Carnival Liberty 11/24!! Diary and Review

[wikoffclan]

Wonderful review! Really enjoying reading about your cruise experience. thank you!!!

[Catrin]

[quote name='mephistoles']Truth be told, I was a huge fan of the 80s brit invasion (as we called it back then)...when MTV actually played music videos and all that good stuff. Now, had there been a 90s trivia game (or current music game), I would've tanked...LOL[/quote]

Exactly my favorite!! I did play 90's music trivia... sound clips... and did pretty good but someone got them all right!

Later on in the week they had 70's sing along, similar to the Motown one.. and it was so much fun. Mostly Disco hits .. and I got them all right and won another trophy!!

They really made the games FUN this cruise, which made it a blast. I had been on a few cruises, where the trivia and entertainment seemed like such a chore to the staff. Here, they really seemed to love what they do.

[cruisinJenF]

Wonderful review!!!! Really enjoying it!! Thanks for taking the time to do it for all of us- it helps with my cruise fever! To be cured I need to book a cruise ;)

[cruzn buckeye]

[quote name='Catrin']


Carnival Liberty Itinerary - Miami - Half Moon Cay - Day at Sea - St. Thomas - San Juan - Grand Turk - Day at Sea - Miami

[U]Friday - November 23rd[/U]
How did I begin this day?? The Day after Thanksgiving? Yes... I went Black Friday Shopping! A yearly tradition with my girlfriend, we started at 3am and I was home early.. by 9am! Steve finished packing and preparing my house for my Mom and Sister in Law, who were staying with my 3 kids (ages 17,14 and 7). We had a 2:30 flight out of Providence via Southwest - the flight stopped in Orlando (without us getting off) then arrived in FLL at 7:00. Southwest is our airline of choice out of Providence. The flight went off without a hitch and we arrived on time!!

When planning this trip, we had to decide whether to go Directly to Miami that night, or to go stay in FLL and go to Miami on Saturday Morning. Steve was able to get a hotel deal through work and they had a room at the Hampton Inn on Stirling Rd, near the FLL Airport for almost FREE - so we decided to stay there. We caught the hotel shuttle and arrived there by 8pm. We ate at Chipolte, across the street. Then we ventured to the Plaza next to the hotel, where we bought 3 6-packs of 16oz Diet Coke and Dr. Pepper bottles to bring on the ship with us.

The Hampton Inn was just fine. Nothing fancy, but for the price, you could not beat it. Most of the clientele were cruise passengers going out of FLL the next day. We would stay here again if we were arriving in FLL after 7pm, or if we were sailing out of FLL.
[U]
Saturday November 24th[/U]
Finally!!!!

The day that we waited for .. for over a year.. finally arrived!!

We slept just fine and ventured downstairs to have Breakfast at the Hotel. Your basic Hampton Inn Breakfast with Belgian Waffles, Pastry, Coffee, etc. I have stayed at many Hampton Inn Hotels with my job and the breakfast offerings here were minimal compared to other hotels. Not Impressed.. but... did I knew I would have 7 days of fantastic breakfasts ahead of me!!

Arranging transportation from FLL to Miami was one of those things that we tossed many options for .. for a long time. We could have rented a car, we could have taken a taxi, or we could have booked a shuttle. The one time we booked SAS, in 2009, they never showed up. So, then .. we decided on another option... we called Limos of Miami - who we rented a Limo from in 2003 and 2007. Would they have a car available? It was a bit more expensive than the shuttle.. but we liked the idea that they would pick us up when we wanted .. and since we had a very early flight home, they would pick us up as early as we wanted in Miami next Saturday.

We received a surprise phone call when we were at the Hampton Friday night. Limos of Miami wanted to know if it was ok for us to receive a free upgrade, because they had to get a Limo to the Port of Miami.. and instead of having two cars on the road, they would pick us up first and take the Limo to the Port to pick up the party getting off the ship!! Were we going to say NO to that?? I don't think so!!

So.. Saturday Morning, we get a call from our Driver.. the Limo is here!!

We go downstairs to check out.. and I peeked out... and gasped... this was no Limo.... this was a MONSTER LIMO!!!

[IMG][URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322759183/"][IMG]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8083/8322759183_5d1690e508.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322759183/"]IMG_1408[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr[/IMG]

People looked at us... like we were nuts!!!

[IMG][URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322758997/"][IMG]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8494/8322758997_d28df7d893.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322758997/"]IMG_1410[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr[/IMG]
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322758679/"]IMG_1412[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322758503/"]IMG_1414[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr

We rode in Style for our 25 minute trip to the Port of Miami!! We were picked up at 9am and arrived at the Port at 9:30. Very very early.. but we did not care.. we were there!!
[IMG][URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323817578/"][IMG]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8495/8323817578_6e7b19d072.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323817578/"]IMG_1415[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr[/IMG][/quote]
This happened to me too! It was me and my boyfriend.... booked a towncar... when we called them from the airport for pickup, they said, we are sorry, we don't have the towncar you reserved this morning... would it be okay with you if we pick you up in our Hummer Limo?? Hellllloooooo... are you kidding?? Hell ya... is it free?? yep, no charge! It was funny when we pulled in the port... our Hummer Limo was suddenly surrounded by porters, probably expecting a big wedding party or big group of friends... instead they got just the two of us in our shorts and tees... :D but it was really cool riding in that Hummer!

[LynnAnne]

Really enjoying your review thank you!

[Catrin]

Thank you everyone who has responded.... it is encouraging to receive responses when someone reads your review!!!

So.. I will continue later tonight....back to work today!!!

A few other thoughts before I get to the next day....

Platinum Benefits - We are lucky as this is our 13th cruise and we are Platinum VIP or whatever you want to call it. Besides the early embarkation, the best benefit is the Laundry. Each guest can do up to 3 loads of laundry. We did four for the seven days. You use the paper bags given for laundry service. You itemize your list and write PLATINUM on top. Let me tell you, we are experts at PACKING these bags. Roll those clothes and fit as much in as you can!! It was great to go home with only a small suitcase of dirty clothes. We had issues our last cruise (they lost our laundry, long story), but this time, everything was back that same night in a nice tray all folded. Best Perk Ever!!

Other Perks - Platinum line at Guest Services - used it twice. Each time saved five or ten minutes.
Chocolate Strawberries sent to room - Yummy
Binoculars.... not our favorite gift. We wish we got Tervis Tumblers!
Carnival Pin
Buy One Get One Slot Tournament - yes, we did this .. but only once.
Early Embarkation - came in handy (will get to that later on!).

Things we saw ... that come up here often on CC

Diapers in the Hot Tub - UGGGG. Having cruised with our kids since they were 2, we know the rules and always followed them when it came to diapers, swim diapers, etc. So, if you can imagine, a father brought his child into the Hot Tub one morning while Steve was in it.. with a SWIM DIAPER. Steve got out immediately, and mentioned it to the pool attendant. He got a supervisor and they approached the Dad. The father was very upset and caused a little stink but did get out. Unfortunately, the little boy started crying. While we felt bad, the last thing we would want to be in the hot tub while the little boy does his thing, diaper or not! I do not think the Dad was being devious in his actions.. I honestly did not think he knew the rules, and assumed Swim Diapers were ok.

Dress Code at Dinner.
Pittsburgh Steelers Tshirt and Jeans on Formal Night. Lovely. Did it ruin our night? No, we just laughed at the guy who looked out of place. The weird thing, he wore a nice polo shirt the next night.

Bartenders
I am not a drinker, but we loved sitting at the Casino / Promenade Deck Bar listening to Music Asia and watching people. Those ladies working this bar were AMAZING. They never ever stopped. I had never witnessed a more efficient, friendly crew than the staff at the Casino Bar. The bartender at the Piano Bar was amazing too. She staffs the entire Piano Bar alone.. from taking orders, to making the drinks herself. These people DESERVE their 15%!

Shopping
Same Ole Same Ole. But the selection of 2/$20 Tshirts was better this cruise than the past few cruises. We did notice a few more Carnival Liberty items than in the past. One thing I did like was the knock off Pandora Bracelets they featured the last day.

Internet
We bought an internet package one of the lower priced ones- and I ended up using my IPad. So so easy to use.. and connection, while slow, was not as slow as I anticipated. I was able to check in with the kids daily and check my mail. I know the packages are changing, but until then, there is always a first day special with extra minutes added. Be sure to sign up the first day if you need a package!

More later!
Catrin

[LynnAnne]

Were you able to use your IPad and get online in your room?

[Catrin]

[quote name='LynnAnne']Were you able to use your IPad and get online in your room?[/quote]

Yes, I did.... and it was great!
I signed up for the internet package and followed the instructions to get online via the Carnival Connection. It was important to make sure I logged out immediately, as the clock was ticking!

It was great to do it from my room rather than the internet cafe. On past cruises, that internet cafe was always packed. On this cruise, I hardly saw anyone use the computers. I bet many were logged in via laptops or Ipads.

Catrin

[Catrin]

Sorry for those of you who may be looking for the rest.....

Just got home from work, the remainder will come tomorrow night!!!

Catrin

[Catrin]

Finally getting to do a page....

We watched the sail away from San Juan... after a full 24 hours here, we had a fun time but we were ready for our trip to Grand Turk!!

It was time for the Past Guest Party.... or whatever you want to call it now!! It was from 5-545 in the Main Show room. We thought that since it did not include all past guests, that the participation would be fewer people... BOY WE WERE WRONG!!! There were people lined up down the hallway, around the corner etc.
The party.... once we were seated, it took FOREVER to get a drink. Once the drink came, I asked for a Non Alcoholic punch and it eventually came. The drinks were big, as reported, but did not come around as frequently. The appetizers were good, but once again, we were served only one time. The film showed was similar to the ones shown in the past, and Karl introduced some of the staff. There was no prize drawn from the invitation cards, as there have been in the past. Overall, I would say it was an OK party. I would love to have a party with the Platinum and Diamond Guests, which there were over 40 on this cruise.
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[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322779257/]IMG_1607[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/]catrin0917[/url], on Flickr

That night for dinner, is my least favorite menu. But I ended up having the Pork Tenderloin Steak, which was outstanding. But the best part of the menu? The most AMAZING dessert EVER... Bitter N Blanc!!

I just had to take a picture of it, so I can dream about it until my next cruise....
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[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838550/]IMG_1609[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/]catrin0917[/url], on Flickr

We came back to the room to the most amazing Towel Animal again! I am not a huge Towel Animal Junkie... they are cute, but I would rather have our Room Steward just keep our room clean!! But, this time, since we were taking pictures for my daughter, we enjoyed them and I thought that Santika our room steward was awesome!!!
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[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838344/]IMG_1610[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/]catrin0917[/url], on Flickr

[Catrin]

This was the night, that I heard many people saying "there wasnt too much to do!". They did have a Mardi Gras party in the Lobby Atrium ... I had never seen so many people screaming and yelling for Mardi Gras beads before!! I have to say, they certainly did have a knack of creating crowds of people to sing and dance and have a good time.

The main show this night was Chrisopher Alan Graves Singing with the Big Band. He was the main singer on one of our first cruises.. and I think he has been on at least HALF our 13 cruises!! Needless to say, we did not see him perform this cruise. We did listen to Music Asia a bit before heading to bed.

Thursday - Grand Turk Day
We were due to arrive in Grand Turk at 11am. This was a port we had never been to. We were looking forward to visiting the Margaritaville and walking along the beach to Jack's Shack.

We had breakfast upstairs and Steve tried a breakfast Burrito, which he really liked. I had a simple breakfast today, cereal, and a bagel. It was neat watching the ship arrive to Grand Turk and we stayed on our deck for about an hour just watching us arrive and dock at the peir.
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838080/"]IMG_1613[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr
Along the beach, we saw several signs for the Beach Front restaurants with chairs. I was able to Zoom in with my camera and read those signs....obviously, those restaurants recognize how overpriced and commerialized the Margaritaville is. This particular place was making some very loud announcments as we sailed in. Nothing like LIVE advertising! I give them an A for effort!
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322778493/"]IMG_1614[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr

We took our time getting off the ship. We did not have anything planned, so we were not in the mood of fighting with the crowds getting off. Once we got off, it was close to 11:30.
There is a lot to do right at the pier area. There is a beach, shopping, and Margaritaville right there. I was curious about this area, as the pictures looked terrific and we thought it would be fun to start here.
Here is the beach from the pier. You can tell that already people were enjoying it!
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322778217/"]IMG_1621[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], o[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323837472/"][IMG]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8220/8323837472_dce8035ca9.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323837472/"]IMG_1623[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickrn Flickr

We made our way to the pool at Margaritaville. Chairs were already filling up. We found two chairs under an umbrella. We got settled, then we went in the pool immediately. What a great pool!! We swam for a while, then I got out and read a bit. Steve stayed in the water most of the time there! We then decided we wanted a bite to eat.. just something to split. Getting drink and food service was impossible. Finally, we found a waiter and ordered. Drinks came quickly and food a short while after.
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322777815/"]IMG_1624[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323836942/"]IMG_1626[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr
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There was a DJ at the bar and they were playing music as well as having a bikini contest, etc. It was certainly a party atmosphere. After about an hour there, another Carnival Ship arrived to join us. Having two ships here made this port and Margaritiville very crowded!! Most were there to drink and have a fun time, however.

[Catrin]

[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323836750/"][IMG]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8502/8323836750_5b99feefbc.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323836750/"]IMG_1628[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322777181/"]IMG_1629[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322776999/"]IMG_1633[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr

Well, just when we were getting packed up to go check out the beach, it started to RAIN. We just looked at each other and we were happy with our relaxing afternoon and we decided to skip the beach and head back to the ship. We were glad to see the Destiny, who we went on back in 1999. It would be our last time seeing her, as she will become the Sunshine later this year.
You certainly realize how HUGE these ships are when you walk between the two at the port!!

Once we arrived back on the ship, we went to the AFT Pool area, which had the cover on. We were able to find a seat here, grabbed a slice of Pizza. Steve went into the pool and I hung out and talked to some nice people. Before we knew it, it was 5pm..... time to sail away. We hung out on our balcony and had our nightly review of the day with Jennifer and Dave above us. It was great to have someone to talk to outside!!! It was time to get ready for our second Elegant Night!
For dinner tonight, I had one of my favorite dishes.. Basa Fillet. This is a winning recipe from a cruisewide contest that Carnival enterened a few years back. It is the most delicious fish dish. We also had Escargot appetizers, a favorite.
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323836242/"]IMG_1635[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr
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After Dinner, we ran into Sally and Jack and chatted with them for a bit. What nice neighbors!!
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323835732/"]IMG_1650[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr

[Catrin]

We walked around for a bit and peeked into the Piano bar. There, sitting alone, was a sight impared person, who really seemed to be enjoying himself later that night. I guess he wanted to have the best seat in the house!
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323834942/"]IMG_1651[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr
That night, we went to the Punchliner Comedy Club for the first show which was Family Friendly. Allyn Ball was the comedian. It was fun, not hysterical, but fine for adults and older kids.
After that show, we went to the Casino bar once again and watched those amazing ladies working!! We listened to Music Asia once again and waited for another sing a long party! This time, it was Guess that 70's Music Trivia - with a sing along party afterwards. WHAT A BLAST!!! Well... I love that era almost as much as the 80's and guessing those songs such as Celebration, Staying Alive, Sweet Caroline... is second nature to me. I thought the trivia was VERY easy.... but I was one of two people who got them ALL right.... ANOTHER TROPHY!!! The best part was the crowd that grew and grew and grew when we actually SANG the answers! By the time the last song came, Music Asia went from playing soft rock to PARTY Music!! Once again, the trivia, sing along was a well choreographed machine and did exactly what it set out to do.

We then went to the Piano bar again. We had not been in several nights and Ben was able to maintain quite a crowd all week. His jokes were old, the same songs sung.. but he was fun, entertaining and a talented piano player. I hope he continues to grow his craft and continues on Carnival. Someone recently slammed in on John Heald's blog, and I think it was unfounded.

Once again, we arrived back into our room with the cutest Towel Animal! Chase loved this one!
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[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323835928/"]IMG_1644[/URL] by [URL="http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/"]catrin0917[/URL], on Flickr

Friday November 30th - LAST Sea Day

I always hate this day. This is a day when you try to do everything you did not do all week. When you have to PACK, and start to stress about travelling home.
I woke up and went to the gym one last time. For those of you who like to plug your IPOD into the Elliptical or treadmill... only a few were working. When they worked, it was cool to watch my Foo Fighters videos on the screen while working out!! The gym was VERY crowded this day, people already trying to work off that ice cream?

Instead of a Debarkation talk, a video is shown on the TV on a continuous loop throughout the day. We loved this idea, and watched the entire thing to prepare. It was much better than attending a crowded talk in the show room.

For breakfast, we had a huge breakfast upstairs on the Lido Deck. Those omelets are still terrific, and finally found a cook who understood what well done eggs meant!
At 9am, I wanted to go to the Gift Shops for the 2 for $20 Tshirt sale. We usually make out good with the sales. They did have two new Tshirts that I bought for Steve. We also browsed the shops and I bought one of those Pandora Bracelet sets for my sister in law, who watched the kids. Yes, they are not real Pandoras but for what they are, they are actually very nice bracelets!
After Shopping, we took a walk throughout the ship to browse a bit. We ended up back in our cabin, where we started packing. Ugggg... a chore but it had to be done at one point!
We spent the rest of the day in events.. .Groove for St. Jude, which I watched everyone having fun, the Super Trivia, which we watched for a bit, and we hung out once again in the aft pool area. A completely relaxing day for our last at sea day. Reading was a success this trip, as I read a full book and half of another!

That is all I have in me for now....
Tomorrow will be the last installment... final dinner, final fun night, departing, and final thoughts!

Please let me know if you have any questions!
Catrin

[cruiseveteran2]

I was also on that same cruise. (kilt wearing guy) I booked it a few weeks before sailing. I switched from the Glory.. "long story". I also enjoyed the Piano Bar. I was there a few times during the week. To bad we missed St thomas, I had plenty of San jaun, 24 hours is enougth.. There is always next time.

[lilbits67]

Cathy, Great review!!!! Its like living it all over again. You and Steve were the great neighbors. Jack and I would go out on our balcony and look over for you and then look up for Jen and Dave. It was awesome.

[homegirl04]

Is this desert a new menu item? I don;t think I have even seen it before....what is in it??



[quote name='Catrin']Finally getting to do a page....

We watched the sail away from San Juan... after a full 24 hours here, we had a fun time but we were ready for our trip to Grand Turk!!

It was time for the Past Guest Party.... or whatever you want to call it now!! It was from 5-545 in the Main Show room. We thought that since it did not include all past guests, that the participation would be fewer people... BOY WE WERE WRONG!!! There were people lined up down the hallway, around the corner etc.
The party.... once we were seated, it took FOREVER to get a drink. Once the drink came, I asked for a Non Alcoholic punch and it eventually came. The drinks were big, as reported, but did not come around as frequently. The appetizers were good, but once again, we were served only one time. The film showed was similar to the ones shown in the past, and Karl introduced some of the staff. There was no prize drawn from the invitation cards, as there have been in the past. Overall, I would say it was an OK party. I would love to have a party with the Platinum and Diamond Guests, which there were over 40 on this cruise.
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322779257/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8362/8322779257_e156d39182.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322779257/]IMG_1607[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/]catrin0917[/url], on Flickr

That night for dinner, is my least favorite menu. But I ended up having the Pork Tenderloin Steak, which was outstanding. But the best part of the menu? The most AMAZING dessert EVER... Bitter N Blanc!!

I just had to take a picture of it, so I can dream about it until my next cruise....
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838550/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8223/8323838550_699b7c0dde.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838550/]IMG_1609[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/]catrin0917[/url], on Flickr

We came back to the room to the most amazing Towel Animal again! I am not a huge Towel Animal Junkie... they are cute, but I would rather have our Room Steward just keep our room clean!! But, this time, since we were taking pictures for my daughter, we enjoyed them and I thought that Santika our room steward was awesome!!!
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838344/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8496/8323838344_9bfa1b0b6d.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838344/]IMG_1610[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/]catrin0917[/url], on Flickr[/QUOTE]

[Catrin]

[quote name='homegirl04']Is this desert a new menu item? I don;t think I have even seen it before....what is in it??[/quote]

Bitter N Blanc is not a new item.... it has been around as long as I can remember, but I never tried it until our cruise in 2010.

It is a bread pudding with white and dark chocolate and a warm cream that is pourded into the center. Amazingly wonderful!!!!

[carwen]

Thanks for your review. We are just planning something for the fall and I am very interested in this itinerary! We did the Legend western carib last February and it is time to plan another trip. I like the port-heavy schedules. Do you know if there are months to avoid in terms of weather and potentially missing ports? We live in northern alberta in Canada and not experienced cruisers YET!

[Butterbean1000]

[quote name='Catrin']Finally getting to do a page....

We watched the sail away from San Juan... after a full 24 hours here, we had a fun time but we were ready for our trip to Grand Turk!!

It was time for the Past Guest Party.... or whatever you want to call it now!! It was from 5-545 in the Main Show room. We thought that since it did not include all past guests, that the participation would be fewer people... BOY WE WERE WRONG!!! There were people lined up down the hallway, around the corner etc.
The party.... once we were seated, it took FOREVER to get a drink. Once the drink came, I asked for a Non Alcoholic punch and it eventually came. The drinks were big, as reported, but did not come around as frequently. The appetizers were good, but once again, we were served only one time. The film showed was similar to the ones shown in the past, and Karl introduced some of the staff. There was no prize drawn from the invitation cards, as there have been in the past. Overall, I would say it was an OK party. I would love to have a party with the Platinum and Diamond Guests, which there were over 40 on this cruise.
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322779257/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8362/8322779257_e156d39182.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8322779257/]IMG_1607[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/]catrin0917[/url], on Flickr

That night for dinner, is my least favorite menu. But I ended up having the Pork Tenderloin Steak, which was outstanding. But the best part of the menu? The most AMAZING dessert EVER... Bitter N Blanc!!

I just had to take a picture of it, so I can dream about it until my next cruise....
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838550/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8223/8323838550_699b7c0dde.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838550/]IMG_1609[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/]catrin0917[/url], on Flickr

We came back to the room to the most amazing Towel Animal again! I am not a huge Towel Animal Junkie... they are cute, but I would rather have our Room Steward just keep our room clean!! But, this time, since we were taking pictures for my daughter, we enjoyed them and I thought that Santika our room steward was awesome!!!
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838344/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8496/8323838344_9bfa1b0b6d.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/91642930@N05/8323838344/]IMG_1610[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/91642930@N05/]catrin0917[/url], on Flickr[/QUOTE]

Ohhhh I love the bitter and blanc. I prefer it over the warm chocolate melting cake.

[Catrin]

[quote name='carwen']Thanks for your review. We are just planning something for the fall and I am very interested in this itinerary! We did the Legend western carib last February and it is time to plan another trip. I like the port-heavy schedules. Do you know if there are months to avoid in terms of weather and potentially missing ports? We live in northern alberta in Canada and not experienced cruisers YET![/quote]

Hi there... the hurricane season is a risky time to cruise, usually late summer to early fall. The good thing is, that in most cases, the ships will sail the other side of the Caribbean to avoid the storms... but sometimes, it will still be pretty rocky!
There were a LOT of Canadians on this cruise!! We really liked this itinerary... and even missing St. Thomas, it was a lot of fun.

[Catrin]

The Last Hurrah!!
The last night after dinner, we went back to our room to finish packing. We received the last of our laundry, so we were good to go. We were going to use self assist for the first time the next morning, so no rush getting those suitcases out the door by 11pm!!

We spent the last night hanging out at the Piano Bar with Jack and Sally and a bunch of Cruise Critic Folks that we did not really meet until that night! I wish I had gotten to know all of you a little better earlier in the week! As the week went on, I felt a little more social.... it was nice to keep to ourselves for part of the week, but I realized we could have had even more fun if we socialized with these terrific folks early on!!

We decided to go to the Adult Only show the last night... and arriving late, we sat in the center, towards the front.... and .... yep... we were picked on by the comedian. Nothing I can repeat here, but lets just say I was glad I did not know anyone, and would never see these people ever again!!!! It was a pretty funny show..... and yes, ADULTS ONLY!!!

Before we knew it, it was midnight.... and one last trip for Midnight Pizza.... we called it a night.

Saturday December 1st... Debarkation

We ordered room service breakfast VERY EARLY on our last morning. I was so impressed by room service this week. Friendly delivery, always on time and exactly what we ordered each time.
We checked, double checked and triple checked our room... and we finalized all our packing. We had a VERY early flight out of FLL. When booking our flight, we had a choice, 11am or 6pm. We knew, if we were lucky, we could make the 11am, but it would be a risk. Since it was only Saturday and we did not have our kids, we decided to take that risk.

Being Platinum, we had VIP debarkation. And since we were doing Self Assist, we were able to go the card room at 7:30am, where we waited about a half hour for the ship to clear. Once we got word the ship was clear, we were the VERY FIRST people off the ship!! No lines getting off, no lines through customs, no looking for luggage since we had our bags with us. I couldn't believe it!

We had arranged to call Limos of Miami that morning, but Louis, the same driver we had in the Limo, called us! He was only a few minutes away, and he arrived right on time! We had a SUV this time, (which we ordered).. no special Limo this time! He drove us to FLL, with no traffic whatsoever. We were able to check right into Southwest and we were at the gate by 9am. Simply Amazing. Yes, we were fortunate to get off early, but I would do self assist again in a heartbeat. We had a direct flight home with Southwest at 11.. and we arrived, got our luggage, our car.... and arrived home by 3:30.

Coming Next.. Final Thoughts!!

[Catrin]

Final Thoughts.....

We loved this cruise.... because of a few things......

[LIST]
[*]The people we met. This cruise had some of the nicest people we have ever met on a cruise. I think the fact there were less families and more couples, on a cruise where it was just the two of us, made a difference.
[*]The staff and service - whoever says Carnival's staff is no longer friendly is just plan WRONG. Robert, our waiter was outstanding. Santika our Room Steward was sweet and always willing to help.... and made the best towel animals!
[*]Karl with a K and team - we are not the type that sails for a Cruise Director. But we were so impressed by his enthusiasm, visibility and different types of fun activities during the week.
[*]The FOOD - We did not go to the Lido Deck Buffet once. Instead, we had Brunch, Guys Burgers, Fish and Chips, Burritos, etc. All great. The Dining Room food was always HOT and perfectly cooked. The Dining room deserts are awesome. Lunch desserts were the only thing that we thought were not good.. but then again, there is always Ice Cream!
[*]The Cabin.. corner aft room... everyone, DO IT ONCE. It is THAT special.
[/LIST]Improvement Needed
[LIST]
[*]The Gym - many of the Ellipticals and Treadmills were not working with the Ipod connector. A minor thing, yes.... but you can tell that many needed maintenance.
[*]Past Guest Party - Although fun, it needed some tweaks. Some people were only served one drink, while you can tell others had an unlimited supply.
[*]VIP Embarkation vs. FTTF - not a big deal, but please be more cut and dry with the order of embarkation.
[/LIST]Missing St. Thomas - we WERE compensated for missing St. Thomas - $50 per person PLUS taxes. While we were upset to miss this island, we thought the $50 was very generous of Carnival. We know that they can cancel ports for any reason - but because it was their fault and not Mother Nature, they took responsbility and paid. Thank you, Carnival!

The overall best thing, however?? Was that once again, it was up to US what we wanted to do. This time, we didn't do a lot. We relaxed, we sat at the Casino Bar and listened to music, I actually read an entire book!! But... whatever we chose to do, it was RIGHT FOR US. That is what the best thing about Cruising.. there is NO RULES. Just be polite to others, go with the flow, be patient and considerate of people's space and you will have the best vacation ever!

Already looking to plan our last family vacation before our oldest goes to College in the fall!

Thank you all for reading!
Catrin

[coops]

Thank you so much for the excellent review. It was wonderful to read a review without it taking months to post the whole thing. lol. Now I am sad its over with.
Dawn

[Catrin]

[quote name='coops']Thank you so much for the excellent review. It was wonderful to read a review without it taking months to post the whole thing. lol. Now I am sad its over with.
Dawn[/QUOTE]

Thank you Dawn, I appreciate the nice words.

I am more sad the vacation is over with.... and for the first time in over a year, we do not have a cruise to think about. It is time to book #14 for us and #10 for our boys, but we just cannot figure out a week that will work for the whole family!!

Until then, I will live vicariously through others here on CC.

Catrin

[Pellaz]

Thanks for the great review! I love the ship and this itinerary...did it back in October and I'm considering it (or [I]Victory[/I]) for next fall.

Really bad you missed St. Thomas...but at least you didn't miss Half Moon Cay like we did! (I'll get there....someday...and it's not a coincidence that both of the sailings I'm considering next fall go there! :) )