Liberty of the Seas: Ship Review

Cruise ships are like floating cities. They really do have nearly everything it takes to be a city from power generation to miles of plumbing and water treatment. These ships also have a lot of fun options ranging from skydiving simulators to bumper cars, and, of course, waterslides.

I wanted to comment exclusively on the ship on which I recently cruised. I wrote a review about the cabin, but now it’s time to discuss all of the bells and whistles available to passengers on board.

This article is part of my Cruise Trip Report: Weekend in the Bahamas including:

• Affordable and Efficient: Southwest to Florida
• Booking a Cruise: Triple Stack
• Liberty of the Seas: Interior Cabin Review
• Liberty of the Seas: Ship Review
• Perfect Day in Coco Cay Review
• Spending a day in Nassau
• Lounge Review: Centurion Studio FLL
• The Weekend Cruise… would I do it again?

Dining Venues

Anyone who knows cruising knows just how many dining options there are on board a ship.  For most cruise lines, some restaurants are included, and some come at an extra cost. For our cruise, we pretty much stuck to the included options as it was only three nights on board.

The main buffet venue is called the Windjammer and has a variety of self-service options for all meals of the day. There were many stations in the room, which formed a circle around what I can only assume to be the kitchen. The variety was good but the food types were less up my alley and tended to lean towards American cuisine.

We did not dine here much besides for when we woke up too late for breakfast in the main dining room or for a quick snack. Rather, we opted to eat in the main dining room when available.

Located on three floors, the main dining room is truly grand with large chandeliers. For dinner especially, I enjoyed getting to know our waiter over multiple meals. I also found that the food quality was higher in the dining room.

On the Royal Promenade, the central area on the ship’s interior, there was a small venue named Sorrento’s that had pizza and other quick bites. It was a great place for a snack and I was happy to find they had gluten free pizza.

There were also plenty of added cost options ranging from a Steakhouse to Asian cuisine. The only one we stopped at was Johnny Rockets for an afternoon hamburger and shake. Most of these options, including Johnny Rockets, charges per person fees and you can pretty much order whatever you would like. There are packages that include paying extra for unlimited dining, and/or drinks. But these can really up the cost of a cruise.

Sports and Leisure

Sports and leisure are where I think that Liberty of the Seas really succeeds. Although not as grand as Royal’s Oasis or Quantum class ships, I really did enjoy the available options.

Of course, there are the typical pools and hot tubs, some of which are set aside for adults only. In addition, and new since the last time we were on the ship, were waterslides at the aft of the ship. This was a fun addition that we got to check out.

In the rear of the ship there was also a Flo Rider, so I tried my luck at surfing and boogie boarding, the latter of which came much easier.

There was also a basketball court and rock climbing, but unfortunately, I never got a chance to climb. Playing basketball was risky since the nets did not reach that high.

In the front of the ship is a mini golf course, which is always fun but surprisingly windy, even when at shore.

Inside the ship there was also an ice-skating rink, which was super fun to try out. That said, it’s definitely on the smaller side and was quite crowded.

Finally, as the ship also had a spa, fitness center and casino, typical for most cruise ships.  

Entertainment

Even on such a short cruise, there was more entertainment options than one could possibly do. Aside from the smaller activities, there were many entertainment highlights.

The ship’s Broadway musical was Saturday Night Fever, though I would argue that calling it ‘Broadway’ is a reach. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable and impressive given that we were at sea in the middle of the ocean.

Another show offered is the ice-skating show that takes place on the ice rink. Given the size, it is very impressive that the cast is able to pull off what they do and I really enjoyed it.

Of course, there are always the headliners. In our case it was a music comedian and also a juggling comedian. If I am being completely transparent, neither of which were my favorite, but I was happy there was variety.

Saving one of the best for last is all of the live music around the ship. From the pub to the piano bar, to  Latin music and karaoke, there were plenty of options in the evenings and I really liked the classics.

Of course, there were countless other options from kid clubs, to teen group activities, to fitness classes or game shows, there is always something for everyone. 

The Last Point

If you are bored on Liberty of the Seas, you are clearly doing something wrong. At any one moment there’s so much happening that I couldn’t imagine finding myself without something to do or something to eat.

Trying to jam a sample of everything into a three-night cruise was a challenge but fun nonetheless. When I say there is something for everyone, there truly is something. The ship is large enough to fit countless amazing venues but not so large that you will get lost, like I have on the Oasis of the Seas.

Overall, a great ship. It definitely showed wear and tear, but it had everything I could have needed.