forecruiser

We were just on the Liberty 3 weeks ago. My son has a soy allergy and the chef in the windjammer told us the all the beef and chicken on the ship is marinated in soybean oil. Everything is fried in soybean oil and the pasta is tossed in soybean oil. WOW! He did accommodate a couple of days at lunch by preparing a plate of pasta for him specially so he could eat. He does not have an issue with dairy so breakfast was not a problem. In the main dining room each night, they would provide us with the menu for the next night and the chef would prepare him a special meal (usually baked fish, shrimp, or chicken) with vegetables and a baked potato. It was rough at first, but they did their best to make it work. His allergy is not a contact allergy, but only when ingested, so that was good. We did communicate with the special needs dept prior to sailing, but never heard back from them. Not complaining, because we had a fantastic cruise, but it was difficult at first.

We were on the Liberty last month and in the crown and anchor event, the ambassador indicated the Liberty would be in Galveston at least until 2018. That didn't mean it would be leaving then, but that itineraries had not been announced past that date. I think they are adding the Vision to compete with Carnival.

Per the RCL website, there are cruises out of Tampa (Rhapsody), Galveston (Liberty) and Ft. Lauderdale (Freedom) that will visit Belize.

2 weeks ago on the Liberty in Galveston, we checked a bag with 3 six packs of sodas, and had to go to security on deck 1 to retrieve the bag. Once they inspected our bag (asked me to open it in their presence) they saw it was soda and allowed us to keep. They just wanted to make sure it was not alcoholic beverages. The security people were very kind about it.

There are many times we have wanted to do a short trip out of Galveston and didn't want to go on Carnival. I hope this is very successful for RCCL. Back in 2005 we did a 5 night on the Rhapsody and had a great time. This will be interesting to see how Carnival responds since they have 3 year round ships in Galveston now.

We too, live in Houston and just got off the Liberty on Sunday (6/20) and had a fantastic time!! The ship was beautiful and the staff was very friendly. Our 16 year old son has a soy allergy and each night in the dining room, the chef would prepare him a separate dinner so he could eat with no adverse reactions. The staff went above and beyond our expectations. The same is true in the windjammer, the chef would prepare him a special plate of pasta (cooked in water - no oil) so he could eat. The shows were not spectacular, in our opinion, but enjoyable. We loved the addition of the water slides and tidal wave. We all had a blast on the flowrider. We had a balcony cabin on deck 7 on the hump which was a great location. I am sure there are folks who have had a negative experience on the Liberty, but I would say it is rare. If you go looking for something bad to happen, you will find it. Go with a great attitude and enjoy your vacation. You will not go wrong on the Liberty!

When our two boys were small, we had a backpack for each one of them. We would go to the dollar store and buy cheap (quiet) toys, books, puzzles, snacks, etc. and pack them in each backpack. Once we reached cruising altitude, we allowed them to open the backpacks and those items kept them busy for most (if not all) of the flight. If the toys got broken or lost, it was okay as they were cheap. We also packed additional items in our suitcases for the return trip so they had new things to look at again. It was always fun for them to have the surprises. I hope you have a great vacation with your family.

271 days till Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston... But who is counting? :)

We have been on the Navigator twice and the Dream (sister ship to Magic) once and would choose the Navigator any day if the price is comparable. We prefer RCL over Carnival, but since pricing was significantly higher in Galveston this summer, we are going on the Dream out of New Orleans in less than two weeks. Since we have school aged children and can only go on holidays and summer, we have to choose price first. Plus we are going to Key West and Bahamas which RCL does not currently do out of Galveston. I know there is a difference in both cruise lines, but "any day on a ship is better than a day in the office".

I rarely post on here (but I am always lurking! :)), but I just had to post and say how excited our family is about this news! We have been on the Navigator twice and absolutely love her! Unfortunate circumstances have kept us from cruising the last two years, but times are changing and hopefully we will be back on the Navigator soon! Returning to year round cruising from Galveston for RCCL will be great for our family! In the words of Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty, we are Happy, Happy, Happy!