My partner and I sailed on the Liberty on November 1st out of Miami. We live in the Fort Lauderdale area so cruising is a quick and convenient getaway. This was our 16th cruise and 4th on Carnival...Celebrity being our favorite line. This cruise was extremely affordable, about $64 a day per person inclusive of port, taxes and fuel. That's pretty much what you get on Liberty, an affordable, bargain cruise with all its trappings.

Embarkation in Miami is always a weak spot with Carnival. On other lines it seems like you just breeze aboard. On Carnival, at least in Miami, you are subjected to a tedious sequence of lines and stopping points. It's like they know they can fit a ton of people on board but haven't quite figured out how to not make the passenger feel like herded cattle.

Carnival Liberty is decorated in a salute to Arts and Crafts and has some very beautiful decor. The lobby atrium, Golden Olympian dining room and Emiles being standouts. The one horrible design element throughout the ship is a black Art Nouveau cutout against a pastel background. The cutout is screwed in every six inches with exposed phillips head screws that are cheap looking to say the least...like something a 6th grade woodshop student would produce. Too bad it's practically everywhere you look. The outside main lido deck is mostly covered for some reason so it has a closed off, stagnant feeling which is very unusual on a Lido deck. After experiencing the crowds and lack of seating there we found other areas to relax in...which is a great thing about any ship. You can always find a hideaway to chill out. Fellow passengers were diverse and obviously bargain oriented...think Walmart and you get the picture. The two main hot tubs on the Lido were out of commission. Shame on Carnival...Liberty is just out of drydock and there's no excuse for this. The big screen theatre is very cool and much less intrusive than I thought it would be. Watching entertainment there after dinner, under the stars, is a pleasure. All in all Carnival Liberty is basically spotless and beautifully maintained. Read more