First time on a cruise...first time in the Southern Caribbean...LOVED it!!

Carnival Liberty Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

phisigjen

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 72

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Southern Caribbean (San Juan Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 10, 2016

Ship: Carnival Liberty

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8203

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

OK...so...I will say that not only was this my first time in the Southern Caribbean, but also my first time on Carnival... DEFINITELY a MUST DO AGAIN!!

We booked our cruise through . As it was my first cruise, I was nervous about booking online, so I called the 1-800 number. I was connected with the MOST helpful person, Joelle...she was FABULOUS!! Joelle helped answer questions, gave recommendations, got us to a great room, and generally was patient with me. After I had booked, I even called her back to help with the transfers to/from the airport and asked about a few shore excursions (one of which I booked on this website...which was the best excursion we had on the vaca).

Overall, the trip was INCREDIBLE!! But...how could it not be given the scenery. The ship was relatively crowded, but we learned that the week that we went was a "holiday" week for the folks in Puerto Rico. LOTS of kids and families, which is great if you are looking for that. Some of the activities, decor, and general ambiance were a bit dated. Again, not a major issue, but definitely noticeable. I would definitely do this or a very similar cruise again!!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

We were seated in the "early" dining time though we preferred "any time" or "late". As this was SO early (6:00 P.M.). we NEVER visited the dining room. There were plenty of other options that were available round the clock. The food was generally good...Guy's hamburgers was a our FAVORITE!! The buffet had a lot of options and was good.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Seemed a bit "dated" in that you somewhat felt like you were stuck in the 90's...not necessarily bad just a bit cheesy.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Much of the entertainment was "late"....in that with long days on shore, you almost didn't want to (or couldn't) stay up that late...

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

EVERYONE was smiling and VERY friendly!! Our room steward, Clifford was AWESOME!! He was very helpful!!

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

This is definitely not super new....they did a fair amount of painting though everyday during the cruise. In fact, they closed off portions of the Serenity area at least 2 days (and the other days the paint fumes were SO noxious you couldn't sit out there).

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

A bit dated, but clean and well-kept. The bed was put together as a king-sized bed and kept splitting down the middle. We had a GREAT view into the bridge, which did take away some of the privacy.

Ports of call

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5

Bridgetown, Barbados

5 out of 5

Did the Jolly Roger Pirate Cruise....was GREAT!!

Thumbs Up 3

Castries, St. Lucia

5 out of 5

Our FAVORITE!!!! We booked an excursion through Cruises.com called the "Souferie Sail" which was the BEST excursion we took on the entire trip...HIGHLY recommend!!!!

Thumbs Up 6

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

5 out of 5

5 Comments

nancyK8227114 8 years ago

We have sailed on carnival, Norwegian, Princess. Norwegians food was a little better, Princess was nice but the average age was much older. Entertainment therefore wasn't our cup of tea. Carnival is fun making it our favorite

Thumbs Up 1

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jetsetrwrldtrvl 8 years ago

We have never had a bad experience either. We have only sailing on Carnival and have loved ever one. My Son had met so many news friends on our trips. I always book through our Carnival Vacation Planner, Barbie S. and she is Awesome!

Thumbs Up 1

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JusMe 8 years ago

Welcome to the addiction of cruising.

Thumbs Up 0

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ReneeF59 8 years ago

We've never had a bad experience on Carnival. Loved the Valor!

Thumbs Up 3

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ShesShannon 8 years ago

Glad you enjoyed it. After my first cruise I was sold! We have been on some that were very crowded and others that weren't but always have a great time!

Thumbs Up 1

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