Liberty or Conquest??

[MistyRo76]

Still looking at cruise options for our girls cruise next year. I've narrowed the choices down to two. I don't want anything longer than 4 days cause I'll be leaving my little one home with dad and grandma. 

 

Option 1: Carnival Liberty 4 Day Bahamas Cruise Monday thru Friday

Port Canaveral

Nassau

Half Moon Cay

Fun Day at Sea

Port Canaveral

 

Option 2: Carnival Conquest 4 Day Western Caribbean Monday thru Friday

Miami

Key West

Cozumel

Fun Day at Sea

Miami

 

We are looking to book either a Suite or something with a larger balcony to give us more room. There will be three of us in the cabin. On the Liberty, we would book either an Aft Wrap or Junior Suite. On the Conquest, we would book either an Aft-Extended Balcony or Ocean Suite (the Aft Wraps and Jr. Suites on this ship don't accommodate three guests). Prices are all within the same range ($50 delta from least to most expensive) except for the Aft Extended which is about $80 less than the next least expensive cabin. But honestly if we book the Conquest, we will likely go with the Ocean Suite anyway. 

 

I have never been on either of these ships but have sailed on sister ships the Valor, Glory and Freedom, so I'm familiar with the general layout. I know the Liberty is a few years newer and both were upgraded a few years ago. I've also been to all of the ports these itineraries hit. So I'm really just looking for anything that might make one ship stand out over the other. 

 

Any feedback would be great! 

[beachbum53]

The Liberty and the Conquest are sister ships, and they are laid out the same, but the decor is different on each. I happen to like the decor on the Liberty a bit more. Choosing between the itineraries you have posted, I'd be tempted to choose the Bahamas cruise, primarily because of HMC. Nassau isn't my favorite port, but booking a beach excursion would make it a little better. So, to answer your question, I'd go with the Bahamas cruise on the Liberty, and maybe do the Western Itinerary on the Conquest the next time. 

[PhillyFan33579]

I don’t think you can go wrong with either ship. I like the way both ships are decorated, but prefer the Liberty with all the black iron and constantly changing light colors.  Just an FYI since you have sailed on other Conquest class ships, neither of these ships has a Red Frog Pub. 

[Joebucks]

The difference in ships is so small, I wouldn't consider that to be a factor.

 

Both itineraries are fun. If you are going to have younger girls, I would probably go with the Bahamas option. I would say those might be a tad kid friendlier than Cozumel and Key West.

[BrezQ]

I've never been on the Liberty, but I've sailed the Conquest twice! We thought the staff and crew were excellent! Had a blast both times!  You'll have a great time no matter! Enjoy!

[JohnSpo]

I have been on both Liberty and Conquest and they are both my top favorite Carnival ships I cruised on.  I think it comes to itinerary. 

 

On Liberty: Nassau can be fun if you take an excursion or just walk to the town and Junkanoo Beach.  As far as Half Moon Cay, Carnival does cancel this port on occasion due to weather so you may not even make it there.  But if the ship actually does make it to Half Moon Cay, you will have a blast.

 

On Conquest, Key West and Cozumel are both my favorite ports.  Key West has so much to do within walking distance of the ship.  Cozumel has many inexpensive all inclusive excursions (for a great beach day) to choose from.  My choice would be the Conquest cruise just for the fact that there are not many itineraries that include Key West as a port.

 

For a 4 day cruise, both itineraries will be fun.  Have a great cruise.😎

 

 

 

 

Edited April 26, 2019 by JohnSpo

[MistyRo76]

52 minutes ago, beachbum53 said:

The Liberty and the Conquest are sister ships, and they are laid out the same, but the decor is different on each. I happen to like the decor on the Liberty a bit more. Choosing between the itineraries you have posted, I'd be tempted to choose the Bahamas cruise, primarily because of HMC. Nassau isn't my favorite port, but booking a beach excursion would make it a little better. So, to answer your question, I'd go with the Bahamas cruise on the Liberty, and maybe do the Western Itinerary on the Conquest the next time. 

I do love HMC! Such a great beach day...and if we do this itinerary hopefully we will be able to secure a cabana there! Never done that! And I agree on Nassau, but it's been a while since I've been there. So it wouldn't be too bad going back! And we always have the option to stay onboard and take advantage of a quiet ship! 

[MistyRo76]

46 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I don’t think you can go wrong with either ship. I like the way both ships are decorated, but prefer the Liberty with all the black iron and constantly changing light colors.  Just an FYI since you have sailed on other Conquest class ships, neither of these ships has a Red Frog Pub. 

I did notice that there was not a Red Frog Pub on these ships...which shouldn't be too much of a big deal for us. Other than catching the singer at night, we didn't spend a whole lot of time there! The little appetizers were nice though! lol 

[MistyRo76]

46 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

The difference in ships is so small, I wouldn't consider that to be a factor.

 

Both itineraries are fun. If you are going to have younger girls, I would probably go with the Bahamas option. I would say those might be a tad kid friendlier than Cozumel and Key West.

No young ones on this trip! This is myself and two best friends all in our early 40's! We haven't traveled together since my friend Melissa was pregnant with her daughter who will graduate high school next spring. She's been a single mom the last 17 years so she's not done much for herself. Time to change that next year! And I'll be leaving my hubby and little one at home as well. 

[MistyRo76]

28 minutes ago, JohnSpo said:

I have been on both Liberty and Conquest and they are both my top favorite Carnival ships I cruised on.  I think it comes to itinerary. 

 

On Liberty: Nassau can be fun if you take an excursion or just walk to the town and Junkanoo Beach.  As far as Half Moon Cay, Carnival does cancel this port on occasion due to weather so you may not even make it there.  But if the ship actually does make it to Half Moon Cay, you will have a blast.

 

On Conquest, Key West and Cozumel are both my favorite ports.  Key West has so much to do within walking distance of the ship.  Cozumel has many inexpensive all inclusive excursions (for a great beach day) to choose from.  My choice would be the Conquest cruise just for the fact that there are not many itineraries that include Key West as a port.

 

For a 4 day cruise, both itineraries will be fun.  Have a great cruise.😎

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the reminder about the possibility of HMC getting cancelled. If we did the Liberty that would be a big reason why, so that is definitely something to consider! 

 

I've done Key West/Cozumel several times and it's always a good time. In fact, we just stopped in Key West on our Cuba cruise last week. Did the KW Pub Crawl and had a blast! I just wish it wasn't such an early port time on this itinerary (7:30AM??? UGH LOL). 

[MistyRo76]

Another question about these ships that I just thought of. 

 

Does anyone know if they've added the little Bonsai Sushi counter to either ship? I looked at the deck plans and didn't notice it listed, but there were a couple areas that just said "kiosk" or weren't labeled. We are just off the Paradise and it's been added to that ship. I enjoyed grabbing some sushi for a lighter lunch option! 

[beachbum53]

4 hours ago, JohnSpo said:

I have been on both Liberty and Conquest and they are both my top favorite Carnival ships I cruised on.  I think it comes to itinerary. 

 

On Liberty: Nassau can be fun if you take an excursion or just walk to the town and Junkanoo Beach.  As far as Half Moon Cay, Carnival does cancel this port on occasion due to weather so you may not even make it there.  But if the ship actually does make it to Half Moon Cay, you will have a blast.

 

On Conquest, Key West and Cozumel are both my favorite ports.  Key West has so much to do within walking distance of the ship.  Cozumel has many inexpensive all inclusive excursions (for a great beach day) to choose from.  My choice would be the Conquest cruise just for the fact that there are not many itineraries that include Key West as a port.

 

For a 4 day cruise, both itineraries will be fun.  Have a great cruise.😎

 

 

 

 

 

Depending on what month you're planning to go will make a difference, especially for HMC. We like to cruise in May. We've been to HMC three times and never had bad weather that would have caused us to miss it. I'm guessing you're more likely to miss it when there's a much greater chance of bad weather, like during the fall and winter months.

 

[bury me at sea]

Key West and Cozumel are two of my favorite ports.  Lots to do with no planned excursions.

 

Either way sounds like a great time.

[JohnSpo]

3 hours ago, beachbum53 said:

 

Depending on what month you're planning to go will make a difference, especially for HMC. We like to cruise in May. We've been to HMC three times and never had bad weather that would have caused us to miss it. I'm guessing you're more likely to miss it when there's a much greater chance of bad weather, like during the fall and winter months.

 

I made it to HMC once on a January cruise but had the port cancelled on a March & April cruise.  I remember on the January cruise that I made it there was an incredibly hot day and I spent most of the time in the water until the horse tour came by in the water (if you know what I mean).  😎 I look forward to visiting HMC again.

[livingthedream1]

Just off Liberty and yes they had the Bonsia Sushi counter.

[mom2girls]

I’ve been on both. They are very similar, but I liked Liberty better. And, I’d rather sail from Port Canaveral than Miami. I love Half Moon Cay, but I also love Cozumel. It depends on what you want more. Ports of call, departure port? Liberty is a newer ship than Conquest. 

[bakersdozen12]

If it were me, I would pick the Liberty cruise because of HMC. It’s my #1 favorite port in the Caribbean. 

[MistyRo76]

On 4/26/2019 at 5:35 PM, beachbum53 said:

 

Depending on what month you're planning to go will make a difference, especially for HMC. We like to cruise in May. We've been to HMC three times and never had bad weather that would have caused us to miss it. I'm guessing you're more likely to miss it when there's a much greater chance of bad weather, like during the fall and winter months.

 

We are planning on going in September of next year. I know it's Hurricane season, but we need to wait until my kiddo is back in school and my friend's daughter is off to college. 

[MistyRo76]

On 4/26/2019 at 7:25 PM, bury me at sea said:

Key West and Cozumel are two of my favorite ports.  Lots to do with no planned excursions.

 

Either way sounds like a great time.

I do love KW and Cozumel as well. It's kind of a no-brainer cruise! lol Usually in Cozumel, we hear to Playa Mia for the day and then if the ship stays in port until later at night spend some time at Senor Frogs at the pier (no pier-running for us though - we'll get back in plenty of time! lol). 

[MistyRo76]

On 4/26/2019 at 9:05 PM, JohnSpo said:

I made it to HMC once on a January cruise but had the port cancelled on a March & April cruise.  I remember on the January cruise that I made it there was an incredibly hot day and I spent most of the time in the water until the horse tour came by in the water (if you know what I mean).  😎 I look forward to visiting HMC again.

So it sounds like whether or not you get into HMC is really a crapshoot. Is there one time of year that is worse than others for not getting in? We are going in September so it's during Hurricane season. I've been to HMC several other times and once was in April. Can't remember when we went the other times. But we've never had to miss it (knock on wood!). 

 

And ew....on the horses in the water! I hadn't thought of that before! 

[MistyRo76]

On 4/27/2019 at 5:48 AM, livingthedream1 said:

Just off Liberty and yes they had the Bonsia Sushi counter.

Awesome...I love my sushi, so this is great to know! 

[MistyRo76]

15 hours ago, bakersdozen12 said:

If it were me, I would pick the Liberty cruise because of HMC. It’s my #1 favorite port in the Caribbean. 

I love HMC too! Such a great beach day. If we do this itinerary, I want to be sure to get a cabana this time! Never had one before. 

[MistyRo76]

16 hours ago, mom2girls said:

I’ve been on both. They are very similar, but I liked Liberty better. And, I’d rather sail from Port Canaveral than Miami. I love Half Moon Cay, but I also love Cozumel. It depends on what you want more. Ports of call, departure port? Liberty is a newer ship than Conquest. 

Why do you like sailing from PC as opposed to Miami? We've only sailed from PC twice and it's been well over 10 years since the last time we did. I don't have a huge preference either way other than I'm just more familiar with Miami. We just recently sailed from Tampa for the first time and it was great getting a new cruise experience. So that would be the case if we did PC. 

 

[mom2girls]

I live an hour away, parking is less, I don’t have to get a hotel, and I don’t have to deal with Miami traffic. 

[MistyRo76]

51 minutes ago, mom2girls said:

I live an hour away, parking is less, I don’t have to get a hotel, and I don’t have to deal with Miami traffic. 

Gotcha! We are flying in either way...so that's not as much of a consideration for us. I did enjoy the ease of the Tampa port though...it was so much less chaotic than Miami! Nice change of pace. We'll have to think about that for Port Canaveral!