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LIVE from Liberty of the Seas May 16 - 19: Ask Us YOUR Questions!

melissa@cruisecritic

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seatravel

seatravel

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Hi,

London calling (well, Birmingham actually!), very excited about our trip on Liberty to the Western Caribbean this summer, we booked through RCI UK and pre-paid our gratuities, but can you tell me exactly who and what these cover and if we are liable for any more, as I am a bit confused. When we pre-paid for the Queen Mary 2 we just gave tips to people who did an extra service for us, including cabin stewards and bar staff. Just wondered if it was the same here?

 

Also, can you tell me what kind of weather we can expect in Miami, the Keys and Caribbean late July/early August. Will the downpours be fast and furious but over quickly, and with enough sunshine to sit out on our ship balcony?

 

Finally, what time can we REALLY expect to embark? We have only been on 2 cruises so far, one Transatlantic one Med, and each time we have arrived fairly late (the Med one cast anchor as soon as we got on!) and did not have time to relax and have a good look around before dinner, and we'd like to do that this time. RCI say not before 2pm, but if we turned up around 11am-12 noon would that be okay? Or would there be loads of people there already?

 

Many thanks.:)

 

Regarding tips, the guidelines -- which can be prepaid, charged to your onboard account, or paid in cash -- are set as follows, all per person per day: Cabin steward: $3.50; Waiter: $3.50; Asst. Waiter: $2.00. All can be adjusted up or down at the end of the cruise.

 

As for weather in South Florida and the Caribbean, it will definitely be hot. It is also the rainy season, but these tend to be tropical downpours -- extremely heavy but brief in duration. Of course there is always the caveat that rainy season is also hurricane season, but not to worry, that's a very long shot, and if the prospect materializes your cruise line will adjust the itinerary to keep you out of harm's way.

 

Lastly, embarkation officially starts at 2:00 p.m., but they will start bringing passengers onboard as soon as the ship is ready, but not likely before noon.

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seatravel

seatravel

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cruising on Liberty 4/08 and could not get accomodation I wanted....tell me Deck 3 (inside hall behind the "on-air club"), will DH, 3 kids and I be truly inconvenienced by the location. It looks close to elevator by the art gallery???? Give me your thoughts!

Can't wait to cruise Liberty! Have fun!

 

I checked on those Deck 3 cabins and they are really well insulated. However, my RCI contact suggests you recheck with your travel agent and make certain the cabin you have booked can be occupied by four.

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mcfaddensfarm

mcfaddensfarm

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“You Are Here” charts and Lucite models are ubiquitous, augmented by nifty touchscreen interactive deck maps. (You touch the place you want to go from a menu and the monitor shows you where it is and how to get there from your present position!)

Where are these touchscreens located? Are they on every floor at each elevator/stairway area?

 

Sources high up in the Fitness Department when confronted with your question stated unequivocally: "If you find out the answer, please let us know."

 

So, neither the Fitness Folks nor the penguins are forthcoming, but here's my take on it. Remember that the ship's theme is "Illusion or Reality," and that much of the art is in the form of a juxtaposition of real and simulated images. Therefore, a tableau of arctic penuins sunning themselves on the deck of a ship in the tropics fits in with the theme.

 

Aha! Now that is something that makes sense. I think you've definitely come up with a feasible answer to the penguin question. :D

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Krausssj

Krausssj

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How is the speed of your Internet connectivity while on-board? Do you use your own laptop or go to the Internet Café area on-board? If not using your own laptop, can you ask someone with a laptop if they have good speed and good coverage on the ship to roam different places. One last thing on this topic, can you hook-up your laptop to the Internet in your cabin via a NIC connection and what is the cost for that?

 

Thanks,

 

Steve:)

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island lady "Live from...." Rare

island lady

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Cruise Critic's Senior Contributor Steve Faber just arrived in Miami (and we mean that literally -- we just got off the phone with him and he just got off the plane!); he'll be aboard Liberty for the next three days and attending its long-awaited christening ceremony on May 18.

 

Got a question for Steve about the ship? Start posting! After he boards the ship this evening, he'll be posting answers and "blogging" his first impressions right here -- and will continue to do so through Saturday. Although Steve is unable to answer questions about specific cabins, pretty much everything else is fair game (let's hope he tries out the FlowRider AND sends photographs).

 

Steve, I'll get the ball rolling: I heard that the antipasto displays in Sorrento's were moved to the back of the pizzeria to make way for a storefront bar. Please tell me whether the delicious mozzarella and olives I snacked on every afternoon on Freedom are still there!

 

Happy cruising,

Melissa

 

Ok...I'll bite.

 

What is that odd color on the railings on the balcony cabins directly under the new outbound whirlpool? I know it is like that on the Freedom also.

 

I have a suite cabin booked on the floor directly under the whirlpool, and was wondering if this was a good/bad choice?

 

Cheers! :)

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island lady "Live from...." Rare

island lady

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It is reflective glass. We had one of those rooms last year on the Freedom.

 

Thanks, kulekhatt.

 

Did the reflective glass block your view? Are those balconies smaller or larger? Are those cabins something to stay away from, or is there no difference at all?

 

From the looks of some of the pictures the balconies seem to extend a little further, or is that the extra support they had to build in for the whirlpool?

 

Cheers! :)

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cmmarch

cmmarch

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I checked on those Deck 3 cabins and they are really well insulated. However, my RCI contact suggests you recheck with your travel agent and make certain the cabin you have booked can be occupied by four.

 

Actually, booked 2 connecting inside cabins - 3613 & 3615 for our family of 5, not in love w/the location but the 2 baths will be good....TA is aware that I would like connecting cabins on higher deck if possible.

Thanks for your response! Enjoy!:)

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seatravel

seatravel

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Can you tell me who the boxing trainer is and if the format for group lessons and private lessons are the same? Thank you.

 

BC2

 

The boxing trainer is Liberty's fitness chief, Jenna Bennett. She's been with the line for three years but just started boxing in the last year. What is taught in the one on one sessions and in the group sessions is the same, what differs, obviously, is the amount of personal attention, as well as the length of the sessions (45 minutes for groups of up to 10 vs. 60 minutes for private sessions), and the price, $83 per session (private) vs. $15 per person per session in groups.

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seatravel

seatravel

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Steve -

 

3 people in a telephone booth is crowded, but 5,000 in Dodger Stadium seems deserted. How well does Liberty of the Seas handle its 3600+ passengers? At the pools? At the Buffet? At the big show theater?

 

Thanks!

 

Jay, that is a great question and excellently phrased. As many of my other posts have implied, Liberty is a surprisingly uncrowded ship for a 3,600 passenger vessel. For one thing, if you do the math, it has a very impressive passenger/space ratio of 42.5 (GRT divided by number of passengers). This trip is unusual because the ship is full though there is really only one full day to sample everything. That means that many popular choices fill up in the first hours after embarkation (spa, barbershop, alternative restaurants, etc.), while on a longer sailing there would be time enough for most guests to try these things.

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BecciBoo Great Review Rare

BecciBoo

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True true true...fresh water and at a comfortable temperature.

 

Hey Steve. I have to jump in and say that they are fresh water, but they have a salt sanitation system as I have in my pool. They are not chlorinated in the traditional sense of the word. The pools have salt added to them, and a chemical reaction within the system turns the salt into a naturally chlorinated water which then turns back into salt and so on. This system is much better and less harmful than chlorinated pools and a lot less expensive to operate. Its like swimming in a pool full of saline solution. Doesn't hurt your eyes or turn your hair green. I think most people will be pleasantly surprised at the lovely feel of the water. If you taste it (not intentionly of course) you will taste a slightly salty taste.

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seatravel

seatravel

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Hi Steve

Thanks for responding to my question. It'll be interesting to see what sort of stories and theories form about the penguins!

The "smoke factor" in the Royal Promenade concerns me a little. Even though that whole area is enclosed, smoking is allowed? Is this just in bar areas? Is smoking allowed in Sorrento's? So basically if we don't want to walk through a cloud of smoke, we should avoid Promenade during busy times of day? Maybe morning would be best time to venture to the Royal Promenade. Do you think the smoking factor will affect those staying in a Promenade room?

 

The hangouts in the Royal Promenade that are food-centered (Sorrentino's, Seattle's Best, Ben & Jerry's, etc.) are smoke-free. It's the bars that can get pretty intolerable, and during the busiest times, when there are parades or parties in the R.P., the smoke can spill out into the promenade, itself. I would not necessarily avoid the area, but if you find that it is smokier than you find comfortable, and you seek a bar/lounge to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail, try the Schooner Bar on Deck 4.

 

I have it on good authority that the penguins, who are very sensitive to smoke, won't set foot in the Hoof & Claw.

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seatravel

seatravel

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Hey Steve - Thanks for the information, but most of all HAVE FUN! See if you can find out what night will be lobster night on the Eastern route. I'm sailing on May 26 and don't want to miss the dining room on lobster night. Thanks, Richard

 

It is expected that lobster will be served on Thursdays, or, put another way, the second to the last night on the cruise.

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EdwardAB

EdwardAB

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Do they have a live dealer for texas hold 'em, the machine, or both? How much are the blinds?

 

Cruise Critic's Senior Contributor Steve Faber just arrived in Miami (and we mean that literally -- we just got off the phone with him and he just got off the plane!); he'll be aboard Liberty for the next three days and attending its long-awaited christening ceremony on May 18.

 

Got a question for Steve about the ship? Start posting! After he boards the ship this evening, he'll be posting answers and "blogging" his first impressions right here -- and will continue to do so through Saturday. Although Steve is unable to answer questions about specific cabins, pretty much everything else is fair game (let's hope he tries out the FlowRider AND sends photographs).

 

Steve, I'll get the ball rolling: I heard that the antipasto displays in Sorrento's were moved to the back of the pizzeria to make way for a storefront bar. Please tell me whether the delicious mozzarella and olives I snacked on every afternoon on Freedom are still there!

 

Happy cruising,

Melissa

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seatravel

seatravel

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Hi All:

 

Thanks for all the great questions. I'm about to see the 11:00 p.m. production show, "In the Air," then to bed to get off the ship at 8:00 tomorrow morning. I know there are still some questions to be answered and I will attend to them between disembarkation and the 4:00 p.m. naming ceremony, after which I'll be wending my way back to the S. F. Bay area, so get your final questions in as soon as possible.

 

Best regards and happy cruising!

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tag2007

tag2007

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Thanks so much for answering all of these questions for us!! Very awesome of you. I have a question for you. I keep hearing that Becky may be the cruise director of the Liberty but you say that the director is Ken Rush. Is there a way you can find out if she will be moving over to liberty by September? Thats when Ill be on Liberty. I hear great things about both but I had Becky as CD once so it would be cool to see her again. Thanks again!!!

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