Liberty to get waterslide

[mareed]

My take on the "playground" atmosphere is -- GREAT! The more there is for children to do, the better!

 

All that to say, if I was going to take a cruise during a time that typically attracts a lot of families, I would want it to be on the ship that has the most dedicated space/activities geared towards children. I love Celebrity and am really looking forward to my next cruise with them, but I'd hesitate to book if I thought there would be hundreds of kids on a Caribbean sailing because I don't think there would be enough for them to do.

 

I removed some of the prior post just for space, but completely agree with this! I've sailed with Disney many times and RC a few now, and most of my Disney cruises were with adults only and the adult-only spaces and activities day & night were wonderful. I think a large part of that was that they truly stayed adult only because the kids had plenty of space of their own to keep them occupied so that they weren't roaming hallways and making their own fun.

 

I'll be on the Liberty over XMAS and again next May and look forward to checking out the waterslide myself (as an adult cruising with no kids in May). I'm also looking forward to the opportunity to see and compare before and after the changes in Feb.

[tlatrice]

My take on the "playground" atmosphere is -- GREAT! The more there is for children to do, the better!

 

I retired from my job as a principal a couple years ago:) and I now get to sail at times of the year when there aren't many children on board. However, when I was working we always took a cruise during Spring Break or other prime family vacation times, and typically had anywhere from 800 to over 1,000 children under 18 sharing the ship with us.:eek: In our experience, the most "adult" atmospheres were found on the ships with the most activities for kids, and the ships with less dedicated space for children suffered more from them using the hallways, stairs, and other public spaces as their playground. I don't use the ice rink, rock wall, or water works, but in my opinion those things help disperse the passengers and keep the areas I like quieter and more adult. I think a water slide in an already noisy area will be a huge draw, and will only help keep areas like the Solarium peaceful and relaxing.

 

I believe it was last Christmas I read a lot of complaints on the Celebrity board about very expensive holiday sailings that had large numbers of children on them. There weren't many activities for kids, so they made their own fun and took over the ship as their playground. I've seen the same thing happen on the Grand Princess, and it's annoying to not have any spaces to have an adult experience because EVERYWHERE is filled with kids. Remember, I was a principal and I know from experience that boredom and 10-year-old boys aren't a good combination!:p If their fun isn't provided, kids will find a way to make their own, and probably not in a way that us "old farts" will appreciate!:eek:

 

All that to say, if I was going to take a cruise during a time that typically attracts a lot of families, I would want it to be on the ship that has the most dedicated space/activities geared towards children. I love Celebrity and am really looking forward to my next cruise with them, but I'd hesitate to book if I thought there would be hundreds of kids on a Caribbean sailing because I don't think there would be enough for them to do.

 

Very interesting perspective!

[barbon2]

It will take years for all of Royals ships to have waterslides put on them, if that is even the plan because a waterslide may not be able to be accommodated on all of them. So there will be lots of ships to choose from without making this upcoming cruise of yours your last RCCL cruise, if the rest of the product that Royal gives you is what you enjoy. I can say that when we were on Allure the most cramped place was the Boardwalk with its attractions for families and kids including the carousel. You say you loved your cruise on Allure....and it was very family oriented.

 

I would like to clarify my statement.

In the Caribbean, we like to have a lot of activity because we have been to most of the Islands several times. I would not want to be on the Allure eg., in Alaska.

We liked the itinerary for the NE/Canada cruise (10 days), so we opted to do it.

In general we find that Celebrity is a little more upscale, and like the atmosphere much better. They offer Concierge and Aqua class., which offers an adult like setting. There is nothing wrong with RCCL, I just don't see the necessity of characters, water slides, etc, unless I was taking the grandchildren.

Royal has some nice aspects but Celebrity has more things we like. I am sure we will have a wonderful time on our upcoming Royal cruise, but we are going in a different direction after this one. There is no such thing, in my opinion, as a bad cruise, it's just a matter of preference. And as the saying goes, never say never, we could opt for a Royal itinerary some day in the future.

 

Barb

Edited July 17, 2015 by barbon2

[Paulette3028]

I would rather have a lazy river.

 

I would love it also....I just don't believe a cruise ship has the space a real lazy river would need.....but it sure does sound inviting....perhaps they could put one on Labadee or Coco Cay, however.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

I'm a little surprised that several people say this makes it too much of a playground atmosphere. Maybe, if they put the waterslide in the Solarium, I could see the issue. But the sports areas and main pool areas have always been somewhat playground-like, and I don't see how a slide would make that big of a difference.

 

Agreed. I'll completely avoid the dynamics of sailing in the summer, spring breaks and holidays until the Grandkids get old enough to really enjoy them . The slides will be a major attraction for families.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

If like Freedom, then Portofino becomes Giovanni's and Sabor goes into the top deck of the former nightclub.

 

We really enjoyed Sabor while on the Navigator. To us, adding Sabor to the Naigator would be another nice addition to Liberty.

[Clarea]

We really enjoyed Sabor while on the Navigator. To us, adding Sabor to the Naigator would be another nice addition to Liberty.

I just don't understand why they don't have soft corn tortillas.:confused:

[whitshel]

I just don't understand why they don't have soft corn tortillas.:confused:

 

 

Oh but the flour tortillas are the bomb, and I'm from San Diego where we know good tortillas :D

[Wilson]

I hope that it does not require them to remove the reserved pool loungers for suite guests. We will be in our first GS next year and looking forward to not having to fight for a lounger. LoL

[brn2crz]

Happy with this news. This was one of the last deciding issues between Carnival Magic and Liberty for us. Between this and ADC. I am very happy I didn't slip. Now if I can just get Freestyle machine. I'll be ecstatic lol.

[Sunkissed Mommy]

I am kinda chucking at the people that are disappointed with Royal Caribbean adding waterslides. Royal has always been family friendly. They always had those extras to draw in families. My first cruise was on the Sovereign of the Seas in 1999. I was in high school then and I was instantly hooked.

 

I like the idea because we are a young family. Currently we have a 2 year old, eventually we will have another child. DH and I have enjoyed many of the "playground" aspects of the ships and can't wait for our son to enjoy them too. Heck, we've already made good use of the nursery on three of the ships.

 

Water slides are not only for kids. DH and I loved the slides on the NCL Epic and Carnival Breeze. My own mother, in her 50s, loved the water slide on the Disney Dream a few years ago. It's all about how YOU like to cruise and this suits our family perfectly.

Edited July 18, 2015 by smileyperry

[undercat]

My take on the "playground" atmosphere is -- GREAT! The more there is for children to do, the better!

 

...In our experience, the most "adult" atmospheres were found on the ships with the most activities for kids, and the ships with less dedicated space for children suffered more from them using the hallways, stairs, and other public spaces as their playground. I don't use the ice rink, rock wall, or water works, but in my opinion those things help disperse the passengers and keep the areas I like quieter and more adult....

 

All that to say, if I was going to take a cruise during a time that typically attracts a lot of families, I would want it to be on the ship that has the most dedicated space/activities geared towards children. I love Celebrity and am really looking forward to my next cruise with them, but I'd hesitate to book if I thought there would be hundreds of kids on a Caribbean sailing because I don't think there would be enough for them to do.

 

I removed some of the prior post just for space, but completely agree with this! I've sailed with Disney many times and RC a few now, and most of my Disney cruises were with adults only and the adult-only spaces and activities day & night were wonderful. I think a large part of that was that they truly stayed adult only because the kids had plenty of space of their own to keep them occupied so that they weren't roaming hallways and making their own fun.

 

I agree completely with both of you!

 

DH and I are planning to sail over the holidays in 2016 because the timing works well with our schedules, and we don't have children. I researched ships and amongst those under consideration were a Celebrity ship, a Princess ship, another RCI ship, and Harmony of the Seas. Of these four, Harmony will have the most activities to keep kids (and everyone else) busy, which (hopefully) means less boredom-inspired mischief. The other ships, while attractive on their own merits, would have fewer kid-distracting activities which could mean more restless kids doing what kids will do to relieve boredom after endless hours at sea. That thought, along with the new-ship feel and excitement, are what drove me to book Harmony for the holidays.

 

We cruise for relaxation moreso than intense non-stop activity and I couldn't care less about the waterslides for myself and don't foresee myself using them, but I can see how families might be more drawn to the ships equipped with slides.

[Yorkvillain]

With exits at the bar, self serve ice cream, and buffet. How much weight would be gained on the cruise. :eek:

 

I hope they build a lazy river or water slide that goes from the Solarium Bar to my stateroom.

[barbon2]

I hope they build a lazy river or water slide that goes from the Solarium Bar to my stateroom.

 

Lol, too funny.

[griffy116]

We were on the FOS this June and booked Liberty out of Galveston for next June. I wasn't aware it was going to dry-dock in January, but I'm pleased. I'm in my 60's and I've never been tempted to spend time in the Solarium. I guess I'm in the minority, but the kids and the families don't bother me. We travel as an extended family, but my Grandson is now 21. I'm sure he'll be thrilled since he loves the water slides. We're just happy with being able to be on a cruise and we LOVE the Freedom class ships. We had a WONDERFUL time in June on FOS and we've previously sailed Liberty. This time we'll be seeing a couple of islands we've never been to and we've never left from Galveston. Shaking it up a little bit. :D

[A2Mich]

I would like to clarify my statement.

In the Caribbean, we like to have a lot of activity because we have been to most of the Islands several times. I would not want to be on the Allure eg., in Alaska.

We liked the itinerary for the NE/Canada cruise (10 days), so we opted to do it.

In general we find that Celebrity is a little more upscale, and like the atmosphere much better. They offer Concierge and Aqua class., which offers an adult like setting. There is nothing wrong with RCCL, I just don't see the necessity of characters, water slides, etc, unless I was taking the grandchildren.

Royal has some nice aspects but Celebrity has more things we like. I am sure we will have a wonderful time on our upcoming Royal cruise, but we are going in a different direction after this one. There is no such thing, in my opinion, as a bad cruise, it's just a matter of preference. And as the saying goes, never say never, we could opt for a Royal itinerary some day in the future.

 

Barb

 

Overall I appreciate your attitude towards RCI. We are a family of 5, though only 3 will be on the next cruise. I think the issue is that the old style of cruising is disappearing, and that may be due in part by the cruise lines trying to shift to a younger demographic, or the fact that the older generation is passing away that still remember "the good ole' days." RCI, like Carnival PLC, has a lot of ships to fill, and they need to attract the largest number of people they can. Limiting themselves to an older demographic probably isn't going to cut it for them. Younger couples and families' money spends just as well as retirees money does, though the families may not always have as much discretionary income, but the ships have to be filled to remain profitable. They sort of need to be "jacks of all trades" and appeal to as many people as possible. I appreciate that RCI tries to offer an environment for everyone, and tries to maintain a degree of separation, while still keeping families near one another. While they may never be able to do what Disney does, they are making an effort. As others have said, I think that RCI is trying to define themselves as Royal Caribbean being for the mainstream, more active set and families, while Celebrity is for the quieter and more sedate crowd - similar to

Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury once were - Ford was more mainstream, Mercury was the sportier brand, and Grandpa drove the Lincoln. All a matter of brand identification. RCI has a lot of competition with Carnival in many markets, and likely needs to ditch any image of being "old and stodgy," to better compete head to head with Carnival. Let Celebrity compete with HAL and offer a more similar product.

 

Take my father, for example. His preference is for Celebrity and HAL, and his opinion is that Carnival and RCI are "beneath him." Note: He enjoys peace and quiet and is also very arrogant and self-serving. DISCLAIMER: I am NOT trying to imply that HAL or Celebrity cruisers are any more arrogant than other cruisers - just using an example. He prefers the quieter, more sedate atmosphere of Celebrity or HAL. I am still in my mid-40's and am not quite ready for that much calmness in my life. I have 3 younger children, and still fully enjoy doing what I can with them, and right now, that still means rock walls, Flowriders, pools, H2O Zone. As I get older and the kids get older and may no longer travel with us, I may very well be looking for something with a bit less energy.

 

Either way, I still think that RCI is trying to shift to a younger, broader demo, and likely trying to steer certain passengers towards X. The earlier comments of "no more RCI, I'm sailing X." are kind of pointless, bring the same parent company - either way, the same people are getting at least some of your money.

[Paulette3028]

If I had children to take with me on vacation it would be very important that they have plenty to do. It wouldn't be enough to have them go to the Adventure Ocean program. So having things for children to do, with the inclusion of their parents, either as additional participants with them or to cheer them on such as rock climbing wall, flowrider, basketball, mini golf and whatever else could be put on board is great. Of course some children don't need their parents with them to do these things at all.

 

Now those activities are not limited to children of course....although we could all be considered 'children at any age' -- at least that is how I look at it.

 

For some adults the quiet of the solarium for pool time is nice....good to read, listen to music....and for my DH he loves it...for me....15 minutes and I am thinking what can I do now. I have friends that enjoy reading or knitting just sitting on a lounge chair -- not for me. So with all these activities there is plenty for everyone.

 

I don't know what cruises that attract more mature adults such as Holland might have for children, because I am sure there are some people who travel with children on that line....but if the biggest attraction is the pool, that must be difficult -- IMO.

[barbon2]

Overall I appreciate your attitude towards RCI. We are a family of 5, though only 3 will be on the next cruise. I think the issue is that the old style of cruising is disappearing, and that may be due in part by the cruise lines trying to shift to a younger demographic, or the fact that the older generation is passing away that still remember "the good ole' days." RCI, like Carnival PLC, has a lot of ships to fill, and they need to attract the largest number of people they can. Limiting themselves to an older demographic probably isn't going to cut it for them. Younger couples and families' money spends just as well as retirees money does, though the families may not always have as much discretionary income, but the ships have to be filled to remain profitable. They sort of need to be "jacks of all trades" and appeal to as many people as possible. I appreciate that RCI tries to offer an environment for everyone, and tries to maintain a degree of separation, while still keeping families near one another. While they may never be able to do what Disney does, they are making an effort. As others have said, I think that RCI is trying to define themselves as Royal Caribbean being for the mainstream, more active set and families, while Celebrity is for the quieter and more sedate crowd - similar to

Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury once were - Ford was more mainstream, Mercury was the sportier brand, and Grandpa drove the Lincoln. All a matter of brand identification. RCI has a lot of competition with Carnival in many markets, and likely needs to ditch any image of being "old and stodgy," to better compete head to head with Carnival. Let Celebrity compete with HAL and offer a more similar product.

 

Take my father, for example. His preference is for Celebrity and HAL, and his opinion is that Carnival and RCI are "beneath him." Note: He enjoys peace and quiet and is also very arrogant and self-serving. DISCLAIMER: I am NOT trying to imply that HAL or Celebrity cruisers are any more arrogant than other cruisers - just using an example. He prefers the quieter, more sedate atmosphere of Celebrity or HAL. I am still in my mid-40's and am not quite ready for that much calmness in my life. I have 3 younger children, and still fully enjoy doing what I can with them, and right now, that still means rock walls, Flowriders, pools, H2O Zone. As I get older and the kids get older and may no longer travel with us, I may very well be looking for something with a bit less energy.

 

Either way, I still think that RCI is trying to shift to a younger, broader demo, and likely trying to steer certain passengers towards X. The earlier comments of "no more RCI, I'm sailing X." are kind of pointless, bring the same parent company - either way, the same people are getting at least some of your money.

I know X is owned by Celebrity, and you are correct, the amount of people cruising has more then doubled over the last 10 years or so.

I certainly do not dislike Royal, obviously I would not be going on my second Royal cruise in the same year.

I was just making a statement (I am in my early 60's ) that at this stage, having grown children that we are looking to go in a different direction.

Fortunately, my attitude is not like your father's, I don't think Royal is beneath me or of a lower quality, the hubby and I just prefer a different "flavor" as they say.

I have been on these boards since they were on AOL, when I was in my 40's, and cruising with children as you do. At that time of course we looked at which lines were best for families. I don't post as much as I use to, but the boards have not changed much over the years.

I though I explained my reasons in a positive nature, but at times, as this is a general statement , people are very defensive of their favorite line.

As I stated before, if I take my kids and grandchildren, I definitely would look at both Royal and Disney.

I just have started to post on the general boards again recently, I use to post a lot, but got tired of the bickering and negative comments.

 

Barb

[chermilo]

I believe there are plenty of quiet places on the ship if that's what you want.

 

I on the other hand can't wait for the water slide!

 

Yippee!!! Bring it on!

[leaveitallbehind]

Are there any other changes? We will be going on her next July.

 

Just off Liberty a week ago and it was announced that they will also be adding staterooms assumed to be on deck 12 froward similar to that on Navigator and Portofino's will be changed to Giovanni's Table. Other unspecified "enhancements" were referred to as well.

Edited July 19, 2015 by leaveitallbehind

[A2Mich]

I know X is owned by Celebrity, and you are correct, the amount of people cruising has more then doubled over the last 10 years or so.

 

I certainly do not dislike Royal, obviously I would not be going on my second Royal cruise in the same year.

 

I was just making a statement (I am in my early 60's ) that at this stage, having grown children that we are looking to go in a different direction.

 

Fortunately, my attitude is not like your father's, I don't think Royal is beneath me or of a lower quality, the hubby and I just prefer a different "flavor" as they say.

 

I have been on these boards since they were on AOL, when I was in my 40's, and cruising with children as you do. At that time of course we looked at which lines were best for families. I don't post as much as I use to, but the boards have not changed much over the years.

 

I though I explained my reasons in a positive nature, but at times, as this is a general statement , people are very defensive of their favorite line.

 

As I stated before, if I take my kids and grandchildren, I definitely would look at both Royal and Disney.

 

I just have started to post on the general boards again recently, I use to post a lot, but got tired of the bickering and negative comments.

 

 

 

Barb

 

 

You did post in a very positive manner. Some of what I was referring to was based on other posts as well, particularly the comments of switching cruise lines

[malmo288]

When does Royal Caribbean usually post what the upgrades will be? Or do we just have to wait and see? I am trying to plan a cruise on Liberty of the Seas for after the upgrades and its so hard not knowing what the changes will be! I'm excited for the water slide, but I'm really hoping for a Sabor!

[Ourusualbeach]

When does Royal Caribbean usually post what the upgrades will be? Or do we just have to wait and see? I am trying to plan a cruise on Liberty of the Seas for after the upgrades and its so hard not knowing what the changes will be! I'm excited for the water slide, but I'm really hoping for a Sabor!

 

For Freedom I think they posted the new deck plans during her dry-dock. They don't seem to care about providing information in advance.

 

I would expect changes much along the same lines as to what they did with Freedom plus adding the waterslide.

[jeditden]

For Freedom I think they posted the new deck plans during her dry-dock. They don't seem to care about providing information in advance.

 

I would expect changes much along the same lines as to what they did with Freedom plus adding the waterslide.

Yeah, they plan these things far in advance but never let people know cuz they don't want folks cancelling just to get on the refurbished ship.

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[Cuizer2]

Interesting. Did they add a slide to Freedom in the recent dry dock?

 

No.