Happy LEGENDary 100th Birthday Panama Cruise Review August 17th-30th 2014!

How do you do!

After seeing there were less longer Carnival cruise reviews and few Panama Canal ones I decided to review my cruise on the Legend down the Panama Canal....started on the 17th of August in Tampa and finished 30th in Los Angeles.

Before I officially start the review (likely tomorrow) I will do some fun facts on the cruise.

1) This was the most 'experienced' cruise in Carnival's history with approx 100 diamonds on board, 500 platinums, 800 golds,600 reds, 100 blue new cruisers.

2)We had a Captain's party and muchos free drinks throughout.We also had a Suess parade and story time.

3) The Panama Canal was officially opened on August the 15th 1914...so with us being the closest cruise sailing through we were the 100th Birthday cruise.

4) Unknown to some the last part of the cruise had 2 cruise directors on board. Eli Sharplin throughout and then Kevin Noonan randomly came on but kept hidden.

5) Guest services gave us $186 of free stuff/obc for no reason...more on that later.

6) We turned Gold on the last day of the voyage.

7) Carnival got very stingy with a certain iconic cruise token.

More to come! I will do a day by day as its more fun that way :)

Looking forward to your review. Cruising through the Panama Canal is on my Bucket list.

We loved our Legend cruise! :)

Wow, sounds like it must have been an incredible cruise! Can't wait to read your review!! :)

Looking forward to this one!!

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Can't wait for your report.

We're sailing on the Legend on 16th October to the South Pacific so we're looking forward to your review.

I bet there are a large percentage continuing on to Australia on a B2B cruise.

Unfortunately Carnival change the ship rules when they get to Australia. No carry on wine, no Bon Voyage purchases and I'm sure I will find more when we get on board.

I also just got off the 13 day Panama Canal voyage and it was epic. I will be officially writing my first Cruise Critic review over the next few days to also share just how unbelievably awesome this adventure was. But to echo 'Velvetwater'... there were a ton of 'firsts' aboard that made it truly Legendary.

Righto, lets get this going as I have Jetlag and I am still on Californian time.

Quickie about myself and the hubby. We have only cruised once before as a couple on the Legend round the Baltics last year on the same ship....it rocked so we came back. We are in our late twenties with no bambinos yet and are awkwardly British yet like a good time/drink.

This part is the getting to the cruise bit which I usually skip so you can if you want to.....I promise I wont be offended . I wasn't going to write about this part but I really loved my 2 evenings in Tampa and as I am from the UK getting there was quite the flight.

August 15th (Fly to cruise day)

I wake up after having two hours sleep due to fear of flying. I had spent the last 8 years of my life travelling via coaches/boats and high speed trains round Europe instead. Holibobs time baby! I decide the best way to get through the flight and to the airport is to have a drink and take Kalm pills. Hubby takes pills too as he has the same problem. We leave the house in darkness as its early morning and head to our flight....I vomit upon arrival....lovely stuff.

After quivering like jelly fish we somehow end up in the departure lounge. Its too early for the bars to open so I take more Kalm pills and hubby goes to get a Burger King breakfast. While we are there we realise its the last call for our flight and leg it to the gate and dump uneaten burger king in the bin which hubby moans about as he tries to snag some potato bites. It was our first time on United and they did pretty well...even in Economy.

After a fairly uneventful flight we land in Newark, NJ and I holy crab balls....theres the New York skyline! I get excited and even the evil busy airport does not take away from my first time over the Pond. After a few hours we go to our gate for the flight to Tampa only to find theres a 'airplane maintenance' delay. This freaks me out and we get a beer only to find out a on board toilet leaked into the plane....ergh.

We land in Tampa on time and head to our hotel where I see the port on the way. I squeal in delight like a banshee and we arrive in Ybor and at our hotel.

It is a stunning boutique one called Don Vincente Ybor inn and we crash on our four poster bed and sleep.

Coming up next.....A fun day in Ybor, Tampa!

Can't wait to here the rest of the story... ;)

Sara

This is very fun...thank you!!

Really looking forward to this one. :)

Great start to your Legend review!

Looking forward to reading the rest of this review!! Our first cruise was on the Legend, so it has a special place in my heart.

I know two gals that were on board, in a suite, and can't wait to hear what you say!!! I'll have questions to ask them! ;)

I board the MAGIC on Sunday -- so I'll probably be reading about the end of your cruise when I return on the 14th!!

So excited to read this as we were supposed to be on it with our 16-yr-old grandson. Unfortunately, we had to cancel in May due to numerous family problems, so I'm anxious to hear what we missed! I won't cry, I promise. Well, maybe a little.

I find the Carnival Historical Facts to be so amazing and cool. Thanks for sharing.

Definitely on my bucket list for the future All the pictures I've seen were amazing. Really hope you enjoyed it and had a grand time!!

Thanks for the review, I'll be following closely! :D

I will promise to get this review out as quickly as possible for you all, especially as the real photos will be uploaded soon! :) The next installment is the last un cruise day so one to skip if it doesn't ring your bell. Work makes me unable to do this each day but I will try.

Day 2 in Tampa for some pre cruise fun!

We wake up to a freezing cold air con in the room. In the UK air con isnt a major feature in most homes as we dont need it but we see why Floridians love it! Down at breakfast hubby finds a friendly scottish lady who turns out to be a diamond cruiser and is on our ship.Typical. First time in the US and the first person we meet is a Scot. We all have breakfast and swap cruise stories...in all fairness we were rookies in comparison. :D

We head out and walk for 5 minutes down Ybor main street and start sweating like a pregnant nun in church....our english skin cant take it. As we go we find Ybor's weekly farmer and craft market and talk to the friendly people who have yummy and pretty things. We walk away with homemade banana cake, organic honey, thai trousers, paper lanterns and homemade smoothies. Really lovely find and if I was a local I would be there each week and the cake lasted all of 4 hours.

We get hungry and decide to go to Tampa bay brewing co as we are beer nuts and I had seen it on Guy's DDD. We have dark ales to remind us of home then each have a burger. I try the bomb burger (as seen on TV) which is nice but greasy....only thing for it is to order more beer.

After getting a bit tingly we shop for a while and hubby gets some hand rolled cigars and I buy more clothes but I am about to cruise right? We also stock up on wine and american snacks for the ship. It is this moment I discover birthday cake M+Ms and fall deeply in love.

After a freshen up back at the hotel we head ot for the Ybor night life which is certainly alive and feels safe. Theres a college football pub crawl going on which makes it even more jammed. We try many beers and drinks and hubby loves all the chickens roaming and proceeds to drunkenly follow them for a bit. We end our evening in Tampa may brew co (again) and sample all of the beers and eat Gumbo (yummlies) and Beer cheese dip (heavenly cholesterol with alcohol).

We fall into bed ready to cruise the next day!

This is an awesome start! Panama Canal cruise is on my bucket list and I love your style of writing. Do you have a pic of you and your hubby? Would love to put a face with the writing and trip! We are all living vicariously through you right now!

I was on this cruise and it was one of the best cruises I have had with Carnival. It was my 18th cruise. We loved the ship, CD, and we had the best headwaiter in all my 18 cruises with Carnival. Absolutely loved this cruise. Looking forward to all of your review.

I can tell this is going to be funny review. I'm already smiling and you haven't gotten to the official cruise yet. Like others have said the Panama Canal is on my bucket list. Just can't find someone to go with me. Everyone said it's too expensive for them.

You are too funny!

The pregnant nun in church killed me!

Great review so far!

I was on this cruise as well...thought it was one of the best ever! Can't wait to hear your perspective!

Awesome! Thanks for doing this review. I'm waiting....... :D

Nice start aboard Your Carnival Legend!!