Following weeks of upgrade work, Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas is back in service.
The cruise ship that was built in 2007, received new restaurants, refreshed certain areas, and added new cabins as well.
The ship received a "Royal Amplification", which is intended to elevate an aging ship to offer more and be more competitive with newer ships.
Royal Caribbean had originally planned to do this work in 2021, but the cruise industry shutdown in 2020 postponed those plans.
Liberty of the Seas completed her upgrade work on May 29, and we have our first look at what's new and different onboard. Many thanks to Elaine for providing some of these photos.
A new restaurant and bars
Only one new restaurant was added to Liberty of the Seas with the addition of Izumi Teppanyaki to deck four.
This replaced Sabor Modern Mexican, officially replacing the last Sabor left in the fleet.
Izumi offers both sushi and hibachi tables, with the later being incredibly popular among cruise ship passengers. Hibachi dining is a crowd-pleaser experience because it's family friendly, fun, and has food that appeals to just about anyone.
In fact, Izumi is now the most popular specialty restaurant across the fleet.
Starbucks was added as well, offering an option for those that are hooked on the Seattle-based coffee giant's creations.
Just like a Starbucks kiosk you'd find at a supermarket or other store, it serves the full menu of drinks and pastries.
While you can earn Starbucks rewards points from your purchases, you cannot redeem Starbucks star rewards onboard.
The Lime & Coconut bar was added to the pool deck. This is the Caribbean-inspired bar that offers its own menu of fun cocktails.
Guests will appreciate the drink offerings go now beyond the typical stuff. Royal Caribbean has all sorts of concoction to try, including my personal favorite: the Lime & Coconut drink.
Another pool deck addition is El Loco Fresh, which is a complimentary Mexican grab-and-go restaurant.
Serving tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, it's open for lunch and into the late afternoon. It's a great casual spot for a snack or meal.
Plus, it has a toppings bar so you can customize the food exactly the way you want it. Jalapenos, hot sauces, guacamole, pico de gallo, and more to choose from.
Updated pool deck
A major focus of the changes to Liberty of the Seas was around the pool deck.
The deck has more of a resort look to it now, having refreshed the seating and look of the pool deck.
Royal Caribbean also added casitas to the pool deck, which cost extra to rent. Think of them like a reserved spot you can have for the day.
Casitas include:
- 2 Welcome Drinks
- 2 lounge chairs
- Dedicated beverage service
- 4 chilled water bottles
- Cooler
- 4 Pool towels
- 4 Hand towels
- Charging outlets
Pricing for casitas tends to be cheaper on port days than on sea days.
For the upcoming June 26 sailing, casitas cost $109.99 for a port day, but $374.99 for a sea day.
An escape room was added too
Another addition to Liberty of the Seas is an escape room experience.
EscapeU: Art Studio is described as:
Get ready to paint outside the lines during your art class final! Team up, brush up on your skills and dash to finish your exam before time runs out. Gogh beyond the canvas and ace your test to unlock a vibrant surprise and colorful masterpiece.
Guests must be 12 years old or older to participate, and it's a timed challenge to figure out clues to solve a puzzle and "escape" the room before time runs out.
Royal Caribbean sells admission at $40 per guest for the escape room.
Expanded casino
Like other ships that have recently been updated, Royal Caribbean added more gambling space.
There's now an expanded casino area that took over the photo gallery area. It connects to the main casino on deck 4.
Royal Caribbean has placed a major emphasis on expanding casinos on all of its ships, indicating the cruise line is looking to expand revenue opportunities.
Gambling on cruise ships is more popular than ever, and it's clear Royal Caribbean is jumping on that trend.
Other changes
Royal Caribbean also updated its kids club to reflect the updated programming that you'd find on newer ships.
There's also a new show onboard, "Boots & Blades" in Studio B.
This is a new ice skating show that has a country theme to it.
Sailing from the UK this summer
Liberty of the Seas offered a quick short sailing from Southampton, UK this weekend as it returned to service.
Royal Caribbean has a summer cruise season planned from the UK to destinations in Northern and Western Europe.
This fall, Liberty moves back to the United States to offer Caribbean sailings.
