Our "Sweet" Suite Cruise--a Photo Review

[EMc&DrS]

I think I just drooled a lttle over this picture..... great review and pics....thank you

 

I agree. I had to call my wife over earlier to show her the pics of the balcony, but just called her over again to show her this pic. We may have to have a shot tonight in honor of your great review!

 

I love it! Cheers!!!

[nonna5]

The shots from Nachi are bringing back memories that I cannot really remember.:eek:

[EMc&DrS]

The shots from Nachi are bringing back memories that I cannot really remember.:eek:

 

Funny!!!!--notice the pictures just kind of stopped that day..:confused:.

[EMc&DrS]

Loving your review!

 

We're sailing on the Triumph, so loved seeing those pictures.

 

Yor photography is exceptional! What camera do you use?

:):)

 

Thanks! It's actually just a point-and-shoot camera I bought at Costco--a Nikon Coolpix S8100

[geckog]

Ed,

Carnival B.V. now owns you a free canape tray on your next cruise! You just raised their canape sales 1000%!:D

Still leading the way to great cruising!

 

I know I just ordered one today because of that pic!

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the review and the wonderful photo's.

[justjim312]

Can you tell us since your balcony had so much overhang from the deck above you, did you get much direct sun? Could we get a good tan lounging out their all week? And one more question if you don't mind, the bed appears to be facing sideways and not directly facing the rear or the ships wake? Correct? Thanks for your time and the great review!!

[EMc&DrS]

Can you tell us since your balcony had so much overhang from the deck above you, did you get much direct sun? Could we get a good tan lounging out their all week? And one more question if you don't mind, the bed appears to be facing sideways and not directly facing the rear or the ships wake? Correct? Thanks for your time and the great review!!

 

There were times when we got full sun--just depended on the angle of the sun and which direction the ship was moving.

 

The bed was not at an angle--it faced the back windows. There was also a window on the side wall looking out the port side.

[EMc&DrS]

FRIDAY, JUNE 15—Grand Cayman: The trip from Roatan to Grand Cayman is definitely the longest overnight leg of the cruise,(about 19 hours) and we could tell from the increased vibrations in the aft section that the ship was moving faster that evening than it had the rest of the trip.

 

 

 

 

The ship was scheduled to arrive at 10 AM, and since we had a special day planned, we left our cabin in the back at 9:30 to make the long walk to the Follies Theater in the front. As we were approaching the theater, the cruise director was making an announcement for everyone to delay coming to the theater because they wouldn’t be handing out tender stickers until after the ship arrived. This wasn’t true. There was a short line when we arrived, but they were definitely giving out stickers. At about 9:40 we were given stickers for the 4th tender of the day. We were called to board the tender before 10 AM.

 

Having been to Grand Cayman in the past, I wanted to find something new for us to do---away from the crowds if possible. I had just about given up hope when I read a CC review in mid-April which mentioned Resort for a Day, a website that arranges day passes for cruise passengers at nice hotels in specific ports. After reading about the CC member’s positive experience, I decided to give it a try. IT WAS GREAT! My family really likes the Westin Hotel chain, so I was excited to surprise them with a day at the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa on Seven-Mile Beach:

 

 

 

 

We grabbed a taxi at the port for $5/person. He dropped us off at the front door of the hotel by 10:20 AM. The excursion is paid in advance, so I presented my voucher at the front desk, and we were given keys to our room for the day.

 

 

 

 

We also had access to all of the facilities, pools, etc. all for less money for a family of 4 than just about any other cruise sponsored excursion. (The voucher did say—no need to bring your cruise towels—towels will be provided. This was correct. I think they want any cruise passengers to blend in with the hotel guests. As far as we could tell, we were the only cruise passengers there that day.)

 

After “nesting” in our room and applying sunscreen on our verandah, we headed out for some nice lounge chairs by the pool with a view of the ocean:

 

 

 

 

[kbarnum]

Can you use points for the day?

[EMc&DrS]

These guys appeared out of a flowerpot on a pedestal behind our seats:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[EMc&DrS]

We enjoyed a walk on the beach, and everyone spent a lot of time in that amazing clear water:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[EMc&DrS]

The clouds began to form in the early afternoon, and we were eventually chased back to the room around 2 PM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After taking advantage of the “heavenly shower,” we checked out of the room around 3 PM so we could head back to the port for a little shopping before getting back on the ship. To my surprise, there were no lines for the tender at 4:30—just 30 minutes before “the last tender of the day.”

 

 

[EMc&DrS]

The ship actually departed a few minutes early, and we began the long journey back to Tampa. The rain had stopped, but the skies remained completely overcast---a fitting mood for the reality that we had boarded the ship for the last time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[EMc&DrS]

SATURDAY, JUNE 16—Fun Day at Sea #2: The weather this day was no less than spectacular! After sleeping in until about 9 AM, we enjoyed our deck for a while before spending the afternoon back in the Serenity area. As much as we liked Serenity on the Dream, we really appreciated the fact that Serenity on Legend has a pool. Although it’s nearly impossible to find a seat in the sun on Serenity, we could usually find a chair to put our stuff in the shade near the Serenity bar, and we could always get into the pool. On Dream, they only have hot tubs, and they were often occupied by groups of young adults who would take up residency for the afternoon with their buckets of beer making it impossible for others to use them. We didn’t care that we didn’t have a lounge chair in the sun because the pool was better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(If you look closely, you can see a rainbow in the mist)

 

 

 

[EMc&DrS]

About 5 PM we returned to our rooms to do the unthinkable---pack! To avoid that “on no—our cruise is over” feeling, I continued our other new “tradition” by once again booking an 8:30 dinner at the Steakhouse. We carried with us our last bottle of wine that we had brought onboard, and enjoyed a great dinner as we watched the last sunset of the trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surf & Turf:

 

 

Chocolate Sampler:

 

[EMc&DrS]

About halfway through dinner we noticed a familiar face in the kitchen—the chef from the Dream. When we mentioned to our server that we recognized him from our experience at the Chef’s Table last summer and asked if he had been moved to the Legend, she said, “No, he’s visiting for the week.” It was apparent that he was more than a visitor—he was definitely calling the shots!

 

To our surprise, a few minutes later he appeared at our table. Anyone sitting around us would have thought we were old friends by the way he interacted with us. It was then that he told us that he is no longer on the Dream, but is now going from ship to ship making sure everything is up to standard. Sounded like he is some sort of head chef for the fleet, although he didn’t use those exact words. I had read so many poor reviews of the food on Legend before our trip, but we had been pleasantly surprised with how good everything was all week. Now it made sense—he had been watching over all of them all week. He did tell us that he had recently been sampling new menu items that are coming soon, and had nothing but praise for what’s to come. We’ll see….

 

To our surprise, the head chef of the Steakhouse appeared at our table about 30 minutes later wearing his big tall hat. Now the people around us must have thought, “What’s up with this family?!?” He was extremely humble and wanted to know how our meal had been and especially how it had compared with our dinner at the Steakhouse on Dream. We had no complaints!

 

 

 

We closed the Steakhouse down at 11:30 PM, but we had to experience the walk down the class staircase to make the evening complete. I had read about this staircase being “scary,” but you just have to experience the feeling of looking 10 stories down as you descend these stairs---really messes with your mind!

 

 

 

 

Looking down from the 12th floor to the 2nd floor:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's an interesting shot I took the night before. I was out on the sun deck looking down into the Whale Tail. I actually put my foot up on the Whale Tail and leaned forward looking all the way down to the atrium below through the red glass. This is what you see:

 

 

 

 

We returned to our room just in time to cram our dress clothes into a suitcase and get our bags outside the door before the midnight deadline.

[EMc&DrS]

Can you use points for the day?

 

Starwood points? I don't think so since it is arranged through a second company. They did take my Starwood number and were going to give me points for any food or spa services we paid for, but the rain chased us away before we could buy any lunch out by the pool.

[erewhon]

Thank you for your review and fantastic photos.

[kew1031]

Your pics of Roatan and Cayman took me back!

We did a day pass in Grand Cayman to a resort that looked very much like the one you went to. I'm not sure it was the same one, but VERY similar layout. We didn't get a room, just beach and pool access.

We bought lunch and drinks at the poolside bar- Bruce put it on his AMEX card. Said later it was the most expensive burgers and drinks he ever bought. I think the tab with tip was about $65.00:eek:

but the beach was gorgeous...

[EMc&DrS]

Your pics of Roatan and Cayman took me back!

We did a day pass in Grand Cayman to a resort that looked very much like the one you went to. I'm not sure it was the same one, but VERY similar layout. We didn't get a room, just beach and pool access.

We bought lunch and drinks at the poolside bar- Bruce put it on his AMEX card. Said later it was the most expensive burgers and drinks he ever bought. I think the tab with tip was about $65.00:eek:

but the beach was gorgeous...

 

Yes, you can be fooled by the menu prices--they are in Cayman Island dollars, so they appear cheaper than they really are!

[smack22]

Thank you for the review and for sharing! I know it's hard to come back and post :) I now know what our next cruise will be :)

[kbarnum]

Starwood points? I don't think so since it is arranged through a second company. They did take my Starwood number and were going to give me points for any food or spa services we paid for, but the rain chased us away before we could buy any lunch out by the pool.

 

Yes, starwood points, I was just curious. We look like we are heading to the turtle farm anyway with the kids, but I just was wondering. Thank you for the superb review and the response. You seem to have a wonderful family. Congratulations!

[RMM34667]

Great Review and Great Pictures. I'm glad I haven't been on CC for a few days and got to read it straight through!

[EMc&DrS]

Great Review and Great Pictures. I'm glad I haven't been on CC for a few days and got to read it straight through!

 

Thanks! A little more to come tomorrow or Monday. We stayed in Clearwater for Father's Day after debarkation.