TexMom

Thank you so much for reporting your trip for us!  We are on a similar itinerary in Oct/Nov.  Can't wait to pick up some great tips from your group!!

Are you on the Serenade? We are on that cruise, too. We have a combination of a ship tour, a couple of independent tours, and some ports we are doing on our own or waiting to see what the weather is like. Last time I looked there were still lots of ship excursions available. See you on board!

On cruises from the US we have found a tip is expected from the baggage handlers when dropping off our luggage. Is this also the case in Europe (Copenhagen)? I realize tipping is very different in Scandanavia from US, but not sure about this exact situation. TIA!

We saw three shows: Impressionist Paul Boland, In the Air, and Encore! Ice Show. We thought In the Air and Encore! were worth the time and effort, but Paul Boland, not as much. He was funny, just in a different league. Happy Cruising!

We had the Voom surf and stream package. It was not as fast as the Fios we have at home and we didn't do a speed test, but it was fine for email, Facebook, general internet searches, etc. We did not try to stream anything, and I don't think it would have been very successful, but did greatly enhance our time on the ship. Seemed to be worth the $220 we paid for it for the three of us. Your mileage may vary.

Thanks to all the Cruise Critic members for their great reviews of the Liberty this Spring. This is my simple attempt to pay it forward, will do my best to answer any questions about our sailing:

Liberty of the Seas June 19th-26th

Impressions, Opinions, and maybe a few tips

Internet: Our group was three adults each with two mobile devices, and we ordered the internet package before we left home. We were given a little card with the code and instructions on how to connect. However, we were not given instructions on how to disconnect and switch devices! a visit to guest services later, we were instructed to type “2.2.2.3” in a browser window to log off, then use the code to log in with another device. Overall we loved the convenience and would do it again. It was great to be able to text and say we were at the pool, etc. Can’t wait until the Cruise Compass comes out for mobile as that would have been so handy!

Dining Package: We had the 5 night specialty dining package and bookended it with trips to Johnny Rockets on the first and last nights, so never had a night in the main dining room. We enjoyed all of our meals and were surprised the restaurants were not more crowded.

Cruise Director: Jimmy Rhodes was our Cruise Director. He was on a “Special Engagement” as he had been vacationing and was persuaded to come sail with us this week. We thought he was absolutely outstanding! On the last sea day he had a special talk in the Star Lounge about his experiences as a Black Man in China because his usual posting these days is on the Quantum sailing in Asia. His stories were hilarious, compelling and educational! He did all this with the airline losing his luggage and not having his bags all week.

Junior Suite: We had an Aft Junior Suite. It was meh. Overall, we felt the cabin was too small for three adults. We were disappointed the dividing curtain only spanned about two feet! Also found the balcony while spacious to be a little stagnant air wise.

Main Dining Room Lunch: Be forewarned that the menus in the main dining room for lunch are merely suggestions of what may come from the kitchen. For instance, on the last sea day, chicken sliders with mustard and pickles was listed, but what came out were two ground chicken burgers with tomato and mayonnaise. No pickles were to be found on board, which was a great disappointment to my daughter! I ordered a grilled chicken dish that was most definitely roasted in the oven, it was still good, just didn’t match the description. A couple of other days, the toppings or sides did not match the described steak sandwich.

Maneolito: We loved his classic guitar music, but felt the venues were not ideal. We fell in love with his humble, informational style and beautiful music!

Dollar-with-drink package: This worked like a charm everywhere we tried it. Only my husband had the package so it was a little cumbersome when we were both ordering drinks, but he never got a receipt to sign if he handed a tip with his card when ordering.

Windjammer staff/management: A highlight of the trip. The attitude of all the servers, etc was outstanding! So friendly and always walking around providing drinks, ice cream, etc. It was still chaos due to the many passengers when we were there, but the workers were really hustling and we appreciated their positive attitudes.

Mini golf: This area is hard to find, but worth it. We sat out in the shade near by several days. It was a calm alternative to the craziness of the main pool area and we never had trouble getting a lounger. Go to Deck 12 forward, outside then walk up the stairs. No elevators come to this level.

Sabor sides: We ate and Sabor twice and loved it. We found it curious that no sides from the menu were ever served. The first night, we forgot to order any, but the second night we made sure of it, but still, we never received them or got to taste them!

Big Family Groups: We were a little apprehensive due to the many large family groups listed on our roll call, but they were totally a non-issue. We never thought they were causing any kind of bottle necks or concerns or any kind.

Tidal Wave Slide: As has probably been reported, the weight limit was 450. We had read before the trip the max was 325 and even though we didn’t try it, were glad we could have.

Self Assist Debarkation: Thanks for the suggestion, it worked like a charm! We got to the venue about 15 minutes before our assigned time, were allowed off at 7:30 and were in our car by 7:55! It seemed like most the the newer parts of the terminal were areas we walked through on the way out.

Compass on Mobile Devices: With the internet package this will be so handy. Royal Caribbean can’t implement this soon enough. We need an app with the compass and they ability to make dining and entertainment reservations on the spot!

Ice Show: We were thoroughly entertained by the ice show and found the performers to be professional quality. Only one fall!

Roving bands of kids: We were surprised this was not a disruptive distraction, in fact, quite the opposite. All the kids were encountered in the elevators were pleasant, often greeting us or others getting on. In once instance, two separate young people complimented me when overhearing our conversation. Never did we get in an elevator that had had all the buttons pushed.

Chocolate Breakfast: No mention in the Compass and since we weren’t dining in the main dining room for dinner, never got notice this was even being offered.

Cuisine: Because of the large numbers of cruisers from the Texas/Oklahoma/Louisiana area, we would like to invite the Chef Staff to actually visit our region and sample some true Texas BBQ, Kolaches (wouldn’t that be great to find in the windjammer in the mornings!), Tex-Mex (they did make an attempt at tacos in the Windjammer for lunch while in Mexico), cajun red beans and rice, etc. I little field trip could go a long way to pleasing the palates of most guests.

Thanks for sharing your fabulous photos and great first-hand experience with us! I for one am hoping that you will be able to come back and update us on the rest of your cruise experience someday soon. Would love to hear about Helsinki, Stockholm, and if you were able to visit the new port of Skagen.

Ahoy Fellow Cruisers! My husband, daughter, and I will be joining on the Brilliance July 5. We just decided at the last minute so I am scrambling to make transfer arrangements and research the fascinating ports. Our first cruise was on the Brilliance in 2007 so we can't wait to see the recent enhancements. We are from Texas so hoping the Baltic will be nice and cool this summer!