Legend Review Long

Just back from the Carnival Legend 4/23/04 through 4/29/04.

Warning: This review is long and even though it sounds a bit hostile, I had a great time.

There were 9 of us total (4 adults 4 teens, 1 nine year old) in 3 Category 8 H with balconies on the Panarama Deck.

We drove to NYC, it took no more than 6 hours from NH.

The port was very easy to find, drop off all bags and dad went to park on the roof next door. Gave the bags to a porter (long shore man) easy.

First impression the ship is lovely, clean and bright against the skyline of New York.

Embarkation was easy once the line started to move. They seem to have streamlined the process with port workers going up and down the line checking documentation. When you get to the counter you give your docs and get your sign and sail card at the same time. One less line to wait in, works for me.

We boarded the Legend. She is quite gaudy. The décor is Greco- Roman meets Las Vegas. It is an acquired taste to be sure. But hell, I’ve seen worse and the cabins were less ugly, almost identical to the other Spirit class ships in shades of peach and pink.

This was a 6 night cruise to Bermuda and Newport RI.

As always we stop and get our photo taken. There are many opportunities to have your photo taken and we never pass on one! (As I tell my family “were only getting older…SMILE!â€) We know Carnival hopes we will go to the photo gallery and buy them and of course we usually do! We found our cabins easily and were very pleased. The rooms were clean and the decks were adequate.

Cabin layout was very good with plenty of closet space. I am happy to say that the TV programming while still limited has improved somewhat. We did not go on the cruise to watch TV. My kids rented movies a couple of nights.

After viewing our cabin we were off to the Unicorn Cafe for the welcome aboard buffet, yes! This was terrific. The space itself is nice and seating very comfortable sofa style looking out at the ocean. The food was excellent and the variety impressive. We went to the bar and bought fountain-soda cards. The kids had a good time on this Ship. They enjoyed the disco and the piano bar, 24 hour pizzeria (excellent) and frozen yogurt, hot tubs, pools, waterslide, gym, comedy shows and room service. The nine year old loved Camp Carnival. There is plenty of public space on this Ship. Together my family enjoyed the Follies Lounge, bingo, dance classes, game shows, Piano Bar and Karaoke. Having just been on the Spirit in February I was hoping to find Arts and Craft Classes and Giant Chess on Lido Deck, but NO. I did not go to many shows (same old) The adult comedy show were hilarious. The song and dance Shows were good. The Guest Talent Show was held the night we stayed over in Bermuda, we did not see it live but watched it on TV, it was dreadful with 90% glorified karaoke. On the other hand the children’s talent show was great!

The Karaoke in the firebird lounge was a blast and the girl who runs it (I forget her name) is very entertaining and really gets the crowd going. There was a guest named Tawana (?) who was outstanding.

On to dining… We did not go to the Supper Club but everyone told us it was excellent. We had late seating at Truffles. We had to change our table the first night because they put us in the annex at a small round table that could barely fit 8 and there were nine of us, so we went to the upper level and had 2 tables across from each other. This was OK but I missed eating with the kids. It is really the only mandatory activity we share. Having dinner together gives us a chance to touch base and plan the evening or next day. Anyway our servers were terrific (Paval and Kamal). The food was very good and the service was outstanding. The dining room was lovely. The Maitre d’ was good and the waiters sang and danced, it was really fun.

My husband and I enjoyed the Casino and Gym. The Casino was large, the slots very tights but the money lasted longer at the tables (3 card poker, Caribbean stud and Let it Ride)

We went to the past cruisers and captains parties, free drinks but no sweets.

The Cruise Director was young and OK. One of the Bingo Staff (Owen) was rude to my kids on the dock in Bermuda, he pulled the Euro-snob thing with his friends, pointing and snickering, quite arrogant. Now, I know he was not on the ship and not on the clock but ill behavior denotes ignorance and in my opinion there are more qualified and courteous individuals for his job. After that incident my kids refused to buy Bingo cards from him. (f-him is what they said, and NO, not the “F†word, just f-him.)

Itinerary: The worst yet. Bermuda was a waste of time. We got off the ship and had to wait an hour in line to go through customs. We were docked at Kings wharf, which is an overpriced tourist trap. It is clean and safe but felt like a military installation. The taxis are small and could only fit 6 so we walked around. The odd thing was the tourist ladies were actually discouraging us from going anywhere, they said things like “you can take a bus but you may not make it back, or you can take the ferry but everything is closedâ€

It was late Sunday after noon and Carnival should not have wasted a port day. We got back on board and around 9pm 4 of us took a cab to Hamilton (capitol) for a bit of bar hopping and casino action. The Beach (bar) has maybe 12 video slots and was a total dive, the Palace was much nicer and the barkeep Roseanne was fun and friendly. The kids hit (you can drink at 18) the Blue Juice but the drinks were very expensive. Everything else was closed. It was fun but I would not return. The next day another 45 min wait through customs and 30 min for a cab for the 6 of us. We got a driver with a nice van, he was an older gentleman (72) named “Valen†he was soft spoken and took us sightseeing. We went to a church with cemetery, resorts, beach, Gibbs lighthouse, a nice pharmacy, liquor store and Paraquet Restaurant. So we got to see the beauty of Bermuda. The standard of living is very high, the streets are clean and you get the feeling that the residents do not need the hassle of the cruise tourism. I would prefer to go to a port where the locals are happy to have your business and motivated to sell you something. Another odd thing, not one person could tell me the name of the Governor.

The day before arriving in Newport every single passenger had to be seen by customs. Another waste or precious vacation time and to make matters worse, we hit some wind and waves and the ship was really rocking, 2 of the customs officials were carrying barf bags. The little paper bags were left all over the ship. So here are all these people in line with kids and strollers, wheelchairs, etc and getting nauseous. Me and my crew took a seat in the Atlantis Lounge just outside of the Customs room and waited for the end of the line.

Music: An increasingly important aspect of cruising for my family is the variety and quality of the music on board. The Jazz at the Atlantis Lounge was excellent. I do not understand why this area is the designated smoker’s area, it is an open space and you have to walk through it after dinner, yuk.

In the Casino the entertainer was great guitar player, however he should not sing. By the 4th day someone took mercy and turned down his mike.

In the Atrium the easy listening music was much better and in Sachmos the live music was the best dance/contemporary. The Piano bar was also a lot of fun.

On the Lido deck was the steel drum band with Caribbean / Reggae music and I did not hear them enough for an opinion.

The Carnival Legend Orchestra in Follies was great.

Newport, RI: We had to tender off the Legend. Again you had to wait quite a while. But Newport is nice. It is a typical New England seaport with a rich maritime history and picturesque architecture. (church steeples and mansions) For a $1.25 you could grab a trolley. We did some shopping and walked around. The best part of Newport was the visitor’s center and YES there was a Dunkin Donuts! I do not like to take tenders so I would not take a cruise to Newport, however, I will return there by car, I liked it.

The one constant about this cruise was waiting. We had to wait for everything. At the Gym much of the equipment was being used by the cruise staff, most folks waiting in line at customs and on the tenders were cruise staff. The line for the Gala Buffet was over 2 hours long.

Our phones in the cabin did not work properly and the messages were still on the machines from previous cruisers. And try as I might, I could not get it fixed.

This was a once a year trip to Bermuda for Carnival, a way to fill 6 nights before beginning their new itinerary to St. Thomas so I think we got the short end of the stick. This is our 8th cruise so I have pretty good idea of what to expect and I’m sure those new to cruising would not find anything wanting, but we noticed. It was the little things like, less silverware at the dinner table, no arts and craft classes, same old tired stage routines, lack luster lido parties, lame excursion offerings, half the arcade machines not working, constantly being held in “Q†when calling the pursers desk or room service, poor planning (most popular shows when no one is on board) and incorrect info in the capers. It’s those little things that we take for granted that were just missing. Among our party we had folks who have never cruised before and they were extremely happy with their first cruise vacation. They could not get over the food, shows and service. They compared it to the “gilded age.†I was so happy for them, I would never point just how much better it could have been.

Oh yes, our room steward was terrific, his name was Andy and he took great care of us. In fact all the waiters and waitresses on the Lido, Casino and lounges were exceptional. Mitch in the Gym great, he was knowledgeable, patient and just a nice kid. The gym and spa are lovely spaces.

An unexpected bonus on this cruise was the Red Sox sweeping the Yankees. I think the A-Rod debacle has reversed the curse. Anyway, it is a fun-spirited rivalry in April that becomes quite ugly in October.

Till next time,

Enjoy this glorious day.

 

Here we go again!

Carnival Legend!

 

Disney Wonder 2000

Carnival Sensation 2000

Carnival Pride 2001

Carnival Victory 2002

Carnival Conquest New Years Cruise 2002-2003

NCL Dawn New Years Cruise 2003-2004 - What were we thinking?

Carnival Spirit 2004

Thanks for the review. I'm leaving on the Legend on May 31. I didn't find your review to be negative at all just very honest. The more cruises you take the more you notice the little things. I haven't been n a cruise in 4 years and never on the spirit class so I'm sure I'll be thrilled with it.

Laura

Juried, thank you for the review, it was excellent. We were on the Legend last September, and had a fabulous time. I had friends on the same cruise as you, and they hated it, and I couldn't understand why, but now I do. It was their first cruise, and they saw all the negatives of the waiting, and the "poor planning" on the part of Carnival. they said the best part of the cruise was the Golden Fleece.

 

Again, thanks.

 

Larry

 

M/S Skyward 1978 (too long ago)

 

Time to the Carnival Legend, 9/18/03

Thanks so much for that review. I am going on the Legend 7/18/04 as a first time cruiser with my two daughters. It is nice to know what to expect. I am really looking foward to it. I

greaaat review!.....totally agree about the jazz on the Legend....those cats ROCK....but placing it in the middle of a smoking area sucky sucks

I've been sort of waiting for this review, with it being the only Bermuda trip this year out of NY.

 

We went last year on the Pride in July, hoping to repeat it this year, but it wasn't being offered but once.

I'm wondering if this being the only trip to Bermuda caused of the customs wait. We simply walked off the ship upon arrival. No waiting. We were docked for three days.

 

 

And we did our homework up front, getting the three day transit pass, allowing us to use their public transportation any time and as often as we liked. This included using the ferry, which was a nice ride across the harbor over to Hamilton. I'm sure day passes were available as well.

 

You never mentioned going to the beach (or I missed it). Not beach people? We found the sand and the water to die for. In fact, that was our main destination each day....taking the #7 bus down to Horseshoe bay. No tours for us. They seem to be the same wherever you go, unless there is something unique about the port.

 

The other thing we enjoyed was having a balcony on the back of the ship, which faced south, enabling unblocked views across the bay, with a soothing bay breeze omnipresent.

 

Thanks for the review!

 

PS Did you see the House used in Dark Shadows in Newport?

 

George from Queens....your turn.

 

 

__ /7__/7__/7____

\:::::::::::::::::::/

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Miracle 7/10/04 NY to Bahamas and Port Canaveral

 

Disney Wonder 3/04/04

Pride 7/16/03 Bermuda

Legend 10/17/02 CTN

Disney Wonder 9/15/02

Destiny 4/29/01 Southern Caribbean

Victory 9/00 Canadian Maritimes

Triumph 9/99 Canadian Maritimes

Jubilee 4/98 Trans Pacific/Hawaii

Imagination 4/97 Western Caribbean

Imagination 4/96 Western Caribbean

Fascination 4/95 Southern Caribbean

Ecstasy 4/18/93 Eastern Caribbean

Fantasy 9/25/90 Bahamas

Jubilee 5/13/90 Mexican Riviera

NCL Seaward 1/15/89 Western Caribbean

Jubilee 4/24/88 Eastern Caribbean HONEYMOON

 

 

what is the gala buffet thank you

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> An unexpected bonus on this cruise was the Red Sox sweeping the Yankees. I think the A-Rod debacle has reversed the curse. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Another dreaming sawks fan ......

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<font color="#FF0000">Grand Princess 2-2001</font>

<font color="#0000FF">Grand Princess 12-2001</font>

<font color="#FF8000">Carnival Paradise 3-2002</font>

<font color="#FF00FF">Carnival Destiny 10-2002</font>

<font color="#008000">Golden Princess 10-2003</font>

<font color="#0000A0">Carnival Legend 6-8-2004</font>

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The Grand Gala Buffet is culinary art gone mad, a true cruise tradition, held in the main dining room around midnight toward the end of the cruise. Folks generally line up an hour prior just for photos, then another line to actually get some food on your plate. It is quite lovely with ice sculptures and fruits and vegetables cut into flowers and 3-D art.

The beaches in Bermuda was very nice, our driver took us to one beach(?) the sand was powder white. The weather was cool and windy and we did not see any jet-ski's for rent. The beaces were practically empty. We spent just enough time there to wet our feet, walk a bit a take photos. Other family members did helmet diving and besides the "wait" loved it.

I do not like public transportation while traveling with so many people, I prefer to hire a driver. We are always concerned that there will not be enough seats for all of us. But if it were only 2 or even 4 of us, I agree the ferry/transit system is the way to go. Also if our cell phones work I am more apt to use public transportation.

Enjoy.

 

Here we go again!

Carnival Legend!

 

Disney Wonder 2000

Carnival Sensation 2000

Carnival Pride 2001

Carnival Victory 2002

Carnival Conquest New Years Cruise 2002-2003

NCL Dawn New Years Cruise 2003-2004 - What were we thinking?

Carnival Spirit 2004