Cruise Review- Legend 5 Dec 04

[stokerhj]

I just got back yesterday from the best vacation I've ever had- the Carnival Legend sailing to the southern carribean. I figured that instead of doing a detailed chronology I'd just highlight a few areas. As a note, my husband and I are both 26 and 27, suburban professionals from Ohio. No kids- yet. This is our third Carnival Cruise and our first on the Spirit class.

 

Embarkation- A mess. Completely disorganized. You'd think they'd never done this before. We got to the pier just before 11am and were told to go do early checkout and then wait for the doors to open to get through security. We did this, and were told by a Carnival employee that the doors usually opened around 11:30. A line formed in the building, which we got into- maybe 60 or 70 people away from the beginning of the line. People were bunched around each other and it was very claustrophobic. By noon the doors had still not opened, and we were still standing in line. At 12:15, the fire marshall comes over and starts yelling at people because the line went through the emergency exit. Here's a thought- go yell at Carnival. They were the ones who have us all bunched up and won't open the door for us to go through security. People don't like to be bunched up, made to stand for long periods and then have someone come yell at them for doing so. Many travel agents were brought in and let in ahead of us, which really ticked off some older ladies behind us who would not quit complaining. Finally, at 12:40 they let us in to go through security and everything pretty much went smooth from there. Once through, and with our Sail and Sign cards we got on the ship just before 1pm. Dropped off our bags, made our supper club reservations, booked our tours, then went back to our cabin to watch sailaway.

 

Our Cabin- We had cabin 4241, main deck with balcony off the back of the ship. Views were great from this cabin while leaving ports, which was why we sat back on it to watch sailaway. This cabin is also very private as the balcony above is almost directly above ours. The only people we could see or could see us were in the cabins on either side of us- and then only if you both were standing right at the railing. Looking off the back of the ship you can tell that the incline starts after the cabin above us, making the bottom row of balconies the most private. It is also nice to look down and see only water, as there is nothing on the ship beneath you. We did not notice any unusual noise or vibration. Since this cabin is at the very back of the ship, there was more motion. This made me a little queasy the first couple of nights, but once I started taking Bonine before bed instead of first thing in the morning the queasiness stopped and it was no longer a problem.

 

The ship- Absolutely beautiful and in great condition, but you already knew this from previous reviews. Great layout. The only area that ever seemed constantly crowded was the unicorn restaurant on Lido. I think for some people on this cruise the rest of the ship was just a place to go between serving times.

 

The staff- Very friendly, always smiling. Our steward Benny was very giving with the towel animals. Once he forgot our capers and on the last day forgot the comment cards, but nothing major. Requests such as unlocking the mini bar and relocking our balcony divider, which had swung open one night were quickly responded to. Our wait staff was the best of our three cruises, and were tipped accordingly. Wichit and assistant waiter Mario were very friendly, and not in the fake way we experienced previously.

 

The food- Very good. Carnival really comes through on the quality and variety of food in the Unicorn. Food in the dining room also seemed a little fresher and the meat more tender than our previous cruises.

 

The Supper Club- After perusing the menu, we booked the supper club for both formal nights on our cruise. After our first night, we decided to cancel the second night. This wasn't because we were disappointed, in fact it was quite the opposite. We had such a special experience, we thought the one night should stand by itself. It was definitely the finest dining experience that my husband and I have ever had and a great value- even factoring in the tip to the wait staff. The complimentary champaign (first formal night), extra specials from the chef, and the picture taken of us later delivered to our cabin at no charge all very nice touches. As a note, they did not have the stone crab claws available, but had crab legs instead.

 

The passengers- I would estimate that 7 out of 10 of the passengers during our sailing were 60+. The 8 day length and the 4 sea days may have contributed to this. Another factor was that there were a couple of large groups from local florida temples getting together for a hannakah cruise, and I think that most of the people from these groups were elderly. This was somewhat dissapointing as we felt out of place and were expecting more of a party crowd than we had found on our Paradise cruises. This did not stop us from making our own fun, however. As a note, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly average joe american seats himself as royalty on these cruises. A drunk guy messing with a broken lightbulb, breaking it, then laughing and saying "that's okay, someone will come and clean it up." The guy yelling at a busy employee at the unicorn to come and clear a table right away because he wants to sit there. The guy in the line at the buffet who won't dish his own fries, but wants the grill cook to do it for him. These people make it embarrassing for me to be an American.

 

The entertainment- We did not go to most of the shows and did not hang out in most of the bars. This was because they were just not very appealing to our tastes and our age group. We went to a few of the late night comedy shows which were kind of funny. We discovered the Piano Bar our second night and remained there for the rest of the cruise. Mike, the "piano man" is very talented and personable. With the exception of the Elton John, Billie Joel tribute night, we found he played mostly songs that we knew, liked, and could sing along with. He had a great mix of old favorites and newer, "riskier" music. Judging from his playbook you can tell that he is a huge Ben Folds and Counting Crows fan- two groups that I like very much myself. Nights at the piano bar were definitely one of the highlights of our cruise.

 

Ports of Call- We were lucky enough to have sun every day of our cruise. With the exception of a few light showers Martinique morning the weather was perfect.

 

St. Martin- We did the Rhino Riders tour. I don't see many reviews of this tour, so if your curious here is our opinion- Awesome! This one of the best tours we have ever taken. There could be nothing better than coasting over the waves along the beautiful coastline of St. Martin. The beach that we stopped at was small but gorgeous- appropriately named "Happy Bay." Our tour guide Killian was also very funny and friendly. I you are not afraid of planing over a wave, or speeding at 30 miles per hour, then I would highly recommend this tour.

 

Barbados- We went out searching for a taxi and wound up with John- the best taxi driver on the whole Island. We asked to go to the Crane hotel on the other side of the Island for lunch and body surfing. In a half hour, we were there. John dropped us off without asking for money and said that he would come back in 2 and 1/2 hours to show us the rest of the Island. He also pulled aside the security officer at the hotel and asked him to take care of us. Perhaps they knew each other or had some understanding, but he did exactly that and let us down to use the beach after lunch at no extra charge. Crane beach is breathtaking, and so was the body surfing-quite literally, actually. After a few good ones pulled me under I was exhausted and decided to just lay back and enjoy the view. After awhile, we cleaned up and got dressed and John was waiting right there to take us on a tour of the rest of the Island. You haven't seen beauty until you've seen the countryside of Barbados by the light of sunset. Fields of sugar cane, Mahogany trees. The view from St. John's church was amazing. To conclude our tour, our driver took us over to the area with the hotels and pointed them out so that we could "decide where to stay the next time we came to Barbados." John was a great ambassador for the people of Barbados. He did not give a price at first, then reluctantly asked for $100, so we gave him $120. It was a very special day and I feel like we really got to experience much of what the Island had to offer.

 

Martinique- After two very exhausting days in port, we decided to take it easy here and did a 7:30 catamaran tour named "Sun, fun, and sailing." Since it was the early tour, there were only 10 people including us. Laying out on the net, enjoying the view of the island of Martinique really hit the spot. We dropped anchor off of a black sand beach and I did some snorkeling. Some people, intent on being miserable did not want to go in the water because it was drizzling. Funny how you don't notice a few drops when your already in the water snorkeling. Afterward, we got in a dingy and went in to a bat cave. The sun came out and we laid back and sunned ourselves on the netting with the breeze rushing over the entire way back. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested. Very relaxing.

 

Since I've been typing for an hour now, I think I'm done! A great vacation. Let me know if you have any questions and I will try to answer them if I can. Thanks.

[Sisters of the Sea]

Thanks for your review. I'm going to be in that same exact cabin in February. Our travel agent was concerned about the noise of the engines, especially when the shipped docked early in the morning. I reasurred him, it didn't make a difference to us. We'd be dead to the world at that hour. Sounds like you just had some extra rocking motion.

 

What did you think about the extended balcony? This will be my first. What kind of chairs were out there?

[sealgs2000]

I was also on this cruise and I embarkation was a nightmare!!!! I heard it had to do with customs not getting the people off the ship. I do have to give Carnival Credit as mentioned about 80% of the passengers were 65+ and they ALL were complaining.

 

My only other complaint would be in the Dining Room. We loved our waiters they were very nice. But we were missing the small details on this cruise. We had to ask for water when our glasses were empty, we were never asked if we wanted fresh pepper our cheese on our salads. This was not a big deal but it was just something we noticed different from our prior cruises. We could not figure out if it had to do with the tips being included or if there is just less employees doing more work.

 

The Supper Club was wonderfull!! We did this on Saturday on the last formal night. When we walked in the hostess called us by name it was a very special evening. Everyone should go at least one night. Well worth the money.

 

My husband won second place in the Legends Karoke contest so he felt like a celebrity the rest of the cruise.

 

If anyone has any questions I will be happy to answer!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Our Cabin- We had cabin 4241, main deck with balcony off the back of the ship. Views were great from this cabin while leaving ports, which was why we sat back on it to watch sailaway. Our steward Benny was very giving with the towel animals. Once he forgot our capers and on the last day forgot the comment cards, but nothing major. Requests such as unlocking the mini bar and relocking our balcony divider, which had swung open one night were quickly responded to.

He was our steward also (over Thanksgiving) - friendly guy - he always came through with ICE!!!

 

Lobke, the Supper Club hostess, was very nice - we ate there twice, perfect table for 2 overlooking the lower level.

 

As far as the Piano Bar, I had e-mailed Mike before the cruise and asked about playing Bennie and the Jets (due to another poster mentioning the same - as a joke) when we showed up in person and asked he smiled and turned and said "Are you Tom?"... nice, talented fellow! He mentioned he was only going to be staying on until mid-December...

 

Re: embarkation --- what a zoo. You would think after this many trips out of Ft Lauderdale that they would have it worked out (running smoothly)...:rolleyes:

 

 

Tom

[Coolcruise02]

Great review....can't wait until March!

 

What was the Prominade deck like? Could you walk all the way around? Where there lounge chairs?

 

Was there a jogging track? Did you try the gym?

 

Thanks :)

[stokerhj]

The chairs were plastic, colored to look like wood. They were adjustable so that you could sit up straight or lay back. There was also a plastic stool that you could put your feet onto, or use to lay your coffee on- whichever you preferred. They were not uncomfortable, but not as comfortable as a recliner. The extended balcony was spacious enough for two people to sit out comfortably and enjoy. Once we pushed the chairs out of the way and still had plenty of room to sit on the floor and play rummy. You will love this cabin!

 

Movement was smooth on prominade deck, and yes I think you could walk all the way around, but never tried it so I'm not sure. The only time there was a problem was when you got behind someone slow and couldn't get around. Unfortunately, this was not uncommon on this cruise. There was plenty of seating in all of the public areas and very comfortable seating at that. Glad we made it on the ship before Mike left. I wonder if this was his last? If so, he didn't mention. His parents were on board this week and one night his father sat down and played.

 

Never went to the Gym, even though we probably should have. I did not see a jogging track or anyone jogging. At the front of the ship, through the windows you could see people running in place on the machines.

[Coolcruise02]

Thanks! :)

[sotadragon]

DM and I were on this cruise as well and had a wonderful time! Or perhaps I should say "Fantastic!" ;) I didn't think embarkation was too bad, but it was definitely more cramped than Miami. But we got there at about 10am and had a place to sit until they told us to go through the doors. I didn't hear anyone yelling at the people standing in line, but I wouldn't doubt that they did, it was packed and the line went out the door and all the way past the terminal building and nearly the length of the ship! I did hear that customs was off the ship, but had not given Carnival control of the terminal yet and that was why it was late, although they didn't say why this was exactly.

 

I noticed that there were a lot of elderly people on board too, though I didn't know there were any groups from temples. I think the number of elderly people contributed greatly to the main seating being packed and the casino also being very busy whenever it was open. No offense to anyone meant!

 

I didn't see anyone being particularly rude to the Lido deck servers, but I did see people cut in line AND people playing cards at lunch time NOT eating when the Lido restaurant was extremely busy and there was no where to sit if you DID want to eat. Very frustrating. The card room and other open areas with tables are for playing cards and if you're doing that instead of eating in the restaurant, please take your game elsewhere so others can eat their food when it's still at least warm instead of searching and searching for a place to sit and eventually going back to your cabin to eat your lukewarm quiche and beef. :rolleyes:

 

I must say here, I really did enjoy the cruise and the food was good and the entertainment was good and the ports were good (to short in Martinique though)! I didn't mean to sound like I had a bad time or that I let the experience in the Lido deck restaurant ruin my cruise! It was just something that was hard to ignore.

 

There was a jogging track two decks above the gym, so that's deck 11 ( I think! ) forward. DM and I went up there once and it was nice. We were going to go to the gym more, but only made it the next to the last full day on board. :o Oh well. The gym was pretty nice, but two treadmills were out of order when we were there. Not something unexpected really.

 

I liked the Vegas-style shows, though they didn't seem to "pop" as much as other shows I'd seen on Carnival before. During the second one they did the Time Warp from Rocky Horror! :D It was awesome! That show was called Take II and had a lot of bits from different movies in it. The Christmas show at the end of the week was nice, but maybe a little sappy for my taste.

 

We also had an aft balcony cabin (6262) and it was great. :) I did notice more motion on this cruise than on previous cruises and I heard from a reliable source (crew member) that the captain doesn't ever use the stabilizers. I suppose the crew member could have been wrong, but I thought that the motion I felt all through the cruise was more than what it should have been when looking at the water.

 

By the way, did any one else on this cruise notice that there was at least one dish on every dinner menu that included mushrooms? I like mushrooms myself, but I thought it was funny how much they were served. DM and I figured the head chef really likes mushrooms a lot or got a really great deal on them. hee hee...

[judyf]

Thanks for all the reviews!!!!

 

What time would you all say to arrive at the pier for embarkation? We will be driving from West Palm Beach area staying in a hotel by the airport night before cruise.

 

Any tips?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Getting there by 10:30ish should enable you to sit in the inside waiting area.. otherwise you risk standing in a long OUTSIDE line :eek: for possibly hours... trust me... get there early, and have a seat!

 

Tom

[torpeedo]

We were also on this cruise and had a great time. Agree with everyone's comments. The embarkation was terrible. But we were also on the Legend about two years ago and it was also terrible. I guess there is no option since I am sure that there have been complaints. Would recommend getting in line by 10:30. You will still have to wait a long time but you will be indoors. But you will be standing so be prepared. We disembarked the LAST COLOR and we got off about 11:15am.. The room you embark in is the same room that people disembark so I think that is the hold up. When we embarked, the door opened at 12:40.. So we had been standing since 10:30.. Not fun.:mad: Especially for the older crowd who were outside of the airconditioning and wrapped around the building.. I heard from some people that they were in line for 3 hours and did not get onboard until 4pm..

The cruise itself was wonderful. Great weather and calm seas. Ship was beautiful and well cared for. Food was good and the supper club was excellent. We dined there twice and had a great time. Loved the entertainment in the supper club. A duo who sang some beautiful songs. Very romantic.

Overall we had the best dining room service we have ever experienced on Carnival. Our waiters were very attentive and we had as much or as little as we wanted. Our next Carnival cruise will be the new Liberty in Feb of 06.

[stokerhj]

people playing cards at lunch time NOT eating when the Lido restaurant was extremely busy and there was no where to sit if you DID want to eat. Very frustrating. The card room and other open areas with tables are for playing cards and if you're doing that instead of eating in the restaurant, please take your game elsewhere so others can eat their food when it's still at least warm instead of searching and searching for a place to sit and eventually going back to your cabin to eat your lukewarm quiche and beef.

 

I guess I should respond to this since a few times during our cruise my husband and I did play cards in the lido restaurant. Did we seek this place out as a place to play cards? No. Would we play a couple of hands after eating and while trying to decide what to do next? Sure. There is no regulation against doing this, and when on my vacation I like to take my time. As crowded as the Unicorn was, there was never a time that I could see where all of the seating was filled. Carnival planned for large crowds when designing the seating and if you desired a spot it could be found. Since I can't remember ever seeing anyone else playing cards here, I can't imagine that this is an epidemic, and I am surprised that this was found to be upsetting to anyone.

[Concord]

Thank You all !!! I'm not going to spend an hour typing, I'm going to be short and sweet. We are reading these reviews to learn what to expect on this, our second Carnival Cruise. We'll be getting on the Legend 12/29, but this is the first time with our children. They are 6 & 14, we are 40 & 45. I thought this was a good thread so far, I was hoping to read a little more about the kids events. On our first cruise (Victory 10/03) I was amazed at how hard they try to please everyone, and I'm sure I will be again. Lastly, I'll never feel embarrassed to be an American. I already know that some people take for granted the luxury of being able to travel the world. I'm more embarrassed that they are Americans.

[sotadragon]

people playing cards at lunch time NOT eating when the Lido restaurant was extremely busy and there was no where to sit if you DID want to eat. Very frustrating. The card room and other open areas with tables are for playing cards and if you're doing that instead of eating in the restaurant, please take your game elsewhere so others can eat their food when it's still at least warm instead of searching and searching for a place to sit and eventually going back to your cabin to eat your lukewarm quiche and beef.

 

I guess I should respond to this since a few times during our cruise my husband and I did play cards in the lido restaurant. Did we seek this place out as a place to play cards? No. Would we play a couple of hands after eating and while trying to decide what to do next? Sure. There is no regulation against doing this, and when on my vacation I like to take my time. As crowded as the Unicorn was, there was never a time that I could see where all of the seating was filled. Carnival planned for large crowds when designing the seating and if you desired a spot it could be found. Since I can't remember ever seeing anyone else playing cards here, I can't imagine that this is an epidemic, and I am surprised that this was found to be upsetting to anyone.

 

I'm not saying it's an EPIDEMIC.... gads. I'm sure it was an isolated incident that several groups decided to play cards when the Unicorn was FULL. Also, this was when we were in port and Truffles was closed for lunch, so that's why it seemed extra rude for people to take up restaurant space when they were done eating. I understand wanting to take your time on your vacation, but when it's so crowded wouldn't it be more relaxing to go sit outside or somewhere less crowded after you eat? And I'm not saying YOU were being rude.

[stokerhj]

Hi El,

 

Wasn't taking your comment personally, but just felt that since we had been among those playing cards that I should respond to your comment. Which port day were several groups playing cards? If this was Barbados day, it may have been because like us, they went up to lido to get a snack before heading out for the day, only to find we couldn't go down right away because they wanted people booked on shore tours to get off first. Knowing that we would head down as soon as they allowed us, we just hung out and played a hand or two until it was called everyone could leave, which we did.

 

BTW- if anyone else has questions about the cruise in general, please feel free to ask. I know that we had a ton of little questions before we left on ours.

[sotadragon]

stoker, I think it was Martinique... yeah, that was the port day. The Unicorn was only like that (that I saw) on that day and on the last sea day, every other time we went for lunch it was busy (expected), but not PACKED.

 

BTW, I know you said your group made your own fun, which is really great. But did you notice a general feeling of "nape time" on this cruise? For some reason I was drowsy A LOT, and I haven't been like that on any other cruise. And I wasn't taking any seasick meds so it couldn't have been drug induced. ;)

[stokerhj]

elwhaite,

 

I was drowsy a lot, especially from dinner on. At home I eat at 5:30 and go to bed at 10. On the ship, dinner wan't until 8:15, and I was trying to stay up until 1am. Because we left our balcony open every night (love the sound of the ocean) I wound up waking up soon after sunrise every morning anyway. An endless cycle! Barbados night we had every intention of making the deck party but were so exhausted I fell asleep on the balcony chair during sailaway. To make up for this, we found ourselves heading back to the cabin or up on lido to try and catch a nap everyday- something I never do at home.

[flycatcher06]

Can you tell me is The Supper Club different on Formal nights? Do you always get the free picture and the free champagane? We will be on board for New Years so i am wodering if this would be aa great option? Also do you sign up at the Pursers desk or throught the regular Maitre'D And also i believe it is $10. extra per head? Do you tip this staff that evening as opposed to later in the cruise? Sorry for all the questions!

[sotadragon]

Can you tell me is The Supper Club different on Formal nights? Do you always get the free picture and the free champagane? We will be on board for New Years so i am wodering if this would be aa great option? Also do you sign up at the Pursers desk or throught the regular Maitre'D And also i believe it is $10. extra per head? Do you tip this staff that evening as opposed to later in the cruise? Sorry for all the questions!

 

I didn't go to the Supper Club, but I do know that it is $25 per person.

[stokerhj]

Flycatcher,

 

I think the complimentary champaigne and picture are standard for the first formal night, not as sure about the second formal night. Hopefully someone who has done this on the second formal night can chime in!

[wigginout66]

Can you tell me is The Supper Club different on Formal nights? Do you always get the free picture and the free champagane? We will be on board for New Years so i am wodering if this would be aa great option? Also do you sign up at the Pursers desk or throught the regular Maitre'D And also i believe it is $10. extra per head? Do you tip this staff that evening as opposed to later in the cruise? Sorry for all the questions!

On the Spirit the Supper club is $25 per person and you need to go up to the supper club to make reservations. I suggest doing so on the first night so you'll get the night you want. It books up fast, as it is well worth the money. I tipped the evening of, as this group is not part of the standard tip and will not be seen again unless you go another night.

 

Get the flourless choc cake, it takes about 20min to get, but well worth it.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Flycatcher,

 

I think the complimentary champaigne and picture are standard for the first formal night, not as sure about the second formal night. Hopefully someone who has done this on the second formal night can chime in!

We went to the Golden Fleece on 2 nights. Our 2nd night there was on the second formal night... no champagne, and no photo... We plan on going to Nick and Nora's (Miracle/July) for BOTH formal nights, so perhaps we can get that free pic then!

 

It is $25 pp... and I would suggest a tip of $20 (for a couple)... even though the tip is said to be included in the $25, just think what you would tip for a meal like that on dry land... likely MUCH more! Of course, this point is one of much debate...

 

Tom

[springersgirl]

I was on the cruise right after you and what a disaster! WAY TOO MANY OLD PEOPLE!!! THEY WERE dropping like flies! On your cruise documents there is a paragraph that states you warrant you are well enough to travel, well we had 4 or 5 people have heart attacks, one person had an epileptic seizure and who knows what else that caused the ship to be re routed three times.

 

I was in cabin 4237 which was on the end next to your cabin. It was a fabulous cabin! There is a lot of noise and vibration back there however.

 

I would agree with most of your review which was excellent. We ate at the supper club twice. The first night we responded to the invitation in our stateroom - that says "be our guest on ...(the date) and we will give you a free picture and champagne". So you only get this once. The menu does not change. The food and service was fabulous and we would have eaten there again except I got food poisoning from the Lido deck and my stomach was upset for two days, and didn't really want to eat the same thing a third night. I think a $20 tip is a bit much, but then I am not a big tipper. I tipped 15% - the tip is not included in the $25.00 charge p.p. You can add it on when you sign the bill at the end of the meal. It is not part of your "sail and sign" I found that out when I wanted to re-allocate the tips. The supper club isn't part of the main dining room. The nice thing about the supper club is you can make your dinner reservation for any time you want. You just ring up the supper club.

 

We had different ports of call and enjoyed them very much.

 

I thought the food on the rest of the ship wasn't very good - ever. The waiters in the main dining room never stopped to chat or ask how was the meal, do you want anything else. It definitely isn't Princess service.

 

I thought the entertainment was lacking and kind of boring and a much older passenger group than I anticipated. 600 old New Yorkers complaining was over whelming!

[biledo]

We'll be getting on the Legend 12/29, but this is the first time with our children. They are 6 & 14, we are 40 & 45. I thought this was a good thread so far, I was hoping to read a little more about the kids events. QUOTE]

 

 

 

Can you post up a bit of what you (and your kids) thought? :)