Carnival Liberty - 12/8/07 - Eastern

[Icantdrv55]

So here's my review of this cruise. I'm actually breaking each day into a post. Probably by sometime this weekend I will include a link to my photos. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

Pre-cruise

So after our cruise last year on the Pride the wife and I decided to try another cruise again this year. First and foremost we decided that we did not want to cruise during the summer. We had also decided that we wanted to select an itinerary that had more ports on it. So in researching we found a few that fit the bill. The best fit was the Carnival Liberty and their 8 day Eastern Carribean route. Below is the review of that cruise.

Day 1 – 12/8/07

So we set out from chilly Rochester, NY early Saturday morning. This cruise left on a Saturday but we elected to fly in the day of the cruise this time around. Luckily our flights were on time and we landed in Ft. Lauderdale shortly after 11am. After luggage collection and a stop at Walgreen’s on our way to the port we got into line around 12:30. The line to board the ship looked imposing but moved quickly. As a side note if you are boarding as a VIP or platinum guest make sure you are getting into the correct line. One couple waited in line almost all the way to the entrance to the terminal and then realized that the VIP entrance was the far right door into the terminal. Anyways, like I was saying the line moved quickly. We made it through the security checkpoint, filled out our Bahamas customs form, registered for our Sigh & Sail card very quickly while chit chatting with a very friendly employee, and then went through the gauntlet of the embarkation photo, and then finally the first scan of our S&S card where they take the picture of you to go with it.

At about 1:30 or so we boarded the Liberty, our home for the next eight days. We looked around in awe of the beautiful atrium area briefly and then quickly boarded the elevators for a quick trip up to the Lido deck for lunch. We both hit up the buffet and tried some of the offerings from there and then turned our attention to the pizzeria. We both had some slices of pizza and then made our first trip over to the soft serve ice cream machine for our first of many cones. At this point I looked at the flyer they gave us which let was to let us know that we wouldn’t be able to access our staterooms til 1:30. Since it was nearly two this was not problem, our cabin was available. We went down a couple of floors and found our balcony cabin(7217). It was very much like the one we had on the Pride, except this time we were almost all the way forward. We could actually look up and left and see into the bridge. Even with this being the case we found the view very nice.

So we explored the cabin a little bit and then decided to take a little nap. Having been up since 4am took its toll on us and short nap did us some good. About an hour or so later I took a look and our luggage had arrived. At about this time our room steward, Filomeno introduced himself to us. He was very friendly throughout the week and was extremely efficient. We proceeded to unpack everything finishing up just before it was time for muster drill. Muster drill seemed much more efficient this time around and seemed to be over much quicker than our previous cruise.

Afterwards we headed back to the cabin, dropped off the life jackets and headed up top for sail away. Unfortunately the weather had taken a little bit of turn and had become slightly cloudy and it had rained for a little bit. It definitely did not dampen the spirits of anyone as the realization came to many that their vacation had started. We took many pictures as we left Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale behind. We got some nice pictures of the sun setting and then explored the ship for awhile to get our bearings and figure out where things were.

We had late seating (8:30) for dinner in the Golden Olympian so we took our time went back to the cabin and freshened up. We found the Golden Olympian dining room extremely accessible and very easy to get to. We later found the Silver dining room to be quite the opposite, but it was manageable. Overall once we got used to where things were navigating the ship was all that much easier. When we entered the dining room they showed us to our table (162) which we discovered to be seating for 10. We were fine with this and as it turned out we had some really cool table mates. Our waiter, Leonardo introduced himself to us. He was friendly and overall was a phenomenal waiter. He provided us with opinions and his own personal favorites on the menu every night. His assistant (I don’t recall his name), also was very helpful and efficient. Anyways we had a very good meal and it was interesting to hear everyone’s first impressions as it was everyone’s first cruise with the exception of one person. Needless to say everyone was very impressed. As became our custom on this cruise we ended up being one of the last tables to leave.

After dinner we went to the Welcome aboard show. Having seen the show before we kinda knew what to expect. It wasn’t bad, but it did have its cheesy moments. Steve Knisley, the CD for this cruise introduced himself and did a little set prior to introducing the comedian for the evening. Steve we found to be a pretty good CD. He was funny and added in some dry wit. I don’t know if he is remaining on the Liberty for long but we really enjoyed him throughout the week. I can’t remember the name of the comedian that performed, if anyone is curious I have the capers and can check. Anyway he was decent enough and we closed our night out with his show. Afterwards we decided to turn in and have a mostly lazy day at sea.

[Icantdrv55]

Day 2 – 12/9/07

The first sea day was a very lazy day for us. We didn’t really do anything until lunch. I think I may have explored the ship a little. The roll call for this cruise had decided on meeting up for lunch on the first at sea day. We had decided on doing the open seating at the Silver Olympian. We met up with everyone at 12:30 and had a nice lunch. It was a nice meetup and it was good to put some faces with the screen names. It worked out well because we’d see many of these people throughout the week and talk with them about how the cruise was going for them. Lunch was okay. I decided on a baguette sandwich which really wasn’t entirely satisfying. So we headed upstairs and I hit up the deli for a reuben.

After lunch we did a little bit of pool time and nothing much else until dinner. Dinner was the first formal night of the cruise. We went to the Captain’s cocktail party and had a few drinks. The Captain did the introductions of the officer’s and then we went and had some of the formal pictures done. They had some nice options to choose from this time on the cruise, however we did not end up getting any of the pictures this time around. We had purchased quite a few of the formals last time and just decided that we didn’t need them this time around.

Dinner was once again a great experience. Of course the big hit on the menu was the lobster tail. Some of the folks at the table actually combined it with the prime rib for a nice surf and turf combo. I elected to just have the lobster tail. I enjoyed the first one so much that I actually had a 2nd one.

After dinner we went to the piano bar with two of the couples from our table in the dining room. We had a really good time with them and actually stayed until they closed the room for the evening. The piano bar was a lot fun this time around. The performer was very entertaining and was actually a lot better than the guy on the Pride. We only went to the Piano Bar once on this trip, but I would recommend trying it out at least once on the cruise.

[MarriedInStThomas1807]

Thanks for the first part of the review. Looks good! I'll be on her a week from Saturday with the same itinerary. I cannot wait!!:D

 

I do have a quick question. Since the 8:30 dinner seating is in the Golden Olympian dining room, the 8:00 would be in the Silver, right?

[Icantdrv55]

Thanks for the first part of the review. Looks good! I'll be on her a week from Saturday with the same itinerary. I cannot wait!!:D

 

I do have a quick question. Since the 8:30 dinner seating is in the Golden Olympian dining room, the 8:00 would be in the Silver, right?

 

I'll try and get through as much of my review as I can prior to your cruise in case you have more questions. I will say it ahead of time though, the selection of ports on this cruise was awesome. There really was something for everyone in each of the ports.

 

You are correct, 8:00 is the Silver Olympian. Each dining room has an early and late seating.

[Sharon2U]

We are going on the Liberty 2/2008 for the second time, we also loved the ship and ports. Do you remember when the "Past Guest Party" was held?

[MarriedInStThomas1807]

Another question. Sorry! You can answer it whenever you get the chance. By all means.. take your time. I'm just getting a little antsy in the pantsy.:D But for that "surf and turf", I believe I've read on here it is not on the menu, is that correct? You just say "surf and turf" and the waiters know what you mean?

[J Free 203]

you need to order a lobster and a prime rib they will come on different plates :)

[Icantdrv55]

We are going on the Liberty 2/2008 for the second time, we also loved the ship and ports. Do you remember when the "Past Guest Party" was held?

 

I can't quite remember which day it was on. It was either on Thursday(Tortola) or Friday(2nd at sea day). They'll put an invite in your mailbox for it. We actually skipped it.

 

Another question. Sorry! You can answer it whenever you get the chance. By all means.. take your time. I'm just getting a little antsy in the pantsy.:D But for that "surf and turf", I believe I've read on here it is not on the menu, is that correct? You just say "surf and turf" and the waiters know what you mean?

 

J Free's answer is absolutely correct. You actually just order one prime rib and one lobster tail. They are seperate menu items, but you can order both of them if you feel like it.

 

you need to order a lobster and a prime rib they will come on different plates :)

[w99flash]

Thanks for the great info! We sail the Liberty 1/13 on the 6 day, so am looking for every thing I can about the ship itself. ( Only other CCL cruises were both on the Triumph) TELL ME MORE!! Thanks again!

[dedel963]

Hey 55! Great to read your review, I miss the ship and wish I could go back!!

 

Sharon2U, the Past Guest Party was on Thursday afternoon. I think it was around 5:00 or so. We had 6:30 reservations in the supper club and this was my first cruise, but Mikes second. He went to the party, but didn't stay because he didn't like being there without me (at least that's what he said!). Next cruise, we can both go! Yes, the Past Guest is the only one invited to the party. Kind of a pain, but understandable.

 

We had the 8:00 sitting in the Silver Dining Room. The Silver is 5:45 and 8:00, the Gold is 6:15 and 8:30. We requested the 8:00 because the sushi bar is open from 5:30 to 7:00 and Mike had to have his sushi first!

[J Free 203]

Yes, the Past Guest is the only one invited to the party. Kind of a pain, but understandable.

 

 

Not true at all! I brought a new cruiser with me to the party! you are allowed. I asked the CD before the party. This was on freedom 12/8/07

[dedel963]

Well, the invitation was addressed to the past guest only and we didn't ask. I personally didn't go because I wasn't the past guest. Its like any other event with invitations . . . if it said Mike and Guest, I would have been invited. It just said "Mike". I tend to plan many parties and have planned several weddings. I'd be very upset if people just assumed it was okay to bring extra people not listed on the invite and even if they called and asked, when you are working with a budget, the answer may be no. Now, that being said, your CD said it was okay and I guess that's great. I just wouldn't be the one to ask.

 

Also, if you look at many other posts regarding this issue, there are many past guesgs who are very vocal about people who are NOT past guests attending the party.

[Icantdrv55]

I got around to posting our pictures. Enjoy. Sorry for the delays in posting more info.

 

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j235/Icantdrv55/Liberty%20Cruise%20Dec%208%20thru%20Dec%2016th/

 

Day 3 - 12/10/08 - San Juan

 

We woke up on the first port day and realized that we really didn't have much that we had to do. San Juan being a later port day we treated this as an at sea day. We decided to hit the dining room again for lunch. Other than that though we spent the day relaxing.

 

As we came into port I headed out to the open air deck all the way forward on the 7th deck(Empress). I took a lot of pictures as we sailed into port. Eventually we docked and disembarked. Our excursion was scheduled for 7pm so we had some time prior to the excursion. We did a quick walk around the area and did a little shopping while we waited for the excursion time. We eventually decided to get a small bite to eat at an outdoor restaurant that was just outside the Sheraton where our excursion was set to meet. The name of the restaurant was the Chicago Burger Co. It was okay for fairly generic bar & grill style food.

 

While we ate we noticed the guide for our tour show up. The tour that we decided on was the Night Tales tour through the Legends of PR. Reading up on the tour here on CC made our decision fairly easy to select this tour. Debbie was our tour guide. To say that she was very knowledgeable was an understatement. As we walked through the town she provided a nice narrative that was informative and entertaining. There was a lot of different spots for photographs and she also had many good spots for breaks where we could sit down and relax.

 

The tour was going well until the last 15-20 minutes. It was at this point that it started to rain. We tried to wait out the rain but it really wasn't all too willing to let up. So she wrapped up the tour and led us back to the starting spot of the tour. Unfortunately the walk through the rain was probably around 15-20 minutes worth. Originally we had thoughts of finishing up the tour and then having dinner somewhere in San Juan. Instead because we were as soaked as we were, we decided to head back to the ship.

 

We dried off back in the room, changed into our swimsuits and decided to close out the evening with some time in the aft hot tubs. We soon thereafter left San Juan for what turned out to be an adventurous trip to our next port St. Thomas.

[Icantdrv55]

Day 4 -12/11/08 – St. Thomas

Before I discuss our day in St. Thomas, I have to mention Tropical Storm Olga. The night that we left San Juan we apparently sailed through this storm. From what I was told by my wife the ship rocked quite a bit and some things in our cabin fell off of shelves. I can’t really give a personal account of this as I pretty much slept all the way through the night.

The next morning we woke up as we were coming into port. I went out to my usual perch on the 7th deck all the way forward to take some photos of the port area. I discovered at this point that it was still raining and still quite windy. I waited about an hour or so went back out and it seemed to be a little nicer than it was.

Even though it had cleared up we were still concerned about the status of excursion that we had scheduled in advance. We had decided on doing a sailboat excursion with Rumbaba charters. I tried calling them early in the morning but did not receive a response. When we disembarked the ship I called again and got a hold of Bobby the captain. In talking with him the decision was made to cancel the excursion. He had decided that the wind was a little too strong and that the water was too rough. It would have made for rough sailing day and he decided it wouldn’t be worth it to us. To his credit prior to me calling him that morning, he had tried to contact us a couple different ways the night before to let us know he was leaning towards canceling the excursion. He had left a voicemail at our home and had also sent an email detailing his concerns. If we ever travel to St. Thomas again, which we both want to, we will definitely look him up and take a day sail with him.

So with our excursion canceled we weren’t really sure what to do. I didn’t have all my research materials in front of me, so I was trying to remember things to do on St. Thomas from memory. After discussing with the wife we decided on doing an island tour with some beach time. Just outside the gate for the ship there was a taxi stand where they were sending folks on their way to wherever they wanted to go for the day. Remembering the names of the beaches proved to be somewhat easy. I remembered reading good things about Coki beach and asked the man managing the taxi stand if there was an island type tour that would also take us to Coki beach. He said yes, and directed us to a taxi. We had to wait for a little while as they wanted to fill the open air taxi with a few more people. The taxi filled a short time later and we set out for what we initially thought of as an island tour. We made a couple of stops and the driver showed us some sites, but otherwise the drive seemed fairly bland and boring to us. We arrived at Coki beach and Coral World. Initially we were to stay with the taxi and continue to tour the island. However, we made a spur of the moment decision and decided to spend the next 3 hours or so at Coki beach. It was arranged with the taxi driver that he would pick us back up at a pre-arranged time. The taxi driver also introduced us to Jerome who ran a beach chair/snorkel equipment rental business on the beach called Sun Seekers. Jerome set us up with beach chairs, snorkel equipment and dog biscuits to feed the fish all for a small fee. He was helpful and gave us suggestions on where to find the fish. To say the beach was beautiful would be an understatement. When we first arrived the beach was relatively empty as I think most people were still a little apprehensive about the weather. As the day went on, more people arrived but the beach was not very crowded at all and it seemed like we made a good choice. The snorkeling was phenomenal and we saw a lot of different fish. Check out the pictures as words can not do it justice. We snorkeled for a bulk of the time that we were at Coki beach. We did become tired towards the end of our time there and we went and hung out on our beach chairs. We bought a couple of all fruit daiquiris and kicked back to enjoy the moment and the view.

All good things must come to an end and eventually our taxi driver came back for us. He took us back to the ship where we got something to eat and changed into some drier clothes. We decided to do some shopping out in the port area afterwards. We docked at Havensight and there was a nice open air mall there with a lot of different shopping options. Of course there is a lot of jewelry options in port, but we also found some good liquor options (such as AH Riise), souvenir shops, and electronics stores. We decided on a new camera bag (my bag for my digital had started to fall a part on this trip), a beach bag, I bought the wife some cologne, and we bought a couple of bottles of liquor as gifts. I also noticed several bars and restaurants in the area.

Overall we had a great time on St. Thomas. It was quite possibly our favorite of the ports. Antigua ranks a close second. A day that started out with our excursion being canceled and us having a whole lot of uncertainty over what to do, ended up being our favorite day of the cruise.

[Ashanie]

These pictures were awesome. I lived vicariously through them until I get onto that ship, doing the same itinerary February 2. Thanks for sharing.

[Icantdrv55]

Day 5 – 12/12/07 – Antigua

Antigua was our next port and we had another excursion planned. This excursion was planned through Adventure Antigua and is called Eli’s Eco Tour. The meeting spot for the excursion was quite easy. It was the dock right in front of where our ship docked. The dock was right between our cruise ship and clothing boutique called Exotic Antigua. Adventure Antigua uses the store as the place to meet, but they call it Exotica Antigua. The sign on the building says Exotic, but they are one in the same. My wife actually got a nice straw type hat there.

Anyway, the crew from Adventure Antigua showed up right on time on the boat that would take us on our tour for the day. They quickly got us onto the boat and started forth. The wind was still blowing that day and the water was a little rough. As the pictures that I took show we went to Bird Island first and did a little bit of a hike. They also showed us the blow holes at the top of the island which were kind of neat. We were able to swim for a little while. Afterwards they showed us the mangroves and explained to us why the mangroves are important. Lunch was served at mid day and was pretty good. There was salad, BBQ chicken, pasta salad, & banana bread. They also served Coke & Diet Coke, and a couple of different juice selections.

The next part of the trip involved Hell’s Gate. As we approached my wife decided to opt out of this activity. She decided to take pictures from the boat instead. It was probably for the best. The swim to this rock formation was a little difficult and the climbing in and around the caves was even more difficult. I came away with a nice souvenir cut on my leg as the rocks are sharp. Climbing up to the top of the formation felt good and I was surprised that I was able to do it. The climb down was a little easier and the swim back felt good even with the salt water stinging my leg.

After that we did a little snorkeling to wrap up the day long tour. The snorkeling was merely okay. With the water being as rough as it was there wasn’t as much to see as there was in St. Thomas. Most folks actually finished snorkeling quite quickly and were back on board the ship enjoying rum punch when I got back on board.

The rest of the trip back to the dock was pretty lazy. We all drank rum punch which was pretty good and just enjoyed the ride back. I decided to buy a shirt from the excursion. When we docked we settled our bill for the tour and went on our way. The wife decided to head back to the ship and I decided to walk around the port area for a little bit. There were a lot of different shops in the area and I checked them out. I didn’t really see anything I liked, but if you’re into shopping Antigua looks like they have some good options.

At dinner that night everyone was fairly relaxed. A couple of days in a row of fun filled days had clearly taken their toll on everyone. We made plans with two of our table mates to share a taxi in Tortola the next day when we set out for Cane Garden Bay.

[Luanne21]

I am loving your review!!!:)

[Icantdrv55]

Day 6 - 12-13/07 - Tortola

 

This day seemed like a short port day for us. We did take our time as we had decided the night before to spend a couple of hours on the beach at Cane Garden Bay and leave it at that. We had agreed to share a taxi with our friends from our table at dinner and we met up with them at the entrance/exit of the port. We set out from the port at about 10am or so and made a couple of stops on the way for pictures. To say that the roads are winding and hilly is an understatement. On the way back from the beach we actually saw a group renting scooters out to people. I can not imagine riding a scooter around on this island. Anyway we made it to CGB in our open air style taxi(seating 10-15 or so) and agreed to meet back up with our driver around 2pm. We set out to find a clear area on the beach and had some trouble. A lot of people decided on a beach day for this port from our ship and the two others in port. We walked a ways down the beach and found an area that was a little less populated. If facing the water the area we settled on was the left hand end of the beach.

 

We did a little swimming and took some pictures. Unfortunately the weather was not very agreeable during our time in Tortola. The sky was quite overcast and it rained off and on. My wife decided that she had wanted to try some snorkeling here. We found a place that rented out gear and rented some masks and snorkels. They recommended some spots to us but because of the weather the water was not as clear as it had been in St. Thomas. We later heard from a couple at our dinner table that they went to Brewer's Bay and that the water was actually quite clear and the snorkeling was a little better. Maybe if we come back we'll go there next time. We did find that there was a quiet part of CGB all the way down at the right hand(as you face the water) side of the beach. There is a rock formation and a dock and then on the other side there was a mostly empty beach. We were told that the snorkeling was good on that side but didn't see much of anything.

 

After our snorkeling time we met back up with our friends and hit up one of the beachside bars for lunch. We were going to try out Myett's but they were doing some sort of private lunch, so we went to bar a couple of buildings down and ate there. I can not remember the name of it, however it was pink in color. The food there was okay and we had a good time. After lunch we had a short time before the taxi came to take us back to the ship. We did a little souvenir shopping finding some tshirts for my folks. A second adventurous ride took us back to the ship and we took a few more pics as we headed towards the ship to re-embark.

 

Overall I liked Tortola. I wish we would have had more time to explore the island. I do regret that we chose CGB over Brewer's. There was many people at CGB and I preferred the nice quiet experience that we had at Coki on St. Thomas. I think it would have also helped if the snorkeling would have been better.

 

So we got back on the ship and went for a brief swim and some time in the hot tub. We relaxed there for an hour or so and then decided to take a bit of a break from everything. My wife took a nap and while she was doing that I joined our tablemateto watch some soccer in the sports bar. The game ended and his wife met up with us and went to get some Sushi. It was at this point where the offered to treat me to Sake. I've never had Sake and I found it to be mildly disgusting. Apparently you can have it hot or cold. They elected on hot and it really was not all that good. It kinda tasted how I would think nail polish remover would taste. It was nice of them to offer but I don't know that I would try Sake again.

 

Afterwards I headed back to the stateroom to relax before dinner. We had a nice dinner. During the course of dinner Leo(Our waiter) put out champagne glasses in front of everyone. I found it a little strange until at the end of dinner one of the couples at the end of table announced their engagement. They had gotten engaged the previous evening. They decided to treat everyone to champagne at the table. It was a nice gesture and everyone toasted to them. After dinner we all(the table) decided to hit up the disco to celebrate. We had a good time and actually stayed at the disco til about 2 in the morning. The drinks were good and we had a few celebratory shots in honor of their engagement. Thank goodness the following day was an at sea day.

[Icantdrv55]

Day 7 - 12/14/07 - A 2nd Day at Sea

 

So we were nearing the end of our voyage and we came upon our 2nd day at sea. After 4 port days we were ready for a nice relaxing day at sea. My wife spent much of the day napping and relaxing in the room. We also started in on the packing of our stuff. We didn't want to leave it to the last day and we figured the more we got done today the less we would have to do on the last day of our cruise, which was also a port day. Beyond that I walked around a lot and took some pictures. I was going to meet up with our CC roll call group for lunch again, but the night out at the disco the night before took its toll and I didn't make it to lunch in the dining room.

 

Beyond those activities we took in the Christmas show that they did with the kids from Camp Carnival. It was nice enough and entertained us for an hour or so. Later on in the day I played a little poker with a couple of the guys from our dinner table. Needless to say but I lost the money that I played with relatively quickly. A couple of the hands that I lost on the other player got a little lucky on the flop. But that's the way it goes sometimes.

 

This day was also the 2nd and final formal night of the cruise. We got a couple of pictures done on our way in to the dining room. We each also got martinis made where they poured the liquor through an ice sculpture. This was located on the fifth floor on the fringes of the casino. Dinner was once again most excellent.

 

After dinner we went back to our rooms and changed out of our formal clothes. We headed up to the Lido where they had put out the midnight buffet. We took several photos of the buffet. It is always neat to look at but it also presents me with the one negative of having the late dinner seating. There is no way I can even think of eating anything off of the buffet. After taking our pictures we went to the Venetian Palace and caught the midnight comedy act. I can't remember too much from the show, but it was funny enough. Afterwards we headed back up to the lido where the buffet was being dismantled by a mass amount of people. The line to eat the buffet was huge to say the least. We decided to skip the buffet in the end. I opted for a cup of the delicious hot chocolate and the wife got herself an ice cream. We closed out our evening at this point because we were going to make it a point to make it to breakfast in the dining room the next morning.

 

Day 8 - 12/15/07 - Nassau

 

So our last full day on the ship began somewhat early. We had decided to get up early so we could enjoy breakfast in the dining room. In retrospect we probably could have skipped the breakfast. Having heard good things about the Eggs Benedict in the dining room and being fans of the dish to begin with, we both decided that we must try it. Needless to say we were disappointed by it, as was everyone else at our table that morning. The eggs were actually a little closer to being hard boiled than they should be for that dish. If anything that was our only complaint from our meals during the cruise.

 

We finished breakfast and headed towards the debarkation meeting with Steve the CD. He made the information entertaining or as entertaining as anyone could make it.

 

Soon thereafter we docked in Nassau. We really enjoyed our time in Nassau. We did a lot of shopping while in this port. Buying mostly souvenirs/Christmas gifts. We bought some shirts for family(Pirahna Joes I think?), some rum cakes at the Tortuga store, some Bahamian Christmas music(curiously found at the drug store on Bay St.), and we looked at some overly expensive watches. We went to the Straw Market and walked through it. Needless to say we were not impressed by it and don't really understand the infatuation that people have with it. We also stopped at Senor Frogs for lunch. It was fun and the food was pretty good. After Senor Frogs we stopped in the building that you have to walk through to get back to the ship and bought a ton of Christmas ornaments. They are really pretty mostly made out of shells and starfish and the like.

 

We headed back to the ship early and concluded our packing. Mostly it consisted of us trying to find space for all of the souvenirs we just bought. After that was finished I headed up for a swim and maybe a little time in the hot tub. I diverted course when I noticed the water slide open. I tried it out and found it to be fun until I hit the little splash pool at the bottom and sucked in some salt water. After that I headed to the hot tub and relaxed for awhile.

 

We headed for dinner that night after enjoying a nice sunset from our balcony. On the way to dinner we check out our photos from the cruise. We really didn't find any of them to our liking. After purchasing several pictures on our last cruise we didn't see a need to waste money on them this time around. Dinner was sad the last night. Everyone was happy to be going home but they were also going to miss their home away from home for the last week. This night both the wife and I tried the seafood(Neptune's maybe) platter. While it was good in retrospect I wish I would have picked something else. It was all fried food and I wish I would have picked something else. I did make up for it with the melting cake though which was a great way to cap off dinner. After dinner finished we took a couple of pictures with Leo, tipped him a little extra, and said our goodbyes to him. I think he actually enjoyed our group. We hung out with our tablemates for a little while but we decided to turn in early as we knew the next day would be a long one.

 

Day 9 - 12/16/07 - Leaving the ship

 

We awoke the next morning to find us docked in Ft. Lauderdale. We got cleaned up and decided to head up to the Lido for breakfast. Breakfast was okay and by the time we finished they called our number. We headed down to the 3rd floor and soon thereafter left the ship for the final time. Customs was really easy and it actually took less time to go through customs than it did for me to find our luggage.

 

We grabbed a taxi just outside the port building and headed towards the airport. Our flights home got delayed and ended up getting home much later than we were supposed to. We were happy to be home and happy to experience the adventure that we had just been on.

 

In the next few days I will add some thoughts about the ship, the ports and such to round out my review.

[ubouu]

Great Review,how did u get from the airport to the port and what was the cost$$$.:)

[Calyn2323]

I love reading your review. The detail makes me think I am cruising with you. We leave in 51 days, and I can't wait.

[pacerzfan]

Thanks for the review

[Icantdrv55]

Great Review,how did u get from the airport to the port and what was the cost$$$.:)

 

Thanks everyone for the compliments. I'll write up a little more next week.

 

We took a cab from the airport(FLL) to the port. Our cost was a little over $20 for the fare plus a tip($5). So we gave him around $30 total if memory serves me. We had the driver stop at a Walgreen's on the way so we could pick up a couple things that we needed. That added a little extra onto the fare. Our fare on the way back to the airport from the port was less.

 

Feel free to ask more questions. I'll answer everything that I can.

[ubouu]

Thanks for the info.

[novie]

Hi Mike,

 

I really enjoyed reading your review of the cruise! And looking at your pictures! I've looked at Dede's pics too, and it is interesting to see all of the different things that each of us did that week. I'm off to see if I can find SeeSharp's pictures and Waterboy,s as well. Take care,

 

Sue