Live from the Legend!! December 19-26, 2021 with Kmom.

[ninjacat123]

14 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

It was pretty close to perfect and the Cabana was a great decision.

I'm so happy you had a great day at HMC and you thought the cabana was worth it!  Pics look idyllic! 

[KmomChicago]

One simple basic margarita like back in the day. Accompanied by a few Guy’s fries.

[KmomChicago]

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

I'm so happy you had a great day at HMC and you thought the cabana was worth it!  Pics look idyllic! 

thanks Ninjacat. Mom decided not to attempt it and that was for the best. It was a great day.

[KmomChicago]

Just one more.

[KmomChicago]

Woo hoo!!

[KmomChicago]

I’ll tag it properly when I get home 

[IntrepidFromDC]

11 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

@HeartgroveSail away from Nassau was sublime, coincided precisely with sunset, we followed Brilliance of the seas out of the port as Indy and C. Glory were just starting to turn on their exterior lighting while taking on their last few passengers. We met up accidentally on deck with a lovely gentleman who told us of his Vietnam service (thank you sir and Kmom is a Vietnam conflict baby so it’s always been a close issue to my family) losing his wife and youngest son in the past two years, traveling now with his 96 year old aunt even with the worries of Covid because she said “I don’t have time to put it off, let’s go!!”

 

My phone was in the room charging so I got no pics of any of it, but it’s all imprinted on the loving and grateful side of Kmom’s old mean grinchy little mind.

 

 I know it’s morbid but constantly reminding myself of the fleeting timeframe of our earthly existence is actually the single most effective mental health tool in my arsenal. Quit b1+ch1n6, stupid! It’ll all be over soon enough whether you savor or waste every moment!

 

I didn’t get off the ship yesterday in Nassau but have a cabana today at HMC and also plan to check out the shops near the pier tomorrow in Freeport.

R/T taxi fare to Lucaya Shopping area and straw market is only $12 and the beach is a ten-minute walk and much nicer than Taino beach (see pics of both beaches from my Legend review from November).

[KmomChicago]

Going to see Studio VIP which I believe we saw back on Sensation back in January 2018. Better be good!! Actually this playlist group has been excellent so far IMHO.

[KmomChicago]

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh! Screeching Kmom!!!!!

Edited December 24, 2021 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

I need them ducks people!

[KmomChicago]

Okay I love this ship and these Playlist shows! Best I’ve seen consistently and we did tell Leigh he hit the jackpot with his staff.

Edited December 24, 2021 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

BTW Leigh Xuereb is a very good CD but has no gimmicky nickname or tagline like most of the Carnival bunch. We like him as much as any of the others we’ve had, and he seems a bit more managerial and extraordinarily supportive of his incredible staff. Top notch across the board.

 

This means a lot to me. Kmom is a people manager in real life and while I never take myself seriously I take my team and their lives very seriously.

[KmomChicago]

Punchliner looking busy for tonight. Yes my found duck is saving a seat for DH who is getting something for our teen and yes we are going to watch Studio VIP again at the late performance because I love it and we are in no hurry for tomorrow in Freeport. Also yes I still have on my water shoes from HMC today!!! LOL I am still sandy so no MDR tonight for us. 
 

This is Kier’s PG comedy show. 

Edited December 24, 2021 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

Kier was a lot of fun at Punchliner. I really like this room down on Deck 1. Beautiful. We met here for our HMC cabana tender. Also didn’t have the energy to go watch Studio VIP again for the 930 show though it was awesome and in any case it was not the show we saw on Sensation after all. Good night. I am completely exhausted and happy and grateful.

[Roscoe13]

2 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Kier was a lot of fun at Punchliner. I really like this room down on Deck 1. Beautiful. We met here for our HMC cabana tender. Also didn’t have the energy to go watch Studio VIP again for the 930 show though it was awesome and in any case it was not the show we saw on Sensation after all. Good night. I am completely exhausted and happy and grateful.

Always go out on a high note!  Good night everybody, you've been great!!

[RhinoMomIL]

17 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

If you’re just dying to spot Kmom and company in the flesh you can do so where indicated. After planning to get fist pick of cabana I ended up instead with literally the last one, mom having decided not to deal with a tender shuttle and not talking to the excursion desk until Tuesday as a result. There was exactly one left by then and they were real apologetic so I wonder if it’s haunted or something.

 

 

 

Question: If you rent a cabana on HMC does your ticket get you on an early tender? We had a ticket for a clamshell rental at Princess Cays and everyone with any kind of ticket was able to use it for priority tender boarding. I saw some with tickets for paddleboat rentals who boarded the tender before Group 1 as well. 

[KmomChicago]

4 hours ago, RhinoMomIL said:

Question: If you rent a cabana on HMC does your ticket get you on an early tender? We had a ticket for a clamshell rental at Princess Cays and everyone with any kind of ticket was able to use it for priority tender boarding. I saw some with tickets for paddleboat rentals who boarded the tender before Group 1 as well. 

Yes we were on the first or one of the first tenders. There were other parties with various excursion tickets as well.

[KmomChicago]

A few details on the cabana. For $399 you get the little hut for the day and transport on the tram so you don’t have to walk a half mile in the sand. 
 

You’re dropped off on the little paved road behind and you have to then get down to the front of your cabana. 
 

This last short leg of the journey is one of the least accessible I have ever seen. It is narrow for a few feet and a rather steep incline through deep sugar sand without any rails or support to hold. It’s not super easy for a fully mobile person. It would be impossible to use a cane or walker or for a person who normally uses them to keep their balance and footing. I never found the one apparently accessible cabana but it would need hard surface access to be useful.
 

As for the cabana itself, it comes with 4 sets of snorkel equipment and 4 thick floaty mats which would normally be $20 rentals each, a $160 value, plus 2 liters of bottled water and 8 cans of soda. The provided snacks were sliced and whole fruit, tortilla chips with guacamole, salsa and sour cream, and fresh veggies with a ranch-ish (but not exactly ranch) dip. So you get about half if you rental cost back with these amenities. 
 

Down at District 13 we had a rather quiet beachfront with only a few venturing so far as we were almost at the end of the line. We were next to Villa E which shaded our front porch until midday.

 

We tracked a lot of sand around before figuring out about our foot shower and finding a nearby broom. 
 

Do not forget the sunscreen. If there’s a day you’ll need it, this is it.

[KmomChicago]

Looks like Holland America (Noordam?) beat us into Freeport this morning. Or maybe it hasn’t returned to service yet.

[KmomChicago]

[KmomChicago]

Just looking at the planner, we are off the ship before 8 this morning and then have to bust a move outta here by 1:15 if we’re going to make Baltimore by 10 am Sunday. Shops are all dark and closed down there as we wait for clearance. 
 

I looked up Noordam and sure enough she’s just laid up here awaiting a spring 2022 return. She didn’t appear very lively. I suspected something wasn’t normal as we parked right next to her. 
 

Why do people get off a cruise ship to eat and drink at a Senior Frogs right next to the gangway? Doesn’t it basically provide exactly the same product as the ship itself? I get it on a land vacation to Mexico. 

Edited December 24, 2021 by KmomChicago

[Hunter69]

How are finding the layout of the Spirit class ships. Very easy to navigate??? 

Plus the passenger to space ratio...The largest in Carnivals fleet. Legend is getting older now. 

I have been lucky to have her her in Australia for 6 seasons, sailed on her 10 times. My first love. 

Thank you for a fantastic review KMom..😃

[WhiteOptima]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:33 PM, KmomChicago said:

I skipped breakfast and lunch because my digestion is all screwy today which is not all that unusual for me, particularly when I’ve been overeating. I did have 2 little coffees with cream from the buffet and no appetite at the moment.  They’re all off at brunch so I’m chilling on the now pleasantly warm balcony. 
 

We are in one of the Grand Suites, something I cannot imagine choosing for myself because I’m way too thrifty but it’s what mom wanted so we split it. It is about a foot deeper and about double the length of a typical balcony as the room itself seems to be the size of two standard balcony rooms.

 

 

We were in 6279 on Pride and it was an extended balcony but then had suite benefits.  The cabin next to us was a handicap cabin and I thought an automatic door.  I highly recommend 6279.  Chairs and lounge chairs on balcony and great location.

Edited December 24, 2021 by WhiteOptima

[sparks1093]

We are looking forward to HMC for the first time in February, but we'll only get the clam shell.

[KmomChicago]

4 hours ago, Hunter69 said:

How are finding the layout of the Spirit class ships. Very easy to navigate??? 

Plus the passenger to space ratio...The largest in Carnivals fleet. Legend is getting older now. 

I have been lucky to have her her in Australia for 6 seasons, sailed on her 10 times. My first love. 

Thank you for a fantastic review KMom..😃

it’s a good design and layout. I like the forward theatre and the lack of a midship dining room chopping up deck 3. I can see why people like Spirit class. The ship rarely feels crowded anywhere. 

 

2 hours ago, WhiteOptima said:

We were in 6279 on Pride and it was an extended balcony but then had suite benefits.  The cabin next to us was a handicap cabin and I thought an automatic door.  I highly recommend 6279.  Chairs and lounge chairs on balcony and great location.

We did borrow a doorstop wedge from our steward which made 100% difference.

 

20 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

We are looking forward to HMC for the first time in February, but we'll only get the clam shell.

 

We debated that if we ever return. Obviously more cost effective and still provides shade. A possible downside of the cabana is you do feel like you need to stay until the bitter end when shelling out this kind of $$.