Liberty Of The Seas

The 2007-built Liberty of the Seas cruise ship is the second Freedom-class Royal Caribbean liner, with sisterships Freedom OTS and Independence OTS.

The vessel (IMO number 9330032) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 309436000) and registered in Nassau.

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US passenger shipping company, trademarked travel brand, and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCG's largest fleet by both vessel number and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities).

All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 4000-passenger ship Liberty OTS' first drydock was in 2011. During the refit, the boat gained new features (introduced on Oasis OTS) including a large stage shows, Royal Nursery, an outdoor movie screen, a cupcake bakery. New technology know-how was placed in the form of interactive HDTVs and digital deck plan systems, located throughout the Liberty to help guests navigate by using LCD touch-screens for customized directions, ship factoids and real-time updates.

Liberty OTS also boasts all the Freedom-class favorites, including popular onshore brands like Johnny Rockets and Ben and Jerry's, cruising's only ice rink, a rock-climbing wall, the novel "Promenade" concept and Boleros Latin lounge.

At the beginning of 2016 Royal Caribbean's cruise ship, Liberty of the Seas has undergone an extensive drydock revitalization. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the new features to be constructed, such as the Splashaway Bay waterpark, The Perfect Storm water slides, new restaurants and bar dining options.

Decks and Cabins

Liberty Of The Seas staterooms (1839 total) include 122 Suites, 724 Balcony, 262 Oceanviews, 168 Promenade View, 563 Inside. Most cabins are sized 150-190 ft2 (14-18 m2). Most cabin balconies are sized 65 ft2 (6 m2). The largest is Vista Suite (1210 ft2 / 112 m2 plus 805 ft2 / 75 m2 terrace). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 32.

The boat has 15 decks, of which 14 are passenger-accessible and 8 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The 3-deck-high Dining Room has full seating capacity. Passengers can choose between assigned dining and Royal Caribbean's My Time Dining program, in which guests pick a preferred mealtime between 6 pm and 9:30 pm, but can change reservations daily. Those who opt for My Time Dining have to prepay gratuities. Each floor of the MDR is named after a Renaissance master - Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Botticelli - and a huge crystal chandelier towers over the restaurant. Meals are satisfactory and there is always "Chef's Signature Selection". The separate Vitality menu is offered for the calorie-conscious and equals the rest of the menu in size and taste (vegetarian options are sprinkled throughout). Standards like salmon, sirloin steak and chicken are also available.

Follows the complete list of Liberty of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• Rembrandt Restaurant (652-seat aft Dining Room, level 1; features DreamWorks characters theme breakfast)
• Michelangelo Restaurant (500-seat aft Dining Room, level 2)
• Botticelli Restaurant (883-seat aft Dining Room)
• Windjammer Cafe Lido buffet restaurant (774-seat, offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 am, Breakfast between 7-11:30 am, Lunch 11.30-3:30 pm and Dinner 6.30-9 pm)
• Chops Grille (104-seat specialty restaurant; reservations recommended)
• Portofino Restaurant (100-seat Italian specialty restaurant)
• Johnny Rockets Restaurant (84-seat burger bar)
• Sorrento’s Pizzeria (79-seat complimentary restaurant)
• WipeOut Bar (20-seat complimentary burger bar).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Beyond the industry's standard offerings like R-rated comedians, mind-numbing amounts of karaoke and bingo, as well as the Love and Marriage Game Show, Freedom- and Voyager-class ships feature cruising's only ice rinks, Studio B. Ice show tickets are free but have to be obtained in advance. The Platinum Theater features nightly production spectacles, such as "In the Air" Cirque de Soleil-style offering. The West End production "Saturday Night Fever", debuted in the theatre in early 2011.

During the day, passengers have any number of usual activity options - trivia, sexy legs contests, family pool games, wine-tasting and seminars, the majority of which are based around the pool areas, the spa and the aft sports area on Deck 13, which houses the FlowRider, rock-climbing wall, mini-golf course and sports court.

Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Supervised Youth program, Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry.

Follows the complete list of Liberty of the Seas lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Platinum Theatre (features grand production shows with dance, acrobatics, comedy and games)
• Studio B Lounge (indoor ice-skating rink; also serves as a spot for ice shows, cooking demos, game parties)
• Photo Gallery and Shop; BRITTO Art Gallery
• The Catacombs Disco and Nightclub; On Air Club (140-seat karaoke and sports bar); The Sphynx Lounge; The Centrum (7-deck social hub, offers aerial acrobatics entertainment); Next Cruise Lounge; Concierge Club (suite and past guests only); Seven Hearts (33-seat card room); Crown Lounge (fka Diamond Club Lounge & Bar for past guests only); Viking Crown Lounge and Bar
• Schooner Bar (112-seat piano bar); Boleros Lounge and Bar (77-seat Latin bar); Connoisseur Cigar Club and Bar; Hoof and Claw English Pub; Vintages Bar (wine bar); Ben and Jerry's Bar (ice cream parlor); Cupcake Cupboard Shop (bakery); Cafe Promenade (24-hour; serves snacks and drinks, as well as Starbucks specialty coffee); Vintages Bar; Champagne Bar; R Bar; Squeeze Bar; Sprinkles (complimentary ice cream bar); Sky Bar; The Plaza Bar; Olive or Twist Lounge and Martini Bar; Cloud 9 (24-seat sports bar)
• Casino Royale (447-seat)
• Royal Caribbean Online Centre (Internet computers room; 24-hour)
• Royal Promenade Boutiques (perfumes, jewelry, duty-free alcohol, general store, logo/souvenirs); SeaTrek (shop for diving equipment)
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 7 jacuzzis (2 cantilevered); 3 pools
• Solarium lounge (includes Cafe Bar, pool bar and adults-only pool area)
• Outdoor movie screen; Screening Room (60-seat cinema)
• Challengers Video Games Arcade; Fuel Teen Disco club; The Living Room; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• H2O Zone Water Park; Adventure Beach; Adventure Ocean kids lounge area
• Sports Court (golf simulator, table tennis, basketball court); Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Wall; Liberty Dunes Mini Golf Course; FlowRider (surf simulator, complimentary)
• Skylight Wedding Chapel (40-seat, used for religious services).

Itineraries

Liberty of the Seas itinerary program is based on 7-day Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston, Texas. During summer, Liberty sails to Canada and Bermuda from Bayonne, New Jersey. Feature port destinations include Belize, Jamaica, Roatan, Grand Cayman and Cozumel Mexico.

Liberty OTS is fleet's 2nd Freedom-Class liner, with sisterships Freedom and Independence. Liberty was built in 2007 by Aker Finnyards Shipyard (Turku, Finland). This shipyard was later acquired by STX Europe (a subsidiary of the South Korean multinational STX Corporation). Ship's godmother was Donnalea Madeley. She was elected from about 2500 female travel agents, who had shown fondness of social causes. Donnalea Madeley is from Ontario, and the first travel agent to win such a position (usually given to VIPs). The christening ceremony was held at PortMiami on May 18, 2007.

The inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) was a 7-day Caribbean itinerary starting on May 19. Liberty OTS had some special pre-inaugural cruises before the liner arrived in Miami. The first was the Transatlantic crossing (Southampton to NYC New), the second - repositioning from NYC to Miami (visiting several US East Coast ports).

Like all newly refurbished RCI ships, Liberty offered the DreamWorks Experience (2011-2018). Liberty OTS is an "Art Nouveau'" decorated modern cruise liner. Passengers will be amazed by the mixing coloured light projections on broken or hanging canvasses created by the unique digital art celebrity Miguel Chevalier. All the rest is totally Royal Caribbean - the feature entertainment options with great shows, grand Vegas-style productions, the "ice-skating and rock-climbing", numerous themed bars and lounges, modern facilities to spend quality time on board.

Liberty OTS refurbishment 2016 review

During ship’s drydock 2016 refurbishment (January 10 - February 6), Royal Caribbean added a group of 3 waterslides on Deck 13 aft (near the Flowrider simulator). The Aqua Park (lido deck 11) has a new kids-only water playground area called “Splashaway Bay”.

Liberty OTS is the first Freedom-class RCI ship with waterslides. The first ever Royal Caribbean ship originally built with slides is Harmony of the Seas (launched 2016) with a total of 4 water slides.

The list of deck plan changes after the 2016 drydock refurbishment includes:

• (On deck 2) 3 inside cabins were removed (numbers 2405, 2403, 2401).
• (On deck 3) the Catacombs (218-seats Disco Nightclub, level 1) was replaced with 19 new interior cabins. Also here, 4 new interior cabins were added near the Art Gallery (starboard). Both lounges Bernini (portside) and Velasquez (starboard) were replaced with 10 new oceanview staterooms. Dining Room restaurant was renamed from Rembrandt to “Main Dining Room” (level 1).
• (On deck 4) the Catacombs disco (level 2) was replaced by the Sabor Modern Mexican (restaurant). Also here, Dining Room restaurant was renamed from Michelangelo to “Main Dining Room” (level 2).
• (On Promenade deck 5) the show lounge was renamed from “The Sphynx” to “Star Lounge”. Also here, the Champagne Bar (wine bar) was replaced by R-Bar. Dining Room restaurant was renamed from Botticelli to “Main Dining Room” (level 3). Cupcake Cupboard (bakery) was added.
• (On deck 6) a new inside cabin was added forward (number 6137).
• (On deck 7) 5 new inside cabins were added, 4 of which in the place of the Library (removed to deck 9).
• (On deck 9) a new inside cabin was added forward (number 9237). Also here were added Library and Card Room, while the Concierge Club was removed.
• (On Lido deck 11) the H2O Zone was replaced by the new Splashaway Bay (water park with slides). Also here, the Portofino restaurant was replaced by “Giovanni’s Table” (Italian restaurant).
• (On Spa deck 12 forward) around the ShipShape Spa, new cabins were added in categories Q-Inside, Panoramic Oceanview (PF-Family Panoramic, P1-Larger, P2-Panoramic) and E2-Spa Balcony.
• (On deck 13) Liberty Dunes (9-hole mini golf course with Golf Simulator) was replaced with the Perfect Storm waterslides (Cyclone, Typhoon). Also here, the Wipe Out! (20-seats burger bar) was replaced with the “Tidal Wave” slide (Boomerang-type). While the waterslide structure was ready after the ship’s refurbishment, its opening was re-scheduled for June 2016 due to some initial design flaws discovered after the slide’s installation. The design was altered by adding padding for the impact areas of the slide.
• (On deck 14) both portside multipurpose rooms – Cloud Nine (24-seats) and Seven Hearts (33-seats) were replaced with Suite Lounge.
• Internet speed was upgraded (to Voom).

During drydock 2016, a total of 89 new cruise cabins were added. Among those, 26 are Panoramic ocean views (with floor-ceiling windows facing forward) on deck 12.

Liberty Of The Seas refurbishment 2011 review

The list of deckplan changes after drydock 2011 included:

• All cruise accommodations were renovated.
• “DreamWorks Experience” (Walt Disney themed entertainment program) was implemented.
• The Royal Caribbean’s signature Nursery was added on deck 12.
• On Lido Deck 11 (in the main pool area) a huge movie screen (outdoor theatre) was installed.
• Vintages (wine bar) was upgraded.
• BRITTO Art Gallery was added on deck 3.

The Theatre Lounge's programming was upgraded with complimentary DreamWorks 3D movies and a new Broadway musical production (“Saturday Night Fever”).