Life, LIBERTY, and the Pursuit of an Awesome Cruise- Review 4/5-4/12 Southern Caribbe

[funinthesun082611]

MonsterS4R and Beach gal- I am so excited for you both! So glad you booked Spencer and/or Calabaza. You will absolutely love it! You will see so much and feel so special at the end of the day. It makes my heart happy when other people get to experience such great things too!

[funinthesun082611]

So while Friday was completely unexpected and likely won't be repeated, I still have to share our time in Dominica.

 

We didn't rush ourselves this day. We woke up when we wanted, leisurely ate breakfast. We didn't have a plan. We decided that we would go down to the pier, look around, and see if anything "spoke" to us. If we needed to get something from the ship before we did it, we would come back.

 

It was gloomy, cloudy, rainy. Didn't make me feel like going to a beach or the like.

 

 

We wandered around at the end of the pier. There's booths set up along the street, selling trinkets. None of it was appealing, and I just wasn't sure what we were going to do. I'd been here once before- it's less developed and more of a place where you don't go extremely off the beaten path. There was a tourist information center, so we walked in to see what was available. A young couple approached us and asked if we would want to do a taxi tour with them. The taxi driver of course didn't want to take just 2 people (less money!), but was willing to take 4. My DH was a little leery (he's great if I have things planned, but just didn't know what to expect). The taxi driver had his government issued ID tag, so we decided why not.

 

For $25 per person, we got a 3 hour tour. Our taxi driver gave us history of the island, told us what we were seeing, etc. Our first stop was to Emerald Pool. My DH and I didn't bring our swimsuits with us (the young couple from Puerto Rico did), but it was still lovely to see.

 

 

Everything is so green in Dominica- all that rain! It's just so bright and awesome.

 

 

 

We next made a stop to the botanical gardens. Our driver would stay near the vehicle and let us explore. We were never rushed through any stop- just take your time. Loved how the tree life grew together..

 

 

We made a stop past the botanical garden t a really great viewpoint of the town. There were booths set up here as well- we had to of course try a local brew. Loved the views from here- the Liberty looks so lovely!

 

[funinthesun082611]

After our tour ended, we headed back to the ship. We were glad we spent a few hours on the island to see some highlights. We grabbed a late lunch from the Fish and Chips station. If you haven't gone there- try it! On all my cruises, I hadn't. It was good (it's fish and chips!) but they also offered a few extras that would be tasty- ceviche, fried kalamari, etc.

 

All day it had rained off and on. But all of a sudden, the sun came blazing in again.

 

 

We decided that we better soak it up- before we knew it vacation would be over. We threw on our suits and headed up to the Lido deck to relax, read, and listen to the live music.

 

 

How can't you be happy when the sun is shining, there's a perfect breeze, and island music is playing?!

 

We also happened to catch a rainbow, which I thought was the icing on the cake for the day.

 

 

I love the mountainous view this island gives- very much like St. Lucia in that sense.

 

 

And the colors of the buildings... seriously heavenly! For me, it's always the simple things.

 

[funinthesun082611]

Friday is the 2nd formal night of the cruise. After sitting on the deck, we spent our time getting ready for the evening.

 

After getting a set of professional pictures taken, we stopped at the Taste Bar. I can't remember exactly what this was, but some Italian meatball maybe? Everything we tried was always good here. The Taste Bar wasn't open every day. We always walked by on our way to dinner. If it was open, we tried something!

 

 

 

For the appetizer I got the four season salad (as always, refreshing! something about a cold salad after a day in the sun "feels" good) and my DH got the crab cake.

 

 

For dinner we both chose the filet mignon and short rib. It was so tender! Delicious.

 

 

This night they were having a "rock show" in the main lounge (Victoria lounge). We decided to go- great choice! The song choices were entertaining and the performers did a good job.

 

Afterwards we headed to the Punchliner Comedy Club. We saw 2 of the shows- they had been able to fly in the 2 new comedians to Dominica instead of St. Kitts. Both were excellent.

 

While we were looking forward to the next day (love St. Maarten!), we also weren't. It would be our last day of vacation :(

[gigito2]

Thank you for your informative review.

I see you've been on other Carnival Cruises. Can you tell us which were your favorites?

I'm researching cruises for my son & his buddies, all in their early 40's, and starting at step zero. I think I've settled on a 3 - 5 day Carnival, but that's as far as I've gotten. There's just so much to research! We went as a family on the Disney Dream a few years ago, and he's hooked. That was an easy research project compared to this - there are just so many ships!

Thanks again for your great review.

[SoccerGK99]

We too are booked in August. When are you cruising SoccerGK99? We're going to do 9 days in Puerto Rico then hop on the Liberty Aug 2. I have a water bottle I plan on keeping filled with ice and water and will be spraying myself all day!

 

Oh bummer - we're a couple of weeks after you! We're leaving on 8/16. And WOW - 9 days in PR before your cruise! I'm definitely jealous! We'll have a couple of days (arriving around lunchtime on Friday before our cruise), which just doesn't seem long enough now!!! ;) I like your ice water bottle idea, though - I might have to steal that! Hope you guys have a WONDERFUL time in PR and on your cruise! BTW - I just booked Calabaza thanks to funinthesun082611's review, too! I can't wait - that's actually on my birthday! FUN!!! :D

[TJCrenshaw]

As much as I tried to sleep in for my DH (I'm a "let's go all day all night!" kind of gal), I just couldn't do it. We had received an upgrade to a balcony on the Lido deck. My original concern was noise at night, but we had no problems there. I found that it was loud in the mornings- I think there may have been a "service room" or something of the like that housekeeping accessed early in the morning.

 

 

My wife and I just got back from this cruise with her father and his wife, and he was on deck 8, in a balcony room, right below that rear pool area behind the buffet. They complained of noise from the crew moving all those chairs around to clean every morning and every night. Perhaps the same noises you were hearing?

[Kalaki]

could you add the last page about food??

Edited April 28, 2015 by Kalaki

[funinthesun082611]

Thank you for your informative review.

I see you've been on other Carnival Cruises. Can you tell us which were your favorites?

I'm researching cruises for my son & his buddies, all in their early 40's, and starting at step zero. I think I've settled on a 3 - 5 day Carnival, but that's as far as I've gotten. There's just so much to research! We went as a family on the Disney Dream a few years ago, and he's hooked. That was an easy research project compared to this - there are just so many ships!

Thanks again for your great review.

 

I've never been on a short cruise, so I can't speak too much to that. We loved the Liberty, and the Glory has the same layout. I looked, the Glory doesn't do 3-5 day cruises but the Liberty does. I glanced at some of itineraries for the shorter cruises. I personally look at itineraries first, pick a few I like that work with dates I can go, and then see what ships they are. I don't fancy the Bahamas as much as Mexico, and I don't fancy Mexico as much as I do the Caribbean islands- so that's what I'd personally look for. I also don't know what port the guys would leave from. So this is what I would do: select the month or two that the trip is planned for, select the departure port, select 3-5 days for cruise length and select the Caribbean for the destination. See what ships come up- you may not have a lot of options.

 

In terms of ships, I do like big since it often means that there is a wider variety of things to do. We tend to look at dining options (like having Guys and Blue Cantina aboard) and bars/entertainment areas (like the Alchemy Bar).

 

Sorry I'm not a ton of help, but that's where I'd start :)

[funinthesun082611]

could you add the last page about food??

 

I hate to admit it, but Saturday is the only day I didn't take pictures of the menus or what I got to eat that night. I must have been too wrapped up into one last dinner and talking with our wait staff. I'm sorry!

[gigito2]

I've never been on a short cruise, so I can't speak too much to that. We loved the Liberty, and the Glory has the same layout. I looked, the Glory doesn't do 3-5 day cruises but the Liberty does. I glanced at some of itineraries for the shorter cruises. I personally look at itineraries first, pick a few I like that work with dates I can go, and then see what ships they are. I don't fancy the Bahamas as much as Mexico, and I don't fancy Mexico as much as I do the Caribbean islands- so that's what I'd personally look for. I also don't know what port the guys would leave from. So this is what I would do: select the month or two that the trip is planned for, select the departure port, select 3-5 days for cruise length and select the Caribbean for the destination. See what ships come up- you may not have a lot of options.

 

In terms of ships, I do like big since it often means that there is a wider variety of things to do. We tend to look at dining options (like having Guys and Blue Cantina aboard) and bars/entertainment areas (like the Alchemy Bar).

 

Sorry I'm not a ton of help, but that's where I'd start :)

 

Thank you - you've actually helped a lot!:)

[funinthesun082611]

It was our last day of true vacation. Always a sad day, but I was so excited to be in St. Maarten!

 

 

We had decided on our last day to keep it a beach day- relaxed but enjoyable. Orient Beach it was!

 

 

We didn't have to wait long for a taxi as you do some places. They put us in one with one other couple, and off we went. The more people they take, the cheaper it is per person. If it matters to you, try and get more people into the taxi to save a couple of bucks. We paid $8pp on the way there and $7 on the way back.

 

It wasn't a long ride. When you arrive, there are a ton of different places that you can go to and set up for the day. If you know in advance, let the taxi driver know and he can drop you off. Just because you "rent out" a chair from one place doesn't mean you can't go up to any of them for a meal or drink. Some have better deals overall than others. I had written down a couple, but we decided to go with Orange Fever. In my opinion, it was a good deal- a chair, an umbrella, free WiFi (which we didn't use- it was a no technology vacation and it felt good!), and one free drink (water, beer, rum punch) for $10 pp. Looking at the "Orange Fever" section from the water:

 

 

As you can see, the chairs are already set out and placed close together. This didn't bother us at all. We were up and down all day and didn't stay in one place too long. As you should know (but maybe don't), the beaches in St. Maarten are topless. Orient Beach also has a clothing optional section at one end. We had two women near us who were topless for part of the day. If it's not your thing or you have kids and don't want to explain or have them see anything, find something else to explore.

 

On the boards before we came, there was great discussion about seaweed here. There had been a storm that had messed with the beach a little. There was some seaweed on the beach- depending on where you were, there would be none. And I never came across any while I was in the water.

 

 

The water here is just heavenly! The shades of aqua and teal and blue- ah. The sand here feels the "finest" to me. Very soft and smooth.

 

 

The view from our chairs wasn't half bad either, even if we were in the second row.

 

[funinthesun082611]

We had decided before our trip that we would rent a jetski while here. I'd never been, while my DH had.

 

 

It cost us $50 for 30 minutes from a watersports shack right next to Orange Fever. All I have to say is it was a blast! It was an easy way for us to "beef up" a beach day and throw a little adventure into it. I never drove the thing- as much as I love adventure, I didn't want to ruin the thing! There were a few others out there but not many, which allowed us to go all over. We did decide to go shortly after we arrived before drinking for safety purposes (we do make smart choices every now and again!). They also offered parasailing- not sure on the price, but friends from the ship did do it and loved it.

 

We were hungry and thirsty afterwards, so we decided to go put an order in. They do have a open patio/restaurant area that you can stay in, or you can go back to your chairs and they will bring you your food when it was ready.

 

 

Some of their menu options...

 

 

In my research, I had heard that they had good pizza here. My husband can be a little picky when it comes to some toppings, so we didn't get to try any that I would have. Still, it was really good! I can't remember the price for our pepperoni- about $14 for a large pizza. I thought it was a really good deal if you're looking to not spend a lot.

 

 

We also ordered a bucket of Carib beers. I think it was something like 6 for $12- a really good deal. You did have to pay a $5 deposit for the bucket (who steals a bucket?!), but you got it back when you turned your bucket back in.

 

We spent the rest of our day hanging around- lounging in our chairs, swimming in the water, taking a walk up and down the beach. The beach is 1+ miles long. So even though it's busy, it never really felt busy. If you were swimming, there might be a handful of people near you, but you could move 10 feet over and no one be around.

 

 

We had planned on returning to the ship some time in the afternoon. We had ran into some friends from the ship (who coincidentally were originally from our hometown {that's a village} and we had some similar contacts) who asked if we would want to catch a ride back together. We had to be back by I believe 4:30. We left Orient Beach around 3:30 in a taxi van with 7 other people. If you worry about these things, leave earlier. We had no traffic and no problem getting back to the pier within 25 minutes.

[funinthesun082611]

There are tons of shops at the pier here. We of course didn't have time to go to them, but there are a lot and they are "nice", similar to the ones in St. Thomas.

 

I had heard about this guavaberry colada and rum shop on the boards. So we decided to split one final drink in St. Maarten.

 

 

Waiting for our drink..

 

 

What I forgot to mention are the people trying to sell you things at Orient beach. There are quite a few locals who come around trying to sell you things- aloe vera massages, braids, hats, dresses, etc. All we simply had to do was say no thank you, and they didn't ask us again as they made their rounds up and down the beach. There was one sort of obnoxious man trying to sell a CD- he wouldn't give up, and would target the guys telling them that they needed to share this beautiful music with their ladies and why weren't they open to reggae, etc. When he approached us, we didn't answer every single question/approach he tried. We simply told him we weren't interested, and he didn't spend as much time badgering us as he did others.

 

If they do come around, they will be willing to make a bargain. I decided to buy the orange cover up in my previous picture. I asked how much they were, she told me a price, and I said thank you and walked away. I was only leaving to go ask my DH his opinion on if I should spend the money or not, and she asked how much I had. While I don't promote robbing these people of their income, I do promote bargaining. So you can always ask for a better deal- if they say no they say no.

 

Anyways, we enjoyed our guavaberry daiquiri (dangerously good!) as we waited to board the Liberty one final time.

 

 

We boarded the ship, cleaned ourselves up, and headed to dinner. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures of the menu this date (sorry!). My mind must have been on enjoying the dinner, talking with our wait staff a little extra, and thanking them for such awesome service. We did tip our wait staff a little extra. I miss the days of envelopes that you pass out on the last evening, but I understand why things have been changed. We decided to tip a little extra just so we could show our appreciation to the staff in person.

 

We didn't do much this evening- grabbed a drink, sat at the outdoor movie on the Lido deck for a little while. Headed back to the room for the not so fun packing while my DH fell asleep on me. We were not doing self disembark, so luggage had to be in the hall by midnight.

[rocking-m-cruiser]

Thank you for your excellent review. We are going in a couple of weeks and are really looking forward to it. Can't wait! :)

[slim501]

CORRECTION POST...I got it backwards on my last one...please ignore that one...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liltee42

Thanks for the awesome review. Can you please tell me if Liberty docked on the even side or odd side at each port? I am in 7439 and just wondering if I get to be port side for at least one of our stops! Thank you.

 

It's different all the time. When we sailed on the Valor we were pointed in towards the island at St Thomas...so our room 1059 was facing the pier...we watched for pier runners... :)

 

I've been watching the webcam on the valor (and liberty when it works) for the last couple years and it mostly docks with the front of the ship toward the land...but only sometimes does it turn around and face to the ocean.

 

St. Thomas - most of the time front towards the island so the starboard side faces pier.

Barbados - on average, they dock next to the warehouses facing toward the stores...makes for great pictures with the Welcome to Barbados sign... (so port side towards land)

St. Lucia - Almost always comes in facing the island (port towards the pier) but then spins around and has the starboard side next to the pier when they dock. Either way it's a great view there.

St. Kitts - 99% o the time they dock forward towards the island (port towards the pier) but again, either way is a gorgeous view.

St. Maarten - I'm not sure if I've ever seen them dock any way but with the front toward the island... Port side by the pier.

 

So Port (even numbered rooms) for most of the ports and Starboard for 2 usually. There really isn't a bad view from either side no matter what though. And when you are sailing towards them, you'd always have a great view for St. Thomas on either side... Barbados Port sees it best and then the rest you'll see from the Starboard side as you sail up to the island. However most of the time you get to the island right at sunrise...which can make for some beautiful pictures! :)

 

Sorry for the confusion...I'm left handed and somehow that always messes me up when I think of port and starboard....don't know why...I should just think of my left hand as being port... LOL...

 

 

We just got off a B2B on the Liberty and in Barbados and St. Lucia, we didn't dock on the same pier both weeks. In Barbados, there was one other ship in port both weeks and week 1 we were at the closer pier and week 2 we were at the farther pier. In St. Lucia, we were the only ship and the crew said that they alternate which pier you dock at.

 

For these ports, it will be a flip of the coin whether you have views or not.

[Liltee42]

Sorry if you already posted this, but did you do FTTF? Is there any advantage to this on this particular cruise?

[jmebgiv]

This day, we had a private catamaran/snorkeling with turtles planned with Calabaza. To sum it up before I get started= AWESOME! Hands down my favorite excursion/day.

 

Thanks to your recommendation, I just booked an excursion for our group of 8 30 something's with Calabaza for our July trip on Liberty. We can't wait! I am still working on figuring out the other days of our trip, definitely influenced by your report. Your whole review has been great and so helpful. Thanks for all of the time that you spent on it! - Jamie

[SunshineCHI]

Family and I are traveling 5/31 on Liberty from SJU

. Super excited reading your posts!

[BcIcemen]

Quick question. When were the formal nights?

[slim501]

Quick question. When were the formal nights?

 

 

Formal nights were Tuesday, the sea day and Friday night, St. Kitts.

[JKirkN]

Family and I are traveling 5/31 on Liberty from SJU

. Super excited reading your posts!

 

PLEASE take pictures of all the menus each night and post them! We're going in Sept. and I'd love to plan ahead...especially for the "didya ever" foods!

 

Thanks!

[Kim_KS]

I initially scanned all documents from landscape view with the full length of the page. The file size was too large, which is when I did the "half" page scans. Didn't think about doing the half scans still in "landscape mode". Scanning these isn't the fun part for me (I like pictures! I like stories!). I probably will not rescan the previous scans, but can fix the future ones as I go.

 

Sorry I haven't made these easy to follow! Not so helpful when you can't just load any size file you want :/ I'll be happy to look at any FunTimes for anybody to help out.

 

I'm so excited to find your review! We leave on the Liberty 5/24. Would you mind emailing the front cover of the first FunTimes? The one from San Juan? I want to blow it up and use it as part of my door decorations, but I'm not sure if the file you posted is large enough. d.k.wright @ att.com

 

Can't wait to read more! Thanks!

[cinsu]

Thanks to your recommendation, I just booked an excursion for our group of 8 30 something's with Calabaza for our July trip on Liberty. We can't wait! I am still working on figuring out the other days of our trip, definitely influenced by your report. Your whole review has been great and so helpful. Thanks for all of the time that you spent on it! - Jamie

 

 

I also booked Gina, partially due to this review. I saw in the roll call you will be on the same sailing as us. Sounds like you have a fun group! Just the 2 of us.

[jmebgiv]

I also booked Gina, partially due to this review. I saw in the roll call you will be on the same sailing as us. Sounds like you have a fun group! Just the 2 of us.

 

Maybe we will end up on the same boat! I am very excited about this excursion, the first we have booked! Planning to taxi to the beach in St. Thomas & St. Maarten. DH is booking scuba for St. Lucia & St. Kitts. Considering Spencer Ambrose for the rest of us in St. Lucia; no idea for St. Kitts. Can't wait for the cruise!