Client review of the Carnival Legend

Wendy and Jim recently returned from the Carnival Legend and wrote a very detailed review. I thought I would share it with you.

Hello from Florida,

We had a nice time, but I think the Royal Caribbean (Mariner of the Seas) was a nicer ship.

Food - The food was ok – They had a Sushi Bar, Chinese Food bar, NY Style Sandwich bar and then your standard “American” food bar. Each meal they did offer a “diet sugar free dessert” which was a nice touch. Water, Ice-tea, lemonade, coffee, and tea were all free. Drink (ie. Soda and alcoholic beverages were very pricey!) Room service was prompt, but they did not offer hot foods, such as eggs and beacon for breakfast. You could get hot coffee or tea.

Our room was the standard size – It did not seem any bigger even though it was an extended balcony. We loved the balcony. We enjoyed going out there and reading a book, or starring out into the horizon. I was surprised to see rust marks and spots that needed to be painted on the balcony. These things would have not been tolerated and addressed immediately on Royal.

The location of our room was perfect. We were only one flight from the central food buffets and adult pool and Jacuzzi. It was nice to relax and not have to listen to kids screaming.

Shows - They had adult midnight comedian shows on 2 of nights that were great. We laughed so hard, I had tears in my eyes at one point. The dance shows were ok, costues were pretty though.

Boat Tours – They did offer a behind the scene tour of the Kitchen, which was very interesting. They had a 25 ft dish washer! The whole kitchen was done in stainless steel ceiling, floor and walls.

Casino – As always I lost money in the casino. It was nice though, they had 1 cent, 5 cent, 25 cent $1 slots. I thought of them as slot machines I could afford. The roulette tables minimum bet was only a $1 - which was nice. There was smoking in most areas of the casino.

Kids Carnival – They did a great job keeping the kids occupied from breakfast thru dinner (not that we had kids in the programs), but I heard a lot of happy parents talking about the program.

Formal Late Seating – Jim and I had a table to ourselves! It was very romantic. Most of the tables were 2s, 4s, or 6 seaters. I was so used to the standard 6, 8, 10 seater tables. I was a little disappointed to only sit with him every dinner, but it was also a nice change. (normally when you sit with other couples you hear new ideas and interesting things to try on the boat.)

Pools – The pools were all salt water and the hot tubs were fresh water. They had a great water slide with turns and dips. I liked that they had a hot tub open till midnight. It was relaxing sitting in it, while starring at the stars.

Computers - The internet Café was open 24 hours a day and they offered packages and discount times. (Normal price was $0.75 per minute.) Every other day they had half price minutes, so I logged-on only on those days..

Shops – They only had 2 shops, jewelry and souvenirs. Hint: to any of your future clients, the last 3 days of the cruise , the discounts got bigger! T-shirts that were originally $30 were $15, Alcohol was 60 – 75% off jewelry was 40% off. They also must try the Rum cake – it’s delicious!

Clubs – The clubs at night were pretty quiet. I always thought of Carnival as the party ship, but Royal had more people in the clubs.

Tips – Bar tips were automatically added to your receipt and service tips (house keeper, food server) was automatically charged to your sign and sail card on the first day.

Sites – If you have any clients who cruise out of Tampa, let them know that 1 hour into the cruise they can see the Sunshine Skyway bridge. It is a very beautiful view.

Formal Pictures – The cruise offered the standard formal pictures, but they were very pricy! $20. Per 8 x 10! I suggest you ask someone take your picture. It wasn’t as fancy, but it was much more affordable. As always I took lots of picture about 300! I am going to set them up on a picture site – I will send you the address.

Ports –

Grand Cayman felt very safe and had lots of nice shops. They beaches were pretty and locals were friendly.

Cozumel was nice also. We did a little shopping – Prices on Onyx and sterling silver were great. 75% off compared to what you would pay in the states! The bars had a lot of activities such as dancing and balloon making. Three Amigo was the place to go – As soon as you walk off the pier it was on your right. We also did the forest ATV tour, it was awesome, but be prepared to the get dirty! They had 2 different groups, beginners and advanced – so it was fun for everyone. Snorkeling could be done right Off Main Street! You could rent gear or bring your own. They had stairs down to the water – very user friendly

Isle Rotan – Only 7 shops and I did not feel very safe. I highly suggest going on a tour or you will be bored at the port. The beaches were very pretty, but you could tell the country was still in the process of building a “tourist area”.

Belize was nice – we took a tender right from the cruise ship to the Great Barrier Reef snorkel excursion. The coral reef was very pretty. Hint: bring a water camera to capture all the pretty fish. I saw sting rays, and lots of bright colored fish. It was a tour I suggest to anyone who likes to snorkel. Our 2nd stop was to a private island, which served food and drinks. We were there for 1 hour and then headed to town. (this was offered all by 1 tour) We shopped thru the tourist mall. It hasn’t changed much since we were there.

I hope this all makes sense – I am still rocking and exhausted from our trip.

Thanks again

Wendy