Liberty of the Seas first timer questions - teens

[Cgaope]

Myself and my 3 teens are sailing on Liberty Aug 14th. This is the first time I have splurged for a balcony cabin (1304) on any ship and I just found out on checkin that there are no balconies with 4 bed setup. Any tips on 2 teens sharing the sofa bed and one sleeping with mom? I hope to avoid all out war.

 

Also are there only 2 chairs on the balcony or do they put one chair for each occupant? Any tips for balcony? Any feedback on cabin 1304?

 

My kid's favorite thing about cruising is the food. Is Sprinkles ice cream just the regular soft serve or are there toppings too? What flavors? How is the pizza?

 

If I let them roam the ship to and from teen activities - will there be a way for us to text each other? Or should I bring Walkie talkies?

 

Any tips on mini golf, ice skating, rock climbing or water slides to share?

 

On other cruises I have brought a 24 pack of bottled water in our luggage. It seems that might not be allowed on this ship? Can any comment if they have brought water with them? My kids don't drink soda and water package seems really pricey.

 

Will my son need to wear a tie on formal night or is a nice dress shirt and dress slacks good?

 

Any suggestions on best beach in Cozumel for teens?

 

We are very excited to meet Liberty. Thank you in advance for your answers

 

Cristen

[Clarea]

There will likely be two chairs and a small table on the balcony.

 

If you buy the internet package for all the phones, you will be able to text each other using an internet based texting program such as iMessage or WhatsApp.

 

Bringing water onboard is technically prohibited, but usually allowed.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Would not bring walkie talkies. They don't work well on ships because of all the metal. They are also very annoying to other passengers as they tend to crackle and squawk.

 

You can also leave messages on your cabin phone should you choose not to buy a package to text. Good old post it notes work well too!

 

If kids decide go ice skating they will need long pants and socks (full socks, not low cuts). Mandatory for skating.

 

Glasses of ice water are available at all food locations and bars. Food locations also have flavored water and punch/lemonade. You don't need to purchase water.

 

You could have beds made up at two twins plus sofa bed, if that helps.

 

You don't mention age/sex of kids. If you are tight for bathroom time it is possible to shower in the spa/work out center.

[Cgaope]

Thx for the responses so far. My kids are Boy 16, Girl 14, Girl 13 and they are all but one adopted so technically not related to each other which makes the sleeping arrangements difficult. Will have to have the girls sleep together which means drama because they hate each other - (teens) or maybe I could have as you suggest the one set of beds made up as twins. Any idea the size of sofa bed when made up? Is that like full size? Or possibly larger? Is it terribly uncomfortable for an adult to sleep on?

[Clarea]

Thx for the responses so far. My kids are Boy 16, Girl 14, Girl 13 and they are all but one adopted so technically not related to each other which makes the sleeping arrangements difficult. Will have to have the girls sleep together which means drama because they hate each other - (teens) or maybe I could have as you suggest the one set of beds made up as twins. Any idea the size of sofa bed when made up? Is that like full size? Or possibly larger? Is it terribly uncomfortable for an adult to sleep on?

The sofa bed is not large and I would expect it would be uncomfortable for two adults (or close to adult size kids) to share it.

[griffy116]

Don't know if it is too late, but they have cabins with two pullmans. Pulmans are upper berths (like a bunk bed) that the cabin steward pulls down and the lower bed can be made into two twin beds. That would give EVERYONE a separate bed. Try calling and asking for a cabin with 2 pullmans rather than a sofa bed.

[spookwife]

1: split the beds. No need to share with mom.

 

2: there is not enough room on most balconies for more than what is standard: 2 plus the low table. You can request more chairs but there may not be any extras

 

3: you pay for the ice cream unless it is the soft serve by the pool or in the MDR. The SS has no toppings or extras, just three flavor ( chocolate, vanilla,and usually strawberry plus twist options) . The scooped stuff on Promenade you can get limited toppings. the pizza is okay. Not great.

 

4: only if you pay for the wifi or texting. Walkie talkies do not work except to annoy the hell out of everyone else.

 

5: ice skating requires long pants, socks and they will NOT let you skate without them. Hours are very limited.

 

6: you can try but it is not allowed. There is plenty of free drinks, ice tea, lemonade, flavored water.

 

7: he can probably get away without a tie. It won't kill him if he does though.

[Cgaope]

Don't know if it is too late, but they have cabins with two pullmans. Pulmans are upper berths (like a bunk bed) that the cabin steward pulls down and the lower bed can be made into two twin beds. That would give EVERYONE a separate bed. Try calling and asking for a cabin with 2 pullmans rather than a sofa bed.

 

This is the first thing I did when I found out about the bed situation. They didn't have anything available.

[Cgaope]

Good tip about needing long pants and socks for skating. Thanks for all the input everyone.

[cb at sea]

The kids will NOT be sitting on the balcony...no worries! There are only 2 chairs...you can take the vanity chair out, if you need it. Teens will have better things to do than sit on a balcony...I guarantee it!

[Isaboo]

The kids will NOT be sitting on the balcony...no worries! There are only 2 chairs...you can take the vanity chair out, if you need it. Teens will have better things to do than sit on a balcony...I guarantee it!

 

 

I was thinking the same thing! Make sure they go to the teens meet & mingle thing on the first night to meet everyone else. We didn't see my 15 year old much on our past cruise! Liberty is a fabulous ship...we booked the same itinerary while on board for next summer.

[nativetexan]

When you check in at the pier - ask about a cabin change with the bed arrangement you prefer. You never know!

 

 

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[happymanitee]

Hi, I was on Liberty this June and we had an amazing time!

 

For texting, I bought the Internet package for 2 devices. My teen and I both have iPhones, so we were able to iMessage using the wifi. She is only 12, but that puts her in the teen club, so I felt much better being able to stay in contact with her.

 

For the water.. I had a duffle bad that I put a 24- pack of water in. I attached the luggage tag on the duffle bag and turned it in with my checked luggage on the ship. Later that night, I had received all my luggage except that duffle bag. I already expected this, so I asked where they might take luggage with prohibited items around 8pm. (Aka "the naughty room"). The room is located on the first deck. You go down there and there is a little table where a person has a list of all the luggage. While they were looking for my luggage, I peeked at the list. It was almost all clothes irons. I guess a lot of people try to bring those on. Anyway, my luggage wasn't there so the person asked what I had in the luggage. I told her water and she just smiled and said to check a different pile of luggage that was behind us. There was my bag. I just walked over to it and took it. I asked if I needed to do anything to take it with me, but they said no. They didn't care about the water at all. Basically, the port security flagged it, but the people on the ship didn't care. They had more important things to worry about-- like clothes irons :).

I know that story seems long and kind of like a hassle, but the whole process of finding my water only took about 20 minutes. It was definitely worth it! My biggest advice is to just have the water in its own luggage because we didn't get it until later in the evening. I would have hated to wait that long for something important.

Good luck!

[TrishRip]

The Liberty is an awesome ship for teens. Make sure after boarding that they go to the teen lounge (The Living Room) and look around, as well as pick up a copy of the teen activities for the cruise. Our daughter was 15 when we were on the Liberty last year, and she had a blast! SO many different activities, there are some to suit any tastes.

 

I will go against everyone else, and say walkie talkies are awesome onboard. We use Motorola Walkabouts, with the ear piece and have never had an issue using sub-channels. Just make sure they are courteous and they really aren't a problem. We step away from others to talk, and ALWAYS use the ear piece and leave it on vibrate.

 

Also, our daughter LOVES being on the balcony. Often we will find her taking a little "me" time to read a book or watch the water.

 

Have the main beds made up as two singles instead of a king/queen. Not sure if the sofa sizes are different in a balcony room versus a GS, but the GS couch was a pretty good sized... a queen. More than enough room for two.

[IsanTom]

Leave the teens at home, if not no walkie talkies please. Since their not related I don't know about sleeping together. Maybe 2 inside cabins? Check with your local priest or spiritual advisor. Good Luck!

[39august]

Your son definitely does not need to wear a tie. As for sitting on the balcony, there are lots of quiet places to sit and look out at the ocean. Try the Viking Crown lounge on deck 14. It is enclosed but great views. Only the port side aft elevators go to deck 14. For sitting outside there are lounges all around deck 4 with open ocean views. Great place to sit and read.

[EBFURR]

We have not been aboard in a while with our teens (no longer teens now!) but we used to get those DECT phones at guest relations. They looked like an older cell phone and each had a phone number. They could call each other as well as call any number on the ship such as cabin phones. They were very inexpensive and you just turned them back in at the end of the cruise. Not sure if they still do that though.

[MrsPete]

Beds matter, and -- no -- the sofa beds aren't great for teens or adults. I'd make a change of some sort:

 

- Change weeks so that a cabin with two pullman bunks will be available.

- Change to a connecting inside so you can have two sets of twins (and two bathrooms) ... I'd think connecting promenade cabins would be great for your needs.

- Change to an inside. Honestly, insides are better set up for four people to share: you can set them up like two sets of bunks pushed against two walls.

- Change to a 10th floor corner aft cabin. It won't help your bed problem, but it'll give you an oversized balcony for the same price.

 

But don't purposefully go into a situation where you KNOW it'll be a problem. I love a balcony, but it isn't worth the price of three teens unhappy with their beds.

 

Two chairs on a standard balcony; that's all that'll fit.

 

I looked up 1304 on the deck plans. Honestly, if I were going to choose a cabin for you, this wouldn't be it. First, it connects to another cabin, which I don't personally want -- unless it's "my people" in the other cabin. Are you SURE it has a sofa bed? Connecting cabins often have only a chair (because the door requires space). Second, it's in a location with no positives: It's not close to a stairwell or elevator, it's not close to the gym so some of your crew can take showers, it's not even close to a public restroom for the convenience of four people sharing one bathroom. If I were going to splurge, honestly, it wouldn't be on this room.

 

No, the free ice cream is just plain old soft serve (chocolate, vanilla, or swirl) ... no toppings. If your kids are into this, it'd be very easy to bring them along. If I were going to do this, I'd get some sort of little divided container -- I'm thinking of daily medicine dispensers, but they're too small -- and make them up a little "kit" full of toppings. Or let them make up snack-sized ziplocks with topping kits.

 

If they're into the food, are they aware that they can order milk and cookies as a bedtime snack? My kids are a little older than yours, and they're definitely not too old for that yet!

 

Pizza is okay. Nothing special, but that didn't keep my kids from eating it like it was going out of style. Personally, I prefer the bitty sandwiches from Cafe Promenade, which is just across the Promenade. They always have tiny croissants with ham and cheese (my husband's favorite), but the other varieties change -- I like something different every time.

 

My girls are actually adults now, but when they were teens I allowed them freedom during the day but gave them safety rule to follow: Stay out of other people's cabins, no one in our cabin -- ever. Drink only things handed to you by a family member or a staff member. During the day you're free to hang out with new friends, but we have dinner together as a family, and after dinner we are together as a family OR I'll escort you to/from a club event -- no wandering after dark.

 

NO to walkie-talkies. Bring post-it notes and leave notes to one another in the cabin. Make the kids responsible for checking in with you every two hours.

 

Kids will love the rock climbing, ice skating, etc. As noted, they will need long pants and socks for skating. They'll also need socks for the rock wall.

 

On the first night of the cruise you'll need to go with them to sign a waiver /get them a bracelet so they can go on surf thing (how could I forget the name?); this'll be crowded and is a real chore.

 

No problem with water bottles, though they aren't necessary. It'd be easier to bring four refillable bottles. I just bought a 24-pack for 1.97, so IF they're confiscated, no big loss.

 

If he were my son, I'd have him wear a tie. It's not a big deal, and it's an good lesson in doing what's expected.

 

You can't go wrong with Cozumel beaches.

[TripleU]

I just got off Liberty today. I packed a 15 pack of water and 8 cans of Starbucks double shot. That bag was the first one delivered to my room. No issues at all. I like having the water to take with us on excursions.

[JuliaSays]

The sofa beds are very small. I just got off LOTS yesterday, and I spent the week sharing the sofa bed with my 11-year-old. I am 5'4" and my feet hung off the end. It was fine for us, but I would have hated sharing it with my sister when we were teens- we did not get along AT ALL. (we're best friends now at 39 & 43, so there is still hope!!)

 

Maybe you can use the king as 2 twins, the boy and one girl get those, you can share the sofa with the other girl, alternating who gets their own bed if necessary. The sofa was actually pretty comfortable other than being too short.

 

Ice skating- I was unable to find a schedule for ice skating anywhere. I had to go down to the rink one day and ask. I got lucky that they were there because there was a skating session right then. The sessions fill very quickly, so get there early.

 

Mini golf is very small, a few clubs and balls. Nothing exciting. Also really hard to find, as the maps showed it being where the Flow Rider is. It's actually in the front of the ship, and you really can't see it from anywhere else.

 

Also, do all your waivers before you board, on your online account. So much easier.

 

Communication- we made sure my 13-year-old had a watch and just set him up with check-in times & locations. We barely saw him the whole trip, he had a lot of fun in the teen club (we did require him to join us for most meals). I saw lots of rooms with dry-erase boards on the doors being used for communication. I think that would have been useful for us.

 

We brought reusable water bottles; every bar either has a water cooler you can fill from, or the bartenders will fill it for you. We filled them and took them with us on excursions, too.

[toxicfairy]

As others have said have the beds separated. Then request a matress topper ( egg crate) for the sofa bed. Have the girls take rotation sleeping in the bed one night and with you the next. Hey if they're on a cruise they're probably going to pass out cold by the time they even make it to bed at night...lol.

[tonyweir]

See below

 

Myself and my 3 teens are sailing on Liberty Aug 14th. This is the first time I have splurged for a balcony cabin (1304) on any ship and I just found out on checkin that there are no balconies with 4 bed setup. Any tips on 2 teens sharing the sofa bed and one sleeping with mom? I hope to avoid all out war.

 

Just got off Liberty on Sunday 8/7

 

Also are there only 2 chairs on the balcony or do they put one chair for each occupant? Any tips for balcony? Any feedback on cabin 1304?

 

My kid's favorite thing about cruising is the food. Is Sprinkles ice cream just the regular soft serve or are there toppings too? What flavors? How is the pizza?

 

Sprinkles is a self serve froz yogurt machine on deck. Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. No toppings. Pizza was pretty good. Lots of other treats to get at Sorentos as well

 

If I let them roam the ship to and from teen activities - will there be a way for us to text each other? Or should I bring Walkie talkies?

 

Text is 50 cents each. Walkies are OK. We brought them and never used them. Post-it notes on the cabin door works well. After a day or two, you'll know where to find them. We let ours do their own thing and meet for dinner each night.

Just read the Compass each evening and decide what you want to do the next day. Take it easy and enjoy. There's no way you can do everything. It's designed that way. Relax and enjoy the beautiful ship.

 

Any tips on mini golf, ice skating, rock climbing or water slides to share?

 

Schedule for ice skating and rock climbing is in the compass. Bring long pants for both. Water slides are awesome. Tidal wave is the best. You have to be at least 100 pounds, they weigh you. The other slide was kind of slow but it changed from day to day. Flow rider is great and the lines all move fast. Sign the waivers online before you sail and you'll save time. Mini golf is cute but gets filled with kids. You can make it work.

 

On other cruises I have brought a 24 pack of bottled water in our luggage. It seems that might not be allowed on this ship? Can any comment if they have brought water with them? My kids don't drink soda and water package seems really pricey.

 

We brought a 18 pack of water for each cabin. Porters would not take them but we carried them on without any problems. You really don't need bottled water. The ship water is good and it's available everywhere. Bring a refillable mug to carry around.

 

Will my son need to wear a tie on formal night or is a nice dress shirt and dress slacks good?

 

Nice dress shirt and slacks is perfect!

 

Any suggestions on best beach in Cozumel for teens?

 

We did the Chakanaab park. There's a ton of stuff to do. Walk all the way down the beach and you'll find a palm grove with hammocks. Shore Excursioneer.com has an all inclusive day pass for about $35 each. Make sure you get the taxi fare settled before you get in. It's only about 5 minutes from the dock and should be about 20 for a cab for 4 people.

 

We are very excited to meet Liberty. Thank you in advance for your answers

 

Liberty is stunning! We ended being happy our intinerary was changed because of the hurricane as we ended up with an extra sea day!

 

If you get an email offering the all inclusive photo package for $99, take it! I got 130 photos for the $99, that's less than $1 each! The same package is $149 on board or $20 for an individual picture!

 

Cristen

[JaniceB]

You are very rarely in the cabin and the kids will be so tired they would probably sleep on the floor. You could ask for the egg crates and even put one on the floor if it is too uncomfortable for 2 to sleep on the sofa.