We (DH and I - both early middle-aged) spent 5 days aboard Liberty of the Seas on it's first Caribbean sailing after returning from the summer season in Europe. First let me say that I believe in general the cruise product is changing so quickly that it is almost impossible to directly compare this trip to previous ones. Prior to this our most recent cruises were in 2012, on Carnival and Princess. It's been 5 years since we sailed RCCL, which seems like practically another lifetime. I'll admit upfront that we are late-adopters of change and have a habit of remembering things as being better than perhaps they actually were. It's also clear that after a dozen cruises, we're a bit jaded - the "wonder" has worn off and our expectations may be unrealistically high. Please remember these things as you read this review. Everybody has different tastes and values different things in a vacation experience. I'm not attempting to sway anybody's opinions - you may dislike what I enjoyed and love what I disliked. I'm using a 1-5 scale for each category. As they say, YMMV.

EMBARKATION: 5/5 Boarding was delayed due to a US Coast Guard inspection but we followed the instructions we'd received from RCCL via email and arrived late, around 3:30. We made out very well; the dedicated Gold-level Crown & Anchor line was deserted and we were basically walked straight on. It is our practice anyway to board later rather than earlier to avoid the rush so we were very pleased with how it went but we heard from many people that the terminal had been a mob scene.

ACCOMMODATION: 4/5 Our D1 balcony cabin (aft on Deck 7) was ready when we arrived. It was surprisingly roomy and everything was in good repair. It was acceptably clean, but I'm not meticulous by any means. (The bathroom could have used a good scrub though.) The closet was rather small and I found the shelves awkwardly placed behind where the clothes hung. I would have preferred deeper drawers too; they are all in the vanity desk or night stands and quite small. The full- sizes couch was nice but I wish they'd eliminate the coffee table altogether - it's just in the way no matter where you put it. We found the bedding to be very comfortable - the steward had used an "egg crate", and the linens were crisp and lovely. I did find it annoying that it took 2 days to receive the extra pillows we requested. The steward said he "had to ask his supervisor". Really?? We also had to request ice daily and it was early evening some days before we received it. We found it a little odd that there was no card in the room identifying our steward or how to reach him. There was also no stationary of any kind - bring your own pen if you need one. Our A/C went out for 1/2 a day but it wasn't a tragedy as that was a port day and it had been resolved by the time we returned. There were quite a few channels on the TV and pay per view movies, although the prices were ridiculous ($11.99). Read more