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Just off Liberty

wdwcoltsfan

By wdwcoltsfan,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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wdwcoltsfan

wdwcoltsfan

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We just finished the Eastern itinerary for the Liberty. I'm not writing a full review per se, but I've added some thoughts and comments on our trip. Please note, this is written with an upbeat spirit and tongue in cheek.:)

 

Ship: We have cruised this ship before and our whole family likes it. I know some people don't like the décor, but I do. The color changing lights make me smile. I like the atrium/lobby area. Overall, the ship was is great shape. I can't say I noticed any areas that were lacking or needed attention.

 

Embarkation: We arrived at 11:11 and were on the ship within half an hour. It was easy peasy! Oh, we didn't have FTTF. We are just your regular Joe Schmo who had to take a zone number--and still, no wait!

 

We got into our room in record time. I'm assuming this is because they now leave the doors open so FTTF people can access their rooms. We were in our room before 12:30. We were in swim suits and on the Lido deck before 1:00. This was perfect, we ate lunch, changed clothes and then headed to the party.

 

Dining: I can say we were all impressed with the 2.0 changes. I loved the Blue Iguana Cantina! I had the burritos and tacos and they were both good. It was my go-to spot for breakfast. The breakfast burritos were wonderful and it was FAST. Doesn't anyone else know it's there? Oh well, we'll just keep it between us. I also liked the décor of the cantina area. A very nice place to hang out.

 

Guys was really good. I only had it once because I read a post on here with the calorie content of a burger. It stayed with me and I couldn't forget it. Thanks, whoever you were.;) The rest of my family kept them in business throughout the week.

 

Fish N Chips were still as good as I remembered. I really like their fries. Thank goodness nobody has posted the calorie content on those!

 

With all of the "extra" Lido options, the only time I went to the buffet was to get fruit. The cantaloupe was really good during our cruise. Everyone knows eating a bowl of fruit negates the dessert I will be having at dinner.

 

Dh and I both commented that the food on the Lido deck far surpassed our dinners in the MDR. Sad, but true. This leads me into ....,

 

MDR: We had anytime dining and it worked well for us. We only had to wait once and it was the first formal night--no surprise. It was a short wait and no big deal. The food was really hit or miss and underwhelming for the most part. However, the desserts were really good. I will say the Prime rib turned out well as did the jerked pork loin. I was surprised to be honest. My chicken-any chicken dish-was too dry. A big thank you to the person who suggested 2 scoops of ice cream with the WCMC! My dh and dd thank you!

 

Bar service and coffee service after dinner was the best we have ever had. Many times we wouldn't get our coffee until we were half finished with dessert. It's a little thing, but we appreciated it. The bar service was always very quick. We have had times when we couldn't get a server, let alone a refill.

 

I was SHOCKED at the number of men wearing suits on the first formal night. Many, many men were in suits and those who weren't were wearing a shirt and tie. I saw maybe a handful of polos and pants in the MDR on the first formal night. The ladies all looked lovely as well. From reading before I left, I began to think we were the only ones who would dress up.

 

Now, casual nights were a freakin free-for-all. Some people dressed up for dinner(casually speaking) and some people came straight from the gym. One girl had, I kid you not, gym clothes on. Capri length spandex with not one, but two spandex tank tops. It wasn't even a good look for the gym. I'm also not a fan of short shorts. I have a teen dd, so I understand the plight of todays mother trying to find dress clothes that don't look like club wear, but I still don't like the booty shorts in the MDR.

 

Earlier I said that everyone was pretty formal on the first elegant night, but not as much on the second one. I totally get this because we had been in Grand Turk all day. Honestly, I'm surprised that many people were able to find the MDR after their day in Grand Turk.;) Of course, there was the one girl, who apparently was going to a 70's disco party that nobody else knew about. It was a well thought out outfit of cut off short shorts, fringe tank top, 5 in. wedge heels AND the matching fringe headband. I swear all she needed was the disco ball cup from Hot N Cool and she would have completed the outfit. So, this kind of leads to......

 

Entertainment: We didn't go to any of the shows besides the comedians so I can't comment on those. The comedians were really good. Happy Cole had a show based on cruise ship experience and it was hysterical. We also saw Cowboy Bill the same night and he was funny, too. The other two were Lewis Nixon(?) I'm not sure on the last name and I thought he was funny. His cruise ship stories were also hysterical. I know it's probably cliché, but the crowd really responds to the cruise jokes. It's something they can all relate to. Allyn(I'm pretty sure that's how it's spelled)Ball was the final comedian and my least favorite. He was a little more edgy and that's not my style of humor, but I'm sure others loved him. Word to the wise, get there EARLY if you want a seat. It fill up quickly.

 

Music: There was live music and a DJ. I will say, if there was live music, there were people around. So, cruisers do like the live music. Now, sometimes the live music isn't what I had pictured before the cruise. For example, when I think of a cruise band, I don't picture an all Asian band singing Sweet Child O' Mine, but that's what was playing outside the casino and they always had a crowd. How do I know, because I always seemed to be there, too. Some musicians lose their accent when they sing, but not this group. It was like I couldn't wait to see what they would try to sing next. They really did a good job. Heck, they had people dancing in the hall when they sang Faithfully by Journey. Rock On!!

 

Then there was the duo in the atrium. I think they are CCL's answer for the Captain and Tennille. Maybe it was the evening we were out there(waiting for our table), but I kept getting the urge to tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree. (Yes, I know C & T don't sing Tie a Yellow Ribbon). However, there were a lot of people out their every evening and everyone was having a great time. Very lively area.

 

I did like the two dudes who sang(individually) by the Cantina and Red Frog Rum Bar. I thought they did a great job and played what they knew they could sing. Dh and I spend quite a bit of time at the rum bar, but I think that's because I like rum based drinks--not tequila. However, the Blue Iguana looked they were doing a hoppin business, too. I can fully recommend the Kiss on the Lips, Miami Vice(duh!) and the Mocha Chocolate Getaway(I don't think this has rum, though).

 

The DJ was fine, but sometimes he played some music that was a head scratcher. It seems like they(CCL) is trying to make the Lido more club like. That's the only reason I can think playing Welcome to the Jungle seemed like an appropriate sail away song when leaving San Juan. I'm also not a country music fan, so hearing a song about some guy's wife who threw his clothes on the front lawn and his dog running away doesn't really seem vacationy to me. Of course, that's a paraphrase. It could have been the wife who ran away. Whenever the DJ would play the typical cruise music, there was a response from the crowd. People would start singing, dancing around(especially by the rum bar) and tapping their feet. So, while people criticize the cruise music, people of all ages do seem to like it. It isn't just for the senior citizens as I've seen pointed out here.

 

Well, my foot is falling asleep, so I'm going to have to continue in another post.

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wdwcoltsfan

wdwcoltsfan

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Okay, so I'm finished walking around. Funny, I still have that gentle swaying of still being on the ship. It kind of taunts me, "Remember how much fun you were having at HMC last Sunday? Well, now you are doing a bazillion loads of laundry."

 

Before I move onto ports, I will give a shout out to the cruise staff! They were all friendly and helpful. The guys at the Cantina are fabulous! I also really liked the Red Frog bartenders.

 

Our room steward was Jerold and he was great. He worked in stealth mode and we didn't really see him. There is one exception to this. You know those door hang tags that say Snoozin and Cruisin? Great idea, right? Well, it is until obnoxious teenagers or drunk adults from Margaritaville decide to change Snoozin t Cruisin and Jerold walks in while I'm getting ready for dinner. GRRRR!(at the dorks, not Jerold).

 

So, onto ports....

 

HMC: Awesome! What a beautiful beach and water. I love the smooth, rock free, seaweed free sand. Love, love, love!! We didn't rent anything. We sat on the lounge chairs and hung out in the water. Lunch was fine. Pretty much what you would expect on a private island. Now, if only there was a way not to tender.

 

St. Thomas: We shopped by the port for a few souvenirs and then headed to Sapphire Beach. We took an open air cab that was $80 roundtrip. The driver was pleasant and pointed out facts about the island on the way to the beach. The beach wasn't crowded, probably due to we were the only ship in port. We rented chairs from the dive shop and set up under a seagrape tree. Beautiful view of the water and St. John. We did rent jet skis from the Sapphire Beach marina. It was $100 for 45 minutes and $10 for an extra rider. They also let my ds and dd drive even though they aren't 18. As long as we were there and signed the paperwork, they didn't care. The kids jet ski worked fine, ours, wellllllll, let's just say it adds to the adventure. When the guy renting them says, "if it starts beeping, hit the green button," we probably should have asked why. Well about 15 minutes into our ride, the jet ski stalls. Okay, we can deal with this. We get it restarted and it will only go 6 mph. Our kids were cruising around us and we couldn't outrun a fish. After multiple beeping sessions, it finally died while dh was trying to turn it. Sadly, it was a wavy day and a largish wave hit us mid turn and flipped us over. Now, all I can think of is the guy saying, "Don't get in the water. You may not be able to get back to your jet ski, so DON'T get IN the water." I'm looking around and I'm IN THE WATER!!! Thankfully, dh was able to turn the jet ski over and climb back on. He was afraid I wouldn't be able to get back on, but for a brief moment I turned into Superman and I heaved myself on in record time! I was NOT going to be in the water!! He asked if I was okay and I think I yelled, "Take me to land!!!" After our brief swim, we had lunch at the Banana Cabana. We all had the mahi mahi sandwiches and they were really good. We grabbed our cab a couple hours later and headed back to the ship. The cab ride is about 20 minutes each way. All in all, a beautiful day on a beautiful beach.

 

San Juan: Not too exciting. We visited Fort El Morro and then walked around Old San Juan. We did some shopping and exploring, but cut it a little short due to rain. This was the only time the rain interfered with anything. It seems like a pretty area and I hope we go back again so I can spend a little more time looking around.

 

Grand Turk: We rented a jeep from Nathan's. We were first from our ship to get there for a jeep, so we had the pick of the group. Sadly, we didn't pick wisely. The guy told dh it takes 3 times or so to start it and don't give it any gas while starting it. Once it starts, then give it a little gas, but not too much. He then gives us a map with their phone number in case they have to come get us and a reminder to stay left. So, off we go! I tried to put my seatbelt on, but it had a good 2 feet of "give" so I'm not sure how much help it would have been. I would have been sprawled on the hood before it reigned me back in. Dh and the kids wouldn't "click" so I told dh to drive slow and stay left. Oh, the door didn't open right, so we kind of did the Dukes of Hazzard entrance. We look at the map and try to find the lighthouse. The map was very specific with which streets to turn on, sadly, Grand Turk didn't have street signs for most of the roads. I don't know how they made the map. Did they just make up the road names? Somehow we found the lighthouse. It seems like we would be able to see it across the island, but not so. This had to be the shortest lighthouse I have seen. Anyway, it's worth the trip because the view of the water is beautiful. We then went to Pillory Beach to look around. I tell you, I have no idea how we found it. We kept ending up at the one roundabout in town and dh would always ask which way to go. I would always say, "Keep left." No wonder we kept going back and forth on the same road. It was during this time that the key fell out of the ignition and the jeep kept going. Do you put the key back in or leave it out? This isn't a question I have to ponder at home. We left it out until it came time to turn it off, which dh put the key in and turned it off. This whole chain of events still makes me giggle. So, now we are hungry and head to Jack's Shack. I had the jerk chicken and it was very good. Dh had fish and chips and Turk's Head beer. He liked both. Be forewarned, there were 2 ships in port and we went to Jacks at 1:00, there was no chicken ready or even started. I swear I saw the chef walk up after we had ordered. Still, it was a great place to hang out and eat. I would go back if we go to Grand Turk again.

 

Well, I have to switch a load of laundry, so I will finish up in the next post.

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wdwcoltsfan

wdwcoltsfan

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3 loads down, 1000 left.:rolleyes: Why, oh why must I always over pack?

Some parting random thoughts...

 

With a ship of 2500+ people, how is that I see the same 20 over and over? I'm talking everyday and in port. And, one of the people I saw everyday was the guy who wouldn't wear a shirt to cover his midsection area. Really? Why couldn't I have seen 6-pack ab guy everyday? Alas, it was not to be.

 

I also smile at the number of people eating ice cream cones. I would hate to think of the revolt if those ever go away. I particularly like seeing the "older" men walking around with their ice cream cones. You know they are saying to themselves, "My wife won't buy ice cream at home so I'm going to walk around double fisted with my chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream cones. Not frozen yogurt--ice cream. So, there!" Something so simple as ice cream cones, but everyone loves them.:)

 

I don't know why, but on our last day, a sea day, I decided to read my Women's Health magazine. Sooo, I decide I will be eating a fruit plate for lunch. Mostly cantaloupe, but some watermelon too. I obviously had not read the FunTimes because when I walked into the buffet it was the chocolate extravaganza. Crap! I couldn't find fruit anywhere, but I did find a lovely chocolate mousse torte. I had the best of intentions, I swear. So, word to future cruisers, if you decide to start your diet on the last day of your cruise, stay out of the buffet at lunch!

 

If you hang by the pool, you will be doing the Wobble. Either because you learn the dance or because you ate one too many of Guy's burgers.;)

 

Speaking of the Lido, it is loud. I often had to shout at the bartenders. They either have amazing hearing capability or they have learned to lip read.

 

We did Bottomless Bubbles and it worked very well for us. Well, dh didn't. He prefers beer.;) I also liked that I could get juice and the kids could get a Shirley Temple. Now, if they would just add coffee and water I would be a happy camper.

 

There are a lot of photo opportunities and we ended up buying a couple of the casual backdrops. They did have some nice beach scenes. However, there were some that, for lack of a better word, were ridiculous. It was comical to walk by the lines because the women looked pleased with their choice, but the men had a look of, "thank God none of my friends are on this cruise. And, By God, she had better not frame this thing." I wish the prices were a little less. $22 for an 8x10 that I don't want because I do want the 5x7s gets a little old.

 

And lastly, debarkation: It went very smoothly. I was pleasantly surprised. There was one or two people in front of us at the customs line and luggage was quick to find. I won't expound any further because truthfully, debarkation sucks!

 

I think that about wraps up our week. If there is something specific you would like to know, just ask. Hopefully I will have an answer.

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Jeafl

Jeafl

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Great review! I think you hit all the highlights, and I agree with you on pretty much everything. We're going back on the Liberty in March, but doing the Western this time. I will definitely miss Half Moon Cay though, I really love that place.

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Sparky2

Sparky2

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I can fully recommend the Kiss on the Lips, Miami Vice(duh!) and the Mocha Chocolate Getaway(I don't think this has rum, though).

 

Mocha Chocolate Getaway is my very favorite drink, and, yes, it does have rum in it. It's made with "A mix of Brogan's Irish Cream, Gosling's Black Seal rum, and rich Ghirardelli chocolate. Seriously, sinfully delicious." This is from a photocopy of the drink menu.

 

We'll be on Liberty for a B2B next January and looking forward to it. We did a B2B on Liberty in 2008 and loved the ship. So looking forward to the 2.0 upgrades.

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