Carnival Liberty Leap Year Review (2/25 - 3/3)

[pbmsmile]

These rooms are called 4J's. They are really nice as they have the window but are classified as inside. There will be a door at either end. Go out these and you will have an area across the front of the ship.

Nice view and yes there are chairs out there...at least there were on the ship we had a 4J on. You must keep your curtains drawn at night...two reasons: 1) The bridge needs complete darkness in the front of the ship. Look up at night and you will see the red lights on in the bridge...pretty cool. PLEASE hold the hand rail until you are in the exact front of the ship, if you go out there at night. There are stairwells leading to other decks and you can easily fall. Your eyes will adjust and you will be able to see. 2) The windows are coated so they are not see through in the daylight but the ARE see through at night!

We enjoy these rooms very much!

Thanks for the info jrmende63! We kind of got talked into this room by our agent and it was making me nervous. I am kind of excited now..kind of our own little hidaway :)

[adriennerm]

We are struggling with finding an excursion on Belize. Bannister Island is on our list...would you recommend it for people who don't snorkel? Do they have a bar and restaurant available.

[ardnassac79]

Wednesday, Feb 29th – Isla Roatan – HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

 

I want to start by saying this day will be VERY picture heavy and long – we had a lot packed into one day! So on with the show.

 

Wednesday has finally arrived meaning it’s that special day my Love has to wait 4 years for each time – a real birthday!! We were awakened by room service right on time – early – because our excursion told us to meet at the end of the pier by 8:30 am.

 

We went out on the balcony to watch the ship pull in and dock – and snapped some early morning shots.

 

 

 

As I’m getting ready, Chris calls into me – um, it’s raining it’s (you know what) off out there!! Seeing as how it was just nice a few minutes ago, I do a double take when I look outside and it’s just coming down in BUCKETS. This pic was taken about 10 minutes after the above one!

 

 

They had already began to let people off the ship, and these poor souls are either solemnly braving the rain or scurrying for cover. So I try my best to make sure my backpack is zipped up tight and we have to take our chances with the towels getting wet since we don't have a larger bag to hold everything (new beach bag is on the list for our next cruise!). Since we still had about 30 minutes till we needed to meet our group, we waited in the room to see if the rain would let up – and it did seem to get lighter after a few minutes, so we made our way down to the gangway.

 

Seemed like everyone decided to do the same thing, and there were all kinds of people just standing around not wanting to get off the ship – but as we got in line, some rays of sunshine started to peek through the open door, so that was a good sign. As we got our S&S cards dinged through, the rain became all but a light mist. As always, when sunshine and rain mix, I hope for one of these lovelies… we weren’t disappointed J

 

 

We snapped a few more photos on our way up the path:

 

My birthday baby!

 

Not sure if this is an actual sunken ship, or just for show, but it's in the water close to where the Liberty docked:

[ardnassac79]

We are struggling with finding an excursion on Belize. Bannister Island is on our list...would you recommend it for people who don't snorkel? Do they have a bar and restaurant available.

 

Bannister Island is nice, but the sand at the water's edge is VERY rocky - not the sort to build sand castles. But there's plenty of beach chairs, and they do have a restaurant and bar. We didn't try either, so I can't comment on the quality, however.

[Out to sea!]

Wednesday, Feb 29th – Isla Roatan – HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

 

Not sure if this is an actual sunken ship, or just for show, but it's in the water close to where the Liberty docked:

 

So that's what happened to the Jubilee!! :D

[marshalltp]

Not sure if this is an actual sunken ship, or just for show, but it's in the water close to where the Liberty docked:

 

Unfortunately no story of a Pirate battle or a ship tossed on the rocks by an angry sea; really sort of a sad statement only. Damaged and/or old frigates and cargo ships were hauled into the Coxen Hole area to be picked over and stripped for salvage. After they were complete, instead of hauling them back out to the sea to sink them, it was more cost effective to just let them rot right where they were.

 

I took all sorts of pictures and told my son all sorts of lies about the treasure that these wrecks were after before being skuttled by well aimed cannons.

[ardnassac79]

We made our way up to the main port area and found the proper person with our excursion listed. As we waited, we took some pictures of the area:

 

 

 

 

We were highly excited for this excursion. We booked the “Maya Key Private Island Retreat with Lunch” trip through Carnival. Chris had scoped this out very soon after initially booking the cruise, and we were really excited. Maya Key has its own website and FB page that we had been following for months, and now we were finally getting to go! Just a little background: Maya Key was started by a couple who moved from the States, and they set up an animal sanctuary there to care for rescued, abandoned, or donated animals. All of the animals they currently care for were “saved” in one way or another, so their work is great – it’s not a “zoo” or training facility (although they do have some animals they work with training on – more of that to come). Aside from the animals, they also have a beautiful beach area, as well as pretty decent snorkeling area. So for us, this was like a perfectly planned day.

 

When the group was finally ready to go, they led us all down a path toward a small docking area to catch the boat we needed to take to get to the Private Island.

 

 

Through the trees on the way to the dock:

 

I think I see our balcony!

 

Aside from the rain, this was the one bad note for the day. Not sure what the problem was, but we had to wait close to another 30 minutes for the boat to come pick us up. Normally we wouldn’t be too terribly concerned, but our time in this port was extremely limited. We had already been told that we were going to brought back to the Liberty at 1:30 that afternoon, so having to wait around for an extra 30 minutes right at the start was a tad annoying.

 

Whatever the reason, the boat finally came we they loaded us up. It had started to drizzle again while we were waiting, and the sky looked fit to burst again, so Chris and I took the safe route and took a seat in the inside of the boat. The trip to Maya Key took us around Isla Roatan, and took about 15 minutes total to get there.

[cruisin' 4 fun]

We had a 4J room on the Triumph last year and it was just ok. My wife and I both agreed there was a noticeable difference in the movement you feel, and we hardly ever have a problem with this. Several times it was to the point one or both of us felt a little " quesey ". The other big negative is the if you are outside you cannot enjoy it unless your in port because the wind is horrible. Even when we were going down the Mississippi River at a lower speed , the wind was bad. On the open water it was almost unbearable. We would not book one again.

 

Thanks, I think we'll stick with an inside down on deck 1. We'll save the money for a couple DOD's.

[crewsweeper]

[quote name=cclimoman;32806815

 

Unfortunately no story of a Pirate battle or a ship tossed on the rocks by an angry sea; really sort of a sad statement only. Damaged and/or old frigates and cargo ships were hauled into the Coxen Hole area to be picked over and stripped for salvage. After they were complete' date=' instead of hauling them back out to the sea to sink them, it was more cost effective to just let them rot right where they were. [/quote]

 

Always wondered about how that got there. Interesting. Also explains some of the wrecks around the island that divers go to. They must have either moved this on into Dixon's Cove(old name for what's now Mahogany Bay) to begin with or towed it there after scuttling in Coxen Hole. Cove is too shallow to for the thing to sink.

[crewsweeper]

Aside from the rain, this was the one bad note for the day. Not sure what the problem was, but we had to wait close to another 30 minutes for the boat to come pick us up. Normally we wouldn’t be too terribly concerned, but our time in this port was extremely limited. We had already been told that we were going to brought back to the Liberty at 1:30 that afternoon, so having to wait around for an extra 30 minutes right at the start was a tad annoying.

 

Whatever the reason, the boat finally came we they loaded us up. It had started to drizzle again while we were waiting, and the sky looked fit to burst again, so Chris and I took the safe route and took a seat in the inside of the boat. The trip to Maya Key took us around Isla Roatan, and took about 15 minutes total to get there.

 

Cass and Chris, Looking forward to seeing your pictures of Maya Key. It used to be the old Fin and Flippers and when in Coxen Hole you could take a 5 minute ferry there. I've heard that since the Anthony's Key folks bought it they've done some nice upgrades/renovations. Alas the only way there these days is via a cruise ship excursion.

 

But we're really waitiing on the Mexican Fiesta and the "fun" Birthday stuff :)

Edited March 9, 2012 by crewsweeper

[ardnassac79]

After docking at Maya Key, a staff member came on board to welcome us and give us some general information about where things were on the island, including the beach, food, shop, and Mayan ruin replicas. She also advised they were giving a guided tour of the animals around 11am, and if we were interested, to be up by the bar at that time. Finally, she said they had some sea lions that, for an extra fee, at their next feeding time, we could have a “close encounter” with them which was always a fun experience and a good photo op. Being that it was someone’s birthday, I couldn’t pass it up. We inquired about it, and luckily it was almost feeding time. We signed up and followed the trainer.

 

 

After some brief instructions on where to stand, how to not encourage “bad” behavior, like the animal doing something before it’s asked, and how best to touch the animal (like not “hug” too tightly!), we went in one at a time and worked with Willie and Ting (I forget who had who). Oh my gosh are these creatures so sweet! To see something that massive (males get upwards of 700 lbs!) walk on dry land and get up on stools using their flippers is quite a sight. We got to do three different interactions with them – on both the right and left sides – a “pose”, a “kiss” and holding a flipper.

 

 

 

They were incredibly gentle, but their “kisses” were definitely a new experience – they would snorf out huge gusts of air directly into your ear – super ticklish! Chris was even lucky enough to get some leftover fish on his face. Being the huge seafood lover that he is, this made his day. (OK that’s complete sarcasm, he refuses to eat anything that once lived in the ocean).

 

 

A little tongue action for the birthday boy

 

 

Needless to say, these chompers could stand for a good cleaning, lol

 

This was a really cool experience, and I felt well worth the extra $$. I also didn’t mind giving back to this sanctuary, because appreciate the work they are doing there.

[ardnassac79]

Cass and Chris, Looking forward to seeing your pictures of Maya Key. It used to be the old Fin and Flippers and when in Coxen Hole you could take a 5 minute ferry there. I've heard that since the Anthony's Key folks bought it they've done some nice upgrades/renovations. Alas the only way there these days is via a cruise ship excursion.

 

But we're really waitiing on the Mexican Fiesta and the "fun" Birthday stuff :)

 

Yeah yeah yeah :p hehehe! don't worry, it'll all be up today, I promise ;)

[ardnassac79]

Right after we were done with the sea lions, it started to rain again. Nothing too heavy yet, but it was enough to not want to find a beach chair for our things (which is what we were planning to do). So we walked around a bit and took more pictures of the animals, and checked out the ruin replicas.

 

 

 

They have a cool indoor location that has some interesting pieces for those into museum-type displays:

 

 

These were howler monkeys trying to hunker down and wait out the rain. I tried to get some video of them, but it didn't come out too good.

 

 

This little (ok he was kinda big - like the size of a medium-sized dog) guy, who we later learned was named Ozzie (the Ocelot) was ADORABLE. I was wishing he could come home with me.

 

[ardnassac79]

At this point the rain started to come down pretty hard and heavy. A lot of people were hanging out up closer to the covered areas around the shops, and others found some covered areas by the beach, but we got caught in the downpour by Ozzie’s habitat. Luckily there was a bit of an overhang, so we waited about 15 minutes before deciding to make a mad dash to the main offices/gift shop area as well.

 

From where we were sitting, we could see the other ship at Isla Roatan that day – a Royal Caribbean ship – docked close by. They must have been using the “other” port instead of Mahogany Bay.

 

 

 

It was around 11 when a staff member came out and told the group that they were going to have a boat ride back to the Liberty for anyone that was interested. A huge hurrah came from a lot of people as the rain was still coming down pretty hard. Chris and I wanted no part of going back yet – not letting a little rain get in the way of our fun! So after the first group left, some chairs opened up and we got some lunch. The excursion comes with lunch included, and it was REALLY good. Homemade jerk chicken with coconut rice, lightly battered and fried sea bass that melted in your mouth, and yummy plantain chips. They also offered water and iced tea, and of course “daddy sodas” available for purchase :p.

 

I forgot to get a picture of the food, but it was still raining at this point, so food porn was the last thing on our mind! Slowly, the rain started to subside, and about 10 minutes after the boat took away about 2/3 of the people, the sun finally came out. And it was GORGEOUS after that. HAHA to all those that left. It wasn’t crowded at all, and we had a great rest of the day.

 

We snapped a few shots of the area where the food is served and the pool is, and then decided to see if the animal tour group had started yet, and we were able to catch up with it half way through.

 

 

 

The sun is trying to peek out!

 

[ardnassac79]

Here are some shots of just a few of the other animals we saw on the tour (which is completely included in the excursion cost).

 

This Jaguar was pacing pacing pacing. I think it was almost lunchtime.

 

 

Cool looking toucan

 

I thought this tree was so cool-looking - woodpeckered all over!

 

Some adorable capuchin monkeys:

 

And this little girl - even the trainers weren't 100% sure what it was. They rescued it from some house where it wasn't being looked after and was NOT in a good place. They said she loved to be petted, but sometimes would "mark" her territory... urg

 

 

After the tour was over, they offered anyone that was interested to come and do an "animal encounter". The encounter itself was free, but they did have a staff photograher there to take pictures as well.....

[Anung Un Rama]

OK, I need to chime in for this next little segment. After the guide finished up the tour he led us up the stairs to where we could hold a couple of their rescued animals. Cass had been looking forward to holding the monkey since we first booked this excursion. So after the trainer gave us the heart wrenching story of 'Little Man' (how he was fed soda and candy and was completely malnourished) he started letting us hold him for some photo ops. I knew Cass was really anxious but she insisted that since it was my birthday, I should go first. Isn't she sweet.

 

So here's me and Little Man

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I had to admit, this guy was pretty cute. That is until I started feeling a warm trickle down my back. Yeah, he started peeing on me. Apparently Little Man is a Yankee fan. As the trainer grabbed him he was still going and everyone had to jump back a few feet to avoid the spray. The trainers (while trying to stop laughing) were telling me it was good luck :rolleyes: It didn't translate to the Liberty casino is all I know.

 

I'll let Cass take over for the rest of the day, just thought I should post about my experience with Little Man.

[jmwg49]

OK, I need to chime in for this next little segment. After the guide finished up the tour he led us up the stairs to where we could hold a couple of their rescued animals. Cass had been looking forward to holding the monkey since we first booked this excursion. So after the trainer gave us the heart wrenching story of 'Little Man' (how he was fed soda and candy and was completely malnourished) he started letting us hold him for some photo ops. I knew Cass was really anxious but she insisted that since it was my birthday, I should go first. Isn't she sweet.

 

So here's me and Little Man

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I had to admit, this guy was pretty cute. That is until I started feeling a warm trickle down my back. Yeah, he started peeing on me. Apparently Little Man is a Yankee fan. As the trainer grabbed him he was still going and everyone had to jump back a few feet to avoid the spray. The trainers (while trying to stop laughing) were telling me it was good luck :rolleyes: It didn't translate to the Liberty casino is all I know.

 

I'll let Cass take over for the rest of the day, just thought I should post about my experience with Little Man.[/QUOT

 

THAT IS ADORABLE! and funny too (sorry!!!:D) I had my first experience holding a monkey in St. Kitts, and I know the feeling Cass, it is so special! They are so sweet! We held little African Green monkeys and the little guy kept on touching my lips as I was smiling at him! Memories!!!

[SMSACE6]

I was just reading your latest posts to your review, and when I saw the monkey I thought "oh oh". I remembered what happened to a lady in our tour in Costa Rica. She begged the guide to hold the monkey, and the guide finally gave in. Well no sooner was that little monkey in her arms, when it let go!!! I couldnt believe how much pee was in that little animal! And all the while, it had quite the frown on it's little face.

 

I guess I wont be holding any monkeys on my upcoming tours:D

 

Sure are cute though.:)

Edited March 9, 2012 by sparky8

[ardnassac79]

I was just reading your latest posts to your review, and when I saw the monkey I thought "oh oh". I remembered what happened to a lady in our tour in Costa Rica. She begged the guide to hold the monkey, and the guide finally gave in. Well no sooner was that little monkey in her arms, when it let go!!! I couldnt believe how much pee was in that little animal! And all the while, it had quite the frown on it's little face.

 

I guess I wont be holding any monkeys on my upcoming tours:D

 

Sure are cute though.:)

 

The trick is to let someone else go first :p

[WestCoastCruiser123]

I'm really enjoying reading about your latest cruise. Happy 8th Bday!

 

I'm not sure about that birthday outfit though :eek: (Big Yankees fan here).

[SMSACE6]

The trick is to let someone else go first :p

 

LOL...Yep...sounds like a plan!:D

[ardnassac79]

After the hilarity of the situation, and I knew Little Man was all done I stepped up next for my turn. Such a sweet fuzzy little guy! I can still feel his little tail curled up on my neck. However, he was in the mood to walk around all that excitement, so he didn’t feel like sitting and posing too nicely.

 

 

I had to convince Chris that although he may have still smelled pee, he didn’t smell like it to the rest of us.

 

After the monkey, they brought out this guy – Chris said no way, he valued his fingers too much, but I stepped up to the plate.

 

 

When the encounters were over, the sun was shining bright and hot by this point, so we headed down to the beach to try to soak up a few rays before it was time to head back to the ship. I slathered on the SPF and bug spray (there were fire ants here – take note!) but the chairs we found were directly under an ant hill. Yeah no thanks. I think I laid there for about 5 minutes before I was done. I walked around and got some more shots while Chris lounged for a little longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OldschoolHipHopGuy]

I haven't gotten a bit of work done in the past hour and a half, while playing catch up on your review, since page 4! This is a GREAT review! I'm so psyched, waiting for July 28th to get here, when my wife and I sail!

[ardnassac79]

It was now around 1pm, and our time time on Maya Key was coming to an end. We went into the main office area to take a look at the professional photos they took, and found some we liked, but were on the fence. The photo guy, Abner Antonio Aguilar told us pictures were $10 each… or he could burn ALL our pictures to a DVD (close to 200 shots!), plus include an extra file that had some stock photos of the island for a grand total of…… $40! I immediately said SOLD.

 

Like I said before, I didn’t mind giving these people some extra money, and I had a great time, so it was worth it to be able to keep all those memories. He said I could do whatever I wanted with the photos, post them online, print them, etc. So we waited about 5 mins for the DVD to burn, the waited for our boat to take us back to the Liberty.

 

Before we boarded, we luckily walked to the end of the pier where the boats do their pick ups/drop offs - and saw this guy!

 

 

Here’s some of the excellent stock photos we got that really shows how gorgeous of a location this place is:

 

 

 

This is the shop area:

 

 

And leaving Maya Key wouldn't be complete without one last goodbye to Chris's special friend, Little Man:

[vivavegas]

Chris and Cass! Loving your review. Looks like you had a really fun time...