Liberty itinerary change

[Mr. Tricky]

So I am booked on Liberty for 12/12/09 7 day Eastern Caribbean. My original itinerary was:

Miami

Sea Day

San Juan 5pm-12(midnight)

St. Thomas 8am-6pm

St. Maarten 7am-5pm

Sea Day

Sea Day

Miami

Today I checked and found that CCL has changed the itinerary to:

Miami

Half Moon Cay 9am-4pm

Sea Day

St. Thomas 9am-6pm

San Juan 7am-3:30pm

Grand Turk 11am-5:30pm

Sea Day

Miami

 

I am happy that we now have one sea day on the way home instead of 2. I am a little disappointed that we are missing St. Maarten. We are also now in San Juan during the day and we are adding ports.

All these ports are new to me so I would like to know what you guys think of this new itinerary?

[cccer]

Personally I like the two sea days at the end of the cruise. I don't know if I would like to miss St. Maarten for the private islands, that is one of my favorites. I would prefer your first itinerary, but that is just an opinion.

[DTC]

I'm on the Liberty in February 2010 and we also have the change. I'm ok with it also. Wonder if we will be getting some sort of notification about this.

[Mr. Tricky]

DTC,

I just happened to find out by checking CCL web site and looking for a price drop. I then checked my e-mail and found a letter sent today by CCL. It was in my spam folder.

[djhsolara]

So I am booked on Liberty for 12/12/09 7 day Eastern Caribbean. My original itinerary was:

Miami

Sea Day

San Juan 5pm-12(midnight)

St. Thomas 8am-6pm

St. Maarten 7am-5pm

Sea Day

Sea Day

Miami

Today I checked and found that CCL has changed the itinerary to:

Miami

Half Moon Cay 9am-4pm

Sea Day

St. Thomas 9am-6pm

San Juan 7am-3:30pm

Grand Turk 11am-5:30pm

Sea Day

Miami

 

I am happy that we now have one sea day on the way home instead of 2. I am a little disappointed that we are missing St. Maarten. We are also now in San Juan during the day and we are adding ports.

All these ports are new to me so I would like to know what you guys think of this new itinerary?

 

 

You had a great itinerary to begin with...but in my opinion it is now even better. We basically did this same itinerary on Eurodam in February (in different order though). I do love St Maarten, however you're now going to Half Moon Cay. Personally I would take a cruise that would go only to HMC...IMHO it is the most beautiful beach that I've ever been to. What a beautiful island...no wonder it has won the awards and accolades that it has won. Grand Turk is also beautiful...but a bit more commercialized than HMC. Margaritaville is there with a very large beautiful pool. I can provide photos of both if you would like.

[DTC]

Thanks!! I just checked my email (spam, too) and nothing is there. My PVP also emails me at work, so maybe it's there. I am ok with the change. I haven't been to any of the ports and I've heard that Half Moon Cay is beautiful. I'm a little bummed that a sea day got taken away. But over all, I'm still totally looking forward to it. I'm going to go on my roll call and inform all of them.

Thanks again!!

[wonderfullife]

I have never been to HMC or to Grand Turk. I think the second itinerary sounds better for that reason. I have heard GREAT things about HMC. Both are good though. It is just that I have already been to the other places.

 

It will be fun either way.

 

Aleece

[Mr. Tricky]

Thanks guys, I just did a little reading about HMC. It sounds like my kind of place:cool:. I have been to Nassau and was not impressed. I was appraoched by drug dealers and basically seemed like a lot of hassle just to get to beach that wasnt all that great. Put me on a beautiful beach, give me a cold drink, and I am a happy camper !!

[amistad]

We went on the new itinerary that you are on now last May on the Triumph and really enjoyed all of our stops so much we are taking the same itinerary this August on the Liberty. It would be wonderful if they would put St. Maarten in place of Grand Turk, but I would take another stop over the extra sea day, you can alway's get back on the ship early and pretend it is a sea day, but without all of the crowd. Enjoy your cruise.

[djhsolara]

Honestly, if you were looking for things to do on the ship on the extra sea day, the days in Grand Turk and in Half Moon Cay would be good times to spend part of the day on the ship. Generally we've only spent about half of the day at either of these places and then go back to a very uncrowded ship to enjoy the empty pools, hottubs, etc. We're not much on large crowds...so we usually try to get off the ship early and enjoy HMC and Grand Turk before they get too crowded and then head back to the ship. HMC is by tender, but you walk right into GT so you could come and go as you want.

[chachi]

I too would prefer the new itinerary. I would much rather have an extra port day to a sea day. Like the other poster said, you can always stay on the ship and pretend it is a sea day!

[gaylensgigi]

You will love HMC. Yes, Grand Turk is more commercial, but to me it has a wonderful hidden jewel called Jacks Shack. The exact little beach bar you dream of running away to. Its a little hike down the beach, which has some hidden rocks, so be careful. Just turn left at Margaritaville and walk. You will see some wave runners a ways down the beach.That is where you are going.It is run buy locals,Jack and I think her name was Laura. Very limited food menu,burgers and dogs and such, but the beach is not crowded at all.They will let you use a float or water noodle, just a great way to spend a day, and you can always stop back at Margaritaville for a drink and to see the pool. Margaritaville is just off the pier.Have a great time

[letsgocruz1]

I've done that same itinerary and thought it was awesome! Be glad you didn't get switched to Nassau.

 

What is the reason they changed the itinerary?

[Mr. Tricky]

Im not sure why the itinerary was changed... I have noticed that CCL has just changed many of the Eastern itineraries. I imagine that as more people discover the changes someone on Cruise Critic might provide some insight. For now, I have no idea.

[mlatwood]

My husband and I did your new itinerary last May on the Liberty and we loved it. Half Moon Cay is amazing. I think you'll be happy with the change!

[gracie65]

We are on the 10/31/09 sailing & were suppose to be San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Martin.

Now we are Nassau 7-2

Fun day at sea

St. Thomas

San Juan 7-3:30

Grand Turk 11:00-5:30.

Fun day at Sea

 

We too have had St. Martin dropped. Does anyone know if it has anything to do with the civil unrest they have been having?

I wish we would have gotten Half Moon Cay instead of Nassau. I have been there so many times I may just make it an extra sea day, especially since we are there for such a short time. I love Grand Turk since you just step off & everything is right there. I'm also glad San Juan is now in the day we were there at night.

[gone_cruisin]

I'm wondering if this is just particular to the Liberty.

I have had my eye on the Miracle 8 day Eastern and see it's still on that itinerary.

 

Does anyone have any info?

[Texarribean Chick]

Hello - DH and I just sailed the Liberty last week. We booked this itinerary just because it was new and we had never been to Grand Turk. We have sailed the Eastern Caribbean many, many times and absolutely love St. Maarten and St. Thomas, so it was a tough decision for us to skip St. Maarten. I was terribly dissappointed with Grand Turk. The Cruise terminal is nice; but that's where it stops. We rented a golf cart for the day and toured the entire island. Unfortunately, they were hit by IKE last year and are still trying to recover. All island attractions, i.e. - The Lighthouse - are torn up and you can go there and see what's left; but it's really a mess. Govenor's Beach is just okay - no lounge chairs or service. There is a bar that you can walk up to and buy beverages; but 4 beers was $18. - Needless to say - we were really bummed. We also had never been to San Juan during the daytime hours. We did tour the Fort and did some shopping; but that's about it.

Good Luck - I thought the Liberty was one of the most beautifully decorated CCL ships I had ever been on, so that was nice. The food and service on the ship were superb! Have a good time! I'd be happy to answer any other specific questions you might have......

 

Chick.

[Seydlitz]

I don't think I like this one bit. I booked that itinerary for that itinerary. I like sea days. No good.

[bobar]

seydlitz,

i agree 100% on the sea days..i guess those of us who really like that part of the cruise need to start looking into going on the transatlantic, which i may do this december...we were so looking forward to a 7 night cruise with almost 4 sea days but we'll have a ball anyway and we love to gamble at atlantis so glad our 10/31 cruise got put there as an early morning stop...nothing like coffee and a slot machine at that beautiful casino:cool:

[ruthie0704]

We sailed this intinerary on Liberty April 24, 2009. We loved it and would do it again. Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay are so beautiful. You will enjoy it thoroughly.

[Kissyfur19]

We booked the Eastern trip on the Liberty because of the change of ports! I am excited to not only go to the USVI, but also to Turks & Caicos....and I hear Half Moon Cay is just incredible!

[terinzak]

I wonder if the iteneraary change has to do with the Dream. Our June 2010 cruise still shows St Maarten as a scheduled port. Maybe because the Dream is bigger, 2 carnival ships are unable to be ib St Maarten at the same time??

[gracie65]

I wonder if the iteneraary change has to do with the Dream. Our June 2010 cruise still shows St Maarten as a scheduled port. Maybe because the Dream is bigger, 2 carnival ships are unable to be ib St Maarten at the same time??

 

I doubt it as we sail The Liberty on 10/31 which is before the Dream is out & ours has been changed as well.

[bobar]

It really just looks like they decided to keep the liberty on the same eastern carib it was doing and not do the other route...im just real glad our 10/31 cruise goes to nassau and not HMC...The way grand turk is set up it's almost like going to a private island and 2 in one cruise would be to much for me..:cool: