Liberty Review - Mediterranean 5/7/2006

[Felice]

Bottom Line - This cruise was the dream of a lifetime. And we’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

Following are some random thoughts of the ship, the ports and our experiences. I hope you enjoy them…:)

Food – Excellent. The only problem is the sheer poundage of what you eat and the not-so-sheer poundage of what you put on. The dining room had extensive and delicious menus and the deli (open until 11PM), the fish and chips restaurant and the pizza, burgers and ice cream were wonderful. We weren’t thrilled with the buffet, but that’s us.

We had room service every morning we had a tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although you can’t get cooked food, you can get just about anything else.

Special Note: Be sure to bring Zip-Lock bags with you - Since the deli is open until 11PM, we got sandwiches the night before each port and saved lots of time and money. The pastrami, corned beef, turkey and roast beef are great and travel well – but leave the tuna salad and mozzarella and veggies for eating on the ship.

Cabins - Compared with other cruise lines, the cabins are much larger and very nicely decorated. There was more than ample closet and drawer space and all our luggage fit quite nicely under the beds. A relief after past experiences. The beds are extremely comfortable and you’ll be sorely tempted to buy the pillows. We’re still thinking about it…

Entertainment – Christopher Graves does a wonderful revue of Sammy Davis and Frank Sinatra – and he also does an afternoon show on the sea day afterwards. If you close your eyes, you’ll believe that Sammy and ol’ Blue Eyes are right up there on the stage. He’s a class act and a must-not-miss performer, even if you’ve seen him before. There’s also a very good comedian and an entertaining comic-magician as well as the usual other shows.

Rome – Overview - We didn’t get to spend a lot of time here – only got to see the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain – but we were very disappointed. 18 of us ate in a restaurant which I hope you will all avoid. DO NOT EAT AT LA SCALETTA – they will rip you off, lie, agree to one thing then feign ignorance of English when the price is twice what they agreed to. To make matters worse, the food was terrible. Here, in this city known for its food, none of had a decent meal.

Another not so nice comment I have to make is that in Rome there was palpable fear, not only of pickpockets and assorted other criminals, but of being injured by motorized vehicles of every type - and horses. Horses! Not only do the Italians not know how to drive, they don’t know how to steer their horses either. Two nearly ran me down!

If you take a taxi, hang on. You will marvel at how you don’t get killed – and at how the Romans manage to survive the streets. The cars don’t, though – we didn’t see one car without significant dings, scrapes and paint scars – and we even witnessed a couple of more-than-just-a fender-bender moments. Truly awe-inspiring and scary. When in Rome do NOT do as the Romans do, though. To rent a car would be suicide.

EUROS – Buy euros at the airport when you arrive and at any of the hundreds of ATMs you’ll find everywhere you go. You’ll get the best exchange rate at the ATMs and depending upon your bank, you might not get hit with bad fees either. BankAtlantic, my bank, charges $1.50 per transaction and we did not get hit with any fees from the European partner banks. Not bad. Try not to buy your euros in the US – not only will you get hit with fees, the exchange rate is also hyped so you get a double whammy.

PORTS – the ones where we did not have private tours are covered first.

Dubrovnik – you will be charmed by this place, sometimes referred to as the Jewel of the Mediterranean. The walled city is quite something to walk – but be prepared for some arduous climbing. The only rain day we had was in Dubrovnik – and although it was brief, of course it poured while we were on the wall. To make lemonade out of that lemony moment, we were lucky enough to duck into a hole-in-the-wall shop where we kept dry and warm and enjoyed tea with some fellow travelers. You’ll find great food and local beer in this city, at very reasonable prices. Be sure to have mussels in lemony broth with crusty bread inside the walled city and then go outside the walls to enjoy local beer near the wharf. This is a perfect place for people-watching.

Barcelona – this is a very easy city to get around and don’t be afraid of the subway – the TMB. It’s convenient, inexpensive and gets you everywhere much quicker than a bus. Take the time to read the subway maps and give it a try. You can buy single trips or multiple-trip one-day passes. Las Ramblas had everything for sale from birds and fish and animals to fresh fish and meat and cheese. I went into the farmer’s market and was amazed at the fruit, fish and seafood – the shrimp were enormous and were a moving pile of life. One big prawn walked off the pile and a man caught him and threw him back – all a foot from my camera! We went to see the Sagrado Familia – the unfinished Gaudi Cathedral – and I must admit it was quite impressive and massive in scope and concept – but overall I thought that 8 euros was a bit steep to just walk through it. All the add-ons – the lift, the audio-cassette, etc. – were an additional 3-5 euros each. They tell you that you must see it – so we did. But if we go back to Barcelona, it would not be on our list.

We were astonished at how many US fast-food places there are in Barcelona. Maybe they’re everywhere, but they were all in Barcelona and very close to each other. KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonalds, Starbucks, etc. – and all crowded. I’d like to believe that the locals are there but there are probably tons of Americans there too. Why??? Comfort food when far from home? What a shame.

Venice – This was our favorite port. Venice is a truly cosmopolitan city, full of movement and electricity. Unlike Rome, though, we felt very safe in Venice and we were greeted with open, happy and friendly people – no horses like in Rome – and, oddly, lots and lots of dogs. Here, in this city of bridges and canals with precious little ground or grass, we saw multitudes of dogs and no pooper scoopers – but no scatological piles either. Must be a truly magical city! .

Once you got the hang of the bridges and canals, Venice is an easy city to get around with fascinating things to look at no matter where you are. The stores run the gamut of every type of merchandise imaginable at fair and reasonable prices.

Note: The ship does not dock at St. Mark’s Square. After many complaints from the populace about the noise and vibration the ship caused, Liberty now docks outside of town. We were expecting to dock downtown and were very disappointed, but the trip in is not bad. You can take a vaporetto for 11 euros round-trip – it’s convenient and gives you a great panorama as you motor to St. Mark’s. Or, you can walk into town in ½ to ¾ of an hour. Either way you’ll get to soak up the charm of this city from the get-go.

PORTS – where we had private tours

Naples/Pompeii/Amalfi Coast - We used DriveAmalfi.com for our tour here. In my van, we had Salvatore and he was everything we were led to expect – and more. The Silver Fox, as he’s affectionately called, was professional, warm, knowledgeable and downright fun. The folks in the other vans insist Roberto and the other drivers were equally good, but Salvatore is my favorite. He arranged for a personal guide in Pompeii – and Vinnie made our visit memorable. He didn’t just walk us around – he generously shared his deep appreciation and knowledge of Pompeii and the region’s history. After Pompeii and our drive along the Amalfi Coast, Salvatore took us to a little restaurant that was carved into the cliff. I hate being a tourist since you usually wind up paying 4 times as much for less than ½ of what you want, but not so with Salvatore. The restaurant he took us to had a lovely menu to fit everyone’s taste and wallet. We had a fantastic pizza and a beverage and our bill (for the 2 of us) was less than 10 euros. Not bad! Bottom Line: A wonderful time was had by all. We learned, we toured, we ate good, reasonably priced food and we had drivers who were sincerely interested in showing us a good time. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Messina – Here we used Sicilylife.com and we toured Mt. Etna and Taormina. We had 4 vans and a good time, but compared to the other tours, it was something we could have missed. Mt. Etna is a tourist attraction and eminently missable unless you’re really into rocks and gravel or you need the photo op. We could have lived without it. Taormina is a charming village but also not a must see place. Lots and lots of souvenir shops with plenty of stuff that you see elsewhere – but I found it all more expensive and less well made, overall, so we bought nothing except ice cream. But the ice cream was the best we have ever had anywhere. We got pistachio because we asked the owner what her best seller was. It looked less than appetizing but it proves that looks can, indeed, be deceiving. It was a grey-taupish color – but it was loaded with crushed pistachios and we chewed our way through it. Absolutely delicious! If you go in search of it, look for something that looks ugly – you’ll love it. Bottom line for Messina – great guides, nice visit to Taormina, very reasonable price for a full day – but if you want to skimp anywhere, do it here. Stay onboard or walk around Messina and save your euros for the Cote d’Azur with dream-tours.com

Cote D’Azur - The French Riviera - We tendered to Cannes and took dream-tours.com on the most magnificent and extensive tour imaginable. We had Frederic Baranes as our guide and he is one of our fondest memories. We went to Nice, Monte Carlo, Monaco, Eze, and St. Paul de Vence on a tour of more than 9 hours. Monte Carlo is, well, Monte Carlo. We saw the changing of the guard and I, personally, found it offensive to have to pay to use the WC in a principality that is so filthy rich. What did my euro do to enhance their economy? Friends on other tours visited the casino and were even more offended since they’d paid 10 euros to enter the building and couldn’t use the facilities without a fee! On to Eze and the Fragonard Perfume Factory – what a treat. We learned about “noses” and perfumes and bought lots of soaps and creams for lucky friends and relatives. After a quick stop for a local beer (delicious) in town, we left for St. Paul de Vence, our all-time favorite destination. Read up on the history and you’ll be charmed – but when you get there you’ll fall in love. We were pre-disposed to not like the French but once you leave Paris you can’t help but love the people. St. Paul de Vence is a fortified city filled with artists and beauty and warmth. The shops are cheerful and welcoming and the craftsmanship is amazing. We ate, we drank, we bought wonderful things – and we never felt like we were taken for granted. We felt genuinely welcome and appreciated. When Frederic returned us to the Liberty we were all tired but we all felt that our day in France was the jewel we will all remember long after the cruise is a distant memory. Other tours are just tours, but dream-tours and Frederic made the difference.

Florence - Here we used florencetour.com and Paola made our tour truly memorable. This woman is steeped in art and art history and shared her vast knowledge, passion and experience with us. Another driver was a bit disappointing in the beginning but once Paola found out, she took him aside and corrected the situation. I guess everyone has personal problems, but they don’t have to become ours. Paola was perfect for our group, in that she was flexible – after a few hours, many of us were “cultured-out” and just wanted to eat and shop. Others wanted the full culture tour. So, Paola took some of our group to a “locals” restaurant and took others on a more extensive tour of Florence. The restaurant was exceptional – filled with locals, great food and “resident” pricing. And the tour for the other group received rave reviews. Bottom Line, everyone was happy since they got what they wanted. We came, we saw, we learned, we ate and we developed a true taste for Florence, the Renaissance and what we’d like to see the next time we visit.

Finally, a comment about arriving and departing…

Rome airport – this is enough to ruin your vacation if you let it. Hundreds or perhaps thousands of people are forced into an airport that has no clue how to handle them. There are lines that go nowhere, cordoned off areas that likewise go nowhere. And no people with information to help you. Talk about stressing out – after 12 days of luxury and relaxation, the airport was a nightmare. If you are flying Alitalia, whether as itself or as a Delta partner, consider changing to another airline. Without going into detail, suffice it to say that toilet paper should not be as scarce on an airplane as it is in Italy! The cabin attendants were present for the first 1-1/2 hours and the last hour of the flight – but were noticeably absent the rest of the 7 hours we were in the air. Put all that together with a terrible landing – we thought we’d veer right off the tarmac – and you realize why Alitalia is not an airline I’ll book any day soon.

Bottom Line:

That’s all, folks. We had a wonderful time, got home safely and have gladly shared our experiences, good and bad. Arrivederci.

[I&MsMom]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post a review! I've been eagerly awaiting word from those returning from the Liberty. We're booked on the Freedom for next year, and for now, I'm following the Liberty around. :p

 

Really glad you had a good time. :)

[purple32759]

Hi Felice

 

Thank You for the Great Review of Your Mediterranean Cruise on the LIBERTY--Could You Please Tell Me WHO the current CRUISE DIRECTOR is on THE LIBERTY?? My Husband and I are going on the same Crusie in August.

 

Cheers & Thanks!

[I&MsMom]

Felice: A couple of questions occurred to me: how was the embarkation/debarkation? Still operating out of a tent? Do they disembark by calling colors?

 

What time was the muster drill?

 

Were dinner times ever adjusted on port days?

 

Thanks for any info you can provide!

[Felice]

First, the Cruise Director is John Heald. I'm sure he's a great guy, but Carnival has him hawking everything from tours to massages and it gets a bit tedious.

 

As for disembarkation, it went very smoothly - your luggage is coded by color and number, based on your time of departure from Rome. The color/number code is announced and you proceed to the dock. Very orderly.

 

The muster drill was around 5PM if I remember correctly. We had a party to introduce ourselves to our cruisecritic friends that was not interrupted so I think 5PM is pretty accurate. If anything, it might have been slightly later.

 

Dinner times were definitely adjusted during port days - and if you have late-late seating, you will not be happy. At the first port we had dinner at 8:45. The second was upped to 9:15. That's when we changed our seating.

 

:D

[Bunkie103]

Enjoyed your newsy review. One of my co-workers is going on a September sailing and is hungry for news. I printed it out for her!:D

[I&MsMom]

Felice: Thanks, again!

 

We're actually scheduled for the 6:15 early dinner, and I was just wondering how much of an adjustment - so, from what you said, it's pushed back between 30 and 60 minutes?

 

We're trying to work out a good time for a group get together, also. When and where was yours, and did it work out? Someone has suggested during sailaway, but isn't that around 7 (and thus during dinner for some)?

 

I really appreciate your thoughts and input.

[Felice]

We got together around 4PM in the Victoria Lounge - it was brief since we had to prepare for the muster drill, but good enough for at least a few of us to meet each other. We had a better party on the first at-sea day in the Piano Lounge. We didn't arrange it with the Carnival folks so they politely asked us to leave around 5:15 since they had another party scheduled. But, it was sufficient for most of us to get acquainted with our cruisecritic friends and make plans for the days ahead.

 

Have a ball. It's a terrific ship.

Felice.

[BMTVP]

Thanks for the review. We leave in less than a week to start our vacation and will be on the 5/31 sailing of the Liberty.

[cruisenk]

Great, informative review! We were on the Liberty in March (loved it) and are looking forward to doing the Med someday. You have given us some ideas of must-dos! Thanks!

[sbwmail]

Thank you, thank you! I'be been waiting for the first Carnival Libery European review of 2006! I think you might be it!

[JPH814]

Great review. Thanks for taking the time...

 

A quick question? Did you stay in Rome pre- cruise? Was it arranged through Carnival. I am interested in which hotel you stayed (if you did ) and the timing of the transfer from the hotel to the ship.

 

Thanks

[sbwmail]

Felice...great review!

 

1. I was wondering how you found your tour company for the Cannes port? What is their website? I counld'nt find it.

 

2. Did anyone that you heard of miss the boat at any of the ports?

 

3.Did the ship leave the ports a little later than posted?

 

4. Did you hear of anyone complaining about an excursion and not recommending it?

[rcarrosq]

We just got back from the 12 day grand mediterranean cruise on the Liberty and here is our review. The ship is beautiful and we loved the big screen TV that is ourside on Lido Deck. They show movies almost every night at 8 PM and midnight and in the morning, you can watch CNN world news.

 

Sad to say that there were alot of people who got sick on this voyage, myself included. I was one of the fortunate ones who was only down for 1 day but I heard there were people who were confined to their cabins for days. Also, on the second night, we could feel the ship making radical movements and the next day we were told that the ship was called to participate in a search and rescue mission which they promised to tell us about but never did. Also, about a week into the cruise, one of the passengers had to be taken off the ship due to some medical crisis, but we did hear that he is doing better.

 

The shows on this ship were good, but I didn't think they were as good as other shows I've seen on other Carnival ships. Also, I think there was a very big lack of exciting entertainment topside in the evenings. The disco was empty every night so there was really not much heavy partying going on. Maybe it had to do with the age of the average passenger on this ship......most seemed to be in their mid 60's or later. There was, however, a wonderful duo down in the Flower Bar Lounge who really deserved to be put in one of the lounges so more people could enjoy them. I think the name of the duo was "Play That".

 

The ports we visited were good, except for going to Messina which was on Sunday so everything was closed. I think that was a waste of time. Venice was wonderful and we had almost 2 entire days there. Croatia, Barcelona and Cannes were good too.

 

The cruise director was John Heald and I thought he was hilarious, but most of the people I spoke with said he was a horrible director. Most people were saying that he gave alot of incorrect information and I agree with others on the board who said they had him hawking stuff all the time. That became tiresome.

 

The only other thing I want to point out is that if you did not book your tours or other transportation thru Carnival, they did not want to help you if there was a problem. There was a group on board who belonged to a club and apparently made their tour arrangements that way. When some of the things did not go as planned and they asked for some help, Carnival basically told them it was not their problem. My husband and I had booked with Rome Connection to pick us up at the dock and take us to our hotel after the cruise and then take us to the airport the next morning. They never showed up and when I went to a Carnival rep and asked to use their phone to call the limo service to see where they were, I was told that I would have to take the shuttle to the end of the pier to find a local phone to make my call. They would not help because I did not book my transportation through them. I understand the business aspect, but I think they could've at least let us make a local call.

 

So, all in all, I would say this cruise is a good value for the money, but be sure you take plenty of euros or buy them from the ship. The rate you get off the ship was poor. Also, if you were not aware, everything cost a fortune so be prepared.

[CARIBBEAN01]

What a great review, we are booked on the Freedom next July, curious how did the tours you booked compare price wise with the Carnival excursions and what cabin did you have thanks.......

[suezcruise]

Hello Felice:

 

Thank you for the wonderful review! We are sailing on the Liberty June 12, 2006 and can't wait.

 

Thank you for all of the advice and heads up tips too!

 

Do you remember the name of the restaurant you ate at on your Almalfi Coast excursion?

 

Thank you again.

 

Sue Z.

[Felice]

We were in Cabin 6368 and were totally pleased.

 

Regarding our tour of the Cote d'Azur, I researched on the internet and found many comments on cruisecritic threads. Dream-tours.com is the company I booked. Comparing them to Carnival, Carnival gave you a tour of Cannes and Monaco for around $135. The gave an additional tour of St. Paul de Vence for around $50. I have no idea if they piggybacked these tours at any time, but unless they did it would be difficult to come back to the ship and start all over again. Our tour cost 600 euros for 8 people so any way you look at it, 75 euros per person was a steal. Add to that the fact that we had an awesome driver (Fred) and a 9-1/2 hour tour that was never rushed, we got a fantastic deal and had a wonderful time. And, we got to go to Eze and Nice as well!

 

The exchange rate we got in port at the ATMs was way better than Carnival offered. Carnival had one price that lasted from the beginning to the end of the cruise. No fluctuations. The rate was approximately 1.37 but I honestly can't remember. The ATMs I used charged an exchange rate of between 1.27 and 1.29, significantly better than what the ship offered.

 

As for the time Liberty left the ports, there was no wiggle room except in Naples - and they told us after we sailed that if anyone arrived late at any other ports, they would be left behind. I have friends who were on the NCL Jewel who did the back-to-back and got off the ship in Civitavecchia but lost track of the time. They wound up taking a cab to Livorno, staying at a hotel and picking up the ship there. If they'd been on Liberty, they'd probably have had to cab it to Naples and spend the night there.

 

One comment about the Carnival tours - yes, Carnival will help you if something happens, as cited by rcarrosq, but they charge at least 40% more. You don't get the personalized service you get in a van and you don't get to tailor your tour to your needs and wants. Also, the lines on the ship to get to their tours are mind-boggling.

 

It's a personal choice. I haven't heard anything bad about private tours and my experiences have all been positive.

 

Just have fun, no matter what you do.

[RoePost]

Thank you so much for the wonderful review...We are sailing Liberty 12 day

Med in September and wondering if the 6:15 dining is in the Golden Dining room mid-ship...Hoping you say yes...thanks for the reply.

[Felice]

Yes, the Golden Dining Room is midships and lovely. We ate in the Silver the first few nights and switched to the Golden to get the earlier seating.

You will adore the food. The last night was my favorite - if you're into chateaubriand, it was the best I've ever had. Way beyond delicious. Ditto for the lobster and filets and everything else they served. Our compliments to the chef!!!

[ktyd]

we have a group of 4 and I am entirely overwhelmed by the shore excursion aspect. is there a company that is reasonable to book for several ports?:eek:

[Felice]

Driveamalfi.com handles Rome, Naples and Florence. Salvatore is the contact there. Write to ***** If he can accommodate you, he will. Otherwise, he will refer you to someone he knows. He's a pleasure to work with. When you contact him, mention my name - I'd like to believe I'm memorable. LOL.

Felice.

[Felice]

Driveamalfi.com handles Rome, Naples and Florence. Salvatore is the contact there. Write to ***** If he can accommodate you, he will. Otherwise, he will refer you to someone he knows. He's a pleasure to work with. When you contact him, mention my name - I'd like to believe I'm memorable. LOL. They have a wonderful reputation and continue to grow because of recommendations and referrals that are more than justified.

Felice.

[tommyO]

Felice, Great Review. I lIke the sounds of the Cannes tours from dream-tours.com. I checked their website and it's in french. do they have an english web site? or a way for me to contact them?

Thank You

[State fans]

tommyO - just click the British flag in the upper righthand corner.

[tommyO]

there ya go. thanks