LIVE FROM Liberty of the Seas Repo

[Clarea]

Let's see if this works.

 

GYM PENGUINS

 

Denise

I see the penguins!:)

[DKNYC]

I suspect that cruise critic does not like wherever Empress of Purple is hosting her photos from. I am using an App (Tapatalk ) from my Android phone.

Denise

 

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[EmpressofPurple]

So weird. I can see them on my computer, but not on my phone :-(

 

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[EmpressofPurple]

So weird. I can see them on my computer, but not on my phone :-(

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

 

Posting from Google+ used to be so easy... Now that it's Google photos it doesn't seem to work any more.

 

I'll try some other ways to do it. I can see dknyc's penguins too.

 

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[EmpressofPurple]

[ATTACH]369184[/ATTACH]

Driving with Debra

 

Teardrop and ship

 

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[EmpressofPurple]

Sigh.

 

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[DKNYC]

I cannot see them on my phone or my computer or my computer at work. However I can see my Penguins everywhere. That picture was just from my gallery on my phone where I saved them when I took them with the phone while on board. Hmmm

 

Denise

[DKNYC]

[ATTACH]369184[/ATTACH]

Driving with Debra

 

[ATTACH]369185[/ATTACH]

Teardrop and ship

 

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That worked. Sideways but I can see the Teardrop Monument. But not the Driving with Debra. For that I get this error "Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator"

Edited November 21, 2015 by DKNYC
Error message

[Jimnbigd]

My husband said he saw Vojtek on his first cruise in 2001. My husband is a musician and guitar teacher and said Vojtek was incredible. Sure hope he's on our cruise in February! I've been pouring over your review and taking notes! :)

I hope Vojtek is on my March 27 sailing too. I like good music. We will have Derek Lewis, probably in the deck 5 English Pub, and he's a lot of fun -- singer, guitarist, comedian, and karaoke encourager. We won't have Phil Anderson or Bubba Feathers -- usually both are on the Galveston cruises (Phil in the Schooner Bar, and Bubba and his country band usually in Boleros or the deck 5 club).

 

So are there going to be any "dancing" venues on the Freedom class ships if they are doing away with the discos? I know they have the Latin themed venue but will they have any just plain ole "dancing" places????

I suspect the disco will be in the Viking Crown (deck 14). The Navigator did this when it had its refurb a couple of years ago. The deck 5 forward lounge sometimes has dancing, as does Boleros (deck 4 behind the casino). Boleros is not always Latin themed. Bubba Feathers played there many nights on my September Navigator sailing. There also might be a pool party one night with live dance music. We will probably have 3 bands (not counting the 9-piece ship's orchestra) -- a general dance band (Texas of course likes country music), a Latin band, and a Caribbean "pool" band (not necessarily restricted to the pool -- might also play in Boleros or in the Royal Promenade). But as I said I suspect the Viking Crown will be converted to the disco, with the piano and stage area replaced with a DJ booth. That's what the Navigator did.

Edited November 21, 2015 by Jimnbigd

[Arzeena]

Hi Empress Denise.

 

WOW what a fantastic cruise review! I really enjoyed reading it.

 

Our ships were in Grand Caymen on the same day. We met some friends sailing on your ship, and went out for lunch. We were on the NCL Dawn doing the repositioning from Boston to New Orleans, drove to Orlando and then we too stayed in Orlando for two days. Seems like we kept missing you!

[EmpressofPurple]

Hi Empress Denise.

 

WOW what a fantastic cruise review! I really enjoyed reading it.

 

Our ships were in Grand Caymen on the same day. We met some friends sailing on your ship, and went out for lunch. We were on the NCL Dawn doing the repositioning from Boston to New Orleans, drove to Orlando and then we too stayed in Orlando for two days. Seems like we kept missing you!

 

(((Arzeena!!!))) So sorry to have missed you in Grand Cayman!! I would've loved to get together there or in Orlando! Xoxo great cc group on this ship, as you can tell, we would've had a blast. Email me :-)

 

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[Arzeena]

(((Arzeena!!!))) So sorry to have missed you in Grand Cayman!! I would've loved to get together there or in Orlando! Xoxo great cc group on this ship, as you can tell, we would've had a blast. Email me :-)

 

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I will.

We were actually booke on the Liberty Repo first, but the itinerary of the Dawn was really very tempting and switched. It is rare that we get to stay in Curacao and Bonaire (my favorites) from 8 am to 10 pm. We also went to Playa Puerto Marie...what a paradise it is! Doing the same repo, same itinerary on the Dawn next October.

 

You have to join us on the Anthem Jan 3.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Arzeena

[EmpressofPurple]

Hold the phone! No, literally, I found this by holding my phone... where I was re-reading my entire review (trying to re-live the cruise a week later)... when I noticed I never posted Day #11!! That's right, here it is an extra sea day for you (and me) to enjoy.

 

And right now I'm downloading photos to my laptop from Google, and them to Picasa, which I'm pretty sure will allow me to post to CC without the nasty glitches we've experienced over the last couple of days. Look forward to visuals!!

 

Day#11 – Nov. 11, 2015 – At Sea

 

The daily routine continues, even on four hours of sleep: Up at 6:00, pack backpack with water, pens, schedule, invitation to bridge tour, put on sneakers and socks (for more support than flip flops, sandals or water shoes, plus closed-toe shoes are required for bridge tour) and headed up early to stretch class. Apparently this was our last class with Matt as Marco will be on tomorrow.

 

After stretch and abs (yep, I still have to modify, but it’s definitely getting easier after 10 days) I walked across the deck to the Windjammer to meet Ken for breakfast at 8:00 before our 9:00am bridge tour. I called him at 8:05 when he still hadn’t arrived, no answer, so I started walking around the Windjammer to find him walking the other way.

 

Today’s unique selection: yogurt with granola, raisins, plus a sliced small banana and pear. We ate in the aft section, but well away from the windows as the sunglare on the water was quite strong. Ken commented that this was the earliest he had been in to breakfast and that the clientele was very different at this hour than it was later in the morning.

 

We filled out the security forms, and I realized I couldn’t take my backpack with me to the bridge, so I thought we’d stop at the Concierge lounge one deck down and leave it with Carlos… when I realized I didn’t have my seapass card! Now starts the comedy of errors. We get in to the Concierge Lounge when someone else leaves, but I will need to get my seapass card to go to the tour. So we head down two more decks to 8 for my stateroom hoping to find Emancia to let me in – she’s in a meeting, and the other attendant on the hall’s key won’t open my door. We run down another three flights to guest services – where the key card maker suddenly breaks just as I come up to the counter!! (Please remember, I have not been taking the stairs at all due to sore foot and ankle, and here I am rushing up and down flight after flight. Ouch!!)

 

Amazingly, Ana Price, the loyalty ambassador who we had met with to request these tours, was walking by at just that moment (it was now two minutes to nine!!) and walked fast with us the length of the promenade (ouch!) and up the elevator to deck 10, where we started, to check in with security – where they had me on the list but not Ken, so we had to do a last-minute addition as approved by Ana in person.

 

We then went in to join the group of 10 Diamond Plus and Pinnacle cruisers on the bridge, talking with a young marine engineer from Croatia. He demonstrated and explained the electronic chart system, we walked around and took pictures, and we were asked to leave within 20 minutes to make room for another group coming in. Not the best bridge tour I’ve had— I’ve been on a couple with the captain, which is always entertaining – but always a pleasure to be able to see this area. I’m looking forward to the galley tour and theatre tour tomorrow.

 

After the tour, we went down to deck 5 and saw Sherree, who had helped me with my dress purchase the day before. She made me promise to come see her later when I was wearing one. Ken came along to witness Progressive Trivia in action, and commented that he saw why we enjoyed this. We were two down today, but one up overall, since the other team that had been tied with us had one less than us today, and the teams that beat us today weren’t in the running before.

 

From Trivia I went back to the stateroom to change and put on sunscreen for a day in the solarium. At first I found a cushioned lounger in full sun, and after taking a quick dip in the cool pool I sat there for about half an hour, doing needlework and trying to stay covered from the burning rays. Then a flat chaise opened up in the shady area and I moved over there, resting and catching up on my sleep (or lack thereof) from the night before. At 12:30 I called to see if Ken wanted to go get lunch, but he was out and about, so I took another dip, went back to my chaise and continued to rest rest rest. A few clouds passed by, and a few raindrops fell, but almost unnoticeably.

 

At 2:30 I realized the Windjammer would close before too long, and I wanted to stop by the spa to see if they could repair a chip in my fabulous new gel manicure. If I haven’t mentioned it yet, I got a gel manicure right before the cruise for the first time ever. I was very skeptical about its strength and vaunted staying power, especially since I still had to pack, travel, and do all those other manicure-destroying activities… but indeed, this manicure remained pristine and perfect for the first 10 days of the cruise… until I tried to dig out coconut meat from the coconut purchased from a roadside stand in Curacao. I had managed to hold the chip in place for a couple of days with clear nail polish, but finally it fell off, and I wanted to get it fixed.

 

I figured the onboard gel manicure might be $65, so one nail would be $6.50, and I’d offer them $10. Well, it turned out the manicure was just $45, but soaking off the shellac was $20 – so the $65 estimate was correct, however they have a single “nail fix” price of $15… the equivalent of a $150 manicure!!! I was shocked, but I went along with it; I didn’t want a big chip out of the nail. Also, after insisting they didn’t have anything close to my color, they found something that is virtually identical, with great service and attention. I asked a lot of questions since this was my first gel manicure about how to remove the polish, etc. etc. – and then when I went to pay for it (I knew it would be $18 with the 18% autograt on top) I was pleased to discover they automatically applied the 20% off spa services for Diamond Plus, bringing the total down to $14 all in. That’s fine.

 

The work was done quickly and professionally, and the nail was immediately hard, shiny and ready to use. I headed off to the Windjammer for a solo lunch, enjoying “Mexican Corner in Jade” with Spanish rice, pork with salsa verde, beef and bean taco filling, guacamole, pico de gallo, mixed salad with a spicy dressing, and a slice of tres leches cake for dessert. I read while I ate, I've been enjoying "The Boys in The Boat" about the men's crew team that participated in the 1936 Olympics in Germany (crew was my college sport, and this book really describes the mental and physical devotion required for that unique endeavor... plus incredible background about pre-WWII Germany).

 

After my late lunch, I returned to my bench to collect and turn in my towels, planning to head down to change for the evening. I sat for a few minutes on a cushioned bench, and saw Penny walking by, so I waved her over and we sat and talked for nearly an hour about work, family, life, cruising, friends and more. She will have a new friend join our table tonight. I popped down to deck 5 to show Sherree my new dress as promised, which I was wearing as a coverup over my swimsuit, before I went to change for the evening.

 

Then I rushed off to shower and dress for the Saturday Night Fever show plus formal dinner. I arrived at 5:15 for a 5:45 show and got one of the last seats in the second row. After waiting for 30 minutes, I appreciated the incredibly talented cast, but what a dog of a show! Can’t believe this was ever on the legitimate stage. It was a great movie, but it’s one of the few “realistic” movie musicals where the only music is in the dance scenes, and the characters don’t burst into song. In this case, they do sing, about themselves, and it’s famous disco tunes, not songs custom-written for a musical plot, so they just don’t work to move the story forward at all. The only really good number was the last one, clearly a song written just for the musical. I enjoyed the encores where the entire cast dressed in white with sequins led the audience in energetic musical movement and we all applauded their hard work and artistry.

 

The show ended a little after 7:00 and I headed up to the Hoof & Claw Pub on the Promenade where Voytek would be playing until dinnertime (and again after dinner). I sat with Kent (who shared my opinion about the Saturday Night Fever show) and we enjoyed the music, ordering one non-alcoholic Diamond Drink (a coke with grenadine and some club soda to cut the sweetness; the server also added some maraschino cherries).

 

At 8:05 I headed down to dinner, joining our regular crew plus Penny’s friend Jeff (who ordered the Chops steak for $16.95). We enjoyed the formal night menu, and I had the seafood salad and double duck consommé, plus the prime rib and lobster tail. No dessert appealed, so I just had coffee. Sigh. So annoyed they can’t get me coffee ice cream every day!!!

 

After dinner I ran back to the stateroom to change my shirt and plug in my phone, then headed back to the pub to meet Ken and enjoy what turned out to be Voytek’s last set – he’s on break tomorrow, so we won’t get to hear him play again on this cruise. I will miss him, his music really provided a great experience throughout the cruise, and something I could be sure I would enjoy whatever else was on the schedule. Not sure what I’ll do tomorrow without him.

 

Well, it’ll be a busy day: we have the Theatre tour at 11:00 in the morning, the final session of Progressive Trivia at 1:15, and the Galley Tour at 4:15pm. I hope I’ll slip in a little deck time in between these activities. If I don’t like any of the shows on offer tomorrow, I’ll have plenty of time to pack for my airport transfer and Orlando flight on Friday.

 

It’s been one of my favorite cruises ever, as always in these cases because of the people I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to spend time with, at meals, activities, excursions, and enjoying the onboard entertainment together. I would be happy to cruise with any of them again, and I’m jealous of the ones who have discovered they’re already booked on the same cruise in the future.

[crusinot]

Thanks for the wonderful review!

[Arzeena]

More more more!:D We want more reviews!:D

[EmpressofPurple]

I'm only sorry cruise critic doesn't have an edit function that let's you go back and change things after 20 minutes... I'd love to have put day #11 in order, and added photos throughout... but anyway, they should be coming soon.

 

So glad people enjoy this kind of chatty travelogue! I love it when other people write them, because everyone has a different cruise experience, and I get to live vicariously through their descriptions of their daily activities... including napping, eating and reading by the pool (provided they offer detailed descriptions of their snoozing dreams, menu items and book content)!!!

 

;)

[EmpressofPurple]

(I think the problem was privacy settings on my web photos)

 

I really hope this works!!

 

Driving With Debra:

 

Teardrop Memorial and flag with ship in BG:

 

Sunshine on Skyline with clouds:

 

Liberty in Port Liberty for the last time:

 

Verrazzano Narrows Bridge (NYC Marathon Start):

 

Looking forward to November:

[DKNYC]

Crew was your college sport. You are the most multifaceted person I know. 😀 My college sport was bowling. Glad you got a solution to the photo problem.

Arzeena, how are you! Didn't know you knew Denise. I met her on the Explorer repo last year, before I met you and RJ on Quantum in January.

Denise - the other one.

 

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[EmpressofPurple]

Following along in my review, here are some sailaway pix:

 

 

 

Welcome Aboard Show - Amazing Aerialist:

 

The "A" Team:

 

Platinum Theatre Curtain:

 

Cutbacks! Look at how many more ladies there were on the Explorer Theatre Curtain:

 

(I actually love that Explorer curtain, one of those lovely ladies looks like my beautiful daughter Ariel...)

[EmpressofPurple]

First Day Food Pix:

 

Shadowy Windjammer Lunch (as best I can make out, carved roast beef with horseradish sauce, corn on the coblet, green beans and salad with raita as the dressing)

 

Asian Coconut Seafood soup

 

Spinach Salad:

 

Herb-crusted salmon with celeriac mash:

 

My favorite mango mousse (with half-eaten coffee ice cream in the BG)

 

Alas, no pictures of the daily bread selection... or our great waitstaff!!!

 

But here's a shot of the sunset at sea that first night:

[DKNYC]

Cool pics so far. Of course I recognize the drab gray interior of my car. Toyota did not have many choices that year. Don't think I have driven since that day.

Denise

 

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[widallas]

Yeah, your photos are working! :) Loved your review...thanks for sharing so much good info!!!

[EmpressofPurple]

Yeah, your photos are working! :) Loved your review...thanks for sharing so much good info!!!

 

Glad you enjoyed it... Look forward to many more photos, almost like doing the review all over again! But this is time consuming and I have many work and home obligations do it may be a while before I can wrap it up

 

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[majarosh]

Hi ya

Per the captain last spring freestyle machines to be added when in dry dock

[EmpressofPurple]

Hi ya

Per the captain last spring freestyle machines to be added when in dry dock

 

Thanks for adding this info! I know many people wanted to know, and I didn't attend the captain's corner to ask on this sailing.

 

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