Random thoughts about the Legend

[icecone]

I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on our recent 8/9/09 Legend cruise.

Pool - we spent most of our time in the adults only area pool. Plenty of chairs by the pool. Plenty of chairs and tables in the shade. Bar right there. Ice cream right there. Hot tub and pool kid free. Saw one kid in the area and they were asked to leave. (I have a kid so we used this area when he was with Camp Carnival. When he was with us, we used the family pool. Still no problem getting a chair.)

Mini Golf - very challenging with the wind. We did play before we sailed in Belize. Much more fun then.

Camp Carnival - 9 year old. I did not let him sign himself in and out. Most did. Always fun for him. The late night party 10-3:30am ($26) is one of his favorite parts of the trip.

Gym - plenty of weight equipment. We did not use the cardio. 1st day at sea it was crowded when we went around 10 -11, but everyone was great about working together. Go later in the day for less people. Cozumel day - we went before port - not crowded. Last day at sea - went again around 10-11, less people.

Track - much more narrow versus other ships (in my memory). Only encountered 1-3 other people using it when we did so no problem. 14 laps = 1 mile. Many people used bigger decks to walk/run. I liked the no slip flooring of the track.

Unicorn Cafe - set up in smaller stations - Asian, salad, dessert, carving, deli, grill, pizza. Loved the set up. Lines were small and went fast. Longest wait was only a couple minutes on a port day for lunch. Used the omelet station every day. No line to 2 people in front of me. Lunch had great meats in the carving station - check it out. Always love the burgers. Son loves Asian, husband the deli. Plenty of drink stations, but sometimes cups were gone and ice didn't flow. Only had a problem finding a seat for Lunch after Belize. Just took a lap to find a table. Amazing stuffed cornbread one day - it was either Belize or Roatan day. Don't miss!!!! Pizza has a good Caesar salad that I had forgotten about.

Truffles - great food. Show time is fun. Enjoyed the no sugar added desserts (cheesecake!).

Dress - we liked the resort casual dress code for most nights. Elegant nights - wide range of dress from resort casual to formal gowns. Most were in the middle.

Sushi bar - not the best I've had, but really enjoyed it.

Ice Cream - always flowing for son. Ice cream bar at 4 on sea days.

Galley tour - fun thing to do.

Elevators - I've never been on a ship where they came so fast! Only waited a couple times right after dinner. I try to use steps whenever possible, but sometimes the family wants the elevators...

Opening balcony divider- long lines at purser's desk the first day. We waited until dinner time and added our name to the list with little wait. Only a few people on the list above us.

Balcony - first time with a balcony. Never saw the need for one. We really enjoyed it. Slept for a couple hours on it the last night. Wish I did that sooner. A highlight of the trip. One chair reclines.

shampoo - provided by the ship along with body soap. We did not care for the scent. I didn't feel it did a good job cleaning my hair.

Playing cards - free from the pursers' desk.

Post card - free one in the folder in your room. One with the ship in the gift shop.

Free liquor tasting - first night on board. Listed in Capers. Long line. You get a small shot of whatever you want that they have iced. I had wanted to try something so it was worth it to me. Not worth it to just get a free drink.

Captain's Reception - plenty of drinks and food!

Past guest reception - plenty of drinks and food again!

Art Gallery - played a movie short which was a collaboration between **Walt Disney and Salvador Dali** called Destino. If you are a fan of either, GO! Do not be late - they shut the doors. Seats were few so if you want to sit, go early. This was on the 2nd elegant night.

Cayman - walked to a cove that was not too far from the dock (so my mother in law thought. It was about 1 1/2 miles down a road with no sidewalks, carrying our snorkel gear). It was very nice, but I won't comment on anything here.

Cozumel - Chankanaab. We were there a couple years ago and still love it. They added a pool which I had thought was silly, but it is really nice. Snorkeling is really good. Watch for sunken statues. Lots of friendly fish. Tough to get in and out - rough water. Once out, no problems. Do the path with replica ruins. Woman in a hut makes tortillas - yum!

Belize - zip tour with Major Tom cancelled so we booked Bannister Island through the ship. Glad we did. The workers are very friendly. We took the snorkel boat out ($20/person) to the barrier reef. Great guys. Saw lots of fish and 3 rays. I didn't like the way the tenders worked here. Lots of confused guests.

Roatan - had planned to do Fins n Flippers but since zip was cancelled in Belize, we did it here. Went to booth for South Shore. They took us, no problem. We had our own driver, Carla. She answered our many questions about the island. She was great. Went to South Shore Canopy first - no wait, they suited us up and we went. AMAZING. Lots of lines, our guides were a blast, amazing views. The harness is uncomfortable. Felt very safe. Next went to West End beach. Beautiful. Vendors walk and try to sell you their products. People at table selling gifts. Everyone says they have a good price. No one was pushy. They leave you when you say no or walk away. Stopped at an overlook on our way back to the ship. Great view. There is a building that looks like a lighthouse there. Walk around it for an even better view. Another great view across the street.

Embarkation - computers were down. Took longer than normal. Our last cruise was 2 years ago. This time they set up your sail and sign card at check in. Previous cruises, we had to go through a second line to do this. Much nicer this way.

Debarkation - we were one of the last to get off. Easy. Someone did take one of our bags. We left our info and were called before we left the area. The people who took it, came back for their bag and returned ours. Check your tags!!!


Hope this helps someone. I loved reading other reviews as I planned my trip.

[randybstcg]

Thank you so much for sharing!! We sail on the Legend one month from tomorrow!

[MDSue]

Great job on your review. I was on the Legend this spring and enjoyed it very much. An overall great experience. Like you said, most of the time there were plenty of lounge chairs available on Lido deck in the adult section. We spent a great deal of time there while at sea.

[cruisin1982]

Do they still have the past guest party I heard they had stop doing it. What night is it on and what time was it. We are going in October

Thanks
Mike

[icecone]

Past guest party was held Tuesday or Wednesday evening. I am getting my days confused. It started at 7:15. Still free drinks and food. Jen hosted a game to give away prizes (dinner at the Golden Fleece). You will get an invitation from your room steward the night before.

[marshhawk]

Thanks for the information. We are sailing on the Legend in January, and I am so looking forward to it. Nice to know about others' thoughts, it helps me decide how much to pack and where to wander.

[clerky96]

Enjoyed reading your post. We will be on the Legend in Oct.

[smilz]

Any comments on shows or entertainment?

[kat228]

Thanks for sharing! We're looking at doing this same cruise in February, very helpful

[MustardMan]

Great review.

One question though, why did Major Tom cancel? I did his excursion and it was very nice!

[pcvtmom]

Originally Posted by icecone

Past guest party was held Tuesday or Wednesday evening. I am getting my days confused. It started at 7:15. Still free drinks and food. Jen hosted a game to give away prizes (dinner at the Golden Fleece). You will get an invitation from your room steward the night before.

Past guest party on the Legend was on the Cozumel night...Wednesday. LOTS of drinks and food that night! On the first formal night, when they had the Captains's Cocktail Party, we were surprised that they did not serve any food...only drinks. Guess that's a cutback. We cruised July 26th-Aug. 2, by the way. GREAT ship and itinerary. Our 26 year old son and 21 year old daughter BOTH became engaged on this family cruise, so we have many special memories!

[icecone]

shows - I didn't see any - my son was out of Camp Carnival at that time. My in-laws went to most and really enjoyed them.

Major Tom - we were only told the zip line portion was cancelled due to safety concerns.

pcvtmom - Thanks for correcting me. I saw a sign on a door congratulating a couple on their engagement. Were either of your kids on 5?

[we're sailing away....]

One of the best ships

[hopelea]

Thanks for the review. We are sailing Thanksgiving week! Looking forward to it. We were on the Glory last Thanksgiving. Really didn't like that ship, too big for me and they did a terrible job keeping the kids entertained. Hoping this ship will be better. It looks like a great ship.

[CJ0951]

We were on the same sailing. This is my fourth Carnival ship and I have to say I loved the ease of getting around on it. I was also surprised by the elevators being so quick. The only bad spot was the open dining. The waiter we got the first two nights was down right rude. We asked for another waiter and had great service. We really like the convenience of dining on our own schedule.

[CMM]

Did your child snorkel at Chankanaab also. Did you use a guide?

So the safety concern was with the Zip line in Belize? How were you notified before you left home?

Sounds like you had a nice trip, thanks for the info.

[Gulf Breezer]

Thank you so much for the review! I can hardly wait. This will be our first balcony in 5 cruises! We are definitely going for Platinum!

[icecone]

Yes, my 9 year old snorkeled in Chankanaab. I did hold his hand when we first started, but he didn't need me. I stayed right next to him. He had no problems and did not want to stop. He did not use any life vest, floatation device. We did not use a guide.

Major Tom - I was traveling with my in-laws who did not check their email until the night before Belize. I am not sure when the email was dated. It stated there was a safety concern with the zip so that portion was canceled. He gave us the option of canceling the entire excursion which we did.

[cruise_pirate]

My Legend tip:

Use the showers in the Spa! These are the best I have seen on any Carnival ship!! 5 heads!!!

Once I discovered these I no longer showered in the room. It was a hike to get there being I was in the rear of the ship, but was sooooo worth it!

[cruisinsly]

Great job!! We are going in January and cant wait!!