Showing posts with label Summer Cruise 2018. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer Cruise 2018. Show all posts

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Liberty- The Royal Treatment Sea Day 1

Here Comes the Sun
Gulf of Mexico
Monday, June 18, 2018

It's going to be a GREAT DAY! 

Hello Monday... today, I actually LIKE you!

Morning
After a decent night's sleep we woke up around 8AM and got ready for the day. The mattress was not near as hard as our previous Royal Caribbean experiences which allowed for better sleep and we were grateful for that. We went to our balcony to see not a cloud in the sky and the sun shining bright. It was going to be a GORGEOUS day!

Waking up to this view was worth every single penny! 

We made our way to the Windjammer buffet for breakfast... Us and the other 4,500 passengers on board. As typical for a larger ship, the buffet was very crowded on a sea day. TIP- The area in the back of the Windjammer is LESS crowded and each side offers the same items. They also offer a made to order omelet station where you place your order with a waitress and then return when the food is ready. I prefered this MUCH more than waiting in line on Carnival or Norwegian. This was our first experience with the Windjammer since our Serenade cruise in 2015 and this food and overall experience was much, MUCH better! The food was actually edible and actually pretty good.

After breakfast we returned our soaking wet towels from the rain the night before and got new ones before returning to our aft balcony. Due to the nature of the corner aft balcony we knew we had most of the morning in the shade so we wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. We sat on our balcony enjoying the gorgeous views and sounds of the waves for over 2 hours. It was absolutely PERFECT!
This day is PERFECT! 

Afternoon
The sun started to shine onto our balcony so we opted to go and get lunch in the Main Dining Room. TIP- Royal Caribbean offers "Brassier Thirty" in the Main Dining Room on Sea Days. This is a full service lunch that is guaranteed to have you in and out within 30 minutes. It also offers a "Tutti Salad Bar" where you can request your own items and the chefs make it for you right there. This was one of my favorite things about Royal in the past and it did NOT disappoint! The food and service within the MDR lunch was phenomenal and we were left nearly speechless. BE SURE TO CHECK BACK FOR THE FOODIE BLOG... Coming soon!
A view of the 3 level dining room on the Liberty!

After lunch we made our way to the Casino Royale for $2 mimosas. This was the best cocktail drink special we have ever seen on any cruise or cruise line. We had several before making our way to the Schooner Bar for the afternoon trivia. This trivia was a visual riddle and a lot of fun! We then made our way back to our room to take a nap! I guess we were tired because we slept for nearly 2 hours. It was fabulous!

We woke up just in time to make it to the Sports Trivia at the Schooner Bar. Although we didn't win, we were only 1 point away from the trophy... Well keychain! We then got ready for Formal Night on the ship. TIP- Royal Caribbean does Formal Night a little more than Carnival and Norwegian. I would estimate about 70% of the people were very well dressed and in suits/ tux and cocktail dresses compared to the 50% or LESS the other 2 lines offer. Now, all that to say that we still saw people (mainly men) wearing jeans in the Main Dining Room so obviously, Royal does not enforce their dress code too much. 

Evening
We had formal night reservations in the Main Dining Room and had even better service than the previous night as we requested a table a little less crowded than the previous night. This really enhanced our overall experience in the MDR and we loved it. We were in and out of the MDR in 1 hour and 20 minutes... ON A FORMAL NIGHT! That is UNHEARD OF... Seriously, we were shocked! 
So, Umm... We forgot Black Socks! HAHA! It is always something!

Formal Night #1

My oh My how I love this crazy, goofy man! NEVER A DULL MOMENT!

Love my Elegant Carly! 

After dinner we made our way to the promenade to meet the Captain and enjoy the "Captain's Cocktail Party". As the promenade was beginning to get crowded, we made our way to the forward section to meet the American Captain, Captain James. He is from Florida and was very informative. After meeting him we mingled through the promenade before sitting down at the Hoof and Claw pub. During the cocktail party the waiters were passing out free champagne. Be sure to check the Cruise Compass for the location and time of the party. As the waiter approached us he said "This is my 1st time doing this. I almost spilt them coming up the stairs". I laughed and then reached for a glass. Just then the waiter dumped the entire tray of 20 or so glasses of champagne all over me and my dress. It was "refreshing" but oh so sticky!

The Royal Promenade getting ready for the Captain's Cocktail Party!

You never know who you're gonna see!
Po from Kung FU Panda! 

Cheers to us! 

We enjoyed a few glasses before returning to our room so I could change. But the calmness of the night and the sound of the waves kept us on the balcony for hours.

Yep... This describes me to a T!
Thanks Charlotte Hutto... it is PERFECT! 

Before we knew it, it was late and we missed the first show. So we jumped up and went to the late show, which was a cover band for Lionel Richie. The singer turned out to be very good entertainment and we enjoyed the show.

Our 1st towel animal! 

This guy was pretty good for a cover band soloist! 

We left the show and went to Sorrento's to get late night pizza. It was not too crowded but there was a line of about 20 people. But believe it or not, even with 20 people in line, we got our pizza within 5 minutes. If that was Carnival, we would have been there for 30+ minutes. We roamed the promenade and the Lido deck and then made our way to our room shortly after 12:30AM.

I am going to ride those slides tomorrow... Can't Wait! 

Another perfect late night snack! 

It was a day full of fun and SUN. The storm had passed and we were SMOOTH sailing to the Caribbean. We still had another full day at sea before arriving at our first destination of Roatan and we couldn't wait to see what day #3 would have to offer.

Be sure to check back for the daily posts of our trip. Each day we will include more tips and tricks about the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas. 

Once again, thank you so much for following along!

Next up... Sea Day #2 on the Liberty!

God is good… ALL the time!
Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:

 


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Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Liberty- The Royal Treatment Galveston

Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Head
Galveston, TX
Sunday, June 17, 2018


Disclaimer 
In June 2018 Chris and I took a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas sailing out of Galveston, TX. This gorgeous floating hotel took us to the following destinations:

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Honduras
Costa Maya, Mexico
Cozumel, Mexico
The Liberty of the Seas... Our home away from home for the next 7 days! 

I have been on 13 other cruises prior to this one and Chris has been on 12 ; 9 with Carnival, 2 with Royal Caribbean and 1 with Princess and Norwegian respectively.  This will be our first time to sailing on Royal Caribbean in nearly 4 years. This blog will include an overall review of the Liberty of the Seas, daily entries of our 7 days aboard, a "Foodies" blog highlighting all of the food options available on the LOTS, a post linking all of the Cruise Compass as well as an extensive photo review of the ship. Thank you SO MUCH to all my followers... without you the blog would not be as popular as it is today! Be sure to stay tuned as the posts come through over the next few days and weeks

Morning
The day had finally arrived and we left bright and early around 7AM. We made our traditional stop at the Kolache Factory in The Woodlands and then continued south. The Houston traffic was surprisingly light, even for a Sunday, and we were at Buc-ee's in Texas City by 8:15AM. We grabbed some coffee and were on our way to the terminal. We were at Galveston Terminal 2 dropping off luggage by 9AM. I went and parked the car at CRUISE PARK across from Terminal 2. Tip- This is a great Christian lady and it s $45 for 7 days of covered parking. However, she only offers Sunday-Sunday parking.

I got back to the terminal around 9:20AM and they were calling Diamond and Suite guests to begin the check-in process. We went through the security check-point very easily and in fact, they practically waved us on with the wine in our bags instead of the typical VERY DETAILED search. The Galveston terminal was training several new workers during the check in process but that did not slow down the process at all. We were in and out of the check-out line by 9:38AM.
Royal Caribbean training new terminal workers! 

We moved upstairs to the waiting area and Royal Caribbean already had Bar Staff and Waiters there trying to sell the Unlimited Beverage Package and Dining Packages. That is Royal... Always selling! It didn't bother us and allowed us to get signed up for the Brunch and Galley Tour on the last sea day! TIP- There was also a separate company selling lanyards of all kinds. They offered MLB, NLF and NBA teams as well as colleges, military and other themes. They were $8-10 and very high quality. This is the 1st time I have ever this offered in Galveston!

Much to our surprise, they started making the first boarding announcements by 10:30AM and by 10:40AM we were on the ship hearing the first "DING". This was our absolute BEST BOARDING time of all of our 14 cruises, by nearly half an hour! I cannot believe we were able to board so soon!
We are on the gangway! Next stop... THE SHIP!

Hello Liberty of the Seas... With our BEST Boarding time EVER!

Once on board we made our way to the Lido deck and started exploring and seeing what all the Liberty of the Seas offered before going back down to the Promenade on Deck 5 for a light lunch in Cafe Promenade. Tip- The Liberty of the Seas offers a UNIQUE promenade area on deck 5 that is enclosed and offers restaurants, shops, bars and even services like Next Cruise and Shore Excursions. It is like a mall within a cruise ship. WE LOVE it and it is available on all Voyager, Freedom and Oasis class Royal Caribbean ships! The Quantum Class ships also offer this and call theirs the Royal Esplanade, but it is basically the same thing! I hope this helps!  

We LOVE the Royal Promenade! Best part of the Royal ships! 

In front of Vintages... The kids would have LOVED this! 


One of the Restaurants offered is the Cafe Promenade. TIP- The Cafe Promenade is open 24 hours and offers light options such as salads, sandwiches and pastries. It was PERFECT for a light lunch in the Texas heat! And again, it is offered 24/7 for both breakfast and lunch/ dinner options!
Shrimp Salad and Greek Salad Sandwiches. They were DELICIOUS!


More of the Cafe Promenade offerings! 

TIP- Another restaurant is Sorrento's Pizza on the other end of the promenade. This offers decent pizza from approximately 11AM to 3AM on most days. They also offer Italian salads and desserts. The service is FAST compared to other cruise lines and the food is perfect for light lunches or late night snacks!
Sorrento's Pizza on the forward side of the Royal Promenade. 

The pizza was pretty good considering. 

After our lunch at Cafe Promenade and Sorrento's we explored more of the promenade while making Facetime Calls to our kiddos who were on vacation in Chicago with my parents. We talked to the kids for a while and then sat down and read the Cruise Compass. I decided to go to our room to try and drop off our luggage. I saw a nice cabin steward who allowed me to go back and drop off our carry on bags, which I greatly appreciated.

Happy Sunday Y'all!
The kids in Chicago with my parents and us in Galveston! 
#HappySundayYall


Afternoon
We made our way to the putt-putt golf course to play our traditional game of golf. It was hot and we were sweaty but I ended up winning by 2 holes. Tip- The Liberty of the Seas golf course is on deck 13 at the VERY front of the ship and is VERY NICE! I would recommend playing EARLY in the cruise before all of the kids on the ship find it!
I love the decoration on the ship! 

It was a 9 hole course and lots of fun! 

Putt Putt selfie! 


They announced that the rooms were ready during our golf game so we made our way to our aft balcony cabin and started to settle in. Our luggage was not there yet but that did not stop me from unloading the carry on and starting to organize. TIP- Check out our cruise essentials blog post HERE. The over-the-door shoe holder REALLY comes in handy! Our luggage arrived around 1:30 and I finished unpacking and organizing our home away from home.

Stateroom 9704 a "Superior Oceanview" on the very aft of the ship!
TIP- This was a corner balcony and offered excellent views of the wake BUT it was not fully covered since it was a corner. We were usually wrapped up in towels to avoid getting burnt. 
Aft Balcony 9704

More detail description of the balcony!

The balcony was PERFECT! 

We met our cabin steward who told us our 24 pack of bottled water and 2 12 packs of cokes were on Deck 1 and could be picked up after the muster drill. TIP- Royal Caribbean does not endorse bringing bottled water or sodas on board but in our experience and my research, if you put a luggage tag on it, they will deliver it to your cabin... We shall see!

We then made our way to the Solarium and enjoyed the somewhat quietness of the ship.  We also ventured through the rest of the Lido deck and Windjammer Buffet... That is where all the people were! Whew... What a madhouse on embarkation day!

SPLASH AWAY BAY
This is PERFECT for parents of kids 1-10. They even have an area for non-toilet trained kids. They allow diapers in that one spot, which is nice because most other ships do not offer anything of the such. 

The Jade Buffet in the Windjammer.

The Liberty Solarium had these great porch swings at the front and we sat and talked for over all hour while sipping the first cocktails of the cruise. We LOVED these swings and found ourselves here frequently during the cruise. We then went and watched sessions at the Flowrider before making our way to the Muster Drill.

The Solarium offered 4 of these beauties! 

The HUGE hot tubs on the side of the Solarium.
TIP- These were for adults ONLY and were some of the best Hot Tubs we have ever encountered! And, they were fairly empty on port days! 

Chris was able to sit at Boleros (deck 4 bar) with the other "limited mobility" guests while I went to our actual muster station location and got us checked in. The drill was hot as usual but fast and fairly painless. I even got to see a pod of dolphins jumping around while I was waiting. The Captain of our voyage was the "fill-in" and on board for the next 4 cruises and from America. This made it SO MUCH EASIER than usual to understand the Captain.

After the drill we went back to our aft balcony to watch the sail-away. We pushed off the dock at 4:15PM and began our trek to Roatan. It started to rain during the sail away but that didn't stop us from enjoying our balcony.

Goodbye Galveston... Hello Caribbean! 

Sailaway Selfie! 


We left before the Carnival Breeze! 

Evening
We had early dinner reservations in the Main Dining Room. We sat at the back and were packed in like cattle despite asking for a table for 2. We did in fact get a table for two but our table was less than 6 inches from the neighboring table. We were hoping the service on Royal had improved from our experiences in 2014-2015 but the waiter waited for all of the 6 small 2 person tables to get filled before he took our orders. So it was basically a table for 12 when it was all said and done. I hated this on the Serenade in 2015 and it was starting to roar it's ugly head. The service turned out to be able average for Royal Caribbean as we were in and out of the MDR in an hour and 40 minutes. The food was MUCH better than we remember and overall we enjoyed our dinner. But we spoke with the Maire'D as we exited to get a better and more "private" table for 2 for our remaining MDR dinners. 
One of the BEST things I like about Royal Caribbean are their elaborate ships and especially their dining rooms! This ship offered a 3 level dining room. My Time Dining was on the bottom deck (Deck 3). 

Afterwards we made our way to the "naughty room" to acquire our water and sodas. This was interesting as the security guards asked us what the water was for and we said "Drinking". He said "OK" and we were on our way! It was an interesting and thought pondering process for sure.

Our evening entertainment began with the traditional "Welcome Aboard" show with the CD and a comedian. The Cruise Director, Jeffrey, was MUCH older and kinda dry but he grew on us by the time the cruise was over. The 1st night comedian was funny and we enjoyed him.

It's SHOWTIME!

Then we made our way to Studio B to watch the ENCORE Ice Skating performance. Tip- Royal Caribbean has a small size ice skating rink in the MIDDLE OF THEIR SHIPS (Voyager class and above) and is used for Ice Skating shows as well as opportunities for guests to skate during the duration of the cruise. Be sure to check the Cruise Compass for days and times. ALSO, be sure to pack LONG PANTS as they are REQUIRED for skating. Just as we remembered, the ice show as absolutely INCREDIBLE and truly accomplished the WOW factor that I remember from Royal Caribbean. TIP- Liberty only offers this show 2 nights of the cruise (night 1 and night 4 for our sailing) and it is AMAZING so get there EARLY. It is a PACKED house with standing room only on each performance.

WE LOVED THIS SHOW! BE SURE TO GET THERE EARLY!

After our evening entertainment we made our way back to our balcony where it was still raining VERY HARD and the wind was strong. We knew there was a storm brewing in the Gulf so we knew we were in for the long haul. We grabbed some pool towels and sat on the balcony for nearly 2 hours in the soaking rain. We paid (a pretty penny) for that balcony and we were going to enjoy it! Around midnight, I just got too cold to continue so I called it a night but Chris stayed out there a while longer!

The Carnival Breeze passed us around 11PM headed to Jamaica! 

Our first day on board this "Gaudy Monstrosity" was AMAZING and truly gave us the taste of Liberty of the Seas that we wanted and reminded us why we liked Royal so much many years ago. The rain was falling, the wind was blowing and the seas were choppy but that didn't stop us from having a GREAT day!

Be sure to check back for the daily posts of our trip. Each day we will include more tips and tricks about the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas. 

Once again, thank you so much for following along!

Next up... Sea Day #1 on the Liberty!

God is good… ALL the time!
Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:

 




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