Just back from Legend & Thank you!

[gfyjny]

Thank you Larry. We'll prbably try the 9:00 am ferry and go straight to Baths. We want to spend much time there as we can and check out those boulders and caves. And of course, enjoy the crystal clear water and white sandy beach. Take the ferry back at 12:30pm, wait, stop off at Speedy's Dept. Store take pictures first and head back. :p Speedy's charges $25 now but still way cheaper than the cruise ship price. I refuse to pay $50 more for practically the same excursion. In San Juan, we are planning on doing a bioluminescent bay kayak tour in Fajardo. I hope we don't miss this port. I'm really looking forward to this tour. It's going to cost us about $70 per person, but I think it's well worth it. In St. Thomas, I wanted to do Godfrey, but I think we are doing beginner scuba diving in Coki Beach. I've always wanted to try scuba, but cold water in Northern California was a big deterrence. I guess we don't have time to fit two activities in St. Thomas. Have you and your wife decided on the dates for the next cruise for you two?

Jenny :D

[foilman2002]

Sorry this took so long to answer, but I blew the power supply on my computer at home and am trying to fix it myself. So, I have to answer only at work.

No, we haven't decided on the dates, but instead of Legend to the Carib, I'm looking for a cruise to Prince Edward Island in Canada, home of Anne of Green Gables. My wife always wanted to go there, and after I get the info, I'll see if she wants to go. As of right now, she would opt for anywhere, anytime, except in the next two months, as our first grandchild is due in 4 weeks. And we're putting an extension on our house for our daughter and son-in-law, so we'll be a little busy during this period. After that, I'll bet she'll be willing to go anywhere, but Canada will not be a viable choice. And the happy couple are going to his family reunion in Newfoundland next summer, and asking us if we want to cruise to Halifax, NS. So, it looks lika a Canada year.

You will absolutely love the Legend, if its half what it was when we went. We didn't do the pool decks and stuff as much as we listened to the music all over the ship, all afternoon and evening. We went on the sundecks two or three times, but it wasn't a priority. However, I did start the cruise on the Lido deck listening to the Caribbean style band two hours before sailing.

I see you're going to try Scuba diving at Coki. It should be a lot of fun. And we wanted to do the Bioluminesence thing in PR, but got diverted.

Just a side note, on the trip back from Virgin Gorda to Tortola, I got to speaking with a guy who had a yacht chartering business on Tortola. He asked about the price of the tour from Carnival, and I told him the difference was $51.00. He repeated it and said, "so you saved $51.00 by doing the ferry trip yourself?" When I responded no, we save $102.00 between my wife and I, he put his head down and just shook it. I wonder if he thought he may have been in the wrong business.

You just gotta wonder if there's a way of doing that kayak tour without Carnival, but I never checked it out. I have friends who came from Puerto Rico, and go back periodically, but they've never gone to the bio bays. There are four such locations in the world, three of them in Puerto Rico. Now, ask how many New Yorkers have been to the top of the Empire State Building, or the Statue of Liberty. Just for the record, I've been to both, about 45 years ago. My wife has been to neither, nor have my four kids.

Any way, you'll have ball.

Larry

[gfyjny]

Would your daugther and son in-law be expecting you two to babysit all the time? Maybe you and your wife should go on a vacation now before the baby is borned. :p Congratulations, first grandchild!!!!!!!!
Never been to Canada, too cold for me :o I guess summer time wouldn't be too bad.

Speedy's sent me an email response. They told me that we don't need to make a reservation. We could just get the combo fare (ferry and taxi) at the dock. I guess we should just get to the dock early.
We'll have a balcony so we don't need to worry about fighting for lounge chairs on the pool deck. Caribbean music sounds good, I'm always up for live music.
And also for bio-bay Kayak tour in San Juan. We are going through a private company. It's going to cost us about $70 per person. I don't know how much Carnival charges for this excursion. I'm sure it's more than $70.

Talking about the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, we are going to stay in New York for a few day before our cruise. I don't think they let people climbe to the top of the Statue of Liberty anymore. Too bad. :(

[gfyjny]

Holland American Line has a 7day cruise to US & Eastern Canada on Maasdam on May 21, 2005. Did you look at this one yet? It embarks from Montreal and disembarks in Boston on May 28, 2005. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island is one of its ports of call.

[foilman2002]

No, I didn't check Holland America yet. I couldn't find any cruises to PEI. I will definitely check it out. Thank you.

We didn't make reservations either, we just walked up and bought the tickets. There really isn't much of a wait, and the ferries hold quite a few people. If you leave the ship at 8:30, you'll have plenty of time, just remember it is a little bit of a walk. We walked along the harbor, and then around some small buildings, and chickens. We had actually gotten there in time for the 9:00, but I couldn't get a consensus of our party to go. So we walked around the small town, and encountered a taxi driver who tried to talk us into Garden Bay. When I said we were going to Virgin Gorda, he looked up at the sky skeptically, looked at me, and said its going to rain. I figured it would rain at Garden Bay too, so told him no thank you. Then we went into a small store, and I asked the girl behind the counter if it was going to rain. She said not to worry. We left the store, and it started to rain. It lasted about 3 minutes, and was perfectly clear from then on.

I don't remember the cost of the kayak trip from Carnival, but I did think that $70.00 was low. I wanted to do it, but was choking over the price, which I seem to think was something like $115.00 per person, or more. It just galls me to spend $900.00 per person, get upgraded to a balcony, and this is for 8 nights and all you can eat, then spend 125.00, which is what I think it really was, for a two hour kayak trip, that I have to paddle myself. I felt the same about renting a limo to go to the pier. It was $300.00 round trip to the pier and pick up to go home, a total of maybe 6 hours use of the car. But for $1800.00, we went to the Virgin Islands and back, and were totally pampered. I don't mind spending money, but I hate the illogic of it sometimes.

No, you can't climb to the top of the Statue, but it is a beautiful sight. And you pass by on your way out of the harbor too. There are so many things to see and do in NYC. I worked in Manhattan many years ago, and always did love it, the immensity of it, the museums, restaurants, theatres, all the little neighborhoods and the large and small stores. Where else can you go see priceless art treasures ( Metropolitan Museum of Art, among dozens of others), find a small restaurant to eat top notch food in (almost anywhere, walk up Ninth Ave in the 40's, and there are about 50 restaurants in a 6 block area, ranging from noodle shops to kebob places to Japanese, Indian, Thai, Afghanistan, Greek, Italian, and all other kinds), then go get a haircut for $150.00 (men's cut, I wouldn't even venture a guess for a woman's cut, on Fifth Avenue, or you can go down to the Atlas Barber School, and get a cut for free) and buy a sweater for $1300.00 (Bergdorf Goodman, actually that was a price from about 3 years ago, and the sweaters were on a table in the middle of the floor). Then step outside, have your name artistically drawn in multi-colors by a street vendor, and grab a cup of soup, or shish kebob from a street cart (again Fifth Avenue). Wander over to Broadway and look at all the TV studios with their windows on the streets, go into St. Patrick's Cathedral, and St. John's Episcopal, and of course, watch the people in Rockefeller Center. All this, and except for the museum, you haven't left midtown Manhattan yet. Still hungry? We've got the "Soup Nazi" (don't call him that, he hates it), Bobby Flay, and a host of other famous chefs (but not Emeril).

Where are you going to be staying?

Larry

[gfyjny]

I don't mind spending money either, but I always appreciate great deals and bargains. We've spent about $4000 for a Cat. 11 aft suite. I don't regret it because I know it would be worth every penny. We are staying at Inter Continental the Barclay. We are looking to go see Conan O'Brien Show and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. We want to hit up a couple of museums. I want to go to many ethnic restaurants as possible. It seems like not much international flavors on the cruise ship. I've been to the Statue Of Liberty but haven't done the Empire State Building yet, so we would got there too. So much stuff to do not enough time. Give me more recommendation on restaurants, especially affordable ones. :p

Hey Larry, I've checked out some prices on the cruise I've mentioned Holland America Line on 05/21/2005 to 05/28/2005. For the oceanview, the cheapest I've found was $2010.38 for two people. The suite was $2640.98 for two people. They didn't have any balcony cabins availability. The prices are including port charges, government taxes. What is your budget for this trip?
If you email me, I'll let you know where I've found it. I don't think we are supposed to mention the travel agency websites. :confused:

I think you only get one day at Prince Edward Island. Did you wanted to stay there for more than one day? Let me know if you need help, I love surfing the net for great deals. :D

[foilman2002]

I had gone to HAL's website and found the trip. The stay at PEI isn't even a half day, and I'm sure my wife would prefer more. I'll have to really think this one out.

And the more I think about it, the more I think I want to wait until after the baby is born before I go planning anything. My wife and a girl friend are going down to Pennsylvania Dutch country this weekend, so she'll get a little break.

There are over 18,000 restaurants in NYC, including the "outer boroughs". (A little civic lesson, not even commonly known among Noo Yawkers; the city of NY is made up of 5 boroughs, each one of which is a county; The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan. The counties are, in above order, Bronx County, Kings County, Queens County, Richmond County, and, ta-dah, New York County, so guess which one is not an outer borough. Manhattan and Staten Island are islands, Brooklyn and Queens are located on an island [Long Island], and The Bronx is the only part of NYC attached to the mainland. It's also distinguished by the fact that it is THE Bronx [you are going to Queens, I'm going to THE Bronx]). Not all (back to restaurants) are great, but I doubt if many are bad. They really don't stay open very long if they are. I used to live in the city, but have lived on Long Island for the past thirty one years. We've gone into the city a few times in the past few years, and we've eaten mainly in the theatre distict. There is a Thai restaurant on 9th ave in the 40's that was excellent (that was "Phantom of the Opera"), as well as a noodle shop (last year's trip to see the tree at Rockfeller Center) in the same vicinity. We ate at a "Mexican" theme restaurant on the corner of 42nd St and 8th Ave that was very good (that was "Gypsy"). I came close to going to a BBQ restaurant (yes, slow-smoked in Manhattan) I believe on 46th between 6th and 7th, but backed off because of the lack of enthusiasm on my wife's part (but I BBQ at home, in my three smokers).

On a higher end there is Michael Jordan's Steak House in Grand Central Station, and of course, the world famous Oyster Bar in Grand Central. And if you want the best steak in the country, according to most polls, you have to go to Peter Lugers in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Just watch out for the surly waiters, and the bill. If a slightly less well known steak is ok, with nicer service, and less travelling, there's Gallagher's on 51st St, I believe, and probably any of 7 or 8 others in Midtown. At Gallagher's you used to be able to see the aging process of the steaks. And there's also Tad's Steaks for $6.99; I used to eat there when it was $1.99, that was for the steak and toast, the baked potato was a little extra and still is. There are upscale Chinese, Indian, Japanese, French and other European Cuisines, Caribbean and Middle Eastern restaurants as well as the smaller less expensive types of the same ethnicities.

And we still haven't really left mid-town. There is still the Little Italy section, Chinatown, Greenwich Village, the east Village, uptown areas, and restaurants in Harlem, which might be considered as ethnic.

My suggestion? Comfortable walking shoes, and an open mind. You'll never know what you'll find. Just walk up 9th Ave from around 44th St to 50th, don't forget to look down the side streets especially looking towards 8th Ave, and you'll have plenty of ethnic restaurants to choose from. And the fact that these are neighborhood restaurants make it all the better, because it means the local residents eat there. Upscale? Go to 56th and 57th Sts, between 5th Avenue and 8th Ave. That used to be called Restaurant Row, and had a lot of very nice restaurants. Just remember that reasonable in NYC is not the same as reasonable almost anywhere else, the real estate costs a literal fortune. Even McDonald's costs more in Manhattan, and the outer boroughs, heck, even on Long Island.

Thanks for the offer for the surfing. I may take you up on it when I make up my mind.

Larry

[gfyjny]

We'll definately give Gallegher's and "Gypsy" a try. How far is brooklyn from Manhattan? I'm planning on doing lots of walking. I could walk for miles and miles We would probably stay in Manhattan since there are plenty of things to do. Or do you recommend for us to explore further? We would have two full days in NYC.

[foilman2002]

Brooklyn is right over the bridge(s) from Manhattan. There are four bridges that span the East River; the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge (all these go into Brooklyn), and the 59th Street Bridge of Simon and Garfunkle fame (goes into Queens. It's also called the Queensborough Bridge). If memory serves me correctly, The Brooklyn Bridge is down around City Hall, not too far from Wall St, South Street Seaport, Fulton Fish Market (if its still there) ( I went to college down there, so I know this is correct); The Manhattan Bridge is off of Canal Street which is the major street of Chinatown, also close to Little Italy, and cross town from Greenwich Village (really not a far walk); The Williamsburgh Bridge is on Delancey Street which is around the Lower East Side, and leads to Williamsburg in Brooklyn. I really would not suggest walking over there though. And the 59th Street Bridge is on, uhh, 59th Street, which is around a lot of small stores, Bloomingdales, some nice restaurants, and is close to 57th St, a major shopping area with a lot of upscale, unique stores. I believe there is also a cable car that runs to an island in the middle of the East River here.

Gallagher's is a very nice restaurant where the steaks are excellent, it is pricey though. I ate at Gallagher's many years ago, and also Peter Lugers. More recently I ate at one of these type of steakhouses on Long Island. The steaks are without peer at all of them. It is top Prime Grade Beef, dry aged and cooked to perfection. On the Legend, we went to the Golden Fleece, and I ordered the Porterhouse. They claim the steak there is equivalent to a NY Steak House. My test is the one I used at Peter Luger's, you have to be able to cut the steak with a fork, with slight pressure. Don't forget, these steaks are almost 2 inches thick. In the Golden Fleece, I picked up my fork, looked at my buddy and said "If they're as good as a NY Steak House, I'll be able to cut it like this, and put it in my mouth." By the time I said put it in my mouth, I was already eating the steak. It cut as easily as the steaks from the steak houses, and had an excellent flavor. Now, this cost me $25.00. Peter Lugers, steak for two, with sides of potatoes and tomatos and onions, would probably run about $125.00 or more.

I would probably tell you to stay in Manhattan, and just enjoy yourself. While there are things to do and see in the outer boroughs, it requires a lot of travelling to get around them. Manhattan is fairly compact, and filled with things to do. If you're thinking of seeing a Broadway play, there is a booth in the Times Square area called TKTS. If you go there, they have tickets for plays that are not filled, and you can usually get a good bargain. You just have to take what they have. It's definitely worth a shot if you are looking towards that. The main branch of the New York Public Library is on 42nd St and 5th Ave. Its massive, and worth a visit. Major museums are mostly uptown, and the Museum of Modern Art is just reopening after a refurbishment. The Museum of Natural History is up around 86th on the West Side, and adjacent to The Hayden Planetarium. The Metropolitan Museum is on the East Side, and not quite as far up. In between is Central Park. I used to hang around those museums when I was a kid, and a teen, but haven't been to them in ages. The Guggenheim is up there also, as well as an old museum that may still be for sale on the West Side on 59th St (I say may be because it may have been bought in the last 5 or 6 months). It's New York City, anything/everything can and does happen there.

I could go on and on. I would live in the city in a heart beat if I could afford to; yet, I don't visit all that much. I just read a report that said a lot of retirees are moving into the city. There's a lot of life all around you, and you don't have to travel far for it.

I don't remember the name of the "Mexican" themed restaurant, but if you walk on 42nd from 7th towards 8th you won't miss it. Its on the uptown side.

Okay, we've finally gone a little out of mid-town Manhattan!!

Go to all the websites you can find and look around, this way you'll plan a good itinerary. But don't forget to just walk and be open to whatever. A beautiful June day can lead to anything; sitting at a sidewalk cafe for lunch, watching the young adults play frisbee in Washington Square in Greenwich Village, going to the open air Farmer's Market in Union Square. And don't be put off by attitudes, they're used as a defense against possible problems. But most people are really nice, in a New York way. A minister friend of mine, who grew up on LI, and worked in Manhattan before going to Boston to open a church, came back to minister at our church and told the story of their recent return to NY. They were driving on Canal St to get to the Manhattan Bridge in order to get to the BQE to come out to Long Island, but had gotten a little confused. He tends to drive a little more aggressively in NY than he normally does. He cut a guy off, and the guy started gesturing and yelling. My friend felt really bad, and starting trying to catch up to the guy, which he did at a red light, and he signaled him to roll down his window, so he could apologize. He said the guy looks at him, rolls the window down and proceeds to curse at him like he hasn't been cursed at in a long time. My friend interrupts him, apologizes, and asks the guys forgiveness. Then he asks him where the Manhattan bridge is. The guy looks at him and says "follow me, I'll take you there". So my friend says only in NYC can you be cursed at and then shown where you want to go by the same guy. It's a New York thing.

Larry

[gfyjny]

That was a funny story about your friend and a New Yorker. If we could get the same quality steak on Legend, maybe we would just skip the steak house in NYC. We are going to arrive in NYC on Monday at about 5pm, check-in at the hotel and go out to dinner. On Tuesday, we were thinkgin about doing a walking tour in Manhanttan during the day and go to a broadway show at night. How early do you have to be at the TKTX to get the tickets? On Wednesday, we might check out museums during the day and go to a TV show taping at night. Thursday, of course, get up, check-out, and head to the port for embarkaton by 11am. We are definitely doing the Golden Fleece, perhaps more than once. I saw the menu someone posted on this board. Yummy, I would have problem choosing just one thing. Common consensus on the board is to do the Golden Fleece on the formal nights. What do you think?

More on New York restaurants, have you been to any of these places?
Onigashima (Japanese), Sarge's Delicatessen, Angel's Ristorante, Go Shushi, Cuisine of Pakistan, Afghan Kebab House, Han Bat (Korean), Tacocina Restaurant and Bar (Mexican). They are all within 2 miles of where we are staying. I wasn't kidding about the ethnic food. :D (Get my fix before we go on our cruise.)

[foilman2002]

The reason I mentioned the steak on the Legend was just for that. However, its not the same as being able to say you ate a Gallagher's or Peter Luger's.

As far as TKTS is concerned, here is a site with all the info:

[url]http://timessquare.nyctourist.com/broadway_tkts.asp[/url]



The TV tapings are a different story, as I don't know anything about them. I would suggest contacting the studios now to see about tickets, as some of them are very difficult to obtain.

Museums can be deceiving, as you get there at 10:00, and get lost in the various exhibits, and its suddenly 5:00, so, just be aware.

Here's one for the Metropolitan Museum:

[url]http://www.ny.com/museums/MET.html[/url]

We brought tuxedos and suits, and the ladies brought three gowns, as our intention was to go to both formal nights in the main dining room, and make the Golden Fleece an additional formal night. But I could definitely see the formal night in the Golden Fleece. You miss some fun in the dining room when you go to the supper club, so it may as well be the formal night. And with the singer and the piano player, it is very elegant. Everything there is elegant, and beautifully done.

I've never eaten at any of those restaurants, but let me just say that two miles from the Barclay covers all of midtown Manhattan, and a couple of thousand restaurants. Manhattan, from about 14th St on up, is laid out in a grid pattern, with the streets all running straight lines north-south and east-west, with the exception of Broadway and 7th Ave. When we were a kid we learned that a mile was 20 city blocks. That's because a north-south block in NYC is 260 feet long (times 20 is 5,200 feet). So, if you walk from 48th St and Park Ave.(The Barclay) to 49th St, you've walked 260 feet. East-west is a longer walk, but I'm not sure how long the blocks are, possibly twice the length or more. Therefore, one mile north of The Barclay is 68th St, one mile south is 28th Street, and one mile West will put you at or close to the Hudson River. It is way less than that to the East River, probably less than a half mile, which would put you just about a block north of the United Nations. Go West, about 2 1/4 blocks, and 4 blocks north, and you're at the Museum of Modern Art. Of course, doing it the way I just said, you'd pass by Rockefeller Center, and then St. Patrick's Cathedral, as well as several fine stores. Or, you could just walk 5 blocks south on Park Ave, until you hit the Grand Central Station (remember? Michal Jordan's Steak house and the Oyster Bar). Nice location. If you continue west to Broadway, you'll come to the Stage Deli, the real one. The sandwiches are huge, and excellent, and very pricey. It'll cover you for two meals.

Anyway, you get the idea.

[gfyjny]

Maybe we shouldn't worry so much about where we are going to eat. Too much planning could be bad. We'll just walk as much as we can and see what's out there. So I take it Metropolitan Museum is a must? Would definitely look into that and plan it for the whole day. :p

I love dressing up for a fomal event since I don't get to do that often enough. I've already bought couple of dresses to take with me. I have a question regarding tipping in the Golden Fleece. Your opinion matters a lot and is trusted. We're planning on tipping minimum $10 per person. Do we just leave cash on the table after our meal or put it in an envelop and hand it to them in person? We want to make this discreet as possible. :)

[foilman2002]

Funny, there was a whole big thing about whether to tip or not in the Golden Fleece, on another thread yesterday, but not really how to.

As one of the posters said, you sign for the meal, and there is a place to put a gratuity. We left cash, but I don't remember if the "bill" came in a table wallet or not. If it did, we left it in that, but if not, I would put it neatly on the table, the same as we would in any restaurant.

You can make a reservation for the Golden Fleece as soon as you board the vessel, in the Atrium. But check on it, we made the reservation there, and when I went to the Golden Fleece to check on it was told there was no reservation. Not too worry, we were able to make the reservation on the spot. For some reason, the supper club was not fully booked, and this was even after everyone on board was given a $25.00 credit due to a missed port. I mean, that really pays for the whole thing, including a gratuity. But, I have heard of cruises where they were booked solid.

Our main dining room waiter asked us about the Golden Fleece after we went there ( we had told him we wouldn't be in the dining room that night). It seems the ship was sailing down to Philadelphia for a cruise out of there, and it was a night off for the wait staff, but they were allowed to go to the Golden Fleece if they wanted to. I would love to have found out how he liked it. His name was Tsvetan, but that was over a year ago now.

A little hint, when you board, everyone goes right to the elevators just off the atrium, the glass ones and the regular ones just across from them. There are two more banks of elevators, one aft and one fore, that were totally empty when we went to them. And go down to the purser's desk as soon as you can, and ask if they have any playing cards. It's a free gift, and a nice momento. They don't say Legend on them, but they are Carnival cards.

It's not so much that the Met is a must, but it really is a premier museum. There are many of them, including a Police Museum, The Jewish Museum, etc. Here's a site:

[url]http://www.ny.com/museums/[/url]

And another:

[url]http://go-newyorkcity.com/index.asp?RegionID=45&CategoryID=12[/url]

And another:

[url]http://www.theinsider.com/nyc/museums/museums.htm[/url]

And:

[url]http://www.newyorkled.com/museums.htm[/url]

Even St. Patrick's is a museum of sorts.

I wouldn't be surprised to find a museum of websites devoted to museums.

Thank you for the vote of confidence.

Byt the way, where are you from? California was mentioned, but where?

[gfyjny]

I've only been to NYC once in my life, and that was a day trip at best. I was so overwhelmed when I was there. That's why I wanted to plan things better so that I'd be better prepared. We love museums. When we went to San diego last summer, we hit five in one day in Balboa Park.

San Francisco is about 45 miles north from San Jose. New York is definitely different than San Francisco, In my opinion, there are a lot more things to do and see in New York.

We're planning on visiting Golden Fleece at least once if not twice during our cruise. Thank you so much for your input on tipping. I did read the thread but didn't get the answer I was looking for. To me it is not about whether to tip or not tip. It makes me feel good to tip and I just wanted to make sure I do it in good taste.

I like your idea on elevators. You are so right. Usually people tend to follow the crowd. I'll keep that in mind and use the aft one, since our cabin is on that side anyway. Where is the puser's desk? Okay, purser's desk, dining hall, and Golden Fleece, where else should we go after before we get to our cabin? :D

[foilman2002]

Actually, you don't have to go to the Golden Fleece, there's a table set up in the Atrium with a display of the food, and two hostesses to take reservations. The purser's desk is in the Atrium on the port side, but I wouldn't go there for the cards as soon as I got on, I'd wait until the ship was underway. We actually just sat in the Atrium area for a bit, and then went up. After we saw our rooms, and settled in a bit, we went to the Lido deck at 3:00. The "island" type band was starting, so we stayed up there for a bit, I called my kids just to let them hear the music and tell them the party already started and we still had two more hours in port. I actually stayed on my cell phone as we started to sail out, then just shut it down and watched the city go by. And, of course, Lady Liberty.

One of those sites I gave you on the museums lists all the museums in the 5 boroughs. I counted 97 of them. That should take the better part of a day, no? That includes Edgar Alan Poe's house in The Bronx, as well as a few other famous houses. I grew up in the Bronx, and went to Poe's Cottage a few times, and The Cloisters once. My thing was the American Museum of Natural History. But after a buddy and I discovered a whole room devoted to Rocks of the Mississippi Delta, I figured I had explored far enough. No one else I ever met had even heard of that room.

I mean, think about it, going to school in NYC means field trips to sites that others elsewhere in the country can only dream about. That was how I went to the Museum of Modern Art, which is not my style at all. And yes, there were large canvases of pure white with a small square with two colors on it, and other such things. I still can't appreciate that type stuff. But at the Met I saw "Mona Lisa" (on loan) and Rembrandt's "Aristotle Contemplating a Bust of Homer". I also spent afternoons in the Hayden Planetarium totally entranced.

Let's see, San Francisco. I spent one day/night there in the mid-70's on business. I was enthralled with it. Unfortunately I didn't get to do much sight seeing. It was the last stop on a NYC - Chicago - Houston - Los Angeles - San Francisco - NYC week.

By the way, on the ship if you ever just want to go somewhere that is usually very quiet, just to sit and look out a porthole, go to the Enchanted Forest. We found it to be mostly deserted. I know it sounds strange being as you'll have a balcony and all, but we went there several times. Then again, we also didn't spend a lot of time sunning ourselves. Oh yeah, if you go to afternoon tea, and you should, pace yourselves. They came around with the tea, and then sandwiches, so we took some. Then they came with something else to eat, and then scones after that. We wouldn't even consider the other things. We liked the chamber music, and the jazz trios and the piano players all over the ship, and you could usually find us listening to them.

I may be talking myself back into this cruise again. I found very little not to like about the Legend. I had my quirks, but that's just it, they were my quirks, not real problems with the ship or crew. All in all it was an excellent cruise, and I'm glad to see that recent reviews said just about the same things I did in my review.

As I said, you'll love it and you'll have a ball. And two days in NYC will just add to it.

[judyf]

Love the tips for the Legend. I was looking for someone to post a nice quiet spot on the ship. On the Inspiration we love the area in the back behind the pizza place it was great to sit outside and see the ocean.

Any more tips?

[gfyjny]

Appreciate the info on the Enchanted Forest. Since our balcony is on the aft, we could use the area to get different view of the ocean in more private setting.
I'm all for afternoon tea. Except, I might have to bring my own tea, since I only drink green tea. Larry, forget Canada and just join us on Legend. :D
If you and your wife ever come to the SF, San Jose area, I would be more than happy to be your hostess. Not as grand as NYC, but definitely has its own characteristics. Also, Monterey and Napa valley are near by, too. If you are interested in a cruise from SF, Cerebrity Cruise embarks from here for Alaska and Mexico bound cruises. ;) :p

Judyf, let's share the tips we've learned so far. What particular info were you looking for? :)

[judyf]

[QUOTE
Judyf, let's share the tips we've learned so far. What particular info were you looking for? :)[/QUOTE]

Anything and everything! I have to leave for work now but will look through my notes this weekend and post what I've found so far. I cruise in MArch when are you on the Legend?

Thanks

[gfyjny]

My cruise is in June/July. My mind is pretty much set on dining at the Golden Fleece.
Have you decided on any shore excursions?
I'm planning on doing the Bio-bay luminescence Kayak tour in San Juan, Beginning Scuba in St. Thomas (second choice would be Godfrey's tour), and Baths, Virgin Gorda in Tortola. So much to do, not enough time. :D

[foilman2002]

At tea time, they come around with a basket of tea bags. I don't actually remember, but would be shocked to find they didn't have green tea. I personally like green tea, but like Earl Grey best, and, of course, they had that.

The Enchanted Forest is quiet and usually deserted, but, you'll find plenty of places to sit all over the public decks. We often sat in the Atrium area where it was busy, but we were able to just sit and talk among ourselves.

By the way, there are massage chairs in the Atrium area. My wife loved them, but, I thought they were designed for torture. Anyway, they're more than just vibrator type, they roll up and down your spine, and do all sorts of things. They cost something like a dollar a minute, but she thought it was worth it.

We do want to take a cruise to Alaska, but I hadn't thought about leaving from the SF area, only Vancouver and those areas. Another one to think about. And thank you for the offer.


There is a "coffee shop" on board where you pay for specialty coffees, and they sell chocolate covered strawberries. If you want those, do it early in the cruise, as they don't restock fresh fruit during the cruise and don't offer them on the later days.

If I think of any thing else, I'll let you know.

[foilman2002]

I just thought of the fact that you have to bring enough money with you. If you have to use the ATM in the casino, they get you for $5.50 a pop. So, use it only once if you must. I don't gamble or drink, but, I could do more with that money than just give it to Carnival for the use of their machine. And no, I don't think it has anything to do with linking up to the mainland, as I was able to get my bank account balance without a charge.

You can get lanyards and have a hole punched in your S & S card in the casino. We brought our own lanyards and had a hole punched at the purser's desk ("oh, and by the way, do you have any playing cards?"). Yes, its a good idea to get a lanyard for the card, rather than constantly pulling it out of your purse or wallet. As a matter of fact, it may even eliminate the need for a purse. Just tuck a few dollars in a pocket or something and you're set.

And if you aren't going to use the stuff in your refrigerator, have it removed. Apparently just touching it will cause charges to appear on your bill. I was checking the bill on the TV in the room when I noticed we were charged for items. The charges were promptly removed, but it was annoying.

If you go down the water slide, be sure to hold your nose towards the end of the ride.

And contrary to popular belief, you can leave your crockpot and George Foreman grill at home.

Napa Valley? So while we boast what is arguably the best steak house in America, (Peter Luger's), you can boast what is considered to be the best restaurant in America, The French Laundry.

[gfyjny]

Larry.
Obviously you have been to Napa Valley. Never dined there before but heard much about it. Are you much of a wine connoisseur? If you are, visit to Bay Area is a must. We have Napa Valley as well as Carmel, and other local wineries.

Looking at Alaska cruises, Princess (Regal Princess) and Celebrity (Infinity) Cruise Lines embark from SF. Princess is a 10 night cruise, and Celebrity is a 12 night cruise. It looks like Infinity has better rating than Regal Princess, and also better value. Infinity embarks on Sept. 15, 2005. The oceanview was listed at $1470 per person on Yahoo Travel. I'm sure you can find it cheaper somewhere else.

Day Ports of Call Arrival Departure
1 San Francisco, California --- 5:00 p.m.
2 At Sea --- ---
3 Victoria, British Columbia 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
4 Cruise Inside Passage, Alaska --- ---
5 Ketchikan, Alaska 7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.
6 Skagway, Alaska 10:30 a.m. 9:00 p.m.
7 Icy Strait, Alaska 7:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
8 Cruise Hubbard Glacier --- ---
9 Juneau, Alaska 7:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m.
10 Cruise Inside Passage, Alaska --- ---
11 Vancouver, British Columbia 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
12 At Sea --- ---
13 San Francisco, California 7:00 a.m. ---

I know your wife wants to do Prince Edward Island, but Victoria is just as beautiful. :D
(Now I'm trying very hard.)

We appreciate all your tips on Legend. They all are quite useful. I wouldn't dare touching any snacks in the refrigerator, and would be sure to pinch my nose in the water slide. I didn't get Crock Pot and George Foreman Grill reference though.

Jenny

[foilman2002]

Jenny,

No, I've never been to Napa Valley. And while I used to be a budding oenophile (winelover), just before we went on our first cruise in 1978 I became born-again. Shortly after the cruise, I lost all of my appetite for anything alcoholic, and haven't drunk anything since. It wasn't anything I wanted or did, but I believe the Lord Jesus took it away from me.

Crockpots.

There used to be a running joke on the Carnival postsabout bringing a crockpot on board, but those old posts have gone to rest somewhere. However, yesterday I noticed someone started it on NCL, I hope this link works.

[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=88589&highlight=crockpot[/url]

They do get funny.

But if you want a real laugh its got to be ruin sorbees

go here:

[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=83286&highlight=ruin+sorbees[/url]

and go to post #14 (ruin sorbees)

I laughed hysterically when I first read it over a year ago, and again when I found it a couple of weeks ago, and again just now.

The thing about Prince Edward Island is an Anne of Green Gables thing.

You really do like to search the internet, don't you! As I said, I think I'll wait until after that grandchild is born to make any decisions.

Larry

[gfyjny]

They are hillarious, especially Ruin Sorbees. It gets funnier as you read it again and again. I take it this happens quite often while ordering room service? :D

[foilman2002]

I've only been on two cruises and I don't generally use room service, so I don't know. My wife did, but I never asked her. She read this last year and also thought it hilarious. I had to do something at my church today, and started thinking about don juan toes, and just sat there laughing. Thankfully I was by myself.

I also remembered someplace you have to eat. Or rather something you have to eat. You must, absolutley must, go into a pizza place for New York Pizza. It will ruin you for anything other pizza. Ask any New Yorker, and they'll tell you its real Italian pizza, but that probably isn't true. It's New York Pizza. Just go into a local shop and order one slice. Remember the old commercial for Lay's potato chips? Bet you can't eat just one!, but two will make a meal.

I never even got to the pizza on board the ship, even though I wanted to try the chevre pizza. I know people say how great it is, but that's usually compared to the rest of the country. I can't see a New Yorker or a Chicagoan being happy with any thing other than the home area stuff. Kind of like a San Franciscan eating sourdough bread in Iowa, or a Philadelphian having a cheesesteak sandwich in San Antonio. I guess if I had been hungry I would have gotten it, but I don't adhere to the "oh look, it's free, so I'll take one bite and throw it out" principle. And none of the other three felt to try it either.