Our Fabulous Vacation: My Liberty of the Seas Photo Review

[OklaCruiserMom]

Thank you for taking the time to do this review. I have been loving it- you got some amazingly beautiful photos. I see those comparison shots of the two ships and think daaaaaa.....! So huge! You and your friends seem like you had a wonderful time together. I am really hoping I can get either my sisters or my favorite cousins, or SOMEBODY to go on a girls' trip with me someday. I've never gotten to do that, and it seems like SO much fun!

 

This is probably a completely rude question, and if it is, I'm sorry, and you don't have to answer, but could you give a ballpark figure on how much this whole trip cost you, with everything you did (because it doesn't look like you skimped on anything) so that I can tell my sisters and my cousins how long they'll have to save for? I would really like to try to get a trip like this together. Thanks so much!

[Keri's Cruisin']

The Miami Vice is the BEST drink in the world....Glad you found it!!

[shonandsuzie]

Still following along...

This is the best reading for a long Friday at work! :)

Loving every detail...

[Host Faith]

I remember lying on the beach in San Juan and saw the Freedom of the Seas approaching San Juan. It was brand new. I couldn't believe how enormous it looked, even from a distance.

 

I know, it's hard to wrap my mind around the size of the ship. Michele has me chuckling since she said I should just wait till I see the Allure. It's amazing how ships that large can be maneuvered into small spaces.

 

Thank you for taking the time to do this review. I have been loving it- you got some amazingly beautiful photos. I see those comparison shots of the two ships and think daaaaaa.....! So huge! You and your friends seem like you had a wonderful time together. I am really hoping I can get either my sisters or my favorite cousins, or SOMEBODY to go on a girls' trip with me someday. I've never gotten to do that, and it seems like SO much fun!

 

This is probably a completely rude question, and if it is, I'm sorry, and you don't have to answer, but could you give a ballpark figure on how much this whole trip cost you, with everything you did (because it doesn't look like you skimped on anything) so that I can tell my sisters and my cousins how long they'll have to save for? I would really like to try to get a trip like this together. Thanks so much!

 

Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying our trip! No problem at all to answer your question.

 

For the round-trip flights and cruise, each person paid $700. This included all taxes, fees, and checked baggage for each flight.

 

I paid for the hotel room myself as a gift to them.

 

The full day in Cozumel, including all stops, the driver's fee, all admission fees, tips, and Mr. Sancho's All Inclusive was $130 pp.

 

Ship gratuities (charged to their own Seapasses) was $46 pp.

 

Crystal treated us to the car rental at the beginning of the trip. We paid $20 pp at the end of the cruise for our last car rental.

 

What I did was give them a due date for the $700 about a month before the cruise final payment was due. They were responsible to give me the excursion fee whenever they were ready during the cruise. They brought their own spending money, etc. Essentially, they would have had a wonderful time just paying the cruise fare and the excursion fare. The rest was up to them. :)

 

To find prices like that, you have to monitor prices regularly. I booked at just the right time because the flights and cruise fare jumped about $300 pp about 3 weeks before the cruise. I would do a search on what you want, watch the prices for a week or two, then give everyone an estimate.

Edited March 16, 2012 by Host Faith

[Pichu21]

The photos of the Liberty next to the Jewel are absolutely incredible. They're beautiful. I've had the opportunity to see the Jewel quite a few times in port and up close she is one big ship! We're going on the Freedom in 30 days and I questioned many times just how big will she be, after cruising on the Oasis. These pictures speak for themselves. They're just astonishing. I'm thoroughly enjoying your photo review. I just love all of the pictures! :D

 

Did you have a chance to take pictures of the Jewel of the Seas up from the top decks of the Liberty? I'm hoping I get to see one of those in the next few posts. :)

[Host Faith]

The Miami Vice is the BEST drink in the world....Glad you found it!!

 

Yes! I'll just stick to those from now on :)

 

Still following along...

This is the best reading for a long Friday at work! :)

Loving every detail...

 

Thank you for reading! CC does help the time go by faster!

[Host Faith]

The photos of the Liberty next to the Jewel are absolutely incredible. They're beautiful. I've had the opportunity to see the Jewel quite a few times in port and up close she is one big ship! We're going on the Freedom in 30 days and I questioned many times just how big will she be, after cruising on the Oasis. These pictures speak for themselves. They're just astonishing. I'm thoroughly enjoying your photo review. I just love all of the pictures! :D

 

Did you have a chance to take pictures of the Jewel of the Seas up from the top decks of the Liberty? I'm hoping I get to see one of those in the next few posts. :)

 

Your wish is granted! I'm about to post those in a few seconds :)

[Host Faith]

So on our return, Rae and Crystal returned to the room, but I wanted to watch sailaway. I took some shots of the pool deck of the Jewel from deck 12 on the Liberty. I couldn't believe that we were looking down into the Jewel's pool deck. :eek:

 

 



 



 



 

 

[Host Faith]

Bye-bye Cozumel! We'll be back :)

 

 



 



 



 

[BillOh]

Great review! We were on the same cruise, I however, have not rested and recovered enough to do a review yet. Half marathon for me tomorrow and then hopefully I'll remember enough to do a decent review and post some pics. We had a wonderful trip too! I would definitely sail on Liberty again.

 

I'll bet you didn't expect 70 degrees in March when you signed up for a half marathon, assuming its near you in WVA.

[yj2cute]

Chrystal,

 

What I love about your group, which is very similar to my group, is that you all feel free to do you own thing. You don't feel the need to do every single thing together. I think that's great and one reason why a cruise is a great vacation. Something for everyone.

[cruise pup]

I didn't realize that you've been working on this review as I've been reading it. ;) I have to say that this review is marvelous. I've been on the Liberty (going again next month to Europe on it for 14 days!) but seeing it through your eyes and lens gave me a renewed enthusiasm. After all, when you take a lot of cruises, they start to blend together but you really point out what makes Liberty so special. And I've now learned about sail away from the heliport and St. Tropez deck (I guess all Voyager and Freedom Class ships have them- just looked they all have helipads but only Freedom class has the St. Tropez deck). I look forward to the rest of your review. The menus and Compasses are terrific. They came out so clear.

Edited March 16, 2012 by cruise pup

[OklaCruiserMom]

I know, it's hard to wrap my mind around the size of the ship. Michele has me chuckling since she said I should just wait till I see the Allure. It's amazing how ships that large can be maneuvered into small spaces.

 

 

 

Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying our trip! No problem at all to answer your question.

 

For the round-trip flights and cruise, each person paid $700. This included all taxes, fees, and checked baggage for each flight.

 

I paid for the hotel room myself as a gift to them.

 

The full day in Cozumel, including all stops, the driver's fee, all admission fees, tips, and Mr. Sancho's All Inclusive was $130 pp.

 

Ship gratuities (charged to their own Seapasses) was $46 pp.

 

Crystal treated us to the car rental at the beginning of the trip. We paid $20 pp at the end of the cruise for our last car rental.

 

What I did was give them a due date for the $700 about a month before the cruise final payment was due. They were responsible to give me the excursion fee whenever they were ready during the cruise. They brought their own spending money, etc. Essentially, they would have had a wonderful time just paying the cruise fare and the excursion fare. The rest was up to them. :)

 

To find prices like that, you have to monitor prices regularly. I booked at just the right time because the flights and cruise fare jumped about $300 pp about 3 weeks before the cruise. I would do a search on what you want, watch the prices for a week or two, then give everyone an estimate.

 

Thank you again! I will take that all into consideration for if I ever get a chance to plan something like this. It will most likely be a couple of years from now, but something to look forward to and work toward! :D

 

You have such a great attitude on your travels, btw. I'm reading your one of your Seranade reviews right now, and it's so great how, on all of your trips, when you don't like something or when something goes wrong, be it major or minor, you just seem to take it all in stride. You obviously strive to be a pleasant, positive person. I try to do that too, but I haven't traveled much, Lol. Kudos to you!

[disneyfan68]

This is by far the best review I have ever read. Absolutely love all of your detail and the pictures are amazing. What great shots. I can tell you all are having an amazing trip!

 

I read your entire review so far and loved every minute of it. Thank you so much for taking the time to post for all of us!

 

Karyn

[palmettostatecruiser]

OOOOO, I can see our cabin on the Jewel in several of your shots!!! Only 24 more days & we're on her :p We love this area of Mexico - we did a 2 week land vacay 2 yrs. ago in the Playa area and absolutely fell in love. That's why we chose this itinerary, so we could do a 1st time cruise for our son & get back there :D

[Virtopia]

Really enjoying this review! I'd love to get a couple close friends and go on a trip anywhere; right now, I'd have to settle for my cruising buddy, but she's the best.

 

Glad to hear you are enjoying the Miami Vice! LOL I just discovered it on my last cruise and it's now a favourite, a staple if you will. I probably ordered it 5 or 6 times during my sailing.

 

Our cruise will be stopping in Cozumel and we've already put down our deposit for Nachi Cocom, but now I'm scared. This place does look way more lively and it's the same cost. We're both outgoing, but my friend is very social and I don't want her to get bored, but she's been to Cozumel several times and this was her choice, so I hope it works out for us.

 

Still hoping you pick the Sept 23rd sailing for you and your husband's Allure cruise!

[sarahc78]

Loving your review. Only half way through but its great!

[mikemike404]

That hotel in Cozumel looked nice. I often dream about swim up bars.

[Host Faith]

Chrystal,

 

What I love about your group, which is very similar to my group, is that you all feel free to do you own thing. You don't feel the need to do every single thing together. I think that's great and one reason why a cruise is a great vacation. Something for everyone.

 

Exactly, yes, that what I love about cruising. It helps when you have friends who aren't that clingy! :D We love being together but also enjoy being on our own once in a while. We all did different things and each felt that they had a great time.

 

I didn't realize that you've been working on this review as I've been reading it. ;) I have to say that this review is marvelous. I've been on the Liberty (going again next month to Europe on it for 14 days!) but seeing it through your eyes and lens gave me a renewed enthusiasm. After all, when you take a lot of cruises, they start to blend together but you really point out what makes Liberty so special. And I've now learned about sail away from the heliport and St. Tropez deck (I guess all Voyager and Freedom Class ships have them- just looked they all have helipads but only Freedom class has the St. Tropez deck). I look forward to the rest of your review. The menus and Compasses are terrific. They came out so clear.

 

Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear that you're excited about your cruise. I think we'll watch sailaway from the helipad from now on, it's pretty awesome. Enjoy your Transatlantic, that sounds like an amazing trip. :)

 

Thank you again! I will take that all into consideration for if I ever get a chance to plan something like this. It will most likely be a couple of years from now, but something to look forward to and work toward! :D

 

You have such a great attitude on your travels, btw. I'm reading your one of your Seranade reviews right now, and it's so great how, on all of your trips, when you don't like something or when something goes wrong, be it major or minor, you just seem to take it all in stride. You obviously strive to be a pleasant, positive person. I try to do that too, but I haven't traveled much, Lol. Kudos to you!

 

Thank you! I never understood how someone could be so grumpy on a cruise...unless they were quarantined in their inside stateroom for the entire thing! :eek: I mean there's so much to see and enjoy, and being on the water is relaxing. I didn't pay all that money to complain or have a miserable time, so we take everything in stride, you know? It's great that you have that attitude too, makes for a much more pleasant journey through life :)

[Host Faith]

This is by far the best review I have ever read. Absolutely love all of your detail and the pictures are amazing. What great shots. I can tell you all are having an amazing trip!

 

I read your entire review so far and loved every minute of it. Thank you so much for taking the time to post for all of us!

 

Karyn

 

Thank you Karyn! :D:D

 

OOOOO, I can see our cabin on the Jewel in several of your shots!!! Only 24 more days & we're on her :p We love this area of Mexico - we did a 2 week land vacay 2 yrs. ago in the Playa area and absolutely fell in love. That's why we chose this itinerary, so we could do a 1st time cruise for our son & get back there :D

 

Haha! We definitely are looking to plan a land vacation in the area someday. Enjoy your cruise on the Jewel! I have a special place in my heart for the Radiance class :)

[cruise pup]

Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear that you're excited about your cruise. I think we'll watch sailaway from the helipad from now on, it's pretty awesome. Enjoy your Transatlantic, that sounds like an amazing trip. :)

 

Thank you. I forgot to mention that on Celebrity you need to be invited by the Captain to join him on the helipad for sailaway. It's closed to everyone else (probably because the helipad is normally a restricted area on X).:(

Edited March 16, 2012 by cruise pup

[LBumb]

awesome job

[Host Faith]

Really enjoying this review! I'd love to get a couple close friends and go on a trip anywhere; right now, I'd have to settle for my cruising buddy, but she's the best.

 

Glad to hear you are enjoying the Miami Vice! LOL I just discovered it on my last cruise and it's now a favourite, a staple if you will. I probably ordered it 5 or 6 times during my sailing.

 

Our cruise will be stopping in Cozumel and we've already put down our deposit for Nachi Cocom, but now I'm scared. This place does look way more lively and it's the same cost. We're both outgoing, but my friend is very social and I don't want her to get bored, but she's been to Cozumel several times and this was her choice, so I hope it works out for us.

 

Still hoping you pick the Sept 23rd sailing for you and your husband's Allure cruise!

 

Haha! Gotta love that Miami Vice!

 

If your friend has been there before, I think you'll be fine. The great thing about Nachi is it's limited to about 100 people per day, so you'll have plenty of space to yourselves. You may meet up with some other people there so you can enjoy the water sports, etc, there.

 

We'll see about the 23rd! It would be great to see you and celebrate your birthday!:)

 

Loving your review. Only half way through but its great!

Thank you so much :)

 

That hotel in Cozumel looked nice. I often dream about swim up bars.

 

Yes Mr. Sancho's was wonderful. It's amazing that they shut everything down for the night and reopen in the morning. We didn't even have a chance to get to the swim up bar- well, Crystal did lol

Edited March 16, 2012 by Host Faith

[Host Faith]

Thank you. I forgot to mention that on Celebrity you need to be invited by the Captain to join him on the helipad for sailaway. It's closed to everyone else (probably because the helipad is normally a restricted area on X).:(

 

Oh, that's good to know! Don't want to get caught trying to get into a restricted area! :o:)

 

awesome job

 

Thanks!

[Ren1216]

Chrystal, I was wondering if you switched your camera setting to some sort of color-rich mode? The pictures came out wonderful, especially at Mr Sancho's! I've often considered trying the "happy" setting on my Panasonic camera but always worried they would come out fake looking. Your photo's have convinced me to go for it. Everything just looks so vibrant and... well, happy :)

 

Speaking of.... I think what makes your review so enjoyable to read is that the three of you look so happy, together and individually. It's wonderful that you gals make it a point to do all of the things you enjoy. Your spirit is contagious and inspiring.

 

Dance like there's no tomorrow! Just awesome.