What would entice someone to spend the first eight full days
at sea on a 13 night cruise across the Atlantic Ocean? First, the cruise is
onboard Liberty of the Seas from Royal Caribbean. This is one of the largest
ships on the high seas and probably has more to do onboard than there is to do
in your own town. Second, for this May 1, 2014 sailing, Royal Caribbean has
dropped the price of an inside cabin as low as $509 per person! For military,
police and fire, the deal is even sweeter.
The Cruise
Liberty of the Seas embarks from Port Everglades at Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida at 4:30pm on Thursday, May 1, 2014 on a 13 night journey
across the Atlantic Ocean to Barcelona, Spain. She arrives at her final
destination at 6am on Wednesday, May 14. Along the way, Liberty of the Seas
makes three port calls, all on the eastern side of the Atlantic.
After eight full days at sea, Liberty of the Seas makes her
first stop on Saturday, May 10 at Lisbon, Portugal. Typically, cruise ships
repositioning from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean will stop either in the
Azores or Canary Islands. Liberty motors right past these rest stops in the
middle of the Atlantic to reach continental Europe. She is docked at the
capital of Portugal from 7am until 5pm.
The following day, Liberty of the Seas stops at Sevilla,
Spain, still on the Atlantic side of the country. She is in port at Sevilla
from 9am until 6pm on Sunday, May 11.
After a full day at sea, meandering past Gibraltar and into
the Mediterranean Sea, Liberty of the Seas finds her final port of call on
Tuesday, May 13 at Palma de Mallorca. She is parked at the main city of Spain’s
Balearic Islands from 8am until 5pm on Tuesday, May 13.
The Price
Right now, an inside stateroom onboard Liberty of the Seas
starts at $509 per person, based on double occupancy. With the additional $86 per
person in government fees and taxes tacked on, the total price for two for an
inside cabin is $1,190.
Prices don’t go up too rapidly from there. Ocean view cabins
start at $709 per person. With a balcony, staterooms start at $1,179 per
person. A suite starts at $1,659 per person. Regardless of stateroom, each
guest is subject to the $86 in government fees and taxes.
Royal Caribbean offers much more than free donuts and coffee
to current and former members of the North American armed forces and those who
work in the police and fire service. Those who qualify pay $450 each for that
same lowest priced inside cabin. For an ocean view stateroom, prices start as
low as $582 per person. A cabin with a balcony is a great savings, starting at
$845 per person.
The Ship
Liberty of the Seas began service in May, 2007. She was renovated in 2011 with the DreamWorks Experience integrated. Liberty is one of three Freedom Class ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet with sisters Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas being nearly identical.
At a gross tonnage of 154,407, all three Freedom Class ships tie as the fourth largest cruise ship currently on the high seas. Only Royal Caribbean’s twin Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, along with the Norwegian Epic are larger. Liberty of the Seas is heavier but not quite as long as the Queen Mary 2 of the Cunard Line.
Liberty is 1,112 feet long or 339 metres in length. Using the old standard, she is the length of three NFL football fields. There are 15 decks accessible to the capacity 4,600 passengers. The crew numbers around 1,300.
As mentioned, the ship is a destination. Liberty of the Seas is fully integrated with the DreamWorks Experience, making it great for smaller children. Also included is FlowRider, a surf simulator. For added enjoyment, there are two hot tubs cantilevered over the edge of the boat, giving great views of the ocean around.
The Small Print
·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.
·Prices are in Canadian dollars.
·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!
·Also not included are gratuities.
·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.
