The
Carnival Liberty is part of the Conquest class—one of Carnival's largest class of ships to date. At 110,000 tons, it offers cruisers the big-ship experience while remaining small enough that guests can traverse the ship fairly easily. The newer class ships still boast all the "fun ship" activities, including games, party events and contests.
Built in 2005 at Fincantieri in Venice, Liberty is registered in Panama and commanded by Italian officers. The international service crew attends to a maximum of 2,974 passengers. The majority of these are from the U.S. All announcements are in English. In the summer and during Christmas season and spring break, mostly families, family reunion groups and younger travelers are aboard. In the off-season (September to November and January to April) more specialty groups and active adults make the cruise.
The ship alternates on Eastern and Western Caribbean routes. Eastern stops include Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; St. Thomas, USVI; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. Western stops are Cozumel; Mexico; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Carnival announced in October 2008 that Liberty would continue to operate year-round Caribbean cruises—from Baltimore until 27 April 2009, and from Miami thereafter. Originally, the ship was scheduled to operate Europe cruises during summer 2009.
The first noticeable thing aboard the Liberty is its theme of "artisans." Although sometimes difficult to discern, the attempt in each room is to feature a unique type of workmanship, like toymakers or Murano glass. The Victorian-themed nine-floor atrium is a fitting entry to this mega-ship. One drawback to the layout is that the areas around the shore excursions desk and information desk are small and prone to congestion during peak hours. But guests searching for quiet will find some out-of-the-way spots.
Most entertainment and shopping can be found on the Promenade Deck and the open Lido Deck. Lido deck comprises three pool areas, several whirlpools and the signature 214-ft waterslide. The Seaside Theatre consists of a 270-sq-ft video screen that shows videos during the day and family-friendly movies at night. The Tivoli pool is very small by big-ship standards. The Versailles Pool at the rear of the Lido deck is more inviting and has a retractable roof.
The gym is 15,000 sq ft of modern exercise equipment and program rooms. Optional classes are offered at a nominal cost. A jogging track circles the open deck.
The spa offers a full menu of treatments via the Steiner organization, including detox, massage techniques and beauty rituals. Prices are higher than on land, but less than on deluxe cruise lines. The whirlpool boasts an indoor waterfall, and sauna and steam rooms are separated for men and women.
There are dozens of snorkeling, diving, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, city touring, and beach and water adventures. Some unique offerings are the bioluminescence lagoon tours in Puerto Rico, Bahamas flat fishing, and the increasingly popular undersea helmet-dives.
Most of the entertainment on board in the evening revolves around the Promenade Deck. The Main Lounge presents Vegas-style reviews with elaborate costumes, guest comics, jugglers, etc. Other lounges feature rock bands and sing-along piano and karaoke bars. The Russian-themed Casino has slot machines, video poker, table games like blackjack, Caribbean Stud, roulette, craps and—new to Carnival ships—Texas Hold Em'.
Carnival excels in its activities for Children. Liberty has an expanded Camp Carnival and O2 Teen Program. The new kids' area is over 4,200 sq ft and has PS2, Wii, arts and crafts, games and a wading pool. The O2 Teen program, with its own lounge, offers video games, activities, a music DJ and a juice bar. Carnival offers several new programs for older guests, including music, science, interactive projects at ports of call, and recreational and fitness activities.
On-board shopping is limited to a souvenir and T-shirt shop, liquor, duty-free jewelry, cosmetics and perfumes.
The Internet cafe is small and hidden away on a lower deck; it offers only a few computers and connection is slow. However, the ship has wireless Internet access throughout, so connection via personal (or rented) laptop is easy (but not faster).
There Silver Olympian and Golden Olympian are the two main dining rooms. Their shared menu features international cuisine with a rotating variety of fish, poultry, beef and vegetarian dishes. They operate on fixed seating with the table number and dining time assigned by the ship. Food quality on Carnival ships has definitely improved since adopting the Georges Blanc menu several years ago, but is still not up the standards of luxury lines. The Silver Olympian (aft dining room) is a bit smaller and scenic with three walls of windows versus the larger, centrally located Golden Olympian. Harry Winston's, the supper club atop the ship, exacts a $30 cover charge. For a change of pace and high quality dining, it is a great option. Reservations are necessary. The Lido Buffet, Emilie's, serves a rotating international fare. There are also lines for Asian cuisine, deli sandwiches, the outdoor grill area and 24-hour pizza. The food is typical buffet fare, and lines are sometimes long. The carving station and cooked-to-order pasta in the evening are unexpected pluses. A great area on the Liberty is the fish and chips bar that serves cooked-to-order seafood and rarely gets noticed by guests. Other venues include the Jardin Cafe (coffee, cakes and pastries) and the Sushi Bar.
Carnival has some of the largest standard cabins (195 sq ft) and Liberty offers a majority of them as oceanview and balcony. Standards contain two full-size twin beds convertible to a king. All are nicely appointed and designed with a good amount of storage space. TVs have interactive capabilities for ordering movies, games, shore excursions and checking the bill. Safes, hair dryers and basic toiletries are standard. Recently, the line upgraded bedding to high-thread-count sheets and fluffy duvets. Oceanview cabins and above come with robes. The narrow standard balconies hold a chair and small table. Deluxe balcony cabins on the back of the ship have large balconies with wonderful views aft.
Family staterooms are slightly larger and have floor-to-ceiling windows instead of a balcony. These 18 units book up quickly, especially during peak season. Suites are substantially larger with separate sitting areas, closets, whirlpool tub, marble accents and larger balconies. The layout and size depends on the floor and location.
Two complaints pop up on this ship: Service is hit or miss, but most guests are pleased; and the activities aboard are highly structured, which appeals to some guests and repels others. On the plus side, the cruise itinerary keeps sea time to a minimum and offers guests many diverse island experiences.
The Liberty is a great choice for families, groups and those wanting a fun, entertaining cruise experience with a variety of options on a limited budget. One tip to cruisers: To best enjoy yourself aboard a mega-ship, try to avoid doing anything at peak times. By observing the patterns onboard you can avoid spending time waiting in lines and instead spend it having fun.
