Gladesgirl

Embarkation was fantastic, didn't have to wait hardly at all. 

Buffet was very crowded, thankfully a Princess employee told us to find a seat before getting our food.  We had second seating in the Provence dining room and the service was good.  Portions are getting smaller and smaller though and we are a little shy about asking for a second entree.  We had a reservation on my husbands birthday for the Bayou Cafe and it was the best meal we had.  We both had Filet Mignon with a lobster tail and we were both shocked at the quality and size of both.  Their dessert was out of sight if you love peanut butter and chocolate.  We purchased a bottled water package before cruising and a coffee card.  We then enjoyed bottled water and lattes the entire time, very nice!

I like to play slots at the casino when we cruise and this being my 14th cruise I have seen some casinos.  This was, without a doubt, the smallest, worst casino for slots I have seen.  Old machines, half the amount I expected and one section of the casino was so hot that no one would sit long...therefore cutting the amount of machines even further.  I figured I'd save myself some money and normally would have been there everynight, but only went there 3 nights. 

The cruise director was so so.  You would see him in the Atrium and doing his morning show (which he taped the night before), but he hardly ever made any announcements, didn't say anything to us via announcement on our disembarkation.  All in all very lackluster. 

As far as the itinerary is concerned, the transit through the canal was the Best!  Worth the whole trip.  Started our day very early (about 6AM) on Deck 11 (the same deck our cabin was on) as we had access to the front of the ship from there.  We stayed there the whole time through the canal to the lake.  The other ports of call were fine, albeit a little short on time in Aruba, and Ocho Rios was lousy, but we had never been to Cartagena and Costa Rica and now we can say we have, however, the purpose of our trip was to see the transit and it was definitely enjoyable.

Our family had a great time on the Liberty for our New Years cruise.  We have done one other Carnival New Years Cruise on the Legend out of Tampa.  And unfortunately there is no comparison.  The cruise director, Felipe, on the Liberty, was one of the best we've had.  And we done quite a few Carnival cruises.  There was no one big thing wrong, just a bunch of little things.  Carnival has changed the dining service in the main dining rooms to something called "American Table".  I think it takes away from the "experience".  We are not formal people, but we want a little "something something" extra in the dining room if we choose to use it.  Its now become just a little step up from the Lido deck buffet.  In fact, almost everything you get in the dining room is available on the buffet.  The quality of the food is also lacking a little.  And again I say we are not "fancy" people, just want what we have had in the past (since 1998) and its not there.  There's no more chocolate on the bed at turn down service.  There wasn't a VIP get together.  There is no cruise desk that I could find nor any incentives for booking your next cruise.  Like I said, just some subtle changes, but really not for the better.  We are also cruisers on Princess line and think we will stick more with that.  And by the way Carnival, since you and Princess are one in the same company, why can't the reward program be combined?