Review-daily style Liberty of the Seas

[stompy]

04/11/2011

 

Tenerife, Canary Islands.

 

Robin woke up early and was creeping about trying to be quiet so naturally the noise woke me up. I joined her on the balcony and watched the Canary Islands come into view. It was still dark out but the city was blinking like a Christmas tree from the harbor all the way up into the mountains. Tenerife is a compact city with everything radiating out from the port. We ate early and headed down to Studio B which was a departure point for Loro Parque. The place was packed since it was also the departure point for over 25 other tours as well. Things went pretty swiftly with people coming and going all through the morning. We were bus 16 but there were actually only two morning tours to the park so when we got there the place never felt very crowded, even with the local school field trips.

 

A German businessman started Loro Parque as a parrot refuge in the 90’s. There are over 4,000 species of parrots there. Over the years, the park has expanded to include tigers, gorillas, penguins, lemurs, as well as dolphins, orcas, and sea lions. Our tour guide Andy told us we had two options for visiting the park. We could follow him and he’d take us to three shows-the dolphins, the “sea ‘awks,” and then finally the sea lions or we could just wander around on our own and meet up with the bus in the afternoon. We decided to be safe and stick with him. We made good time passing by many parrots cages so he was able to get us into an extra show-the parrot show. We had thought it kind of strange on the bus that we were going to “Parrot Park” and we weren’t going to see any parrots so we were glad he was able to fit the extra show in. The doors were closed and music started playing. A tiny hatch opened in the wall and a white parrot flew out and soared over our heads. Two green parrots came out next and flew all around the room. Eventually there were a half a dozen birds swooping and diving in formation, just inches from our heads, the breeze from their wing beats rustling our hair. The birds did some cute tricks like driving a car, doing math, and getting drunk on beer they bought from a vending machine. The finale had a bunch of smaller birds come out, flying with their larger cousins while Nessun Dorma played in the background. We shuffled out and walked over to the dolphinarium. On the way, we passed Tiger Island. A magician donated a rare white tiger and its mate when they got too old to be in his show any longer. The island was beautiful and well maintained but it really was too small for such a large animal. The male was pacing a great deal and his mate seemed to follow him to calm him down. We entered the dolphin arena and it was already half full. We grabbed some seats on the side and the place quickly filled up. There were about 10 Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins in the act. They came out and swam around the huge tank. The trainers entered and the show got underway. They flipped and waved and danced, much as we had seen in Nassau up close and personal. The trainer dove in and surfed on one of the dolphins. They did foot pushes vertically out of the water, while another jumped over him. We were really impressed with how well attuned the dolphins were to their trainers. At one point they put a little kid into a boat and one of the dolphins towed him around the tank, while a half dozen did spectacular leaps behind him-the kid had no clue what was happening but the audience loved it. The dolphins did a few more tricks then the show was over and we shuffled out. The dolphins were allowed to swim around as we exited and they seemed curious about all the humans as we shuffled past them.

 

The “sea ‘awk” show was next. We had no clue what Andy was talking about. It turns out that he was saying Sea Orcs-meaning Orcas or Killer Whales in English. The upper seats were packed so we sat off to the side near the front. We soon found out why with so many people there we were able to get such good seats. We were in the “splash zone!” This wasn’t just a “teeny tiny drop might hit you” area but rather “dude yer gonna get soaked!” Robin bought a 3 € poncho-she says it was the best 3€ she ever spent in her life. The show starts with a large video screen doing standard safety rules but then the guy says in Spanish with English subtitles, “We are using video to record this. If you are here with someone you shouldn’t be then please leave” It was all done in fun but I thought that was a weird joke at the beginning of a show. They filmed the audience and put up funny word balloons on the screen. They zoomed in on this old guy and said “I’m lost.” Throughout the presentation they kept going back to this same guy and picking on him-it got to be pretty funny after awhile. They did a kiss cam and Robin and I saw ourselves down in the corner at one point. The Ocras finally came out and glided through the water. They did leaps and jumps and got fed lots of fish. The trainers did a great job of playing to the middle and the sides of the huge area. The whales did a fluke splash about ten feet from us and we got drenched. Robin was laughing as I spit cold salty sea water out of my mouth and slicked back my hair. The audience roared with laughter as our whole section got splashed over and over.

 

After some more leaps and inspirational videos of the first captive birth at the park it was time for us to drip out of the arena. Robin and I both tried to dry off a bit using the bathroom hand dryers but we weren’t very successful. We decided to venture out on our own for a bit, rather than go to the sea lion show. We went to the penguin habitat, which had a slide-way so you could just stand in place and you were conveyed all along the exhibit. What a great way to alleviate congestion and keep the crowds moving along. We got to see them above and below the water. At the exit there was a huge cylinder of fish-it looked over crowded to me-and all I could think was that these guys were probably lunch for the Orcas and dolphins. The gift shop had these tiny penguin-shaped cutouts in the Plexiglas wall that kids could slide down. I wanted to go but Robin’s wisdom prevailed so as not to get my butt stuck in a penguin. We went to the aquarium next. The tanks were filled with rays, and sharks, and sea turtles. They had a domed walkway with sharks swimming overhead. It was a really fascinating way to look at these majestic creatures of the deep. We were feeling a bit peckish, not realizing how appropriate that word was. As we made our way to the food area there were these two huge heron-looking birds just standing by the side of the stairs, up on an elevated grassy area. They let us get very close so I put out a hand to pet one. They didn’t seem to mind so I turned around so Robin could get a picture of me with the birds. He started to tug at my hair and then pecked my head HARD! We left the birds to their own devices and found a really neat little pizza place. They made Spanish style pizza-all from scratch. For 15€ we got two pizzas and a Pepsi Light – the US could really learn a thing or two about park concessions from these guys – the food was great and the atmosphere was relaxed. We had really good timing too. The sea lion show that we skipped was right next door and 1,000 people swarmed the little pizzeria when the show let out. We wandered around a bit more and headed for the front. Our parrot pic was there and it was only 6€ so we went for it and got the thing. We went back to where the picture was taken and played with the birds a bit. Robin took some sneaky pics until the girls told her not to take any. We went out and found a bench to sit on to wait for the bus. We drove back to the ship-a little girl would not shut up! She had been yacky on the way to the park but even worse on the way home. I really wanted to yell at her but just went to my “happy place” and made the best of it.

 

We were scheduled for a Bridge Tour right at dinner time. We went up with our group. It was a bit odd since the bridge was roped off and we could only view from a distance. It was pretty fascinating watching them take the ship out-they made it seem so simple. The Captain came over and chatted with us a bit. He said the hardest thing about his job was holding the ship’s court and having to kick crew members off the ship. He’s been around awhile and has seen everything from man overboard to Force 4 hurricanes. We got to take our picture with him and then left for dinner since we were 40 minutes late by that point. Lynford and Victor took care of us. We had cannelloni and pork medallions and split our entrees with each other. Dessert was chocolate banana strudel and I also have butter almond ice cream. We skipped the violin virtuoso in the theater and opted to gamble some more. I won $15 and am only $17 down-my goal is to break even slowly. We were both done pretty quickly so had time to hot tub. The wind was so cold and strong that it was more like “warm tub” but we still enjoyed ourselves. There were two other couples there. One was about our age who were behaving themselves and an older couple who just seemed to be bouncing up and down on each other without a care in the world. It’s great that they were still in love after 152 years of marriage but people-get a cabin! We headed back for the cabin and were going to go to Sorrento’s for a snack but opted for room service instead. I got a steak sandwich and was expecting a Philly Cheesesteak but got a whole steak on a bun-for FREE! Man I love cruising! We watched Castle while munching our freshly baked cookies and turned in around 11PM.

 

[stompy]

04/12/2011

 

Final day at Sea

 

After all our walking yesterday we decided not to have a wake up call. I woke up around 8 and went out onto the balcony to write when I discovered that I hadn’t even finished the 10th yet. I did that write-up and then proceeded to figure out the parrot park adventures. Robin got up about an hour later and I ran down to the CL to get coffee. “Get Coffee” is my code for muffins, Danish, fresh fruit, toast, jam, and anything else I can manage to carry back to the room-and oh yeah, coffee too. A few days ago I saw a guy getting coffee with a thermal carafe. I thought the guy was pretty smart to bring it on board and then I realized that it is the room service carafe. Since we had coffee the night before, I just washed it out and took it with me. I brought back a bunch of stuff and we noshed while wiping the cobwebs from our eyes. We decided that we didn’t really need breakfast after all the stuff I brought so we just sat and talked and drank coffee. Robin had checked her email and my computer downloaded all my email for me. We logged off and I read my mail offline. Apparently there was a big storm in Dallas with power outages, blown over trees, lost dogs, and houses falling on old ladies. We got ready for the day and had a voice mail from Mario to let us know there was a food display at 11 on the Promenade. I guess it was a good thing I didn’t have a big breakfast today…

 

We went up to the Promenade while they were setting up. They had some interesting dishes I hadn’t seen on cruise ships before-things like meat pies (next to the English pub of course), and pecan pie squares. Robin wanted to gamble so we went down to the casino. It was before noon so the tables weren’t open yet. I watched her play for a bit and got bored. She tends to win big then put it all back into the machine. She switched machines so I headed out to the bar to hang out. I read the Bolero’s menu (which is now renamed “Mario’s” in honor of Super Mario). I guess I fell asleep because when I opened my eyes Robin was sitting across from me. We had originally planned to go to the buffet but neither one of us felt like fighting the crowds for food then for a seat. Instead, we headed up for the pool deck to see if there were any Wishes at Sea shirts left. We did a lap of the pool deck but alas, the sale was over. The sun worshipers were all out in all shapes and sizes and levels of crispness. We went to lunch in the WJ and sat in Chops. The tables were open now so I headed in to gamble while Robin went up to the cabin to get more money. I sat next to a nervous looking guy who was betting $25 chips on the two-to-one row. He was picking “bottom third” only and lost about $75 in 30 seconds. He sighed and pulled out another chip-a black $100 one and put it on the square again with the remaining $100 he had in play while I bet $10 each on column 1 and 2 (that’s my oh crap bet I make when I’ve just lost the previous hand). The dealer spun the ball and we held our breath. It hit and I won $20 and he got $400. I asked if he wanted to switch chips… He said, “It’s my cardio for the day!” He played some smaller 50-50 bets with $5 chips for a couple of minutes while the small-fry played two or three corners. I was up to my $100 bank with two more chips on the table. I cashed in the $100 for a black chip and put it away and hoped to play for awhile on the two remaining $5 chips on the table. I won the first spin but lost the second so all I walked out with was $5. The guy who had been playing the big bets was in front of me at the cashier’s and had ended up with $900 by the time he stopped. I’m not sure how much he started with but I don’t think it was much more than $200. I found a quarter on the floor by the quarter pusher machine so all-in-all I’m up to $11.74 down for the cruise (if you can follow that logic). I’m planning on playing conservatively for the rest of the cruise so as to come home with more money than I started with. We still have $10 credit left on our account but I’m sure we’ll find a picture we want or something similar and that’ll be gone by the end of the week. I walked through the smokey rows of slot machines looking for Robin but couldn’t find her so I headed back up to the cabin. Apparently she had been doing the same thing and found me blogging on the balcony.

 

We attended arts & crafts with Janet and made origami picture frames. We also did a big version of the flower we had made earlier in the week. While Robin was working on that I ran up to the cabin to get the little versions to glue in the middle of the big ones. Robin made two of them in purple and orange and added a pin-back to them so we could wear them (for formal night some folks joked). It was 4 o’clock by the time we were finished so we dashed back to the cabin to change for the final formal night. Robin looked lovely in a black and white dress embellished with purple flowers. My tie had flecks of purple in it so we matched. We sat with the Scottish folks in the CL and had a few strong drinks, some chicken wings, and I ate two coconut macaroons. We’ve been joking that “Fred’s Tropical Supply Co.” must have had a sale in Miami-there’s been coconut and pineapple in everything. Dinner was lovely. Robin tried the Asian Noodles which was a vegetarian dish so I shared my southern fried chicken with her. We took lots of pictures at dinner with multiple cameras and then Robin and I did some formal pics with the ship’s photographer. We dashed up to the cabin for our third set of clothes today and went down to see Jonathan Kane’s show. He’s an Elton John imitator and he does a fantastic job. You really feel like you were at Elton’s show-minus the $100 ticket. He did Crocodile Rock at the end and we got up on stage and danced. After the show people kept coming up to us and saying, “You guys were great!” We headed back to the cabin to get jammies on and plan out our day for tomorrow in Spain.

 

 

for those of you who care about the back of the TV here it is...

[stompy]

04/13/2011

 

Cadiz, Spain (near Seville)

 

I woke up early and peeked out over the ocean. A few blinky lights on the horizon from sea going vessels told me we were nearing land. The fog and mist dissipated as we got closer and closer to mainland Spain. Looking at a world map, Cadiz looks like a tiny little bump on the south end of Spain but when you get here you can see why the ancient Phoenicians were so enamored of the area. Rocky islets jut out from the shoreline, creating a natural harbor. Ancient stone fortresses mix Spanish, Moorish, and modern architecture and technology into a functional beacon to this ancient city that has been inhabited for for over 3,100 years and claims to be the oldest city in Europe. Columbus was pretty smart to start two of his journeys here. The well equipped port was just as efficient in the 1490’s as it is today. We passed stone minarets and rock solid battlements as we slowly pulled into the narrow harbor. This was a rich trading city in the 15th century and its rich architecture and many churches reflect the opulence that gold and silver pouring in from the New World provided. I wondered if we were viewed as modern equivalents of treasure from the Americas with our fat wallets and shiny VISA cards. The pilot guided us in alongside another cruise ship while multiple smaller vessels darted about in the harbor.

 

The boat docked on time and we were quickly cleared. We walked into town and I found 5¢ (getting closer to breaking even). We walked past statues and monuments, government buildings, churches, tapas bars, bakeries, guys with dogs, and girls in very short skirts. Cadiz is a lively city and totally opposite of what we experienced in France several years ago. The shops and locals are very welcoming and friendly. We rested on the sea wall for a bit and continued on. We found a shop that sold plaster cats that were made to look carved-it was only 11€ so we got that. Apparently Cadiz also has Bruhas or witches for everything – good luck, job success, safety, love – you name it, there’s a witch for it. We continued on and saw tons of parked cars inches from one another, all there bumpers horribly mangled. We decided we’d gone far enough and crossed the street near an ancient tree and discovered that we had walked clear across the peninsula. We were at the beach at the far end of town that earlier in the day we had joked, “if we get to the beach we’ve gone too far.” It was a long hike back to the ship and I wanted to take a cab but Robin wanted to walk. We mapped out a route and I screwed it up at the first intersection and got us lost. We stumbled up the central market with fresh fruit, poulterers, butcher shops, cheese merchants, and wonderful smells everywhere. Outside the market were vendors with trinkets for tourists, watches, wallets, flowers, and lotto tickets. Robin and I got recognized for our Elton John dance performance several times. We debated stopping for paella or baked goods but since we were so close to the ship we opted for lunch in the WJ.

 

Because we were in port so long the ship was pretty empty. We grabbed a quick bite and changed into our bathing suits and went up to the whirlpool to soak our aching legs. The pool deck was pretty full of very leathery looking people-I just don’t get sun worshipers… We went up to the reserved deck and sat out for a bit. I got a yogurt cone and ate it in the pool while Robin napped in the sun. We headed back to the cabin around 3 and collapsed on the bed. Our balcony door was open so we heard various announcements on ship and off as we drifted in and out of sleep. Robin woke up at one point and I opened an eye to see what was happening. She was intently looking at the clock on the phone trying to convert military time to 12-hour and announced, “Hey! We’re late for dinner-it’s eight to six!” I dashed up and changed out of my bathing suit, which I still had on and we ran down to dinner. Our tablemates were already there and we quickly ordered. After dinner we went to the shore excursion desk and booked a couple of tours since there was no way we were doing all that walking again. Then if was off to the photo lab to get a couple of shots with our free coupons – we do clean up well as Robin likes to say.

 

We headed back up to the cabin to put the pictures away and Robin looked out on the balcony and said, “Hey they moved us!” The pier was gone-then we realized that the ship was moving and it was time to head back out into the ocean before going through the Straits of Gibraltar and on to Malaga in the morning. The ship pulled out slowly and we headed away from the coast as the sun set slowly ahead of us.

 

Later, we returned to the casino. Robin was out of gambling money so she watched me play for a bit. I got pretty lucky and was on a winning streak. I was $30 up for the day which put me at $28.28 up for the cruise. I may leave it at that and not bet anything else. There was a “midnight” buffet scheduled for 10:45 PM. We went up on deck and saw bowls and lids flying away in the heavy winds. It was a bit chilly so we dashed down to the cabin to get warmer clothes. We headed back up on the pool deck and took pictures of the wonderful fruit carvings. Folks were placing bets on when the pineapple towers were going to blow over. By 11PM the sternos were still not lit and the cruise director’s staff and the band had given up on dancing and playing. The DJ turned up the music volume to drown out the wind. At that point we figured it wasn’t going to happen. Even if they decided to move it inside it was obvious the midnight buffet may actually take till midnight to get set up. Robin and I headed off for Sorrento’s for a pizza snack and then headed to the cabin to pack some of the stuff we weren’t going to need for the remainder of the cruise.

 

 

yummies for sale in Cadiz

[stompy]

04/14/2011

 

Malaga, Spain (aka “Hola!”)

 

I woke up to the blinking light of Mario’s “Good Morning beautiful people” message and was surprise to see city lights out on the balcony. On a cruise you tend to lose track of time so I was surprised to see city light outside our window at 7AM-I thought we were getting in at 10AM which of course makes no sense since we had a 9:15 tour. I went out onto the balcony and saw another cruise ship called “Marina.” I didn’t recognize the logo but it was pretty close to our size and the balcony doors shimmered iridescently in the morning light. The vessel appeared to be leaving and was trying to do a 180° turn but after a few minutes I realized it was just rotating the ship in the narrow harbor entrance to dock at an angled dock adjacent to us. It was almost 7:30 by this time, which meant folks would be going ashore shortly so I decided to get ready for the day, hoping my rustling about would wake Robin gently. We went down to the main dinning room for breakfast and were served by a wonderful girl from TDad’Tobago. A lovely contrast to the surly waiters we’d had the day before. After breakfast we headed to Studio B to wait for our bus to be called. We were #22 and apparently 1 thru 20 had already left and the place was almost deserted. It was only a couple of minutes and we were off. As we got to the gangway Robin realized that she didn’t have her Seapass card. Tolga said he’d hold the bus for us as we dashed up 10 floors to search our cabin. Robin found her card in the pocket of a pair of jeans in the laundry which she had used the night before for the non-existent midnight buffet at 10:45ish. We Seapass in hand, we ventured off the ship and onto the bus for Malaga. We passed through the city, taking pictures, as our guide pointed out features from history, botany, architecture, and modern day city life. We drove up the mountains to an old Moorish fort – Gibalfaro. It was once an old lighthouse and garrison for troops over the centuries.

 

Following a short visit, we drove back down the mountain. We saw several churches and government buildings and drove past Picasso’s house. We also learned that Antonio Bandaras is from Malaga – You learn something new everyday – I always thought he was from Mexico. We disembarked by the cathedral (which has been under construction for over 300 years and is still not finished). Our guide walked us through a lovely pedestrian mall that had been built by 19th century gentry to enjoy on Sundays. Over the years it has become a fashionable shopping promenade and the only straight street in the entire city. Every Easter there is a huge processional with floats weighing up to 5 tons, carried aloft on the shoulders of 300 men. These local Brotherhoods vie for places in the parade and are somewhat akin to fraternal organizations like the Masons or Lion’s Club in America. There’s even one all-female Brotherhood and they often outdo the men in the parade. We stopped at Mariano’s and had a glass of wine and some peppers and onions. I thought we were done but then they brought out a lovely little dish of paella. Then it was on to the second taverna for more wine and little sausage sandwiches with paprika and Russian salad which was somewhat like coleslaw with tuna. We walked a few blocks to the third place, which served us potato chips followed by wine, and then ham sandwiches with tomato puree.

 

We made a big circle to come in front of the cathedral which is flanked by a Cheers Tavern on Norm’s Street. We did a bit of shopping and popped into a bakery then it was time to head back to the bus. We petted a few of the horses who were waiting to take folks on carriage rides. We took the short bus ride back to the port authority and quickly cleared the agents there. Another bus took us the last mile to the ship and we were some of the last folks to get onboard. We headed up to the cabin and dumped off our goodies and drank copious amounts of water. The ship soon departed Malaga and we were once again on the open sea. I watched the pilot boat help us out and Robin got a picture of the pilot hopping off our ship. We downloaded some pics and blogged and then Robin brought me some “American Tapas” – Fruit Loops in the lid to our glasses…

 

Next it was time for our galley tour at 4 o’clock. We arrived a few minutes early and chatted with some New Yawkahs about the demise of Park West. The chefs came out and took several Germans on an exclusive tour while the English speakers went with that native English speaker, Ivan from Chile… He showed us each of the stations and told us how they prepare 5000 meals over three times a day. The kitchens are hosed down four times a day including the ceilings. We passed the dessert area and there were multiple trays of cookies but alas, Ivan offered us none. Robin recorded the whole thing on video and we showed it to some folks in the CL before dinner. Tonight’s menu was the best by far. We both had Chicken Cordon Blu and I added a lobster tail to mine. Robin got Boston Cream Pie for Dessert and Lyndon was happy he finally had something for her to eat. I had a double portion of Spanish Rice Pudding and then we said good night to Lyndon and Victor. Outside the dinning room an elderly couple were doing the casual photo ops and the photographer had them lying on the floor surrounded by multicolor pillows-they were so cute! We headed up to pack our dirty clothes for the trip back to Texas and plan out our final day in Valencia. We flipped through channels for a bit and watched “The Other Guys” which is a weird movie and frankly, not very good.

 

the view from the fort

[stompy]

04/15/2011

 

Valencia, Spain (Last Day)

 

I woke up a bit before 6AM and it was completely dark outside still. The Mediterranean Sea was much calmer than the Atlantic had been so I sat out on the balcony for a bit, writing and soaking in the sea air. We headed for the main dinning room for breakfast and I tried my luck at Eggs Benedict again, "alas earwax" as Dumbledore would say. I’m not sure why this ship hasn’t figured out how to make eggs?

 

We pulled into Valencia harbor around 10AM and docked on the extreme far side of the concrete pier. It was several miles around the docks so if you weren’t on a tour it was $8 for the bus. There only seemed to be about a dozen tour busses waiting so either everyone’s tour was later in the morning or this just isn’t a popular place to see. There was a band and some local dancers to greet us but the Captain decided to rotate the vessel to the port side so they were quickly hidden from view. We were going to the Arts & Sciences Museum and had a few minutes before we had to head to Studio B to gather with our tour mates so we relaxed in the cabin, sipping coffee, until it was time to leave.

 

We took the long walk off the short pier and eventually made it to our bus-lucky #13. Caesaré was out tour guide and he couldn’t really speak English too well. The mic on the bus didn’t really compensate for the A/C so no one could really hear him. We had wireless earbuds for the walking portions but those were pretty staticy and he didn’t wear his headset on his head but rather around his neck so the mouthpiece was never in the right position. He quickly took us past churches and squares and Roman remains where there used to be something 1000 years ago but not any longer because they took all the stones to build the addition to the church tower next door… This went on for several hours until we had a 10 minute pit stop at McDonald’s of all places. We reboarded the bus and headed to the other side of the river (which isn’t a river any longer) and went to the City of Arts & Sciences. The Architecture was stunning but at the end of the tour I felt about it the way I felt about Valencia itself-it was full of sound and fury and signified nothing. The jumble of buildings and cultures and people has created a city of contrasts. Riches and opulence are side by side with homelessness, poverty, and gang tags everywhere. A city can be defined by it’s buildings but unless the people are taken care of then it has no soul. I may have been jaded by our less than experienced tour guide and his sub standard equipment, but frankly Malaga has my vote for my favorite city in Spain and I don’t really care if I make it back to Valencia anytime soon. We returned to the ship and ate a quick bite since the tour hadn’t taken basic human needs like food and drink into consideration. We went up to the CL and tipped the boys and then headed down to dinner with our tablemates who had been on the same tour with us. I got brave and ordered the Indian entrée only to be informed it was off the menu. I swapped out tempura fish and had coffee for dessert. We tipped our waiters and hugged everyone at our table and headed back up to our cabin. The casino was open now since we were underway for Barcelona so I went down to cash in my 3¢ from the slot machines. I gave it to Robin and sent her down to get her points redeemed.

 

[stompy]

04/16/2011

 

The Long Trip Home

 

We woke up at 5AM and got ready for the long day. We watched the activity on the docks and headed up for breakfast five minutes early. We headed for the back of the Windjammer and of course they weren’t making custom eggs for the departure day. Oh well, par for the course. I spilled a small piece of bacon on my shirt and it bugged me for the next 23 hours. We ate quickly and headed back to the cabin to get our bags and head to the departure lounge. As soon as we arrived our number was called so we turned right around and headed for the elevator. We got off without a hitch and went to immigration. I made the mistake of speaking Spanish to the lady controlling the line and she assumed I was fluent and said something lilting to me in Castillion and I kind of just wandered to where she was pointing. The Spanish immigration officer stamped my passport and we were off to collect our bags. We had an early flight and I was a bit worried about this stage since we’ve had bag trouble in this port before. Fortunately all our luggage showed up pretty quickly and we took it out to the trucks bound for the airport and boarded our bus. We had a quick ride to the airport and collected our bags again and trudged over to the Delta desk which is at the far end of the terminal. There was a long line but lots of gate agents so we got through quickly. We went through security and then went downstairs to our gate. We almost exited the airport but figured out we were in the wrong place just in the nick of time and retraced our steps. We went through a second international checkpoint and got another stamp in our passport. When we got to the gate I looked at the stamps and realized one had a boat and the other had a plane on it. They had also done the same thing the year before so everything was fine. Robin had been randomly picked for some extra security checks so she got hauled away from me which I wasn’t too happy about but in the end it was nothing major. I got on the plane a bit early when I told the gate agent that my wife had been taken away by security but I had the bags and would like to join her. We left about 45 minutes late and the flight was relatively uneventful. The flight crew on this trip was wonderful-pleasant and professional. All crews should take a tip from these folks. I've got to say Airbus planes seem to be better configured for passenger comfort than Boeing...

 

Our flight into Atlanta got in an hour late and we had to claim our bags and recheck them so I was fearful we wouldn’t make it in time to our connecting flight. We got through security and took a tram to another terminal. Robin dashed and I schlepped along behind her. We got to the gate 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time which is normally when the doors are closed but they must have had some delays because they were just calling the special assistance folks and the top tier frequent fliers. We were in the last group and got on about five minutes later. It was clearly evident we were back in the US-the flight crew was surly and uncaring-everything was back to normal.

 

After a long day we finally got home and flopped into bed around 10:30 PM local time which was about 5:30 AM Spain time so effectively we had been up for 24 1/2 hours straight.

 

Cruise-wise we had a nice time and loved meeting all the seasoned vets in the Concierge Lounge. The Liberty is a ship in transition. The staff all seemed a little new and not very happy to be aboard. We didn’t have a bad time but we can’t say we had a good time either. We have decided that we’re not going to sail her again and just stick to Voyager and the other ships that have a Prommenade.

 

[jill5172]

Sorry to hear that the overall impression was one of a ship in transition. We did the last cruise for the season out of Alaska a couple of years ago and the crew was the new crew for the eventual Southeast Asia itinerary. We had multiple issues and it definitely affected our experience. We agreed that we'd try to never get a cruise with a transitional crew again.

 

Hope the crew is a bit more settled when we sail on her in late June. Thanks again for your detailed review!