rstout

In my experience, the private tour operators are well versed in the arrival times of the ships. If I tell them the ship is arriving at 9 AM based on the ship itinerary they are always waiting with no problem, even if there was a time difference. We always stay on ship time, and just make sure to let them know what time we need to be back.

I was on the Liberty last week and felt bar service took longer than previous cruises. We had the Royal Replenish package for one and two soda packages. Most times I went to get a drink there were only two servers behind the bar (sometimes three). They worked very hard. I only saw servers walking around by the pool in the solarium a few times and once in the main pool area - it was uncommon. It would help if they installed the soda machines. I am not a fan of them, but they would help to reduce the traffic flow to the bars. Bars not on the pool deck weren't crowded, but not all take the soda and RR packages.

I had no problem getting one on the Liberty last Saturday. We went right to the excursions desk once on board.

We did Blue Lagoon on the Allure last year. With the hours you are in port, it is a good excursion. Atlantis doesn't make sense unless you just go to walk around and go to the adjacent public beach. In this case we did the cruise excursion....it did give us enough time to enjoy the beach, water and water toys. I don't remember the cost of the toys, but it was similar to other places we've been. They should have information on their Web site.

Just got off the Liberty Saturday and we had the Sweet and connecting room. Our letter stated our benefits were the ice cream (coupons included) and access to the "Cowcierge" lounge. That's it. We would have had to go to the concierge to get the passes for access to the lounge, and never bothered. We didn't think our kids would appreciate the lounge and we aren't big drinkers. We also had early dinner, so we were always busy during the cocktail hour.

I did contact the concierge ahead of the cruise to try to get a cabana and he did respond, but only to tell me they are booked by suite members first and usually about a week out. He told me I could get in touch once onboard to book, but I just booked at the excursion desk, which was open much earlier than the concierge (didn't want to risk not getting a cabana). He called once we were onboard to see if we were still interested in booking.

The kids stayed in the Sweet and DH and I in 6307....we never noticed noise other than the parties and parades we all heard at night. I am a light sleeper and I was so tired at night even a 70s disco party didn't keep me up.

You can't book cabanas online anymore. You shouldn't have a problem getting one when you get onboard.

We had connecting deck 6 promenade cabins on the liberty last week. There is definitely noise during parades and parties but we were so tired that we fell asleep anyway (and I am a light sleeper). I prefer the PR rooms over inside - I like to at least have a window.

Actually, I think we may have been in #4! I only saw one person briefly on our steps that wasn't in a cabana, so luckily we didn't have a photo shoot problem. Some of the cabanas have a pool type ladder you have to climb up and down to get into the water, which is not easy with the mats, so I felt we lucked out with what we got.

I was on Liberty last week and went to the excursion desk when we got onboard. I had no problem getting an on the water cabana. It was $255. It didn't look like they were all rented when we were at Nellie's Beach, which surprised me. We loved it! The water was amazing and we had great views of the ship. Nellie's was far enough away that it wasn't too crowded on the beach.

Recent reports on the freestyle machines said not yet on Liberty.

LB_concierge@rccl.com (that is LB then _ then concierge) Concierge should be Carlos. Booked my cabana just this weekend for our cruise next week. Glad we got it because that was all I wanted! Good luck!

Thank you!

How do you contact the current concierge on the Liberty?

We did a back to back on the Disney Dream, and have sailed on the RCCL Majesty, Jewel, Freedom, Navigator, Adventure and Allure. Your 6 yo is the perfect age to try Disney. Our boys loved the Dream. We are not crazy Disney people, but we thought the shows were great and we loved the rotational dining. The service was wonderful and we were surprised how much our boys liked the characters around the ship.. I would go with the Fantasy - they have a 7 day cruise and it has the most to do. The pools are small, yes, but we tended to go early and found plenty of things to do if they got too crowded for us in the afternoon.

I always recommend getting off the ship! For Belize, definitely a tour...I recommend cave tubing (we did cavetubing.bz - highly recommended).

Cozumel is one of my favorite cruise port stops. The last time we did Paradise Beach - there are climbing toys, slides, etc in the ocean; the beach; food; and a pool there. Very nice. Dune buggy tours are always fun. And we've also gone to Chakanaab, which is great if you want to swim with dolphins, etc. They have other things there, too, so I recommend it. We've done all of these things when our kids were either your kids' ages or younger, so it is easy to find things to do to keep the kids entertained.

I would check out the ports of call board. There are a ton of ideas.

Your kids will have no problems with ice skating as far as the age goes. I don't remember about the rock wall requirements.

They are pretty strict about age requirements in the kids clubs. But my kids had no problems finding other kids to play with, and loved going.

We are on the Liberty the first week in April - can't wait!

I would maybe consider:

- Adding a day or two in Orlando at the beginning of your cruise to do Disney then, if you can afford it.

- Switching to a Disney cruise in December. The prices should be much better at the beginning of December for a Disney cruise than in April. Disney cruises can be affordable, if you choose the right time of year and/or are willing to be flexible with the cabins.

- Keeping the Freedom and doing Disney next year. You already have this booked, you were looking forward to it, and the kids can help you plan Disney for next year.

I've been on the Disney Dream and Allure, so sister ships of both. At that age, and if cost is not a factor, I would choose the Fantasy. You can't go wrong with either, really. The Oasis pool deck will feel less crowded, and there's a ton to do. But service on Disney is great, there is also a lot for kids that age, and we really loved the shows. I would save Oasis for when the kids are older and can do the flow rider, etc., if that's a possibility. There's also a lot of uncertainty right now surrounding Oasis/Allure and when they are going to Dynamic Dining, if that's a factor for you.

We took our kids ice skating on the Freedom when they were 3 and 4...this was 7 years ago, but I'm sure they still have skates that will fit just fine.

The hot dog stand or park cafe, then off to explore the ship and do something with no lines! I managed to get right on the zip line and my kids got an early ride on the flow rider.

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

There are nights you can sign up for them to eat with the kids club.

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

You will find other kids. Our kids are in year round schools so we vacation offseason, some parents home school and others take their kids out of school.

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

We are in the Liberty Sweet and adjacent 6307 in April. Where do you connect with the concierge once you get onboard? I was really hoping to get a cabana for Labadee, as there is no way to book one online.

I'm curious about the access to Chops for breakfast and lunch that Backpack Cruisers posted about. I haven't heard too much about this benefit.

Most staterooms will fit 4, but if you want more space and don't want to pay for a suite, I would consider connecting staterooms.

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

I think that the Quantum class was meant to be different, as others have said, and you shouldn't go into the cruise expecting it to be like the Oasis class. The ship was designed with a lot of interior spaces to sail out of a cold weather port, which I think will be great for the NY/NJ area. And things will only improve once they fix the technological issues. Although it would be great if RCCL rolled the ship out with no issues, people need to expect that there will be glitches at first, and to give things a chance to get ironed out.

I just wanted to chime in and say that I am really enjoying your reviews. I followed the Quantum review daily and have continued to read your adventures in NY. Your enthusiasm for the city and your trip is fun to read. Safe travels home!

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

We went on the Allure with our boys when they were 9 and almost 8, so a bit younger than yours. My husband and I chose to use our two specialty dining nights without the kids (who preferred to dine with Adventure Ocean) and dine at Chops and Giovanni's, both of which were great. We sailed Easter week, and the ship was full, but did not feel overly crowded. There was plenty of space around the pools. As long as you prebook the shows you know you want (Blue Planet, the show at the Aquatheater, etc.), you will be fine. I would just research them and figure out what you like (e.g. we knew Chicago wasn't for us, so didn't book that). You can always change times once on board. There are a few shows that you can't prebook (e.g. a fun kids ice skating show), but will show up in the Cruise Compass once on board. The only time we felt the crowds was during parades on the Promenade, or when the shows let out.

Allure will probably dry dock not long after your cruise. She is schedule to convert to Dynamic Dining in May 2015, I believe, so the dry dock will be right before then. There have been some recent threads on CC about that.

I would have your kids go to the kids programs early on to meet up with others their age. I know some people bring Post-Its, write-on boards, or dry erase markers for the mirrors to communicate at the cabin; schedule meeting times at different places on the ship; try walkie talkies (they are hit or miss); and the apps seem to be hit or miss.

You will love this ship - have fun!