Carnival Liberty
Carnival Liberty Overview
Tonnage: 110,000
Length: 952 ft
Passengers: 2,974
Crew: 1,150
Registry: Panama
Conquest-class; Some Funship 2.0 upgrades; Guy Fieri Burgers, EA SportsBar, RedFrog Pub and RumRunners Tequila Bar
Best For People Who WantA large ship experience with vibrant night life and an energetic atmosphere; poolside games during the day and lavish production shows in the evenings; some of the largest cabins in the industry; large and well equipped gym and spa facilities; extensive children's facilities and Club 02 for teens.
Should Be Avoided By People Who PreferA reserved, elegant, and uncrowded cruise experience in intimate surroundings, and white-glove service levels.
Onboard ExperienceThe public areas of Liberty are rarely quiet, but the atmosphere is conducive to fun. The pool area is the hub of activity, dominated by a 270 sq ft. LCD TV, dubbed the SeaSide Theatre, above on Deck 10; it's used for entertainment, from poolside Trivia in the mornings to concerts and movies in the evening, and for major sporting events.
For those interested in a quieter daytime option, there's an aft pool with a retractable dome deployed during inclement weather.
Onboard musical options can satisfy all tastes, from the concerts on the Big Screen to the Piano Man Piano Bar, Karaoke, Disco with DJs, and Live Dance Music in Victoria‘s Lounge; there's also easy listening or classical music on the ground floor of the nine-deck-high atrium, in the Grand Villa Garden.
The ship has an Internet Café (hidden in a corner of the aft Cabinet Bar on Deck 4) where you can send e-mail and access the Internet. The Liberty has WiFi service available from bow to stern, including individual passenger cabins. You can log in using your own laptops, or rent from the ship for $20 per day, plus the cost of the time you spend online.
With 22 bars and lounges, there's no difficulty getting your favorite beverages, but we didn't find the bar service overbearing or overly aggressive. Soda cards (for unlimited soft drinks) are available for children and adults.
And everyone enjoys the self-serve soft ice cream and frozen yogurt available near the two main pool areas.
A hit among kids and adults alike is the enormous water slide on Deck 11. It offers a fun ride through “the chutes” when you start that high above the sea.
Smoking areas are quite limited on the Liberty. Smoking is not allowed in the showrooms, the dining rooms, the ship's atrium, or even by the bar or along the Promenade Deck passageway. Smoking is allowed in guest cabins, and on guest balconies, and on the starboard side of outside public decks.
DecorLegendary Joe Farcus is Carnival's designer, and Liberty continues his pattern of creating distinctive individual themes for each ship. In Liberty's case, the theme is Artisans, covering all variations of the artistic designs and handcrafted workmanship of times gone by. Though no one would call Liberty's decor reserved, it's a more muted version of previous Farcus designs. About the only neon glitz one will find on this ship is in the signs identifying the lounges and bars.
Beginning in the Grand Villa Garden at the bottom of the Atrium, ornate artisan ironwork is used throughout the ship's passageways, decorating walls, railings, pillars and wall frames. This gives these areas a clearly European flare, and does a nice job of tying varying design elements together.
Public RoomsThere's a noticeable "wow factor" for persons boarding the ship on the lowest level of the atrium; their first view is of the Grand Villa Garden, which feels very much like a European courtyard. The hardwood laminate flooring gives the area an unexpected richness for a Carnival ship. The glass elevators running up and down on one side of the atrium add a modern touch, and a ride in them at some time during your cruise is a must for the views.
The center of the ship's life is Deck 4, surrounding the Atrium; and Deck 5, the Promenade Deck. Promenade Deck is the only deck that runs from bow to stern inside the ship, other than the passenger cabin decks -- 2,3, 6, 7 and 8.
Deck 5/Promenade Deck could be considered the entertainment center of the ship. From Gloves Sports Bar, just off of the atrium, traveling aft through Promenade deck brings you to the enormous Casino, the Casino Bar, Club 02 (the teens-only disco), Without Batteries (the ship's video arcade), the Jardin Café (for purchasing specialty coffees and incredible desserts), Origami Sushi Bar (where sushi is available free in the evenings), the Wine Bar, the Piano Man Bar (where sing-alongs create a packed house most nights), the Stage Lounge (for Karaoke), and the ship's large alternate showroom, the traditionally decorated Victoria Lounge.
The ship's shops, selling logo wear, jewelry and sundries, are on Promenade Deck as well, around the Atrium.
Forward on Promenade Deck is the most visually stunning room on the ship, the Venetian Palace showroom. With a Venetian theme established by an enormous central chandelier (created from Italy's famed Murano glass), Venetian masks decorating the ceiling, and two-deck-high Jesters book ending the stage, the decor of the main showroom sets the stage for the quality entertainment to follow.
The Venetian Palace is three decks high (lowest level on Deck 3), and it does have many support beams that can cut off the view of the stage; also, the main floor is not pitched enough, so at times the views can be obscured by those sitting in front of you. Aside from production shows and headline acts, this room is used for most of the ship's evening passenger participation games, as well as daily/nightly bingo games.
On Deck 4 is the Antiquarian Library, nicely decorated but small, with a limited selection of books. And unfortunately the locked bookcases are only opened and accessible from one to two hours per day. I don't know why Carnival doesn't just leave the library open so guests can access books any time they like.
The Cabinet Lounge is also on Deck 4, just forward of the aft Golden Olympic Dining Room. Cabinet Lounge is the ship's cigar bar, which features live jazz in the evenings. Since it is adjacent to a dining room, I am surprised to see this lounge used as a cigar bar. I often heard passengers complaining about the strong odors in this lounge as they passed through en route to the dining room. This is particularly problematic because the access points to this aft dining room are limited.
The only public room really over-the-top in décor is the Hot and Cold Disco. With huge inverted hands (appearing to hold up the ceiling) and smaller versions as bar stools, I never figured out what this was all about. But it's most certainly a bold environment.
CuisineCarnival's cuisine has improved dramatically in the past decade. Some time ago, the cuisine on Carnival ships could have been rated equal to a budget cruise line. Today's offerings have enough quality and taste to allow it to compete easily with any of the other mass market lines.
We were positively impressed by the wide variety offered on the nightly dining room menus, which also feature a lengthy list of always-available selections. Portions were plentiful, and other than a lack of artistic presentation and repetitive use of accompaniments to entrees, we finished all our dining room meals most satisfied.
Desserts in the dining room were the highlight of each evening; taste and presentation were equal to any ship we've experienced. The highlight of the dessert menus is the warm chocolate melting cake, which was on the always-available menu each evening.
in the buffet on Lido Deck was also above average. My expectations at a buffet are naturally lower than in a restaurant or dining room. But the diverse variety at Liberty's buffets was enough to satisfy for most meals. Various buffet lines offered different types of food; two lines referred to as the Grand Buffet were similar to a typical buffet, with choices changing daily, and ending at a carving station. Two lines featured a "Taste of Nations" selection, representing a different ethnic cuisine each day; and there were two lines doing stir-frying (where passengers chose the raw ingredients and cooks prepared them on the spot).
There ship also has also typical grill areas where hamburgers, hot dogs, and even grilled steak sandwiches are made, and of course Carnival's 24-hour pizzeria, which also offers Caesar salads.
RestaurantsThere are two main dining rooms on the Liberty, and they use traditional assigned seating, but with four dining times available, rather than the usual two.
The Golden Olympian Dining Room is mid-ship on Decks 3 and 4, with entries from two doorways on each of the two levels, one forward and one aft. This dining room serves the 6:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. dining times.
The “Golden” is the smaller of the two dining rooms. Seating areas are cramped and passageways between tables narrow. Even bussing stations for the service staff seemed too far apart and too cramped, which made their jobs more difficult.
The Silver Olympian Dining Room, at the stern on Decks 3 and 4, serves the 5:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. dining times, and is also used for open-seating breakfast and lunch. This room is larger and much airier. The dining room is surrounded by windows on three sides, which enhances its design, and contributes to making it preferable to the Golden Dining Room.
A more upscale dining experience is available at the ship's alternate restaurant ($30 per person surcharge), Harry's Supper Club. Named after famed jeweler Harry Winston, Harry's also offers a musical duo and a dance floor to entertain diners. The decor and furnishings in Harry's are of higher quality than the other dining areas. And the Versace plates and fine silver flatware contribute to a more upscale tone. The core of the menu includes varying cuts of steak, though lobster and fish are also offered.
For more of a fast food experience, there's the buffet at Emile's on Lido Deck. It's open for breakfast and lunch, as well as for casual dinner between 6-9 p.m. Expect a wide variety of choices within this very large area. In the back (aft section) are two buffet lines serving a traditional buffet lunch, with items changing daily, and a carving station for different types of meats. Breakfasts in this section are pretty traditional buffet service.
Forward of that are two buffet lines called “Taste of Nations,” with lunches offering a menu that varies by national cuisine each day. There are also two buffet lines serving stir-fry dishes. Passengers choose raw ingredients -- meats, fish, seafood, vegetables etc.-- as they proceed through the line until they reach the cooking station, where the chefs cook the chosen ingredients.
By the farthest-aft swimming pool, just outside Emile's, there's a starboard side grille serving up hamburgers, hot dogs, and (though not advertised) steak sandwiches. There are also heated chaffing dishes for hot condiments -- fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, even chili. On the port side in this location is the 24-hour pizzeria, which also serves Caesar salad. I used to think Carnival had the best pizza on the high seas, but I wasn't that pleased after tasting what must be a new recipe for the pizzas. They seem to be using a much chewier dough now.
There are two more grilling stations near the central swimming pools for the fast-food hamburger/hot dog experience.
Inside Emile's, on each side as you move between the Grand Buffet and Taste of Nations, are small service windows. On the starboard side the menu offers Asian cuisine -- a combination of Chinese food and Asian fair. Opposite, on the port side, the same window offers deli sandwiches, both cold and hot, served on a choice of breads. I enjoyed most of my lunches from these two serving windows.
Another choice that people often miss is located one deck above Emile's. Here they serve fish and chips and a variety of seafood during lunch.
For breakfasts, all the inside lines serve similar food, though there are a number of made-to-order egg and omelette stations -- enough that we never saw extended lines at any.
During the morning, one of the grill areas near the central pool also offered breakfast items and made-to-order eggs and omelettes. Breakfast at this station was available quite a bit later, after the other buffet lines were closed.
Serviceon the Liberty was generally friendly and efficient, though unpolished. Even in Harry's Supper Club with its surcharge, the wait staff, though dressed more formally, seemed to lack the training you'd expect in such a venue.
Other than the maitre d' in the dining rooms and a dining room hostess, we didn't see any headwaiters. At times this shortage was somewhat problematic. Several times when service dragged somewhat, the presence of a headwaiter would have certainly helped the situation. It's unrealistic to believe two people can oversee the smooth operation of dining rooms that serve 600 to 800 guests for each seating.
That said, we were not displeased with our level of dining room service. There were just a couple of occasions where the assistance of a headwaiter would have smoothed the process.
TippingCarnival automatically charges $10 per passenger per day to your onboard “Sail & Sign” account to cover all service staff, except for the dining room maitre d', whom you may tip at your discretion. Guest can adjust this amount with a visit to the Purser's Desk. A gratuity of 15 percent is automatically added to all drink purchases, and to the cost of the soda cards.
EntertainmentCarnival excels in entertainment, with lavish production shows (three during an eight- day cruise), glitzy costumes, and costly lighting effects. Headline acts featuring comedians, magicians, ventriloquists, jugglers or song stylists will vary with their schedules. There are generally two late-night “Adult Comedy” shows as well, beginning at midnight.
Aside from the daily show room entertainment, watch your daily schedule onboard (The Carnival Capers) for all variety of entertainment -- including the poolside games, trivia contests, passenger participation games, Karaoke, bingo, art auctions, sports challenges, etc. (You can even get a temporary henna tattoo by the pool, if you consider that entertaining.)
Carnival also does a great job of making it fun for everyone at the deck parties, held a couple of times per cruise, which always include a band, the cruise staff, dancing, and of course food.
CabinsCarnival offers the largest standard cabins in the industry, and this holds true on the Liberty. The interior decoration of the cabins aren't like staying at the Ritz, but the relaxing color tones and blonde wood finishing on desks and closet doors are certainly of acceptable and decent quality. Combined with a comfortable leather sofa (with a storage drawer underneath), this all makes for very adequate accommodations.
Aside from extra space, the thing that makes Liberty's cabins exceptional is the new beds -- twins that can be pushed together to form a king-sized bed. And what comfortable beds they are! Combine the comfort of the beds, with the high-quality bedding and luxurious duvets, and sleep becomes a dream. The beds frames are high enough that our luggage slid easily underneath for storage, with little effort.
The in-cabin television carried all the major U.S. networks, as well movie channels, CNN, Discovery Channel, and several offering children's programming. Pay-per-view movies are also available. You can also access a menu of guest services on your TV, including checking your account, reviewing dining room menus in advance, and ordering shore excursions.
The cabins have more than adequate storage space; a hair dryer inside the desk drawer; a mini bar; and a personal safe inside a cupboard. The bathrooms, though stark, are large with a good-sized shower and nice quality towels. Anchored to the wall inside the shower are shampoo and body wash dispensers. On the counter is a complimentary basket of sampler-size toiletry items. Several glass shelves on either side of the sink will store all your personal items.
The standard balcony cabins have a very narrow balcony, with two chairs (one of which reclines) and a small cocktail table.
The only drawback to these cabins is the use of a standard swinging door, rather than sliding doors, to access the balcony. The opening door takes up space on the already-small balcony, and the sound of balcony doors slamming shut can form its own symphony at times.
The Category 11 mini-suites and Category 12 suites on the Liberty offer considerably more space (though still in a single room), plus a bathtub in the bathrooms rather than the standard shower. Their furnishings are slightly more upscale than standard cabins.
Fitness/SpaThe gym, at 15,000 sq. ft., is full of treadmills, stationary bikes, Stairmasters, rowing and hydraulic weight machines, and of course free weights. The strategically placed equipment allows you to enjoy the panoramic views offered by the floor-to-ceiling windows. For runners, a lap on the jogging deck, which surrounds the smokestack, is equivalent to 1/11 of a mile.
AttireOn six- to eight-day cruises there will be two nights when formal attire is suggested. All other nights are designated casual. Though there were tuxedos in evidence, suits and sports jackets seemed more the norm.
What we found somewhat disconcerting was that even on designated formal nights, passengers in pretty much any form of dress were allowed in the dining rooms. Admittedly, this was the exception, not the norm. But I don't understand why a maitre d' wouldn't stop people from entering the dining room in torn jeans and baseball caps on formal nights, and suggest they go the casual alternative on Lido Deck for dinner.
User Reviews
by FGC
1 Review
Publication Date: May 5, 2012
Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Liberty by FGC Western Caribbean May 5, 2012
This was our first cruise and only had a vague idea of what to expect. I have to say that we were extremely impressed with the service and value you get for the price though if you like to drink, careful with the bar tab, it can get rather pricey. We are for sure doing this again. p.s. Guy's Burger Joint has to one of the best burgers I have ever had!
by Cruznut2 - September 11, 2010
1 Review
Publication Date: September 11, 2010
Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Liberty by Cruznut2 - September 11, 2010 Carnival Liberty September 11 - 18, 2010
Pre Cruise
Extended Stay America Miami - Brickell - Port Of Miami 298 SW 15th Rd, Miami Florida 33129
This trip I decided to drive to Miami the day before the cruise.. There were many options to consider for parking during the cruise. In my research I found a hotel that offered free parking for the length of the cruise. My research revealed that the hotel had good reviews so I booked it. I did my booking on line at their website. I chose the senior rate which was $71.24 I paid around $80 with taxes. I felt that was very reasonable as it would save me $140 in parking at the port. The shuttle to the port was $10.00. Returning from the cruise I took a taxi back to the hotel for $14.50
The hotel was located on a quiet street near the Port of Miami. I found the hotel to be clean and very quiet. My room had a queen bed . The room was equipped with a small kitchen.. Supplies for coffee
were there also. More coffee was offered in air pots set up in the lobby in the morning. There was no continental breakfast.. They have vending machines that were very high priced. I walked across to the Walgreens store and they had nice fresh pastries for sale.The hotel did not have a restaurant within it. There is a nice Italian restaurant nearby within easy walking distance. Had I spent more time exploring I might have revealed other places. Since my niece lives in Miami she picked me up and we went to Bayside Market Place for a drink. For dinner I was tired and chose to stay in the room. Two menus were slid under my door. Both offered sandwiches, pizza, salads, soups. I chose a sandwich and soup. It arrived promptly but was not very good. The soup was canned and the sandwich was on stale bread. I ate part of it and tossed the rest, too tired to care. Needless to say I was in bed early. It had been a long day and a long drive from Lakeland.
Port Of Miami
My shuttle from the hotel picked me up at 11:00 AM. It was about 11:20 before we left. I was the only passenger going to the port. The drive took about 15 minutes in the traffic At the port. I was dropped of at Carnival and went inside to check in. The lines moved along fairly well for the amount of people in the terminal. The last stop before boarding was where they set up on board accounts and issue key cards. I did feel that this area could have used more agents. There were many empty stations here. It took about a half hour from the beginning until I plugged in my card for the security check in picture. As I stepped on to the mat for this picture a buzzer went off and a canned voice announced to anyone listening that I have a message and to please go to customer relations. I went to the pursers desk for my message. Since I have several medical issues they just wanted to assure me that they were prepared to meet my needs.
Carnival Liberty
As I entered the main lobby I was pleased to note the huge American Flag hanging in the atrium. It was September 11 and the Flag was quiet tribute to our wonderful country.
I was carrying a carry on and my c-pap machine as well as my purse. I knew this would be troublesome on the lido while trying to get lunch. I decided to try to get to my room to drop it all off. I went up to Panorama deck and my corridor was open. I went to my room and got rid of the baggage and left. As I was leaving they shut the door to the corridor. I guess I was lucky.
I went down to Emiles on lido and had lunch at the deli. I enjoyed a pastrami sandwich and a glass of water. Then I did have a small slice of cheesecake for dessert.
After lunch I went exploring the ship. I had sailed on this magnificent ship in 2007. There were a few changes. The one most noticeable was the elimination of the Asian buffet. It was replaced with a burrito bar. I would much rather have had the Asian. I also noticed that the salad bar was gone and there were salad choices at the beginning of the food lines instead. This made less choices for the salads. On the other hand it saved standing in line twice for lunch. The ship was showing signs of wear and tear and will soon need a facelift. I decided to return to my room and see if my luggage had been delivered. It had and I was surprised that it was in the room and on the bed. I unpacked and was back on deck long before sail away. The lifeboat drill was somewhat improved as wearing the life jacket was eliminated. Somewhat cooler while standing there. Of course I had the complaining lady right behind me. She carried on as if the drill was a plot to inconvenience her. I wanted her to quiet down so we could listen to the instructions. I am sure the others around us felt the same. Some people just do not understand that it is important information and it is mandatory.
Entertainment
The entertainment on this ship was outstanding. The Liberty dancers were wonderful. The singers are very talented. The first production show was a tribute to the cities of the world. It ended with a tribute to the USA. This show ended with sparklers going off on stage and red, white and blue streamers cascading into the audience. The audience was on their feet in standing ovation. Not a dry eye in the house. I struggled for control with a lump in my throat as tears streamed down my face.
The second production show was called "Singing With The Big Band" This show featured the huge talent of Christopher Alan Graves. He sang all the standards of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. He invited the children on stage as he sang "Candy Man" and of course the children were given candy. I cannot say enough about this man and the show he puts on. If you are on a ship where he is entertaining, don't miss this one.
Not being a late night person I was usually asleep long before midnight and I missed the adult comedy shows and the comedy club altogether. I heard many good comments about it around the ship.
Daytime Activities
Of course as we all know most of the action is around the central lido pool. I usually went to the aft pool where we older folks congregated. It was nice there. The "laugh a minute" crowd that I met at lunch were usually there and I was kept laughing all the time. I went to bingo a few times but as usual I was not too lucky. I spent too much time donating too much money to the casino too. I did participate in 3 slots tournaments this week. I never got past the first round. All I got from the casino was a free pina colada that the host was offering the ladies. I also got a severe sinus infection from the smoke in the casino.
Dining
Since I was traveling alone I chose "Your Time" dining. I could go to the dining room any time between 5:45 pm and 9:30 pm for dinner. I absolutely loved this option. I was placed with different people most nights. Every night I was lucky to be placed with great dining companions. I met many nice people this way and really enjoyed it. I also opted for the dining room most days for lunch and every day for breakfast. One memorable lunch I was placed with four other people who kept me laughing the whole time. One day for lunch I went to "Fish and Chips" I had the Calamari and it was outstanding. Try as I would I was unable to control my intake of sweets and of course everything was excellent. On port days I ate at the buffet for lunch. I must admit that for the first time I was somewhat disappointed in the food there. Once I went to the pizzeria for a slice of pizza . As always it was excellent.
Service and Sanitation
There was no area where service lacked on this voyage. Although Liberty is showing signs of wear she was kept spotless. A difficult task with 3200 guests running around. My cabin was well kept by Harry my cabin steward who attended to all my needs. The dining room staff was great and all my meals were well served and timely.
Disembarkation
The dreaded disembarkation day arrived and I was prepared and ready for it. I did not opt for self assist as that can be a real mess with too many folks struggling with too much luggage try to be the first ones off the ship. I was assigned zone 9. I had an extra cup of coffee on lido deck then went to my room to collect my things. I went to the Venetian Palace lounge to wait for my zone to be called. As the zones were completed they were called. Self assist was still going on also. I was called in a relatively short time and was off the ship before 9:00 AM. I got in line for a taxi and went back to the hotel to pick up my car. All in all it was an easy process.
This was the best cruise I ever had and I would definitely book this ship again
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Laura
by Michael Silvis
1 Review
Publication Date: May 1, 2010
Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Liberty by Michael Silvis Eastern Caribbean May 1, 2010
Arrived via auto to POM at 11:30 and was seated in Emile's eating lunch at 12:30. By 1:30 DW and I were unpacking our carry-on luggage in our cabin (7376). We found our cabin clean and were amazed at all the available storage. The a/c in my cabin was fantastic as the room temp. averaged 70 degrees during the whole cruise. The hot water is HOT and plentiful. I picked this cabin hoping it would be in a quite area. It was quiet and proved to be very convenient to the lido deck/Emile's/Versailles pool. We were very happy with the cabin and it's location.
This was the largest ship that we have ever cruised on and at weeks end we were still getting lost. Apparently we booked a cruise that was too short as our learning curve has lengthened. I found the condition and cleanliness to be excellent. There seemed to be crew members always cleaning/painting, repairing, ect.
The food was very good and the mushroom/goat's cheese pizza was as good as I remembered from my last Carnival cruise.
I experienced no problem with the Your Time Dinning. We dined @ 6:45 and only waited two minutes or less for a table. It took about 1 1/2 hours to dine and when we left the wait line was packed. On the third night we were seated in an area with team head waiter Suardika and requested his area from then on. The hostess had no problem with our request.We dined at Harry's Steakhouse and was very pleased with the food and the service. It was a nice and quite dinning experience. The only problem is we ate too much.
We also tried the Chef's Table dinning option. DW and I agree it was the best meal that we have ever experienced. It was unreal having two Executive Chef's cook and explain how they were preparing every course (8 total). They also answered any question presented to them. The value received was far greater than the price charged.
Another activity we experienced was the "Behind The Fun Tour". The best cruise "excursion" that I have ever had. We received a 3 1/2 hours guided tour of the ship including the galley, the Bridge, deck 0, crews area, jail, morgue and many other areas that are off-limits to passengers. A very interesting and educational tour. DW and I were hoping for a stress free relaxing vacation. This cruise exceeded our expectations. Too bad we had to return to reality. We are looking forward to our next cruise experience.
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