Not so great

Carnival Legend Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

MariaP9

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 8

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

8 Night Western Caribbean Holiday (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 18, 2011

Ship: Carnival Legend

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 12 years ago

Review summary

We cruised many times, and our favorite is Royal Caribbean. However, since this trip was a holiday trip with 6 kids, we opted for Carnival. Our expectations weren't very high, so we went in not anticipating the "best." First of all, two of our cabins had no AC. It wasn't until the 4th day of the cruise that it was finally repaired. There were also various broken things in the cabin (the towel rack was actually TAPED to keep it together; and the bathroom faucet handle literally came off when it was turned on). Being experienced cruisers, we are well aware of tips and extra expenses, but the staff expectations for tips were very awkward; the cost of drinks were unbelievable; and the miscellaneous extra expenses (with a tip on top) for other things were just absurd. You had to pay $12 for a yoga class, and then the instructor requested a tip... It may be that we had a heightened awareness of gratuities since we weren't very pleased otherwise - but, it just started to feel ridiculous.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

The food was average. The only really good meal we had was at the Golden Fleece Steakhouse.... and that cost us $30 per person. If you wanted an extra side or piece of meat, you actually had to pay an additional $20. The steakhouse food was great, though. The regular dining room was below average. The selections were disappointing. The buffet was pretty lousy, and the choices were limited. I would compare it to the Golden Corral...

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Average... nothing really to highlight.

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

The staff were OK, but not super as they typically are when you are on a cruise. This was the first cruise we have taken (out of about 15) where we did not feel as though the staff was willing to go "above and beyond." An example of this is in the dining room, our waiter gave us a dessert to go, and then the host literally yelled at us on the way out in front of a line of people that we weren't "allowed" to take food out of the dining room. It was embarrassing, and quite uncomfortable for two grown people (and, who paid about $15,000 for our party when all was said and done) to be scolded for smuggling a souffle.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

I would say the ship is average. The public areas were OK. The layout felt cramped. The shops were also average (all 2 of them), and not much selection.

Cabin / Stateroom

1 out of 5

The cabins were kept clean, but there were simple things in disrepair... for example, they could replace a towel rack rather than taping it. The balcony chairs were filthy.

Pros: The Golden Fleece Steakhouse

Cons: The cabin condition, some service, and extra expenses

Recommends Carnival Legend? No.

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