Carnival Liberty Western Caribbean cruise

We joined Dan's nephew Randall Yates along with Randall's wife Lindsay and 30 of their friends on this fun ship cruise to the Western Caribbean. We sailed 7 nights round-trip from Miami to the ports of Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and Grand Cayman. This was the last week of September 2012. It was very hot and humid, but we had a great time!.

See photos and cruise tips below.

Carnival Liberty Western Caribbean

Cruise Review & Photos

September 2012

We joined a fun group of 30 friends from the Phoenix area on this 7-night sailing. This was on the Carnival Liberty round-trip out of Miami. We spent one night in Miami at the beautiful InterContinental Hotel at Doral. The cruise visited 4 ports: Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and Grand Cayman. September is a really hot and humid month for the Caribbean... not the best month for a Caribbean cruise, but we still had a great time!

Pictured above is Dan's nephew Randall Yates with Janean. We booked a wrap-around balcony cabin on this cruise. This is our departure from Miami.

Here is a photo of the Port/Aft end of the Carnival Liberty. Our cabin was on the corner - deck 8. The cabin is #8448. We had both port views and aft views. It is an incredible balcony option. Our only complain... it was so hot, we couldn't spend enough time on the balcony... we had to come back into the cabin to revive with the A/C. Here are some photos of Cabin 8448 on the Carnival Liberty.

TIP: Seriously consider a wrap-around balcony for your next cruise. You get great views on 2 sides of the ship and lots of extra deck space. This would be a perfect cabin for an Alaskan cruise.

Our cabin steward, Juan did a wonderful job and helped Dan practice his Spanish.

The Carnival Liberty is a big ship. She has 13 decks, accommodates nearly 3,000 passengers with about 1,200 crew members to take care of guests onboard. We really loved the entertainment options on this ship. She is a beautiful ship with a massive Attrium, a hugh Seaside Theatre, an Exercise room (which we visited 5 mornings), lots of pubs, bars, nooks and crannies and a host of shopping and onboard activities.

TIP: When you visit the exercise room, remember your headphones, but leave your towel in the room. Every machine has a port for headphones and there are plenty of towels in the locker room.

TIP: Don't miss the Guy Fieri Burger Joint. This is an awesome new venue on Carnival ships... these burgers are amazing, available many hours each day and are incredibly delicious. Yum!!

TIP: Find the Coffee Bar on the Promenade Deck mid-ship. Yes, you can get coffee, but for amazingly low prices, you can find the most decadent fresh desserts.

This is our friend Denise. Can you tell she is a Broncos fan?

We joined a group of 30 friends from Phoenix on this cruise. Cruising with friends and family is an amazing and fun vacation experience. These guys are a fun bunch and they know their wine and their cigars!

Pictured below are Erik and Tam - a dashing couple!

Here are Jim and Valli - scuba divers extrodinaire! I could have used Jim's help in the Tough Mudder race..

Here are Klaus and Gretchin. There is always a smile and never a dull moment when we joined these guys at dinner.

Here is my nephew Randall and his beautiful wife Lindsay. Thanks for inviting us to tag along with you guys on this cruise. We had a blast!.

Here are Phil and Chris... Lindsay's parents. We really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know these guys and we look forward to more adventures with Phil and Chris in the future.

Cozumel was our first Port of Call.

We were here at the low season, so we were able to dock at Cozumel. During the busy cruising season, some ships have to use tenders to get to shore.

We have been to Cozumel about 6 times. It is a fun port for shopping, drinking, snorkeling and beaches. This round we enjoyed a Mexican cuisine cooking class with drinks served to the chefs as you created your master piece

.

Belize - A visit to Mayan Ruins at Xunantunich

We had to tender to Belize. The tender service was fast and effecient. This was our first visit to this tiny country. Belize is an English speaking country. It is not a rich country... wealth wise... but it is rich in beautiful beaches and jungles. We decided to visit the Mayan ruins of Xunantunich. The trip requires a 2 hour bus ride which takes you within 2 miles of the Guatemalan border. It is a beautiful countryside ride then a ferry ride across the river and a fascinating visit to the Mayan site.

TIP: If you visit Xunantunich, remember to bring insect repellant and sunscreen. You will encounter lots of sun and this is a jungle with insects, after all.

The views from the top of the pyramid are breath-taking.

TIP: If you visit Xunantunich, dare to climb the pyramid - just watch your step and go slowly. You can see Honduras and amazing vistas from the top.

Wildlife on the Xunantunich grounds abounds. Dan became friends with a giant grasshopper and we heard and spotted a number of howler monkeys in the trees on the grounds. .

Yes, that is a BIG GRASSHOPPER (probably a locust, but it looks like a grasshopper on steroids). In the picture below, there were at least 8 howler monkeys doing their howler thing... very loud!

If you visit Belize, which we highly recommend, make sure you visit Dan's Chocolate Bar at the dock near the tender stations. Janean loved the chocolate and Dan loved the beer. You can find them on the web at:http://www.zazzle.com/danschocolatebar You can also like their Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/DansChocolateBar

Roatan - Mahogany Bay

Our third port of call was Mahogany Bay, Roatan. This is a beautiful port and an immaculate city. Homes, yards and businesses are well-maintained and meticulously groomed and painted. We chose to do the zipline and the Gumbalimba park tour. This zipline was a blast. Gumbalimba park was too. We got to see Capuchin monkeys, iguanas, mackaws, fresh water turtles and more. You even get to host the capuchin monkeys on your head and shoulders on this fun shore excursion. This was our favorite day!

Gumbalimba Park

The zipline drops you right into Gumbalimba Park was too. Here you will see and can interact with Capuchin monkeys, iguanas, mackaws, fresh water turtles, hummingbirds, butterflies and more. The capuchin monkeys are tame and adorable.

TIP: Want a monkey on your back? If you do, you must visit Gumbalimba Park. This was fun!

Hummingbirds migrate from various U.S. locations to Belize and other Central American locations for the winter.

Grand Cayman

Our visit to Grand Cayman was not that exciting. The tender service was terrible - it took over an hour to get off the ship and we missed our Carnival shore excursion. Just walked around town after that and made up our own excursion. There is great snorkeling and diving, but prices here were really high for shopping and eating onshore.

TIP: In Grand Cayman, allow at least an hour to get off the ship with the tender service. We didn't allow enough time and we missed our shore excursion. Also, Grand Cayman is the most expensive port for food and souveneirs - you will get more for your buck in other ports.

We found 2 other Carnival ships at Grand Cayman - the Carnival Conquest and the Carnival Dream... it was a busy day for tenders... probably why the service was so slow.

FINAL TIP: This was a great cruise on a fun ship - If you are thinking about a cruise on the Carnival Liberty - BOOK IT! The September weather was really hot and humid for us. We're from the west and not accustomed to the humidity. If you melt in hot and humid weather, your best months for the Caribbean will be November - February. That is when we plan to return.