Launched in 2005 and refurbished in 2011, Carnival Liberty makes the most of its $500 million overhaul with crowd-pleasing options at ever turn.
Service is excellent onboard. At every dining venue the staff is attentive and courteous, doing everything they can to make your time on Liberty worth every penny and every second. That courtesy flows through to every bartender, housekeeper and deck attendant you run into.
In fact, it's as if the whole ship was designed around courtesy. The cabins are roomy and balconies a lovely addition (even if they can feel a little cramped); there are plenty of places on deck to lounge and laze and sun yourself; the entertainment options seem limitless. And the food is far better than expected, especially Pizza Pirate and Diamonds Steakhouse; the continued popularity of Guy's Burger Bar (that's Guy Fieri's burger project with Carnival) proves the ship's culinary offerings are in line with what passengers want.
The same can be said for most of the ship. Passengers look happy and never bored. Dive-In Movies (nightly on deck movies) are well attended. The comedy club is packed. Karaoke has a signup sheet two pages long. The casino is hopping every night. The dance parties and big Broadway-style productions are full to capacity. Even the teens and tweens onboard look happy to be there. The fact that they have their own lounges and hangouts goes a long way to say why.
All of this goes to show that Carnival is listening to and responding correctly to their passengers' desires for options in dining, activities and overall experience. No ship or sailing is without fault, but as far as value goes, there's not much Carnival is getting wrong on this one.
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
Inclusions
Included with your cruise fare:
All meals in the two main dining rooms, buffet, Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, pizzeria and select room service items
All Punchliner Comedy performances and Broadway-style revues in the main theater
Use of the water park, sports deck and sports activities including including mini-golf
Daily activities excluding those noted below and in the FunTimes daily program
Use of the fitness center, excluding organized classes or training sessions
Carnival kids club programs for children, ages 2 to 17, until 10 p.m.
Not included with your cruise fare:
Gratuities ($13.99 per person, per day for standard staterooms; $15.99 per person, per day for suites)
Automatic gratuities of 18 percent added to beverages and spa treatments
All drinks with the exception of water, tea, basic coffee and select juices served in the buffet
Meals in Diamonds Steakhouse
Spa and salon treatments
Fitness center classes and personal training sessions
Shore excursions
Wi-Fi
Select activities including bingo, Build-a-Bear workshops and alcohol tasting events
Cruise photos and artwork available in the art and photo galleries
Late-night group babysitting in the Kids Club
Fellow Passengers
Passengers aboard the ship are mostly Americans and are evenly distributed across families with kids, seniors, couples and small groups (think family reunions, social clubs and the like) traveling together.
Carnival Liberty Dress Code
Daytime: During the day the dress code is very casual.
Evening: Evening dress codes on Liberty come in two levels: Cruise Casual and Cruise Elegant. On each sailing there's one Cruise Elegant night on which most passengers get quite dressed up for the occasion, with many female passengers wearing floor-length gowns and most gentlemen donning suits (approximately a third wore tuxedos). The rest of the time, the evening dress code is Cruise Casual, which is to say resortwear.
Not permitted: At night, and at all but the most casual Lido Deck eateries, the following are not permitted: cutoff jeans, men's sleeveless shirts, gym and basketball shorts, baseball hats, bathing suits and flip-flops.
For more information, visit Cruise Line Dress Codes: Carnival Cruise Line.