Carnival Cruises
This ultra-colorful ship should be good for first-time cruisers
The Ship. Carnival Liberty shares the same fairly balanced profile as sisters Carnival Conquest, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Glory, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Valor, and Carnival Victory. Amidships on the open deck is a long water slide (200ft/60m long), tiered sunbathing decks and small pool, several hot tubs, and a large Seaside Theater movie screen. An extra-cost Serenity retreat provides quiet sunbathing space and a pool with retractable glass dome, just for adults, aft of the funnel. Inside are three decks full of lounges, 10 bars, and lots of rooms to play in.
The decor in the public rooms, hallways, and atrium adopts a design theme saluting master trades such as ironwork, masonry, pottery, and painting. The layout is logical, so finding your way around is easy. Most public rooms are located off a main boulevard – an interior promenade that is good for strolling and people-watching – particularly from the Jardin Café or Promenade Bar. Other hangouts and drinking places include The Stage (live music/karaoke lounge), the Flower Bar (main lobby), Gloves Bar (sports bar), Paparazzi (wine bar), and The Cabinet.
Carnival Liberty is a floating playground for the young and young-at-heart, and anyone who enjoys constant stimulation and lots of participation events, together with the three ‘Gs’ – glitz, glamour, and gambling. It’s cruising Splash Vegas style – a fun, all-American experience. Because it’s a large resort ship, there will be lines for the likes of shore excursions, security control when re-boarding, and disembarkation, as well as sign-up sheets for fitness equipment.
While the cuisine is just so-so, the real fun begins at sundown, when it excels in terms of sound, lights, razzle-dazzle shows, and late-night high-volume sounds.
Niggles include the many pillars in the dining room, public toilets that are utilitarian and need some cheering up, and a lack of flowers. It is impossible to escape from noise and loud music (it’s even played in cabin hallways and lifts), not to mention smokers.
Accommodation. There are numerous cabin price categories, in seven different grades: suites with private balcony; deluxe outside-view cabins with private balcony; outside-view cabins with private balcony; outside-view cabins with window; cabins with a porthole instead of a window; interior cabins; and interior cabins with upper and lower berths. The price reflects the grade, location, and size. Five decks of cabins have a private balcony, but many are not so private, because they can be overlooked from various public locations.
There are 18 ‘spa’ cabins, located around and behind SpaCarnival, so you can get out of bed and head straight to the treadmill without having to go through any public rooms.
Standard cabins are of good size and have all the basics, although the cabinetry is angular (no rounded corners). Eight balcony cabins on each of three decks overlook the stern (these are very pleasant). Most cabins with twin beds can be converted to a queen-size bed format.
Dining. There are two main dining rooms, Golden Olympian Restaurant, forward, seating 744, and Silver Olympian Restaurant, aft, seating 1,122. Two additional wings (the Persian Room and Satin Room) can accommodate large groups. Choose either fixed-time dining (6pm or 8.15pm) or flexible dining (during opening hours). Note that the main dining room is not open for lunch on port days.
The food is carbohydrate-rich and non-memorable, with simple presentation and few garnishes. Many dishes are disguised with gravies and sauces. The choice of green vegetables, bread and bakery items (these are thawed and then baked from frozen ‘starter’ dough), cheeses, and fruits is limited, and there is heavy use of canned fruit and jellied desserts. The waiters sing and dance, so think ‘foodertainment’ rather than food quality. Also, there are no wine waiters, and the wine glasses are small. For something really simple, an ‘always available’ list of ‘Carnival Classics’ includes mahi-mahi (fish), baby back ribs (beef), and grilled chicken.
Two-level Emile’s is a casual self-serve international food court-style Lido Deck eatery, Guy’s Burger Joint (named after TV’s Guy Fieri), Blue Iguana (Mexican cantina-style), and Bonsai Sushi. The Steakhouse is a more intimate setting for (extra-cost) prime meats and seafood.
Entertainment. The Venetian Palace Showlounge is a 1,400-seat multi-deck showroom for large-scale Las Vegas-style production shows and major cabaret acts.
The Victoria Lounge is another, smaller venue, located aft; it seats 425 and typically features live music and late-night cabaret acts, including smutty adult comedy.
The Tattooed Lady Dance Club is a discotheque for the hearing-impaired; it includes a video wall with projections live from the dance floor. There’s also the 100-seat Piano Man bar, with keyboard-inspired decor.
Spa/Fitness. SpaCarnival is a large health, fitness, and spa complex that spans two decks. It is located directly above the navigation bridge and accessed from the forward stairway. The lower level includes a solarium, eight treatment rooms, lecture rooms, sauna and steam rooms for men and women, and a beauty salon. The upper level consists of a large gymnasium with floor-to-ceiling ocean-view windows on three sides, and an aerobics room with instructor-led classes, some at extra cost.