Carnival Liberty Thread - All The Info You Need Is In Here

[boowaaccaa]

just back from Carnival Liberty... here's my review and if I can answer any questions I will

 

Review of Carnival Liberty 8/26/2007

 

Jay and I spent Saturday night at the Hampton Inn North in Fort Lauderdale, which made the trip from Ocala worth the drive. Not only was the room reasonable, but you got free breakfast, and we were able to leave our car there, and they shuttled you both to the pier, and picked you up upon return.

 

Embarkation.. Sunday. Arrived at the pier about 10:30, and naturally all we had was carry on’s and they confiscated my Captain Morgan’s. They didn’t find the smaller bottles, and you can take all the wine you wanted, but they even wanted to know what was in my cup. (Pepsi), but they questioned it. On the ship by noon, and was able to take many nice photo’s before it became crowded. Lunch on Lido deck and to our room by 1:30. The room was decorated with an anniversary package, and a set of key chains.

Captain: Marco Nogara and Cruise Director: Todd Wittmer. Lifeboat drill at 4pm, Show was The Welcome aboard Show. 10:30 pm. Nothing special. Big screen Chicago and Earth, Wind, and Fire, Stranger than Fiction, and The Wizard of Oz.

 

Monday.. Key West. We walked to the cemetery of which was very interesting, then to the Lighthouse, Crabby Dick’s, Sloppy Joes and then back to the ship. Ship show. Comedian Ronnie Bullard and Juggler Victor Zuniga. 8:30 and 10:30. Seaside theatre Liberty live with dedications at 5pm, Movies were Wizard of Oz, Maltese Falcon, Pavarotti Concert and Talladega nights.

 

Tuesday was Sea Day and Formal night. Show was Wonderful World at 8:30 and 10:30. Formal cocktail party at 5pm and 7:15pm. Adult comedy Ronnie Bullard at midnight.

 

Wednesday was Grand Cayman. Jay fell while getting off the ship to the tenders. After shore excursion, spent the afternoon in the Infirmary. Lots of twisted muscles, but he’s fine. Made walking very hard, but we got through it. Decided to do the stingray swim and I’d recommend that to anyone. Great experience. After the swim, we spent about an hour at rum point relaxing in a hammock. Show was Guest Talent Show at 10:30. Mexican Buffet at midnight. This was also Mardi Gras. Movies were Happy Feet, Beyonce, Dream girls, and Casino Royale.

 

Thursday was Ocho Rios. We did the Plantation/Dunn’s River. Not run very well. Supposed to have left at 9:15. Didn’t leave till 10:00. Put us on one bus, then transferred us to a slightly larger bus. Spent a lot of time at the plantation, and also got to do a Camel Pet (not included, but a nice surprise). Then went shopping (not scheduled), then to the Falls. Arrived at the Falls at 1:30 and they gave us an hour. Didn’t have watches on, and it takes a lot longer to climb. Jay and I arrived back at the top at 3:10 and the ship was to leave at 3:30. The buses had already left, and the people there were nasty and rude. It cost us $20 to get a cab back to the pier, and there were still 2 ladies after us that didn’t make it back till 4pm. Shore excursion could have cared less, but after fighting with them, they gave us a $20 credit..

This was also the 2nd formal night. Show was Rock Down Broadway at 8:30 and 10:30. R rated comedy with Carl Faulkenberry at midnight. Movies were U2 in concert, Happy Feet, Johnny Cash, Dream Girls, Casino Royal and The Presige.

 

Friday was a day at sea. Show was Carl Faulkenberry and ventriloquist Jerry Goodspeed. One show only at 10:30. Chocolate buffet at noon. Movies were Todd’s afternoon show, Ray Charles, Maltese Falcon, The Prestige, and Nat King Cole.

 

Debarkation was a breeze.. Off the ship by 7:30, to the hotel by 8am and on the road by 9am.

 

 

We chose this cruise for the ports, and weren’t disappointed, except for Ocho Rios, which really wasn’t Carnival’s fault. This wasn’t one of our favorite cruises. The ship was huge and clean. The staff was average, not going above or beyond what was expected. We only saw our steward a few times, never got his name, and the night that Jay was hurt, we ordered in, and the steward seemed upset that he couldn’t clean the room. No towel animal the first or last night. The bed was no where near as comfortable as on the Elation. The food was tolerable at most in the dining room with most nights only half the room was filled. We had a table for 4, but the other couple never came. Dining staff was very attentive and made the night special. Attire rules weren’t followed as shorts were seen in the dining room on most nights. Not many people dress “formal”, but more like church dress. There were 800 kids on this cruise, and you saw every one of them. Rules weren’t followed for the pool and hot tubs either, and it just seemed like the entire focus was on taking pictures or selling the drinks.

 

Will we go back to Carnival?? Not so sure, or at least a better time of year.Maybe back with Elation, but not the Liberty.

 

All the public rooms are extremely cold. Wear warm clothes while in there!

 

Which company did you use for your Ocho Rios excursion?

[PlatinumFLCruiser]

Love the piano bar on the Liberty. It is sooo much fun! Can't wait to sing along again on my Thanksgiving trip 11/24.:D Warm up your voices and vices ( lol) and a great time will be had by all. On Carnival it is always the best.

 

Never get tired of it even after 40 sailings!

[sasysutler]

The Ocho Rios shore was Dolphine Cove tours through Carnival. Jay and I had a good time, but there just seemed to be so many different things wrong this cruise.

 

our room was 8383.. across from the pantry and one level below the lido deck so it was always noisy till like 2 in the morning.

 

Our stateroom attentdant was MIA most the time, but became upset when we didn't leave the room so he could make the bed.

 

The public areas were extremely cold.. and when you were on the pool deck, everytime the doors opened you felt a blast of artic air!

 

All in all the cruise was good, just not over the top like our other cruises

[kylescoolmom]

The Ocho Rios shore was Dolphine Cove tours through Carnival. Jay and I had a good time, but there just seemed to be so many different things wrong this cruise. :eek:

 

our room was 8383.. across from the pantry and one level below the lido deck so it was always noisy till like 2 in the morning. :eek: I chose cabin 1030 on the panorama not sure if this is good. Never been that high up on a ship before.

 

Our stateroom attentdant was MIA most the time, but became upset when we didn't leave the room so he could make the bed. :confused:

 

The public areas were extremely cold.. and when you were on the pool deck, everytime the doors opened you felt a blast of artic air! What part of the deck?? Why didn't you move?

 

All in all the cruise was good, just not over the top like our other cruises :(

 

Sorry your cruise was not what you excepted..

Oh why did you carry on the Captain Morgan?????

[med9114u]

Jay and I spent Saturday night at the Hampton Inn North in Fort Lauderdale, which made the trip from Ocala worth the drive. Not only was the room reasonable, but you got free breakfast, and we were able to leave our car there, and they shuttled you both to the pier, and picked you up upon return.

 

 

Did the hotel charge you to leave your car there? Was there a charge for the shuttle bus? Am looking for the cheapest way to leave our car for the 8 night cruise we have in November.

 

Thanks,

Bill

[sasysutler]

carried the Captain Morgan's on, as we had no checked luggage. Did that ONE time, and they lost our clothes, so never again. that's ok, they didn't get the rest of it that I hid!

 

Bill.. the hotel was $99 for the night, and $20 to keep your car there for a week. No charge for the shuttle to the pier, or pick up from the pier. I figure that's almost $100 savings from having to leave the car at the pier.

 

It's not that we Didn't enjoy the cruise, but there seemed to be so many problems, like almost getting stuck in Jamaica didn't ease the tension.

 

We're still looking at the next cruise

[AllyCat81]

It's not that we Didn't enjoy the cruise, but there seemed to be so many problems, like almost getting stuck in Jamaica didn't ease the tension.

 

We had a bad excurison in St. Thomas that we booked through Carnival, and I vowed never to book another excursion through the ship again.

 

And when we were on the Legend last year, every public room was freezing too. I carried a light sweater around every night so it wasn't too bad.

 

Sorry you didn't have a great time on the Liberty, but hey... a cruise is a cruise! It beats being at home! :D

[sasysutler]

all in all, the cruise was great. We did do things that we've never done before, and this is just one more step towards locating that PERFECT cruise. I guess I'll have to try them all out just to see!:D

[sing2sas]

We were on the cruise with Sherri and Jay and had some of the same experiences, but some were different. Agree that the ship was cool most of the time, so you might want to take a sweater. It didn't bother me overall. We had two adjoining balcony cabins on the Upper deck (6281 and 6283). We were able to open up the balconies and enjoyed being able to go back and forth between our cabin and our two adult sons'. Cabin location was just around the corner from the Garden area (the atrium). This was an ideal location for the theater and dining room (Silver Olympian). It was a little farther when you wanted to go to the pool or aft dining room. Overall, we were very pleased with the cabin and our steward.

 

Food was average to very good. My only complaint was the beef. We had prime rib, chateaubriand, and filet mignon and they were not as good as in the past. If you order medium or medium rare, you might be fine, but I don't like rare meat, so ordered medium well and it was not flavorful. The soups were wonderful as were the starters and seafood. The lobster was excellent and not a problem to get two tails. We ordered two entrees several times and never had a problem. I liked the shrimp dishes too, including shrimp cocktail every night. The chocolate melting cake was wonderful and I had it multiple times. Service was good but very slow a couple nights. The food on the Lido deck was good for the most part, but it was typical buffet food. The Deli was very good and so was the pizza. We didn't have food from the grill.

 

The shows were good, especially the production shows. High energy dancing and the singers were better than average. We enjoyed the first comedian more than the second and the juggler and ventriloquist were both good. The passenger talent show was better than expected and we really enjoyed it. The opening night show was unremarkable. Todd, the cruise director, was better than average and he seemed genuine. His dedication shows were fun to watch and his MC skills before shows were enjoyable. The shows were not crowded on our cruise and not many kids attended. You could go 10-15 minutes early and get a good seat.

 

There were 3600 people on this sailing and tons of kids. I have to admit that took away from it for me. I don't hate kids, but they were everywhere! Lots of running and some were unruly. I wish the parents had paid better attention to them. The pool deck was very crowded and the pools were packed. It was extremely hot on the pool deck too. We never spent any time there as a result of this. The pool at the aft of the ship was far better; not as crowded and better behavior. The hot tubs at the back were for adults only and the rules mostly followed. There was also soft serve ice cream and yogurt at the aft and that was very nice! We enjoyed the deck directly above the aft pool (deck 10). On the side of the ship there were lots of chairs that were never used (both in the sun and in the shade). There was a nice breeze too and it wasn't far from the ice cream. Check it out if you want to avoid the crowds.

 

I have to say that having a balcony made this cruise more enjoyable for us. Since we didn't care for the pool deck and the kids, it was great to sit outside with just the four of us. We drank beer, talked, and generally had a great time. Our room was in a great location except late at night. Since we were right by the glass elevators and the atrium, it was noisy and the band music drifted up to our room. The band in the lobby was great (Summer Breeze) so that was not a negative. Just a lot of voices late at night.

 

The ports were fine, but not my favorite. We didn't do any formal excursions this time. We walked around Key West and shopped and ended up at Sloppy Joe's. In Grand Caymen, we took a taxi to Royal Palms beach. We sat down at a table at the bar (under cover) and before we could get to the beach, it started to rain. This continued for well over an hour. Finally, I went in the ocean anyway and enjoyed swimming. Finally, we gave up and took a taxi back to the ship. This was a tender port, which took longer. It was very crowded to get off the ship and took about an hour from the time we went to the lounge and when we landed on the pier downtown. We went to Island Village and Margaritaville in Ocho Rios. Beware that anything you buy at Margaritaville has a 16.5% tax added to the price. This greatly increased the price of the t-shirts and hats we bought. They have a beach but you have to pay $3 to use it. There is a pool and waterslide that are free if you buy something. We enjoyed it there. The raspberry margaritas were yummy and so were the strawberry. A couple other things to watch out for: My youngest son had $10 stolen from him as he tried to pay for drinks. The guy disappeared and was never seen again. Both boys had several offers to buy dope, but wisely turned them down.

 

Lastely, the ship was beautiful and big! We didn't go to all of the bars and lounges, but quickly found our favorite places. I would go again, but not in the summer. The heat was oppressive and the kids were plentiful. We will go again in the cooler months when school is back in session. I hope this review was balanced as we really did have a good time (just not our best). Enjoy your cruise and if you have questions, I'll be glad to answer them.

[LeslieAnn1024]

. Lastly, the ship was beautiful and big! We didn't go to all of the bars and lounges, but quickly found our favorite places. I would go again, but not in the summer. The heat was oppressive and the kids were plentiful. We will go again in the cooler months when school is back in session. I hope this review was balanced as we really did have a good time (just not our best). Enjoy your cruise and if you have questions, I'll be glad to answer them.

 

Great review, glad that you enjoyed yourself even if it wasn't the best cruise ever. But perhaps that will make your next cruise even better ! Can't wait to add my own review after our 9/23 sailing. . . .

[sing2sas]

Hope you have a great cruise. After 17 cruises, I've never been on one that was bad, just some better than others. In another 3 weeks, kids will be back at school and temps should be a little cooler. Enjoy the ship!

[serene56]

Someone posted a while ago on this thread about a soda / ice machine being across from 6445 on the Liberty. This area is where the bedding supplies are kept. (Sheets, towels, blankets, etc)

 

According to the hotel director there are no soda/ice machines that have public access on any carnival ship as of last week (8/26)

 

soda machines were being vandalized each week and costs more to keep them repaired and full.

Public ice machines proved to be more of a problem with spreading noravirus around. With people not handling the ice they can better handle situations with the virus.

[Prairie_Gal]

We had two adjoining balcony cabins on the Upper deck (6281 and 6283). We were able to open up the balconies and enjoyed being able to go back and forth between our cabin and our two adult sons'. Cabin location was just around the corner from the Garden area (the atrium). This was an ideal location for the theater and dining room (Silver Olympian). It was a little farther when you wanted to go to the pool or aft dining room. Overall, we were very pleased with the cabin and our steward.

 

Those are exactly the same two cabins we will have with our two adult sons in December! :)

 

I have to say that having a balcony made this cruise more enjoyable for us. Since we didn't care for the pool deck and the kids, it was great to sit outside with just the four of us. We drank beer, talked, and generally had a great time. Our room was in a great location except late at night. Since we were right by the glass elevators and the atrium, it was noisy and the band music drifted up to our room. The band in the lobby was great (Summer Breeze) so that was not a negative. Just a lot of voices late at night.

 

Uh-Oh! Hope it is not too loud at night as we are not night owls. I studied the deck plans before choosing these cabins and I figured they would be quiet because they are above the shops. Didn't know about the lobby band.

 

Thanks for the great review. I really enjoyed it. Glad you had a good time with your boys.

[CalypsoCruisers]

Hi

Came across something to share. I was reading the Carnival blog (John Hearld?) and saw a link to the supper clubs. I was able to make my reservation for Harry's on that link...no waiting till I got aboard. Is this new? Got a email a few days later confirming my reservation. That was a lot easier than racing on board to stand in line.

 

I only have a few weeks left. Can't hardly wait.

[ashleycrew]

If anyone is interested here are a ton of pics I took from the 8/26 6 nighter.

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/jashley68

[huxlemo]

If anyone is interested here are a ton of pics I took from the 8/26 6 nighter.

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/jashley68

 

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[sing2sas]

Prairie Gal, I hope you enjoy those cabins. They were ideal for us. Our biggest complaint about the noise was not the band. It was the people who stopped to chat by the elevators and got too noisy at 1:00 a.m. or later. Maybe your cruise will be different. We had a rowdier than normal group sailing with us. The bank was usually done by midnight or so. Enjoy your cruise!

[huxlemo]

Here's a link to the pictures we took from the 8/26-9/1 cruise. There are lots of pictures of the inside of the ship.

 

http://www.staffannouncer.com/cruise07/index.htm

[sasysutler]

nice pics all!

 

Cal.. where in Ohio are you from? also go into the floataway loung and join us in the Ohio boards

[rufustelestrat]

What an outstanding time, and a great cruise experience. This is the short and sweet view that I have of my recent trip on the Carnival Liberty. We departed on August 26th, and returned on September 1st.

I had looked for a trip that both my mother and I would enjoy. My mom is a fairly new cruiser with this being her second cruise. I looked at our options and We discussed the benefit of taking a suite, and getting VIP boarding, as well as more room to relax on the balcony.

We drove to the port the day of the sailing, and were pleasantly surprised to be able to drop the luggage off to the porters, and simply drive around the corner to the garage, located right next to the terminal. Others I spoke with used the Hampton Inn that allows you to park there for the week, if you stay a night prior to the cruise. I had my usual weather, aircraft and flight problems getting to Florida, from California, so we did not have that option, as I arrived on the gulf coast at 11pm the night before.

We both like the ability to catch up, and enjoy not worrying about fixing meals, making beds or other mundane daily issues. I was initially concerned that this huge ship would overwhelm my mom, and the design might be over the top for her more classical tastes, but she was impressed by the design, and pleased by the comfort of the public spaces in a ship that was carrying 3600 passengers and 1200 crew.

My mom has a bad back so standing around waiting to get on board is not an option. The great news is the VIP option offered by Carnival to guests who have 10+ sailings, or who have booked a Suite. We had the latter, so were able to bypass the long lines. My advice is get to the ship early, or book a suite. We were in a Category 11, on the Empress Deck, just around the corner from the lobby. The spot was wonderful from the standpoint of getting around the ship, as well as to access all the shows, dinner, and embarking, and debarking the ship. The only noise was the sound from the band performing in the garden at night. It was not intrusive, and was barely noticeable inside the room. The large bathroom and the dressing area are a tremendous asset, as is the large couch and sitting area offering a respite from the action in the ship if you wish. I am not sure if it would be possible to bring enough stuff to fill all the storage that the cabin offers. There are two closets in the dressing room, two in the main, as well as five large drawers in the main cabin, as well as 4 smaller ones in the dressing room. In the dressing room there is a hairdryer in the drawer as well. The bathroom has a full bathtub as well as Jacuzzi jets and two sinks.

Our stateroom steward Clynton from India was the best steward I have had on any cruise ship ever. He was personable, funny, and most of all attendant to any possible needs or wants that either of us had. He has a tremendous sense of humor, and one evening before dinner I mistakenly called him Carter, after a few too many Funship Specials. He laughed and said Clynton, Carter all Presidents of the United States. Thus I kidded him the rest of the week. He was intuitive on when we were in the room or out, and the room was always spotless. I wish all stateroom stewards were as good as he is.

Dining was terrific for us, but again I spoke with friends who were unimpressed with their dishes and dining room. I was in the Late 8PM seating in the Silver Olympian dining room. Our waiters Wilfredo and Mary Rose from the Philippines were wonderful. They were attentive, and clearly concerned about how much we enjoyed the meal, as well as the dishes they offered. I was also impressed by the announcement that the Matre D made on the second night. He expressed in no uncertain terms that the dress code was to be adhered to. In fact he specifically stated that Formal night was the next night and that those not in formal clothing, would be asked to leave. In addition he noted that shorts were not acceptable from then on. I did see him enforce this at least twice. In addition he asked that the dining time of 8 to 8:30 be observed and that after 8:30 the doors would be closed and you then could eat elsewhere like the Lido deck. I asked about this later and he told me it disturbs all the guests, and was disruptive to the ones who follow the rules. I expressed my appreciation to him for his stand on this.

The ports were less of an issue that for most cruises as both of us have been to all the ports before, other than Grand Cayman. I had been there 3 times before, so I was open for whatever tour she wanted. In Key West and Jamaica we walked around a little and visited old favorites like Sloppy Joe’s in KW and some shopping at the Taj in Ocho Rios.

In Grand Cayman I wanted something mom would like, and not spend 3 or 4 hours in the port. She does not swim or dive so those were out. We were worried about the three large ships in port that day, but frankly the tender process seems well thought out and efficient. I did have a friend who did not have as good an experience, but as they say your mileage may vary.

We made the mistake of taking the Trolley Roger tour in Grand Cayman. I did not like the tour as it was short, cheesy, and basically was a drive past some banks, buildings and homes, and a unnecessary short stop at a beach, simply there to lengthen the time of the tour. The stop was not long enough to allow swimming, but to long to just take a few snapshots. I think this tour is dependant on the guide, and ours must have been from somewhere else. He knew how to read, and basically read the signs on the buildings, just like we could, but had no real depth of knowledge was shown. Avoid this one, as it was pitiful.

Service and attention from the staff throughout the ship was extraordinary. Whether on the lido deck, or the Garden Bar, in Gloves, or while enjoying a show in the Theater, you are assured of being able to get a drink if you want one. I usually did not choose to have one, but they offered once, and then went to more fertile ground.

The shows were wonderful, with most enjoying World more than the second Broadway show, but both were high energy and well produced. We also had two different comedians on board, and I did learn one thing that I had some great hangers that one could not buy in stores. But seriously, the shows by the other entertainers were good but the Carnival shows were better. I did not make it to the Guest Talent show, but caught some on the TV later and it was funny.

The reason this cruise seemed so smooth may be because of the Cruise Director. Todd Wittmer was a tremendous help with his presentations on ports and tours, and every after noon he had a live call in show on the big screen that had dedications and call in questions. This was the first time I have seen this, and it added an interesting touch to the cruise. I think he has a big impact on how smoothly things run onboard, and was a tremendous change from the way things were handled on the Destiny.

Disembarkation was a snap with the new numbers process. As previously mentioned, we drove to the port, so our transportation was at our leisure. This was the one part of the trip my mom truly dreaded, as in the past it was a gaggle of pushy, intrusive, anxious people all wanting to get off the ship right now. With 3600 guests all wanting this at once, it would be a nightmare. With the new numbers system you are issued a number and tags, and when your luggage is cleared by customs, you are cleared to exit the ship. Obviously lower the number the faster the exit. But this may change and they may mix it up. What I do know is that we went to breakfast at 7, had finished eating and collected our bags from the room, and was double-checking all the storage in the room when they called our number. It was 8:30 and we were off the ship, luggage in the car and down the road at 9am. Never been faster.

Overall I would take this ship again, or perhaps one of its sisters, as they all seem very similar. I look forward to my next cruise, and perhaps next I will try the Freedom.

Good Cruising.

[OkieCruiser2]

Hello fellow cruisers ~~ I'm cruising on the Liberty 9/15/07 leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale. I'm travelling with my best friend. We're both single and can't wait to meet some new faces. If you're cruising with us, I'd love to hear from you. Until then.....

Rhonda :)

[kylescoolmom]

Excellent review Rufus. Thank you for taking time to write it. :)

 

 

Hey come join us OkieCruiser2 - we have some really nice cruisers joining us

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=421648&page=31

[serene56]

. Obviously lower the number the faster the exit. But this may change and they may mix it up.

 

 

They wont be mixing up the numbers later. The reason being-- is if we have #19 we know we wont be called off for a bit. That is what is behiond the #'s-- too many people not knowing when there deck will be called and they would wait in the atrium lounge-- notice there were no people standing around with gaggles of luggage just sitting where people can trip-- :D . It was trully the best debarkation I ever encountered. What number did youhave? we had 19 and was off before 9:30.

The rest of my family had 14 and i was not allowed to change my number to that area. Each area of the ship is giving a holding area instead of all deck 6 being in one place.

 

Even collecting my luggage-- it was already together. Unlike in the past it would be all over the area.

[Donnask8pro]

Good Morning Serene.. Question. Do you have to get off when your number is called? I am never in a rush to get off b/c we usually get a little bit later flight. 2:00ish or later.

[serene56]

EVERYone will be off the ship between 10:00 and 10:30

 

Dont expect to stay much longer.

 

But to answer your question--- no you do not have to go when your number is called.

 

You can not go before your number is called as your section is not ready yet.

 

When we left for #19 the area in the 20's was not released yet.. and security officers were standing in front.