10 Day Hawaii Cruise - Legend of the Seas May 14-24

I was very pleased with how RCCL handled the airport transfers, but communication could have been better.  

I was told by my travel agent that we should meet the representative at the airport in baggage claim between 2-6 pm.  Fortunately, RCCL was there at 10 am when our flight got there so there was no delay in catching a shuttle to the port.  The lines for check in at the port took a long time, nearly 90 minutes, but having cruised before, that was to be expected.  The biggest issue I had with the trip was the transport down to Ensenada, Mexcio to embark.  Due to the Jones Act, we could not board in San Diego, where the ship was when we checked in.  There was a 3 hour delay at the Mexican border, then an hour drive to Ensenada.  Once on board, I was grateful to see that my baggage had made it to our cabin before we did.  We had a late dinner and had to rush to muster before the ship left port.

Our days at sea were very relaxing and although the first couple of days out on the Pacific were a little on the chilly side, the rest of the days were perfect!  Our visits to the Islands were amazing!  We had to tender in Maui and Kauai.  We had made a reservation to attend a luau at the Feast of Lele and planned on leaving the ship at 5 to get there by 6:30 for check in. To our surprise, TWO of the tenders broke down. We boarded the last tender and as other passengers were getting on, that tender also stopped working.  We had to get back off while we waited for an hour and half to get to dinner!  Keep in mind anytime you get off of the ship there is a process of checking out and checking in with your cruise card, which slows things down. 

I was used to be being able to watch first run movies in the comfort of my own cabin and was disappointed that we were not able to on this cruise.  Every other cruise I have taken has offered this amenity.  I was very satisfied that the cost for unlimited internet usage was under $150 for 11 days, which was much better than what I have had to pay in the past with other cruises. The beds were a bit on the hard side, however, the placement of the TV's in the staterooms was not well thought out.  The guest sleeping on the upper bunk could not watch TV from where they lay. The My Time dining was great to be able to eat when we felt like it and not at a scheduled time.  Arranging for a birthday cake celebration was very easy and affordable. Our cabin steward was perfect!  Visible when needed and unintrusive. The professional photos taken by photographers were a little on the high side at $23 for an 8x10 or 4x6.  Wording for picture packages was not clear and I was told a package of 4x6's would cost the same as the 8x10's. 

Getting off and on the ship at each port was cumbersome, having to show our passports and cruise cards at least 3 times at each port, but I understand the need for Homeland Security.

There weren't many choices for excursions in Kona or Kauai and I would like to see improvement there.  

The cost of the vacation was very reasonable for Hawaii. In all, I have no regrets and enjoyed my first visit to the Hawaiian islands!