Another Legend Review 10/4 - 10/11/09

[Ambercakes]

Let me preface this with I am a single Mom and cruised alone with my 2 kids, 4 y/o son and 8 y/o daughter. My perspective will be way different than others! But very much kid friendly!!

Sunday 10/4
We arrived at the terminal around 12:30. We drove from Chattanooga, TN, it was a LONG drive. I chose the valet parking, which was about $15 more than regular parking, but worth it with two kids and a couple of carryon bags. Embarkation went well. Finally got on the ship (kids antsy) and got on the glass elevators in the lobby. They were crowded, and we were standing near the door. It stopped at the next floor, when the door opened my son was feeling it open (at least I think that was what he was doing) in my excitement I wasn't paying close attention. He's been on elevators a million times. And the door pulled his fingers into the wall with it. They were STUCK! and we couldn't get them out. There was a waitress on the elevator who ran quicker than I think I have ever seen somebody run, to get help. Meanwhile another passenger was trying to help me get his fingers out, while he's screaming and everyone on the elevator is crying... finally I was able to push the door enough to dislodge them. We got off, another nice passenger gave him her iced tea to put his fingers in, then the nurse came around the corner. His fingers were fine, just bruised... we got some more ice, and we went on our way to our cabin. My heart was racing out of my chest! I have to say the response from Carnival was fantastic. We did not let this ruin our vacation. So, we found our room, kids are excited about the balcony. We were on 8 - promenade deck, forward, just below the pools/lido deck. While it was nice to be right there where most of the action is, it was noisy at times, people running above us, chairs moving, carts rolling... etc. I don't recommend if this stuff bothers you. I tune it out, so it really didn't bother me that much. We had a nice lunch on Lido. Then of course we started our week long ice cream kick... Kids couldn't get enough of it!! The rest of the afternoon was spent at the pool and also we were on our balcony when we went under the bridge... that was really cool!!! I wish we were up top, but that can happen next time!! We had anytime dining, so at some point we went to dinner in the main dining room. I had a salad, shrimp cocktail, and the grilled mahi mahi. It was very good and enough for me, but if you are a big eater order two of these! We went up to the lido deck to explore and have.... ice cream... for dessert. Kids were very excited about the towel animal...

Day 2 At Sea
Had a great buffet breakfast on the Lido. I was cracking up at the music playing inside, though. The first song we heard when we entered the buffet area was rap/hip hop... I thought at first it was coming from the kitchen but realized later it was just what they play! This made me laugh all week. It was happy music (and not always rap), and put a smile on my face first thing in the morning! My kids then went to Camp Carnival for a couple of hours. I spent my alone time exploring the ship. Then I went to part of John's shore talk. He is very entertaining. Picked the kids up and we had lunch on Lido again. We loved the food, and there was never an argument about where or what we were going to eat! It was great for a single parent!!! YAY! Afternoon was spent at the pool. I was pleasantly surprised at how un-crowded the pools were compared to other cruises I had been on. My son loved the wading area next to the pool. He played in it while my daughter swam in the deep pool. It was wonderful to have the best of both worlds there to satisfy both of them. Again, great for a single parent!! Also noticed there was always someone mopping up the footprints right after people. I have never noticed this before. Dinner was formal night, so we dressed up! I was surprised at the number of men in tuxedos. It was so nice to see everyone all snazzy!!! I had the stuffed mushrooms, YUMMY, and the prime rib, which was delicious. We strolled up to the Lido deck for dessert.... ICE CREAM!! We did not catch the show, I think the kids went to camp for a little bit while I wandered around again.

Day 3: Grand Cayman
This was tied for our favorite port. The tender was short, the kids liked it. We saw the nice waitress who help us in our elevator fiasco, and she grinned and waved at my son. We got a taxi to 7 mile beach, it was $15 one way. We got to the beach pretty early (10 AM) and it was not crowded at all yet. Found a spot and the kids and I played in the water and sand until about 1:30. We did NOT want to leave. It was absolutely beautiful. My kids usually are not crazy about playing in the ocean, but they LOVED Grand Cayman. We got a taxi back, which was an interesting experience. I got a better deal and asked if they would charge for my son, they said no, so we got it for $10. We got back on the ship and went straight up to Lido for lunch. Dinner we did the buffet. Kids were antsy so I decided not to subject anyone else to their misbehavior. They went to camp and I caught the show (he balanced stuff). It was pretty good, so I took the kids back to see it at 10:30. They loved it. Oh, I forgot... we had dessert.... ICE CREAM.

Day 4: Cozumel
Went in a couple of shops at the port, then got a taxi to go to the beach. Originally I had planned to go to Paradise Beach, but another passenger told me that Playa Mia was great and the taxi driver said the same thing, so we went there. That was a bad decision for us! Taxi was $15 one way. Then I had to pay $16 per person to get into the beach club. This included use of their beach, chairs, water toys, and bathrooms (and NO drinks). They charged me for my 4 yr old, which was a total ripoff. Anyway, we made our way to the beach. My daughter found several of her friends from the ship so she played with them. My son did not like the water, and didn't want to play in the ocean. It definitely was not as nice as Grand Cayman. After about 30 minutes the place got extremely crowded, and I realized that this was a Carnival excursion. DUH!! So if you are going to do this, just book it thru carnival. I think the price ends up being about the same and you don't have to worry about the taxi. We played in the pool most of the time, then my kids were ready to leave after about 2 1/2 hrs. Got a taxi back, another $15. We went to Pancho's Backyard and had guacamole and a quesadilla. It was good! We loved the musicians too! Back on the boat, we went to the pool and watched all the drunk people come back on the ship and be loud at the pool bar. This is entertaining, especially since I am usually in this crowd when my kids aren't with me!!! Dinner was buffet again. Then we went to the show, and I haven't laughed that much in a long, long time. The juggler was terrific. It was a very entertaining act. My kids loved it too! Oh and we had dessert.... ICE CREAM.

Day 5: Belize
We stayed on the boat. I did not think my kids would enjoy the slim selection of excursions that Carnival offered (that they were old enough to go on) and I did NOT feel comfortable going it on our own. Based on other posts on here, I think this was a wise decision for us. My daughter had a school project due when we got back, so we went to Lido and found a quiet spot to work on it. It was nice family time for us. We got lunch then both kids went to Camp for the afternoon. Yay for Mom, I spent the afternoon by the ADULT pool reading a book. It was wonderful!! Went to the dining room for dinner that night, had beef stroganoff. It was very good (except for the beets... I picked around those!! ) Tried to go to the talent show, but my youngest was extremely tired... and we had a big day planned in Roatan.

Day 6: Roatan (our other favorite port)
Got up early to meet our friend, Jean, who was sharing our Best of Roatan tour with Victor Bodden. We found Victor's kiosk very easily and he set us up with our guide, Ann. We first went East, and drove through town, along the coast and up in the hills. It was very scenic, and green. We went back west, to Victor's house to see his monkeys. We held a toucan, a green parrot, and then played with the monkeys. This was so much fun, my son loved it, but my daughter was scared to hold or touch the animals. She enjoyed it anyway. We went from there to Half Moon Bay, and met up with Richard to go out on the glass bottom boat to the reef. Wow... this was amazing. Absolutely beautiful, even in the cloudy skies!! Richard is an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and just a super nice person, it was $15 per person and worth every penny. He also has snorkel gear available. We left there and went to a resort near Tabayana beach. This was a beautiful beach, we just put our feet in the water, the kids played in the sand. This was their second favorite beach. It was getting late already, so we left and went back to Cuxen Hole, to Yaba Ding Ding. (gift shop) This is a great little shop with a wide variety of crafts, clothing, and jewelry. We made it back to the ship with 15 minutes to spare. Talk about cramming everything in!!! We loved Roatan, and I can't wait to go back! Dinner was buffet again, and we had... ICE CREAM for dessert. Caught the show, the Big Easy, and we loved it. Kids loved it too.

Day 7 at sea
Finished my daughter's project. Then we spent most of the day at the pool. The pool games were funny to watch. We went to dinner in the dining room, had an awesome crab cake for appetizer and the grilled chicken fettucini, which was also excellent. And... you guessed it.... ICE CREAM for dessert. We went to bed early to be in good moods for disembarkation.

Back in Tampa
We "checked" our luggage, which I was hesitant about, but I really didn't have a choice. So, we went to Lido and enjoyed a relaxing breakfast while we waited for our number to be called. They called it around 8:30/8:45. I swear I was in my car leaving the parking garage by 9:00. This amazed me. Everything was smooth, everything flowed. It was the best debarkation I have been through. It was a great end to a wonderful vacation!!

Just a general comment: I loved the Legend. She is a beautiful, well laid out, and CLEAN ship. I was so impressed with the level of service, cleanliness, food, everything about our vacation. I just really don't have anything bad to say about our vacation. It may be that I am a very positive person, but it truly was an A++++ cruise.

[mystone99]

Hi Sarah.
Thanks for the review. It's sounds like you and the kids had a great time. My wife and I are getting on the Legend Nov. 29 and we can't wait.
One quick question about Half Moon Bay. Did you snorkle or see anyone snorkling from shore, or do you have to get on the boat? That's where we are going when we get to Roatan.
Mike and Lorie

[Ambercakes]

We did not snorkel, but I wanted to (didn't have my swimsuit on ) BUT, there were quite a few people snorkeling from shore. It is a short swim out to the reef. I asked our guide about it and he said many people do this. There is a hotel with a nice little pier that the people swam from (it looked closer than swimming from the beach area) Either way it is definitely doable. I was very surprised how close the reef is to the shore. I loved this area, it was my favorite part of Roatan.

[Delta Dear]

I enjoyed your review. What blessed children you have, and what a blessed mother they have. It sounded like a terrific family vacation. So, are the children suffering from ice cream withdrawl ? I wish I had some right now. When we go on the Legend on Feb. 7, I'll be sure to have some just for you.

[Kurbanfan]

It's really refreshing hearing all these nice reviews of the Legend recently!
Looks like she will be our next ship.........
Glad you and the kids had fun!

[marshhawk]

Thanks for the review. I'm surprised the kids stayed up that late to see the shows, so they must be good. If I'm in the sun all day, I usually konk out by 9. We are sailing the Legend in January, and your review just fed my excitement. Thank you.

[teacherme]

Loved your review. We will be on the Legend for Thanksgiving and can't wait.

[snorkelingsearchers]

Ambercakes Nice Review! We were on the same ship with you - I love reading others' reviews because it totally helps me relive and relish the experience.

Mystone99 - to add on to Ambercake's response (we did shore snorkel from half moon last week) if you have the cab or driver drop you off at the Half Moon Restaurant/Bungalows they have a great dock and step entry, a fresh water shower and a bathroom - it was a super easy (and gorgeous swim) out to the reef wall. We asked our driver about taking out a boat (Victor Bodden - so this is one of their add ons) and he said that if we just wanted to snorkel that we could just swim out from the restaurant area and that worked great. We got out early and snorkeled for about 3 hours - towards the end of this we started seeing more and more snorkelers - but it wasn't overly crowded. Hope its okay that I chimed in.

[Ambercakes]

Originally Posted by snorkelingsearchers

Ambercakes Nice Review! We were on the same ship with you - I love reading others' reviews because it totally helps me relive and relish the experience.

Mystone99 - to add on to Ambercake's response (we did shore snorkel from half moon last week) if you have the cab or driver drop you off at the Half Moon Restaurant/Bungalows they have a great dock and step entry, a fresh water shower and a bathroom - it was a super easy (and gorgeous swim) out to the reef wall. We asked our driver about taking out a boat (Victor Bodden - so this is one of their add ons) and he said that if we just wanted to snorkel that we could just swim out from the restaurant area and that worked great. We got out early and snorkeled for about 3 hours - towards the end of this we started seeing more and more snorkelers - but it wasn't overly crowded. Hope its okay that I chimed in.

Snorkelingsearchers - I bet we saw you in the water!! I wanted to be in the water, but it just couldn't happen this trip... Glad to hear that it is truly that easy... because that is what I plan on doing next time!!! Thanks for the input...

[Livin4Real]

Ambercakes - thanks for a great review. We sail on the Legend in 3 days!!!! Props to you for taking the kids by yourself! We will have our 8 and 12 yr old with us next week and can't wait.

Mystone - Thanks for the heads up on Half Moon Bay and the bungalows

[Ambercakes]

Originally Posted by Delta Dear

I enjoyed your review. What blessed children you have, and what a blessed mother they have. It sounded like a terrific family vacation. So, are the children suffering from ice cream withdrawl ? I wish I had some right now. When we go on the Legend on Feb. 7, I'll be sure to have some just for you.

AWW! thanks! If you can't tell, my kids are my life!! This was such a wonderful experience for them and I am truly blessed that I am physically and financially able to do things like this with them!!! They are suffering a little, we went to Wendy's earlier this week and I could not talk them out of a Frosty... Normally I am pretty successful at this, but I figured it was from the ice cream overload last week. I forgot to add in my review that they had it after every lunch too!!!! You will have a wonderful cruise! I can't wait to do it again myself!

[CMM]

Thank you for taking the time for a review. Sounds like you had a great family vacation, but what a start with the elevator episode. I am glad he was ok.

Do you think the glass bottom boat ride in Roatan would be ok with someone prone to motion sickness? Sounds kind of interesting, but looking down like that might be an issue.

[Ambercakes]

The glass bottom boat ride was a very short ride to the reef... I was really surprised how close it is to the shore. Then he slows way down, sometimes stops to look at the coral and fish. It was the most tame boat ride I have ever been on, so as long as the water is fairly calm, I would think it would be ok!!

[TortieGal]

We sail her on Sunday and these reviews are just making me more excited! Now I just need to get packing...

Thanks for sharing!

[smc0320]

great review....we're on Legend Dec 13th.
Paradise Beach is SO much fun, you'll have to hit it next time

[ReadytoGoAgain]

Sarah,

I've been trying to find your e-mail address to send you the pictures we took in Roatan at Victor's with the monkeys and your kids. Please send me an e-mail at jeanb1@tampabay.rr.com and give me your e-mail address so I can send you the pictures.

I had a blast with you in Roatan! Seeing it with you and your kids was awsome!

Jean

[woostercruise]

Ambercakes,

Did your daughter enjoy the Camp Carnival activities? We are going on the Legend in March and my sons are 6 & 8 so they would be in the same age group as your daughter. Were there particular activities she really enjoyed?