We cruised out of Miami on August 30 to the western Caribbean. The Captain reversed the itinerary due to Gustav and all went well. This was my first Carnival cruise. I had previously been on Royal Caribbean. and I'd say Carnival is far superior.
First of all, the Liberty is a beautiful ship; very cleaned and maintained and serviced by a dedicated crew that went out of their ways to make our experience first class.
Secondly, it seems the crewmembers really like their jobs. Always smiling and willing to assist in any way. The Lido deck is the outside deck where everyone gathers to bask in the sun and socialize. The bar staff did a wonderful job catering to the guests. They never had to ask you a second time for your name. Gordon and Nestor were, perhaps, the all-stars that made our time on deck fun.
The Sliver Olympian Dining Room is where we had dinner every night. A well-oiled machine run by Alex, the highly professional maitre'd. His high standards were evident by the service provided by the staff. Our waiter Phillips, and assistant waiter Dennis provided great service. Phillips was very engaging and seemed to enjoy interacting with everyone. Dennis was reserved but was just as service-minded. By the way, did I mention the food? Delicious! Five or six entree choices every night. Tasteful and beautifully presented.
The buffets were good but not what I expected. Don't get me wrong. There was plenty of delicious food but not as much seafood as I thought there might be. The staff was very accommodating and responded well to special requests, especially the guy who was basically berated by a passenger who demanded a teaspoon rather than a soup spoon. Not sure if I could have maintained my compsure with that woman. Another cook/chef I have to give a shoutout to is the guy who made omelets on the Lido starboard station. I don't remember his name and couldn't spell it if I tried. Kudos to the galley entire staff.
We stayed in a balcony stateroom on deck 8. It was fantastic being able to hang out on the balcony and enjoy quiet time away from Lido. The couple we cruised with were right next door and our steward open the door that separated our balconys. Our stateroom was very roomy and bright and we slept in the most comfortable bed ever. Plenty of storage space and a goodsized bathroom. The steward and his staff were very responsive and timely.
I'll mention the next thing only to see if anyone who was on the cruise noticed this. We found that thw white-unifomed crew (the ships officers) were not as friendly as their crew was. Of particular note was the tall blonde Scandinavian oficer who was responsible for the Lido deck and crew. She never smiled and seemed to be really directive to her crew who were noticeable professional and efficinet in their duties. Just an observation.
The entertainment was top notch and provided by a great group of entertainers. Cruise Director, Karl with a K, was great; always providing timely information and interative with the guests. Great stage shows and comedians. If you get the chance to see comedian Percy Crews, it will be well worth your entertainment dollar. He is a riot!
We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the Liberty. I'm sure all the Fun Ships are similar in levels of service but we'll make it a point to cruise her again. Oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!