My Way Too Windy Review of Liberty of the Seas - May 14th, 2017

[mbarnes27]

Desserts were hit or miss for me. I had a meringue dish one night that I left most of on the plate (it’s not pictured below) but the cheesecake, key lime pie, and warm chocolate cake were really good, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. On the first night it was Mother’s Day so Matias served a special chocolate cake to my mother and my wife. When we corrected him, telling him that my wife doesn’t have any children, he said, “well maybe this cake has magic powers and you make a baby.” We aren’t against having kids, just not quite yet so I scolded him in jest and we all had a good laugh. Kaili kept eating the thing as we were all getting up to leave the table though so I wasn’t exactly encouraged in case there is some kind of magic there!

[mbarnes27]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[mbarnes27]

Other than food quality, dress code always seems like a popular thing to discuss. We aren’t fancy folk but that’s a part of why we dressed at least semi-formal every night. I wore slacks and a dress shirt all but one night, opting for a nice golf polo and slacks one of the nights and put on a suit and tie for formal night. The ladies all wore dresses and my wife wore gowns on formal nights. As for the rest of the ship, many dressed nice but then again many took a way more casual approach, some wearing t-shirts and shorts even. I never saw anybody wearing a swimsuit but I did see a man dressed in the most Texas outfit I could ever imagine and I loved it! I’m of the opinion that you just enjoy your vacation how you see fit as long as it doesn’t infringe upon anybody else so if you want to dress up to the nines, go for it, and if you want to dress like you would going to Applebees on a Tuesday night (I know how from personal experience), that’s great too. Those t-shirt wearing simpletons (who are probably actually much fancier than me most of the time) never photo bombed my wife and I as we took pictures in our dress clothes so I didn’t see any reason to feel any which way about it (and if they had it actually would have been hilarious to me).

[mbarnes27]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[mbarnes27]

Food – Windjammer:

 

 

I’m admittedly not a food snob by any stretch of the imagination. I enjoy food along the entire spectrum, from simple cheap homecooking to expensive culinary art. It’s really easy to find negative opinions about the Windjammer but I personally enjoy it and I think it’s all a matter of perspective. If you cruised on other lines where the food was better or maybe in the past, I can understand not really liking it. But I’ve only cruised with Royal and only twice with neither cruise coming prior to 2014. That said, most of the time I stay at Holiday Inn or Hilton Garden Inn type hotels on land, nothing fancy but comfortable enough. The Windjammer in my opinion is head and shoulders better than their breakfast offerings and when I think about my cruise vacation and really try to separate out the costs compared to on land, it blows my mind that you get the kind of food you do for the price you pay (now again mind you that I’m not in a balcony, I’m in a Promenade interior so I might feel differently if I was paying more). I always found the variety to be more than enough to find something I was interested in. I guess the only negatives I would come up with are that 1.) the offerings seemed pretty much the same each day for breakfast and lunch. At dinner they mirrored the offerings in the MDR with actually more options, though we never ate there for dinner, just walked through to see it. And 2.) that the serving utensils get really really hot sometimes. There were a couple times when I would grab a metal spoon to get something and would have to hurry to get the food on my plate and almost throw it back because it was that bad. I don’t really know what they can do to fix this as it also applied to the plastic tongs at times.

[mbarnes27]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[sparkinator99]

From the moment we set foot on the ship on day 1 we were encouraged by the crew to try out their specialty dining. I’ve read all your reviews so I know that some believe it’s worth it and others come away unimpressed. There were tables set up when we first entered the ship on deck 4 and we were approached while sitting in the Windjammer and while sitting in Sorrentos as well as when we went to leave Windjammer each morning after breakfast. I’ll be honest, it never really bothered me and I never found it to be pushy. I figure it must be working if they’re doing this because they wouldn’t risk alienating customers (and I’m sure it alienates/turns off some) if there wasn’t a pay off of people booking it.

 

But like I said, we aren’t fancy folk. I grew up playing baseball and my dad was a pitcher. His approach was that you throw the fastball until someone proves they can hit it. Then you start mixing up curveballs, sliders, etc. Basically, if it’s not broke don’t fix it.

 

For me the Main Dining Room is every bit worth the price of admission and until it fails to live up to my expectations based on the price of the cruise, I won’t feel inclined to spend more money for something else, at least at this stage in my life where I’m just happy to be on a cruise at all.That said, it’s not all perfect. Some meals tasted great, others seemed bland. Some nights I wanted to try three different main courses or appetizers, some nights I wondered if I was in for a Windjammer follow up immediately after (I never ended up having to go that route).

 

We had the early dining time of 5:30pm. It worked out well for us because we usually return to the ship early on port days so we had enough time to get ready and head down. Our server was Matias Espinal who did a fantastic job in general, but especially compared to my previous cruise. His assistant waitress seemed to really struggle or maybe just not have the energy that it takes to do a great job. We often didn’t receive our drinks until late and she just didn’t seem to quite have things down. Matias did a great job working with her and we did hand her an envelope with a little extra gratuity on the last night anyway because I think she was at least sincerely trying.

 

Some highlights for me were the beef tenderloin, prime rib, and lamb chops (cooked medium well at Matias’ recommendation because I always get everything medium rare and he advised me against it). The lobster was enjoyable enough as were the tiger shrimp but didn’t really wow and the breaded fish I had one night (I believe it was cod) was pretty underwhelming. But Matias always made sure we were happy and if you looked like you were taking too long to eat something he took it as a sign that you maybe didn’t love it and would end up bringing you something else to try. I also requested the Indian dish one night at the recommendation of some of you and it was really good We definitely ate well on this trip.

 

It's also worth noting that one of my sisters is a vegetarian and had no issue finding something interesting and tasty each night. Matias also would bring her extra vegetables or vegetarian options to try that she hadn't considered.

 

You had Ying Ying? that poor girl. We left her an extra tip as well. Rumor was that she was leaving at the end of the cruise to head back to IIRC China, first and last week on a cruise ship for her.

We sat in your section same dinner time. We started out at a little table for two, and were invited by a table of older folks to join them.

Matias cracked me up, he kept trying to bring me extra food when I didn't clean my plate. I am NOT a thin woman at all, so his attempts to FEED me more food were funny. One night they over cooked my steak twice, so I just gave up. I told him I was full from my starters and side dishes, but that wasn't good enough for him. He brought me that GIANT bowl of pasta with shredded short rib, and double dessert serving. Poor Ying Ying spilled food/drink on people at our table and looked on the verge of tears most of the time.

You chose wisely to avoid the upcharge restaurants. We did Chops on the first night done right package. What a waste of a meal. They service was painfully slow, took 2.5 hours to finish. The bread was stale and rock hard. They messed up short rib, all short rib needs to be yummy is time and a little bit of love. We took two desserts back to the room, more out of frustration than true desire to stuff ourselves with desserts.

Edited May 28, 2017 by sparkinator99
spelling error

[mbarnes27]

You had Ying Ying? that poor girl. We left her an extra tip as well. Rumor was that she was leaving at the end of the cruise to head back to IIRC China, first and last week on a cruise ship for her.

We sat in your section same dinner time. We started out at a little table for two, and were invited by a table of older folks to join them.

Matias cracked me up, he kept trying to bring me extra food when I didn't clean my plate. I am NOT a thin woman at all, so his attempts to FEED me more food were funny. One night they over cooked my steak twice, so I just gave up. I told him I was full from my starters and side dishes, but that wasn't good enough for him. He brought me that GIANT bowl of pasta with shredded short rib, and double dessert serving. Poor Ying Ying spilled food/drink on people at our table and looked on the verge of tears most of the time.

You chose wisely to avoid the upcharge restaurants. We did Chops on the first night done right package. What a waste of a meal. They service was painfully slow, took 2.5 hours to finish. The bread was stale and rock hard. They messed up short rib, all short rib needs to be yummy is time and a little bit of love. We took two desserts back to the room, more out of frustration than true desire to stuff ourselves with desserts.

 

Yes, I felt bad for Yingying but I wonder if a lot of it was a language barrier for her. I hope that she's able to get on with the ship in China and that it will be a more comfortable experience for her. Matias did his best to help her but she was just having a rough time. My dad had the soda package and wouldn't get his coke until almost dessert so eventually she just started bringing two glasses of coke at a time for him lol.

 

Matias definitely aims to please and he always went out of his way to find us in Windjammer too which was a nice touch. By the end of the week we were careful not to express interest in more than one choice because if we did he almost always seemed to bring both and never without the sides that accompanied them. My in-laws are sailing on Liberty today and we recommended that they at least try to request him as a server. We loved the guy.

[mbarnes27]

AROUND THE SHIP:

 

My general thoughts about the ship are that it’s definitelycatered to families, never felt too crowded, offers a lot of variety, butultimately there are still some areas that are underutilized and some quirks inlayout.

 

 

We enjoyed the mini golf a couple times but found that thelocation was just strange and easy to forget. That area of the ship used tojust be a lot of deck chairs that nobody would use so it’s good to see theymade an attempt to utilize some of that space. But it’s still a lot of deckchairs that aren’t being used with a mini golf course that a lot of peopleforget about. I know the few people who sunbathe up there won’t like thisopinion but I think they should continue adding to this area to draw people upthere which would spread out the crowds more. Or even just add some more cabinsbut right now it feels like a lot of wasted space to me. Even a redefining ofthe area for sitting would be nice. Add in some more swings, some hammocks,anything other than the standard lounge chairs that are all over the place.

 

 

 

The ship seems well maintained for the age of the ship butthere were obviously areas that need maintenance performed. I especiallynoticed it in our cabin’s bathroom where some paint was chipping and the showerneeds caulked. That said the crew was constantly working to make improvements,painting, cleaning, etc and I thought Liberty was a beautiful ship to spend aweek living in.

[mbarnes27]

AROUND THE SHIP:

 

My general thoughts about the ship are that it’s definitely catered to families, never felt too crowded, offers a lot of variety, but ultimately there are still some areas that are underutilized and some quirks in layout.

 

 

We enjoyed the mini golf a couple times but found that the location was just strange and easy to forget. That area of the ship used to just be a lot of deck chairs that nobody would use so it’s good to see they made an attempt to utilize some of that space. But it’s still a lot of deck chairs that aren’t being used with a mini golf course that a lot of people forget about. I know the few people who sunbathe up there won’t like this opinion but I think they should continue adding to this area to draw people up there which would spread out the crowds more. Or even shift some cabins from lower decks up to here and utilize the newly vacated space for venues and attractions but right now it feels like a lot of wasted space to me. Even a redefining of the area for sitting would be nice. Add in some more swings, some hammocks, anything other than the standard lounge chairs that are all over the place.

 

 

 

The ship seems well maintained for the age of the ship but there were obviously areas that need maintenance performed. I especially noticed it in our cabin’s bathroom where some paint was chipping and the shower needs caulked. That said the crew was constantly working to make improvements, painting, cleaning, etc and I thought Liberty was a beautiful ship to spend a week living in.

[mbarnes27]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[mbarnes27]

Towel Animals:

 

Here are the obligatory towel animals that we were greeted by in the evenings. Our attendant Terence did a fantastic job throughout the week and was always on the ball getting the room tidied up when we were out and about. He also brought all the ladies in our group a robe to use after we asked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[mbarnes27]

Shows:

I have no basis to compare the shows to outside of my other Royal Caribbean sailing but aside from Scott Record I really enjoyed every show we saw and even then I understand that he’s more geared toward an older demographic so I see the appeal. I was also tired that night so that might have not helped me find any enthusiasm over his humor.

 

In The Air was fantastic and there were times when I was nervous for the performers because of the level of danger involved in what they are doing. It’s such a physical show that I felt exhausted myself afterwards and decided to get a few slices of pizza in Sorrentos to reward myself for the mental calories I burned.

 

Encore, the ice show was really impressive and at one point there was a couple performing that made me think the woman would hit her head on the ice for sure or end up being thrown into the stands. I’m amazed by what they can do in that small rink, and on a moving ship no less.

 

Alfred and Seymour were a duo of comedians who are high energy and also good at some improvisational comedy in the middle of their routine. I laughed almost the whole time and found them to be tremendous.

 

Rodney Johnson was pretty funny, although some of it made me a little uncomfortable or just didn’t hit the right notes for me, but comedy is so subjective anyway. I liked him better in the welcome aboard show where he talked about his childhood. It was clean and funny. The night that he was the feature was when I was considering leaving the show early, not because I was offended, just because I didn't really think it was funny.

 

I didn’t go see Landry the comedian because I was wiped out that night but I heard rave reviews from my group who said he was hilarious and also very clean for the family.

 

We went to Quest and I thought it was a lot of fun although I didn’t really participate. During one of the challenges a man fell on the stairs and scraped his face up really bad. It took the wind out of the room as the medical team tended to him and the crew used bleach bottles to clean up the area. After the man was escorted out and things settled down our cruise director acknowledged that it was deflating and said he would leave it up to the audience whether to continue or not. They emphatically decided to continue but I felt bad for the man and hope he recovered quickly.

 

 

Saturday Night Fever was really impressive. I wasn’t that captivated by the actual story but the set design and production value is incredible, especially for a ship, but having seen Broadway productions in cities like Chicago, it was right up in that class in my estimation. And the performers brought a lot of energy which amazes me since we were seeing the second show for the night.

[mbarnes27]

Final Day:

 

 

I had been dreading debarkation because my past experience was one of disorderly chaos aboard Navigator when she sailed out of Galveston but this time was much better. We decided against self-assist and just checked our bags the night before which were picked up early. We were assigned to group 21 which we weren’t thrilled about but since we were driving and didn’t have a plane to catch it didn’t bother us too much to be getting off a little later.

 

Windjammer closed at I believe 8:30 so we hurried up to grab a plate and then took our time eating, knowing there was nothing to rush off to. After breakfast we headed down to the Promenade and grabbed a couple coffees in paper to-go cups before taking some final pictures of the Promenade that was suddenly eerily quiet and had gone from a beautiful innovation in ship design to a sort of green mile as we marched toward the electric chairs in the Platinum Theater that would bring about the end to our vacation.

 

We sat there for quite awhile but when a group would be called it was usually around 5 groups at a time so it ended up going fairly quickly. We read books and watched the crew work on the Saturday Night Fever dance floor set while we waited and once our number was called it was a quick departure from the ship on deck 4. The sound of sea passes getting scanned at the beginning of the trip evokes a feeling of profound joy and that continues on each port day, but on this final the day, though the sound was the same, it felt like nails on a chalkboard. A signal indicating that in just a few steps I would no longer be standing on the ship.

 

We walked down a series of ramps through the terminal and could see the fresh group of passengers waiting in the upper lobby area for their trip to start. I wished I could just climber over the wall and join them. After coming down the ramps you find yourself in a room with all the bags divided out by ropes with the group number signs. If you wanted a porter you had to wait in a line for one to become available but since my wife and I only had the one duffel bag to claim we went ahead and just got it and proceeded to customs where a short line awaited us and we were standing outside on the curb waiting for the rest of our group within a few short minutes. Just as we made it back to the parking lot it started to drizzle and as we approached the car it only kept picking up so we did our best to load up the rear rack on the car while keeping the tarp covering everything and then the roof top bag. By 11:30am we were on the road in a downpour, a fittingly poetic symbol of a welcome back to reality.

 

That morning I had begun showing symptoms of what I came throughout the drive back to Oklahoma City to believe to be the norovirus. I’ll spare the details and let you Google it if you really want but it made the 7 hour drive turn into much longer as I needed to stop frequently and after dropping off my family in OKC at my brother’s house and grabbing a bite for dinner, my wife and I made it back home just shy of 12 hours after pulling out of Galveston.

 

I need another vacation from this vacation.

 

Hope you enjoyed my first attempt at an in-depth review. If you have any questions I’ll try my best to answer them but while on vacation I don’t always pay attention to a lot of details because I get lost in the moment and don’t think to take pictures or commit something to memory. A lot of the pictures I’ve included have come from those in the group so it did help having 6 sets of eyes.

[mbarnes27]

 

 

 

She's not actually this tall.

 

 

 

 

 

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[mbarnes27]

 

Fin.

 

 

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[Jimnbigd]

Great review. What about the entertainment? I always like the live music on the ship. Was Phil Anderson in the Schooner Bar? Was Bubba Feathers on the ship?

[mbarnes27]

Great review. What about the entertainment? I always like the live music on the ship. Was Phil Anderson in the Schooner Bar? Was Bubba Feathers on the ship?

 

Schooner Bar was Anthony Michael. I never sat and listened but would lean my ear in in passing each night. He didn't sound like the best singer in the world but I would have enjoyed spending some time sitting there listening had it not been so crowded (it was usually packed when we got out of the show each night) or had I not been in a group that wanted to do other things.

 

Bubba Feathers was on the ship and played in the Star Lounge.

 

Voytek was the featured guitarist and I thought he was very good.

 

Heat Wave played tropical music all week, typically poolside and I really enjoyed them while soaking in the pool that was about 50% water, 50% sunscreen oils.

 

We also really enjoyed the game where you finish the lyrics of songs. It took place early in the week in the Star Lounge after the 2nd show and was hosted by the activities director. My mom was one of the participants and each time she would go up to the microphone for her turn she would timidly say the lyrics quietly so the AD had fun giving her a hard time each time, poking fun of how shy she was being. It was one of those kind of, I'll call them secondary activities, but we really had fun with it.

[toxicfairy]

Was there a lot of trivia games? I hate them because i suck at it lol But my husband LOVES trivia . Also did you happen to notice where (what deck)the shuffle board game is?

 

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[pamletx]

Loved your review! Very interesting..you pointed out so much. Great pictures too!

 

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[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[mbarnes27]

Was there a lot of trivia games? I hate them because i suck at it lol But my husband LOVES trivia . Also did you happen to notice where (what deck)the shuffle board game is?

 

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There was trivia pretty often but I never tried it out. Also a ton of "Bingo bingo bingo" as the announcement would playfully remind us over the loudspeaker.

 

The shuffle board is on deck 4 where the life boat muster stations are. The equipment is kept in tall and thin white metal boxes that are mounted to the wall. We played it several times, especially after getting out of shows at night because there usually weren't many people sitting out there and it was right on the same deck as the theater so it was quick to get to.

[Kellie in Texas]

Loved your review and pictures. Your last day review and the sound of the sea passes dinging through the scanners and sounding like nails on a chalkboard made me laugh. We're on Liberty in a couple of weeks, the other itinerary from the one you did.

[toxicfairy]

Thank you! We're on in late August and shuffle board is as close to a "sport" I'll ever play. Haha.

 

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[cruzndiva]

Thanks for the review. My husband and I were on the same cruise and also went to Maya Chan. We were on the 7th deck outside balcony room. We really enjoyed everything and your opinions of food and entertainment were spot on with ours. We actually went to see Landry and got up to leave, it was not funny at all in my opinion. Some of the best staff we have had.

 

Loved your description of the fiasco of embarkation....that was the worst I have ever been through! I heard more than once "please have a seat, we are not sure what's going on".