Carnival Legend 10/26- 11/3 L-O-N-G!!

[wild1apache]

I have to say that this was the BEST cruise that I have been on!

 

Embarkation: Disorganized! 2 of us (both female 35/37 single) arrive at the pier and wait a long time to board the ship. Definately fill out your fun pass info online. You give your information (fun pass/ticket/credit card) and then you have to get into another line where they give you the room key (sign and sail card). Royal Caribbean does it all together. You go to one agent and it is a 1 stop shop. Once we got onto the ship, things were fine.

 

Crew: This was BY FAR the BEST crew that I have ever dealt with. They all reallly went out of their way to make sure the guests had an outstanding time. Captain Cupisti was approachable and handsome- not standoffish at all.The cruise director Brett Alans is the best cruise director on any ship that I have been on. All of the social staff were outstanding- Brent, Mike and Adam. The ladies in the spa were very nice- not at all pushy when it came time to recommend products for "at home" use.

 

On Board Activities: You were as busy as you wanted to be or as laid back as you wanted to be but there was ALWAYS something going on. One lady told me at the end of the cruise that she really didn't have a good time and she stayed in her cabin a lot. That was her choice but no wonder she didn't have fun. I was busy from the moment I got onto the ship until the moment I got off the ship.

 

Dining: The Truffles dining room is very nice. Our waitstaff was very nice-Joel and Philbert. The Unicorn cafe was a little confusing. On the other ships that I have been on, there are a few different lines- all serving the same food- just different lines to cut down on the traffic. Here, the lines were for different things- Asian food everyday with sushi, a rotissere serving carved meats, a salad line, a taste of the nation, a deli, a dessert line and pizza line. I understand the concept but I didn't love waiting in a bunch of lines. The Golden Fleece was excellent. The food is not prepared en mass. The ambiance was very nice with a beautiful hardwood floor for dancing and a singer. It really was worth the extra $25.

 

Cabins: My spacious cabin was cabin 8216 Promenade deck aft with a balcony. There needs to be more hangers. There is plenty of shelf and drawer space. The bathroom was much bigger than any of the other ships I have been on and I was not once molested by the shower curtain. There were 2 bathrobes and a hairdryer. If you are looking for news (CNN) forget it. Our cabin steward was Miriam and she was outstanding.

 

Internet Cafe: If you are going to be online for more than 20 minutes get one of the packages. Otherwise, you are paying a set up fee of $3.95 and then 75 cents per minute. It is nice to have it onboard but it surly doesn't have to be that expensive.

 

Ports of Call:

Belize: In Belize we decided to book our own tour through Coral Breeze. They are a very professional organization because our tour could have turned disasterous. Due to daylight savings time, our ship was leaving at 4:15 ship time which turned out to be 2:15 Belize time. Normally it is only a 1 hour difference but that day there were 2 hours. Our ship arrived 1st and there were 4 of us from the Legend but the Carnival Elation was also scheduled to be in port, arriving a little later. Coral Breeze thought that snorkeling with the nurse sharks and stingrays with lunch included would still be possible even though the Elation arrived after us. They found out that we had to be back NO LATER than 4 o'clock ship time/ 2 o'clock Belize time because our last tender was at 4:15. Since the Elation was arriving later and we had to be back basically an hour earlier than anticipated, there wasn't going to be enough time. Monique arranged it so we just gave up lunch and we all went on the excursion. After stopping in Caye Caulker to pick up supplies we went snorkelling in a beautiful coral garden. When we arrived to swim with the sharks and rays, there were a LOT of sharks. Once people started to get into the water, they got scared and made themselves scarce. One hung around that had a baby shark attached to it. The stingrays stayed around for the sardines that our guide, Henny, was feeding them. Then, we went back to Caye Caulker where we had time to eat or walk around. We made it back to the pier early. They have limited shopping in Belize. There is the tourism village and that is about it. They recently added a Diamonds International. I really want to emphasize once more that Coral Breeze did an excellent job juggling things so we could all go and they even refunded money that would have been used for lunch.

 

Costa Rica: It was so beautiful, an adventure. We booked a tour with Oscar Brown. We actually went with is nephew Ryan who drove us around explaining history, politics, etc. to us. After a short drive we stopped at a stand where a young boy was selling coconuts and some other various fruits. Ryan bought each of us a coconut to try coconut water. It was very interesting. He advised us that this is the way a lot of families make their money. I never realized that it was such a poor country. A lot of the homes appeared to be very small- one room with a couch on the porch. Some did not even have a front door- only a curtain. I was very sad for the people in Costa Rica because it is such a "hot spot" now. I just hope that some of the tourism money trickles down to the people who need it. There just doesn't seem to be a lot of opportunity there. Costa Rica is gorgeous though. We continued on and ended up at the Del Monte banana plantation and saw how the bananas are processed from the trees to pre-shipping. It was so cool because there was only Ryan, my friend and I and all of the workers there. The people are very hardworking. Ryan showed us a plant that they use to make lipstick. We saw 2 beaches- 1 with white sand and 1 with black sand. We arrived at our main destination which was the Almonds and Corals Hotel. Let me just say that this is a top notch organization. We were there to go zip lining. After signing our lives away on the waivers, they dressed us in our gear and we walked to the first platform. There were 11 platforms and you are truly at the top of the world- at least at the top of that rain forest. We saw a few toucans (they look nothing like the guy on the box of fruit loops), some butterflies, a monkey as well as some beautiful crabs. Besides my friend and I, there were 2 guides with us. They took very good care of us and we were hooked to a safety line at all times. It is scary but it is very cool. After we were finished, we drove back to Puerto Limon and went to a grocery store. Can I just tell you that 2 bags of coffee was cheaper than 2 magnets? The grocery store is truly the way to go for gifts. There is little shopping by the pier. We made it back to the pier in more than enough time. I want to say that I would absolutely recommend Oscar Brown for your Costa Rican excursion. He will take you anywhere you want to go.

 

Colon, Panama: This was our last port of call. We opted to take an excursion through the ship this time. We booked it immediately upon arrival when we first got onto the ship because these tours in Panama sell out very quickly and trust me- you do not want to get left out of an organized tour in Panama. It is not a place that you want to go on your own. We opted for the Grand Tour. It was worth every dime. A bus takes you to a rennovated school which has been converted into a hotel. We walked around the grounds and then took a boat (covered) located on the hotel property over to the Embara Indian area. They are very interesting and were more than happy to share their customs with us. The chief greeted us and we were treated to a few of their customary dances and music. We were shown how they weave baskets and carve beautiful objects out of wood and nuts. We were allowed to look around their village afterwards. We then re-boarded the boats and went off in search of wildlife. We saw howler monkeys (quite a few of them), iguanas( green and black), sloths and butterflies (which apparently are a big deal in Panama as well as Costa Rica). We then went back and had an opportunity to shop at the hotel as well as visit the bar and then we were off to the Panama Canal. There was actually a boat going though the locks while we were there. It was very interesting. After all of this we were taken back to the pier where there are a few shops, restaurants, a grocery store, jewelery store and an electronics shop.

 

Debarkation: I am not exactly sure what to say about this. They really do try to make it as organized as possible. It just doesn't exactly turn out that way. They call you by your luggage tag color and you proceed through a MASS of impatient people stampeeding through the luggage area rolling over each others toes, huffing and puffing. It is very frustrating.

 

Overall: Like I said in the begining, this is by far the best cruise that I have been on. Carnival does everything in their power to provide their guests with the tools necessary to have a great vacation- the rest is up to the guests themselves. To be honest, I was very skeptical about going to Carnival. The only reason, honestly, that I chose this vacation was because of the itinerary. I couldn't find any other ship that went to these ports in about a week. I was very worried about the reputation that it is a party ship and loud and this and that. I was very very pleasantly suprised. I have not stopped talking up Carnival and admitting how wrong that I was. Like with anything else, it is what you make of it. I didn't want to party like that and I didn't have to. There were plenty of other things going on that held my interest. I would absolutely recommend this particular ship and this particular itinerary to anyone who asks.

[ljc576]

Thanks for a wonderful review. My anticipation level just went up another notch as we get to sail on the Legend on 12/21/04! And I have to agree with you, you get out what you put into your vacation. Sounds like you were there to have a great time, and you made it happen.

 

Looking forward to being on deck!

Linda

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I have read several reviews commenting on the embarkation situation there... any feedback on the lines you saw for Skippers Club? (or was there one!)

 

Any comments on the luggage drop-off/parking situation?

 

What time did you arrive at the port to get on the ship?

 

What did you think of the commedians? (how many - and how many midnight shows)

 

Did you have a chance to go to the Piano Bar - what did you think of Mike Lawless?

 

 

I am happy to hear that you had a nice trip!.... also nice to hear the glowing report on Brett Alans!

 

 

 

counting the days until ours!

 

 

Tom

[dotcruiser]

Thank you so much for all the info. Will be sailing to the same ports end of the month (11/27th) Can't wait!

We already decided it was the Grand Panama Tour. So I am so pleased you told me it was well woth it! Now I am really getting excited!

It's a hefty price but if it's worth it.....

A cruise is what you make it, right?

[wild1apache]

Tom,

 

To answer some of your questions-

I am not sure about any Skippers Club. I have not been on a cruise with Carnival before this one. I have only been on 3 RC cruises.

 

The luggage drop off was perfectly fine. We took a cab over to the pier and arrived at about 11:00am. There was a porter to meet us immediately and took our luggage which arrived by about 3pm to our cabin. This was not a problem at all. We, however, did not get on the ship until about 1:15 or so which was a little irritating- but like I said before, this issue, debarkation and the fact that I could not get CNN were basically the ONLY complaints that I had the whole time.

 

As for the comedians, the only one that I saw was Jeff Laub and to me, he was just great. I am a person who loves comedy and I go to the Improv in DC where I live as often as possible and this guy was very, very funny and I could see him preforming at a place like the Improv. I did not catch Jerry Goodspeed who also preformed. I also missed Geecy Guy who apparently is a comedian as well. There were 3 midnight shows.

 

Mike in the piano bar was awesome. He could play just about anything and there were people in there all the time watching him. He was popular with the passengers.

 

I think that those are all of your questions. All I can say is that this is a great cruise with a great crew and I think everyone will have a great time. Let me know what you think when you get back.....

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

thanks for the quick reply!

 

Is there anything you would classify as DON'T MISS at the Golden Fleece?

 

...or is this a situation where "nothing misses"? - can I assume it is spacious and not crowded?

 

We have not tried the supper club on previous sailings - but thought we would this time.

 

THANKS!

 

Tom

[BigDoug]

We will be taking this cruise in March and I appreciate the quick (and positive) review. We are really looking forward to visiting the three ports on this itinerary. No one in my group has been to any of these ports. Thanks again. :cool:

[MrPete]

Where did you sail from?:confused:

[rtobiejr]

what an informative review...my three girlfriends and i are leaving on november 27th from ft. lauderdale...and we cant wait...did either of you get anything done at the spa? when did you make reservations for golden fleece? right as you got on the boat?

[alpinecat]

I'm so glad you had a great time! I'm even more psyched to go on the cruise in a couple weeks. We want to go to the Golden Fleece at least one night for dinner. I have a question about the dress for the gentlemen. I know it calls for coat and tie, which is wonderful. Did you notice any men wearing suits instead of just sportcoats and ties? Just trying to figure out what to pack for DH. Also I take it from what you said in your review that there was dinner music and dancing? I think that would be so nice. Oh, one more thing to ask. Formal nights did you see many tuxes? I know this is going to sound funny but where both formal nights equally as formal? On our last cruise the first was by far more dressy than the second. I say lots of tuxes on the first night but very few on the second night. I was also just just wondering whether to take two long dress of one long and one short.

 

Thanks

Alpinecat

[iluvdoxies]

Belize has always been 2hrs behind ships time.

We have also used Coral Breeze and they are well aware of that.

[foilman2002]

We sailed on the Legend last September ('03) with another couple, and my review was very similar to this one. That's a good thing. I believe the crew and staff of the Legend is very well trained.

 

The Golden Fleece

 

We had the steaks in the Golden Fleece and they were excellent. The whole meal was beautifully done and well served. I doubt if you'd go wrong with anything they serve. It is a very leisurely meal, and definitely not crowded. We sat down at 7:40 or so, and finished a little past 11:00 pm.

 

There is a piano player and a singer with a beautiful dance floor. Yes, people do wear suits, but a sport jacket and tie was acceptable. We wore suits.

 

You can make reservations anytime by going into the club, but they seem to get more crowded as the cruise goes on. When you first board the ship there is a food display and two reservation takers in the Atrium. You can see what the main foods are, and decide when you want to go. Just check on the reservations later on to make sure they were noted. Ours weren't. But we were still able to be accomodated.

[wild1apache]

Alpinecat and Tom-n-cheryl:

 

Golden Fleece: I would basically order whatever you have a taste for. It is a LOT of food. I had ordered the surf and turf. They first brought out bread with 3 different flavors of butter, then the appetizer which I chose the sushi platter, then the salad (caeser) and then they brought out something that was compliments of the chef which was a salmon mousse and a soup of some sort. Then came the dinner itself. The filet mignon was small but very filling and the lobster was just right. After that was the dessert. It was just so much food. My friend ordered the filet mignon and said it was delicious. We made reservations a few days into the cruise. I called for the day that I wanted on that day and they said they were booked but would put me on the waiting list. They called me back a couple of hours later and said we could come at 8:30 which was fine with me. Not all of the men dining there were wearing suits. Some of the men that I saw had on a nice shirt and khakis so, what can I tell you?

 

MrPeteLi: We sailed out of Ft. Lauderdale. We flew down to Florida from DC. Very easy flight.

 

rtobiejr: The first day we went on the spa tour so if you go on that there are some "perks". During the part where they show you around the gym, the 2 fitness guys, Mitch and Kristian (cute Aussies) said that if you do the metabolism check that day ($30) you can do 30 minutes free in the relaxation capsule anytime during the cruise. It was well worth it- I'm telling you. You come out of that thing feeling like spaghetti. It is very relaxing! Also, make sure you enter the drawing at the spa tour as well. I did have the treatment where they wrap you in foil and then you have a massage after. It was great. Laina was my technician and she really is good.

 

alpinecat: There were 2 formal nights and people were definately more dressed up on the first one. I even wore a dress the first night and the 2nd one I wore a "flowy" black pants suit. Just take one formal dress and then just something nice for the 2nd one. By the way, there is dinner music and you can dance.

 

I hope that answers everything so far.