Liberty Western Review - 18 Jun 11

[friedshrimp]

Okay, so I don't know how lengthy this review will get, but I'll do my best to not let it get too long. I'm planning on doing a post a day for each of the days on board.

 

If anyone has any questions, I'll be more than happy to answer them to the best of my ability.........comments, love to read them.........arguing with me over my opinions of my cruise or any of the facts as presented to me by the crew, well that sufficient cause for me to hit the ignore button. Just want to clear the air on this.

 

To start with, this cruise earned a 3.8 out of 5 for me, a very respectable score! I will say that a lot of the hyperbole shouted out here just did not happen on my Carnival cruise, even with 1,000 kids on board! There were some @$$hole kids running down the hallway, some rude drunks, and a few jerks, but 98% of the passengers were just like us, happy to be cruising! As a result, I plan on travelling the same ship on her Eastern leg in May 2013 for my son's high school graduation. I love the itinerary (have never down GT or HMC) and the ship is very good (and gets her update this October). I purchased my FCC on board specifically for this upcoming cruise. I still think that Princess and RCCL do many things better than Carnival and plan on sailing them as the chance arises, but when paying for family members other than myself and my DW, Carnival comes in way cheaper when planning ahead, hands down. So, on to the review.

 

Sat - 18 Jun 11

 

I am using my Funtimes (Carnival Capers) to jog memories and I have the Shopping guisde if anyone needs them.

 

We get up at 0500 (I use military time, it's just easier.....for those who don't know military time, any time after 12:00pm, just subtract 12 hours form the time and you'll have the time you're used to) to get ready (very little sleep before a cruise). We head out at 0630 for our 4 hour drive to Miami and there was very little traffic until we got to Ft Lauderdale. Even on a Saturady the traffic in Miami on I-95 is heavy. We take the I-395 East exit, go down to Hwy 1 and then turn on 5th Ave to take us to the port. We park inside and get a ticket (you pay at the end of the cruise, not the beginning......it's $140 for a 7 night cruise and you can pay cash or with CC). Grab all of our things and head off to the ship. Cross the street and drop off our bags with the porters (a dollar a bag tip is good) and then we go inside the building. Make sure you have your tickets (email) and ID (passport of whatever you are using) or you can't even enter the building. The line was short at 1030, we have our documents checked, go through x-ray, and then a person hands us a zone ticket (zone 10). Then another employee tells us to go through the automatic line (they have about 8 kiosks where you do everything yourself on a computer screen) and then you would have someone give you your Sign & Sail card (yes, I know it's really the other way around but that doesn't flow well so I say it like I say it). We had a few weird things (my wife has a green card and I wanted to put money on my kids SS cards so they could buy a few things). It took an extra 25 minutes and then we found out that the system was down and we would have to wait until we boarded to add the money. Also I was unable to verify that the OBC from my TA had been added to my account (I should have checked a couple of days before sailing but had not had the chance with company here). By the time we got though with that, they were calling Zone 13 so we went ahead and boarded.

 

One thing I like better elsewhere is that Carnival does not take the SS card picture until you are already on board, on the Main deck. I'm used to having the pic taken before you go onboard and then you are free once you board the ship. So another 15 minutes was spent getting the SS card pic and then we were free! As planned, we headed straight for the Emile's on the Lido deck and grabbed a seat until out cabins were ready. unless you like waiting in line, TRY THE MONGOLIAN BBQ THE FIRST DAY! I got the Mongolian BBQ and waited about 3 minutes......the last Friday I waited 28 minutes before being able to give my order! It is worth it but many people don't want to wait that long, so try it early....the lines are longer each day. Luckily, this was the only station that ever had really long lines (except the chocolate buffet, but that's another day). Never saw a line at the Fish & Chips (a little greasy but oh so good) and only short lines at the Burrito and Deli locations. grills and Pizzeria never had long lines either.

 

After 1330, the cabins were announced as ready we when we entered ours (6416), ah, sheer joy. Great views from the balcony (Deck 6), comfortable beds, enough room for 2 or 3 (4 would be a tight squeeze). I always try to get a cabin near the elevator so i don't spend a lot of time traversing the hallway and it worked out great. We had some music most nights from The Stage bar located below us, but it lulled me to sleep more than bothering me. I loved out location because I could walk 1 floor down and be on the Promenade deck (shopping and entertainment) or take the elevator up 3 to the Lido deck (food and pools).

 

Here are some of our walk around pictures..........

BIL, DW, BIL DW, and the reason for the cruise....Charlotte, HS grad going on 35! ;)

 

 

 

The Lido deck area

 

 

 

The light changing chandelier in the atrium

 

 

 

The Piano Bar

 

 

 

During sailaway we passed the Destiny, also on it's way out

 

 

 

At 1800 we went downstairs for our first meal in the Silver Olympian Dining Room (upstairs and downstairs in the Silver and upstairs in the Golden are for Early and Late dining, downstairs in the Golden is for Anytime dining......Silver is aft and Golden is middle). we were the first big 13 top behind the Matre'd and had a good view of everyone coming in. I will say, I did not see a wife beater shirt any night in my area of the dining room and only saw 1 person in shorts on Formal (yes, the website says Elegant night as does the Carnival Capers, but our Matre'd called it Formal night every time he spoke about it) night (first formal night, maybe he was told not to come back again like that, I don't know), so no beach flip flops, short shorts, or other crappy dress habits were seen. Everyone I saw took a least some care in trying to dress the part. Our waiter was Istvan from Romania and I will say, to the best of my knowledge, he was the best waiter I have ever had (enough to earn a nice extra tip). He did magic tricks, learned all our names by the end of the first night, learned what my son wanted so well that my son only had to sit down at the table to be fed! He was great!! The food was very good although the only desert I liked was the Creme Brule the first night and the lime sherbet the other nights. I tried other deserts though out the cruise and while all of them looked very pretty, they didn't have much flavor in my opinion (DW as well). I'm not much of a dessert eater though so it mattered not. Shrimp did matter and I was able to get them one way or another on each and every night!!!!! The food was definitely good enough for me everywhere on the ship as proven by my scales jumping 8 pounds!

 

At 2045 we went to the first show which was okay, walked around a bit and then sang some tunes with Brad (not a great singer in my opinion but a very good piano player) until about 2300 when we hit the sack. More info tomorrow.