legend review 11/2-11/9/08

[happyracer]

Let me start by saying that my typing spelling may not be perfect.

This was my 3rd cruise and my DWs 2nd It was to be our first cruise longer than 4 nights. I must say that it flew by and I wish I would have been able to stay another week.

We left that saturday so we wouldn't have to rush down there the day of the cruise. We live in Ga so the drive was about 6hrs long. The route we were on took us down about 90 miles of 301. There was alot to see and I am glad I didn't go all interstate. We saw orange groves for the first time and about a dozen small towns. We arrived in Tampa about 6pm and checked into our hotel. The hotel I picked was a La Quinta on falkenburg rd. It was a decent place to stay fot one night. Since we couldn't decide where we wanted to eat we went to the mall to eat and just ate food from the food court. I must say that Tampa has a very nice mall. After eating and walking around the mall we decided to go back and go to bed early. I dont' think I got excited until I tried to go to sleep. I believe I woke up at least once an hour and with the time changing it seemed like forever until it was time to get up. Well it was finally daylight and I decided to get up and get ready. After we were ready it was only about 9:30 so we decided to have breakfast at the Bob Evans next door. After eating we stopped at a Target so that we could get a couple of things we had forgotten. As I turned onto Channelside Dr I could see our ship. The buildings blocked part of the view so we really never got to see the whole outside of the ship until our first port of call. We arrived at the port at about 11:20 and it was already crowded. We pulled into line and unloaded the luggage and tipped the porter. We decided to use the valet parking service. I really don't believe that it was that much quicker after standing in line to pay for it though.

It was finally time to enter the terminal and wouldnt you know I was randomly chosen to be searched with the hand held metal detector, but being law enforcement myself it wasn't a big deal. It is a bit different to be on the recieving end of a search though. We then went up an escelator to get inline. Getting through the lines took less than 30 minutes we were on board by 12. I will say that Tampa does have it together, but I do perfer Port Canaveral.

I don't go on a cruise just for a ships decor, but I did think the Legend has a nice look to it. I really liked the Legends theme though. It was much nicer than the Sensation which was the last ship that I was on. Our rooms weren't going to be ready until 1:30 so we explored the ship and took some pictures. At 1:30 we went to our room. I had the room decorated with anniversary decorations since this cruise was to celebrate our first anniversay. I also had bought flowers and My DW thought theywwere nice. I didn't buy the roses because that is what I usually buy and after seeing the deluxe arangement I think it was the better deal. This was my first regular balcony room. I have had a cat 12 before and in comparison I think the regular balcony room is plenty big enough for just 2 people.

The last of our luggage arrived at our room as they were anouncing that it was time for the muster drill. The drill was very quick and was over before we started to sail. I wanted to go to the roll call, but my DW wanted to just watch from our balcony.

 

We had originally requested early seeting at dinner, but at the last minute I requested and requested open seating so that I wouldn't miss sailing under the Skyway Bridge. It was just getting dark as we went under the bridge. The lights of the bridge were shining on the cables and we got some very good pics. Then we went to the dining room to have dinner.

 

The open seating was a wonderful option in my opinion. We never had to wait to be seated. The service was very good except for one night it took over 30 miutes just to get our starter. The servers that really stood out were Edwardo. We had him on 2 nights. The other server that really stood out was Crisanta. She always called us by name and I couldn't have asked for better service. I can not write this review with out mentioning our bar waiter Edward. He was outstanding and after the first night would always bring us our drinks as soon as he seen us sit down. I never even had to ask for a refill.

The food for the most part was decent. The dining room was pretty good for the most part. The lobster was good, but not very big. The prime rib was almost flavorless though. I had something different every night and nothing was bad. Some things were better that others though. The deserts were wonderful though. I wish that they would offer cherries jubilee every night. The food on the Lido deck was what you normally expect buffets to be. The lines were never too long. There was a good variety from day to day. We had breakfast in the dining room once and I think it was better than on the lido deck. The same food just a little warmer. Room service was always very prompt.

 

Day One

was to be our first day at sea. We slept late then had breakfast. All we did on the first day was loung around and read. I think my favorite deckwas deck 3. It was nice to go out there and walk. It was always less crowded than the upper decks and we spent a lot of time out there.

Day Two

Grand Cayman. I woke up early and looked outside and it was cloudy. We had booked a submersible boat tour through Carnival. I booked the tour through them because their price was the same as the private tour. We got a tender and went to shore at about 9:00am. Our tour wasn't until 10:45. after walking around for about45 minutes it started to rain so we walked back to the pavilion to wait on our tour to start. The excursion started right on time. we walked a short distance to a van. Then we took a very short ride. It couldn't have been more than half a mile. we got on the boat and there were only about 16 of us so the boat was almost empty. The tour lasted about an hour. We saw lots of fish and two wrecks. The guide pointed out several different types of fish and gave the history of the wrecks. They also had a diver go down and feed the fish. This made for a good photo op. When the tour was over it really started to rain so we just headed back to the ship and had lunch.

 

Day Three Cozumel and sunny skies

We had booked a shore excursion through carnival to Tulum. We had to meet in the folies lounge before 9:45 and we were escorted out at exactly 9:45 so if you plan on doing this tour don't be late. We were walked down the pier to a tender to take us to the mainland. The weather was calm so the ride wasn't rough. The boat was air conditioned, but we decided to sit up on the top deck anyway. On the ride over I had my first mexican coke. They taste a little different than american coke because they are made with real sugar. We got to the pier and took about a half mile walk to the bus. Our tour guide was very informative about the mayans and their culture. He talked the entire bus ride there and I learned alot. after about thirty minutes we stopped at a small store for about 20 minutes. The prices were resonable, but we didn't buy anything. We arrived at Tulum about 20 minutes after leaving the store. We all decided to ride the trolley to the ruins and that was 2 dollars well spent. The ruins are beautiful. agian the guide was very knowledgeable about the ruins. the tour itself lasted about an hour. We then had an hour and fifteen minutes to do whatever before we got back on the bus. After taking pictures of the ruins we went down to thebeach. It was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen! We then went back down to the shops and bought a few souveniers. The guide recomended a local restaurant. It was mayan mexican food. My DW had grouper tacos and I had chicken fajitas. It was really good and different than your average mexican restaurant. It was then time to get back on the bus were they passed out cool cloths sodas or water and a snack. On the way back we got stuck in traffic. The tour to Tulum leaves no time for extra time for things like that. that is why I chose a Carnival excursion. Because if the tour is late they will wait on you. We were supposed to be on the ship by 5:30, but we didn't make it back until 6:30. Security met our tender and made sure we all got back on the ship. So if you are considering a pivate excursion To Tulum keep that in mind. Well my fingers are tired so I will have to finish this later.

[happyracer]

Day 4 Belize

I woke up and the weather in Belize was beautiful. We had booked an excursion of Belize City and to Altun Ha and had to meet in the follies lounge. The tender ride was about 20 minutes long. We got on the bus and began our first part of the tour through Belize City. Belize is very poor. It makes you realize just how blessed we are. The average house there is smaller than most peoples living room. The ride to Altun Ha was about an hour long. Most of the roads are in really bad condition due to flooding. On the way there the guide told us about the things we were passing and answered questions about their lifestyle among other things. The tour lasted about an hour. The guide was informative, but lacked enthusiasm. The ruins were beautiful. This was the only place that we went that we were allowed to walk on the temples. After the tour we were given about an hour to do whatever we pleased. It was really hot and humid there so after getting some good pictures we walked back to the bus. On the way back to Belize City we were supposed to get a tour of the other half of the city, but about 10 minutes after we left the ruins there was a wreck blocking the road. It was a wreck between a private tour van and an SUV. The driver of the SUV had fallen asleep and had ran head on into the tour van. According to reports on the internet there were several injured. Including a baby that was in the SUV. My heart really goes out to those people. After an hour or so the road was cleared and we were able to get by. Since we were stuck in traffic we were unable to do the other half of the city tour. Of course that is not an inconvience at all compared to the people involved in the accident. So I can't complain. We really didn't have much time when we arrived back at port to shop, but it looked to be just the average tourist shops anyway. so we just headed back to the ship for a very late lunch.

[happyracer]

Day 5 Costa Maya

The weather was beautiful again. When we arrived we were the only ship in port. Shortly after we arrived the Veendam pulled in next to us though. They stopped Debarkation until it was tied up. Once they annonced that we could debark I headed out to meet my tour. We had booked a private tour through David and Ivan. The tour we booked took us to chacchoben and then to a inland lagun where we were going to have lunch. We met up with our tour and there were only 6 of us total on the tour. Our guides name was Louis. He was very knowledgeable about the area. The tour of Chacchoben was wonderful. The temples there are very impressive. During the tour our guide pointed out many things such as birds, trees, and plants. After the ruins we went to a place called Laguna Azul. It was about 2 miles off the main road. It was beautiful. The lake was extreemly beautiful the water was clear and was several different shades of blue. we had a lunch of chicken fajitas there. It was only the six of us. I think that this was my favorite tour of all the tour that we went on.

 

There were many tours operating and the roads were in wonderful shape. There is still a lot of construction going on, but I think Costa Maya is definetly ready for tourist.

[MDSue]

Thanks for your review. I'll be on the Legend in April and can't wait. I've been to all but Grand Cayman before, but it's nice to get some tour reviews to give us some ideas for our next trip.

[CruiznWithHubby]

can't wait to hear the rest :) I almost went on this cruise :) Holly

[tourlink99]

I was also on the Nov.2 departure of the Legend. I arrived at 10:15, and they allowed us into the terminal at 10:30. We were checked in immediately and they started to board at about 11:15. VIP went first of course. I was in group 2 and was on by 11:30. I dropped my bags in my room immediately, and was on the way to the Lido.

Now I realize service is not always uniform on a cruise ship. My dining room team and room steward were all exceptional, and personally I loved the prime rib. I guess you cant get 1500 prime ribs from the same cow!:D but I do know if you don't like something, they are happy to replace it, and if it is good and you want more, just ask for it. My entire table of 6 all had 3 lobsters, and had no problem. The waiter doesn't care, he just gets a bigger tip.

Ill be back with more info later!

Mark

[happyracer]

Tour link I wasn't really complaining about the food or service. Not a real big fan of beef anyway. The service being not up to par on just one night isn't really anything to complane about.

 

Shortly after we left Costa Maya there was an anouncement saying that we would be dropping a sick passenger in Cozumel. The ship was moving at 23 knots. I couldn't help but to think that might have been the longest ride of that person and their families life. I really hope that things turned out ok for them.

 

Day 6 sea day.

After 4 days of shore excursions I was really ready to relax. I slept really late. Then got up and had breakfast and was just really lazy for the rest of the day. we packed our suitcases before we went to dinner so that we could set them out before 12. Aftter dinner we went to thelounge where we stayed through 2 shows. I must say that the LEGENDS show where the passengers perform is a must see.

 

The only show that I missed was the first late night comedy show. I can't say that any of the comedians wern't funny. There were a couple that were better than others, but all of them made me laugh atleast once. The production shows were all good even though that isn't really my thing I wasn't bored.

 

Debarkation went very smoothly. I chose to let them take my luggage off and was in my car leaving by 9:30. The self asist passengers were off by 8:45.

 

The only complaint I have is that those 7 days just flew by. I think its all Carnivals fault too. It just ruined my cruise.

[rebeljohn]

Thanks for your Legend review............

We get to sail oh her in Feb...........

[Azure Moon]

happyracer, excellent review. Thanks for posting it.

[CruiznWithHubby]

 

The only complaint I have is that those 7 days just flew by. I think its all Carnivals fault too. It just ruined my cruise.

 

Yeah,,,and then they make you get OFF the ship!!!!! And they won't even let you take your room steward and dinner servers HOME as a consolation prize!!! Vicious cruise line!!!!:eek: Holly

[tourlink99]

Happy Racer, Sorry, I didn't mean to sound critical. Its all good! Did I meet you at the meet and greet?

For those looking to do cave tubing in Belize, check out Major Tom. It was extremely well run and very safe! Not to mention, It was one of the best excursions I have ever taken.

We went to Naachi Cokum in Cozumel. Great beach, service, food, and double shot drinks! Well worth the $48. (check out the guacamole:))

The supper club is now referred to as a steak house. 10 of us went to dinner there, and the food was unbelievable, but the service was as good as any high end restaurant I have ever been too.

For you BLT fans, order it from room service! delicious!

Costa Maya was much better then I expected. The rebuilt area by the pier was fine, but Mayahuel, or however you spell it was much nicer then expected, the beach is beautiful, lots of place to eat and drink right on the beach, 6 coronas for $10!!:D Lots of shops for trinkets and such, massages on the beach, and plenty of lobster. Sure there is still much reconstruction that needs to be done, But this place is gonna be fantastic when more work is completed.

More info to follow

Mark

[happyracer]

Tour link

I didn't get to go to the meet and greet. My DW wanted to watch us sail away from our balcony. I too really liked Costa Maya. I think I would like to go back there on a land based vacation sometime.

[tourlink99]

Hey Racer, tell the truth! You want to go back for the 6 beers for $10!!:DWhile getting the message on the beach of course!!!

Mark

[happyracer]

haha. I really liked the little fishing village. They had a liquor store there that had good tequila for half the price of the stuff at the pier.

[SharonCruise]

Great review Happyracer. We were on the cruise also. Sorry we didn't get to meet. And thanks for the Legends show compliment. My DH was Elton John.:)

 

Sharon

[Chris64]

Thanks for the review. We will be sailing her on 1/04 and are looking forward to it!

[jackg962]

So you did not get to do Roatan? That stinks. I am going on Legend on 11/23 and was really looking foreward to diving there

[Hockey Addict]

Thanks for the review, it was GREAT! For our next cruise we will be going to Cozumel and Grand Cayman. I'm researching what to do now... I think you gave me a GREAT start!!

 

DANG that Carnival.... I didn't want to get off either!! :D WHY does the time have to go by fast?? I mean, it takes forever for embarkation day to get here!

[burtonsgigi]

So, you did Costa Maya instead of Honduras?

 

I'm leaving on Sunday and CAN'T WAIT!!!!! ;)

 

Thanks so much for the review. There aren't many Legend reviews on here and it's really nice to see a recent one.

[crusinpsychRN]

Did the tourist trap on the way to Tulum have toilet paper this time??? Tell me more about your Cayman excursion? We had Ivan also. He had us standing in front of one pyrammid for over an hour and I really thought that was all there was to the place. Then we went around the corner! Amazing.

[happyracer]

We did stop at the tourist trap. I didn't use their facilities, but my DW did and she didn't complain. So I guess they did have Toilet paper.

Chacchoben was the best ruin that we went to. I didn't really get to talk to David and Ivan that much. We had a different guide because we were doing the extreme tour. There were only six of us in the group.

[happyracer]

So, you did Costa Maya instead of Honduras?

 

I'm leaving on Sunday and CAN'T WAIT!!!!! ;)

 

Thanks so much for the review. There aren't many Legend reviews on here and it's really nice to see a recent one.

Costa Maya was actually on the original itinerary. Honduras had only replaced it becaus of the hurricane damage to Costa Maya, but the damage was repaired in time for our cruise.

[joy seas]

We're on the Legend in January, and have booked cave tubing with Major Tom. So glad to hear your positive review in light of the recent accident there. How cold was the water :eek: any helpful hints for the tour? How was cozumel, and what did you do? and Grand cayman? I'm so excited for our cruise. Thanks!

[happyracer]

I Didn't do the cave tubing, but others said it was great. Cozumel was beautiful, but I didn't get to see much of it because I did a tour of the ruins in Tulum. I really want to go back there again. In Grand Cayman I did a submersible boat tour and just walked around the town a little.