Mediterranean Cruise with Children Review – Legend of the Seas 7 Night W. Med

[Travel R]

An even closer look at a part of the Sagrada Familia:

 

 

 

Birds images atop the spires (Sagrada Familia)

 

 

 

A 360 view from a square within the Gothic Quarter:

 

 

 

Inside a Spanish building (Gothic Quarter, Barcelona):

 

 

 

 

A Spanish fountain (Gothic Quarter, Barcelona):

 

[Travel R]

Gothic Cathedral (Barcelona):

 

 

Angels and other carvings on the spires of the Gothic Cathedral:

 

 

Columbus Monument (Barcelona - taken from Las Ramblas):

 

 

 

Human Statue - Alien (Las Ramblas, Barcelona):

 

 

 

Human Statue - John Lennon (Las Ramblas, Barcelona)

[Note: I have no idea who the kid is, so I blotted out the face]

 

 

 

Chicken Paella (Las Ramblas, Barcelona):

 

[cruise pup]

 

I cannot recall the name of this house, but I took a picture of the building and waterfalls while driving past it on the bus:

 

 

This is the National Museum of Catalan Art (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya or MNAC). The collection inside is fantastic! If you are a museum person and ever get back to Barcelona I highly recommend a visit.

[pmh901]

Travel R...I am enjoying your review immensely. So much of what you have written mirrors my own thoughts and experiences. My husband and I took our children on their first cruise when our daughter was 13 and our son was 9. We shared your concern about how much independence to allow them on the ship. Our kids are now 22 and 18 and absolutely love cruising, but they have decided that they prefer the fun Caribbean to the history intensive Mediterranean. Their favorite part of cruising is dinner in the MDR and they look forward to the formal nights. Exposing your children to travel is a gift they will treasure forever!

[Travel R]

This is the National Museum of Catalan Art (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya or MNAC). The collection inside is fantastic! If you are a museum person and ever get back to Barcelona I highly recommend a visit.

 

Thank you for the info.

 

I already have it in my calendar to return to Barcelona in (or about) 2027 after the completion of the Sagrada Familia -- and will take my time enjoying all of the architecture and the museums the city has to offer.

[Travel R]

Travel R...I am enjoying your review immensely. So much of what you have written mirrors my own thoughts and experiences. My husband and I took our children on their first cruise when our daughter was 13 and our son was 9. We shared your concern about how much independence to allow them on the ship. Our kids are now 22 and 18 and absolutely love cruising, but they have decided that they prefer the fun Caribbean to the history intensive Mediterranean. Their favorite part of cruising is dinner in the MDR and they look forward to the formal nights. Exposing your children to travel is a gift they will treasure forever!

 

I am glad you are enjoying the review.

 

We are lucky to have been able to take them to Europe this year (and via the cruise was the best way to get a taste of a wide range of culture and history). Most of our vacations have been in the US and of course all of the Orlando parks, but we already planning another family trip abroad in about three years.

 

I am only going to be brief here in regards to formal night, but I believe it is a very positive experience for them. Although there is a number of occasions where they do dress up during the year, there is just something nice about dressing up on formal night on a cruise. My kids did enjoy it - not only the formal night itself, but pre-cruise choosing exactly what they were going to wear and pack for each of the two formal evenings.

[xxHadleyxx]

Our family has the same feelings about formal night that you do. My kids, yes even the teen boy, like it too :)

 

You got some great photos of the details of Sagrada Familia--I enjoyed perusing them, thanks.

[Travel R]

Our family has the same feelings about formal night that you do. My kids, yes even the teen boy, like it too :)

 

You got some great photos of the details of Sagrada Familia--I enjoyed perusing them, thanks.

 

These were only 4 of many pictures of the structure -- I know I will be back there (eventually).

[Travel R]

We once again dined in the MDR. MY DD13 wanted to make sure we ate as early as possible, so she would be able to meet up with her friends after dinner about 8:15 PM.

Dinner

Dinner was nice, and uneventful. We did not plan on doing much that evening besides a game of bingo, so even after the girls left to their respective clubs, we sat and enjoyed our deserts. But before I move onto the rest of the evening, allow me to share my menu options for the evening and my thoughts:

Appetizer: Seafood Risotto. Very, very good and although a small portion, it was full of various seafood (note to self: If I ever order this again, get two portions).

Soup: Vichssoise. This American soup that somehow became associated with French cooking (due to its name) was on the menu. I was going to order something else, but my kids thought the name was funny and wanted to try it. I agreed (although it is not one of my favorites). The soup was just okay, and my DDs agreed.

Main Course #1: Calamari. I liked the way they made them and they were not too greasy or oily and did not taste bad. However, it was a very small portion of only 5 rings – not really enough to hold me over for dinner.

Main Course #2: Coq au Vin. This classic French dish would have been better placed for dinner after our stopover in Marseilles. This is a dish I have prepared myself a few times before with both Chicken and Turkey. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the dish the way they had it prepared. It was a bit bland and it seemed as though it was missing something, but could not decided what it was – maybe it was the choice of wine they used, or not enough garlic or butter. But the short of it was that it was just okay. I ate it (I was hungry), but would not select it again if I saw it offered on another cruise.

Dessert: Strawberry/Chocolate Mousse. A very good end to the meal.

A quick comment on the Children’s Menu (I saw this in my notes and wanted to add it somewhere) – Although the children’s menu/placemat includes games & other activities printed on it, the wait staff does not have crayons for the children to color & play. You may want to take some crayons or a pen with you to the MDR if your child would like to occupy themselves with the placemat menus.

Shuffleboard & Bingo

After dinner we went back to the room to relax for a few minutes and changed into shorts & t-shirts. We then decided to stroll around the ship and just enjoy being on the ship. While we walked around the ship we did stumble upon the shuffleboard area, so we played two or three games. I have not played it in years (I kept overpowering my shots) but my DW did fairly well. [Did You Know that the shuffleboard pole is called a tang and the pucks you push are called biscuits?]

Eventually we made it to the Anchors Away Lounge to play Bingo. We arrived at 9:30 to pick up our one game, then it took at least another 35 minutes until they began . . . . that is, they began to provide the rules in three languages so that everyone would understand, and it was not until almost 10:15 that they began the game, which was at most 10 minutes (and we did not win). My DW enjoys it, and at $22, I guess there are worse things to do with the money.

My DD13 got back from her friends at about 11:30, and because I was tired, I had already gone to the Park Café and picked up some snacks for us. We ate quickly and I probably fell asleep by 10:35.

 

Up Next . . . . Palma and a day to do nada

Edited July 30, 2013 by Travel R

[Travel R]

A Towel Animal (Elephant) - also the only photo I am displaying of my stateroom (I will be reviewing the room fairly soon (and will reproduce this picture on that post as well).

 

 

 

A little game of shuffleboard:

 

 

Anchors Away Lounge (prior to Bingo):

 

[Travel R]

Our Stateroom

 

One question that is brought up on CC from time to time, is “how many people can comfortably fit into my stateroom”? I do not believe that this review will answer that questions, comfort and room size requirements is a personal thing – but for my family (2 adults, 2 DDs – 8 & 13), on this cruise, at this time, the D3 balcony was more than adequate.

A picture of my stateroom (the only one I have and can display):

 

 

 

 

We have cruised before, lodging in inside cabins, and outside ocean-views, but this was our first balcony stateroom. Having been in these other categories before, I knew that I would need something larger to accommodate us and our two children. Since this was a Mediterranean cruise, I also wanted to have a balcony. A junior suite was $1000 more, which is a significant amount (for us) when added to the other costs of this vacation. At the time, they did not have any connecting balconies available (Category E or D). Another option posed to me (by an RCI rep) was two connecting oceanview rooms on Deck 2 or 3 (only about $200 more than the one balcony) or get a balcony with an inside directly across the hall (I do not remember the price difference, but I immediately ruled it out). Taking everything into consideration, I felt that the 191 square feet, plus the additional room on the balcony (42 sq. ft.) would suit our needs, and I was pretty intent on having a balcony for this itinerary.

 

 

I selected room #7526, which is a Category D3 - Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony. FYI – I had already added a short summary of this stateroom on the RCI Cabin Info Compilation thread at: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=38981986&highlight=7526#post38981986 .

 

 

Why the One Balcony Room was Sufficient for My Family:

 

 

• We are a fairly young family with a 13 year old and an 8 year old daughter. If my daughters were old 1 room would probably not work, or if I had one daughter and one son.
  
• We really do not require a lot of room – nor do we have any mobility issues. Although there is room during the day, when the couch is pulled out, any additional room and walking space is severely limited.
  
• This was a port-intensive cruise which would keep us out of the room for most of the day.
  
• During the late afternoon and evenings we had planned on seeing shows, getting involved in activities, and the kids attending the teen clubs.
  
  • Us adults – although we did not become involved in as many activities as we had on prior cruises, if we were in the cabin during the afternoon, it was sans the kids. Getting ready for dinner seemed to be the only real busy time, but I made use of the balcony. We did not really get back to the cabin at night until after the show (10-10:30), whereas my DD8 would go to sleep, my DW would watch TV, and I would go out to the balcony
    
  • DD8 – Except for maybe the first day, she was out of the room most of the day until it was time to get ready for dinner, then after returning with us from a show.
    
  • DD13 – Was hardly in the room except getting ready for dinner, and not returning until midnight to almost 1 am each evening.
    
  • For all – mornings were a little crowded since the couch bed was pulled out, but once again, I was up, showered, and ready by the time they got dressed and out on the balcony to give them room.
    

  [*]I believed, when booking, that would make use of the balcony. In actuality, I did so more than even I had expected (and loved every minute of it). The balcony also became essential when it was time to get ready in the morning and before dinner. I would be the one to shower & get ready early, I would subsequently sit out on the balcony so the girls could do their thing. It had worked out well for us (and there was no major storm that kept me indoors).

 

Stateroom Description

 

 

The room is much larger than any of the rooms (inside/oceanview) than we have had on previous cruises. With the couch closed, there is ample room for the four of us to more around freely, although moving past the bed and through the entranceway (adjoined to the front closet and restroom) could be tight (especially at the beginning and end of the cruise when packing & unpacking). However, we all managed just fine. It also became tight at times to walk around the pulled out couch to get to the balcony (and the use of the desk/chair was impossible). Part of it is also expectations. We have travelled and stayed at some very large hotel suites. We are on a cruise and our expectations were being able to get a clean and comfortable room to sleep and store our items – and we went into this with the expectation of the stateroom not being very large.

 

 

Bed – The bed (Royal King) was fairly comfortable (sleeping was not a problem for any of us). It was large enough for us, and even large enough to fit the DW, myself and my DD8 when watching TV. I had no qualms about the bed, or the bedding, and neither did my family. Even the pull-out couch was comfortable to my kids (although too soft for me).

 

 

Television & Programming – Since I mentioned the TV, let me continue by discussing it. The flat screen TVs were nice and crystal clear, and they were able to move around the room for better viewing from the bed (which was off to the side) or the couch (which was directly in front of it). The variety of TV channels was very limited, even for English speaking passengers. There were two movie channels – although one always seemed to have some type of RCI commercial or programming on it, and the movie selection was not especially good. There were two children’s stations, but one was for much younger kids (a positive if you have younger kids with you). There were a few non-English stations, and the standard channel with info from the bridge. However, there seemed to be many stations that played RCI programming with all of the port talks and replays of the evening’s shows and newlywed game (which must have been on a continuous loop for at least 24 hours). As I mentioned in an above post, the cruise director was everywhere on every one of these RCI stations. On the other hand, we did not spend much time watching TV, so I really cannot complain.

 

 

Air Conditioner – The AC system in this room worked perfectly. Although most days it did not get past the low to mid 80’s, the room was always cool, and the system was not even on full blast. For someone like myself that likes it coo, this was of utmost importance to me.

 

 

Mini-Bar / Fridge – We had a little min-bar fridge in our room (Category E balconies do not). I kept my red wine and some bottles of water in the fridge and it actually kept my items cold (a complaint that others have made), and there was room for my items. [When to chill or not chill wines is a discussion for another website, but for fruiter red wines, I prefer them served cool, while I prefer my white wines room temperature (except perhaps slightly chilled for a burgundy or a full bodied chardonnay).]

 

 

[With both the AC and the fridge working better than expected, I was a very happy man.]

 

 

Vanity Area – We really did not use the desk/vanity area much, although the girls did use the mirror for putting on makeup. Once again, we were not in the room much to sit and do any writing, and the area was rendered useless when the couch was opened up as a bed. One thing I did like is that there were two rows of shelves to either side of the mirror that came in handy for storing extra items – including all of my travel books.

 

 

Lighting – The lighting in the room was fine (as soon as we were able to figure out which switch controlled which light). With the shade open, there was also plenty of light coming in from the balcony. We did not bring a nightlight with us on this cruise, but because of the small pathways around the beds, and since we had my daughters in the room, we kept the bathroom light on all night (with the bathroom door slightly ajar). At night, it did get pretty dark in the room without that light and we were worried about the kids having to get out of their bed and past ours without hurting themselves (or otherwise would not have used all of that electricity all night). There are no lights out on the balcony (as I have read on CC, this is standard). If there is a light in the room, and with the shade opened slightly, there was decent lighting outside. When the inside light was off, there was usually enough light from the waning moon to see what I was doing – which was mostly sitting and listening to my iPod.

 

 

Outlets – Between all of our iPods, Kindles, and digital cameras, we had a sufficient number of outlets for our room – for the four of us. Although I must add that both of my DDs did not use their iPods, Kindles, or PS3s very much during the cruise itself (which is the way it should be) – but were able to have everything fully recharged for the haul home.

 

 

Hair Dryer – Although I personally did not use the hair dryer, my family did. They did mention that it was not the most high-powered machine they ever used, but it was good enough to do up their hair, even on formal night.

 

 

Bathroom – The bathroom was just as small as I remembered it, although I believe that I have had smaller ones (maybe on the Empress). It had everything I remember, and since it is not a suite, it did not have any of the toiletries except small bars of soap. We did not bring any of our own shampoo (did not want to deal with the amount of liquid items allowed on flights), and used the mystery stuff in the dispenser on the wall. None of us complained about the mystery shampoo – it was fine, but more importantly, the pressure from the shower head was fantastic. I will make no exaggerations, the bathroom is tight, but with a little flexibility there was enough room, even for me, to get dressed. Another short note is that the shower curtain is magnetic and mostly stayed in place, but the area within the shower stall is also small and can easily be opened if you knock into it (which may get some water on the bathroom floor). Also remember, there is some storage room in the bathroom to use (for things that may be able to get damp).

 

My only issue with the bathroom was that the hot water from the small wash basin did not freely flow with hot water, and if it did, you had to wait for a minute until it got warm.

 

 

Balcony Door – I am not sure if only applies to my cabin or to all cabins, or if it is an issue with every room, but if the door is not closed just right (and I may have to try two or three times), the wind will seep through (and will create an annoying noise of the air coming through). Also as a side note, I brought clips for the window shades/drapes, but they did not move, so I did not make use of them. When closed at night, the room was almost pitch black.

 

 

Storage – I have to say that all four of us were able to completely empty out our suitcases and place everything into the many spaces within the room. All four of our suitcases fit under the bed which saved us A LOT of space. One tip was to fold all dirty clothing and place it into the suitcases (using one suitcase at a time). This way we were ahead of ourselves when it came time to pack. Also large souvenirs were also placed into a separate suitcase and therefore out of the way. One thing that has to be established is that everyone has to make an extra effort to keep their items neat and organized (my DD’s did very well – I wish that they would be that good at home).

 

 

Room Seward – I know that some readers do not care who my room Seward is since they are most likely never to have him. [And yes, I did mention how good he was in my survey, and even emailed RCI after the cruise – but I also want say so here one more time.] But for those of you that may have Richard from the Philippines, you are getting a great room Seward. When we first got into the room, my DW discovered that there were only towels for two people (a concern because after schlepping around Rome that morning, getting to the ship, and possibly taking a swim that afternoon), we would all most likely be taking showers prior to dinner. [FYI – two of our bags were already outside our room by this time with the two others in the hallway near the elevators.] Richard greeted us and introduced himself a few minutes after we had arrived and asked us if we needed anything. We told him about the towels, and also asked him for some ice and a corkscrew. He said he would have everything for us as soon as he could. He had the towels fairly quickly (and this is with being involved in getting everyone’s luggage to their rooms), and by the time we returned from dinner, he had the ice and corkscrew awaiting us.

 

 

We also noticed that RCI did not provide us with the cups that came with the beverage package – Richard said that the quickest thing to do would be to call the front desk. After calling them, they said no problem, but would I like to go down there and pick it up, or should they send someone up to our room with it (I opted for them to bring it us since I was busy unpacking). Someone brought up the cups in less than a half an hour.

 

 

During the week Richard was always quick to make up our room, and always seemed to be around in the afternoon to my DD8’s chagrin – she liked opening the door herself (as she does in hotels), but Richard was always quick and had our door opened for us whenever he saw us walking down the hall. I did not drink the wine on the first night, but before dinner on the second evening, I tried to open a bottle of wine. With my super strength, I broke the corkscrew in the cork, so no wine that evening, and I left the bottle on the vanity table. When we returned from dinner, the bottle of wine was open, a new corkscrew was lying next to it, and he also provided us with two wine glasses. Although we did not make any other requests for the remainder of the cruise, he brought us a fresh bucket of ice each night, and kept our room clean. He was also very courteous and friendly every time we had contact with him. I left him an extra tip and gift at the end of the cruise (I’ll discuss tipping in a later post).

 

 

Balcony – the balcony itself was fairly clean and included two chairs and a table. There seemed to be ample room for two adults (or even two adults and one kid), however, there was not very much room for all four of us to be out there at the same time for any extended period of time. It was on the balcony where you can see where they did not fully change everything during the refurbishment in February. There were very visible rust stains on the ledge/railing of the balcony.

 

The view was very nice and there was only a very, very, limited obstruction from the canopy from the balconies below and above. Maybe a 5% obstruction from seeing directly below the ship – not really very much at all.

 

 

Benefits of a Balcony (To Me) [“Now that I have had a balcony, I’ll never go back”]

 

 

There is a thread on CC not long ago discussing the benefits of having an inside cabin over an outside or balcony. Having now been in all three, I can say that there are benefits to each, but now that I have had a balcony, I am hooked. Some of the benefits I prefer a balcony include (once again you may not see these as being benefits, or do not outweigh some of the benefits (e.g., cost) of an inside room):

 

 

• Being one with the Sea – Yes, you can go up aboard one of the decks and look over the railing and feel the fresh sea breeze on your face. However, you do not have the same privacy as when you are on a balcony, especially late at night, sitting in the comfort of your area and just “chilling out.” Although I did not have a glass of wine on the balcony during this trip (it just did not work out), I can also imagine the enjoyment of doing so. It was just so amazing sitting out there in the middle of the ocean. And yes, on previous cruises I have sat out on deck, even in quiet areas, but from personal experience (for me), it is just not the same.
  
• Favorite Cruise Memories – Some of my favorite memories of my past cruise occurred out on the balcony. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I sat one night with my daughter on my lap trying to make shapes out of the clouds, or watching the pyrotechnic show from a lightning storm miles away on shore. Or as mentioned directly above, sitting out and being one with the Sea.
  
• Extra Room – The balcony came in very handy in the morning when getting ready for the day and before dinner getting ready for dinner. I got ready early, then left the girls to do their thing while I sat out on the balcony enjoying myself. Without me in the room, they could change and have the extra space to get ready.
  
• When DD Went to Sleep. The balcony was a nice place to retreat to when my DD8 went to sleep. She does not like the TV or many lights on, so instead of having to leave the room or sit inside in the darkness, it provided me a place to go, or if I went out there with my DW, we could speak to each other and still be close to my daughter if she needed us.
  
• Great Views Pulling into Port. I know that you can look out your port window (most are small), or go up on deck, but while still in your PJs, you can go out on deck and see some magnificent views while pulling into the port (or some great views while actually docked in port). Although we did not use room service on this cruise, I have read that many CC members order in breakfast and eat while watching the views.
  

 

Everyone’s needs, wants, and situations are different, and there was nothing wrong with any of the inside or oceanview cabins I have had. However, now that I have experienced a balcony, I am more than likely going to book balconies on future cruises.

 

 

One day I’ll try a suite, and probably turn my back on a balcony.

 

 

Location

 

I chose a room that was close to the stairs/elevator and closer to the top of the ship than lower. Room #7526 is on Deck 7. There is only one deck above with guest rooms (Deck 8). There are guestrooms above and below this room, so I do not have to worry about any noises coming from either location. Although when your room right next to an elevator, you can be asking for trouble with all of the noise, by being just a few rooms away (3), you avoid the noise, and still are close enough to them and the stairwell. Deck 7 is also somewhat in the mid-way for the decks with all of the activities that we would attend (three decks from everything) – from Deck 4 (Anchors Away Lounge & lower floor of MDR) to Deck 10 (Kid/Teen club & running track) – so the elevator was not really needed most of the time.

 

 

We really do not get sea sick, so the height of the deck did not matter, and being towards the front or the aft did not really matter to us as well (except for being all the way in the front or all the way towards the aft, while not being in the aft itself).

 

 

For this Mediterranean itinerary, I chose the starboard (right) side instead of port (left). Although one can never really predict what angle the ship may dock, the ship will be mostly cruising from east to west, so for most of the cruise, my room would be facing towards the coastline. It was a decent gamble, and I think it paid off with both the views while the ship was moving, and some great views while in port.

 

 

Summary

 

 

In summary, we were very happy with our stateroom, and I would not hesitate to get another similar balcony room again. The kids were okay in the room (my DD13 was hardy in it), and we had no real complaints.

Edited July 31, 2013 by Travel R

[Travel R]

A Morning Walk

 

This was a morning not like most of my recent mornings. For the first time in half a fortnight, I had unadulterated, restless, peaceful, and uninterrupted eight hours of sleep. I was able to get to sleep a little after eleven thirty and did not raise my head from my pillow until half past the hour of seven. The sun had already begun its march over the Spanish sky. Upon arising from my bed, I found a beautiful little girl with an enormous amount of pent up energy ready to be released. Our schedule for the day was fairly free, so I offered my daughter the chance to accompany me on my morning saunter. She gleefully agreed, we quickly got clothed, and left the room with the remainder of our family abed.

 

Once we arrived on the top deck, began circumnavigating the ship. Unlike my solo morning exercise, our pace was leisurely and we took our time. We only made two revolutions, but we frolicked in the morning breeze and I took many pictures of my youngling and the deck of the Legend of the Seas. Our return to the cabin was sidetracked by my famished daughter, so we made headway down to the Solarium for the selection of provisions available next to the Park Café. At this late hour the offering was larger than normal with pastries, biscuits, fruit, cereals, and other items that should appease our hunger. We made our selections with additional refreshments for our roommates and made it back to our stateroom. We took quick nourishment with the bundle we had brought back and everyone got ready for breakfast.

 

‘Twas was not a day lost in the shuffle of planning, nor a day filled with non-stop action, but one that we mindful to left open for the pursuit of nothingness.. The city of Palma and the land of Mallorca was described as being beautiful, but after a week of intense nonstop motion, it was time to pull back into a low gear and accomplish as little as possible.

 

Breakfast and A Touch of Palma

 

We took our morning meal in the Romeo and Juliet themed dining room as usual, and ate at our leisure, taking time to savor the morning selections. The featured delicacy of the morning was Salmon Benedict, which I wholeheartedly ordered. Although I enjoy the traditional Eggs Benedict, it may not always be the wise choice to take the road less travelled, but sometimes the risk is worth it. In the matter at bar, the Salmon Benedict was the correct choice – and with the breakfast bar as a supplement, this simple meal was heavenly.

 

We arose contented, and proceeded off the boat to the port town of Palma for no other reason than to say that we were there. DD13, however, had ulterior plans and remained to meet up with her like-aged shipmates. Our little foray was no longer than half an hour, providing us enough time to see the pier, cross a street, enter a store, and walking back to our vessel. After our return, our DD8, upon her request, was brought to the Adventure Ocean, giving us some free time before lunch. The kids club was open during lunch that day and it did not take my DD8 much convincing when we asked her if she wanted to have lunch with them. In the meantime we spent a tranquil morning in the stateroom and then dinned together in the buffet for our midday meal.

 

An Afternoon at the Pool

 

After we had dined, we gathered up our younger daughter, changed into bathing suits and enjoyed a few hours frolicking on the pool deck. Like prospectors of old, we claimed suitable chairs to lounge upon directly at the pool’s edge. The dreaded chair hogs had not staked out every available area seat, providing us with ringside view of our daughter swimming in the salt water. Although I submerged myself in the pool with my daughter, within minutes she was befriended by children her age, and old dad was thrown to the side like yesterday’s lunch. I sat back down on my chair adjoining my beautiful wife, enjoying my book and a frosty alcoholic drink. I sat out in that blazing sun for awhile, but after two hours, I had had enough, and took leave to enjoy the chilly comfort of our air conditioned cabin. I took a shower, then reclined on the bed and continued to read my book where I had left off while on deck. Eventually, the girls returned and my serenity was broken by a return to our former lives as lanbdlubbers, and my DD8 turned on the TV to some child programming and remained glued to the video screen until it was time to prepare for dinner.

 

Dinner and Pleasant Company

 

We put on our smart casual attire and made our 6:30 reservations in the dining area with our usual waiters and they did not fail to provide the exceptional service as they had during the previous few evenings. Dinner, once again was enjoyable. My menu selection was not memorable, but in contrast, our dessert and our very pleasant company for the dinner’s finale overshadowed any of the food served. My selections for the evening are as follows:

 

Appetizer: Seafood Salad. The salad was very good, albeit a bit small, but full of seafood. Once again, this was one of those items I should have ordered double.

 

Soup: Duck Consommé: One word – tasteless.

 

Main Course #1: Prime Rib. It was not bad, but not very memorable either. However, it was cooked the way I like it.

 

Main Course #2: Shrimp (don’t note which kind). Also an okay dish, but once again, not memorable, except not a very large portion, and I was happy to have had ordered a separate entre to fill my stomach.

 

Dessert: Chocolate Ice Cream. For dessert that evening I chose a simple dessert, chocolate ice cream, and sugar free, to boot. Not far from us, two of my DD13’s friends were seated with one of their parents. At the allotted time of eight o’clock, just after the children had finished their own deserts, they all left to go have fun with their respective friends (my DD13 escorted my DD8 to the Adventure Ocean). We invited the parents over to our table, and they accepted. For the next half hour or more we spent talking and enjoying each other’s company. However, eventually we had to leave to pick up our daughter to go see the aerial show.

 

Acrobats and a Violinist

 

We took our previous spots at the Centrum on Deck 7 and awaited the show. The boat was not swaying as much as on the previous evening and the performance was given the green light. It was a very entertaining show with displays of acrobatic skill and showmanship. The costumes were fiery and melded well with the lights and music. It also provided guests with a great opportunity for some nice photographs.

 

Coming off from the energy of the sky show, we zigzagged our way through the crowd to the evening’s headliner, Vincenzo Gentile, a violinist showman (the most energy we spent throughout the entire day). This was one of the best musical shows I remembered ever seeing on a cruise ship. I do happen to enjoy classical music, and although Mr. Gentile is not a premiere master, he is very talented, and chose songs that were enjoyable and drew the crowd in.

 

Back at our room, my younger daughter could not get to sleep, so we fully opened the shades to the balcony, extinguished our lights, and turned the pillows on her bed around so she can look outside. The three of us rested in that position for a while until my daughter fell soundlessly asleep. My DW went to our bed to sleep, and I took my evening position on the balcony to enjoy the ocean air and listen to my music. Since there was no sight of land during this evening’s crossing, so I began imagining what creatures or things may be lurking in that cold dark water. At one point, I imagined that the Nautilus would ascend from the depths, as it had done in the Jules Verne adventure.

 

My evening ended a high note as usual, with a midnight snack with my teenaged little girl.

[Travel R]

Top O' The Legend:

 

 

 

 

Empty Lounges:

 

 

 

Morning Sun above the Spanish Island:

 

 

 

Looking forward on Deck 10 running track:

 

 

 

 

Preparing to Dock at Palma:

 

 

 

 

A look into the Solarium:

 

 

[Travel R]

Legend Life Preserver:

 

 

 

Looking at Palma from the deck:

 

 

 

Palma Cathedral (as seen from the ship):

 

 

 

"That Statue" on Deck 10 of the Legend of the Seas

 

[Travel R]

Centrum Shops:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Travel R]

Docking in Palma:

 

 

 

Panorama of the Port in Palma (from my balcony):

 

 

 

Picture of Legend of the Seas from the Palma pier:

 

 

 

A statue at the pier:

 

 

 

The aft:

 

 

 

A look at starboard side of ths ship (one of those cabins is ours):

 

 

[Travel R]

Line Dancing on Deck:

 

 

Photo of Palma while relaxing on the balcony:

 

 

 

The night's entertainment:

 

[Travel R]

Getting ready for the show [note: this acrobat spoke to my daughter after the show and it made my daughter really happy]. My daughter who enjoys acrobatics herself, really loved the show:

 

 

The Sun:

 

 

 

Rays of Sunshine:

 

 

Solar extravaganza:

 

 

 

Off to bed . . . .

 

[Travel R]

Although not down the home stretch yet, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for this review. The posts I have on deck are:

 

Major Posts:

 

Valencia (& the City of Arts and Sciences)

 

Sea Day

 

Travel Home

 

Summary

 

[All with related pictures]

 

 

Collateral Posts:

• Crime (while travelling in Europe)
  
• The things I didn't do (casino, golf, room service, etc.)
  
• The Big 4: Tipping, Smoking, Formal Night, Chair Hogs
  
• Europe on a Budget
  
• Photography
  

Is there anything else you (the reader) would like me to include in my reivew?

 

Should I continue with all the details, or should I just provide quick and to the point summaries of everything?

[lyban]

I for one would love you to continue with all the details.

 

Your reviews are great fun to read and I really enjoy your show of love and respect for your daughters.

[suekay]

I'd like you continue with all the detail too. In fact, I'm enjoying your review so much I need you to go on another cruise asap so you can write another review:)

[Gabrielle R.]

My guilty pleasure each day has been to tune in on your posts. I eagerly look forward to the pictures of the ship, but also of the land portion. Some places I have been others not yet- but you gave me ideas- and that is good/bad... depending on whose view and check book it will hit.;)

 

Thanks for the review!!!

[Travel R]

I for one would love you to continue with all the details.

 

Your reviews are great fun to read and I really enjoy your show of love and respect for your daughters.[/quote]

 

Thank you, that is very nice of you to say. I am also glad you are enjoying the review. We love our daughters and their wishes were considered when planning this trip. Although there is a lot more balancing to be performed due to everyone's interests, the goal was to make it enjoyable for everyone. I am glad the love of our daughters is reflected in my review.

[Travel R]

I'd like you continue with all the detail too. In fact, I'm enjoying your review so much I need you to go on another cruise asap so you can write another review:)

 

I would love to --- I am taking up a collection if anyone want to contribute . . . .

 

The biggest tease was returning to work the Monday after returning from the cruise, looking out of my office window and seeing the QM2 docked across the river.

 

I am glad you are enjoying the review as well -- and that makes another vote to continue with the details.

[Travel R]

My guilty pleasure each day has been to tune in on your posts. I eagerly look forward to the pictures of the ship, but also of the land portion. Some places I have been others not yet- but you gave me ideas- and that is good/bad... depending on whose view and check book it will hit.;)

 

Thanks for the review!!!

 

Thanks for the kind words. So far it looks unanimous to continue with the details. I am glad you are getting ideas - I hope you can use those ideas and take a cruise soon.