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

[Travel R]

Panoramic with Sardinia in the Background:

 

 

 

Sardinia:

 

 

 

Sardinia and a little boat:

 

 

 

Corsica:

 

 

 

Mediterranean Skies:

 

[Travel R]

Flying High [in Sepia]:

 

 

 

Sky Ballet [in Sepia]:

 

 

 

Hangin' Around:

 

 

 

 

Aerial Acrobatics:

 

 

 

 

A Show of Seasons:

 

[Travel R]

A cruise ship is whatever a person makes of it. One of the greatest benefits of an ocean vacation is the ability to do as much or as little as any cruiser would like. This was a cruise vacation where the ship was used as a vessel that allowed us to experience the people and cultures of three European countries, and then be able to retire to the ship for some food and relaxation. Besides the long road to get there, and all the time journeying through these new regions, the change of time and the long hours made rest almost compulsory. Therefore I am my DW did forego a bunch of ship-sponsored activities. If you are thinking about traveling on this ship, let me provide you with a quick rundown of the things I did not do.

· Rock Wall – I actually like to do this. I used to climb & rappel in my youth. However, I just never had the strength to do so, and whenever I passed by, it did not seem open.

· Golf – At the beginning of the trip, we decided that it would be a nice idea to golf as a family. That just did not work out this cruise due to lack of time where all four of us were together. A little sad that we did not spend as much “family time” as originally expected, but I am glad the girls had fun.

· Specialty Restaurants – The Legend only has two specialty restaurants, Izumi (Japanese) and Chops (Steak). We did not intend to eat at either of these restaurants for this cruise. They are not bad, and worthy to eat there for the atmosphere, but since we enjoy the food in the MDR, it is not worth the money for all four of us to eat there.

· Lounges for Drinks – I did not drink very much on this cruise. I usually have two bottle of wine with dinner on a 5 night cruise, plus a number of drinks during the day. I also expected to drink even more since I wanted to drink on the balcony. However, I was tired. I was very tired throughout this cruise. I have passed the age where I need to drink to enjoy myself, and I know that when I drink, it gets me tired. Although I did have a glass of wine every now and then with dinner, I only finished one bottle and had one frozen drink at the pool. So, I stayed away from the lounges – although they did seem very nice, and a few musical performers were announced each evening for most of them.

· Trivia Games – There were trivia games in the morning and afternoon. We seemed to be in port during most of the morning games, and the afternoon games did not work out in terms of timing – and if it did, I simply forgot.

· Pool Activities – This is something I never really got involved with. I never entered the sexiest man contests, nor the belly flop contest, etc. From the one afternoon I spent by the pool, the line dancing did not seem very tempting. I also enjoy the Calypso/Reggae bands on North American cruises, instead of the duo singing pop music that they provided for this cruise.

· Quest/Newlywed Game – After seeing a number of newlywed games, they are mostly the same thing. I did not go to the one on this cruise, but my DW did attend solo. I have never been involved with Quest and was just not in the mood to do so during this cruise, maybe on my next cruise?

· Dinner in the Windjammer – We are MDR people, especially for dinner. Most nights back at home we have to prep and cook the food, set the table, server the food, and clean up (although I do most of the cooking, the other jobs are shared), I just want to sit down and be served – I do not even want to have to get up to get the food from a buffet. And after our experience with the WJ during lunch on this cruise, we ate at the MDR every night. However, some said that they enjoyed the WJ dinner experience.

· Gymnasium – I did my morning walk/run and did not have the energy to do much more, so although I looked into the gym’s window, which is as far as I got. It looked like a nice clean gym with a bunch of decent equipment. Luckily the weather each morning did not force me to go on the treadmill.

· Spa – Although I did not experience the spa, my DW did. She had some type of massage therapy and said it was good and relaxing.

· Royal Babies – Our kids are too old, so did not use this service.

· Centrum Activities & performances – I did not sit out and listen to any of the performances. It always seemed to crowded to sit an enjoy any entertainment. As noted, we did participate in the majority rules game, and watched a few minutes of two other activities, but it was really too crowded and not really entertaining enough to stand and enjoy (maybe if it was possible to get a seat, or if we were contestants).

· Library – Although we were in the library area (it is attached to Café Lattetueds), it is not very large, although there are a few hundred books of varied genres and authors (including a few foreign language books) – and about dozen games. I guess if I forgot my kindle and wanted to read on my cruise, there would be something for me.

I am not sure if this information is of much help, but at least it allows me to provide a more thorough review of the entire ship.

[Trolleydolly80]

Fantastic! Well done! Now what am I going to do of an evening? I have been looking forward to settling down & reading the latest addition to this marvellous review. Although I am going on the Liberty in 4 weeks, I have found this review most helpful as My children are 14, 9 & 22 months. Also have a similar itinerary. Thanks so much Travel R you have given Me a good heads up :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Travel R]

I still have a few more posts on some follow-up review posts like disembarking, the trip home, and how the big 4 issues were handled on the ship (Smoking, Formal attire, etc.).

[Gabrielle R.]

I so enjoyed your review!!!Information on the ship is what I wanted- you didn't fail to deliver!!! I also loved the pictures. Can't wait to do a European Cruise again. You brought back happy memories for me!

 

Thank you again for a great review!:D

[Travel R]

I so enjoyed your review!!!Information on the ship is what I wanted- you didn't fail to deliver!!! I also loved the pictures. Can't wait to do a European Cruise again. You brought back happy memories for me!

 

Thank you again for a great review!:D

 

I am glad you enjoyed the information

 

I also want to note that I forgot one major activity that I did not take part in during this cruise:

 

• 
  
• Casino - Another place that we just did not go during this cruise, and we usually would hit the casino on at least one night on any cruise. I am not sure if it is because late at night, when we usually woudl have gone we had our DD8 with us, or because we were just too tired at the end of the day to really concentrate on gambling. It looked like a decent casino, and similar to all the other RCI ships I have sailed, with a decent number of tables and slot machines. They had their usual lean the game tutorials on the first few days of the cruise and the tournaments towards the end. It never seemed crowded (even in the evenings) whenever I walked through it, so maybe the lack of all those bells and whistles from the winning machines did not draw me in.

Edited August 7, 2013 by Travel R

[Travel R]

In preparation for our European Cruise, the crime rate was taken into consideration when planning. Growing up in NYC, being overcautious comes with the territory (When I moved out to the burbs, I installed an alarm into our house – a neighbor pointed out that I was only one of two people on the entire block to have one). While performing research for this trip I did read a number of items regarding crime in these port cities as well as crime prevention.

 

 

Traveling Between Airport, Rome, and the Port

 

 

One of the biggest and most expensive modifications I made on this trip was the means of transportation between the Fiumicino Airport (FCO), our hotel in Rome, and the port of Civitavecchia (pre and post cruise). There are fairly inexpensive options, especially taking the train system. However, according to many articles train stations, especially the Termini (the main station in Rome), to borrow a quote, “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. [You] must be cautious.” Maybe I am exaggerating a little bit, but some of the articles do make it seem that way.

 

 

Since I was travelling with children, and have never been to that station before, I thought it would be safer to chose an alternate means of transport. Let me also stress by “safer” I am not referring to bodily injury – most of these crimes are not physical. I mean that our property would be safer. Two adults and two children wearing jeans/shorts & t-shirts, obviously not Italian, walking with suitcases in the middle of the station looking around to see where we have to go, would mark us as targets almost immediately. I chose a cab and tour company (Rome Tours) as my form of transport after doing research on various websites.

 

 

If it was just my DW and I, we would have probably taken the train. But with kids (even one a young teenager), I did not take a chance. During one of my meals, one of our tablemates related a story of how they were robbed at the Termini station on the way to the cruise. They believe a well dressed man intentionally dropped some coins behind them, and when he went down to supposedly pick them up, he swiped several items out of one of their bags. [i felt really bad for them, but they had such a great attitude and said it was a pain, but really did not affect their vacation at all.]

 

 

Walking around Rome & Barcelona (Las Ramblas)

 

 

Although cautious during paid excursions walking around these port cities, we were even more cautious when walking around ourselves. The two main areas we had experienced by ourselves were all around the tourist areas of city of Rome, and the Las Ramblas strip in Barcelona. We took a number of precautions that I may not have taken on other trips. Here are a few:

 

 

• No fanny packs: In the past, especially in foreign ports, I would usually wear one of ridiculous looking hip bag/fanny packs [remember when RCI used to give them out as welcome gifts?]. However, criminals have learned that they could take a razor to the bottom of them, take out all the contents, and run off before the victim even knows they have been robbed.
  

 

• Limited back packs/nonessential items: When we went out we placed nonessential items into one pack that straps(one strap) around the body. Although sometimes we did wear it with the pack on the back, we usually wore it with the pack in front (so no one would come up from behind and do the same cut and rob as explained above. It is also form fitting so that no one could drive by on a Vespa, grab the strap, and ride away (many times with the victim still wearing it) – this is a more common occurrence with pocket books. The only things we kept in this pack were the light sweatshirts they wore for one hour in the morning, and a bottle or two of water.
  

 

• No Pocket Books: See back packs above.
  

 

• Body Wallets/Money Belts: We kept our passports (when in Rome), our SeaPasses, large denominations of money in our body wallets. These are the types that go around your body and underneath your clothing.
  

 

• Chained Wallet: I bought a wallet with a chain that connected to my belt for use during this cruise. Even during my leather and spike wearing heavy metal days I did not have one of these. However, as an extra precaution I did purchase one for this trip (although it was a fairly cheap one, and not the greatest leather). Also, only keep a minimal amount of money in this wallet. I kept all of the coinage in one pocket, a few bills in the wallet, and a few more in a different pocket (besides what I had in the money belt). This way, in case I was pick-pocketed, I would not lose everything.
  

 

• Cheap Camera: Instead of bringing an expensive SLR camera and related equipment, I purchased a new fairly inexpensive point and shoot digital camera. It is a lot less conspicuous, and it did provide for some decent photos (although I could have had some amazing pictures with the right lenses & equipment). I did also approach picture taking on this trip from the perspective of a tourist instead of a photographer.
  

 

• No/cheap jewelry: If one does not bring expensive jewelry, one cannot have expensive jewelry stolen.
  

 

• Most importantly – BRING YOUR AWARENESS: When in a foreign city, where crime is known, you need to be aware – and to be aware at all times. Never put anything down beside or on the ground, it may be gone in seconds. If you usually place your pocketbook around the back of your chair – bad idea. Keep your wallet in your front pocket (I see stupid tourists all the time in NYC with their wallets hanging out of their back pockets screaming for someone to take them). Make sure all of your bags are closed (even purchase little locks if you have to). Do not take our your money in public if you do not have to. Also, read about some of the scams people try to pull, like the well dressed man picking up coins mentioned above, or someone throwing dirt down on an unsuspecting person, whereas two other accomplices come by to help wipe off the dirt, while also relieving you of your personal items. But there are a number of websites that discuss these. Also make sure your whole family – including children and teenagers - also knows these things and stays aware themselves.
  

 

Regardless of where you are, be vigilant. We did not feel threatened at all in either Rome or Barcelona. This includes some morning and evening strolling around many of the side streets – but I was always on guard. In one city, while my DW and daughter was looking at some items for sale on a table, I saw a man begin to move slowly towards their backs. I quickly yelled at them to turn around because I had something to say to them. When they turned, the man walked away. But this can happen in any city around the world, even in my own backyard in NYC. FYI, when we went to the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, we also did not experience any difficulties, although I was still aware of my surroundings.

 

 

On The Ship

 

 

If you have been paying any attention to the Congressional hearings on the cruising industry, they have tried to make a point that crime does occur on cruise ships and that the cruise lines are not reporting many of the incidents. Although I do feel comfortable on a cruise ship, I do practice a bit of caution as well. The safe in your room is your best friend. You should put all of your most precious documents (passports, ids, credit cards), etc. in the safe. If something is too big, it should be placed into a locked suitcase or bag. Your seward is most likely not going to steal anything – but always better to be safe than sorry.

I purchased my DD13 a beverage package. Not because she drinks a lot of soda (I probably lost money doing so), but because I wanted her to know that if she ever took her eyes off of her drink or walked away from it, that she should just get another one instead of drinking from that glass. I have a good looking DD13, and I do not want to take chance of anyone spiking it. We also try to know where she is (or at least the general vicinity) when on the ship. Our youngest daughter is either somewhere in or sights or in Adventure Ocean, where only we can sign her out.

[Travel R]

Throughout my entire review I discussed the various venues we had dined and the food we had consumed, therefore I figured it would be of some use to provide one consolidated review of the food and food services that we experienced while on the Legend of the Seas. Do not worry, I will not relist each item I had selected in the MDR, but will provide a short synopsis of the entrees I enjoyed, and those that I would have been better off without.

 

Romeo and Juliet Dining Room (MDR)

 

The Romeo and Juliet Dining Room is the main dining room (MDR) on the Legend of the Seas. The venue consists of two floors (Deck 4 and Deck 5) at the aft (rear) of the ship. They have organized the two floors so that Deck 4 seats the guests with traditional seating times, while the My-Time Dining guests are corralled on Deck 5. The center of the room on Deck 5 has been removed, so that patrons may look down upon the heads of their Deck 4 shipmates. The décor, like all other RCI ships I have been on is tactfully done and provides a feel of elegance. The dining room gets its name from the few paintings depicting scenes from Shakespeare’s literary masterpiece of the same name.

 

Breakfast in the MDR is a very nice and relaxing treat. You are seated at a large table (top 10), although you may request a private table if that is your fancy. I had found the wait-staff, which only varied slightly during our several visits, was excellent and happy to please. Breakfast in this venue is not a rushed occasion, so those that are looking to get in, eat, then get out, will be sorely disappointed (and accuse the waiters as being “slow”). After ordering, you will be offered various pastries and breads. The menu is almost identical each day, with a different type of item highlighted each day, such as Asian Inspired Eggs, or Eggs Benedict (I really enjoyed the Salmon Benedict they also served one morning). The specials were hit or miss. One warning is that the portions are pretty small, especially for an American palate (although probably the proper portion for a healthy meal). If you are a big eater, you may want to double (or triple) your order to fill you up. If you order omelets (which were very good), you may also want to order them as 3-egg omelets to ensure you receive a portion that is good for you. If you do not see anything on the menu you like, ask them for special orders and they may honor your request. A breakfast bar is also featured in the MDR. It contains granola & yogurt with all the trimmings; fresh fruit; cheeses; various beverages such as milk, juice, coffee, and tea. You can serve these drinks yourself, or order them through your waiter – also note, for those of you with children, you can ask your server for hot chocolate and/or chocolate milk.

 

Our itinerary only included one sea day, so we only dined in the MDR once during this cruise. The lunch does have a little more of an up-tempo feel to it, although still leaning more towards leisurely than fast food. The menu did have some decent items on it, but includes many more hand-foods like sandwiches and burgers that you would not find on the dinner menu. They also provide a very nice salad bar during lunch with the basic salad leafs as a base with a large selection of items to add (there are servers at the station that add all of the ingredients and then provide you with a very nice tossed salad at the end). The salad alone contains more than enough food for a good sized meal. Between the salad, the service, and the atmosphere, it is (IMHO) a much more pleasant experience – although, the menu is very limited compared to the choices you have up in the Windjammer.

 

My DW and I prefer the main dining room to the buffet on cruises. We always have, and so far have not had been disappointed. We have always received great service, and on this past cruise, we did wind up with poor service on our first night, we moved to a new wait-staff and had great (even exceptional) service on each subsequent evening. Just remember, if you do not like your waiters, either tell them so they can improve, or just asked to be moved to be serviced by a different wait-staff. I had already commented on traditional versus my-time-dining in an earlier post, so I shall not spend my time doing so here. I have always found the food in the MDR to range from good to very good, with a few exceptional items and a few that I wish I had never tasted, and this cruise did not disappoint. Not that I have low expectations of the food in the MDR, I do not expect every meal to be 5-star (and I have eaten items at 5-star restaurants I did not like), but I do not expect it to be that of a Friendly’s either (my DD8’s favorite restaurant). This cruise showcased the new menu that was rolled out to the entire fleet. There were some items I really enjoyed, and some I really could care less for. For each meal, I ordered two entrees; one that I knew I would probably enjoy, and one that I wanted to try to see how it tasted, so I was able to try fourteen different entrees on this cruise. Below are the items I liked and disliked the most (more details for each item is provided in the review above):

 

 

Favorites

· Escargot (appetizer)

· Seafood Risotto (appetizer)

· Pear and Walnut Salad (salad)

· Garlic Soup (soup)

· Banana Rum Soup (soup)

· Shrimp Ravioli (entrée)

· Crusted Salmon (entrée)

· NY Strip (entrée)

· BBB Crème Brule (dessert)

 

 

Least Favorites

· Duck Consommé (soup)

· French Onion Soup (soup)

· Roasted Duck (entrée)

· Coq au Vin (entrée)

· Double Beef (entrée) [did not finish]

· Leg of Lamb (entrée) [did not finish]

 

Two things I just noticed looking over the above selections is that I did not find a bad appetizer on any occasion, and more surprisingly, except for the crème brule, there were no other desserts that were exceptional (and to tell you the truth, most are already unmemorable only a month after the cruise. Even when I first started cruising in the mid-90’s, cruise ships were knows for their desserts, but on this last cruise, the desserts did not make an impression on me or my DW. As to my least favorite items, although I did try to eat everything I ordered (clean the plate like a good little boy), there were two dishes I could not finish (the double beef and the leg of lamb) – and I hate wasting food.

 

My summation for the MDR is that it was a great place to dine during our cruise on the Legend, and would do so again. There are items I would definitely like to try again, some I will avoid, and some items I still would like to try.

 

 

Kid’s Comment – MDR: My daughters both enjoyed the MDR to a certain extent. They loved having to dress up for formal nights, and the waiters were all great to them (including the waiter in the mornings that called my DD8 “Princess”). They were able to be served quicker than us adults and that allowed them to leave before we were finished to go to their respective clubs. However, many times friends & kids clubs would win over any meal at the MDR or WJ. Just note, the mac and cheese on this ship was a big disappointment for them. MY DD8 fancied the chicken fingers, while my DD13 enjoyed the sliders on the adults menu. Also, if your waiter does not bring one, there is a kid’s menu – and even your teenager (or you) can order off of it.

 

Windjammer

 

The Windjammer (WJ) is a casual buffet style eating venue that is set up in a similar style throughout most cruise ships. The Windjammer on the Legend is located toward forward (front) of the ship on Deck 9. The décor is very casual, and the diners (and their attire) sometimes even less so. I had always enjoyed eating at the Windjammer and would mix it up for breakfast between the MDR and here. The WJ is a place to get a lot of food really quickly and move onto your next activity. However, I just did not like this venue during my cruise.

 

As to food in the WJ I have never had high expectations. I enjoy the idea of buffet style service and know that this is not going to be the same quality food I will get elsewhere. I know that there will be a decent variety, and there will always be something I can find. The buffet on this last cruise, in my opinion, did have less food choices than on previous RCI cruises, and for me, there were less items I found which I liked. Many of the items I found to be too bland for my taste, or I just did not like them. However, there was always something I found, and I never walked away hungry. The desserts offered also seemed to be much more limited than during cruises past. But all-in-all, the food was okay.

 

As to the service in the WJ, it was horrible (throughout the cruise). My last cruise before this one was only 4 years ago. When you sat down, a staff member would come over and ask us if we wanted something to drink, and bring it over. I did not find anyone willing to do so, unless it was an alcoholic beverage. When you asked them for soda (we had the soda package), they would usually cringe, and eventually bring you the soft drinks. The staff was very slow at cleaning up dirty dishes, both those that you may have put aside, or dirty dishes left on tables. The WJ was always busy and one reason was that dishes were not cleaned off of empty or half-occupied tables. Although it way only no more than 5 minutes, it was a pain having to stake out or hunt down a table large enough to fit the four of us. Between the service and lack of tables kept me going to the MDR whenever the opportunity availed itself.

 

 

Kid’s Comment – Windjammer: The kids liked the WJ because it was much faster than the MDR. They could eat and be ready to leave in seconds to go be with friends or to play. They could also take much smaller portions that they can eat instead of having us say “finish that.”

 

Park Café

 

Park Café is a food counter located in the Solarium on Deck 9. During certain hours it provides various items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is always coffee, tea, water, and iced tea/lemonade available 24/7 to its right side. Before breakfast they also have a number of pre-breakfast snacks to choose from (e.g., cereals), which is supplemented by fruits and pastries an hour before it opens for breakfast. Besides breakfast, this venue is usually open when the WJ or MDR are not, so it is good for a very late breakfast, lunch or dinner. From what I have heard that is when they have their best foods (I have heard many stories about the Roast Beef sandwiches). The pre breakfast snacks came in very handy every morning for an early riser like me. Especially when they expanded the selection to include fruits & breads. Although the option was always there, I was never really hungry enough to want that “extra” meal, so I did not have the opportunity to dine from there during our time onboard. The only other time I would frequent there was during my daddy-daughter midnight (or after) snack. However the selections were very limited – usually hot dogs, pizza, soup, a few dessert items, and prepackaged chicken and egg salad sandwiches. I really did not care for most of the items, although every now and then the soups were not bad. If I did not like the dessert selection, I would order a slice f the pizza, but only as a very last resort.

 

Kid’s Comment – Park Café: A quick note here, although my DD13 did enjoy going with me for our midnight snack (at least she leads me to believe she did), she did not care for the food. Also, while with the other kids from the teen club, they would sometimes come down for a quick snack themselves.

 

Specialty Restaurants: Izumi, Chops, & Chef’s Table

 

I really cannot comment on either of these restaurants, since we did not frequent either of them during this cruise. They are a Japanese restaurant and steakhouse situation on Deck 11. We have sushi & Japanese food quite often while back home (at some excellent restaurants), so it is not much of a draw for us while on the ship. If the WJ had a Jade, I am sure I would place some on my plate, but it was not worth it for us to go. My DW is not a lover of red meat, so Chops did not really appeal to her as well. I know there are other non-steak items on the menu, but we enjoy the MDR, so it was no big deal to want to go – also I do not believe the kids would have enjoyed it as much. Although I did not eat there, I heard some raving reviews about Izumi on the Legend of the Seas. I also want to note that the Chef’s Table option was also a food event that people had also said very good things about (which maybe we would have tried if not traveling with the children).

 

Room Service

 

This was the first cruise where I did not take advantage of any room service. There are plenty of breakfast menus left in your room (mine were hanging on the wall just inside the doorway). We had been enjoying the MDR for breakfast so much, I guess we did not really give it much thought. As an FYI, the room service menu for the rest of the day is in a big RCI information book. We did not have that book in our stateroom initially, but when I inquired about it, my room seward had one to me in less than an hour (although I wound up not using it). I am including a photo of the menu for your enjoyment. On two mornings we did, however, receive a call that room service would be up in a few minutes. Either the kitchen messed up on the orders or someone was trying to pull a prank on us.

 

Room Service Menu:

 

 

 

Summary

 

Food preferences, be it venue, taste, presentation, etc. are unique to each individual. For myself and my family, we had a very good culinary experience aboard the Legend of the Seas (with a mix of food from some of the various ports). I have seen some reviews where people have bashed the food with cries that they will never sail the Legend or RCI again. That is their choice. However, I do not go onto a cruise ship with the expectation of extravagant dining, just that there will be a lot to dine on aboard that ship. Although meals and the dining experience are a very important part of the cruise experience, it is only one part of the overall experience. As I mentioned, I was not happy about the WJ, but it did not kill my whole cruise or create a hatred towards RCI. The food and food service was for the most part good to very good (with a special shout out to my assistant waiter (Anthony from Singapore) who was exceptional).

Edited August 9, 2013 by Travel R

[cruise pup]

I find the room service menu to be a good alternative when you return to the ship after touring and want a bite to eat. At times I've even ordered for lunch and/or dinner. The Caesar Salad is very good and comes with packets of Ken's Steakhouse Dressing which I like and I know the salad is crisper than if they added the dressing in the galley. You can ask for double meat with the steak sandwich or order it "naked" which means you'll just get steak and fries. So that and the salad made a great meal. The spinach and artichoke dip is terrific. The cheese plate is another good choice.

[Travel R]

I find the room service menu to be a good alternative when you return to the ship after touring and want a bite to eat. At times I've even ordered for lunch and/or dinner. The Caesar Salad is very good and comes with packets of Ken's Steakhouse Dressing which I like and I know the salad is crisper than if they added the dressing in the galley. You can ask for double meat with the steak sandwich or order it "naked" which means you'll just get steak and fries. So that and the salad made a great meal. The spinach and artichoke dip is terrific. The cheese plate is another good choice.

 

I have always ordered in room service during all my previous cruises, but just could not fit it in this time between the excursion, kids, and trying to catch some R&R. If anyone is reading this, and has not ever used room service on their cruise - definately do so. Just remember to tip your waiter, and you have to pay for your sodas, even if you have the soda/beverage package (only the beverages listed on the menu will be brought to you without a charge).

 

I had the steak sandwich on our Sea Day for lunch in the MDR (it was on the menu) -- it was pretty good. The cheese plate is a good idea to order after dinner if you want to have some wine and cheese in your room later on (and I do remember RCI also having a small fruit platter on the menu as well at one time).

 

[For those of you in suites, I do believe that there is an even larger menu with many more choices for room service.]

 

Note to self -- make sure I order in room service on my next cruise. . . .

[cruise pup]

(and I do remember RCI also having a small fruit platter on the menu as well at one time)

 

Look again. The seasonal fruit plate is on your list at the top under Appetizers and Salads.;)

 

 

I have ordered the cheese plate for before dinner wine and also the dip.

Edited August 10, 2013 by cruise pup

[Travel R]

Look again. The seasonal fruit plate is on your list at the top under Appetizers and Salads.;)

 

 

I have ordered the cheese plate for before dinner wine and also the dip.

 

 

Doooooooo! Don't know how I missed that, I see it now. One of the best tips I learned when I first started reading Cruise Critic back in 2009 was not to waste money ordering a fruit or cheese platter online before you cruise, just order multiples of these plates via room service and you will have a nice platter for your cabin without the cost (just tip the server).

[Travel R]

Looking back at this thread, there is one thing that I completely forgot to discuss, and one of the reasons I originally chosen this ship over other options – the $50 million dollar refurbishment they performed on the Legend of the Seas this past February.

 

 

I will not come out and say that she looked like a completely brand new ship, but I will say that she did not look like an 18 year old sea vessel either. The paint, carpeting, & trim throughout the ship, especially in the public areas looked almost new. The rooms also looked new and clean, and loved the new flat screen televisions. However, it is in and around the room you can see some signs of age, but for the most part, you had to really be looking for it – such as a little chip in the tile in the bathroom, or a tiny scrape in the dresser. But as I said, these are things that anyone would overlook, unless they knew they were doing a review and tried looking for them. The only place where the wear and tear stood out was on the raining of the balcony, where you can see some of the rusting under the glass. One of the reasons why it stood out was because the rest of the balcony looked pretty recently painted.

 

 

The new outdoor movie screen was a nice touch, but due to either the weather, or the selection of movies, we only made use of it on one occasion. They did have the new Wizard of Oz movie one night (the one I did make use of it with maybe 10 other people in total – and the movie was just “okay” – but that is a review for a different website), which was not bad as a choice for family entertainment. However, I believe that some of the other movies being shown could have been more family-friendly movies that would have enticed families, or teens to watch. There were almost never more than a dozen people watching any move at any time. I know that they showed Turbo on recent cruises, so why not a different animated move on my itinerary, even if it would have been an older movie (even 3-6 months old).

 

 

A few of the biggest refurbishments on this ship, however, did not affect me. The conversion of the 11th floor lounges into a smaller Viking lounge with the addition of Izumi and Chops did not come into play for me on this holiday. I did not have much time to drink in the lounges, and we did not frequent either of these alternate dining venues. But, nowhere on the ship that I did go, did she seem old and/or stale. Even the shuffleboard tracks were shinny and freshly painted. The newly converted Deck 6 Oceanview rooms to balconies was a huge upgrade to the ship, and I heard some people say they enjoyed them, but it really did not affect me on this cruise. The only thing I probably would have changed, if I had the authority, are the stage curtains in the That’s Entertainment Theater – It’s a personal thing, but I just do not like them.

 

An upgrade that I would have liked to see, that they did not add, was to hook up the TV screens to your onboard account so you could see it from the privacy of your own room, or maybe the option to book excursions from the TV screen. Maybe that is coming. Also, I am guessing that the Free Style Coca Cola machines will eventually be rolled out to this ship in the next year or two when it comes back to North American waters.

 

 

I was glad to be able to have the opportunity to sail on the “small” Legend of the Seas after this refurb. She looked great.

 

 

Well, almost done with my reviews, three more posts left . . . .

 

• The Big Four (Tipping, Smoking, Formal Nights, Rum Running)
  

• Disembarkment and Our Travels Home
  

• Coda / Summary
  

[ms8654]

Thank you for the review! I'm returning to RCCL for a Med cruise so I've been scouring the boards lately. I appreciate how much time it has taken you to put everything together.

[Travel R]

Thank you for the review! I'm returning to RCCL for a Med cruise so I've been scouring the boards lately. I appreciate how much time it has taken you to put everything together.

 

Thank you. I a glad that you are enjoying the review. As I mentioned above, it was just am amazing trip - if you chose the Legend or any other ship, you will have a great time.

 

This review has taken a lot longer than I had originally thought it would. It has already taken weeks longer than the actual cruise to post - and I still have a little more left.

[Travel R]

I’ll handle all four of these vitally critical issues that are discussed ad nauseum on Cruise Critic in one post. If I appear judgmental in my discussion, it is probably because at times I can be. Do I mean to offend anyone? No. Will I offend readers? The odds are in favor that I will. The opinions expressed on CC for these issues are as diverse as the families on Wife Swap. For every 10 members that post there seems to be 11 opinions. So, here are my own opinions as they apply to these issues, and specifically how they applied to our trip. So, readers please do not hate me, although let’s agree to disagree.

 

Smoking on Balconies or Elsewhere

 

I am not sure if I was oblivious to it or not, but I do not believe I remember seeing anyone smoking while on the ship. I am not a smoker, so I did not really seek out the areas one could smoke. I did not really visit many lounges myself during this cruise, nor did I gamble in the casino – but even passing through the casino, I did not notice any of the smoke. Also, I did spend some considerable amount of time on my balcony, and did not smell or see any smoke while outside. But many of the times I was on the balcony, was when the ship was moving, and any smoke from other balconies would probably have been blown away. So, for this cruise, and maybe because of the itinerary, there may not have been a lot of smokers. Also, from what I remember, the new Category E balconies on Deck 6 (directly under ours) did not allow smoking on their balconies, so the smoke could not have come up from below.

 

The thick of it: Smokers was really no issue on my cruise. I just hope that if anyone is smoking, they do not throw their but out into the ocean.

 

Tipping

 

We had pre-paid our tips for this cruise. I liked the idea since I usually tip the suggested amount (or more), and this saved me the hassle of having to worry about having enough cash on hand to be able to pay out to everyone. Then when you give an exceptional crew member extra, it is truly an extra bonus upon the amount they suggest.

 

The only person I believe does not really deserve a tip, unless they do something directly for me (and they have never had to) is the maitre d’/head waiter. The only time I ever saw them was on the very last night to ask how everything was. I guess since MTD is pre-paid I never saw the person once. Formerly being in the restaurant business, I feel that the maitre d’ is an employee of the restaurant and gets paid accordingly. The wait-staff, in my opinion, are contractors for the restaurant (for a nominal fee), and work for the individual guests for a suggested fee (15% in the U.S., $7.25/day in the MDR (I believe the breakdown is: $5.00 to Room Seward, $7.25 to Wait-Staff, and $0.75 to Head Waiter)).

 

The room seward, waiter, and assistant waiter, usually do what they can to make your cruise as pleasant as possible. If they do what they are supposed to do, I believe they should get the recommended amount – which, especially compared to a land-based restaurant would be an insult. If they do not meet your satisfaction, it is up to you to bring it to their attention, If they still do not improve, then it is your right to lower the amount of the tip (including a complaint or two). However, if they perform above and beyond their responsibilities, you should (obviously you do not have to), give them an extra tip.

 

Our room seward went above and beyond on this cruise. At the end of the cruise I gave him a monetary tip (above what was pre-paid). Because we were in foreign waters, I split the cash between Euros and U.S. dollars. There have been discussions on what is proper, but by splitting it this way, they can use half immediately, use the other half in the U.S. in two months, or convert it to the currency of their home country, or convert any portion of it and EFT it to their family back home. But as long as you are giving them extra cash, regardless of the type of currency, they will be appreciative. As I had mentioned, I did not drink very much on this cruise, and as such, I had an entire untouched bottle of wine left. I also gave him the bottle of wine. And I am sure that someone is saying, what if they do not drink wine, or if it is against their religion? My answer is that they can still sell or trade it (it was not an expensive bottle, so for the 12 Euros the bottle cost me, I am sure they could get at least half of that or barter for something else that is useful to them). My DW also purchased a book for this trip at the airport, and had finished it while onboard. It is not a book that I would read, so instead of packing it and taking it back home, we gave it to the room seward to either read himself (if he likes to), give or trade it with other crew members (that read English), or to just donate it to the ship’s Library.

 

The thick of it: My own opinion on tipping for crew members is as such. It really does not matter if you cancel the automatic tips and pay yourself in cash, or pay automatically before, or on the SeaPass daily, what matters is that you give them the suggested amount. [Although you should find out that if you cancel the automatic tips, if your seward or wait-staff will be penalized.] However, I believe that if you are not going to give a tip, or give lower than the suggested amount, you should be able to look them in the eye and tell them why – and do it as early as possibly, especially if you intend not to give them the full amount even before you board the cruise ship.

 

Rum Running / Smuggling Alcohol Onboard

 

On this past cruise I did not hear of many cases of people smuggling alcohol onboard. I believe that a big part of this was because most of the individuals I spoke to had travelled to the port from other destinations around the world. Packing a rum runner and lugging it to another country, then finding the alcohol in that country to fill them, then try to smuggle them onboard is a bit too much. Also, if someone is spending X thousand of dollars to travel to the Mediterranean, the few extra bucks is really not worth it. However, upon disembarkment, there was a table with items held by the cruise ship during the trip that were confiscated and held in the naughty room, and I distinctly saw a rum runner or two (the Europeans are just as sneaky as us Americans).

 

The thick of it: Am I against it? No, not really. Maybe in my youth, or when I had less money, I may have tried it myself. However, at this time in my life, I’ll spend the extra money on the ship, and the two bottles of wine we are allowed to bring on the ship is a definite bonus. I also learned long ago that I do not need to drink in order to enjoy myself (whereas I know some people all my life that still need to be liquored-up in order to have fun). This is an issue where it does not affect anyone but the “smuggler” and it is between them and the ship. Some may say that my cruise fare is higher due to the smuggling, but I say that RCI (or any cruise line) has already factored that into my price, so if someone brings in that ½ quart of vodka strapped to their leg, it is of no consequence to me. My one comment is that since I had my children with me on this cruise I would not try to smuggle alcohol or anything else onboard – it would not set a good example for them.

 

Chair Hogs

 

This not one of the big four issues, but I figured it kind of belongs in this post. During my few times by the pool (and to be honest, only one time actually sitting at the pool), I did not see this being an issue. Although I did notice several chairs with towels and other items on them for long periods of time (and I knew that they were nowhere near the pool area), there were usually plenty of seats to be found, if not directly next to the pool (where parents would like to be to watch their kids), then two or three rows back. There were always an ample number of unoccupied lounge chairs on Deck 10 overlooking the pool. The funny thing is that on the last day, a cool and windy sea day, there were lounge chairs being “reserved” at 6 am.

 

The thick of it: I am not sure why there is so much discussion on CC regarding chair hogs, since there are no two major opposing factions - one being pro-chair hogging, and the other anti-hogging. Everyone dislikes chair hogs. Although there seem to be some discussions as to what is considered a chair hog – and how long can you reserve seats, such as in the theater before a show. But, we always got a seat and really did not see much reserving of chairs being a factor as well.

 

 

Formal Night and the Dress Code

 

As I had mentioned in my review of the two formal nights that most people in the MDR, maybe 80% of the men conformed to the dress code on formal night and wore jackets, ties, suits, dresses and about 90% or more of the women wore dresses or gowns. About 15-18% of the male passengers at least stayed within the intent of formal night. They may have not worn jackets, but had on a button down with a tie, or more often wore a jacket without a tie. Some men even wore dressy long-sleeved sweaters, or button down shirts with sweater vests (no ties) – and although neither of these were listed on the suggested list, in my opinion they were okay because the intent to keep with the spirit of formal night was there. There are some on the CC boards that have an agenda for everyone to wear what they want, however, most of the cruisers that were on the Legend of the Seas, for my itinerary, obviously did not get the memo (or they just did not care and did what was appropriate). There were still those three to five percent that would wear things like a short sleeve sports/golf/polo shirt on formal night – and in my opinion, the maitre d’ or someone should have said something. Although I did not see any shorts on formal night, there were a few people wearing them on the casual and smart casual evenings – not a lot, but enough to notice (darn these threads for getting me to look, or even care, where I never had on previous cruises).

 

One thing I can say is that I do enjoy dressing up for formal night. I think there is something special about it (and it has nothing do with the room we are in or the food that is served). My family enjoys it as well and my daughters actually started planning for those evenings well in advance of the cruise to make sure they had everything ready, including shoes, accessories, makeup, etc. The dinner for formal night is a scheduled activity on the cruise, and one that everyone (at least in my family) enjoys.

 

Post Cruise à Dress Code: RCI Does Something About It!

 

I have posted on this subject before and I have always said that unless passengers start doing something about the lack of enforcement of a dress code, or rewriting the dress code to make it even more clear, then all this complaining on CC is not going to mean a thing.

 

Well, I am a doer. As such, I decided take matters into my own hand and wrote a short email to RCI about the dress code – it took maybe 60 seconds of my time. A few days later I received a phone call (on my cell phone) with a Florida ID – and knowing people in that area code, I answered. It was a representative from RCI calling me back in regards to my email. In my email I specifically asked if they were enforcing the dress code, and exactly what measures they were taking. The rep said that they were concerned about my email and wanted me to know that they are trying to take dress code enforcement seriously. She also wanted to assure me that RCI’s intention is to keep formal night formal. She also did mention that shorts in the MDR on any night should never be allowed. Unfortunately, she did not give me any specifics on enforcement plans. And now this is the kicker . . . . RCI headquarters is going to send a letter to the ship explaining that their enforcement of the dress code is getting lax and they should be more vigilant. Well, it just goes to prove that: (1) RCI is in favor of keeping formal nights, and (2) they will do something about it (even when someone like lil’ ole me writes a simple email).

 

If you want RCI to enforce their dress codes, say something while onboard, or write an email. On the other hand, if you want to see a change to dress code, write an email regarding your own point of view. As long as I am on RCI ships, I will keep wearing the suggested attire.

 

Note 1: This is regarding the 99.99% of cruisers, and not the very small exceptions like the couple that arrived into town, but their luggage wound up 2,000 miles away, or due to an illness/allergy/disability that may not allow you to conform; or the occasional theme cruise where specific rules may apply.

 

The thick of it: Note 2: Do I really care what everyone is wearing? No. I really did not care what people were wearing on this last cruise, or on any of our prior cruises, nor will I most likely care about what people will wear on the next few cruises. Then why am I being like this and write the email? It is because formal night is a scheduled activity by RCI that I enjoy. If RCI does not begin enforcing its own rules people will continue to take advantage of it. If no one tells RCI that we do not like the fact that they are not enforcing them, then they have no reason to do anything about it. So, if you do not want to lose formal night, it is up to you to speak up.

 

 

Up Next . . . . . . Our Journey Home

[cruise pup]

"Pro" chair hogging? That's new to me. It must be on the same thread with "Pro" line cutting and "Anti" hand washing. :rolleyes:

Edited August 13, 2013 by cruise pup

[Travel R]

"Pro" chair hogging? That's new to me. It must be on the same thread with "Pro" line cutting and "Anti" hand washing. :rolleyes:

 

 

Okay, maybe they are not pro- chair hogging, so instead, let's say that they are people that are chair hogs, but do not believe that what they are doing constitutes chair hogging?

[Travel R]

The Journey Home

 

I have now come to the conclusion of our wondrous Mediterranean adventure. Thus begins our final morning aboard this “Legend”ary vessel. We had awoken to a bright and beautiful day with only a few clouds, but the wind will still stirring enough to be felt when out on the balcony. Out there in the morning air I took one of my final views of the Mediterranean and the wide vistas of the Italian coastline as we pulled into dock.

 

 

Disembarkment

 

Our backs were all packed the evening before, and our clothing for the day already laid out to make our disembarkment as quick and painless as possible. Our alarm was set for half past five to allow for changing and breakfasting before meeting our driver at seven. In part due to the late hour at which we had fallen asleep, the early hour we had to arise, and also due to the realization that we were departing, led to a slow and groggy group of travelers that all wanted to remain abed.

 

 

After changing into our fresh attire, we paid a final visit to the Windjammer. With half-closed eyes I poured some coffee into my body and shoveled random food onto my plate, then into my awaiting mouth. By the time breakfast was finished, the caffeine had begun to perform its magic and had begun stirring my vacation-worn body. This is a vast contrast to prior mornings where I was running atop the ship before even a spoonful of coffee had entered my body. I cannot comment much about the breakfast itself, since I do not remember much of it, except it sufficed us until lunchtime. After completing our meal, we made a stop back at the room to get our bags, then made our way down to the gangplank to be let off the ship.

 

 

[Note: We opted to take part in the early self-departure benefit. This was the first time we had done so, since we had to meet the cab very early, and I have always hated having to wait in some lounge until our number was being called. There is nothing you have to do in order to use this option – just keep your bags in your room the previous evening, then look at the disembarkment sheet for the time you can leave (the times for everyone else (each person is provided a “number” and you disembark with those of the same number)). With this option, you can leave as soon as the ship is cleared.]

 

 

We proceeded with heavy hearts (and our luggage) towards the exit, scanned our SeaPasses for the last time, then slowly walked descended down the plank onto the dock. We walked along the dock for about 30 yards to the entrance of the port building. Then walked through the interior for a few feet passing hundreds, if not thousands of bags of luggage to our right, until we reached the egress of that building (a tent actually) where a smiling chauffer holding a sign with our name was awaiting our arrival.

 

 

[Note: Disembarkement, especially with the self-departure, was very quick, and very painless, and we did not have to worry about leaving anything in or out of our luggage the night before. I also want to make a warning for newer cruisers, especially in lieu of a recent CC post – you need to take your own luggage with you when disembarking either off the ship, or out of the port terminal (unless you expressly told otherwise).]

 

 

 

We cruised once again in our custom van via Rome Cabs from the sea port of Civitavecchia to our point of departure from this wonderful country. My family made use of this time to shut their eyes and catch a few minutes of sleep, while I watched the countryside stream past the windows of our vehicle. The jaunt to the airport took just under an hour and we safely arrived to the doorsteps of the TAP Portugal terminal without traffic nor incident.

 

 

After the Ship, its Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

 

 

Once inside this large and formerly modern terminal building, the scene quickly turned from the serenity outside into an insane asylum within. Travelers were rapidly rushing to avoid the obstacle course created by the mobs of people forming lines, stopping for apparently no reason, or walking freestyle in frenzy. After a short search navigating our way around the chaos we found the check-in location for our airline, only to find that the desk was unmanned, and a long line had already begun to form. Although we had to wait a while for the counter to open to process the passengers, we took part in a few pleasant conversations with our queue-mates also held hostage online. Alas, after a weary wait without luggage, we had finally checked in our luggage and ourselves, we made our way to another long line – this time for customs. The line had progressed fairly rapidly for its size, which was nice, for it made the next inconvenience more bearable. It seemed that our flight was delayed. Whereas I had scheduled over three hours for a layover on our way into Europe, I had just over an hour delay on our flight out. With this delay, our hopes of making the connecting flight seemed dim.

 

 

The undersized aircraft out of FCO was a quick and smooth flight, and the stewards were a great improvement. I had taken out some medicine and was awaiting to ask a stewardess for some water, when a steward that had passed by earlier (seeing me take out the pill), without saying anything brought me a glass of water. The snack they gave us on the trip, however, was just as un-tasty as those on the way over to Europe.

 

 

A few of of the passengers we had met on the check-in line earlier were part of a large group of teens and parents that toured Italy as part of a class trip. There were almost forty people amongst them, and being in the same situation as us, the leader of their expedition (a very nice teacher whom we met), called ahead, and TAP had replied that they would try to take care of it. However, he could not get confirmation as to whether his request would definitely be taken into consideration. When we arrived in Lisbon, we all rushed to the customs area (in an area much nicer and brighter than before, with the air conditioning blaring, instead of having to suffer the conditions as we did upon our entry into this country). We had notified the customs person directing us into our waiting line that our flight was leaving soon, but this did not yield any positive results, and had us (including the large group) remain on the longer line with our fellow travelers. Luckily, when we arrived at the departure gate, we observed that our flight was delayed. Was this due to the large group not arriving in time, or due to other unrelated circumstances, we do not know – either way, we were nonetheless grateful for this delay.

 

 

We boarded the plane with little difficulty (thanks again to the early boarding for travelers with children), and found our seats. A pillow, blanket, and unbroken headphones were available on my seat. Also, because they did not have video games or movies on demand, they provided my DD8 a coloring and activities package which she happily accepted, and made some use of during the trip.

 

 

The flight across the Atlantic seemed quicker than when travelling East (although the flight was almost an hour longer). My family, especially the youngsters, spent much of this flight asleep, although I only received barely over an hour of shut-eye myself. I spent my time watching a few movies like The Hobbit (I saw this before in the theaters, but enjoyed the Trilogy much more), and Trouble With the Curve (a little slow-paced, but kept me entertained – let it be known, I do enjoy any movie about sports). The meal they served, some type of fish dish, in my opinion was better than any of the previous meals, although my family did not agree (but I was able to have their leftovers).

 

 

[Note: None of the meals we were served on TAP Portugal were very kid-friendly, but found out after the fact that we could have pre-ordered special meals that were more palatable for children.]

 

 

We landed back in Newark, and received our baggage without any hassle. It was coming off the turnstile moments after we arrived there, and made our way to the shuttle that was to transport us to the NJ Transit system. Since we (my DW and I) already had NJ Transit passes, it was a little confusing to figure out how to get the shuttle pass without the added NJT fare, but in only a few moments, we figured it out, took our tickets, then made our way to the shuttle platform. If you are using the shuttle, note the shuttle takes about 7 minutes to get from the airport to NJT, so take a look at your train schedule. The shuttle was clean and fast, but we had just missed our train, so we had to wait about 25 minutes for the next one to arrive. We took the train to our local station, then took a car service to our house, and finally arrived at home sweet home.

 

 

[And since there was really no food in the house, guess where we went to eat for dinner that evening? Yeah, you guessed it --- at an Italian restaurant!!!!!]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will write one more post just summing up our family adventure and stating once again how great of a time we had. I am also going to write and post a short review on the official review page. I also have a few final pics which I will be posting as well.

[Travel R]

Just as an FYI, we used almost everything we packed (and luckily did not have to use any of the medical/emergency stuff we packed just in case or the rain ponchos). If you are wondering about our packing list, I am providing it for you below. This is the main list for everyone, and some items do not apply to individuals (e.g., I am not packing bras & sun dresses), but they can be easily removed. I had included the # of items, but have removed the amounts, since different people that may use this list will dress in different manners. If anyone has any questions, please ask. Also note, this list was originally typed into a nicely organized Excel sheet with a place to chack off each item.

 

 

 

CLOTHING

Undergarment

Underwear

Casual Socks

Dress Socks

Stockings

Bras

Slip/camisole

 

 

Swimwear

Swimsuits

Coverups

Goggles

 

 

Footwear

Sneakers

Dress Shoes

Water Shoes

Sandals

 

 

Pants

Shorts

Slacks

Dress Pants

Sweatpants

 

 

Shirts

T-Shirts

Dress Shirts

Blouses

Button-down

 

 

Formalwear

Suit (p & j)

Dresses/Gowns

Sun Dress

Skirts

 

 

Sleepwear & Gym

Sweatpants

Shorts

 

 

Accesories

Belts

Ties

Sunglasses

Jewelry

Purses

Scarves/Wraps

Watch

Bandana

Scrunchies

 

 

Health & Beauty

Tweezers

Emory Board

Brush/Comb

Toothpaste

Toothbrush

Lysol Wipes

Sewing Kit

Makeup remover

Nail clipper

Eye shadow

Blush

Nail Polish

Lipstick

Perfume.

Deodorant

Purell

Lip Gloss

Toiletry Bag

Razor

Shaving Cream

Cotton Balls

Mirror

Moisturizer

Fem. Hygiene

 

 

Misc.

Backpack/Bag

Zip-lock bags

Binder Clips

Copies of docs

Lanyards

Wet wipesC

Rain Ponchos

Smiles

Laughter

Stain Remover

Binoculars

Wrinkle Free Spray

Sticky Notes

Sml Flashlight

Travel Clock

Tide Stick

Safety pins

 

 

Outerwear

Sweatshirt

Light Jacket

Hat(s)

 

 

CARRY-ON

 

Documentation

Airline Tickets

Pre-board docs

Passport

Driver’s License

Important phone #s

Col/Forum Tickets

Cab # & Confirm.

Luggage Tags

Health Q&A

Copies import. docs

Itinerary

Medical ID Cards

List of Meds

Travel Insurance Info

 

 

 

Entertainment

Int’l dictionaries

Travel guidebooks

Kindle & Adaptor

DS/Games/Adaptor

iPod & Adaptor

[iPod speakers]

Pad & Pencil/Pens

Puzzle Magazines

Maps & Info

Travel Journal

 

 

 

Munchies

Bubblegum

Snacks for airplane

 

 

 

In Rome

Wine (in Rome)

Suntan Lotion

 

 

Other (write in)

 

 

 

Medical & Medicinal

Medications (prescrip)

Meds (non-prescription)

Vitamins

First Aid Kit

X-tra Band-Aids

Sudafed

Bubblegum

Sea-Sick pills

Aspirins – Adult & kid

Xtra glasses

Sunglasses

Pepto

Braces Emergency Kit

Eye Glass Emergency Kit

Dental Floss

Allergy – Adult & Kid

Airborne

Ear Pressure plugs

 

 

 

Currency

Wallet

Money belt

US $ & Small bills

Euros

ATM Card

Credit Card

Water Wallet

 

 

Other Items

Cell Phone & Adaptor

Keys (car & home)

Camera (and case)

- Battery

- Charger

- X-tra Memory card

Disposable Camera

Traveler’s Prayer

Edited August 14, 2013 by Travel R

[cruise pup]

Okay, maybe they are not pro- chair hogging, so instead, let's say that they are people that are chair hogs, but do not believe that what they are doing constitutes chair hogging?

 

My remark was only meant to be a little good natured ribbing. But it doesn't seem so far-fetched given the sense of entitlement some people have assumed.

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Thank you so much for this wonderful review! Loved every second of it!

 

Stef

[Travel R]

Thank you so much for this wonderful review! Loved every second of it!

 

Stef

 

Thank you -- and I have enjoyed reading your reviews as well. I enjoyed reading the story of your family, and as soon as I started reading your current review, I automatically remembered your last review, and looked forward to reading this one (and continuing to do so) -- I enjoy your details, humor and witt. [For those that would like to read either review - the links are in her signature.]

[Travel R]

My remark was only meant to be a little good natured ribbing. But it doesn't seem so far-fetched given the sense of entitlement some people have assumed.

 

Yeah, all we can do is laught about it.