Liberty of the Seas Ship Review

Liberty of the Seas may be huge, but she still boasts a striking profile. Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean.

The second of the Freedom-class ships, the 160,000-ton, 3,634-guest Liberty debuted in 2007 and, like her older sister, is essentially a beefed-up version of Royal Caribbean’s earlier Voyager-class vessels, offering everything those ships are famous for, plus several additional entertainment, sports, and shopping features.

Like all the recent Royal Caribbean ships, she’s busy and bustling, with a huge number of activities, great entertainment, and a really urban feel—like you’re stepping out of your stateroom into a real city.

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The Royal Promenade on Liberty of the Seas

Liberty’s main drag is the Royal Promenade, a four-story horizontal atrium that stretches 445 feet down the ship’s center and is designed to resemble famous American entertainment streets like New Orleans’s Bourbon Street or Memphis’s Beale Street. Along its length, there’s an elegant champagne bar; a Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream shop; a 24-hour cafe; a pizzeria; six different shops; a comfortable English-style pub with seating inside or on the promenade itself; the cute little Cupcake Cupboard, serving fresh cupcakes at a la carte prices; and a Napa-style wine bar that offers wine-appreciation classes, tastings, and a chance to try dozens of vintages. Toward the bow, the Sphinx show lounge offers live music, dancing, and entertainment.

Most guests end up spending a lot of time in or passing through the Royal promenade, either passing through when heading from one part of the vessel to another; hanging out to socialize; popping down briefly to grab a snack or coffee; catching an evening performance by one of the ship’s bands; or coming for the parades created in collaboration with DreamWorks Animation, in which stilt walkers and acrobats mix it up with Dreamworks characters like Shrek, the Madagascar penguins, and Po the Kung Fu Panda. You can even sleep in the Promenade if you want to, sort of: Up above, 174 cabins face the scene, their windows giving you views of the “street life” below. Curtains and soundproofing help shut out the light and noise at bedtime.

Staterooms on Liberty of the Seas

The Royal Suite aboard Liberty of the Seas may be worth the price of admission for the balcony alone. Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean.

Staterooms in general are comfortable and well-designed, though bathrooms are a little on the small side. Each cabin offers a sitting area, a vanity, TV, and minibar, and about 46% of the rooms aboard offer private verandas. Suites range from the 297-square-foot Junior Suite up to the 1,358-square-foot Royal Suite, with its separate bedroom and living room, baby grand piano, whirlpool bath, and a balcony that’s bigger than an entire Junior Suite.

Activities on Liberty of the Seas

The Flowrider aboard Liberty of the Seas. Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean.

Royal’s older Voyager-class ships were already pretty amazing in terms of their sports and pool-deck facilities, but Liberty and her sister ships go several steps further. Up on Deck 13, there’s the same rock-climbing wall, basketball court, and miniature-golf course as on the Voyager ships, but there’s also a FlowRider surfing simulator, where powerful jets spray 30,000 gallons of water per minute up an inclined, wedge-shaped surface, allowing you to surf in place—or at least try to. Bleachers stand at the ride’s flank, letting family members and gawkers cheer you on. There’s also a free-standing “surf shack” bar to provide liquid courage or solace.

Just below, on Decks 11 and 12, the ship’s spa and fitness complex is one of the biggest and best at sea, with a well-equipped oceanview gym, a huge aerobics studio, individual treatment rooms, and a 20-by-20-foot boxing ring where guests can train like fighters, using heavy bags, speed bags, and jump ropes. Outside, on Deck 12, the jogging track has stretch and fitness tips located at intervals along its length.

Deck 11 offers a number of different fun-in-the-sun experiences. Toward the stern, nearly half the outdoor pool deck is taken up by the H2O Zone Water Park, where kids can soak each other with water jets, buckets, and sprays hidden among the cartoon statues. There are also two wading pools (one for toddlers) and two adult-friendly hot tubs. Farther forward, the enormous, multi-tiered main pool deck has two semicircular pools bisected by a walkway and platform, several whirlpool tubs, and scores of deck chairs. A giant, 18½-foot video screen overlooks the pool area, showing movies and entertainment programs throughout each cruise.

For a more peaceful atmosphere, the adults-only Solarium offers a second swimming pool, hammocks, and two large hot tubs that extend 12 feet over the edge of the ship to port and starboard, about 112 feet above the sea.

Down on Deck 3,the Studio B ice-skating rink offers open skating for guests throughout each cruise, plus excellent ice shows featuring professional skaters from all over the world.

Other notable spaces on board include while the beautiful, three-story Platinum Theatre; a two-level disco called The Catacombs; the huge Casino Royale; the Boleros Latin-themed lounge and nightclub; the elegant Viking Crown Lounge; and the cool Olive or Twist jazz club and martini lounge.

For kids, the large Adventure Ocean center on Deck 12 offers activities for different age groups, while characters from Dreamworks films make appearances at special breakfasts, photo ops, and other kids’ activities. Next door to the kids’ center, there’s a sizeable arcade, the Fuel teen disco, and a teen chill-out space called the Living Room. There’s also a nursery for babies and tots 6 through 36 months, offering playgroups and activities developed in partnerships with Fisher Price and Crayola.

Dining on Liberty of the Seas

Spanning three decks, the gorgeous main dining room is the centerpiece of the ship’s culinary experience. Designed with classic European grandeur, it’s centered on a large open rotunda with a huge crystal chandelier, a formal stairway, and a balcony from which a pianist or piano trio plays mood music. Dining alternatives include the cozy, Italian Portofino restaurant; the Chops Grille steakhouse; the Windjammer buffet and Asian-themed Jade buffet; and Johnny Rockets, a Fifties-style diner out on Deck 12 near the kids’ and teens’ centers, serving a classic menu of burgers, fries, and shakes.

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