Legend 7/5-7/12 Mega review with lots of pictures!

Before jumping into my review, I'll warn you - I tend to be wordy in my reviews, so keep that in mind as you go!

First, some basic background. This was my second cruise and a first for the rest of my family:DH/Jon, DD/Mandy(14) and DS/Tim(9). My prior cruise was on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas - a moms' getaway cruise with two other women. I'll probably compare and contrast this cruise with that one as I go along, but I'll try and keep it a balanced review. Keep in mind, also, this was our FAMILY cruise, so I have a feeling I'll be concentrating more on kids activities, clubs, reactions, etc. and not so much on shows and such this time around.

We left out of Philadelphia for Tampa, on Southwest, a day early - on Saturday, July 4. No winter weather to deal with, but the relaxation factor of having all that time to spare cannot be understated. It's so nice that SW has not given in yet and started charging luggage fees. Our family packed quite a load. With four able-bodied people and everything on wheels, though, it really wasn't too unwieldy, except once in the hotel shuttle.

Our pint-sized porter

Our whole Carnival cruise, on the whole, was a wonderful one. I would do it again in a heartbeat! Now on with my review.

We had section A boarding passes on SW, but ended up in the middle of the plane to get the seating we wanted. I would have preferred to have two seats on either side, but with three on each, the kids and Jon took one side and I took the aisle seat on the other. Not quite three hours to Tampa, and we were touching down. Never thought I would say this, as a mom, but thank goodness for the kids' DS games. Quiet kids! Their books only lasted so long. We took our time exiting from the plane and collecting our gear, then heaed to the TGI Fridays in the airport for lunch. (I recommend the Santa Fe chicken salad - yum!)

at TGI Fridays

We had gotten the port package at the Holiday Inn Express, Rocky Point, so we called or the shuttle as soon as we were done with lunch. As for the hotel, we ended up with a wonderful view from our room, overlooking the pool and Tampa Bay, but aside from that, it was your standard hotel room.

If I remember correctly, the hotel port package - free shuttle within a five mile radius, plus pickup at the airport on arrival, transport to the port on sailaway, and transport to the airport from the port upon return - added about $40 to the regular hotel rate.

We ended up taking the shuttle to one of the local malls

and Walmart, so we probably broke even over the cost of taking a taxi everywhere. It did take about 15-20 min. for the shuttle to come and get us each time, though, so if time is a factor, book at the cheaper rate and taxi it around.

hotel elevator

We ended up eating supper at the huge Bahama Breeze next door, within walking distance of the hotel. More yummy!!

Next day:

The next morning we could have slept in and taken it easy. Nope. Everyone was up by 7 am. NOW they decided to get excited. We couldn't get a shuttle to the port until noon - the 11 am shuttle had already been booked when we arrived on the 4th. Since we didn't have to be in the lobby until around 11:45, we took it slow at breakfast

The breakfast buffet had typical breakfast choices: eggs, sausage patties, cold cereal, pastries, etc. We told the kids to fill up, since we didn't plan on eating again until we were onboard. We even had time to wander around outside and take pictures of this guy and his friend near the pool area. He let us get pretty close and even posed.

By 11:30, we were all bored, so we headed for the lobby and hung out with another family who we had met the day before on one of our shuttle rides. At noon, we wedged ourselves, along with 8 other people and about 20 pieces of luggage, into the shuttle and headed out. We were finally on our way!

The kids kept craning their necks to get a brief glimpse of the ship as we pulled up to the port authority.

I think they might have caught a glimpse of red and blue.

Great review so far! Can't wait to read more, and the pictures are wonderful.

Once we pulled in, I noticed a big difference in the way Carnival handles luggage vs. RCI. A positive difference here. (or maybe it's just the way each port does it - whatever the case, I like it!) As our shuttle arrived, a porter came right over and started taking or lugage out of the back. No need to stand in line lugging your stuff behind you, then get in another line to check in.

luggage drop off/another group unloads their vehicle

The porter carted it into a nearby building and then we lost sight of it - we just had to have faith it would eventually show up in our room. It only took him two trips for all 20 pieces in the shuttle, then we tipped him and headed in as well.

Just a note here, though. For you first time cruisers - take a few minutes ahead of time and prepare your luggage! Before the trip, I had printed out, folded and laminated our luggage tags. Then, before we left our hotel, I attached them on with zip ties, through holes I punched. (Yep, I brought along my own hole punch!) But believe me, those babies weren't coming off! One family on our shuttle was in the process of moving and hadn't had time to print their tags at home. The porter gave them flimsy generic tags (like the ones the airlines hand out free) and had them fill them out before he would take their luggage.

Once inside, there were more lines, but they moved quickly. From this point on, we were inside AC the whole time, right up through stepping onboard. What a relief, since we northerners are not used to that oppressive July weather, with it's high heat and humidity!

We had our id's (passports) checked a few times and had to go through luggage screening, but overall probably no more than 30 minutes passed overall. While we were in line, Mandy took some pictures

until a stern, but grandfatherly looking guard told her because of 9/11, there were no pictures allowed in the building. My little 14-year-old terrorist; but I can understand!

We finally got our sign and sail cards, I punched them and we had them strung on our lanyards in just a few minutes. A brief stop for our embarkation photo, the first of many such photos on this trip.

And we walked right onboard!! No big ramp or escalator to trudge up here. We entered on Deck 2, into the lobby. Mandy and Tim (and Jon, too, I think) were suitably impressed by the glitz and glitter. Lots of "ooh"s and "oh, look at that"s ensued.

I had heard that Carnival was much more neon, and tacky to some people, but I thought there was just the right amount of . . . shiny, shall we say. Definitely not as quiet as RCI, but pleasing at least to my eye.

Great review so far! Love the pictures, keep them coming..... it helps pass the time :D

I love the PF CHANG'S horse!

Enjoying the review!!! Keep it coming!

Thanks, all, for the kind words. I love writing reviews and if it helps someone waiting to go on the Legend, all that much better!

Okay, now for more.

By now it was close to 1:15, so I figure we might as well try to get into our rooms before hitting the Lido Deck for food. We had room 7294; it was almost all the way aft and on the port side. Kind of off in a corner and somewhat secluded - perfect! When we stepped off the elevator onto Deck 7, the odd numbered rooms were still being cleared (odd were on one side and even on the other) but we lucked out and could get into ours.

Although I was too excited at the time to take pictures of the room then, I went back later on in the cruise and did so - which is why they look so cluttered here. We weren't instant slobs . . . really!

I'm really enjoying your review! Can't wait to read more.

Did you feel cramped in the balcony cabin? We're a family of 4 also and have a balcony stateroom.

Which RCCL ships have you been on? How does this ship compare?

After checking out the view of Tampa from the balcony, the kids realized they were starving, so we went in search of food. Down a short hallway, up two flights of stairs and we were right there on the Lido Deck (Deck 9).

At this point, I had a few moments of disconnect. I knew from reading about Carnival earlier, that there was no single buffet line, but I had it in my head how Adventure of the Seas had been laid out. Upon first glance around the Lido, I thought we were in the wrong place. Once I realized the Lido was divided into many "stations," each offering a different choice, it started to make sense again. The smaller tables and booths were a pleasant change also from the huge tables on RCI, and most seemed to offer a nice view out the windows. I liked the overall setup much better, but it took some getting used to at first.

As we wandered around the Lido, we had no idea how to handle this huge, people-filled space at first. We had trays (another nice change from RCI!) for carrying our food, but it was hard to search for a table when you were laden down with several things on your tray. Our solution was to "reserve" a table with our stuff and usually one of us (yes, we are TABLE HOGS!), then divide and conquer, each one hitting his or her favorite stations. I quickly found the deli, for the first of many reubens, and the salad bar, while Tim went for the chicken fingers and pizza (his nickname became Pizza Man) and Mandy and Jon sampled a little of everything.

pizza station - sadly I was always too full to sample any

Pizza Man Tim - although by no means limited to pizza!

dessert first? why not?

I'm really enjoying your review! Can't wait to read more.

 

Did you feel cramped in the balcony cabin? We're a family of 4 also and have a balcony stateroom.

 

Which RCCL ships have you been on? How does this ship compare?

Thanks! It took a bit of coordination when all 4 of us were moving around in the cabin, but since someone was usually lounging on the bed (my kids lounge a lot!) and someone else was usually out on the balcony, it worked very well. I never felt like it was problem, and we're tall people. Tim, at 9, is already 5 feet tall.

I was on the Adventure of the Seas. Overall, AOS is more subdued in decor, the food wasn't as good (mho), and captain seemed much more accessible. On Legend, there was much more of a vibrant, family friendly, active vibe. Also, the Legend's photo gallery is not as nicely organized. Other than that, the ships are not that different. Keep reading as I will try and touch on both more later on.

-Cathy

great pictures, thanks for sharing!

Leave Sat for the Legend - 2nd time around.

Enjoying your review :).

Great Review so far. I cant wait for more as I am on the Legend in September as a firsttime cruiser. All the great reviews just get me that much more excited.

Thanks for the review! I am headed for the Legend in September and its nice to see some pics of the ship.

Keep up the great review!

Ashley

Even though it was very hot and humid, we explored the outside of the ship next. Of course, I needed a Funship special to help combat the heat!

I did share with my honey!

Dwarfed by the whale tail

Florida Aquarium

Channelside

I am so excited about your review. We just booked this cruise for March. It will be our first Carnival. Keep the pics coming and thank you.

Linda

Loving your review. Can't wait for the rest. It brings back many happy memories of our Legend cruise last November.

I forgot to ask. Does the Legend have anytime dining? What time dining did you do with the kids. We are thinking late seating as we don't want to rush them during the day. We also were thinking that they might not want to go to dinner and they could grab from the buffet before going off to the kids club then DH and I would go to dinner alone. Did you son use the camp carnival? Did he like it ? My grandkids will be 11 & 9 at the time of the sail.

Linda

When the heat chased us inside, we took more time to explore the rest of the ship.

kids in Follies

looking upwards in the lobby

Rodeo Drive - ie gift shops

Both kids loved the Enchanted Forest

As it got closer to muster drill, we returned to our room, where we met our room steward, Aldo. It was only when I looked through all my pictures at home, that I realized I didn't have a picture of him. Actually, we didn't see him much, maybe a brief passing in the halls every now and then, but he always had a smile and would ask the kids what they were doing for the day. My one request, for another pillow, was met super quickly!

Soon we heard the announcement for muster. A friend of mine who cruises a lot had given me a tip for muster; wait a few minutes after the final alarms sound, so that you are among the last to arrive and don't get crushed in the back of the crowd. Well, we certainly weren't squished - we almost waited too long, and were just about the last stragglers to arrive. Oops! Gotta get better on the timing.

I said "look scared" and this is what I got!

Since Tim was under 11, he got a wrist band for the duration of the cruise, with his muster station on it. Because we were late getting there, we actually ended up on the wrong side of the ship for muster, and he at first had the wrong wristband. A quick check-in with an employee near the elevators afterwards, though, and all was fixed.

I forgot to ask. Does the Legend have anytime dining? What time dining did you do with the kids. We are thinking late seating as we don't want to rush them during the day. We also were thinking that they might not want to go to dinner and they could grab from the buffet before going off to the kids club then DH and I would go to dinner alone. Did you son use the camp carnival? Did he like it ? My grandkids will be 11 & 9 at the time of the sail.

Linda

Yes, there was anytime dining, but we opted to go for the late (8:15pm) seating. We were worried at first how the kids would react, but all i can say is "afternoon nap!!!" Just 45 min. or an hour each afternoon made a world of difference and we had alert, calm, talkative (even interesting!) kids to eat with each night. Even though our excursions usually ended early, the relaxation from not having to rush to get to 6 pm dinner was nice!

M and T took the pick and choose approach from all the camp activities offered each day, and what they went to, they loved!! The night before our last day at sea, Tim attended the "super late night party" - 10pm to 3 am, with such activities as Gross Food Challenge (I didn't ask) and Pizza PigOut. (This special was $26 extra.) A counselor personally walked him and the other kids back to the cabin. Our challenge was being awake at that time to get him.

At 14, we allowed Mandy to wander fairly freely, as long as she was with friends and kept us somewhat up to date on her whereabouts. When she came back to the room later at night (ex: midnight), she would call from the camp room, and we would expect her within about 5 or 10 min.

We allowed Tim to sign himself out, but he was more comfortable if one of us met him close to (but never right outside of) his camp location.

One night both kids had camp stuff. Mandy grabbed a bite and we nibbled with her on the Lido ahead of time and then Jon and I got dinner all to ourselves. Of course, we talked about the kids, among other things! :p

I think your grandkids will love it!! Just make sure they go to the orientation the night you board - they can start to get comfortable and meet other kids. It doesn't have to be a long drawn out thing. Fifteen min. max is fine.

A quick trip back to the cabin to drop off the life jackets and we went back on deck for sailaway. We shoved off at 4:05 pm and watched our progress from the front of the boat.

The Legend leaving port must provide excitement for some locals, because as we were heading down the channel, there were a number of people and lawn chairs lining the banks. We had fun waving to those on shore as we passed. Soon, Jon and Tim headed to the back of the ship to take a look and Mandy and I saw a few dolphins playing closer to shore. I think the kids were excited to finally be on our way, but they got impatient as the boat moved so slowly. Besides, the pool looked much more interesting. Boy, were they shocked to find out it was salt water! Guess I forgot to mention that.

I went back to the room and had a quiet hour or so to myself, watching the passing cargo ships out the balcony doors, and unpacking all of our stuff. Another quick note here: as much as I loved all the storage nooks and crannies the room had, I would seriously recommend to those with more than 2 people in a cabin to bring along a few of those 3M removable hooks. With four people and four straight days of watery excursions, plus time in the pool, we just didn't have enough places to hang everything to dry. The two robes in the room also took up hook space and we didn't feel right just tossing them out on the deck each time. We even ended up throwing a few things into the dryer one night ($2 for about 25? min.) just so we would have some dry stuff to wear.

I had no problem fitting all our clothes into the closets. Two closets had higher hanging bars, with more space underneath for shoes, and one had 4 shelves. I ended up hanging up the nicer dinner wear, and just folded the rest, giving each person a shelf. Underwear went into the drawers under the vanity (kids shared one and Jon and I had our own.) All the suitcases and carry-ons fit nicely under the bed, with room to spare. I could even hang the rolling garment bag in the closet and close the door.

I also brought a hanging shoe holder, but only filled about 2/3 of it, since the bathroom had more shelves than I had encountered on RCI. The kids quickly got used to storing their stuff in the shoe holder, though, and we ended up with less clutter than I had feared.

Few notes about the bathroom: we had no problem with the curtain sticking to us while we showered, although it was a small shower; for you ladies, I would recommend the Intuition razor for your legs - no lather required! It took us a few minutes to figure out the shower controls, but the speed at which the temperature changed was impressive. It did tend to get hot in the bathroom if the kids took overly long showers, but cleared out quickly. And we got a few goodies on the counter: two pink razors, some Pepcid (which came in handy one night), and some sample flavors of toothpaste.

Great review so far - please keep it coming. My husband and I were on the Legend last November and really had a great trip. Looks like you guys did as well.

Shortly before six, I came back to the pool.

looking up, in the glass elevator

Jon and the kids wanted me to get them in time to see the Legend pass under the Skyway Bridge.

It was fun to see everyone's reactions as we went under. It really WAS close to the whale tail. The picture just doesn't do it justice.

After awhile, we dragged the kids out of the pool and headed off for the meet and greets at their respective camps. Since timewise they were within 15 min. of each other, we did the old divide and conquer. Tim and Jon went to the Camp Carnival orientation in the Firebird Lounge at 7:30 and Mandy and I headed out for her 7:45 meet at Circle C.

It's a good thing she and I left a few minutes early, since we got a bit lost. The Capers instructed us to go to Deck 4 forward. Well, we went . . . and ran into Follies. After asking a few staff member how to get there, and not really getting a helpful response, we ended up going down to Deck 3, going through the Enchanted Forest, then up the stairs at the end, toward Gigabytes Arcade. It seemed like her club was located behind Follies. It worked, so that was what we did the rest of the time. Hey, at the very least, it was a little more exercise. Couldn't hurt!

We met up with Jon and Tim outside of Truffles right before 8:15 for supper, where they were "saving" us a space in line. Yep, there was a line to get into the dining room - cracked me up, since it wasn't like you stood a chance of not getting a seat. Everyone had their assigned tables and everyone was going to get in. I guess the whole need-to-wait-in-line mentality is fixed in place by now. Pretty casual dress this night. It had been a long day, and I just couldn't rationalize getting the kids all dressed up. Many people seem to have this attitude and we didn't stand out in the least.

I had been looking forward to sitting with at least one other group, to socialize and maybe later trade stories of the day's excursions. unfortunately, this is where I think RCI came out ahead. We ended up with a booth for just the four of us. By the end of the cruise, it was nice to be able to sit down with the kids and talk about how each day had gone, but I still would have liked to have had the chance to meet more new people here. Carnival seems to have a lot more booths and small tables in their dining room than RCI does. I guess if you were looking for a romantic meal for two, you stand a much better chance of getting it here.

At the end of the meal, I realized I had neglected to take any food pictures, but vowed to do better! Probably better I didn't this night anyway. While Jon, Mandy and I loved our tilapia, Tim wanted to get the flat iron steak. I had read various posts that said this could go either way - good or bad. We got it done medium, to try and counteract any possible toughness. Well, it was tender, but we all agree it had absolutely no taste. Really, if you had blindfolded me and asked me what I was eating, I couldn't have told you it was meat. Fortunately, Tim was more than happy with his two appetizers - tiger shrimp cocktail and fruit cocktail.

We came back to our room and were greeted by a wonderful seal towel animal. I had told the kids this might happen, but for them to see it in person was much, much better.

Then Mandy was off to disco and Wii bowling at Circle C until midnight, while Tim hung with us for awhile and then went to bed, since his club didn't have anything planned for the first night.

Love your review. We are on Legend for the first time in Oct. and our son is really looking forward to Camp Carnival. He has done adventure ocean before.

1 question, did your son have sign in and out privledges? Our son is 10 now and we aren't sure how much "freedom" to give. He will have a walkie talkie at all times though.

Look forward to more pics :)