Live (Fake News!) Review of Liberty of the Seas from Galveston March 4-11

I am very interested in this. How do you know which night?

Seafood Buffet in the Windjammer- Im pretty sure it's either Day 4 or Day 5, and it might change with the itinerary. I'd ask the managers (in suits) in the Windjammer when it's planned. Even if you go early (expect a line) for a pre dinner snack, it is worth it, very yummy...and we've established Im fussy about seafood! We went after 7 and there was still plenty of items and no crowds!

Great review! Sailing the Liberty in April.

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That's an incredible balcony!

Love the review. I'm a newbie and appreciate the tips. Myself, DW and DD will be staying in the same cabin in June so I really appreciate the pictures.

Thank you!!

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We did the same cruise in sept of last year. Loved it! The CD was the best! We got to meet him before one of the shows. I see he shaved his head. :) I have yet to do a review or a video... we plan on booking Liberty again for the opposite ports. We loved going out of Texas! We flew from California. We used to live in Texas so we felt right at home. Love the people on the ship and the shows were awesome! The only thing we didn't do was the slides and the flow rider... maybe next time!:D

So why do you have to book three people in that room? Is there a Pullman or something, because I am not sleeping on that couch, LOL . :D Also thank you for this awesome review, it is very timely as we leave on LOS in 37 days, Yahoo!!

Great review! Sailing the Liberty in April.

Lucky you! It’s a fun ship! Have a great cruise!

 

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That's an incredible balcony!

It really is! Unfortunately, Royal is onto us and all this prime RealEstate in the aft is all used for suites on the newer ships (Oasis and newer) Since I won’t spend money for a suite (and I don’t gamble so they won’t give one to me for free :') ) when these ships get put out to pasture, I’ll probably cruise more Azamara or Windstar, because the main reason I sail RC is for these panoramic balconies!

Love the review. I'm a newbie and appreciate the tips. Myself, DW and DD will be staying in the same cabin in June so I really appreciate the pictures.

Thank you!!

 

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You are going to love it! There is not a lot of clothing storage for 3 tho! Bring the over the door shoe hanger for sure! Also the bedding for the Pullman goes under the bed, so bring collapsible luggage, it’s a tight fir under there!

So why do you have to book three people in that room? Is there a Pullman or something, because I am not sleeping on that couch, LOL . :D Also thank you for this awesome review, it is very timely as we leave on LOS in 37 days, Yahoo!!

There is a Pullman, you can see at in this video, I pan up to the ceiling at about 34 seconds, where you can see it is flush with ceiling when it’s unmade. When made up it hangs over the beds. The couch is way to small for anyone but the tiniest kids.

Video of cabin 7408

We did the same cruise in sept of last year. Loved it! The CD was the best! We got to meet him before one of the shows. I see he shaved his head. :) I have yet to do a review or a video... we plan on booking Liberty again for the opposite ports. We loved going out of Texas! We flew from California. We used to live in Texas so we felt right at home. Love the people on the ship and the shows were awesome! The only thing we didn't do was the slides and the flow rider... maybe next time!:D

WE did the slides, but not the flowrider! Longtime readers of my reviews will recall this Oasis story! :eek:

http://www.goseeittravel.com/travel-blog/2018/2/6/fear-of-the-flowrider

Which is why we stuck to the slides, and no flowrider this time! :'):halo:

Day 1 Sea Day (Formal Night)

So most of our days, if we weren't in port, we spent just lounging on the balcony. If we got hungry, we'd go get some food, and if we got warm, we'd go to Solarium or to the water slides and cool off, then return to the balcony. Most afternoons, we wold take a nap to make sure we could stay awake for all the nighttime fun!

These are the kinds of vacations people tell us we should be having when instead we are hiking up Mt Etna in Sicily, spending a whole day climbing the walls and exploring Dubrovnik or riding mountain bikes on South Mountain in Phoenix. (and that was just some of what we have done since Oct) We travel, we conquer, we take lots of photos and notes, and then we blog...it's what we do! Expect this trip. We don't do it very often, but sometimes we just recharge. This was one of those trips, the kind that usually other people take! :')

So we started the day on the balcony after breakfast in the Windjammer, sat on the balcony, then went to Johnny Rockets for lunch. After lunch, three guesses...yup, we sat out on the balcony! Pretty much only left the cabin so Sam (Syamhudi) could pick up our towels!

But we did go to the ice show at 2:30. (also offered at 4:30 and 2 additional shows on another sea day) This show is called Encore and it featured one of the biggest ice casts I can remember at sea...maybe they had this many on Oasis and Allure, but if they did, I missed it. The show was one of the best Royal Ice shows I've seen, with crowd pleasing tunes from Broadway to 80's. Lots of costume changes and even though these skaters are working with a relatively tiny sheet of ice, flips, jumps, enough spins to thrill an audience who had just come off watching the winter Olympics!

On our way to the Ice Show, we ran into the art auction being held in On Air. I was stunned at the number of people attending and BUYING art at this thing! Have any of you done this? I would never have thought about this as a way to buy limited edition prints...but it was packed, and they were going like hot cakes. The auctioneer would start high and keep dropping the price till one person bit, then he'd offer a half dozen more people the same LE print (different number obviously) for the same price! I have never seen this before, it was wild, since they can sell more LE prints of the exact same art work on the next cruise and the one after that! I've only thought of auctioning UP prices of original art work! I guess I'm not very creative!

Like these prints? When the price gets low enough, bid and you and any of your friends can own a copy!

After the ice show...we sat on our balcony and then went to the cantilevered hot tub in the Solarium for sunset. This is a spectacular place to take in a sun set. It can be a bit crowded, but people do come and go, but the sunsets are pretty cool hanging out over the ship in a hot tub!

Loving this report so far! Your past reports are great too! I can't wait until I'm on Liberty's sister (Freedom) next Sunday!

Been eyeing that balcony (it was available on both Navigator last March and Freedom) but we LOVE the hump location and having a sofa bed instead of the pull down.

Looking forward to the rest of the report!

Enjoying your review. Love your sense of humour.

Great review! Fun to read! :D

Loving this report so far! Your past reports are great too! I can't wait until I'm on Liberty's sister (Freedom) next Sunday!

 

Been eyeing that balcony (it was available on both Navigator last March and Freedom) but we LOVE the hump location and having a sofa bed instead of the pull down.

 

Looking forward to the rest of the report!

Jelly! We booked Freedom, same cabin for 2020! But I hear you on the sofa bed vs pullman. That pullman is not a place I'd want to sleep! There is a ladder in the room (you can see it in the video) to access the bed, but I think haivng the sofa would be a better option. We have a corner aft on our Zumba cruise next month, but the other gal and I sharing decided not to have a thrid roomie becuase one of us would have to climb up there, and we didn't think that would be great (interestingly, on the charter, they DID let us take that room for 2, but we might be paying more than a room for just two, I'm not sure!) Also, for those interested in full boat charters, it was WAAAY more expensive than the same non charter trip. It is definitely over my $100-200 PP per day target range for a cruise. 1600 for 5 nights, so I'm paying an extra 100 a day for the Zumba activities, entertainment, tchotkes etc. If I find it's not worth it, I won't repeat...this is sort of a bucket list thing!

Enjoying your review. Love your sense of humour.

Great review! Fun to read!

Thanks Molson Schooner and Ladysilver, that's what we are going for...I'm trying to avoid the dad groaners and just hit on the truly funny stuff!:')

Formal Night

Dressing Up and Dressing Downs

We dressed up. Sometimes we like to dress up, but we aren't the types to give a dressing down to anyone who prefers not to. It says right in there Cruise Compass ("Tonight's Dinner Dress Suggestion- Formal") We did notice most people did get dressed up, not a lot of tuxes, because this was a younger, family crowd, but most of the guys had at least shirts and ties on and the ladies had cocktail dresses. It seemed like the families did dress up, even matching, hoping to use the ships photographers to capture their family reunions and get those Christmas card photos. The children looked darling with their bows and little vests! Hubby wore this pink tie and we saw several gents in pink ties or shirts themselves who commented how pink is more popular among the guys now!

Diamond Lounge

Because we were all gussied up, we thought we would go up to the Diamond Lounge to say hello. The Diamond Lounge is not really our scene, we made Diamond Crown and Anchor earlier in our cruising career than some, and while we've met some interesting people, our idea of a good time is different. But I always like to give it go. We said hello to the concierges, both friendly and helpful. A gentlemen was giving his granddaughter scooter rides around the crowded lounge and it was busy, although there were seats to be found. We said hello to a lady sitting all by herself next to us, who either didn't hear us (possible at her advanced age) or simply didn't care to respond to us. I always remember there are fair amount of folks who use cruising as assisted living and one can never be sure what another passengers physical and mental state might be! On this cruise, there didn't appear to be a high number of Diamond cruisers, or those that were were traveling with large families, some of whom are not and therefore aren't welcome in the lounge. This why Diamond cruisers now get 3 drinks loaded onto their sea pass for use in any lounge between 4:30 and 8 PM.. This is a much better set up for us, as this was the last time we went up to the lounge (adjacent to the Olive and Twist and the Suites Lounge on Deck 14)

Dinner

There were also plenty of folks in the Windjammer, who went casual. We had dinner in the Windjammer with our formal clothes on. It was all good, again, good manners dictate you don't "say something unless you have something nice to say" and we've established this was the good mannered ship, so there was no "judgy" vibe about formal nights!

Photography

I usually resist putting up pictures of ourselves, but I get two freebies, so here it is! Hubby was so excited that his pink tie matched the pink background! We had a little trouble with the photos they take on the stairs with the royal promenade sign in the back ground. Most guys who aren't 6 foot 6 inches tall fit nicely on the stairs under the Royal Promenade sign in the back ground. In the photos hubby is so tall that he has the Royal Promenade sign emerging from his head like a giant Vegas headdress, which was almost hysterical enough to buy the photo! But, we didn't, so you'll have to use your imagination!

The ships' photographers were set up almost every night in a couple of places and in several spots on decks 4 and 5 on formal nights. They had a lot of vignettes with couches set up for larger families.

The photo shop is on deck 4, and is kiosk based, with plenty of staff to assist. All of your photos are arranged in a file on the kiosk for your family. They have watermarks of them to discourage people from taking photos of the photos (hey, photographers gotta eat too!) You can check them when ever you like, but what is nice is you no longer have to rush down to the photo shop to hide the hideous photos of yourself in the back, before the whole ship sees them, and you don't have to spend a hours searching for yourselves under "formal night, first seating, Boticelli" like a Where's Waldo game! (or maybe that's just us!) Your files show only appear when you swipe your sea pass card and you can purchase with your sea pass card, right on the kiosk. There were several package options, which like movie popcorn, get less expensive as you buy greater quantities of photos. (look, Martha, this barrel of popcorn was only $9.99!) You can buy prints or they will sell you the digital copies on a flash drive. I'm not going to talk prices because like most things Royal, they are very dynamic, and can change based on pre sales online, and on board specials used to goose on board spending.

A Hard Days Night

After our pictures and dinner in the Windjammer, we enjoyed the Headliner entertainment for the evening, a Beatles Tribute Show called "Britain's Finest". We are pretty big Beatles fans and the last time we were on board for a Beatles tribute band show, John got left behind in Miami, which sorely limited the musical options for the other 3, but we did enjoy the deep dive into Harrison's catalog. This group was interesting because it seemed unsure what it wanted to do...we can educate you about the Beatles (these historical musicians) or you can pretend you are transported back to 1969 and YOU ARE AT a Beatles concert. This in and out of character was a little weird, but the show was entertaining over all!

After the show, we hit the Olive and Twist Lounge to dance with the DJ for a couple of hours. The spring breakers arrived en mass (well, actually, girls first followed by the boys!) They kept the dance floor lively, and encouraged the DJ to play the latest hits (I'm soooo tired of the disco, we are NOT fam-I-ly, I do NOT have all my sistahs with me. When do the 80's get to be the "oldies"?!?) We kept up with them until about midnight, and then left the floor for the younger more energetic souls!

Next up...Cozumel

Day 3 Cozumel

We had an early excursion. We ordered room service, which came right on time, except, none of our hot food (the part you pay a service charge for) arrived. Luckily, the waiter came back 5 minutes later with two of everything we ordered! We enjoyed breakfast on our balcony while waiting for the ship to clear customs.

Shore Excursions

We have been to Cozumel many times, and it's a port we always enjoy. Although you will almost always share Cozumel with 4-6 other ships, the island has excellent organization and a wide variety of activities for all interests.

We shared the dock in Cozumel with Brilliance of the Seas!

We had signed up for a ships excursion in Cozumel, because we found one that interested us. In general, over the last 4-5 years, we have found that the ships excursions, especially the active ones (think biking or snorkeling) or special interest ones (think culinary tours) have gotten better. The pricing seems to have held the line and often, we can book a ships excursion for the same price a s a private group excursion. The difference is that the private excursion will often last all day, have fewer participants and include more attraction admissions or meals and beverages than the ships excursion. I wrote a whole blog post about what to do in Cozumel HERE

http://www.goseeittravel.com/travel-blog?category=Mexico

One thing that was not happening in Cozumel on the day we arrived were any shore excursions going on the ferry between Cozumel and the mainland. Just days before our cruise (and this only made my MIL even more miserable than usual about our constant travel) the State Department issued a warning because of a thwarted terrorist attempt on the ferry. Fortunately, the perpetrator was apprehended before boarding, but unfortunately, in an abundance of caution, the home office in Miami decided to cancel all shore excursions which included ferry service to the mainland. We received a nice note in our cabin the day before, and while we did not have a ferry excursion planned, many did and they needed to make some alternate plans. Most people seemed to accept this with grace and an understanding that the cruise line was looking out for their safety. Safety, like manners, is big in Texas!

Up next our excursion Captain Your Speedboat, Snorkel and Beach CZZ6 in Cozumel (because you had me at Captain!)

Day 3 Cozumel

Captain Your Own Speed Boat Snorkel and Beach CZZ6

We were met by our guide at the dock, and he ensures the group of about 16 people are accommodated on taxi mini buses over to the Barracuda Beach Resort (Because of the taxi union, most excursions are accommodated by taxis on Cozumel which I prefer to big buses.) The cost of the taxi is handled by your guide with a voucher he gives the taxi driver. Once you get to the resort, you can leave valuables in the lockers and have a safety briefing, and collect your snorkel gear.

Oh my goodness, this is such a fun tour! This is what I mean about Cozumel, I've been going for decades and there is ALWAYS something new and fun to do! This one is not for the feint of heart...the little boats go fast, and they bounce around a lot! You have to be comfortable getting in and out of them to snorkel with a little portable ladder the guides bring to each boat. But the excursion is extremely well guided, with thorough safety briefings, safety equipment and loads of guides to assist, so you are never handling the engine or have to worry if the motor quits.

Here is a fun video of our excursion:

Day 3 Cozumel

Captain Your Own Speed Boat Snorkel and Beach CZZ6

Once we arrived at the snorkel area, the guides had us connect all our boats together, we put on our snorkel gear and jumped into the deep water. The current was moving fast so the snorkeling did not last long, because it is a drift snorkel, you float with the current and see things are you float over them. There was not a lot of coral here, but plenty of fish looking for a handout, getting very close to the swimmers, so while they weren't fed on our tour, it was clear they knew where to be to get the goodies! They were associating people with food enough to approach people in the water, which is not typical fish behavior.

Our guide pointed out a little yellow stingray.

After being assisted back onto our boats (this is where you can switch drivers if you wish) we sped back to the Barracuda Beach Club, where we could relax for about 45 minutes to an hour. We had home made chips and salsa included in the excursion, but you could also buy a meal or freshly made guac. There were fish spas (where the fish nibble you feet) and massage cabanas, a cash bar, as well as free hammocks and chairs and a sparkling pool. The guides who took photos of the excursion came around to see if you would like to buy video or photos of your excursion, but there wasn't a hard sell. If you decide to spend the rest of the day at the Barracuda Club, you can, but you'd be responsible for your own taxi cost going back.

Or you can just relax in a lounger by the water!

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On our way to the Ice Show, we ran into the art auction being held in On Air. I was stunned at the number of people attending and BUYING art at this thing! Have any of you done this? I would never have thought about this as a way to buy limited edition prints...but it was packed, and they were going like hot cakes. The auctioneer would start high and keep dropping the price till one person bit, then he'd offer a half dozen more people the same LE print (different number obviously) for the same price! I have never seen this before, it was wild, since they can sell more LE prints of the exact same art work on the next cruise and the one after that! I've only thought of auctioning UP prices of original art work! I guess I'm not very creative!

Like these prints? When the price gets low enough, bid and you and any of your friends can own a copy!

I have done the Art Auctions a couple of times. One thing that is fun and interesting is that they will actually give away some art. You have to trust the auctioneer but what I have personally found is that they will not hold you to the bid if you just hate the art. They can be fun be also very expensive.

I have enjoyed your review. My family and I are booked for Aug.

Yay, a FamilyGoBoston review! I hadn't realized it was your review until I clicked on the link out of curiosity -- so, your clever title reeled me in! I've missed reading about your adventures -- you always give great hints and are so nice and funny.

Regarding Captain James, we've sailed with him 4 times across 2 ships and 3 ports of embarkation, and the crew has consistently been great. Maybe we've just been lucky, but I'm thinking it might also have to do with his leadership. Glad to hear the 'luck' has continued with ships under his watch!

Looking forward to continued reading.

PS - Can you believe we may have another noreaster this week?

Yay, a FamilyGoBoston review! I hadn't realized it was your review until I clicked on the link out of curiosity -- so, your clever title reeled me in! I've missed reading about your adventures -- you always give great hints and are so nice and funny.

 

Regarding Captain James, we've sailed with him 4 times across 2 ships and 3 ports of embarkation, and the crew has consistently been great. Maybe we've just been lucky, but I'm thinking it might also have to do with his leadership. Glad to hear the 'luck' has continued with ships under his watch!

 

Looking forward to continued reading.

 

PS - Can you believe we may have another noreaster this week?

Hey! How are you!!? Well, I couldn’t post live, and I’ve often “faked” live reviews before, long before all this fake news business, so I couldn’t resist! :'):halo:

We’ve never had an American Captain! Interestingly, I discovered it doesn’t not make a difference when trying to understand the noon address. so it must be me!

I’ll have to check out your latest review! You seem to do a lot of Anthem class...how did you like it!? It’s now the only class I haven’t tried!

Thanks for the Coke Zero recon efforts in Galveston. I’m 175 days away from Liberty! And for the first time, I’m not taking a group, pack, or horde, just me and the wife!

Then you and I can begin the planning in earnest for the actual horde we are taking on Harmony in 2019. So far 50 peeps have booked a cabin for this epic trip. And the epic CC trip report to follow.

For now though, I’m eagerly awaiting your review of your day in Jamaica!

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Thanks for the Coke Zero recon efforts in Galveston. I’m 175 days away from Liberty! And for the first time, I’m not taking a group, pack, or horde, just me and the wife!

 

Then you and I can begin the planning in earnest for the actual horde we are taking on Harmony in 2019. So far 50 peeps have booked a cabin for this epic trip. And the epic CC trip report to follow.

 

For now though, I’m eagerly awaiting your review of your day in Jamaica!

 

 

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Wait?...what!? I’m supposed to help plan?! :'):')

Randy and I are the kind of friends that message each other about cruise planning while our spouses are binge watching television in the same room, rollling their eyes at us! It’s weird but it works! :')

You are going to love Liberty, Randy! And your DW deserves your full and undivided attention! :hearteyes: I was so glad you suggested Blue Hole. It was a blast! More photos tomorrow!

Following your entertaining review!

A year until we are back on Liberty (next Spring Break!) , but I can imagine it through your words in the meantime. And we have the opposite aft corner balcony. So fun looking at your (our) view.

Thanks for promoting the passengers on the Galveston cruises! I know many people avoid Galveston due to winter fog possibility, or distance from airport, but as you mentioned, we are for the most part friendly and welcoming.

When I read about CC posts talking about ships overrun with groups of bad kids, I just can’t imagine. On our Liberty cruise during the summer, there were over 1400 kids on board. And our experience was the same as yours - friendly families, no issues. Guess we are very lucky indeed.

Can’t wait for your next posts!

I’ll have to check out your latest review! You seem to do a lot of Anthem class...how did you like it!? It’s now the only class I haven’t tried!

Heh, my collection of unfinished reviews. I’ll finish them one day. :)

We love the Anthem! It’s the class that feels most unlike the others. 270 (huge wraparound aft lounge/ performance area) and Music Hall provide new opportunities for entertainment. North Star and iFly are also fun experiences not available elsewhere on the fleet, and we really love that they have a Family Junior Suite (2 bathrooms!)

And not flying to port is awesome.

Now, back to your review!

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