Skip to main content

Justin's Trip Report

20Jan2012
Ship: 
Liberty of the Seas
Duration: 
4 Nights
Cabin: 
Inside - 9667 (connected to 9665)

general about us / trip

4 Night Cruise - Jan 3-7, 2012
Port(s) of Call: Cozumel
Travelers: Myself (32), wife(31), 2 daughters (3 1/2 y/o, 7 mos), Grandparents (63, 61, 52, 51)

PUBLIC AREAS
General
The Liberty of the Seas is a huge ship, at 1,112 ft long  so there's a lot to explore. This ship is very family friendly, with something for everyone to do. Royal Caribbean does a really good job to always have stuff going on for the people who choose to be active, but if you want to sit and people watch, that always works too. The ship's layout seemed to be rather functional. On Deck 5 you will find the Royal Promenade, which islike a mini mall.  There were stores, a cupcake shop, cafe', pizza shop, & a Ben & Jerry's.

Pools:
H20zone was huge, however the water was as cold as ice, but that didn't stop the kids from playing. Luckily there were quite a few hot tubs to visit to warm up.  We didn't really use the main pools with the towering tv screen, but saw them in passing, and they looked very nice.  Another unique feature are the 2 cantilevered hot tubs in the Solarium, which is the pool area for adults.  The cantilevered hot tubs jet out over the sea giving you quite a view as you sit & relax.  My wife & father in-law also attempted the Flowrider.  They had a great time riding the boogie boards on the back of the sports deck.

FOOD
The food was status quo from Royal Caribbean. Some stuff was amazing, some stuff good, some stuff i remembered to not get again. What really made the dining experience was the wait staff.  Our first stop upon boarding was the Windjammer buffet.  As soon as we chose a table, a waiter came along & offered to get us drinks, as well as a high chair for our baby.  They were also prompt to pick up dirty plates, and offer to get you a drink refill.  In the main dining room where we had the same servers every night, they got to know us. The assistant waiter absolutely loved my daughter. One night he started feeding her, and she was totally into it. To me it's all those little things that make a huge difference.

There are  a few food places for an extra fee, however we didn't experience any of them.  Well, except for Cupcake Cupboard. My wife loves trying all the fancy cupcake places locally, and she said that Cupcake Cupboard was the best she ever had.

Our daughter enjoyed many ice cream cones poolside throughout the trip.  Sprinkles self-serve frozen yogurt cart was set up from late morning to early evening.

ENTERTAINMENT
The entertainment was the best we've seen thus far. We pre-booked 3 events prior to cruising. There was the ice show, that was just amazing. Very well choreographed, amazing costumes, and the talent was top notch. There were 2 productions in the main theater, In the Air, which was an acrobatic/trapeze/Cirque du Solei-type show, & the best production we've ever seen aboard a ship. It's hard to believe some of the stuff they pull off, then to think they're on a moving cruise ship just kinda makes me shake my head. The main attraction was Saturday Night Fever. It surely did not let anyone down. The set changes were just amazing. So many different settings they were able create, kudos to the staff for pulling it off.

PORTS
We went to Cozumel for our port of call. With the advise received from Cruise Radio we took the taxi ride to Paradise Beach. What a great experience! We arrived, and were greeted promptly. We were given the run down of everything there was to do. It's only $2 to use the beach/pool. The beach was lined with lounge chairs & umbrellas, so everyone had a spot to relax in the shade or the sun. We also went over to the heated pool and played in there for some time. There were other water sport things to do for an extra fee, but we didn't try them out. They had a big blow up water park, and kayaks, and such. There were waiters going around, to make sure guests were properly hydrated and fed. The prices of food/drinks were rather normal, they weren't ridiculously over priced.  For an extra fee, you could get your hair braided or wrapped, & there was also a tent on the beach for massages. 

IMPRESSION OF SHIP
Overall I was very impressed with the ship. With being such a large vessel, and having so many passengers, I never felt overwhelmed by people.  The Dreamworks Experience was fabulous for the kids, especially our 3 year old.  They had a fun-filled parade of the Dreamworks characters through the Royal Promenade on the first evening.  We also really enjoyed the breakfast with Shrek on our last day there.  Royal Caribbean is definitely doing something right, & that is the reason we continue to choose them over & over again.
 

The Dudek Family
Pittsburgh, PA

What was your motivation to take a cruise?: 
The motivation was merely a fix for the addiction we have to cruising.
What was a highlight of your cruise?: 
Highlight of the cruise... i would have to say our day a Paradise Beach in Cozumel. It was such a relaxing day, and all of the family agreed it was an awesome place to go.
What did you dislike about your cruise?: 
I think what i disliked most about my cruise was when we were back in Port Everglades. It went by waaaaaaay too fast.
Did you do any excursions?: 
We only stopped in Cozumel, and with advice from some twitter people we went to Paradise Beach. It was great. only $2 to use the beach and pool. They also had some water sport items, that were extra, but we didn't indulge, it was just great to be on a beach in January knowing that at home they were getting snow.
How was your cabin?: 
Inside cabin, not too much to say. It served it's purpose for sleeping and showering. We go with the philosophy that we don't really plan on spending much time at the room cause there is so much to see and explore on the ship.
How was the food on the ship?: 
Food was good. The prime rib of beef was really amazing. Some things were so so, but i just ordered another meal and ate that in addition to what i first ordered.
Would you cruise again on this ship?: 
Yes