This was our first cruise as a family. 2 adults and 2 kids(girls) 7 & 8 yrs old. We were told boarding for our cruise was from 2-5 from our travel agent, but actually it was 12noon-5pm. Be sure to check with cruise line for exact time. With the proper documents, our time spent getting checked in and to our cabin was about 35 minutes. Our cabin(w/balcony) on the 7th floor was spacious, clean, and had room for our clothes from six suit cases. There was a queen size bed(suit cases fit under the bed), and the couch turned into a full size bed (by the room attendant each night) for our girls. The food was good to great, and there were always plenty of food and options that met our the needs of the adults and kids(kid menus at most sit down dinners). The first part that exceeded our expectations was the Liberty Ship itself. There were so many things to do on the ship, we could not do them all each day. There was something for everyone from the spa to sport activities(flowrider wave machine was great),casino, miniature golf and ice skating. 3 of the 4 broadway shows were great, and the ice show was the best. Be sure to get tickets early for the ice shows that fit your schedule. Our girls normally do not like kids clubs at hotels, but they were asking to spend 1-3 hours a day at the kids club. The club's directors were great, and they had many fun and educational events. The only disappointment was the ship did not have a water slide at the kids pool.

The islands stops were the 2nd area that exceeded our expectations. We booked most of our own trips outside of Royal Caribbean, and used local travel companies. They all felt safe and we saved 20-30%. One company in Jamaica I would strongly recommend is AZ Planners. www.a-zjamaicaplanners.com We toured Mayfield Falls(smaller and easier to climb than Dunn's River Falls for young children or older folks), and had an amazing time. We suggest asking for Mark(our guide), as he really worked hard to have fun, but also helped us learn a lot about the people, culture, and background of Jamaica. In addition, I had pre-arranged and requested that Mark help me surprise my wife and re-new our wedding vows at the falls in celebration of our 10th wedding anniversary. Mark did a phenomenal job as our stand in minister, and help make the day extra special. Our other favorite island stop was the Cayman Islands, and especially our trip to the turtle farm and stingray city. Our daughters loved seeing 300lb turtles, and holding the smaller ones. The best part was swimming with the stingrays. It was a short 1/2 hour boat ride to the sand bar, and we were soon swimming(water us 3-4 ft deep)/feeding 10-15 calm and gentle stingrays. Our daughters were a little scared at first, but after about 10 minutes they were touching, holding, and swimming with the stingrays. This is an adventure not to be missed.

Back on the ship the cruise director and his staff did a great job ensuring everyone was aware of all the ship had to offer. Read more