The LEGEND....6/24-7/1

[firstcruiserDB]

I thought I would try my hand at a short review. Please bare with me….it’s my first! I will get the writing finished, and then I’ll try to come back with some pictures.

 

A Little About Us: This was our 8th cruise together. We have sailed both Carnival and Royal Caribbean. We believe these lines are more alike than they are different. We’ve enjoyed all of our cruises! We are the kind of travelers that don’t let the little things ruin the experience for us.

Pre-Cruise: We had an uneventful flight from Chicago O’Hare to Tampa International the day before the cruise. We stayed at the Tampa Marriott Waterside. It’s a great place and very close to the Port. We enjoyed walking to Channelside to get a couple of bottles of wine even though it was lightly raining. We had a cold drink to get our vacation started at one of the bars at Channelside, and returned to our hotel to get ready for dinner. We ate at the Colombia Restaurant in YBor City. Wow, it was GREAT! We both enjoyed a fresh fish dinner. The Mojitos were fabulous, too! We stayed for the show (an additional $12), but it was pretty “cheesy”. We will definitely go back to the Columbia for dinner the next time we are in Tampa!

[firstcruiserDB]

It’s finally time! We woke to lots of gray skies and rain, rain, rain! Tropical Storm Debby was threatening to come ashore pretty close to us. We weren’t sure if the Legend would sail out of the port or not. We took a cab to the port about 10:30 and there were already lots of people there! Since we had our first suite (more about that later), we were able to check into the VIP area. It took about 2 minutes! We were then sent to the VIP waiting area and told we wouldn’t be able to board until about noon. We found a place to sit, I took a couple of rainy pictures of the ship, and then they began boarding! The wedding parties went first, and then we were called. We were the first on the ship!! By 11:15 we were exploring the Legend!

[LBumb]

good job

[firstcruiserDB]

First Impressions of The Ship: She is beautiful! The décor is a bit “over the top” and the urns are everywhere, but we were still wow-ed when we first arrived! We walked around and made our way to the Lido for a little bite to eat. The salad bar was great, and we really enjoyed the pizza. It was a little hard to get to the other food stations because of the crowd but we never went hungry, believe me! Rooms were ready about 1:00 and we were anxious to see our first suite.

The Room (7347): Wow, this was a great room. It was 3 different sections—a sitting room with TV and bar, a dressing room and bathroom, and the bedroom. Lots and lots of storage, too. The balcony, though, was UNBELIEVEABLE! It’s was an aft (we always love the aft of the ship!) corner wrap and it was HUGE! We had 2 loungers, 4 regular chairs, and two tables on it! The best balcony we’ve ever had, by far! We used it a lot during the week!

[SooZ1138]

Yay! Another Legend review!! Hope Debby didn't get ya!

[wishes count]

Can't wait to read the rest of your review! I'm sailing on the Legend on Aug 5th!

[firstcruiserDB]

The Weather:

Yes, Tropical Storm Debby joined us on the first day of our cruise! It was extremely rough once we got out into the open ocean. We didn’t get sick, but I’m sure it was a tough night for those that do. It was rocking so much that we were afraid the glasses and bottles would fall from the shelf! Our first seaday was spent inside as the rain continued all day long. We spent the day walking around, exploring the ship, and eating!

By early evening we began seeing glimpses of blue sky. From then on, the weather was absolutely beautiful. We had calm seas and blue skies the rest of the week.

 

The Casino:

We spent some time each evening in the casino. As usual, we didn’t walk away with any extra money, but we had a good time trying! I won a little on Roulette and we both spent some time at the Blackjack table. We broke even, and I consider that a win! It was a nice sized casino for this sized ship. We didn’t notice it was too smoky, and it was never really crowded. There was plenty of non-smoking areas for those that need it. The sweet bartender from Indonesia in the casino was our favorite throughout the week.

 

The Food:

Not wonderful, but it wasn’t bad. We really had no complaints. We had Anytime Dining and always requested a table for two. We spent quite a lot of time in line waiting for a table most evenings. This surprised us as we’d always gotten right in on other cruises. We eat late (about 8:30), but when I asked if earlier would be less of a wait, we were told it was like this all evening long beginning at 5:30. I’m guessing we stood in line waiting for a table about 30 minutes each night.

 

We did the Chef’s Table on Cozumel night. I experienced this last year with my sister, and I was anxious to take my husband. We don’t consider ourselves “foodies”, but we do enjoy a good meal. I knew that the menu had changed since last year, but hoped it was still a great experience. I have to say I was a bit disappointed. While I thought the service was as good, the food just wasn’t near as spectacular as last year. The chef was a great guy and did a fine job of introducing each course. We enjoyed talking with our tablemates. It was a nice evening, but I’m not sure it was worth $75 per person.

 

We celebrated our 32nd (wow!) anniversary in the steakhouse on Thursday evening. It’s a beautiful restaurant with wonderful service. We enjoyed our evening a lot! My husband ordered the lamb chops and they were fantastic! I had the Surf and Turf , and I have to say it was just ok. This night was well worth the surcharge of $35 per person.

[firstcruiserDB]

The Ports:

This cruise was all about relaxation for us, so we didn’t do a lot in each port. Here’s what we did:

Cozumel: We spent the day at Nachi Cocum. It was an absolutely beautiful beach, and a wonderfully relaxing day. It was not crowded (they only allow 100 people in each day, and I’m sure there were only 40 or 50 people there that day), the food and drinks were great, and we loved every minute of it. It was well worth the $50 per person charge which included everything. Easy to get a cab to and from, too.

Belize: Sorry to say, we didn’t go anywhere in Belize. I know we missed out, but we chose to just walk around the port area. Ate lunch at the Wet Lizard and shopped a bit. Enjoyed a quiet ship and the Serenity Deck when we returned.

Roatan: We purchased the “Relax on the Beach” excursion through Carnival. This allowed us unlimited use of the Magic Carpet Ride, a float, and two chairs under a clamshell. It was a beautiful beach, but we didn’t get there early enough. Our clamshell was in the second row which eliminated all view of the water and any breezes. It was HOT, and we just couldn’t sit in our chairs too long. Had a cold drink and returned to the ship.

Grand Cayman: We took a cab ($4) to Royal Palms. It was a great little place on 7 Mile beach. We had reserved a cabana on the beach, and had a nice, relaxing day at the beach. Good food and drink. They had a great pool and a nice restaurant/bar. We enjoyed the day a lot!

[travellover39]

 

Cozumel[/size][/b]: We spent the day at Nachi Cocum. It was an absolutely beautiful beach, and a wonderfully relaxing day. It was not crowded (they only allow 100 people in each day, and I’m sure there were only 40 or 50 people there that day), the food and drinks were great, and we loved every minute of it. It was well worth the $50 per person charge which included everything. Easy to get a cab to and from, too.

 

]

 

Do you remember how much the cab fare was to Nachi Cocum and how long of a cab ride?

Your off to a good start, enjoying your review and doing a good job:D

[firstcruiserDB]

Yes, the cab fare was posted on a sign at the port before we got into the cab. It was $15 + tip each way. It was about a 15 minute drive. Not far at all.

[travellover39]

Yes, the cab fare was posted on a sign at the port before we got into the cab. It was $15 + tip each way. It was about a 15 minute drive. Not far at all.

 

Thanks for the info. We are also planning on spending our Cozumel day there.:)

 

Can't wait.

[mj]

Great Review. The Legend is one of my favorites.

[gred1994]

We sail on her on July 15!! Thanks so much for your review!!

[vivavegas]

Great review! Thanks for taking the time to write your review and share with us!:)

[firstcruiserDB]

I will be back with some final thoughts later tonight. Hopefully, I will post some of my pictures tomorrow afternoon.

 

If you have any questions......ask away!:D

[firstcruiserDB]

Final Thoughts: While this wasn’t our most favorite cruise, it certainly wasn’t our worst. We enjoyed ourselves and had a great time together. We truly think every cruise is a good cruise! The Legend is a fine ship. We loved our cabin and our awesome balcony! Food and service just wasn’t what it once was, but it was alright. We enjoyed the Serenity area and always had fun in the casino. The only show we went to was the Motown one with Marcus Anthony, and it was a great show! We did go to some of the comedy shows and enjoyed those, too. The Legend’s layout was great, and you could walk from front to back on any deck. The gym area was quite small and lacking some equipment. The layout of the buffet area made for long lines.

We have decided it’s time to branch out and try other cruiselines. We will sail with Carnival again, I’m sure, but we feel it’s time to see what else is out there. We’ve done numerous Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean itineraries and would like to go somewhere different. If anyone has any suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!

All in all, the Legend is a fine ship and we would recommend her to anyone. I hope this short review answered some of your questions. Please let me know if I can answer any others.

[Boozebabe]

We too were on that cruise. We played in the casino a lot. I played LOTS of Roulette and Let It Ride. Wish I knew who you were.

 

So far your account of the cruise is the same as mine.

[firstcruiserDB]

Boozebabe...

 

Just curious, how'd you feel about the food and service on the Legend? What did you do in the ports??

 

What's up next for you? Another cruise? Any idea what ship or itinerary? We are having a terrible time deciding what to do next!

 

I'll bet I sat next to you at the Roulette table a time or two!:D

[cruisercrazy69]

Booze & First did you go to the VIFP party?

[helen haywood]

To the OP, if you are interested in "branching out" then by all means try a Solstice Class Celebrity ship.

[Master Shake]

Slightly off topic, but do you know if they started putting the chocolate melting cakes back in the buffet on this ship? We were on the Victory last November, and they made us go to the MDR to get them as they no longer offered them at the buffet.

 

I've heard mixed/conflicting posts about this, so wanted to check with someone who recently sailed on the Legend to see what Carnival is doing on that ship.

 

We will be on the Legend in September. Yay!

[CruiseinNJ]

We were with you also! The first night was quite a bit rocky! Didn't bother me, but my older daughter wasn't feeling too good.

 

We were in Nachi Cocom also - loved it. Totally agree with you on the food - it was ok, but we've had much better. Service was wonderful though. We've never finished late seating dinner as quick as we did this trip.

[firstcruiserDB]

No, we did not attend the VIFP party. It was offered at 5:00 on a port day (I think), and the time just didn't work for many.

 

The warm chocolate melting cake was only offered in the main dining room as far as I know. I never saw it on the buffet, but it was offered every night in the dining room. (I know because I had it almost every night!!!:eek:)

 

Helen....what can you tell me about the Celebrity Solstice class? What ships are in that class? We are definately looking at Celebrity....maybe to Bermuda? Thanks for any help you can offer!

[Boozebabe]

Booze & First did you go to the VIFP party?

 

 

I did NOT.

[Boozebabe]

Boozebabe...

 

Just curious, how'd you feel about the food and service on the Legend? What did you do in the ports??

 

What's up next for you? Another cruise? Any idea what ship or itinerary? We are having a terrible time deciding what to do next!

 

I'll bet I sat next to you at the Roulette table a time or two!:D

 

Food was just OK for me. Hubby is sooo picky he didn't like anything. That drives me nuts!!!!

 

Our cabin steward Olvin was the best we've ever had on ANY of our 15 cruises so far. We had a suite on deck 6 and he acknowledged that we paid a premium price for our room and we deserved great service. He was rewarded for his attentiveness. We aren't especially "needy" but the small requests we had were fulfilled daily.

 

The dining staff all over the ship drives me crazy when they are in such a hurry to take your plate from you. They like to be the judge of when you are finished. I DO NOT like to be rushed.

 

We were in the Anytime Dining group. I have wanted to do this for a couple cruises now. It was the only option when we booked our cruise. BIG mistake. Anytime dining obviously means "anytime you want to eat PLUS one hour". 4 out of 7 nights the line was all the way out the hallway, thru the lounge, down the corridor that leads to the photo area. When we finally made it in and were seated we counted some 20-30 available seats in just the area we were seated in. *** That was just ridiculous. We asked the Gestapo-like hostess about getting bthe beeper I've heard about that othere restaurants use. She said they only use them when there are no available seats in the dining room. I was totally baffled by their lack of organization in that seating venue.

 

In Cozumel we went to Chankanaab on our own. I used a $2 coupon. We had a nice time there. I would recommend it. Was a very clean place.

 

In Belize we just took the tender in and walked around the shops. I was looking for a drug store that I had shopped in once before. I got some arthritis rub that served me well in the past. The pharmacist also sold me something for my sunburn. Then back to the ship.

 

We went to Mahogany Beach on the flying chair. That was a blessing for me as my arthritis keeps me from walking long distances.

 

In Grand Cayman we rented a car and drove to Rum Point and spent the day there. WE really enjoyed seeing the entire island. Theres so much more than 7-mile beach. Rum Point water is like being in a swimming pool. No waves. We saw the beautiful Poinciannia trees in full bloom all along the road to Rum Point. Millionaires Row out there is impressive. Huge gated homes right on the beach.

 

You may remember me from the Roulette tables. I was hitting big time on my numbers all week. Especially when Alex was the croupier I was hitting #23 and #29 A LOT. He was paying me in green and black chips. WooHoo. And I used a pink cane when I was off the ship. I don't need it on the ship as there is always somewhere to sit.

 

We cruised last summer on the Pride and at that time I said I was finished with Carnival. I am sorry I didn't stick to my guns. I just hate the gaudy designs in Carnival ships, the food selections and the entertainment. That singer in the casino sounded like a drunken passenger grabbed a guitar and said "I'll sing". The dealers were even cringing thru most of his songs.

 

We will probably sail on Royal Caribbean next but there are no plans at this time. I would like to do the southern Caribbean again. Its been a long time since we were there. And a group of us want to do the Canadian Maritimes cruise probably in Sept 2013. Our "Girl Trip" with 12 ladies might be a 4 day cruise in Jan or Feb 2013. But definitely my next trip will be abck to my favorite haunt--Las Vegas. Been there 42 times......so far.

 

Whats next for you?