Better late than never.... Liberty Thanksgiving Review 11/20-11/27/2016

Well I was excited for our first review on Cruise Critic. Since we booked this cruise so far in advance, I loved reading the many helpful LOS reviews on CC ahead of our departure. But life post-cruise has been more than a little hectic, and it’s taken a while to finish this and pull photos together. Hope this review is a little helpful for anyone planning or looking forward to an upcoming cruise on LOS!

We were a party of six – me and DH in our mid-40s and teen boys (14 & 17) who traveled out of Texas with my husband’s parents for a 7-night western Caribbean tour on Liberty of the Seas for Thanksgiving. We did one other Thanksgiving cruise back in 2011 on Mariner of the Seas and had a great time…but trying to figure out some of the ins and outs of cruising before you step on the ship can be overwhelming! This year, we had time to prepare, so here’s a little travel guide for LOS.

Galveston

So we live about an hour and a half north of Galveston, and drove down the morning of our cruise. We used Galveston Park-N-Cruise again, since it is just across from the terminal and has both outdoor and indoor parking. Last time we parked and walked bags over (know where the crosswalk is – Texas drivers are not keen on slowing down!) but decided to drop off curbside since the new terminal is a bit farther to walk. It’s a little tricky to get to, but thanks to many CC suggestions, we stayed on I45 South and did NOT take the terminal exit, but continued on Broadway into Galveston. Turn left on 22nd street and drive towards the terminal, crossing over Harborside. It looks confusing…you essentially drive up to the restaurant and go left, following signs toward Terminal 2. Note: When you get to the terminal itself, do NOT stay to the right…that is for pick-up only. Stay to the left of the middle curb where the porters are to drop off luggage; we unloaded and left the kids and in-laws, and drove back to Harborside, taking a left towards 25th Street (Kempter). Take a right on Kempter; VIP parking is the building on the corner. Park N Cruise is the next immediate right into the alley way.

In the photo you can see Harborside in front of the terminal -- Park N Cruise is the first alleyway behind VIP parking.

Terminal

LOS came into Galveston last year a lot larger than any previous ship…to an incomplete terminal to handle her size. Now that the terminal is up and running, how good has the upgrade been? We actually arrived at the port at about 10am; our boarding time had been moved until 10:30. It was an easy process to check-in, although some of the greeting staff at the terminal were rather abrasive. The upstairs lounge was comfy, with groups organized by C&A level to facilitate boarding. Our time was pushed back until 11, and we were onboard and in the Windjammer by 11:30. I was glad we came early (and boarded a bit sooner with our gold status), because the WJ got crowded FAST.

Booking

We booked through one of the big box stores, and found the process very easy. We had three cabins (for the same price as two through my in-law’s TA!) and got decent OBC ($165 per cabin) plus a specialty dinner, lunch at JR, and soda packages for all. There was also a group welcome reception. Note: As an extra perk, free rice crispy treats were part of our package…very thoughtful, but diabetes on a stick sweet. And we got a 4-pack of cupcakes delivered per cabin; red velvet and delicious! The cake decorating class was also included but never happened…more on that later.

Boarding

We boarded on level 4 by the Schooner Bar. Again, the advantage to going early was…no wait for an elevator and quick exit to the WJ. And I could stop at Chops to make reservations for Friday.

Rooms

We had D3 Superior OV balcony cabins (8364, 8366, 8368). Originally we were going to get 2 balcony cabins and an interior for the 2 boys. (It was great having everyone in a cabin when they were 10 and 13…but at 14 and 17 they just take up too much space!!!) With what I am guessing is their group rate buying power, all 3 balcony cabins were less than the original quote for just 2 balconies from my in-laws TA. (And it was $400 difference between the interior room and the balcony with the group rate.) It was a no brainer, especially with the OBC and perks added.

Information waiting for us on our package

Lots of closet space

Good sized room

We prefer mid-ship, but were close enough to elevators and a straight shot up to the windjammer, teen clubs and sports decks. We asked to open up the balcony dividers, which was done first day. Note: hammocks are a waste of space if you don’t have extra-long cords or straps!)

Rooms were good – I agree they are showing their age a bit, but decent size and lots of storage between drawers and the ample closet. Lots of room under the bed to store our full-sized luggage. The balcony was a cozy, but again having all three open was a real treat and like a personal “super balcony.” Only bad note was the AC was luke-warm at best – my guess is that half of our floor left balconies open, and we just could not keep the room very cool.

Not so good…

• My in-laws cabin got “missed” in the mad rush of turnover, and the bathroom was not fully cleaned. My MIL always anti-bac wipes the whole cabin, and was a bit horrified. The other two cabins were fine, though, and the room steward (Gladia) and two other housekeepers actually came through and double-checked that nothing had been missed. No big deal. And we felt very well taken care of through the week – rooms were well attended, and we always had ice in the bucket, wine glasses and our first toel monkey. Thanks, Gladia!

• We missed our 230 roll-call gathering in the Schooner Bar; the hubby was concerned about luggage, since the rest of our section had received it. The steward called her supervisor and he tracked it down quickly; it mysteriously showed up in the staff stairwell and we went and retrieved it. I think we had everything by 4pm…. I’ve heard people have to wait a lot longer so again, no issue.

• However, dinner reservations were a different story. So, this was the start of several disconnects between LOS and RCI. There was an attitude of “Well, sorry…we can’t accommodate. Too bad for you…” that extended through some of the crew that I found surprising. It was a Thanksgiving cruise, with TONS of kids and a rather high maintenance crowd….so I think some people were a little overwhelmed. But I had linked all of our reservations on the cruise planner before we left, AND sent a note to RCI requesting all three cabins be linked. When we showed up at 530 the first night, they had a table for 2 reserved. “Sorry.” Me: But I have the print outs. “Sorry – you should have confirmed when you boarded.” Me: But I have the print out and the email showing that everything was linked. “Well, it’s Thanksgiving week, and there’s nothing we can do for you.” But it’s My Time dining. “Sorry.” So when CAN we get reservations? “We can accommodate you at 8pm.” Fine…put us down for 8pm. So all dressed up for dinner and hungry, we caved and went to the Windjammer – again – and then cancelled MDR. The next night, we go back at 515 to see if we can get a couple of two tops, or something to get in earlier. Same woman… ”Sorry.” My husband literally walks to the next woman, explains the situation…and low and behold, we get a 6 top. Liz Diaz – thank you for providing exceptional service. For the rest of the cruise, she made sure we had seating.

• Meet & Mingle

Another disconnect…we couldn’t find any information on the M&M. At ALL. Nothing in the cabin (and yes I looked through all of the paperwork) and when I called Olive and Twist at 10am they told me they had nothing on their schedule for day 2. Guest services had no idea what we were talking about. So we show up for our roll call’s Poker Run (graciously organized by Dhaden and his lovely wife), and they ask if we had heard about the M&M…which apparently happened at 1030 that morning. Half of us had never received a note, and the other half got a note welcoming them to the June 21st (?) M&M. Sloppy, and the same issue that seems to be happening frequently on LOS. If it’s that hard to get the information out on time, push the date back…but don’t neglect your regular customers. Dhaden said he would be stopping by Guest Services to see if they would do another M&M but we never heard anything so I am guessing that was a no go, too. (Poker runs BTW are lots of fun…we enjoyed visiting all of the bars and trying some delicious new drinks.)

• Not bad, just a little…weird. So the package for cruisers through the “big warehouse that can’t be named” had some nice perks…we got an info sheet with coupons for our specialty meal, JR meal, free ice cream, cupcake class (*), and the reception with details (430pm in the Olive or Twist on Monday). We got there a bit early to enjoy the view, and they posted signs that it was a private reception. Got to watch a group of diamond plus members get very unhappy that they couldn’t sit in the lounge, but the officer in charge did his best to accommodate and make everyone happy. The reception started and they brought drinks (rum punch and wine, but you could order whatever you wanted). And…that was it. No explanation or incentive to book another cruise or anything. Don’t get me wrong…. the waiters were wonderful and the drinks were flowing for an hour. But I’d think [insert group name] would want someone there to say something brief and encourage everyone to book another cruise…. we certainly would.

• Cupcake class: This was included in the list of perks, and I think cost around $18-20 pp. When we stopped to make reservations, they were full. And they had no plans to add more classes, since they were booked solid all week (all those crazy multi-generational families bonding, I guess!) Could we get a cupcake, since we can’t get into a class? “Nope, you can say something to your travel agent, but there’s nothing I can do.” We weren’t suffering for cupcakes, and my teenage boys weren’t exactly chomping at the bit to take on pastry decorating…but I would have been bummed if we had small kids. Just wasn’t handled well.

Cozumel – so are all of the Nachi Cocom rave reviews true? Our ship arrived early, and we were off and on the pier by 830. (We had moved our clocks an hour ahead to ship time the night before.) We really wanted to snorkel, so thought we’d check on excursion spots when we arrived. (Since we were one of the first ships in port, odds seemed good). The international port has lots of signage, and finding a taxi was easy, although the prices have bumped up just a bit.

Nachi was an easy 15 minutes down the road, and we passed Mr. Sanchos and other clubs along the way, finally turning into a long, gated drive lined with trees. We arrived just before 9 and were greeted and took the obligatory Nachi photo, which in hindsight I really wish we had purchased. The facility is well laid out with the large palupa/seating area/bar at the front next to the pool, and rows of small palupas and chairs in front and to the right. We paid the bill (in cash – make sure you take your confirmation!), and our waiter led us to the first row of covered chairs and got us all settled…and drinks right away.

The snorkel sales guy came around shortly after, and we were the ONLY ones on the early morning snorkel, so it was great. We came to Cozumel back in the 1990’s after the Peace Corps, and I still remember how vibrant and beautiful the coral was…. what a difference. Everything looked bleached and pale, although there was still an abundance of sea life and we even got to see an eagle ray and some barracudas. Watch out for tiny jelly fish -- I would snorkel with a rash guard next time. Luis and the skipper on the dive boat were very friendly and the tour was worth it; we never felt rushed, and Luis seemed to enjoy pointing things out for us to see. And we managed to beat the crowds; the captain would watch for other boat traffic and drift along in front of us so we could explore and not fight the current to get back. We stopped at Palancar and one other reef, and both times we would just be finishing up when other boats would start arriving. Great way to spend the morning.

When we came back, our waiter was super-fast and friendly – we never had a long wait for food or drink. The Dirty Monkey wasn’t bad, but I stuck with rum punch for most of the afternoon. The pool was large and clean, but a little too cool for me, and the same people lived in the hot tub for the day.

We’ve seen Nachi complaints about the beach and sand. Yes, there is seaweed, but it was raked the day we were there. Yes, the sand is deep, and there is a drop when you enter the water. But even the little kids at the beach that day seemed to not mind.

As for the food, we had chips and guacamole, shrimp and beef tacos…delicious. (I also was the only one in the group who tried the seafood soup…yum!) Huge portions and we were stuffed. My heartfelt thanks to whoever suggested coconut ice cream with a shot of Kahlua (order a double shot!)…perfect way to end the day.

Nachi vs. Mr. Sanchos: Every single person in our group mentioned the fact that Nachi was so low key and relaxing, and far from crowded even with 7 ships in port. Mr. Sanchos was rocking, had lots of water toys, and looked like a blast…but for us, being able to kick back in a hammock and do little to nothing was what we wanted. My son and I did snorkel from the beach; there was a little rock formation with some crabs and tiny fish just off shore. But it was for fun, not really to snorkel. On a side note, the kayaks and paddleboards are for rent, NOT for free….although we did get a free ride because it took the poor guy on the beach a good 20 minutes of yelling to get our attention. Did not feel like paying an extra $15 per kayak for an hour, though!

All aboard was 330, so my husband wanted to leave at 130 to have some extra time to shop. The waiter called our taxi and it took us maybe 20 minutes to get back to the pier…we were actually on board by 300, and it only took that long because of the return line. I actually am not a huge fan of port shopping – for Cozumel, the city center is worth the drive for food and interesting items to buy. But we did snag some vanilla.

When we returned to the ship, my oldest son did talk me into hitting the slides. So much fun!!! The racers were awesome; the green one is faster, but both were easy and fun. The boomerang…well, let’s just say a 17-year-old and his chubby mother certainly can build up some velocity and speed, because the first hill was a doozy and my toes darn near touched the top when we boomeranged up. I am so glad we did it, because we didn’t really use the slides the rest of the trip.

Cayman – ship excursion with National Geographic. I am dubious of excursions with names attached, but this one had decent reviews, and we knew anything involving the rays would be insane. Snorkeling is one of the things we love, and this trip offered a couple of interesting stops. Of course, between booking it and taking it, the name and descriptor changed…from an NG excursion to “Well, at least we use NG equipment!” Riiiiiiight. We had pre-booked online, so were surprised we were in a 230 slot. (With port arrival at 9am and all-aboard at 430, that was cruddy timing.) Luckily, there were 4 spots in the earlier slot so we jumped on them. (On a side note, if you change anything check your bill! We were charged $5 each over the price listed in the excursion guide; getting the money refunded from GS was easy, but had I not checked we would have easily overlooked $20…which paid for most of a bucket of beer.)

Tendering wasn’t too painful; the RCI crew did a nice job of separating groups in the platinum theater pre-boarding, and the tender ride was quick. We were shocked that we made it to Cayman, since the weather was windy and the waves were rolling. We staged with a few hundred of our new friends under the “giant blue tarp” described on the tickets, and stood for about 45 minutes filling out paperwork and waiting for everyone to assemble.

After a quick walk to Cayman Divers, all fifty in our group hopped on their new boat for the 20-minute ride to the Kittiwake, a retired US naval vessel sunk in the marine park to create an artificial reef. On a side note, we don’t have many pictures of Cayman because…our camera broke. If you think spending the extra money for an underwater camera isn’t worth it, remember that you may not get back to these places for a loooong time. Invest in a camera or a GoPro…you can’t replace the memories.

It’s never fun to swim in a “school” of people for long, though…after 40-minutes, we were ready to head to hamburger reef (dubiously dubbed after the islands first burger joint) near the port. Cayman really has some decent spots close to shore to dive, and we saw tons of fish and other sea life here. The dive guides were helpful and approachable, and it was a good excursion overall.

On the crew’s recommendation, we went to Rackam’s for a quick lunch with great food (coconut shrimp and conch fritters – favorites of the trip!) and some White Tip beer. Could have stayed there all afternoon! We noticed some kids swimming and my oldest jumped in to cavort with the cow-like giant tarpons in the water. On the way back to the ship, we did a bit of shopping. Try the rum cakes….good grief, they are delicious!

Jamaica – I know, there’s Dunn river falls and the Blue Hole and the Zip Lines and the coaster…. but we picked THE SHIP!!! Who could resist the temptation to have the ship ALL to ourselves for the morning? Alas, our plans for slide domination were ruined by bad weather and our ship by-passed Jamaica altogether, so we didn’t even try to go near the slides or mini-golf that day. We were really bummed to miss the stop, though.

Well enough for tonight...so TBC...

Enjoying your review.

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Excellent photos, missing Nachi very much right now.:)

Sounds like I booked my family's February trip thru the same "big box store". We have the same perks coming to us. Did u have to bring any paperwork from ur room to sign up for the specialty dinner or cupcake class? I know you said the cupcake class got filled up, but is it something you could have booked right when you got on the ship or did you need to hand them a voucher?Thanks in advance!

There was a sheet of coupons...we took them whenever we redeemed one of the perks. In Feb I doubt there will be as big a rush but if in doubt book your times and take the coupon when you go to the class. The big box co was wonderful!

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Loving your review! I wonder if my kids were the ones you were talking about at Nachi. We brought our inflatable noodles and were close to the pier side. I have 3 little girls (8, 6 and 4). We love Nachi! :) Next time, I will try the rum punch! ;)

Sounds like I booked my family's February trip thru the same "big box store".

Very happy with the perks and the service -- hope you enjoy them too!

Loving your review! I wonder if my kids were the ones you were talking about at Nachi. We brought our inflatable noodles and were close to the pier side. I have 3 little girls (8, 6 and 4). We love Nachi! :) Next time, I will try the rum punch! ;)

Awwww...glad to hear ya'll had a good time!

Overall, we were pleased with the food and options on-board. We are not foodies and have realistic expectations for an all-you-can-eat floating resort.

The MDR

Make reservations, bring proof…and have a back-up plan. (see earlier post) Beyond that, meals were good, and we looked forward to sitting down in the evenings to talk about the day and relax. Because of our reservation snafu, we had four separate wait staff pairs. The two we remember – Noel and Natashi, and Ishi and her assistant for 2 nights – were both excellent, as was the wait staff the first formal night.

Was the food good? No meals really stand out, but I did like the shrimp gyoza and my son had the sliders every night.

Thanksgiving on-board was a traditional turkey-and-fixings meal, which was not bad. For us, the MDR was just more pleasant than the WJ and it was nice sitting down and chatting for meals.

Now, for lunch? I love MDR lunches. Tutti salads are the best! A big bowl of greens, veggies, marinated eggplant and red pepper, some fresh mozzarella and pita chips, and all chopped together with a little blue cheese. De-lish. Have to admit, the choppers weren’t always the friendliest, and sometimes I felt like entrusting them with sharp instruments was less than wise…. Even if it was a pizza cutter. On Friday they had a sushi bar AND dessert bar in addition. We like to show up early; on sushi day especially, it got CRAZY….the line was out the door.

We only had breakfast in the MDR one day – breakfast takes a long, long time, and after a less than impressive eggs benedict, we realized we could do better upstairs. After that, it was made-to-order omelets in the Windjammer. I am astonished at the amount of bacon a steady stream of Texans can down in a week at breakfast…and we did our best to support the cause.

Finally, “dress-code” in the MDR. On formal nights, we did see a few ladies in full-length gowns (and tiaras!), but most people dressed up like they were going out to a nice steakhouse back home. I have given up on formal night after the guy behind me showed up in a t-shirt and jean shorts with a screaming baby. (His extended family included grandparents and parents formally dressed, and everyone else looking like they were ready for a beach excursion.) I think they need to just have one deck for the truly “formal” formal night revelers…most everyone else seems in vacation mode.

The Windjammer

We had planned breakfasts in the MDR, but that takes a loooong time. The MDR was quick and easy, and the made-to-order veggie omelets with a little salsa and bacon hit the spot. Coffee started OK but got a little rougher as the week went on (and after we missed re-stocking in Jamaica). I also wish there were some raisins and nuts with the oatmeal. Overall it never got too crowded if you stayed away from peak times, and the staff was attentive and helpful.

We only did one dinner here (and a few snacks) – I was bummed they only had sushi for dinner (none for lunch). The Indian dishes and curries were by far my favorites.

Sorrentino’s and the Promenade Café

Regular stops for water, and my sons like the pizza OK. I thought the sandwiches at Sorrentinos were better. When we cruised on Mariner a few years ago, there was a lot of variety in snacks – on this cruise, fewer options and always the same. I guess it’s the push to get you to the Cupcake Cupboard and Ben & Jerry’s.

Giovanni’s / Sabor

We did not have a chance to try either Giovanni’s or Sabor; no one wanted Italian food but me, and we are too spoiled in Houston with great Mexican food. Heard great feedback about both, including the risotto at Giovanni’s, and the guacamole and margaritas at Sabor.

Johnny Rockets (for lunch)

There is nothing more endearing than seeing your horribly embarrassed Chinese waitress trying to dance to disco music…what a trooper! The meal was OK, the fries and onions rings tasty and bottomless, but we only went because it was included – I don’t think I’d pay the upcharge.

Really enjoying your review and photos! :D

We loved Chops, although the evening started out rocky when we called to confirm reservations and were told we had none. Again. (The manager called back and made it all right, so we were glad that went well!)

Can't beat the views, even on a stormy night!

For appetizers, the onion soup and shrimp cocktail were both excellent. Although the bacon had a great flavor and sauce, it was super fatty so a little was all I needed, and I personally would not choose it again.

My husband ordered the up-charge dry-aged porterhouse – all 20 ounces, cooked well-done.

I went with the 6oz filet mignon cooked medium; everyone else had either the petit filet or the NY strip, also med-well to well-done. I have to admit, I think medium-rare is a perfect steak…but it freaks out everyone in the family. :) The medium filet however was tender and delicious. With sides of asparagus, mushrooms, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and truffled fries, I was so happy I stuck with the 6oz cut. Sooooo much food! My husband said he liked the steak, but to do over…he’d do the 6oz filet.

The waiter Vijay was absolutely wonderful – he brought a tiramisu from Giovanni’s for me and went into the galley to retrieve my MILs favorite dessert from the trip, Chocolate Sabotage, as well as the Mud Pie so she could have her chocolate fill.

Great meal, and despite all of the negative reviews on CC, I liked Chops quite a bit.

So, a multi-course specialty meal with gastronomical delights, loooooong wine pours and pairings…AND a night out for just the two of us?!?! Uh, yes, please…. There was a sale pre-cruise for 20% off, so we reserved Chef’s Table for Saturday. (I had wanted to skip formal on Tuesday and go to CT, but my in-laws really wanted to do the first formal night together, and Chops for Friday.)

However, Wednesday post-Cayman, we get the call that our CT did not make numbers…could we make it Thursday? I called back…can we do it that night? Yes! In retrospect, we should have gone Thursday, but had no way of knowing Jamaica would be a bust. So, Yuri squeezed us in for Wednesday, and we went…a bit more exhausted post-snorkeling than we had expected to be!

A special thanks to Foxgoodrich, who was so helpful in sharing her CT experience. And more importantly for sharing the menu – fabulous! -- which was NOT the menu posted on the RCCL website that just looked…meh. (Her mentioning the sommelier with the generous pours also helped…)

The meal was set up on the left of the Windjammer as you entered, and the table was lovely. We had a fun group with lots of talkers, which made life easier for us since we were sooooo tired.

Our Chef (from Jamaica…I can’t remember where I wrote down his name!) came out the explain each course, and the waiter Yuri was attentive, informative and just awesome. He really made the meal so much more enjoyable, and had a great one-liner for everything. The food was delicious (and I agree – the pea soup was surprisingly spectacular); the wine pairings were wonderful and very generous. I wish I had enjoyed more of them, though -- by the time we hit dessert we could barely walk down the hall, we were so full, happy and tired from the day. Only suggestion for Chef’s Table? Don’t do it post-excursion if you have a busy day. :)

Seriously....delicious!

Brandy Flambeed Lobster

Thank widallas! We are doing the chef's table on our navigator sailing in February. Glad to see your review as it is hard to find them for the chef's table. Looks great! So excited. ;)

Btw - how long ago did you take these pics? Wondering if the menu will be similar on our sailing.

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Btw - how long ago did you take these pics? Wondering if the menu will be similar on our sailing.

 

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November 24th...not sure if the menu is the same fleet-wide. They had this menu all around the main dining room and the WJ to promote Chef's Table, so you should be able to see the menu before you go.

BARS

Olive or Twist

Great location at the top of the ship, and perfect for cards and other games. I think a lot of people never even make it to Olive or Twist, and for us it one of our favorite places on RCI ships.

RBar

Second stop on the Poker Run. Getting set up for a mixology class, and wouldn’t serve drinks to anyone in the group….just weird. However, discovered the Chocolate Martini day four. Oh, mama….where have you been all my life? After that, the RBar was my favorite. Can’t remember the bartenders name – he was awesome.

Vintages, Hoof & Claw, Boleros

Stopped here briefly, but did not spend a lot of time in any of these. Coconut mojitos at Boleros were great, and they did have Latin music and dancing most nights. Hoof and Claw was always packed, and probably could have used more space.

Vintages often seemed quiet – don’t think it’s get the usage that they expected.

Schooner Bar

Cozy, and the location for lots of the trivia games, etc. Bartenders were great. And, my kids apparently enjoyed laughing at me during the 80’s woman of rock challenge…apparently, my karaoke flag was flying.

Casino

Smoky…did not stay beyond the obligatory loss of $3 on penny slots.

On Air

Bartenders here were frazzled and cranky – wanted a pina colada and got a bahama mama because they “ran out of mixes”.

Wine Tastings/Pairings, Martini class, Margarita class

I had really wanted to try one of these, and there was always a class, tasting or session going on….maybe next time, since people seemed to keep going back, they must be enjoying them! Hubby wasn’t into it, and those just don’t seem like as much fun solo.

Champagne Brunch/Galley Tour

This was advertised for Saturday, and by then we just weren’t in to going…spent the day lounging and having fierce shuffleboard battles. I heard from some others that it was a fun tour.

Drink Card Vs. Alcohol Package

Between the free-flowing alcohol at the reception, drinks of the day, and the all-inclusive on Tuesday at Cozumel, and plans for Chef’s Table, we chose not to do the drink package. With the package, I think we would have felt compelled to keep drinking all week to “break even” and that would have been hard.

Drinks served for the TA reception in Olive or Twist

We brought 5 bottles of wine (since we had three cabins -- wish we would have brought all 6!) and enjoyed those at dinner; worth bringing your favorites for the trip. Good news for us -- the $69 drink card DID make an appearance on Thursday! Had some extra lava flows, martinis and frozen drinks than I would not have otherwise.

I also bought my husband the $29 beer bucket (for the Cowboys game poolside) and got the awesome RCI cooler – love that it doesn’t leak, and has an opener attached.

I think the non-package route was the best for us, and I still got to try many of the drinks I had always wanted to with the drink card while spending a lot less than package costs. (Our bar tab was only about $320 for the week including the beer bucket and drink card.) But, we would not rule out the package in the future, especially if just me and the hubby cruise.

Teens on LOS

The teen activities were going full-force all week, and my oldest son participated in the scavenger hunt, game night, and a few other activities and had a great time. Surprisingly, my youngest had NO desire to go to the Teen Club; he was burned out post marching band season, I guess, and enjoyed his down time and sleeping in. We did go over a Cruise Contract with the kids outlining our expectations, and they were super mellow for the entire trip – having dinners together and game nights after were really a lot of fun. Communicating was easy between sticky notes, wipe-off board (add heavier-duty magnets, though!) and messages on the phone.

Family Activities

The game room was well used all week; lots of big families enjoyed it for game nights. It was a bummer to have a few teens swearing up a storm with little kids nearby, but when a dad gave them grief they moved on (rolling their eyes, LOL).

I have to say, with as MANY kids as there were on ship, never saw any outrageous behaviors. The only knock-and-run we had was because the kid picked the wrong room number – his sister looked annoyed, he looked mortified, and it was actually quite funny. Not too much loud, obnoxious behavior or running in the halls …expect for the last night and even that was at a minimum. For a Thanksgiving week, I was pleasantly surprised that the ship did not feel packed.

Shows

Let me say, we are not show people…never have done the ice shows or theatre. My in-laws loved In the Air, but we had Chef’s Table that night. We did see Saturday Night Fever – the cast was great and I am amazed at what they did with such a small space.

Trivia

Trivia daily was fun, and I personally loved the 80s rock trivias!

Movies (and football!) by the Pool, and 3D Movies

Lots of movies this week – the kids enjoyed Trolls and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and they also had the Star Wars and Tarzan movies…. quite a variety for the week. We enjoyed watching the Cowboys game, and loved the bag-o-beers deal – 6 long-neck Coronas with the RCI bag (bottle opener attached) for $29. The pool bar was the first place the $69 for 10 drink card showed up on Thursday, when Jamaica fell though. Don’t know if they would have had it otherwise.

Adult Only

Love and Marriage, and the Quest were both a lot of fun to watch….and some people looove attention! Worth going to both at least once. Bar service was good every time we were in the Platinum Theatre. The Quest however was in Studio B – not great service.

Fitness Center

On deck 11 just under the spa, it was a nice area with tons of cardio machines, weight machines, and a room for classes. Steam room and sauna were OK but note there is no secure locker access; leave valuables in the room. Showers were actually awesome here. I will say jogging on a treadmill with waves is a bit of a challenge.

Golf course

Very cute golf course, but so windy every time we tried to play we never did get through an entire game!

Slides

RCI did a nice job with the slides – lots of fun, and the racers are great. The boomerang is a little intimidating (and they DID have a scale to weigh riders for combined weight), but glad we tried it. Lines were longer some days, but thinned out through the week (until Thursday!). No one wanted to try the Flow Rider, but I will say the lines for this were manageable too.

http://vid38.photobucket.com/albums/e143/widallas/IMG_3185_zpst4pogkkk.mp4

Rock Climbing

We never made it to rock climbing, and I don’t recall seeing anyone actually using the wall so no info to share.

Ping Pong & ShuffleBoard

I have to say, these are some of our favorite things to do on-board! Both are free, and hardly anyone uses them. Ping pong is on deck 12. Bring some extra ping-pong balls – they re-stock them periodically, and young boys cannot resist smashing them for some odd reason. There always seem to be paddles. (On a side note, we saw an older Chinese couple have one of the most intense ping-pong matches ever – they were awesome!)

Shuffleboard is on deck 4 on both sides of the deck, and is a fun game to play in teams…while outside, enjoying the weather and the waves.

Pools

The splash pad was always busy, but we agree that there is lots of standing water and it is a bit slippery. (We actually helped up a woman the first day who fell; I don’t think walking in slippery fashion flip-flops is ever a good idea near a pool.) My only complaint was that there were always smokers to one side….what a weird place to put a smoking area, next to the kiddie pool. The Sprinkles soft-serve machine was just…well, a bit of a hot mess at times. ALWAYS a line, and I’d see kids with two and three cones eating half of one, dropping another, etc. Seriously, have a crewmember man the machine on busy cruises….cleaner than letting unsupervised children leave a trail of soft-serve destruction in their wake. But the lines seemed to move fast, and people kept coming back!

The solarium pool was nice, and we used the hot tub a few times. Even with the full ship, we always found seats…but you do need to get there early for prime seating. It was relaxing to have NO KIDS….and there was a deck attendant who politely asked kids to leave the hot tub and pool every time several times when we were there. THANK YOU RCI for allowing us to have a small adult-only section; made life so much more peaceful and pleasant.

November 24th...not sure if the menu is the same fleet-wide. They had this menu all around the main dining room and the WJ to promote Chef's Table, so you should be able to see the menu before you go.

Thank you! We will look out for the menu upon boarding. Great reviews!and tips!

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Thanks for all ur info! Great review!

Decorating for Christmas

They had started to put up decorations through the week, so it was nice to get into the holiday spirit before heading home. It’s so nice for people traveling the whole month of December!

Sales

There always seemed to be someone selling something every 20 feet in the promenade. Didn’t really bother us…we avoid the lines, and can’t blame RCI when so many people seemed to be buying!

With so many large family groups, they made a killing on photos and packages that week. I am SO glad they have gone digital with photos…so much less waste. Overpriced? Yes! We only bough one-photo at $20, with a BOGO 1/2 off as gold members. But again, people were buying, and in droves….

Things to Check Out

Helipad: Take stairs at the front of deck 4 up to deck 5. Wonderful views, but windy!!!

Seating Deck 7 & 8: Great views of the promenade

Library Deck 10: Same – great views and quiet place to sit

Electronic Screens on each deck: Super helpful! Schedule of what was going on that day, menu, directions…used these a lot.

Stairs:

We used the stairs and no elevator all week! (Minus formal night...stairs and heels are a painful combination.) Kept us working out, our post-cruise weight gain was under 3lbs, AND we got to check out all the amazing art all over the ship!

Plus packed elevators were no fun....

Disembarkation

The WJ opened at 6am for breakfast, and after a quick bite to eat we snagged our luggage and had no trouble getting an elevator at 7am. See the attached sheet – we went down with the earlier group and got in line with no issues. It curved all around to the back of the dining room, and spaced people out to make things run smoother. The line stated to moved promptly at 730. We did have a family almost line jump, and let me say it would have been ugly…there was a woman with a scooter who I’m convinced would have run over (and potentially backed over) the entire group. We may or may not have cheered.

We quickly made our way down and into and through Customs. The only aggravation -- we brought 4 bottles of rum back with us, and were almost tackled by the Texas liquor board reps to pay our $3.75 fee per bottle. We hauled our own luggage back to the Park-N-Cruise, which is a longer walk from Terminal 2. Note – lugging grandma and grandpa’s coffin-sized rolling back almost killed my youngest; remember it’s a cruise, and you can take a few smaller pieces of luggage instead of cramming everything into one ginmormous bag.

Also, if you drive a corvette and block the entire street so you and your girlfriend and chihuahua can pick up a high-maintenance friend coming off the cruise, don’t be surprised if people run into your car with their luggage. Hard. Thought we were going to see fists flying in the parking lot, but we managed to make it to the car, and on the road home by 830. (With another obligatory stop at Bucee’s for coffee.) For those unfamiliar with this Texas institution, you need to stop...everyone should visit a bathroom so clean they can use it as an art gallery.

Overall, we had a very nice cruise – it was relaxing, fun and we left with things we’d like to come back and try again. Personal highlights include the super balcony, Chef’s Table, Nachi Cocom, snorkeling in Cayman, and family shuffleboard.

I agree with earlier reviews that the vibe on the ship was a bit off – some of the crew were frazzled, and I’m sure the crowds during our week didn’t help. I do think some of the things “normal” for LOS – poolside BBQs, etc. were not included because of the sheer number of people (including children) on board.

Would we do it again? Probably – with our deal from our TA, it was worth the cost, but I would love to travel on a non-holiday week. Was it an amazing vacation? I’d say it was a good week because we wanted it to be…we enjoyed time together as a family, away from work and stress, with some good food and drink and fun things to do.

Good information and review, thank you.

Was the muster drill inside or out? sailing soon:)

Thank you

Sara

Good information and review, thank you.

 

Was the muster drill inside or out? sailing soon:)

 

Thank you

 

Sara

Inside...we all sat in the dining room. Thought it was funny that they made everyone had to put away their cells phones...the look of horror on teen faces throughout the room? Priceless....

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