LEGEND Dec 23/13 Holiday Cruise Long Review (with Disney comparisons)

I am going to attempt my first trip report, I have read so many over the years and I really appreciate the information I have gained from them. I started writing this on my iPad on our 24 hr drive home. I think it may end up being very long so I hope you enjoy reliving our adventures with us. I am a scrapbooker so my review will be more like a story. I hope you enjoy!

This will be a review of our December 23rd 11 day Legend of the Seas holiday cruise but will also do a little comparison to our Disney cruises. Our ports were Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, Barbados, Antigua and St. Martin. We had an amazing cruise on the Legend!

Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of photos, my husband is the photographer and he would never think of taking photos of cabins, rooms, food etc..... But if you want a great "artistic" photo of a log, doorway, a lady selling spices on the side of the road, he's your man. Thank God for all of you out there that do like taking photos of ships. But I will add what I have; I do have some Legend Christmas photos and many great ones of our ports.

Who We Are

I (Allison) am a 44 yr old teacher, husband (Ken) also 44 is a musician and 2 daughters aged 14 (Caitlyn) and 12 (Cassidy), we live in Ontario, Canada.

Dinner on the Legend

The girls in Grenada

We love to travel and we RV for the summers, we have had the amazing opportunity to see all Canadian provinces and many states. Before cruising as much we spent 2 months every summer RVing "around" the US from Montana, Washington State, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida and back to Canada. For the past 3 years we have settled on just heading to Florida (our home away from home) for 5 weeks in the summer.

A photo of our RV…..where we spend 10 days on Fort Myers Beach……

The view from our RV……

We are not really "loyal" to any cruise line we book the date first (teacher so zero flexibility) and then the ports we want to visit. We are a pretty quiet family that stays to ourselves, not that we don't talk, we love our family time. So the bigger ships with all the bells and whistles don't factor in to our decisions. I am an obsessive planner so we book way ahead to get the best deals!

Next up our cruising background…….

Looking forward to the review. This is one of the cruise that I have been looking at in the past but always found it to be pricey.

Been doing that same 24 hour drive as you for the past 10 years.

Great start! Thank you!!

Just booked the Dec 24, 2014 while on Liberty, so I'm looking forward your review!!! Thank you!!! And Happy New Year....

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

Looking forward to the rest of your review! We leave on the Legend 1/24/14 for our B2B and will spend 21 nights on her!

I do have 1 question, do you remember what time you docked for your return in FLL, and what time they started the self debarkation process? Thanks!

I always love new reviews - especially for ships I haven't been on and destinations that I haven't been to... Can't wait to read all about your trip!

Jo :)

Can't wait for more!

I cruised numerous times as a child, teen, early 20's with my parents, Caribbean and the Med, as I didn't pay and only enjoyed these cruises I remember the "experiences" not the ships.

Our Family Cruises......

Disney Wonder, January 2006 (after New Year's) only 4 day (Nassau and Castaway Cay)

It was very special because it introduced my family to cruising and reminded me why I love to cruise. We are also Disney lovers, we did an inside guarantee and received Disney magic and was upgraded to an ocean view.

These photos make me both happy and sad (my little girls are growing up so fast)

Carnival Glory, August 2009, 7 day

(I am going to digress here and do a short Carnival comparison) it was our year to turn 40 so we celebrated with a cruise, my mom joined us too she turned 60. I am stressing 40 because even though this was only 4 ½ years ago we don’t remember a lot about the ship (which may say a lot).

So I will go with......

Highs - our first (and only so far) balcony cabin; main dining room food was the best (dare I say better than Royal and Disney); for not being very social people we met a family from Florida, our table mates which have become lifelong friends that we visit every year.

Mediums/Lows - service was not bad but not great; I really can't remember the ship that much; the big low because of heavy winds we could not dock in St. Martin and our day in St. Thomas was cut in half, I know, I know the weather is out of their control but there was zero communication and zero sympathy from Carnival, ultimately I know you (my cruise critic addicts) will all understand when I say after months of planning when things go wrong you feel really, really sad (and Ken saying it’s ok, we are on a cruise, does not help)!

Disney Dream - New Years 5 day cruise, Dec/Jan 2012/13

It was a surprise Christmas gift for the girls, they opened it, we packed and drove to Florida all in the same day. I will talk a lot more about this cruise during this review.

Spelling “Disney Cruise” Christmas morning….

NCL Pearl - 11 day holiday cruise already booked for 2014/15

Pre Cruise & Checking In coming up next.....

Looking forward to the rest of your review! We leave on the Legend 1/24/14 for our B2B and will spend 21 nights on her!

 

I do have 1 question, do you remember what time you docked for your return in FLL, and what time they started the self debarkation process? Thanks!

Not sure when we docked, slept through it, but know exactly when self debarkation was....7:15 to 7:45......I have a very, very funny story about this which I will share later in my review, it will be worth the wait:cool:

subscribing! Very much looking forward to your comparisons. Our Family has cruised Carnival once, Disney 3 times (with a 4th booked for 2015) and will be leaving for our first RCCL one week from today :)

We love road trips so we always drive down to Florida, we find we leave Canada (Kingston border) around 5:00 pm then we drive through the night arriving the next day in Florida around 3:00 pm, it works great for us.

Hotel

We had 2 full days for shopping before our cruise started, we stayed at the Courtyard Fort Lauderdale/North Cypress hotel. It is a great, small hotel, modern check in area, pool, adequate, clean rooms. Safe area, restaurants and shops close by. I booked about a year ahead and got the great CAA/AAA price of $75 per night, can't beat that. It was a 20 minute drive to the port. I may even book it again for our cruise next Christmas out of Miami because I hear hotels are very expensive there.

Park ‘N Go

We decided to use them because of the many good reviews here and we are glad we did, the shuttle was there waiting when we arrived and within minutes showed up when we got off the cruise.

A quick story, on the shuttle going to the port we picked up a family of four that just got off a Holland America cruise the poor driver had to load in 9 suitcases/carry on's, I am not kidding, I took great pride pointing this out to my husband and reinforcing our 4 suitcases were a perfect amount! Considering one of our suitcases only had a Christmas tree, decorations, presents and snorkeling gear, three suitcases for 1 woman and 2 teenage girls, I say pretty impressive!

But Ken really helps us out with packing......he likes his "dress up clothes" his newest fashion statement are vests, suspenders and ties. But he is so easy with his day clothes, he discovered a few summer's ago the v-neck white t-shirt pack from Target, basically you get 8 t-shirts for $10 . This is all he uses, if they get too stained, out it goes and another one comes out. So when we enter Florida each year our first stop is Target!

Checking-In

We arrived at pier 18 if I remember correctly, I believe it is where the big ships dock. It was around 10:30, we go in and see about 10 people waiting in a self made line. A fellow cruiser lets us know that we need to take our suitcases outside to drop them off. Only 1 (yes I said one) RCI rep was there and no signs to instruct us either, this continued and as many cruisers filtered in, the teacher in me took over and a few of us informed others what to do with their bags. Disney does a much better job here, thinking the years they have had in perfecting Disney World lines paid off.

But once security opened, it flew by very, very smoothly. One little "uh oh" moment, the lady checking us in said ok I see your Canadian passports but where are your visas. I exclaimed visas we don't need visas, I felt like saying do you realize how many Canadians spend the winter in Florida. She called over a supervisor and he quickly explained a visa is not needed, she apologized and said she was new, no biggie!!!!

After our ride up the escalator, we see where RCI way surpasses Disney in organization. Everyone is seated in sections, we did have a long walk to the "newbie" or as we called it the cheap seats, which is where new to Royal cruisers sit, but we were literally seated for only 10 minutes and was called to board. So overall an amazing job, we were on board at about 11:15, very impressive!

Disney Comparison - for those that have not traveled Disney after you check in you get a boarding number based on many factors, one major factor being (you Royal lovers will get a kick out of this) I can't remember the exact date but let's say 3 months before you cruise, you can register on line and choose your boarding time, the early times go fast, so you need to stay up until midnight to log on, when it was my time, we were camping in a provincial park with no wireless so I had get make my phone a "hot spot" to get this done.

So after checking in, with your number clenched firmly in hand (we had number 3.....in retrospect I probably could have scalped it) everyone sits in a huge open room waiting for their number to be called, no nice seating sections like RCI. Of course people stand right at the "rope drop" (you'll get this joke if you have been to Disney at opening time) and they all wait there even if they have number 20!!!!! so of course when your number is called you have to fight your way pass them. But no one seems to mind after all Mickey is there to have a photograph with!

One other slight comparison when you walk on to a Disney cruise they announce your family......"we welcome the......family on board" it is a very nice touch.

So to totally digress again I book all our vacations, I kept my maiden name, my husband is very used to having my named called, it started with our honeymoon to Greece and Israel, every hotel, every introduction was you guessed it Mr and Mrs my last name.

Ok up next will be our first few hours on the Legend….

We're on the Legend Feb 3, looking forward to your review. Thanks!!

I look forward to reading more!

Entering the Legend

So after a year of planning we are finally on our cruise, one really small thing I did not like is that when you first come in you are directed to go off to the side by the elevators so your first real impression of the ship is elevators and a flight of stairs. I am sure veteran cruisers go right into the Centrum. So my suggestion is to go directly to the Centrum it is beautiful, especially at Christmas and makes a great first impression of the Legend.

I know, I know a really nice Centrum photo would be perfect here.....please use your imagination

The Windjammer was not open yet so we walked around to get our bearings. The buffet opened at 11:30, we got a seat easily and enjoyed our meal. At 1:00 we went to the cabin to check out our home for the next 11 days. Two of our 4 suitcases came, so we started to unpack. Then it was time for the emergency drill.

Emergency Drill

So I am going to try to not be too sarcastic but RCI really seems disorganized here. We were muster station 12 which is outside, can't remember what deck. We arrived and quite a few people were there all nicely lined up in a straight line of 4 people. A crew member directed us to line up but that's where all information stops. About 5 crew members were having a really nice social time together. A fellow cruiser leans over and says you need to check in with the crew member holding the clipboard and get your names checked off. As more cruisers came to join the line we all played "telephone" and let them know where to check in. But I must say as a Kindergarten teacher I was really impressed at how perfectly formed our lines were.

Disney Comparison - Well a no brainer here, Disney has safety down to an art form, it was very organized, the crew members had a machine, everyone entered their seapass and voila they knew who was present and who was not accounted for. I heard rumors that Goofy and Pluto tracked down any missing passengers ;)

Our cabin on the Legend is up next.....

Thanks everyone for your kind comments, going to bed now, I have 23 four and five year olds waiting to see me tomorrow, will post more when I get home from school.

But who knows it may be a "snow day" and I could squeeze in a couple of posts during the day:p

Allison, Thanks for the review! I am looking forward to reading more. How was the drive down & back? As a fellow Ontarian, I know lots of people who do that drive every xmas & March Break. I prefer to fly, but can understand how much cheaper it is to drive with a family of 4.

Allison, I am loving your review and can't wait to board on Monday. I have not been on Disney, so I am also enjoying reading the comparison. :D

Lisa

It's a "snow" well "freezing rain" day here :), going to do a post now before crawling:eek: to school (I live close and walk)........

We stayed in cabin 8071 which is a fantastic location and I highly recommend it. It is at the back (aft) of the ship, under the spa which is very quiet and right beside the small, as someone said before secret staircase that only goes from deck 8 up into the spa, a short distance to Park Cafe/Solarium.

This is I believe the largest category for an inside cabin and we were very pleasantly surprised with how large it was. I wish I could show you lots of pictures (next cruise I will take the photos!) but I can describe it really well.

Pros

-lots of storage room (and that's with 3 girls in the room)

-bed was very comfortable, I requested the egg carton mattress (cruise critic suggestion) and it was fantastic, I highly recommend

-I thought the drop down beds over our beds would be claustrophobic but it was not at all

-the couch was very long all four of us could sit on it

-temperature always pleasant

-room was very clean and stayed that clean throughout the trip

-my husband wants me to add (don't kid yourself he is not here writing this with me, I read it out loud and he throws in a comment or two) he loved being right under the spa. Everyday he would go up to have a steam and a shower, he used the cabin shower only once in 11 days, he is 6"4 do I have to say any more, he STRONGLY suggests all husbands use the spa showers wherever you are on the ship as they are available for everyone to use

In between

-the wood/cabinetry in the room showed its age but the carpet and bedding were in great condition

Cons

-ok who designed the teeny tiny round coffee table that basically held one glass

-the overall look of the room was very dated but totally expected for the age of the ship

Cabin Steward

He kept our cabin spotless, fresh towels all the time, we hardly saw him so we never really got to know him. Gave him a Christmas stocking with chocolate and extra $, he seemed to appreciate it but again no real "connection".

Ok I am going to digress again…. on the very first night, at about 2:00 am our 14 yr old got up and threw up in her bed. Thank God Caitlyn was fine by the morning (of course I stayed up all night praying it was not norovirus), we know better as parents but let her eat way too much......escargots, 2 shrimp cocktails, salmon meal, then at 10:00 a hot dog from Park Cafe and then we ordered room service and she had chicken with french fries, she complained the rocking of the ship was making her feel sick, we felt foolish when she brought it all up but good news we were all healthy for the whole cruise. As for norovirus I heard nothing about any cases for the entire cruise. Back to our room steward we let him know what happened the next morning and he cleaned up our cabin (well I tried my best washing out the sheets in that tiny shower). My 12 yr old slept though the whole ordeal. Nevertheless our steward got a great extra tip in his stocking and our daughter’s food intake was closely monitored for the rest of the cruise!

Disney Comparison - So I can compare apples to apples we also stayed in an inside cabin on the Disney Dream. The Disney cabin is significantly smaller...less storage, shorter couch; this is due to the fact that on Disney ships you have 2 washrooms, one with sink and toilet, other with sink and shower. The 2 washrooms are nice but we prefer having overall more space. In the Disney cabin the couch pulls into a bed and one drop down bed over the couch. We thought that we would hate the Legend’s pull down beds but it is actually better because you never lose the use of the couch. As expected the Disney cabin has beautiful cabinetry, furnishings, linens etc., there is also a virtual port hole that shows what is happening outside (camera) and the occasional Donald Duck swimming by is pretty cool!

But overall we prefer the Legend's inside cabin.

Next up Christmas on the Legend (I am putting this next because my husband had to take photos of Christmas so you can sort of see our cabin and the ship in the background) ...

Allison, I am loving your review and can't wait to board on Monday. I have not been on Disney, so I am also enjoying reading the comparison. :D

 

Lisa

I am so jealous, you will love the Legend!

Glad you are enjoying the comparison, I thought people might like to know, Disney cruise ships are so beautiful to look at so now you can sort of see what is going on inside!

Allison, Thanks for the review! I am looking forward to reading more. How was the drive down & back? As a fellow Ontarian, I know lots of people who do that drive every xmas & March Break. I prefer to fly, but can understand how much cheaper it is to drive with a family of 4.

Thanks!

Too funny watching Breakfast Television right now, hearing about all the plane delays and cancellations!

We love to drive (a lot cheaper), I know winter weather can be difficult but we look up hwy weather conditions and plan accordingly. I always make sure we have at least 2, usually 3 days to get down to Florida, so we never feel panicked!

Some suugestions....

-we love crossing at the Gananoque/1000-Island border (near Kingston) becuase we have never had more than 5 cars in front of us

-we leave home (live north of Belleville) after school, at border around 5:00, through mountains by midnight and driving through Washington with zero traffic

-we pack a cooler with subs for dinner, lots of snacks so no need to stop for meals, only gas/washroom, makes drive a lot faster

-as for snacks I give each of us a large "tuperware" container to fill with anyting they want from Bulk Barn, this really helps with snacking

-on return trip we always take 2 days, we sleep one night in hotel, we tried driving 24 hrs back once and we were scary tired, eventually pulled off in parking lot to sleep

-hotel idea, when you enter a new state, stop at the "welcome centre" rest stop, even late at night, they have containers out front with coupon books for great discounts

What a lovely review! Your daughters are beautiful. Welcome to the RC board...looking forward to reading the rest.

Great start to your review. I have also sailed DCL (and Royal and Carnival) and it's interesting to hear your comparisons (I agree with the nod to Carnival's MDRs). I am surprised that you like the Legend's inside cabin better than DCL (everyone always raves about the split bath!) but I can see why - the loss of the couch on DCL when you need it as a bed is a PITA.

Can't wait for more (my next cruise is February so I'm in hyper-cruise-mode).

We're from Scarborough (just outside of Toronto) so we normally cross at Sarnia (instead of Detroit) because there's less of a line up there. I agree with bringing your first meal with you - I've always found with a car trip, the longer you can go without spending money, the less overall you end up spending. Once that wallet is opened, it never gets shut. :p

Great start to your review. I have also sailed DCL (and Royal and Carnival) and it's interesting to hear your comparisons (I agree with the nod to Carnival's MDRs). I am surprised that you like the Legend's inside cabin better than DCL (everyone always raves about the split bath!) but I can see why - the loss of the couch on DCL when you need it as a bed is a PITA.

 

Can't wait for more (my next cruise is February so I'm in hyper-cruise-mode).

 

We're from Scarborough (just outside of Toronto) so we normally cross at Sarnia (instead of Detroit) because there's less of a line up there. I agree with bringing your first meal with you - I've always found with a car trip, the longer you can go without spending money, the less overall you end up spending. Once that wallet is opened, it never gets shut. :p

I know I was surprised too that we liked the Legend's cabin so much. I did love the split bathroom especially because Ken showered in the cabin. But with him using the spa showers on the Legend I really liked having the larger cabin space.

So true about spending money, I am always amazed at how much cheaper gas is!

I think the best is to divide my thoughts into sections....

Why a Christmas cruise you ask?

Simple answer, that is my vacation time and we love the heat (for example, we are basically by ourselves in the RV park in late July in the Florida Keys, well with about a million mosquitoes too, you will relate if you know Florida in the summer!!!)

I couldn’t resist showing you the RV park we stay at Key West (the most luxurious RV park anywhere, for $600,000 you could own this site, we just “borrow” it for few days)

The more complicated answer, my father and uncle (the patriarchs of our family) have passed away and Christmases are not the same so we thought we would try a new tradition.

Did we like Christmas away from home you ask?

Yes, because of the heat (we did have a chuckle when we heard about the ice storm in Toronto) and no because it really did not feel like Christmas but we made the most of it.

But to be honest no matter where you have Christmas I always feel there are big "expectations" so when Christmas Day came and went (which for us was the 2nd day) we really started to relax and enjoy ourselves.

Would we do a Christmas cruise again you ask?

Absolutely, hence next cruise already booked and the Christmas suitcase still packed.

More Christmas to come.....