LIVE: 🗽 Lady Liberty 🗽 Heads North 9/2 - 9/7/23

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Alright ladies and gents !!  Let’s get this 5 nighter started on Liberty of the Seas!  So the intinerary was intended to be a 5 nt Bermuda sailing however Hurricane Idalia had a different plan for us.  We are now heading north to Portland ME and Halifax Nova Scotia.  We love Bermuda but we have no issue with the change.  Wasn’t particularly looking forward to sailing through a hurricane anyway.  Royal was kind enough to provide $100 pp OBC for the change.

 

It’s just DW and I sailing.  We had intended to go with my parents but their planned had changed and we are now rolling solo.  We booked a JS GTY a little while back.  This will be the first cruise in a long time that we don’t have the unlimited dining or at least a 3 nt package so we will be MDR’ing it or … god help me… The Jammer.  😳  At least we have drink packages 😃

 

We made our way from Pittsburgh PA to Allentown PA last night after logging off work for the LONG Labor Day weekend (Hallelujah!)  Stayed at the Renaissance in downtown Allentown which was a very nice room.  That was around a 4.5 hr drive that felt like 10.  Crazy traffic and construction what felt like the whole way.  🤬🤬
 

This morning we checked out around 8am and headed toward Bayonne.  Drive wasn’t as bad and took just under 1.5 hrs from the hotel to the parking garage. Our boarding time was 11:30.  We showed up at the suites check in line at 11 and was on the ship in under 10 minutes.  The Cape Liberty parking garage was for Handicapped parking & we were directed to the open air lot.  $150 for the 5 day cruise.  Luggage drop was very smooth with almost no wait at all.  Much much less congestion compared to the busy FL ports.  

 

Liberty is an entirely new class of ship for us.  Not sure how we managed to never be on a Freedom class up to this point but we did it.  

 

Excited for a new itinerary to us and a new ship.  Also I must note …VERY VERY excited to NOT fly to port.  Especially after our last adventure to Alaska (Southbound on Radiance) that was a ton of flying for us.  Welcomed change.

 

Already checked off the Colonel Mustard station and in need of a cold beverage.  

 

Cheers 🍻 

Mark

[SteelCityCruiser10]

 

New Intinerary

 

 

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

The star of the show Lady Liberty herself

 

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

It’s 5 o clock somewhere.  

RIP Jimmy buffet  🦜

 

 

 

DW - Bloody Mary 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Bayonne Golf Club

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

 

Frozen Tito’s Mojito 

[h20skibum]

20 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

It’s 5 o clock somewhere.  

RIP Jimmy buffet  🦜

 

 

 

DW - Bloody Mary 

Two of my favorite drinks.   
 

We still haven’t managed to sail from that port yet.  The first one we had booked from there, on Anthem, got canceled by Covid.  The second one, we had to cancel due to family medical.  I have been looking though, because our drive is about the same as yours. 
 

Following along. 

[Another_Critic]

40 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Liberty is an entirely new class of ship for us.  Not sure how we managed to never be on a Freedom class up to this point but we did it.  

 

Excited for a new itinerary to us and a new ship.  Also I must note …VERY VERY excited to NOT fly to port.  Especially after our last adventure to Alaska (Southbound on Radiance) that was a ton of flying for us.  Welcomed change.

Thanks for the live review.  I will be boarding on 9/7 for the 9-night CA/NE sailing.  This will also be my first time on a Freedom class ship (the final piece of the class puzzle 🙂 ).  

 

I have done various CA/NE itineraries many times, so the ports are very familiar.  I have not flown for a domestic cruise in many, many years;  I save the flights for transatlantics. 😄.  Actually, my last domestic flight was 12/15/2015 at the end of a transatlantic. 

[Another_Critic]

49 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

The star of the show Lady Liberty herself

 

 

A Liberty trifecta ... Lady Liberty, Liberty of the Seas, Cape Liberty.  🙂

[SteelCityCruiser10]

surprisingly i receive the unsuccessful royal up notification email YESTERDAY.  Over 24 hrs in advance of boarding.  All others have been received AFTER boarding.

 

 

[Another_Critic]

I know it will be an inconvenience, since you will have to go to a bar, but will you check to see if Schooner Bar has the new drink menu?  

 

Picture credit to Royal Caribbean Blog

 

 

 

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

5 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Thanks for the live review.  I will be boarding on 9/7 for the 9-night CA/NE sailing.  This will also be my first time on a Freedom class ship (the final piece of the class puzzle 🙂 ).  

 

I have done various CA/NE itineraries many times, so the ports are very familiar.  I have not flown for a domestic cruise in many, many years;  I save the flights for transatlantics. 😄.  Actually, my last domestic flight was 12/15/2015 at the end of a transatlantic. 

Awesome - I’ll keep her in good shape for you!  I am growing more and more frustrated with flying especially with connections.  
 

We had a horrendous experience with Air Canada coming home from Alaska in June.

 

With that said, our next up in S. Caribbean from San Juan.  Sooo much for not flying lol

 

I do see more sailings from Bayonne and Baltimore in our future though.  Especially with costs on the rise.  

[Another_Critic]

7 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Awesome - I’ll keep her in good shape for you!  I am growing more and more frustrated with flying especially with connections.  

 

I do see more sailings from Bayonne and Baltimore in our future though.  Especially with costs on the rise.  

I do have a flight to Heathrow next month to board a transatlantic, but since it ends at Cape Liberty I will rent a car and drive home.

 

Other than transatlantics, I've been sailing from Bayonne or Baltimore for the past 10 years.  And my transatlantics either started or ended within driving distance.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Anthem was the ship we sailed from last time from Bayonne pre Covid.  Liked Anthem a lot.  

[Sunshine3601]

Looks like you are off on a great start and have some beautiful weather.

I'll definitely be following along.

Here's hoping for a great cruise with smooth seas.  Cheers🍹🥂🍸

[Nadey]

Hello to another Pittsburgher. Going to sell from Baltimore to Bermuda on September 23 on the vision of the seas. First time to go from Baltimore but it's only five nights and we can drive there. I've always taken cruises  where we had to fly . Thanks for letting us know about your drive out to New Jersey. Maybe that will be another place it would save on the air fare . Have a great time and will enjoy reading your posts

[SteelCityCruiser10]

24 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

I know it will be an inconvenience, since you will have to go to a bar, but will you check to see if Schooner Bar has the new drink menu?  

 

Picture credit to Royal Caribbean Blog

 

 

 

 

Ugh … Well, if I MUST!, I’ll go to Schooner and see 🤣🤣  Real inconvenience lol 😂 

I’ll report back soon.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

2 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Looks like you are off on a great start and have some beautiful weather.

I'll definitely be following along.

Here's hoping for a great cruise with smooth seas.  Cheers🍹🥂🍸

Thx for following along. … Here’s to happy sailing! Cheers! 🍻  

[SteelCityCruiser10]

3 minutes ago, Nadey said:

Hello to another Pittsburgher. Going to sell from Baltimore to Bermuda on September 23 on the vision of the seas. First time to go from Baltimore but it's only five nights and we can drive there. I've always taken cruises  where we had to fly . Thanks for letting us know about your drive out to New Jersey. Maybe that will be another place it would save on the air fare . Have a great time and will enjoy reading your posts

Definitely check out sailings from Bayonne.  

Happy sailing to Bermuda.  Wish I was going on it too.  So far we have tended to sail from NJ over Baltimore mostly for the ship size but not opposed to it.  Need to find the right time/intinerary.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Thanks Ken.  You know who you are

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

These container ships always amaze me

to see in person.  DW commented those are all her amazon packages that will be arriving while were away.  

 

[Another_Critic]

24 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Thanks Ken.  You know who you are

 

Maybe the Ken fairy will visit my cabin next week?  🤞

[crzndeb]

38 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Ugh … Well, if I MUST!, I’ll go to Schooner and see 🤣🤣  Real inconvenience lol 😂 

I’ll report back soon.

I’m on the Greenland cruise on the 14th on the Jewel from Bayonne. I would love for them to have updated bar menu. That Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned is calling my name. And I love Skrewball PB Whiskey. Have fun!

Edited September 2, 2023 by crzndeb

[Weluv2cruise2gether]

Following along as we also boarding on 9/7! Get her primed for us!😂

[UK Fan 78]

Following along! Excited to hear all about your adventure!