Liberty of the Seas Observations & Tips

[SHMILYMOM]

A lot of folks have already posted extremely detailed reviews about their experiences on Liberty of the Seas. So, my posting is going to be more about overall observations/misc. thoughts/tips, etc. regarding our recent cruise on LOS.

 

First - let me start by saying we thoroughly enjoyed our sailing and enjoyed Liberty. The weather was ideal the entire trip and, except for a short "list" as we left Falmouth, was probably one of the smoothest sailings we've experienced.

 

Terminal Parking - we pre-paid for parking in Lot B of the Terminal Parking. Worth the price and even though not a covered spot, we felt comfortable leaving our car there for the duration. The shuttle to/from the terminal was also very convenient.

 

Carry On Policy - DH, adult DD's and I all carried on one bottle of wine/champagne each. Got ice and four glasses from our stateroom attendant so had one bottle of chilled champagne to toast for sail away (along with some delicious chocolate covered strawberries and truffles I had preordered).

 

Cabins - we booked two adjoining Junior Suites on deck 10 for this cruise. Perfect for our family. We opened the sliding panel on the balcony between the cabins so had one large balcony for the trip. The adjoining door was extremely convenient; but, sound proof enough for complete privacy. The cabins were spacious AND the large walk in closets the biggest plus. We had ample storage room for everything including all of our suitcases in the closets. Thanks to tips from other Cruise Critic posters, I asked for the mattress toppers for all of the beds, an extension cord and distilled water for CH's CPAP machine in advance. All items were received as requested. Some other posters mentioned concerns over the location of these cabins as they were directly underneath the pool deck. However, only on a couple of occasions in the AM did we ever hear any noise from above.

 

Stateroom Attendant - Rolex Booker, a wonderfully kind, gracious and helpful man to always greeted us by name and with a smile and took care of every little thing we needed.

 

Food - I posted on a separate thread about our experiences with MDR, Windjammer, and the special Royal Lunch. We were happy with our food. We didn't try any of the specialty restaurants or the pizza place, primarily because we just couldn't eat that much food every day.

 

Beverage Package - we initially weren't going to get the packages; but, changed our minds after boarding the first day. We purchased the Premium package; but, in hindsight, don't think DH and one of our DD's really got full value. Next time, we'll probably just pay by the drink. We were also confused about whether or not our package included gratuities. Several crew we asked (NOT bartenders or waiters) said the packages we purchased didn't include gratuities; but, comments by other posters seemed to indicate the 18% was included. If so, we probably over tipped the bartenders or cocktail waiters.

 

Pools - we camped out in the Solarium every day we could. No kids allowed, so a nice quite place to relax and unwind. Particularly fun - the large "porch swings" you could sit on, rock and just gaze out on the ocean.

 

Entertainment - thoroughly enjoyed Saturday Night Fever, the musical and In The Air stage show. There was a great short documentary on one of the TV channels that talked about how LOS Saturday Night Fever was created/developed. Great "behind the scenes" information. So, if you're a real theater buff, try and catch the documentary before seeing the show.

 

A HUGE thanks to everyone who recommended Derrek Lewis. Saw him three nights at the Hoof & Claw during the cruise. Our two DD's were active participants every night we were there. And yes, there will eventually be a clip of one DD's performance out on Derrek's Facebook page soon. A marvelously talented entertainer. His show is definitely for ages 18+ though.

 

Shore excursions - did Nachi Cocum in Cozumel. Not a RCI excursion; but a very nice, quite all inclusive beach resort, and just what we wanted to do. Grand Cayman - RCI excursion to Tortuga rum tasting/store, Hell, turtle conservation, and stingray city. A bit pricy; but our bus driver and guides were excellent. Jamaica - DD's did bobsled run and climbed Dunn's River Falls. DH and I did a bit more laid back tour of a different water fall, botanical gardens, bird aviary, and small museum. Enjoyed a brief lecture on "jerk" meats are made. Then enjoyed a tasty lunch of jerk chicken, pork, and sausage.

 

Note - When doing any shore excursions or tours, be sure to take plenty of small bills for tips ($1.00's, $5.00's and $10.00's). Every place we went, US dollars were accepted; however, it was difficult to get change when on the road and I kept forgetting to go to Guest Services.

 

Wash and Fold Service - great way to get t-shirts, bathing suits, socks, underwear, shorts washed up mid cruise. Reasonably priced at $30 per bag for everything you can stuff in the bag.

 

Disembarkation - A bit hectic. We were in Group 8 and given we had several very, very large overpacked suitcases didn't do "self carry off" this time. I think some folks got confused about what they were supposed to do because the young woman who was trying to organize the groups meeting at the Platinum Theater kept having to shout instructions. However, once we got down the gangway into the terminal, everything went smooth. We chose to take advantage of the porter service to get our bags, get through customs, and out to the parking shuttle. Best decision ever. Using the porter was like using FastPass at WDW to bypass the regular lines. After getting our bags loaded on a cart, we had a much short line to get to the customs agent and an expedited line to the shuttle bus. Well worth the tip.

 

All in all, our family had a wonderful vacation on LOS. There was so many more things we just didn't have time to do. We so enjoyed this cruise that we're already trying to figure out where and when we want to sail to next.

 

:)

[Clarea]

Nice report, thanks.

[George C]

Glad you enjoyed cruise and Derek Lewis ( he is great)

[wolfganghowell]

Thanks for your thoughts. Glad you had fun at Adult Daycare at Night. We are looking forward to seeing Derek again - we go waaaay back. Like 2001 on Rhapsody! We've missed him the last few years. He'll probably recognize us - Mr Wolf was a bit unforgettable one time. Who knew "Take This Job and Shove It" was operatic and apparently in about 17 different keys?? :eek: :D

 

Random question - do you happen to know who the pool bartenders were? They used to rotate them but now the bartenders are permanently assigned to an area. I'm wondering if it's anyone we know (we've run into many of the same guys through the years!)

[Ladysilver]

Thanks for sharing your views on your Liberty cruise. :)

[Texas Cruise Girl]

Thanks for the report. We sail in two weeks.

[nativetexan]

We sail in August and will miss Derek Lewis. Rats!!

 

Enjoyed your thoughts! Thank you!

[riclop]

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Susangraham]

I am looking for hints, tips, tricks. Our very first cruise coming up. I have read a lot of blogs, watched videos, etc. My 14 year old daughter is a little worried about not having enough to do. So hints here would be greatly appreciated for on-board stuff. We are really excited to experience this cruise.

[cb at sea]

Never, EVER ask a "tipped" employee if they are getting their tips...they will ALWAYS tell you "no"!

Tips are included in the price of ALL packages, one way or another!

[RN4Nsy]

Glad you had a great cruise! We were on the Liberty in Feb and loved it. Derek Lewis is the best!

[Yorkvillain]

Very nice recap. Thanks for doing it.

[3happykids!]

thank you for your report. we sail in july. keep the tips coming.

[pacman85]

Never, EVER ask a "tipped" employee if they are getting their tips...they will ALWAYS tell you "no"!

Tips are included in the price of ALL packages, one way or another!

even room service? so if i get food delivered during the times there is no extra charge for room service i don't have to give them a tip when they deliver the food?

[ARCruisinNana]

even room service? so if i get food delivered during the times there is no extra charge for room service i don't have to give them a tip when they deliver the food?

 

 

You should tip for room service. Gratuities are included in the drink packages. The drink packages do not include room service.

[Clarea]

even room service? so if i get food delivered during the times there is no extra charge for room service i don't have to give them a tip when they deliver the food?

You do not have to tip the room service people, in fact, they are gone so quickly that you have very little chance to tip them.

[Wilson]

If you enjoyed Derek Lewis don't forget to note that on your post cruise survey. ;)

 

I can't recall when he takes his summer break, but I do know that he is returning to Liberty Oct 16, 2016 through April 16, 2017.

[ramja96]

You do not have to tip the room service people, in fact, they are gone so quickly that you have very little chance to tip them.

 

Which is why I always make sure I have the money out and ready so when they come to the door, we do a trade. They get the tip, I get the food tray. :D

[ramja96]

If you enjoyed Derek Lewis don't forget to note that on your post cruise survey. ;)

 

I can't recall when he takes his summer break, but I do know that he is returning to Liberty Oct 16, 2016 through April 16, 2017.

 

NOOOOOO!!!! We sail on April 30, 2017. We're going to miss him by 2 weeks???!!! :(:mad::(:mad::(

[JaniceB]

Thanks for the report!

 

If you enjoyed Derek Lewis don't forget to note that on your post cruise survey. ;)

 

I can't recall when he takes his summer break, but I do know that he is returning to Liberty Oct 16, 2016 through April 16, 2017.

 

Glad to hear he will be back in time for my cruise. Everyone seems to enjoy him and it looks like I will get to see for myself.

[pacman85]

You do not have to tip the room service people, in fact, they are gone so quickly that you have very little chance to tip them.

You should tip for room service. Gratuities are included in the drink packages. The drink packages do not include room service.

sooooo which one is it? i am doing the pre-paid gratuities option and i wasn't sure if that covered room service or not.

[JimAOk1945]

Thanks for your review. We are looking forward to sailing on the LOS in December.

[DebJ14]

Which is why I always make sure I have the money out and ready so when they come to the door, we do a trade. They get the tip, I get the food tray. :D

 

Exactly! I would not drea!m of stiffing the room service waiters

[nativetexan]

From the RCI website

Q:How is the automatic daily gratuity shared between members of the staff and crew?

 

A:

The automatic gratuity is $13.50 USD, or $16.50 USD for suite guests, applied to each guest's SeaPass® account on a daily basis. Here's how it is shared between your onboard service team:

Dining & Culinary Services: $8.30 USD

Stateroom Attendant: $3.85 USD OR Suite Attendant: $6.85 USD

Other Housekeeping Services: $1.35 USD OR Housekeeping and Suite Services: $1.35 USD

 

Room service isn't specifically mentioned but it's customary and appropriate to tip the delivery person a dollar or two - consistent with what you order.

 

You don't HAVE to do anything but it's typical to provide a direct specific gratuity for the room service delivery.

[Clarea]

sooooo which one is it? i am doing the pre-paid gratuities option and i wasn't sure if that covered room service or not.

Both are correct. The room service people are not included in the pre-paid gratuities. The option to tip them is yours. You are not obligated to tip, but some folks feel they should.