Liberty of the Seas 2/28/16-3/6/16

[Gator83]

Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston, TX. Ports: Cozumel, Roatan, Belize

 

 

Background: Two Females, ages 56 and 66 with years of cruise experience.

 

We had been on The Liberty of the Seas before and like the ship layout a lot.

 

Flew into Hobby International and had previously reserved transportation to and from the port with Galveston Express. We received a call from GE after landing and were told that we would not be picked up at 12:00pm as scheduled as some other party was picked up without a reservation. So our spot was not available. They said we would be picked up at 1:00pm; the shuttle actually showed up at 12:45pm. I was not happy at all with this, but what else can one do when we had already paid for the transportation. It took about 50 minutes to get to the port in Galveston.

 

Embarkation: The line to get through security took about 30 minutes (this was around 1:45pm) but we moved right through Royal check in fairly quickly. Our cabin was ready when we got on the ship so we went right to it and dropped off our carry-on bags.

 

The Cabin: We had an inside cabin, (#9367) and we immediately met our cabin steward, Winsome. She was a fabulous cabin steward; probably one of the best I have ever had. She was very friendly and we saw her quite a bit during the week. Inside on deck 9. 150sf of cabin is very, very small, especially with two people. And the bathroom shower is very tiny. If one would open the bathroom door and the closet door at the same time they would smack each other. There was a good amount of storage space in the cabin even with two people. There were no problems with the beds as had been reported on Cruise Critic. Our great cabin steward kept everything clean and the only issue we had was what I thought was dried blood on the top sheet of my bed. Now, I do think it was clean but I do think it was blood. So, I had the cabin attendant change out all my sheets. She did that with no problem at all. RE: TV channels….It would be nice to have ABC, NBC, and CBS but I did survive the week without them.

We went to Sorrento’s for a bite to eat. I did not like the pizza at all and only took one bite out of it and replaced it with a small tuna sandwich which was actually quite good. Cindy didn’t mind the pizza at all (ugh!) and actually ate two slices. After eating we went to the pool deck to meet with our Meet & Mingle group. After talking with a few people we went to the helipad for sail away. Unfortunately it started to get overcast and very windy so we went to the back of the ship and stood behind the plexi-glass to avoid the wind. We then went back to the cabin for a short while and then had the muster drill. I was glad it was inside the dining room so that we could avoid the wind. Our luggage showed up soon after and we unpacked and got ready for dinner.

 

Dining & Food: We had My Time Dining and scheduled it at different times depending on what was going on each night. The first night we were taken up to Deck 5 (don’t have any idea why) and had a table by the window. We got there about 6:15pm and the service was very slow at first but then we were rushed through all the courses. I guess they were making up for the fact that we arrived late. The rest of the week we were in the dining room on deck 3 as we were supposed to be. We had different waiters most nights and the service was very good; some of the best service I ever had. I would rate the food a 4 and Cindy would rate the food 4+. The Prime Rib was the least liked item (the texture of it was very weird) and I should have listened to the comments on Cruise Critic about it not being very good. My eggplant parmesan was not good at all and I should have sent it back; it was actually hard to cut the eggplant. I really liked all the cold soups because they tasted like smoothies. The following items in the MDR were good: smoked fish appetizer on night one, the beef tenderloin on night two, spinach artichoke dip appetizer, linguini Pomodoro, and rack of lamb. The desserts were just so-so and Cindy liked the desserts more than I did. Oh yea…..the rolls were fabulous, especially the pumpkin seed rolls. We did not eat in any of the specialty restaurants on this cruise.

 

Now to the Windjammer: I have been on four RC cruises and have not liked the WJ in any of them, other than for breakfast where I eat my share of smoked salmon. Some of the food looked down right awful to me and the other items just looked like things I did not want to eat. In fact, on Monday, I was asked by the WJ Head Manager how my meal was (this was lunch) and I replied “it was ok”. He asked what he could do to make it better. I said it was no big deal and that I just am not a fan of buffets (I did not tell him that Holland America has a fantastic buffet and that Princess’ comes in 2nd to HAL). He was upset that I didn’t like it and told me to come by the next day and he would cook me something special. I told him that that wasn’t necessary and he kept insisting. I told him I would be by the day after since I wouldn’t be on the ship since we were going to Roatan. We went to the buffet on Thursday and he saw me and remembered me and told me to wait and he would bring me something. He had us sit at a table away from everyone and brought a T-Bone steak and a NY Strip steak to Cindy and me; we EACH had two steaks. I was shocked. We both liked the T-Bone better than the NY Strip but was very appreciative of his effort and service. I still do not like the buffet on RC but that is just my opinion.

 

Other food-related things: I did not like the coffee at all in the MDR or in the buffet. I drink regular and Cindy drinks decaf and she said she was fine with the decaf. For me the coffee was either too strong or is probably Nicaraguan coffee which I do not like. The “liked” desserts in the Café Promenade included the coconut macaroon cookies and the mudslide cookies. The small sandwiches there were fairly good also.

 

Entertainment and things to do: We attended some of the trivia contests, listened to Derek Lewin in the Hoof & Claw bar and it was fabulous, ice skating show was great, the Quest was great and very funny, Finish the Song Lyrics game was fun to watch, the Love and Marriage show was hysterical. Saturday Night Fever was just ok for me (Chicago was great when I was on Allure) but Cindy liked it better than I did. I did not like the main singers that much and thought their vocals were just not that good at any time during the week. We had a singer/comedian named James Stephens and he was very good, comedian Steve McGrew was also very good, Elton Job imitator, Craig Meyer was very good (I think I saw him on a Princess cruise), In the Air was very good and was an aerobatic performance. The 70’s party was the same as usual but it is always a good time as is the DreamWorks parade. Our cruise director was Jeffery Arpin and he was very good as well as his cruise staff.

 

Outside Activities: The chair hogs by the pool were out in force on all days. I saw a lot of chairs with pool towels on them and no people ever showed up. The updated miniature golf course was a nice improvement and was fun to play but it is on deck 12 and it is windy most of the time. Even though I was going to do the rock climbing wall and the new slides I never got around to it. Maybe next time! The belly flop contest was great, as usual.

 

Excursions: We stayed on the ship in Belize but took non-RC tours in Cozumel and Roatan. In Cozumel we took a tour to Discover Mexico where we had tequila tasting, a margarita, made chocolate and had a chocolate mudslide drink, had a great lunch, saw some miniatures of all the Mexican Ruins, saw Mexican artwork and just had a great time. I highly suggest it. We went with fellow Meet & Mingle cruisers on a Victor Bodden tour in Roatan and had a great time. We saw parts of the island, went to see the monkeys, and went to Parrot Tree Resort and hung out at the beach. The food there was great: I had really good ceviche and a Coco Loco drink in a coconut that had a good amount of alcohol in it. Cindy had chicken tenders with coleslaw and fries. This was such a beautiful property and I would like to stay there some day.

 

Disembarkation: We carried off our luggage and there was a HUGE line that wrapped around the ship (Deck 4) and then of course a HUGE line once we got off the ship. It took us about 90 minutes from start to finish. It was warm in the terminal the whole time we waited.

 

Things I didn’t like: There was so much “buy this, buy that” on this particular cruise. I do not remember a cruise every having so many sales of stuff (jewelry, watches, t-shirts, bags, purses, beverage packages, etc.). All the kiosks on the Promenade took up so much space and made it hard to walk around. It seemed very excessive. And no, I did not buy anything; I stopped buying things awhile back. The drink packages must be working because I have never seen so many people drinking alcohol, but I only saw one obnoxious drunk person.

 

Overall we really enjoyed the cruise and had a great time.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Gator83
Had to correct mistakes

[tropiclvrs]

Thanks so much for taking the time to review.

 

I agree with you about the WJ...it is not my favorite and much of the time is very hit or miss (mostly miss).

[Keith1010]

Great report/review and glad that you had a nice cruise.

 

Keith

[Gator83]

I forgot to mention that the furniture throughout the ship was looking "definitely used". Lots of scuffs on the wood, fabric on chairs in the Platinum theater was showing a lot of wear, etc. This did not affect the cruise at all, I just want to let others know.

 

FYI....The Galveston port area is very, very industrial. Since I had never been to Galveston I now wish I had gone in a day early to see the island.

[Daghis]

Thank you so much for your review!

 

Disembarkation: We carried off our luggage and there was a HUGE line that wrapped around the ship (Deck 4) and then of course a HUGE line once we got off the ship. It took us about 90 minutes from start to finish. It was warm in the terminal the whole time we waited.

 

I'm currently making plans for our upcoming Liberty cruise in October. Right now, I'm trying to figure out disembarkation for our group. What time did you try to leave the ship when you discovered the line? I'd love to beat the rush, but I'm not sure how early I'd need to go.

[chukli]

Thanks for your detailed review. I am glad you enjoyed your cruise. I am sailing end of April doing the same itinerary too. I also plan on doing the Fun & Sun tour with Bodden, was your tour a private one? How much did you pay?

I have also been worried about the reviews on the hard rock beds, but you mention that your beds were just fine! I did order mattress toppers just in case.

What time did you disembark? I understand you walked off with all the luggage. I have a 1pm flight and plan on taking the RCCL Airport shuttle to IAH, so hoping to make it in time for the flight too.

Some one mentioned one of the show, Sonic Eve, was terrible, did you find the same? I intend to do the shows/entertainment that you have enjoyed, as normally i love those too.

[Gator83]

Thank you so much for your review!

 

 

 

I'm currently making plans for our upcoming Liberty cruise in October. Right now, I'm trying to figure out disembarkation for our group. What time did you try to leave the ship when you discovered the line? I'd love to beat the rush, but I'm not sure how early I'd need to go.

 

 

We got in line to get off the ship around 7:30-7:45am. We were supposed to go to the MDR on deck 4 but I think it was full so they started lining up people outside on Deck 4. From what I have read, self disembarkation is the way most people do it so the lines are fairly long. I had a 9:45am pick up call from Galveston Express so I took my bags off myself to make sure I had enough time...which we did. In fact, we were able to get an earlier shuttle to the airport.

[Gator83]

Thanks for your detailed review. I am glad you enjoyed your cruise. I am sailing end of April doing the same itinerary too. I also plan on doing the Fun & Sun tour with Bodden, was your tour a private one? How much did you pay?

I have also been worried about the reviews on the hard rock beds, but you mention that your beds were just fine! I did order mattress toppers just in case.

What time did you disembark? I understand you walked off with all the luggage. I have a 1pm flight and plan on taking the RCCL Airport shuttle to IAH, so hoping to make it in time for the flight too.

Some one mentioned one of the show, Sonic Eve, was terrible, did you find the same? I intend to do the shows/entertainment that you have enjoyed, as normally i love those too.

 

We did have a private tour with Victor Bodden...12 people and it cost $25 pp. $5 extra to see the monkeys. Big Al was our tour guide and he was excellent; ask for him if you can.

 

Our bed was fine and I did ask for a mattress topper but forget to see if I actually received one...LOL. We did not have Sonic Eve on our ship.

 

Feel free to ask more questions.

[JaniceB]

Thank you for your review.

 

How many people were on the Galveston Express? I need transportation but really thinking about using something private.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[Gator83]

Thank you for your review.

 

How many people were on the Galveston Express? I need transportation but really thinking about using something private.

 

 

There are different size cars/vans. On the trip to the port it was about maybe 12 people and the luggage was put in a U-Haul and pulled behind us. On the trip back it was a van and the luggage was inside the back of the van....not sure how many people. Sorry.

[nativetexan]

Thanks for the review and good info. Glad you had a good cruise. Hope you return to Galveston sometime. Nice small coastal town!

[Ladysilver]

Thanks for the review! :)

[CU64]

Thank you for your review.

 

How many people were on the Galveston Express? I need transportation but really thinking about using something private.

 

I was on same cruise. We were to leave at 9:30......got off at 12PM. Action Limo waited for 3 hrs for the 2 of us. I kept driver informed all the way. We arrived IAH one hour before boarding. We used them Sat from IAH to Galveston.

 

If you get caught like this again, use a Porter after you get luggage, They have separate Customs' line. Worth the $20 tip. We were in Porter Line behind about 25 individuals. Thot other line looked not too much longer....did not see snake lines. Bad decision. Luckily, other than standing in the line for 1 hr, snaking....we had Action Limo,

Barbara

[Wilson]

Thank you for your review. Any word on Tidal Wave?

[Gator83]

Thank you for your review. Any word on Tidal Wave?

 

 

They said that the Tidal Wave wasn't safe because the speed of it was too fast and people were slamming into the metal and I also think they said something about the bump in the middle of it needing padding. Anyway...it isn't working yet and RCCI doesn't even own it yet; the manufacturer still owns it.

[blonde375]

Hello, thanks for your review. I noticed from your signature that you have also cruised on Allure. We are considering Allure/Oasis or Freedom class for our October family cruise.

 

Could you share any comparisons/opinions about liking one over the other?

[Gator83]

Hello, thanks for your review. I noticed from your signature that you have also cruised on Allure. We are considering Allure/Oasis or Freedom class for our October family cruise.

 

Could you share any comparisons/opinions about liking one over the other?

 

 

 

Hi.....As big as Allure is, I felt that this last trip on Liberty was more crowded than my trip on Allure. I really liked the Aqua Theater on Allure, Allure has the zipline, I liked the different "neighborhoods" on Allure, and I loved the Park Café restaurant on Allure and really missed the food from there. Didn't like the Windjammer on either ship, I liked the Doghouse on the Boardwalk because you can get a quick hotdog for a snack. I had really great entertainment on both ships. Some people just don't like the size of Oasis or Allure but I had no problem with it (it is longer so it does take a little bit more time to walk from one side to the other).

 

I think that either class(Oasis or Freedom) is a good choice. I am not sure why the prices on the Oasis class have not come down yet.

 

I would go with whatever ports you prefer, pricing, and cost to get to the port in making the decision. You cannot go wrong with either.

[DM_KidAtHeart]

I think that either class(Oasis or Freedom) is a good choice. I am not sure why the prices on the Oasis class have not come down yet.

 

 

I've wondered about this too. I only afforded Quantum last year by pinching and saving (and I justified the higher price in my head due to it being for my 40th birthday). I keep looking at sailing on Oasis class but can't justify the higher price over other sailings (especially when you add the airfare to those ports).

[blonde375]

Thank you, Gator83!

[Lsuchick10]

How do you request the mattress topper prior to the sail date?

[Beachiekeen]

How do you request the mattress topper prior to the sail date?

 

I sent an email to: special_needs@rccl.com.

[Larry&Darla]

Thanks for the review.

 

My wife also did not like the eggplant parmagiana. She said it was so salty she couldn't finish it.