trfccruiser

Day 5 At Sea

I had booked a romantic sunrise package to be delivered to our cabin for breakfast as a surprise but sadly as it appeared on both our MSC for ME apps my OH knew all about it!  Nevertheless, it was lovely and arrived 5 minutes after agreed time. It cost £12 for a carafe of freshly squeezed orange juice fresh fruit platter- grapes, Galia Melon, Honeydew Melon, Watermelon, Pineapple ,Kiwi Fruit and pastries-Almond Croissant ,Plain Croissant, Cinnamon Swirl, Pain Au Chocolat and Lemon Muffin.

I thought it would be sharing but we had a platter of both each! It was delicious. Also included were 2 MSC champagne flutes to keep as souvenirs. Excellent value we thought ,really good quality and a nice keepsake.

The weather wasn’t that great so we decided to go to the covered pool. This is a lovely space and as well as a ground floor with bar, seating area, 2 jacuzzis and seating area it has a gallery with 2 jacuzzis that extend over the side of the ship, seating area, changing toilets and table tennis and table football.

We sat and read and had a swim and a jacuzzi and some more freshly squeezed orange juice , which we are really going to miss, it’s fantastic.

We decided to go to the MDR for a change for lunch and so glad we did. Though it was in the other MDR that was open , the first person we saw was the section head who had been so good last night! She recognised us and did the same great job.

Practically the first thing we noticed on the menu was that the suggested drink of the day was Asti which we love and enjoyed 2 glasses of.

I had Cassarecce Pasta with sea Bass and Apple Crumble with ice cream, Cappuccino to finish. Fantastic and I always like to eat at lunchtime at least once in the MDR.

We went back to the covered pool, lovely and relaxing and did the same things. All pools had a lifeguard and if it was busy they controlled the capacity.

My OH had a gin cocktail and I had a Strongbow we also had a drink in the cabin getting ready for evening meal.

Tonight we had booked Butcher’s Cut but did wonder whether we should have cancelled after the MDR experience improving so much .Curiosity got the better of me though.

The service was attentive, Butcher’s Cut is a small restaurant only about 8 tables with some more outside as there is a gallery above the Galeria Virtuosa where the Teppanyaki and Masters of the Sea pub also have tables outside.

A Bread sack arrived at first, a bit like a mini Santa sack with bread rolls and bread scones in. Really nice.

I had Smoked Tomato Soup with grilled cheese (Basically a cheese toastie!)Odd but it worked.

Then Filet Mignon with 1 side included and extra for others so we shared 1 extra .Had Chunky chips, creamed Spinach and Roasted Cauliflower. The steak was really good , but the sides were disappointing. I had banana ice cream which was nice enough but too much, Oh had Banana date cake which was basically sticky toffee pudding. I pinched a spoonful and it was lovely.

I’m pleased we tried it , but I’m not sure it’s worth the £43 a head surcharge. I did hear a lot of very positive reports about Indochine but we ran out of nights!

That’s the trouble about all cruises they have to come to an end.

We were very full so had a bit of a stroll but then watched the penalty shoot France v Switzerland in the cabin and settled down.

Next morning!

Always sad to leave, one last chance to eat way more than is good for me at buffet breakfast.

We had opted for self disembarkation particularly as it meant avoiding being bussed to the Convention Centre. Disembarkation was quick and smooth off by 9 home at 9.30!

Overall we had a fantastic time it was great to be on a ship once more. As a one off trip the lack of travel didn’t bother us and I’m sure that won’t last much longer. Other matters like mask wearing really doesn’t bother us that much.

MSC is a curate’s egg good in parts… I certainly wouldn’t necessarily rule out cruising with them again but I wouldn’t cruise on their big ships at proper capacity.

1 hour ago, JessM66 said:

Ha ha, yes we did the Portland tour a couple of weeks ago, on a different cruise line, we told about the prison, and that Garry Glitter is in there!!  What section of the MDR were you in, or more importantly what was the name of the assistant head waiter, we will try and ask to be seated in her section, as she sounds like she knows her stuff.

It was a section right at the aft near the windows her name was Anna-Maria I think

Day 4 Portland

Set Alarm on cabin phone as we were on shore excursion today. Good job I did as we would have overslept and might have faced the walk of shame on the coach. Usually sleep very well in inside cabins as they are not quite as dark as the old days ,light through peephole, TV standby light and also Zoe has a glowing light. Much has been said about Zoe. However, she doesn’t talk much or rather not at all. I tried talking to her a few times, but she gave me the cold shoulder.

I did manage to use her as a Bluetooth speaker but other than that she just took space up on an already quite small vanity area.

Had buffet breakfast had full English plus a made to order Mushroom Omelette which was ok , nothing special.

We then went to the Theatre as the excursion meeting point .It is probably 35 years since I went on a ship shore excursion. We had a tour of Portland , then of Weymouth including a walk along the prom. The guide was just like I remembered complete factual overload, including the fact that Portland has a large sex offenders’ prison, I don’t think we needed to know that. I was more interested in the cruise ships sheltering in the bay. Visibility was poor as there was a sea fret, but I could make out better when it lifted later .In the bay were Iona, Aurora (following us!),Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Escape. Quite sad seeing them all huddled there.

We drove high up to see the lighthouse and had a good view of the Chesil beach.

We had a final photo stop to view the concrete Olympic rings built for when the sailing was hosted for 2012.

It was nice to hit dry land, but I would never do such a tour in normal times. We were warned at the beginning of the consequences of leaving the party.

Back onboard we went for lunch in the buffet and I had Pea & mint soup which was really good and Sea Bream with lemon and herb which was also delicious.

We had a walk around deck and the deck above the main pool has a track for walkers and joggers.

I made a guest appearance at the gym and rode on the bike in a very poor attempt to address the level of excess. The gym was well equipped and felt very covid safe.

We then went back up on deck to watch us sail away and wave at passengers on Marella Discovery berthed next to us.

We then decided to give the MDR another try and deliberately asked to be sat in a different part of the restaurant. What a completely different experience from 2 nights ago! The food and service was so much better it was like we were on another ship!

The key for me was the section assistant head waiter. On the first 2 nights, this guy just wandered around with his nose in the air. Here, it was a young woman who engaged with all passengers and waiting staff as well as getting hands on. Excuse the pun, but she ran a tight ship. The service was attentive, responsive and quick.

I had Lentil and Potato soup (bit too many lentils but then the clue is in the title!)full of flavour though, Lasagna which was excellent and cheese plate for a change…

If the MDR was like that every night MSC would be fine ,in fact a lot better than fine.

Went to main theatre to see impressionist Andrew Fleming who apparently was on Britain’s Got Talent a few years back .His impressions were pretty good but quite dated  :Cilla, Michael Caine, Tony Hancock, Michael Crawford etc.

Progressed straight to Carousel Lounge which was designed for the ill-fated Cirque show .It’s a nice space with a circular stage in the middle of the audience. There was a rock tribute band Legends who were ok ,they did some good versions and  also murdered some, notably Layla. Very attentive table drinks service.

Hi 

4 minutes ago, JessM66 said:

Thanks, do you know if they have a better selection of wines by the glass on the premium plus package, all the wine lists I have seen seem to quote wines by the glass that are below the £10 price, or by the bottle which I assume isn’t included or has an extra charge. Would be nice to have a bigger choice of wines with dinner but not sure how I could get an idea of what was on there

Hi there were definitely better wines by the glass  above 10 pounds on most bar drinks menus and the restaurants too.

The wine waiters were great too .Even though they knew you were buying by the glass they would bring a bottle nearby to keep topping you up.

1 hour ago, Notts1964 said:

What a horrible experience for your friend (and you). Mistakes are made but how they are dealt with is extremely important, and the customer service provided sounds horrible. Put it behind you and enjoy the rest of your cruise

Hi thanks we all were determined to.put it behind us and there was no way we were going to let it spoil our cruise and it didn't 

8 minutes ago, JessM66 said:

Hi, do you mind me asking how much they charge to upgrade the drinks package onboard, I am on board on 10th July for a week and wondering if it is worth upgrading or not. thanks

Hi its 13 pounds a day before you board 16 pounds once on board

Day 3 Southampton.
Another beautiful day weather wise where we had to say goodbye to my wife’s friend, this was only her second cruise and she really enjoyed it (till the very end of it anyway). Had full buffet breakfast .The “English oven baked bacon” is pretty tasteless in my view but the fattier American bacon much nicer. Sausage was not a traditional Uk sausage and wasn’t nice. I did have a pancake as well though, different flavours every day, today had banana pieces cooked in to it, very good.
We then went to see our friend off or so we thought we waved her to the exit and waited for her to go down the gangplank. Suddenly, she was being frogmarched back the way she had come, cruise card showed unpaid bill. Escorted into MSC Foundation area and we accompanied her.
They had a couple of guest services staff stationed there to deal with such issues. No one adequately explained was what going on up to that point. The person allocated to deal with our friend said that she owed a bill for minibar items. Our friend explained that she was on the premium plus package and that she understood minibar items were included. You are not on the premium plus package was the terse reply. Our friend explained that we had gone to Guest Services the day before to upgrade, as she had been unable to do it online in advance and the customer care line were not answering. I know this to be true as I tried myself.
The person replied that it was not possible to upgrade at Guest Services ,only in bars and made it clear she did not believe what she had said .Both my OH and I repeated the tale as we were there and added that the person on Guest Services involved a member of staff from the nearby bar to perform the upgrade. The person we saw said you will have no problems, but if you do here is my name. We quoted his name but the person was very reluctant to contact him but did when another guest services representative got involved. This person looked us in the eye, apologised for the inconvenience. During the whole of this encounter the other person never once looked up from their laptop to make eye contact.
Our friend then said I have a train to catch I have a linked booking with my friends they will resolve this. We agreed, but the original person said you are not leaving until this is resolved, for 3 items from the minibar!
Eventually it was resolved, but the treatment we received was appalling. The second guest services representative apologized profusely and I requested a full investigation and an explanation at a later time and he agreed. We never received it.
We all decided not to let it ruin our holiday but it was quite upsetting and honestly in numerous cruises I have never experienced customer service like this.
Still, onwards and upwards. The weather in Southampton was lovely so we went on deck in the same space as previous day nice and sheltered. We have both become addicted to the freshly squeezed orange juice which is fantastic and available in quite a few of the bars.
Many of the drinks are included in the premium package as it’s up to the value of £10 and includes well known brands and some cocktails but premium plus for £13 a day means anything by the glass is available.
We were berthed at the City Cruise terminal and could see the Horizon terminal next door which though it has been opened is clearly not finished yet, believe MSC are using it from sometime in July. We were berthed near Aurora and Britannia.
After an exhausting morning reading and snoozing , we went for buffet lunch. I had Lamb Madras and rice with mini-Naan and poppadoms. Mini Naan was disappointing, but the rest was lovely .Also had cheese and mint bread and a selection of cheeses (can you tell I like cheese?!).The breads onboard are wonderful.

After another rest, we went in a jacuzzi (capacity controlled only 1 party at a time. There are several around the ship. The outside ones are not round shaped but like a moon crescent looking out over the side of the ship. We also went for a swim in the large pool and you could swim properly which is quite rare. We had a further sunbathe until after 7 we love that quiet time on deck, it seems like you are getting a more private special experience at that time of day.
After last nights’ less than impressive meal, we tried to book Butcher’s Cut the speciality steak restaurant but it was booked until 9.30 which is too late for us, so we booked for Monday.
Instead we tried Hola! Tacos and had a fantastic experience. There is currently an offer of £16.99 all you can eat and you can literally go through the whole menu if you wish. Our server was from Ukraine and was very helpful and friendly. He guided us through the menu and made suggestions but didn’t force choices.
We started with Nachos and salsa , then progressed to tacos tapas which were basically mini tacos with various meats, steak , chicken, pork and some cheese based and some cheesy Quesadillas all of which were great.
Finally on the savoury front we had Enchiladas Chicken and Beef which we shared, there were other choices like Burritos on offer.

We then shared Churros with salted caramel dip and I had a Lemon Meringue tacos, it was like lemon sorbet .Both desserts were top notch.




Before we went back to the cabin, we had a walk round the deck .I love walking round the deck at night hearing the sea and trying to spot things which we did- The Isle of Wight!
A very mixed day a terrible start but the rest of the day was good.


 

Missing photos Day 2

Missing photos day ! only was I can sort it sorry

• I don't seem to be able to edit my posts either ,I was going to try to upload the pictures differently but I can't ,can anyone help?

That's weird it automatically embedded them and I can see them fine.

• Day 2
  Less to say as today was a recovery day. Taking full advantage of the Premium Plus package with cocktails, champagne, wine and Jameson’s seemed such a good idea at the time, less so the next morning. All 3 of us felt delicate but I was the only one to make breakfast buffet but could only face toast.
  However, the weather was surprisingly good, so we lazed around on sunbeds in the deck above the Atmosphere pool. Plenty of space to be had but can’t see it when ship is full. Further along was the aft pool with a tier of sundecks. The also had quite luxury style double loungers. There were not many and they were always reserved really early by the placing of the dreaded towels.
  By afternoon teatime we had recovered somewhat and we had scones with jam and cream. the scones were quite biscuity in consistency and the jam was loganberry which tasted a bit weird (it changed every day). I also had Blueberry Bread and Butter Pudding with custard and this was excellent.
  The ladies went to the cabin for a nap so I went to the pool area for a read/ doze except I couldn’t as there was a man having a loud conversation with another man (who actually barely spoke). The conversation started with the immortal phrase “It’s not like this on P & O”
  I suppressed a giggle. I was about to move when his long suffering OH decided it was time to take decisive action and hoiked him off.

  

  

  
  After nipping back for a quick shwoer and change we went to the Sky Lounge for a drink, a lovely bar with fabulous views.
  All the bars had scannable QR codes to bring up the drinks menu or staff would produce a hard copy if necessary or reel off choices. This Bar specialised in Smoky cocktails ( dry ice at a guess?) and My wife’s friend had a smoke on the water whilst I had a fruit smoothie and OH had a tonic water.
  
  
  We went to MDR at 7.45 and had a disappointing meal both, quality and service. We waited an hour and 20 minutes for our main course after the starter. The service the previous night was a bit lacking in finesse but not too bad. Here it was chaotic and the plates were slammed down. I had spicy lamb parcels which were just ok and Canneloni which was not very nice at all. We had a show booked at 9.30 so told the waiter we would have to leave. He tried to encourage us to stay but I simply explained we had a show to go to and we couldn’t stay as we had had to wait quite a long time to be served with the main course. I didn’t say it aggressively, nor did I shout or pull a face but he certainly did. No apology either.
  We pre-booked the show a New York tribute show via the MSC for Me app. You could just turn up but you had to wait until those who had booked were seated. We were all told to wear our masks whilst seated and whilst people did wear masks when moving around most removed them when seated.
  The show was of good quality some good singers and dancers but similar show are available…
  We then went to the Starship bar to say hello to Robbie for a nightcap .the ladies had a hot chocolate which they said were really good, I just had bottled water.
  Practically everyone I saw took photos of Robbie but I never saw him dispense a drink once.
  When everyone has a drinks package you are unlikely to spend £18 on a cocktail you can have for free elsewhere I think if they’d offered discounts of different levels people might have tried it.
  
  
   
•  

   

Hmmm, that's disturbing about all the erroneous charges. I guess I'd better check my statement carefully!

Hi I haven't checked them that closely before TBH, definitely will now!

Day 4- Freeport

Decided to have continental breakfast in cabin which arrived precisely half way through the half hour slot. Cereal and coffee were fine, toast was cold and chewy.

I’d thought about another beach day, there were a few advertised resort pass days with Hotels that looked good but quite expensive, but I’d spotted a review of a surf shack on a beach where you could use his facilities in return for buying drinks and snacks. Cleveland who owns the shack picked us up, he used to run a taxi company and still has the minibus.

The shack is on Lucayan Beach about a 20-minute drive from Freeport. The beach was beautiful not quite as stunning as Rose Island. There were very strong waves, but the sea was really warm.

The shack was quite rustic but in a lovely spot. We had quite a simple lunch, but the local fried fish was delicious.

It was a really nice day but not as cheap as I’d expected as we were charged for borrowing loungers which wasn’t mentioned, and the taxi fare was pricey too.

Cleveland is clearly a proud Bahamian and said he would take us past some Freeport sights on the way back. This included the power plant, the courthouse and the brewery. I think it’s fair to say that Freeport is not the most blessed.

I did overhear that others had been to lovely beaches too. There are quite few souvenir shops near the port and my daughters bought a couple of Bahamas tie-dye T-shirts that should come with their own sunglasses.

Had a drink on our balcony and had a nose at Grand Celebration docked next door to us.

ent to MDR which featured the Baked Alaska parade plus dancing waiters just as we arrived. The timing seemed wrong but that’s what you get for open seating!

I had Cannelloni as a starter which was excellent, Beef Tenderloin and Apple Pie which was delicious.

We then all went to America Rocks a “tribute” to America rock bands. Very high energy well staged and well sung. We were all issued with stars and stripes bandanas. Fortunately, I was in the loo when they came round.

My son and his girlfriend missed part of it due to their third trip to Guest Services. If you remember they had allowed her to cancel the drinks package due to her medical condition. However, all sorts of charges had appeared for alcoholic drinks on her account she had not touched a drop.

I can easily see how this arose in part. I’d read lots of reviews saying that Carnival did not allow you to buy a round of drinks even if all your party had the Cheers package. However, this was not rue and all bars and waiters would take multiple cards off you and assign drinks randomly, I would advise checking!

This issue was cleared up, but they insisted that some drinks were hers and “the signatures match, we’ve checked them”. My son’s girlfriend asked to see them, but they were strangely not available.

It was clear mistakes had been made as the were things like a Chocolatini on there which my son said, “I didn’t even know that was a drink, so how could I ask for it?”

They would not budge, and the amount outstanding was quite large. We are still out of pocket.

The only thing my son and his girlfriend could do was remove the auto gratuity which they didn’t like doing but they would not budge.

It forced me to check my account and I found an amount for $45 for bingo. I hate bingo! I have this raised with Carnival UK now as I couldn’t face the queues on board. The printout was quite useful though as was apparently buying bingo at the same time as I was buying a drink in the Piano bar!

This did take the shine off the last night a bit, but we did still really enjoy the cruise.This has since been resolved and a credit to my account is pending.

Disembarkation was a bit of a nightmare the next day. We opted for carry own luggage off and the first few decks seems to go fine then horrible queues formed and we were told wait a few minutes. When we were called we gave it a few minutes but it was carnage in the stairwell. Not the first time I’ve experienced this though.

20180801_105118 Lucayan Beach

20180801_165553 Grand Celebration

Wow! That looks amazing! I'm always undecided on what to do in Nassau...have been there several times. This looks like a great option! Thanks for sharing this. Loving your review! :)

Thanks it was truly amazing a real red letter day.I'd read very mixed reviews about Nassau as a port but this was a fabulous trip.

Day 3- Nassau

The standout day. Had read quite a lot of reviews suggesting Nassau wasn’t the most interesting port. I’d also noticed that there were 3 other ships in so I knew Nassau itself would be busy.

I did some research and found a resort on a private island, Rose Island called Sandy Toes with excellent reviews. I pre-booked this tour direct with the company. This meant getting to Paradise Island to catch a boat. Paradise Island is connected to Nassau via bridge and is only a 5 minute drive.

Nassau has a slightly unusual taxi system; most taxis are minibuses and you often have a joint journey with another party and pay a per head figure. This happened to us and we shared with a group going to a nearby beach.

At the ferry terminal we found the Sandy Toes check-in. The boat journey lasted 30 minutes and was quite choppy on the way, but it was so worth it. Rose Island is like a picture postcard paradise.

Sandy Toes have created areas on the Island so there is a covered bar and eating area, deck chairs on the beach and hammocks in the shade, showers, toilet facilities etc.

However, it’s the beach and sea that make this place, it is simply stunning. We were in and out of the sea all day and the water was crystal clear. There is also various livestock on the Island including chickens and pigs who swim in the sea (the pigs not the chickens!)

Sandy Toes provide a buffet lunch with soft drinks included, the Jerk chicken was excellent.

Snorkelling was also offered which the children did a returnable deposit was the only “charge”.

Also took some photos and videos of the swimming pigs. Cute.

All too soon it was time to get back on the boat, leaving a taste of paradise behind. Honestly, it was just like how you would imagine an unspoilt tropical island to be. A real red-letter day.

Returned to the ferry terminal where more “taxis” (minibuses)were waiting for us, another shared journey. This “taxi” was a lot older than the earlier one and didn’t strike me as especially roadworthy but at least we knew we weren’t going far.

Back on board after mildly irritating the rest of the family by taking photos of the other ships in port:

Carnival Ecstasy, Disney Dream & Majesty of the Seas.We were “herded” into the boarding area, which unlike some ports had no facilities other than a water station for the ship. As I’d been taking photos I’d not noticed the queue and by the time we were in it , we couldn’t escape. It took 35 minutes to get back on board queuing in searing heat. Not impressed. I don’t do queuing at the best of times, I will usually escape and come back later.

We rewarded our patience with a cocktail on deck most of us opting for a Strawberry Daquiri including some zero proof ones.

It was at the point that it began to dawn us on all, how sunburnt we were. Normally, I receive considerable stick from the rest of the family as to how much and how often I slap the sun cream on. However, I think we were all undone by going in and out of the beautiful crystal-clear sea.

Went to MDR for a meal and we again had a buzzer but didn’t wait long. Had Leek &Potato Soup, lamb Shank and Crème Brulee which were all really good. I do like a nice Crème Brulee. In fact, I don’t mind a really average Creme Brulee. I just like Crème Brulee. Think that’s clear now!

Afterwards we went to the karaoke bar which I couldn’t stand for long. Off key singing is the equivalent of someone scratching their fingernails down a blackboard. So, we went to the piano bar , it’s a guy playing request songs and he is very versatile. Not all his versions worked but most did.

20180731_104234 Sandy Toes

20180731_121417 Sandy Toes Beach

20180731_110421 Swimming pig

20180731_104622 Beautiful sea

 

Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

 

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:) thanks

Thank you very much for your review. We sail in Spring and are finding your insights to be very valuable. Cannot wait to see more.

Thanks I'm posting more soon.

Loving your review!

 

 

Kim

 

 

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Thankyou

Thank you for taking the time to do this! Sailing on Liberty over Labor Day for the first time, and enjoy reading what you have to say:)

Thanks enjoy your cruise

Enjoyed your review. Liberty is one of my favorite Carnival ships. Just finished a cruise on her last Sunday and cruising again on Liberty over Thanskgiving.

A Liberty junkie :) Enjoy!

Thank you! Sailing Liberty the first time next year. Your review and pics are so helpful! What cabin/deck were you in?

Thanks. we were on deck 7 balcony cabins near the aft lift ( 2 cabins) my son and girlfriend were on deck 9 balcony right near the buffet. The noise from the atrium was quite bad for them but they are heavy sleepers

Carnival Liberty Day 2-Sea day

Always nice to have a lie in on a sea day. Our cabin steward asked on the first day whether we wanted the room serviced once or twice and what time window. Obviously intended to lessen requests but nice to have a time choice, we opted for 11 every morning and we still got towel animals!

The previous evening our table waiter had “plugged” the Brunch available in the fixed dining restaurant available 9-1, times only apply on sea days. What a great idea, normally dining room breakfasts finish pretty early.

We had to wait a while for the food, but it was cooked to order and the quality was really good, miles better than the buffet (as you would expect). Very wide choice including steak and eggs if you wanted it. Waiter was friendly and funny, staff are definitely keen to interact to a more informal friendly level. Sometimes it works, sometimes not (in my view).

Went for a tour of the some of the public areas, really liked the look of the piano bar a bar with a piano in the middle of the room and a bar all the way round it in a circle and all the other tables and chairs looking like piano keys.

Had a Guy Fieri burger for lunch, which my son had raved about the previous day. I’m not a massive burger fan but the quality was really good I had a chilli burger and the fries were fantastic.

Had a chill by the pool with tiered decking. Drinks stewards were attentive to take your order, but drinks took a while to arrive.

Had evening meal excellent salmon dish for main. I’d read a review saying that the drinks stewards in the MDR were hard to find and not attentive. I found the opposite to be the case. They actively encouraged you to have another drink knowing you had a cheers package and plugged drinks of the day etc.

We all went to see Flick which was a tribute to songs from various films. A very high energy performance with some stunning special effects.

I thought this was very well performed and produced and was a very entertaining 45 minutes.

Maybe it’s me, but I always find at least 1 singer in a ships company seems to think volume equal quality .There was only one on this occasion ,all the others were pretty good a couple better than that.

20180730_113103 Piano Bar

20180730_101755 View from rear of fixed time MDR

20180730_114210 Main theatre

20180730_115508 Towel Animal

Had a 4 night cruise on CarnivalLiberty .We went to Orlando as a family to do the whole Disney/Universal thing, so I put a bid in for a cruise at the end arguing we would need the rest (we did!).Didn’t fancy the schlep to Miami, so we decided to give Carnival a try from Port Canaveral.

Embarkation was a breeze. We arrived at 11.30 and were onboard within 15 minutes. We were sent to two stations, one to check documents and take the photo the other to sort the onboard account. Cruise card was sent to cabins and placed in an envelope outside in the holder for the daily programme, so you kept your boarding pass.

We went straight to the buffet which is our family tradition. To be honest I was a little disappointed. The range and quality was not as good as similar rivals in my view. There were some speciality stations like a deli station (sub style sandwiches) and sushi (which was extra charge). Upstairs there was a BBQ buffet with pulled pork, ribs etc.

Just outside the buffet area on deck by the pool was a Guy Fieri (of TV fame) burger shack. I sampled this later in the cruise, but my son had one and said it was excellent, the “fries” in particular were really good

Overall, there probably was plenty of choice but you had to cover a lot of ground and like some ships the buffet didn’t have a great “flow” and there were logjams.

Had a look around the deck and took first advantage of the extensive but expensive drinks package a very lively atmosphere. A lot of people had the “Cheers” package and took full advantage though no real rowdy behaviour.

We had all bought the package but the week before the cruise our son’s girlfriend had it confirmed she had a medical issue that prevented her from drinking alcohol, so we needed to cancel hers. This led to a considerable saga. I’d bought it for everyone so got in touch with Carnival who said the only was to resolve it was to nominally put her in with my youngest daughter who had the soda package. However, as we had booked through an agent we would have to do it through them. I explained we were now in the US but cut no ice. I contacted my agent who was then told it was too late to change! Crazy. It was sorted out onboard (after 3 visits and 2 phone calls to guest services). However, that was not the end of the saga-more later!

We then had the obligatory lifeboat drill. We were shepherded to muster stations (no lifejackets) which were on deck next to the lifeboats. The area was horribly cramped ad hot. A bloke in front of me kept getting told off for reading his book but in a way I don’t blame him as the gaps between the various announcements was ridiculously long.

We then went to the sail away party on deck, this was seriously lively a a real party atmosphere lots of high energy dancing and loud music. Might not be to everyone’s taste but we all really enjoyed it.

We then had a nice relax on deck there is a tiered lounger area by the largest pool. We sailed out before Oasis of the Seas which was nearby.

Went for dinner, we had opted for open seating. First night it was busy, so we were given a buzzer but were seated before we had finished our first drink. There was a bar right outside of the restaurant at he base of the huge (and very deep) atrium which had a string duo playing pop music tunes every night.

I honestly thought the food in the MDR was excellent and of good quality , but some of my party who are more picky did struggle some nights.

First night I had Calamari, Flat Iron steak & chocolate melting pudding.

Like most US lines you have to order extra veg (here as side dishes) or it would be very meat heavy.

Every night there was a movie on deck (the tiered deck I mentioned earlier) with free bags of fresh popcorn and blankets available. We watched Pitch Perfect 3. Well, the rest of the family did my wife and I quit early.

Sea day next!

20180729_172538 Oasis of the Seas following us out

20180730_111441 Large screen on deck

20180729_172627 Whaletail funnel I love the whaletail!

20180730_133826 Guy Fieri burger