My very long, picture-heavy Legend Review 2/28-3/7

[littlemoonrabbit]

After dinner, we went back to the room to unwind for a bit. Nighttime activities for that evening included going to the Firebird Lounge on Deck 1 where the orchestra was playing dancing music, followed by the late night R-rated comedy of Ronnie Bullard. We decided to check out both.

 

The firebird lounge was a cool place to hang out. It has kind of an Asian feel to it. Unfortunately we arrived at the wrong time- about 5 minutes before intermission. We ended up spending the next 15 minutes just listening to recorded music. When they came back, we had already finished our drinks. The band played two ballads (we danced to one of them- Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton) and then we just decided to hit the casino to kill some time before the comedy show.

 

 

A blurry (sorry) picture of the Firebird Lounge:

 

 

Our towel friend that night:

 

 

After playing some slots and taking a walk together, we made our way back to the firebird lounge to check out the comedy show. It was pretty funny, but nothing side-splitting. The crowd was very rowdy and obviously into it, which was good. Overall grade: B+.

 

Naturally, we went to bed after the comedy show was over- a long day for the both of us.

[littlemoonrabbit]

We will be cruising next Sunday on Legend!! I am so enjoying your review!!! Also, a big congratulations on your weight loss!!! You look absolutely stunning in all your pics!! (especially love the black halter dress). Your DH looks nice, too and neither of you show the "stressful times" you had prior to the cruise! You both appear very relaxed and full of excitement. Great that you had such a wonderful time! I'm ready for your next few days!!:D

 

The food photos have made me very hungry this morning! especially the prime rib!!

 

Thank you so much! I am glad you are enjoying the review... you will LOVE the Legend. She's gorgeous!

[littlemoonrabbit]

okay, I gotta take a break, lol. I will be back sometime later today to post more, but too much computer time at once, and I start to get restless. Hope you are all enjoying it so far! Thank you for all the wonderful comments!!

 

P.S. if any of you have any questions about our experiences, please don't hesitate to ask! I would love to help anybody who is interested in the Legend.

[cruising grandma]

We have taxied to Seagrape and walked to Royal Palms. Based on that walk, how much farther was it to walk on to the main part of town? We stopped along our way and got in and out of the water to cool off, and then taxied back from Royal Palms.

[kerrytens]

Congratulation on the weight loss!!! I'm thoroughly enjoying your review. Thanks for doing it.

 

PS. LOVE your black dress too :D

[AC Stew]

You guys are positively adorable. But I'm also enjoying your detailed "photo journal" of the ship, as well as your shore adventures. We'll be sailing on the Legend in a few weeks and thanks to you, I'm already salivating over the dinner menu choices!

 

Much appreciated.

Air Canada Stew

[babyher]

What a great review and beautiful pics.

 

You really are an adorable couple. Congrats on the weight loss, been there myself and I know it isn't easy.

 

Thank you again for sharing

[remharri]

Congrats on the weight loss, you look beautiful! I need your secret!

[Hogladyrider]

The water is so beautiful in Grand Cayman. When we sailed Legend Sept.2008 we did the Sting Ray city tour with Nativeway and it was just amazing with snorkeling after and a stop at a beach with lunch included........well worth every penny.

 

Susan

[littlemoonrabbit]

Okay, I took a nice break and Matt's running some errands, so I figure I can post some more review while I have time. Onto Cozumel...

 

Day 4 – Cozumel

The alarm went off at 8:30, we got ready and headed over to the lido buffet for breakfast. The food was good, but some of the lines for the hot items were pretty long, so I chose to have cereal and fruit on most mornings. However, Matt is a much more patient person than I, and he had no problem waiting in order to get his eggs and bacon.

 

We were docked next to the crown princess that morning. My gosh, she was HUGE and quite beautiful, regardless of the Princess “duck bill.” I got a kick out of looking from the lido buffet into their lido buffet and seeing their passengers eating breakfast just like us.

 

After breakfast, we walked on deck to take a few pictures of the port area and the Crown Princess, then got ready to leave the ship. Made our way to the gangway and exited the ship. The water was a gorgeous vibrant blue color- prettiest water I have ever seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instantly, we were bombarded by photographers (no less than 4!!!) for pictures. I have to say, the photographers were particularly obnoxious- much worse than I remember. I made sure to note that on my comment card at the end of the cruise.

 

We found our excursion group for Isla Pasion by Twister, booked through Carnival. I got nervous as we approached them, because something didn’t seem right. We waited around for about 10 minutes before they informed us that the excursion was cancelled due to choppy seas and high winds. Bummer. However, we had done our research and knew that Chankanaab was our back-up plan, so off we went to find a taxi to take us there.

 

However, if we hadn’t done research, the carnival crew was gladly there to book us another excursion at the same price. Our advice would be to always have a backup plan if you are booking an excursion (whether through the ship or on your own), because you never know if it might get cancelled.

[littlemoonrabbit]

We walked through the Puerta Maya shopping area (very pretty) before heading over to the taxi area. They had a sign up there with many possible destinations you could go to, along with the price you would pay. The price structure is divided into two - one price for 1-4 people and another for more than 4. To get to Chankanaab it was $10 one-way for the two of us (total). Service was fast and efficient - no waiting around to fill up a bus or van to capacity like on Grand Cayman.

 

Water sport activities at Chankanaab were also closed when we got there because of the red flag warning (issued because of the high seas and strong winds). After paying our entrance fee ($19/person), we had a couple of pictures taken of holding an iguana and with a macaw (?) on each of our heads ($5 for the two pictures, which we thought were worth it because how often do you get pictures like that?).

 

 

 

 

We explored most of the Chankanaab grounds - dolphin swim area, beach, lagoon and gardens, and the Mayan exhibition trails. There weren’t too many people there that day, so it was a nice pleasant (and relatively private) way of enjoying the beautiful sunshine without the crowds. Winds would occasionally pick up and be quite strong, but the air temperature was warm enough so that we were almost never chilly. (They did lift the red flag warning later in the afternoon, and we saw a few brave souls try to go snorkeling, but the ones we overheard said the water was freezing.)

 

 

Chankanaab sign:

 

 

 

Water activities area:

 

 

People swimming with dolphins:

 

 

Shallow kid's swimming area:

[TakeMeAway1001]

What a great review, thank you for taking the time to post one. Another congratulations on your weight loss :)

[littlemoonrabbit]

I am just going to post a bunch of Chankanaab pictures now. I have to say, this park was GORGEOUS. I was almost glad our excursion was cancelled.

 

Beautiful beach area:

 

Red flag warning:

 

Waves crashing onto the rocks in the snorkeling area (hence the warning):

 

Me on the beach with the beach restaurant behind me (where we later got food):

 

Entrance to the garden area:

 

The beautiful lagoon:

[babyher]

Ahhhhhhhhhh that long pier in Cozumel.

 

That pier is so long, by the the time I got back to the ship, I was sober:)

[littlemoonrabbit]

An iguana friend we found along the way:

 

a picture someone was nice enough to take for us in front of the lagoon:

 

Some Mayan replicas:

 

 

 

[OrdieJ]

Excellant review so far. You should be on the need to lose before I cruise thread and share your weight loss secrets.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=23564284&highlight=#post23564284

[littlemoonrabbit]

More replicas:

 

 

 

A pretty waterfall:

 

A Mayan virgin sacrifice ritual:

[littlemoonrabbit]

During our walk, we got to observe a couple reenactments of Mayan rituals. After that, we made our way to the beach and spent the rest of the day soaking up the sun. We each enjoyed a couple Mexican beers and we ordered lunch from the beach bar. I decided on chicken tacos and Matt had skirt streak tacos - both dishes were very good. They also offered things like burgers and chicken sandwiches, but we wanted something a little more authentic. They had some waiters who would come out to where you were sitting/laying on the beach, and take care of you. For us, lunch + 4 beers cost $30.

 

The chairs and loungers on that beach are a combination of wooden Adirondack-style chairs, and plastic wavy type chairs. Matt thought the wooden chair was good for reading, but for sunbathing, the plastic things were better. There were also thatched umbrellas and huts you could use if you wanted more shade from the sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We left about 4:00. Taxis were waiting at the park entrance, so it was again a very smooth process. We bought a couple of trinkets at one of the Puerta Maya souvenir shops before getting back on board the ship.

 

 

 

 

[carol TC]

Do you think this park would be good for someone in wheelchair

[littlemoonrabbit]

Once we got back to our room, we showered, then took a nap for almost an hour and a half. Can I just say that I love naps?

After waking (which was tough for me that night), we got ready for dinner and made our way to Truffles. We waited about 10 min before being seated. I just have to mention here that the hostess, Judit Made, was such a sweetheart. She seemed to feel guilty for us always having to wait, even though we never thought it was a big deal. There was one night, she was so upset, she was like “No, I am not giving you guys a pager again” and she rearranged a table set for four so that we could be seated right away. She was also another staff member who was always interested in what we had done that day, and what was ahead for the next. I made to sure praise both her and Rizky in the comment cards.

 

That night in the MDR, I had asparagus vichyssoise for an appetizer, and Matt had the Beefsteak tomatoes with Buffalo Mozzarella. I have to admit, I was not a fan of the vichyssoise- very bland, with a strange texture. But, Matt ate his appetizer right up!

Asparagus Vichyssoise:

Beefsteak Tomatoes with Buffalo Mozzarella:

Then for dinner, I had the vegetarian lasagna (yummy!!!) and Matt ordered the broiled mahi mahi. However, the waiter delivered his food, he said it was the red snapper… So Matt doesn’t really know for sure what he had, but he said it was good nonetheless.

Vegetarian lasagna with a bit taken out of it (haha, I was anxious and forgot about the pics):

Matt's mystery fish:

As for dessert, I ordered a banana split – which I knew was not on the menu (but I had read on CC of others ordering it) and the waiter looked at me funny. He joked around with me and then pretended to not have it for me when he arrived with our desserts. Obviously, though, it was fine and I very much enjoyed it. Matt had the chocolate melting cake that night- his first and only of the cruise.

Our server’s name that night was Edgar- he seemed to be a favorite among passengers. Our table that evening was on the second floor, right by the entrance.

[littlemoonrabbit]

Do you think this park would be good for someone in wheelchair

 

 

I can't think of anything, besides the beach, that would make it difficult for someone in a wheelchair. I don't remember any stairs or anything, and I know there were ramps leading to the bathrooms. Most of the park was stone-paved and level. In fact, the beach itself is man-made, and not super soft, so a wheelchair might be able to go over it just fine.

 

I would have to imagine that they would have made the park to accommodate wheelchairs, since it's a pretty large and well-known establishment.

[littlemoonrabbit]

After dinner, we walked back to the room to figure out our game plan for the evening. We eventually decided on attending the Love & Marriage/Newlywed-Not-so-Newlywed game in Follies Lounge. It was entertaining and funny, but rather predictable. The last question asked of each couple was, “If your husband was stranded on a deserted island, would he prefer to be with a hooker or a missionary?” For the oldest couple (Norma and Jean - married 63 years), Jean said “The hooker in the missionary position,” which got a good laugh out of everyone there, and made for a nice end to the show. This couple also had a curious answer to an earlier question - “If you had $1000 for each time you’ve made whoopee on the cruise, how much money would you have?” Jean said $0, but his wife Norma said $4000. Hmmm, makes you wonder….

After the show, we took a tour through the shops for the first time on the cruise (I love to look at all the “sparklies” in the jewelry store). After browsing, we returned to our old faithful, the casino, for another round of slots.

It was an early night to bed that night, because we had a 6:30 wake up for our arrival to Belize the next morning.

[silvercrikhix]

Thank you for taking time to post such a nice review and your photos. Congrats on your weight loss....you look fabulous! Our first cruise is a week from TODAY on the Legend, so your review is perfect timing!!

 

Thanks for the tip about having a back-up excursion plan. I was bummed that you missed Isla Pasion by Twister as that is what we've signed up for and I hope we don't get cancelled like you did. But, now I'll make some back-up plans, just in case.

 

Anxiously awaiting your review.....again, thanks for the time and consideration you are putting into this...awesome so far! :D

[littlemoonrabbit]

Day 5 - Belize

 

We woke up at 6:30 (ugh, that was a tough one), showered, and headed to the Lido buffet for breakfast. It wasn’t as busy as some mornings. I wondered if some people weren’t planning on getting off the ship that day, so they were sleeping in. For breakfast, Matt had French toast, bacon, hash browns and a cinnamon bun. I had a small bowl of raisin bran, a bowl of melon chunks, some yogurt and some prunes.

 

Now, the prunes bring up an interesting thing that I wanted to mention. Maybe it’s TMI, but for someone who hasn’t done a lot of cruising/traveling, it might be worth mentioning – and we’re all adults here. I made the terrible mistake of assuming that if I was going to have any digestion problems, it was going to be that my body would want to “vacate” the food sooner rather than later… and I prepared for that by packing some Immodium. However, I did not plan for the opposite to happen… and boy did it happen. Prunes and fiber rich foods like raisin bran, unfortunately, were my only way to deal with the situation, lol- and they weren’t very efficient. I ended up coming home, taking something, and spending the next day in the bathroom (I also lost 6 pounds in that one day). So, the moral of this story is: you are eating a lot of food you aren’t used to, and your body may react in a number of ways. I know at home, I am a pretty healthy eater, and on vacation, I just eat whatever I want. Make sure you plan for both possibilities, lest you wind up feeling very uncomfortable like I did.

 

Okay, moving on…

 

We headed up to the deck to scope out the surroundings. The temperature was a little chilly and the sky a bit cloudy, but we were hopeful that it would clear up as the day went on. We saw the Valor and the Norwegian Spirit sitting near by- I always love seeing other cruise ships in port. It always makes me wonder… “hmmm, should we try her for our next cruise?”

 

We made our way to Follies to meet up with our excursion group. We were going kayaking at Bacob Eco Park. They called our number and we headed out to the tender.

Us on the tender (Matt doesn't look very awake yet):

The tender ride was long, but the boat moved quickly. When we got to the dock, we found our tour guide. We were at terminal 1 and she informed us that we needed to walk to terminal 4 at the end of the tourist village because we would be joining Valor cruisers for the excursion. The walk wasn’t terribly long to get there. We got a bathroom break before boarding the air conditioned bus.

 

The bus was actually too cold, and I ended up wrapping my Carnival towel around me to keep warm. Unfortunately, before we could leave for Bacab Eco Park, we had to turn around and go back to terminal 1 again, this time to pick up two cruisers from the Legend who were late.

 

The bus ride was about 35 minutes or so… and of course, I had to pee through the whole ride. I don’t know what my issue was this day, but pee would turn out to be my nemesis. Definite foreshadowing here. Our tour guide for the bus ride was Paula (who was quite pregnant). She had a good sense of humor and took a lot of pride in showing us her country. I got the impression that Belizeans are very proud of their homeland.

 

We had heard a lot of stories in other reviews about Belize and how dangerous the area was, but we drove through the city and never got that impression.

 

We arrived and were told that we would have the chance to use the bathroom, put our stuff in a locker, and spray ourselves down with bug repellant (which was mandatory). One of our tour guides for the creek, Victor, led us past some bathrooms… and we just kept walking, much to my mortification. I turned to Matt and said “WHY are we moving AWAY from them? He promised!”. When we actually got to the bathrooms he was referring to, I practically leapt into the ladies room. Oh, but relief would be so short lived.

Me, smiling, because I just heard the word "bathroom"...

Our tour walking to to the kayak area:

Now, before I get to the excursion, a quick note about dress: we recommend wearing some sort of bathing suit attire, and having a change of dry clothes ready. I made the mistake of wearing jean shorts and regular underwear, which got soaked… and I had nothing to change into afterwards, except for a bikini bottom - which I was not going to wear on its own for the bus ride home. Some people wore just their bathing suits on the kayak, and that would have been a much better move on my part.

 

Another note: the person in the back does most of the steering (for people who have never kayaked before)… and is also the person most likely to get wet. This was actually our first time kayaking, and it was a bit of trial by fire for us.

[littlemoonrabbit]

We were loaded into our kayak and we floated in a small lagoon for a bit while other people finished getting into theirs. There were approximately 14 kayaks divided by 3 tour guides, so we traveled in groups. We were in the last group with Fuentes, who I thought was particularly cute. Much to my horror 15 minutes after getting into the kayak… I had to pee again. Now, the guides had said the trip would take about an hour… and I figured I could hold it for 45 minutes without too much of an issue. However, the tour actually took closer to an hour and a half… and I was dying. By the time an hour had gone by, I was almost in a trance like state, willing my bladder to hang on. By the time an hour and 15 minutes had gone by, I was debating the possibility of actually just peeing. On one hand… the kayak was yellow and my pants were already wet- who would know the difference? On the other hand, I had my dignity to protect. In the end, my dignity won out, and I instead took to cursing (in my head) every profane word I could think of to every single person in front of me. Being the last kayak, I wanted nothing more, at that point, than to paddle ferociously down the creek, alone, and sing praises to the nearest toilet that I could find. When we finally reached the facility, I practically flew to the bathroom. I don’t think I have ever known such joy.

 

Oh yeah, the excursion. Um, it was okay. It was hard to concentrate on the scenery and such given my bodily state, but it felt nice to be active in the outdoors. The facility was nice overall, and the lunch they provided was really quite good. However, my biggest complaint about the kayaking experience is that that the tour guides stopped too frequently to show us wildlife that, most of the time, we couldn’t even see. Other kayakers would gather around, bumping into each other, trying to get a glimpse at a lizard… the same kind of lizard we had seen ten minutes prior. If the kayaking was more vigorous, and there was less stopping, it would have been much more enjoyable.

 

However, I know I am unfairly biased here, so I had Matt also write his own review, to give a more balanced opinion:

 

Matt: I think I enjoyed the excursion more than Em did. I thought it was a good introduction to kayaking because the waters were calm and relatively shallow. Plus, since the creek was fairly narrow in a number of places (we had to kayak through single file most of the time), there was land or tree trunks nearby to steer yourself in the right direction if necessary. Fuentes seemed very knowledgeable about the surroundings, but I have to agree that we stopped altogether too much. Yes, part of the excursion was to check out some plant life and native wildlife, but some of the stops seemed to be a stretch. I wonder if part of the reason it took so long was because a few people in the other kayaks seemed genuinely interested, so Fuentes took some extra time. Of course, we also had to wait for the other two groups to go past us - at one point, you get to a larger lagoon where you can travel more in a pack than having to go single file. You kayak to the end of the lagoon, and then turn around. Being the last group, we had to wait for the other two groups to reach the end, and then turn around. But all in all, it was this lagoon that took up way too much time. Overall, I enjoyed the kayaking because it was something new for me in some neat surroundings (hey, it’s a rainforest in Belize!) but I think it was somewhat too long (if it had been kept to one hour, that would have been much better). Also, I don’t think people with back problems would do too well on this excursion because the seats can get rather uncomfortable, especially after an hour and a half. One other note: if you are kayaking with another person, some good communication is key to a more successful kayaking experience in terms of steering. Since Em was in the back, she did more of the paddling, and I did most of the picture taking. But a lot of the time, we would both paddle. Being in the front, I had a better view of what was up ahead than she did (such as if we needed to stop because the kayak in front of us had stopped), and so sometimes she was stuck trying to figure out what I was trying to do.

(end of Matt’s commentary, lol)