NOOB LEGEND (wait for it) -ary Trans Atlantic Review

[JohnTRN]

Sounds like John wants to go on the Sunshine TA with us....lol. He must have Mallorca on his mind...lol.:D

 

John was in Valencia. We saw him there.

 

Yeah, that's the ticket! Now, if some kind reader would like to just send me on that trip, I'll promise a review that will knock their socks off!!! :p

 

John

[JohnTRN]

Day 4 – April 10 2013

 

Fun Day at Sea!

 

(We've left Nassau, en-route to Bermuda)

 

So we could enjoy coffee on the balcony in our robes each morning, we took advantage of Room Service almost every day. More than one morning we got it earlier than our requested time, a couple later. Which is OK, those stewards are busy and have a lot of ship to cover carrying big trays – even when the ship is swaying! In case I forget . . . the one day we had rough seas, I said something to the steward who brought our coffee about 'carrying those trays in rough seas'. Her reply, "It's rough today?" Come on, she was having me on, right?! We will probably just run upstairs in the morning on our next cruise, get our coffee and bring it back to the cabin.

 

(I think I have MORE pictures, from my other camera, that I have not gotten to yet. Those may get tacked on at the end. Trying to go through Jody's pictures in addition would put me over the top!)

 

This morning we had, what I think is, our only other breakfast in the MDR. Again, no reason not to, we just didn't always beat closing time. I like a sit-down breakfast from a menu for breakfast almost as much as I like the dinners! Nice selection, order want you want, how you want it.

 

I've mentioned doing a couple of activities with our CC Bunch and having 'friends we did not know' when we got on board. Some good reasons to get involved in the Roll Call for your cruise. That and getting questions answered. The running joke for a while was my 'Question Of The Day'. Being a Trans-Atlantic Cruise, we had more sea days than usual and our bunch had our own activities planned for all of the sea days. It's not that Carnival doesn't have anything planned (see your daily Fun Times!), rather, we all got together to enjoy each other. We are involved in the Roll Call for our next cruise, which is port intensive. There is a very different flavor to that Roll Call and we won't have a lot of CC activities planned.

 

Our first activity today was a slot pull in the Casino at 11.00A. Here's how that works. Your organizer (Thanks, Barb!) collects $10 from everybody that wants to play, writing your name down as the money is collected. After everybody has anted up, the organizer starts the game. We played the Quarter slots, so got whatever combination of pulls you wanted that added up to $10. Any winnings are left to accumulated. After everybody is done, the winnings are divided by the number of players; we all got back $4 apiece. House wins. So, we had some cheap fun, accompanied by a lot of shouting and attracted a lot of passers-by wondering what it was all about.

 

Each day, I'm highlighting the days activities and not subjecting you to our meanderings about the ship, each placed we stopped to watch the ocean or read or each meal. I'm going to try to do a sum up about the buffet sometime along the way (I already talked about the not-powdered eggs) and the dining. Oh, and tonight is Chef's Table. Oh, my, God!

 

(I'll post ship pictures as I come across them. This is in the main lobby, glass elevators, looking up at the Steakhouse red glass skylight. You can see the glass stairs)

 

I checked out Internet access in Gigabytes and decided that I could rapidly burn through minutes on a less than stellar speed Internet connection and not get a lot done. I'm an Internet Junkie and can waste hours surfing, but not enough of one that I HAD to have my Internet this two weeks! We would make do with WiFi in ports and the occasional phone call. Hmmm, I guess I could provide a link to something else . . . I researched free WiFi in each port and made lists for each one. Again, McDonald’s is your friend, but there's a lot of connections out there. I may just cut and paste at the end of the review. If anyone is hitting any of these ports and would like that info sooner, post a request and I'll get that port up for you.

 

Lunch at the buffet, just for convenience. Finding a table close to a window is a challenge when meals are at their peak and I enjoy watching that water go by. Mesmerizing.

 

At 1.00 or 2.00P we missed one of our Sea Day CC activities, which was Trivia, organized by Judy. She had a list of tough trivia questions each day and personally provided prizes for the winners. We'd catch that a couple of times during our trip.

 

At 3.00P we had another CC activity organized by Jim. We met outside of Billies Piano Bar to play LCR (Left, Center, Right). This is a great traveling game as it is very compact – three dice and about 20 chips; about the size of a roll of nickels, it will fit in pocket or purse. 20 chips would not be enough for our crowd, so we each brought three dollar bills. It's a very simple game. We formed a large circle and borrowed a meal tray from the cafeteria; I think we finally ended up with two trays; one for rolling the dice and one to collect cash. The dice travel the circle in a clockwise manner. You get to roll as many die as you have dollars in your hand. Remember, you started out with three dollars, you may not keep them. When you roll the dice, here are your results: For each L (Left) rolled, pass one dollar to person on your left; for each C (Center) rolled, put a dollar in the tray in the center; for each R rolled, pass a dollar to the person on your right. If you roll a 'Dot' you keep your dollar. So, in any roll of the dice, you could keep your cash, or lose all of it one direction or another. Even if you lose all of your cash, you're not out. The next person will roll and may pass cash around. Play until there is one person holding a dollar, or dollars, who then wins the pot in the center. Pots were in the $70 to over $100 dollar range, depending on the number of people. Once again, cheap entertainment. We ended up with lots of hooping and hollering that attracted the attention of passers-by and required an explanation of this sinful activity taking place in the hallway. Oh, and choir practice for the passenger talent show was taking place in Billie's, which we may have interfered with a bit.

Edited October 2, 2013 by JohnTRN

[JohnTRN]

Next big activity (Thanks, Bob!) today would be Chef's Table for dinner. I know the cruise lines are looking to make money off everything on the ship; drinks, pictures, wine tastings, excursions, etc. So, you don't do everything, but pick and choose. Chef's Table ran something like $75 per person . . . and I'll do it again!

 

12 of our CC Bunch all met in the main lobby bar area on Level 2, around 6.00P and were met by the Head Chef. Chef Prajod Kozhikote would turn out to be a unique individual, who we would run into multiple times on the ship through the two week trip. Knowing he does multiple dinners like this each trip, I never expected him to remember my name. Each time I would see him about the ship, I greeted him by name . . . and I was cheerfully greeted back with, “Hello John!”. I did not expect this busy man to remember my name out of thousands on the ship! In addition, no matter what he was doing, he always made a point of stopping to visit and make small talk for a few minutes each time we saw him and never acted rushed when he did. Are you getting the feeling he made a good impression? Very personable!

 

We were first taken to an area where saw some examples of ice carving. We then moved to another table where a junior chef was performing vegetable carving/arrangements; maybe you've seen something like 'Edible Arrangements'? We saw a couple of examples of this food art, then several of our diners were given the opportunity to try their own hand at this. Chef Prajod narrated, while the junior chef demonstrated and assisted the guests who were at work. Chef Prajod made a point of telling us NOT to buy expensive commercial baskets of arrangements, because it was so easy and cheap to do. It really is!

 

This would be a good place to mention where we are. In general, the kitchen is shaped like a 'U' and we've entered the kitchen along one side, at the open top. We would work our way clockwise around the 'U' during the tour. There were escalators somewhere along the open top of the 'U', with lines of table stewards coming down the same side we were on, working their way around the bottom of the 'U' in a clockwise manner, carrying those trays loaded with food, coming to the top of the 'U' and back up an escalator. The kitchen is like an assembly line. The stewards take their table orders and walk past areas containing each item: appetizers, salads, main dishes, desserts, etc. They would match up their order with items along the 'inside' of the 'U', which were accompanied by pictures of the items and separated, when appropriate, into divisions like rare, medium, well done, etc. As we toured stations, all of the stewards would smile and/or express greetings as we would pass by.

 

You will be requested to wear closed toe shoes and avoid slick soles when you do your Chef's Table. This is a working kitchen you are walking through and the floors can be SLICK! Kitchen staff and stewards all wear a particular type of rubber sole that is designed to give better traction in this environment. Watch your step!

 

Our next stop was a large empty table which we gathered around. We were served appetizers (Parmesan Core & Olive, Chorizo & Dates, Piquillo Sofritio, Focaccia, Mascarpone Cream & Prosciutto Crudo and Langoustine & Sundried Tomato Jam Fritters) accompanied by a white sparkly wine I failed to catch the name of; something like a Proseco. The appetizers were excellent! Chef Prajod would describe each appetizer as it was serve and continued to talk about the kitchen. He then asked for a volunteer to make Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. I was on that like white on rice! A junior chef provided me with an apron and one of the tall chef's hats (not as big as Chef Prajod's though!) and proceeded to set out ingredients for me to mix as Chef described how the cake is made. My mix would be poured out into ramekins and become part of the desert at our Chef's Table. I got to keep the hat, but not the apron. <grin>

 

We continued our clockwise tour around the 'U' shaped kitchen and ended up taken to a private dining room for our dinner. This was the Medusa Lair Club, with a long table and and chairs set up on the elevated area. We would be served our seven course meal here, with one table steward for each two seated diners. Each diner had a personalized name tag reserving a seat and a menu, rolled like a scroll, that was also personalized.

 

 

 

We started with offerings of our choice of red or white wine, which would continue to flow during the entire meal, to your hearts content. The table stewards also suggested wines to pair with several of the courses served.

 

The First Course was “Tomatoes Our Way!”. Aerated Tomato Juice, Cocoa Butter Coated, Chardonnay Poached. I forget, but I think this may have been a cold soup, that was served in an 'empty' bowl coated in the Cocoa Butter, then the soup was brought in a pitcher and poured in. This was just the beginnings of 'Presentation' and I regret that I did not get Food Porn of every step of the meal. Chef is or course describing each course as it comes around and maintaining conversation with guests in between.

 

 

Second Course was “Tuna Banh Mi”. Lemon Bread, Sesame Crisp, miso cream avacodo gel. A 'Sushi' dish with the tuna 'cooked' in an acidic (lemon?) solution that melted in your mouth. The other little tidbits on the plate were all delicous and, once more, presentation was forefront.

 

Third Course, “Cornish Hen”. Caramelized, butternut Squash, Sofrito. More tender, melt in your mouth food.

 

Fourth Course, “Bavarois”. Spinach, Green Peas, Warm Turnip & Apple Juice. Now, I'm no turnip fan and would not have chosen this to eat. It was so good!

 

Fifth Course, “Salmon”. Herb Pesto, Cured Tomatoes, Carrots, Fava, Mushroom Earth, Condensed Beets. This may have been the best salmon I have ever eaten in my life! Moist, tender, delicious!

 

 

Sixth Course, “Wagyu”. Slow Stewed Short Ribs, Potato Pebbles, Pumpkin Fudge, Tomato Dust. This was not short ribs but something you will have heard of, like 'Kobi' Beef. “Wagyu refers to several breeds of cattle, the most famous of which is genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat.” Chef explained how the cattle were fed beer and hand massaged to marbleize the fat. You see, regular beef, through running around in the field, cause marbling of their fat, and toughen the meat. These babies are pampered! Here was an “Oh, My, God” moment. The best piece of beef I have ever eaten in my life. Tender enough you could cut it with a fork and just about melted in your mouth. This might have well been chocolate instead of beef!

 

[JohnTRN]

Seventh Course / Desert, “Chocolate 88F”. Aerated Pistachio and Mango Cake with Mascarpone Cream, Guava and Caramel Praline. And, a side of Warm Chocolate Melting Cake, prepared by yours truly, with an assist by my private junior chef!

 

 

At one point ealy in the evening we had posed for a group picture with Chef. At the end of the evening we were each presented with a Carnival Folder holding a copy of the group picture and a copy of the recipe for Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. Reminder . . . must get larger ramekins . . .

 

 

(Recipe Time!)

 

Needless to say, this meal required a little bit of walking afterward, followed by the Juggler Comedy Show. We had a very good view from the second row, but I just remember him as being 'OK' . . . . wish I could remember now why he was just 'OK'.

 

And this brings to an end another enjoyable day aboard the Carnival Legend.

 

[JohnTRN]

And now, I MUST get a little work done around the house. There's a brake job with my name all over it that will take up a good chunk of the day.

 

Maybe tomorrow will bring another cruise day . . . maybe this afternoon. Who knows!?

 

John

[crusinpsychRN]

Thank you! I'm thoroughly enjoying your detailed review. Your cabin description is the best ever! As a long time cruiser and frequent Legend passenger I like hearing your perspective and enjoy your hints!

[JohnTRN]

Day 5 – April 11 2013

 

Fun Day at Sea!

 

 

We awakened to a beautiful, calm day at see today, as we steam our way to Bermuda. Due to our Port Side Cabin and the Spring sun lower on the horizon, we won't have any nice sunrises, but will get the sunsets.

 

(NOOB Hint – POSH. Port Outward; Starboard Home. I believe this originally referred to English ships sailing to India. Can't recall if it was because you might have more views of the land, or if the other side of the ship would have been hotter.)

 

This is a lazy day and you don't really care about the minutiae. We ate, we wandered the ship, finally got a hammock on the Serenity Deck (right over our cabin, to boot) and had lunch there. Lots of time for reading and relaxing.

 

 



 

(An even prettier 'Wake Picture'!)



 

(In case you were wondering what exactly, were in those little pods . . .)

[JohnTRN]

(Do get out and wander the ship. You'll find all kinds of neat places. This is 'The Enchanted Forest'. The couple of times we saw it, nobody was using it, except as a passage from here to there. Might be a quiet place to read and relax.)

 



 



 

(We caught a couple of our CC Friends practicing their dance moves. I probably ought to let Jody talk me into that sometime . . . )

 

Later in the day, had another fun game of LCR and Jody nearly won the pot. I think we are still annoying some of the Glee Club crowd practicing in Billies!

 

We had a group eight of the CC Bunch at one table for dinner and had a good time.

 

(NOOB Hint – Dining. You can choose 'Early' or 'Late' dining, which gives you fixed dining times in the in Truffles on Deck 2. If you choose 'Your Time Dining', you will eat in Truffles on Deck 3 at any time that Main Dining Room is open. Benefit of 'Early' or 'Late' – you have an assigned table and see the same stewards. They will learn your likes and dislikes. Benefit of 'YTD', you don't have to worry about watching the time on Port Days and can eat when you are hungry. If you get a favorite, you can always ask for a table with them, but you may wait a little longer. Love it, or hate it, a lot of people who eat 'YTD' may hang around for the stewards to sing and dance, so that will delay you and you'll miss them.)

 

 

Edited October 3, 2013 by JohnTRN

[JohnTRN]

And this brings to a close another relaxing 'Fun Day at Sea'.

 

 

Between all of my pictures and review readers, apparently I'm approaching 'Bandwidth Restrictions' on my Photobucket account. Today's pictures are linked to from my Google+ account and I'm hoping that works out. If not, I'll have to try something else! I'm hoping the Photobucket restrictions don't cause problems view the previously posted pictures!

[JohnTRN]

Day 6 – 12 April 2013

 

King's Wharf, Bermuda

(Docked: Port Side to King's Wharf)

 

 



 

(Our first view of Bermuda)



 

 

 

(With this being a Port Day, we ordered a full breakfast through room service: smoked salmon, fruit, coffee and juice. Rather tasty!)



 

(King's Wharf)

Edited October 3, 2013 by JohnTRN

[JohnTRN]

Again, given my interest in 'How Things Are Done', I had to watch the entire docking process. It was a little more involved than my pictures show, but interesting, nonetheless.

 

(Ship's Officer directing docking)

 



 



 



 

Edited October 3, 2013 by JohnTRN

[JohnTRN]

(We never made it up to the fort at King's Wharf)

 

We got in line to get off around 8.30A and did not take to long debarking. I forgot to mention debarkation pictures at our Nassau stop, so will mention that here. There will be a gauntlet of ship photographers to run on your way off the ship. There will be gangway pictures and you may have opportunity to pose with a pirate, a dancer, behind a ship's wheel, etc. I'm not sure if these folks are paid by the picture, or by the pictures purchased, but again, folks trying to make a living. Stop for one or two, if you have time; if you're pushed for time, just smile and say no thanks. We didn't buy any of these pictures. Guess that's kind of a NOOB Hint!

 

 

The day started out overcast and looking like it might rain, so we brought raincoats. It would clear up, bright and sunny. Sure glad I wore my shorts! (Not sure what I was thinking on Nassau!)

 

Bermuda-Attractions.com http://www.bermuda-attractions.com is an excellent resource for planning activities while on Bermuda. You can get a lot of information and ideas from their pages. The gentleman who is the webmaster is very responsive to questions.

 

Transportation options for King's Wharf.

 

Taxi: Not cheap. For a 4-passenger vehicle, first mile is $6.40. For each subsequent mile the fare is $2.25. So If you travel for 10 miles, you will end up paying $26.65 (i.e. $6.60 + 9 x $2.25) plus tips. For taxis with capacity of 5-6 persons, the first mile is $8, and then $2.50 for each subsequent mile.

http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda_00008a.htm

 

Bus/Ferry: Buy a one-day Transportation Pass, which will allow you unlimited use of both the buses and water ferries.

 

We started out with plans to do one of the several walking tours (http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda2_000109.htm) we found on that website. Then I happened across a reference to a man named Ed Christopher. He works at City Hall with the mayor. One of his duties is to do a two-hour walking tour through Hamilton. The man is a life-long resident of Hamilton who seems to know everybody in town (drivers honk and wave at him as they go by and the ladies get big hugs.). His tour is given in full Colonial Period Costume of a Town Crier. A very personable and knowledgeable man about Bermuda. If you are up to walking through town for two hours, by all means, join him!

http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda2_00001f.htm

 

Between docking time and the start time of the walking tour, we opted for the ferry from King's Wharf to Hamilton instead of the bus and took the bus back to King's Wharf; a very scenic drive with lots of stops. You can find the Ferry Schedule on this page (http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda_000073.htm ). We arrived a few days after a new, Spring, schedule started and the page was not updated until shortly before the change. Made planning a challenge. The ferry ride was an easy ride to town and it was a relatively short walk from port, up the hill, to City Hall.

 

(This is the Ferry, or water taxi. It docks a short walk from where the ship docks. Just walk around the wharf area counter-clockwise and you will find a ticket booth where you can buy passes and the ferry dock.

 

 

(The Legend in Bermuda)



 

[JohnTRN]

We got a lunch recommendation from Mr. Christopher for the 'Jamaican Grill', 32 Court Street, Hamilton. After the tour we walked from City Hall to the restaurant and then back to near City Hall to catch the bus back to King's Wharf. If you don't enjoy walking, catch a taxi. We took the #7 Bus back; there are two lines that run back to King's Wharf. One (#7) takes a more 'coastal' route and the other is more 'inland'.

 

(Harbor Homes)

 

 

This was the Oceana Cruises 'Regatta'. It's a smaller cruise ship that can makes its way up the channel to the harbor area. Larger cruise ships were unable to visit Bermuda until the King's Wharf area was developed, sometime in the 1980s or '90s.

 

 

(Downtown Hamilton)

[JohnTRN]

(Queen Elizabeth Park, unveiled on Her Majesty's Birthday, 21 April 2012. If I remember correctly, there is a cafe/coffee shop next door, with free WiFi.)

 



 



 

(Mr. Eric Christopher, Official Hamilton Town Crier)



 

(You will meet Hamilton's Mayor as part of your tour)

Edited October 3, 2013 by JohnTRN
c

[JohnTRN]

(Catherdral of the Most Holy Trinity)

 

 

The architecture and interior of this church were very reminiscent of old European Churches. Beautiful little church with a long history.

 

(Government Building - Parliment?)

 

Again, I think I have more pictures in my other camera. If I do, will tag them on the end!

 

We wandered about the the Dockyard at King's Wharf and used a pass for WiFi to chat with our daughter on FaceBook and email our son. I forget what time increments and costs the passes are. The speed was decent and the coverage a little spotty.

 

(Carnival Legend Cabin 8262 - Look at the top row of cabins, about two to the aft/picture right)

 

Relaxed on the Serenity Deck till we pulled out of port, got some sunset pictures from the cabin and enjoyed dinner with just the two of us in Truffles.

 

 

 

Our favorite table steward would be Rodriquez and his team in Truffles 'YTD'. Be sure to ask for him! We walked about a bit, visited with some of the CC Bunch we ran into and checked out the 'Mexican Buffet' and dancing around the pool on the Lido. Several nice examples of ice and food carving on display.

Edited October 3, 2013 by JohnTRN

[JohnTRN]

And this brings to a close another beautiful day on our two week Trans Atlantic Cruise on the Legend. Between Nassau and Hamilton, Bermuda was by far our favorite stop. Beautiful island with a very high population density. If you're a curious sort, search for Hamilton, Bermuda in Google Maps or Google Earth and check out how densely the island is built up.

 

[pghsteelerfan]

John, I'm really loving your review and can't wait to read more, but no pressure. :) The details are great and I really love the pictures. I ran into the Photobucket bandwidth issue and just paid for more storage. I mainly use use Shutterfly (free, unlimited storage) but went through Photobucket to post pictures on Cruise Critic. I didn't think Shutterfly would work, at least it didn't three years ago, but it works now. Someone on who read my review explained how to do it, I tried it, and it worked. I'm just going to keep the Photobucket account so my pictures don't get "lost". I'm looking forward to more, but again, no pressure.

[JohnTRN]

(much good stuff deleted) I'm looking forward to more, but again, no pressure.

 

Yeah, sure, "no pressure" she says as she pressures for more! :p

 

John

[pghsteelerfan]

Yeah, sure, "no pressure" she says as she pressures for more! :p

 

John

 

 

LOL!!! I'm getting to be known on here for my "arm twisting"! :)

 

Holly

[JohnTRN]

Day 7 – 13 April 2013

'Fun Day at Sea' We're on our way to Ponte del Gada!

 

(We are out in the Atlantic now!)

 

(A little overcast today, but still smooth. Guess whats coming in another day or two?)

 

Again, won't go the minutiae of the day. Slept in and got up to find the water was turned off, due to a leak being repaired. Minor inconvenience in the scope of things. They cautioned cruisers to wait several hours after the repair before doing laundry, as sediment may have been stirred up. I went down to one of the laundromats to wash clothes late afternoon. Saw a woman pull out sediment stained clothes and decided my stuff could wait until tomorrow. I brought enough socks, etc. for a little over one week, and wanted to be sure we lasted through our three days in Barcelona after the cruise.

 

LCR would be moved to Medusa's Lair today. Worked out well for us, but not so well for the ladies playing cribbage on the lower level. Those CC people are a rowdy bunch!

 

(Medusa! in Medusa's Lair)

 

(Chef's Table Dinner was set up down there. These ladies won't appreciate us any more than the Glee Club did!)

 

(This man has either just won big at LCR, or is heading to a strip club . . .)

 

We wandered past Billies Piano Bar and found the Carnival Legend Band playing jazz tunes. Those guys are really good. Most of the evening shows that they performed with, they got the music sometime that day and had one rehearsal before the show. They hit it every time. I'm uploading a video of them to YouTube; at the moment it has almost three hours to go – I have REALLY slow internet! That means it should be done around 7.00P CST, Thursday, 3 Oct 13. Here's the link:

 

Tonight would be another 'Elegant Night' so we headed up after Billies to change and meet for dinner. We had two other couples from our CC Bunch and one other couple.

 

Remember that NOOB Hint I posted about ordering anything you wanted? Remember the right side of the menu is different every night? We were all looking at menus and I was having a heck of a time choosing. I wanted one of everything that night. My fine dinner companions encouraged me to order 'a little bit of everthing' and our lovely table steward said she thought she might be able to do that. Well, OK then! Bring it on! Oh, my . . . she brought it on alright. And on, and on, and on! Turns out, she couldn't get 'a little bit of everything' after all, so she brought a full course of each main dish. You know, FULL sized main dish and a couple of sides. FIVE of them!!! For little ol' me. Well, needless to say, my dinner companions got a very good laugh out of my predicament. We ended up just scattering everything around the table and shared the extra dishes family style. I got to try 'a little bit of everything' and had to waddle away from the table. What? Oh, yeah. I DID have dessert too! Why do you ask? What a silly question! That's like, mandatory, isn't it?

Edited October 3, 2013 by JohnTRN

[JohnTRN]

Well, that meal called for some 'walking it off'. We climbed the six flights of stairs back to our cabin, changed, walked a bit more and headed to tonight’s entertainment. This would be a song and dance routine called, “The Big Easy”. A very well done show with great entertainment supported by the very fine Carnival Band.

 

By The Way - you will feel the motion of the ship a little bit more up front and, if the seas are running, you may hear the waves crashing against the bow up here too!

 

(NOOB Hint - It's not the size, it's the motion, right? You may feel the motion more towards the front or back of the ship and the higher the deck level you have. If you are prone to motion sickness, you might want to consider an amidships cabin at a lower level. Then there are motion sickness remedies. Focusing on stable horizon at a distance can help. Green apples are popular, as is ginger in any form. Maybe the pressure wrist bands will work for you? Then, there's always, 'Better Living Through Modern Pharmaceuticals'! meclizine (Antivert, Bonine, Postafen, Sea Legs, and Dramamine), promethazine and scopolamine (Transderm-Scop) are some common drugs. The latter requires a prescription and all have possible side effects.)

 

(The Follies Lounge)

 



 

(If you get to shows late, your view may be from back here!)

 

And that brings to a close another 'Fun Day at Sea'!

 

Edited October 3, 2013 by JohnTRN

[hancogran]

John, I just have to say that your review so far is FANTASTIC!! :D It's so great reliving that cruise while reading your review. Love your writing style and humour (spelled correctly, as John Heald would say :p) .. can't wait to read more!

[Swayde]

Excellent so far! It's so fun to get a glimpse of the Legend which I will be on in just 23 more days =)

[JohnTRN]

John, I just have to say that your review so far is FANTASTIC!! :D It's so great reliving that cruise while reading your review. Love your writing style and humour (spelled correctly, as John Heald would say :p) .. can't wait to read more!

 

Thank you very much. As mentioned, I too have enjoyed reliving the cruise. Glad you enjoy my writing. Hmmmm, maybe someone would like to pay me to travel and write . . . . may have to relearn some of that grammar that I've forgotten. Grammar? Grammars in the kitchen baking cookies!

 

Excellent so far! It's so fun to get a glimpse of the Legend which I will be on in just 23 more days =)

 

Swayde, this was our first ever cruise, so we had nothing to compare to. That said, the ship was nice, the crew was great and we really enjoyed the dining! Enjoy your time on the Legend for us, too!

 

John

[JohnTRN]

Day 8 – 14 April 2013

Another 'Fun Day at Sea'

 

(Hmmmmm, isn't that wind up a little bit from yesterday?)

 

We had a couple of CC activities planned today. At 11.00A we had a gift exchange in the Sports Bar, next to Billies Piano Bar. Each couple brought one or two gifts. Numbers were written on slips of paper equaling the number of gifts and you drew slips equal to the number of gifts you brought. The gift theme was to be something from your home state.

 

(I think this was the Odyssey Lounge on Atlantic - Deck 3, looking forward. If not, then the Atlantis on the Promenade - Deck 2.)

 

(Entering Rodeo Drive, Atlantic - Deck 3, looking aft)



 

(Rodeo Drive, still walking aft)



 

(Looking forward at Rodeo Drive from near the Photo Gallery)

 

(NOOB Hint - Directions on the ship: Forward, toward the bow, or front of the ship. Aft, toward the stern, or rear of the ship; amidships, the middle of the ship; Port - Left; Starboard - Right)

 

By the way, our first cabin was an Ocean View, smack dab under the middle of Billies and the Sports Bar. I was a little concerned about the possibility of late night noise from above. Got it changed to an Ocean View under the 'Excursion Desk'. A price drop made it affordable for us to move up to a Deck 7 – Verandah balcony for the difference in tax. Whee, hoo! A mistake by our travel agent saw that our final payment was not made on time and earned us an upgrade to our Deck 8 – Panorama balcony. Whee, hoo!!!

 

(NOOB Hint – Check cabin prices for your category often. Do a 'mock purchase' to see what your category is going for. If you see a price drop, stop, drop everything, do not pass go, call your travel agent or Carnival and find out if you are eligible for that change/reduction in price. If you have not paid your full payment, you will get a refund for the amount. If you have paid in full, you will get the difference in OBC (On Board Credit) – you can use this to pay for drinks, tips, excursions, etc.)

 

(NOOB Info – I believe these are accurate categories:

1A, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E – Interior

4K – Interior with French Door, obstructed view

6A – Ocean View

7A – Balcony, obstructed view

8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 8E, 8F – Balcony

8J, 8K – Extended Balcony

8M, 8N – Aft-view, extended balcony

9A – Premium Balcony, obstructed view

9B – Premium Balcony

JS – Junior Suite

OS – Ocean Suite

VS – Vista Suite

GS – Grand Suite

Remember when I talked about the 'Cabin Crawl' and the variety of rooms? Not all 'obstructed views' are obnoxious obstructions.)

 

Tried to do laundry again today and apparently everybody else had the same idea. I wandered to most of the laundromats and could not find an open machine. Finally decided my time was worth more than spending all day baby-guarding a washer so I could be the next one to use it. Put all my stuff into one of the ship laundry bags and sent it off.