Carnival Liberty 8/1/05 - 8/13/05 Review

I might do this review in segments, depending on what time my brain thinks it is. It is now 11:20 EDT, but I'm still on Euro time which is 5:20PM. Woke up last night at 2am. I hate Jet lag.

OK, so, right off the bat, a few things:

(1) The Carnival Liberty is beautiful. It is identical in layout to The Conquest, on which we sailed last August. The difference is in the interior decorations which are more festive in a Mediterranean kind of way. The Venetian Lounge (theater) is made to look, well, Venetian. Some of the bars are meant to evoke Barcelona in a Gaudi sort of way [not gaudy, Gaudi]. One of the lounges has hands and feet holding up the ceiling; the Piano Bar is done in Piano, think Sorcerer's Apprentice. The Sports Bar has boxing gloves hanging from the ceiling, and the stools are held up by gloved golfer's hands with the seats resembling crushed footballs or some such. The chandelier lights in the atrium change colors constantly. The Empress lounge is RED!!!!!

Otherwise, the decks 9-12 are virtually the same as the Conquest with the exception of the Giant Screen propped up in front of the Famed Funnel Deck (my second favorite spot on the ship).

The Spa is identical to the one on the Conquest, and the spa alone is a reason to take one of these ships.

(2) The crew is wonderful, from the Captain down to the laundry people.

And yes, John Heald is the best Cruise Director around. His legend preceeded him to The Liberty, and is well deserved. He's extremely convivial, extremely funny, and very helpful. Yes, some of the bits are old, but when done right are still funny. If you've never seen them, you'll howl. Don't worry about missing any of the CD shows live - they are repeated in endless loops on your in cabin TVs. [ The reviews and the comedians are NOT].

(3) The passengers were wonderful. We encountered no sourpusses on the entire cruise. Whether in the hot tub, or on the promenade, or in the excursion buses, everyone was nice, friendly, courteous. It might be an anomaly, but this was the best group of passengers on any cruise we've been on. There were lots of kids as well, ranging from babes in arms, to toddlers, to pre-teens to teens. They all appeared to be having the best time of their lives, they easily connected with each other and there were lots of places DESIGNED for them to hang out, so there was no running around the decks that we observed, or stupid teenager tricks.

(4) The food was excellent. It was better than we expected. On the Conquest the food in the main dining rooms we had rated at Very good to excellent. We rate the food in the main dining rooms as Excellent across the board. Moreover, the menu was far more varied, and the exec chef was obviously not afraid to take some chances. Some worked better than others in that regard but they are obviously looking for an upscale menu to settle on for Europe. We had booked Harry's for one night with another couple. DW caught a cold, so we all cancelled. Then we rebooked and the other couple's DH didn't feel well. We never made it. The menu was identical to the one in The Point on the Conquest however, and that meal we had there was excellent. BTW the Point and Harry's are the same rooms, but decorated differently.

Theoretically there is a corking fee for your own wine but we were not charged, and had come on board with three bottles which we brought to dinner on separate occasions. It is permitted to bring wine and champagne on board upon embarkation, it says so in the brochure which is sent with the docs. Unlike the Caribbean though, no one seemed to care when we brought a bottle of Lemoncello back from Capri, and a bottle of some strange liquer from Mt. Etna, which is draped in lava chips.

Now to the specifics:

Sun 7/31: We depart from JFK NY on KLM at about 6:15PM EDT. We arrive on Monday morning about 7:30 am in Amsterdam. KLM flies 767s across the lake and they are spectacular birds. 3-4-3 across in tourist and business, and those nice big lounge seats for those who can afford it upstairs in 1st class.

However there was ample room in the lower class areas, and I'm 6'2". KLM and British Air deserve their reputations as among the best airlines.

Mon 8/1: We have to layover in Amsterdam for about 3 hours, which is fine, since it takes about 2 hours to walk to the other end of the airport for the connecting flights. There are people movers from one end to the other. They end after every 500 feet or so, and the computerized voice constantly tells you to "mind the step". Amsterdam Airport is 21st century. 21st century prices as well - $3.50 euros for a cup of coffee.

On the other hand, Rome airport could be described as 19th century, except that there weren't any airplanes then. I've never been to a third world country's airport, and I know Italy is part of the Western Alliance, so what's the deal? It was almost keystone kops. Going home was even worse.

We practically kissed the marble at the Amsterdam airport after the going home experience in Rome, but that's for later...

At any rate, we eventually found the charter buses. They put our luggage in some cargo truck with the rest of the other folks luggage.. If that truck broke down, it was going to be one of those nudist cruises.

We arrived at Civitavecchia at around 4PM. Carnival hasn't built a permanent reception building yet - they're a bunch of tents propped together and it was HOT!!!! Fortunately though, the staff at the pier was very efficient and we were on board within twenty minutes.

Boy the shower in the cabin looked good. They are also nice enough to provide razor blades, toothbrushes and some other items you might have forgotten. After cleaning up, we went to the Lido deck to get some food and there was a very nice buffet ready. The Lido deck restaurant on the Liberty is called Emile's (not Emeril's, so don't go "BAM"!!!). We especially enjoyed the lemonade. Darn good lemonade. Made great mixers all week with the Vodka we brought on in waterbottles.

The muster drill went off without a hitch about an hour before sailing. So as I recall the muster drill was at about 6pm. I believe after the muster drill we tested the strength of the mattresses. They were nice and firm, but then again we were only the second couple using them.

Our cabin was 2289 on the main deck. Nice picture window to look out of and a great spot to let the wet bathing suits dry out. Good ledge.

The room is quite ample for two with plenty of room for all the clothing brought on. We brought way too much, especially in view of the fact that the coin-op laundry was right down the corridor. It is open 24/7 btw. $2 per load, $2 for the dryer, and $1 for the soap. Quarters. Don't worry, you can get all the quarters you want at the pursers desk. Everything on the ship is in US dollars btw. Everything off the ship is in Euros, except in Dubrovnik where they will take US if you ask nicely.

Dinner on the first night was interesting since about half of the ship lined up by the maitre d'; being unhappy with their assigned seatings. By day three all was straightened out. They'll have their acts together better by the third or fourth cruise.

Dinner typically consists of about 3 or 4 different appetizers, 2 soups, 2 salads, 5 entrees, and about 5 types of desserts plus four or five flavors of icecreams (I liked butterscotch the best). They also feature a "Spa" menu, for those of you on some kind of diet, listing calories and carbs. I go on a cruise, I don't care about those things. The wine list is extensive as well and the prices are competitive with on shore restaurants.

There was no show in the Venetian Lounge on the first night, however there was a "drive in movie" on the lido deck on the giant screen. Titanic. Nice touch John. Hilarious. We wanted to run up near the end of the movie and yell "You're all gonna die!!!" , but we fell asleep right after dessert.

After dinner there is lots to do. We hung out with some fellow cc'ers on the Promenade deck near the sushi bar. The teens headed for either the game room (No Batteries) or the lounge with the feet propping up the ceiling.

The gamblers headed for the Casino which is hopping till around 2-3am, or till everyone runs out of money, whichever comes first. A really nice touch is the cheesy lounge lizard singer just outside the casino. He actually thinks he's good (and not in a Bill Murray kind of way), and is willing to sell you his CD!!!! Yes, I want a CD in which all of the songs sound exactly the same.

The more sedate types go to the atrium lounge which has either a piano player (very good) or a man and woman duet ( they think they're the Eurythmics, don't discourage them.). Those who haven't had enough of shopping prior to the cruise, can check out several of the onboard stores.

For my money the best hangout was the Piano Bar. The Piano man dosen't get into his zone until about midnight but after that if the crowd is with him, it's one of the best drunken festivals of all time. SOCIAL!!!!!

There's also the karioke lounge and The Cabinet - which is the only place on the ship that allows cigar smoking. We avoided it, which is a shame since there are some good jazz combos playing there.

Tues. 8/2: Naples: My body is still not in sync with the time differential, and we had opted to go to The Isle of Capri, rather than running on the tour which went to Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri. Capri is absolutely stunning, from the first sight of it on the bow of the ferry. Ever notice how the incredibly rich always pick the best spots. The ship docks in the Naples Harbor. LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT PICKPOCKETS AND BE CAREFUL. If you are with a guided tour, it's no problem, if you are walking around Naples on your own, you better be an experienced traveler or you are a mark.

Some guy on the ship had his wallet lifted two seconds after he got out of a cab in Naples and he didn't even know it. The dope put his wallet in his unsecured back pocket. Perhaps he also put a sign on his back that said, "I'm really stupid, please steal my stuff."

On the way to Capri, the ferry had Italian morning "news" shows on, as well as soaps. It was refreshing to see that Italian shows are just as dumb as American shows.

Our only disappointment with Capri was that the ships tour implied (but was not specific) that we were going to see The Blue Grotto and the Tiberian Ruins. The first sentence in the brochure implied that, but we were mistaken.

We filed a complaint, still waiting. Instead we spent about $156 each to let our tourguide take us shopping - first at the top in Annacapri, and then at the bottom in Capri. If I wanted to shop for designer clothing I would have stayed home. We still managed to see the beauty of the island but the time was limited and it was pushing 100 degrees. The public toilets have NO SEATS!!! and they charge 0.50 euros for the privilege. I stayed in longer just on spite. Actually I had a bit of the runs from something (perhaps the water?) and was very upset. We ran out of water, found a nice place to sit and have two iceteas at the very reasonable price of 10 Euros!!!! But it was in the shade, and we were ready to faint. Don't even ask what a meal costs.

Make sure you have a good healthy breakfast on board and then hold out for dinner. Oh yes, the tour did include lunch at some Capri version of Mama Leone which was ok, nothing great. They charged us for the bathroom in the restaurant!!! It didn't have toilet seats either.

I asked about the lack of toilet seats and was told it was for "hygeine".

Well, the Dutch have the cleanest airport in the world and there were toilet seats there!!!

Oh yes, there were three George Clooney citings, and one Stallone. Both were false.

I'll pick up where I left off on this tommorrow.

Bill n Bobbi

Bill,

Can't wait for the next installment. Thank you so much for the effort to let us future cruisers know what we can expect.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post a review, I'm sure your very tired.

I am anxiously awaiting more of your review.

Looking back are you glad you only went to Capri and didn't attempt more?

DH and I are taking this itinerary next May. DH and I plan on arriving in Rome 1 day early but I think we'll still be suffering from jetlag by the time we reach Naples so wondering just how much to do in Naples.

A friend of mine recently returned from a Med. cruise. They hired a private driver. At the Naples stop not only did they go to Pompeii, but Capri and drove the Amalfi coast. I was exhausted just listening to their day. Personally hubby and I would rather go to one place and explore a while than go 6 places, stop the car, run out for 15 minutes and on to the next place.

Interested in how the other ports went and what you did.

Thanks for the first installment. Can't wait to read more.

Hi BillnBobbi,

Funny, my boyfriend is Bill and I'm bobbi ! Ha! ANyway, thanks for the review. We'll be on the September 6th sailing. I'd love to here more about the ports/excursions!

Thanks for the info, sounds like you had fun.

-Bobbi

Hi BillnBobbi,

My boyfriends name is Bill and I'm Bobbi. Ha !

Anyway, Thanks for the review. We'll be on the September 6th cruise. We'd love to hear more about the excursions.

Sounds like you had fun.

Thanks,

Bobbi

thank you for taking the time to share your adventure. Any chance you have pictures to share. I'm so glad you had a good time.

thank you for taking the time to share your adventure. Any chance you have pictures to share. I'm so glad you had a good time.

Nine Hundred and Fifty Three to be exact. I'm editing them now and will post later.

BnB

Hi, I was on the same cruise. First off, in general it was an excellent cruise. The port of calls were great, the shows (though limited) were good. I did not find the food excellent. It was ok in the dining rooms and the buffet was barely passable. The food in the premium restaurant was excellent. Our waitress was excellent.

The tours were a significant problem, particularly the Livorno ones. The big tour in Livorno was Florence and Pisa combined. Don't take it. We sat on the dock in a bus for 45 minutes in addition to the customs delay of 45 minutes. Literally 10 minutes after leaving late, the bus driver decided we had to stop at a rest stop for 20 minutes. The net result was that we were an hour and a half late for our tour of Florence. After walking for approximately 20 minutes through the less interesting parts of town, we began the tour which lasted for 20 minutes. We saw the main square and the outside of the Duomo. That's it because we had to have our lunch. We skipped lunch to salvage part of the day. After lunch, the guide apologized for the chaos of the lunch. I spoke to attendees and was told families were put one at a table and served greasy chicken.

Following the 20 minute walk back we went to Pisa. First, we stopped 10 minutes out at a rest stop but were told not to get out unless it was an emergency. Following a 15 minute stop, we again headed for Pisa and our tour. Pisa is amazing but covered with booths and vendors selling mostly junk. We walked for 20 minutes and arrived at the vendors and again met chaos. The guide didn't know when our tour was so we just milled around. We then got our guide for about 15 minutes then left.

When we got back to the boat I found this was not an isolated incident and happened with many other buses. Also, on the dock, my daughter was lightly struck by another tour bus while waiting at a long line at the dock. She was not injured but I had words with the bus driver. No carnival rep came to intevene even after I called out to them. when I entered security, I asked for a supervisor and was told I was talking with one. I told him I did not want to slow the line up any more than it was and asked for him to discuss it with me later. He said I should take it up at the purser's desk, which because it was the last night, had a huge line. I will take up the security issue in a letter to Carnival.

We complained at the tour desk and was told we would hear from Carnival.

By the way, before you get too down on the Rome airport, it is a modern airport which has had consistently good security for the past 25 years. I had no problems on arrival. On departure, the airport was very crowded due to the British Airways strike, not to any fault by the airport.

Finally, I spent about every other summer in Naples and went to Naples on this cruise. It is not as dire as you and the cruise director stated. It is a beautiful city which has a petty crime problem attributable to gypsies.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post a review, I'm sure your very tired.

 

I am anxiously awaiting more of your review.

 

Looking back are you glad you only went to Capri and didn't attempt more?

 

[ YES. Even though we were dissappointed in the tour, I simply can't do more than that in one day or my head spins. I'd rather do one thing well than three things in a rush. However the DW wanted to do the other tour and was disappointed that we didn't, esp. when others said how great that one was.

You still have to do what you think your own body and mind can handle. Moreover, those who did the combo tour were already in Rome for a few days and had adjusted. I didn't adjust till the first day at sea. - BnB -]

 

DH and I are taking this itinerary next May. DH and I plan on arriving in Rome 1 day early but I think we'll still be suffering from jetlag by the time we reach Naples so wondering just how much to do in Naples.

 

[ We did NOTHING in Naples, except get on the ferry to Capri. Naples is kind of dirty and kind of sleazy in a pickpocket kind of way. There is currently a power vacuum in the local mob, so the lower end criminals are doing "every man for himself". Obviously the local police and business people aren't happy about it because the cruise ships could threaten to cancel tours if it gets worse. We were told that when there was a don in charge it wasn't as bad, because the petty crime was bad for the more important crime.

I figured we'd been to Brooklyn plenty of times so I didn't need to sample the pizza in Naples, even though it was invented there. We did sample pizza in other parts of Italy and guess what- We think NY pizza is STILL THE BEST IN THE WORLD!!! BnB ]

 

A friend of mine recently returned from a Med. cruise. They hired a private driver. At the Naples stop not only did they go to Pompeii, but Capri and drove the Amalfi coast. I was exhausted just listening to their day. Personally hubby and I would rather go to one place and explore a while than go 6 places, stop the car, run out for 15 minutes and on to the next place.

 

[ I'm with you, but others who did just that reported they had a wonderful time. A chacun a son gout. - BnB ]

 

Interested in how the other ports went and what you did.

[ I will report on that soon. However in brief, in order of favorites:

Venice, Dubrovnik, Barcelona, Taormina and Mt.Etna, Cannes and last Florence. Yes, that's right, Florence was our least favorite, and I'll tell you why later. - BnB ]

BnB,

Thanks for the responses, truly appreciated.

Check this thread;

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=4469838#post4469838

Cheers,

Was there a 4 or 5 man Phillipino band playing in one of the lounges?

How were the midnight comedians?

Thx/Gary

Weds. 8/3 "Fun day at sea": Having consumed about eight gallons of water on Tues. to avoid passing out from dehydration, I was more than glad to have a fun day to pee without having to pay 0.50 Euros each time. DW was very happy to see toilet seats everywhere.

I thought I'd work on my tan (read the latest- one hour in the sun is good for you). DW is very fair skinned and does need to wear one of those SPF 250 or something togas when out in the sun, so she stayed on the Lido deck near the center pool.

But first, breakfast. You can opt to have breakfast in three places: (1) Your room. The room service menu is limited but decent - no eggs are available, bagels and lox are. Friends of ours had one of the cabins on the stern with the extra large patios, and ate in every morning. We had just an outside, and so we opted for one of the other two choices each day. (2) Lido deck buffet. The buffet has all the usual items you'd expect: cold cereals, oatmeal, milk (whole and what seemed to be 2% - the milk is local and is in Italian), yogurt, both flavored and plain; slices of melons (delicious - the European produce is very flavorful); grapefruit, assorted juices, and prunes on the cold items. The hot trays had homefries, grits, ham, bacon, breakfast links, scrambled eggs, french toast, pancakes. The stations had line chefs preparing omelets all ways,and plain eggs as well. Coffee flows 24hrs. There is also a hot chocolate dispenser, and a hot water dispenser for tea. Orange and tropical fruit combo juices are available from the dispenser for breakfast.

Iced tea (unsweetened), fruit punch (bug juice), and lemonade (sweetened) are available all day. The lemonade is especially good as a mixer for the hooch you all smuggle on board.

(3) Breakfast in the dining room. Just about all of the options on the buffet plus a mystery breakfast special that the chef is trying out. One morning the "special" was salami and beans. The chef must come from a very cold country; no way am I starting the day with salami and beans, for I'd be confined to quarters for the next day and a half. Oh yes, there is also a version of Eggs Benedict, which comes out looking more like an egg mcMuffin. If you like Mickey D's breakfast and miss it, you'll like this version. If you like eggs benedict, tough luck. The thing about the dining room is that you might be too tired to carry a tray, and here you are served.

OK, breakfast is over, time to tan. I knew from past cruise that one of the quietest spots on the ship (no kids allowed) is that little deck just above the basketball/volleyball court renowned as "The funnel deck". There is a little stairway to the left of the entrance to the courts which goes up one flight. On the Conquest it was prominently marked "ADULTS ONLY" which of course was an invitation to every teenager and voyeur on board to see what's what. On the Liberty it is not marked, kind of like a speakeasy. Those who know, know; those who don't won't see it. The giant screen TV is propped up on the front of the topless deck, yet the amazing thing is that because the speakers are directional, you can't hear it. On the Lido deck it sounds like God giving instructions to the Hebrews from Mt. Sinai. With the ship moving there is a nice breeze up there as well, which was welcome in the Med heat wave.

The giant slide didn't open for a couple of days as a result of high winds. On one occasion the ship was shifting so much that the pools had to be closed as the water was breaching the sides of the pools on one side while bottoming out on the other. Interestingly, this effect was only in the pool while those not in the pool barely noticed the pitching of the ship. The kids in the pool thought it was a game and were having the best time until they had to get out. "Whoa!!!! Whoa!!! Whoa!!!" they screamed and giggled.

I have to put in a word about the GIANT SCREEN TV. I'm ambivalent about it. While it seems to be a lot of fun in the evening, when they present some recent movies (hot popcorn for $1 a bag) as well as music and light shows; I found it very intrusive in the AM and other times of the day.

In the am either CNN or BBC world news was on. On vacation I'm not interested in most of the news, and if something REALLY important happens you find out one way or another. For example, John Heald announced over the PA system that the shuttle made it safely back to Earth. Otherwise the news was same stuff next day; and we certainly didn't want to keep track of the rise in crude. BTW, if you think gas prices are high in the US, they are over $6 a gallon in Europe. Of course they sell it by the liter over there so you won't notice as much. REMEMBER YOU ARE ON VACATION, and as Mick once said, you don't need someone feeding you "useless information trying to drive your imagination". Get satisfaction, take a break from the world.

From time to time, John or one of the asst CDs would come on with a morning or afternoon talk show. This is entirely new to cruising and they are feeling their way around. I vote to skip it. Of course a generation who needs some kind of a screen in front of them virtually everywhere they go will probably like it.

However, there are many places on the ship, on decks 9-12 where one may sit on a lounge and not hear the screen at all. It just is ALWAYS there, like Big Brother, and seemed a bit creepy at times. But that's just my sensibility.

The remainder of the day was taken up with nothing in particular. Napping, drinking, eating, going up to the spa (my favorite place on the ship - world's greatest steam and sauna - and needle directional showers. BTW the shower stalls up there are twice as large as those in your room and are tiled), working out on the treadmill, testing the mattresses again to see if they were still firm..... total decompression. Priceless.

Next posting: Thurs 8/4 Dubrovnik, Croatia

Thurs 8/4: The ship arrived at the dock at about 7am. This is the first time we'd been anywhere in eastern Europe, and weren't quite sure what to expect. The evidence of some of the devastation from the unfortunate recent civil war was still evident. We were told that all of the red clay roofs were post-war; the originals having been blown off. There were areas on shore where one could see just remains of foundations where houses had once been, but the Croatians are rebuilding rapidly.

Evidence of this renaissance could be seen in the construction of what are luxury low profile resort hotels by the shore, as well as apartment buildings. The suspension bridge by the dock is 21st century design; not at all resembling the GW Bridge over the Hudson, or the Golden Gate in SF. If you stand in just the right spot on deck 12, you can get a picture with one of the ships radar spheres in the foreground and the bridge in the background. It comes out resembling the Trylon and Perisphere from the 1939 World's Fair. Cool.

The ship arranged to have shuttle buses ready at the dock to go the two miles to the old walled city. 10 Euros round trip. If you are in a rush, take one of the waiting taxis for a bit more. If you are going to do the walled city on your own, then try and get up bright and early and beat the enormous crowds. You can go in at any time. People live there, just as they do in the FrenchQuarter in NOLA, and it dosen't close for the night.

The 600 year old fortress is a wonder to behold. There is no place in the Western Hemisphere where people have been living continuously in the same buildings for six centuries. Unfortunately there was some evidence of bombings inside the old city during the civil war. Verbal description does not do it justice, I will post pictures of it at a later date.

We were one of the first visitors on the ramparts that morning, and walked the entire perimeter of the wall. It took a leisurely hour and a half with frequent stops for picture ops. People's homes abut the wall, and some are even incorporated with the wall. There are entrances to homes on the wall. At one such place, there was a gentleman selling home made necklaces and beads. They were identical to the ones sold at the stalls down in the square and were half the price. "I love America!!" he told us with a smile. He took US dollars as well. I love US dollars; lots of them. As we were walking the wall, a severe storm was approaching, which made the scenery even more dramatic. The entire downpour could be seen in the distance in the Adriatic, in a way similar to how you can see these storms out west on the plains.

By the time we walked down off the wall, the line to go up had a good half hour to fortyfive minute wait. Then the sky opened up and most folks headed for shelter.

The base of the old city has one main avenue flanked on both sides by narrow streets and paths which rise up to meet the wall on all sides. We walked around leisurely, checking out the churches, the old synagogue, the vegetable market, and the tourist traps.

Oh yes, the toilets in Dubrovnik have seats, and there is no charge.

So what's with that Italy!!?? You have a country that's just been through a civil war, and they can afford toilet seats, but one of the world's fashion centers can't??!!!

The Croatians were also among the nicest folks we met on the entire voyage.

We were able to see just about everything we wanted in the old city in about 3 to 4 hours. We took the shuttle back to the ship and spent the remainder of the day taking it easy.

There are local vendors on the dock by the ship, and there were some excellent bargains to be had in tablecloths and other linens coming directly from the capitol. (I'm drawing a blank on what the capitol of Croatia is.)

Next two days: Venezia. To be continued....

BnB

Was there a 4 or 5 man Phillipino band playing in one of the lounges?

How were the midnight comedians?

Thx/Gary

Didn't see any philipino band. The first midnight comedian was so,so. and at times obnoxious. I also didn't like his blatant appeal to jingoism, especially on a European cruise. Happy Cole (?) who was the second comedian was much more engaging. We went to his "clean" show which was the early show, never made it to the late show.

BnB

Excellent review!!! Do you have pictures of a standard balcony room ( before the bed test of course lol)

Cheers, ;)

Well done Bill. Great review. When the cruise finished I travelled on to Ireland to visit my parents where I currently write from.

In essence I agree with everything Bill has said so far. Just to add a couple of points:

1. The food in the main dining room in my opinion was excellent. It is not easy to do a table d'hote menu at that quality for up to a 700 people and they did a great job. On the other hand I work in the hotel industry and it is a lot easier to produce quality in a smaller environement. As a result I expected a lot more from the Supper Club which at best was mediocre boredom. Maybe if your idea of a gourmet meal is steak and lobster you might enjoy it. The limited choice was helped a little by very eager but intrusive service. The boring musical duo who looked like they wished they were somewhere else didn't help either and certainly added nothing to the ambiance. I believe that if Carnival want to create an upmarket alternative they should seek out an association with a World Class Chef such as Gordon Ramsay, Alain Ducasse or Marco Pierre White.

2. As Bill mentioned John Heald was world class and Ron the Piano man was superb. The service in the Piano Bar at times was ridiculously slow but Ron certainly made sure everyone went home happy. Happy Cole was the best of the two comedians.

3. Of the Ports Bill has mentioned so far Dubrovnik was the unexpected jewel.

:-)

Walter

Also Thanks to Cheryl, Sandee, Sue, Gary (Lee), Bill, and all the others for the cruise critic get-togethers!

BillnBobbi,

I am really enjoying reading your review. I look forward to your next posting.

I can't wait to hear what you have to relate about your tour in Florence. I am torn between going to Florence and Piza since I have never been there, or going to the countryside to see the old villages.

Joan

Friday 8/5: Before I begin this review, I'd like to make a suggestion. One of the most useful things we took on our vacation were detail maps of each of the ports we stopped in. I found that the best maps were the Insight Fleximaps, which are laminated, fold easily and hold up to wind and water.

We picked ours up at our local Borders. They are also available at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon.com and through the map dealers website at http://www.insightguides.com

We left Dubrovnik the previous evening and by mid-day we were coming into the Venice lagoon. As the ship approached the tops of the various basilicas and campaniles could be seen . It was nearly magical. The day was perfect, with the sky light blue and the water aqua-green. No clouds.

The ship approached the city from the east and entered through the Canale di San Marco. Virtually the entire complement of passengers, as well as many of the crew were on the top decks to witness the grand entrance. Many of us climbed onto the very top deck where passengers are not supposed to be allowed. The captain and security allowed us to stay until we approached the dock. As we entered, the Canale di San Marco, the Doges Palace, The St. Marks Basilica, and the Campanile, all encompasing the St. Marks Plaza were evident on the starboard side (right). We waved to the crowds and they waved back. The Liberty is the tallest structure in the area, and aside from taking a helicopter ride, is the only time such a commanding view of Venice can be witnessed. As we moved on, the Basilica of St. Maria della Salute and the Palasso Dogana di Mare dominate the view in front of us.

Both are situated on the promintory of the south group of Islands, at the junction between The Grand Canale and the Canale della Giudecca.

It took about another half hour until we arrived at the ship dock situated northwest of the Piazzale Roma, and couldn't wait to disembark.

Once the ship docks, it is about a one mile walk out of the port area to the Piazzale Roma area. This is the area where all autos must park before people may enter Venice. We followed the road along the south bank of the Grand Canal past the Papadopoli Gardens (Public Park). On the north bank the railroad station can be seen- the Statzione Ferrovia(trans.-iron road)St. Lucia. Lots of commuters and travelers choose this way to enter Venice.

We walked across the Ponte Scalzi just to the east of the Ferrovia and entered the Cannaregio section. The church on the other side of the foot bridge has some dominating statues on its front. A long street on this side called Rio Terra Lista di Spagna is lined with small shops, restaurants, boutiques and GELATO STANDS. We had our first, but definitely not our last taste of this specialty. Don't worry which flavor to pick - they're all great.

The fruit flavors all taste just like the fruit they are made from. My favorite was the mango and the cantaloupe.

Strolling along with gelatos in hand (you can have them in cups or in cones- we prefer cups) we came upon our first small plaza (which are called "campos" to distinguish them from the large plazas or "piazzas"). The Campo San Geremia. All of the campos have a church. Some have more than one church. I've never seen so many churches in one small area in my life, and Venice is relatively small. In front of the campo, as it opens up into a wide public space is a large ornate building which is (I'm not making this up)

The Palazzo Labia. Yeah,yeah, yeah, and no it was not a cathouse.

From there we crossed the Ponte Guglie and entered the area of the old Jewish Ghetto. For those who are not aware, Venice was the site of the first of Europe's Jewish Ghettos. The word "ghetto" is taken from the middle Italian word for "iron foundry" at that time. The city fathers in their wisdom decided to move my ancestors out of the area where everyone else was living to where an old iron foundry which was no longer in use had been. Thus it was decided to move the city's Jews to "la gietto" which became "ghetto", now a word for a sequestered and segregated living area.

It was both striking, moving and leveling, moving through what is now a pristine area and realising that around eight or nine generations prior, some of our progenitors lived in unbelievably crowded conditions. The ghetto buildings were among the tallest private houses in Venice because the inhabitants couldn't build out so they had to build up. Many of the buildings look as if they just grew on top of one another in some kind of architectural cancer.

We entered two of the old synagogues. These must be done by guided tour only. They are small, cramped; with sloping floors and opportunistic entrances for light and air; quite a sharp contrast to the imperial majestic basilicas which the rulers built for themselves at that time.

We proceded from the ghetto along back streets and little canals, among the most beautiful sights in Venice. It was midday and the streets were deserted. Getting lost in Venice is something a traveler should aspire to do.

We worked our way down the main street on this north side called The Strada Nova. Here the shops become more numerous and more inhabited.

We stopped at this wonderful bakery. We had to because the smell of the pastries lured us in as if they were sirens beckoning. We bought a piece of pistachio cake which was lush and moist, topped with powdered sugar. We ate that and washed it down with some espresso next door and then of course MORE GELATO. Right across from this bakery is a McDonald's. Let's see, big Mac or Pistachio cake and gelato. Some choice.

As we kept meandering our way down this street we came upon a pizza stand. Why not. Two slices and a local beer. As we were sitting there we had an actual celebrity citing as Penny Marshall (LaVerne and Shirley) walked past with her daughters.

We kept following the Grand Canal north bank from there until we made our way to The Rialto Bridge which by that time of day was wall to wall tourists. If you like crowds the Rialto is for you. Just make sure you know where your money is stashed. Here is the place where you can easily find a gondola for hire as well as numerous restaurants and stands. After the Rialto we worked our way down the side streets past the theater district, clothing shops, and jewelry stores and entered The Piazza San Marco, filled with thousands of people and millions of rat birds (pigeons!!!). Remember the commercial for those diamonds - "I love this woman!!!" The first one was filmed here.

They actually sell food to feed to the rat birds. Why I don't know. Dirty filthy creatures that come at you like kamikaze pilots!! Their cousins at the 42nd St. Library and Central Park are much more considerate - they simply poop on you. We walked into the Cathedral, but decided not to bother with the Doge's Palace or to go up to the top of the Campanile. It was getting late and we had probably already walked about seven or eight miles, meandering here and there.

We picked up the #1 Vaporetto which goes back to the Piazzale Roma by going directly up the Grand Canale. The #1 is the local, and it was rush hour. This is an experience only equaled by either the NYC subway or the Tokyo subway at the same time. There is apparently no word for an "orderly line" in Venetian. It's more of a press to the entrance in a wide arc of humanity, every man for himself. Here's some advice. Wait for the #4. It's the express.

Upon finally getting "home" we realized how exhausted we were. I couldn't believe how much liquid I started putting down, and in spite of eating all along the way, we were starving. I think our waitress was astonished at what we were putting away. I know I was. I felt like I was 17 years old again and going through a growth spurt.

We didn't do much else after dinner, hung out on the promenade and talked a bit with folks we met,and went to bed fairly early to go out again the next day.

Next day - Murano Island

to be continued.

BnB

I'm loving this review - I can always use a chuckle or two. Our family is considering this trip and every review I read is pushing me toward booking!!!

The giant screen TV is propped up on the front of the topless deck, yet the amazing thing is that because the speakers are directional, you can't hear it. On the Lido deck it sounds like God giving instructions to the Hebrews from Mt. Sinai.

BnB,

Your reviews are absolutely terrific. Even if I was not planning to go on the 9/6 Liberty, I would find them entertaining. Are you a writer by profession?

Thanks so much, and I look forward to the rest.

Amy

The night you spent in Venice, was there a set time when you have to be back on the ship?

And thanks for this wonderful review!!! I totally enjoy reading it!

The night you spent in Venice, was there a set time when you have to be back on the ship?

 

And thanks for this wonderful review!!! I totally enjoy reading it!

There is no set time to be back on the ship overnight. You may hang out all night at Harry's Bar if you want to and then sleep in San Marco Square with the rat birds and the derelicts. Yes, there ARE derelicts, and at about every church we encountered a beggar or two outside the doors.

BnB

The giant screen TV is propped up on the front of the topless deck, yet the amazing thing is that because the speakers are directional, you can't hear it. On the Lido deck it sounds like God giving instructions to the Hebrews from Mt. Sinai.

 

BnB,

 

Your reviews are absolutely terrific. Even if I was not planning to go on the 9/6 Liberty, I would find them entertaining. Are you a writer by profession?

 

Thanks so much, and I look forward to the rest.

 

Amy

Not by profession but I've had a few things published, both non-fiction (political history) and some poetry.

Glad you're enjoying the review.

B