Currently onboard Liberty of the Seas (09-Oct-2016)

[hapster85]

Just some random thoughts on our cruise so far.

 

Day 1

 

Embarkation went very smoothly. We spent the night in Houston, at the Fairfield Inn near Hobby. Car service dropped us off shortly after 10 am. Only moderate traffic. Checked in, and seated upstairs by 10:40. Would've been sooner, but the 2 noobies in the group took longer than the rest of us (not sure why) and the women wanted a group picture. So we waited.

 

Staff seated us with our Emerald friends, and we could have boarded with that group, but the womenfolk thought that was cheating, so we waited 10 minutes and boarded when Platinum (our status) was called. Not sure why that would've been cheating, but the noobies boarding as Platinum wasn't, but I'm a "happy wife, happy life" kind of guy, and don't question such things.

 

We beat the crowd to the Windjammer, and had a nice leisurely lunch. Once we noticed people waiting for tables, we left to explore the ship. Rooms were available promptly at 1 pm. Balcony, deck 7, forward on the hump. Awesome view. Spotted a pair of dolphins almost immediately. Steward is Rubin. He's quiet, but very friendly.

 

Our 5th cruise, and the first time we've mustered out on deck. Previously, we've mustered in lounges or theaters. Interesting experience. Fortunately the weather was pleasant, and we were on the shaded side of the ship. Nice meeting the other people in our station. Our friends with cabin on deck 10 were mustered just one station over. Small world. The dolphins continued to make an appearance.

 

We remained on deck for sail-away. The dolphins followed us for awhile, even after we moved starboard. (Only assuming they were the same pair.) We stayed on deck until out of Galveston, then moved to our balcony. Luggage had arrived while we were gone. This sail-away was so different from our last sail-away, from Bayonne on the Anthem. Dozens of cargo ships (tankers) everywhere! And the drilling platforms, of course.

 

We remained on deck until time to get ready for dinner, which included unpacking. That's when I discovered an envelope of money missing. The last place I remembered for certain seeing it, was that morning in the hotel. It was only a portion of the cash we brought, mostly ones and fives for tipping, but still put a damper on my mood. I knew there was a reason I always divided the cash up, otherwise it could've hurt a lot more.

 

Dinner this night was the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, which we'd signed up for at lunch. Started off at 6:15, on deck 5, in the Star Lounge. Eventually moved upstairs, to Giovanni's Table. Very entertaining, and great food. Well worth the $65 per person. Very comparable in price to our dinner theater back home, in Louisville. Took about 3 hours total, so we missed the Welcome Aboard show, but that was ok with us. By the time it was over, we were ready to head back to our room.

 

Thus ended a very long day.

[marti315]

Did you happen to notice if there was any live entertainment in the PUB in the evening? Would appreciate if you can provide info on that.

[cruiselvr04]

Did you happen to notice the price if the beverage package? We have some OBC so waiting to buy on board. Sail her two weeks after you return!

[vettecruiser1]

Just some random thoughts on our cruise so far.

 

Day 1

 

Embarkation went very smoothly. We spent the night in Houston, at the Fairfield Inn near Hobby. Car service dropped us off shortly after 10 am. Only moderate traffic. Checked in, and seated upstairs by 10:40. Would've been sooner, but the 2 noobies in the group took longer than the rest of us (not sure why) and the women wanted a group picture. So we waited.

 

Staff seated us with our Emerald friends, and we could have boarded with that group, but the womenfolk thought that was cheating, so we waited 10 minutes and boarded when Platinum (our status) was called. Not sure why that would've been cheating, but the noobies boarding as Platinum wasn't, but I'm a "happy wife, happy life" kind of guy, and don't question such things.

 

We beat the crowd to the Windjammer, and had a nice leisurely lunch. Once we noticed people waiting for tables, we left to explore the ship. Rooms were available promptly at 1 pm. Balcony, deck 7, forward on the hump. Awesome view. Spotted a pair of dolphins almost immediately. Steward is Rubin. He's quiet, but very friendly.

 

Our 5th cruise, and the first time we've mustered out on deck. Previously, we've mustered in lounges or theaters. Interesting experience. Fortunately the weather was pleasant, and we were on the shaded side of the ship. Nice meeting the other people in our station. Our friends with cabin on deck 10 were mustered just one station over. Small world. The dolphins continued to make an appearance.

 

We remained on deck for sail-away. The dolphins followed us for awhile, even after we moved starboard. (Only assuming they were the same pair.) We stayed on deck until out of Galveston, then moved to our balcony. Luggage had arrived while we were gone. This sail-away was so different from our last sail-away, from Bayonne on the Anthem. Dozens of cargo ships (tankers) everywhere! And the drilling platforms, of course.

 

We remained on deck until time to get ready for dinner, which included unpacking. That's when I discovered an envelope of money missing. The last place I remembered for certain seeing it, was that morning in the hotel. It was only a portion of the cash we brought, mostly ones and fives for tipping, but still put a damper on my mood. I knew there was a reason I always divided the cash up, otherwise it could've hurt a lot more.

 

Dinner this night was the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, which we'd signed up for at lunch. Started off at 6:15, on deck 5, in the Star Lounge. Eventually moved upstairs, to Giovanni's Table. Very entertaining, and great food. Well worth the $65 per person. Very comparable in price to our dinner theater back home, in Louisville. Took about 3 hours total, so we missed the Welcome Aboard show, but that was ok with us. By the time it was over, we were ready to head back to our room.

 

Thus ended a very long day.

 

Please let us know if on Day 5 the 10 Drink punch cards are for sale in the Beer Pub.

[CPPADILLA]

Thank you, thank you for your post. I like your attitude, just go with what's happening type of guy. I was hoping someone on this cruise would post since we are on same itinerary 10/23 sailing. I look forward to additional posts but most of all enjoy your cruise!

[OSUZorba]

Did you happen to notice if there was any live entertainment in the PUB in the evening? Would appreciate if you can provide info on that.

 

I just got off Liberty and there was no pub entertainment last week. There was a country band playing in the star lounge every night though.

[JimAOk1945]

I'm following along looking forward to reading more. We will be on the LOS over Christmas week.

[internetwhiz]

Please let us know if on Day 5 the 10 Drink punch cards are for sale in the Beer Pub.

 

 

On our Aug 21 cruise, they were available then. We bought ours outside the windjammer at a table they set up.

Edited October 11, 2016 by internetwhiz

[George C]

We have been on 15 or so RCCL all our musters have been outside. On recent cruise on another RCCL ship they had 30 percent off mystery dinner since they needed more people, corny but fun show. We are looking forward to doing Liberty again in April

[hapster85]

Day 2

 

It was a sea day, so the intention was to sleep in and relax the day away, but as is usually the case on vacation, I was up with the chickens. Lots of clouds on the horizon, but still a beautiful sunrise. Everything looks better on vacation though.

 

This cruise is more than a vacation, we're also celebrating our 25th Anniversary, which was the previous week. A surprise for my wife, which I managed to keep secret longer than I thought I would. I have no poker face, so once she started asking questions, the jig was up. I didn't mind. We could then share the excitement.

 

Breakfast was in the dining room, a first for us. Previous cruises it has been buffet, or room service for breakfast, so this was a nice change of pace. The food was good, and the pacing kept us from over indulging, which is too easy to do on a cruise. Especially in the Windjammer.

 

Afterwards it was time to explore the ship. Liberty definitely feels smaller than the Anthem, but we're liking the size so far. We were surprised to find there's no indoor pool, however. We don't actually spend that much time at the pools while cruising, so it was hardly a deal breaker.

 

By noon, we were both ready for a bite to eat, and pizza sounded good, so we grabbed a few slices and people watched along the Promenade for a bit. Then weariness overtook us both, and it was time for a nap, followed by taking in the view from our balcony, something we both enjoy. Still seeing lots of cargo ships, but no other cruise ships since leaving port.

 

By 4:30 it's time to start dressing for dinner. First formal night. Back in June, I'd splurged on some new dress clothes, with our 2 upcoming cruises in mind. I didn't pack until Friday for this one, and discovered one my new dress shirts missing. After searching high and low, I came to the conclusion it was hanging in my son's dorm room closet. Likely won't be confirming that until Thanksgiving break.

 

Dinner was excellent. We lucked into a table by the window, with a spectacular view. Unfortunately, on the wrong side to view to sunset while we dined. Perhaps on the return trip. We'd only seen our friends in passing throughout the day, so it was nice to catch up over dinner.

 

The main show of the evening was a performer named El Gaucho. His show is hard to describe, but very entertaining. Next we went to the Finish the Lyric game show, in the Star Lounge, which was followed by a country band. They were enjoyable, but by 11:30 we were all ready to retire for the night.

 

My wife and I took the long way, and grabbed a quick snack from the Cafe Promenade. Tasty little sandwiches hit the spot. Hungry again before bedtime is a drawback of the early dining time, I suppose, but we'll endure.

 

Thus ended another day.

[hapster85]

Did you happen to notice if there was any live entertainment in the PUB in the evening? Would appreciate if you can provide info on that.

 

Hoof and Claw had adult karaoke from 10:30 - midnight. That's the latest I've seen anything scheduled there.

 

Did you happen to notice the price if the beverage package? We have some OBC so waiting to buy on board. Sail her two weeks after you return!

 

No, we purchased our (nonalcoholic) packages pre-cruise, but I've seen the flyers about. I'll try to snag one and get back to you.

 

Please let us know if on Day 5 the 10 Drink punch cards are for sale in the Beer Pub.

 

None in our party are drinkers, but I'll try to remember to keep an eye out for them.

[ohyes]

Loving this, Hapster!

 

Thank you for taking the time and energy to report back to us. DH and I leave on the LOS October 16th - started packing today.

 

A surprise for your wife....you sound like a great guy.

[marti315]

Hoof and Claw had adult karaoke from 10:30 - midnight. That's the latest I've seen anything scheduled there.

 

Looks like they turned professional entertainment into having the guests sing. Wonder if they could save on the captains salary by letting someone who stayed at a Holiday Inn Express run the boat... :)

[sellwingri]

Looks like they turned professional entertainment into having the guests sing. Wonder if they could save on the captains salary by letting someone who stayed at a Holiday Inn Express run the boat... :)

 

I actually prefer karaoke to some of the so-called entertainment. It's so much fun! We almost always attend it.

[rkd1]

Looks like they turned professional entertainment into having the guests sing. Wonder if they could save on the captains salary by letting someone who stayed at a Holiday Inn Express run the boat... :)

 

Looks like their heading that way!

[TXMary]

Did you happen to notice if there was any live entertainment in the PUB in the evening? Would appreciate if you can provide info on that.

 

Just off on Sunday from a b2b. The first week there was an entertainer in the pub. He was good but just quietly played. The second week there was no live entertainment in the pub other than one night when one of the singers from Saturday Night Fever and a guitar player from the Royal orchestra played there briefly. One night they did karaoke there. It was pretty boring. Not Derek Lewis style. :D Most nights it was quiet in the pub. Really missed the live entertainment. :(

 

Phil Anderson is still in the Schooner Bar at least for now.

[hapster85]

Day 3

 

Another sea day, with the usual activities, like the ubiquitous belly flop contest and trivia at the Schooner. The highlight of our afternoon was lunch at Sabor, the Mexican specialty restaurant. It was very good. Maybe too good. Despite having lunch at noon, we still had little appetite by dinner time, and only grazed. We had to keep reassuring the wait staff that our food was fine, we simply weren't that hungry.

 

Tonight in the theater, was an aerial performance called In The Air. Very awe-inspiring.

 

Tomorrow is our first port day, and our first time in Roatan, Honduras. We have a beach day planned.

 

No nap this afternoon, as we planned to retire early, as we usually do before port stops. So with that we're off to bed.

 

Thus ended a very relaxing day at sea.

[JTBCruiser]

Enjoying your review, will be sailing on her 13 - 20 Nov. Very interested to hear about your excursions.

[JaniceB]

Definitely following along, enjoying the read. Board LOS on the 23rd, soaking up all information.

Edited October 12, 2016 by JaniceB

[George C]

Just off on Sunday from a b2b. The first week there was an entertainer in the pub. He was good but just quietly played. The second week there was no live entertainment in the pub other than one night when one of the singers from Saturday Night Fever and a guitar player from the Royal orchestra played there briefly. One night they did karaoke there. It was pretty boring. Not Derek Lewis style. :D Most nights it was quiet in the pub. Really missed the live entertainment. :(

 

Phil Anderson is still in the Schooner Bar at least for now.

 

There was another thread recently that RCCL was cutting back on entertainment in the Pub, including Derek Lewis who is great, hope some other line picks him up if that is the case we would consider switching cruise lines

[JimAOk1945]

How often does In The Air performance take place? It sounds like something my wife and I would like to see on our December cruise.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Forums mobile app

[wolfganghowell]

In The Air is only done 1 night at 6:30 and 8:30 I believe.

[JimAOk1945]

In The Air is only done 1 night at 6:30 and 8:30 I believe.

Thank you. We look forward to seeing it.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Forums mobile app

[vettecruiser1]

Just some random thoughts on our cruise so far.

 

Day 1

 

Embarkation went very smoothly. We spent the night in Houston, at the Fairfield Inn near Hobby. Car service dropped us off shortly after 10 am. Only moderate traffic. Checked in, and seated upstairs by 10:40. Would've been sooner, but the 2 noobies in the group took longer than the rest of us (not sure why) and the women wanted a group picture. So we waited.

 

Staff seated us with our Emerald friends, and we could have boarded with that group, but the womenfolk thought that was cheating, so we waited 10 minutes and boarded when Platinum (our status) was called. Not sure why that would've been cheating, but the noobies boarding as Platinum wasn't, but I'm a "happy wife, happy life" kind of guy, and don't question such things.

 

We beat the crowd to the Windjammer, and had a nice leisurely lunch. Once we noticed people waiting for tables, we left to explore the ship. Rooms were available promptly at 1 pm. Balcony, deck 7, forward on the hump. Awesome view. Spotted a pair of dolphins almost immediately. Steward is Rubin. He's quiet, but very friendly.

 

Our 5th cruise, and the first time we've mustered out on deck. Previously, we've mustered in lounges or theaters. Interesting experience. Fortunately the weather was pleasant, and we were on the shaded side of the ship. Nice meeting the other people in our station. Our friends with cabin on deck 10 were mustered just one station over. Small world. The dolphins continued to make an appearance.

 

We remained on deck for sail-away. The dolphins followed us for awhile, even after we moved starboard. (Only assuming they were the same pair.) We stayed on deck until out of Galveston, then moved to our balcony. Luggage had arrived while we were gone. This sail-away was so different from our last sail-away, from Bayonne on the Anthem. Dozens of cargo ships (tankers) everywhere! And the drilling platforms, of course.

 

We remained on deck until time to get ready for dinner, which included unpacking. That's when I discovered an envelope of money missing. The last place I remembered for certain seeing it, was that morning in the hotel. It was only a portion of the cash we brought, mostly ones and fives for tipping, but still put a damper on my mood. I knew there was a reason I always divided the cash up, otherwise it could've hurt a lot more.

 

Dinner this night was the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, which we'd signed up for at lunch. Started off at 6:15, on deck 5, in the Star Lounge. Eventually moved upstairs, to Giovanni's Table. Very entertaining, and great food. Well worth the $65 per person. Very comparable in price to our dinner theater back home, in Louisville. Took about 3 hours total, so we missed the Welcome Aboard show, but that was ok with us. By the time it was over, we were ready to head back to our room.

 

Thus ended a very long day.

 

It is now Day 5 of your cruise, can you report if the beer pub is selling the 10 punch drink card. They will have a signs up at the bar if it is. This is were I bought mine in July.

 

Thanks!!

[jeanneful]

What is a 10 punch drink card and what is the cost?