Carnival Legend out of NYC Info

[Starz723]

I sailed the Legened 2 times. Both in July 2004 & 2005.

 

I loved both cruises!! I dont have any complaints.

 

We did hit bad weather first time in 2004, but what can you do. It passes. This past July we hit the beginning of a hurricane as we sailed out of Tortola. Booze fell off the shelves boths cruises in the duty free shop.

 

We had the best time, both times. Food was good, entertainment was good, everything was good. Picky people will find fault with everything.

 

When I go to Puerto Rico..I go to the beach. How come they dont tell you that there is a beach 5 mins away! Its called Escambron Beach. Cheap by taxi. You can go to an even nicer beach Isla Verde 15 mins away. We get about 2-3 hours at the beach and come back to eat.

 

St Thomas, first time I did a private day sale on the Winnifred. This July I went to Secret Harbor Beach..It was awesome..Great snorkeling right from the shore and sooo uncrowded. Tropical paradise..it has a nice restaurant, bar & rest room !

 

Tortola: The Baths in Virgin Gorda.. I would go again..that place is awesome.

 

Dont worry, and have a great time. Id sail the Legend again..but this time Im going to Miami to sail the Valor..I want to go to the W Carribean this time.

 

Have a blast!!!

[MrPete]

Marge...

 

You got any pictures of the beach in PR? How's the singing going?

[Cobra1365]

So far, the Legend is our favorite ship. We sailed her out of Baltimore to Bermuda over Halloween of 03. When we left the continental shelf and hit open water, it was VERY rough...but it was more due to the storm we were sailing through than anything the captain did! I was sitting on my balcony on the 7th deck when a wave crashed by...ended that day on the balcony. So, I don't care how good the ship is...in weather like that it's going to be rough. But other than that, probably the most relaxing cruise we've ever taken. Couples masasage... Awesome! Food... Awesome! Service...Awesome!

 

We have yet to sail the itinerary to Tortola...will have to put that on the list of things to do.

 

We did sail the Triumph out of NYC and I don't think I will ever drive into the city again! Sorry, but I don't do cities! What a nightmare...from here on out, if I ever have to go into the city, I will take a cab!

[Mark]

Starz,

 

Thanks for the input. I sailed Valor out of Miami last year adn did Eastern Carribean. Ship is a fine ship and crew was great except for my waiter when I asked for a ceasar salad...he told me that if I wanted a caesar salad I would have to eat by the pool at the pizzeria...this was a major mistake on his part...cruise line SOP is that even if it is not on the menu, they will whip it up for you, no problem. Aside from the incident with my diding room waiter everything on the ship was great. Poll space is a little too small for the number of passengers and some of the decks do not go straight thru from bow to sterm so you have to go up or down to go around rooms...a real pain in the you know what that is not found on the Legend class ships.

 

Get to the Miami terminal EARLY...10 AM if you can. The air conditioning in the terminal Sxxxs! Emabarkation and Disembarkation for Carnival in Miami can best be described as a cluster fXXX! Forget about the express line with the electronic check in, does not get you anywhere. Coming back I made off the ship and to Miamin Airport at 11:55 by taxi...blame was placed on lack of US Immigration inspectors...maybe yes maybe no? I do know that I came back into Ft Lauderdale on the Jewel of the Seas and was at Ft Lauderdale airport by 10AM?

 

Check out the sports bar next to the casino...it is made to look like Yankee Stadium...kind of neat!

 

Mark:cool:

[cruisin_in_my_dreams]

We are booked on the Legend for June this year. Our very first cruise. I've been reading all the great posts about the Legend (thanks everyone).

 

My question is...we live in PA. and was thinking about renting a car to drive to the cruise terminal cuz we don't want to spend $180 to park plus having to worry about our car.

 

Would anyone know of any rental car places close to the cruise terminal?

 

THanks in advance

patty

[Carlakuch]

Hi Patty,

We live in PA, near Scranton, whenever we go on a cruise, NYC port, we always take the Martz bus. It is convenient, saves a lot of headaches and money then driving and parking in New York.

[janetz]

STARZ, tell me more about the beach in PR? Did you arrive later in the day? Did you take a taxi there from port and was a taxi easy to find to get back to ship? Thanks ahead! :p

[amy2313]

I too will be on the Lengend the end of May when fleet week is going on. We are planning on leave CT around 10:30 and hopefully get to the NY port by 12. Hopefully we won't be stuck in the lines too too long. For those who have cruised on the Legend during Fleet week... With Fleet week going on - what do you think would be the best time to get to the port??

 

ALso, we had been planning on just walking around San Juan and maybe going to see the forts. But once you said there was a beach that close by, that changed our strategy for our limited time in PUerto Rico. Any other info on this beach you can give (and maybe some pics) that would be great!

 

Thanks

[laser110]

We sailed on the Legend last year and left during fleet week. We got to the ship by noon and were in the cabin by 12:45 and at the buffet by 1. Carnival surprised us a few weeks earlier by upgrading us to a suite which allowed for Captain's Club ( i think thats what it was called) check in. After we went through security, had the first of a million pictures taken, we walked to the separate desk, filled out some customs paperwork for the BVI. Gave our credit card to link up with the sail and sign card and we were on our way. Very easy,very fast.

 

We really loved the ship and had a great time sittign in the aft jacuzzi as the world sailed by. The first day at see was our first wedding anniversary and it was also the first formal night on board. An excellent way to start a great cruise.

 

San Juan is a wasted port in my opion. We went to El Morro, walked around a bit and then back to the ship. Don't miss the show that night The Village Idiots. These guys are hilarious. www.villageidiots.net

 

St.Thomas is old hat for me, having "grown up" there. Went shopping in the AM and the Magen's Bay in the afternoon. Time in St.Thomas always flies by too soon.

 

Tortola was good, been there 1000 times. Took the tour to the Baths on Virgin Gorda and then back to the ship.

 

2 more excellent days at sea with easy, smooth sailing.

 

Scott

[Cyber Kat]

My question is...we live in PA. and was thinking about renting a car to drive to the cruise terminal cuz we don't want to spend $180 to park plus having to worry about our car.

 

Sharing a secret (probably shouldn't ;) ) but the best place to park if you are taking a cruise out of Manhattan is the Port Imperial Ferry in Weehawken. It's $6 per day - may have gone up, recently, but probably not much and $11 round trip for the Ferry. Depending on the atheletic ability of your companions and the amount of luggage, you can walk to the terminal (approx 10 uptown blocks - shorter than cross town - maybe a 1/2 - 3/4 mile), you can take a cab - (approx $5 bucks) or you can take the free busses at the ferry stop in NYC. Only problem with taking the buses is that you practically have to do the whole route to get to the terminal.

 

We usually do a cab or walk, but we usually only have 1 suitcase each.

[MrPete]

I would think the parking tab would be a lot cheaper than all the trips to the doctor after lugging all that baggage that distance! :eek:

[Starz723]

OMG..Havent seen this post in ages. Sorry I didnt answer your questions either.

 

Mr Pete: I dont have a pic of Escambron Beach on line..but I should scan it and get it up for people to see. If you search the ports of call board there are pics there from other people that have gone..Thats how I found out about it. They even posted a map to show how close it is from the pier..its literally no more than 10 mins. Just keep in mind, this is a true local beach. I think I was the only tourist there. I loved it because of its local flavor. If your looking for more of a touristy place,,go to Isla Verde Beach. Im going there next time,,just to check it out. The cab driver told me I would like Isla Verde better and wanted to take me there but I insisted on Escambron. I think I paid $10 for all 3 of us. You cant beat that. BTW..the singing is going great..Im booked all the time. Ill be sure to sing on the Valor at what ever they may have..Thanks for asking.

 

Janetz: When you walk off the pier there are tons of cabs waiting to take you anywhere. When I got off the beach, I just went to the road and hailed a cab like here at home. There are always cabs. Check the ports of call board. Someone posted the cab rates on there for PR. They have flat rates for certain distances. Just research and youll be a well versed traveller. We are so lucky to have Cruise Critics. I wouldnt know half of what I know without this board.!!!

 

If you go to Isla Verde, which is about 20 min away, there are hotels on the beach..you can always gets a cab from a hotel.

 

The Legend is Great! I have nothing but raves about her and the fun I had.

By far, there are more good reviews about the Legend than negative.

[Homeseller]

My wife & I took the Legend out of NYC in October last year. We did not find any problems with the ship. We had 74mph winds on the last night out and the ship seemed to be extremely stable. All ships roll and if you don't like that you might be better off on land. The only negative that we had was with the cab drivers in NYC. They were rude. We fixed that by leaving the passenger rear door open after we left. Other then that it was the best of seven cruises that we have taken

[janetz]

You left the door open! :p lol I will have to remember that. Most of the taxi drivers in NY "seem" rude because they don't speak. They do not speak because they do not know any English besides the street names and hotels of NY. :rolleyes: Only once, have I had a really nice taxi driver in NY. He was from the Bronx. :o

[nckvilledudes]

To Anyone,

For a 1st time cruise, does anyone think the Legend out of New York would make a great first time cruise.??? Any thoughts will be appreciated.

 

Dan and Miguel

[Cyber Kat]

I would think the parking tab would be a lot cheaper than all the trips to the doctor after lugging all that baggage that distance! :eek:

 

LOL - no trips to the doctor here. We pack light in wheeled suitcases and are in pretty good shape. Besides the walk/exercise burns off some extra calories so we can eat more!

[count400@yahoo.com]

Just got off our first cruise, which was on the Legend yesterday. On Friday we hit a cold front and the winds were 45mph. We also took a backstage tour on Friday which is on the front of the ship. It was a little rough to say the least. The ship rocks, but you get used to it. We loved the ship. My wife didn't want to go on a cruise, but she enjoyed herself and would go again.

[barbaragrace]

To those CC members who have sailed the Legend out of NYC to the Eastern Carribean, please let me know your honest and candid opinions of the cruise. I have booked the Legend for May 28, 2006 since it seemed liked a good deal and am a bit concerned about all of the negative info I have seen about the Legend for such things as:

 

We've been on the LEGEND 3 times (2003,2004 and 2005) Click here: Carnival Legend and had a GREAT time. WE got on the ship early. Got there at 11 and we were eating our first buttet by 12:30. May/June is a great time to go. San Juan:it rained VERY HARD as soon as we got off the ship (2 times we were there) and took a cab to the mall for a few hours for something to do and then walked around Old San Juan. I could live without doing that again.

I LOVE Coki Beach Click here: St Thomas Coki Beach Underwater Marine Life Caribbean Vacation Photos | Ultimate Taxi Don't forget an under water camera (you can buy it on the ship) and dog buiscuits (I pack them from home) GREAT friendly fish!

Tortola: we go to Cane Garden Bay. I've heard the Baths were nice too but Tortola is a short day. Do NOT walk into town. If you want to do any shopping there make a left as you leave the ship and walk to the hut type places. the only place they suggest you go is to the spice shop but don't bother if you are not into spices. ENJOY!!!!! We will be going on our first RC next month!

[davy jones]

LOL - no trips to the doctor here. We pack light in wheeled suitcases and are in pretty good shape. Besides the walk/exercise burns off some extra calories so we can eat more!

 

Kat - The ferry is not a secret. It's been discussed many times on the NCL board.

 

I have also taken the Weehawken Ferry to NYC cruises. It's not for everyone, but we like it. We pack light (1 wheeled suitcase and a gym bag for a carry on). If you need multiple large bags, then it's not for you.

 

It's a pleasant 10 minute walk from the ferry terminal to the ship. I've had many longer walks dragging bags through airports. The ferry runs every 10 minutes on week days and 20 minuntes on Sunday. The ferry ride itself is about 5 minutes. It's also a great photo op when several ships are in port. We self disembark and are on the NJ turnpike before many can get a taxi.

[Binney]

I cannot say a bad thing about her. The crew was nice, efficient, etc. The food was great. The crowd was FABULOUS - we got to know a lot of other people. In fact, my DD is going to the prom with a guy she met last Aug on Legend. We are driving about 3 hours to get there!

 

We also LOVED the excursions...I've heard complaints that San Juan is a wasted port...NO WAY...especially of you do the bio-bay...night is the only time to do that.

 

I cannot say enough good things about her...truly.

[jbpinkie]

To those CC members who have sailed the Legend out of NYC to the Eastern Carribean, please let me know your honest and candid opinions of the cruise. I have booked the Legend for May 28, 2006 since it seemed liked a good deal and am a bit concerned about all of the negative info I have seen about the Legend for such things as:

 

We've been on the LEGEND 3 times (2003,2004 and 2005) Click here: Carnival Legend and had a GREAT time. WE got on the ship early. Got there at 11 and we were eating our first buttet by 12:30. May/June is a great time to go. San Juan:it rained VERY HARD as soon as we got off the ship (2 times we were there) and took a cab to the mall for a few hours for something to do and then walked around Old San Juan. I could live without doing that again.

I LOVE Coki Beach Click here: St Thomas Coki Beach Underwater Marine Life Caribbean Vacation Photos | Ultimate Taxi Don't forget an under water camera (you can buy it on the ship) and dog buiscuits (I pack them from home) GREAT friendly fish!

Tortola: we go to Cane Garden Bay. I've heard the Baths were nice too but Tortola is a short day. Do NOT walk into town. If you want to do any shopping there make a left as you leave the ship and walk to the hut type places. the only place they suggest you go is to the spice shop but don't bother if you are not into spices. ENJOY!!!!! We will be going on our first RC next month!

 

Barbaragrace- Thank you so much for this post. I loved your pictures and I am sold on this beach for our upcoming visit to St. Thomas. We wanted a place to snorkel in shallow water where we could see something (I get a little paniced in really deep water) and this looks perfect. Thanks again!:D

[glrounds]

I loved the LEGEND. One of my favorite class (Spirit) ships. I cruised her out of NYC just as the remnants of Hurricane Jeanne were rolling through so sailaway pics have a lot of ugly weather in them. :D I also think the weather had something to do with being upgraded from an inside to an outside cabin (lots of last minute cancellations is my guess).

 

Embarkation and Debarkation were without a doubt the most disorganized, cluttered, chaotic mess I'd ever been part of, but the rest of the cruise was FANTASTICO ! ! :)

Because the cruise is an 8-day event the ports of call are automatically rotated and my cruise ported in Tortola on a Sunday. I chose to walk into town to find an internet cafe, but everything was closed. Sooooooooo, I just walked around, took pics, and talked to the locals all dressed in their Sunday best for church. Upon reflection, I really should have rented one of the little motorcycles they had at the pier (one couple told me only $40 for 4 hours ! ! ) and run to the different beaches, etc. Oh well . . . there is always a next time. :) There is a huge anchorage for the rental of large sailboats by the week or month, so picked up some brochures and really would like to return with some friends and do a bareboat week out of Tortola.

Loved Saint Thomas. Excellent internet cafes and beautiful beaches.

This port is definitely AIMED at the female shopper. :D

Can't say enough good things about this ship, its crew, the service, the food, ad infinitum. Had a great cruise. :)

[perkyblue]

Hey barbaragrace-- I'm your exact opposite! I've been on the same RCCL ship 3 times before, and am doing by 1st on Carnival (Legend) in 3 weeks. Your cruise with RCCL isn't on Voyager, is it? That would be quite a coincidence, since that's the ship I was on all 3 times!

 

I hope I love Legend as much as you do, and if you enjoy your RCCL cruise as much as I did mine, you'll have a fantastic time!

 

Thanks everyone for all the info on Legend--I'm so excited! :D

[popsec]

Kat - The ferry is not a secret. It's been discussed many times on the NCL board.

 

I have also taken the Weehawken Ferry to NYC cruises. It's not for everyone, but we like it. We pack light (1 wheeled suitcase and a gym bag for a carry on). If you need multiple large bags, then it's not for you.

 

It's a pleasant 10 minute walk from the ferry terminal to the ship. I've had many longer walks dragging bags through airports. The ferry runs every 10 minutes on week days and 20 minuntes on Sunday. The ferry ride itself is about 5 minutes. It's also a great photo op when several ships are in port. We self disembark and are on the NJ turnpike before many can get a taxi.

 

Is it alot easier getting to the ferry than driving to the NY port?......sure not looking forward to that part of the trip. Do they have a website? How safe is the parking there?

[Cyber Kat]

Is it alot easier getting to the ferry than driving to the NY port?......sure not looking forward to that part of the trip. Do they have a website? How safe is the parking there?

 

Depends on where you're coming from, but I hate driving in the city, so I'd say it's easier.

 

Yes they have a website - http://www.nywaterway.com/

 

As far as safety - we

ve never had a problem, but anythime you leave your car, you're taking a chance. I'd rather take that chance at the ferry than in NYC.