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July 12th Carnival Legend Alaska trip report


kctwinmommy
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I'm going to work on this over the next few days, so I'll update as I go along. I was able to get Day 1 & 2 completed today, but I'm working on getting some photos as I go along too, so it takes a little more time.

 

Day 1 – Embarkation/Sail away day

We had the FTTF for this cruise, for the first time. We got to the pier around 11:00 and was able to walk right through security and check-in within probably 15 minutes. We were seated in the FTTF area and I think around 11:30ish is when they started boarding. We were allowed to board about 10-15 minutes after the higher ups. We got to our room without any problem and all our luggage was waiting there. We were able to grab some lunch on the Lido deck, and didn’t have to fight for a seat since we were some of the first ones up there. Got back to the room around 1 p.m. and it was nice to be able to unpack all our stuff and be settled in. We went back up to hit the hot tub and hang out on the Lido deck before going down for the muster drill around 3:30, no problems there.

 

 

We had the Your Time Dining, so we went down around 6:15 p.m. for dinner. We did have to wait in line for about 10 minutes, at which point we received a pager so we could sit in the lounge. We waited another 15 minutes maybe and then were seated for dinner. We did notice a difference with YTD compared to the timed seating. We have always had friendly, outgoing, engaging waiters. This time, with the YTD, the waiter we had (especially on the first night) was not very involved, it was almost as they didn’t have anything to prove to us, like they thought they wouldn’t be getting any extra tip, which is untrue. We did tip the one waiter who was much more engaged with us, calling us by name, etc…

 

 

 

After dinner, we went to Circle C so our son could get registered and fill out the paperwork. We didn’t see him again until midnight or so! LOL! We just spent the night walking around the ship, enjoying the late sunset.

 

 

 

From our balcony, waiting to leave

 

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On the top deck, by the mini-golf course...

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My son in the hot tub...

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The boys being goofy!

_MG_2502_zpsmg9qpjdx.jpg

 

 

The pool on the Lido deck, which they kept close.

 

_MG_2493_zpstmsqedtb.jpg

 

 

Sunset

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Might as well post about Day 2 as well, since there wasn't that much.

 

Day 2 – Sea Day

Started of doing the sea day brunch, as usual. Our son mostly hung out in Circle C for the day, there were a lot of kids this time. Last time, in November, it was a much smaller group of kids, so this time he had a lot more kids to hang out with. We also went to Jen’s Alaska Adventure Talk, but honestly, it was mostly stuff we already knew. We had booked our excursions months ago, knowing what we wanted to do. And the rest was about shopping information, which honestly, isn’t anything we’re concerned about. I’ve pretty much grown tired of Diamonds International at every port! LOL!!

 

 

We did have the formal night for dinner, which we did dress up and go to. But as others have said, it seems as though many people are pulling away from dressing up. Especially compared to the Caribbean ones we’ve been on. I would easily say that about 50% of the people weren’t “dressed up.” By that, I mean the guys/boys wearing shirt & tie, women in skirts or dresses. There were still people wearing hats, shorts, t-shirts, etc… And then there were others who were the more dressed in a nice casual look, nice pants, polo shirts, that kind of stuff. This doesn’t bother me all that much, at least the polo shirts, slacks, etc… But I really wish they would enforce the “no hat” rule! Oh, and for this night we had Manuelito for our waiter, and he was much better than our first night waiter.

 

 

 

That night we went to see one of the comedians, I believe it was John DiCrosta. We eventually saw both him and John Caponera over the next couple of nights – both were excellent! We spent most of the rest of the night on the deck watching the sunset, which was really late!

 

 

 

I couldn't imagine being on a sailboat out in these waters...

_MG_2620_zpsospkggbs.jpg

 

 

Not a great picture, but we started seeing whales in this area.

_MG_2716_zpsgs2rch6n.jpg

 

 

 

 

And other ocean creatures, still trying to figure out what this one was.

_MG_2609_zpsyeaucnvu.jpg

 

More amazing sunsets

_MG_2735_zps2xlubrzg.jpg

 

_MG_2765_zpsmmop6wi3.jpg

 

_MG_2786_zpsm1f8yomm.jpg

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Yay!!! Can't wait to hear your review! 😊

 

LOL! Working on the days slowly. I take a lot of photos, so I go through and edit them. It's going to take me a few days for sure. The first 2 days I didn't have much, since there wasn't much to do. But once I get into the excursions, it's a lot more!

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The odd looking fish you saw is an Ocean Sunfish, or Mola Mola. It is the largest bony fish in the world, and can grow to several thousand pounds. Here is a good site with underwater photos to put their large size into context. Very cool!

 

http://www.oceanlight.com/html/mola_mola.html

 

That's what my son said and I guess I should have listened. LOL! He used to be really into marine animals when he was younger, so he does know a few things. I know the picture I got isn't that great, but still wanted to share it so people know to look for things like that!

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Day 3 – Endicott Arm Fjord

I believe our tour was scheduled for 12:00, or right around there, I apologize that I can’t remember. I know I signed up for the 11:30 one, according to my email, but I think it was actually 12:30. Either way, we had to meet 30 minutes before in the lounge. Once there, they explained some things, encouraged people to go back to their rooms to get cash (to purchase items on the boat – they had snacks, drinks, and gift items, but hot chocolate and donut holes were free), heavier coats, etc… They divided the room in half and each group went to either the port or starboard side of the ship where there was a boat waiting. We got on the boat which was quite roomy. There are 2 floors, so we went up the to the 2nd floor and grab some seats at the front, near the window.

 

 

 

We took off down the fjord and stopped along the way. We got to see several waterfalls and ice bergs along the way. We also stopped for black bears that we saw in 2 different spots. At one large ice berg both ships stopped and the guides chopped off a little ice. Our guide actually got onto the ice berg! Every time we came to something new, the captain would turn the boat so that people on each side could see things. He also allowed us to come to the front parts, they’re open on the 2nd deck.

Once we got up to Dawes Glacier it was just amazing!! We spent about an hour there. The captain once again would keep the boat in one position for a while, then rotate it around, making sure nobody had to run to one side or the other to see something. Everyone was able to see the glacier, the seals, take family pictures, and such. We saw the glacier calve several times, including one that actually caused some serious waves for our little boat!

 

 

By this time, the cruise ship had mostly caught up with us. Our guide said we were about ¼ mile away from the glacier, but the cruise ship was about 3-4 miles. When we got back on the ship, our balcony was facing the glacier and while it’s still pretty, it doesn’t even come close to being where we were on the small boat! I would highly recommend this excursion if you can afford it!

 

 

 

The Legend as we went further into the fjord

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Getting some ice from one of the bergs

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The waterfalls and colors were just amazing!

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Black bear on the shore.

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Blue ice!!

_MG_3309_zpsfnymewsh.jpg

 

 

This cute little guy kept popping up next to our boat!

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Some more pictures...

 

The polarize lens filter on my camera apparently tinted the sky a little bit, creating this awesome purple color!

_MG_3447_zpsj6jgw5k8.jpg

 

This is a wide angle lens view from our ship, giving you an idea of where the Legend stops in the fjord. Yes, if you have a telephoto lens, you can zoom in, but not anywhere near what you do on the small boat.

_MG_3455_zpsgst4lhbq.jpg

 

Seals on the ice

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Another glacier as we went through the fjord

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Mountain tops

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A collage I created with 4 images of the glacier calving - it was awesome!

glacier%20calving_zps26s7fz3p.jpg

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Day 4 – Skagway (Glacier Point Wilderness Safari excursion)

This was our really early day! We had to meet for our excursion in the Follies lounge at 7:00 a.m. There were several excursions heading out that day, so there were various colors and signs directing people to their specific excursion. I believe we ended up with a total of 40 people for our excursion. We headed out to the dock and were directed to an area where the 2 smaller boats were at. They divided us into 2 groups and had get on the 2 boats. They did make sure we understood there weren’t any bathrooms on the boats, so gave us all a chance to go then. It was a 70-minute boat ride heading out to the campsite where the guides were at. We slowed down for some waterfalls and seals along the way.

 

 

 

Once there, we got off the boats and onto a school bus for a 10-minute ride through the woods. On the short drive the one guide, K, told us about himself and the other 3 guys. There are a total of 10 guides that live out there for the entire summer (so about 6 months). We reached the area where they had a little shelter with galoshes for us to all change in to and some port-a-potties. We were able to leave anything we didn’t want to carry on the bus. Since we were the only group out there, it was all safe to leave things. So we left our backpack and just grabbed our camera. It was about a 10-minute hike down to the water and divided up into 4 canoes. Each canoe had 1 guide in it for the paddle over to the glacier. The canoes do have motors on them and we were told that if complimented our guide quickly, the motor would be used sooner! LOL! It was fun to paddle for a bit and then cruise on over.

 

 

 

Finally, at Davidson Glacier, we got out and walked around, heading over to the glacier. It’s a lot of sand, rocks and just general sludge type ground. They had an area near the running water, that was coming out from under the glacier, that was sort of blocked off as a precaution. They did tell us that there were occasional rushes of water that would come out and it could knock someone over if they were near the edge. They also allowed us to climb up onto one side of the glacier, but it was slick! There was one girl who slipped, but nothing serious. We had some time to hang out there, ask questions, take tons of pictures, etc… We then headed back in the canoes, back to the bus, and back to the base camp. They had a shelter there with picnic benches and handed out turkey sandwiches, apple sauce and water bottles. The one guide, W, then took anyone on the path who wanted to pick wild strawberries. I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been a fruit eater, so I may have had a strawberry when I was young, but I don’t remember it at all. I actually tried one of the wild ones! It was small and sweet. The boats then arrived, with the new group and they got off and we got back on our same boat, with the same guide. On our way back we slowed down in an area where there were several seals hanging out.

 

 

 

Once we got back to town, we walked around for a little bit, got some fresh made donuts, and then headed back to the ship, we were exhausted! Even though we didn’t sail away until 9:00 p.m., we just relaxed on the ship. It was quite warm and sunny during the afternoon. I would absolutely recommend this excursion if you can handle it. It’s a long day, and somewhat rugged, but totally worth it!!

 

 

Waterfall along the way

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Canoe heading to the glacier

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Walking up to the glacier

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The 3 of us at the glacier

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Glacier up close

_MG_3783_zpsdjtzrdxg.jpg

 

 

The full glacier

_MG_3809_zpsam59t0gw.jpg

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Day 4 – Skagway (Glacier Point Wilderness Safari excursion)

 

 

Finally, at Davidson Glacier, we got out and walked around, heading over to the glacier. It’s a lot of sand, rocks and just general sludge type ground. They had an area near the running water, that was coming out from under the glacier, that was sort of blocked off as a precaution. They did tell us that there were occasional rushes of water that would come out and it could knock someone over if they were near the edge. They also allowed us to climb up onto one side of the glacier, but it was slick! There was one girl who slipped, but nothing serious. We had some time to hang out there, ask questions, take tons of pictures, etc… We then headed back in the canoes, back to the bus, and back to the base camp. They had a shelter there with picnic benches and handed out turkey sandwiches, apple sauce and water bottles. The one guide, W, then took anyone on the path who wanted to pick wild strawberries. I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been a fruit eater, so I may have had a strawberry when I was young, but I don’t remember it at all. I actually tried one of the wild ones! It was small and sweet. The boats then arrived, with the new group and they got off and we got back on our same boat, with the same guide. On our way back we slowed down in an area where there were several seals hanging out.

 

 

 

 

 

The girl that fell was MY KID!! LOL And yes, she was fine.....just muddy. LOL The Guides helped her after she fell. :)

 

And seeing your photo...Yup, you guys sat next to us in the Follies Lounge. :)

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The girl that fell was MY KID!! LOL And yes, she was fine.....just muddy. LOL The Guides helped her after she fell. :)

 

And seeing your photo...Yup, you guys sat next to us in the Follies Lounge. :)

 

Was your girls wearing a light green jacket/sweatshirt? That's who I saw fall, but I didn't think that was your daughter.

 

Either way, the guides were so nice and helpful!

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While I'm working on the rest of the actual trip report, I thought I'd add a few other things that happened, good and bad.

 

Our room was just fine, no problems there, we were on the 7th deck, starboard side. Our room steward, Tricia, was great. Very nice! Now, she did give us a $50 spa gift card I believe on the 3rd day. Nice surprise, but we never got to use it. I tried once to make an appointment, but of course, the only opening for when we were in port and had excursions. I then went back to try and see if there were cancellations, but was told that the card could only be used for specific things anyway, nothing I wanted to pay for, so we never used it. :(

 

The ship itself - we didn't care for so much smoking. I realize since it's a colder climate, it's more difficult to control it. But the Lido deck was very smokey smelling, something I didn't enjoy. I haven't encountered that same issue on Caribbean ones. As others have said, it's an older ship, it just felt it too.

 

The food was fine, nothing spectacular. I will say I believe my husband got sick from something though. We both ate the same thing at dinner, the 3rd night, sailing from Tracy Arm. However, he also had the sushi that night, from the MDR (not the Bonsai place). Anyway, he said about an hour or 2 later his stomach was bothering him. He seemed to get a little better, or at least he wasn't telling me. Then around midnight he got up out of bed and was in the bathroom. However, he felt he was going to pass out, so he had to lay back down on the bed. I was super close to calling for emergency medical help. He eventually threw up everything!! :( I had grabbed the waste can from the bathroom, but there are little seams at the bottom that aren't sealed, so it leaked a bit!! :eek: Then grabbed the solid waste can from by the desk. After he threw up, and everything that was in his stomach, he was better! It was really scary though! And of course, the next morning was our super early, 7 a.m. excursion. Thankfully, whatever it was, he was fine the next day. We did call housekeeping to come and they cleaned the garbage cans for us, as well as the room the next day when we were gone.

 

Oh, and they do a deck sale in the morning of the Tracy Arm day. Supposedly they have things on sale that they don't normally do. For example, they have t-shirts and hats that are 2/$20, but usually you can't mix a hat & shirt for the deal, but that day you can. I bought a cute waterproof hat and my son got the keep calm & cruise t-shirt. However, it's slow checking out. They had to write everything down on paper, then ring it up later. They only had 1 person actually working the register, the other woman was just standing there. In fact, at one point she walked away to go look at whales on the side of the ship! I felt she shouldn't have done that while the line was so long. Plus, she could have been gathering the next persons items, so the other person was ready to write down the tag numbers, if that makes sense. Or have each of them take a customer!

 

I hope that at least a few people like reading reviews that are longer, like mine! LOL! I like to give details to help people make choices, understand the ship, etc... Same reason I do reviews on Trip Advisor for everything we do! :D

Edited by kctwinmommy
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Thanks for doing this wonderful review! We are headed to Alaska in Sept for the first time [on HAL though and a different itinerary] and it is nice to get a taste of the scenery. Your pics are spectacular...those seals!! and the bear!! You are so lucky to have seen so much wildlife! :D

 

I'm a bit surprised you didn't like the Legend though. I thought that was the nicest of the Carnival ships I've sailed [and certainly had the "least offensive" decor ;)]. It was a great size and very easy to get around without the mid-ship dining room to break up the flow of walking bow to stern like the Conquest class.

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Thanks for doing this wonderful review! We are headed to Alaska in Sept for the first time [on HAL though and a different itinerary] and it is nice to get a taste of the scenery. Your pics are spectacular...those seals!! and the bear!! You are so lucky to have seen so much wildlife! :D

 

I'm a bit surprised you didn't like the Legend though. I thought that was the nicest of the Carnival ships I've sailed [and certainly had the "least offensive" decor ;)]. It was a great size and very easy to get around without the mid-ship dining room to break up the flow of walking bow to stern like the Conquest class.

 

Thanks! We were fortunate to see those things for sure.

 

And yeah, I thought the decor was a little old and outdated. But again, that's not the reason I pick a ship, honestly, it doesn't bother me enough to not cruise on a ship! LOL! I like a little bigger ship. We're sailing on the Magic this fall though, which will be our biggest one yet! :eek:

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Might as well post about Day 2 as well, since there wasn't that much.

 

Day 2 – Sea Day

Started of doing the sea day brunch, as usual. Our son mostly hung out in Circle C for the day, there were a lot of kids this time. Last time, in November, it was a much smaller group of kids, so this time he had a lot more kids to hang out with. We also went to Jen’s Alaska Adventure Talk, but honestly, it was mostly stuff we already knew. We had booked our excursions months ago, knowing what we wanted to do. And the rest was about shopping information, which honestly, isn’t anything we’re concerned about. I’ve pretty much grown tired of Diamonds International at every port! LOL!!

 

 

We did have the formal night for dinner, which we did dress up and go to. But as others have said, it seems as though many people are pulling away from dressing up. Especially compared to the Caribbean ones we’ve been on. I would easily say that about 50% of the people weren’t “dressed up.” By that, I mean the guys/boys wearing shirt & tie, women in skirts or dresses. There were still people wearing hats, shorts, t-shirts, etc… And then there were others who were the more dressed in a nice casual look, nice pants, polo shirts, that kind of stuff. This doesn’t bother me all that much, at least the polo shirts, slacks, etc… But I really wish they would enforce the “no hat” rule! Oh, and for this night we had Manuelito for our waiter, and he was much better than our first night waiter.

 

 

 

That night we went to see one of the comedians, I believe it was John DiCrosta. We eventually saw both him and John Caponera over the next couple of nights – both were excellent! We spent most of the rest of the night on the deck watching the sunset, which was really late!

 

 

 

I couldn't imagine being on a sailboat out in these waters...

_MG_2620_zpsospkggbs.jpg

 

 

Not a great picture, but we started seeing whales in this area.

_MG_2716_zpsgs2rch6n.jpg

 

 

 

 

And other ocean creatures, still trying to figure out what this one was.

_MG_2609_zpsyeaucnvu.jpg

 

More amazing sunsets

_MG_2735_zps2xlubrzg.jpg

 

_MG_2765_zpsmmop6wi3.jpg

 

_MG_2786_zpsm1f8yomm.jpg

 

Wow you saw a mola mola, an ocean sunfish!

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