Just sailed the Carnival Liberty

[CruiseDork]

My wide and I and my martial arts teacher and his wife just finished a 7-day Western Caribbean on the Liberty. Dan and his wife were on their first cruise. For my wife this was her third and my 25th cruise.

I'm not a fan of the Port of Miami and this trip was no different. Check-in took 2 1/2 hours even though we arrived early. Miami is just one slow port. Sigh...

I can see why the Liberty has such a fan base. She is a beautiful ship with very tasteful furnishings. The crew keeps her polished to an absolute luster. One thing I noticed all week was a sense of pride among the crew in keeping her spotless that exceeded just simply being their jobs. Talking to a number of the crew I found a telling statistic. Many of them had been on the Liberty for years on end. Everyone I spoke with told me they specifically request the Liberty when their contracts are up.

One reason for that is the Hotel Director, Pier. He spends time with each and every crew member to explain his vision of customer service and what he expects of them. Whatever he is saying works. I wish Carnival would adopt his methods fleet-wide.

The weather has been fickle and unusually cold the last several months. Our trip was no different. Ports have been skipped by lots of ships due to winds and storms lately. Captain Nogara proved himself to be an exceptional sailor despite the weather. When the Harbor Master closed the port in Grand Cayman, it would have been easy to simply cancel the port call and have a sea day. Instead, Captain Nogara took us around to the south side of the island (Spott's Bay) and then spent the entire day holding the ship in place with thrusters so that tenders would be able to dock with the ship. An anchor would have still left the ship moving too much for tenders. Consequently, 3,000 passengers spent a wonderful day in Grand Cayman and the poor Cruise Director didn't have to rearrange the entire day like he had to do the first two days when the main headlining act was stuck in New York in the snow...

Speaking of the Cruise Director, I envy Butch Begovich. Not for his job, which I could never do, but because at such a young age he has found his true calling in life. If ever there was a born CD, Butch is it. He is funny, charming, personable and has more go than the Energizer Bunny on speed. I dare anyone to keep up with him.

One small disappointment I've had over the years has been the decline in food service. Don't get me wrong, the food is quite good and the Liberty is even a notch above for cruise ships. But when you have these mega-ships of 3,500 passengers you don't have the same food service you do when there's only 700 passengers. However, Harry's Steakhouse gives you a taste of the Golden Days of cruising with a meal that will knock your socks off. Dan jokes that he doesn't eat steaks much because he doesn't want to fight with his food (he's a hamburger fan). The Filet Mignon made a steak lover out of him. Butter soft and deep rich beef flavor... now , I'M getting hungry! And the price is actually a bargain. Yes, meals are included in your cruise price but having a true 5-star meal for only $30pp is worth doing once.

My only negative was in dealing with the Future Cruise desk. The best time to book a cruise is while you're on one. You can generally get the best price, choice of cabins and other perks by booking while on board. The Future Cruise staff on the Liberty didn't seem to much care if you booked or not -- even when I said I was looking at five sailings with spa suites. They looked up ships and itineraries on the web site (which I can do perfectly well thank you) and filled out paperwork but that was it. Buy some future cruise certificates but don't bother booking a cruise with them. I did book one cruise for our anniversary just because I wanted a specific cabin and it was selling out fast, but they missed out on four more bookings. Call your PVP instead, I certainly will be.

All in all, we had a great time on the Liberty and she is a definite ship to sail again. Just don't book deck 6 forward (above the theater). They have some GOOD speakers in that theater and you'll get to hear the late show whether you want to or not... Ask me how I know this.

[Gymbrat333]

Thank you so much for your detailed review! I love the Liberty. It is an absolutely beautiful ship! So glad that you had a great time!

[sailingrose]

Thanks

[cruisetarp]

Thank you for your great review of the Liberty. I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise so much and appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us.

[oceangoinggal1]

Hi, Thanks for posting your thoughts on Carnival Liberty. I cruised on Liberty in September 2005. I am currently booked to sail Liberty again on September 11, 2010. I look forward to my cruise. I thought Liberty was a wonderful ship then and I am sure I will enjoy this trip as much. Recently I was asked if I was uncomfortable about sailing in 9/11. My reply was "What better place to be on that day than on a ship named Liberty?

Laura

[mikedeb]

Great info! Sailing on the Liberty Jan 15, 2011, for first cruise, might have to pick your brain for more nuggets of info!

[DebbieandJerry]

You have a wonderful way with words. I truly felt your enthusiasm and love for your vacation. Thank you for sharing. I am so glad that this was a success!

[KeithnRita]

Nice review, Barry!

[Shari2]

Thanks for the great review, Barry! I was on the "Liberty" last July. My husband and I didn't think we would ever go on Carnival again (last time was 1986) but we went on a group cruise last July and really enjoyed it. The ship is not as glitzy as some, and I really liked it, and the food was very good. We were pleasantly surprised. The food was much improved since the last time when we were on the Carnival Holiday in 1986.

[rogue]

Thanks for the nice review. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.