Carnival Liberty Eastern Review 2013

[CruisinTeacher4]

I noticed Dave didn't mention the Past Guest Party on our San Juan Day so let's take a moment to go through that before moving on!

 

This was held in the same room as the Punchliner Comedy Club on Wednesday at 5:30. We brought our invitations (collected) and were given mardi gras beads as we entered.

 

We grabbed a nice booth and waiters were making their way around with one type of drink (the FunShip Special, I think) and one appetizer (bruscetta). Kids got fruit punch.

 

 

I see that this is a good way to get everyone served quickly but I didn't like that they only had one drink. We asked a waiter for Pina Coladas (regular and virgin) and gave him a few bucks for his trouble.

 

A while later, they began serving another type of drink (orange juice based) and another appetizer.

 

Again, we asked a waiter for a couple different things and gave a couple bucks. I also saw a few waiters with a beer or two on their tray.

 

My Appletini (err, Appletiny)

 

The party was nice but the drinks, though full size, tasted like straight-up juice and were so sweet. The appetizers were tasty and plentiful!

 

 

Karl with a K was chatting with folks at the beginning of the party so we snagged a picture with him and then he offered to take one of us!

 

 

 

Dave had too many drinks (i.e. too much sugar, not too much alcohol) so he was really full and went to the cabin to lie down for a bit and let everything digest.

 

We had a great time but I would suggest asking specifically for what you want from the waiters if you don't like what's being served. They did not seem to mind!

[CruisinTeacher4]

Oh my gosh--I just got so sad! As I was looking through to see where we were in the review, I realized we're at the last Sea Day. How can it be over already??

 

I don't have too many pictures of this day so hopefully Dave took some that he can add on tomorrow.

 

We visited the Punchliner Brunch again and had a fabulous breakfast:) I had Chicken Quesidillas with Eggs and the Caramel Cheesecake. The kids had pancakes. Everything was delish!

 

Because we were at brunch, we missed getting a prime spot out on Lido. I was kind of sunned out and wanted to just relax so it was okay with me. Dave and I spent a lot of time out of the balcony and on Deck 3 (outside area). There are full loungers on the decks of Deck 3 for you to enjoy. Great breeze and tons of shade!!! I read my little heart out and tried to enjoy the last day of our vacation.

 

Jack and Megan went to kids club activities and hung with friends most of the day.

 

Later we did go out on Lido and spend a couple hours out there enjoying the live music and a couple beers.

 

We finally mustered the energy to get cleaned up for our last dinner.

 

We sure enjoyed ourselves, but...

 

It's so sad to say good-bye.

 

My foot was really done by this point. I had a good run and I con't complain but tonight was a take it easy night for me. We packed, enjoyed the balcony, and just relaxed.

 

 

 

Goodnight beautiful sea....

[CruiseTeacher7]

Grand Turk Day 6

 

Sorry folks, I have started back at summer school and I haven't made time to continue with the review.

 

Okay I love Grand Turk. Its almost like your own private Island. Here is a little about the location. Their is a cruise pier at one end of the island, several miles away from the main town. The main attraction of the cruise pier is a Margaritaville. The Margaritaville has a giant pool divided into several sections complete with a swim up bar. It is free to go there. You can get lounge chairs by the pool or at the beach. In return you should buy some food or drinks.

There is also a Ron Jon's Surf Shop on the other side of the pier which I think has at least beach access with lounge chairs. The cruise pier area also has your standard tourist type of shops. I would liken this pier to the one that was built specifically for cruise ships in Roatan and Cozumel, although it is not as big as the one in Cozumel. Of course they funnel you through the shops on your way to the attractions!

 

Here are a few pictures from the ship

 

Always nice to see another ship for the first time.

 

 

I just love this blue water. Margaritaville is on the left, Ron Jon's is on the right.

 

 

The beach at Margaritaville.

 

 

More Margaritaville

 

[CruiseTeacher7]

This picture shows where Margaritaville ends and the non-cruise pier beach begins (basically the big tree with blue chairs on the right). There are signs that say you are leaving the cruise pier and such. You can take rides on banana boats and stuff (more on that later).

 

 

We were planning to spend the day at Margaritaville but with two ships in port it was very crowded. We opted to walk down the beach so that the kids could use the giant inflatable icebergs (see second picture down). It was only $10 for the kids to use them all day. The kids had a good time on them. Our son also took some underwater pictures with his iPod and water proof pouch he bought. He saw a video some dudes made on their cruise and he was inspired to do the same. There were a few chairs available, but honestly it was not that crowded. Kelly and I got a bucket of beers from Jack's Shack. It was the local brew and it was very refreshing.

 

I really enjoyed the beach at Grand Turk. The water was blue and amazing. Pretty much just like Half Moon Cay. I did a little bit of snorkeling. There is only a little bit of marine life to see as the coral has been bleached/died this close to shore. But let me tell you this--I have gone on a snorkeling excursion before in Grand Turk and it was awesome. Its just that the coral right by the beach isn't much to write home about. You will see some pockets of living coral and you will see some variety in the sea life there but again its not too much.

 

Overall I would recommend going down the beach to escape the crowds at Margaritaville. Its worth it.

 

 

 

After a few hours we went to Margaritaville. Our son signed up to do the flow rider surf experience. It was his second time doing it and he was pretty good at it. We got a few lounge chairs and went in the pool for a little bit. We also ordered a $25 plate (actually styrofoam container) of nachos. The service was slow to say the least. By this time the Splendor was leaving so the crowds thinned out.

 

My daughter didn't do the flow rider but wanted to do the banana boat ride. If you are not familiar with this, a banana boat is a large inflatable thing that is towed behind a boat. It can ride 4-6 people. We went on the one that was black and white with the large tail at the back (see previous picture). It was $20 per person and you just walk right up to the boat crew to get on.

 

Megan and I were the only tourists to go so one of the crew had to sit on the back to balance it out. Our ride was going fine and they took it a little slow for Megan since this was her first time on one. We hit some choppy water and I could see my daughter was about to lose her balance. On the next wave she went in and I quickly followed. What happened next was the scariest few minutes I've ever had on the cruise.

 

When I hit the water the guy behind me came crashing down on my left arm with his full weight. When I surfaced I couldn't move my left arm at all and I kinda was in a state of shock. My arm felt very strange and I couldn't lift it at all. I honestly thought it was broken, as in crazy broken. In the mean time my daughter was a little panicked for being in the water. I told the guy my arm was probably broken. After about 15 seconds I started getting feeling back to it and I was able to regain control over it. Basically the guy must have hit a nerve and my arm was stunned. However it still hurt like a b%@ch! We were able to get back on the banana boat and the rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. However the constant up and down motion did not help my old man's back and my back was pretty sore.

 

Let me take a moment to give my opinion on things and to reflect on a lesson learned. These tour operators probably don't have much in the way of oversight--they are some guys with a boat. Do they have any training, first aid training, safety protocols, etc? I kinda doubt it (probably on the dive boats they do). So be cautious of going out on these kinds of banana boat, parasail activities. You probably don't want to get hurt in a place like this because quality emergency care is very far away. I was lucky but if my arm was broken would I have gotten adequate treatment on this island? My arm hurt for the rest of the cruise and on the last night I was up for awhile not able to sleep because it hurt so much. I had to go on the balcony to stretch and move it to get some relief. I had numbness and tingling in my arm for the next week and even today I am having some minor issues.

 

When we got back to the beach we made our way back to Margaritaville, or let me say I hobbled back. There were about 3 people ahead of us in the line to rinse our feet off and I tell you it was not fun waiting for them because I was in so much pain. My daughter and I stayed there for about 15 minutes and then went back to the ship for some rest, a shower, and some Advil.

 

I spent a little time on the balcony watching the crowds make their way back on to the ship. There were a few drunks and they were very fun to watch. One was an older heavy set grandma looking lady who by the way she was acting looked like she had the time of her life today. Grand Turk doesn't seem like the lets get wasted place like Cozumel, but they must have been slinging the drinks fast and furious at Margaritaville.

 

We had new comedians tonight and we took in the family friendly comedy show. One of the comedians, Allyn Ball, we had seen before on the valor. He is really good--edgy and smart. We also saw his adult's only show later on. We also went to the main show--it was a Rock n Roll themed show and it was good. Normally I am not a fan of the shows because the dancers don't seem to be too sharp. I think this cruise featured some new shows, as I didn't see the typical "Jazz Hot" show and the other reruns. I used to love the shows but I can take it or leave it these days. I did like the Rock n Roll show though. One note though, if you are the headliner singer in a show you probably ought to be in shape. Maybe less buffet time, more gym time. I'm just saying--discipline your image.

 

My wife and I visited the Alchemy Bar tonight. Well worth it. We got the four drink sampler (I'm sure she posted some pictures). They were your fruity martini type of drinks and they were very good. The Alchemy Bar reminds me of one of those high end bars from the 1920's. Well worth it and I would highly recommend it. I'm sorry we didn't go to it sooner.

[CruiseTeacher7]

Here are some pictures from the Alchemy Bar

 

 

The first three were delicious, but the last one was a Manhattan and that was some serious stuff. It was $17 for the four mini drinks. We also had a great server who was very friendly. I wish we could have talked to her some more though.

[caro1998]

Oh these pics are just GORGEOUS! Thanks so much for posting. I cannot wait to go to Grand Turk in less than 2 weeks :)

[CruisinTeacher4]

A couple nights before debarkation, we received a few tags for our luggage with Zone #1 (since we were FTTF). We grabbed a few more from Guest Services for the rest of our luggage.

 

If you are interested in getting off right away, FTTF will get you there (about 7:30 am!!). We didn't have any need to get off that early but we still tagged our luggage so it would be waiting for us whenever we were ready.

 

We ate breakfast in the MDR which is a tradition for us. I would highly recommend this--so leisurely and enjoyable. Lido is chaos the last morning and not the best way to end a cruise.

 

We just leave our carry on luggage in our cabin, enjoy breakfast, and then head back to the cabin afterward.

 

Here's our final breakfast!

 

 

We ended up walking off the ship around 9:30 a.m.--after breakfast we took a last stroll around to enjoy our home away from home.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

 

*We loved the Carnival Liberty--I'd sail it again in a heartbeat. 2.0 upgrades made a big difference to us.

 

*I would have planned our ports better. We winged it in a few places and that didn't give us the best bang. Excursions and a plan are necessary to get the most out of vacation.

 

*Loved FTTF! A must for every cruise:)

 

*Cheers sounded so fun but we would have never gotten our $$ worth. Our final Sign and Sail was less than $500. We did enjoy ordering from Bon Voyage (2 bottles) even though we didn't even finish one of them. Barely touched the wine we brought either.

 

*Get out there early on Sea Days!

 

NEXT SUMMER:

 

We are excited to sail on the Carnival Breeze next June!!!!

[RyanMFitz1]

I haven't cruised in a couple years and have seen this "fttf" on several posts....what does that mean?

[vegadog2]

A couple nights before debarkation, we received a few tags for our luggage with Zone #1 (since we were FTTF). We grabbed a few more from Guest Services for the rest of our luggage.

 

If you are interested in getting off right away, FTTF will get you there (about 7:30 am!!). We didn't have any need to get off that early but we still tagged our luggage so it would be waiting for us whenever we were ready.

 

We ate breakfast in the MDR which is a tradition for us. I would highly recommend this--so leisurely and enjoyable. Lido is chaos the last morning and not the best way to end a cruise.

 

We just leave our carry on luggage in our cabin, enjoy breakfast, and then head back to the cabin afterward.

 

Here's our final breakfast!

 

 

We ended up walking off the ship around 9:30 a.m.--after breakfast we took a last stroll around to enjoy our home away from home.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

 

*We loved the Carnival Liberty--I'd sail it again in a heartbeat. 2.0 upgrades made a big difference to us.

 

*I would have planned our ports better. We winged it in a few places and that didn't give us the best bang. Excursions and a plan are necessary to get the most out of vacation.

 

*Loved FTTF! A must for every cruise:)

 

*Cheers sounded so fun but we would have never gotten our $$ worth. Our final Sign and Sail was less than $500. We did enjoy ordering from Bon Voyage (2 bottles) even though we didn't even finish one of them. Barely touched the wine we brought either.

 

*Get out there early on Sea Days!

 

NEXT SUMMER:

 

We are excited to sail on the Carnival Breeze next June!!!!

 

Have you EVER considered starting your own BLOG. I love your writing style and use of photos.

This is really a GREAT review.

I'm sure I will be back MANY times before leaving on my FREEDOM cruise in September.

[Vacationoholic]

I haven't cruised in a couple years and have seen this "fttf" on several posts....what does that mean?

 

FTTF = faster to the fun

 

You are in the first group to get on and off the boat from first entry, all ports, and leaving the cruise.

[Buffalofirsttimer4]

I haven't cruised in a couple years and have seen this "fttf" on several posts....what does that mean?

 

Faster to the fun, you pay to be able to board early, have your cabin ready as soon as you board and priority at guest services and for tendering. They only sell so many slots, like 15 at a time per cruise, so it's limited.

 

Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

[Crusin Karen]

Oh no--don't panic:p Really the only thing that I could not deal with was the shower. I wish I had been more vocal about it. I would say if you find it is still flooding, tell the steward and the information desk right away.

 

Not sure how old your kids are but make sure the liner is inside the lip and the shower mats are down. My son flooded the bathroom big time and it was a total nightmare to clean up.

 

The cabin did not at all ruin our trip--you will have an amazing vacation!

I remember doing this on the old Destiny aka Sunshine now. To make it worse, I had left my clothes on the FLOOR in the bathroom and of course, they were soaking wet. Lesson learned: I never leave ANYTHING on the bathroom floor anymore! :o

[CruisinTeacher4]

I remember doing this on the old Destiny aka Sunshine now. To make it worse, I had left my clothes on the FLOOR in the bathroom and of course, they were soaking wet. Lesson learned: I never leave ANYTHING on the bathroom floor anymore! :o

 

Ha Ha:D My son did the same thing so we were ringing out clothes and towels---oh, just the thought:eek: Should be a mistake you only make once but he seemed to really test the limits of this one over the course of the week, grr!!!

[OceanDreams]

What a wonderful review and thank you for sharing your vacation with everyone. Now I'm really excited about our cruise on the Liberty in 34 days.

 

OceanDreams

[okiehawk]

How much is the clam shell rental? Are there water activities to enjoy? Specificly renting a sea doo/jet ski and a banana boat ride? If so do you remember how much they are?

 

Your review is awesome and very helpful. Pictures are an extra bonus for those of us who are visual beings! lol

[ia1hks44]

Oh no--don't panic:p Really the only thing that I could not deal with was the shower. I wish I had been more vocal about it. I would say if you find it is still flooding, tell the steward and the information desk right away.

 

Not sure how old your kids are but make sure the liner is inside the lip and the shower mats are down. My son flooded the bathroom big time and it was a total nightmare to clean up.

 

The cabin did not at all ruin our trip--you will have an amazing vacation!

 

Our kids are a girl age 10 (5th grade) and a boy age 12 (7th grade). What things do you wish you would have booked at the ports? We were just going to kind of wing it like you guys did, but if you have any suggestions I would love to know so I can look into them ahead of time. Your review is great and I can't wait to show my kids all of the pics! Now that summer is winding down and shool starts in a few weeks we are getting excited for our trip. Just need to book airfare from Minneapolis - ouch!

[CruisinTeacher4]

How much is the clam shell rental? Are there water activities to enjoy? Specificly renting a sea doo/jet ski and a banana boat ride? If so do you remember how much they are?

 

Your review is awesome and very helpful. Pictures are an extra bonus for those of us who are visual beings! lol

 

The clamshells were maybe $20 for the day--somewhere around that. I thought it was very reasonable and provided enough shade. We also rented floats ($15 each). I don't remember any jet skis or banana boats out there (but there were lots in Grand Turk. Banana Boats were $20 per person.

[CruisinTeacher4]

Our kids are a girl age 10 (5th grade) and a boy age 12 (7th grade). What things do you wish you would have booked at the ports? We were just going to kind of wing it like you guys did, but if you have any suggestions I would love to know so I can look into them ahead of time. Your review is great and I can't wait to show my kids all of the pics! Now that summer is winding down and shool starts in a few weeks we are getting excited for our trip. Just need to book airfare from Minneapolis - ouch!

 

If we had done activities at the other ports, I would have liked to take a cab to Magen's Bay in St. Thomas. As for Puerto Rico, we did an awesome segway/fort excursion when we went to San Juan on another cruise (click my Valor review in signature). Have fun!

[hightownCO]

Thanks for your review and photo. I enjoyed it very much. I just booked the LIberty last week for October on the same itinerary. Except for HMC, I've been to these ports but it was really nice seeing photos of the ship.

[marshhawk]

Thank you for the review with all the pictures! It was fun having one of you write and then the other one chiming in. Scary about the banana boat. We saw some craziness like that on an excursion in Belize, and have noticed that that excursion is no longer offered. Since this was not through the ship, nothing much will change in Grand Turk.

I dont usually read reviews that aren't about ships I know I am going on, but I have been thinking about saving from one of my part time jobs, and taking the DH next year as a surprise. The Liberty will be sailing from Port Canaveral next fall, and we have always wanted to do an Eastern Cruise.

I hope the arm heals-you shoould see a doc about that, nerve damage is nothing to fool around with.

You did mention that the ship had brunch in the MDR. I am breakfast in the MDR everyday if I can-what time did they start serving?

Thank you again for a great review.

[AZmike480]

Thanks for the review and pics, we're headed out on the liberty in December!

 

AZmike480

[CruisinTeacher4]

Thank you for the review with all the pictures! It was fun having one of you write and then the other one chiming in. Scary about the banana boat. We saw some craziness like that on an excursion in Belize, and have noticed that that excursion is no longer offered. Since this was not through the ship, nothing much will change in Grand Turk.

I dont usually read reviews that aren't about ships I know I am going on, but I have been thinking about saving from one of my part time jobs, and taking the DH next year as a surprise. The Liberty will be sailing from Port Canaveral next fall, and we have always wanted to do an Eastern Cruise.

I hope the arm heals-you shoould see a doc about that, nerve damage is nothing to fool around with.

You did mention that the ship had brunch in the MDR. I am breakfast in the MDR everyday if I can-what time did they start serving?

Thank you again for a great review.

 

Thanks so much--glad you liked it! They now have "Punchliner Brunch" in MDR on Sea Days. This replaces traditional bfast and lunch in MDR. It is served from 9-1 and offers so great choices!

[Sparky2]

You did mention that the ship had brunch in the MDR. I am breakfast in the MDR everyday if I can-what time did they start serving? Thank you again for a great review.

 

Brunch in the MDR is only on Sea Days. On our 2013 cruise, the brunch started at 8:30 which was later than the breakfast on the port days.

 

We're doing a B2B in January 2014 and the first week will be this itinerary. We did a B2B on Liberty in 2008, but it was way before the 2.0 upgrades. Looking forward to that.