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Carnival Liberty Feb 17 - 8 Day Exotic Western Review

Dr. Jack Daniels

By Dr. Jack Daniels,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Dr. Jack Daniels

Dr. Jack Daniels

Posted
Posted

Background Info: I sailed with my wife and daughter (15y/o). This was our 6th cruise (all on Carnival). We’ve been on the Triumph, Victory, Sensation, Glory and the Valor.

 

Pre-Cruise: We flew to Miami the day before as usual. Rented a car and stayed at the Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Weston (about a 25-30 minute drive from the airport). The hotel was in a nice area and had restaurants, grocery store and liquor store nearby. Would definitely stay here again. The next day we drove to Port Everglades (another 25 minutes) and dropped the car off at the Budget on 17th Steet in the Quay shopping center around 11:00 am. The line was pretty long for the shuttle so we decided to take a cab ($15 including tip)

 

Embarkation: Not as smooth as Miami but all-in-all was pretty painless. Something new was that you had to go to one of the dining rooms to acitvate your S&S card when you boarded. Initially, I was a little put off at having to stand yet one more line before starting my cruise but it only took 10 minutes and it was off to the Lido deck to let the feasting begin! We were on the ship about Noon so the whole check process from soup to nuts took about 45 minutes.

Grade: B+

 

Ship: The ship’s décor is very classy and not as “in your face” as many of the other ships. The atrium was beautiful with it’s lights that change color. The Venetian (show palace) was very nice as well.

Grade: A

 

Cabin: Booked an inside guarantee and when the price dropped after final payment I was upgraded to a balcony on the Upper Deck (#6323). Nothing like sipping a Jack & Coke while looking at the stars. We managed quite nicely with all three of us. Didn’t seem crowded at all. The room was directly over the shops so noise was never an issue. The bathroom had a nice gift basket stocked with shampoo, toothpaste, razors and the like. Zoran was our room steward and did a fantastic job. He couldn’t stop asking what he could do for us. He seemed so disappointed when I told him “Nothing!” that I finally told him we could use another ice bucket just so I didn’t have to see his sad puppy dog face again.

Grade: A

 

Dining Room: We had the 5:45 seating in Silver Olympian dining room at our own table. The service was simply the best we have ever had on Carnival. Our waiters (Joseph and Dmytro) were top-notch. They were extremely personable and friendly. Dmytro performed an amazing card trick for us that I still can’t believe. :eek:

Service Grade: A+

 

Carnival has made several changes to their Dinner menu since we last sailed in February 2005. I loved the cream of asparagus soup but for the life of me I don’t get all the rage about the chocolate melting cake. It tastes like an extremely under-baked brownie. DW loved it, though! I was a bit disappointed in a couple of the steaks. The New York strip was very stringy and tough. The chicken dishes I had were very good. The charred chicken was particularly good.

Food Grade: B

 

Lido Deck: Service was excellet but be warned the lines can be very long during lunch. It seemed to be the worst between 12:15 and 1:30. The Deli was the worst, waiting up to 15 minutes, but, darn if don’t love those roasted turkey on a baguette sandwiches. I managed to keep it to one per day this cruise. The line at the chocolate buffet on the last sea day was ridiculous. I passed. I was disappointed in the chinese food from the Oriental the couple of times I had it. But I loved the addition of onion rings. The pizza was not as good as I remember it and I did not go to the fish & chips. The Mongolian Barbecue was pretty good. Breakfast was the usual fare. We ate dinner in the dining room so I can’t comment on that subject. The Midnight buffet was spectacular as was the late night burger bar.

Grade: B

 

Entertainment: The results here were extremely mixed in my opinion. The Vegas style shows and singing acts were really good but he comedians were simply brutal. The two Vegas style shows were Wonderful World and Rockin’ Down Broadway. I especially loved Rockin’ Down Broadway. The dancers were terrific. Do not miss this show!

 

The comedians were Carl Faulkenberry and Frank Del Pizzo. Faulkenberry was mildly amusing but Del Pizzo’s shows were an absolute snore-fest. By far the worst comedy acts on any cruise I’ve been on.:(

 

The two singing acts were Christopher Alan Graves (Sammy Davis/Frank Sinatra Tribute) and Cecil Parker. Both had good voices. I liked Graves better. Parker’s show was only 35 minutes long. The pre-show bingo game lasted longer.

 

I was hoping for a little more variety. A magician would have been nice. We were supposed to have a juggler but a family emergency prevented him from appearing (stuff happens).

 

The Piano Bar entertainer (and I use that term loosely) was flat out bad. The place was deserted by 11:30 every night. The Calypso band on the Lido Deck only knew about 8 songs. A couple of times they played the same song two times in a row. The Carnival Legends show was a hoot!

 

The cruise director was Todd Wittmer (or “The Todd” as we called him) was decent. Saw him out and about among the masses so I give him points for that. He seems to like to dress up as a woman. He did it twice.

Grade: B-

 

Costa Maya: We took the taxi to Mahahual ($3 to get there, $2 to get back) and hung out a Pez Quadro. It is the very last bar on the beach side of the street. It’s a bit of a walk but worth it. Beers were $1.50 and shots of tequila were $3. I got a 40 minute massage for $20. I had read this spot was a favorite of the Carnival Crew. I saw quite a few of the entertainment staff from the ship there. In fact, I could say I saw a lot of the dancers at the beach. And when I say “a lot”, I mean “a lot”:D .

 

Limon, Costa Rica: We did the Tortuguero Canal tour with Oscar Brown. We also visited a banana plantation and an “animal preserve” in addition to the canal tour. The animal preserve was a guy that had a sloth and some chickens in his backyard. A little on the long side but had a good time. I did not speak to anyone that was in the group that was held up. I heard about the incident from my daughter and dismissed it as just the teenage rumor mill working overtime. This was a very poor country. I felt less safe here than in just about any other port I’ve been in. Most of the homes had barbed wire fences surrounding them.

 

Colon, Panama: We went on the Panama Canal and Day at the Beach Excursion through My Friend Mario. I would highly recommend this tour. The beach was very nice. The beers were included as well as soft drinks. Patrick was making Margaritas as strong as you wanted. Had a great time as we went on this excursion with a couple of groups we met on the cruise critic roll call. They also provide snacks. The homemade empanadas were tasty. The tour of the Gatun locks was very interesting. Rey was our tour guide and he really knew his country. Cost was $38 pp.

 

Disembarkation: Smooth, we were in no hurry since our flight was not until 8:30 pm.

 

Miscellaneous: It was very rocky a couple of times. Especially the 1st sea day and the night we left Panama. It was also very windy every sea day. Chair hogs were out but I’ve seen worse. There were quite a few kids on board as this was a President’s week sailing. They were well behaved. No running, no foul language. The parents were doing their jobs. The first I heard about the novovirus “outbreak” was when I got home and read about it on these boards.

 

Overall: We had a good time and would not hesitate to sail the Liberty in the future. The service was the best I have ever experienced. The entertainment could use some sprucing up. But overall, I felt I received my good value for my travel dollar.

Final Grade: B+

 

If anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to answer them either here or via e-mail.

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wbmom401

wbmom401

Posted
Posted

Colon, Panama: We went on the Panama Canal and Day at the Beach Excursion through My Friend Mario. I would highly recommend this tour. The beach was very nice. The beers were included as well as soft drinks. Patrick was making Margaritas as strong as you wanted. Had a great time as we went on this excursion with a couple of groups we met on the cruise critic roll call. They also provide snacks. The homemade empanadas were tasty. The tour of the Gatun locks was very interesting. Rey was our tour guide and he really knew his country. Cost was $38 pp.

 

Dr. Jack, we will be traveling in just a couple of weeks, and interested in your tour in Panama. Can you expand a bit, like how long, was it a private tour, etc?

 

THANKS!

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Mary Louise

Mary Louise

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Posted

Background Info: I sailed with my wife and daughter (15y/o). This was our 6th cruise (all on Carnival). We’ve been on the Triumph, Victory, Sensation, Glory and the Valor.

 

This was our 15th cruise 5 with Carnival.

 

Embarkation: Not as smooth as Miami but all-in-all was pretty painless. Something new was that you had to go to one of the dining rooms to acitvate your S&S card when you boarded. Initially, I was a little put off at having to stand yet one more line before starting my cruise but it only took 10 minutes and it was off to the Lido deck to let the feasting begin! We were on the ship about Noon so the whole check process from soup to nuts took about 45 minutes.

Grade: B+

 

Missed this as I was late to arrive. Missed my connecting flight on Friday due to a flight delay.

 

Ship: The ship’s décor is very classy and not as “in your face” as many of the other ships. The atrium was beautiful with it’s lights that change color. The Venetian (show palace) was very nice as well.

Grade: A

 

Agree with this

 

Cabin: Booked an inside guarantee and when the price dropped after final payment I was upgraded to a balcony on the Upper Deck (#6323). Nothing like sipping a Jack & Coke while looking at the stars. We managed quite nicely with all three of us. Didn’t seem crowded at all. The room was directly over the shops so noise was never an issue. The bathroom had a nice gift basket stocked with shampoo, toothpaste, razors and the like. Zoran was our room steward and did a fantastic job. He couldn’t stop asking what he could do for us. He seemed so disappointed when I told him “Nothing!” that I finally told him we could use another ice bucket just so I didn’t have to see his sad puppy dog face again.

Grade: A

 

Inside cabin took $300 OBC instead of upgrade. Room was very nice. 8th deck under the aft pool.

Carnival has made several changes to their Dinner menu since we last sailed in February 2005. I loved the cream of asparagus soup but for the life of me I don’t get all the rage about the chocolate melting cake. It tastes like an extremely under-baked brownie. DW loved it, though! I was a bit disappointed in a couple of the steaks. The New York strip was very stringy and tough. The chicken dishes I had were very good. The charred chicken was particularly good.

Food Grade: B

 

6:15 seating Golden Olmpian I would give the food an A Everything we had was excellent. Service was outstanding as well Did not go to Harry's as food was great. I enjoyed shrimp cocktail just about every night

 

Lido Deck: Service was excellet but be warned the lines can be very long during lunch. It seemed to be the worst between 12:15 and 1:30. The Deli was the worst, waiting up to 15 minutes, but, darn if don’t love those roasted turkey on a baguette sandwiches. I managed to keep it to one per day this cruise. The line at the chocolate buffet on the last sea day was ridiculous. I passed. I was disappointed in the chinese food from the Oriental the couple of times I had it. But I loved the addition of onion rings. The pizza was not as good as I remember it and I did not go to the fish & chips. The Mongolian Barbecue was pretty good. Breakfast was the usual fare. We ate dinner in the dining room so I can’t comment on that subject. The Midnight buffet was spectacular as was the late night burger bar.

Grade: B

 

Long lines, best Reuben, I did go to the chocolate buffet. Loved the swan and chocolate fountain. Pizza was OK I did not have any Chinese food or burgers. I did like the chicken wings. My DH liked the meat stir fry. It was like having a Fire and Ice restuarant. They also had make your own soup. Did not try it.

 

Entertainment: The results here were extremely mixed in my opinion. The Vegas style shows and singing acts were really good but he comedians were simply brutal. The two Vegas style shows were Wonderful World and Rockin’ Down Broadway. I especially loved Rockin’ Down Broadway. The dancers were terrific. Do not miss this show!

 

I did enjoy the comedian who was a ventriloquist. Thought the routine was funny. Usually I don't like the vegas style shows, but thought these were good.

 

The comedians were Carl Faulkenberry and Frank Del Pizzo. Faulkenberry was mildly amusing but Del Pizzo’s shows were an absolute snore-fest. By far the worst comedy acts on any cruise I’ve been on.:(

 

The two singing acts were Christopher Alan Graves (Sammy Davis/Frank Sinatra Tribute) and Cecil Parker. Both had good voices. I liked Graves better. Parker’s show was only 35 minutes long. The pre-show bingo game lasted longer.

 

I did not see Cecil, but thought Christopher was very good

 

I was hoping for a little more variety. A magician would have been nice. We were supposed to have a juggler but a family emergency prevented him from appearing (stuff happens).

 

The Piano Bar entertainer (and I use that term loosely) was flat out bad. The place was deserted by 11:30 every night. The Calypso band on the Lido Deck only knew about 8 songs. A couple of times they played the same song two times in a row. The Carnival Legends show was a hoot!

 

I would have liked to have listened to the piano man, but we don't smoke and it was quite smokey inside the room. On other cruises this is always one of my favorite places to go.

 

The Lido band was pitiful. GRADE OF D

 

The cruise director was Todd Wittmer (or “The Todd” as we called him) was decent. Saw him out and about among the masses so I give him points for that. He seems to like to dress up as a woman. He did it twice.

Grade: B-

 

Todd was ok. He was the asst director when I was on the Sensation.

 

Costa Maya: We took the taxi to Mahahual ($3 to get there, $2 to get back) and hung out a Pez Quadro. It is the very last bar on the beach side of the street. It’s a bit of a walk but worth it. Beers were $1.50 and shots of tequila were $3. I got a 40 minute massage for $20. I had read this spot was a favorite of the Carnival Crew. I saw quite a few of the entertainment staff from the ship there. In fact, I could say I saw a lot of the dancers at the beach. And when I say “a lot”, I mean “a lot”:D .

 

Went to Cats Meow and also had a $20 massage. Can't beat that price

 

Limon, Costa Rica: We did the Tortuguero Canal tour with Oscar Brown. We also visited a banana plantation and an “animal preserve” in addition to the canal tour. The animal preserve was a guy that had a sloth and some chickens in his backyard. A little on the long side but had a good time. I did not speak to anyone that was in the group that was held up. I heard about the incident from my daughter and dismissed it as just the teenage rumor mill working overtime. This was a very poor country. I felt less safe here than in just about any other port I’ve been in. Most of the homes had barbed wire fences surrounding them.

 

Did Charlie Soto tour. I felt more safe here than in Panama. Went zip lining, banana plantation and the canal tour. Bought coffee really cheap. Charlie Soto tour A- Never heard about the incident until I received back in port.

 

Colon, Panama: We went on the Panama Canal and Day at the Beach Excursion through My Friend Mario. I would highly recommend this tour. The beach was very nice. The beers were included as well as soft drinks. Patrick was making Margaritas as strong as you wanted. Had a great time as we went on this excursion with a couple of groups we met on the cruise critic roll call. They also provide snacks. The homemade empanadas were tasty. The tour of the Gatun locks was very interesting. Rey was our tour guide and he really knew his country. Cost was $38 pp.

 

Did the Panama Canal tour with Carnival. Had a bus that was in disrepair. Long ride. I woud not go and do the tour again. Been there done that. I always wanted to do it, and wouldnow go with MyFriend Mario. Found Panama less safe than Costa Rica. I did not shop, but I spoke to someone who only shopped right at the pier as it was not safe at all.

 

Disembarkation: Smooth, we were in no hurry since our flight was not until 8:30 pm.

 

We were first off as already had flight cancellations. Carrying my bags off was a breeze.

 

Miscellaneous: It was very rocky a couple of times. Especially the 1st sea day and the night we left Panama. It was also very windy every sea day. Chair hogs were out but I’ve seen worse. There were quite a few kids on board as this was a President’s week sailing. They were well behaved. No running, no foul language. The parents were doing their jobs. The first I heard about the novovirus “outbreak” was when I got home and read about it on these boards.

 

There were only 300 kids according to the Camp carnival staff. In my estimation that is not a lot for Feb. vacation. There were well behaved.

 

Ido agree Ihave seen worse chair hogs. There was lots of deck space, but smaller pools. I do prefer more deck space.

 

I did not hear about noro virus until I too read the boards.

 

The jumbotron was a nice feature to have.

 

Overall: We had a good time and would not hesitate to sail the Liberty in the future. The service was the best I have ever experienced. The entertainment could use some sprucing up. But overall, I felt I received my good value for my travel dollar.

Final Grade: B+

 

I too would sail the Liberty again. We had not sailed CCL since 2003 on the Triumph. We were pleasantly surprised. I would give the cruise an A-. I liked the basket of amenities in the bathroom as well.

 

If anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to answer them either here or via e-mail.

 

Glad to hear that you had a similiar experience like me.

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BeckyMax

BeckyMax

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Thanks for the review, only 24 days till we are on the Liberty. I can't wait, your review makes me even more anxious. I like the way you posted and felt your review was very well balanced. Thank you so much for posting!

 

Becky

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Prairie_Gal

Prairie_Gal

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Posted

Great review! Thanks for taking the time to post it. I am absorbing everything I can about the Liberty as we will be taking our very first cruise on it in December. :D

 

I am jealous about the upgrade. We paid full price for two balcony cabins on the Upper deck so we could be guaranteed two cabins together. Good for you though! :)

 

ETA: Hee! I just noticed that your screen name is Dr. Jack Daniels. Nice! :lol

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Dr. Jack Daniels

Dr. Jack Daniels

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Here are the answers to some of the questions posted above. I will respond to the rest later today:

 

Onion Rings

The onion rings were located at the burger/hotdog bar set up by the main pool. (not the burger bar near the aft pool) They were right next to the bin with the french fries. Also new was nacho cheese and chips. You put the chips on your plate and ladled on cheese. They were located the same place as the O-rings.

 

Formal Nights

Sunday and Friday nights

 

Mongolian Bar-B-Q

Served chicken, beef, clams and calimari (sp?) along with the usual veggies & rice noodles. No rice, though. A bit of a wait considering it is individually prepared, but not too bad. The Liberty was the 1st ship that I've come across the Mongolian Bar-B-Q.

 

S&S Card Activation in Dining Room

1st ship I've ever had to do this on. Really not too bad of a wait.

 

I'll post more on the Panama Canal and Beach tour later today.

 

And yes, the Jumbotron on the Lido deck was pretty cool. Played movies and concerts (James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Tom Jones, Tina Turner) at night. During the day it ranged from music videos to clips from carnival shore excursions from earlier in the trip.

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sleepless cruiser

sleepless cruiser

Posted
Posted

Hey Doc,great post. We leave Michigan early sat morning for the Liberty.

That burger bar sounds great.We where on the Liberty last year at this time.

Where is that burger bar located? What time does it start,and what are some of the toppings? Another day and a half,can't wait.

Thanks

Good Times

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boatnick

boatnick

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Posted

Pat, it was good to meet you at the CC thing, great review! Didn't see you much after that, we had different shore excursions. We also used Mario in Panama but did the Indian Village Tour which was also a great tour except if the ship left at 4 pm as scheduled we would have missed it! Arriving at 4:05!:eek: Lucky for us the ship was delayed for a late Carnival excursion return. Scared the begeebers out of us. Our return bus ride was real fun. I was extremly relieved to step on to the boat. For anyone taking local tours, Insist to your guide to be back 1 hour before and watch the time!

John,Carrie & Cody

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