Just Back From a Sweet, Suite Cruise on The Liberty

[Tutontow]

A couple of quick comments and observations about our five day cruise on “The Liberty” that departed from Port Canaveral on 9/21/2014.

We had a Grand Suite, cabin number 7312. This was an awesome cabin and if you ever get a great deal like we did I highly recommend it. If we had to pay the normal $2800.00 for the two of us I wouldn’t do it. We upgraded from a free inside cabin (gambling comp) to the GS for $700.00, so the total cost for the two of us was $1000.00 including taxes and insurance.

The only time we ate in the MDR was for the sea day brunch, it was awesome as always. Steak and eggs for me and my DW had the tomato soup and a cheese omelet. All of it was very good. We used the coupons for Bloody Mary’s that were very tasty and quite large. We joked that it was an “all day drink” because it was twice the size we were expecting.

We also had a comped dinner in The Steakhouse. I had the surf and turf and my wife had the lamb chops. All of it was very good but the lamb chops were over the top good. As always it was too much food and we felt like stuffed pigs when we left.

Unfortunately the buffet was just okay. You can always find something that you can eat but it is “just okay”. Fortunately if you time it right you can grab a Guys Burger or something Mexican from the Blue Iguana both of which usually hits the spot.

We never went to a show but the couple of singers we heard were downright atrocious. One time when walking by one of the shows we actually thought it was karaoke and we stopped in to see what was going on, I mean it was that bad.

The ports were Half Moon Cay, Nassau and Freeport.

Half Moon Cay was wonderful. We tendered over and set up camp right in front of the pirate ship that is actually a bar. The water was crystal clear and just the right temperature, on the cool side but not too cool. It was refreshing. As far as I am concerned the whole cruise could have been five days anchored off Half Moon Cay as long as the casino would open after 5 P.M. Good Island music, cold beer, friendly people, helpful staff and free BBQ on a drop dead gorgeous beach it doesn’t get a whole lot better in my book.

In Nassau we did the Ardastra Gardens and Zoo with a city tour excursion. It was well worth the money and our tour driver, Marvin was a real hoot who made the tour very entertaining. The gardens and zoo are really more of a botanical gardens than zoo. They do have quite a few birds but the gardens are the real draw. If you are expecting Epcot or Busch Gardens this isn’t it. This is more of a quant, native garden which was right up our alley.

It was a nice change of pace and the tour of the city was interesting and as mentioned Marvin was a real hoot. When the tour was over we had a couple of hours to kill so we walked around downtown Nassau. We stopped into a restaurant name Conch and Kalik. Kalik is Bahamian beer brewed in Nassau; anyway we had conch fritters and conch chowder. The chowder was to die for. Plenty of conch and seasoned perfectly. All in all a great day in Nassau.

Our last port was Freeport. We did the beach getaway with open bar. Here again it was worth the money and the staff was really good. There were a couple of hiccups though. I should have read the description better when I booked this excursion. When it comes to sweet fruity drinks a little goes a long way with us. When it comes to beer Miller Lite and Budweiser products fit the bill. Sweet fruity drinks and a luke warm draft beer we didn’t like was what was being offered. You could ask for other drinks but they really weren’t that good IMHO. My wife had one White Russian that worked for her and then when she went for a second one she was told they were all out of White Russians. I take the blame for not reading the description well enough.

When we had about 30 minutes left a severe thunderstorm rolled in and everyone headed to the covered pavilion. My wife and I saw one of the busses pull up and went to get on. The driver said the staff at the beach will not allow us to get on. The manager of the bar/beach told us we had to wait in the pavilion. We said that is crazy, just let us get on the bus before the lightning and storm gets any worse. He said that is against the rules and there is still 30 to 45 minutes before the beach part of the excursion ends. Anyway we finally got through to him we are through with the beach and most everybody else it too. He wrote down my name and cabin number and let us on the bus. Well that opened up the flood gates and in less than five minutes the bus was full and leaving to go back to the ship.

Having lived in central Florida for over 50 years (33 of those years spent on a fire engine) I have a strong respect for lightning and I was glad he finally gave up and let us on the bus and got us “home”. It is amazing how many times in life people have rules and by God we can’t change those rules now can we. My gut feeling is they wanted to make sure they give the speech you always hear at the end of these things that basically says we want to make sure you had a great time. Our staff works hard to serve you. Make sure you tip, which we had already tipped and tipped well all day.

A couple of general observations about our cruise.

We had priority boarding and debarkation, this was awesome. We were on and off in no time and our suite was ready when we boarded at 1:30. On debarkation day we were off the ship and in our car by

8 AM.

Every Carnival employee we encountered seemed like they genuinely wanted us to have a great time.

The buffet needs some help, food wise and traffic flow wise.

If you ever get a deal on Grand Suite take it. It is a whole new experience in cruising. If you don’t believe me look up the YouTube videos.

There needs to be better signage showing directions to the gangway and tenders. The same can be said for the MDR if it happens to be on a deck that doesn’t go straight through. We saw many people totally frustrated trying to get off in port or trying to get to the sea day brunch.

Many people aren’t experienced cruisers and Carnival really needs to post signs that say gangway is in this direction etc. A lot of people don’t know how the cabin numbers run on a ship and they head the wrong way when they get off the elevators, especially if they head to the opposite side of the ship when they switch elevators. Many people were really frustrated by not being able to head straight to the MDR. Having encountered this on a previous cruise I knew which elevator to take but others didn’t.

It also would be nice if when you get off the elevators they had a sign that says odd this way and even that way and then when you do head to the proper corridor it had a sign pointing to forward and aft. As stated above there were a lot of virgin cruisers at their wits end.

The food ran the full gambit from really bad to over the top good. Free room service is always a nice plus. Of course food like a lot of things is subjective.

You would think that after the first day or two people would get a clue that the balcony doors slam and that you have to hold the door to gently close it.

I mean do you let doors slam at your home

The same can be said for sliding the chairs and table across your balcony floor. More than once I jumped out of my skin and even my room service waiter about dropped the tray when he heard the racket my neighbor was making dragging his balcony furniture across the floor.

The casino, where we spend way too much time playing Blackjack was really good to us. We had a comped steakhouse meal and some sort of treat in our cabin every night from the casino host, Kris. We also had drinks us cards from the get go.

Any time I wanted a $25.00 table opened they accommodated us. All of the $6.00 tables now pay 6:5 for a blackjack. $10.00 and higher tables still pay 3:2.

Drink service was great and all of the dealers were friendly and proficient. Even all of the pit critters were congenial.

We had one of the best casino experiences we have had in quite a while. We won the first night and never had to dip into our gambling budget the rest of the trip. The next to last night we won quite a bit and then on the last night we really blew it out and at one point we were putting out $15.00 and sometimes $25.00 tips for the dealers, if that tells you how well the gambling was going.

If you are still reading this thanks for sticking with me. In closing I will say this summer we took three Carnival cruises and every one of them has been a whole lot of fun and a heck of a bargain. We are already planning one for after the holidays.

[lele100]

That sounds great, and what an awesome deal. Do you have any pictures of the Suite?

[ncovert]

Thank you for taking the time and the effort to write down your experiences. As the poster above asked, do you have any pictures of the room or other parts of the cruise to share?

[Tutontow]

That sounds great, and what an awesome deal. Do you have any pictures of the Suite?

 

This isn't my video but you get the idea. If you notice in the video it has a nice bathroom and another dressing/vanity area with a stainless steel sink.

 

Here is the link

[Taters]

Thanks so much for the review. We have a GS booked for our upcoming Mexico cruise. We are B2B, so after the GS we're taking our chances with a balcony guarantee for the Hawaii cruise. LOL I'm sure we will be completely spoiled for the space, but will adapt just fine for the 2nd portion of our B2B.

 

Cheers,

 

Taters

[Tutontow]

Thank you for taking the time and the effort to write down your experiences. As the poster above asked, do you have any pictures of the room or other parts of the cruise to share?

 

I didn't post any pictures because Nassau, Freeport and HMC have been posted to death.

 

As far as the ship goes Jamman54 did a great job. His review was a real help to me prior to our cruise.

 

Here is a link to his report. His is much more detailed than mine.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2097496

[u2harmony]

My husband and I will be in our first Grand Suite on the Liberty in January, so I am very interested in how much you like the room!!

 

Thanks!!

[Tutontow]

Thanks so much for the review. We have a GS booked for our upcoming Mexico cruise. We are B2B, so after the GS we're taking our chances with a balcony guarantee for the Hawaii cruise. LOL I'm sure we will be completely spoiled for the space, but will adapt just fine for the 2nd portion of our B2B.

 

Cheers,

 

Taters

 

That GS will spoil you fast. I will say going back to a balcony will be easier than going from a balcony to an inside with no windows.

 

I stayed in an inside for the first time a couple of months back....never again. There was no place to sit other than the bed. Imagine eating room service in bed.

 

I am of the age where the cabin and balcony are a large part of the experience.

[Tutontow]

My husband and I will be in our first Grand Suite on the Liberty in January, so I am very interested in how much you like the room!!

 

Thanks!!

 

We enjoyed the GS even more than we imagined. It is all I would book if I could justify the cost.

[Lovefuninthesun]

Wow, sounds as if you had a good cruise and awesome accommodations!

Please remind me about the Conquest ships - which deck is it that does NOT go through all the way? I can't remember, and we sail on Liberty in 15 days.

Thanks so much for posting - your kind of review is actually my favorite: "just the factsJack"! :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Cruise Critic App

Edited September 26, 2014 by Lovefuninthesun

[Tutontow]

Wow, sounds as if you had a good cruise and awesome accommodations!

Please remind me about the Conquest ships - which deck is it that does NOT go through all the way? I can't remember, and we sail on Liberty in 15 days.

Thanks so much for posting - your kind of review is actually my favorite: "just the factsJack"! :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Cruise Critic App

 

Deck 3, the lobby deck. The galley cuts the deck in two.

 

Here is a link to the deck plans

http://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/carnival-liberty.aspx#deck/3

 

Here is a link to a printable deck plan

http://www.kollander.com/docs/deck/Carnival_Liberty_Deckplan.pdf

[rkacruiser]

Thanks for a great review! And, congratulations on being so lucky in the casion!

 

Would you be so kind as to suggest what 5 numbers I ought to play on the Ohio Rolling Cash 5 game?

[Tutontow]

Thanks for a great review! And, congratulations on being so lucky in the casion!

 

Would you be so kind as to suggest what 5 numbers I ought to play on the Ohio Rolling Cash 5 game?

 

You reminded me of the day the calendar date was the numbers that came in, in the Florida Fantasy Five. Everyone got all excited then they found out there was so many winners it paid next to nothing.

[rkacruiser]

you reminded me of the day the calendar date was the numbers that came in, in the florida fantasy five. Everyone got all excited then they found out there was so many winners it paid next to nothing.

 

lol!:d

[cingroomer]

We just got off the same cruise, in fact, the OP must have been beside us at Half Moon cause we were right in front of the ship also. Good music...till the rains came. Water was gorgeous. The Casino was not kind to us, took all of our money on the slots which were at times hard to even find a seat.

 

However, I have to say, I LOVED the food every night in the MDR. I love the new American Fare menu. No complaints at all. The Chocolate bar one afternoon was over the top delicious. I don't eat Burgers, but the fries at Guy Burgers rock. Loved the fish and chips but hated that they put it on paper and with the malt vinegar it all ripped up while trying to eat it. The ceviche was good albeit a bit tart. I thought the buffet lines were really decent most of the time and the food much better then any Carnival Cruise I have been on. Did not get to eat the breakfast burrito but my friend didn't like it.

 

Loved the adult pool in the back with the retractable roof. Sat there most of the time which is strange for me because I am normally at the Serenity deck. Saw some good movies on the big screen though I was disappointed no MNF on it like on the other ships.

 

Room service was a joke. Minimum 1 hr wait every time i called so unfortunately I only had it once.

 

Loved the Martini bar. Anna the manager is a hoot. Just don't take your drink before she finishes it up or she will smack your hand.

 

The adult comedy was also good, but the room gets packed so show up early.

 

Great band outside the Casino too. They had it rockin, and I liked the music played by the DJ on deck too. Everyone was so pleasant and eager to please. Must be some new employees because some of them didn't know where the internet cafe was when I asked and there were no directions or signs for it.

 

Stayed on the Panorama Deck, balcony room, was awesome location. Will stay there again for sure.

 

I truly loved this ship and the entire cruise, even with losing my pants in the Casino. I can say this was one of the best cruises I have had on Carnival. Best food, service (except room service) and cleanliness. Passengers were very friendly, and very few kids.

 

I am looking at doing her final cruise out of Port Canaveral to San Juan in March and looking at room 1066, Panorama deck. The room looks a bit bigger but not sure, does anyone know?

[Jamman54]

I didn't post any pictures because Nassau, Freeport and HMC have been posted to death.

 

As far as the ship goes Jamman54 did a great job. His review was a real help to me prior to our cruise.

 

Here is a link to his report. His is much more detailed than mine.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2097496

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your review, and thanks for the plug! :D

[092306]

That's such a great deal on the suite and sounds like a treat experience. Thanks for posting!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[FireEater]

We were on the Liberty a few months ago. I agree that the singers were, hmmmm lets say, not what i was expecting and also left before the 1st song was over. I tried going to a 2nd show, but could not find it in me to look for a seat once I heard the first song being sung.

 

We have been in Grand Suites, but not on the Liberty. It was nice to have the space both in the cabin and bathroom. We do stay a lot just in the cabin, so we enjoy the space it offers.

[Bgentles]

We were on the same cruise but did many different things. Agree completely about singers, never even sat down after hearing part of one song, pitiful! Movies were good, though crowded for Divergent, I did have a good seat with a soft blanket and popcorn:-). My room service on night one, since main dining service was terrible, was quickly delivered and very good. Didn't do formal night dining, line was too long. Third night I asked for a different section and was rewarded with a great team with great service for the remainder of the cruise. Loved the band on Lido as well as the concerts during the day. I loved my breakfast burrito from Blue Iguana. Fish n chips and Guy's were also very good per usual. Had my first inside room for quite a while on Lido forward. We had a small table to use for food ( just granddaughter and I) so it wasn't a problem. Did stay in GS on Empress in November on Liberty that was great, but beginning in October I will no longer book balcony or suites since they will implement the "no smoking" policy. Even though I smoke, I certainly don't in my own home, nor can I tolerate the smell on the promenade from the casino smokers! What a ridiculous policy IMO!

 

I deleted most of my suite pictures, I think this is from my Liberty suite in November though.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[The4Cruisers]

Must be some new employees because some of them didn't know where the internet cafe was when I asked and there were no directions or signs for it.

?

 

We were on the same cruise and I posted about it in a different thread (here's the link)... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2107196

 

We had a helluva time trying to locate the internet cafe as well. It took a couple of trips back and forth on that deck before we found it tucked away behind an unused lounge room.

 

What was really disappointing was that after we finally found it, the internet was spotty at best. I couldn't accomplish what I set out to do. Oh well. Maybe the vacation gods were telling me to relax and stay disconnected for the week! :D

[travler27]

On our first ever cruise we booked an ocean view room. The upsellers called and sold us an upgrade to a Grand Suite for $300 more. We took it and every cruise since then we have booked a Grand Suite or Ocean Suite. I guess those upsellers know what they're doing.

Edited September 28, 2014 by travler27

[cingroomer]

We were on the same cruise and I posted about it in a different thread (here's the link)... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2107196

 

We had a helluva time trying to locate the internet cafe as well. It took a couple of trips back and forth on that deck before we found it tucked away behind an unused lounge room.

 

What was really disappointing was that after we finally found it, the internet was spotty at best. I couldn't accomplish what I set out to do. Oh well. Maybe the vacation gods were telling me to relax and stay disconnected for the week! :D

 

After initially finding it, I opted to use my tablet in my room instead of their computers and it was much quicker so next time I'll know. Though it wasnt really speedy, I was able to accomplish on my tablet what I needed to in half the time of theirs so you might want to keep that in mind for the future.

[Tutontow]

We were on the same cruise and I posted about it in a different thread (here's the link)... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2107196

 

We had a helluva time trying to locate the internet cafe as well. It took a couple of trips back and forth on that deck before we found it tucked away behind an unused lounge room.

 

What was really disappointing was that after we finally found it, the internet was spotty at best. I couldn't accomplish what I set out to do. Oh well. Maybe the vacation gods were telling me to relax and stay disconnected for the week! :D

 

Once I get to my cabin the phone goes into the safe and doesn't come out until debarkation. The laptop and tablet stays home.

 

I spend way to much time on the web and I like having a break. I think the web, smart phones and the like are just as addictive as cigarettes.