Quick and Painless
Galveston, TX
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Yep... this means it is all over! But what a GREAT cruise!
Morning
We woke up to the entire back of the ship shaking around 5:30AM. We both jumped up not sure what was going. We noticed we were entering the Galveston channel so we assumed that had something to do with it. It lasted 20 or so minutes and Chris was able to fall back asleep but I was not so fortunate.
BUMMER... Time to go home!
Hello again Galveston!
One more look at our AMAZING balcony!
Hello again Galveston!
One more look at our AMAZING balcony!
The alarm rang for the 1st time of the cruise at 6:30AM and we got up and got ready. We had already packed all of our luggage but were using self assist to get off and all of our suitcases were still in the room. TIP- Self Assist is an option for disembarkation that most cruise lines offer. Passengers have to be able to get off the ship with ALL of their luggage and unassisted. Usually the elevators are not an option for getting to the correct deck so you have to be able to carry your luggage down the stairs as well. It also allows you to get off the ship BEFORE the majority of the rest of the passengers. We almost ALWAYS use self assist just for the convenience and early disembarkation.
We went to the Main Dining Room for breakfast around 7AM because we know from previous cruises that the buffet on disembarkation morning is a living NIGHTMARE . We avoid it at all costs on this day. On previous cruises on Royal Caribbean, the MDR breakfast was one of the highlights for me. However, this day was a disappointment. The waiter was not happy to be there and the options were cut and dry. They offered a ham and cheese omelet but no other add on options. Same for the pancakes and french toast. The platters came as is with no exceptions. Maybe it was because it was the last day, we were not impressed.
I LOVE this ship!
After we got done with breakfast we noticed the elevators already jamming with other self assist passengers so we hurried to our room to get our stuff. We left a tip for our steward and said our goodbyes. Chris was able to get on an elevator and I took the other suitcases down 5 flights of stairs to the deck 4 dining room. There was already a line out the entrance of passengers.
The line of passengers using Self Assist debarkation.
We made our way into the dining room and were told to just sit down and wait. They were loading the port side with passengers and luggage and then having the starboard passengers exit. They created an alternating pattern and while it seemed kinda chaotic, it turned out to be fine.
The process worked pretty well but these 2 officers stood there doing nothing the whole time. Made me wonder how much faster it "could" have gone if they helped! Just saying...
We left our room at 8:02AM and we were in the car headed north by 8:50AM. The debark process was very smooth and painless. We did a LOT of walking through the Terminal 2 to get to customs where we stood in line for maybe 15 minutes. INSIDE INFO- They did away with the paper customs reports and do it all electronically now. So they asked us the questions about how much we spent and where we went when we talked to the officer.
Once in the car we headed north and even with a complete shutdown of I-45 we were home in The Woodlands by 11AM.
Goodbye Liberty... We will see you in 261 days!
Closing Thoughts
Overall we were HIGHLY impressed once again by Royal Caribbean and the Liberty of the Seas. The food and service seemed to have done a complete 180 from our previous cruises and the ship itself could be a destination. We were not even able to see or do not even half of the attractions (some of that is because we wanted to enjoy our balcony but we knew we would be back in March). We feel the kindness and willingness to help from all crew members was top notch and on par for what Royal Caribbean hopes to establish across their fleet. Overall I think this ship is now my favorite or at least in my top 2. I was personally reminded why I like Royal Caribbean so much and if I could afford to truly be "Loyal to Royal" I would.
Our next cruise is on the Norwegian Breakaway out of New Orleans with our kids later in the year. The NCL Breakaway is the 20th largest ship in the world currently and the Liberty of the Seas is 12th. We are excited to compare the 2 "Mega Ships" and see their similarities and differences.
Our other upcoming cruise is after that in March 2019 where we will sail on the Liberty of the Seas once again. This will allow us to get all of the attractions we missed this trip and go back to our favorites. We have an inside cabin on that trip so we know we will need some "entertainment" of the attractions.
We are very fortunate to be able to cruise as often as we do and we owe a lot of that to our family who take care of our kids (or in this case take them on their own trip to Chicago, IL). Thank you all so much for spoiling our kids and taking them on extravagant trips and loving on them. We are all so lucky to have you! Thank you mom and dad, Allison and Dan and Jackie! We appreciate y'all!
In addition, I want to thank YOU! You all who continuously follow along day by day of our cruises and share comments and questions. I like blogging about the cruises almost as much as the cruise itself. It helps me relive my cruise and then weeks, months and even years later I can relive it again and again! I hope this helps people plan for their upcoming cruises as well.
Thanks again for following along! I appreciate you!
Follow us on YouTube at Kellie Davis- Cruise Like a Davis. I have videos and tips and tricks from most of our recent cruises.
Next Up…
NCL Breakaway- 2018
RC Liberty of the Seas- 2019
Carnival Dream- 2019
NCL Breakaway- 2018
RC Liberty of the Seas- 2019
Carnival Dream- 2019
Until then… Keep Calm and Cruise on!
God is good… ALL the time!
Thanks for all of the wonderful tips! I will be on Liberty of the Seas in early November for my first ever cruise! A little nervous, not gonna lie, but excited too.
ReplyDelete