Carnival Liberty review 8/26-8/29 3 nights – What a blast!

[Kermarkim]

Carnival Liberty review 8/26-8/29 3 nights – What a blast!

So let me start by saying this is my first cruise since COVID.  Last cruise was February 2020 right at the beginning of COVID  which was a blast but due to COVID we canceled our July 2020 and November 2020 cruises.  So we are starting small with this 3 night.  Overall, this was an amazing cruise and amazing celebration of our 35^th wedding anniversary. 

 

 

DH and I had actually thought that our first cruise back after COVID would be in December 2022 on the Freedom which we booked back in June.  However, about 3 weeks ago DH said lets do something to celebrate our anniversary and the flights were fairly decent from Atlanta to Orlando.  The cruise rate was more than I would have liked for a 3 night cruise but then it is our 35^th anniversary.  So we booked it.

 

 

Normally I like to fly in the day before so that I don’t feel any pressure or rush, but we decided to fly out the morning of the cruise.  We took an 8:10 a.m. flight which meant getting up at about 5 am and catching an Uber to the airport.  So far, the plan goes well until we get to the airport and every TSA line is wrapped around several times including the “CLEAR” line.  Thank goodness for SKY Priority, it had less than 20 people on the line and we were thru TSA in less than 10 minutes.  Felt bad for all the other lanes.  I’ve never seen the airport quite so busy that early in the morning.

 

 

So we get to the gate and it is also packed.  They announce that it is a full flight and are asking folks to voluntarily check their carryon.  Had we flew in the night before, I would have graciously checked my bag especially since we get free baggage check with SKY Priority and our Platinum Delta Skymiles status.  However, with us flying in on the day of the cruise, we couldn’t risk our bags being delayed or lost, so we carried on.  Flight was uneventful especially with the 4 babies I counted in the gate area.  I did not hear a peep out of any of them in the gate area or on the flight. 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by Kermarkim

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

Flight pulled off about 30 minutes late but pilot made up the time making the actual flight about 1 hour.  We touched down and headed to Terminal A rental car area to meet the Go Port Canaveral Shuttle buses ($30 pp each way).  Saved about $23 by not taking an Uber/Lyft.  The drive to the port was a little over 45 minutes.  We had an 11:30-12:00 check in time on the Liberty.  We arrived at the port at about 11:50 am and by time they unloaded the bags from the shuttle bus and we rechecked our luggage with the porters waiting right outside the bus we walked across the driveway to the entrance, it was about 12:20 and there were no visible lines at any of the check-in lanes.  Not sure if that meant we were very early, but terminal was almost empty with the exception of the workers.  We simply walked thru and went upstairs and by time we reached the check-in agents, they were finishing up a couple and then we walked up, showed our boarding docs, verify digital vaccine and took the S&S card photo and went right thru.  That was the quickest check in at Carnival that I have ever had. 

 

 

Onward to the Lido deck.  I had been plotting for the last 3 weeks as to what would be my first meal onboard and had decided it would be Guy’s burgers or Seafood shack.  Neither panned out.  For starters, DH is a pescatarian and I didn’t want to separate from him so early after just boarding.  I was down for Seafood Shack but he said he wanted to try the buffet and I went for that.  I was so hungry that I forgot to take a photo of our plates, but I do know that I started with a huge salad which was very fresh, did some fruit as well, and then got some fried fish, a piece of  roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables, and because the Lido tables was already packed, we went upstairs to the 10th floor seating area and I also grabbed the best piece of barbecue chicken and mac n cheese from the Ole Fashion BBQ place.  The lunch was superb.  I hadn’t remembered the buffet being so tasty and that BBQ chicken was so so good.  We were both thoroughly satisfied.   We then took a tour of the ship and eventually made it to our room on the Verandah deck (8391 – somewhat of a mistake due to the noise from Lido deck above us – maybe kitchen equipment running during the night, not sure).  But we didn’t let that ruin the cruise.  We just know for the future, to stay away from Verandah deck.

 

 

We met our steward briefly for the one and only time during these 3 nights.  He asked when we wanted room cleaned and I said it didn’t matter to us and that any time after we leave in the morning for breakfast would be ok.  I then went on to begin to make a request that each evening he leave us a bucket of ice and before I could get it out, he rudely interrupted me and said we only clean once a day.  And then he realized that I was asking for ice and he said that would be fine.  That was a little weird, but we moved on.   We never saw him again not even when we were leaving at the end.  In fact, we didn’t see a lot of stewards in the hallways as we had in the past.  This might be new with COVID that they are trying to interact less with the guests, which was fine with me.  He did bring ice each day for us and cleaned the room and left our towel animals.  Gotta love the towel animals.

Edited August 31, 2022 by Kermarkim

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

Went to the sail away party and then got my Guy’s Burger DH went to take a quick nap.  I joined him after my burger.  Guys was excellent as always (even the fries which may or may not have been frozen).  I wasn’t really hungry, I was just trying to check off everything I wanted in this short cruise and since DH was napping, this was the perfect time.  Turned out to be a slight mistake since we had Steakhouse reservations at 7:00 p.m.  I should have stopped with the buffet.

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

Next we head to Diamond Steakhouse and the Maitre D is aware that we are celebrating our 35^th anniversary and eventually gives us 2 glasses of champagne and a glorious special chocolate dessert that I almost couldn’t even try because I was totally full by time I even got to my main course.  So here is how it went down:

 

Free wine with first night booking, Bread selection with a basil butter, Chef’s choice of a mini beef slider appetizer.

 

DH:  Shrimp Cocktail, Lobster Bisque, Caesar Salad, Lobster Tail with sauteed mushrooms and Hazelnut Cheesecake

 

Me:  Risotto, lobster bisque, Caesar salad, surf and turf with onion rings and mac n cheese and Hazelnut cheesecake.

 

The chef also sent out 2 glasses of champagne and a heavenly chocolate dessert to celebrate our anniversary.  Dinner was superb and better than some of the steakhouses I've been to here in Atlanta.  The lobster was perfectly cooked and the filet mignon was extremely tender and flavorful.  I didn’t eat most of it because I was full but it was divine.  We also had to take our cheesecake to go because we couldn't eat another bite (should not have had the Guys Burger).

Edited August 31, 2022 by Kermarkim

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

[Kermarkim]

Here's our Cruise Director Dustin Gabriel at the sail away part along with his crew.  This was a fun sail away party, just as I had remembered it.

[Kermarkim]

Cruise Director Dustin Gabriel at the excursions preview.  He was really good and funny.  Not my favorite CD.  That still goes to Donkey and Wee Jimmy 🤩

[Kermarkim]

Ok, so now we are off to the Welcome Aboard Show.  It was typical welcome show.  However, I will say this, all three shows in the theatre were lacking.  Not sure if this is a COVID thing but I had seen both shows “Flick” and “America Rocks” and I believe the lightning and special effects as well as the background displays were missing in all the shows.  I felt like I was at a dress rehearsal.  But we still enjoyed the singing and dancing. 

 

I’m really enjoying this alone time with DH.  We’ve been married for 35 years and have had children for 31 of those years and generally have taken them on every vacation with us.  So now that we are empty nesters, this is our first vacation in 12 years without the children or grandchildren.  I now remember why I married this guy.  We just have so much fun together. 

[IslandHppy]

Very good.  Love the last minute plan and the same day flight 🙂

[mondello]

@Kermarkim Sounds like a great trip to cap 35 years of a wonderful relationship. Love them round numbers, Carnival celebrating their 50th, looks like you have Carnival cruises woven in your memories.

 

 

[samiam0403]

Thanks for the review! Heading out on Liberty tomorrow and had completely forgotten the BBQ place tucked away upstairs. Have been wondering where to get lunch on embarkation day, and BBQ before the masses discover it will be perfect!