Sub-Par and leaves one wondering if less

Carnival Liberty Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

RafaelE

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 38

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

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Sail date: April 16, 2011

Ship: Carnival Liberty

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 13 years ago

Review summary

The cruise was sub-par when compared to similar options. The food was mediocre and with few options and the service (overall) was poor. The fact that they pre-charge the tips clearly is a factor (a negative one) affecting the performance of the staff. They have no motivation to provide anything beyond average service since they know beforehand that they will get the same gratuities regardless of their performance. In fact, some staff were actually rude and mostly not interested in resolving issues. The ship's size is on the smaller end of today's mega-cruisers which to me, was a PLUS. It felt less congested although even despite this relatively lesser number of passengers, embarkation and disembarkation (particularly in those portes with tender service) was chaotic and slow.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

Without being outright revolting, the food here was in fact the worst I have had in any of my cruise experiences. Mediocre quality, mediocre quantity, and poor variety.

Entertainment

1 out of 5

Not many options and those available not very good.

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

Our daughter had a great time and made many friends at the C Club. This was perhaps the highlight of the cruise. The program was varied and well organized and lent itself for kids to do many fun things without being overly-supervised.

Service and Staff

1 out of 5

Not good. Sometimes even rude and almost never helpful. Particularly the shore excursions and the main desks. Dining room personnel were also mediocre in their attitudes, disinterested and aloof.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

The ship was clean in general and well kept. But as I mentioned before, its accessibility was mediocre and embarkation processes were problematic.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Aside from the fact that we were right by the pantry (with the corresponding noise) everything else was very good. Spacious, comfortable, and clean.

Ports of call

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)

5 out of 5

Beautiful place and enough time to enjoy it. The horseback riding and swim tour was excellent. Fun, well organized, and different to the typical "horsie" tours.

Thumbs Up 1

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5

very nice for SCUBA diving; the shopping "experience" was disappointing with prices similar to those in the mainland without the taxes. better deals in other islands.

Thumbs Up 0

Grand Turk Island

1 out of 5

Not much to see on this island othet than the very touristy "mall" by the pier. The "stingray" tour was a complete disappointment with just ONE stingray showing up and the tour guide handling it all the time for some 20 people.

Thumbs Up 0

Don't Miss: Unless you want to shop... stay on board.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

1 out of 5

Where's the beach? There is something missing when a cruise does not offer a beach experience on island as nice as Puerto Rico. We managed to solve this problem on our own, but I am not sharing my secret. Sorry.

Thumbs Up 0

Pros: Itinerary, Accomodations

Cons: Food, Service

Recommends Carnival Liberty? No.

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