*LIVE REVIEW* Solo --- Liberty of the Seas, 5 day -- April 22, 2024

[rrraydon]

Hi folks! 

 

I did a live review on my MSC Magnifica cruise last month and thought I'd try another live for my upcoming LOS cruise in 2 days.

 

My game plan is to cruise once a month (or more some months) for the next year. I started a new job a few months back, weekend overnights. If I book Monday-Friday sailings, I can cruise monthly. The tricky part is: the majority of the 4 night/5 day Monday through Friday sailings leave from Florida and I live in Delaware. Sooo, I have to fly to the cruise AND I have to fly in the day of! Annnd, my flights have to leave between 10:30am and 11:30am. Last week I applied for the TSA checkin to avoid the long security lines at the airport but my clearance hasn't come in yet. I'm hoping I get in time for my solo on Celebrity Reflection next month, we'll see.

 

For this cruise I got an earlier flight than the 10:30a so I took off of work tomorrow night and I've booked a park and fly at a hotel a few miles from the airport in Philadelphia. I do not want to do this often as it adds to the price of my monthly cruise budget and I want to try to keep costs down in order to afford to do all of this vacationing. My flight leaves PHL at around 5:30a so I'm going to take the free shuttle over from the Clarion at about 4am. Another way I'm trying to keep costs down is I do not do any checked bags. I pack a small duffle that fits under the seat in front of me. This also helps with speed at each of the airports since I'm so crunched for time. I limit my bookings to either Miami, Port Everglades or Tampa to keep transportation times from the airport to the port as short as I can. Now, I do realize it's highly probable at some point I'm going to have a plane delay or something that will cause me to miss the ship. If this should happen I plan to still fly to Florida and just spend the week in Miami or something. As you can tell, I'm a fly by the seat of my pants kinda gal! LOL

 

I am currently at work and do not get off until 7:30am. My game plan is to sleep for about 3 hours when I get home in the morning, take a quick shower and then start the drive to Philly, it's about 2 hours from my house. There's a tavern down by the Delaware River in New Castle, Delaware that I just love so I'm going to make a detour there and have a little dinner before getting to the hotel.

 

I hope you'll follow along with me and keep your fingers crossed I don't end up spending a week doing food walking tours in South Beach next week instead of lazing away on the deck of LOS!!! 🤣

 

Edited April 21 by rrraydon

[rrraydon]

I neglected to mention, although I've sailed on quite a few RC ships (D+), I've never sailed on Liberty. For those who have, feel free to give me some insight! 😁

[rrraydon]

A couple of things I've already booked for this sailing:

 

1) Avocado Fiesta Guacamole Class scheduled for day 2 at 11:15am in Sabor the Mexican restaurant. This class includes lunch and a margarita. I purchased the ticket on sale and with gratuities it's about $35.

 

2) I also purchased (on sale for about $20)  the Hideaway adults only day pass for Coco Cay. This will be my 2nd time at Hideaway and although it's nice, I think it's only worth it if it's on sale and if it's in the colder months when the heated pool is needed. Otherwise, I don't think it's worth the extra money when there is another pool area that is free, free beaches and free food that tastes great already available. CoCo Cay is one of our stops next month when I'm on X and I did not purchase Hideaway for that one because I think the water will be nice at the Lagoon pool and at S. Beach where I plan to snorkel. 

While enjoying drinks and fun in the sun in Hideaway, I'm also going to be meeting up with my TA whom I found here on CC! He will be cruising next week as well and will also be porting in CoCo Cay the same day we on LOS are there. Although we've swapped many emails for my bookings, we've not had the pleasure of meeting. I'm looking forward to meeting the man behind the famous name here on CC! 😉😁

 

I contemplated booking the tropical drinks class, but it's $50 and I think I'm ok with mixing drinks at home (😝) and I'm ok with my 5 D+ drinks and my casino drinks for being Prime.

 

If you've done the quac class before, what's your opinion of the class?  (especially if the class was on LOS)

Edited April 21 by rrraydon

[rrraydon]

I'm as excited to stop at Jessop's Tavern & Colonial restaurant in Olde New Castle as I am about this cruise!

Let me give you a little background information on the Tavern and on Olde New Castle where my Mommom used to live in an old row house and where I spent my weekends as a child... (I did not frequent the tavern as a child, it wasn't there back then 😂).

 

The Tavern is located in an old building that was built in 1674. Back in 1724 Abraham Jessop had a barrel making business there. It has housed many businesses since then but in 1996 the owners turned it into a tavern and named it after Jessop. All of the buildings along the cobblestone streets are still historic, so is the cobblestone actually! lol

 

When I was a kid I would run up and down those cobblestone streets to Battery Park along the Delaware River, to Wassam's old time store for water ice and to my favorite place where I'd sit for HOURS....the library! I so enjoyed that library and all of the area surrounding it. Every time I drive near Olde New Castle I try to swing by and grab a beer at Jessop's Tavern for no other reason than nostalgia.......Did I mention they have over 200 Belgian beers as well many others. They won an award for Delaware's best beer selection!

 

If you are ever in Delaware, stop by Olde New Castle and visit, walk the streets and check out the historical colonial buildings and museums....and when you're finished stop by Jessop's Tavern and try one of their famous beers and one of their colonial style entrees.

Edited April 21 by rrraydon

[rrraydon]

[rrraydon]

Beer and cheddar soup, lobster pot pie and shepherd’s pie…it was so delicious last time we visited. 

Edited April 21 by rrraydon

[Cruisin4beaches]

You will find Liberty to be no different than any of the Voyager class ships except having a Sorentos and Park cafe as separate dining venues in the Royal Promenade. And different water slides.

I've sailed Liberty 6 times and enjoyed all my trips.

Enjoy your cruise!

[Cherful59]

@rrraydon Love LOS, and was sad when she left Galveston.  I would fly to Dallas and visit with nieces & family, then drive with my sister to Houston and spend time with my nephew before boarding.  Enjoy your cruise!

[Etta1213]

4 hours ago, Cruisin4beaches said:

You will find Liberty to be no different than any of the Voyager class ships except having a Sorentos and Park cafe as separate dining venues in the Royal Promenade. And different water slides.

I've sailed Liberty 6 times and enjoyed all my trips.

Enjoy your cruise!

We sailed Liberty often when it was in Galveston. We were really sad to see her leave. We really liked the Windjamner.

Edited April 21 by Etta1213

[rrraydon]

As I mentioned, my plan was to sleep for about 4 hours after I got off of work this morning. Yeah, that didn’t happen. It was closer to 5hrs. I got up at 1:30p. Thankfully, I was already packed and I just had to throw a few more things in the bag and head out. No time for a shower, I’ll have to do that at the hotel later. I’m meeting a friend for dinner at the tavern and that’s about a 2 hour ride. 

[rrraydon]

Did I say cobblestone walks???? I don’t know what I was thinking, that’s in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, near my vacation home. These are brick walls her in Olde New Castle. I’m happy to have finally made it! The first thing I ordered was a Belgian beer…yummy!!

I love this big beer book they have that lists their various beers with a descriptive background on each one. I took a few pics of various ones. 

[rrraydon]

[rrraydon]

We each order the creamy asparagus soup..delicious… I ordered the lobster pot pie and my friend ordered the fricken chicken. For dessert I had a maple walnut waffle cone. 

[rrraydon]

Some pictures as I walked up to the tavern…

[rrraydon]

After dinner we walked to the park and along the Delaware River. The bridge in the distance is the Delaware Memorial bridge connecting us to New Jersey. 

[rrraydon]

I just got to the hotel. I did the park and jet at the Clarion near the airport. It’s not the best place but what do you want for $150. Free shuttle and a place to keep your car for the week, too.  The bed is rock hard, good thing I got that 5 hours sleep in! 😂 

I’m going to catch the 3:3Oam shuttle to the airport. 

[rrraydon]

There’s a restaurant downstairs so I’m going to head to the bar for a few drinks! 🍹 🍺 🥤 

[rrraydon]

Cheers! 

[wolfcathorse]

you're making me hungry. Anyway, please post who the captain is, I want to see if my chart is correct.

[rrraydon]

What would a stop in Philly be without a famous Philly Cheesesteak??!

[rrraydon]

3 minutes ago, wolfcathorse said:

you're making me hungry. Anyway, please post who the captain is, I want to see if my chart is correct.

Will do! 

[rrraydon]

The shuttle arrived promptly at 3:30am. I was in line for security at about 3:50. I’m sitting at the gate now and it’s 4:10am, my flight leaves at 5:25a…hopefully! 
I grabbed a bottle of water and a Philly pretzel at a stand here at the terminal…can’t be in Philly and not get a Philly pretzel!🥨 😁 

[rrraydon]

Everything went according to plan and I’m in line at the port! Woohoo!!!

Edited April 22 by rrraydon

[Cherful59]

It’s cruise day for you.  Happy Day!😀

[rrraydon]

1 hour ago, Cherful59 said:

It’s cruise day for you.  Happy Day!😀

Yes it is…and it’s a beautiful day here on Liberty! 💜