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Anthem of the Seas

Liberty of the Seas

Kona (Kailua Bay)

LIBERTY OF THE SEAS REVIEW by Host Anne hostanne@cruisecritic.com Pre-Inaugural Cruise, May 6 - 8, 2007 CABIN 9600 
DAY 1 - ARRIVAL The anticipation of sailing on a brand new ship, the largest in the world no less, for a two-night pre-inaugural sailing was exciting to say the least. I've never had the opportunity to be one of the first to sail on a brand new ship so this was doubly exciting for me. 
I sailed with several Cruise Critic staff (LauraS, Host Karen and our Publisher, Kathleen) along with Host Karen's wonderful husband, Ed and a variety of Cruise Critic members. I'm very grateful to Cruise Critic and Royal Caribbean for their warm hospitality in providing an unforgettable two night stay onboard Liberty of the Seas. 
I arrived on the east coast on Sunday afternoon and spent the night with family in eastern Pennsylvania. Early on Monday morning, my sister-in-law was kind enough to drive me over to Newark airport where I met RCI personnel to catch a shuttle to the ship. I arrived at 9:30 AM and the shuttles began running promptly at 10:00 AM. After picking up additional passengers at all the terminals, we made our way to Port Liberty in Bayonne. It was a short 15 minute bus ride. It's always fun to watch folks get on the shuttle with huge smiles on their face. After all, we were about to embark on a brand new beautiful ship. How could we be anything but ecstatic? I had the pleasure of sitting next to a crew member on the shuttle - Dexter who is one of the sports staff that runs the rock climbing wall. Right off the bat, it was great to chat with a crew member getting ready for their first contract on Liberty. Dexter hailed from Trinidad and was ready to help passengers have a great time on Liberty. 
Once at the port, we went through security (no more than a five minute wait) and entered the terminal. We quickly (less than five minutes) had our cabin keys and then worked our way over to the spot where they were taking your security photo. We then were asked to have a seat until they began allowing passengers to board. Cookies and refreshments (water & lemonade, I think) were available. Because the ship docks quite a ways from the terminal, small shuttles were provided to take us to the ship. We were given shuttle numbers that were called in order. 
In less than 30 minutes, our number was called and we were on our way to board Liberty. 
As there were no porters to take luggage on this cruise, all passengers had to hand carry luggage on and off the ship. That meant taking the elevator up to deck nine where we'd be residing. We were told that cabins wouldn't be ready until 1:30 so we left luggage in the hallway and went up two more decks to the Windjammer. 
WINDJAMMER I like the way the Windjammer is laid out in different stations. You have to learn what is at what station but once you've got if figured out, it's pretty easy. There's a salad station as you enter the restaurant, followed by a hot entrEe and pasta area. Further back, a carving station with breads, more hot entrEe choices, along with a grill station. In the morning, the back grill station is where you can get eggs and omelets cooked to order. 
You'll find plenty of seating around the Windjammer. We enjoy sitting at the very back of the ship where you can watch the wake from your table. Lunch was outstanding. Honey stung chicken, which is always available in the Windjammer on Sailaway, is one of my favorite dishes they offer. I had a side of pasta and my first meal on Liberty was a big hit. Coffee, water, ice tea and lemonade stations were found back in this area as well. 
NOTE: All staff encountered to this point in time were extremely pleasant and seemed happy to be on Liberty. 
CABIN Following lunch, we made our way back to our cabin and unpacked. I think the Freedom class ships have the best standard cabins and balconies at sea. They are somewhat wider than normal, allowing for people to actually pass each other in the cabin without someone climbing over something. There is lots of storage, a flat screen TV, new comfy pillow top beds and an standard balcony that also is slightly larger than you'll find on other ships. Our cabin was close to mid ship so it was a bit of a walk to a set of stairs/elevators. It's a really long way from the front of Liberty to the rear. 
CRUISE CRITIC GATHERING After packing, it was time to head down to the Champagne bar where we planned an informal, "unofficial" meet and mingle with the Cruise Critic Members on board. Nearly 40 people showed up and as always, it's great to put faces with the names we chat with frequently on Cruise Critic. 
Our Cruise Critic gathering was barely over and it was time for muster drill. It was a pretty typical drill that lasted about 30 minutes. There is a new type of life jacket that has what I'd term a "neck ring" around the padding behind your head. As another Cruise Critic member mentioned, it's very uncomfortable and for those of us who are claustrophobic (I am slightly), it feels very restrictive around you neck. I also wish RCI would not ask folks to put their life jackets on before heading down the stairs. It's very dangerous to walk down the stairs with life jackets on and with the new neck ring, it makes it even more difficult to see where you are going. It never made sense to me to make you wear the life jacket down the stairs and then after they line you up outside, they demonstrate how to put your life jacket on. Muster drill was conducted outside and it was a bit chilly so I was glad I grabbed a sweatshirt before I left the cabin. 
SAILAWAY RECEPTION Immediately after the drill, it was time for Sailaway. RCI had invited their internet partners (that included our Cruise Critic members) to a reception in the Olive or Twist section of the Viking Crown lounge. While I typically enjoy Sailaway on the open deck, this was a perfect Sailaway to be indoors as it was pretty cold by the time the ship started moving. Adam Goldstein, president of Royal Caribbean attended the reception and took time to speak individually with those present. Captain Zini did a FANTASTIC job for Sailaway and actually took us up river to sail past the Statue of Liberty. He did a 360 degree turn in front of her before heading out to see. For me, this was one of the highlights of the cruise. Liberty sailing in from of Liberty! It was awesome!!!! Thanks, Captain Zini! 
MAIN DINING ROOM As we had less than 48 hours on board, the pace of activities was pretty hectic. Immediately after the reception, we headed to dinner. We had been assigned Main Dining (6:30 PM). While there were no table assignments, they did pre-assign main or late dining times. We were a few minutes late arriving due to the reception and ended up on the lowest floor (deck 3) of the dining room. This is a spectacular room if you haven't had the chance to see it on Freedom. 
It's three stories, has a marvelous chandelier, and had a sweeping staircase at the rear of the dining room where musical entertainment performs. We has a special treat as we unexpectedly randomly had a WONDERFUL waiter (Hakan from Turkey) whom Host Karen had on a previous cruise on Brilliance. One of the things that is special about cruising is the wonderful crew you meet and see again on a later cruise. Hakan made our dining experience a lot of fun. The food in the dining room was very good, particularly the beef filet on the second night. I skipped desserts but everyone said they were very good. ICE SHOW After dinner we decided to take in the ice show. Always a popular attraction on RCI Voyager and Freedom class ships, I'm continued to be amazed at what these skaters can do on such a small sheet of ice. This was by far the best ice show I've seen on an RCI ship (I think I've seen five others). The skaters were extremely talented, the show had a great theme, the music and skating were fantastic and probably most importantly, you could tell the skaters were having a great time. I love when you can tell people enjoy what they are doing. It definitely came across in this show. Don't miss it. 
ONCE UPON A TIME PRODUCTION SHOW You'll see a theme here....we'd go from one venue to the next because we wanted to take it all in. The production show with the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers took place after the ice show (it was 11:00 PM). I think we were all getting tired and while the performers were quite talented, the show itself didn't have the wow factor that the ice show did. We headed back to our cabins about half way through the show to get some much needed sleep. 

DAY 2 - AT SEA While the sun was shining when we got up on Tuesday morning, it was rather cold outside. No chair hogs on this cruise. You could have had your pick of any chair at any pool. We started the day with breakfast in the Windjammer. I opted for the omelet station which was a great choice. Any time you can get something made to order, it's usually good. Coffee and a croissant completed my meal. A great start to the day. 
EXPLORING We spent the next couple of hours exploring and taking photos. We had been on Freedom so we wanted to see what was different and what was the same. We started at the top and worked our way down the ship. The Diamond Club Lounge up next to the Viking Crown Lounge was absolutely beautiful (it was not open for use on this cruise but we were allowed in to snap a few photos. Large glass walls that allow views of the sea. Beautiful furniture, a bar and buffet area and two desktop computers. Access is by your room key if you are Diamond or above in the RCI Crown and Anchor program. 
We checked out the wedding chapel (very nice), the Cyber Cafe, Library and Business Center (not sure what goes on in the business center...they were busy so we didn't stop to ask). By this time it was time to move on to our next activity. 
TRAVEL AGENT SESSION I'd say the greater majority of folks on this sailing were travel agents. RCI hosted a session that everyone could attend where they reviewed the future of the Royal Caribbean brand and introduced new tools for travel agents when booking cruises with Royal Caribbean. Many will benefit the cruise passenger as well. For example, in the near future we were told you can go onto Royal Caribbean's website, select your cruise, cabin, etc, hit the button to make your reservation and the reservation will automatically be transferred to your travel agent of record if you have completed a profile on line with Royal Caribbean's website. You'll also be able to book onboard, obtain your onboard credit for a future cruise and have your booking transferred to a group cruise if you'd like. There were lots of little innovations introduced that should assist travel agents in making your Royal Caribbean cruise terrific. 
SORRENTO'S PIZZA Following the session for travel agents, we headed to Sorrento's for pizza for lunch. I must say, Royal Caribbean has improved its pizza significantly in the past couple of years. This was the best pizza I've had on an RCI ship. You had three choices - cheese, pepperoni and the pizza of the day. Sorrento's also dishes up fresh salads that you can choose your own ingredients (items like sun-dried tomatoes, olives, etc....a little different from the Windjammer), sandwiches and a variety of desserts. It's a great little place. 
CABIN TOUR From Noon - 2:00 PM, select cabins were open to the public for touring. We visited a variety of suites - Presidential, Grand, Royal, Royal Family, Jr., Family Promenade, Disabled, Ben & Jerry's, Inside and probably a couple more. There are a wide variety of configurations and quite honestly, too many for me to easily describe. All were very nice. The Jr. Suite is a great size for those wanting a little more room and I actually like the Grand Suite as much as anything else .... OK, perhaps the Presidential is a tad nicer ;-) but I thought the Grand was terrific. I took lots of photos but it could be a bit of a challenge remembering which is which! 
BEN & JERRYS Of course there is everyone's favorite spot, Ben & Jerry's! No charge on this cruise for ice cream so it was an extremely popular spot. I think they have six or seven flavors available (maybe more - I didn't have any). 
PROMENADE CAFE Right across from Ben & Jerry's is the Promenade Cafe where you can get coffee, specialty coffee drinks, pastries and sandwiches. This was a very popular spot on this cruise (as it was on our Freedom cruise). The future cruise desk is adjacent to the Cafe and you can actually sit and wait in the cafe for you future cruise appointment or wait for a consultant to be free. Great idea. FUTURE CRUISE Speaking of the Future Cruise Consultant, it seemed silly NOT to place a deposit for a future cruise. Now you can choose what they are calling the "NEXT CRUISE" deposit, where you place a $100 deposit per person with them, but you don't select a sailing. The deposit is non-refundable but it guarantees you an onboard credit between $50 - $200 on your next RCI cruise. There is no date by when you have to book your next cruise. When you book, your $100 per person deposit is applied to your booking along with your applicable on-board credit. Of course, you can still book a "real" cruise if you know when and which ship you want to sail on. Many cruise lines are offering this now and it's a better way to secure an onboard credit. While some folks may know what cruise they want to book next, many don't. Nice touch! 
AFTERNOON TEA Since we were going to be dining later this evening, Laura and I decided to trek up to the Windjammer for a snack. The Compass listed it as "Afternoon Tea." In reality, it was way beyond tea. Lots and lots of food available (everything from waffles with strawberries to burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads, nachos, spring rolls and more). A quick bite was all we needed to tide us over until dinner. It was very quiet in the Windjammer around 4:00 PM. 
SURFRIDER Having sailed Freedom, we were very familiar with SurfRider. Since it was a pretty chilly day, it seemed like not many were participating but there were a fair amount of spectators watching those who were giving it a try. I heard from others that not everyone who wanted to got to try it. It was way too cold for me! We stayed for a short time so Laura could snap some photos for her son and then we were off to the promenade for a bit of shopping. I purchased one item for my daughter in the Get Out There Shop and Laura picked up a couple of items as well in the General Store. We also browsed through the jewelry store where there were plenty of beautiful pieces (didn't check out any prices, though) and the Clothing Boutique where they had higher end items such as Tommy Bahama, Roxy, Quick Silver, etc. 
FORMAL NIGHT We spent the next hour just chatting before meeting up with some friends for a drink in the Champagne Bar. We dressed for dinner around 7:00 PM and caught up with Karen and Ed back in the Champagne Bar just before dinner. The dress for the evening was formal attire and the majority of second seating were dressed appropriately. However, to my surprise there were several different folks we saw dressed in jeans, t-shirts and gym shoes. I was quite surprised by this. I realize that many don't adhere to the requested dress on regular cruises, but considering who was on this cruise, I thought there were far too many dressed outside the requested attire and honestly, they looked very much out of place. We were told that there were quite a few folks at main seating not dressed as requested. It doesn't normally bother me what people wear but I did feel that these pre-inaugural cruises were a bit special and the least we could do was to dress as RCI requested. 
Dinner was very, very good. I started with the shrimp cocktail. It was what you'd expect and tasted very good. I chose the beef filet for dinner which came sliced in three pieces a little more than ¼" thick each. It was cooked perfectly for me (medium rare) and tasted delicious with a peppercorn sauce. There was a Grand Marnier soufflE on the dessert menu but I resisted. I had no complaints in the food or service category in the dining room. Both were outstanding. 
AFTER DINNER As I mentioned earlier, the Captain of Liberty is Captain Zini from Argentina. He was dining at late seating and Ed was kind enough to stop him as he was leaving to ask if he would pose for a photo with the ladies at our table. He graciously obliged and it made it the perfect end to a wonderful dinner. We sat and chatted for a while longer and decided we'd better leave the dining room once the turned the lights all the way up so the crew could clean. It wasn't the first time we were the last to leave the dining room! 
MATT YEE From there, we walked down to the Schooner Bar to take in a bit of Matt Yee, the piano player. I had read about him here on the boards and wanted to check him out. Oh my goodness...it was chaos! I've never seen such a crowd for a piano singer on any ship. Everyone was singing and doing the crazy things he told them to do. It was a sight to behold. It was standing room only. 
We headed back to the Champagne bar since there wasn't any place to sit in the Schooner and spent some time just reliving the fun we had the past two days. How quickly they passed! 
ANY NEGATIVES? Don't laugh but the only negative we could come up with were the new comforters on the beds. They were very "stiff" and unless they were perfectly balanced on the bed, they tended to slip right off and onto the floor. A pretty minor item in the grand scheme of things. 
OTHER FUN THINGS The art, as always, was subjective. The theme is "Illusion vs Reality." Some interesting items; some way out there things. Lots were fun. A nice art book describing the collection was in our cabin. 
Club Ocean has these funky, fun round cutout chairs that sit low to the ground and rock...I want one! 
The furniture throughout the ship was comfy, colorful and modern. 
There is a BIG RED DOG that stands at one of the Promenade overlooks next to the elevators. He's huge! We want to name him. What do you think we should call him? 
Liberty has "Henry's" and Laura and I made sure we said "hello" to him when we saw him! 
The Godmother who will christen Liberty is a travel agent from Toronto. 
The "ribbons" of artwork that adorn the Promenade are made of Corian and were termed "Ribbons of Love" by the artist. 
THE CREW I was very pleased to see on more than one occasion that the crew of Liberty was recognized by RCI management. President Adam Goldstein noted that Liberty may be a beautiful vessel but it's her outstanding crew that makes her truly grand. He encouraged us to get to know the crew as best we could on our short stay. I couldn't agree more that the crew works extremely hard and they make any ship and cruise experience exceptional. The crew of Liberty of the Seas ensured that we had a terrific two day sneak peek and I can't wait to be back for a longer stay before too long! 
Thanks again to Cruise Critic and Royal Caribbean for such an unforgettable experience! 


Liberty of the Seas - Cruise to Nowhere

I was one of the lucky travel agents to be on the Inaugural North America cruise on the Liberty of the Seas by Royal Caribbean International sailing from Cape Liberty, Bayonne NJ. It was a complimentary 2 night cruise to no where to give us an idea of the vast amenities and beauty of this new baby sister to the Freedom of the Seas. The ships are identical in size with some subtle upgrades and improvements. 
Cabins- we got to tour most of the cabins on the ship including the Royal Suite (to die for), the Family Penthouse suite, Grand Suite, Owner's Suite, Junior Suite, Balcony cabin, Promenade Family Stateroom, Oceanview Family Stateroom and the Promenade cabin, to which we were assigned. I'm actually very glad that we were in the Promenade cabin since I have not stayed in this category before and I wanted to see the benefits over the inside (many) and the oceanview (also a few). I'll try to explain as much as each category of cabin as I remember it starting with the Promenade cabins first. These cabins are interior cabins but have a window facing the large galleria in the middle of the ship. We were on Deck 8, which is the highest level of this category of cabin. I would recommend this deck as opposed to the lower deck 6. The Royal Promenade is light 24/7 and some shops are open to the very wee hours. There might be some noise associated from the party revelers but in our 8th deck Promenade cabin, you couldn't hear any noise at all from the Promenade. We were actually located just a few door down from the elevators and we didn't hear any noise at all from the hallway or elevators. Pros to this cabin: It is lower priced than the ocean view cabins. The oceanview cabins are on the lowest passenger levels of the ship and the promenade cabins start on deck 6. Yes, it does not have the ocean view but you can see daylight which helped enormously when it came to having to get up in the morning. About ½ of the Promenade cabins are connecting which is great for families. 2 small love seats (one under the promenade window - great for people watching) Cons: if you need the beds separated into 2 twins, it is tight getting around the bed. Interestingly, the beds are rounded in one corner to make it easier to pass by. 
In all, I would highly recommend the Promenade cabins to my clients who would prefer to be midship on an upper level but may not want to pay for a balcony. The cabin amenities (the same for all of the staterooms not at suite level): Great plush beds European style linens 100% plush Egyptian towels Adequate closest space with a good amount of hangers. Decent but limited drawer space (typical on most cruise ships) Plasma flat screen TV Refrigerator Portable Hairdryer Bathroom amenities - only shampoo/conditioner in the shower stall. Bar soap. The suites have the upgraded bathroom amenities. Decent storage space in the medicine cabinet, shelf under the sink and numerous hooks on the back of the bathroom door. Shower - typical Royal Caribbean- the joke is- you soap the walls and shimmy around to soap your selves up. Need to open the shower door to shave your legs. 
Additional Suite Amenities included: Upgraded toiletries Bathtubs Balconies Robes and slippers 
The Family Promenade stateroom (there are only 4) is a fabulous and huge cabin to accommodate a family of up to 6 with a sofa bed and 2 bunk beds in a separate nook- great for younger kids or teens. Book these very early since these will be snapped up quickly. 
The Family Oceanview staterooms also have the bunk bed nook and will accommodate up to 6. There are only 8 of these and they will book up very quickly. They are located all the way in the forward on decks 6-9. 
The Junior Suites were very impressive. Great balcony and a good size with a bathtub. The Grand Suite is huge with a pull out sofa bed in the living room, bar area, huge bathroom with tub and great double balcony. The Royal Family Suite with balcony is fabulous for families with teens. It has 2 bedrooms (1 interior and the master has the balcony) with 2 bathrooms and a huge balcony. This may also sleep up to 6 with the double sofa bed. The Owners Suite is huge with 1 queen bed, a double sofa bed in the separate living area, 1 bathroom and huge flat screen plasma TV that swings back between both the master bedroom and the living area. The Royal Suite was the most impressive cabin on board the ship. This will only accommodate 4 guests in the private bedroom with king bed, separate living area with queen sofa bed and baby grand piano, dining room table and bar. The bathroom was incredible with marble sinks, a huge tub and shower that could easily fit 2. There is a Jacuzzi on the balcony. The Presidential Family Suite is the largest and will sleep up to 14 with 4 bedrooms (2 with balconies and 2 interior) with 2 bathrooms, an enormous balcony with a Jacuzzi and bar. 
This ship is designed for families and these cabins reflect the demand for upscale family cabins. These cabins are selling out quicker than I ever could have imagined despite the steep pricing. 
The Ship As a sister ship to the Freedom of the Seas, the Liberty of the Seas also has a FlowRider surf simulator and I finally got to see it in action. Richard Fein, the CEO of RCI, challenged guests and the ship's captain to a contest of who could stay up the longest and he did a great job. The FlowRider is located in the aft of the ship, is open periodically during the day and requires a lesson or assistance from the staff. Guests can either boogey board or try the long board. There are bleachers set up on the 3 sides surrounding the surf simulator for spectators and there were many of us watching- even in the 60 degree windy weather. 
In addition to the FlowRider, the sports deck includes a basketball court, the rock climbing wall and a beautiful mini golf course. The ice skating rink on deck 3 is also open throughout the day. 
The H2O zone - the kid's water park is a work of art. The fountains and sculptures were beautiful and this is sure to be a great hit among kids and the young at heart. For those who want something a bit quieter, the adult pool (the solarium is lovely and has 2 Jacuzzis that jut out 12 feet over the ocean. Although they were packed, I only dunked my feet in. It was still only 60 degrees out but it sure didn't stop the other guest. 
The main pool and the sports pool area are huge. There were a ton of lounge chairs set up on 2 levels. Don't miss the mango shake at the juice bar at the main pool. 
The Promenade In addition to Sorrento's Pizza (it has sandwiches, salads and desserts as well), there is a cafe (coffee shop with sandwiches, cookies, desserts as well as coffees), Ben and Jerry's, a pub, wine shop, barber shop, gift shop, general store, perfume shop, jewelry store, and a clothing store. A little reading area is tucked into the corner of the cafe. The promenade has a vintage red sports car (unfortunately just for viewing) and lots of tables to sit, relax and people watch. 
The Pirate's Parade To give us a taste of what the guests will see, we also got a chance to view the Pirate's Parade in the Promenade which was a ton of fun. Try to find a spot in the middle (near the wine shop for great viewing. The costumed characters go back and forth so really any location will be good. There are 2 balconies over the promenade where the characters steered the pirate ships and did some wonderful stunts. 
The Food Of course, no cruise is complete without eating to your hearts delight. The Windjammer buffet also included Jade Restaurant which had some very interesting and tasty Asian dishes. From the pool area, you will first pass Jade, but if you are interested in the more common American fare, keep walking and you'll get into the Windjammer cafe. The buffet for breakfast has an omelet station in addition to all the usual breakfast buffet foods. Jade offered all cut up vegetables which I assumed (incorrectly) was for the Omelet station, but it was really for Miso soup. I didn't try it for breakfast but lots of people were digging in. I did have the scrambled eggs with shrimp and peppers and they were good. The lunch buffet had the Asian specialties in the Jade section and in Windjammer, the selection was vast. There was a carving station, with all the fixings, sandwiches, pastas, salads, soups, fruits and desserts. There were separate salad bowls which were greatly appreciated and guests used them for everything from salads to fruits to desserts. 
The Dining Room 3 levels and exquisite. If you sit on the lowest level you get a great view of the entire dining room. The food is presented beautifully. It is tasty and has enough variety for even picky eaters. There are new Vitality menu offerings which are healthier. The service is friendly and efficient. We ate in the dining room for the first breakfast and both dinners. Although I couldn't get strawberries and blueberries in Windjammer, it was no problem at all in the main dining room for breakfast. The dinner menu always includes Caesar salad, grilled salmon, steak, chicken and baked potato. I had the surf and turf (beef and shrimp) the first night and enjoyed it thoroughly. The 2nd night, I had roast duck which is a treat for me since I rarely have it. Portions are small, but remember you can order as much as you want. On the 2nd night (deemed formal night), the waiters served sorbet between courses- something I don't remember seeing on Royal Caribbean before. Desserts were good- even the sugar free desserts. One of our associates was celebrating her birthday so I was able to get a slice of cake brought to the table and a dozen waiters all serenaded her. It's just a slice of cake now. A celebration cake needs to be ordered through the special services- Bon Voyage department. 
Royal Caribbean's food has never been gourmet but it certainly was very good and had a good variety. I know food is very personal but I really couldn't find fault with the meals that I had. 
The Entertainment We had a welcome aboard 70's dance party right after dinner on the promenade where the Village people led a dance parade. It was a lot of fun and the guests were really enjoying that. 
The first show was Some Where in Time and was truly wonderful. Please realize that I am no Simon Cowell, but we all thought the singers were superb and the show was sensational. The stage sets were truly beautiful and the show really WOW'd us. There was only 1 show that night at 11pm and it was crowded but we were able to get good seats. The stage curtain is a red, jeweled design of cabaret line. It was the nicest that I have ever seen. 
The Ice Show- Encore- was top of the line. These skaters were fabulous. There was one scene where the female skater must have changed costumes a dozen times while still on the ice. It was truly sensational. The jumps, twirls and swinging were making me dizzy so I don't know how the skaters kept up the pace but it was a 45 minute show and it was great. 
The 2nd show was a celebrity entertainer- Mickey Dolenz of the Monkeys. He was very good. He performed a number of the favorites from the Monkeys as well as a few others. His sister CoCo was his side kick and they performed a couple of duets together. Again- a great show which was enjoyed by all. 
The casino is huge but no longer has the bells when you win at the slots (kind of ruins the fun of winning). There are a ton of bars and private places to hang out in. The disco was packed with dancers. 
I know that I skipped a lot but I am righting this after very little sleep. In general, this ship is great. Is it for everyone---- probably not but I know that it would be great for families, honeymooners, couples and groups alike. A good travel agent will be able to steer you in the right direction and will be able to help you decide if this is the right ship for you. I will try to get some pictures up on my website but I can't promise that it will be soon. 
I would sail on this ship in a heartbeat. I just wish my 2 night cruise was longer! 


My trip on RCI's brand new Liberty of the Seas was pure luck...literally. I actually won it as a prize on a local radio station contest. Once I was on the trip I found out that it was an exclusive one night preview cruise to nowhere sponsored by AAA as a way to introduce the new ship to it's travel agents and invited guests. I was one of those invited guests...they actually gave a few cabins to radio stations as promotional thing...lucky me! With that said, the short time I spent on Liberty was great. This was my fourth cruise over all (2nd with RCI). My last cruise was out of Port Canaveral so to say that Cape Liberty was a little dumpy is an understatement. I expected to see Tony Soprano dumping a body off of the pier...it was safe..just a little scary and deserted. The ship itself was everything a cruise ship should be...awe-inspiring and something you can't accurately describe in words. From the Royal Promenade to the 3-story Main Dining Room the ship was impressive. Having just cruised on RCI's Sovereign of the Seas (RCI's oldest ship afloat) in March I was not ready for what awaited me onboard the Liberty. We quickly made the most of our short time on board. Our first stop being the stateroom to drop off the luggage. Our room was an inside cabin...nothing fancy...but very well appointed...even a flat screen television. The next several hours we spent searching the entire ship...from the flowrider to the Catacombs Nightclub..Liberty just amazed us the whole time. We made our way to Windjammers and and had a good lunch. The food was very good...I wouldn't say it was 5 star...but combined with the ambience it would be hard to beat! Especially dinner in the dining room...it is like a picture out of Titanic. The staircase and chandelier really makes the dinner feel like a special event! Our favorite part of the evening onboard were the shows...the Ice Skating performance called 'Encore' was just that...you wanted it to keep going and going. It was hard to believe the skill of the skaters...especially because we were at sea...you would be hard pressed to see a better ice show on land! The 'Ever After' performance in the theatre was also top notch. Definitely the best show I have seen onboard a ship! The evening wrapped up on the Royal Promenade with a 70's Dance party...and let's just say that by then the drinks were flowing. Being an exclusive preview cruise all the booze was included...and I definitely over-indulged. My last recollection of the evening is blowing $40 in the casino. Next thing I knew it was 7 am and time to head to breakfast. Overall, Liberty is a ship that everyone should try at least once. I highly recommend it for anyone...first time cruisers or seasoned veterans!! 


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