Bigger sometimes IS better!
As far as a "family-friendly" cruise goes, the Liberty of the Seas and its phenomenal crew and wonderful amenities provided the BEST cruise experience last week during a Western caribbean voyage for yours truly and my family during our kids' school Spring Break.
Now, don't get me wrong, as we did have some customer service issues at the pier and upon our initial boarding, but it is how a crew responds to these problems onboard, once they are made aware of them, that impresses me most - positively or negatively!
I almost want something to go wrong on each cruise I take to see the response.
Why? Because, coming onboard as a consumer (no travel agent rate, etc.) you can truly see how a cruise line will be treating the clients YOU send on that ship!
The Liberty of the Seas crew gets an A+!
With six people in our party from 16-74 years old (including two hard-to-please teenagers), everyone had a blast, with so much to do onboard, two in our party never left the ship!
Both premium restaurants, Chops Grill and Portofino were 5 star in food quality, food presentation and service!
The "teen" amenities gave my wife and myself a real vacation for a change, as we rarely saw them except for dinner.
Dining in the main dining room continues to improve each time I board a Royal Caribbean ship - it now must be considered among the best dining at sea - and I used to make apologies to clients about RCI dining (around the turn of the century.)
The entertainment continues to be the best at sea - and never ceases to impress me! The production numbers and special guest performers are first class. The ice show is always a unique experience, and the parades down the Royal Promenade are fun for all ages!
Accommodations also seem to be getting larger with each new class ship that RCI comes out with! Thank goodness, because, unfortunately, I'm getting a little larger, too, as I get a bit older, and I have felt quite cramped in some facilities in the past - not on the Liberty.
And, with as many people onboard as there were (not one empty cabin - with many having their 3rd/4th berths filled as well) we never felt crowded. The Windjammer/Jade restaurants, where most of the casual dining took place, were large enough to accommodate the biggest crowds, with plenty of serving stations to eliminate any long lines.
Then, for the active set (again, the teens) you have the Rock Wall, miniature golf, a full size basketball court, and the incredible FlowRider with boogie-boarding and surfing not just at sea, but on a cruise ship - just a great amenity! And the fitness areas - gym, free weights, stairmasters, treadmills, pilates classes - even a boxing ring - wow!
Oh yes, I can't forget the pizza parlor, wine bar, Johnny Rockets, Ben & Jerry's, Promenade Shops, and assorted clubs, bars, theater, ship-wide wireless Internet (which, thankfully worked great everywhere I tried it), H2O zone for the little kids, casino for the big kids, bingo for all, the solarium, hot tubs, massage, sauna and so much more!
I know I'm forgetting some things, and I know I didn't get to everything, but, as we all agreed, we have already planned to return this Summer for the Eastern Caribbean itinerary and revisit our friends upon the Liberty of the Seas.
My personal rating - 9.8 out of 10.0 - it doesn't get any better (at least it hasn't to this point after 80+ cruises!)
Footnote:
The even larger Genesis project ship, pictured here and due out in late 2009, will be another 40% bigger than the Liberty OTS, the current record holder as world's largest cruise ship. I am now EXTREMELY excited to see what RCI has "up its sleeve" that will surpass the Freedom class vessels and truly take cruising to a higher level - perhaps the 'Pinnacle" of the Seas (hint, hint).
