Review of Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas

Our family loves cruising. We have cruised on a number of cruise lines. However, in recent years, our kids have enjoyed Royal Caribbean. So, we booked a cruise onboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. Here is our review of the ship and guide for what to expect on the Liberty of the Seas.

Basic Info About Liberty of the Seas

The ship is one of Royal Caribbean’s Freedom-class vessels.

The vessel entered service in 2007. It can carry 3634 passengers and 1360 crew members. The ship has 15 decks and is 1119.9 feet long and 184 feet wide.

There is a lot of room to fit a lot of stuff onboard the ship. In addition to the standard cabin rooms, dining halls, entertainment lounges, theater and pools, the Liberty of the Seas has a surfing wave rider and an ice rink.

Our Stateroom

For this cruise, our family chose connecting insider promenade staterooms. The staterooms overlooked the Promenade deck, where you find onboard shopping and restaurants, including a pizza parlor, pubs, and ice cream shop.

We chose the promenade rooms so that family would have a chance to look out of our windows on to the Promenade. It allowed us to see how busy the Promenade was during certain times of the day, while also providing a refuge from the crowds for those family members with anxiety.

The Dining Hall

Cruise ships have many dining options. But, our go to is the main dining hall for dinner.

The dining hall on the Liberty of the Seas is located aft. It spans three floors.

We were seated on the main floor. Our wait staff got to know us well. One the first evening, our head waiter discerned our daughter’s picky eating habits. On subsequent nights, he made sure to accommodate her needs with many items not listed on the night’s menu.

Other Dining Options

While we ate every dinner at the Main Dining Hall, we took breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer Cafe. Here, meals are served buffet style with a rotating selection of foods.

Every time we went to the buffet, we met the Washy-washy ladies at the front door. Those who have been on other cruises are probably familiar with the Washy-Washy crew. These are the upbeat, always cheerful staff who spray a squirt of sanitizer into your hands before entering the cafe. They make the most of their jobs and always seem to be the guests favorite staff.

Sports and Adventure

The Ice Rink

One of the things that sets Liberty of the Seas apart from other ships we’ve embarked on is the number of athletic options.

One of the more unusual is the ice rink on the ship. Guests can skate on the rink on select days and times. Reservations for these open skates book quickly.

But, the Liberty of the Seas also presents a skating spectacular show. Instead of the standard musical show in the main entertainment lounge. some nights move the show to the ice rink where skaters perform before the captivated crowd.

I have always been impressed with dancers in the showroom keeping on their feet while waves undulate under them. I was even more impressed with ice skaters doing the same on thin blades.

Liberty Dunes Mini Golf

We enjoy a round of mini golf on each cruise ship. The golf course on the Liberty of the Seas was a par above the rest (Hahaha!!!).

We appreciated all the artwork and obstacles on the course. It was a very popular destination during our time on ship.

Rock Climbing Wall

Every cruise, I try to do something new on the ship. While on the Liberty of the Seas, I final took a shot on the Rock Climbing Wall.

I must admit, I was not a great climber. My son rappelled down while I was still trying to figure out the climbing holds. But, I gave it a shot and tried something new.

Surfing at the Flowrider

Royal Caribbean has a reputation as the cruise line with surfing. Yes, you can surf on the Liberty of the Seas.

The Flowrider gives guests a chance to stand on a surfboard an catch a wave with the surf simulator.

The attraction is open select days and times. Those time are posted on site. There always was a long wait for the attraction. Maybe I’ll try surfing as my new thing next time I’m on board.

Basketball, Shuffleboard, Ping Pong

Onboard, we also found the standard recreational fare we find on most ships.

And it does seem that at least once a cruise, our is found playing a games of basketball, shuffleboard, and table tennis.

This cruise was no exception. We discovered that there usually is no wait time to indulge in these sports.

Pools and Waterslides

No cruise is complete without dipping in a Lido deck pool or a zipping through a waterslide.

Liberty of the Seas has dueling waterslides. You and a friend or family member can race each other down these slides and see who reaches the bottom first.

The pool seems to be the centerpiece of every cruise ship during your at sea days.

I know everyone seems to love the clamor at the pools. But, if I had one wish on every cruise, it would be to have a larger pool, or a timed entry to the pools. For me, the crowds are overwhelming. So I tend to avoid the pool for a more secluded place on the ship. But, that’s me.

Escape the Crowds

Speaking of seclusion, there are areas onboard where you can get away from the crowds. During my time cruising, I have managed to scout out some locations.

The Liberty of the Seas does have some more tucked away enclaves.

I usually like to hit up the onboard libraries, which generally have precious, select hours.

However, The Liberty of the Seas does not have an enclosed library space. The library, instead, spans an open hallway on one of the decks.

There is a game room. My family stopped by the game room one evening. It was hopping and pretty crowded, so we did not stay.

I did find a chapel on the uppermost deck of the ship. I found the spot a nice place to escape the crowds and collect my thoughts.

After many cruises, I have found that the lower decks provide peace and seclusion. Liberty of the Seas had my spot. It was a deck under the lifeboats. There is a wooden walkway on this deck leading from the aft dining spaces to the fore showroom. It is lined with lounge chairs. During sea days, the pool deck is crowded, but my covered deck keeps me out of the sun. And with few noises, other than the lapping of the waves on the ship, I found a perfect place to read, listen, and rest.

The Platinum Showroom

The showroom is the site for almost all of the evening entertainment (with the ice rink show being an exception).

During our cruise, the main attraction in the showroom was a Broadway Style production of “Saturday Night Fever.”

As with every ship we’ve been on, the showroom has limited seating. If you want to see any of the productions, it is best to arrive early for a good seat.

The Promenade Deck

Most of your shopping, and some of your eating, is done on the promenade deck. The ship design makes this look like a avenue in a city street.

The Liberty of the Seas Promenade has an ice cream parlor, a pizzeria, and coffee shop.

In addition to the shopping, the Promenade also features entertainment spectacles.

For example, after the Saturday Night Fever performance, the Promenade had a disco party with a DJ, staff dressed as the Village People, and a disco ball.

And the last day of the cruise, the Promenade was converted into a Pirate hangout with a pirate parade for the entire family.

Lounges

Sprinkled throughout the ship, you’ll discover an array of lounges. Some will have a piano. Often, you get to see a band or vocalists perform. And sometimes, the lounge provides a quiet spot to peacefully enjoy your time on board the ship.

Since we have teenaged children, we don’t frequent these lounges, but they are a few of them and each has a unique ambiance.

Arcade

While we don’t frequent the lounges, we do spend time in the arcade.

Our daughter loves arcades and claw machines. She can sniff them out from miles away. It may or may not be true that we have planned road trips around an arcade she wanted to visit.

The Liberty of the Seas has a sizable arcade with lots of machines. It’s conveniently located near the Kids Clubs and Teen hangout areas.

Artwork Throughout the Ship

We always love looking at the art scattered throughout a cruise ship.

The Liberty of the Seas had fun, whimsical artwork throughout the stateroom hallways. The art is great for a good chuckle. But, it also provides a fantastic navigational tool. I could find my stateroom because of the nearby artwork.

Sure, the artwork is not going to make or break your cruise. And I doubt you will book on one cruise ship versus another because of the art. It is, however, a fun touch.

Final Thoughts

The Liberty of the Seas has just about everything a person could look for in a cruise ship. From plenty of sports activities to fine dining, the ship provides just about everything a family with varied interests could want.

We found a few places onboard to escape the crowds, which most of our family prefers.

But, when we wanted to socialize and mingle with the crowds, we found opportunities to do just that.

Liberty of the Seas had enough unique experiences, as well as our expected tried-and-true favorites to make it a vessel we enjoyed cruising on.

Have you been on the Liberty of the Seas? What were your thoughts? We would love to hear for you.

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