dakwriter

 

No, you have to choose one option or the other for the duration of your cruise. You do have the option to see the Maitre d' to change your dining assignment but you would need to stay with the option you change to. You can't change back and forth.

 

You can choose to eat at the Lido buffet or order room service any night that you don't feel like going to the dining room.

 

Actually, on our recent cruise on the Legend we were told we could do anytime dining any night we chose even though we already had assigned seating on the other level. They do not keep track of who comes through the door. Thus I would advise signing up for assigned seating but use anytime dining whenever it suits your schedule.

You show up at the door to the anytime level of the main dining room anytime during the hours set for dinner and simply request your table size. If that size is available, you are seated right away. If yours is a small party, you can also volunteer to "fill in" at a larger table, being seated with people you probably don't know. The latter is an interesting option for extroverts because, as at breakfast in the main dining room, you get to meet a lot of different people but aren't "stuck" with any of them for the duration of the cruise if you don't want to be, yet can opt to be with them again if that's mutually agreeable. Wait staff will likely be different every night with anytime dining, but the flexibility can't be beat if you don't like to or for some reason can't keep to the fixed start time of assigned seating, which is on the other level of the dining room. And if you usually go with assigned seating but your shore excursion runs long, you can always opt for anytime dining that night, which makes for another option to dining at the buffet on the Lido. The availability of anytime dining is win-win all the way.:)

RE snorkeling, there is also a great free snorkeling spot on Grand Cayman a few blocks to the right of the pier next to the small Eden Rock dive center, a low green-roofed building near Paradise Restaurant. This would be a nice place for beginners, especially. Although the area is not huge, the water is crystal clear and there are many fish to be seen. Equipment rentals as well as small lockers are available but not required. Just be SURE to wear sunscreen!

 

 

Is there a little piece of beach there as well? I want to snorkel, wife wants to sun bath!

One of the entrances to the water is at a very small beach next to the restaurant, which also has a bathroom. Beach chairs are available at no charge if you rent equipment, otherwise about $5 to reserve a chair if it's crowded, which it generally isn't. Novice snorkeling is near the shallow shore and rocky areas; adventurous snorkelers can see more by swimming out to the reef. Wear a float vest if you're not particularly buoyant and be sure to ask for directions to the reef at the dive shop. FYI, you'll also see right away that the waterfront shopping area for Grand Cayman is right across the street from Eden Rock. All in all, this is a user friendly spot for everyone in the family. Not a bad place to spend a couple of hours.

RE parking when you get to Tampa, if your hotel does not provide a shuttle and free parking while you're cruising, you'll most likely have to use the parking tower across the street from the cruise terminal. After you drop off your luggage just follow the signs.

 

RE seasickness, the Legend is a very stable ship even in rough seas, making it unlikely that anyone will be feel much motion on any deck, fore or aft.

 

RE snorkeling, there is also a great free snorkeling spot on Grand Cayman a few blocks to the right of the pier next to the small Eden Rock dive center, a low green-roofed building near Paradise Restaurant. This would be a nice place for beginners, especially. Although the area is not huge, the water is crystal clear and there are many fish to be seen. Equipment rentals as well as small lockers are available but not required. Just be SURE to wear sunscreen!

 

RE yoga, spinning and other gym classes, all classes on Carnival ships have fees, generally $10 to $15 per session.

 

RE free drinks on board, self-serve juices are available every morning at the Lido (Unicorn) buffet as well as upon request in the main (Truffles) dining room. At most other times of day, self-serve hot & iced tea, coffee, hot cocoa, lemonade and fruit punch are available in the Unicorn. You can fill up a travel cup if you want to. The iced tea on tap is definitely not fresh brewed and varies considerably in quality, but you can always make your own from hot tea poured over ice. When hot tea is requested either in Truffles or at the formal "Tea Time," the server will present a wooden box filled with several tempting varieties. Cartons of white and chocolate milk are available at meal times at the Unicorn. Milk is also served upon request (in a glass) in the Truffles dining room.

 

RE laundry services by the bag, there is usually a $15 per bag "special" but it is offered only early in the week when you probably don't have that much laundry to do yet on a seven day cruise.

 

RE a way to go to the front of the ship on the Legend, as on many ships these days the bow of the Legend is locked to passengers, probably due to liability issues. There is no way through via the Enchanted Forest; it's not that enchanted!:rolleyes:

What catagory do you have to be in to get the use Bathrobes. Do they have mini fridges.

 

Thanks

 

Linda

EVERY stateroom on Carnival Legend is supplied with a mini fridge and big beautiful bathrobes for your use. My DH & I estimate the robes go up to a size men's 4X and are so luxurious we seriously considered buying a couple to take home with us, if only we didn't have nice robes at home already!:rolleyes: As for the mini fridge, we had our steward unlock ours so we could store a few items in it but there wasn't much room with all the cans and mini-bottles of drinks already packed inside. Many stewards will not remove these for you and if you remove them yourself you're considered to have bought them (for a high price) plus you'll be charged a restocking fee. So you'll just have to see what your particular steward will do for you.

Regardless, enjoy your cruise!:cool:

Anyone know why cruisecal dot com is showing the Legend suddenly in Cozumel on Wednesday and Friday. Very strange as it was right last week.

 

Anyone hear anything official yet?

That is very strange. Our recent cruise (Sept. 16-23) stopped at Cozumel twice but the second time was due to a medical emergency.

Thank you for starting this thread! This will be our first time in an inside cabin. We decided to save money and spend it elsewhere! I have a couple of questions, do the inside cabins have refrigerators?

Also, I cannot remember if there are hair dryers in the bathroom??? If I don't have to bring my huge hair dryer I can pack another pair of shoes!

 

Thanks,

Linda

Yes, inside cabins have mini-fridges and hair dryers.

I admit I'm very bummed out about our cabin assignment for our 9/16 cruise on the Legend. This will be my first cruise and I made the reservation as a category guarantee as per the advice of our TA. Will there be any chance of changing to a better location once I'm on board? If so, when do I try to do so and who do I speak to about it?

 

Up till now I'd been looking forward to this cruise. Now I'm actually dreading it.

Oh, you really should take her to Disney with you! They are really great about service dogs being there....

 

Another option you can do if you either are solo or have a big hankering for going on rides with the only other person in your party is you can drop your dog off at the park's kennels (just outside the park's gates) while you go do the ride you want to do that your dog can't go on. It is free....

 

My service dog loved Disney World. Her favorite ride was Pirates of the Caribbean (but I think that might have something to do with Captain Jack Sparrow being in it now... ;) ). We had no problems there.

Quampapetet, when I phoned Disney World's kennels they told me they charge for kenneling dogs.

 

And I had no idea you could take an SD on any of the rides! Ruby is a small Lab, but still 60 lbs. I can't imagine getting her into a Pirates of the Caribbean boat! What breed is your SD?

 

Regardless, my DH won't allow Ruby to come with us, anyway, seeing her inclusion as yet another hassle besides the wheelchair. So to keep the peace I leave her crated at home and limit our DW visits to just a couple of hours. For longer absences I have to leave her with a neighbor since my DH doesn't want her to fly or cruise with us, either. Ah, well. I suppose Ruby is better off even though I'm not sure that I am. :(

We were on a 6 night cruise, perhaps that had something to do with it. We did have 2 formal nights though. Hopefully it was a fluke and you will get your lobster. Best of luck with that!

Well, I hope lots of people on your cruise complained about it.:mad:

I am positive we didn't miss it. It was a topic of discussion with our table mates. We were on a smaller ship, Legend. I don't know if ship size was a factor. I have heard that the dining option that you pay more for is worth the extra money. Perhaps they save the lobster for that, but the Legend didn't have the pay dining option. It was a nice ship though. The kids (5, 6, & 8) loved the kids program and the miniature golf. Have fun on the Liberty! I have heard it is beautiful. Loads of stuff to do.

Oh, no, don't tell me this! My DH & I are sailing on the Legend in September. This will be our very first cruise and we had SO looked forward to lobster night! Dang! Dang! Dang! :(

 

I'm going to write or phone the cruiseline to ask about this. At least I will let them know that we customers want to preserve this little luxury even though it will be too late to change the menu back for my September cruise. Grrrrrr!!!:mad:

dakwriter: I LOVE having Brenda with us.....she's such a part of me....I don't want to go anywhere without her.....and, my DH is so attached to her. He's a diabetic who suffers from severe neurological pain. When I come home from work, Brenda looks for him; lays down with him and he tells me that all his pain diminishes when she's around!

 

She works with me but really serves us both! It's amazing!!!! She changes me and lightens his load! I wouldn't think of going without her! She loves the ocean and is a wonderful traveler! She's my heart and soul!

 

I know it sounds like a hassle and believe me, it was! It isn't anymore...I've learned where to go/how to go and what is the easiest way of doing everything for cruising! Now, it's so much fun!

 

I love walking her, on deck. And seeing her face when the ship rolls out to sea. She loves the smell of the salt air. We play ball on deck and the attention she gets from the crew and other passengers is always welcome! I can't imagine a cruise without her! :p

 

Oh, Roz, I really do envy you, but I'm glad for you at the same time.:cool: If I could take my sweet "Ruby" with me everywhere I most certainly would! I'm so very attached to her and not just because she intuitively knows what to do when I need help. But my DH, who is even more dear to me, pointed out that not only would we have to deal with shipboard hassles and the many unknowns at ports of call if we took her along, but we also wouldn't be able to go on any of the shore excursions we are hoping to enjoy. It's just the two of us -- who would watch after Ruby while we snorkel or cave tube? If I was single, I would simply skip the shore excursions altogether and stay onboard for the entire cruise, enjoying the amenities, the change of scenery, my fellow passengers and being with my beloved Ruby. That would be more than enough vacation for me.:) As things are, however, I've resigned myself to having to leave her behind when we cruise, just as I do whenever we go to Disney World.

All the best,

Deb K.

After reading all this, I'm happier with my decision to leave my service dog at home when I cruise for the first time this fall. The potential problems on the ship are one thing (and I've already trained my SD to relieve herself on command,) but the hassles when going ashore are a greater unknown. Each country must have its own regulations about bringing animals ashore. And then there are the stray dogs, particularly in the Caribbean. Although I'll miss my SD for many reasons, at least I was able to find a safe and comfortable place for her to stay while I'm away on the cruise.

Growing up in Maine the first cruise lobster experience was interesting for my parents. They both ordered the lobster and didn't know what to say my, dad said it didn't taste like lobster, and having the waiter take it out of the shell was also foreign to him, in the tourist restaurants in maine they have what is often called "lazy man's lobster" already shelled and at about double the price. To a Mainer lobster is a casual food often eaten outdoors with the same tools that you use to crack nuts.

 

I can see how many would like it especially if you haven't been spoiled growing up with the good stuff, but to a Mainer lobster isn't usually a formal affair!

 

So if you enjoy cruise ship lobster eat up, but if you ever find yourself in new england eat the real deal. In Bar Harbor Maine, you can often find early bird lobster dinners (whole lobster) for around $15.

 

MAC

 

I had to smile at this one.:rolleyes: How true, how true. Those of us who have easy access to really fresh foods are so fortunate. No one gets the best of everything, though. I live in Florida and whenever I have guests from out of state I make a point of serving fresh-squeezed orange juice. Being used to only having access to bottled juice and frozen concentrates, my guests often say they never realized OJ could taste so good. Unfortunately, then the poor souls have to return home to canned concentrates, a product which I abhor. My sister in Iowa is "spoiled" by having access to delicious cornfed beef. My sister in California takes really fresh fruits & veggies for granted. My friend in Alaska gets the very best salmon. Etc., etc., etc.

 

If I grew up enjoying fresh lobsters I, too, would be disappointed by what the rest of the nation is stuck with. Count your blessings, Mac!:cool: