Liberty of the Seas 10/11 - 10/18

[Lvs2Cruise2]

Hi All.. Just back yesterday from Liberty of the Seas. First of all I would like to thank everyone on this site for all of the valuable information I've received pre-cruise!

 

On this cruise was myself, DH, SIL, and BIL. We all had a fabulous time! DH and I have been on Explorer and Freedom, and BIL and SIL were on Granduer in the past. We used this cruise specifically for R & R, so I can't comment on all the "activities", so I decided to just list pro's and con's.

 

Here are the Pro's:

Outstanding service in EVERY area of the ship. Our waiter Francis and assistant Gerry gave us impeccable service in the dining room. Even in the Windjammer the crew was very attentive.

 

Our room steward Dennis made sure we had every need met in our room. We all had inside cabins and they were efficient. We've had balconies in the past but used out government stimulus checks to go on this cruise so all we had to pay were the taxes and airfare. We're a bit spoiled with balconies, but the inside cabins worked just fine.

 

The food on this cruise was outstanding. We did not have a bad meal ever. We had the 2nd seating as this works for our schedule. We ate at Portofino one night, DH and I had been there on both Explorer and Freedom, but it was SIL & BIL's first time. They enjoyed it so much, so definately 2 thumbs up (or 8 if you include everyone) for Portofino.

 

The entertainment was wonderful. Saw the Ice Show, we were all very impressed. Our favorite show was Ever After, it was very entertaining. In the Air was shown, they said it was the 1st live performance for this sing and dance crew. It was not our favorite, just a personal opinion. But the entertainment was very good.

 

Our cruise director, James Andrews , and his staff were also very entertaining. We didn't do alot of the "extras", but when we did they sure kept us laughing.

 

Our first stop was St. Maarten, and we had the Afternoon Beach Break planned. It was very overcast that day due to Hurricane Omar (who was scheduled to hit the island the next day) We were given the opportunity to cancel this excursion for a full refund due to the weather. We all decided to cancel it and just went to one of the public beaches, which turned out to be a great alternative. Labadee as usual was beautiful and very relaxing. Had a great day there.

 

Spent ALOT of time in the casino. I love to gamble while DH isn't crazy about it. However; DH and my BIL learned how to play craps on this trip and my SIL and I had to PRY the dice out of their hands before they bet away the house, the car, the dog, ect....Didn't break the bank, but we all had fun and that's what matters.

 

BIL and SIL climbed the rock wall (DH and I are NOT athletic in any way) and they enjoyed that. BIL wanted to do the Flowrider, but thought the lines were too long. For the first time on a cruise I utilized the gym because I was determined to not gain weight.. only maintain... What a great gym! Worked out every day except Labadee day and wound up gaining 5 pounds!! I demand a recount!!

 

Now.. for the Cons (there aren't many but I feel I need to address them).

 

My #1 complaint was at the pool. Not because of the chair hogs (and believe me, there were plenty), but because of the staff running the beach towel stands. They were not at all efficient on the "return" of the towels. They made sure they swiped your sea pass for you to take the towels, but were very laxed on the return. Every day I was told I did not return towels from the previous day (which I did) . Then on the last night of the cruise I received a note in my stateroom that I did not return 2 towels. There is a $20 fee per towel if not returned. I argued it at the desk (which on the last night had to wait 30 min in line) & they told me I didn't owe anything. Same thing happened to my BIL and SIL. However they WERE billed for the towels. On the departure morning BIL waited again for 30 min in line to straighten it out. It was taken off their bill. Just a minor complaint, but an annoying one. So make sure they scan your sea pass on the "return".

 

Another con was Hurricane Omar. I prayed for the islands it affected (St. Maarten). It tweaked our itinerary a bit by omitting San Juan but I commend the Captain for keeping us out of harm's way. We had a gorgeous day at sea and that's nothing to complain about.

 

My only other con (AND THIS IS TOTALLY MY FAULT) was my SIL and BIL had gotten us a $100 OBC as a gift a while back. I printed it out about 4 days pre cruise and didn't read that darn small print on the terms and conditions. You have to let your TA or RCCL know about an OBC BEFORE the cruise begins. I thought all I needed was to print it out and bring it onboard, but not so. They would not honor it. Even after all of my pleading, I was told they do not expire and I could use it on my next cruise. That'll teach me to not read that tiny print!!

 

All in all it was a great cruise , got alot of R & R, and we can't wait to plan our next cruise!! Happy Cruising!! Amy

[il_traveler]

Thank you for your review and the heads up regarding the towel return!

[txcowboy10]

Good advice on the towel issue...funny how they think people would really want to keep those things!