Liberty of the Seas Review (Long): April 12 - 19, 2008

Liberty of the Seas

Eastern Caribbean

April 12 – 19, 2008

• Miami
  
• Sea
  
• San Juan, PR
  
• Phillipsburg, St. Maarten
  
• Sea
  
• Labadee, Haiti
  
• Sea
  
• Miami

Exterior Pictures

Interior Pictures

Cabin 9404 Pictures

Port Pictures

We flew from San Francisco to Miami the day before the cruise was to embark. We stayed at the Doubletree Biscayne Bay which is a very nice hotel. We asked the desk clerk if we could get a room with a view of the cruise terminal. He spent 5 – 10 minutes finding us a room with a great view (he also gave us extra cookies – Bonus!) There is a people mover about a block away which is free. We used this to get to the Bayside Marketplace where we met a group from Cruise Critic for dinner. Note: Take a taxi back after dark. Had a blast with the CC group!

Embarkation:

This was our first time sailing as platinum so we had priority boarding. All told, it was approximately 60 to 90 minutes from getting to the pier to getting on board the ship (we did arrive early though – around 10:30, and they began boarding at noon). Luggage made it to our room by 1:30.

Ship:

This ship is HUGE and is very tastefully decorated throughout.

Cabin:

We had cabin 9404, Category E1, on the aft corner, starboard side. The cabin is nicely laid out, but storage was just a bit on the tight side – nothing we couldn’t deal with though. The balcony is wedge shaped and large with a lounger, two chairs and a small table. There was a structural beam that went through the balcony, but it was close to the divider and didn’t cause any problems for us. Note: The dividers on the aft do not open. This was our first time sailing with the updated bedding and we loved it. The bed was so comfortable we wanted to take it home. Slept like babies. We didn’t feel much extra motion being on the aft than we have mid-ship either.

Dining:

Dining Room: The dining room is on three levels, just like on all of the Voyager & Freedom class ships. In décor and appearance it is very similar. Each deck had a different color scheme. We sat at table 312 on Deck 3 (Rembrandt), which was just at the base of the stairs, and was a great location. The food in the dining room was general good, occasionally very good and once (for me) not so good. I had ordered the NY strip but it was not very good – so they brought me something else. No big deal. We ordered the Diamond wine package (5 bottles) upon embarkation and used that each evening. Live music was usually played on the stair landing between Deck 3 and Deck 4. Pedro Dela Llana performed in the dining room on two evenings and was excellent!

Windjammer: Very nice – and large. There was plenty of seating. We ate breakfast here most days and it was very good. We also had lunch here several days and again, the food was very good.

Chops Grille: We dined here once and found the service & food to be exceptional. We would recommend it highly. We didn’t try Portofino’s on this trip so we have nothing to report.

Sorrento’s and Café Promenade: We had the pizza at Sorrento’s – this is a giant step up from the RCI pizza of the past. It’s not quite as good as that on Princess – but still pretty tasty (as our repeated trips would bear witness). As for Café Promenade, we only tried the cookies there and they were delicious.

We didn’t try Ben & Jerry’s or Johnny Rockets but they seemed pretty busy.

Bars:

Schooner Bar: This is our favorite bar on every RCI ship we’ve sailed, and this was no exception. We went there for pre-dinner cocktails as it is non-smoking. Trivia was played here several times a day. They also had a piano player and sing-alongs in the evening.

Olive or Twist: This was the martini bar in the Viking Crown. It allowed smoking in some parts and was non-smoking in others. Wonderful views from there.

The Cruise Compass has martini sales almost every night – either in the Schooner Bar or in Olive or Twist. 20% off from 4:30 – 8:30 - Gotta love that!

Boleros: This was billed as the Tequila Bar. The entertainment (and fun) was on the smoking side and I am allergic to cigarette smoke so I had to leave after a short time.

The Hoof & Claw: This is the old-English Pub and a fun place to go – Mark B was the guitarist/vocalist here and there was a pretty lively sing-along each night. Again – this is a smoking venue.

Vintages: This was the wine bar, where smoking was allowed. We never tried this venue.

We didn’t notice much smoke smell in the Royal Promenade, even in the area where smoking was allowed in the bars.

Lounges/Theatres:

These were pretty typical of all of the Voyager Class ships - all were very nice. They did have a new area called “On-Air” which is where the karaoke was done. The Sphinx lounge was non-smoking and seemed somewhat under utilized. We really noticed it being used for Bingo – maybe they used it at night but we didn’t notice . . .

Pools:

The pool decks are very nice with the H20 Zone for kids and kids of all ages, the main pools and then the solarium pool. There were plenty of hot tubs including those incredible cantilevered tubs on either side of the solarium. These were awesome!! The water was fresh, not salt. The pool decks are very crowded during most times of the day but still fun. They did have live music which was nice too.

Chair hogging was rampant on this cruise. This is the first time we experienced it. We had to get to the pool deck at 6:45 AM to get a chair in the shade. Chairs in the sun were taken even earlier. The Deck Patrol was completely indifferent to the situation. They really didn’t care and if you talked to them about it, they acted as if you were annoying them. By the end of the cruise this really became a thorn in our side.

Cruise Critic Group:

We had a very active roll-call prior to the cruise (4000+ posts) so it was wonderful to finally meet so many of them. Can’t speak highly enough about this group. We definitely have made some friends for life! We had 94 people registered for the Meet & Mingle, which was held in the Olive or Twist martini bar in the Viking Crown which was hosted by one of the Cruise Director staff and one of the Loyalty Ambassadors. Turnout was good and it seemed everyone had fun. Our group planned several activities which included a pre-cruise gathering at Bayside Marketplace the night before the cruise, a sailaway gathering and a cabin crawl. All were well attended and a lot of fun!

Crew:

In general, the crew was efficient, but not quite as friendly when compared with our past RCI cruises. This may have been a result of the ship being at full capacity including third and fourth berths.

Ports:

San Juan: We basically did a self-guided tour. We grabbed a cab to San Cristobal Fort. Admittance was $5 pp (which included El Morro too). You can take the free trolley from San Cristobal to El Morro but we opted to walk. After El Morro we walked Old San Juan. It had rained (somewhat heavily) when we first arrived in Old San Juan, but it stopped quickly. The temperature wasn’t too bad and humidity was bearable.

St. Maarten. Our friend Jan (Flooper) arranged for a tour with Bernard. This was excellent. Bernard had plenty of refreshments on hand while driving. He basically took us anywhere we wanted to go. We spent an hour or so at Orient Beach. This was our first time there and we loved it. The water is so blue! We then drove over to Sunset Beach to watch the planes land – what a neat experience. The weather in St. Maarten was very nice.

Labadee: We love this port! The ship arrived about a half hour early so we were able to disembark between 8 and 8:30. Labadee is still as nice as we remember. Nicer actually, as they have updated the facilities there. We watched some folks doing the zip line and they all appeared to be having a great time. Went parasailing with some friends and had an awesome time!! The weather some overcast most of the day, but for us, that actually worked out well. It was still nice and warm, with a slight breeze. The water was warm as well.

Disembarkation:

We opted to use the Luggage Valet program. For $20 per person, we could have our bags taken from the ship and checked right through the airport, provided your flight leaves at 11:30 AM or later. This worked great. On the last full day of the cruise, our boarding pass and Luggage Valet luggage tags were delivered to our room. This program isn’t available for all airlines but when you take the sign-up form to Guest Relations, they will let you know.

We waited in the Platinum Disembarkation lounge where continental breakfast was served. We were allowed to walk off the ship anytime after 8:15 because we had used the Luggage Valet. Total time from disembarking to getting through security at the airport was approximately 50 minutes – this is probably a record for us!

Overall impression:

We had a great cruise (we find it hard to have a bad cruise). This was primarily due to the friendships one always seems to make while at sea. The ship is amazing and if you’ve sailed a Voyager class, you will find your way around easily.

Nice report, brings back a lot of memories! Any activity at Labadee regarding the new pier?

Nice report, brings back a lot of memories! Any activity at Labadee regarding the new pier?

No activity or talk about it.

Thanks for the great review and pictures. We are on this same itinerary in Sept.

Question - were there any grocery or drug stores near the hotel to get water and cokes?

Thanks for the great review and pictures. We are on this same itinerary in Sept.

 

Question - were there any grocery or drug stores near the hotel to get water and cokes?

Actually, it was kind of funny. We had a taxi take us to a Walgreen's to get some water the night we arrived. The next morning we went downstairs to get some breakfast and there was a grocery store right there in the hotel:p.

We were sure excited to read your review! We are sailing on the Liberty in June, and WE HAVE YOUR CABIN!! We've been unable to find much info about #9404 so imagine our excitement when we saw your post!!

It sounds like you enjoyed your cruise! Please tell us more about the cabin. We were in a beautiful corner aft (D1) last year on the Mariner. Did you spend much time on the balcony? I've read it's extrememly sunny.

How about the casino? Any time (and money!) spent in there?

Thanks, again, for your review! It'll make the next 61 days go faster!!:D

We were sure excited to read your review! We are sailing on the Liberty in June, and WE HAVE YOUR CABIN!! We've been unable to find much info about #9404 so imagine our excitement when we saw your post!!

 

It sounds like you enjoyed your cruise! Please tell us more about the cabin. We were in a beautiful corner aft (D1) last year on the Mariner. Did you spend much time on the balcony? I've read it's extrememly sunny.

 

How about the casino? Any time (and money!) spent in there?

 

Thanks, again, for your review! It'll make the next 61 days go faster!!:D

We really liked the cabin -we'd book it again. It was neat having a big round window and door instead of sliders.

It is a very sunny balcony because it is totally open. We really liked it! It is smaller than a D1 but still good!

We didn't donate at the casino but there was a guy who won $52,000 the first night, and then $10,000 more. I don't know how much money he played though:p.

Loved reading your review. It brought back some memories of our trip. She is one huge ship.:)

I was so happy to be able to share this wonderful cruise with the two of you. You are both very special and it was very nice meeting you both.

Your review of the ship is outstanding and you definitely should be being paid big bucks from these cruise lines for all your detailed information and wonderful photography. I will cherish them forever!

I know a lot of anxious cruisers that have a lot of questions will find a lot

of their answers they are seeking by reading your reviews and also by looking and your pictures. How neat that someone has contacted you regarding your cabin and they are booked in the same one. I loved your cabin! :D

Sincerely,

Mary Elizabeth

Thanks for the review - we cruise same date as "firstcruiserDB". Just curious about the chair hogging situation. Suppose we don't get out to the pool deck at the crack of dawn. Will there be no chairs available all day long? Yikes!!:(

Nice review !!! It sounds like you had a great time!

Momofshan, yeah it was like that on our cruise. If you want to be right by the pool, you'd better sleep out on deck! :)

Nice review !!! It sounds like you had a great time!

 

Momofshan, yeah it was like that on our cruise. If you want to be right by the pool, you'd better sleep out on deck! :)

What if you don't care about being right next to the pool, but just want a chair in the sun somewhere...do you not even have a chance if you don't go out until mid-morning?

Thanks for the Liberty review. Will be sailing on her in acouple of weeks and first time on a Freedam class ship. Only difference will be on the western route. But been on both eastern/western many times so I know what to exepct on the islands.

Thanks again.

Dave

I was so happy to be able to share this wonderful cruise with the two of you. You are both very special and it was very nice meeting you both.

 

Your review of the ship is outstanding and you definitely should be being paid big bucks from these cruise lines for all your detailed information and wonderful photography. I will cherish them forever!

 

I know a lot of anxious cruisers that have a lot of questions will find a lot

of their answers they are seeking by reading your reviews and also by looking and your pictures. How neat that someone has contacted you regarding your cabin and they are booked in the same one. I loved your cabin! :D

Sincerely,

 

Mary Elizabeth

Thanks Mary Elizabeth! And thank you and your mom for opening up your cabin for the crawl too - I know we all loved seeing it too!!

Thanks for the review - we cruise same date as "firstcruiserDB". Just curious about the chair hogging situation. Suppose we don't get out to the pool deck at the crack of dawn. Will there be no chairs available all day long? Yikes!!:(

I'm hoping that it is because the ship was at full capacity. I know chairs were available on the upper deck more than the main pool deck, but I can't be in the sun too long so I liked the shady ones (which are usually abundant, but not this time:rolleyes:). The pool attendants would bring out more chairs too. Just wish they would be more aggressive about getting rid of the items left on chairs for several hours with no sign of the owenrs.

Thanks so much for posting this! I was especially excited to see the interior pictures and to read about the bars and restaurants. I'm sailing on the Liberty in 26 days (!), and it'll be my first time on anything bigger than the Mariner.

I also really enjoyed the pictures of Labadee, because this'll be my first time there as well. I could tell how overcast it was from the pictures - what was the temperature like? Did you go to Hideaway Beach?

Did you hang out at the Catacombs at all? What did you order to eat at Chops? Did you make reservations for Chops as soon as you got on board? And last but not least, thanks for the info about which bars are smoky - I'm not physically allergic, but I hate it with a passion. Now I'll know which places to avoid!

Thanks again,

Erica

Craig and Jack, I loved seeing all the pictures. We've booked with Bernard too, so it was wonderful getting positive feedback about his tour. (Several of us on the 5/24 thread will be on his tour.)

Thanks again for the several post about the room.

Thank you so much for your review! We are sailing the same itinerary in November and cannot wait! On Adventure, we spent alot of time in the pub with the singalongs. Glad they have them on Liberty too!

Sounds like we'll have to get to the pool early, as we like the sun!

Great review!

Thanks for sharing.

What if you don't care about being right next to the pool, but just want a chair in the sun somewhere...do you not even have a chance if you don't go out until mid-morning?

You may find something on the upper deck. Another option is to ask a Deck Attendant to bring a lounger or chair to an empty spot you may find. I saw them doing that a lot.

Thanks for the Liberty review. Will be sailing on her in acouple of weeks and first time on a Freedam class ship. Only difference will be on the western route. But been on both eastern/western many times so I know what to exepct on the islands.

Thanks again.

 

Dave

This was our first Freedom class as well - but navigation of the ship is fairly easy. Wishing I was in one of those cantilevered hot tubs right now though . . .:rolleyes:

Thank you very much for the review.

Thanks so much for posting this! I was especially excited to see the interior pictures and to read about the bars and restaurants. I'm sailing on the Liberty in 26 days (!), and it'll be my first time on anything bigger than the Mariner.

 

I also really enjoyed the pictures of Labadee, because this'll be my first time there as well. I could tell how overcast it was from the pictures - what was the temperature like? Did you go to Hideaway Beach?

 

Did you hang out at the Catacombs at all? What did you order to eat at Chops? Did you make reservations for Chops as soon as you got on board? And last but not least, thanks for the info about which bars are smoky - I'm not physically allergic, but I hate it with a passion. Now I'll know which places to avoid!

 

Thanks again,

Erica

Erica,

Labadee was overcast, but the tempature was probably 80 to 85 with a slight breeze and the water temperature was wonderful. We loved it that day - we had a great time without getting too hot and sweaty.

Re: Chops - we did make our reservation the first day. When we went the 2nd day with a friend so she could make reservations, she could only make them for that night - all other nights were already booked. We made the rezzies at Chops, but I think you can call too.

We ordered the 10 oz filet as the main course, and got the Grilled Salad and Cheese Onion Soup as appetizers. There are five side dishes that they brought out too (we didn't even have to order them - they just brought them all). A particular standout for me was the spicy corn - delicious!

I don't remember if I mentioned but Olive or Twist is part smoking/part non-smoking. Smoke didn't seem to bad up there though.

Hi,

We were on the same cruise. Watching chair hogs and the bacon pilers at breakfast was a fun way to pass the time. I agree with the prior posters, the chair hogs were ridiculous. We noticed quite a few chairs "tied" together with RC towels. I heard that RC personnel sometimes do this in an attempt to keep them together, but I cannot confirm this. Anyway, I finally decided that if a chair just had a RC towel on it, then it was mine. If the people came back (which they NEVER did), I would play dumb and just tell them there was nothing on the chair and maybe the deck patrol took it off. People would leave their chairs for several hours, I am not kidding. Screw them.

If someone wants to get up and get a drink, swim, or a bite to eat, I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with people who think they own the chair. Sorry folks, but you don't. They are shared.

BTW, the best entertainment was Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees. He was very good. As usual, the Quest and Love and Marriage Game Show were also very good. I didn't get the production shows. Frankly, they were very disappointing. Have fun on your cruise.

Frank

I see you were in Cabin 9404... we have the same booked on Freedom next month.

What did you think of the cabin in general, and your thoughts on the balcony. Was it just as nice with the single door and porthole? And, how was the view from the balcony???

Cant wait to go... I was excited to see someone had the same cabin booked, even if it is on the sister ship!