carnival03

What is the lunch buffet like? I've heard the dinner one is centered around seafood.

Sun is what there is most of....but there is shade to be had!

The spots that go quickly on Columbus Cove are the ones that have shade right next to the water. Cb at sea is right - there are plenty of sun and shade spots to be found.

Awesome. Thanks :cool:

No good snorkeling on any of the beaches. To snorkel you should take an excursion and even then it is on so-so from what I understand. No waitstaff taking drink orders unless you pay for a cabana or bungalow or one of the big beds. None of the beaches are a significant distance from bars, food areas, and restrooms. There are pros and cons to each of the three public beaches (Nellie's, Columbus Cove, and Adrenaline). Barefoot beach is reserved for passengers who are staying in suites on the ship.

 

Adrenaline Beach is probably the least crowded or seems that way since it is very long and you can always find a spot. However it also has more rocks than the other two and depending on where you are it can be a bit further from the food, drinks, and restrooms. It is also lacking in natural shade.

 

Columbus Cove is my favorite, but it can get a bit crowded. It has a ton of shade, which the other two do not, close to the water and very few rocks. The water on that side of the peninsula is more calm and the sand is great for kids. It also has a one-way ferry in the AM that will take you directly from the pier so you don't have to walk there or take the tram. It is the furthest beach from the pier.

 

Nellie's is close to Columbus Cove, but closer to the pier. It also has nice sand and calm water, but not the shade trees that go to the waters edge. Since it is smaller than Columbus Cove it feels more crowded and it is not super close to the food station, although there are drinks and a restroom close by. There are also a few small fish in a small rocky area between Nellie's and Columbus Cove. Not real snorkeling for sure, but if you are not a veteran snorkeler, it can still be fun.

 

The best thing is that all the beaches at Labadee are wonderful. RC has done a good job of making this an excellent beach day and everything is so close, you could easily try all three and see which one was your favorite.

Thanks for the comparison. I've always noticed people compliment Columbus Cove. If we arrive early, are there places in the sun as well as the shade? Or, is it all mostly shaded?

So, we'll be visiting Labadee for the first time next year, as we're also cruising with RCI as a first too... I know there are several beaches on Labadee, so I'm looking for advice as to which beach is the "best" beach. Is there snorkeling on the island? If so, I would have to take that into consideration...

Essentially, we're looking for a beach that is not overcrowded and has easy access to bars, food areas, and restrooms. Do they have waitstaff waking around?

Unbelievably, at 7:30 AM every chair around the outdoor pool and kiddie pool had towels on them ( not necessarily people). The indoor pool may have had a few here and there. But there were plenty on the upper deck (15) away from the pools. Even the chairs under the overhang were mostly covered with towels - not all but if you were looking for 3 or 4 together, you would not find them at that time. Our group never sat near each other.

I can't comment on the Solarium - I never went there in the morning.

This is a shame. I fully believe giving everyone a half an hour to allow for breakfast time in the WJ, but we all know the whole ship is not up and awake at 7:30 in the morning.

Thanks for the insight... 294 days to go!

About the deck chairs, were a lot taken at 7:30? Or, were there still some available on the upper deck?

Hi OP,

I'm in a similar situation... Have always cruised Carnival, but making the jump to Royal next May. Below is a link to the thread I started a few months back that you may find helpful.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2625641

Depends on what you are looking for and what 2 ships you sailed on with Carnival.

If you sailed on Farcus designed Carnival ships, then the biggest difference is going to be interior design and colors.

Carnival puts emphasis on the "FUN" ships. Lots of staff energizing and encouraging "Fun" participation, like sail away dance parties, a performance by the waiter in the MDR, etc. Royal isn't dead by any means but they don't go to the extreme that Carnival does to encourage guests to have fun.

Good or bad, Royal is encouraging a "class" system within it's guests. From priority reserved seating in shows, to reserved seating for priority guests at the pool, to special lounges for certain level of priority guests, to even some guests have their own special dining rooms.

 

Otherwise, at the end of the day,, you'll find that Carnival and Royal have more in common than not.

Royal has priority pool seating? Are you talking about the suite level deck?

Royal website said they charge a corkage fee and I wasn’t sure the exact rules and what is actually enforced. I’m sure it varies. We carried our bottle into the dining room opened each night we did end up pouring our own wine most of the time since our waiter often was at the large table next to us first. We had 6 adults so we finished the bottle. We had traditional dining so same wait staff and left an extra tip for our wait staff end of the cruise. I would imagine if you had different waiters each night it might not be as easy?

 

 

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Good to know. Thanks for the review!

About the wine... Did you give the bottle to you waiter to keep for you night to night? Or, did you carry it to and from your stateroom each night? i.e poured your own glass before heading to the MDR?

We're happy Carnival customers! All of our cruises have been with Carnival and we've only had the 'typical' issues that all cruise lines customers will face at some point, no matter which line you patronize. I recommend going with whatever cruise works for you and your family, including port of departure, ports of call, ship, and price.

We're trying out our first Royal cruise next year for the exact reasons above. We don't want to fly, and we're tired of the same old itinerary out of Baltimore on Carnival, which lead us to investigate RC options. Upon finding our Anthem cruise for next May, we couldn't pass up the price for a nine day cruise, which is closely priced to what we paid for our first Carnival cruise out of Baltimore in 2011.

 

Anthem also has a 9 night that hits Bermuda, St. Maarten, Labadee and San Juan. Maybe you might find that a similarly priced within the same time frame. Can't hurt.

I believe Royal only runs this itinerary in the summer months.

Ok, for all you doubters, I doubted also, but another group I'm associated with said it was so. So I sent an email to Royal Caribbean Customer Support, and here is the reply .

 

"Thank you for your email. We apologize for the delay in our response.As a Gold member of the Crown & Anchor Society, we especially value your patronage of Royal Caribbean International and appreciate this opportunity to respond to your inquiry.We are happy to see you are sailing with us again!

The Refreshment Package includes:

Beverages up to $12

Premium coffee and premium tea

Bottled water - sparkling and still

Fresh squeezed juices

Fresh squeezed juice smoothies

Non-alcoholic cocktails

All fountain soda beverages

Freestyle (where available)

Coca-Cola souvenir cup

PowerAde

Red Bull

Milkshakes at Johnny Rocket

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our Certified Vacation Planners directly by dialing 1-800-205-9812 and pressing option 4 and then option 3. Representatives are available 24/7 for your convenience.

The Liberty of the Seas represents an absolute marvel of maritime engineering. The minute you step aboard you will witness the energetic atmosphere and incredible innovations that make Royal Caribbean stand out. Catch a first-run movie in the 3D movie theater, take in a performance of the hit Broadway musical Saturday Night Fever, or have an intimate evening full of delicious wine and decadent appetizers at the Vintages wine bar

.And now you can also feel the rush as you slide down the Tidal Wave, the first boomerang-style slide at sea. Enjoy the pinnacle of pampering and relaxation in our updated Vitality Spa and thermal suite. Savor the renowned cuisine of our newly renovated Chops Grille. No matter how you choose to spend your time, your cruise vacation on the Liberty of the Seas will be an unforgettable experience.

Mr. ######, thank you for choosing Royal Caribbean International.

We look forward to welcoming you aboard the Liberty of the Seas in September.

Sincerely,"

 

I'm going to carry a copy of this with me and hope for the best.

This is good to know. I see you're sailing soon, let us know how it goes. Safe travels :cool:

Johnny Rockets ARE included with the Refreshment package, so that makes it better for me....

They are? I've heard conflicting reports... does this vary ship to ship?

Thanks for the diagram! Very helpful.

If one is up and able to walk you can easily save $7 a person. It's all sidewalk and less than a mile. Very easy to do but if you are lugging a lot of personal stuff you might be better off with ferry. BTW: By the time they fill up the ferry, float over, and then disembark, you are there no quicker than if you walked. Just saying as we do this all the time. We're actually staying at the HH this month for a week. We love it there.

Good point... Guess we'll just wait and see how we're feeling in the moment. lol

We swim in that water all the time when visiting and not once have we had an issue. We'll be there this month staying at the HH and have no worries about the water what so ever....

Good to know. I would love to hear about your visit when you return. We're hoping there's jet ski rentals right there along the beach. Safe travels.

Thanks for the review. Hearing you enjoyed the food, was able to find deck chairs, and didn't find the ship to be too crowded puts some of my worries at ease!

SBtS

Thank you. :cool:

Does anyone know what time Cafe @ 270 opens on port days?

Is the America's Cup always held in Bermuda? Is it held every year? When does it occur? I'm trying to figure out if the island will be especially busy when we visit next May (2019).

I dont know how to attach, but this thread has a spreadsheet with all prices. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2634718&highlight=drink+spreadsheet

Wine by the glass starts at $8 and goes way up.

 

Basic cocktails around $9, anything frozen or blended around $12.

Thank you! I think we'll do without the deluxe package, but maybe consider the refreshment. We're not heavy drinkers, but go through plenty of bottled water.

We're still debating on a package for our cruise next year... Can someone help out with the prices I've compiled?

Water - $3

Soda - $4

Beer - $6 - $8

Are the above correct? I'm still unsure about the below...

Wine by glass (white and sparkling) - ?

Mimosa - ?

Cocktails - ?

Bionic Bar Drinks - ?

We cruised the 9 day itinerary on Anthem the last week of May. This was cruise number 19 for us with Royal, and we had already sailed every class but Quantum and Empress.

 

We thought the ship was very beautiful and loved seeing some of the venues that are so different from the other classes, such as 270 and the area for bumper cars etc.

 

I agree that the appearance of the chair upholstery in Windjammer was awful--every chair had ripped and worn spots. I loved the careful planning of the design elements throughout the ship--carpets, lighting fixtures, wall ornaments, etc. A truly beautiful and not garish ship.

 

Our experience with MTD was awful, especially on lobster night! We waited over an hour, with the lines barely moving. We were not the only ones unhappy--they brought out some sparkling wine and offered glasses to people waiting. DH has decided that he won't book a cruise again unless we have traditional dining. Just this week I called to book a January cruise, was told I would be wait-listed, and had to ask the Royal consultant to escalate the request or I would not book. They came back saying we were confirmed.

 

We have sailed mostly Voyager Class(5x) Freedom Class(4x) and Oasis Class(6x with 2 more booked) and we found we prefer those over the Quantum Class.

I really missed the Aqua show.

 

Our embarkation and disembarkation on Anthem were wonderful, everything moved quickly and efficiently.

 

We loved the food, and found the windjammer to be very good, but we missed traditional dining at night. We also felt that while pleasant, the wait staff in MTD didn't try to get to know us like our previous experiences.

 

The shows were very good, with truly fabulous staging, costumes and performers, but the show in 270 was just too high-tech for our taste.

 

We also wish there were more options for late night snacks; DH is gluten-free and they do a respectable pizza on order at Sorrentos, but he would have liked some other choices after a show.

 

We are truly looking forward to our Med cruise on Symphony in September, and our January Oasis cruise. RCI--keep up the good work, but listen to all the requests for later food options.

 

Barb

 

We are truly RCI loyalists, but hopefully our next 2 Oasis Class ships with traditional dining will better suit our style.

Did you make reservations for MTD ahead of time via the Cruise Planner?

I couldn't reserve before hand, but was able to reserve everything as soon as we got on ship via IQ app on my phone. Plenty of times available at 11 when we boarded. I got to terminal at 1015. I had booked everything before I had hit the Esplanade.

 

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I always found plenty of chairs on Deck 15.

Good to know, thanks! :cool: