rtobiejr Posted December 20, 2004 #1 Share Posted December 20, 2004 This was my first time cruising-- and based on what I read here on CC, I was extremely excited about the ports, the ship and the food. Boy, was I disappointed. But before I get to the reasons why, I will have to give attention to what was good about the cruise: 1) my girlfriends' company, 2) our waiter, martin, and his assistant, tonka 3) some of the food, and 4) the ports! Aside from that, I found that there were no activities for people in my age group (22) to participate in. Either there were bingo and lectures on aging, or camp carnival activities for small chilldren. It was an 8 day cruise, and around day 4, I really began to feel trapped, because all i did was lounge by the pool, lounge in my room, lounge in the hot tub...you get the idea. We had two days at sea back to back toward the end, and they were extremely dull. Case in point: Around Midday on the Thursday (12/2) before we got back, I left my cabin mate in the room, and went off in search of things to do. In the Atrium, I found a group of people videotaping, taking pictures, crowded around a table. When I elbowed my way through, do you know what they were watching so intently? A demonstration on how the room stewards create towel animals. I couldn't believe this was what the activities on the "funship" consisted of. The nightlife was similarly meager. Here in Miami, I frequent Clubs on South Beach fairly often-- and have had more than my share of celebrity sightings. Club Medusa (where I went when I couldn't fall asleep after sleeping practically all day), would have been fun-- again, if there had been a younger, livelier crowd. As it was, there were mostly people my parents and grandparents age who had no idea what to do when Terror Squad or Beyonce started playing. They mostly just sat there watching, and the ones that did dance--horrors! Living in Miami, most people are either Latin or Carribean, or something other than so devoid of rhythm that they just flail their pasty limbs in every direction. It was really a joke. I spent my time on board the ship either eating, sleeping, exercising, or sunning my self. I got my hair done after the cave tubing adventure, and the stylist did a lovely job with the products I brought from home. All the raving people do about the food on cruiseships I found to be hype as well. I had only two meals I would have deemed "very good". One was an Indian dish, the other was our 8 course meal in the Golden Fleece (the specialty dining restaurant). The rest of meals were fair at best. Dinner, in particular, was usually desperately in want of seasoning. Most of the meals were not gourmet cuisine, but tended toward the bland side, which was a letdown for me, since Miami has an infusion of Carribean and European cultures, and even food on the side of the street is flavorful. Carnival's food was more along the lines of Denny's. Ugh. When I weighed myself after the cruise I discovered that I actually lost 10 pounds. Amazing. The ports were very nice-- cavetubing in Belize was wonderful-- and our tour guide Marcus was very friendly(he held as I got into my tube, linked his tube to mine, and gave me his phone number on the ride back!). Costa Rica's horseback excursion was also terrific-- but much more intense than I anticipated. I lost my Gucci shades ($170)while riding my horse, Bayo, and that definitely put a damper on my enjoyment. Panama was fine as well. Not as interesting to me, but alright. And all this talk about what a great value cruising is, blah blah blah? Hardly the truth. When I do the math with what my cruise cost(595), what I spent onboard(800), what I bought and did in preparation for the cruise ($1500), the gucci sunglasses($170) I lost while riding and the shoes I forgot in my cabin($325), and a week's worth of unpaid vacation ($1153), since I was not yet over my 90 day probation period... Well, you do the math. Suffice to say, I won't be cruising again till I get free coffee at McDonald's. If I want just to sleep and lounge, I'll take a week of vacation from work, stay here in Miami, and enjoy myself-- without the persistent rocking, nausea and boredom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finoky Posted December 20, 2004 #2 Share Posted December 20, 2004 Thanks for sharing your cruise experience with us. Sorry you had a so-so time. Cruising isn't for everyone. You know you may have stumbled onto something though. Since you live in South Beach, lost ten pounds on the cruise, this could be the beginning of the new South Beach diet fad.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stokerhj Posted December 21, 2004 #3 Share Posted December 21, 2004 rtobiejr, I understand what you mean about there not being many activities for 20-somethings, because I felt the same way. Be happy, however, that you did not sail one week later as you would have really felt out of place. 7 out of 10 people on our cruise were senior citizens. There were some pretty slow sea day afternoons, but I took them as a chance to sit back and relax, because sitting back and watching the ocean is better than sitting in my cube at work any day of the week. Since you are from South Beach, that probably seems ho hum, but not to a midwesterner like me who never sees the ocean! Maybe you will find more of what you are looking for on one of the RCI Voyager class ships, or maybe a cruise vacation just isn't for you. Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Tom-n-Cheryl Posted December 21, 2004 #4 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Here in Miami, I frequent Clubs on South Beach fairly often-- .... Living in Miami, most people are either Latin or Carribean...... tended toward the bland side, which was a letdown for me, since Miami has an infusion of Carribean and European cultures, and even food on the side of the street is flavorful. ...the gucci sunglasses($170) I lost while riding and the shoes I forgot in my cabin($325) I'll take a week of vacation from work, stay here in Miami, and enjoy myself-- without the persistent rocking, nausea and boredom. Where do you live again??? lol... at least you did not have far to drive to get to the ship!!! I enjoy a little bit of rocking - our sailing was VERY smooth - though some people, who evidently were not "in the know" were talking about "all the movement":rolleyes: I think I would have kept better track of those shoes ($325)...You know, Payless has some real nice shoes!;) I found the THANKSGIVING Legend crowd generally OLDER (and I say that - being early 40's myself!) You may want to try a Spring Break cruise - you will find the ship has much different group aboard. I agree that the Golden Fleece food was "very good", in fact I would rate it as superior. Interestingly enough though, I found the Indian dish you mentioned was awful... but, then again, it all does come down to individual tastes... You may want to try taking a significant other on a cruise with you, if you go again - as this may give you something else to do to pass a few blocks of time :D I managed to eat up at least 24 hours in the Casino! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In all honesty though - thanks for taking the time to write your review! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Perhaps we should rethink our next Legend cruise, as one of the reasons we were considering the week AFTER Thanksgiving was that we assumed there might be a somewhat younger (relative term, I know) crowd. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtobiejr Posted December 21, 2004 Author #5 Share Posted December 21, 2004 My girlfriends and I also considered the possibility that the itinerary meant that the crowd was older as well. Most young people tend to take cruises to the Bahamas, Jamaica-- the local Carribean, etc-- not the Panama Canal. Oh well-- it was still a new experience. I should have packed my fiance, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB469 Posted December 21, 2004 #6 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I am sorry that you were disappointed on your cruise. I am 41 been cruising since I was 16 taking my 30th cruise this summer. Carnival offers alot more activities than other cruise lines. In my opinion, I feel there is something for everybody in all age groups. For instance, I love the adult comedy shows at midnight, I enjoy the casino, I always found the passenger talent night very good and karoke, there is the disco for up to date music and dancing, and I always found the not so newely wed game to be funny. The shows generally are not my cup of tea but I do see most of them, some cruise lines offer movies in a lounge and have up to date movies. I found food to be good, presentation at dinner was always appealing and the food at dinner to be very good. I also have a habit to ask for something that is not on the menu to practically most of the time get what I want. It certainly isn't Mortons Steakhouse or any upscale restaurant, but if I wanted to eat like that each and every day of my cruise I would go on Crystal cruise lines or Seabourne to name a couple. I love a vacation that everything is located right in one place, and being on the water is very soothing to me. I just wish there was a 7 night cruise to nowhere...been to all the islands and done it all, but there are people that like to sightsee and move around. I also live in the Ft. Lauderdale area and know South Beach well....true, nightlife is very exciting there, it is different than what a ship has to offer so I guess you have a point that I can understand. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtobiejr Posted December 21, 2004 Author #7 Share Posted December 21, 2004 i really was expecting something much more exciting than what cruising turned out to be... but at least i was away from my office for a week.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB469 Posted December 21, 2004 #8 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Exactly, you got away and didn't have the hassles of everyday life. At least you get to say you went. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judyf Posted December 21, 2004 #9 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I'm booked on the itinerary on the legend in MArch. I'm also thinking the crowd will be older due to the 8 days and the itineray. We are goinf during our school districts spring break so that might help a little. I always make my own fun and I love to relax in the sun, so I will have fun no matter what. One question, what did you do in Panama? Did you use the ship tours in Belize and Costa Rico? Tell us about the ship? Thanks for the review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvdoxies Posted December 22, 2004 #10 Share Posted December 22, 2004 Sorry you didnt enjoy your cruise...it's not for everyone. BTW, I think South Beach is classless, vulgar and tacky. Just my opinion.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mafig Posted December 22, 2004 #11 Share Posted December 22, 2004 Sorry you didnt enjoy your cruise...it's not for everyone. BTW, I think South Beach is classless, vulgar and tacky. Just my opinion.... :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtobiejr Posted December 22, 2004 Author #12 Share Posted December 22, 2004 BTW, I think South Beach is classless, vulgar and tacky. Just my opinion.... And just "your opinion" it is. Many celebrities and billionaires seem to see things very differently...and the fashion designers and hoteliers dont seem to think it's tacky at all. Tacky or not, people surely don't exactly fly halfway across the globe to stay in Casselberry or Muscadine or whatever!:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtobiejr Posted December 22, 2004 Author #13 Share Posted December 22, 2004 I'm booked on the itinerary on the legend in MArch. I'm also thinking the crowd will be older due to the 8 days and the itineray. We are goinf during our school districts spring break so that might help a little. I always make my own fun and I love to relax in the sun, so I will have fun no matter what. One question, what did you do in Panama? Did you use the ship tours in Belize and Costa Rico? Tell us about the ship? Thanks for the review. We booked shore excursions from the ship, since we were 4 young single women who were new to cruising and we had no desire to get cheated or left ashore. The cave tubing in Belize was wonderful...it was very well organized, and the scenery was fantastic! I booked it from my cabin ($99). In Costa Rica, I did the horseback riding excursion-- which was another excellent choice, in my opinion. Be forewarned, though, that this really is rigorous physical activity. My horse, Bayo took me up and down steep hills, through mud and streams (up to my thigh!) all the while stopping to eat banana leaves :). If you take a camera, leave the 5 MP digital somewhere else, and take a disposable. In Panama, we hired a cabbie who took us just a bit away to the free zone, and we did some shopping. The ship was very nice, very well appointed-- the decor was not exactly subtle, but I wasnt going to live there, so it didnt matter...yes, and the ship was also pretty clean.... running out of things to write...please give more questions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgreenpc Posted December 22, 2004 #14 Share Posted December 22, 2004 No CCL ship will EVER be found guilty of subtle decor. At the same time, its not the worst I have seen. As far as the South Beach comments... I have been there for business several times. The decor in many of those clubs is worse than many ships I have been on... its a fun place but you go to each for a very different reason. You can almost predict who will be on what cruise based on the time of year and itinerary. If you are new to cruising its best to get a travel agent... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtobiejr Posted December 22, 2004 Author #15 Share Posted December 22, 2004 If you are new to cruising its best to get a travel agent...We had one! Unfortunately, she neglected to tell us that cruising is for the over 55 set...at least then we could've brushed up on our mah jongg skills:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pittypat Posted December 22, 2004 #16 Share Posted December 22, 2004 I am cruising on the Legend January 22 and I am very excited. This will be my third Carnival cruise in the last five years and I truly love it. We are in our late forties we both found plenty to do. I am very much looking forward to the sea days to read and relax. I think cruising is what you make out of it. pittypat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judyf Posted December 22, 2004 #17 Share Posted December 22, 2004 More Questions, Let's see I have a ton of them. Now I just have to think what they are! Do you remember the time difference in the different ports? I believe Belize is 1 hour ahead of ship time. I'm booking private tours in Costa Rica going to try ziplining if I don't back down at the last minute! Belze I think we might do the snorkeling with the sharks, haven't booked this one yet. In Panama I think this is the one port we might book with Carnival and I'm trying to decided between two tours the Grand Tour and Panama tour I think they were called. Did you talk to anyone that did these and do you have any suggestions? Was there a cab you could book that took you on a tour like this. How was the chair hogs?? A pet peeve of mine on cruises! How was the weather while you werre there? Did you leave Ft. Lauderdale on time? How was sail away? Any good drinks to try? That's enough for now. Thanks for answering my questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverenufcruising Posted December 22, 2004 #18 Share Posted December 22, 2004 I am cruising on the Legend January 22 and I am very excited. This will be my third Carnival cruise in the last five years and I truly love it. We are in our late forties we both found plenty to do. I am very much looking forward to the sea days to read and relax. I think cruising is what you make out of it. pittypat pittypat. We haven't seen you in the Roll Call in a while. Drop by and and say hi.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeta3 Posted December 22, 2004 #19 Share Posted December 22, 2004 Sorry you didn't have the time you were looking for. Your travel agent definitely did you a disservice booking you on this trip. You would have had a much better time on virtually any other itinerary I think. We just came back from the same itinerary on the Legend and after 14 great Carnival cruises this was definitely a disappointment. We also had a ship overrun with cranky seniors (and I generally have no problems with the more seasoned passengers but this was ridiculous) who complained about EVERYTHING. This definitely is not your typical Carnival fun ship experience. In our case the ship was rocking a lot because we had to go full speed everywhere we went due to the three re-routes we had to do for medical emergencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenF Posted December 23, 2004 #20 Share Posted December 23, 2004 Yeah but you got to see me swinging thru the trees on the zipline Julie :D . We really enjoyed meeting you and Reggie and Isabella:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeta3 Posted December 23, 2004 #21 Share Posted December 23, 2004 Allen that was definitely a cruise highlight! We are seriously thinking about joining you on the Legend again next year. Good people can make any cruise a great one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenF Posted December 23, 2004 #22 Share Posted December 23, 2004 Hey Julie you and Reggie and Isabella helped make are cruise vacation even better. We would love to have yall join us next year. I sent Reggie some info if you wanted to join the group you have are phone and email info. Oh yeah i am going to scan the pic of us at the captains dinner as soon as we can find it and send it to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgreenpc Posted December 23, 2004 #23 Share Posted December 23, 2004 That itinerary is for the "slightly more mature set". I have been on CCL many times and for the most part I can tell what the general makeup of the cruise will be based on time of the year and itinerary. All the Panama Canal cruises I have been on were for those much older than I ( 30s ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judyf Posted December 24, 2004 #24 Share Posted December 24, 2004 Okay, now I'm getting scared about my March Legend cruise! I've always had fun on all my cruises I sure hope this one wil be too. I booked this cruise itinerary due to the different posts of call, maybe I made a mistake. How was the ziplining? I'm booked with Oscar in Costa Rica, was it scary? I hope I don't back down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygirl3 Posted December 24, 2004 #25 Share Posted December 24, 2004 Given your age, the age demographics on the ship will really depend on your sailing date. We took our four sons (ages 19-22) and four of their friends on the Legend out of NYC last May, and they said it was their best cruise. I don't think they got to bed before 6 a.m. every day. They had a blast. Lots of other kids their ages on board. But maybe cruising just isn't for you. As far as the way you added up your expenses, you would have incurred some of those expenses regardless of the type of vacation you chose (i.e., one week's income, Gucci sunglasses, shoes, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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