Liberty of the Seas Review
Excellent Experience on Our First Cruise
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our first cruise, so we didn't really know what to look for or prioritize when we were making the booking decision. It was important that the cruise would sail out of Galveston during Thanksgiving Week, so the Liberty Of The Seas fit our needs.
The cruise was an excellent experience. The ship provided plenty of activities to keep us entertained the entire week. The staff was friendly and always available to help. Since we didn't really know what to expect, we didn't book anything in advance, which ended up being a good decision.
We ended up exploring each port of call on our own and had great experiences in each one of them, at a fraction of the cost of any excursion package.
Cabin Review
Superior Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony
The cabin was comfortable for our family of 2 adults and two kids (6 and 7 years old). The balcony was a nice touch and I think I now must have one every time I cruise. If the room had been any smaller it would have been too tight.
Port Reviews
Galveston
I'm from Houston, so Galveston is extremely convenient as a departure port. I would not spend a minute here on vacation though, the beach is one of the ugliest I've seen and there's not much in terms of restaurants along the shoreline. The Strand is an ok place to take a walk. If you're here for a day, you might as well go to Schlitterbahn, or spend some time in the cruise ship.
Costa Maya
I didn't know anything about Costa Maya prior to the trip, and wasn't expecting much since I knew it was a location "made up" by the cruise lines. I was caught completely by surprise and had a great experience. The cruise port is very pleasant, and thanks to some tips we got at the Cruise's Guest Services, we ended up going to Mahahual Beach, and spending a great day there. A US$3.00/pp shuttle takes you to the beach, and once there we walked around until we found the perfect spot. The name of the restaurant was Los Arrecifes and like all others they don't charge anything to use their facilities (loungers, chairs, tables, Wi-Fi, etc) as long as you consume stuff from them. On the way back, we had to take a taxi, but it charged us the same as the shuttle.
Roatan
I was looking forward to getting to know Roatan. Unfortunately we were unlucky with the weather and got caught in a really bad rainstorm. We had hired a driver to take us to West Bay Beach, wait for us, and bring us back to the port for $45. In the end we decided not to stay. The rain was terrible and the resorts by the beach charged us a fee to simply go in. West Bay Beach is really beautiful, but the resort I saw (Bananarama) did not impress me. After leaving, the driver took us to West End, where the beachside village and shops seemed to be really nice, although the beach section there was not as nice as the previous one.
Cozumel
We took a taxi for US$15 each way to Paradise Beach where we spent the day. They have a beautiful facility, with a nice pool, wi-fi, restaurant, and a nice stretch of the beach. They charge US$3/pp to get in, and then you pay for the food and drinks you consume. They also offer some inflatable toys in the beach at an additional cost, which seemed nice, but since the sea was a bit rough on the day we went, they didn't have them out.