melmar02

@Kathleen here is a video I found before our last cruise that walks through the new terminal suite boarding area. Inside the building footage starts about 2 minutes into the video.
 

Final thoughts - 
Liberty is starting to show her age in a few places, especially in hard to reach parts like the superstructure. I probably would be too after 16 years in the water, and we could look past the few blemishes. The crew was out painting throughout the sailing. The sports court was closed for the entire 6 days of the first leg because they were resurfacing it. All of the aft balconies need the same TLC - I believe they are covered in the same material, and there are major pock marks in the floor from the chairs.
Laundry - We sent out 2 Wash and Fold service bags the first leg since it was more than 5 days, but we had to specifically ask for the right forms. DH also sent out a couple of things on the second leg. Our D discounts were applied without us having to ask. Everything came back just fine except for our socks. They had all shrunk. None of the other items - t shirts, polos, undies, pants... just the socks. They stretched back out and fit fine, but it was comical just how much smaller they were.😆
  
 
Jayson, our concierge was amazing. We mentioned to him in passing that we elected to get an Uber and not wait on the turnaround day excursion bus to go to Miami airport before dropping us off. He casually asked how much our Uber was - $11 and change. The next day we had a $20 credit to our account. It certainly wasn't necessary, and it was a nice gesture. I don't think I have ever had anyone smile at me so much and it feel genuine. I hope we can sail with him again in the future.
Crown Lounge - I poked my head in a few times, and never did see the concierge. 🤷‍♀️
Flowrider lessons - worth it. To us anyway. My kids are at that age where Splashaway Bay isn't quite as cool, and they are ready for the next big(ger) thing. We have done the Flowrider in the past, but it was very nice to have dedicated instruction. We plan on taking what we learned and practicing here at home before our next sailing as we have access to one about 45 minutes away. 
Perfect Day - My kids continue to surprise me, especially DD who is on the spectrum. Before this trip Thrill Waterpark would have felt like a waste as they would have spent most of their time in the wave or adventure pools. We bought it on last year's Black Friday sale for just under $50 per person. Both kids went on multiple slides, some way outside of their comfort zones. For the right price, we would definitely go again. DS and I think they should add a few Flowriders to the island, but outside of the waterpark. It was nice to have 2 full days there so we could experience things outside of the waterpark.
Ship size - I still think the Freedom/Voyager class is the sweet spot for our family, but with only one experience on an Oasis class, and that being in Star class, it's hard to say that for sure. Our next cruise is on Harmony, so we will get a better idea then. 
Drink package - I think we are going to try to go with no drink package at all this next time. We dropped to only the refreshment package when we hit diamond and it has worked out fine for us, but DH and I are starting to drink less and less  as we get older so our Diamond vouchers are pretty much covering us. Instead, we'll get the 24 water package for the next one and save $600 on pre-cruise purchases. Well, maybe not save... I have my eye on an excursion or two in the spring.
Photo package - I will continue to pre-purchase a package. I use the images we get plus the pictures we take and make photo books. I have no baby albums for my kids, but cruise books, you betcha!😆 I usually get the 100 images so I don't have to think. The past several years it has been on sale for about $125 on Black Friday. This year's sale though has it over $200. I think I'm going to get the 50 image package instead which is $179 right now.
Crystal block - Jason had one waiting for us on day one, it was the old design. Brought it home in my carry one and it was not flagged at FLL as anything weird that needed inspection. 
Overall, our family loves to cruise, and we have 3 more on the books - one every 6 months or so. I don't see this changing anytime soon, especially now that we are expanding our itineraries. The three we have booked are all connecting balconies which will be different for us as we have only sailed in the 2 bedroom suites with the kids. I think current pricing is going to keep us to balconies instead of suites unless we drop to 1 a year, and right now I think we want to keep our current pace. We will turn D+ on the last night of our fall '24 cruise. 🥳
Thanks for following along!

I realized I really did not tell you details on my cruises.  Here is what I am doing.  If you have any questions, please ask.
9 Night Aruba, Curacao & Cayman Cruise
Edge Single Stateroom with Infinite Veranda
Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sea Day George Town, Grand Cayman Sea Day Oranjestad, Aruba Willemstad, Caracao Sea Day Falmouth, Jamaica Sea Day Fort Lauderdale, Florida 10 Night Ultimate Southern Caribbean
Edge Single Stateroom with Infinite Veranda (same cabin)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sea Day Sea Day Philipsburg, St. Maarten Roseau, Dominica Bridgetown, Barbados St. John's Antigua Basseterre, St. Kitts Sea Day Sea Day Fort Lauderdale, Florida

thank you all for the good RU bid vibes 🥰
i looked again today, and still there are four GS stubbornly lingering. the dream would be the one on deck 11 (the irony of me wanting to go back to deck eleven, is not lost on me *rip symphony february 2023*) but we would for sure be thrilled with the ones on the lower decks too.
there are also two junior suites available but they must be for two pax only because when i upped our ghost booking to three people in the cabin, the website only allowed me to purchase occupancy in the GS. all the fun tricks you learn here on the forums. 🤓
since my best friend is also traveling to disney, we have been on the phone all weekend, feverishly discussing our packing plans and potential holes in our strategies. i even went as far as buying new luggage on a black friday sale, and then had immediate regrets when she told me that her carryon handle would not come out of the holder once she had packed her bag. evidently this is a known issue. 😳😱
in any case -- i saw J today for a brief moment in time and we daydreamed about our time in a grand suite. then i handed her a bag stuffed FULL of ducks and liquid IV packs for the trip. i also had gotten her a purple set of magnetic hooks so that she can have her own in the cabin (mine are green).
but back to the packing; i am happy to report that i am about 65% packed!! all the little stuff/more brain-taxing stuff, like toiletries, sun gear, travel cup, half my shoes (i think i am only bringing five pairs, guys!!) have all made their way into various bags. my duffel bag (which i will check in addition to my suitcase) is basically done, my carryon roller and personal bag are mostly done as well.
this is very good progress, even for my over-prepared self 😆 now my suitcases will stack (rather than laying butterflied open) in the hallway until i pull my clothes to put into packing cubes and nice outfits for dinner.
i am sooooo happy we are flying down the day before. planning to get almond milk and some chips at publix before we leave the next morning for the port.
t-minus 14 days!! 💚

Summary:  The Nightly Shows.  (I will finish reviews after I see them so check back on this post)
Day (1):  Jakub Trasak does known songs on the violin.  I made it though the second son before I left and found something else to do.  There were many people I heard talking about how good he was.  In my opinion he did songs that I was not interested in and he did not do them very well.  Both songs were boring to me.  When he talked to the audience it was in a monotone voice and put me to sleep.  This was not for me.
Day (2):  Production Cast “Stage Door”.   I was too tired to attend and went to bed.  I was told it was a good show.
Day (3):  Randy Cabral is a comedian that does juggling.  He was a good jugger but most of his show was his comedy.  I would not say he was great, but he was entertaining.  If I had not seen this type of show I would have said it was good but I have seen a few different people on cruises that do the same thing.
Day (4):  The group “Uptown” does Soul and R&B music.  It was three boys in their 20’s that were very good entertainers.  They did a good show with comedy throughout the show.  They worked the audience a lot and their signing was not bad.
Day (5):  Production Cast “Elements”.  This was a very good show and I wanted to watch it a second time.  It was singing, dancing, acrobatics and visual effects.  The show went though all the elements and made you feel you were part of each one.  During the water element they had video in the background of going up a river and it felt like the entire theater was moving down the river.  There was two performers on top of poles that came into the third row with their movements.  Do not miss this show.
Day 6:  Steve Caouette is a stand-up comedian.  He was very funny and relatable.  He worked the crowd and most of it was on the fly.  He talked to the crowed all night and was very funny.  I am going back to see his other shows while on the ship.
Day 7:  Savanna Smith is a singer.  Las Vegas type music.
Day 8:  Vinny Grosso is a comedian magician that has a headline show in Las Vegas.
Day 9:  Production Cast “Arte”
Note:  there was a Production Show “The Jazz Joint” held in “The Club”.   The club is a bar that they do all the trivia in.  It is not a big place.  The night they did this show it was packed including standing space.  The show was great and, but you need to get there really early.  The best seats are next to the main floor and then next on the upper floor on the rail.  If you are back from the main floor people showing up late will try to stand in front of you.  Do not miss this show.

Summary:  the Theatre
The Theatre on the Beyond is much different than any other I have experienced.  To start out it has a round stage and not the typical square one.  the backdrop is not a curtain it is a round wall that does state of the art graphics.  In last night's show we had the feeling that the entire theater was moving forward floating down a river.  With the round stage it feels like the performers are coming out into the audience.  The shows have been very good (in most cases) and last night it was good enough that I wanted to see it a second time.  Later this week I will give a review of all the shows.

 

Summary:  Christmas Season has Started
 

IT’S CRUISE DAY!!!! 

Made it to FLL!!  The Aunt and Crazy Uncle were on flight with us!  Other Crazy Aunt and Uncle on way to airport to pick them up. In-Laws should be landing in about 20 minutes. All parties accounted for!! 

update:
today's ghost booking revealed that there are suddenly FOUR (4) grand suites up for booking!!!
PERHAPS WE WILL WIN OUR RU BID!! (also RIP my credit card if we do though after this month)
15 days to go!! WILL WE GET IT FRIENDS???
time will tell...
[staring wistfully into the distance]

Summary:  Edge Single Stateroom with Infinite Veranda
I am not going to talk much about the ship tonight because I have not had time to explore and experience.  What I will talk about and show pictures is my cabin.  I have got to spend time in my cabin and get a good nap this afternoon.  I have an Edge Single Stateroom with Infinite Veranda.  For a solo cabin it is very big.  The only thing it does not have is a couch.  I do have a balcony in the room that opens the room up.  Celebrity is an upscale cruise line, and you can tell that by the cabin.  I have 2 USB plugs next to my bed.  At the desk is a box with 3 different power plugs and 2 USB plugs.  The bed is nice and sleep well.  I want to take the pillows home.  They are big enough and are schrunchable.  Later in the cruise I will be creating a Cabin Review Video and will share it with you.
Note:  The nap helped, and I am starting to realize my funk is caused by being overworked.  I have done 6 months of 60-hour work weeks and the last 3 months with 25 to 30 hours of Water Polo coaching on top of that.  I think I am just tired and need this cruise to decompress.


 

i guess now is a bad time to bring up that we go again AGAIN in february…. 😬😬

SAME.
i am ready for my tuna sandwich and champagne from vintages, @Ampurp85 💚💚

there have been… some developments. 
however this is the most pressing worth sharing right now: 
 

observations so far:
- this is one tiny dink dink of a ship. i already miss central park. the pool is basically a plunge pool and that’s it. for me, this isn’t a huge issue since i infamously refer to the pool on most royal ships as “the soup” — but is worth mentioning. 
- my cabin is really beautifully appointed. the bathroom is OUTSTANDING. this is an ocean view room and it is richly done. the bathroom has TWO SINKS!! and a NON space tube shower!! it’s lush. the mosaic tiling in the shower reminds me of sky and star class suites. we are in the newer cabins, called the star ocean view. 
- there are delightful l’occitane amenities in the bathroom and i LOVE THEM  
- there is an open bridge policy aboard; basically you can go walk thru at any time unless the doors are closed off. i am eager to check it out later on.
- dining venues are much smaller (as expected) but the food so far has been good! i had a DIY salad in their version of the windjammer (aren’t you all proud of me?? i know @OCSC Mike will be 😂) and it was excellent - pic below. lots of good flavor with the veggies too, nothing bland or oversalted. a lot of plant based options too as indicated by the signage.
- there are LOADS of outlets and USBs on both sides of the bed 😍 
- we did an in person muster drill but didn’t have to bring life jackets. there is a 5 minute video you must watch prior to the in person drill. i do miss the royal safety briefing way but — this is a way to ensure everyone is compliant and we leave on time 😂
- we typically never buy packages but i got the all-in package since i’m a single supplement fare and it covers EVERYTHING. gratuities, drinks, wifi and i have some insane amount of shipboard credit that i won’t be using otherwise. 
some pics below!

Now if Celebrity would move an Edge class ship there,  it would really make things interesting. 

She does as long as she gets a chance to recharge. She definitely has her bad days - like the last night of the cruise, she was just done. I think the water park the day before and walking all around Nassau did her in. Plus she was really absorbing the Pirate Museum exhibits - I think that really helped the books she read earlier this year come to life and click in a whole different way. It wore her out mentally though. Now if you get her fresh, say 10am, she'll chase you around a ship for hours telling you all about which Pokemon would be a good mash up with various Five Nights at Freddy's characters. 😄 She's going to make a great fan fiction author one day!

Final thoughts - 
Liberty is starting to show her age in a few places, especially in hard to reach parts like the superstructure. I probably would be too after 16 years in the water, and we could look past the few blemishes. The crew was out painting throughout the sailing. The sports court was closed for the entire 6 days of the first leg because they were resurfacing it. All of the aft balconies need the same TLC - I believe they are covered in the same material, and there are major pock marks in the floor from the chairs.
Laundry - We sent out 2 Wash and Fold service bags the first leg since it was more than 5 days, but we had to specifically ask for the right forms. DH also sent out a couple of things on the second leg. Our D discounts were applied without us having to ask. Everything came back just fine except for our socks. They had all shrunk. None of the other items - t shirts, polos, undies, pants... just the socks. They stretched back out and fit fine, but it was comical just how much smaller they were.😆
  
 
Jayson, our concierge was amazing. We mentioned to him in passing that we elected to get an Uber and not wait on the turnaround day excursion bus to go to Miami airport before dropping us off. He casually asked how much our Uber was - $11 and change. The next day we had a $20 credit to our account. It certainly wasn't necessary, and it was a nice gesture. I don't think I have ever had anyone smile at me so much and it feel genuine. I hope we can sail with him again in the future.
Crown Lounge - I poked my head in a few times, and never did see the concierge. 🤷‍♀️
Flowrider lessons - worth it. To us anyway. My kids are at that age where Splashaway Bay isn't quite as cool, and they are ready for the next big(ger) thing. We have done the Flowrider in the past, but it was very nice to have dedicated instruction. We plan on taking what we learned and practicing here at home before our next sailing as we have access to one about 45 minutes away. 
Perfect Day - My kids continue to surprise me, especially DD who is on the spectrum. Before this trip Thrill Waterpark would have felt like a waste as they would have spent most of their time in the wave or adventure pools. We bought it on last year's Black Friday sale for just under $50 per person. Both kids went on multiple slides, some way outside of their comfort zones. For the right price, we would definitely go again. DS and I think they should add a few Flowriders to the island, but outside of the waterpark. It was nice to have 2 full days there so we could experience things outside of the waterpark.
Ship size - I still think the Freedom/Voyager class is the sweet spot for our family, but with only one experience on an Oasis class, and that being in Star class, it's hard to say that for sure. Our next cruise is on Harmony, so we will get a better idea then. 
Drink package - I think we are going to try to go with no drink package at all this next time. We dropped to only the refreshment package when we hit diamond and it has worked out fine for us, but DH and I are starting to drink less and less  as we get older so our Diamond vouchers are pretty much covering us. Instead, we'll get the 24 water package for the next one and save $600 on pre-cruise purchases. Well, maybe not save... I have my eye on an excursion or two in the spring.
Photo package - I will continue to pre-purchase a package. I use the images we get plus the pictures we take and make photo books. I have no baby albums for my kids, but cruise books, you betcha!😆 I usually get the 100 images so I don't have to think. The past several years it has been on sale for about $125 on Black Friday. This year's sale though has it over $200. I think I'm going to get the 50 image package instead which is $179 right now.
Crystal block - Jason had one waiting for us on day one, it was the old design. Brought it home in my carry one and it was not flagged at FLL as anything weird that needed inspection. 
Overall, our family loves to cruise, and we have 3 more on the books - one every 6 months or so. I don't see this changing anytime soon, especially now that we are expanding our itineraries. The three we have booked are all connecting balconies which will be different for us as we have only sailed in the 2 bedroom suites with the kids. I think current pricing is going to keep us to balconies instead of suites unless we drop to 1 a year, and right now I think we want to keep our current pace. We will turn D+ on the last night of our fall '24 cruise. 🥳
Thanks for following along!

All I know is I want some of y'alls luck! 
 

That's nuts! Glad we were Star class when we were on her last spring! It will be interesting to see how Harmony disembarkation compares in a few months. 
 
DH is teaching DS to play solitare with a deck of cards we had in one of the carry on bags. An young airport worker was walking by and stopped trying to figure out what they were doing. He finally asked if that was solitare and when we said yes, he said he didn't know you could play it with real cards. #iamofficiallyold🤣

@asquared17Yeah, that was about 9:30pm too. 
We went to Chops for breakfast to avoid the craziness of the WJ, but the elevators are always crazy on the last day so there was no avoiding that mess. They had stairs roped off so everyone would be on the right side to disembark I guess? That created a lot of elevator traffic on one side of the ship. 
After breakfast we went to the suite lounge to wait for Jayson who said he would be there at 9am. He was taking a couple groups off earlier from the Schooner Bar, but our flight is not until 7pm, so we decided to take our time and go with the later group. They had muffins and pastries available. 
We found were off the ship too soon, and with luggage found went through the facial recognition line at customs. We poured out onto the sidewalk with 4400 other passengers and had no idea where an Uber would pick us up as there were arrows pointing in conflicting directions (some hand drawn and taped over the sign) and no discernable waiting area. We decided to just take a cab to the airport which was available immediately and $30.
We can't get our luggage checked in until 3pm, so we are parked in the lower level of the terminal across from the baggage claim. Should be good people watching.😆We looked at changing flights, but the only one we could find had only 45 minutes between the connecting flight and a plane change. The odds would not be in our favor with kids in tow, so we're sticking with our non-stop this evening. 
I'm secrectly hoping the bar we are sitting in makes us order something. "Oh no! I have to get a bloody mary on our last day of vacation!" I'll post final thoughts later.
 

They announced self assist could get going at 6:30 this morning. I'm guessing there will be a lot of people taking their own luggage off the ship based on the amount of luggage that was in the hallways last night.

All I know is I want some of y'alls luck! 
 

this got me right in the feels. fan fiction is how all of us start. 💚 blood, sweat and tears go into those stories and fandom friendships. 
100 percent. and i know it’s a two way street with the crew as well; and i know both of you (and so many of us here) are committed to making it a hospitable, genuine and heartfelt interaction, regardless of the gen pop around us. 
that behavior does not go unnoticed. 💚💚

Love your blog and LOVE your family photo.  Thank you for sharing your adventures with us.