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Why Go?
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 Carnival Liberty Photos
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Based on Conquest, but newer and splashier
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Try Origami Sushi Bar and Harry's Supper Club
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Carnival's first-ever pool-adjacent Seaside Theater
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Interiors celebrate the art of crafts
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Itineraries and Ports of Call: Caribbean - Eastern • Caribbean - Western
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Carnival Liberty Review
Carnival Liberty -- the line's fourth Conquest-class vessel -- won't surprise folks familiar with the Conquest-style layout, public spaces and cabin amenities. As with its siblings, the ship features a plethora of themed bars and lounges, four restaurants, two main pool areas, a spa and fitness facility, a sprawling casino, and Harry's, a reservations-only supper club. Carnival Liberty boasts a high ratio of private balconies (18 were added during an October 2008 dry-dock), a library, an ornate three-deck theater and a series of shops, and offers teens their own nightclub (which is uniquely located along the promenade with the rest of the "adult" fare). It's pretty safe stuff.
Where Carnival Liberty does elicit some head scratching is in its decorating scheme, celebrating the craft of art rather than having anything at all to do with the concept of liberty -- which appears, at first, a bit esoteric for a Carnival vessel.
At least it may well seem a stretch to those who haven't traveled on Carnival ever -- or even lately -- and who may still expect a neon-palace-type experience. That's because Carnival, long dubbed the "Fun Ships" line (with an onboard ambience that in the past has been more likely to emphasize wacky, high-energy antics and oft-cartoonesque design schemes), is in the midst of a gentle evolution.
Much of what has earned Carnival its distinctively lighthearted niche (and it's pretty much solely their niche these days) is a unique joie de vivre, an "anything goes" philosophy both in physical features -- bars, pools and theaters especially, not to mention entertainment varied enough to please just about anybody -- and in silly activities. If passengers were required to compromise on food, itinerary, a sophisticated decor or even service in the past ... well, nobody's perfect.
But on our voyage aboard Carnival Liberty, this occasional (rather than habitual) Carnival cruiser found the experience genuinely exceptional in just about every possible way. Service was outstanding, both personal and efficient. Our standard balcony cabin was charming, low-key and spacious. The entertainment, particularly at night, was so varied and offered so many options -- Vegas floor shows, jazz, the fabulous "piano man" who packed in the crowds with his group sing-alongs -- that they kept us up way, way, way past our normal bedtime. Cuisine definitely exceeded my expectations, particularly at Harry's Supper Club -- not to mention Emile's buffet, the fish-and-chips bar, the sushi station and even the pizzeria (which made fabulous thin-crust pies). Only our dining room meals were mediocre.
And the artisan-themed public spaces designed by Carnival's uber-interior architect Joe Farcus were much more sophisticated than I expected: the colorful glass lamps along the walls of the art nouveau Emile's; the elegance of the Antiquarian Library, with its book-binding theme; the Cabinet Room, a bar for jazz and cigars that was downright low key in its elegance; and the genuinely lovely Flowers bar, which literally seemed a breath of fresh air with its garden pastel watercolors tucked behind iron gate like fixtures.
And yet, in an era in which some cruise lines are abandoning long-occupied niches to broaden their audiences -- and, in the process, forgetting all about what made them special in the first place -- Carnival is making no such mistake with Carnival Liberty. The line, which has already successfully evolved from a party-hearty budget option to one that's equally geared to singles, families and seniors (no easy feat there), is simply tweaking its well-established formula. Travelers are becoming more sophisticated and discerning across the board and Carnival, especially through its newer ships, is simply raising its bar to meet the new demand via coffee bars, supper clubs and sushi stations. And even while the line embraces a new, subtle sophistication, an oddly placed alarm sensor -- like those that appear in mall shops -- sits outside the photo shop. The reason? To prevent theft of photos!
Ultimately, the ship's onboard pizzeria best makes the point that Carnival Liberty can serve many masters well: Good ol' pepperoni sat side by side with a pie featuring goat cheese -- and both pretty much flew out of the oven.
Read Complete Carnival Liberty Review
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Carnival Ships: Carnival Conquest • Carnival Destiny • Carnival Dream • Carnival Ecstasy • Carnival Elation • Carnival Fantasy • Carnival Fascination • Carnival Freedom • Carnival Glory • Carnival Imagination • Carnival Inspiration • Carnival Legend • Carnival Liberty • Carnival Magic • Carnival Miracle • Carnival Paradise • Carnival Pride • Carnival Sensation • Carnival Spirit • Carnival Splendor • Carnival Triumph • Carnival Valor • Carnival Victory • Holiday
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