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We spent the last week with two grandsons on Carnival Liberty. As usual, we drive down to Cape Canaveral the day before our ship departure. This gives us a safety net allowing for any travel delays and a relaxed day of departure schedule. We strongly recommend that if you have more than a 2 or 3 hour drive or are flying to your departure port, arrive the day before. Too many things can create last minute delays that could ruin your vacation.
Arriving around 3:30 in the afternoon at the Radisson Resort at the Port, our usual pre cruise location, we quickly checked in. We booked their Stay and Park service. This allows us to leave the car at the resort and take a shuttle to and from the port. We also included their breakfast special so that we could enjoy a full menu or buffet breakfast on site. We grandparents like to keep things simple! And we knew from past stays what a great breakfast line up they offered. We hope to do a more detailed review of the Radisson on our upcoming cruise this October on the Breeze.
After relaxing from our drive, we went down to the port where several great seafood restaurants are located. We selected Fish Lips for our evening meal. That is the name of the restaurant, not what we ordered from the menu! We spoke with them about doing an interview during our October trip to share more about their history and the unique art store that is part of their operation. It is our hope during our next Journey to Port Canaveral to provide our readers with lots of details on where to stay, restaurant options and exciting things to do during your pre or post cruise time.
After much needed sleep we were ready for a nice breakfast and eager to get onboard the ship. With shuttle service you sign up for a departure time. We secured the 10:30 time which would put us at the port terminal at about the earliest check in time possible. Our driver loaded the luggage and gave helpful information to all traveling. He pointed out the importance of putting your cell phone in airplane mode with stories of people have $1000 or more in roaming charges by not following this hint. And the procedure once we arrived at the port as well as where to meet at the end of the cruise.
The short 10 minute drive put us at the entrance to the port. Luggage unloaded and properly tagged, was turned over to the porters and would arrive at our cabin that afternoon. We always take a few essentials in our carry on just in case there is a delay in getting our luggage. Also you are allowed to carry on canned drinks and up to two bottles of wine (one per adult traveler). Most cruise lines have a similar policy. So with a rolling travel case and a bag we get into the terminal.
We had all our documentation in hand, passports and boarding passes which must be shown at several stops. You go through screening just like at an airport and then into a waiting area where you relax until your boarding number is called. This information is on your boarding pass and there is no need to arrive at 11:00 if your boarding time is 12:30. There are premium classifications based on type of cabin or if you fall into their higher level due to the number of cruise nights you have accumulated. You can also purchase before your cruise a feature called FTTF (Faster To The Fun). There are a limited number of these available and sell out fast. This allows you to be among the first to board and gives you immediate access to your room rather than wait for the normal 1:30 time that rooms are available. We have never purchased this extra as we feel the normal time to access the cabin is fine.
We always go to the Lido deck where our first of many meals is ready. We seek out a table with a good view of the harbor and let the grandsons scout out the food options. Carol and I know we want to start with the great Guy Feira burger that is well known on Carnival ships. After a leisurely lunch, I took the boys on a walk around the ship to get them familiar with the layout. By this time our cabin is ready so off we go to get settled in.
Over the years we have tried many different cabin styles and locations. We do prefer the balcony rooms. For us, it provides extra quiet time with a nice view of the ocean. I particularly enjoy sitting out there during the late evenings. This trip we took advantage of the SPA deck on the 11th floor. This is the highest level and only has 7 rooms on our side. It is close to the main outside gathering area of pool, bars and outdoor theatre. We found it to be traffic free since few people venture into that area.
Our ports of call for this trip were Nassau and Freeport. The grandsons enjoyed walking around Nassau and I treated them to some conch fritters which they thoroughly enjoyed. Their dad said to be sure they did NOT get their hair braided 🙂 A common service offered by the local ladies. One of the nice things on a ship during port days is to enjoy an almost empty ship. We planned our activities in Nassau to be in the morning so we could get back on the ship and enjoy relaxing and of course more food…without the usual crowds.
The starboard side where we were located is just under the serenity deck. This is the adult only area, so usually very quiet. We did discover that if someone was right above us and leaning on the railing, we could hear their conversations. A few times we surprised them when we were on our balcony as they didn’t realize rooms were that close. But not really a problem. One night they had a deck party and the DJ had the volume cranked up pretty high and we could hear some running back and forth above us for awhile. It finally died down and we had a good nights rest.
The evening dinning experiences were always fun with the wide assortment of dishes offered. With two teenage boys, you can imagine that just about everything on the menu was ordered and consumed. There is a different menu each evening.
The grandsons enjoyed buying things for their parents and sister (she was on this same cruise with us last April). They loved their first cruise experience and said they would love to take another. I told them that in a few years they would be old enough to treat us to a cruise.
During our April trip on the Liberty, I discovered a musical group that performed each late afternoon and early evening. While this cruise had a different set of performers, the style was similar. These violinist performed a wide variety of tunes that delighted everyone. I hope there are similar performers on the Breeze in October. Violins
There are many musical options while onboard. The Piano Bar is popular with many. And the classic cruise standard, a steel drum. There are theme nights at several bars and venues such as ’80’s
On our last evening of the cruise, some time was spent packing our bags and putting luggage outside the cabin. Just keeping needed items and clothing for the next day. You have the option of walking off with all your luggage or having it picked up the evening before. We’ve done both over the years, but felt for four people and amount of luggage, we didn’t want to deal with all of it the next morning.
An early start on final morning is necessary to prepare for debarkation. We head to the main dinning room for a relaxed breakfast. The buffet area on Lido Deck is also available, but a more hectic atmosphere. By the time we finished, we were able to get off the ship. We always get a porter to help retrieve our luggage. This also gets you faster through customs and out to the shuttle or your car. They deserve a good tip to get you on your way fast and efficiently. A quick shuttle ride back to our car and we hit the road back to South Carolina.
Out upcoming cruise in October on the Breeze has been planned for almost two years. It’s a 7 day cruise with several ports of call and will sail during Halloween. It should be an exciting time with many people bringing costumes and I’m sure there will be interesting photos to share. We have booked a rear wrap around balcony cabin for this cruise that I’m told will hold up to 16 people. We are looking forward to lots of fun time on that. Carnival has offered us some extra access during this cruise. Details are still being fine tuned. We are very excited about their offer and what we will be reporting. We may even do some live broadcasting during the cruise.
Do you have cruise questions or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you.