Liberty 4/8/07 Review

[Anatresia]

This was the first cruise for my husband and I. We are in our late 20s, with no children yet.

 

Pre-Cruise: We stayed at America's Best Inn, between the airport and cruiseport. It was tolerable for one night- the room was very small and not nearly dark enough to sleep- but the owner was extremely friendly, which made the stay pleasant.

 

Embarkation: We arrived very early at the port- around 10:30 AM. We were put into the "holding" area very quickly (within 5 minutes) and waited about 40 minutes or so until we were allowed through customs and onto the ship. It went very smoothly. We were slightly disappointed that we did not qualify for VIP status. It was because we were upgraded to our suite and didn't purchase it, I guess. We were there early enough that priority boarding didn't matter and we really didn't book with the expectation that we'd receive such an upgrade. I'm adding that tidbit for those of you who get a Cat. 11 upgrade and think you might get VIP boarding. We were on the ship by 11:30 and by 11:35, we each had a drink-of-the-day and a plate of food in our hands.

 

Food: The food was delicious! I was wary of this part of the Liberty, as many other reviews described the food as being less than what people expected. I was pleasantly surprised. My husband and I thought the food varied from pleasantly tolerable to OMG amazing. Highlights on the Lido deck were the stirfry station and the deli. The fish and chips were pretty good, and the grand buffets had something for everyone. The calzones at the pizzeria were very good. The pizza was tolerable, but we're used to pizza at home (Buffalo, NY) which makes pizza anywhere else pale in comparison. Highlights in the dining room were the pumpkin soup (like Butter Soup- soooo creamy and rich and amazing) the lamb, the roast chicken, and the southwestern eggroll appetizer. The soups were usually very good- I tried a different one each night. And words cannot describe the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake, which we had every night. It is as good as everyone says it is. The last day at sea, the lido featured a chocolate buffet. They offered fruit to dip in a chocolate fountain. This was the highlight of my cruise, as far as food goes. Chocolaholics must not miss that. The other food highlight was the 24 ice cream machine. I need one of those at home.

 

Entertainment: We were not really into the "FUN" activities the ship offered, like games and contests, because we were more interested in relaxing and being on our own schedule. We didn't go to the Welcome Aboard Show or any of the parties, though we saw videos of the events on tv and it looked like people were enjoying themselves. We enjoyed the casino and the Piano Bar. Damian in the Piano Bar puts on the best show. He lets you choose the songs he plays, and he plays very well. His voice sounds like Elton John. We enjoyed spending time in that bar. We went to the Broadway themed show in the theater. The costumes were good, but the dancing and singing were only so-so. It's exactly what I expected, so I can't say I was disappointed. I didn't expect Broadway quality.

 

Our Room: We had room 7250, a category 11 suite. The room was GREAT! Tons of space, with a comfy bed and a "big" balcony. We missed out on a lot of entertainment because we preferred to hang out in the room and on the balcony! The shower was full size and the bathroom was bigger than ours at home. Our steward was really wonderful- we only met him once and left him notes if we needed anything. He was quick to fulfill any requests we had.

 

The Service and Staff: The entire staff on the ship was friendly to us. We didn't have ONE negative experience with the staff. They were incredible. My husband and I were really impressed by how friendly and helpful everyone was.

 

Ports:

 

Freeport, Bahamas- This port is just as unexciting as other reviews have said. We took a cab to Port Lucaya ($5.00 per person, each way.) There's an outdoor shopping area, a beach, and a casino within walking distance. I love shopping, but I hate any kind of arguing or confrontation, so I did not enjoy the "style" of shopping offered here, where you have to haggle. Just walking through the area, people would call to you and try to push you into buying their products. It made me uncomfortable. The casino was nice. The beach was really pretty. I wish we'd planned to spend the day at the beach, instead of shopping, or planned to take an excursion. We probably would have enjoyed this port more if we had.

 

 

Grand Cayman- Tendering was NOT fun, but only because the water was very choppy and wavy that day. (It could qualify as "exciting", though.) Once we were on dry land, we took the Carnival Grand Cayman Island Tour. We recommend this tour to anyone visiting GC. The driver picked us up at the port and we boarded an air conditioned(!) bus to the Tortuga Rum Cake Factory. Free samples of rum and rum cake make any excursion more exciting! We tried more than a fair share of different kinds of rum and boarded the bus to Hell. Hell isn't that big, but it was a pretty cool thing to see. We saw two iguanas on the rock formations, and there were neat looking birds hanging around there, as well. The gift shop in Hell has good prices and some cute stuff. We then went to the Turtle Farm. The turtle farm is pretty darn cool, if you forget that it's second purpose, next to saving the turtles, is raising the turtles to eat. It was neat holding a turtle- they are much heavier than they look! As we drove through Grand Cayman, our driver told us all sorts of interesting facts and stories about the island. It was a really enjoyable tour. Grand Cayman is a BEAUTIFUL island. I've never seen such beautiful water. I would love to go back there someday.

 

 

Costa Maya, Mexico- The main reason we chose this itinerary was to see some Mayan ruins. We took the Carnival bus tour to see the Chaccobean Ruins. It was a very hot, humid day in Mexico- one of the hottest this year, according to the guide, who was a very informative, friendly, take-no-prisoners kind of lady. She spent the hour drive teaching us some easy Spanish phrases and telling us all about the history of the Mayan people and the ruins we were about to see. Driving to the ruins, we passed many small shacks, villages, and fruit stands along the road. It opened my eyes to how lucky we are to come from where we do. The ruins were really amazing. They are not completely excavated yet. Some of the ruins are still under hills of trees and shrubs, with only bits of square rock bricks showing through to give you a hint that there's a step pyramid underneath. The excavated structures were really breathtaking. We were even able to climb up one, which was one of the coolest things I've done in my life. One of the best parts was entering an area that was completely covered by a canopy of trees. There were steps running on either side of an open area. The steps all led up to where the Mayan houses used to sit. It was an eerie, timeless, amazing atmosphere. Very cool place. I recommend that tour, as well. The port is nice to hang out at- there's a pool, with restaurants and bars. Shopping here is the same as the Bahamas, so all we bought was a painting from an artist who used spray paint to make gorgeous beach scenes.

 

Days at Sea- Way too much chair hogging going on for our taste. We spent time on our balcony in the room, hung out in the casino a bit, and walked around. The gym facilities are really great. They had most of the weight machines I use at my brand new gym here, so I was happy. (I only went once, though, as it was my vacation, but the hubby loved it.) We watched an Andrew Lloyd Webber concert on the deck the last night- the deck was pretty empty for once- and with the wind and the sunset, it was really an incredible hour or so.

 

Debarkation- Pretty smooth. We chose to self-debark, rather than wait for our color. We were called at 7:30 and were in the cab by 8:00. Most of the waiting came from waiting for the elevators, which were in full use.

 

Post-Cruise- We stayed at the Econolodge on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Florida. It was the nicest low-cost inn we've ever stayed at. We got a great rate, the room was clean and big, and they had a nice pool. We stayed for two nights before trekking back to ice cold Buffalo.

 

Seasickness Note- My husband and I are both very prone to motion sickness. We were on less-drowsy Dramamine and Ginger Pills the entire time. We felt sick the first night, when the ship first started moving, and one other night (I think it was Wednesday, after that rocky sea in Grand Cayman) when the ship was rocking more. We found ourselves very sick the first night OFF of the ship, as we got our "land legs" back. So if you are one of those weirdos like us, who is prone to seasickness, be prepared with meds so you can enjoy your cruise. The purser's desk has free dramamine if you need it, and they are very kind about sharing.

 

Downsides- The ship felt very crowded in some areas, particularly the Lido Deck Forward on Sea Days. We liked coming back from the ports early, so we could be on the ship without the crowd. There were 1000 or so children on our ship, as it was Easter break for many schools. We expected that. There were times when the teenage crowd was a bit much (such as the time three girls decided to sit in an elevator and hold it on one floor) but they didn't ruin the cruise or anything.

 

 

Overall, we had an AMAZING time. We would love to cruise again someday. We tried to take the advice of so many on here who say, "Cruising is what you make of it" and we really went with a positive attitude. I learned so much on here ahead of time and don't feel like we missed out on anything! It was a great week and I'm so glad we have the memories for years to come.

 

 

I'm working on a photo slide show for those of you who are going on the Liberty in the future. I know how much it meant to me to see photos from other people's cruises, so I'm going to try to provide that service for all of you.

[Ct Cruise Guy]

thanks I'll be there on 5/6!!!

[LovetheSea]

Thanks so much for posting your review. We will be on the Liberty in 20 days. Plan to beach it in all the ports. It was fun hearing what you did since we will not see those things. Good Review :)

[Bobbareeno]

Thanks for the review, it sounds like you guys had a great time. We'll be on the Liberty on June 9th and recent reviews make me glad I booked us for this particular ship. I'm glad you took the advice here and didn't sweat the small stuff. It makes cruising SO much more enjoyable if you follow that advice! I look forward to seeing the pictures.

 

Bob

[SandyToes1978]

Thanks for the reivew! It was well-balanced. Please share your pictures when you get a chance, I need something to pass the 508 days I have left!! :D

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Thanks for posting the review. Could you tell me how many formal nights there were. I've read there are 2 but 1 is optional. Gong 6/17 and need to know what to pack.

 

Thanks

Bill

[B&BREIK]

Hi glad to hear u all had a great time. my family and i are going in June and am curious about formal nights , dress and how many there are , food .? thanks

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Hi glad to hear u all had a great time. my family and i are going in June and am curious about formal nights , dress and how many there are , food .? thanks

 

Is there an echo in here?:D

 

When in June are you going?

 

Bill

[billsrobb]

Great review. Glad that you had a good time. Not surprised that you liked Damian. He is a first class guy and great entertainer. I met him on the Conquest last Sept. Everytime I walked into the piano bar he would yell out Norm and it stuck through out the cruise.

I am from Buffalo too.

go Bills

Robb

[CORONAONTHEBEACH]

Great review. I will be on this cruise in only a few days (4/22) with the same itinerary. Glad to see the food was good, have heard mixed reviews. Really curious about formal night on this 6 night cruise. Does anybody know if it is one or two nights???

[Bobbareeno]

Great review. I will be on this cruise in only a few days (4/22) with the same itinerary. Glad to see the food was good, have heard mixed reviews. Really curious about formal night on this 6 night cruise. Does anybody know if it is one or two nights???

 

From the Carnival website under FAQ's:

 

"You'll have a chance to dress up on two nights during 7 day or longer cruises (one night on shorter cruises) for the Captain's Cocktail Party and the Gala Farewell Dinner. On the other evenings you can dress casually for dinner (no shorts or tank tops)."

 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Bob

[Anatresia]

Before we were on the cruise, I'd heard there was one formal night (monday) and one "optional formal night" on Thursday. So having gone now on the cruise and been there, I found that:

 

THERE ARE TWO FORMAL NIGHTS- MONDAY AND THURSDAY.:D

 

Although I saw a guy in a Nascar shirt, camo hat, jeans and completing the look, his plumber's crack hanging out, in the dining room on formal night. Nice, huh? Then the next night, he had on a button down shirt and khakis. We couldn't figure that out.

[Bobbareeno]

Well so much for Carnival's website having good information, huh? LOL. I hope you got pics of the guy in his finest plumbers attire? LOL. That would have truly been a site to behold and keep in your scrapbook!

 

 

Bob

[Buster27]

So glad you had a good time!

 

Your little dogs are ABSOLUTELY DARLING !!! They are so cute !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'll bet you missed them while you were gone!

[acromom]

Thanks for the great review. We are doing the same itinerary on June 3rd. We will also be visiting the Chachobben. I am glad to hear how much you enjoyed it.

[B&BREIK]

hello we are going June3 when are you going?

[Anatresia]

Thanks about the puppers. We missed them like crazy- they look so much smaller and cuter after being away from them for ten days. :o

 

As far as the booze/water smuggling scare, we managed to "smuggle" three bottles of Fruit 2-0 (Raspberry Water= Raspberry Vodka inside, smart, eh?) and no one was the wiser. We still blew through a ton of money at the bars, somehow. LOL.

[KAWS]

We were slightly disappointed that we did not qualify for VIP status. It was because we were upgraded to our suite and didn't purchase it, I guess. We were there early enough that priority boarding didn't matter and we really didn't book with the expectation that we'd receive such an upgrade. I'm adding that tidbit for those of you who get a Cat. 11 upgrade and think you might get VIP boarding.

 

We sailed on the Miracle last month and my son and his g/f got an upgrade from a balcony guarantee to a cat. 11. They got VIP check in so I think it might have been some sort of a glitch for you guys. Good things went quickly for you but too bad you couldn't get the one perk you were entitled to.

 

Kim

[jordanaire]

We ALSO enjoyed this cruise! We had no complaints whatsoever. I just finished posting my review as well.

 

Sorry we missed you at the Meet & Greet! Maybe next time!

 

:cool: Bill

[S.S.Oceanlover]

hello we are going June3 when are you going?

 

Going on the 17th of June. Don't drink all the Dos Equis. ;)

 

Bill

[gypsyrose]

I was so suprised to read this was your 1st cruise after seeing you on here for so long. Wish I had found this site before our first cruise. So glad you had a good time. So......have you booked your next one?

[Anatresia]

We haven't booked another, actually. We booked this cruise so we'd have something big to do before we decided to start a family. We're in the process of trying that now, so I can't book another for a few years, I think. He wants to take the future children on a cruise someday, though. :)