Liberty of the Seas review: Big-ship fun on a not-so-huge Royal Caribbean cruise ship

At a glance

• Onboard activities include ice skating, waterslides and a surf simulator.
• There are plenty of family-friendly, high-occupancy rooms, including some that aren’t suites.
• You’ll have enough food choices — including Italian, Mexican and steakhouse restaurants — to please the pickiest palates.

Liberty of the Seas is a great example of what Royal Caribbean brings to mass-market cruising: a focus on innovative attractions you won’t find on any other fleet and a broad range of choices for dining, activities and room type.

The 154,407-ton ship spans 14 decks and carries 3,798 passengers at double occupancy. Technically, it’s a large ship, but it’s middle of the pack size-wise for this cruise line. For comparison, Royal Caribbean’s largest ship, Icon of the Seas, measures 250,000 gross tons and can carry 5,610 passengers at double occupancy. Liberty isn’t quite as overwhelming, but it still offers plenty of activities to keep anyone from getting bored.

The passenger mix when Liberty of the Seas cruises from U.S. ports leans toward vacationing families with children and teens, along with adults of all ages traveling without children, many in the over-50 age group. Younger adults, including a celebratory crowd of spring breakers and bachelor or bachelorette partiers, flock to the shorter, closer-to-home cruises, while retirees fill the ship on longer itineraries and those departing from foreign ports.

The ship’s wide range of cabin choices makes it ideal for group travel and full-blown family reunions. Liberty of the Seas has a loyal following of Royal Caribbean regulars, but it’s also ideal for new cruisers or those new to the brand looking for a test run.

A friend who normally cruises on another cruise line recently found herself in awe of the “everything from a shoebox to a penthouse” list of options. For example, Deck 6 on Liberty of the Seas features 13 cabin types, including accessible and connecting balcony and inside cabins, a huge four-bedroom suite and the unique Promenade View rooms facing the ship’s interior promenade.

Liberty of the Seas (and its two sister Freedom Class ships) is known for having the right amount of spectacle and onboard fun without overwhelming with size. Standout features on board include an ice rink that is available for skating as well as ice performances. Studio B, the arena surrounding the rink, also serves as an alternate entertainment venue for interactive fun like the hilarious adult-themed, late-night game called The Quest.

For wet family fun, Liberty of the Seas offers plenty of pools, waterslides and splash pads to keep kids of all ages entertained. Adults looking for a quieter retreat can escape to the mostly adults-only Solarium.

Here’s what you can expect on Liberty of the Seas.


Liberty of the Seas cabins and suites

Liberty of the Seas offers four main cabin types on the ship. Inside rooms are generally windowless, while ocean-view cabins offer windows that don’t open. Balcony cabins account for more rooms on the ship than any other cabin type. These feature step-out, open-air balconies accessed through sliding glass doors (some have views blocked by ship structures or lifeboats). Suites of various sizes and layouts make up the rest of the accommodations.

Within these four cabin types, look for varieties, including rooms that connect or are wheelchair accessible. While rooms accommodating two guests are the most common type, the ship has rooms in most categories with sleeping arrangements for three, four or more.

Cabins in all categories have loads of storage, including drawers, cabinets and ample closet space. Most bathrooms have a vanity with one sink and an enclosed shower. Suite bathrooms often have tubs and granite countertops.

One area where Liberty of the Seas shows its age is a lack of adequate electric outlets for charging multiple devices in most cabins. Earlier policies allowed guests to bring nonsurge-protected outlet add-ons in their luggage, but stricter policies now prohibit outlet extensions other than those with only USB outputs.

Related: Royal Caribbean cruise ship cabin and suite guide: Everything you want to know

If you’re looking for a cabin that’s different from the norm, Liberty of the Seas has a category of inside cabins that actually offer a window — but the view isn’t of the outdoors. These rooms overlook the Royal Promenade on Deck 5, where you’ll find an assortment of shops, bars and eateries. Promenade View rooms are great for people-watching but don’t offer much privacy when the curtains are open.

If you want to splurge, the smallest suites on board are junior suites. These are essentially larger balcony cabins, not suites in the traditional sense of having multiple rooms. Larger suites, ranging from one to four bedrooms, include those with separate rooms for sleeping and socializing.

The largest suite on board is the Family Villa Suite, featuring four bedrooms and spanning a large portion of the back of the ship on Deck 6. It measures 736 square feet inside, not counting the long balcony with its alfresco hot tub. The suite sleeps up to 14.

Ultra Spacious Oceanview rooms are also great for families. These are forward-facing rooms on decks 6 through 9, measuring 293 square feet with room for up to six people. They are situated below the bridge, and while you will feel more ship movement in these rooms, the view of where the ship is headed is stunning.

Liberty of the Seas restaurants

Dining options included in the cruise fare are pretty basic. The three-level main dining room serves breakfast and dinner every day and lunch on sea days. You choose your dinner seating preference at the time of booking, either traditional or flexible dining.

The flexible option sounds like a plan that allows you to get a table whenever you are ready to eat. However, it’s really a plan that allows diners to reserve a dinner time each evening in the cruise line’s app or potentially have to wait for a table if they walk up during a busy time. You can even reserve dinner times in the app before your cruise.

Another included option, Windjammer Cafe, serves meals and snacks throughout the day and evening and is ideal when you don’t want to wait to be served.

Cafe Promenade serves pastries and light snacks during its opening hours. Sorrento’s Pizza serves lunch and dinner into the late evening. Soft serve ice cream cones are available on the pool deck during pool opening hours.

On a four- or five-night cruise, these included options would probably suffice for most people. But for seven or more nights, specialty dining might be in order, because even a good cooked-to-order burger costs extra on Liberty of the Seas.

Luckily, the burger you pay for at Johnny Rockets is a really good one, making it a no-brainer at least once during a weeklong sailing. And don’t skip the shake or apple pie a la mode — the pie is the best at sea, in my opinion. The shake costs extra, but the flat fee for a meal at JR’s includes a sandwich or salad, all the toppings, a soda and a dessert.

The shake is free if you’ve purchased Royal Caribbean’s top beverage package and for Diamond and above loyalty members. I’ve seen drink package holders dash in just for shakes multiple times during the day — mostly the Oreo cookies and cream flavor.

Three other for-fee eateries round out the choices. Chops Grille (steak), Giovanni’s Table (Italian) and Sabor (upscale Mexican) are all solid options for lunch or dinner. Of the three, Giovanni’s is my favorite choice even if someone in your group is craving a good steak because the menu includes a filet mignon. Personally, I’m still dreaming about the luscious stack of eggplant Parmesan on Liberty of the Seas, with the carbonara running a close second among my favorite Royal Caribbean meals.

Look for lower pricing of specialty dining in presail packages or lower rates on the first night of the cruise. The real splurge on Liberty of the Seas is the chef’s table, an intimate group dining experience with multiple chef-chosen courses, complete with wine pairings. I thoroughly enjoyed both the food and the presentation at the chef’s table.

Room service on Liberty of the Seas is free during limited morning hours for continental breakfast. Offerings include cold cereals, breads and pastries, and fruits, as well as coffee, tea and juice. All other meals and snacks incur a flat delivery fee.

The free continental breakfast makes it easy to have your coffee and maybe a chocolate croissant delivered while you get dressed to head out for a real breakfast in the buffet or main dining room. It’s a wise choice for those traveling with kids (or adults) who tend to get hangry in the morning hours.

Related: Royal Caribbean food: The ultimate cruise guide to restaurants and dining on board

Liberty of the Seas bars and lounges

Bars on board Liberty of the Seas include Royal Caribbean favorites like the Schooner Bar and an English pub named Hoof and Claw on this ship. The Schooner Bar is not only a lively piano bar each evening but also an active spot for trivia competitions and indoor activities throughout the day. Hoof and Claw is the spot to watch sports on multiple screens and drink from an Americanized menu of U.K.- and Irish-themed drinks. You’ll also find bars or drink service in the restaurants, around the pools and hot tubs, in the casino and in entertainment venues.

My personal favorite has always been the Viking Crown Lounge because it’s a feature you won’t find on the newer Royal Caribbean ships and it’s hard to top the view. Liberty of the Seas adds the bonus of a craft cocktail bar called Olive or Twist within Viking Crown. While it may sound like a martini bar, the menu features a wide range of drinks — including a variety of nonalcoholic mocktails.

Drinks in any bar on board or from roving servers can be purchased individually by charging them to your onboard account using your SeaPass card or by purchasing a Royal Caribbean drink package. Packages are available that include bottled water, soda and specialty coffees, as well as alcohol.

Liberty of the Seas activities

For young adults and families with kids, the primo onboard attractions are the waterslides, the FlowRider surf simulator and the rock climbing wall on the top deck. Just because the ship is smaller than Royal Caribbean’s newest megaships doesn’t mean these are scaled-down versions.

The trio of big slides includes Cyclone and Typhoon dual racing slides and the Tidal Wave boomerang slide that takes you on a thrilling ride. It first gains momentum with a downward plunge before rushing upward for a breath-holding instant, followed by what feels like a freefall splash down. Littles can cool off at Splashaway Bay on Deck 11 with its right-size slides, splash pads and bucket drops.

The sports court sits alongside the waterslides and includes basketball and pickleball courts with equipment provided. Check the daily planner in the ship’s app for free play and tournament times. Just beyond the sports court is the iconic Royal Caribbean rock climbing wall. In my family, the cruise isn’t complete until there’s been a dad and daughter climb-off and a round of miniature golf.

Also on its upper decks, Liberty has seven hot tubs and three pools. One of the pools is fully enclosed in the Solarium. Access is restricted to cruisers ages 18 and older, though kids are allowed in occasionally in the evenings and when weather makes the outdoor pools unsuitable for use for extended periods of time.

The Liberty of the Seas fitness center is large and offers free cardio and resistance equipment and extra-fee group classes and fitness trainer services. As you work out, enjoy the beautiful forward views.

The Vitality Spa features an indulgent menu of health and beauty treatments, including facials, massages, hair and nail services and even acupuncture. The spa doesn’t have a thermal suite, but it has separate men’s and women’s changing rooms with showers, steam rooms and saunas available for use at no charge, even if you haven’t booked a spa treatment.

In the evening, the Platinum Theater hosts musical productions. Don’t miss the Broadway musical “Saturday Night Fever” or the high-flying aerial acrobatics production “In the Air.”

Also worth checking out are the ice shows in Studio B. The arena around the ice rink is intimate enough to hear every shoosh of the ice as the skaters race, spin and leap in their glamorous glittery costumes. The ice shows are free, but reservations are often required. Watch the cruise planner in the app for show times and reservation details. Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line to offer ice shows on board.

Casino Royale is a flashy space featuring a variety of table games and slot machines. It’s the one place on the ship where you can use cash, but you can also opt to charge gambling to your onboard account using your SeaPass card. Providing your card also allows you to earn casino points in the hopes of earning perks, including discounted or free cruises. The age for gambling on all Royal Caribbean ships is 18, except on Alaska sailings when the age is 21.

Standout activities for me on Liberty of the Seas always include the “Love and Marriage” game show and guest comedians. The ship does not have a separate comedy club, but comedians perform in the main theater some nights of every cruise, often with a PG show early in the evening and a late-night R-rated version.

Liberty of the Seas itineraries and pricing

Liberty of the Seas changes home ports rather often. It offers plenty of short cruises, including three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale in the winter and spring and five-night sailings to Bermuda from Bayonne, New Jersey, in the summer of 2025. Longer itineraries from Bayonne include nine-night cruises to Canada and New England or the Caribbean scattered throughout the summer and fall of 2025.

In 2026, the ship will swap its summer home port to Southampton, England. Cruises from the U.K. will take guests to Portugal and Spain, as well as more northerly European countries like Germany, Belgium and Norway.

At the time of publication, fares start around $400 per person for an inside cabin on a three-night Bahamas cruise or $1,579 per person for a nine-night Europe cruise from Southampton.



Liberty of the Seas for families

Liberty of the Seas is ideal for families. In addition to attractions and activities that cater to youngsters, the ship offers child-friendly menus in all dining venues except the chef’s table venue.

The ship offers a free day camp-like youth program with its own fun space on board called Adventure Ocean, located on Deck 12. Parents drop off kids ages 6 to 12 for supervised daily activities, including crafts, science experiments and scavenger hunts. Teens up to age 17 have their own hangout and disco, with a separate schedule of activities.

The youngest cruisers, ages 6 months to 3 years, have their own nursery space with soft play areas and a nap room. Guests have to pay an hourly fee to drop off their little ones with the nursery’s child care team.

Liberty of the Seas accessibility

Liberty of the Seas features 33 accessible cabins in multiple categories, including junior suites. These rooms include roll-in showers with fold-down seats and grab bars, ramps over thresholds and lowered closet rods and vanities.

The main theater and the Studio B ice arena have wheelchair seating, and the main pool and hot tub have lifts. The casino has lowered gaming tables, and Guest Services has a lowered counter. All gangways are accessible, and there is an accessible route to the tender docking area. Crew assistance can be provided at embarkation and disembarkation.

Bottom line

Liberty of the Seas is an ideal ship for those who want to experience the thrills Royal Caribbean has to offer — just not on the line’s gigantic megaships. Though Liberty is still a large ship, it offers slightly smaller crowds and often somewhat lower cruise fares than bigger and newer ships.

The size works well for group cruises and those traveling with teens who can be allowed to move about the ship independently. Even though the onboard attractions hold strong appeal for families, those not traveling with children will find tons of adult-focused entertainment and relaxing spaces. The wealth of activity options makes Liberty of the Seas a great vacation choice for all types of vacationers.

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