Carnival Liberty May 8 Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios Review

[santacap]

Having taken a 2 year absence from cruising for various reasons my wife and I decided to book this cruise with friends and family and our 10 month old sons first cruise. We booked this date as the ports, and timing worked for everybody wanting to come, and if others wanted to join the more the merrier.

 

Pre Cruise

 

We had originally planned to drive down to Miami from Toronto in an effort to see the east coast a little closer. But once it became apparent that we wouldnt be able to drive unless it was at night, and we would save a bunch of money, not to mention 3000 miles on our new car we looked at flights, and to spend some time in Miami which we had never done.

 

We flew in to Miami on the Wednesday before the cruise, allowing 3 nights and 2 full days in South Beach. The rest of our group would fly in on the Friday. Through trip advisor and these boards we decided on Nassau Suite, as they had a full kitchen, was on Collins Ave, and most important very reasonable rates. We chose a 1 bedroom suite, which worked for us. The one thing I would have liked to see would be a TV in the living room, with our son sleeping in the bedroom at night it would have been nice.

 

Some pics of our room... it was 175 a night, a studio was 142. Secure parking lot is available right beside with a security gate for 15 a day. Again, very reasonable, considering the local. it is a block from the beach on Collins and a block from Lincoln mall etc.

 

 

 

 

 

We rented a car from Alamo at the airport for 20 bucks a day, and being the kind of guy believing 'it doesnt hurt to ask' I was able to get us upgraded to a Kia Rondo (mid size) for the same price. Cant beat that. Plus they had a free shuttle from the airport to port. Again, cant beat that.

 

On the second night we chose to eat at 'Burger n Beer Joint" its a little out of the way to get to, but man alive it was a great meal if your looking for a regular burger and a wide selection of beers. Plus, you can get an ice cream after the meal, walk a block and get this view

 

 

The rest of our days in Miami were spent walking South Beach seeing the cast from the Jersey Shore a few times, and taking it all in. We enjoyed lunch on the boardwalk with fish bowl sized Margarita.... Our son unfortunately couldnt stay awake

 

 

 

We waited for the rest of our group to fly in on Monday, some stayed at the Hilton by the airport, and I have to say given a choice I wouldnt stay there. The pool was 'alright' but the staff was non existent at the pool bar, no bartenders were on staff until 4 PM as we were told (we didnt wait to find out) and the rooms seemed dirty with wallpaper falling off, which was very surprising for this 'brand' hotel.

 

Once everybody got to the Miami we hung out that evening, had a very pricey dinner in South Beach and waited for the next day, and our 7 day cruise to begin.

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Embarkation - Day 1

 

Having a baby, you are usually later than you want to, and this day was no different. By the time we got checked out, and the rental packed up we didnt get to the airport until about 11. The shuttle arrived within 5 minutes and we were off to board the Liberty for the first time

 

Our last embarkation was a huge hassle, there was an issue with the new computer system, the customs fiasco so everybody had to wait in the terminal. We didnt get into the security line until about 12:30 but with the long lines things moved very well.

 

New to us were the self check in terminals, it was a breeze to get everything set up, and off to pick up our S&S cards. Having a stroller we were escorted to the elevator and off we were to the Atrium to hear the first 'bing' of the week. :D

 

Having gotten there later, our room was ready once on board and we went up to check it out. We had a balcony on our wedding / honeymoon and there was no way were werent going to this time around. Before we left I had left a comment on John's blog asking if he could make sure we had a crib and high chair at dinner. Much to my surprise, although, all things considered in hindsight it wasnt that surprising we arrived to our room to find a crib and a note from Butch and John along with a bottle of wine and a ship on the stick, which Josh seemed to enjoy.

 

 

The room itself was set up with our crib, which folds away perfectly for a little more room when not in use, and also for transport to another room. Travelling with us was my mother, who offered up babysitting services a few nights:D. Our room steward Noparret was more than happy to help us moving the crib to the room at dinner and back in the morning along with some of Josh's toys we had brought along. He was amazing all week to all of us.

 

After the room, it was time for muster. Having a stroller we were shuttled off to the Cigar bar for others in need of assistance and were instructed on the use of the lifejacket / procedures from the comfort of a couch, which was nice.

 

Time for sail away and a DOD.

 

 

That night, we met our wait staff of Enrico and Avito. They were fantastic all week to us and Josh. His dinner was always first served to keep him busy, and once we found out that he loved PB & J it was there before we even got there with fresh fruit.

 

I wont get into what we ate every night, but IMO the food was fantastic, there was a few 'near misses' but nothing to complain about and wasnt quickly rectified by Enrico with a suggestion and a quick change. I wouldnt say I had one absolute fave, but they were all good. We ate at the buffet one night which was alright, nothing to write home about but did the trick.

 

Sticking with the food theme, I enjoyed the burrito bar, when the line wasnt too bad and did the fish and chips twice, but found the F&C to be a little too greasy both times. Pizza always has, and always will be a mainstay on my cruises, along with room service breakfast on the balcny, which BTW was always delivered within the desired window of time.

 

Another mention to the entire crew of the Liberty. They were absolutely fantastic with our son. Each one on our floor knew his name, went out of their way to do the whole coochy coochy thing to make him smile, staff in Emiles would spin their trays to show him, play with toys etc. All in all, they really helped make our trip memorable.

[santacap]

I'll lump all sea days into one post, as they were pretty much the same thing each day, which is exactly what we wanted. We would head on up to deck 12, by the water wars area and would find seats easily. This allowed those in our group who wanted sun, to sit in the sun, and those of us who wanted shade to sit in the shade. This was also a quiet area from being asked for drinks every 2 minutes and to just relax

 

With Josh not being potty trained yet, we brought along an inflatable duck pool for him to splash around in, put toys in and have a blast. He really liked the whole idea.

 

 

 

The spot also allowed for easy access to the water slide. One thing though, I cant count the amount of people I saw burning their feet off on the stairs and a few little kids crying. They'd be well served to just put a bucket of water at the top or something, those stairs were roasting.

 

Sea days again were great, and relaxing, just what the doctor ordered

[Jeafl]

Great start--can't wait to read the rest!

 

By the way, Josh is absolutely adorable! :)

[suebart112]

My nephew has the exact same duck!! My sister-in-law puts it in the bath tub and he sits in it while she bathes him.

[santacap]

Great start--can't wait to read the rest!

 

By the way, Josh is absolutely adorable! :)

 

thanks. on both accounts. Funny, all the pics are him or scenery its like my wife and I were never there :D

 

My nephew has the exact same duck!! My sister-in-law puts it in the bath tub and he sits in it while she bathes him.

 

I would have never thought about it if it werent for the 'family cruise' board here. THey suggested it time and again so we had to try it out. Packed up real light, was easy to inflate and just carried it over to the fresh water shower to fill it with water. Couldnt have been easier, easily our best investment for the cruise.

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Our first stop on the Monday was Cozumel. Previously we had done a guided snorkel / jeep tour privately and really enjoyed the island and what it had to offer. Through CC, and our guides recommendations this time we tried Nachi Cocum. It couldnt have been easier to get to, got off the ship, hopped on a mini van cab and off we went to this little bit of paradise. For 50 bucks, its all you can drink until 5 PM when it closes and you could head up for lunch where the food was plentiful and really tasty. One of our party had the seafood ceviche and that was probably the only dish that was disappointingly small. The rest, wow...

 

The beach was great, and a great choice for us as it offered a little of everything. There was plenty of shade, plenty of sun, plenty of beach, plenty of ocean, hammocks, jet ski rentals, beach massages (which my wife rec'd as a Mothers Day present from Josh) mat rentals for 7 bucks.

 

We rented jet skis, 100 bucks for 2 machines for 40 minutes. Originally it was 30 minutes but again 'doesnt hurt to ask' and the man was more than happy to olbige my request. We had a great time out in the ocean, on the waves and just letting loose. Josh stayed on the beach with friends / family.

 

The day flew by, and near the end the beach seemed empty. The Carnival Liberty was docked until late that night, so I assume people headed off to town for a little bit, and continue on. We were more than happy to go back to the room, shower and then hit the buffet. Our friends said the MDR was pretty empty that night, which is to be expected I guess with a long port day, in Cozumel to boot.

 

 

 

 

 

[TinkyPatz]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do the review! We're doing this itinerary in September, can't wait!

 

Josh is a cutie pie! and I loved the obligatory Corona picture! ;)

[SMSACE6]

Great review! and I am looking forward to hearing the rest, and love your photos. Your baby son is adorable!:)

[santacap]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do the review! We're doing this itinerary in September, can't wait!

 

Josh is a cutie pie! and I loved the obligatory Corona picture! ;)

 

lol. I just couldnt resist. I mean 'when in Rome' right? ;)

 

Great review! and I am looking forward to hearing the rest, and love your photos. Your baby son is adorable!:)

 

i have the rest to put up tomorrow morning. Thanks for reading it :)

[ksmommyof4]

Thanks so much for this review.We leave on the June 19th cruise.And we are also going to Nachi when we are in Cozumel.This is our first cruise.Cant wait to hear about the rest of your trip!!!

[JackieH]

I am enjoying your review and pictures. We will be on the Liberty the end of August, so its fun reading all of this.

[md10074]

Thanks for the review. We are doing this the first week of August and I can't wait. We are also going to Nachi for the first time and it looks so beautiful.

[santacap]

Thanks so much for this review.We leave on the June 19th cruise.And we are also going to Nachi when we are in Cozumel.This is our first cruise.Cant wait to hear about the rest of your trip!!!

Your very welcome. Enjoy your first cruise, you only get one :) Get a lay of the land first and then explore. Once you get the general layout you're golden. Enjoy Nachi... we loved it.

 

I am enjoying your review and pictures. We will be on the Liberty the end of August, so its fun reading all of this

 

just increases the anticipation. I had a hard time finding recent Liberty reviews so thought I'd get one up.

 

Thanks for the review. We are doing this the first week of August and I can't wait. We are also going to Nachi for the first time and it looks so beautiful.

 

Nachi Cocum is a beautiful spot. Nobody bothers you, options are there to keep you busy and there's a swim up bar for the non ocean goers. Drinks flowing and its not crowded as they limit it... chairs for all :D

[santacap]

Grand Cayman

 

I've never really been a big fan of GC as a port, IMO it is a little too commercial for my taste buds, but was looking forward to this day as we were to take Josh to see stingrays via stingray sailings. They were great with customer service pre cruise, offering up their kids car seats so we wouldnt have to take it to the pier via tender and of course we took them up on that. Sadly though, the winds were too much this day and the ecological board shut it down for the day. We were met at the pier right away and told of the cancellation and that upon our return our money would be refunded however we paid... which happily it was.

 

We were then left with a decision on what to do. Some of the group had brought down their snorkel stuff, and might have done a one tank dive but that got nixed again so we winged it (which Im not a big fan of) and hopped on with one of the people holding tour signs, for snorkel etc. We paid 30 bucks for a 2 stop snorkel and the crew was great. After a 10 minute bus ride (once the tour sold) in a very hot bus we were off. I could tell right away why the sandbar was cancelled, the wake on the windward side were something else, which made for hard trekking during the snorkel portion and there was a few onboard who got seasick. All in all though, we all enjoyed the snorkeling and got to see some cool fish and a local stingray which was used for the usual photo ops, which we didnt partake in.

 

This was a shorter day, so after the bus ride back (I dont think the AC worked) we were famished and looked for something to eat. We were going to go to Margaritaville but with the MC and all the noise we decided it best to go someplace a little quieter. We chose I believe it was called Breezes, it is to the right of the pier as you leave with a blue sign. I would not recommend this place, food was pretty bland, and when it wasnt bland it was overspiced... no happy medium... and it was very overpriced, which I guess is common place in GC, so that wasnt a big deal. But the meal overall was a disappointment and we looked forward to dinner on board, to see Enrico and his crew to get our bellies full.

 

OVerall it was a good day, could have been better but walking around the carribean beats work any day. Apparently it was snowing back home so thoughts of a bad day were gone :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

[santacap]

Ocho Rios

Planning this port was a very stressful thing for myself, there was some debate on not even getting off with things I had read and boy am I glad I didnt listen to that. Ocho Rios, while Im sure it you just went in with a closed mind could be a bad experience / port of call but we went in with an open mind and had an absolutely fantastic place. Were there shady people? yes, one of our group who didnt come with up got offered a tour from a guy behind a fence, lol. Did people want to sell you everything? sure.

 

All in all it was a beatiful island, our experience was made all the more worthwhile by booking a private tour with Marva Shaw at knowjamaica. She drove us around, and Pat was our tour guide. Pat was very knowledgable on the island and if she wasnt sure, she'd check to see. Knowing that we had Josh with us, they catered the tour to our limitations. We stopped at the Enchanted Gardens which was in the middle of the rain forest and absolutely stunning.... and hot. Jordan was our guide and for 15.00 pp we were given about an 1.5 hour tour of the gardens and its water falls and the stories behind them (its a resort that has been shut down but still runs tours / weddings). Jordan was knowledgable on all the plants and stopped when we needed a break. There was an aviary that was more a photo op but was kinda cool to feed the birds. Again, we didnt do the photo op thing.

 

 

 

 

After the gardens, Marva took us up the hills and we saw some pretty cool things along the road... very well endowed statues galore and guys jumping out in front of cars to get you to stop at their stands were common place, and IMO pretty humorous as they were dressed in these costumes that were very colourful, a guy in stilts even came out. He wins for most creative. Marva knowing we didnt feel like shopping yet didnt stop or pressure us to stop. We were on our way to see Carl the spice guy... Speaking with Carl was a great part of the day, he had all the spices out on the table and had us taste / smell all types, from ginger to cocoa to these amazing fruits. We all agreed Carl was amazing.

 

 

After this we headed for a shopping centre that had the typical touristy shops, stores for t-shirts etc. Marva said they weren't too agressive which is why she took us there and she was right. Every vendor was willing to bargain, but none were 'touch it you buy it'.

 

After shopping, off we went to 'Ocho Rios Jerk' for some jerk food. Food was great, Marva hooked us up with some better service. Unfortunately they were out of ribs when we arrived but we had a little of everything. I had the chicken / pork and conch... all were very tasty and different from anything Id ever had, but 'When in Rome'.

 

Marva and Pat really took to Josh, and were fantastic with him the whole day. They are on the end, with Pat feeding Josh some potatoes they had as a side, which were very tasty

 

 

After lunch we really needed to dip our toes in the ocean, time was running out and Marva explained we would go to a beach that she normally wouldnt take us to as they can have some pushy necklace guys but with the ships departure approaching she was left with little choice. The beach was what she had described, the water was rocky, the beach nothing much and the pestering was there. We were charged 3 dollars to step foot on the beach, and others 2 minutes later were charged 4.... guess we didnt have sucker written across our face. It felt great to get our feet in the ocean though after the rain forest etc.

 

All in all Ocho Rios was a great day, and we'd definitely go back to another tour with Marva with different stops. More pics to follow

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Some more of Ocho Rios from our balcony

 

 

 

 

 

[Mrs. Orange]

Thanks so much for posting this review! My husband and I are going on this cruise September 11. I haven't seen very many Liberty reviews so I was so excited to spot yours! Your pics are beautiful!

[babybumblebees]

Incredible review and pics! We are headed on this exact itinerary in 17 days!

[springfire]

Great post and great pictures!!!

 

Thank You!!!

[santacap]

Thanks so much for posting this review! My husband and I are going on this cruise September 11. I haven't seen very many Liberty reviews so I was so excited to spot yours! Your pics are beautiful!

your welcome. Enjoy the LIberty, she's a beautiful ship. I found the same thing in my anticipatory weeks so I wanted to share my experiences.

 

Incredible review and pics! We are headed on this exact itinerary in 17 days!

 

Thanks. Enjoy your cruise. We really enjoyed the ports.

 

Great post and great pictures!!!

 

Thank You!!!

 

Much appreciated.

 

Back in a few with a general thoughts as the last sea day was uneventful, and its never fun getting your zone tags in your room and debarkation talks :mad:

[BIGA961]

Great review! We took this same trip in October and loved just about everything about it. We did the Nachi Cocum beach day and it was excellent, and we also did the Stingray Sailing, but we were able to see the stingrays which was really cool. We then went to the Breezes Restaurant that you mentioned and our opinion was exactly the same as yours, a little bland and definitely overpriced. In Ocho Rios we climbed Dunn River Falls which was incredible, and I'd definitely recommend. Thanks for the memories.

[purdueamanda]

Thanks for the review and pictures! H and I are going Nov 6th and this makes me even more excited to go!

[santacap]

Great review! We took this same trip in October and loved just about everything about it. We did the Nachi Cocum beach day and it was excellent, and we also did the Stingray Sailing, but we were able to see the stingrays which was really cool. We then went to the Breezes Restaurant that you mentioned and our opinion was exactly the same as yours, a little bland and definitely overpriced. In Ocho Rios we climbed Dunn River Falls which was incredible, and I'd definitely recommend. Thanks for the memories.

 

thats too funny about Breezes... i guess its jus ttypically blah and we didnt catch them on an off day. I look forward to the day we can do Dunns River. We were tempted to do the dry climb but we'd like Josh to see it.

 

Thanks for the review and pictures! H and I are going Nov 6th and this makes me even more excited to go!

 

Thanks. enjoy your cruise. im jealous :)

[santacap]

Some general thoughts....

 

This was our first cruise aboard the Carnival Liberty and we were familiar with the layout having cruised on the Carnival Valor 3 times previous. The ship was in tip top shape, and this week happened to be one of maintenance as I noticed a few ceiling tiles removed on our floor from time to time and in Ocho Rios the plumbing was shut off for maintenance.

 

the crew were very attending and not once did we not feel looked after.

 

Personally, with a background in marketing Im a big fan of the 're brand' of Carnival if you will. I liked the new signs up, the new Fun Times and everything that it entailed. It might not be for everybody, but from a business point of view I totally appreciate what they are and are trying to do.

 

we saw Phat Kat at the late night comedy show and IMO he was fantastic.

 

Negative, even being a hometown boy would be Brad Alexander at the piano bar. Maybe it was an off week but it seemed to be way too much of a scripted schtick and it was too mich for us.

 

All in all it was another fantastic cruise and we are looking to book the Carnival Glory next year.

 

Some final pics