Review of our Spring Break cruise on Carnival Legend

[PaulMedik]

............. I'm sorry you had a bad experience at Hooters. I hope it was just an off night. We have eaten there many times but not recently. ..............

 

 

irb33785,

 

I'm sure they were having an off day at Hooters. A normal experience there was what I was kind of dreading, so that may have played a part in our overall experience there as well. The fact that we had just walked quite a few miles in LazyDays RV park and we were hungry and tired made our high stool table less than desirable. It's hard to sit upright when you're worn out.

 

Clearwater Beach is attractive enough that we'd go there even if all the restaurants were closed and the hotels boarded up. We'd be content on that beach with a tent!

 

With all that Clearwater Beach has to offer in terms of entertainment, sight seeing, and recreation options, it would make an ideal port stop for cruise ships instead of a precruise town.

 

Our first visit to Clearwater Beach was in 1989 and we stayed at the Flamingo Hotel. That first visit was a post cruise stay after our Premier cruise. Would you happen to know of the former address of that hotel? I know it was torn down, but it was such a unique place that I'd still like to see where it was. Also do you know of any place that might have pictures of it?

 

 

 

_______________________________________________________________

[PaulMedik]

............

 

I was glad to see your positive comments about Allegiant. I booked our airfare with them to FLL for our June cruise on the Freedom. I've been a little worried about it since they only do one flight a day, but I figured what the heck, I could always just rent a car and drive down if something happened to cancel the flight.

 

 

cruisebie,

 

Thank you.

 

Allegiant is great! We've flown Allegiant several times now, in fact we've flown every route they offer out of Huntington; St Pete / Clearwater, Sanford / Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale. Their prices are beyond compare and their crews are the friendliest we've ever encountered. I wouldn't worry about their one flight options. If they have to cancel, they will bring in another plane. Their planes are all relatively new and obviously well maintained.

[PaulMedik]

Since it was our first cruise on a Spirit Class ship, we set out to explore her a little bit;

 

 

Just as we began our tour we went by the dinning room and noticed a line forming to speak with the Maitre D'. We needed to change our dinning time from 6:00PM to Open seating due to the times of our port stops. We didn't want to be rushed in to get ready for dinner after busy days in port.

 

 

The Maitre D' was very friendly and assured us that based on our booking date of 15 months out that we would have preference for the first available open seating dinning assignment. He said that preference is now based on how far out you book. There were several people in line behind us that wanted the 6:00PM seating so we were sure we'd get it. He said we'd just need to eat there tonight at 6:00PM and then he'd send a notice of our new time to our cabin tomorrow.

 

I took a pic of him afterwards and he jokingly asked if the picture was for evidence. Prophetic perhaps;

 

 

After speaking with the Maitre D' we continued our tour. Even though it was early, they already had loads of luggage coming on board;

 

 

We entered the Enchanted Forest from the outside Promenade deck. Can you tell Spencer is impressed;

 

[PaulMedik]

We noticed throughout the cruise that the Enchanted Forest wasn't used much other than for walking to Camp Carnival. But it sure is impressive to walk through;

 

 

At the end of the Enchanted Forest there's a circular stairway up to Camp Carnival. Spencer walked the entire way like he was someplace he wasn't allowed to be;

 

 

 

[Kissyfur19]

We live just south of Clearwater Beach and I have enjoyed seeing it through your eyes. For those who go to Frenchy's be sure to have the she crab soup. It is the best ever!

 

I couldn't agree with you more! (On both points). It's so cool to see people rave and review their vacation where we live. :D

 

Paul - I am loving your detailed reviw so far! great job!!

[PaulMedik]

The arcade is smaller than other ships, but Spencer seemed content with the games they had;

 

 

 

 

When we got to the area for the younger campers, Spencer finally said he didn't think we were allowed there;

 

 

We also stopped by my favorite area of the ship;

 

 

On Legend, unlike other ships we've been on, the casino takes up the entire width of the deck so you must walk through it or on the outside deck to get around. I was quite OK with that arrangement;

 

[dh464]

Did Hertz charge extra to pick up and drop off at to different locations?How far of a walk from Marriot to the port.We our doing a pre disney trip with the legend in Nov.Thanks Great trip report,seems your family realy had FUN!!!

[PaulMedik]

The Poker Pro table is in a room of it's own to the side. I don't play Poker Pro, but I have heard several people talking about how much they'd prefer a live dealer instead of electronic tables;

 

 

 

As we passed back by the embarkation area, the lobby was full of people just arriving on board;

 

 

When we returned to the room we found Britt, but Karen was no where in sight.

 

 

I suspected I might find her on the balcony and I was right;

 

 

I got a few pics of the room before our luggage arrived;

 

[teacherme]

We sail on her in November. I can't wait. love your review.

[TauruSmith]

Haven't read the whole thread yet, but I couldn't agree more about how great it is to fly out of Huntington. (Charleston is a close second) Where in WV are you?

[PaulMedik]

Did Hertz charge extra to pick up and drop off at to different locations?How far of a walk from Marriot to the port.We our doing a pre disney trip with the legend in Nov.Thanks Great trip report,seems your family realy had FUN!!!

 

 

dh464,

 

I don't recall whether they charged extra or not. I booked through AAA and got a 15% discount. The total was ~$650 with taxes etc for four days. I know people get cheaper prices, but obviously I'm not one of those people. With the five of us plus luggage, we are limited in what we will fit into. I have to confess to having a preference for larger vehicles as well so that increases the price. I'm not sure how our Mazda fit the large SUV category. They said it would seat seven with five pieces of luggage. It would seat seven kids with five carry on pieces of luggage, but not seven adults with luggage. The girl at the Hertz counter described it as huge. I would describe it as compact. Comparable category vehicles included the Ford Expedition which is what we were hoping for.

 

The distance from Marriot to the port is one half mile. It's a very easy stroll with no traffic and nice scenery. I'd like to have gotten more ship pics and pics along the way, but my phone kept ringing so I didn't get many.

 

The main thing to keep in mind when returning the vehicle is to just pull up in front of the Marriot and hand the keys to a valet attendant and tell him you're returning it. That's all there is to it.

 

 

___________________________________________________________

 

 

Here's the bedroom minus the pillows Karen used on the deck. (Future guests may find a stray army man or two. Britt said he got them all, but he sure had a lot of them and had them all over);

 

 

The whirlpool bath;

 

 

The double bowl vanity;

 

 

The walkin closet;

 

 

Our room steward Carlos from South Africa unlocking the door between our cabin and the boys cabin. Carlos did a great job all week and we miss his cleaning up after us REAL bad now that we're home and have to pick up after ourselves.);

 

[PaulMedik]

Haven't read the whole thread yet, but I couldn't agree more about how great it is to fly out of Huntington. (Charleston is a close second) Where in WV are you?

 

 

TauruSmith,

 

Charleston would be a lot closer for us; we live in Montgomery which is thirty miles East of Charleston so we have to drive through Charleston to get to Huntington. We've flown out of Charleston quite a few times on cruises and vacations, but the flights to Florida from Charleston take ~seven hours once you change planes along the way, and they're five times the cost of Allegiant out of Huntington. We'd prefer to fly out of Charleston, but they'll have to get an airline with direct flights and decent prices before we'll switch back from Huntington.

 

 

We sail on her in November. I can't wait. love your review.

 

teacherme,

 

You'll have a great time I'm sure. She's a fine ship. We've sailed several of Carnivals ships when they were brand new and the Legend is in as good of shape as any of them.

[PaulMedik]

After speaking with Carlos we decided to head down to the pursor's deck (which is now Guest Services) to request that our balcony divider be opened. We called and they said someone from both cabins would have to come down. As we were walking out the door, our luggage arrived;

 

 

We've never gotten our luggage at 1:30 before so that was another of many pleasant surprises with Legend;

 

 

Karen wanted to get our luggage put away so we lounged around the room and deck while she worked;

 

 

 

Bryson and Spencer seemed to enjoy their room;

 

[PaulMedik]

The TV VCR area with views through the dressing area and balcony hallway to the bedroom;

 

 

Karen got our luggage situated and we headed down to the lobby to speak with the Pursor. After speaking with Guest Services and scheduling our balcony divider opening for Monday, I snapped a pic of the young lady who assisted us;

 

 

 

After I took the pic she protested that I didn't get her best angle and she requested another pic with her boss alongside. I thought the first pic was fine, but she was right;

 

 

The lobby bar entertainer;

 

 

The pic looking up the atrium to the glass stairway leading to the Golden Fleece restaurant;

 

[vacruizer]

Your review is wonderful. :) I feel like I'm right there on the ship with you. The Legend is one of my favorites, I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip.

 

I was glad to see your positive comments about Allegiant. I booked our airfare with them to FLL for our June cruise on the Freedom. I've been a little worried about it since they only do one flight a day, but I figured what the heck, I could always just rent a car and drive down if something happened to cancel the flight.

 

I've also flown Allegiant although not for a cruise. Since my vacation time is limited I can never make the two days a week they fly from here work with our cruise schedule. But we took them to Sanford (Orlando) for a wedding a few years ago and actually had a better experience than we've had on any major airline in the last 5 years. Nice planes, well maintained, friendly crew and flight attendants, and cheap prices!

[PaulMedik]

After returning from Guest Services I decided to check out the locks a bit closer on the balcony divider. We normally open them ourselves or our room steward opens them. On Legend, the locks aren't hollow square like Conquest class, they are triangular protruding locks (Suffices to say my Ford Truck key wouldnt' work on Legends locks);

 

 

Muster drill announcements began at 3:15 and they announced the start of the drill at 3:30. We gathered our jackets;

 

 

We had a short walk to our muster station. Just down the hallway to the hallway leading to the stairs and we were there. And we were the last to arrive! Everyone must have went at 3:15 when the first started announcing the procedures. We went when they announced we should go and it was underway;

 

 

The Legend Muster Drill was all business and no sales pitches along the way;

 

 

 

It was the most orderly Muster Drill I've ever attended;

 

[ScottsSweetie]

Paul, I'm curious - in all of your muster drill pics, lots of people are not wearing their life jackets. At all of the drills I have attended, they always made us put our jackets on, and would patiently wait for that to happen (or even "assist" a reluctant guest). I am assuming that was not the case here??

[PaulMedik]

I've also flown Allegiant although not for a cruise. Since my vacation time is limited I can never make the two days a week they fly from here work with our cruise schedule. But we took them to Sanford (Orlando) for a wedding a few years ago and actually had a better experience than we've had on any major airline in the last 5 years. Nice planes, well maintained, friendly crew and flight attendants, and cheap prices!

 

vacruizer,

 

We adjusted our schedules to match their schedule. After we booked for Wednesday they added flights on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I didn't mind the four extra days in Clearwater instead of one though so I didn't fret over the additional flights being added after we booked. It's nice to see a company adjusting their service to meet customer demand times.

 

We saved enough in flying with Allegiant vs flying out of Charleston to pay for four hotel days and our rental vehicle.

[PaulMedik]

Paul, I'm curious - in all of your muster drill pics, lots of people are not wearing their life jackets. At all of the drills I have attended, they always made us put our jackets on, and would patiently wait for that to happen (or even "assist" a reluctant guest). I am assuming that was not the case here??

 

ScottsSweetie,

 

In this case, pictures don't tell the whole story. They had everyone put their life jackets on after arriving at their muster station and instructed individually anyone who was having difficulty. After they had everyone lined up and jacketed, they had everyone remove their jackets and roll up and secure the loose ties. It was a very orderly process and didn't include any of the tedious standing in cramped space sweating while listening to additional instructions or sales pitches.

 

I did see them remove about ten people and take them in to the lobby area for additional training. Apparently they weren't paying attention. Once they had them in the lobby they made sure they understood what was expected of them. I could see them and hear some of the conversation from there and was quite proud of the crew.

 

Last summer on Liberty we had our shortest Muster drill. On Legend we had our best, most serious, and complete muster drill.

[PaulMedik]

After the Muster Drill we returned to our rooms and stowed our life jackets. After walking out on the balcony we heard the ship's horn sounding the beginning of our cruise. The ship very smoothly eased away from the pier;

 

 

 

On our past cruises we always went to the forward decks above the bridge for sailaway. On Legend, we stayed on our balcony and Britt especially enjoyed being at the forward end of movement (As in we were backing up);

 

 

Our turn in the narrow lane was smooth as silk;

 

 

It's always an impressive sight at the rear of Conquest class ships when the screws kick in and the prop starts shooting water out the rear. On Legend the vibration we were used to was absent, but the power of the azipods was evident;

 

[PaulMedik]

Tampa's skyline isn't skewed as this panorama pic shows;

 

 

After we were underway Karen came out and was unaware we had pulled away from the pier. Legend's aft has way less vibration than Conquest class or she'd have been out there much earlier;

 

 

 

They have coal in Florida? Bryson assumed it was, and I don't have an answer for what it was so do they have coal in Florida? I'm guessing they had it shipped in for use in Florida or is it not really coal? I majored in Mining Engineering quite a few years ago, but I don't recall studying anything in Geology about Florida having coal. In fact, I don't see how they could and if they did wouldn't it be way below sea level?

 

 

One thing I was aware of was the abundance of beautiful sights in Florida;

 

[PaulMedik]

 

Nice view down the runway;

 

 

Along with the birds that followed us down the channel, there is a small plane crossing the channel to land. I am glad it wasn't ahead of schedule;

 

 

Karen brought me a margarita to quench my thirst;

 

 

Two jet skis spent about fifteen minutes jumping waves made by our ship;

 

[WiseCruiser]

Paul.......Great review and pics, we live in Cross Lanes WV and just took Allegiant Air to Sanford on April 3rd, rented a car and drove to Fort Lauderdale for a 8 day cruise on the Carnival Miracle. I agree with you that Allegiant is a great low cost airline, and we will use them again for our future cruises. Looking forward to hearing more about the Legend and the ports of call on your cruise. I think your review is one of the best I have read.

[PaulMedik]

In Miami the Coast Guard would have opened fire on the jet skiers by now;

 

 

They were so close at times I thought they were going to smash into us;

 

 

I took a nap for about an hour and woke up just in time to run up on the top deck to get pics of the Sunshine Skyway bridge;

 

 

 

The screams from the funnel deck were all that I've heard they are. It really looks like it's going to hit;

 

[PaulMedik]

Paul.......Great review and pics, we live in Cross Lanes WV and just took Allegiant Air to Sanford on April 3rd, rented a car and drove to Fort Lauderdale for a 8 day cruise on the Carnival Miracle. I agree with you that Allegiant is a great low cost airline, and we will use them again for our future cruises. Looking forward to hearing more about the Legend and the ports of call on your cruise. I think your review is one of the best I have read.

 

WiseCruiser,

 

Thank you.

 

I saw where Allegiant scheduled daily flights for this summer to Sanford / Orlando. I bet they'll fly full every flight.

 

 

________________________________________________________

 

I would have liked to stand on the top by the slide and get a pic, but I'm not sure it would be a real pleasant experience. The slide is close to the bridge as well;

 

 

Our funnels smoke plume was equally above and below the bridge deck;

 

 

After getting the pics I met up with my family at the dinning room. Our table assignment was 171 on lower level of the Golden Fleece. It was a booth with a chair at the end;

 

 

I had the shrimp cocktail for starters;

 

 

And shrimp for my main course as well;