A Dream Come True by
Joy F from Howard Beach, NY
Sailing date: Jul 2008 Pros:
Everything
Cons:
Getting lost
This was my first cruise. I was afraid to go on a cruise & I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that my cousins insisted that we take a cruise. We were seven girl cousins ages, 40-65, (one cousin could not go at the last minute). We were the Cruzin Cuzins of different ages. I did not get seasick or bored which was my greatest fear. We did take the excursions at each port. The Cozumel excursion was ok and we did shop around after the tour. The Grand Caymans were beautiful and shopping was fun what can I say about Ocho Rios. You do have to be careful in Jamaica. We stayed on the tour and then went back to the ship. I would definitely tell you to take one of the excursions at each port it is nice to see how other people live. On a whole we LOVED, LOVED this cruise. If you can definitely go on the Liberty Ship. It is a wonderful ship to cruise on.
Ship Quality The ship is extremely clean, the decor is beautiful. I do wish there would be signs directing you to the dining room. We always got lost. It took us five days to figure out where to go, not to smart on our part, LOL.
Dining/Food We ate in the Silver Olympia dinning room for the 8:15 sitting. We had an ocean view table. Our server could not be any better. She was full of personality. The busboy was just as wonderful. We food was delicious; the choices were great and plenty of it. We did give both servers extra big tips they were both worth every penny.
Stateroom Quality Our staterooms were huge, very clean and plenty of room for clothes. Even the bathroom was big. In addition, the beds were extremely comfortable, the covers were great to cuddle into and the pillows were comfortable. We had four staterooms with balconies. It is worth every penny to have a balcony. The steward opened the partition for us so we were able to have one big balcony and we were able to go to each other rooms very easily.
Ship Staff Quality Staff was always willing to help. I have a walker which started to full apart. Our steward called maintenance and in no time at all my walker was fixed.
Entertainment & Activities The entertainment was good. On our last night they had amateur night and we could have skipped that. Otherwise we enjoyed the shows every night.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Beware Jamacia! by
Ted R. from Camdenton, MO
Sailing date: Nov 2007 Pros:
Cruising
Cons:
Ports of Call
The cruise ship and staff were wonderful. Highly recommend. First cruise ever and was skeptical but exceeded my expectations and would do again. Ports of call too rushed but I understand. Atlantis in Bahamas was ok but kind of hokie. Should have gone out on our own. Jamacia is a disaster. Forget the snorkel and dive with the dolphins - total ripoff. Snorkeling comprised of going in a pool area with nothing to see, even the people that took us said it was a joke. Save your money. Falls were ok but afterwards you have to exit through a vendor gauntlet where they grab you and try to make you buy something. Very sad. Skip Jamacia and stay on the boat if you go there.
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Collapse List of Ports
Nassau, Bahamas Atlantis tour hokie.
Ocho Rios, Jamaica See previous comments. Dolphin and snorkel total ripoff. Filled out a complaint with the manager who didn't give it to the ship. Cost my wife and I $100+ and mgt at the place was rude when we and the rest of our group complained. Falls a vendor nightmare, people grabbing at you wanting money.
Don't Miss: Miss this port.
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Loveable Liberty by
Regina K. from Cleveland, Ohio
Sailing date: Jun 2007 Pros:
The port of calls
Cons:
2 days of rain
This was overall a fun 8 days! We really enjoyed Costa Rica and Costa Maya. It was neat to see the Gatun Locks in Panama. Bonita beach is a great place to go in Costa Rica. This is a beautiful island. Overall, shopping is not great in these 3 ports. If you are looking for jewelry, Costa Maya is your best bet.
Ship Quality This is my 9th cruise and by far the Liberty is my favorite ship. I also liked the Victory and Glory but again this is a great ship. It is very clean and the layout is pretty much like every other ship although a little longer and a few more bars. The decor is a little odd. The paparazzi bar is kind of neat.
Dining/Food Our servers, Dante and Tomyslav were the best we have had in years. They worked very hard to get us everything we needed. They remembered what we liked by the second night. The melting chocolate cake is a great eat.
Stateroom Quality We aren't in our room much, but I think the bathrooms should be bigger. But, the size doesn't bother me. My parents had a balcony in the back of the ship. This was very spacious.
Ship Staff Quality Everyone on this ship is always smiling and happy to be at work. It makes it a pleasant experience.
Entertainment & Activities We went to a comedy show one night which was pretty funny. We mostly gambled. However, our friends took advantage of the activities (ie triva and bean bag toss) they enjoyed them.
Collapse List of Ports
Costa Maya, Mexico It was raining this day but, I have been here before. We drank mostly because of the weather. When I was here a few years ago, the pool is fun w/ swim up bar.
Don't Miss: Giant Pool
Colon, Panama It was cloudy and rainy here as well. The shopping was not the best. All excursions were booked and I highly recommend booking one. There isn't much to do here. The canal is neat to see.
Don't Miss: Gatun Locks
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica The weather was great here. The beach is fun with large waves. Overall, this is a beautiful island, I would like to visit again.
Don't Miss: Bonita Beach
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Carnival Disappointment by
Neal E from Akron, OH
Sailing date: May 2007 Pros:
Reasonable cost
Cons:
Poor and slow service, rude maitre d', zombie staff, boring decor, terrible ship layout
I have cruised 29 times over 12 years on a few different lines, including 8 cruises on Carnival. I realize Carnival is not the most upscale line out there and my expectations were adjusted downward accordingly. Nevertheless, my six-day cruise on Carnival Liberty set a new low. The bad experiences started even before embarkation, when the airport greeters seemed clueless about getting us to the ship. It took 3 hours to go from the airport at Ft. Lauderdale to the dock, a 10-minute drive. Onboard the service was slow and performed by people so disaffected and downtrodden I'd liken them to zombies. Even the captain seemed comatose in his mumbled announcements. Two exceptions to this crew-wide emotional pallor were the cruise director and the senior maitre d'. Both managed to have personalities, but, alas, unpleasant ones. Rude actually, on more than one occasion. But, in fairness to the crew, they had to work on one of the most boring of Carnivals famously-garish decors afloat. The flower and squiggle motif was downright sickening and was made worse by a ship's layout that made a very large vessel feel stranglingly small! I knew what to expect (or, rather what NOT to expect) from a Carnival cruise. This cruise was not even up to Carnival's low standards. I won't be on another Carnival ship again.
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Costa Maya, Mexico Lots of Mayan ruins and cheap trinket shopping
Don't Miss: Mayan ruins
Freeport, Grand Bahama Island Nicer than Nassau, I'll say that much for it.
Don't Miss: Lots of unspoiled places still
George Town, Grand Cayman Very clean and friendly, but way too expensive.
Don't Miss: 7 Mile Beach, which is actually something like 2 miles long
2 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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What an awesome time! by
Todd S from Wilmington, NC
Sailing date: Jan 2007 Pros:
Always something to do, fun for everyone
Cons:
The time went way too quickly!!
This was my second cruise, (my first with Carnival) and I was very impressed with the entire experience. The Liberty can accomodate MANY people, however, the layout has everyone spread out so much that we never really felt crowded. OK, so there may be a little wait for an elevator just after a show lets out, and there may be a line to board the ship, but those are the only times I can remember waiting in line.
Whoever designed the Liberty put a lot of thought into the architecture. The bars all had a different theme, you are never too far from food, drink, or a pool, and it is overall a beautiful ship.
The entire staff were very friendly. Although the majority come from MANY different foreign countries, they all speak English very well, and seem eager to want to accomodate you. Their motto was to "Exceed your expectations." The cruise director will let you know that if they "Met" your expectations, that this is a failing grade for them.
They all seem to make a base salary of $75 per month, and rely on the tips, which are customary and expected, not to mention they work hard for. Handling these tips is simplified by Carnival by adding them to your account. You can adjust the amount up or down depending on the level of service you feel you received.
There was also a high level of cleanliness throughout, with so many people on board, the threat of bugs and viruses are not taken lightly.
Ship Quality
Dining/Food Food is available 24 hours. The formal dining quality was excellent, with a very good selection and variety. The breakfast and lunch buffets had a good variety of food from day to day.
I was a little disappointed in the price of the drinks, even beers. In my opinion, juices and sodas should be included, period. They aren't, and for this, I HIGHLY recommend buying the "Fountain Fun Card." The price seems a bit steep at first, but if you drink a lot of sodas and juices, it's well worth it. You just show it when you're ordering a drink and it's free. (not good for room service)
Stateroom Quality Staterooms are always smaller than they look in the pictures, but then, who cares? I mean, if you're booking a cruise because you want a big room, you shouldn't be booking a cruise. I booked an inside stateroom because of price, and it's location in the ship (close to middle and center of gravity to avoid any possible excessive motion that might be felt forward or aft.) Pros: gentle ride, nice and dark (no sun to wake you in case you like to sleep in). Cons: Can't see outside, but that's what the upper decks are for.
I took too many clothes, but there was still plenty of closet and drawer space, plenty of room under beds to store empty suitcases, beds were VERY comfortable, bathroom was compact, but had everything I needed. They provide a hair dryer, shampoo, soap, towels, etc. The steward cleans the room twice a day, so you get fresh towels (both for bathroom and pool/beach), and fresh robes if you use them.
Ship Staff Quality Everyone is friendly and smiling, they seem to genuinely care that you're having a good time.
Entertainment & Activities Great shows, excursions, and activities throughout the entire trip, and for everyone no matter what your lifestyle. They are serious when they call them "Fun" ships. There are several activity directors providing a variety of fun activities.
Children's Programs Plenty of activities for all ages of children
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Costa Maya, Mexico OK, what happened to Mexico? I was very disappointed to see cheap junk being peddled for what seemed like too much money. This wasn't the case years ago. Although the ship will suggest that Costa Maya is the place to shop, I recommend an excursion. There are NO deals there. Example: Jewelry, why would you want to buy jewelry in Mexico? You'll get a better deal at home. For example, I've been pricing an 18K necklace, and so far have found a good deal in Nassau for about $380. A comparable necklace in Costa Maya had a price tag of $1280!!! Tequilla was way overpriced, as well as perfumes and sunglasses (Maui Jim sunglasses sold on the ship for $199, in Costa Maya for $225, and at Costco back home for $125.) Just to give you an idea.
There was an excursion to a private beach for around $40 that I wish I had taken. It included drinks and meal, non-motorized watercraft, nice beach, etc. I will do this next time.
Colon, Panama Opted not to sign up for a ship sponsored tour, but rather found an independant tour operator in front of the shops. There are SEVERAL. You WILL get HOUNDED by tour operators who will take you to the Panama Canal. This got old. We approached one who was off to the side, not hounding us for business. We were nervous (as were several others) that we'd get taken for a ride. We were pleasantly surprised, this guy took 4 of us in a mini-van for $15 each (We negotiated it down to $50 total) to the Gatun Locks, then to a hotel with a beautiful garden, then to a small animal sanctuary where you can see a variety of animals that were injured and are healing. The Panama Canal will cost an additional $5/person, and the guy at the animal place (which is in a residential neighborhood) will ask for a small donation for food for the animals. (we gave him $5.)
So, for a grand total of $75, four of us saw pretty much the same tour that Carnival would have charged much more.
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica Dangerous to go venture out of the "protected" area, BE CAREFUL. Highly recommend an excursion. We chose the Canopy tour and had a blast.
Don't Miss: Canopy Tour
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Nice cruise, but by
John L from Merritt Island, Fl
Sailing date: Jan 2007 Pros:
Spacious cabin, well aboe the norm
Cons:
Screeching selection of music played constantly and loud on loudspeakers in most public rooms. At least 50% of passengers were senior ckitizens who do not appreciate this type of music, but it played from early morning on.
We are in our 70s and veterans of 93 cruises and loved them all i ncluding this one, but the entertainment is leaning more and more towards yiounger generations, and perhaps rightfully so, but one show in particular, "Rocking on Broadway" was so loud and lewd, we left in the middle.
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Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
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4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Good value for the money by
Janice K from Doylestown, OH
Sailing date: Sep 2006 Pros:
The itinerary
Cons:
Lack of quality entertainment
The ship was easily accessible to all areas. It felt like a smaller ship because of the layout. The staterooms were large enough to move around. The big screen TV on deck was great! The staff worked overtime to provide services.
Ship Quality For such a big ship, the layout was excellent for getting around. The ship was clean and well-maintained. The decorating was gaudy to say the least! Blinking lights were annoying and not classy at all. The public restrooms were entirely too small. One disco area of the ship was always empty and I can understand why. The place was freaky, with large psychedelic hands and feet as poles in the room.
Dining/Food The dining room food was excellent and the wait staff was very attentive. There was no wine steward. The food at the buffet not good. If you were ready to eat when the hamburgers were being made on the grill you were lucky because that was the best food in casual setting. The fish and chips station was also a plus.
Stateroom Quality Rooms were a good size so you can move about easily. The bathrooms were bigger than most. Rooms on the Lido deck are perfect for getting around the ship easily, being close to the pool deck, the big screen TV, the food and the elevators. The cabin steward was excellent.
Ship Staff Quality The ship staff were terrific. They worked overtime to provide services. The only problem is that they worked too hard. There were not enough of them to service all the guests! I don't fault them but Carnival for not having more staff.
Entertainment & Activities There were only three shows with the Carnival dancers over a 12-day cruise and these people were the only high-quality entertainment onboard. The "fastest juggler in the world" was so fast that his act lasted all of 10 minutes. The balancing act did the same trick over and over. The contortionist balanced on boards for twenty minutes. There were some nights with nothing to do but watch a movie or go to a lounge. The entertainers in the lounge areas were very good.
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Wonderful 12 Nite Mediterranean Cruise!! by
Steph M. from Andover, NJ
Sailing date: Jul 2006 Pros:
The Ports of Call
Cons:
The price of internet service - extremely expensive
The Carnival Liberty was a wonderful ship. All of the public rooms that we visited were very clean and there was always a crew member to greet you and to ask if you required assistance. From the minute we stepped onto the boat it felt like home. We had an inside stateroom and never felt closed in...compared to The Vision of the Seas, Royal Caribbean where the inside cabin felt very closed in and uninviting. On the Liberty there was more than enough closet space, which included shelves and to our surprise a thick terry bathrobe for each of us! There were drawers and a desk as well and of course the in room safe for our passports, etc. Room service was very quick to deliver and the food on the ship was wonderful no matter where we decided to eat. We chose the late seating and were a little disappointed by the actual time of dinner on most nights, not beginning until 8:30 or on some nights 8:45pm, which just seemed too late. On the brighter side the dining room staff were wonderful and would offer suggestions if asked. Our servers were extremely friendly and even performed a magic show at our table one night!! We also had the opportunity to eat at Emile's on the lido deck not only for lunch but for dinner on a few nights that our seating was just too late for us and the food there was just as wonderful as in the main dining room. There was always a pasta station, for both lunch and dinner as well as an international area that changed almost daily. They also offered a deli counter where you could get sandwiches. The Grill by the pool offered not only burgers and hotdogs but chicken and steak sandwiches as well!! There was never a lack of good food!!! Not to mention that the pizza station on the lido deck was open 24 hours a day along with room service! As for entertainment on the ship, our favorite place to be in the evening was the Piano Bar! The same people would hang out there and we all got to know each other, including the "Piano Man", he was wonderful!! I loved the ports of call, especially Croatia, Venice and Sicily! We took some excursions and all but one in Florence ran very well, however a bit pricey but I guess that all excursions are. Just a quick tip...if you order a soda in pretty much any of the ports of call expect to pay around 5 Euros...we ate lunch in Venice and out of a 45 Euro bill just about half was for soda!!! there are no free refills in Europe!!! The cruise director was wonderful and there was plenty of activities on board to keep everyone satisfied! We had the most fun at the Guest Talent Show where the cruise director did a "bedtime story" where he chose guests from the audience...I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I was literally crying!! The one aspect of the cruise that was a little disappointing was the cost of the internet service. The packages ran at $.75 per minute if you didn't purchase a package and the packages were 100 minutes for $55 and 250 for $100. A bit costly seeing that we got 24 hours of service in Rome for $20! The last thing that I wanted to mention was that the disembarkation was amazing! Unlike the Vision of the Seas that we were on last year, you didn't have to be sent to one room with everyone. They gave you an envelope that listed the approximate time that your number would be called to get off of the boat. If the time wasn't listed after your number on the envelope, all you had to do was contact the Purser's desk and they would tell you. It made disembarkation much nicer because you could stay in your room longer and then go have a nice breakfast without feeling rushed and there were no real crowds anywhere. It was handled the best on the Liberty and I've been on three other cruise lines!! I truly give the Carnival Liberty my absolute best review and I can't wait to get on their new ship the Freedom!!! I would recommend this trip to everyone and just to let you know, there were alot of happy children on board!
Ship Quality One thing I didn't like about the layout was not being able to cross through decks 3 and 4 where the diningrooms were located. I thought they should have some way to go from end to end on those decks.
Dining/Food The late seating in the Silver Olympic Dining Room was a little too late at 8:30pm and on some nights 8:45pm. I think that a good time would have been no later than 8pm.
Stateroom Quality This was the third time I've had an inside stateroom and this was far above any other that I've had. It felt much larger and had more than enough storage space as well as a thick terry robe for each of us. An unexpected surprise!
Ship Staff Quality Everyone was very helpful and friendly. If you asked for something, it was there! By the middle of the week the diningroom staff would anticipate what you wanted or needed...they were exceptional!!
Entertainment & Activities Everyone on the ship was wonderful but the Piano Bar was my favorite place to be in the evening! The "Piano Man" plays wonderfully and sings great too! I even bought his CD! Everyone was singing and it was just the best experience!!
Collapse List of Ports
Barcelona, Spain It was a city like every other. The petty crime here was high, so be sure to hold onto your purse and watch your pockets. My husband liked it and the unfinished Cathedral, but I was unimpressed. I guess living so close to NYC, it just didn't compare.
Dubrovnik, Croatia The most beautiful city on the tour! The walled old city is just beautiful and a step back in time!! It was one of my favorite stops, quite possibly my favorite!
Don't Miss: Don't miss the walk on the wall...definately worth all of the steps!!
Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy I'm glad that we stopped in Pisa, the shopping was amazing and this is the place to do it all! It's not a place to spend alot of time but worth the stop! Florence was very pretty and the Palace was beautiful! We had lunch in Florence and the food was great!!
Don't Miss: See the Leaning Tower, it's a must if you're there!
Naples, Italy We visited a Cameo factory and saw a demonstration which was interesting, however I felt the prices were high and you can find Cameo's at a more reasonalbe price elsewhere in Italy. I found mine at the Vatican of all places!
Don't Miss: Visit one of the ancient cities, either is wonderful and worth the trip!!
Messina, Sicily You have to go see Taromina (I'm not sure if I spelled it correclty!). The ride there has amazing views and then once you hit the city...spectacular! You have to go see the Greek Theater, the views from the top are just beautiul! This is the last of my favorites...definately worth the trip!!
Don't Miss: Taromina (?)...you have to take a trip there and then try the Cannoli's - it's supposed to be the birthplace of that wonderful Italian treat and it doesn't disappoint!
Venice, Italy I loved Venice. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. We walked all over and around every corner is a discovery! Just beautiful, I'd love to go back. It's a place that you will never get tired of! Also one of my favorites!
Don't Miss: You have to do a Gondola ride - we weren't going to and then were so happy that we did. A whole new perspective on the city! Just amazing!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Beautiful Ship by
Tiffany W from Knoxville,TN
Sailing date: Jan 2006 Pros:
I loved the decor.
Cons:
This ship is very large, but there are also ALOT of people.
I was on this ship in January of this year, (2006). It was a beautiful ship. The lighting was especially unique. There are lights all over the ship that change colors. It has that Venecian type feel. This was my second cruise with Carnival. I have also been on Carnival's "Elation". The Elation was not quite as large, but there were far less people. I enjoyed the cruise, but the lines were very annoying. If you do not mind crowds, you will LOVE this ship. If you want a more private, less crowded experience, try going on a smaller boat with less people. I would highly recommend any Carnival cruise, but liked the Elation more. I am looking at cruising on the "Legend" for my next trip. This is their newest ship, so it was very clean and new looking. I love not having to worry about anything on a cruise.
Ship Quality Everything was beautiful, but again, too crowded.
Dining/Food The food was excellent. There are many different buffets to choose from. You have 24 hour pizza and a deli for sandwiches too.
Stateroom Quality The stateroom was nice, but I liked the layout of the stateroom in the Elation better.
Ship Staff Quality Everyone was nice. That seems to be a common thing on Carnival ships.
Entertainment & Activities I love their Vegas style shows. There is also a band that plays in "The Stage" that is awesome! There is ALWAYS something to do on a cruise!
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