Trip of a lifetime - first cruise

Carnival Legend Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Reviews: 0
Helpful Votes: 11

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Verified Review
Carnival Legend

7 Night Exotic Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 11, 2011

Ship: Carnival Legend

Cabin type: Oceanview

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 12 years ago

Review summary

We had never been on a cruise before so didn't really know what to expect. The food was awesome, all kinds of fun stuff to do on the ship (but I doubt if anyone ever really wins anything in the casino without spending 2-3 times what the prize is worth), and the ports were a lot of fun. Book shore excursions through or local tour operators once you arrive (check tripadvisor for recommendations) because Carnival's excursions are 2-5 times the price. Ship was very clean, staff was very friendly and helpful, and the room stewards do a great job keeping your room clean - they deserve the gratuities that are added to your account. Oh, and they leave you a very cool towel animal every night :-) Would have liked it more if the ship didn't leave Roatan so early - they could have stayed another hour or two without delaying the return time to Tampa. My only gripe was the debarkation process in Belize - we got up early and went to the tender meeting place thinking we would be on one of the first tender boats, only to have to wait almost two hours while Carnival debarked people who had booked shore excursions through them first. We arrived an hour and a half before many of the people who were allowed to debark before us - could have used the extra sleep... Otherwise it was a good experience. I even put a deposit on our next cruise since they have a deal on the last day where you get an onboard credit up to $200 on your next cruise depending on duration. It's a $100 deposit, is good for up to 2-3 years, and can be refunded at any time if you decide not to use it.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
The food was delicious at both the buffet and the restaurant (Our dining was at Truffles). They offered a wide variety of foods from around the world that varied from day to day.

Entertainment

3 out of 5
Shows were good, I just wish more happened before 11-11:30PM - if you want to get up early the next morning to maximize time in port it makes it hard to do these things. Casino looked like a complete ripoff - I didn't see anyone winning anything.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
All staff did everything they could to help. Very friendly.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The staff cleans and maintains the ship constantly - I never saw anything dirty or unkempt! If someone made a mess it was cleaned up within a few minutes.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Room was well maintained and kept tidy by the steward on a daily basis.

Pros: Visiting new places

Cons: Belize tender process (see below)

Recommends Carnival Legend? Yes!

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