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Carnival Liberty, Eastern Itinerary- 2/1/14 Picture Review


ffmikey
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Wow... So I've been called out! ;) I did say I would write a review, so I earned it. Finally, like today, got the photos posted and organized to get this one done. Now that the excuses are out of the way, let's get started. This was the first half of our longest B2B. I make no promises on when the second half review gets done. I have more photos to wade thru because our family went. This was the Eastern Itinerary, which included Half Moon Cay. We are Platinum and finally got to use the benefits. I'll briefly explain... we had no one else with us. When we have newbies with us, we stay with them. We are loyal Carnival cruisers, this being #11. I'm (51), DW is (52). This was our 2nd time on Liberty, having booked it onboard last year.

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0129_zpsc38ee986.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1856_zps54fb114c.jpg

 

PreCruise: We flew in late from Colorado to Ft Lauderdale. We had to be de-iced since it was snowing. I had researched the cost of getting from Ft Lauderdale to Miami and found that prices had gone up since last year. Seems like the average price was $70-$80 for a shuttle. The best price I found was renting a car from Budget, one way and dropping it off. I got the car for $25 plus a couple of gallons of gas, which brought the total to just over $2000. No not really, I can't back that. It wasn't bad, $10. The car lot was downtown and easy to find. The taxis have a set rate from there to the pier, another $10 including tip. It was great having our own car, our own pace and route. We were able to stop at a Walgreens to get our wine and last minute stuff, then coffee and a bit of sightseeing. We did stay the night at a hotel around Hollywood. It was called the Thunderbird Beach Resort. .Do yourself a favor, do NOT stay there. It looks good from the street and in the lobby. It's all downhill from there. It is old, AC did not work well, if at all and it was stagnant and musty. The only thing that saved the night was offering the clerk $10 for the use of the fan behind the counter. Oh, the lobby area was nice and cool. A bit deceptive. When we got on the road the next morn, it was warm and clear.... a far cry from what we left in Denver.

 

Embarkation: We had timed things to arrive at the port between 1030-1100. We figured that would be about right to whip out that Platinum card and zip onboard! Wrong..... They were already boarding! We did get whisked along to VIP Lounge and then pretty quickly onboard. Our room was ready and we met our wonderful Steward, Sanjaya. He took great care of us for all two weeks. We got upstairs for a bite and some walking around. We still had a good handle on the ship layout from the last trip. After a while we made it back down to unpack, as our luggage had been delivered. BTW, this was a Super Bowl cruise, so we packed our team shirts.... Let's just say it was a bit disappointing.

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1863_zpsd3f85800.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1864_zps8286b28b.jpg

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Thanks for doing the review...will you be putting the actual photos in or just the links? Don't want to sound ungrateful, but I have slow internet service, so :rolleyes: it's a pain, lol. :D:eek:

 

In any case, hope you have some good food porn! Thanks again for doing the review. It's been in the negatives here all weekend, -20 last night, so can't wait to be on Liberty in 26 days and Miami in 24!

Edited by 2 cruzen
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The New Menus: Let me take a bit to talk about the food. This was the first time we had the new menus. Before going on, I have only one food picture which you will see, the Gluten Free Fried Calami.... After enough cruises I just don't take them. There are plenty out there.

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_2014_zpsed5a6fd0.jpg

 

The new menus are different. I would say they are much more limited as far as selection. The basic standbys are offered every night. The "Port" selections are the major nightly changes. The portions seemed smaller, which is just fine with us. Did not waste as much food, and my waist did not get as much food! My DW is Gluten Free as well as an RNY patient. She was able to order a GF meal every night, for the next night. This included WCMC, which was very tasty and not gummy. She could get fried entrees when she wanted them, with the exception of pre-breaded items. The only thing that got her was the BBQ ribs one night. We think it was the sauce. Lunch was still an adventure, but with a few questions to the staff and a bit of caution, she had no issues. And I will tell you, a bun less Guy's Burger is still a tasty treat. We shared a lot of meals because of her limited stomach size. Breakfast was usually a "real egg" omelet. I will let you know, I have already answered my "Dining Survey" from CCL. I did let them know what I honestly thought about the new menus, both good and bad. Oh, that reminds me, we did find the service slow this trip. We took a few minutes to talk to out head waiter about it. They seemed understaffed to us. The crew was very busy. He did tell us the food was coming out slow and if it's not there, they can't serve it. I started to pay attention to the timing of things. It did take a while for the stack of trays to make it to the pedestals. Once there though, they were served pretty fast. Again, I stated this in my survey too. I would suggest that you fill your surveys out when you get them and not just delete them. I was told by staff that they do read them and act on them, when feasible. Most of the popular appetizers were offered somewhere on the menu. Feel free to ask any specific questions about the food and I will do my best to answer them.

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2 cruzen.... Sorry, I have next to no food porn. Just my take on the new menus. I did, however, just see a new post with a lot of the new dishes. Pretty much all pictures.

 

Hey, no problem. :D. I don't mind the smaller portions either. Gives me a chance to try things throughout the ship. Did you try the Taste Bar? We totally missed doing that last year on Breeze. I'm also looking forward to the Alchemy bar. I've only had a couple of Martinis in my life. :eek:

 

I did see that thread with the pictures. I'm not really a foodie so seeing pictures is helpful to me. Did you by chance try the Popcorn Pot dessert? Wondering what that was like?

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

Btw, did you have set dining or anytime?

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Hey, no problem. :D. I don't mind the smaller portions either. Gives me a chance to try things throughout the ship. Did you try the Taste Bar? We totally missed doing that last year on Breeze. I'm also looking forward to the Alchemy bar. I've only had a couple of Martinis in my life. :eek:

 

I did see that thread with the pictures. I'm not really a foodie so seeing pictures is helpful to me. Did you by chance try the Popcorn Pot dessert? Wondering what that was like?

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

Btw, did you have set dining or anytime?

 

From the top down... We did not try the Taste Bar. Seemed like it was closed when we went by. We have to be careful with the ingredients. As for the martinis, this was the 1st time I really got into them, now I'm hooked. Get a sampler, it's fun to watch them poor several glasses at once. My favorite was the Chipotle martini that I modified. It was great... just a bit of a bite. Did not do the Popcorn Pot but I believe one of our table mates did and had nothing bad to say. We tried some different deserts but only one per night. And,, we had Early Seating. We had an aft window pretty much in the middle.

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Half Moon Cay: This was our first time to HMC. I got a Cabana several month ago and made the Excursion Desk our first stop once onboard to pick ours. We got #13 towards the end of the row. It was a pretty good selection. HMC is everything you hear about... it was great. We grabbed a bite to eat and off we went for the Tenders. Since we were Platinum we used the Ol' Silver Card trick. The ride in was nice and short. They offer a truck ride to the Cabanas from the pier, if needed. We just walked, enjoying the sights.

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0132_zpsb2aed823.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0135_zps28ee3b6a.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0136_zps6fb61670.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0170_zps57fd6a7c.jpg

 

Finally on HMC:

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0137_zpsbb0a0b2f.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0139_zps694eacba.jpg

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Once at the Cabana, it was time to relax. It was a warm, calm day. Life is GOOD TODAY!

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0163_zpsa967b1cd.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0140_zpsf8b401ed.jpg

 

The snack plates were more than enough for two. We didn't need to walk to get food or drinks.

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0141_zps3285a59a.jpg

 

It is a beautiful place. I put together a short panoramic video clip. I hope it works.

 

http://s858.photobucket.com/user/ffmikey-CS/media/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/HalfMoonCay_zpse639d941.mp4.html

 

Few more still photo of the place.....

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0148_zps13d505aa.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0164_zps4d350ae6.jpg

 

I've asked myself if I would do it again? Hell yeah! It was a bit pricey, but you can't take it with you. The AC was nice, especially when the heat came on. The shade was nice and the fan too. All in all, four thumbs up.

 

We waited towards the end of the day to get back. Well about that. Don't get in a hurry. The line gets long for the tender... VERY long. Just chill. We waited at the bar, had a couple more cold-ones and did some people watching.

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0169_zps851cc43b.jpg

 

Once back onboard, we grabbed a shower, a bite to eat in the MDR (DW had preordered dinner) and up to the Lido to watch the game....if you can call it that. enough is enough, back to the bar!

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Once at the Cabana, it was time to relax. It was a warm, calm day. Life is GOOD TODAY!

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0163_zpsa967b1cd.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0140_zpsf8b401ed.jpg

 

The snack plates were more than enough for two. We didn't need to walk to get food or drinks.

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0141_zps3285a59a.jpg

 

It is a beautiful place. I put together a short panoramic video clip. I hope it works.

 

http://s858.photobucket.com/user/ffmikey-CS/media/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/HalfMoonCay_zpse639d941.mp4.html

 

Few more still photo of the place.....

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0148_zps13d505aa.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0164_zps4d350ae6.jpg

 

I've asked myself if I would do it again? Hell yeah! It was a bit pricey, but you can't take it with you. The AC was nice, especially when the heat came on. The shade was nice and the fan too. All in all, four thumbs up.

 

We waited towards the end of the day to get back. Well about that. Don't get in a hurry. The line gets long for the tender... VERY long. Just chill. We waited at the bar, had a couple more cold-ones and did some people watching.

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0169_zps851cc43b.jpg

 

Once back onboard, we grabbed a shower, a bite to eat in the MDR (DW had preordered dinner) and up to the Lido to watch the game....if you can call it that. enough is enough, back to the bar!

You can pre order dinner in the MDR? Tell me more, I didn't know you could do this.

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You can pre order dinner in the MDR? Tell me more, I didn't know you could do this.

 

I guess that statement could be a bit deceptive. DW has a Gluten Free diet. Carnival does a good job accommodating her diet. She is given the next night's menu at the end of dinner so she can chose her ENTIRE meal. The waiter will let her know what can or cannot be prepared GF. Most things can be. The only item that is really blah is the bread. It is sliced bread that she puts butter and honey on to make it palatable. Anyway, the next night the rest of us order off the same menu. Her order comes out with the rest of the table. Same thing for the Sea Day Brunch, it's just reserved by our cabin number. One nice thing about it is getting a sneak preview of the menu. Something to look forward to, I guess.

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The Sea Day was pleasant. The decks were packed, especially around the pools. We spent time sunning, like a majority of the other guests. This was the first Elegant Night. We got dressed to the Nines and headed out. Not starting a debate, but I was very surprised by the number of guys in tuxes this cruise. The photographers were very busy. We had our drinks then to the MDR for lobster! After dinner we got pictures taken then tried to make it to a couple of shows. Tried is the optimal word. If you want a good seat, get to which ever venue you want to early, seats go fast.

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/Carlagrn_zps3e8773cc.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/CarlaMikegrn_zpsd62c8c94.jpg

 

I know I should put a little sun screen on.... oh well.

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St Thomas: This was our first time to St Thomas. Being a US Territory, Sprint was free for calls and texts, so you KNOW I text pictures to rub it in! It was snowy and icy in Colorado. Well, someone's gotta do it. And who knows, I may be able to convince a few more friends to give it a try.

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1901_zps0961976d.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1908_zps66cb50d7.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1904_zps0a4f77c4.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1913_zps95a978d3.jpg

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Thanks for the review. We will be on Liberty in May and one of my DD's is gluten free. You're right in that carnival normally handles this well.

 

You mentioned guys without buns. I thought they had GF buns at guy's.

 

Also, what were some of the GF misses, or things to avoid?

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Thanks for the review. We will be on Liberty in May and one of my DD's is gluten free. You're right in that carnival normally handles this well.

 

You mentioned guys without buns. I thought they had GF buns at guy's.

 

Also, what were some of the GF misses, or things to avoid?

 

You know, I think you're right. I do recall hearing that Guy's had GF buns. We did not try them. The patty with ALL the fixings were very good. :) And the fries were her favorite, no issues there. Most everything she got in the MDR was tasty and gave her no issues. The only entrée that got her was the BBQ ribs. Within 30 minutes she was cramping and in pain, so I beat feet for the room to get her meds. We think it was the BBQ sauce, since she has had that happen before, not on the ship. She did get the Mahi one night, which she found under seasoned. She liked all of her deserts. Just make sure you let the MDR staff know your DD is GF. DW got real-egg omelets for breakfast and/or fruit. We have been told that some carton eggs have gluten in them so she did not take the chance. Her favorite dishes were the fried calamari, the mushroom cream pasta (made with rice pasta) and the salmon. Have fun in May.

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Today was a "Dive Day". We needed to catch a cab to Coki Beach on the other side of the island. It's a bit of a rat-race in the port area. We piled into a van and off we went. It was $20 for the both of us, one way. We shared the taxi with others. One lady stated they held the taxi there until it was full, us, and there were several destinations. Once there, we checked in at Coki Beach Dive Center and did a shore dive. The beach is small and crowded but pretty. After the shore dive we did a one-tank boat dive. There was plenty of time to get both in. Enjoy the underwater pictures..

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/PICT0009a_zpscf173cf2.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/PICT0006a_zpsda2d93a6.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/PICT0046a_zps3aaa76aa.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/PICT0088a_zpsb282adb0.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/PICT0080a_zps818a3127.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/PICT0065a_zps2529723c.jpg

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GORGEOUS underwater photos!!!! What type of camera?

 

Thank you, it's a passion. It's a Sealife DC600 w/ dual strobes (fiber optic links) and a GoPro Hero attached underneath. I edit the pictures w/ Paint Shop Pro X4 to give them the final "pop". Without the strobes there isn't much one can do. The GoPro is a new addition I am trying to master. The movie editing takes a long time, much more than the stills. Here is what it looks like....

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_2079_zpse84e3ad7.jpg

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We will be going on the Liberty in April. Wanted to know if you remember the name of the Head Maitre'd in the main dining room?? Many thanks for any help. John & Priscilla :)

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We will be going on the Liberty in April. Wanted to know if you remember the name of the Head Maitre'd in the main dining room?? Many thanks for any help. John & Priscilla :)

 

I'm sorry but I don't. We dealt with his assist, Natasa, for almost everything. She was great. Always greeted us at dinner and when she worked the Sea Day Brunch. We did meet him tho. He was very nice and personable. He checked up on guests regularly. We put in a request to be at the same table for the 2nd half of the B2B and they made it happen.

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San Juan: To be honest, I wasn't expecting much at this port. I was pleasantly surprised. We had nothing formal planned ashore, so we took our time on the ship. Having done so, there was no line getting off. We knew one of the areas main attractions were the old forts, so that's where we headed. It's a nice walk there from the pier, not too strenuous. There is an entrance fee, we chose the fee for both forts. We looked around and took pictures, as you will see.

 

Fort San Cristobal

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1940_zps1791938e.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1941_zps83064156.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/DSCN0176_zpsc81f61a2.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1935_zps5386cc81.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1927_zpsf72b666c.jpg

 

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/ffmikey-CS/Carnival%20Liberty%202014-%20part%201/IMG_1934_zps677ac311.jpg

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