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

[littlemoonrabbit]

We finally got out of the kayaks (one of the last couples to do so), and I mercifully got to pee. Then we had the Belizean lunch buffet (included in tour cost), which consisted of stewed chicken, rice and beans (had the secret ingredient of coconut milk), potato salad, plantains, and papaya. To drink we had fruit punch.

 

After the longer than expected kayak journey, and our lunch, we had only about half hour to enjoy the pool area at the park. So we basically just laid out in two of the lounge chairs by the pool, as the sky had gone mostly overcast (but the temperature was still nice).

 

 

We were back on the bus around 2:30 before heading back to the Belize tourist village, where the tender terminals are. They dropped us off right at Terminal 1, so we were able to get on a tender pretty quickly. We had to wait for a while for them to fill the tender (and they did fill it to the brim), and then we were off.

 

 

Terminal area:

 

 

 

 

[littlemoonrabbit]

During the tender ride, a man on the top deck lost his Chicago White Sox hat (blew off into the ocean). The tender drivers were so nice that they actually turned around and one of the men reached down into the water to pull it out once we had pulled alongside! Everyone cheered when the hat had been retrieved, except one guy who made fun of the hat-loser because he was a Cubs fan, haha.

 

So were back on the ship just before 4:00. At this point, it is a good time to make a note about Carnival’s listed shore excursion durations. The Bacab Eco Park kayak creek expedition was listed as lasting 4 ½ hrs. The ticket time listed was 9:30, so we imagined this meant we would be back at the Belize Tourist Village around 2:00. This was not correct at all. We actually got back after 5 hours and 45 minutes (from the time listed on the ticket). So you need to factor in the 20-25 min tender ride, and the gathering of all people on the excursion (which will take longer if you are joining up with people from another ship), and that some things might just take longer than expected. So just a note to please plan accordingly, especially for tender ports.

 

Back on the Legend, we went up to the Lido deck for something to eat, since we didn’t actually eat enough at the Belizean buffet. I had a Reuben from the deli (it was as amazing as everyone said it would be, flavorful and juicy, but not greasy), and Matt had some pizza. We topped lunch off with a couple small ice cream cones, then headed back to the room for… you guessed it… a nap.

 

We went to Truffles just before 8:00 tonight, and waited only a few minutes. To start, I had the Cream of Peaches and Matt had Spinach salad with mushrooms, bacon bits, walnuts, and bleu cheese dressing. This was the first time we can remember being on a cruise and our orders were delivered at different times. My appetizer came out about 10 min before Matt’s, and we thought the salad had been forgotten! Our entrees were delivered right after Matt finished his salad. We both had seafood newburg tonight. We also both had Bitter and Blanc for dessert. The B&B was good… but a little heavier than I remember. Still good enough for my second-favorite Carnival dessert however (behind the warm chocolate melting cake!).

 

 

My cream of peaches:

 

 

Matt's spinach bacon salad:

 

 

Our seafood newburgh:

 

 

The legendary bitter and blanc:

[texasnana]

Thanks for a great reveiw. I want to go to Belieze, you all looked like you had fun.

[stargirlie311]

Thanks for the awesome review and fantastic pictures! I love royal caribbean but after seeing your pictures i am going to have to check this ship and itinerary out!

thank you

[littlemoonrabbit]

We walked back to the room and hung out there for a little while, then hit up the casino for more slots. Matt had a good stretch for a while on one machine, then we collectively lost most of it. Oh well. Then back to the room again to put on our bathrobes so we could check out the bathrobe party/Mexican Buffet on the Lido deck.

 

We only stayed at the party for about 20 minutes since we had a very early wake-up the next morning in Roatan. But the music was lively, a decent number of people were dancing (depending on the song), and the buffet was, well… we didn’t sample it enough to really say since we had a pretty late dinner and couldn’t each much. I just tried a small fish empanada, and steak taco, and they were just okay. The dessert table looked amazing though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we went back to the room for only 5 ½ hrs of sleep before a 5:45 a.m. wake-up in Roatan.

[littlemoonrabbit]

Love your review, and the photos of you both, you look so relaxed and happy.

 

I for one can truly relate to your comments about stress the past year! We have lived that ourselves due to the economy and job stress but we are hanging in there and looking forward to our cruise in Sept.!

 

It is amazing what a cruise can do for the soul!

 

Spirit Class is our favorite Carnival class so far, having sailed on both Spirit and Legend we still have to experience Miracle.

 

We loved the forward karoke lounge on Legend we spent most evenings there and viewed the movie 27 Dresses there as well.

 

Looking forward to reading the remainder of your review.

Susan

 

PS - It has been one of the coldest winters on record here in Florida so I feel for you winter cruisers and the cooler weather.:rolleyes:

 

Thank you Susan! I can relate about the economy... I was unemployed for about 6 months this past year - one of the many stresses we experienced. It's tough out there, but you are right, a good vacation with loved ones does wonders!

[kimberlys]

This is a great review and I love all the pics . . . thanks for taking the time to post this. I have to ask one question (i'm sure more people are wondering) How did you lose 50 pounds? You look great and that is quite an accomplishment. :)

[Sarapdot]

Where's the rest?? I was just reading along and then abruptly it stopped. :(

[BBigfoot613]

Where's the rest?? I was just reading along and then abruptly it stopped. :(

 

She said in the beginning that she only had a portion of it completed and would post that and then do an as you go with the rest. I'd assume she's working on the "rest of the story" :D

 

To the rabbit...congrats on the weight loss. That's excellent! You two look great and I thank you for the Coz pics. We were there on the 4th of march and I miss it already!

[File13]

Awesome review so far. Looking forward to the rest!

[littlemoonrabbit]

yes, I am sorry I had to stop posting, but I still have to write the rest. It may be a day or 2 before it is finished, and I will need Matt's help in making sure I have all the details correct.

 

Since I have been getting a lot of comments/questions regarding my weight loss, I figured I could give a little summary of how I lost it all...

 

I've actually been overweight pretty much my whole life. However, I had one of those "omg" moments when you realize that it's time to make a change, and I really committed to it. I was tired of always feeling uncomfortable and self conscious about my body.

 

The first step, honest to goodness, was making a pact with myself to stop the negative self-talk. Every time I had tried to lose weight previously, I did it out of self-hatred. Obviously, it never worked. So, I tried to make sure that I lost weight out of "love" for myself this time. Any time I heard any negative feedback in my head about my body, I stopped it, and tried to turn it around into something positive. I felt that I needed to make peace with my body before I could truly change.

 

The next part was accepting, and truly grasping the fact, that this was not a diet. I could not lose the weight and then go back to my old ways. It would not work. I had to find changes that I could stick to for the rest of my life. Period. No fads, no starving myself, no crash diets or crazy exercise schemes... just everyday changes that I could be okay with.

 

Next came the change of habits... I started slowly, changing my habits one at a time, rather than trying to do everything at once. First, I concentrated on eating more veggies. Then, I cut out all soda and 50% of my fruit juice intake. Then I started to focus on exercise. Then I worked on eating slower and making my portions smaller. Then, I worked on cutting out most of my sweet snacks. There were 2-3 weeks in between each one of these steps. Over time, these new habits just became the norm, and I almost forgot what it was like before I started my journey.

 

The next thing that really became important to me: finding exercise that I could enjoy. If you dread exercise... you're never going to stick to it. So, I found things that I loved to do, and did them frequently: playing dance dance revolution, going hiking, swimming in the pool, dancing in my living room while Matt was out grocery shopping... whatever I could do to make exercise fun, I did it.

 

I also insisted on treating myself for reaching milestones... but with non-food items (because in the past, I had treated myself with food, and that was a habit I needed to break). So, for every 5 or 10 lbs, I would buy things that made me feel pretty: perfume, a new hair cut, some new clothes, cute underwear, a new bathing suit... things like that. It helped to boost my self esteem, but kept me from making bad food choices.

 

Finally, I embraced the 80/20 rule. No one can be perfect ALL THE TIME. So, I try to make sure that I make good choices 80% of the time, and enjoy my little splurges during the other 20%. In the past, I was always too restrictive with my eating habits, so I would cause myself to binge. This time, I gave myself some leeway, and it has made the whole process so much easier.

 

After the weight came off, I obviously had to stick to my habits to keep it off. I currently work out 3-5 times a week for 30-60 minutes each session. I do a combo of cardio and strength training. I eat smaller meals, and use healthy snacks like fruits and nuts in between. I always try to get my 4-6 servings of veggies in. I only use whole grain bread and cereal products. We go out to eat maybe 2x a month, and I enjoy those meals without restriction. Those are also the only times I ever drink soda. I don't bake anymore, and the only sweets we have in the house are Hershey's dark chocolate nuggets for when I am craving something chocolaty.

 

I hope this info helped. I am always happy to answer questions regarding my weightloss because it has been such an amazing life change for me, and I love to share the joy it has given me with others who may be facing the same challenge. It is doable, but there is no quick fix - it's a life change that one needs to really commit to... but totally 100% worth it.

[DocJohnB]

Sitting down outside our gate, we anxiously awaited the arrival of our plane and when we boarded, I was so excited to turn off my phone. For Matt and I, it signifies that we are officially cut off from our professional lives, and stress no longer in the “vacation zone”

 

Any review that starts out like this is (more than likely) gonna be a great one. Now to sit back and enjoy.

[FAD]

you pictures are great. What camera did you use?

[billnye97]

yes, I am sorry I had to stop posting, but I still have to write the rest. It may be a day or 2 before it is finished, and I will need Matt's help in making sure I have all the details correct.

 

Since I have been getting a lot of comments/questions regarding my weight loss, I figured I could give a little summary of how I lost it all...

 

I've actually been overweight pretty much my whole life. However, I had one of those "omg" moments when you realize that it's time to make a change, and I really committed to it. I was tired of always feeling uncomfortable and self conscious about my body.

 

The first step, honest to goodness, was making a pact with myself to stop the negative self-talk. Every time I had tried to lose weight previously, I did it out of self-hatred. Obviously, it never worked. So, I tried to make sure that I lost weight out of "love" for myself this time. Any time I heard any negative feedback in my head about my body, I stopped it, and tried to turn it around into something positive. I felt that I needed to make peace with my body before I could truly change.

 

The next part was accepting, and truly grasping the fact, that this was not a diet. I could not lose the weight and then go back to my old ways. It would not work. I had to find changes that I could stick to for the rest of my life. Period. No fads, no starving myself, no crash diets or crazy exercise schemes... just everyday changes that I could be okay with.

 

Next came the change of habits... I started slowly, changing my habits one at a time, rather than trying to do everything at once. First, I concentrated on eating more veggies. Then, I cut out all soda and 50% of my fruit juice intake. Then I started to focus on exercise. Then I worked on eating slower and making my portions smaller. Then, I worked on cutting out most of my sweet snacks. There were 2-3 weeks in between each one of these steps. Over time, these new habits just became the norm, and I almost forgot what it was like before I started my journey.

 

The next thing that really became important to me: finding exercise that I could enjoy. If you dread exercise... you're never going to stick to it. So, I found things that I loved to do, and did them frequently: playing dance dance revolution, going hiking, swimming in the pool, dancing in my living room while Matt was out grocery shopping... whatever I could do to make exercise fun, I did it.

 

I also insisted on treating myself for reaching milestones... but with non-food items (because in the past, I had treated myself with food, and that was a habit I needed to break). So, for every 5 or 10 lbs, I would buy things that made me feel pretty: perfume, a new hair cut, some new clothes, cute underwear, a new bathing suit... things like that. It helped to boost my self esteem, but kept me from making bad food choices.

 

Finally, I embraced the 80/20 rule. No one can be perfect ALL THE TIME. So, I try to make sure that I make good choices 80% of the time, and enjoy my little splurges during the other 20%. In the past, I was always too restrictive with my eating habits, so I would cause myself to binge. This time, I gave myself some leeway, and it has made the whole process so much easier.

 

After the weight came off, I obviously had to stick to my habits to keep it off. I currently work out 3-5 times a week for 30-60 minutes each session. I do a combo of cardio and strength training. I eat smaller meals, and use healthy snacks like fruits and nuts in between. I always try to get my 4-6 servings of veggies in. I only use whole grain bread and cereal products. We go out to eat maybe 2x a month, and I enjoy those meals without restriction. Those are also the only times I ever drink soda. I don't bake anymore, and the only sweets we have in the house are Hershey's dark chocolate nuggets for when I am craving something chocolaty.

 

I hope this info helped. I am always happy to answer questions regarding my weightloss because it has been such an amazing life change for me, and I love to share the joy it has given me with others who may be facing the same challenge. It is doable, but there is no quick fix - it's a life change that one needs to really commit to... but totally 100% worth it.

 

I totally agree with how you have done it. I lost 60lbs myself my following pretty much the same rules. I first cut out all fast food and then I committed to making healthier eating choices. I committed to that for the first 3-4 months and then I started exercising. That was 3 years ago and I've kept the weight off and I feel 100 times better.

[IslandToIsland]

Great review and congrats on the weight loss.:)

[littlemoonrabbit]

I totally agree with how you have done it. I lost 60lbs myself my following pretty much the same rules. I first cut out all fast food and then I committed to making healthier eating choices. I committed to that for the first 3-4 months and then I started exercising. That was 3 years ago and I've kept the weight off and I feel 100 times better.

 

That's awesome, I am so glad to hear you have been successful in keeping it off too!

 

and your username cracks me up. Just the other day, while making breakfast, I asked Matt "You know, I was thinking about shows I used to watch as a kid... what ever happened to Bill Nye the Science Guy?"

 

Too funny :)

[BBigfoot613]

Sounds like atleast 2 posters watch that popular biggest loser show LOL. While DW and I are far from overweight we now watch what we eat in an attempt at living healthier...now if I could quit smoking I'd be much better!

[chadci]

Really enjoying the review. Your husband really looks like he got a bit too much sun :)

 

Congrats on the weight loss. I have a story much like yours. I got home from NYC a year or so ago and said holy crap, I'm WAY huge. Committed to losing and I've gone from 372 - 235 since then... took a LOT of dedication but I'm glad I did it.

 

I did notice, I don't see any stretch marks etc. in your photos, how did you get rid of them? I've got a dough ball belly and stretch marks on my belly and shoulders and I just can't seem to get rid of them.

[cruisinsassy]

Looking forward to seeing the rest! Heading out on the Legend in September and hoping time will speed up so it will get here!! :p Great pictures as well.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to post all of this! It's been extremely helpful!:D

[maggieworkman]

Braised Oxtail with all the fixins:

 

Curried goat, with all the same fixins:

 

 

I've heard that it is really expensive to eat in Grand Cayman. Approximately how much did this meal cost for the 2 of you?

 

Thanks. I'm really enjoying the review so far.

 

Maggie

[remharri]

Great advice on the weight loss and thanks for sharing. I've never been overweight until now and it's very difficult to lose weight and it is indeed baby steps. I have learned that as I get older the fast food and soda seems to just stick to me. You look amazing!

[cruisin_cutie]

The enchanted forest:

 

 

 

That is SO cool!

[gagirl]

Awesome and very detail review...I'm loving it!

What nights were the formal nights?

[TortieGal]

We sailed on the Legend in October and just wanted to let you know how much I'm enjoying being able to revisit things through your review! I just wish we had your day in Grand Cayman! I had Sting Ray City on my bucket list for 14 years and it was a miserable weather day. I think they should have canceled the excursion but what can you do?

 

Can't wait to read more! :D

[cruisin_cutie]

this is such a nice review! i have done this cruise before (different line) and all those ports were very enjoyable.

 

its nice to see a review from a young couple, i think it gives a fresh and/or different perspective. it seems like its usually middle-aged and up who post on here (not a bad thing, just an observation!!:D and i could be wrong bout that). i like to hear reviews from people who are the same age as DH and I (25 and 26).