Carnival Liberty Cruise Ship: Overview and Things to Do

Originally launched in 2005, Carnival Liberty is approaching its 20th birthday, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that this Conquest-class cruise ship is lackluster due to its age. Over its life, the ship has celebrated many “firsts” and groundbreaking cruise industry accomplishments, and it still remains a favorite with cruising families today.

Carnival Liberty was the very first ship in the Carnival fleet to receive the brand’s FUN 2.0 upgrades, in 2011. The FUN 2.0 series of upgrades would go on to bring new life (and quick fan-favorite venues and amenities) to the entire line.

Additionally, Carnival Liberty boasted the first Carnival Seaside Theater and the ship has won numerous awards and accolades. So if you want to experience Carnival Liberty for yourself, what can you expect? Keep reading to find out.

Carnival Liberty Stats

Just as is the case with all the Conquest-class cruise ships, Carnival Liberty is relatively modest in size, but that’s pretty much the only place this ship is modest. It makes great use of its space and its past renovations budgets to provide high levels of fun, everywhere you look. Carnival Liberty measures in at… 

• Gross Tonnage: 110,000 GT
• Length: 952 feet
• Decks: 13 passenger decks
• Passenger capacity: 2,974 people
• Maximum passenger capacity: 3,966 people
• Staterooms: 1,487 rooms
• Crew: 1,160 members

Construction and Refurbishments

Originally built by Fincantieri in Italy, for a cost of $500 million, the ship was christened in July 2005, in Civitavecchia, Italy, by godmother and actress Mira Sorvino. 

After enjoying a few years at sea, the ship underwent a basic dry dock in 2008, which added some enhancements to the Lido Deck and the Circle C lounge for preteens, as well as provided routine cosmetic enhancements.

However, after just six years, Carnival decided to invest yet another $500 million into the ship, completely renovating it and bringing it up to FUN 2.0 standards.

This fleet-wide initiative all started with Carnival Liberty and changed the fleet for good, as each vessel gradually underwent a refurbishment. New additions, venues and overall fun that the FUN 2.0 and other simultaneous enhancements brought to the ship included…

• Guy’s Burger Joint
• RedFrog Rum Bar
• BlueIguana Tequila Bar
• BlueIguana Cantina
• EA Sports Bar
• Alchemy Bar
• The first DJ academy at sea 
• The Serenity adults-only retreat

The 2011 FUN 2.0 dry dock also brought new cosmetic upgrades to the ship. Since this major overhaul, other, less dramatic renovations have taken place in 2016 and 2021 (in Cadiz, Spain), to provide maintenance and cosmetic changes, as well as a new hull design and paint scheme in 2021. 

Staterooms

There are nearly 1,500 staterooms on Carnival Liberty and these staterooms can be broken down into the following categories and quantities:

• 54 suites 
• 521 balcony staterooms
• 337 ocean view staterooms
• 575 interior staterooms
• 29 accessible staterooms 

While this ship has received some major upgrades, it’s also worth noting that the ship’s staterooms may not be as luxurious as what you might get on one of Carnival’s brand-new ships. After all, enhancements aside, this ship is still nearly 20 years old. So what can you expect in each stateroom category?

In interior staterooms, the decor is mostly Carnival orange, and interior staterooms feature just enough room for two travelers to comfortably cruise.

The interior staterooms category includes a few, select porthole and picture window interior staterooms, both of which make a nice option if you don’t want to upgrade to an ocean view stateroom, but you feel like a traditional interior stateroom is a bit cramped.

Just note you won’t get any grand view with a porthole or picture window; expect to look at the interior of the ship or something similarly uninteresting.

Ocean view staterooms are slightly larger and include sitting areas and big, rectangular windows along the far wall of each cabin. Otherwise, the decor and aesthetic are the same as what you’ll find in interior staterooms.

Balcony staterooms also include “premium,” “premium vista” and “aft-view extended” balcony staterooms. The balcony staterooms are much like the ocean view staterooms, just with the added furnished balcony and a larger window overlooking the balcony.

However, the premium vista balcony staterooms stand apart with multiple windows and bigger, better views, so they’re the way to go if you want more space and better scenery, without the suite price tag. 

Suites

The suites aboard Carnival Liberty are broken down into 2 Captain’s suites, 10 Grand suites, and 42 Ocean and junior suites.

Ocean, grand and junior suites are similar to the general staterooms in decor and design, but do offer more space and luxurious amenities. Expect walk-in closets and whirlpool tubs.

The captain’s suites have definitely been upgraded to a greater degree than the general staterooms and other suites, and offer a slightly more refined, upscale aesthetic.

Read Also: Incredible Cruise Ships With Family Suites

The captain’s suites are also the only suites to offer a truly private sleeping area, with a bedroom separate from the suite’s main living space. Suite guest extra perks include:

• Priority check-in and boarding
• Priority Main Dining Room time assignment
• Priority debarkation at homeport, and ports of call requiring a water shuttle or with arrival times later than 9:30 Am
• Two large bottles of water
• Pillow-top mattress
• Bathrobes

Free Dining

As any Carnival fan will tell you, the cruise line generally does a good job with outfitting all of its ships with plenty of free dining options. Here’s what you can get when you’re on a Carnival Liberty cruise, thanks to those FUN 2.0 refurbishments and additions:

• Guy’s Burger Joint, for casual bites brought to you courtesy of Guy Fieri
• BlueIguana Cantina, a Mexican cantina 
• Lido Marketplace, the ship’’s buffet
• The ship’s two main dining rooms, for three-course meals in an upscale setting
• Pizza Pirate, for 24/7 slices 
• Swirls, for soft serve and frozen yogurt
• Sweet Spot, for more treats

Specialty Restaurants

If you do want to expand your dining experiences during a Carnival Liberty cruise beyond just the complimentary eateries, you’ll have a good handful of selections in that instance, too.

The specialty restaurants on Carnival Liberty include:  

• The Steakhouse, where they give you exactly what’s in the name
• The Seafood Shack, for a casual, New England seafood shack-style experience
• The Chef’s Table, a specialty dining experience highlighting the best of the best in Carnival dining
• Room service, for 24-hour service in you stateroom or suite 
• The Coffee Bar, offering both coffee and pastries

Bars and Lounges

Watering holes are also plentiful aboard Carnival Liberty. During your cruise, you can grab a drink at…

• Alchemy Bar, for mixed drinks
• RedFrog Pub, for Caribbean-inspired drinks and beers
• BlueIguana Tequila Bar, for tequila-based drinks
• RedFrog Rum Bar, for rum-based drinks
• The Piano Bar, for live music with your drink
• SkyBox Sports Bar, the new iteration of what was once the EA Sports Bar
• The Casino Bar, for gambling alongside a drink or two 

Activities and Entertainment

As is the case with all Carnival ships, Carnival Liberty offers a multitude of ways to have fun. Here are just a few of the activities you can expect to fill your itinerary during your cruise.

Entertainment Around Every Corner

The entertainment aboard a Carnival Liberty cruise is really top notch. You’ll find no trouble discovering a show you like every night of the week, whether you want something interactive and family-friendly, or you want to get lost in a great musical production.

Some of your options include Hasbro, The Game Show, where your favorite board games come to life in a larger-than-life, family-friendly, audience-participation-required show.

Read Also: Carnival Freedom Cruise Ship – Overview and Things to Do

Playlist Productions offers an impressive lineup of musicals and theatrical productions, but this is no small town (er, small ship) play. Expect spectacular talent and high production levels when it comes to the stage tech, scenery and costumes.

At The Punchliner Comedy Club, you’ll laugh yourself silly, and you can choose to attend a more PG-rated show, or something a little more risqué after dark.

Time for the Adults

For the adults, they can head to Serenity, an adults-only retreat that’s filled with sunny day beds, its own pool and a bar, so you never have to leave in order to have a great cruising experience.

Hey, parents! Want to head to one of the bars or nighttime activities that aren’t as suitable for the kids, maybe get in a nice date night? Carnival provides the Night Owls program to watch your kids in fun and safety until the very wee hours of the morning.

Invest in a Little R&R

You can’t go home from vacation looking like all you’ve done during your Carnival Liberty cruise is party (although, we won’t blame you if that’s what you indeed do).

Make sure you make a stop at the spa and take advantage of all the great treatment options, so that you come back from vacation looking refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to take on the world. There are beauty and wellness therapies, massages, facials, hair treatments, medi-treatments and men’s services.

Stop by the Fitness Center

With so many tempting dining and drinking options always at the ready, it could easily be possible to put on a few pounds while you’re at sea. If you’re watching your waistline and want to stay in shape during your short getaway, visit the ship’s fitness center.

The 15,000-square-foot space includes all the equipment you need, including weight machines, free weights, stationary bikes, treadmills and more. They all give you great views of the water from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Go for a Swim

Obviously, you don’t want to go for a cruise without taking a dip in the pool, and Carnival Liberty has more than enough options for everyone. There are two pools, a water slide and more than half a dozen hot tubs.

Onboard Casino

The Carnival Liberty casino is outfitted with every game and gambling option you can imagine. Slots, blackjack, other table games, poker, even scratch-offs — It’s all there for you to enjoy, and all with a tasty drink from the casino bar.

Daily Games

There’s always a game to be played when cruising on Carnival Liberty. Check the daily schedule and get ready for some friendly fun as you go head to head with fellow cruisers during fun activities like bingo, mini golf, arcade games, art trivia games, basketball and more.

Carnival Liberty Kids Venues

For the kids, there are options for every age group. At Camp Ocean, kids from ages 2 to 11 enjoy activities both educational and just for fun, all led by trained instructors. For preteens, Circle C is a hot spot that offers activities catered just to them. Then, for the teens, Club O2 is the trendiest, coolest spot on the ship.

One of the most beloved family-friendly features on a Carnival Liberty cruise, though, is Seuss at Sea, a lineup of programming which includes breakfast with your favorite Dr. Seuss characters, a Seuss-inspired parade and more.

Carnival Liberty Itineraries

Does a Carnival Liberty cruise sound exactly like what your family needs? You can browse the best cruise itineraries for the ship below.

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