Review - Liberty of the Seas June 21, 2008

[PVDCruiser]

Embarkation

 

Embarkation was pretty much effortless. We had to wait around a bit, but that was to be expected since we arrived so early. My parents and I arrived at the port around 10:30AM and were on the ship by 11:30 - the earliest we've ever done! It honestly felt like an extra day on the ship.

 

Ports of Call

 

San Juan didn't go exactly as planned - it was pouring half the time. Of course, we had signed up for a walking tour of Old San Juan! Luckily our tour guide had ponchos for everyone. I found the city to be quite beautiful and I hope to visit there again on another cruise with better conditions.

 

Because I love aviation so much, we visited Maho Beach in St. Maarten. I found this to be an absolutely incredible experience! Watching the landings was cool but I enjoyed being blasted by the departing planes even more. This is definitely a unique experience and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a more unusual activity to do on the island. The only bad thing was that we didn't have enough time!

 

We had been on Labadee on our last cruise on the Navigator, and only got off for lunch this time (mmm....ribs). Instead of doing something there we took advantage of shorter lines for activities on the ship, like the Flowrider.

 

Service

 

Our suite attendant, Lystra, did an absolutely incredible job. She was both very attentive and friendly. She would always wave to us even at the other end of the hallway and was constantly asking if our cruise was going well. Actually, the whole housekeeping staff on our side and deck was very friendly and some of them even greeted me by name.

 

Our waiter, Victor, and our assistant waiter, Robbi, were fairly average. Their service seemed a bit slower than usual, though on one night it wasn't their fault as they were assigned to serve the captain's table in addition to their regular tables the second formal night. Obviously it is important that the captain is served, but I don't think it should result in a degradation of service for other guests.

 

Mustafa, our head waiter, did a very good job and was very attentive. When we mentioned the slow service to him, it magically sped up! On an interesting note our head waiter from the Navigator was now on the Liberty as the dining room manager, so it was good to see him once again.

 

Anthea, the concierge, was very helpful. She was able to answer all of our questions and in some cases went above and beyond what she was required to do.

 

Allan Brooks was the cruise director and I found him quite funny. I still miss Graham from the Navigator, but Allan did a very good job overall.

 

Captain Gjerstad seemed pretty darn invisible the entire trip. Obviously his first and most important job is managing the ship properly, but (at least in my opinion) he is also a representative of the ship's crew and Royal Caribbean as a company. We only saw him at the welcome gala and the captain's table. He wasn't at the first Crown & Anchor reception, though we were pulling out of St. Maarten at the time (I don't know about the second reception). More surprisingly, we didn't see him at the bridge tour for suite and diamond (plus) guests.

 

Overall, though, I found the service on Liberty to be of a lower quality than the service on the other two Royal Ships I have been on. The wait staff in the Windjammer was nowhere near as attentive I have seen in the past. Also, the staff at Café Promenade and Sorrento’s seemed to have too much to do at some times. An extra employee would really help. But overall I think the staff members on Liberty seemed to be less happy about their jobs than the staff members I have seen on other ships (I know, very subjective).

 

Food!

 

I enjoyed all of the meals in the dining room except for what I had last night - the New York Strip steak. Otherwise I found everything else excellent. The food in the Windjammer and Cafe Promenade were both very good. Personally I think Sorrento's was a very good addition to the ship and I love stopping by there for a quick snack.

 

There was no midnight buffet! That was quite sad. But there was a buffet in the solarium one evening, and there was also a “food expo” the last day in the promenade. The only bad thing was that the expo in the promenade got quite crowded…jewelry sales and food expos in the same place don’t mix too well.

 

Entertainment

 

The entertainment onboard was quite good. My favorite was Carl Strong, who performed at the opening show and had a late night comedy session as well. Gary Mule Deer was also very funny. Encore! was a very good ice show and perhaps the best I've seen.

 

Random Notes

 

• I was not a fan of the golf course. I seemed really squished this time, probably because of the Flowrider.
  
• Finding my way around the ship wasn’t too bad since Liberty is so close to the Voyager class ships.
  
• I missed the sports bar, but at least games were played at the Karaoke Bar.
  
• The new suite perks that were introduced, such as VIP seating for the ice show and production shows, and being allowed to sit in Portofino for breakfast and lunch after getting food in the Windjammer were really nice.
  
• Fuel was good, and I enjoyed the activities. It was a decent time for my last time in the teen program. Though for some reason we weren’t allowed to use our MP3 players during the dance parties do to a new “company policy.” What?
  
• They were really making people sanitize. A lot.

 

Disembarking

 

The port was really busy! Luckily we didn’t have an early flight to catch, so there wasn’t too much stress. We got off the ship around 10 and were on our way by 10:45. It seems to me that for the large ships, there needs to be more space for pick up.

 

 

Is Bigger Better?

 

I'm not sure if I can answer this question after the trip.

 

In some cases it isn't necessarily a good idea to look at the Freedom class of ships to answer this question as they are, to simplify it quite a bit, basically a lengthened Voyager class ship. So it might be better to re-visit this issue when the Oasis launches.

 

The ship definitely felt very crowded, and many others had the same observation. One couple I met in the dining room at lunch was saying that they were on the Freedom a few months ago and that it felt much less crowded. The ship was still pretty full, but there was a smaller number of children onboard. So perhaps the demographics of the Voyage have an effect.

 

But I think in terms of the Freedom class it all depends on your traveling needs. The H20 Zone is certainly attractive to some parents, for example. For me, though, the Flowrider, Sorrento's, the barber shop, etc., aren't enough to make me completely fall in love with this class of ship. Right now I think I will be more likely to book a Voyager class ship in the future, though the itinerary will be the most important factor for me I think.

 

Either way, right now I'm off the opinion that for the Freedom class, Royal has decided to sacrifice a bit of the quality of its product in order to accommodate more guests. I'm not sure if this is a trend, but it is most definitely a concern I have for the Oasis.

 

Conclusion

 

Was this my favorite cruise? No, it’s probably last on my very short list. But it was still a good cruise, and a very relaxing vacation as a whole.

 

Questions and comments are welcome!

[jddc7]

Hi there,

 

thanks for the review. What was the weather like for the rest of the cruise?

[Geema]

Thanks for the review. We've been on both the Navigator and Liberty and thought both were great and wouldn't have a problem going on the Freedom Class again.

The one thing I wondered about were the suite amenities - allowing you to sit in Portofino's during breakfast and lunch at the Windjammer. We were in a suite in March and never heard of that - is it new? Same with the VIP seating for the ice show and production shows. How do they do that?

Just curious. We've always gotten the seats we want (with or without a suite) at both but wondered how the "VIP" service worked.

[pinkrosesdeb]

Never heard this concierge's name before. We had great servers in the CL on Liberty in April. Our concierge was very good too, Juan Diego Miranda and we spent most of our time in the CL instead of the DL because we really enjoyed the staff in the CL. We loved the Liberty!

[yogimax]

 

We had been on Labadee on our last cruise on the Navigator, and only got off for lunch this time (mmm....ribs).

 

I love the ribs served in Labadee but was disappointed on our last stop there.

 

They were overcooked, dry and served without barbecue sauce.

 

Please tell me they have fixed the problem!

[PVDCruiser]

Hi there,

 

thanks for the review. What was the weather like for the rest of the cruise?

 

It was pretty good. There was a bit of drizzle one of the sea days but the rest of the cruise was great weather-wise.

 

Thanks for the review. We've been on both the Navigator and Liberty and thought both were great and wouldn't have a problem going on the Freedom Class again.

The one thing I wondered about were the suite amenities - allowing you to sit in Portofino's during breakfast and lunch at the Windjammer. We were in a suite in March and never heard of that - is it new? Same with the VIP seating for the ice show and production shows. How do they do that?

Just curious. We've always gotten the seats we want (with or without a suite) at both but wondered how the "VIP" service worked.

 

At the shows you went up to the greeter and showed your Concierge Lounge key. At Portofino they didn't check the key but their was a sign that said "for suite guests only."

 

I love the ribs served in Labadee but was disappointed on our last stop there.

 

They were overcooked, dry and served without barbecue sauce.

 

Please tell me they have fixed the problem!

 

There was barbecue sauce but not as much in the past. Definitely not as good as two years ago but still pretty good.

[wolfcathorse]

sounds like Capt Gjerstad hasn't changed a bit since he was master on Vision of the Seas for my Christmas 2006 cruise. And I second your opinion about Freedom class ships. Freedom was pretty to look at but the feeling was cold and impersonal. Only our cabin steward showed any warmth. The dining room staff is definately understaffed and overworked. I'll pass on Liberty, Independence, Oasis, and Allure.

[Merion_Mom]

This is a wonderful review, Dan. I give it an A+, with extra weight as an AP. ;)

 

I love your sentence: "The only bad thing was that the expo in the promenade got quite crowded…jewelry sales and food expos in the same place don’t mix too well." :D

 

Thank you for your valuable descriptions and perspectives.

[Mocorobabe]

We also thought the crew was not quite "aware" of how they came across

to people.

Sort'of "well it's a job"

We did enjoy the Diamond Club room on the 14th floor and the JS's are very roomy on this class of ship.

We will probably not cruise on this class ship again. Much prefer the Radiance class. But.......

[yogimax]

 

We did enjoy the Diamond Club room on the 14th floor

 

I agree... the lounge there was much nicer and brighter than the lounges which have no windows

[billsmith_1972]

The San Juan stop is pretty much useless. I think it would have been really boring even if it wasn't pouring down rain. I'd recommmend you stay on the ship on this stop.

 

The entire staff was really nice with the exception of one or two.

 

Adult flowrider night was awesome. They had two girls manning the post that night and they were great. They let the riders do what they wanted and were very helpful in showing them how to do new tricks. It was a really fun experience to ride and to watch. All the riders were having a lot of fun....riding two to a board, riding backwards, upside down, standing up, etc. :)

 

The ice show was entertaining but the other shows were really boring.

 

The only thing available in Puerto Rico were city tours as all the other activities were already booked...glad we didn't book any because I would be bored to death. It was a rainout in San Juan. :mad:

 

Did the Farm zipline in St. Maarten. It was fun and good excercise. Especially helpful after averaging 5-6 meals a day :D

 

We booked the Labadee zip line but it was canceled shortly after noon because of high winds. Book this one early in the morning if you plan to go. The wind was pretty strong throughout half of the trip. Ended up just snorkeling in Haiti. Make sure to bring your own snorkel because the snorkels were NOT new! :eek:

[PVDCruiser]

This is a wonderful review, Dan. I give it an A+, with extra weight as an AP. ;)

 

I love your sentence: "The only bad thing was that the expo in the promenade got quite crowded…jewelry sales and food expos in the same place don’t mix too well." :D

 

Thank you for your valuable descriptions and perspectives.

 

Thank you, Carol, especially for the extra AP credit. :D

 

And I remembered another suite perk - express room service line.

[libertybelle41]

 

Mustafa, our head waiter, did a very good job and was very attentive. When we mentioned the slow service to him, it magically sped up! On an interesting note our head waiter from the Navigator was now on the Liberty as the dining room manager, so it was good to see him once again.

 

 

 

 

Mustafa was our waiter on our Liberty OTS cruise 5/24 - He was working on and hoping to get the "head waiter" position, I guess he got it!!! Congrats to Mustafa, he was great!!

[libertybelle41]

there was also a “food expo” the last day in the promenade. The only bad thing was that the expo in the promenade got quite crowded…jewelry sales and food expos in the same place don’t mix too well.

 

 

 

 

I agree with this. It was way to crowded for me to be interested in trying anything.

[smalltimecruiser100]

You always give great reviews(felt like we were on there with you!) and it sounds like you were disappointed with the Freedom Class ship. You know, smaller may be better. Believe it or not our DD liked the Sovereign besides of course the Navigator. As we're trying out the Freedom class on the Independence next April on almost the same itin as you, we'll see how it goes. We're doing 8 nts so we get St Thomas as well.

Mike

[Merion_Mom]

And I remembered another suite perk - express room service line.

Details, please.

[Momofshan]

Mustafa was our waiter on our Liberty OTS cruise 5/24 - He was working on and hoping to get the "head waiter" position, I guess he got it!!! Congrats to Mustafa, he was great!!

 

He was our waiter, too, last week at the first seating. He was awesome - we just loved him!! How great for him to make head waiter!

 

Jen

[PVDCruiser]

Details, please.

 

The letter from the concierge had a number for us to call for express room service, that's all I know. We never tried it - we just used the regular breakfast menu.

 

Mustafa was our waiter on our Liberty OTS cruise 5/24 - He was working on and hoping to get the "head waiter" position, I guess he got it!!! Congrats to Mustafa, he was great!!

 

I'm really glad to hear that! I really liked him.

 

And one other comment on dress code. I don't want to start a jeans debate, but the compass specifically said no shorts were allowed - yet people were still allowed in the dining room. RCL just needs to decide if it will enforce the dress code or drop it. If the latter, my packing would be a lot easier.

[Lynndpi]

Dan, great review!

 

Sounds like your overall experience was a little better than ours. We had a problem right after we boarded with Candace wanting to get something at the bar. She is 23 and looks 14. They wanted to see her ID. Not usually a problem but she didn't think she needed it since her card was not punched (for the under 21 crowd). I asked for a supervisor to explain and said that I was concerned her ID may get lost if she has to take it with her everywhere. The explained that the ID is needed because people can change sea passes and allow minors to purchase alcohol. I understand their point. My big gripe was that the bartenders were so rude. All they had to do was explain the situation and we would have been okay. By the way, she lost her license--glad she didn't take her passport (we think the wind took it overboard with another person's sea pass)

 

Our dinner service was slow also. The servers were all very nice--just a little slow. I suggest RCI hire a few more people in all areas of the ship.

 

Room steward, Joseph, was nice too. However, as platinum members we were to have robes in our room and we have always received some token gift. Dennis finally saw him and asked for a robe and we never received the gift. Not that I really wanted one, or need it for that matter. It is just a principle thing at this point. He was wonderful for placing another bottle of champagne in my room when he accidentally spilled a glass we had in the fridge. We didn't need the bottle and thanked him for the offer. (Just the offer made up for the rest.) My kids on the other hand had hats delivered but they never saw robes either.

 

Ship seems a little crowded--especially at dinner and they need more elevators. I usually take stairs but my knee just couldn't take it by dinner time.

 

I think your mom and I had the same experience booking our next trips--not so hot. They need some people in there that have lots of experience. Then again, they probably figured I knew what I was doing by this point. I've just never sailed Alaska and didn't have all the facts before I booked. My fabulous TA will fix it all for me though!