Liberty of the Seas, 5 night Western Med journal, review and photos, very long!

[peteukmcr]

Dear All

 

We have just returned from a fantastic 5 night sailing on Liberty of the Seas (May14th - 19th) out of Barcelona and wanted to share it with you.

 

The ports visited were Villefranche, France (for Nice and Monaco, Monte Carlo), Civitavecchia, Italy (for Rome) and Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy.

 

We did not take any cruiseline organised excursions, but did it all on our own.

 

I composed a daily journal which I would like to share, together with links to several photo slide shows for each day of our holiday.

 

The first part of the adventure was the journey to Barcelona which we did by train from the UK.

 

Overall my view is that Liberty of the Seas is a fantastic ship, very well maintained, and run by a very professional and extremely friendly and helpful staff.

 

The variety, quality and selection of food and drink are exceptional in my opinion.

 

Entertainment is first class and there is something to suit everyone.

 

There are so many venues to experience; it’s hard to visit each and every one on a 5 night sailing, so we look forward to our 14 night transatlantic sailing on Liberty from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, FL in October 2011 which will give us much more time to try everything available.

 

Can’t wait to get back onboard and we encourage you to try it too!

 

OK, here we go

 

Journey to Barcelona

 

Thursday, 12th May – Manchester, UK to Paris, France

 

We left Manchester Piccadilly on Virgin Trains at 12:35 arriving at London Euston on time at 14:42.

 

Then we walked down Euston Road to St Pancras station to catch our Eurostar to Paris. Enjoyed a glass of champagne seated at the longest Champagne Bar on the upper concourse overlooking the Eurostar trains waiting to depart.

 

Checked in using the automatic barriers and proceeded through security and French passport control to the departure lounge.

 

Approximately 25 minutes before departure we boarded the 16:22 service to Paris Nord, train number 9040, coach 4, seats 57 & 58.

 

Eurostar departed on time and we left London, accelerated fast and headed on the High Speed 1 line to the channel tunnel and France.

 

On time at 19:47 we pulled into Paris Gare de Nord and we made our way to the RER D line for a short ride to Gare De Lyon, arriving at approximately 20:30.

 

On exiting the station we crossed the road to the Hotel Terminus Lyon located at 19, boulevard Diderot – 75012 Paris, which would be our home for the night.

 

Dinner followed and then an early night as we had an early start for the TGV to Spain.

 

Day 1 – Thursday, May 12th 2011 – London to Paris (9 photos)

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45606029@N06/sets/72157626581847263/show/

[Dinks88]

Very much looking forward to reading your review. I was on board Liberty in April with my Mum & 2 boys on what looks like the same itinerary. We had such a great time that we are due to go back on board again in July, only this time we are bringing the men of the house(s) along too ;):)

[peteukmcr]

Friday, 13th May – Paris, France to Barcelona, Spain

 

Breakfast at 06:00, checked out and crossed the road to Gare de Lyon. Our train to Figueras Vilafant, TGV duplex service 6203 departed from platform G at 07:22.

 

We were in first class coach 11, seats 81 & 82 on the top deck and classed as ‘Duo’, 2 seats facing each other and we had the whole coach to ourselves until just less than 3 hours later we arrived in Nimes when only 5 more people boarded our coach.

 

The train powered out of Paris and headed south, accelerating quickly and zooming through the French countryside.

 

Several more stops on the way to Figueras including Montpellier Saint-Roch, Sete, Agde, Beziers, Narbonne, and Perpignan to meet the 13:03 RENFE service 202 to Barcelona. This time seats reserved in coach 4, seats 171 & 172.

 

The train travelled towards Barcelona, arriving at Estacio Sants at 14:42 where we purchased a T10 ticket (€7.85) and caught the metro to Hospital de Bellevitge and our hotel for the night, The Hesperia Tower located on Gran Via 144, L’Hospital de Llobregat, Barcelona, 08907.

 

Checked in a got a room on the 14th floor with a great city and port view.

 

The room was great for £70! Definitely 5* but more of a business hotel but very friendly staff and extremely comfortable for the night.

 

Went into the centre and dined at Hard Rock Café, bit of a tradition when we’re in Barcelona!

 

Day 2 – Friday, May 13th 2011 - Paris to Barcelona (21 photos)

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45606029@N06/sets/72157626711352356/show/

[peteukmcr]

Liberty of the Seas, Western Mediterranean 5 night cruise

Saturday, 14th May – Liberty of the Seas

 

Awoke to a sunny day and had breakfast at the hotel at a special weekend rate of €15 per person. Really wide selection of breakfast goods on offer.

Checked out at 11:00 and caught a taxi to the cruise port, which cost just over €20 following the additional extras for bags that is always added in Barcelona.

In port today was Cunard’s Queen Victoria, Pulmantur’s Sovereign (formally RCI Sovereign of the Seas) and Celebrity Solstice who had just completed her transatlantic crossing.

Joined a short line for security and then once our set sail passes were reviewed we completed the health questionnaire and joined the Diamond line to check in. This was quick and after our photos were taken at the counter we were on our way onboard.

Passed the port shops including a ‘duty free’ liquor store, but didn’t bother buying anything.

Proceeded up the gangways and boarded Liberty on deck 4 forward. SeaPass cards checked and welcomed board!

We went off the Windjammer and got a window table easily and had some lunch. For those who may ask, the Honey Stung Chicken was available, but I didn’t have it.

After lunch we sat in the solarium until the cabins we available at 1 p.m. So we then went to deck 9 and travelled aft to stateroom 9706 with a great big balcony!

Standard E1 cabin but a great view from the large balcony. Diamond value booklet and letter from the Diamond Concierge welcoming us onboard with details of the lounge. Also our gift of water (which I selected online) and a small bottle of Alice White Cabernet Sauvignon and a box containing cookies, nuts and candid peel sweets as a welcome back gift.

The champagne and chocolate strawberries I ordered had already been delivered which is my tradition for sail away.

We went to explore and see the new additions of the Cupcake Cupboard and the enhancements of the self serve wine in Vintages. In the Sphinx lounge we made reservations for Saturday Night Fever for day 4 at 7:30 p.m. as this was more convenient as the times had changed from those online.

Muster drill was at 4:30 p.m. and despite all the announcements, it still perplexes me the number of people who wander up 15 minutes late without a care in the world.

We pulled away from the dock at 5 p.m. and were first out of port ahead of all the others in port.

At 7 p.m. we went to the Diamond Lounge and met the Concierge Oana Popa from Romania. She won’t be on the transatlantic we are sailing on in October as her contract finishes in September. Really nice and helpful.

At just before 8:30 p.m. we went to the Botticelli dining room for dinner as we were on My Time Dining. Our servers were fantastic and the meal was very good and we chose a great bottle of Chardonnay from our 5 bottle Platinum Wine & Dine package ($145 + $21.75 gratuity + $11.60 tax = $178.35) to accompany our meal.

After dinner we visited Vintages and as well as the wine, the staff provided a cheese plate at no extra charge.

A visit to the Casino Royale did not win us our fortune so we returned to Vintages for another glass of wine (bad idea after the strong drinks in the Diamond Lounge, the champagne at sail away and wine at dinner, but hey we’re on holiday).

Saw the DreamWorks parade which was very good and then off to bed. The sailing was a little bumpy, but not that we noticed it, maybe due to the alcohol I believe!

 

Day 3 – Saturday, May 14th 2011 - Hotel Hesperia Tower, Barcelona (8 photos)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45606029@N06/sets/72157626716076110/show/

Day 3 – Saturday, May 14th 2011 - All aboard Liberty of the Seas (47 photos)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45606029@N06/sets/72157626637766235/show/

[will773]

Lovin it so far. Can't wait for the rest.

[yummymummy99]

Good to see a Med review! My daughters friend going on this ship in July with her grandparents! We have been on FOS and it's so weird to see exactly the same ship!

 

Looking forward to your next installment :D

 

Jackie

[peteukmcr]

Sunday, 15th May – Villefranche, France

 

We arrived on time in the harbour of Villefranche and tendering commenced shortly afterwards.

We decided that we would have a leisurely breakfast to miss the initial rush for a tender ashore. The Rembrandt main dining room on deck 3 was serving breakfast but it was extremely busy but service was good despite the number of people eating.

A buffet station was provided if you did not wish to order al a carte.

We tendered ashore and walked along the promenade to the SNCF train station and bought a return ticket to Monaco for €5.20 each. The train took approximately 15 minutes and when we arrived it was to torrential rain which was flooding the station at Monaco which is built on several levels.

We waited for the rain to subside to walk around Monte Carlo and saw the Queen Victoria and Ruby Princess anchored offshore.

A lot of preparations were in progress for the Grand Prix and so many roads fenced off, but this did not restrict access for walking around. As expected Monte Carlo is very hilly.

After visiting the Casino we made our way back to Villefranche for a late lunch in Johnny Rockets, no lines as everyone must have been ashore.

Having settled in the Solarium, the weather took a turn for the worse and heavy showers came down, but by the time we departed, the sky was clear and the late evening sun was shining.

We sat in the outdoor area of the Diamond lounge making the most of the pleasant evening before we dined at Chops. Excellent as usual and as a result couldn’t move!

 

Day 4 – Sunday, May 15th 2011 - Villefranche, Monaco & Monte Carlo (70 photos)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45606029@N06/sets/72157626638045123/show/

[Robbo66]

Great review and photos. Can't wait to read more!

[firstimer2009]

Fantastic reviews and the photos are great! My DH and I are taking the 7 day Western Med on LOS September, 2012 for our 15 anniversary. Can't wait!

 

Question about Vintages -- is it all self serve now, or is there still a bartender? I like the idea of getting a quick drink if needed but prefer having a bartender that you can talk with. We were going to take Voyager out of Venice, but I really wanted a ship with Vintages. We like our wine in Northern California!

[ollienbertsmum]

I am looking forward to your review. I even love just seeing st pancras - my favourite station. Where were the Olympic rings? I missed them earlier this month.

Dear All

 

We have just returned from a fantastic 5 night sailing on Liberty of the Seas (May14th - 19th) out of Barcelona and wanted to share it with you.

 

The ports visited were Villefranche, France (for Nice and Monaco, Monte Carlo), Civitavecchia, Italy (for Rome) and Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy.

 

We did not take any cruiseline organised excursions, but did it all on our own.

 

I composed a daily journal which I would like to share, together with links to several photo slide shows for each day of our holiday.

 

The first part of the adventure was the journey to Barcelona which we did by train from the UK.

 

Overall my view is that Liberty of the Seas is a fantastic ship, very well maintained, and run by a very professional and extremely friendly and helpful staff.

 

The variety, quality and selection of food and drink are exceptional in my opinion.

 

Entertainment is first class and there is something to suit everyone.

 

There are so many venues to experience; it’s hard to visit each and every one on a 5 night sailing, so we look forward to our 14 night transatlantic sailing on Liberty from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, FL in October 2011 which will give us much more time to try everything available.

 

Can’t wait to get back onboard and we encourage you to try it too!

 

OK, here we go

 

Journey to Barcelona

 

Thursday, 12th May – Manchester, UK to Paris, France

 

We left Manchester Piccadilly on Virgin Trains at 12:35 arriving at London Euston on time at 14:42.

 

Then we walked down Euston Road to St Pancras station to catch our Eurostar to Paris. Enjoyed a glass of champagne seated at the longest Champagne Bar on the upper concourse overlooking the Eurostar trains waiting to depart.

 

Checked in using the automatic barriers and proceeded through security and French passport control to the departure lounge.

 

Approximately 25 minutes before departure we boarded the 16:22 service to Paris Nord, train number 9040, coach 4, seats 57 & 58.

 

Eurostar departed on time and we left London, accelerated fast and headed on the High Speed 1 line to the channel tunnel and France.

 

On time at 19:47 we pulled into Paris Gare de Nord and we made our way to the RER D line for a short ride to Gare De Lyon, arriving at approximately 20:30.

 

On exiting the station we crossed the road to the Hotel Terminus Lyon located at 19, boulevard Diderot – 75012 Paris, which would be our home for the night.

 

Dinner followed and then an early night as we had an early start for the TGV to Spain.

 

Day 1 – Thursday, May 12th 2011 – London to Paris (9 photos)

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45606029@N06/sets/72157626581847263/show/

[ollienbertsmum]

I was really looking forward to hearing how this part of the trip turned out. the French train looked brilliant compared to travelling in England's crowded trains. A pity it takes so much longer than the plane. A whole night in a hotel must have pushed up the cost.

Friday, 13th May – Paris, France to Barcelona, Spain

 

Breakfast at 06:00, checked out and crossed the road to Gare de Lyon. Our train to Figueras Vilafant, TGV duplex service 6203 departed from platform G at 07:22.

 

We were in first class coach 11, seats 81 & 82 on the top deck and classed as ‘Duo’, 2 seats facing each other and we had the whole coach to ourselves until just less than 3 hours later we arrived in Nimes when only 5 more people boarded our coach.

 

The train powered out of Paris and headed south, accelerating quickly and zooming through the French countryside.

 

Several more stops on the way to Figueras including Montpellier Saint-Roch, Sete, Agde, Beziers, Narbonne, and Perpignan to meet the 13:03 RENFE service 202 to Barcelona. This time seats reserved in coach 4, seats 171 & 172.

 

The train travelled towards Barcelona, arriving at Estacio Sants at 14:42 where we purchased a T10 ticket (€7.85) and caught the metro to Hospital de Bellevitge and our hotel for the night, The Hesperia Tower located on Gran Via 144, L’Hospital de Llobregat, Barcelona, 08907.

 

Checked in a got a room on the 14th floor with a great city and port view.

 

The room was great for £70! Definitely 5* but more of a business hotel but very friendly staff and extremely comfortable for the night.

 

Went into the centre and dined at Hard Rock Café, bit of a tradition when we’re in Barcelona!

 

Day 2 – Friday, May 13th 2011 - Paris to Barcelona (21 photos)

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45606029@N06/sets/72157626711352356/show/

[peteukmcr]

Fantastic reviews and the photos are great! My DH and I are taking the 7 day Western Med on LOS September, 2012 for our 15 anniversary. Can't wait!

 

Question about Vintages -- is it all self serve now, or is there still a bartender? I like the idea of getting a quick drink if needed but prefer having a bartender that you can talk with. We were going to take Voyager out of Venice, but I really wanted a ship with Vintages. We like our wine in Northern California!

No. be assured Vintages is not all self serve, in fact other than us trying it once, we only saw 1 other person use it. You don't get charged the 15% gratuity though when you do use it!:D

 

The servers in Vintages are great, so friendly and each night would offer a free cheese plate. So great to chat too as well.

 

I am looking forward to your review. I even love just seeing st pancras - my favourite station. Where were the Olympic rings? I missed them earlier this month.

They must have been new, I've never been to St Pancras since the redevelopment (many times before 2000 when I worked for British Rail!) but they were over the main clock area and the meeting place statue.

[peteukmcr]

Monday, 16th May – Civitavecchia, Italy

Although we were due to dock around 7 a.m. we didn’t finally dock until around 8 a.m. but it meant breakfast in the Windjammer was not crowded at all.

We left the ship and caught a shuttle bus to the port entrance as I believe Liberty was the docked the furthest out. In port was Celebrity Equinox, P&O Oceana, Saga Ruby. Also there was Silversea Silverwind and L’Austral both of which had a fleet of Mercedes to take guests to the port entrance!

The walk to the train station took a few minutes and we caught the 09:17 Intercity to Rome arriving at 10:14.

The hop on hop off bus 110 Open was caught just outside of Rome Termini station and we visited the Coliseum, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain following which we had lunch and then moved onto the Spanish Steps and Via Del Condotti where all the major designer shops are located. There is just too much to see in Rome in a day, every time you turn a corner you will be faced with another fantastic building, church or monument!

We caught up with the 110 Open bus back to Termini station for our train back to Civitavecchia. As is sometimes the case with the Italian railway system, the train departed over 15 minutes late at just past 4 p.m. in stead of 3:46 p.m. so we arrived late back to Civitavecchia at 4:50 p.m. instead of scheduled 4:35 p.m. So if you take the train to Rome on your own, always ensure your return train gives plenty of time to get back on board before you are due to sail.

We dined in the main dining room tonight using the My Time Dining and the meal was excellent as was our waiter from Turkey and the Head Waiter also from Turkey.

Retired to Vintages again after dinner and sampled the self serve wine for the first time. Chatted to the CD Gordon Whatman and then donated some more money to the casino coffers, and it didn’t give anything back!

 

Day 5 – Monday, May 16th 2011 - Civitavecchia & Rome (45 photos)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45606029@N06/sets/72157626762855420/show/

[peteukmcr]

I was really looking forward to hearing how this part of the trip turned out. the French train looked brilliant compared to travelling in England's crowded trains. A pity it takes so much longer than the plane. A whole night in a hotel must have pushed up the cost.

To be honest, as we were originally scheduled to have 2 nights in Barcelona (arriving late), the cost was no different to having 1 in Paris and 1 in Barcelona.

[ollienbertsmum]

To be honest, as we were originally scheduled to have 2 nights in Barcelona (arriving late), the cost was no different to having 1 in Paris and 1 in Barcelona.

 

I know that you specifically chose to go by train, but I meant to say that even though it was a bit if an adventure the cost of the journey would not make it a viable alternative to the plane from uk a regular basis. Some folk do go from Gibraltar to Barcelona by train, it saves the worry of luggage allowance. I keep meaning to give it a try. Your photos encourage me.

 

Good to hear about no 15 percent in vintages. DD will like that

[peteukmcr]

I know that you specifically chose to go by train, but I meant to say that even though it was a bit if an adventure the cost of the journey would not make it a viable alternative to the plane from uk a regular basis. Some folk do go from Gibraltar to Barcelona by train, it saves the worry of luggage allowance. I keep meaning to give it a try. Your photos encourage me.

 

Good to hear about no 15 percent in vintages. DD will like that

The no 15% is only if you use the self serve, have it served and it is charged.

 

You are right it costs more if you choose to go by train, but with costs of flights these days and the hassle of baggage charges, taxes, and additional fees, it is becoming more attractive to us.

[sunandseagirl617]

Pete-Your review is wonderful and thank you for the pictures! The construction of the buildings in Europe continues to facinate me as I keep thinking of a high speed car race when I look at the photos!!;)

The comments on the trains are too funny! I lived in Germany from 1989-1992 and the first thing I remember is how clean the mass transit is, free of grafitti and gum!! The trains look spotless! (To me that's priceless!!):)

[peteukmcr]

Pete-Your review is wonderful and thank you for the pictures! The construction of the buildings in Europe continues to facinate me as I keep thinking of a high speed car race when I look at the photos!!;)

 

The comments on the trains are too funny! I lived in Germany from 1989-1992 and the first thing I remember is how clean the mass transit is, free of grafitti and gum!! The trains look spotless! (To me that's priceless!!):)

Thanks for your kind words, the trains in France and Spain are great compared to the UK, trust me!

 

There's more to come.

[peteukmcr]

Tuesday, 17th May – Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

Awoke to a room service breakfast enjoyed on the balcony whilst still sailing towards Cagliari where we arrived and docked on time at 9 a.m.

Disembarked and caught the free shuttle bus to the port entrance which took all of 5 minutes and was extremely well organised.

We then meandered through the city centre and up towards the Castello and the Bastione San Remy. We climbed the lookout tower Torre Dell’Elefante for €4 each for fabulous views of the city, port and of course Liberty of the Seas. The stairs were steep and many of them, but it was worth it.

Back down to street level and we did some window shopping before returning to the ship for a couple of hours in the Solarium and then Johnny Rockets (again!) for lunch.

Wash and Fold Laundry special today, fill a bag for $25 of Pyjamas, Socks, Shorts, Swimwear, T-shirts or Underwear. Anything else will be cleaned and pressed at normal rates. Filled the bag to save laundry when we get home and used a Diamond discount coupon of $10 off.

BTW, there are ATM’s onboard, one Euro ATM near guest relations on deck 5, and 2 Dollar ATM’s, one next to Sorrento’s Pizza at the other end of the Royal Promenade, deck 5 and one in the Casino on deck 4. A transaction fee applies on both machines equivalent to $6 per transaction.

Showtime tonight and the production show Saturday Night Fever so it was an early visit to the Diamond Lounge and then dinner in Chops again afterwards.

The show was excellent (82 minutes duration) and the work that has gone into the set is fantastic, recommended. Suite guests have reserved seating on deck 5 level of the Platinum theatre.

It was also the White Night Pool Party on deck 11 around the main pool area and so the dress code tonight was casual/white as you would expect. There was also food available, not that we needed any after another excellent night at Chops!

 

Day 6 – Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - Cagliari, Sardinia (50 photos)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45606029@N06/sets/72157626638386833/show/

 

[Twogaterz]

Thanks for some great info and photos of your LoS journey. Looks like you had a fab trip.

 

We are off in two weeks with our disabled 24 yr old. Our 3rd Rccl trip but the biggest ship yet. Your review was reassuring as I read some Independence of the Seas reviews for sailings from Southampton which were v alarming (screaming hen parties, awful queues, Butlins atmosphere) but the picture you paint is very different.

 

I have a couple of questions - typically what time are the shows. We've scheduled My Time dining reservations for 7.45 but would like to take Simon to the ice show and some of the other spectacles. So would the time work? There's no online info about show times but I know you can prebook once on board.

 

I was interested in your mention of Vintages. I am guessing it's a wine bar but how does 'self service' work? Does it have an external view & does it serve champagne?!

 

We're going to Chops too and looking forward to it judging by your review. Thanks for any answers to above. :)

[peteukmcr]

Thanks for some great info and photos of your LoS journey. Looks like you had a fab trip.

 

We are off in two weeks with our disabled 24 yr old. Our 3rd Rccl trip but the biggest ship yet. Your review was reassuring as I read some Independence of the Seas reviews for sailings from Southampton which were v alarming (screaming hen parties, awful queues, Butlins atmosphere) but the picture you paint is very different.

 

I have a couple of questions - typically what time are the shows. We've scheduled My Time dining reservations for 7.45 but would like to take Simon to the ice show and some of the other spectacles. So would the time work? There's no online info about show times but I know you can prebook once on board.

 

I was interested in your mention of Vintages. I am guessing it's a wine bar but how does 'self service' work? Does it have an external view & does it serve champagne?!

 

We're going to Chops too and looking forward to it judging by your review. Thanks for any answers to above. :)

Hi there, thanks for the kind words.

 

I presume you are doing a 7 night sailing, so I'm not sure the days that the shows are on will be the same as ours.

 

However, if they do the same as us, then you can book the shows the day you board. This was in the Sphinx Lounge, deck 5 between the hours of noon - 3:45 pm.

 

As for showtimes, don't forget, even though you have pre-booked your MTD reservations, you can change them once onboard, even on the day, or just even turn up when you want.

 

So here's an idea of times:

 

Ice Show 7:30 pm, 9:15 pm or 11:00 pm

Headliner Show 9:15 pm or 11:00 pm

Saturday Night Fever 7:30 pm or 9:15 pm

In the Air 7:30 pm or 9:15 pm

 

They do try and set the times around first and 2nd seating meal times, but that's the beauty of MTD, you can organise when it suits you.

 

As for Vintages, yes it is a wine bar, but only a small selection of the wines on offer are self serve. There is a great lady called Sylvia who I think is the senior server who will provide your drinks for you. She is fantastic.

 

If you want to self serve, you swipe your SeaPass card on the machine which contains the wine you want, pick up a glass and put it under the spout and select the size of measure you want. 1 oz, 3 oz, or 5 oz. The prices are displayed and take care, some are in excess of $150 per measure, honestly!

 

As Vintages is open to the Royal Promenade is doesn't have a external sea view and although I presume it will sell Champagne, but the best place for this is the Champagne Bar a little further down the Royal Promenade opposite Guest Relations, which if I remember correctly does have a sort of sea view, although this could be obstructed by the lifeboats.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Verfai]

Hey Pete, Great job with this review so far (your missing the last day, no?)! These are the points of the Belgium jury, England 10 points,( 12 needs to go to a political neighboring country of course ;) , LOL) :D :D :D

 

Two questions for you:

 

I noticed you have no mention of a formal night, was there non on your 5d cruise, or did you decide to skip the entire thing?

 

What you’re your findings on the late departure option?

 

Greets

[peteukmcr]

Hey Pete, Great job with this review so far (your missing the last day, no?)! These are the points of the Belgium jury, England 10 points,( 12 needs to go to a political neighboring country of course ;) , LOL) :D :D :D

 

Two questions for you:

 

I noticed you have no mention of a formal night, was there non on your 5d cruise, or did you decide to skip the entire thing?

 

What you’re your findings on the late departure option?

 

Greets

Thanks for your kind feedback, and as for the 10 points, was that what Belgium awarded the UK in Eurovision (so glad I missed it to be honest)?

 

I am just in the process of posting the last day (At Sea) and the day of departure (which I considered an extra day due to the late departure program, which helped us due to our late flight out of Barcelona).

 

As for formal night, it was day 2, and although we do it on 7 night sailings, we opted not to on this one and dined in Chops instead, so I can't comment on how many were in formal attire, but it didn't seem a lot to me.

 

Back soon with more info.

[peteukmcr]

Wednesday, 18th May – At Sea

 

 

Awoke to a calm Mediterranean Sea and Liberty sailing back towards Barcelona at around 10 knots.

 

Many things on offer today, Spa specials, Watch sales, Inch of Gold, Cruise in Review DVD, and the obligatory T-shirt sale which was like a scrum down as was the watch sale, but not worth it in my opinion.

 

Had a leisurely breakfast in the Windjammer. Suite guests with a gold SeaPass card can use the seating in Chops for breakfast. We then spent a couple of hours catching the suns rays on St Tropez deck as most other decks were very busy as you would expect on a sea day. However, drinks service was still available even up on this deck.

 

Reserved seating for suite guests with a gold SeaPass card is no longer in the tiered area in above the Pool Bar and in front of the Sky Bar overlooking the main pools, but on the deck above the Sky Bar.

 

Played a ‘round’ of golf on Liberty Dunes before lunch in the Windjammer where it was very easy to get a table even though it was a sea day.

 

Did some Royal Caribbean Logo shopping to take advantage of the Diamond discount together with the free photos.

 

Visited the Cupcake cupboard and had a ‘Red Velvet’ and ‘Chocolate Chocolate’ cupcake. Not sure about these, you have to try them but there is more frosting in my opinion than cupcake.

Wandered around the ship taking plenty of photos and tracked down the penguins!

 

Also tracked down the Loyalty Ambassador to request our pins which we never received when we sailed after reaching Diamond status.

 

Returned to the cabin to relax and found the details of our late departure program and guest satisfaction survey, so this means we have to pack, what a shame.

 

Dinner was in Portofino tonight, so another excellent meal served by fantastic staff. Then off to Vintages again for a couple of glasses of wine and had prime seats for the 70’s finale show along the Royal Promenade.

 

Retired to the cabin for the last night on Liberty.

 

Day 7 – Wednesday, May 18th 2011 - At Sea, Liberty of the Seas (58 photos)

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45606029@N06/sets/72157626638487997/show/

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Thursday, 19th May – Arrival back in Barcelona (Final Day :eek:)

 

 

Awoke around 6:30 a.m. and heard an announcement that Liberty was docked and disembarkation would commence shortly, once cleared by officials. Opened the curtains to find Brilliance of the Seas was docked behind us.

 

Went for breakfast to the Windjammer and despite the number of people up and about, it was easy to get seats.

 

Our SeaPass account was closed at 8 a.m. and the cards deactivated at 9 a.m. so that I presume we could not get back into the cabin.

 

Following breakfast we finished packing and as we could stay in the cabin until 9 a.m. we relaxed and then took our bags to the Velazquez dining room on deck 3 where we were given a receipt and allowed to store them until we decided to leave the ship, which at the latest was 3:30 p.m.

 

We had stickers on our SeaPass cards that identified us as using the Late Departure Program.

 

We relaxed by the Solarium which was extremely quiet once the majority of guests had disembarked. We could get complimentary coffee, tea, iced water and snacks from Café Promenade whilst on board and could purchase other drinks from the bars once they re-opened using our credit card.

 

Around 10:30 a.m. the new guests commenced boarding, so soon Liberty started to fill up with new excited passengers ready for their cruise.

 

For the final time we had lunch in the Windjammer and then relaxed again on deck 11 until we decided to disembark and make our way to Barcelona airport for our flight back to the UK.

 

They check your SeaPass card as you disembark and keep it as you are a Late Departure guest.

 

So for us, the Late Departure program worked well as our flight was not until late evening from Barcelona.

 

When we disembarked the ship, we passed straight out through the baggage hall and outside the terminal.

 

For those who had elected to have their bags taken off by RCI, the Late Departure baggage tags are very different to the normal ones and you get these with the instructions placed in your cabin the day before departure. If you use these and place your bags outside your cabin before 11 pm like everyone else the night before arriving in Barcelona, you pick up your bags from a separate area clearly sign posted once you exit the terminal building.

 

We then caught the Port bus that runs from the terminal to Port Vell (€2 per person) as we had plenty of time and got off opposite the Columbus monument at the bottom of La Rambla.

 

We then caught the Metro from Drassanes to Estacio Sants and caught the train to the airport. The metro fare was €1.45 and the train to the airport was €3.

 

Day 8 – Thursday, May 19th 2011 – Liberty Late Departure & Barcelona (27 photos)

 

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