ROLL CALL-- Legend 3/11-3/18

[jmalot]

Hi,

My husband and I will be joining you on this cruise! Also, just an FYI, use the skycaps at the airport for your luggage. They bypass the long lines and take care of clearing you thru customs quickly. We did this last March and it took us less than 15 minutes to clear customs!

[johnnycruise]

You will clear customs and immigration on the ship and then again at the airport (don't ask me why:confused: )

 

Last November the Customs and Immigration agent who cleared us on the ship then cleared us again at the airport. He said he remembered us from that morning:o

 

The reason for the second clearance of customs is that the US Virgin Islands are a US territory but outside of the mainland US Customs authority. That is why you can buy the duty-free merchandise (jewelry, liquor, etc.) in Charlotte Amalie at the discounted prices. So, you're clearing once (dockside) just to enter the US territory (where they're more interested in immigration and contraband than in souvenir purchases) and a second time (airport) when you're entering US Customs territory (50 states and Puerto Rico).

 

US Customs Pre-clearance is also offered at Aruba, Bermuda, Freeport, Nassau and five Canadian airports (Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) with a sixth (Halifax) approved to be added later this year. Baggage checked from these destinations can be transferred through to any airport in the 50 states. I think that would make a good trivia question;)

[DisneyJen]

I don't mind going through immigration/customs twice on a small island in order to avoid it in Atlanta or Houston. It also means our luggage should be able to be checked through to our final destination, right? Jackie

 

Correct ... once you clear at the airport in STT you won't see your bags until your final US destination.

 

Jmalot is 100 percent correct. We always use a skycap at STT as well ... the process goes much faster.

[johnnycruise]

US Customs Pre-clearance is also offered at Aruba, Bermuda, Freeport, Nassau and five Canadian airports (Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) with a sixth (Halifax) approved to be added later this year. Baggage checked from these destinations can be transferred through to any airport in the 50 states. I think that would make a good trivia question;)

 

and I would have gotten the question wrong because I left out Ottawa and Winnipeg!:D

 

johnny

[jsiegel]

Finally booked our air. What a pain trying to find good connections with semi-decent prices leaving from central California. We're flying in Friday March 9th, due to arrive late afternoon. Total flight time is only 12 hours (versus the 22 plus hours most of the other routings involved) We only have 1 1/2 hour layovers in Dallas and Miami, so hopefully our luggage will make it to St. Thomas with us.

 

I hope there is still room at the inn. I just sent another message to the Mafolie to see if they still have space.

 

Jackie

[crystal808]

Jackie:

Great that you got your air booked! And since you're coming in "early", at least you've got a day or 2 to let your luggage catch up to you! But I'd expect that it'll make it with you!

 

I've reserved a Jeep(!) for my 3 days there...Dependable will pick me up at the airport, and when I return the Jeep on the 11th, they'll take me to Crown Bay, as well. It's a "leap" for me...but I wanted to be able to "explore" a little on my own, with the extra time I'll be there. Will have to take it "easy" to begin driving on the left!! :) (And avoid Charlotte Amalie whenever possible!)

 

If you don't hear from the Mafolie soon, I'd pull up their web page (to review their rooms) and call them direct. They were nice to deal with, and sent email confirmation afterwards. I spoke with Natasha Stone (800.225.7035).

 

Good luck, and looking forward to seeing you in March on the Legend!

 

Paul

[jsiegel]

We've got our hotel booked!!! Yeah. When I called the Mafolie this morning with my credit card number, Alana already knew who I was and had everything ready.

 

Paul: Thanks for the heads-up to be on the lookout for Jeeps. I'll make sure to keep far away from you as you get used to driving on the wrong side of the road. Maybe we'll run into you at the hotel, though I hope not literally.

 

See you all onboard.

 

Jackie

[crystal808]

Paul: Thanks for the heads-up to be on the lookout for Jeeps. I'll make sure to keep far away from you as you get used to driving on the wrong side of the road. Maybe we'll run into you at the hotel, though I hope not literally.

 

I'll be the one driving the slowest :eek: with the line of honking cars behind me! (Hopefully not the case!) ;)

 

Glad you got your room booked...now we're ready to go!!

 

Paul

[jsiegel]

For those planning a pre-cruise stay in St. Thomas, to maybe help you plan what to do on which days, the big cruise ships will be dumping passengers on the tiny island.

 

On Friday March 9th Celebrity's Constallation will be the only ship in port. It carries 2,000 passengers.

 

On Saturday March 10th Royal Carribbean's Adventure and Empress of the Seas will be in port, for a combined total of over 5,000 passengers.

 

Of the two, the day to go to the beach would probably be Friday. Too bad we'll be arriving too late in the day for that.

 

Jackie

[crystal808]

Jackie:

 

Thanks for the heads up! Now I know what "not" to do on that Saturday! (go into Charlotte Amalie!) Now I'm glad I picked Thursday to arrive!!! :D

 

Paul

[jsiegel]

Being a librarian, I love to research everything, so I found a calendar of what ships will be in ports on the same days as the Legend. Let's hope the schedules change for some or all:

 

Wednesday March 14 in St. John's, Antigua: Jewel of the Seas, Empress of the Seas, Norwegian Jewel, and Crown Princess (making a total of over 9,000 passengers)

 

Thursday March 15, St. Martin (but luckily they will be on the Dutch side): Crown Princess and Carnival Valor (over 5,000 passengers)

 

When we return to St. Thomas on March 18th sharing the island will be Serenade of the Seas and the Crown Princess.

 

Jackie

[crystal808]

Let's hope the schedules change for some or all:

 

Amen to that! Sheesh! (there's still plenty of time for changes!) :eek:

 

 

Paul

[blackbird71]

Blackbird misses the boat again :( I could not get a Run of the Ship on that cruise and took the Mar 4 sailing. :)

[crystal808]

Blackbird misses the boat again :(

 

LOL! So soon...so soon! :D

 

I could not get a Run of the Ship on that cruise and took the Mar 4 sailing. :)

 

Something tells me you won't be by yourself! SB really is the only way to cruise(!)...and don't feel bad about booking via "price"...that's what I always do! :eek: ;) ("It's hard out there on a solo....")

 

Paul

who is looking forward to comparing the Pride to the Legend...very soon!

[Archipelago]

When JSIEGEL mentioned the roll call I went to the Roll Call for other lines and couldn't fine it so here it is !!:o I wanted to add my screen name to this roll call . I might have been the last one to get a ROS- GTY on this sailing so I apologize to BLACKBIRD!!!:o

[jsiegel]

Blackbird misses the boat again :( I could not get a Run of the Ship on that cruise and took the Mar 4 sailing. :)

 

BB, so sorry we won't be able to meet onboard. Take good care of the ship for us.

 

John, glad you found the roll call. We're going to have quite the group at the Mafolie. I hope it lives up to the reviews.

 

Jackie

[blackbird71]

BB, so sorry we won't be able to meet onboard. Take good care of the ship for us.

 

John, glad you found the roll call. We're going to have quite the group at the Mafolie. I hope it lives up to the reviews.

 

Jackie

 

LOL and I can review Mafolie for you too. I will be trying to book there before my cruise.

 

For my Mar Silversea's cruise out of San Juan and my Nov Pride out of Barbados, I drove 200 miles to Charlotte to get a direct flight to those islands. I just checked and the direct flight from Charlotte to St. Thomas gets in at 4:15 and the Legend leaves at 5:00.... Just a little too close for me. :eek: So it looks like I will fly in the day before and stay at the Mafolie and if there is any luggage problems hopefully they will be worked out before my cruise. ;)

[Archipelago]

I was planning to take my tux , a navy blazer with shirts and ties and a blue linen jacket with seersucker pants and casual shirts . Does this sound o.k. for the week long cruise ? I have a collection of cufflinks so I may bring some of those for some evening sparkle !!:)

[blackbird71]

I was planning to take my tux , a navy blazer with shirts and ties and a blue linen jacket with seersucker pants and casual shirts . Does this sound o.k. for the week long cruise ? I have a collection of cufflinks so I may bring some of those for some evening sparkle !!:)

 

Just say NO to Ties... :D

 

I just got off the Pride in the Caribbean. Only one formal night and two casual nights. I brought my Tux and two Sportscoats and that worked from me.

[Kate-AHF]

I am so close to pulling the trigger on the 11 March sailing. DH have done nothing but talk about how we can't stand the wait until 2 Jan 08 for our next SB cruise. The itin is great, the dates fit my college's spring break, and the farm is not expecting any foals spring....

 

I'm having a hard time coming up with a reason not to....

[blackbird71]

Yipes,,, just got off the Pride last week, and just made my final payment for the Mar 4th Legend, is there something wrong with me :D:D

[PeaSea8ch]

Yipes,,, just got off the Pride last week, and just made my final payment for the Mar 4th Legend, is there something wrong with me :D:D

Yes, you have become hopelessly and irreversibly addicted to Seabourn. And there is no drug or therapy to cure it, except take more Seabourn cruises! :eek:

[blackbird71]

Yes, you have become hopelessly and irreversibly addicted to Seabourn. And there is no drug or therapy to cure it, except take more Seabourn cruises! :eek:

 

I was afraid that was the answer

[jsiegel]

I've been tied up the last two days at a conference but tomorrow I call my travel agent to make our final payment. Neil is still grumbling about going on a vacation but I know he will have a fabulous time.

 

John cubed - met your state's Secretary of State at the NEC cubed conference. What a fireball. Elaine Marshall is smart, personable, and dedicated to her office. I don't know if she's an elected official, but if I lived in NC, I'd vote for her.

 

Jackie

[Archipelago]

I voted for Elaine Marshall and I think that I'm related to her as well. I had an uncle Marshall named after my paternal G Grandfather and my brother and nephew are named Marshall after my maternal grandmother and they are the same Marshalls:p Of course in a geneaology search they say that I'm kin to myself 7 times :D