Carnival Legend 6/3 REVIEW Pic HEAVY!

[Malinger]

I got this kid running out his door to see what was going on. His dad was taking a shower in the yard just to the right. It felt wrong to snap a pic of dad in all his glory so here is his son instead.

 

These are bats on the tree!

 

There are a couple troops of Howler Monkeys....I have some vid I will post if I can figure that one out. Till then some pics will have to do.

 

This was the end of our River trip.It was also where we stopped and could purchase a lunch if we wished. One final pic of the River. BTW we also saw a baby crocodile and quite a few "Log-o-diles" as the guide called them. Logs which look like crocs.

[kittycrusin08]

Thank you for sharing your cruise. Love your pictures, you do a great job. We loved the trip on the River Wallace and the ruins so your pictures brought back memories. Will look forward to the remainder of your review. ;)

[Malinger]

The place we stopped for lunch was called Belize R US. They also had rooms for rent as well as an inviting looking swimming pool! We purchased lunch which was Rice with Beans, a very tasty chicken, fried plantains (YUMMY!) and a very good cole slaw. The food was very good and reasonably priced. The other option was a burger I think but it just seemed out of place here. They also did Wine tasting of wines made locally. Cashews and other fruits were used to make the wine. I bought a bottle and took it back to the ship. Outside the restaurant there was a couple of craft people who made jewelry and carving made from Mohogany. The wife purchased some stuff while I snapped a few pics. (Are you seeing the pattern?)

The restaurant

Another funky sign

And a bird that lives at the resort. He is domestic but roams around the grounds free.

We then boarded the bus to head off to the ruins. The bus ride was down a pretty bad one lane dirt road. We crossed pretty deep streams as well!

Once we got to the ruins we were taken as a group. The guide gave us some of the history about the Mayans as well as Altun Ha itself. It was a beautiful place that you could just feel the history around you. I will only share a few pics promise!

One from the top of the ruin after making the climb!

[Malinger]

This is the altar on the top where sacrifices or blood letting would have occurred.

 

After climbing back down we were told we would have a few minuted to shop some of the crafters set up here. We really did not get much time at all as we were already running behind schedule and would arrive late back to port. On the way back to the port I took some photos through the bus window of various houses and stuff. I just love the colors they use on the houses there. Here are a few of them.

Pretty sure he has a large knife...lol

More laundry!

Must have been laundry day!

Innovative Furnitures- love it

[Malinger]

a basketball court ( I like to take pics of odd playing conditions...I have a nice Banyan tree basketball court from Maui) Maybe a new collection for me!:D

Gratuitous shot of the boat from the tender

 

Some birds on the posts in the water saying "Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine"

 

Our day in Belize was really unique and very cool. We had heard so many bad things about this port and we enjoyed it. The city itself may not be great. The local people we spoke to out on the tour were all Very nice and definitely loved Belize. The poverty here is a little different than what we are used to as is the way of life.There was a little pushiness from vendors but it seemed to come from an honest place. A polite "No Thank You" and we moved on.

We enjoyed seeing this little corner of the world and how different it all really is. It was certainly the most real port we encountered and something Carnival would have a tough time packaging up for us with pretty bows but that is also what made it charming.

If you give it a chance I "Belize" you will like it too! (Those who have been to Belize know what I am saying) Those who have not gone yet, you will!)

 

That may be it for tonight guys, I need a break for a bit!

[Malinger]

Thank you for sharing your cruise. Love your pictures, you do a great job. We loved the trip on the River Wallace and the ruins so your pictures brought back memories. Will look forward to the remainder of your review. ;)

Thank you, I appreciate you posting! Did you get to see manatees?

[twinbee]

Thanks for bringing back some great memories!! I sailed on the Legend back in May 2003, and that cruise is still one of my favorites.

[RollerCoasterLover]

Our day in Belize was really unique and very cool. We had heard so many bad things about this port and we enjoyed it. The city itself may not be great. The local people we spoke to out on the tour were all Very nice and definitely loved Belize. The poverty here is a little different than what we are used to as is the way of life.There was a little pushiness from vendors but it seemed to come from an honest place. A polite "No Thank You" and we moved on.

We enjoyed seeing this little corner of the world and how different it all really is. It was certainly the most real port we encountered and something Carnival would have a tough time packaging up for us with pretty bows but that is also what made it charming.

If you give it a chance I "Belize" you will like it too! (Those who have been to Belize know what I am saying) Those who have not gone yet, you will!)

 

I agree, I had heard so many bad things about Belize and didn't know what to expect. However, after visiting and experiencing it for myself, I like the charm of Belize. Thank you for all the pics and the review so far. I am really enjoying it.

[dz63]

I am really enjoying your review and photos. We are sailing on the Legend next month and your experience is making our upcoming cruise even more exciting! Thanks so much for taking the time to share.

[Malinger]

Once back on the ship today we had dinner. I had another flat iron steak. Which I actually caught a pic of.

Wife had the Farfalle...I thought mine was better but she liked hers.

For dessert it was bitter and blanc. I like the angle of the fork on this pic.

 

On to Roatan!

[Malinger]

I am really enjoying your review and photos. We are sailing on the Legend next month and your experience is making our upcoming cruise even more exciting! Thanks so much for taking the time to share.

 

I very jealous! I will send good vibes so you can have the same kind of weather etc. that we have. Have a great trip, I hope to read your report soon!

[Malinger]

Woke up this morning in Roatan and I was greeted to a great view of the sunrise. The mist lasted just long enough to snap the pic.

We didnt have breakfast the day we were in Roatan as we had a private tour booked with Victor Bodden and we wanted to get off the ship as early as we could. We walked into the port and did the obligatory pic in front of the Mahogany Bay shrubbery. Why does Carnival insist on taking pictures of people with Life preservers labeled Mahogany Bay when they have this great back drop to use? Any here is the pic some nice folks took for us. Puerta Maya has a nice shrubbery sign as well!

 

We headed through Mahogany Bay which was nice but we were beginning to get tired of the same stores that seem to be in all of the Carnival Made areas.

Diamonds International, Duty Free ( I said duty again!)Tanzanite International, etc. They all seem the same after awhile. So we went through the gate and over the hill to meet our tour guide from Bodden. We requested Tex (yes it is his real name!) based on reviews here at CC. The process to find Tex was easy and he took us to the car. We had filled out a form that asked us what things we might like to do. Tex asked a few more questions and we headed out. Tex took us first up a tall hill and said we would find some

nice views up there. He was right!

 

We stopped by Victor Boddens to pay for the excursion as well as to visit his monkeys (the wife wanted this one- I would have skipped it) It turns out to be pretty neat. The little things are awfully mischievous. Not many pics of them as they really wanted to take the camera.

 

Tex asked if we could make a stop by his house real quick so he could check on his puppies. We said sure and he took us there. He let us sit out on a dock behind his house while we waited. The dock overlooked the Anthony Key dolphin excursion area. It was a neat place to sit and watch the dolphins for a bit. Nice back yard he has!

We got in his van and started driving down the beach when I saw this hut on the water. Every magazine about islands has this pic. I asked Tex to if we could stop so I could snap some shots and he said sure. He said he didn't really understand why we might want a picture but he said we were not the first. I guess what you see everyday isnt the same....

[Malinger]

We told had told Bodden we wanted to go into West End Village for some shopping. Before we left for our trip a poster here on CC had lost a bumper sticker and wanted someone to pick one up....it was my wifes shopping mission to find one (we did not find the one they wanted though sadly)

Tex asked if we were hungry and we said yes. We told him we wanted to try something local so we headed to west village where he had just the thing.

We tried a couple Baleadas, which are a home made tortlilla with various fillings and sauce. they can be breakfast style or more beans and rice type stuff. We opted for the bean type with cheese. They were incredible and full of flavor. More amazing is that they were only $4.00 for 2 Baleadas and a water for Tex. (he was not hungry) I tipped the lady a dollar and she looked at Tex like I was crazy. Best value for the dollar so far! This is the place in west village we got them.

We really enjoyed west end and spent quite awhile here. It reminded me of Lahaina Maui but with dirt roads and realistic prices. I saw a piece of art in one the shops that grabbed my eye but I talked myself out of it.

We would love to do a land vacation at one of the resorts in Roatan on west bay. Putting that one on the list of things to do...

One last pic of west village before we move on

After we left the village we drove around the rest of the island. we were going to go snorkeling but I was a bit sun burned from Cozumel so we opted to just site see. Tex asked if wanted coffee or vanilla to take home and we did so he took us to a grocery store to buy it. It was WAY cheaper than buying it at the gift shops. We stopped in Coxenhole to do some shopping as well. Talked to a nice crafter there for quite some time. I really enjoy chatting with the local people and the people in Roatan are SUPER friendly.

We then headed back to Mahogany Bay and said our goodbyes to Roatan.

When we got back to the port we did a little more browsing at the shops in the port. We found a guy doing paintings there and bought one. It was $25 and is now currently getting framed here at home. Nice guy too!

[Malinger]

Back on ship now. we tried to grab a bite to eat on the Lido deck but it was PACKED today. So we headed back up to the room and ordered a couple pastrami sandwiches and hoped to catch a few pier runners. No runners today but lunch was good.

This is why you get the balcony folks!

 

Little Bear found a Tshirt in Roatan and enjoyed the balcony as well!

One of the long line to get back on ship

The beach at Mahogany Bay

 

We had a fun time in Roatan. I would like to visit again and really be able to soak it in. Of all the places we went this seemed like the one we would like to spend some time at. I dont think I would do the Private tour next time as I feel we did the big tour, but I would likely just head to West Bay and take the water taxi over to west village for lunch. Tex was great however and lived up to the high expectations set by the CC users. Thanks for tip guys!

[Malinger]

Next stop Grand Cayman and Stingray City

This was another tender port and since we were not on a Carnival tour we thought it would be slower to get off the ship. We didnt wait in the follies lounge long at all. Note on the days when we had tenders we at Follies waiting EARLY. The people showing up after the crowds arrived waited a bit longer. Some were actually kind of rude about it. It isnt the crews fault people give them a break!

Our Stingray City Tour was with Stingraysailing.com (another fine recommendation from CC users) We were told to look for the tent once we got off the ship. It was easy to find but we were quite early so we wandered around the shops a little. Chip (the owner of the boat) met us and organized our group. We all got in a van and headed out. The dock where Chips boat was wasnt far away and we pulled anchor. They had water for free and beer and soft drinks for sale. Later we would also be given fruit trays to snack on. No lunch was for sale so plan ahead!

The boat itself was small which is good for me especially after seeing some of the HUGE tour groups on some of the other boats. We got to Stingray City and we were given instructions on how to handle the rays. I got a few pics of the other boats before we got into the water. The color of the water is amazing here and the clarity is like a swimming pool!Notice the number of groups so close to each other and the number of people!

This guy took pictures and had them for sale on the boat. They were expensive but what are you gonna do?? :D

a patient ray

 

One under water

[Malinger]

After spending a decent amount of time with the rays we got back on board and headed of a short distance to the reef. I snorkeled for quite awhile my wife (who isnt the best swimmer) only snorkeled for a bit as it was pretty choppy. It was a very good snorkel spot and the reef was very healthy. It was especially good if you ventured a little further out than many people did. For some reason I have no pics from the snorkel...I do have some vids but I have not had time to do anything with them yet. I will ost one when I get to them.

On the way back we opened the sail and enjoyed the fruit and soda.

 

 

We got back to the van and headed back to the dock where the Legend was. There was a few hours left before we had to catch a tender. Chip offered to drop off people at Seven Mile Beach or back to the port. We went back to the port and we were going to go check out Georgetown a little.

This is a pic of the legend from the parking lot.

 

I have a tattoo on my back I started a few years ago. I add to it when I can at various places I visit. It is a signpost with signs of places I go with the mileage back to my hometown in Oregon.The idea of the tattoo came from sign posts we saw in Ireland. Sadly Ireland is not in the tattoo.

I saw a tattoo shop in near the ship and stopped in. Kat is the owner of the shop. She is from Scotland but moved to Cayman to open her shop. She agreed she could handle a quick job and went to work. I miss a lot of places I visit when it comes to tattoos, so it made me happy I could get this one.

Kinda blurry but you get the idea.

[Malinger]

For dinner that night I had the Lasagne app.

We both had the Filet Mignon and braised short rib. It was quite good!

My wife had the chocolate,rasberry, and vanilla cake

I opted to order from the kids menu and get the banana split :D Our waiter was amused by my order, but tell me this doesn't look good!

We had these waiting for us each night as well....

 

Overall, another fantastic day. I would recommend Stingraysailing.com for sure. Cayman is a very nice stop on a cruise and we would love to see it again on another cruise!

[Malinger]

Last day on the ship. Everyone looks a little glum today. We dont feel too bad we are meeting some family back in Tampa to go to Disney World for a week. I cant get Zippity Doo Da out of my head today.

We also had reservations for the steakhouse tonight. I chose the last night so we could finish on a high note foodwise and it turned out to be a good night to do it. We weren't exhausted from a port day and it was something to look forward to all week. The drawback to doing it on the last night was that we had to say goodbye to our waiters the previous night. They seemed genuinely sorry we wouldnt be joining them the last night but

 

Another round of Bingo and various stuff on the ship today to keep us busy before we went to the steakhouse.

For apps at the steakhouse I had the Lobster Bisque and my wife had the Ahi Tuna tartar which surpised me. she is a picky eater and while she does like sushi the bisque seemed more her style. When I saw the tar tar I knew she was mortified. It had bits of onion chopped up (which she does not care for) along with other stuff. She tried it and I decided to play the gentleman. I offered to trade he my delicious cognac lobster bisque. The tuna was very good though not near what the bisque was. I did earn some bonus points from the wife to use when I am in the doghouse some time.

For dinner, we both had surf and turf. Both cooked perfectly and it was HOT to boot!

Dessert for me was the Chocolate Sampler. Amazing presentation on this one!Each one was sooooo good but soooo rich.

My wife had the cheesecake which was HUGe. It was WAY better than the cheesecake in the MDR as well.

 

The steakhouse was well worth the extra cost and I reaally should have done it twice. The first night and last night would have been perfect. The service was fantastic and the food was there with it.

[Malinger]

That afternoon we went to the Future cruise talk that was given. There wasnt any info I got from it that I hadn't learned here first but it was ok. We did end up buying a certificate. We are talking about a b2b next year on the breeze. We shall see what happens I guess.

 

After the steakhouse we watched the sunset and then headed back to room to pack. The former was much more fun than the latter.

We had self assist debarkation in the morning so we could get back to the airport in Tampa to meet our families plane that was coming in. we were off the ship by 9:30 Am and on our shuttle (part of the Hampton Inn Rocky point package) by 10:00. Our families plane came in at 10:30 PERFECT!

[cruiseonthebrain]

Your pictures are bringing back wonderful memories!!! Terrific review!!!!!

[Malinger]

Recap-

The good stuff-

1.Carnival handled the crowds very well. From the time we got on the ship, each of the tenders, until debarkation. NICE JOB!

2.The Carnival staff was very good. The wait staff , stewards, bartenders, and really EVERYONE was on top of things. Kirk was pretty good as a director and was visible throughout the cruise. TJ was EVERYWHERE and quite funny. there were really too many to list though we did mention them in our survey Carnival sent after the cruise. Which by the way is posted on the ship for employees to see. I asked at guest relations if I could give special props to certain employees. She said this was the best way and they do go in the employees files as well. Good or bad!

3.The ship itself was a perfect size and easy to navigate.

4. The shows were actually better than I thought as well. The comedy shows as well as the larger reviews in follies were great.

5. The excursions we chose (both private and carnival) were perfect for us. saw some ruins, saw some wildlife, saw some local stuff, saw some sand. We are not chill on a beach kind of people so it was nice to have options.

6. The Steakhouse....man I am hungry just thinking about it!

 

The not so good

1. The art auction- We have been to one (and purchased a print) on Princess. It is a piece we really like but dont care if the value ever increases.I know about the dark side of Park West but I dont really care. I like art and I like looking at art

This one though just seemed so....whats the word that fits it...PRETENTIOUS. I dont know if it was the staff working it or what but it was bad.

We stayed for 10 minutes and left. The champagne was garbage and the whole attitude it was just too much.

2. The food in the MDR needs to be warmer. I dont know where the trays with the cover come from or if they sit too long before coming but something was missing. The food tasted great it just needed to be warmer.

 

3.The ship while clean needed some minor repair and refurbishing. It didnt detract from our stay at all though. One specific that comes to mind is the rather large wallpaper picture in the atrium lobby. You can view it coming down the elevators. It is peeling off the wall in several spots and does detract a little from the wow factor you are supposed to get from that area. There was a few other areas like this as well.

4. The waiters dancing....it seemed a little weird to us but some people like it. It didnt really seem too fit the style of the MDR well IMO. To each their own.

5.The first Elegant night there was quite a few people dressed up. The second I would say 1/4 of the people dressed up. I think many people got the formal pictures done and after that said that it IM DONE. IT didnt bother us really but carnival should take notice and either enforce a dress code or get rid of elegant night. I could care less either way but it just seemed contradictory.

6. Unlimited Soda- PLEASE CARNIVAL put in Soda stations so we can leave the bartenders alone! Make it so you scan a card or whatever!

7. I am not going to ask for live caribbean music on the ship..Ok yes I am. It would add so much to the tropical vibe!!

 

 

Other than that we had a fantastic time. We cannot wait to sail again. Thanks for reading everyone and when I get the videos done I will post those as well.

[Cruisin'Allie]

Loved your photos! I'll be on the Legend in 41 days!

[TrqoisWtrs]

 

love the idea of the signpost! I have a few souvenir tats too, but like a turtle from Hawaii, some geckos from Key West, etc.

[Csnorrco]

My wife says these are what you need. I am not into facebook much. Hopefully these work!:confused:

 

www.facebook.com/little.bear.3158

 

Found him and sent a Friend Request....wanted to show my daughter this so we can do something similiar on our upcoming trip! What a GREAT idea!!

Thanks!

[Malinger]

Loved your photos! I'll be on the Legend in 41 days!

Lucky! Start learning the electric sslide now! :D

love the idea of the signpost! I have a few souvenir tats too' date=' but like a turtle from Hawaii, some geckos from Key West, etc.[/quote']

Nice! My wife got a Turtle Tat last time we were in Maui. It was her first and most likely her last. she didnt deal with the trauma. LOL

Found him and sent a Friend Request....wanted to show my daughter this so we can do something similiar on our upcoming trip! What a GREAT idea!!

Thanks!

YAAAYY! Lil has 4 new friends today!

Lil will be going to the Bonneville Salt Flats to ride in a 1950 Plymouth we are building with my father in law to race there. Should be fun, watch for his pics!

I like the pic of Lil with the cheesecake at the steakhouse. He would have tried it but he was "stuffed" :D