Review of our Spring Break '12 Cruise on Carnival Liberty

[jimbo5544]

Jim,

 

Thank you.

 

I see that you're doing Breeze next year in April. We're sailing her in March / early April and I might do the bloggers cruise solo if Mach ever emails me back details.

 

I'd have to say Liberty's 2.0 improvements were an improvement on an already fine ship and she also seemed to run a lot smoother even though I wouldn't have called our previous sailings rough. It seemed like there was zero vibration where there used to be a little at times.

The bloggers were on right after us (two weeks) on the Magic this past February. I wish I could make the dates they pick work, I would enjoy that as well. We were on the Pride this April and Half Moon Cay was great, but the water seamed a bit cooler than last year. Give me a heads up on the Breeze when you get off. We are getting on 4/13. Strongly thinking of doing the Sunshine on a 6 day on her maiden (US side) voyage.

 

You have a wonderful knack for reviews. I am sure the hit count will reflect it;) Again, nice work!

[Cruzin 1025]

I see that you're doing Breeze next year in April. We're sailing her in March / early April and I might do the bloggers cruise solo if Mach ever emails me back details.

 

Mach is no longer a host on CC. You might want to just contact Cruise Critic's travel agent directly (I can't post their info here) or the Community Manager.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/interests/groupcruise.cfm

[PaulMedik]

Mach is no longer a host on CC. You might want to just contact Cruise Critic's travel agent directly (I can't post their info here) or the Community Manager.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/interests/groupcruise.cfm

 

 

Cruzin 1025,

 

Thanks for the info; I sure wasn't aware of that. Mach's a great host and did a great job in that role.

[familyfuncruise]

Wow! I loved the pictures! I can't wait to leave January 19, 2013. I am looking forward to the upgrades. Thank you -;)

[MIZZ_K]

Cant wait to read more!

[pbmsmile]

Did you get any pictures of the (not so) secret deck on 7? I am hoping to see some! :)

[funfamilyof6]

Love your style of writing and your family is adorable! Glad you were able to save your SD card! We weren't so lucky with our camcorder on our last cruise, but we needed a new one anyway. :)

[rtw68]

Great review and can't wait for more! Just booked our Liberty cruise for 2013. :D

 

I've taken many a laptop apart but can't imagine doing that on a cruise (without my tools). :eek:

[Poorplaya]

Paul I've never had the pleasure of reading one of your reviews before but I am really enjoying this one so far.

[Aelsantokie]

I subscribed! I enjoyed your last two reviews and I am definitely looking forward to this one!! I especially love reading reviews when the reviewer has kids (although your boys are a little bit older than mine)!

[PaulMedik]

Did you get any pictures of the (not so) secret deck on 7? I am hoping to see some!

 

 

 

pbmsmile,

 

Sure did.

 

Here's the doorway on the port side (Sorry for the dark pic, I'll lighten it up this evening via LR4 and upload a better version);

 

 

 

 

Here's the forward hallway outside of the obstructed ocean view cabins;

 

 

 

 

Karen coming out the 'secret door' on portside deck 7;

 

 

 

 

 

Forward port side beneith the bridge looking back toward the secret door. The door is located just past the throw ring in the right near the top of the steps from deck six;

 

 

 

 

Looking from rail straight toward your room and the bridge;

 

 

 

 

Looking toward the starboard side forward. Notice the 'Captain's Suite' over the starboard wing;

 

[PaulMedik]

More deck 7 forward via the 'secret door' pics;

 

View from the area where your window will be; the sky didn't really look that ominous, but to show the deck I had to tweak the light quite a bit;

 

 

Looking forward (Pics were taken while anchored off of Belize). I love how you can see areas where it's storming and areas that are sunny and beautiful all in one image;

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from port side corner of deck 7 Forward (and storm in the distance);

 

 

 

Looking down with the fisheye at the port side corner really distorts the horizon. I should have got this pic from the other side of the ship where it was sunny;

 

 

 

 

For perspective, this is a shot of the port side corner of deck 7 forward where the two shots above were taken from;

 

 

 

Looking past Karen at the exterior door you can just make out the interior port hole door aka 'secret door;'

 

 

[PaulMedik]

Stairs to deck 6 forward;

 

 

 

One last pic of deck 7 forward with the fisheye turned vertical to show the forward area of the deck;

 

 

 

The steward was cleaning the forward rooms and I asked if I could get a quick pic;

 

 

 

 

Here's a random pic of a laundry room I passed on my way back from getting deck 7 forward pics;

 

 

 

 

Yes they do have irons and ironing boards;

 

 

 

The fisheye might have given the impression that the laundry rooms were spacious. There's plenty of space to wash clothes and iron, but not as much as the pics above seem to show;

 

[MIZZ_K]

More,more!:D

[Mizzouaholic]

Great review so far!

[purplemusik]

Waiting on pins and needles for more!!!

[PaulMedik]

Getting back to sailaway.

 

We sailed out of the rain after turning in the basin and heading down the channel. By time time we got back to the area where we had been docked for boarding the rain was all behind us.

 

Miami is my favorite port for sailaway and the skies cooperated by clearing up and enabling me to get out on our deck to get pics. I think I get pics of this house on Star Island on just about every cruise;

 

 

 

 

I heard someone on a balcony near us talking about this ship. He said it is designed as a drive on carrier for container trucks and is quicker to load than traditional crane loading. He also elaborated that it resulted in quicker shipping times due to no wait for loading and the truckers liked it because they could pull right on, unhook then stop on the way out and pick up an outgoing load. I don't know if he was a trucker or what, but he did seem to know a lot about it. He also mentioned the designer came up with the idea and had one built and now is worth mega $$. Who knows. To me it was an interesting looking vessel;

 

\

 

I guess I might have seen this 'light?' or whatever it is before, but I have to wonder if it's art or does it serve a purpose? Or did someone just assemble it poorly?

 

 

 

 

Karen and I ate some delicious rolls at this steakhouse on our 20th anniversary cruise (2009);

 

 

 

 

 

Looking North along South Beach the weather wasn't nearly as pleasant as it was for our day there;

 

 

 

 

Our pre and post cruise hotel, The Savoy; behind the patio terrace and between the two higher buildings;

 

[PaulMedik]

After we cleared the end of Government Cut I zoomed in on a Fast Boat approaching at high speed;

 

 

 

 

The waves were a lot larger outside of the Cut so once it got closer to us, the ride became more rough and mroe amusing to watch;

 

 

 

 

By the time the boat caught up to our ship it was a lot more interesting to watch;

 

 

 

Once the boat got to our waves it made a hard right and headed South;

 

 

 

 

Once we were out to sea you could see the storm track at it spread across Miami;

 

 

 

 

One of the best features of an aft wrap is the ever present sound of our wake as it fades into the distance (in this case into POM);

 

[PaulMedik]

Finally out to sea! Now it's time to go eat and with anytime dining the best thing is not having to rush or skip something because it's dinner time;

 

 

 

The downside of 'Your Time Dining' is that it is sometimes VERY slow and courses are a half hour apart or longer. Our dinner lasted for two and a half hours after being seated immediately. Suffices to say that by the time a course would arrive I was too hungry to think of getting pics so I didn't get any. The food was hot and delicious and the staff very cordial, but way too slow. We did go thru four of five baskets of bread while waiting....

 

After dinner we returned to our stateroom and found the first of Ketut's towel creations;

 

 

 

Ketut or someone also delivered a couple of OBC notices for Shareholders and Future Cruise as well as Art Auction invitations (I assume everyone is VIP for art auctions?) ;

 

 

 

Someone also delivered our Roatan Cabana rental ticket. I don't know why it says 'Valid for 2 Persons.' The rental is actually for four and when I asked at the desk about adding two they said not to bother; just let the folks know on the beach that we are a family of six and that we'll only use the two beach chairs and one hammock.

 

 

 

Karen and I enjoyed a nice late evening in the casino playing BlackJack on the new electronic table. We each added $100 to our BlackJack bank account on our cards. At the end of the evening I was up ~$450 and Karen was up ~$150. I started out @ $10 per hand but found more luck @ $25 per hand.

 

We went to bed around 0100 on our first night on board and slept like logs. Britt was up and out at Came Carnival early the next morning and Karen and I ate a light breakfast then lounged on our balcony for most of the morning. The seas were very calm as we sailed North of Cuba most of the day;

 

 

 

After eating lunch Britt tried his camera out on a few aft shots;

 

[PaulMedik]

It was fun watching Britt go from place to place on the balcony seeking different angles for his shots and then making adjustments to see if he could capture better light;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a ship in the distance that he was trying to get a steady shot of. Without a tri or monopod he finally discovered the ship itself makes a pretty good steadying place;

 

 

 

 

I had a Guy's Cheese Burger on the balcony for lunch. Bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and a cold Diet Coke to wash it down;

 

 

 

Granted they aren't real healthy looking, but my mouth sure is watering just looking at this close up pic;

 

 

 

 

After lunch I went for a stroll to walk the burger off. The 2.0 additions sure changed the appearance of mid ship Lido;

 

[purplemusik]

I wanna see Britts photos too! :p j/k

[PaulMedik]

I wanna see Britts photos too! :p j/k

 

 

 

Purplemusik,

 

You shall; he got some nice ones. :)

[PunkinsDad]

Paul, That ship you were talking about is called a Ro-Ro (Roll On-Roll Off). They are fairly common now, All Automobile carriers are of this type, and the Military Sealift Command (Part of the Navy) maintains several to transport combat vehicles overseas.

 

In fact there is a whole group of them at Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean that is kept, fully loaded with the equipment for a heavy mechanized brigade, ready to sail at 48 hour's notice. If you've sailed out of New Orleans, there are 2 of them just downriver from the cruise terminal.

 

Getting back to sailaway.

 

We sailed out of the rain after turning in the basin and heading down the channel. By time time we got back to the area where we had been docked for boarding the rain was all behind us.

 

Miami is my favorite port for sailaway and the skies cooperated by clearing up and enabling me to get out on our deck to get pics. I think I get pics of this house on Star Island on just about every cruise;

 

 

 

 

I heard someone on a balcony near us talking about this ship. He said it is designed as a drive on carrier for container trucks and is quicker to load than traditional crane loading. He also elaborated that it resulted in quicker shipping times due to no wait for loading and the truckers liked it because they could pull right on, unhook then stop on the way out and pick up an outgoing load. I don't know if he was a trucker or what, but he did seem to know a lot about it. He also mentioned the designer came up with the idea and had one built and now is worth mega $$. Who knows. To me it was an interesting looking vessel;

 

\

 

I guess I might have seen this 'light?' or whatever it is before, but I have to wonder if it's art or does it serve a purpose? Or did someone just assemble it poorly?

 

 

 

 

Karen and I ate some delicious rolls at this steakhouse on our 20th anniversary cruise (2009);

 

 

 

 

 

Looking North along South Beach the weather wasn't nearly as pleasant as it was for our day there;

 

 

 

 

Our pre and post cruise hotel, The Savoy; behind the patio terrace and between the two higher buildings;

 

[Steve8]

Hey Paul! Long time no talk. It's always great to see and read your reviews. We are doing the Liberty in March and are anxious to see the 2.0 changes. Thanks for taking the time to share.

 

Steve

[PaulMedik]

Karen and Spencer spent the afternoon golfing and Britt went along to get pics;

 

 

 

I should have loaned Britt my 15mm lens because he zoomed in a little too much via his 24-105;

 

 

 

It was a beautiful day for golfing with blue skies and no wind to speak of;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure how Karen manages to sink putts with her stance and technique, but I can't argue with her results;

 

 

 

 

After an afternoon of golf of course we had to have a Guy's Burger;