April 26, 2014 Give Me Liberty Pre-, Live (?!) and Post Cruise Review

[ksawyercruiser]

Hello! I’m going to try something a little different here. I’ve written a couple reviews for CC before. But it’s always been a post-cruise review.

 

But I need a head start this time. I’m leaving for Chicago on business on Tuesday, get back Friday and then leave on the Liberty on Saturday. So pre-cruise time is very limited. Then, after this cruise, we are going on the Vision 20 days later for Memorial Day weekend.

 

Being a Pinnacle member is so rough. ;)

 

KIDDING! We are gold members who live in Fort Lauderdale. This is our fourth RCI cruise, and our eighth cruise overall. We have previously sailed on the fantabulous Allure and the charming Enchantment twice. We have also sailed Disney (3x) and Celebrity once. And we have loved them all.

 

We booked this particular cruise in February. We were looking for a relatively good deal to celebrate my birthday and to mark the end of tax season for my hubby. We booked an OV room on Deck 2 for myself, my DH Tom and our beautiful 10-year-old princess Marissa. Our 16yo son Tommy has high school responsibilities so he can’t come with us. We have a friend staying with him instead.

 

(I’d love to say he was heartbroken. But not so much. He loves cruising but five nights without his nagging Mom and annoying little sister was pretty darn appealing. And Tommy adores our friend Andrea who will be staying with him)

 

We got a great deal on the OV cabin. Around $1500 for the three of us. But Marissa wasn’t keen on not having a balcony. I thought it was because she’s becoming a little cruise-spoiled after being in a GS and OS on the Enchantment. Those were “special-occasion” cruises and we could afford a suite on the Enchantment.

 

One of the benefits of sailing a smaller, older ship is that suites tend to be less expensive. But this particular trip was meant to be a low-cost getaway.

 

But being the planner I am, I constantly checked pricing. And I finally decided to upgrade for $300 to a superior oceanview balcony on Deck 6. Marissa was delighted. Turns out, she didn’t like the idea of being so close to the water. It had nothing to do with wanting a suite.

 

So our five-night cruise on the Liberty ended up costing a little under $1900 including taxes and port fees. I feel like we got a decent deal.

 

We booked this cruise through a TA. And so far, I’m not impressed. Taking advantage of the price reduction/upgrade wasn’t at all easy. Much different than the few times I’ve called RCI regarding price reductions. I’m sure it’s just this TA. But I’ve found calling RCI directly and cutting out the middleman has been much easier in the past.

 

(That’s not to say I haven’t been on hold with RCI for loooooong periods of time. But once I finally get a hold of someone, they are typically very helpful and making changes is easy.)

 

We leave in one week , and I’m so excited to experience a new ship. I have heard wonderful things about the Liberty, and I’m looking forward to being on a ship with numerous dining and entertainment options. Like a smaller Allure. 

So my plan for this review is to lay out our cruise plans before we board. Then, I will do as many live updates as I can (Wi-Fi willing) while on the ship. Then, once we’re back, I’ll fill in the blanks with a post-trip report. Sound good?

 

So what’s up with us going on the Vision just 20 days after getting off the Liberty? Well, I blame Royal Caribbean’s Kids Sail Free deal. We were fortunate to hop on that deal early and couldn’t resist booking a 4-nighter over Memorial Day. We also snagged a great deal on the Thanksgiving Allure cruise. Getting those deals during holidays when the kids are out of school was extremely unexpected -- but very nice!!

 

The fact that we live in Fort Lauderdale doesn't hurt. We can take a cruise for what it would cost the four of us just to fly somewhere. Yes, we are spoiled!

 

Even though we live in Florida, it’s completely unusual for us to cruise so much in one year. We're thrilled if we get to cruise twice a year. But when opportunity knocks …

 

If anyone has any Liberty tips for us, please feel free to share. I’ve done a lot of research but I learn something new every time I visit Cruise Critic. That’s what makes these boards so great. (BTW … anyone know if the AO kids’ club is open on night 1?)

 

I love cruise reviews. I love reading them. Even if it's a ship I haven't been on or an itinerary I've never considered. They are like a mini-vacation for me and help me get through the times we don't have cruises planned.

 

That's basically why I'm writing this review. So that you can come along on the voyage with us. I'll try to share some good tips and pics. I also love writing reviews because it's a sort of diary of our adventures. I'm always a little sad when I don't have the time to do reviews. I feel like I forget so much without the written reminders.

 

My next post before we leave will be our excursion plans.

Edited April 19, 2014 by ksawyercruiser

[ksawyercruiser]

Before we get to our excursion plans, I wanted to share a couple pics so you can see our cast of characters.

 

 

This is my husband Tom. We've been married for nearly 22 years. And our gorgeous Guatemalan princess Marissa.

 

 

And this is me and Marissa at the Port of Miami before our Disney cruise last November.

 

 

And although he won't be joining us on this cruise, here is our wild child, Tommy. 16 and bulletproof.

 

NICE TO MEET YOU!

 

Sorry ... looks like I'm having trouble with my pics. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. It's worked in the past. And I can't figure out how to delete this post. arggggggggghhhhh

Edited April 19, 2014 by ksawyercruiser

[FloGaleRNTX]

Looking forward to following this!! I have enjoyed your other reviews, though I never commented....sorry about that......

 

Since I sail out of Galveston, and we just found out Liberty will be here in about 18 months, I am especially anxious to see pics!!!!

 

Barb

[karmacats]

Is it weird that I want to read this, even though I'll be on the same cruise?!?!? :D You write wonderfully.

 

Looking forward to cabin-crawling with you! :)

[ksawyercruiser]

Looking forward to following this!! I have enjoyed your other reviews, though I never commented....sorry about that......

 

Since I sail out of Galveston, and we just found out Liberty will be here in about 18 months, I am especially anxious to see pics!!!!

 

Barb

 

Thank you so much!!! I will try to share as many pics as I can. Unfortunately right now, I can't post pics from Facebook or Photobucket. So frustrating. But I will figure it out. I'm going to try from another computer.

 

Thank you for checking out the review!!! :D

[ksawyercruiser]

Is it weird that I want to read this, even though I'll be on the same cruise?!?!? :D You write wonderfully.

 

Looking forward to cabin-crawling with you! :)

 

LOL! Not weird at all! I'm looking forward to meeting you in person in ... ahem ... SIX DAYS! WOOHOO!

 

:D

[ksawyercruiser]

This is a five-night sailing. We leave from Port Everglades on Saturday, have a sea day on Sunday, spend Monday in Belize, Tuesday in Cozumel, Sea Day on Wednesday and home on Thursday.

 

In Belize, we have reserved a private island tour. We have never been to Belize, and I was totally confused about what to do there. I considered everything from cave tubing to an ATV in the rainforest.

 

Finally I decided I really wanted to avoid the crowds and maximize our time on the island. I found this tour company on Trip Advisor with high visitor ratings. The company is Fantasea Belize.

 

They had a private boat tour to some of the lesser-traveled islands and snorkeling spots that seemed to fit the bill.

 

The “island-hopping” excursion is $500 for the three of us. (It’s actually $500 for up to four people.) It includes a private boat and captain for four hours, snorkeling equipment, lunch and all drinks – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Basically beer, rum punch, water and fruit punch. We’re really looking forward to it!

 

In Cozumel, we are going back to an old favorite: Mr. Sanchos! This is an all-inclusive beach day. It includes unlimited food, unlimited drinks, kayaks, pool, lounge chairs, tables, etc. We love Mr. Sanchos. We were there on our Allure sailing and had a wonderful day. The cost for this is $57 per adult, and $37 for Marissa. It also includes an all-day pass to the inflatable water park. It’s a real bargain.

 

And, since we’re not going to Labadee or Coco Cay on this sailing, this will be our beach day.

 

Mr. Sanchos also has a cool bar in the pool. Marissa thought this was the neatest thing in the world. She could sit in the pool and order virgin frozen drinks. She was in absolute heaven, and we had trouble getting her out of the pool for lunch or to explore the water park. Sounds weird to say my 10yo spent the day at the bar, but that’s what she did. When in Rome … ;)

 

The other cool thing about the bar is that on the “land side” of the bar, the stools are actually swings. So if you’re swaying in your seat, it’s not just because of the alcohol.

 

We actually tried Nachi Cocum on our January Enchantment sailing and also had a very good time. This is another all-inclusive beach. It was just as pretty as Mr. Sanchos but much quieter. I thought it was almost too quiet. Some live music would have added to the ambience.

 

We found we liked the upbeat, lively feeling of Mr. Sanchos a little better. But I would happily go to either again.

 

Okay … tomorrow I will post about our plans for the ship.

 

Thanks for checking out my random ramblings!

[ksawyercruiser]

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I may have finally figured out the photo problem! This is my husband Tom and our daughter, Marissa.

 

 

 

And this is me and the Meeps at Port of Miami ready to board the Disney Magic last November.

 

Thanks for hanging with me! And HAPPY EASTER to those celebrating. Time for me to baste the ham. :D

[ksawyercruiser]

So ... what do we have planned on the ship?

 

I’ve already reserved the ice show, the character breakfast, dinner at Portofino’s and the cupcake decorating class for Marissa. The character breakfast is free, the cupcake class is $15 and dinner at Portofino’s is $25 each. It’s $25 for our daughter as well.

 

For some reason, I can’t reserve Saturday Night Fever or Up in the Air online. It’s first on our list of things to do as soon as we board.

 

We have late seating in the MDR. Our plan is to dine there every night with the exception of formal night when we’re eating at Portofino’s.

 

We didn’t request any size table so we’ll see what we get. This is kind of a “make-it-or-break-it” cruise in regards to tablemates. We’ve had a couple great cruises where we met wonderful people. And we really loved seeing them each night and sharing our daily activities. (We still exchange Christmas cards with the family we met on our very first cruise!!)

 

But the past couple trips, we’ve had very large tables. And no one else showed up. Or they showed up on night one and never returned. I haven’t taken it personally but maybe I should. Heehee. :p

 

I really don’t enjoy sitting at a huge table all by ourselves. It feels odd. Like we’re waiting on additional dinner guests. So we’ll see what happens on the Liberty. I’m really close to requesting a four-top for our family on the Vision. But this is completely against my nature. I love meeting people on cruises. But we haven’t had great luck lately.

 

It’s probably all the dining options that contribute to this. This makes me a little sad because Tom and I are pretty traditional cruisers. We like an assigned dining time, the same servers each night and the largest table possible to meet other fabulous cruisers like us. ;) So we shall see what happens.

 

We’ve already checked in online and signed all the waivers for the rock climbing wall, ice skating rink and flowrider. So we are all set there.

 

Our cabin number is 6678 near the aft. We have pre-purchased the premium drink package so I’ll let you know my thoughts on that. This is the first time we’ve done this package on RCI. We did a drink package on the Celebrity Millennium, and it was very convenient.

 

I’ve also joined our Roll Call. And we have an informal meet and greet in Schooners on embarkation day and a cabin crawl scheduled for the first day at sea. FUN!!!

 

After this cruise, the Liberty heads across the Atlantic. Seems like there are a lot of cruisers on our sailing who are doing a b2b on the transatlantic. Lucky ducks! Not that I’m complaining … it’s just that a transatlantic is on our wish list.

 

So what am I missing? Please feel free to give me any must-do’s!

 

Now I’ve shared all my pre-cruise info. We leave in the morning! I will try to post as much as I can while onboard. Send me your questions, and I’ll do my best to find the answers for you.

[NoleGirl2014]

Hi Kim,

I am really looking forward to the rest of your review. We also took advantage of the kids sail free offer and have booked our first cruise as parents on Liberty. Our son will be a few months shy of being old enough to attend the AO program. Any pictures or information you can share about the Royal Tots nursery and toy sharing program would be appreciated!

Thanks! Have a great vacation!

[ksawyercruiser]

Just pulled up to the port. Incredibly busy today. Independence, oasis and liberty are here.

 

First up ... Show reservations, then lunch and our roll call meet and mingle. I'll post more soon!! :)

 

I'm (almost) on a boat ...

 

 

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[ksawyercruiser]

Hi Kim,

 

I am really looking forward to the rest of your review. We also took advantage of the kids sail free offer and have booked our first cruise as parents on Liberty. Our son will be a few months shy of being old enough to attend the AO program. Any pictures or information you can share about the Royal Tots nursery and toy sharing program would be appreciated!

 

Thanks! Have a great vacation!

 

 

Thank you!! I will get all the royal tots info for you. :)

 

 

 

 

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[ksawyercruiser]

Line to get into the port is several hundred people long. First tip ... Get here early or late. This is Space Mountain on a July weekend insane.

 

I'm wondering if there was a delay in boarding ... A few folks look like they're disembarking.

 

Holy guacamole. I misspoke. It's thousands of people long. I've never seen anything like this.

 

Okay ... They are not processing passengers according to a security guard. He didn't know why. The line is at least 3,000 long. I'm not exaggerating. No one is getting on.

 

We just hopped a cab and are going to lunch. We will try again in a couple hours. If anyone hears anything about what's going on, let me know.

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Edited April 26, 2014 by ksawyercruiser

[ksawyercruiser]

Well ... Not in the windjammer as hoped. But enjoying a glass of Pinot at Bimini boatyard. A great restaurant if you're visiting Lauderdale.

 

Not letting it dampen our spirits. We will be on the ship soon ... I hope! :)

 

 

 

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[JustUs275]

Ok my kids are there and said the place is crazy! I'll watch your thread so I can let them know. Bad flight, a lost bag, boarding delays - hopefully the rest of their trip improves! ;)

[Ramblin' Ma'am]

This is nuts! At least line is moving now!

 

 

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[ksawyercruiser]

Finally made it on board. There was some sort of customs issue that caused the delay. People were waiting in line for up to two hours outside. They were handing out bottled water ... Not cold ... But it did help.

 

So far we've met up with our roll call group at the schooner, had a very sweaty muster. Absolutely no breeze. Visited the library where Marissa chose a book. Had our first drink of the day. And registered Marissa for the AO club. Whew!

 

Next up is sail away at the helipad. The ship is extremely impressive. So many cool areas and venues!

 

Our room steward is Josef. Very friendly and has already befriended Marissa.

 

More later!! (Now I'm really on a boat!)

 

 

 

 

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[ksawyercruiser]

Sail away on the helipad was amazing. Met a few cruise critic pals there and enjoyed the gorgeous views, breezes and lots of flying fish. Enjoying a slice of sorrento's pizza now. Not bad. The captain waved to Marissa from the bridge. At least I think it was the captain. :)

 

Welcome show and dinner in the MDR tonight. But now it's time to unpack.

 

 

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[ksawyercruiser]

Well ... we're back! Had a very nice vacation on the beautiful Liberty. I'm going to finish this review up fairly quickly since there isn't much interest in the thread. Probably because lady Liberty is heading to Europe now. Or because my reviews suck. KIDDING! At least, I hope that's not the case!

 

Our first day on the ship was great. After we met our roll call group at Schooners and did sailaway on the helipad (highly recommend!), we spent some time unpacking in our cabin. Ocean view balcony #6678. It was a great room in the aft of the ship. Very convenient to the elevators, the Promenade and the MDR. We never heard any noise.

 

We went to the Welcome Show. It was basically a preview of the ship's comedian. He was pretty funny. It was a good way to kick off the cruise.

 

We had late seating in the MDR, and we had a table to ourselves. We didn't request this. It just worked out that way. Our serving team was nice but very little chitchat. Right down to business. This was the first cruise where I feel like I barely saw our serving team. They were very busy and didn't really have time to give that little extra personal touch.

 

I thought the food on the first night was very good. My husband had the escargot and the tiger shrimp. I had a caprese salad and the chicken marsala. Marissa had the chilled fruit soup and the roasted chicken breast with mashed potatoes. Very tasty.

 

Our table was in the middle of a small crowded section of the MDR. Not a good location. We were in the center of several server sections and our chairs were bumped multiple times during each meal. Not the servers' fault as they were hustling to serve their guests. But it did get annoying.

 

I saw more people wearing shorts in the MDR than ever before. No one was asked to leave, as far as I could tell. Both men and women. We adhered to the dress code the entire time so please no flames! I'm just reporting what I saw. This didn't affect our experience in any way. But the dress code in the MDR was definitely the most casual I have seen.

 

After dinner, we took Marissa to the AO club. She was one of about 10 kids there. There weren't many children on this sailing, and the few times Marissa went to the club she was one of only a handful of kids there. She thought the AO club was okay. But I think she's beginning to outgrow it.

 

Tom and I explored the ship and we were surprised at how crowded the bars were. We definitely felt the crowds on this sailing. The elevators were slow, and many of the venues were packed. Again, didn't affect our cruise. But it wasn't like our experience on the Allure where we surprised at how uncrowded the ship felt.

 

We ended up in the pub for a beer for Tom and a strongbow for me. They had a very good entertainer in the pub ... Kat Wells. She has an amazing voice. Very similar to Janis Joplin. She rocked it out and was happy to take requests. She also sang some "cheeky songs" ... her term for naughty PG-13 tunes. Big Bamboo was one of my faves. :)

 

The bartenders in the Hoof and Claw were extremely friendly and very service oriented. A+ all the way.

 

This ended our first day. I'll post some pics and report on our sea day next.

 

OH! I almost forgot. There were limes on our sailing. In fact, the bartenders looked at me like I was crazy when I told them that some of the ships didn't have limes recently. One even said, "How can they not have limes? They need them to make mojitos."

[booklady4]

Great reviews and your posts are so entertaining to read! Can't wait to hear your review of your upcoming Vision trip....we are going in June!

[ksawyercruiser]

 

The beautiful Liberty. Marissa took this pic while we were filling out our luggage tags. If you don't have luggage tags, no problem. You just fill them out at the port and attach them to your bags.

 

 

Another pic courtesy of Marissa. Overall, the ship was in good shape, and they varnished all the balcony railings on this sailing. We did notice a few things not working. Most notably, a sliding door on Deck four. Also a couple water features in the H2O Zone. The pool decks also seemed messier than on previous cruises. Probably because the pool was super crowded on the sea days. The staff couldn't keep up.

 

 

Embarkation was a nightmare due to the customs issue. The terminal doesn't have much of a waiting area, so the crowds had to stand outside for up to two hours waiting to board. It was quite warm. I don't know how they would have handled this in July or August. They actually started pulling elderly passengers out of the line because the wait was so long.

 

 

My beautiful girl in the MDR that first night.

 

 

Tom's tiger shrimp. I enjoyed the food in the MDR for the most part. But our meal on night #1 was my favorite.

 

 

And my chicken marsala.

[dthomaso]

Very nice start to your review. Looking forward to more. You mentioned the casual attire during dining. I might point out that it has been our experiance the on the first day/evening on board the dress code is relaxed. When I asked about this I was told by crew that alot of folks don't have their baggage yet so they don't push it.

Edited May 1, 2014 by dthomaso

[zicherma]

Hey its Josh and Yianna here. Im starting to think that we really are stalking you guys. It was great meeting you guys and a great cruise. Cant wait to here what you thought about the rest of the cruise

 

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[Candycane_76053]

Subscribed! Sorry I didn't find it sooner. Can't wait to read the rest

 

 

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[ksawyercruiser]

This is nuts! At least line is moving now!

 

 

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We really enjoyed meeting you, Laura! I hope you enjoyed your first cruise ever. And good luck on Jeopardy!

 

 

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