LIVE From Liberty Pre-Inaugural - May 7 - 9

[LauraS]

[quote name='jillybabes'][SIZE=3][COLOR=purple]g or formal occasion:p . Once again thanks to CC & RCI:D ...[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][COLOR=purple]Laura or Anne: Were the goodie bags from CC or RCI and will we be getting them on our 5/14 cruise??? Later, Jill:cool: [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[/quote]

See my post on your ROLL CALL re: the party to be held at Olive or Twist, Monday May 14th at 5:30pm (Deck 14).

[LauraS]

[quote name='BecciBoo']Laura, Anne or Karen:

Just a silly question, but I'm trying to cut down on clutter in the bags.....the last cruise on Splendour, NO SPLENDA. LOLOLOL Did RCI add SPLENDA to their sweetners yet? Important to me. But if they didn't, I have a qrt baggie full. Just didn't want to take up space if its on Liberty. Thanks!:o[/quote]

Every kind of sweetner known to modern man was available :)

[mbtaz]

[quote name='BecciBoo']Laura, Anne or Karen:

Just a silly question, but I'm trying to cut down on clutter in the bags.....the last cruise on Splendour, NO SPLENDA. LOLOLOL Did RCI add SPLENDA to their sweetners yet? Important to me. But if they didn't, I have a qrt baggie full. Just didn't want to take up space if its on Liberty. Thanks!:o[/quote]

Becci, for some reason they DO have splenda in the windjammer but not in the dining room. I just grabbed extra from windjammer to keep with me when we went to the dining room.

[mbtaz]

[quote name='Nliedel']I am having a mental issue with folks who are not dressing on formal nights on the pre-inaugurals. Stop groaning, hear me out. Of course if someone wants to make alternate plans, that's different. This is just in the main dining room.

One of the big arguments is, "It's my vacation. I paid for this vacation. I will wear what I want to." I don't like it, not at all, but there is a little point there. On this cruise no one's paying. You're going into someone elses space, on their dime. Dress up, or hide out and eat someplace else.

You may now stone me. I won't be here. I'm going to buy shoes for my formal gown :D (nothing like cutting and running).

Again. It's just bugging me cause it was a gift. It's NOT going to ruin my cruise. I would not say a word if someone at my table was in jeans and skin. I can build a bridge and get over a lot, on the high seas. Just a thought. Hey, stop thossing rocks and boos. I'm not even out the door, yet.[/quote]

I couldn't agree more. My husband and I normally do not eat in the dining room for formal nights. Our philosophy is it's our cruise, we paid for it, it's our choice to NOT get dressed up. Having said that, however, this was a free cruise and the cruiseline suggested the attire be formal for Tuesday night, I had no problem bringing a formal dress and my husband's tux. I did not see a lot of unformally dressed folks in the dining room, I guess our section was pretty dressed up.

[Host Karen]

Thanks, Tony, for correcting the cabin category. I agree with Host Anne's assessment of the beds: very comfortable, lovely to look at, but that duvet is a pain. It's heavy and stiff and entirely too thick IMHO. I was roasting with it on and freezing with it off. The second night I was so exhausted I didn't notice it. Maybe over 7 days you could figure out how to set the temperature at night to make it comfortable to sleep either with it or without it.

The walls between cabins are not remotely soundproof. I didn't expect them to be but during our first night, I really wished they were. The couple in the cabin next to us returned at 1 a.m. and proceeded to laugh, yell and jabber for about 30 minutes. They left and returned about 15 minutes later to continue their previous activity. Left about 30 minutes later, returned to speak loudly in the hall, from the hall into the cabin, from the hall to the balcony, punctuated by pounding on either the furniture or the deck railing (hard to tell which), more laughing, more jabbering. Finally around 2:45 I pounded on the wall. They quieted down a bit but continued to make enough noise to be heard through the wall until about 3:30, at which time either I finally passed out or they did. If they made any noise the second night, I didn't hear it, but then again, I was so exhausted I probably would have slept through anything.

The Windjammer is huge and I found it interesting that Chops and Portofinos are located off to either side. They are twice the size of those on the Radiance class ships and have lots of seating for large parties. In fact, that was the theme I saw throughout the ship: large seating for large parties. I guess they expect groups and families to do most of the sailing on this class of ship. Anyway, there is a full bar at the front of the Windjammer, and the stations run down each side. When you sail, do not get caught up in the line for the first station. The food offerings are often repeated down the line. If they aren't, I would start at the second sections anyway and revisit the first section once the line clears up. We were at breakfast and watched as 20 people stood in line at the first station while the rest of the Windjammer was pratically empty. Lots of food offerings for all sorts of tastes. My only complaint is that Royal Caribbean continues to design their buffets as self serve, unlike Celebrity which has crew serve you. I think that cuts down on the spread of germs because, let's face it, not everyone avails themselves of the hand sanitizer. Condiments and a drink station were found at the back of the Windjammer, where we had lunch both days. At breakfast, there was a made to order egg station on the port side at near the rear. Didn't see one on starboard. DH had a pre-cooked omelet and proclaimed it very good.

All of the public areas are lovely and the number of bars and restaurants is astounding. Of course, since it was open bar, every bar was in use at all times. My favorite spot quickly became the champagne bar, not only for its terrific bar staff, comfortable seating, and intimate space, but because it was one of the few non-smoking bars. I would have liked to have spent time in Vintages, but it was full of smoke. In my opinion, the ventilation in the smoking bars could use some improvement. Nevertheless, I did ask about the future offerings in the wine bar. They will offer wines by the glass, bottle and sampling (2 oz.). They will also offer flights (offerings of different wines, the same type of wine by different producers, or the same wine with different vintages), wine tastings and seminars. That is one place I would like to experience, but the smoke level would have to be reduced significantly for me to enjoy it.

The dining room is amazing but the tables are very close together. We were lucky to be seated both nights in a raised area right at the beginning of the dining room. It was a little right for the waiter to move behind the chairs since the table for 6 was enclosed by a railing, but it was set apart from the general mayhem on the floor. There are different color schemes on each level, starting with the lightest colors on deck 5 and moving down to dark woods and a dark green and burgandy carpet on deck 3. A hint for those on the May 14 sailing: the dining room fills up starting at deck 5, so if you want to choose your table (or have some input), go directly to deck 3. There were two seatings and you were assigned them on your SeaPass card: main at 6:30 or late at 8:45. Main on the second night was sparsely attended.

More later....

Karen

[PH8]

[quote name='LauraS']See my post on your ROLL CALL re: the party to be held at Olive or Twist, Monday May 14th at 5:30pm (Deck 14).[/quote]
Was the dress basically what we'll be wearing for the night??? It doesnt sound like a shorts/t shirt event......figured some would be going straight to dinner anyway......

PS.anyone know if Francois Wache was the hotel director??

[Host Karen]

Yes, the dress code for the event was the same as for dinner. We had more than enough time between muster and the event to change.

Karen

[PH8]

Thanks Karen..

Hey, why do you think it was so empty in the dining room the 2nd night???People just showing up for second seating??

[jillybabes]

[COLOR=purple]Anne: We'll be there with Bell's on:D ...Can you give me a clue to what was in the bags???? Later, Jill:cool: [/COLOR]
[COLOR=purple][/COLOR]
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[andreakul]

Anne,

Thanks for your wonderful review. My husband and I are going on the May 14 pre-inaugural. Our invite says second night as Formal night. We are planning to honor that and my husband is wearing a tux. Now I am concerned. Were most people in Tuxedos and long dresses or did you see more suits? Did your invite say Formal night on it? My husband will be mad at me if I encourage him to wear a tux and he's only one of a few.

Thanks for your input and help.

Andreakul

[PH8]

Hey Andrea..........come join our roll call for the May 14th cruise....

[URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=520079&page=152[/URL]

[jillybabes]

[quote name='LauraS']See my post on your ROLL CALL re: the party to be held at Olive or Twist, Monday May 14th at 5:30pm (Deck 14).[/quote]


[COLOR=purple]Laura: going to check it out now, Thanks...Later, Jill:cool:[/COLOR]

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[DPurcell58]

Anyone know where the Liberty went? She was gone last night (after you guys had gotten off in the AM) by 5:15 when I was going home and not back this AM. Is she gone for good to Miami?

[LauraS]

[quote name='Parrothead8']Was the dress basically what we'll be wearing for the night??? It doesnt sound like a shorts/t shirt event......figured some would be going straight to dinner anyway......

PS.anyone know if Francois Wache was the hotel director??[/quote]

Dinner will be "business casual" on the first night and you will feel comfortable dressed that way at the party.

Laura

[LauraS]

[quote name='DPurcell58']Anyone know where the Liberty went? She was gone last night (after you guys had gotten off in the AM) by 5:15 when I was going home and not back this AM. Is she gone for good to Miami?[/quote]

Yes, she was sailing back to Miami w/ no pax on board at all. She's scheduled to arrive Friday morning.

Laura

[LauraS]

[quote name='andreakul']Anne,

Thanks for your wonderful review. My husband and I are going on the May 14 pre-inaugural. Our invite says second night as Formal night. We are planning to honor that and my husband is wearing a tux. Now I am concerned. Were most people in Tuxedos and long dresses or did you see more suits? Did your invite say Formal night on it? My husband will be mad at me if I encourage him to wear a tux and he's only one of a few.

Thanks for your input and help.

Andreakul[/quote]

He will NOT be one of the only ones wearing a tux. My opinion is....those who dressed as requested really did do "formal"...many many men were wearing tuxes. Those that didn't.....REALLY didn't.

The requested attire for the second night is....FORMAL.

Laura

[Host Karen]

[quote name='Parrothead8']Thanks Karen..

Hey, why do you think it was so empty in the dining room the 2nd night???People just showing up for second seating??[/quote]

I think many people stayed up very late on Monday night and consequently their eating schedules were off for Tuesday. Ate breakfast late, had a late lunch, and decided to go to late seating for dinner. I heard from someone in the dining room that passengers had called to request second seating for that night. In my opinion, they either simply showed up or went to the Windjammer.

[quote name='andreakul']Anne,

Thanks for your wonderful review. My husband and I are going on the May 14 pre-inaugural. Our invite says second night as Formal night. We are planning to honor that and my husband is wearing a tux. Now I am concerned. Were most people in Tuxedos and long dresses or did you see more suits? Did your invite say Formal night on it? My husband will be mad at me if I encourage him to wear a tux and he's only one of a few.

Thanks for your input and help.

Andreakul[/quote]

Andrea, on our sailing I would estimate 20-25% of the men were wearing tuxedos, 15% were not even wearing a suit or tie, and the remainder were wearing suits or shirts with ties.

Karen

[caviargal]

[quote name='andreakul']Anne,

Thanks for your wonderful review. My husband and I are going on the May 14 pre-inaugural. Our invite says second night as Formal night. We are planning to honor that and my husband is wearing a tux. Now I am concerned. Were most people in Tuxedos and long dresses or did you see more suits? Did your invite say Formal night on it? My husband will be mad at me if I encourage him to wear a tux and he's only one of a few.

Thanks for your input and help.

Andreakul[/quote]

On our cruise, about 30% of the men were in tuxes, another 40% in dark suits, 20% sportcoat with or without tie and the rest in clothing not even close to formal.

Ladies were about the same. I wore a long dress and there were many cocktail dresses and dressy pantsuits also.

Just wondering why folks keep referring to "suggested" attire?

My invitation states:

Evening Attire Day 1: Business/Day 2: Formal

There is no use of the word "suggested".

[Host Kewlguy]

[quote name='Parrothead8']Was the dress basically what we'll be wearing for the night??? It doesnt sound like a shorts/t shirt event......figured some would be going straight to dinner anyway......

PS.anyone know if Francois Wache was the hotel director??[/QUOTE]

We saw the hotel director and it wasn't Francois Wache.

[Host Karen]

The Viking Crown area on deck 14, which comprises several lounges including Olive or Twist, is lovely and was the perfect spot for our sailaway Royal Champions party hosted by Royal Caribbean. The president, the head of the Crown and Anchor program and the head of sales (or perhaps marketing, someone correct me!) were there and mingled with the group. The Royal Champions are the folks who chat about Royal Caribbean online on various websites and we very much appreciated Royal Caribbean not only inviting us on the cruise but arranging this party for us. (Note to May 14 cruisers: DO NOT MISS IT!) The food was delicious and the view was incredible, including an up close and personal with the Statue of Liberty. Adam Goldstein chatted with us for about 10 minutes and then Host Anne and I spent another 10 or so with Bill, the head of C&A. The gift was fabulous, too, and a real unexpected bonus. I'm not giving away the contents, so you'll have to go to the party to find out what's inside.

There is signage everywhere onboard and I found it a big help in getting oriented. This ship is so large that I often was confused whether I was heading forward or aft. It helped to remember that we ate aft and went to the theater forward, but not always. :) There were displays of the ship's layout outside all of the restaurants, in the Royal Promenade and at each elevator bank. Thanks to the designers for placing them throughout the ship. (As a side note, the tradition of the days of the week in the elevators continues. I find this a nice Royal Caribbean touch.) With our cabin located just forward of the foward elevators, I found it a long trek to the back of the ship. If I were to sail this class, I would definitely stay aft or midship, as I would find that the most convenient area.

The artwork was interesting and although we didn't have one in our stateroom, there is a booklet available that describes it. The theme is "Reality vs. Illusion" and there is art tucked into the walls in the stateroom hallways as well as in the stairways, elevator banks, and in the dining areas.

The theater is large, but the seats need a little bit of breaking in before they will reach their fully comfortable status. I was disappointed that the designers didn't follow Celebrity's lead and put small tables between the seats. There are small glass holders in the armrests that will not hold a coffee cup or bottle of water. The sightlines seemed to be good except for perhaps the first 6-8 rows. At that level, the stage may be blocked by someone sitting in front of you (with the exception of the first row, of course). Once the floor begins to rise, the sightlines are much improved.

A note about NextCruise: The 3-year restriction has apparently been lifted and the booking may be changed as long as the booking number remains the same. The $100 per person purchase of the NextCruise option will be applied toward your deposit once a cruise is chosen and the appropriate OBC will then be applied to your booking. NextCruise options purchased for Royal Caribbean ships cannot be applied to a Celebrity sailing and vice versa.

I thought the food in the Windjammer was pretty good and I certainly couldn't scoff at the selection. The food in the dining room was also very good, and everything was cooked appropriately and was neither too salty or underseasoned. The rolls are still offered by the assistant waiter rather than being placed on the table, and despite a note in the menu that ice water would be served only upon request, our glasses were filled each night without question.

On a related food note, Royal Caribbean has started a new program called "Vitality" and the former lower-fat or healtier choice items are now listed on the menu as part of that program. The soaps in the stateroom were Vitality soaps, and there will be special shore excursions offered as part of this program as well as programs in the gym and spa. For example, there may be a spa treatment available at 20% off if a certain shore excursion is taken or a map may be provided in port for a special running route. It's a program that provides passengers who wish to continue their healthy living regimen various opportunities to do so during the sailing through food, exercise, shore excursions and spa treatments.

Overall, I found this to be a beautiful ship and I was pleasantly surprised by my impressions. I would like to sail her or one of her sisters at some point and have more time to explore more of the ship. Maybe I should go check out the pricing....

Karen

[jillybabes]

Karen: Thank you for your review...Can't wait til it's our turn Monday:p and we'll be sure NOT to miss the party at Olive & Twist:D ...Later, Jill:cool:

 

[Host Karen]

Karen: Thank you for your review...Can't wait til it's our turn Monday:p and we'll be sure NOT to miss the party at Olive & Twist:D ...Later, Jill:cool:

 

 

The view alone is worth the party! Have a great time!!

 

I'll take this opportunity to correct my earlier posting: The passengers who didn't want to dress apparently couldn't go to the Windjammer for dinner because according to Kewlguy it was closed after 4 p.m. I'm taking a guess here that Sorrento's was still open and I know they served sandwiches in the Cafe Promenade during the day, so maybe folks went there.

 

Sorry for any confusion.

[LauraS]

On our cruise, about 30% of the men were in tuxes, another 40% in dark suits, 20% sportcoat with or without tie and the rest in clothing not even close to formal.

 

Ladies were about the same. I wore a long dress and there were many cocktail dresses and dressy pantsuits also.

 

Just wondering why folks keep referring to "suggested" attire?

 

My invitation states:

 

Evening Attire Day 1: Business/Day 2: Formal

 

There is no use of the word "suggested".

 

I agree with you.....that's why I said "requested" attire!

 

:)

[glgolfer]

Laura - I generally wear a nice guayabera shirt for the nights designated

smart/business casual. Will that be acceptable for the meeting in Olive or Twist and dinner the first night?

Don't want to embarrass CC.

[ChristieNJ]

Oh wow, Carol FABU report. Mickey Dolenz? REALLY? A childhood crush of mine.

 

ME TOOOO!!!! This was, though, when the Monkees made their 2nd comeback in the 80's! :D He is my all-time favorite singer/performer, and he's also my ringtone! lol If he's not on our cruise my husband is DEAD MEAT for making miss the Jersey cruise! :mad: If he is nowhere to be found by next Wednesday you'll all know why. hehehehe :p

 

ONCE UPON A TIME PRODUCTION SHOW

You’ll see a theme here….we’d go from one venue to the next because we wanted to take it all in. The production show with the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers took place after the ice show (it was 11:00 PM). I think we were all getting tired and while the performers were quite talented, the show itself didn’t have the wow factor that the ice show did. We headed back to our cabins about half way through the show to get some much needed sleep.

 

Lee, wasn't this the name of the show that was on our Freedom cruise? I hope so...because it will free some time up to go do something else that night. :D There's soooo much I want to pack in!

 

Thanks EVERYONE on the May 7th cruise for your insight and your reviews....I am beyond words of how appreciative I am for this privilege from CC to be able to go this coming Monday!!!! I am ecstatic at this opportunity!! Thank you thank you thank you!!! :)

 

My poor friends. 'Royal Caribbean' has pretty much been the only thing out of my mouth for the past two months and ESPECIALLY the past week! They're probably GLAD I'm going away for over a week!! hehehehe