Very long review of the legend 8/16-8/23 w/lots of pics

[carncruiser1964]

Sunday – August 16, 2009
My husband (Brad) & I arrived at the Port of Tampa around 11am. We only live 1 hour south of Tampa but we like to get to the port early so we can get started on our vacation. There were not a whole lot of people there yet so check in was very quick. Then we sat in the waiting area until noon, when they started boarding. We were section 6, so we were called and on the ship by 12:20pm. Walking on the ship, I found myself still in disbelief that we were there because it had been 4 years since our last cruise. I actually began to get teary eyed when we stepped into the atrium area. We were not able to go to our room yet so we went to the Lido Deck and quickly got ourselves the drink of the day. After sitting for a bit we decided to start exploring the ship. We went to the top deck and took in all the views of the Tampa Aquarium and Channelside. After, we went to the 2nd floor to check out Merlin’s Casino (which is where we usually spend a good amount of time). At first it seemed small, but after walking the entire room, it was apparent that the layout was different than some of the other ships we have been on.
After walking around and getting a feel for the ship, it was 1:30pm and we were able to get into our room. Our Cabin was #5211 and when we got there we found ALL of our luggage already waiting for us. We were able to completely unpack and make ourselves another drink by 2pm. At first we thought the balcony looked a little smaller than we had remembered, but then we decided that it was actually the two chairs on the balcony that were bigger than before which made the balcony look smaller. The chairs on the balcony were a little dirty and we also noticed some peeling of the paint and rust spots on the outside near the door. Other than that, the room was great.
We did notice right away that we did not have an ice bucket in our room. We tried to call the cabin steward, but figured he was probably pretty busy making sure the other rooms were ready. Not a crisis as we knew we would get one later that night.
We relaxed on the balcony, watching people board the ship until it was time for the life boat drill. At 3:30pm, the drill began. Everything went very smoothly and we set sail right at 4pm.
We then headed to the Lido Deck to the meet & greet. I was able to recognize a couple of people and introduced ourselves. However, just after that, it started to rain, so everyone quickly dispersed and we really did not see anyone after that. Once it stopped raining, we headed up to the top deck to get pictures of the Skyway Bridge. Definitely an incredible site going under the bridge as it is pretty close to the fin.
We went to the dining room to request private seating for dinner but were told that we needed to go to our assigned table that night and if the Matre D could accommodate us, we would be notified by the next day.
We went back to our room briefly. I heard what sounded like a boat bumping the side of the ship, so I went onto the balcony. When I looked down I saw a boat the said PILOT on it. Brad informed me that was for the Harbor Pilot, who actually sails the ship in and out of port. This was something new to me. Just after I got my camera, the Harbor Pilot jumped onto the boat and sailed back to port.
Things were beginning to open so we made our way down to the casino to get to know some of the staff. We had late dining so we only stayed for about an hour before heading to dinner.
We sat with a very nice couple that had just gotten married the week before, but Brad & I really prefer to be just the two of us, so we kept our request for private seating in.
The server that night was not very personable or attentive at all. This was very shocking to us as we have always found the servers in the dining room to be wonderful. We were hoping that was not a bad sign of what’s to come.
We both ordered the flat iron steak, which we found to be on the tough side and not very flavorful. Another bad sign? Well, I had to try the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake (after hearing so much about it). The inside I found to be a little too much for me (too sweet), but the outside with the ice cream was really good.
After dinner we went to the Welcome Aboard Show in the Follies Lounge. The music and the dancers were very good. After, was comedy of Thomas Brown. He was really funny. Definitely would recommend this to all future passengers.
Later, we went to the Casino to play some 3 Card poker before heading off to bed around 2:30am.

[Purplesaurus]

Thanks for the review, we will be sailing out very soon.

Love the pictures.

[carncruiser1964]

I know I'm a bit late in posting this, sorry.

[beachbum6264]

Originally Posted by carncruiser1964

I know I'm a bit late in posting this, sorry.

Better late than never! Looking forward to the rest... reliving our experiences on the Legend.

[carncruiser1964]

Day 2 – Fun Day at Sea
Our wake-up call is usually room service with coffee & bagels at a time specified the night before by leaving a tag on the outside of our cabin door. Brad would prefer to sleep in a bit longer, but I want to get in every moment possible while I’m on the ship. I didn’t come here to sleep J. Room service arrived around 8:30am. We had coffee and then headed to the gym for a morning workout. Little did I know that everyone else had the same idea. Brad went straight to the free weights. I, on the other hand, usually walk on the treadmill before I do any weights. Well, that would have been fine if I wanted to wait an hour to get on a treadmill. I was VERY disappointed that there was no sign up sheet for a treadmill, not to mention that other couples were in there together as well and when one was done on a machine, the other would jump on. So, I thought I would just go walk the track. WELL……that didn’t work either because the track was closed due to high winds. Apparently I just wasn’t meant to work out. So I ran up and down the stairs and walked a few inside decks then went back to the room to wait for Brad to get done.
When he returned, we went up to the Lido Deck and laid out in the sun for a while. The DOD was CocoLoco served in a coconut monkey. OMG, it was so cute, I had to have one. Around noon we went to the Casino to sign up for the slot tournament. On previous cruises, there was always a good amount of people watching the tournament and cheering people on. Not this one. No one seemed all that excited. Well, Brad made it into the finals, which was at 2pm. He didn’t do so well in the finals. He came in last and received a very nice medallion. After laying in the sun for a little while longer, we decided to go back to the room to take showers before dinner. Tonight was formal night, so I took a little longer getting ready J.
We decided to go to the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Reception in the Follies Lounge at 7:15pm. There were free cocktails served and the servers came around quite often to make sure everyone had a drink that wanted one. They even told us to take 2 drinks each at one point.
After the Captain introduced all the Senior Officers, the orchestra played music and it was very nice to see many people go up on stage to dance.

Just a footnote - In 2003, we got married on the Spirit. During that cruise Colonel Klink was created. My husband made him one evening out of a wine glass and metal butter top. He drew a face on him and created a “shirt & tie”. Col. Klink has been on every cruise with us since and brought to every dinner. We definitely get some strange looks, but it’s a lot of fun. Col. Klink is in many of the dinner pictures.

Our request for private seating was granted, so tonight we had a nice table for two on the lower level of the dining room. As soon as we walked in, our server, Freddie called us by name and introduced himself and his assistant, Patrick. WOW! What a huge difference from the previous night. I cannot say enough wonderful things about both of them. Each course at dinner went like clockwork. We were never without water, bread, or coffee. Freddie always encouraged his tables to get up after dinner and join in the entertainment. It was a pleasure going to dinner every night.
Other than the first night, I have attached a picture of that night’s menu.
Tonight – for Starters I had the Pumpkin Soup (my favorite – always look forward to having this) and it was just as good as I had remembered. I also tried the Baked Stuffed Mushrooms – very tasty! Brad had the Minestrone, which he very much enjoyed.
For the Classics we both had shrimp cocktail. I can tell you that I had this every night with dinner.
For the Main Course we both had Prime Rib and I ordered the Lobster Tail with Jumbo Shrimp as well (Surf & Turf anyone). I think this was probably my favorite meal during the whole cruise.
I was a little hesitant to order the Lobster Tail, because on previous cruises it was not “Maine” lobster tail and had a “fishy” taste to it. This one was the “Maine” lobster and it was delicious! The prime rib was cooked & seasoned to perfection.
No desert tonight for us – ate way too much.
After dinner, we went to the Follies Lounge for Jazz Hot. We found this show to be very entertaining with great music and the dancers were right on cue.
We decided to stay for the “R” rated comedy of Thomas Brown and we were very happy that we did. This man is so funny. If you are fortunate enough to be on a ship with him, please do not miss his show.
When that was over, we headed over to the casino for about an hour, then went up to our room.

[carncruiser1964]

More pics from day 2

[carncruiser1964]

Day 2 cont.

[carncruiser1964]

Day 3 – Grand Cayman
We decided against room service this morning and instead went to breakfast on the Lido Deck. Brad got an omelet and I just got scrambled eggs. Food was very good as usual and there was plenty of different things to choose from – bacon, Canadian bacon, French toast, toast, bagels, & an assortment of pastries and cereals. Then we got ready for the tender to take us to shore. We had booked “Reef N Rays” through Carnival. Everyone met right at the pier and we walked to the bus that took us to the boat. The bus driver gave us a nice history of Grand Cayman on the way and answered any questions people had.
When we arrived at the site, we boarded the boat. There were about 30 people. Once we left the dock, I could see some storm clouds in the distance. When we got to the first site where we were to snorkel, you could hear thunder and see lightening. This did not make me feel comfortable to get into the water at all. Once everyone got in, Brad & I got in the water and started swimming around. The water was about 90 degrees which is very comfortable for us. We brought a digital underwater camera but the water was very rough, with the storm nearby, so it made it very difficult to get any good pictures of the coral reef. I must say, the coral reef was beautiful and I was very disappointed in the outcome of the pictures. We got back on the boat after about 30 minutes and we went to another spot about 10 minutes away where we were told that we would now see many stingrays and be able to swim with and touch them.
The “captain” grabbed some raw squid and jumped in the water. Everyone got right in after him. He was able to get a stingray to come up to him and lay against his chest. It seemed like every person that was in the water, except Brad & I, rushed over to him to try to touch the stingray. There was no way either one of us were going to get close because of the mad rush. Brad did zoom in and got one picture of that stingray.
After swimming around for another 15 minutes, we only saw 2 other stingrays. I must say, this excursion was a HUGE disappointment. In addition, the “captain” & his brother (who ran this excursion) apparently had a friend who was visiting them and all they did was talk to this girl the entire ride out and back. The “captain” also was on his cell phone a lot. This really did not sit well with us as we felt like we were not given the full experience that we paid for.
When the boat returned and we were docking the “captain” basically said he “appreciated any tips on our way off” & if we had any complaints to “write them on a $20 and hand them in”. Here’s a tip – Don’t bother with this shore excursion – spend a few more dollars to be able to actually feed the stingrays with a different company.
We had to wait 30 minutes for a bus to come to the dock to pick us up and bring us back to town.
Once we finally got in to town, we did just a little shopping and then decided to get back to the ship for a late lunch.
We went to the Lido Deck Deli & I got a turkey sandwich on a roll and Brad got a Reuban sandwich. We both prefer the Deli over any of the other stations, although Brad does like to get a burger once in a while.
After lunch, we just grabbed a lounge chair and relaxed in the sun for a while.
When we had had enough, we went to our room, took showers and got ready for dinner.
Of course, we went to the casino for an hour before dinner where Brad entered the Blackjack Tournament. He didn’t qualify for the finals so around 8:10pm we headed over to the Truffles Dining Room.
I forgot to take a picture of the menu tonight and that could be because neither of us were that impressed with anything being offered. This truly was a first for us. We both got the short ribs and both agreed that they were just ok. This was probably the only night that we didn’t walk out of the dining room “stuffed”. So I didn’t feel so bad about ordering a Chocolate Melting Cake (mmmmmm, yummy). We always stay until after the dining room entertainment. We feel that is part of the whole cruise experience. It’s so much fun to watch and even more fun to participate.
The show tonight was a balancing act and comedian and we opted not to go. Instead we just played cards for a few hours then off to bed.

[carncruiser1964]

Day 3 cont.

[carncruiser1964]

Day 4 – Cozumel
In Cozumel, we did not book an excursion, so we took our time in the morning enjoying our coffee & bagels from room service. After, we went to the Internet Café so I could check my e-mail & send a quick note home to our daughter. The ship was running a special of be on-line for 5 minutes and get 5 minutes free (8am-10am only). I was actually on for 15 minutes and the total price was just over $11. That was fine for us as we did not plan on going on-line again during that trip.
We went ashore around 10am and did some shopping in the stores that were located right at the pier in which we docked. The last few times we had been to Cozumel, we docked at the pier located in the “downtown” area. After looking through some of the shops, we took a taxi downtown, which was $7. We were dropped off at Carlos & Charlies and from there we just walked around. Compared to the new pier, the downtown area appeared to be a bit run down. We do realize that the businesses thrive on guests of the cruiseships, however, it does get very tiring of the haggelling to go into the stores. Shop workers line the street and constantly try to persuade people to come into there business. I know that is their way, but it can actually run people off. You used to be able to find great deals on gold in Cozumel. We didn’t find that on this trip and we felt that was due to the high price of gold right now. We also didn’t really find much bargaining. Of course, we pretty much stayed on the main street and did not go to any of the side street shops. Maybe that is where the deals are now.
We also priced a few different types of liquor as they were tax and duty free. However, we found that the ship’s store had the same or better prices than we found here, so we decided to wait and spend our money on the ship.
After taking another taxi back to our pier (another $7), we got a couple of things at RonJon’s & Del Sol, then went to Fat Tuesday’s for a snack and some drinks. I must say, I believe I found a new favorite place to go. I had a couple Banana Banshees and Brad had a couple of Corona’s. We had chicken quesadillas to munch on and everything was really good. The atmosphere was perfect, being located just at the end of the pier. We had a perfect view of the Legend.
When we were finished we headed back to the ship to relax by the pool for a while. The Imagination was docked right next to us & it was really something to see the difference in size, especially when we got up to the Lido Deck. We did notice that the Imagination has some nice “cushy” lounge chairs on the deck though.
After a couple hours, we went back to the room around 6:30pm to get ready for dinner.
Dinner was good – not great. We had what they called “Vineripe Beefsteak Tomatoes & Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella”. This is usually another favorite of ours that we look forward to ordering. Unfortunately, this time the tomatoes were definitely not “vineripe” & they were very hard and cold like they had been kept in a freezer and taken out right before dinner. The mozzarella was good but the entire dish lacked the seasonings that are normally put on this, as it was very bland. L Shrimp cocktail followed, which was good as always. The main course, for us, was filet mignon and short ribs. The filet was a bit on the tough side and again not very flavorful. The short ribs were actually very good - tender, juicy and very tasty. Now I am not really one to eat “diet” foods, but I do like pumpkin pie, so I tried the Diet Pumpkin Pie. Please, please, please do not order this unless you like pumpkin flavored “rubber”. I see why they call it “diet” – after one bite, you don’t want anymore.
Tonight, we actually did not stay too long after dinner as the casino was holding a raffle that we got into. Anyone that has been using their Player’s Club Card in the casino was eligible. You received 1 ticket for every 200 points that had been accumulated. There were tickets also given out for being in the slot or Blackjack tournament. 3 tickets were drawn and each person got to spin the “Revolution of Fun” wheel which had a variety of different things to win from gifts on a table that were displayed, to $100 cash. One of our ticket numbers was called as the third person so I made Brad go up and spin the wheel. It’s a good thing I did because the first time landed on “spin again” and the second spin landed on $100 cash. That was nice!
Jen hosted this event and we talked for a bit after. I must say this now while I am writing about Jen. Both Brad & I thought she did a superb job as a cruise director. She was funny, entertaining & informative. I have read some reviews that had said her voice was annoying & that they wanted to run every time they heard her. I completely disagree with those statements. It is a cruise director’s job to inform the passengers of what’s going on during the cruise as far as entertainment & to host many of these events. If I didn’t hear or see the cruise director, I would be concerned. Unfortunately, you can’t make everyone happy. We certainly enjoyed her.
After that, we played some cards and closed the casino – as usual – then went up to our room.
I decided to check our Sail&Sign account using the Interactive TV – and was surprised to find two charges for $2.94. One was charged on Tuesday and another on Wednesday. It appeared to be just a soda charged at Medussa’s Lair (this is a club near the MDR). We knew it was not from us because we had purchased a soda card the first day. Brad said he would go to the Purser’s Desk in the morning to get it straightened out.

[Smoke14]

Loving the pics and detailed review so far. Looking forward to the rest. Were looking at doing this cruise next year and was wondering how the ports might be since we've never been to any of them.

[carncruiser1964]

Day 4 cont.

[carncruiser1964]

few more pics I forgot for this day. Will upload more of the review tomorrow.

[gaiamother]

Cool! Thanks for the great review so far. We sailed on the Legend last September and it's nice kinda reliving that:-)

[carncruiser1964]

Day 5 – Belize
Before we did anything, we stopped by the Purser’s Desk to inquire about the charges. At first, the woman behind the counter said we had charged it at dinner. Brad explained to her that not only did we drink water at dinner, but we also had a soda card so there would be no need to purchase a drink. The woman said she would have to do some research and try to get a copy of the signed receipt and she would let us know.
We booked Major Tom’s Cave Tubing through the internet for Belize so we needed to take one of the first tenders off the ship. This was our second time to Belize and we remembered that the ship had to anchor quite a way off shore because the water was too shallow. We met in the Follies Lounge and were given a number (2). When that number was called, everyone with that number was able to proceed to the gangway and onto the tender. The process was very organized and ran very smoothly. The tender ride was about 15-20 minutes and we were on shore by 9:15am. We found the guide holding Major Tom’s Cave Tubing sign right away and waited a few minutes for others to arrive. We were then led a short way where we met with Major Tom & more guides who began to check people in & collect the money. After, we were brought down a street to a bus (not a greyhound bus – an old school bus). We had just boarded when we were told that there were more people coming so we had to go to a bigger bus. We got off that bus and went to another old school bus and got on. Luckily the bus did have air conditioning. If it had not, I don’t believe I could have gone, as I am very claustrophobic and being somewhere that is hot with no air seems to make it worse.
The bus ride was a good hour long but it went by pretty quickly because one of the guides was talking the whole time. He gave us some history on Belize and also talked about what to expect while cave tubing.
Once we arrived we were given some time for those that needed to change into a swimsuit or use the restroom. After, they advised you to get water shoes if your sandals did not have straps on the back. Of course, mine did not, so Brad got me some. Once he returned and I put them on, we were standing on some rocks & I heard a little boy start crying. I looked down and my feet and ankles were covered with red ants that were making a meal out of me. Well apparently the little boy & I were not the only victims. Many people were fiercely brushing the ants off their feet.
When we recovered from the ants, we were given a tube and a headlamp and then taken to the entrance of the park. There were two guards at the entrance allowing groups of eight at a time in. When our group was let in, we walked to the river and crossed it holding onto a rope as we went. Once on the other side we were told that everyone had to get wet – completely wet. From speaking with other groups with different companies, we were the only ones that had to do this. Basically, they asked us to get wet so that the 30 minute walk through the rainforest was cooler and more comfortable. We thought it was a good idea.
When we reached the area where the cave was we were led in the water and put in groups of 8 again. We each sat in the middle of the tube and were linked together by placing our feet under the arms of the person in front of us. Then a guide pulled the chain toward a huge cave. It took about 15 minutes to float through the entire cave & some places were very shallow so when the guide yelled “butts up” we lifted our butts so they wouldn’t hit the bottom. The formations were really incredible and we were told that the holes in the ceiling were bat holes. We saw the holes but thankfully didn’t see any bats. Once we finished, everyone brought their tubes back to where we got them from in the beginning and also turned in the water shoes.
We had paid an extra $6 for lunch and we thought we were going to stop somewhere on the ride back, however, there was an overturned truck on the main road so Major Tom brought lunch to us and we were given it to eat on the bus on the ride back. Now I must add that on the ride to the park, our guide mentioned that the locals ate “rodents”. Whether he was kidding or not, that stuck in my head and when I opened the container for lunch, there was a small set of ribs with meat on it. Brad said it was a small chicken, but I didn’t buy that. So needless to say, I did not eat it. There was also rice & beans (which, I know I sound picky, but I didn’t really eat that either) and a small portion of coleslaw. A bottle of juice was given to us to drink. So here’s my advice on the lunch – save your $6 and bring something from the ship to keep in your bag.
The ride back was pretty quiet as I’m pretty sure everyone was tired.

[carncruiser1964]

Day 5 cont.

When we got back to the pier Brad & I walked around a few of the shops and then took the tender back to the ship.
After, we did our normal relax in the sun for a while then back to the room for showers.
Dinner tonight was, again, just ok. For starters was spinach with portabella mushrooms. This was actually quite tasty. Shrimp cocktail was ordered as always and for the main course I ordered seafood newburg and Brad ordered the pork chops. The newburg was good but not great. Brad, however, said the pork chops were really good. Since I didn’t thoroughly enjoy my meal tonight, I thought I might as well end it with something I know I did like – warm chocolate melting cake.
We stayed for the entertainment & then headed over to the casino. Something to add regarding the casino – every night there is a guy that sings and plays the keyboard. It is nice that there is entertainment, however, this guy is horrible…..and I mean REALLY horrible. Luckily, if you’re really into what you’re doing (cards, slots, etc) you should be able to tune him out. Tonight was his day off and the entertainment was the band that normally played on the Lido deck. These two guys were very good and it’s a shame that they weren’t the regular entertainment instead of the other guy. Anyway, this is just our opinion.
Later, we went back to our room and I checked our account and guess what? The charges were still there and there was another one from today as well. This was getting us a bit upset. Back to the Purser’s Desk in the morning.

[carncruiser1964]

Day 5 more pics

[Marlin girl]

Cant wait to see the rest, great review. What night would you suggest going to specialty restaurant, worst dinner in main dining room??? Also, as it sems you spent a lot of time in casino...did they have texas hold-em poker tables going? Live or Poker Pro?

[amethyst08]

Thanks for the review. I am sitting at my desk daydreaming now. I can't wait to read more. Hurry up! lol

[Perfect Stranger]

Yuck, you wouldn't catch me eating that food in Belize either!