We cruised the RCCL's Liberty out of Barcelona in October on a 7 day cruise to ports in France and Italy. This was our 6Th cruise on a variety of cruise lines. Embarkation was a breeze and getting to our starboard balcony cabin was easy. We enjoyed the balcony but periodically had to retreat to the room when the smokers around us became bothersome. Clean cabin, excellent room steward and a quiet hallway was appreciated.
Buffet meals were pretty good but desserts were hit or miss. Cakes tended to be dried out and the sweets seemed to cater to the global cruisers - "Try to Identify that Candy." We chose Anytime Dining for dinner but made daily reservations to avoid waiting for a table. Our first waiter seemed to be from a different planet so we asked for a change and the service improved significantly. Entrees at dinner was really good or just so-so. Desserts seemed bland and the lack of variety was disappointing. Strangely, an additional cost Surf and Turf from Chops Steakhouse was offered some nights but we declined since we had reservations to eat there later in the cruise. Big mistake. When we did eat at Chops, there was no lobster at all on the menu. My wife's steak was excellent but my stuffed shrimp were shockingly bad. On the other hand, room service was good and we enjoyed practically everything they brought us. The great itinerary made up for the other issues, however. Good port choices, enjoyable excursions with the exception of Pisa/Florence where a disgruntled tour guide regularly fussed at all of us on the tour for acting like tourists. Later, in Florence's Uffizi gallery, he rushed us past famous works of art so he could stop and talk about his personal favorite, very unfamous works of art... And it was our most expensive excursion of the cruise.
We found the ship clean but minor problems kept popping up. The ATM's ran out of Euros quickly but were never refilled. The huge Wine Bar ran out of Riesling (!)...Mixed drinks varied from tasty to tasting like a cheap mix from a box. The entertainment was okay but seemed a little tired and mechanical..
Starboard-side balcony cabin was quiet most of the time. Hallway was also quiet. Some balcony neighbors turned on boom boxes but not very often. Balcony smokers had us retreating back to our cabin periodically. Cabin Steward was very good. Cabin was comfortable and clean. Not much to watch on TV if you need that sort of thing.