It seems that the combined Florence/Pisa tour was the most popular and it's the one we took. It's long but well worth while. Florence was incredible and I would have loved more free time here but, the schedule was tight. It took 2 hours to get to Florence from Livorno but, the bus stops for a rest stop after driving for about 1 hour. Florence was beautiful...the lunch...in a word...YUCK!! But, we didn't book this tour for the food and just took it in stride.

It took about another hour to get from Florence to Pisa, I was awed by the leaning tower. Pictures do not do it justice. I'm still upset that they gave the free time here rather than Florence but, live an learn. There isn't much in Pisa other than tourist vendors, so, the best advice I can give is go to a cafe and enjoy a gelato. It took another 40 minutes to get from Pisa back to the ship. It was a long day but very worthwhile. Highly recommended.

You dock in Livorno.

No show tonight.

Monday, August 1, 2005 - Debrakation

First of all, we all know the nightmare this can be...well, KUDOS TO JOHN HEALD AND CARNIVAL!! This was the BEST debrakation I have ever experienced. As promised, by 6:00 am, people began leaving the ship. We were the last group off the ship and they had us off by 9:40am!

Impressive!! They use a color and number system and it worked perfectly.

Rome airport - WHAT A MESS!! I'm not sure who to blame for this...the escorts on the bus really didn't tell us where to go and we were left on our own to figure out on our own. This was highly aggravating. We asked no less than 5 airport employees were we had to go, we received 5 different WRONG answers. Finally, we found out we had to go to Terminal B, this SEEMS to be the area for international departures - but check and double check. We stood in 3 lines only to get up to the counter and be sent into another line which turned out to be wrong. Finally, we got in the right line and luckily we still had time to spare.

This airport is crazy, the people are rude and it caused a lot of tension. Many, many people BARELY made their flights.

Overall

This was an excellent cruise! We really enjoyed the ship and the crew. I have nothing but the most positive things to say about them! In short here are my quick reviews:

Ship - Excellent

Crew - Excellent

Food - Good to Excellent...hint go to the dinning room for lunch and breakfast!

Passenger Mix - 95% American

Kids on Board - not as many on a typical Caribbean cruise, my guess is due to the cost of trip

Cabin - Category 11, EXCELLENT

I can highly recommend this ship and this itinerary.

Please post your questions and I will try to answer them, if I can! I will post Capers and Photos over the next few days! If I missed anything important, I apologize...still jet lagged here :D

Thank you so much for your great review. All of us that are waiting to sail really appreciate your review. Thanks!:) We look forward to future postings.

Thanks Again.

Jim

8/25/05

Thanks for the great review! Looking forward to the pics! Im curious did they have Texas Hold'em in the Casino? Someone reported that there was a flood in the casino, did that actually happen? Im doubting it since you didnt mention it.

Was there bow to stern wireless internet available on the ship? Was the big screen a "big" hit for most of the people you talk with?

Thanks again. I dont want to bombard you with questions :) Cuz I have a ton..lol

Liberty Cruiser - yes, it's true the casino did flood. What happened was one of the pipes from one of the pools was rubbing and it broke and the water came down into the casino. We were there when it happened, they didn't explain how much damage was done but, they had the casino reopened the very next night.

As far as the big screen, yes, everyone seemed to enjoy it that I spoke with

Liberty Cruiser - yes, it's true the casino did flood. What happened was one of the pipes from one of the pools was rubbing and it broke and the water came down into the casino. We were there when it happened, they didn't explain how much damage was done but, they had the casino reopened the very next night.

 

As far as the big screen, yes, everyone seemed to enjoy it that I spoke with

Thanks. I didnt think Carnival would let a little water keep folks from gambling :)

Sounds fabulous! Now if only I can talk my husband to cruise Europe.

Thank you for all of the information! I have questions but I am currently overwhelmed and want to write them down before I post them!:D

Wow, thanks for the review.

Could you recommend a time for returning flights the day of debarkation?

DH and I are planning on taking the train to the airport when we disembark, I know that's about 1 1/2 hours but not sure how much leeway to leave. I'm thinking a 2:00pm or 3:00pm return flight would be good.

How was the ship temperaturewise? Was it a freezer or comfy?

Sounds like you had a wonderful trip. My boyfriend and I are going on the 6th and what we were most concerned about was the excursions. This is both our first cruise and my first trip to Europe. Thanks so much for the info!:)

Wow, thanks for the review.

 

Could you recommend a time for returning flights the day of debarkation?

 

DH and I are planning on taking the train to the airport when we disembark, I know that's about 1 1/2 hours but not sure how much leeway to leave. I'm thinking a 2:00pm or 3:00pm return flight would be good.

 

How was the ship temperaturewise? Was it a freezer or comfy?

DLS - we had a 1:50pm flight and even with the aggravation and hassles of checking in, we still had over an hour to spare. You should be ok with a 2 pm or 3pm flight.

Ships temperature was pretty good, the dining room felt cold at times but, not to the point where I felt I needed a wrap or anything.

Thanks for the great review Wish we were going to some of those ports we are on the transatlantic cruise which include spain and portugal My Question is about the plane trite as it seems do they have the screens in the seats for movies I cannot sleep on a plane and was wondering if I needed to bring my portable dvd player thanks again for the review

We leave in a week and we can hardly wait!

SanfranbayCruiser:

I first want to thank you for the time and energy that you put into your trip report, I didn't realize how long it was until I printed it :) .

Info about us: Dh (39), Me (35) and DD (9). We currently live in Germany, DH is in the Air Force.

Rome: Thanks for the info about the festival, it looks like a lot of fun. How did you get around Rome, walk, underground, bus? Did you have any fried artichokes?

Embarkation: We intially planned to arrive about 11, we are driving from Rome, do you think this is too early? My intial plan of attack once aboard was to make our Harry's Reservation (for the last night), Salon and Spa Reservations, then grab lunch...should I reverse the order? Did you use the salon?

Comment on the Ugly American Tourist...you are so right. People need to remember we are guests in their country and things will be different. Also as an American living overseas we make it a point to not even where Americana Clothing, ie American Flag t-shirts. It is just a simple safety precaution we take, although according to most europeans Ameircan standout even without wearing Old Glory.

Naples: We also have booked the Amalfi tour but was starting to get nervous when I read a post by someone who took a private tour, do you wish you would have booked a private tour instead? Where there any kids on your tour? WHich side of the bus is the best?

Croatia: Do you know if it was easy to get into the City on your own?

Venice: Was the Casino open while you were in port overnight?

Barcelona: We were planning on getting off the ship and walking to Las Ramblas is this possible if not were there plenty of taxis?

Pisa: We are planning on taking a Taxi to Tirrenia, did you notice if there were Taxis at the port?

Ship Questions: Internet info, was there wireless? How was the ship photographer?

I think that is it. Thank you once again!

Any tips on exploring Barcelona on your own? I am a fluent Spanish speaker and I think it should be easier on me to get around. I am not happy with the shore excursions offered, so I was thinking of finding other means to see the city.

Thanks and I can't wait till Oct. 12th!!

I wasn't planning on getting to the ship until 4:45 pm. You mentioned that they do the muster drill at 5 15pm...Are you sure? It seems early considering the ship allows people on until 6 pm. Legally everyone must participate in the muster drill. In your opinion, when did the majority of people arrive? My train arrives at 4:33 pm -- do you know how long it took people to get to the port from the train station?

Sunday, July 24, 2005 - VENICE, ITALY

I don't want to sound sappy but, tears literally came to my eyes pulling into Venice. I found it extremely moving and this is absolutely my favorite port of call for this cruise. I'm not sure you'll have the same luck but, we were lucky enough to dock only a few blocks from St. Mark's Square and we didn't have to dock with the rest of the cruise ships that were forced to dock further away.

That's not sappy, I got tears in my eyes reading about your tears in your eyes. Thanks so much for taking the time to post all the information, and so soon! We're going next summer and for some reason Venice has been a place I've always wanted to see. Since it's early enough to be picky, which side of the ship would have the best view, especially of Venice while it's docked?

And ... you said not many kids were onboard (I know, a blessing for some, but ...) we're bringing our 10 year old daughter who travels very well with adults and kids. Did any kids you noticed seem to be enjoying themselves? Did you see them with the kids's club group at all?

Thanks again so much,

Mary

We only took the city tour but, personally, I was impressed. Messina is clean, sane (compared to Rome) and the shops were tourist friendly. I was honestly expecting dirt roads and donkey carts but, that isn't true of Messina.

I am really happy that your expectations were exceeded after visiting Messina. I am a first generation Sicilian and frequently travel there to visit my grandfather and other family members that never immigrated. I am not writing this to single you out in any way, but I just wanted to comment that unfortunately many people have this perception of Sicily and upon going there realize that it doesn't live true to the stereotype. I'll admit that there are still small towns in Sicily where you can find the donkey carts and dirt roads but they are far and few in between. Anyway I just wanted to thank you for your review and for writing about the pleasant experience you had in Messina.

Your review was great...I know I was one of the hundreds on this board waiting for someone to finally post a review of the Liberty and you did a great job. My boyfriend and I plan on taking a Med. cruise sometime in the near future (possibly a honeymoon cruise :rolleyes: lol) and when we saw the Liberty's itinerary we knew it would be perfect for us. After readng your review I wish we could just hop on a plane tonight and head for the Liberty :)

SFBC a huge thanks from your neighbor here in San Diego, for taking so much time and effort to let all of us waiting with baited breath know of your experience on the Liberty.We sail Sept. 30 also with a 3 day pre cruise stay.

I really appreciated the detail port info.I have heard that shorts for men and women are really not accepted while in ports, did you find this to be true. I know that while touring the churches it is not appropriate but for other sites.

Did you happen to attend the repeat passenger party? If so what date and time was it held. I am also wanting to know if they gave out the ship pins with the invitation or at the party. I have a collection of the Carnival pins so if you did get one and any of you are interested in parting with one please email me.

Thanks again

rdonte@cox.net

Thanks for taking the time to post. Great info.

Excellent Review. Thank you. Looking forward to the Capers and your pictures.

San Fran,

My boyfriend and I are opting to tour the sites on our own just to avoid high excursion prices (accept for Florence/Pisa tour). In your opinion, do you think it would be easy to get around on your own, say in Cannes, Barcelona, and Dubrovnik? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Bobbi

Thanks for the great review Wish we were going to some of those ports we are on the transatlantic cruise which include spain and portugal My Question is about the plane trite as it seems do they have the screens in the seats for movies I cannot sleep on a plane and was wondering if I needed to bring my portable dvd player thanks again for the review

Kelson - we flew Alitalia in business class so I can't say for sure in coach but, business class offered individual screens and offered games, movies, tv (shows like: Friends), and even shopping. There were lots of movie choices so you really shouldn't need a dvd player.

Outstanding review. Glad that you enjoyed yourselves.

SanfranbayCruiser:

 

I first want to thank you for the time and energy that you put into your trip report, I didn't realize how long it was until I printed it :) .

 

Info about us: Dh (39), Me (35) and DD (9). We currently live in Germany, DH is in the Air Force.

 

Rome: Thanks for the info about the festival, it looks like a lot of fun. How did you get around Rome, walk, underground, bus? Did you have any fried artichokes?

 

Embarkation: We intially planned to arrive about 11, we are driving from Rome, do you think this is too early? My intial plan of attack once aboard was to make our Harry's Reservation (for the last night), Salon and Spa Reservations, then grab lunch...should I reverse the order? Did you use the salon?

 

Comment on the Ugly American Tourist...you are so right. People need to remember we are guests in their country and things will be different. Also as an American living overseas we make it a point to not even where Americana Clothing, ie American Flag t-shirts. It is just a simple safety precaution we take, although according to most europeans Ameircan standout even without wearing Old Glory.

 

Naples: We also have booked the Amalfi tour but was starting to get nervous when I read a post by someone who took a private tour, do you wish you would have booked a private tour instead? Where there any kids on your tour? WHich side of the bus is the best?

 

Croatia: Do you know if it was easy to get into the City on your own?

 

Venice: Was the Casino open while you were in port overnight?

 

Barcelona: We were planning on getting off the ship and walking to Las Ramblas is this possible if not were there plenty of taxis?

 

Pisa: We are planning on taking a Taxi to Tirrenia, did you notice if there were Taxis at the port?

 

 

Ship Questions: Internet info, was there wireless? How was the ship photographer?

 

 

I think that is it. Thank you once again!

Long - We used the Metro (subway) system. Again be advised that pickpocketing is a major concern so be alert if you use mass transit but, it was a quick and easy way around the city. I can't remember the price but, I think it was 4 or 5 Euros for a 24 hour pass. And no, didn't get the chance to order fried artichokes...some how I doubt they'd messure up to my grandmother's anyhow ;)

Make your reservations when you board for Harry's and for the Salon, you'll get your first choice for times this way.

As far as the Amalfi coast, I was happy with the tour booked through Carnival, the reason being that we were a tad late getting back (as many tours were that day) and they did hold the ship. I can't imagine a private tour company offering anything "better"...there is only one road that runs along the coast. And yes, there were a few children on this tour, very well behaved I might add, however, the younger ones did fall asleep. If you can, try to sit on the right side of bus.

Dubrovnik - the old city is fairly close and if I am recalling correctly, there were taxi's available but, I hope someone can confirm this for me. I can't imagine the taxi fees would be a lot.

Venice - no the casino and the shops are closed while in port and overnight in Venice

Barcelona - you are not within walking distance to go shopping. There are taxis but there is a line, plan well in advance, get off the ship early and get back early, the traffic in this area is bad, lots of ships both cruise ships and commerical ships and lots of deliveries being made.

Pisa - sorry can't help you out with this one, I didn't really notice taxis!

Internet on the ship - was up and down a lot...keep in mind there were only 10 or 12 computers at The Web for over 3,000 passengers. There was ALWAYS a line. I didn't bring any wireless equipment but, perhaps someone else can add this information.

Hope this helped a bit!

Any tips on exploring Barcelona on your own? I am a fluent Spanish speaker and I think it should be easier on me to get around. I am not happy with the shore excursions offered, so I was thinking of finding other means to see the city.

Thanks and I can't wait till Oct. 12th!!

Latina - you shouldn't have any problems, just make sure you get a taxi back to the ship early. We hit heavy traffic upon our return and a few people were running for the ship at the last minute.