Carnival Legend Review February 15-22

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

Background Info: I sailed with my wife and daughter. This was the 9th cruise for my wife and I (8 Carnival & 1 Royal Caribbean) and the 7th cruise for DD (all on Carnival). We have previously sailed on the following Carnival ships: Triumph, Victory, Sensation, Glory, Valor, Liberty and the Legend. This was our 2nd cruise on the Legend. We also sailed on her last year.

 

Pre-Cruise: We flew into Tampa International the day before as usual arriving around 10:30 a.m. We took the free shuttle to the Grand Hyatt hotel (about a 10 minute drive from the airport). I booked the room on H*tw*re.com for $105 including taxes. We were pleasantly surprised that we were able to get in our room around Noon. The hotel was very nice and was certainly deserving of its 4 star status. Nice big bathroom for the ladies. I loved the workout facility. The treadmills were top notch and had a TV built in that you could connect your headphones. They also had a nice selection of weight machines and free weights. One drawback was that the hot tub was in the work out facility so it was extremely warm.

The hotel offers a free shuttle to and from the International Mall. It is not a constant shuttle that goes to and from the mall. The shuttle runs 4 times per day each way departing the hotel at 10:15, 1:15, 4:15 and 7:15 and takes about 5-7 minutes. It picks up passengers for a return ride to the hotel when they drop off at the Mall. The International Mall is huge and has just about every store you can imagine. Our original plan was to have lunch at the Cheese Cake Factory (DW loves the Asian salad) but the wait was 45 minutes and we were already starving. We found a nice deli called TooJay’s. It was pretty good but not outstanding considering the sandwiches were over $10.

The next day we took a taxi to the cruise port (about a 20 minute ride and $35 w/tip). Normally it would have been around $25 but we had the driver stop at a liquor store on the way over to the port. FYI - liquor can be sold beginning at 11:00 am on Sundays.

 

Embarkation: Extremely smooth! We arrived at the port around 11:30, checked in by Noon, eating and drinking by 12:15. Tampa is my favorite port to cruise from. Easy in/easy out.

 

Ship: The ship’s décor is darker than any of the Carnival ships in which we have sailed. There was quite a bit decorative woodwork throughout the ship. It almost had a gothic feel to it. Not my favorite but still very nice. The layout of the ship is very easy to maneuver.

Cabin: We had a balcony cabin on the Empress deck (#6244). We managed quite nicely with all three of us. It did not seem crowded at all. The cabin had a sofa bed rather than a bunk bed from the ceiling. DD much preferred the sofa bed since the bunk bed was very cold as it is right next to the air conditioning vent. The cabin was in the back of the ship but we did not notice any extra rockiness. Noise was never an issue since the decks above and below us were all cabins. The bathroom had a gift basket stocked with toothpaste and razors (both men and women). Natanya was our room steward and she did a fantastic job. We rarely saw her but had no complaints.

 

Dining Room: We went with the Total Choice Dining option (open dining) in Truffles Restaurant. The results were mixed.

We loved being able to eat dinner on our own schedule. It was especially nice on port days since we did not have to immediately jump in the shower as soon as we returned in order to make a 6:00 dinner seating. We were able to relax and take our time getting ready for dinner. It definitely reduced the stress level for all.

What we did not love was the length of time it took to get through all of the dinner courses. A couple of nights we were in the dining room for an hour and 45 minutes. It seemed as if the wait staff was used to everyone eating at relatively the same time. Perhaps they are still working out the kinks. However, I would still not let this stop me from going with the Total Choice Dining in the future. I hope it spreads fleet wide.

Something different in the dining room that I have never seen on before was a Table Artist. His name was Ram. He walked around the dining room performing magic tricks at various tables. He was there all week and he spreads himself around to make sure everyone gets a performance.

The food was very good. As usual, the soups were outstanding. I loved the lobster bisque, cream of broccoli, pumpkin and mushroom soups especially. Not a big fan of the chilled soups (strawberry, cherry, peach…blech!) The lobster and filet mignon were definitely smaller than last year. In fact, each was paired with another protein as an entrée’. The lobster was paired with shrimp and the filet was served with another type of beef (can’t remember exactly what …but it was good.) I also noticed that many of the entrée’s had the same side dishes with it on the same night (i.e., peas served with the fish, beef and chicken entrée’s). This probably saved Carnival a few bucks but it certainly did not detract from the overall dining room experience.

One last comment......for the life of me I don’t get all the rage about the chocolate melting cake. It tastes like an extremely under-baked brownie. DW loved it, though!

 

Lido Deck: Service was excellent and the lines were not too bad even on sea days. I highly recommend the roasted turkey on a country roll (with Swiss of course). The chocolate buffet on the last sea day was disappointing, as usual. In my opinion, they sacrifice quality for the sake of quantity. The pizza was a better than last year but still a little on the flimsy side. I like my pizza a little more crispy. Breakfast was the usual fare. Another cutback I noticed is that you no longer serve yourself for bacon, breakfast ham and bagels. You can have as much as you want but a Carnival employee will serve it to you. Probably a good idea as I have seen quite a bit of wasted food. We ate dinner in the dining room so I can’t comment on that subject. The late night burger bar was fantastic.

 

Entertainment: Improved from last year. The production shows were Take II and Jazz Hot. Take II was definitely the better of the two. Jazz Hot was mostly music from the 40’s. If you are a Tommy Dorsey fan then you will love this show. The comedians were Happy Cole and Max Winfrey. I only saw Cole but he was pretty good.

The best show of the week hands down was Incredible Motown Sounds of Marcus Anthony. He has a terrific voice and great personality. Nice thing about him is he show for the early and late performances. Do not miss his show. The Carnival Legends show was a hoot especially for this proud Daddy as my daughter performed!

My wife and I really enjoyed going to Satchmo’s Bar and listening to the Music Blitz. They played a nice mix of music ranging from CCR to the Beatles to Def Leppard. They were very entertaining. There was a country singer (Dewayne Spaw) that played at various bars throughout the cruise. I didn’t see much of his show as I am not a country music fan but he had a nice crowd every time he performed.

The karaoke in the Fire Bird Lounge was entertaining. Misty did a great job keeping the crowd going. Social!!!! (you’ll get it if you go to karaoke)

 

The cruise director was Jen Baxter was unspectacular. She told the same tired jokes as all the other CDs.

 

Cozumel, Mexico: We went to Paradise Beach and did the each thing. It was a $13 taxi ride each way. They have all the amenities: food, drinks, beach toys, hair braiding, etc….. My recommendation is the guacamole. Get it with the tortilla chips for around $6. A bucket (5 beers) of Dos Equis cost $15. They also have a couple of laptops at the bar that you can use free of charge. They have a wristband you can buy for $10 to get access to the water trampoline and water rock climbing. Something to be aware of is they charge a 20% “service charge” for all credit card transactions. Plan to bring cash to save yourself self money. We also did some shopping at the pier.

 

Belize: We did Belikin Brewery and City Tour. Coral Breeze Limited. We were the only ones on the tour. Cornell was our guide and was very knowledgeable about Belize City. It started out with a tour of the “nicer” part of Belize and then moved to the brewery. The actual tour of the brewery only took about 30 minutes but was very interesting. At the end of the tour, you are taken to the brewery bar (beautiful) and you have 45 minutes to drink as much as you can. The beer was cold, fresh and delicious. I tried all 5 types. They also have soda as it too is bottled at the plant. The tour concludes with lunch at the Wet Lizard restaurant at the port. Food was pretty good. (This is where you meet for the tour I the morning.) Cost was $66 pp.

We did some shopping at with the locals behind the port. Don’t worry it is safe. But be prepared to haggle. My wife bought a sterling silver bracelet for $20 that the vendor originally wanted $35. He told her that he would give her that deal but “do not tell anyone”. DW and DD also bought designer purses in the port shopping area. I was told they were “a great deal”.

 

Grand Cayman: We took the taxi to Sea Grape Beach ($15 each way for all three of us). It was $6 for a beach chair and $5 for an umbrella. We hung out on the beach, swam and enjoyed some liquid refreshments. The food was good too. The jerk chicken is good but be warned it is SPICY. This is not the port to drink at as the beers were $5 each. No buckets, no specials. Mixed drinks were just as bad. A good day to give your liver a break!

We have gone to Royal Palms in our previous trips to Grand Cayman but wanted to try Sea Grape. I would probably go back to Royal Palms in the future as Sea Grape really packed the chairs close together and the employee running the beach was a little on the surly side. She even tried telling us what direction we had to point our chairs in.

 

Costa Maya, Mexico: I booked the Costa Maya Beach Break. The beach is Pez Quadro. The cost was $35 for 18 years and up, $20 for ages 12-17, free for 11 and under. It included chairs, a palapa for shaded and all you can drink. Food was extra but was pretty reasonable. We pre-booked the excursion and our chairs and palapa were ready when we arrived. I would recommend booking in advance especially if there is more than 1 ship in port that day. You may save yourself $5 by booking at the port........but why chance it?Francisco and his brother (sorry, forgot his name) took great care of us. They went out of their way to make sure we had a good time. The beers were cold and the tequila was tasty. Bathrooms were clean. I got a 1 hour massage for $20 ($25 w/tip) and it wonderful (thank you, Maria). Pez Quadro will be my destination the next time I am in Costa Maya.

 

Disembarkation: Smooth, we were in no hurry since our flight was not until 7:00 pm.

 

 

Miscellaneous: Overall it was a pretty smooth ride. It was a little rocky one night but that was it. The wind was pretty bad a couple of nights.

• There were not many kids on board for a President’s week sailing.
  
• Room Service was good. I recommend the tuna salad on an English muffin and the pastrami on rye. They are really tasty at about 12:30 a.m. The room service menu has been greatly enhanced since we sailed last February. Nice!
  
• One tip for the men (especially if you are travelling with a couple of ladies in you cabin) – The men’s locker room has a wonderful sauna and private showers that have 5 heads (one above and two on each of the left and right walls). These are normal sized showers…not the phone booths in the cabin. I would go over around 5:00 – 5:30 and sit in the sauna for 15 minutes, shower and shave and be back in the cabin ready for dinner in around 6:15 – 6:30. I just discovered this on my 8th Carnival cruise.
  
• One criticism – the tendering process leaving the ship was a mess. In Belize, they announced that you could come to the Follies Lounge and get tender tickets at 9:00 and did not hand them out until 9:30. In Grand Cayman, there was an insert in the Capers that said tender tickets would be given out at 9:30 in Satchmo’s Bar. However, the back of the Capers said tender tickets would be available in the Follies lounge at 10:00. They were contradictory. And to top it off, they were both inaccurate. They were actually handed out in the Follies Lounge at 9:15. When I asked Mark (the asst cruise director) who was responsible for making sure the information given out was accurate and consistent his reply was “Not me….I’m not in charge of communications”. It was a classic “it’s not my job” attitude. This was the only real complaint I had of the entire staff.
  
• The gym had very nice equipment. It was busy at the beginning of the cruise but tapered off as the week went along. The cardio machines were busy.
  
• Cruise Critic Meet N’ Greet: Our Roll Call set up a Meet n’ Greet at the aft bar (Unicorn Bar) right after the muster drill. We had a maybe 10 or so people show up. It was nice to meet all of you.
  

If anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to answer them either here or via e-mail at runningdad@comcast.net

[Handsome58]

You all had a good time. Thanks for the great review!!

[nybumpkin]

Hey, Dr. Jack! Glad you had a good time on Legend. We were out last week as well, aboard Glory for the Eastern route. The filet mignon was paired with braised short ribs. I never even thought about the filet being smaller, but you're right - it's probably a case of pairing a more-expensive cut with a less-expensive cut. At any rate, I loved the short ribs. I've noticed the more uniform use of side dishes as well, but half the time I'm so stuffed that I never finish them anyway.

 

What night did you see Marcus Anthony? We saw him last week as well, on Monday (sea day). The next day we were in St. Thomas - he must have flown from there to join Legend.

[Lv2Camp&Cruise]

Thanks for a great review. We will be on the Legend in October and can't wait!

[evildoer78]

We are on the Legend on 3/22...and are slated for Isla Rotan....but you went to Costa Maya?? Were you always going to CM? If not, when were you notified (if you were before you boarded)?

 

Thanks!

[tooexcitedtogo]

I was just going to ask the same thing. We are headed out this weekend and am really looking forward to Fins and Flippers in Rotan.

[beachbum6264]

Thanks for the review. Just booked the Legend for Aug. and am reading everything I can find! Great review.

 

PS... I live about 12 miles from Lynchburg, TN, home of Jack Daniels :D

[MDSue]

Thanks for your review. I'll be sailing her in April. I'm curious about Costa Maya also since we are scheduled to go to Roatan. Was that a planned stop or a change of itinerary?

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

We are on the Legend on 3/22...and are slated for Isla Rotan....but you went to Costa Maya?? Were you always going to CM? If not, when were you notified (if you were before you boarded)?

 

Thanks!

 

We were notified in mid-December of the itinerary change. We were looking forward to Roatan as well since we were there last year. But Costa Maya was a nice subsitute for us.

 

It think the change was to relieve congestion at one of the ports. Not sure though.

 

Bananarama Resort and Dive Shop on the West End Beach is where we spent the day in Roatan and it was awesome.

 

DJD

[igraack]

Thanks for the reivew. One comment to all.. The not serving yourself in the buffet is to help in the containment of passing germs. Norovirus can spread through touch and especially if you then put your hands (or food your holding) into your mouth. I for one am glad they took that step, it's really a protective measure.

 

We leave in 19 days.. WOO HOO.. Roatan it is for us too.

[Maxax]

That was an excellent review. We go on the Legend this summer! Can't wait!

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

Thanks for the reivew. One comment to all.. The not serving yourself in the buffet is to help in the containment of passing germs. Norovirus can spread through touch and especially if you then put your hands (or food your holding) into your mouth. I for one am glad they took that step, it's really a protective measure.

 

We leave in 19 days.. WOO HOO.. Roatan it is for us too.

 

I would agree with you but you still served yourself for scrambled eggs and toast. So I really think the driving factor is $$.

 

Speaking of germs....they did have the hand sanititizers througout the ship.

 

DJD

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

Hey, Dr. Jack! Glad you had a good time on Legend. We were out last week as well, aboard Glory for the Eastern route. The filet mignon was paired with braised short ribs. I never even thought about the filet being smaller, but you're right - it's probably a case of pairing a more-expensive cut with a less-expensive cut. At any rate, I loved the short ribs. I've noticed the more uniform use of side dishes as well, but half the time I'm so stuffed that I never finish them anyway.

 

What night did you see Marcus Anthony? We saw him last week as well, on Monday (sea day). The next day we were in St. Thomas - he must have flown from there to join Legend.

 

Hi Kathy!

 

Nice to hear from you. Glad you had a nice time on the Glory. Marcus Anthony was performed on Friday night after our port day in Grand Cayman. He said he flew in that day.

 

We're probably going to try Royal Caribbean for our next cruise. While we have enjoyed all 8 of our cruises on Carnival it is beginning to feel a little stale for us. Time to do something different.

 

Take care......I'll look for you review of the Glory:).

 

Pat

[rebeljohn]

Nice review........We departed our Legend cruise the day you boarded. The Legend is great!...............

[mjhbrown]

Thanks so much for the reveiw. We're on the Legend Oct 4-11 (for our 20th wedding anniversary!) and I am just now starting to think about what to do on port days. Thanks so much.

[tanyanubin]

Oh, sounds like you had a great cruise. Thanks for that fun review! Hope they don't pull a switch on us for our March 15 sailing from Roatan to Costa Maya. I really want to go to Roatan. I think we would have heard by now, though.

[ScottsSweetie]

Dr. Jack, thanks for the review! I have a few questions for you, though. Did you dine around the same time each evening, or did you really switch it up a lot? Did you have a wait any of your evenings for a table? Did you request a table just for the three of you, or are you offered a group table? Did you have the same wait staff each night? We are doing this option in September and are curious how it will work.

 

Also, your Belize tour sounded fun. You mentioned that the brewery tour was approx. 30 min, & tasting approx. 45 min. How long was the city tour before you got to the brewery? Did you feel that it gave you a good sense of the island? Also, was the lunch included in the $66pp? Were you able to choose anything on the menu, and were drinks (alcohol) included? Lastly, did you book this tour in advance or at the port?

 

Sorry, that's a lot of questions! :o

[Purplesaurus]

Hey mjhbrown,

 

We are on the Legend Oct 4-11 to celebrating our 30th anniversary. Looking forward to cruising with y'all.

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

Dr. Jack, thanks for the review! I have a few questions for you, though.

 

Did you dine around the same time each evening, or did you really switch it up a lot?

We generally arrived at the dining room between 6:15 - 6:45. But one night we did not bet there until around 7:10 and onece we arrived at 5:45. Open dining acutally begins at 5:45 which is 15 minutes prior to the 1st seating (6:00)

 

Did you have a wait any of your evenings for a table?

The longest wait we had was about 35 minutes. It was the 1st formal night. That was a night we did not arrive until 6:45. One other night we waited 10-15 minutes and the rest of the time we were seated immediately.

 

Did you request a table just for the three of you, or are you offered a group table?

They will ask you if you would like to be seated with a group every night. (I think they try to fill the big tables up first). We declined and asked for a table just for us three every night and it was not a problem.

 

Did you have the same wait staff each night?

We did not have the same wait staff every night. But we did have the same wait staff a few of the nights. Other than there being a delay between the courses a few of the nights the staff was pretty good. The biggest wait always seemed to be dessert. A couple of nights it was 15-20 minutes from the time we ordered dessert and the time it showed up on the table. Don't forget the free cappuchino in the dining room. DW loved it!

 

We are doing this option in September and are curious how it will work.

Even with the delay, I would still opt for open dining every time. The flexibility it provides is invaluable.

 

Also, your Belize tour sounded fun. You mentioned that the brewery tour was approx. 30 min, & tasting approx. 45 min. How long was the city tour before you got to the brewery?

City Tour before the brewery was about 30 minutes and after the brewery it was another 30 minutes. On the second half of the city tour (the poorer areas of the city) we stopped and bought some plantain chips. One word - delicious! Cornell (our guide) knew where to stop.

 

Did you feel that it gave you a good sense of the island?

Yes

 

Also, was the lunch included in the $66pp? Were you able to choose anything on the menu, and were drinks (alcohol) included?

Lunch was included in the $66pp but drinks were not included (alcohol or soda). You could order anything from the menu. DW and I had the chicken with bean and rice. Very tasty. My daughter had the fish taco and she scarfed them down in about 5 minutes so I would say they were good also.

 

Lastly, did you book this tour in advance or at the port?

Booked in advance through Coral Breeze Tours. They were ready for us when we got to the port. You meet at the Wet Lizard restaurant (which is where you have lunch at the end of the tour.) The tender boats are just outside of the Wet Lizard.

 

Sorry, that's a lot of questions! :o

 

No problem with the questions. I'm happy to help. Keep 'em coming.

 

See my responses in red above.

 

DJD

[Payd]

Thanks for your review Dr. Jack!

 

I understand the frustration with the tender tickets. Was the process smooth once you got the ticket - or was it mayhem anyway?

 

We are headed out on the Legend in March! Can't wait.

[fdny8950]

My wife and I are cruising on the Legend on March 1 . Was not aware of open dining at what ever time you want. Was not even an option, I think. Is this something new.

[ScottsSweetie]

Thanks so much for your reply! :p

[crewsweeper]

Hey Doc.

 

We're booked for cabin 6244 in May, DW, SIL and moi. Any cabin pictures? Was the sofa bed comfortable? How much room getting around with it opened up? Was there a refrigator? Deck chairs and balconey views?

 

Like your idea of using the men's locker room for showering. That's my game plan as well. Did you happen to see or use the rowing machine in the gym? Free weights available or just machines?

 

Crew

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

My wife and I are cruising on the Legend on March 1 . Was not aware of open dining at what ever time you want. Was not even an option, I think. Is this something new.

 

It is being tested out on a trial basis on the Legend and the Liberty. Contact Carnival or your TA to have it switched before you cruise. It is my understanding that you cannot switch to open dining once you have started your cruise.

 

I'd call now if you are interested. We really liked the flexiblity.

 

DJD

[stlrboo]

We go in June! Always good to see a positive review, as almost all are on the Legend! :) Looks like we picked a good one!:D