Liberty Western Review 2/12-2/19

[luckyoldsun]

Just got home from the Liberty Western cruise. First time on the Liberty and what a beautiful ship. My fourth cruise with Carnival and she is now my favorite.

 

My wife and I flew down from Ohio to FLL on Friday 2/11 and stayed at the Westin Diplomat beach location. I got it on Hotwire for $ 109.00. We had a corner room on the 17th floor with a kingsize bed. Great hotel, very friendly staff and the bed was so comfortable. The pool is awesome but it was a little too cold to enjoy it. I will definitely stay here again. Just a note the Westin charges $ 25.00 per day for parking so you will pay $ 50.00 to park overnight as they charge per day not per 24 hours.

 

DAY 1

 

We rented a car from Thrifty and dropped it off at MIA around 10:00am. Thrifty does have a shuttle running from the airport to the port but it does not start until Noon. We didn't wait and took a taxi for $ 25.00. When we arrived at port around 10:30 it was raining and cool. We got checked in the VIP room as we had a suite. We were on the ship by 11:30.

 

We had lunch up on the lido deck....rain did stop but it was only 55 degrees. Had the fish and chips, very good.

 

We got into our cabin by 1:30, spent the afternoon exploring the ship, luggage arrive by 5:00.

 

Sailaway was fine, we left about 4:15. We followed the Destiny out to sea.

 

We had anytime dining so we headed to dinner around 7:30. We had to wait about 25 minutes to get a table. I have to say I think Carnival's main dining room has really slipped over the past few years. They need to change their menu, same food every year. Service was very slow and our food was cold when our meal arrived. I love real brewed ice tea. They used to serve real ice tea in the main dining room. They now serve that product they call ice tea that you can get in the buffet area. Very disappointed in the main dining room....but this was the last time DW and I were in the main dining room as we discovered Harry's Steakouse:D.

 

DAY 2 Sea Day

 

Still alittle cloudy and cool but it warmed up as the day went on. I am a casino person so I spent a fair amount of time in the casino. Won $ 320.00 on a slot machine but gave it back as the week went on. I love craps.....played all week and not much success. The table was cold for everyone with the exception of a few small hot streaks.

 

Now for the good part. We had a 6:00 reservation at Harry's Steakhouse. I will tell you right now the steakhouse is a must at least one time during any cruise you take. Well worth the $ 30.00 per person charge. We loved the steakhouse so much over the main dining room I made reservations for the rest of the week except for Monday 2/14 b/c they we already full for Valentine's Day. We had the same waitress every night at Harry's......Please ask for Lan if you are going on the Liberty soon. She is from China and will be going home on April 2. She is the sweetest young lady. She worked so hard to give us great service. She plans on coming back in late July. Ask for her....you will love her. Her assistant Ivan is great as he will keep all your glasses full of whatever you are drinking. They have real brewed ice tea. The head chef Johnson came to our table every night to make sure we were happy with our meal. The steaks, lobster, and fish are all fantastic. I can't stress enough you are missing out on a top notch 5 star meal if you do not go to Harry's.

 

DAY 3 Cozumel

 

I took all of my fellow posters advice and went to Nachi Cocum. Great place. The Liberty was the only ship in port so there was only 10 people at Nachi. Great day Sunny and 80 degrees. I drank some Carona's while my DW enjoyed the fruity drinks. We had the nachos and fajitas, they were very good.

 

Passed on the main dining room and went to the buffet for dinner. Harry's was full as it was Valentine's Day. DW was tired and actually was sleeping by 8:00pm. ( I said too much fruity stuff at Nachi....she claims just tired) I went to the casino again no luck:mad:

 

DAY 4 Sea Day

 

Weather was better....partly sunny, temp was around 80. Lido deck was packed with activities. We had dinner at Harry's........you must try the cheesecake. It is the bomb of cheesecakes. Made the usual trip to the casino and made Carnival's next payment on the Magic:eek:

 

DAY 5 Grand Caymen

 

First Visit to Grand Caymen.......loved it. Weather was partly sunny, low 80's for temps. We booked the Stingray Sandbar and snorkel through Moby Dick Tours. We got a tender off the ship and found the meeting place for Moby Tours in the port. It was 8:45 am and they informed us the Stingray sandbar was closed due to high winds but check back at 9:20 as it might open by 10:00am.

 

We stopped back at 9:20 and they told us they weren't sure if the sandbar would open but we can pay the $ 40.00 each, take a boat ride to the sandbar and if it is still closed we will come back in and get a full refund....fair enough and we paid to go. Just a side note all the cruise ships already cancelled the Stingray Tours for the day.

 

We took the big blue bus to meet Mark the owner of Moby Dick Tours at his boat. Bus ride is about 15 minutes. Mark still wasn't sure if the sandbar was open but we loaded up and headed out for the 25 minute boat ride to the sandbar.

 

We arrived at the sandbar and the police boat at the sandbar informed us the sand bar is now open:D A few other tour boats we coming in as well but only four boats total pulled in. Mark got us parked and we jumped in. What an awesome experience. Moby Dick Tours brings squid to feed the stingrays. We had stingrays around us the whole 45 minutes we were in the water.

 

If you have reservations about going......please go. The stingrays are so gentle. It was a great experience.

 

After the stingray bar we headed over to the nearby reef and snorkled for about 45 minutes then headed back to the pier.

 

If you go book Moby Dick Tours......they were great. Moby's bus will drop you off at 7 mile beach on the way back. Mark told us if we were hungery to have the bus drop us off at Rockas bar by the ship port. Mark said the fish and chips is a must and he was right. Go to Rockas and have the fish and chips.....fantastic.

 

DW and I spent an hour or so shopping in the port area after lunch, then headed back to the ship about 3:15......tender line wasn't bad and we were in our cabin by 3:45.

 

Had dinner at Harry's again........can't say enough good things about Harry's. Allow 2-1/2 hours for dinner when eating in the steakhouse.

 

Headed to the casino after dinner for another night of losses.

 

DAY 6 Ocho Rios Jamaica

 

First visit to Jamaica and really don't care to go back, but I do have a positive story.

 

DW and I booked Dunn River Falls with KnowJamicaTours.com. Marie met us outside the port and we were the only two on the tour. Marie was fantastic. She took great care of DW and myself to make sure we were safe at all times.

 

She took us to the Falls and got us in. The tour was $ 30.00 per person. Marie told us she would meet us outside the falls entrance in 2 hours. I was worried about all of our valuables....not that we took much but we still had a wallet, money, and sign and sail cards. Marie kept everything with her as we climb the falls and she took great care of our personal items.

 

Climbing the falls was great but when you leave look out. They send you through a so called shopping area. Prepared to be hounded like you have never been hounded before. We walked through this area as quickly as possible, found Marie outside the entrance and got out of dodge.

 

Marie dropped us off at Magaritaville as we were in need of a few frozen beverages. We spent about an 1-1/2 at Magaritaville then headed back to the boat. The walk is only about 500 feet back to the port from Magaritaville but be prepared to be hounded by everyone.

 

KnowJamaicaTours and Marie were great and I would highly recommend them if you want to see the falls.

 

DAY 7 Sea Day

 

Good day to catch up on sleep. Weather was really nice as again Lido deck was packed. I took advantage of my balcony as enjoyed the weather without the crowd and loud music.

 

Had our last meal at Harry's.....miss the place already.

 

Liked the Liberty so much we booked the Eastern for 2/18/12. All the employees on the ship told me you have to go to Half Moon Cay.....so they better not cancel it off the itinery. They offered the $100.00 on board credit if you booked another cruise while on the ship.

 

Played Bingo to try to win the $ 10,000 on the last night. That is a joke. In order to win the 10 g's you have to blackout your card in less than 40 numbers plus the last number you hit needs to be the powerball they draw before the game starts. It took 59 numbers to get a winner of $ 1,000.

 

Went to the casino one last time.....again no luck.

 

Disembarkment

 

We were group 1. Off the ship by 7:30am. SAS picked us right up and had us to FLL by 8:25am.......our flight wasn't until 1:45pm. Tried to get on the 8:45am flight but they said we were 10 minutes too late to switch.

Enjoyed the beautiful morning before heading home.

 

Overall it was a great cruise. I have been on the Destiny, Glory, and Victory. Enjoyed the Liberty the most due to the employees on this ship. Carnival is just a name, it is always the employees who make you love Carnival. I talked to a lady at FLL while waiting for our flight who just got off the Oasis of the Seas. She told me was a great vacation she had and how horrible Carnival is to sail. The Oasis is a beautiful ship....you can see it from the airport but I will finish with this.

 

I stayed in a suite, ate at Harry's five night. DW and I both had two massages in the spa, took some great tours and I still spent less that what the Carnival basher paid just for her cabin on the Oasis. I'm looking for a fun relaxing cruise and Carnival has always supplied me with that:D

 

Missing the sun and back to work tomorrow.:( But another cruise is always just around the corner and I am now hooked on cruisin.

 

Happy Cruising

[Willbcruisin]

Great review! Thanks for sharing! As you see by my siggy, we love Liberty and the crew is fabulous! Also we had a corner aft wrap on Liberty and loved it!

 

Great you'll be back onboard her again:p She is a beauty!

 

We did anytime dining in December and never had a wait. Dined between 7 & 7:30 to catch the dancing, singing waiters. Had the same waiter every night and they were awesome. We were in and out of the MDR in a little over an hour and food was always hot and delicious! Sorry that did not work out for you but Harry's sounds yummy! So it was a win win for you!

 

Love your comment about the pricing difference RCL/CCL. I also love RCL but last sailing found the food quality was lacking. I mean food was ok, just not as good as it used to be but all lines have made cuts across the board. Point I was making is we now have been sailing CCL as just as you stated, we can get and do so much more for the money!

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise on the Magic and back on Liberty!

 

We're trying Miracle next!

[ViolaSwamp]

Great review! I also did a Western itinerary on the Liberty (in October 2010) and have since booked the very same Eastern that you are on!! 2/18/12 - I have set up a Roll Call thread, would love to see you join in. :D

[wonderfullife]

I am just off the Liberty as well. I agree that the food in the MDR was cold the first night. Our waiter, who was awesome BTW, apoligized a lot about it and said it would be better the rest of the week. He was right. That was the only night with that issue.

 

Briefly, the weather was cool on Friday when we went to Miami. Do not eat at the pasta place in Bayside Market Place. Should have known better but tried it anyway. Spend your money elsewhere. It just was not tasty at all but the portions were big.

 

Stayed at the Holiday Inn. It was a decent place. Been there before. The staff was very friendly.

 

I leaned on some kind of valve at the Muster Drill and opened it. Surprised me but turned it off quickly, no big deal.

 

About 20 kids in Circle C. Daughter loved it and was glad there weren't a lot more kids because they had a good amount to make friends but still enough room in the area to hang without being crowded.

 

Thomas the soloist and the band Retrospect were fun to listen to. Some songs were disasters but most were good and the guys are fun.

 

Comedy club was a good time but service was not great due to only a few wait staff serving drinks.

 

Cozumel we just wandered about the port area. Didn't feel like booking a tour. Met some nice people.

 

Grand Cayman. Went to Turtle Farm. Was okay. Daughter and husband snorkled with turtles and enjoyed it.

 

Jamaica. Daughter and husband did the Beach Horseback riding. They loved it! Would do it again for sure. I enjoyed some time alone on the ship and got some walking in.

 

If you have any questions, ask and I will see if I can answer.

[LizaMM]

Thank you for the reviews!

 

I agree....Liberty is a beautiful ship! I will be sailing her for the 2nd time next month and am really wanting to book the Eastern Itin on the Liberty

 

Glad to hear both OP and 2nd reviewer had good cruises

[beachbaby2]

i was on the liberty too and went to nachi cocum in cozumel, so me and my best friend were 2 of the other 10 people that were there that day. lol it was a great day!! i love it there, it was our 2nd time there.

 

the liberty is a beautiful ship and my favorite so far. we ate in the mdr every night and had nothing to complain about. we did anytime dining and only waited a couple minutes every night to get seated. the food was always hot and good. the room service had alot to be desired tho, they always forgot something. pretty bad considering that you check off the boxes on the paper and got it wrong. oh well...

 

it was a fabulous trip!! :D

[Lidolounger]

Looking to book a B2B on the Liberty next Feb - can anyone tell me if they have the new adults serenity area yet? Punchliners comedy club?

[beachbaby2]

they do not have a serenity deck, just the adult pool. they do have the comedy club tho.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for posting a review.

 

Kirk

[Karysa]

Thanks for the great reviews. Glad to here from the posters who enjoyed their meals in the MDR. Will try Harry's for a treat but it does not sound kind to one's waistline.:D

[Lib0007]

Thanks for all the reviews! to the OP who went to Margaritaville in Ocho Rios, would it be safe to walk there from the ship with a child (12 yo). I've been there before and remember the begging . . . but don't remember seeing a Margaritaville. I'm looking for something to do there for a couple of hours that is close by and safe.

 

Will be our 3rd time on Liberty and looking forward to it . . .

[Tax Wizard]

Thanks for all the reviews! to the OP who went to Margaritaville in Ocho Rios, would it be safe to walk there from the ship with a child (12 yo). I've been there before and remember the begging . . . but don't remember seeing a Margaritaville. I'm looking for something to do there for a couple of hours that is close by and safe.

 

Will be our 3rd time on Liberty and looking forward to it . . .

 

We were on the Liberty last week and walked to Margaritaville in Ocho Rios with our two girls (3 and 5). IMHO, it is perfectly safe but we did get hounded by probably a dozen tour operators trying to convince us to take a tour with them. Some of them were pretty aggressive and did not immediately take no for an answer!! Ocho Rios is probably the one place, if I were to take an excursion, I would want to book it directly through Carnival because of the safety issue. It would be worth the extra cost just for the added peace of mind.

 

We did see a few beggars, which was especially sad to see because one of them was a little boy probably not much older than 6.

 

Our girls loved the pool and waterslide at Margaritaville . They even supplied my 3 yo with a life jacket (free of charge) because we had forgotten her water wings on the ship. The beach however, is not that great and really pales in comparison to the beaches of Cozumel and Grand Cayman.

 

To get there, just walk down the main road and keep to the right. You will eventually hit a wooden boardwalk that takes you to a little shopping concourse, which is where Margaritaville is situated at the very back.

[wildcatt99]

Thanks for the great review. We will be on the ship on Marc 5th, can't wait!!

[ferfoodle]

Looking to book a B2B on the Liberty next Feb - can anyone tell me if they have the new adults serenity area yet? Punchliners comedy club?

 

Liberty will be in dry dock 10/8-22/11. I imagine she will get the serenity at that time.

[luckyoldsun]

The walk to Magaritaville in Ocho Rios is a short walk down from the Pier. Yes I would walk with my children, but just keep your guard up as you will be bombarded by taxi drivers, tour guides, beggers, and the locals selling necklaces.

 

Don't stop to look at any of the items for sale or you will have 20 people around you begging to buy from them.

 

Once you get inside Margaritaville all is fine. Fun place to have a few frozen concactions and lunch. All the kids seemed to love the pool and the waterslide.