Carnival Liberty Reviews on Yahoo - Very disappointing

[tyler31]

I'm currently scheduled to cruise on the Carnival "Liberty" in April of 2006. I have been anxiously awaiting passenger reviews about the ship. However, after reading the reviews posted on Yahoo, I was very disappointed.

 

Has anyone heard or seen any positive feedback on this particular ship?

[tyler31]

See attached link and click on travel reviews.....

 

http://www.yahoovacationstore.com/b/c/sc.asp?d=4/1/2006&d2=4/30/2006&i=848835&c=1&v=441&.l=N&.gt=Hello,+Guest

[luvz2run2000]

Try this link:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=360

It is the link to the official Cruise Critic review of the Liberty. From that page there is also a link to member reviews. There are currently 14 member reviews and for the most part they are very positive.

 

I'll go check out the link you posted but the people I've spoken with (actually it was e-mail) who sailed on the Liberty loved it. They were all on European cruises, not sure where you're planning to go. That might make a difference.

[24butterfly]

I'm currently scheduled to cruise on the Carnival "Liberty" in April of 2006. I have been anxiously awaiting passenger reviews about the ship. However, after reading the reviews posted on Yahoo, I was very disappointed.

 

Has anyone heard or seen any positive feedback on this particular ship?

 

The ship is great. It doesn't matter where you're sailing to.

[tbag124]

Check out the review I posted on the board, we had a wonderful time. I think it's a great ship w/ good food and great service. You won't be disappointed.

[VentureMan_2000]

People can post really weird reviews... and often do.

 

I read one review of a condo on Maui where this lady complained about all the wall mirrors that were used to make the condo feel larger. Her complaint was that while sitting on the couch she could see her Husband taking a shower thru the reflection in the mirror. She thought that was just horrid... no privacy. And she mentioned, "luckily, the shower door had opaque glass". She convienently forget to mention that the bathroom had a door on it that could have been closed.

 

Enjoy your cruise. You will have a blast.

[billh65]

I'm currently scheduled to cruise on the Carnival "Liberty" in April of 2006. I have been anxiously awaiting passenger reviews about the ship. However, after reading the reviews posted on Yahoo, I was very disappointed.

 

Has anyone heard or seen any positive feedback on this particular ship?

I tried to post this on the Yahoo link you referenced, but got a posting error because of a problem they are having at Yahoo... but here is what I wrote:

Liberty: 11/26-12/04 2005

Bill and Cheryl of Florida My wife and I decided where we wanted to go, and then the time frame we had available. The Liberty inaugral cruise to Costa Maya, Costa Rica, and Panama came the closest. Being a new ship we thought it would be clean, huge, enjoyable, etc. We were NOT disappointed. It was a great relaxing 8 night cruise that was a TOTAL pleasure. Sure, it took 60 minutes to embark, but about 3000 other people had to get on as well. Disembark was not as bad as I thought it would be except for a guy behind me complaining about several things, to which I retorted with things like, our dining room waiters were overly friendly, fast, came back over and over at each dinner, food was varied and very tasty. The Venetian Lounge filled quickly, so after the first night, we went 15-20 minutes early and read and people watched. Some complained the buffets were crowded and you had to stand in line which is rather humorous, not too many sit down buffets in this world, we always found a place to sit in Emile's for the buffet, always found free deck chairs when we wanted to sit, found all the staff most helpful, our room steward was a prince and concerned about every detail. I must admit that there were not a huge percentage of kids and even though we are now in our 50's, guess what? we were once kids, had kids, and still enjoy interacting and found none annoying on the ship. We would sail on the Liberty anytime. It was one of the best bargains we have had for a 9 day period. And our balcony room forward starboard side offered great views. So, why not 6 stars instead of 5? Nobody is perfect.

Bill & Cheryl

[Margie1983us]

Tyler,

Just keep in mind that the Liberty is a new ship and has only been sailing the Caribbean for a few weeks. Yes they probably need to work out a few kinks. But a crusie is what you make of it. If you think its going to be a bad experience it will. Go a enjoy yourself. And let a the Negative Ninnies sail on another crusie line.

[suzy671]

We were on the Liberty when in was in Europe for a 12 day cruise and we're going on it again because we loved it so much, going February 4th for a 8 day cruise, you will absolutely love this ship.

[iluvdoxies]

Margie, the Liberty sailed in Europe all summer.

[madelinerose]

Hysterical! They must have a "wonderful" relationship! :D :D :D

 

I read one review of a condo on Maui where this lady complained about all the wall mirrors that were used to make the condo feel larger. Her complaint was that while sitting on the couch she could see her Husband taking a shower thru the reflection in the mirror. She thought that was just horrid...

[tyler31]

Thanks to all for the great feedback. I just wish there was more positive reviews posted on the website to offsite all of the negative ones.

 

Tbag124 - does not appear your review got posted on the website.

 

Thanks again, and I'm definitely looking forward to my cruise.

[nrose6]

I was on the VERY VERY short 2-day preview/bahama cruise on the Liberty.

 

Since i didnt go to any ports but nassau , i cant help anyone there.

 

Here are some answers to questions that i keep getting emails about.

 

1) The ship is beautiful. Simply beautiful. The layout really is not all that bad with the decks not going through...it seems to be a bit exagerated on these boards. Please keep in mind, this was my first time on a Conquest class ship.

 

2) The food was wonderful. Yes, every now and then , there MAY be one dish that isnt wondeful, but I seem to be seeing many people on orbitz and yahoo bashing the food because they didnt like one thing. makes no sense. also, i kid you not, the quality of the food on the sailing i was on, was ON PAR with princess. Period. Either my princess sailing was bad, or the Liberty was just awsome.

 

3) The rooms are perfect. Only issue is the door slamming in the balcony rooms.

 

4) There are more than enough deck chairs..but there as no day at sea on my sailing.

 

Please email me if more questions. The Liberty is wonderful. You will have fun.

[Cracker Ken]

I have to agree with everyone else who thinks the ship is great. We sailed HAL 4 times, and 3 on Celebrity before trying Carnival Liberty. If we ever had any reservations about Carnival (and we did, I must admit), we lost them on Liberty.

 

Our cabin was most impressive. Beautifully decorated, by far the best lighting of any cabin we have ever had. Enough storage space for 2 + weeks of stuff (we had luggage for 15 nights of cruising since we were taking a back to back on Celebrity Century after the 6 night on Liberty). More than enough room for everything we had. Big couch with pull out drawers underneath. We had a balcony cabin, and it was great, with the exception of the inconsiderate people all over the place who just let go of their doors and let them slam loudly, over and over, and over again (no fault of the cruise line, except sliding doors may have been better).

 

Food and service was great. The buffet food was, by far, the best we have had on any cruise line to date. No close match at all. Yes, there were lines in the buffet, as their should be, and they moved along reasonably well (unless you got behind a slow poke "picker" in the buffet line, still not Carnival's fault). The burger grill was great, and the fish and chips place above the buffet was quite good. The "Taste of the Nations" buffet was excellent. We could always find a table in the buffet area, no matter how busy. The soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt, with butterscotch, chocolate, and some other toping was very good.

 

The ship was very beautiful and clean, all over, inside and out. I was very impressed with the "Garden Atrium." The staff was friendly and helpful, and the were always cleaning.

 

In the next week or so I'll have a huge album (or two) of pictures on my Yahoo photo album page (the top link in my signature block). The photos are of mainly the ship, inside and out, and some of the ports. I have extensive photos of the atrium and the beautiful ever changing lights in the huge candelabra. It's hard to describe. You have to see it to believe it. Check back next week around New Years day and see if my albums are finished. I'll keep the photo albums locked as private until I'm done with them. Hope you enjoy the pics and find them informative if you are thinking about sailing on Liberty.

 

We are certainly converts to Carnival. We'll still be doing some Celebrity and RCI, but really like Carnival. We prefer the 7+ day sailings, which (from what we have heard) differ from the 3 + 4 day "party hardy" cruises.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Ken

[gsb]

Liberty right up there at the top for everything.

Of course our Med ports were unbeatable also-- no other way you could that much of Europe in 12 nights and days:)

[tbag124]

Thanks to all for the great feedback. I just wish there was more positive reviews posted on the website to offsite all of the negative ones.

Tbag124 - does not appear your review got posted on the website.

Thanks again, and I'm definitely looking forward to my cruise.

 

Here is a link to my review, I only posted it on the Carnival boards. It's pretty long. Hope you find it helpful. The Liberty really is great.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=266930

[salty dingo]

I read the Yahoo reviews. All but one were one or two sentences & no details; I do not give them much credibility. The only poster who provided any specifics said: "The food was above average. - The entertainment was exceptionally good. - The ship was very clean. - The rooms were a good size but there were numerous rattles all night hindering sleep. - The air conditioning seemed to work fine during the day but on at least 3 nights did not work well. It got hot in the room. - The staff was friendly and courteous."

 

Then he goes on to say NEVER AGAIN! Huh? That poster seemed to think the lines getting on and off the ship were so bad, that the entire cruise was ruined. Don't know about anyone else, but I EXPECT long lines getting on and off!

 

I also expect "numerous rattles" on a moving ship. If you want complete peace and quiet, a cruise is not the place to be! And if the A/C works during the day, it works at night too. Jeeez!

[Tatka]

I really liked many aspects of our Liberty cruise...

 

Interesting ship, artwork , great staterooms and bedding, wonderful and prompt service from waitteam and stateroom steward... very decent food (we sailed on Celebrity, so it's hard to beat this). Nice sushi bar, Fish and chips part of buffet (we love seafood). Food in dining room was a bit inconsistent... but we always could find something tasty. Good production shows...

 

I was actually surprized how different this cruise was from common description of Carnival... Very clean and tastefully decorated ship.. Haven't seen one drunk whole week etc.

 

IMHO thing that makes many peoople write such bad reviews was ... bad organization of embarkation (my husband was ready to catch taxi and drive back to airport) we were standing in line for 2+ hours!!!! Plus some areas of this ship are small for such a huge crowd (we had 3500+)... specially buffets and to some extent pool areas!

 

I wouldn't say we had bad cruise, but it wasn't relaxing cruise, felt more like being in the mall right before Christmas.

[CruiseMark]

We just got off the Liberty on 12/24 and had a fantastic time. What an absolutely beautiful ship, and a fantastic, friendly crew. I haven't read these "once sentence" Yahoo reviews, but I know our cruise was great. I've posted our review here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=270226

[berryberry]

I really liked many aspects of our Liberty cruise...

 

Interesting ship, artwork , great staterooms and bedding, wonderful and prompt service from waitteam and stateroom steward... very decent food (we sailed on Celebrity, so it's hard to beat this). Nice sushi bar, Fish and chips part of buffet (we love seafood). Food in dining room was a bit inconsistent... but we always could find something tasty. Good production shows...

 

I was actually surprized how different this cruise was from common description of Carnival... Very clean and tastefully decorated ship.. Haven't seen one drunk whole week etc.

 

IMHO thing that makes many peoople write such bad reviews was ... bad organization of embarkation (my husband was ready to catch taxi and drive back to airport) we were standing in line for 2+ hours!!!! Plus some areas of this ship are small for such a huge crowd (we had 3500+)... specially buffets and to some extent pool areas!

 

I wouldn't say we had bad cruise, but it wasn't relaxing cruise, felt more like being in the mall right before Christmas.

 

tatka - if I recall correctly you have been a HAL cruiser before. How would you compare the Liberty to your HAL trips?

[Margie1983us]

Margie, the Liberty sailed in Europe all summer.

I know they did, But I assume the ports and embarkation points have different staff. And some people can have a bad time at embarkation and make their whole cruise bad. Or a bad debarkation and do the same thing. Not remembering all the good things that they did during the week. Maybe not! but I'm Just trying to let poster know that a person can make themselves have a bad cruise by whinning and complaining about little stuff . And I'm sailing on the Liberty in Feb, and I want to believe its a wonderful ship so I'm trying to keep it al positive . LOL Happy cruising for all!!!:)

[Tatka]

tatka - if I recall correctly you have been a HAL cruiser before. How would you compare the Liberty to your HAL trips?

 

I found design of Liberty to be very close to HAL Zuiderdam... same shipyard I guess. Both are very interesting with tons of different arts.

Both are kind of difficult to navigate in some parts.

 

We received MUCH better service from both stateroom attendant and dining room wait team on Carnival Liberty. We felt Zuiderdam was very understaffed... 3 times in one week our room hasn't been made up until noon... Also on Carnival our wait team had less tables to wait on.

 

HAL's food in dining room was slightly better and more sophisticated , but buffets had similar setups...although Carnival had a great station "Fish and Chips" with very nice selection of seafood. I prefered breakfast buffet on Zuiderdam though.

 

However I think HAL PAX/size ratio was MUCH better , I honestly was very tired after constantly being in a huge crowd on Liberty.

 

To be honest Liberty is a Conquest class ship which is much bigger than biggest HAL's ship. You are better off comparing Spirit class of Carnival.

 

( English isn't my native language , so excuse my numerous mistakes )

[texas greeneyes]

 

( English isn't my native language , so excuse my numerous mistakes )

 

There is nothing to excuse...your word choices and spelling are as good as, if not better than, those of your fellow posters here on CC! ;)

 

Happy cruising!

[Tatka]

There is nothing to excuse...your word choices and spelling are as good as, if not better than, those of your fellow posters here on CC! ;)

 

Happy cruising!

 

Thank you... you are kind. :)

[berryberry]

I found design of Liberty to be very close to HAL Zuiderdam... same shipyard I guess. Both are very interesting with tons of different arts.

Both are kind of difficult to navigate in some parts.

 

We received MUCH better service from both stateroom attendant and dining room wait team on Carnival Liberty. We felt Zuiderdam was very understaffed... 3 times in one week our room hasn't been made up until noon... Also on Carnival our wait team had less tables to wait on.

 

HAL's food in dining room was slightly better and more sophisticated , but buffets had similar setups...although Carnival had a great station "Fish and Chips" with very nice selection of seafood. I prefered breakfast buffet on Zuiderdam though.

 

However I think HAL PAX/size ratio was MUCH better , I honestly was very tired after constantly being in a huge crowd on Liberty.

 

To be honest Liberty is a Conquest class ship which is much bigger than biggest HAL's ship. You are better off comparing Spirit class of Carnival.

 

( English isn't my native language , so excuse my numerous mistakes )

 

Thanks for the info - we have been on the Zuiderdam and maasdam but are planning to give the Liberty a try - so it was nice to see how they compare