MattH10

We took the Carnvial Legend to San Juan, St. Thomas, and Tortola aboard the June 29th sailing out of New York. This was the second time we had cruised on this ship (third with Carnival). The itinerary and even the week were the same as last year, but it was no less enjoyable. The check in process was a breeze compared to other times (with Carnival as well as Celebrity and Royal Caribbean). We arrived at the port a little after 12-12:15, and we had dropped our things off in our room and were eating lunch by 1:30. For past cruisers this should speak volumes about how well organized and prepared the embarkation process was. For first time cruisers, that amount of time in unbeatable. The itinerary was the same as previous years, but because the ports of call are so far away from New York, you are only at the islands for a short amount of time. Each of the islands has something unique about them. Puerto Rico, for instance, is beautiful, but has a historical backround that can excite and entertain everyone, history buff or not. My advice would be to take a tour of the island. Most tours will show you the cities and the historical points as well as the beautiful look outs from the many forts and cliffs throughout the island. Any tour will be sure to invigorate both your mind and your camera. St. Thomas is my all time favorite Caribbean Island. If San Juan was too built up and city-like for you then St. Thomas is the place to be. Again tours are the best bet here because there will be picture oppurtunities most people can only see on post cards. Team the tour with a beach outing (Megan's bay, top 10 in the world or Coki Beach) and your day on St. Thomas will be forever memorable. Tortola is similiar to St. Thomas. On our first voyage I did the Dolphin Swim. Expensive yes, but truly is an amazing experience. To swim in the water with these creatures is something that most people will never get to experience. This truly was worth the money, and it is a once and a life-time oppurtunity. My advice if you have the money spend it, the pictures will last forever. On our second voyage we decided to leave the Dolphin swim as a "once and a lifetime oppurtunity) and did the island tour and Cane Garden Bay beach. Like St. Thomas any tour provides countless oppurtunities to take breathtaking pictures from the edges of cliff as well as informing you about the rick culture that surrounds each of the islands. My only wish is that we could high tail it quicker to the islands and spend more time there, but this is easier said than done and any island time should be regarded as nothing less than a treat for all the senses.