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Great Ship, Great Fun! by
Robert E. from Edmond, OK Sailing date: Sep 2009Pros: Ship, Food, Activities Cons: Itinerary Liberty of the Seas is a magnificent vessel! I simply cannot imagine what else someone could want in the way of variety in all aspects of cruising. Though large, it never seems crowded with lots of places to get away for peace and quiet. The available activities are unparalleled at this point. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodTop notch food, lacking only in a few small respects of being the best. Stateroom QualityStaterooms are a bit smallish until you get to top levels of the ship, but are thought out and more spacious than they appear. Ship Staff QualityOutstanding in all respects. Entertainment & ActivitiesSimply no better activities available on a cruise ship... 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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   Refreshing & Relaxing Cruise by
CynthiaL from Berkeley, CA Sailing date: Sep 2009Pros: Excellent service, great food, great entertainment Cons: Crowded Solarium PHILIPSBURG, ST. MAARTEN: We took a water taxi to downtown Philipsburg and enjoyed browsing through the shops. Many jewelers offered free drinks and refreshments along with trinkets such as earrings and pendants to entice shoppers to purchase large ticket items. We enjoyed just walking through the streets, taking pictures, and relaxing by the beach -- which was full of beautiful tiny shells. The shells were soft to walk on, the water was warm, and beach chairs were available for rent.
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO: The ship docked in walking distance of Castillo San Cristbal, so we dressed in cool clothes and drank lots of water -- necessities in this rather hot climate. The views at the fort at the top of the hill are well worth the hike, and admission to the fort is also worthwhile, as there is a great deal of interesting history presented at this national park. I especially enjoyed looking out the thick walled windows to the sparkling sea, and seeing presentations describing the military history and strategic importance of San Juan through the centuries.
LABADEE: The third stop was to the RCI private island of Labadee, where we took advantage of the train shuttle to various beaches, and ended up resting on a beach (and hammock) near the barbecue... with burgers and chicken and side dishes from the ship. The beach was hot so shade was much appreciated that day... and while we waded into the water, the sharp coral proved a challenge to our bare feet. This port was accessible only by tender... so there were lines of people waiting to get to and from the island, since this was the one port of call we could not just walk to from ship to shore.
SCHOONER BAR: Kory Simon played fabulous piano and sang oldies-but-goodies, and encouraged the audience to participate with pass-the-mic singing games. We were glad we found him toward the end of the cruise, and only wished we had more time with Kory!
GYM: The punching bag, weights, and machines were marvelous to utilize... and not crowded, either. This gym has lots more to take advantage of than most cruisers seemed to be making use of, and I greatly appreciated all it has to offer. The stairs on the ship act as another form of gym I loved... since the stairs are carpeted and the ship is air conditioned, and the Windjammer buffet is on level eleven... it's possible to get lots of exercise!
POOLS: While I loved the Solarium's peace and quiet, this section of deck eleven was always too crowded to properly enjoy. On two occasions, my companion and I circled for some twenty minutes without finding deck chairs... ending up looking out one of the windows to see flying fish, a sea turtle, and a jelly fish in the water down below. We would have loved to have been able to make better use of this deck with it's shade and poolside presence... but it was just a bit too popular, even with the guideline/rule that people who leave chairs unattended for more than 15 minutes would lose their spot. The truth is that many chairs were left empty... with just towels and books and such... while we circled around, seeking a place to rest for a while. The hot tubs were very nice, and seldom crowded... and offered a fun crow's nest view of the sea. The noisier pool section featured a wonderful frozen yogurt machine, where people were always lined up waiting for cones... and occasionally, there were some fun events happening on this side of the deck, such as the Belly Flop Contest.
ACTIVITIES: We observed people on the FlowRider, and saw the Rock Climbing Wall, but did not partake of these. There were lots of things for kids and young adults to do on this ship. There were so many things we did not do that looked wonderful, as there were always so many things happening at the same time. Some fun sounding things we didn't do included: Karaoke, the Quest Game, the Love and Marriage Game, music at the Hoof & Claw Pub, wine tasting, and the art auction.
Ship QualityThis is truly an extraordinarily beautiful ship... very clean, very well designed. Dining/FoodWe opted for My Time Dining, but on the first day found the best waiter we've ever had, Istvan "Erik" from Transylvania, so we reserved 6pm dining in the Boticelli dining room for the rest of our stay on board, and this turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip! Erik took into consideration our dietary needs (gluten sensitivity and port allergy) and made suggestions each day which ensured our dining experience was first-rate. Erik also conferred daily with the chefs to arrange for gluten-free bread to be baked daily just for us, and sauces and dishes to be created gluten-free. The dinners at Boticelli were therefore superb at a level my traveling companion found excellent, and he is a chef, so this is high praise, indeed. Breakfasts and lunches were mostly eaten at the Windjammer, where people moved through quickly enough that tables were always available and lines not too long. The food selection at the buffets was marvelous.
Stateroom QualityOur interior cabin featured a balcony with cushioned window seat looking down over the Royal Promenade one deck down, on level five... which was marvelous! The room was spacious and featured two sofas in addition to a very comfortable bed, four small drawers below the large TV which could be viewed in the room and bathroom, due to its excellent location, a closet with safe, and two small night stands with small drawers and open shelf areas. There were additional shelves situated above the TV and near the dressing table... and a glass coffee table was positioned between the sofas. We were very pleased with being able to look out at the street parades, musical events, and other assorted events on the main street out our window nearly every day.
Ship Staff QualityAlways smiling, always happy to see us and be of service, the RCI staff are truly the best! Entertainment & ActivitiesThe best show on board the Liberty of the Seas in September 2009 was definitely "Encore!" -- an ice skating spectacular. It's amazing to see such a large-scale show on such a small rink, with stunts I've never seen performed anywhere before... not even at the Olympics! Well worth seeing. Tony Tillman was a guest performer, and he was marvelously entertaining, as were a couple of comedians and Krill -- a young man who did amazing gymnastic tricks with a variety of materials. The RCI singers and dancers are truly first rate, yet the choreography of their shows on this cruise left much to be desired... I kept wishing I could see them singing more songs to the level of performance I saw them to be capable of.
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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There Were Ups and Downs by
Karen M. from Tempe, AZ Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: The Service from the Stateroom Attendant and Dining Staff Cons: Royal Romance's Wedding Package I'm not new to cruising, this is already my fourth cruise, and I'm only 18 years old- so maybe I'm a harsher critic than others. I would say I had an overall good time on the ship, but I will go into more detail within each section I review below. I travelled with a group of 15 of us. This is because it was my brother's wedding cruise. He got married at one of the ports of call: Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The wedding went all wrong. Firstly, the photographer never showed up. Luckily, we brought our cameras and some people who worked for Liberty of the Seas came along with us to snap some good photos. The ship provided us with a free photo package to apologize for the no- show. Also, my brother and his bride wanted a regular ceremony, without any of the religious stuff to get in the way. A minister showed up with a giant cross, one of those collar things, and a bible. We are not even close to being Christian. This was a huge problem for us. We resolved the issue, but I'd rather not go into further detail. Other things went wrong with the wedding, but I don't have the time to explain. NEVER EVER EVER PLAN A WEDDING WITH ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S ROYAL ROMANCE PROGRAM. NEVER! Ship QualityThe cruise director mentioned that this was the largest ship in the world. Beautiful interiors throughout the ship, however there wasn't a common theme in the decor. Walking around the hallways, it wasn't really clear that there was something the designers carefully planned out. They basically just slapped any piece of "artwork" on the wall without relating it to the next piece. For example, in one hallway, I saw a picture of irons. In another, I saw a diorama of a ship on the water. Nothing was really tied together. The staff did a pretty good job of keeping the areas onboard clean; however, one night I received a dirty napkin at dinner. That is gross. Everything seemed to be accessible. I didn't really take that into consideration, since nobody in my group was physically handicapped in any way. Dining/FoodIt really depends on the meal, time of the day, and the restaurant you choose to eat at in order to get the best food and service available. We didn't get the chance to eat at Chopps Grille, but I'm betting the food was great. The night we got back from my brother's wed, the group and I ate at Portofino. It costs about $25 per person to dine there, but it is absolutely worth the splurge. If there's one thing you blow your money on this trip, this is it. The food was absolutely sensational. The service was remakable, and the ambience was great for my brother's wedding night dinner. Don't bother going to Johnny Rocket's- not that there's anything wrong with it, but this a cruise- you want to see something new! Cafe Promenade isn't much of a cafe. There are very few selections to eat there. Go there for a midnight snack. It's free. Sorrento's Pizza is edible, but not amazing. The Windjammer is your best bet for selection. Some of it is better than others. Room Service is a great option. Stateroom QualityThe room was just the right size for my brother and I. We had just a basic interior room. It was not stuffy, like other staterooms or cabins I've been in on previous cruises. The stateroom attendant kept it clean and gave us great service. The bed was extremely comfortable and it was nice to come back to the room with a copy of the daily agenda and a folded towel animal on my bed. Hairdryer is provided in the drawer under the vanity mirror. The only negative thing I can think of about the room is the way the TV is mounted to the wall. I wish it would turn more, so I could get a better viewing angle from my bed. Ship Staff QualityThe staff did a good job providing their services with a smile. Entertainment & ActivitiesI wasn't really impressed with the entertainment onboard. First of all, whenever they did a show with the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers, their performances were sloppy. The singers were off key, the dancers couldn't find the right timing, and the overall show didn't make a whole lot of sense. The comedians got a smile or two out of me, but not a laugh. I liked listening to Steve Savage at the Schooner Bar. 3 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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A Great Time by
Tracy G. from Newburgh, Indiana Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: Itenerary Cons: Wet Luggage! We had a fantastic time, even though a sudden downpour came while our luggage was being loaded on to the ship. Several pieces of clothing were ruined, but Carnival was helpful in trying to resolve the issue. The food each evening was excellent in the dining room, and our waiter (Enrique from the Philippines) was the best ever! We enjoyed the Eastern Caribbean itenerary of Half Moon Cay (best private island in the world); St. Thomas; San Juan; and Grand Turk. My two teen sons loved the areas set aside for them!!! Our stateroom was more spacious than any we've encountered in the past (#3209). The Cruise Director (Noonan) was awesome, and the evening shows were spectacular. I highly recommend this cruise! It was our fifth (third with Carnival), and we had a blast. Ship QualityShip is a little hard getting around on...abrupt end to hallways, etc. But, it's a beautiful ship, and it's very well maintained. Dining/FoodOur waiter was the best, and the food was awesome. Stateroom QualityLarger than we've ever experienced. Very surprised!!! Quite enough room for the four of us. Ship Staff QualityEmbarkation staff left a little to be desired, but other than that, we have no complaints at all. Kudos to the customer service area (Maria) for working to resolve our issues from the rain-soaked luggage and clothing. Entertainment & ActivitiesIncredible is the best word I can use. Children's ProgramsMy two teen sons loved their activities and areas. 2 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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A Vacation from Heaven by
Karen K from Chicago Il Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: The Food and the Beds we extremely comfortable Cons: not one thing We had a wonderful time. The ship was extremely clean. THe food was fabulous and all the help was really friendly. The beds were really comfortable and a ton of things to do. Ship Quality
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Labadee (Cruiseline Private Island)This island was beutiful and had plenty of chairs which was great.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Philipsburg, St. Maarten
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Great Vacation by
Paul G from Gulfport, Ms. Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: Newness and cleaness of the ship, Also the friendliness of the personnel Cons: A long ways from home to departure We have been on many cruises and the Royal Cribbean Ships are our favarite. Ship Quality
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Great Ship, You Will LOVE IT! by
Diego M. from Miami, FL Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: AwesomeShip, Friendly Crew, On-Board Activities, Child Friendly Cons: Gym lockeroom, not enough time in Puerto Rico, no mints on pillow My wife and 4 year old daughter and I did the Eastern Caribbean Cruise to St. Martin, Puerto Rico and Labadee (RCCL private beach). We loved this ship! In fact, this was our second cruise on this ship. We previously were on the Liberty's inaugural cruise in May of 2007. The fact we came back should tell you everything you need to know about whether or not you'll enjoy this cruise! With very rare exception, all the Crew went out of their way to be friendly. Even maintenance personnel offered a friendly and sincere "hello" as they passed us in the hallway. We stayed in a Junior Suite. The room has all the space you could want and the bathroom was a good size. On most ships my wife always joke about the claustrophobic size of the bathrooms and how the shower curtain "molests" us as we try to shower in the tiny space. This is definitely NOT the case on this ship. At least not for a Junior Suite
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If you have young kids I strongly recommend this ship. I was so impressed how so many of the Crew stopped and engaged my little 4 year old daughter as they walked by. They went out of their way to pay attention to her. The Adventure Ocean Kid's Club was really nice with a lot of fun activities. My daughter kept asking us to take her back to it. Another cool feature is if your child is 4 or less, they give you a cellphone (only works on ship) so they can reach you at any point if there is a problem.
The food was good. There is a good selection of dinning options so you can never get tired of the food. The only exception is breakfast which doesn't change much from one day to the next. Because of our daughter, we decided to use the "My Time Dinning" option so we could have more flexibility as to when to eat. It is a good idea, but they need to improve the system a bit. You need to make a reservation are risk having to wait for a table. Having said that, we would still use it next time because of the overall freedom of being able to change your dinning time to suit your schedule from one day to the next. On two nights we paid extra to eat at both the Portofino and Chops restaurants. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND DOING THE SAME! The food is FANTASTIC and the service is as good as I have ever experienced in any restaurant I have ever dined at. However, make your reservations early as these two restaurants fill up quick! We tried to book a table two days in advance and barley got into Chops.
The gym itself is great. All the cardio equipment has it's individual tv and you can change channels to find something that interests you. I was disappointed with the lockeroom as it was small and plain.
The entertainment in the main theater was ok, but I am not a big fan of these types of shows. The ice skating show however is a can't miss in my opinion! I was a little disappointed that they hadn't changed it at all since our inaugural cruise two years ago, but I still loved it!
I have been on 14 cruises in my life and I can tell you that this is a great cruise experience. You will be hard pressed to find a prettier ship, friendlier crew and varied activities on-board as this ship offers. Book a cruise on Liberty of the Seas with no worries or hesitation! Although I would do the Western Caribbean cruise rather then the Eastern Caribbean. I preferred the ports we visited on our first cruise.
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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The Dream Cruise by
Lydia B from Miami Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: The Friendly Crew Cons: not being able to see more of Haiti After seeing photographs of the ship Liberty of The Seas, my husband and I decided to cruise with Royal Caribbean. We made a good decision. We were treated royally from the moment we stepped on board. Every crew member was respectful and helpful and we were surprised to see the number of workers on board. Excellent service was available at all times. the food was well prepared and delicious. There was entertainment for everyone- children, parents, grandparents, singles.
Frozen nonfat yogurt was available on the pool deck and this could not be a better idea for the summer like days. Our stateroom was fabulous. Imagine having a window overlooking the Promenade and watching all the parades from the comfort of our room. I think our bed fits the description of a California king-oh so comfortable!!!! It took us minutes to unpack our luggage because there was adequate space for every item. We were home away from home on Liberty of the Seas and this will not be our last cruise with her. Ship Quality
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Labadee (Cruiseline Private Island)craft market
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Philipsburg, St. Maartenlovely beaches
Don't Miss: craft market 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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A great time was had by all.... by
Jeanette J. from San Clemente, CA Sailing date: May 2009Pros: Everything. The speciality restaurant Portofino was wonderful and the wait staff was great. Cons: There wasn't one thing I disliked about this cruise. We had a balcony stateroom that was beautifully furnished and very large and comfortable. Our room steward was great and it was such fun to come in in the evening to see what animal our towels had become. We all had some great laughs trying to guess! Ship Quality
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Entertainment & ActivitiesWe loved the "Harmony Duo" and wish they played more often and at better times. It was lovely to sit there and listen to them while imbibing on a cocktail or two or.....
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Cozumel, MexicoSurprisingly, this was our favorite port. We just strolled around - it was very clean and inviting and they had the best guacamole I have ever had!!
Don't Miss: The hand made guacamole. Labadee (Cruiseline Private Island)Shopping was difficult as there were too many vendors selling the same items and they became very pushy.
Don't Miss: The beach George Town, Grand CaymanWe just strolled and did some shopping but we weren't in the market for jewelry or watches so it was a "no big deal" for us.
Don't Miss: The shopping - if that is what you are interested in. Ocho Rios, JamaicaIt was so very hot and none of the restaurants had air conditioning so we ended up back on the ship for our lunch.
Don't Miss: Nothing 2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Exceeded Expectations! (1st CRUISE) by
A Traveler from Hamburg, Germany Sailing date: Apr 2009Pros: Professional staff and ship Cons: Loud music throughout the ship This being my first cruise, I truly did not know what to expect from a ship of this size. I was simply overwhelmed with the ship itself and all the activities one can participate in, if one chooses. My main objective on this cruise was to relax and perhaps participate in some of the activities offered. I managed to do both and was not disappointed. With a ship this size, I was a little worried about all those passangers wanting to be at the same place at the same time, but because the ship is so LARGE, I never felt it to be overcrowded. The only negative aspect was the continuous music (not enough variety to satisfy all tastes) throughout the ship. "We will rock you" blaring loudly out ot the speakers before my first coffee was a little too much. We did manage to find some areas on deck where the music was not as noticeable. Ship QualitySimply AMAZING!! Dining/FoodThe main dining room with our personal waiter was nice, but the flexibility of the Windjammer dining times was on some evenings more appealing. Stateroom QualityI was pleasantly surprised with the cleanliness and overall comfort of the room. Ship Staff QualityVery professional and friendly. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe ice show was fabulous! Children's ProgramsMy children were not with me on this trip, but from what I could see, the choices of activities were plentiful for varied age groups. 3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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