Carnival Legand 1/10-1/17/2010
in [Cruise Ship]
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From: Nonny on 1 Feb 2010 13:40 After Christmas and New Year's holidays, we enjoy taking a cruise, and that's enhanced when the cruise is with family members. During the fall, we knew that our daughter couldn't join us because she was expecting her first child, but our son and his two girls were happy to join us. Then, in conversation with a former grade school classmate, we invited her to join us as well. George Leppla handled the reservations, and it was done perfectly, as always. The plan initially had been to go to Tampa for a few days at Busch Gardens before the cruise, with our son and the girls joining us the evening before embarkation. As luck would have it, on the 4th, I had a fall down our stairs and broke my collar bone in a few places. The resulting X-rays, tests, consultations etc. wasted the better part of the rest of the week, so we dropped the Busch Gardens part, traveling straight to the Embassy Suites Downtown in Tampa for the night before embarkation. Our plans were enhanced a bit by the fact that when we returned, we planned to disembark the Legend and embark HAL's Ryndam for another 2-weeks of cruising. There were two BIG surprises on that segment of the plans, but I'll save that for the Ryndam report. The Embassy Suites Downtown is a $25 cab ride from TIA, but well worth the price compared to the hassles of a shuttle. In addition, with one arm in a sling, tied to my waist, I needed all the help we could muster. The hotel itself was pleasant and as expected. We always try to stay at Embassy Suites, and this was a good way to begin our trip. Our son, Chris, had arrived earlier with the girls, so we met him in the coffee shop for a sandwich that evening. Our last arrival didn't get to Tampa until 10:30p, so she just headed for the room and we saw her in the morning. Embarkation for the Legend was smooth. The only hassle was the home printed luggage tags. This was the first experience with them and while I'd brought tape, we found that a stapler is now a needed addition to the luggage. The porter had one, thank goodness, and when the bags arrived in the cabin, all still had the tags on them. Our friend was at the Purser's Desk, however, that evening and said she spotted over 25 "untagged" suitcases waiting to be identified and claimed. Our cabin consisted of two typical beds, separated by a night stand, a couch with mattress on it for a third person and a fold-down bunk for the 4th. While there were 4 adults in our cabin, it was not crowded and nobody got in anyone's way. Our son's cabin was also comfortable. Both were very clean, tidy and well maintained. TOWEL ANIMALS were in evidence every night, which we enjoyed. The overall cleanliness, maintenance and appearance of the Legend was terrific. It felt like a new ship. All the elevators were working, there was virtually no wait to get one and our rear quarter cabin was perfect to go right up to the Lido deck or down to the dining room. All decks were accessible without having to go "up and over" some feature like we had on the old Westerdam and now on the Ryndam. Our cabin steward was invisible, but the cabin was always made up perfectly while we were at breakfast and freshened up again in the afternoon and turned down at bedtime. There were plenty of toiletries in the bath and plenty of towels. The shower was always cleaned and wiped down each day. One of the important things, to us, is the food on a cruise. After the Legend, I worry that other cruises will be able to live up to the wonderful food we had. Despite what we ordered from the menu, it was always perfectly prepared, sauces were appropriate and flavorful, service was rapid and accurate, desserts were great, portions were perfect for us, food was available for the grandkids and served promptly while the adult dining was more leisurely and there was entertainment almost every night. Everything was tastefully done, fun and the dining room folk seemed to actually enjoy the songs or dances, compared to the horrible "God blezz Amelica" cigarette lighter routines from the past. At the risk of overstating our satisfaction with the dining room, it was undoubtedly the best food, service and entertainment we'd encountered in our cruising history, and perhaps the opposite of what was to come on the Ryndam. An annoyance on most cruises is the photographers forcing people to wait in line to be admitted to a function , embarking or going ashore. On the Legend, photographers were everywhere, but we were never forced into a line to get our "welcome aboard," "welcome to Tampa" or similar photos taken. During the formal nights in particular, there were perhaps a dozen different photographers and backdrops, but they were peripheral to the flow of the people and were not obtrusive. Something I've commented upon in the past is the sincerity and attitude of the crew on a cruise line. There are happy ships, indifferent ships and unhappy, mismanaged, ships. The Legend was a Happy Ship in the fullest implication of the term. From the young person wiping the railings of salt spray to the head waiter, to the bus boy to the cabin steward, the people seemed to be genuinely happy and appreciative of our business. The ship arrived in ports on time, access for handicapped people to tenders or gangways was terrific and there was never a sense of being rushed. Everything worked as it should. Our Legend cruise ended back in Tampa on schedule, but since we planned to just transfer to the Ryndam, we disembarked very late to give other passengers more time and knowing that we'd just be waiting for the Ryndam to begin embarkation. We asked our porter if he'd take the luggage to the other terminal: just around the other side of the Aquarium, which he did. It sure saved having to drag the cases ourselves, and particularly since I had the broken, strapped-down shoulder. As it was, the transfer was just a short, enjoyable walk and we soon were in the other terminal. I'll continue with a separate Ryndam post later on. -- Nonny ELOQUIDIOT (n) A highly educated, sophisticated, and articulate person who has absolutely no clue concerning what they are talking about. The person is typically a media commentator or politician.
From: Sue Mullen on 1 Feb 2010 14:41 Hi Nonny, I am so glad you were able to enjoy your cruises, esp with your collar bone. I know what you mean about a "happy ship", we just got off the Granduer of the Seas last thursday and the crew was fantastic. The Grandeur was our 2nd sailing out of Tampa and we find the port and the airport to be very easy to deal with. Thanks for the review and say Hi to Mrs Nonny for me!! sue - who hopes you will be on the Oasis!! Nonny wrote: > After Christmas and New Year's holidays, we enjoy taking a cruise, and > that's enhanced when the cruise is with family members. During the fall, > we knew that our daughter couldn't join us because she was expecting her > first child, but our son and his two girls were happy to join us. Then, > in conversation with a former grade school classmate, we invited her to > join us as well. George Leppla handled the reservations, and it was > done perfectly, as always. The plan initially had been to go to Tampa > for a few days at Busch Gardens before the cruise, with our son and the > girls joining us the evening before embarkation. As luck would have it, > on the 4th, I had a fall down our stairs and broke my collar bone in a > few places. The resulting X-rays, tests, consultations etc. wasted the > better part of the rest of the week, so we dropped the Busch Gardens > part, traveling straight to the Embassy Suites Downtown in Tampa for the > night before embarkation. > > Our plans were enhanced a bit by the fact that when we returned, we > planned to disembark the Legend and embark HAL's Ryndam for another > 2-weeks of cruising. There were two BIG surprises on that segment of > the plans, but I'll save that for the Ryndam report. > > The Embassy Suites Downtown is a $25 cab ride from TIA, but well worth > the price compared to the hassles of a shuttle. In addition, with one > arm in a sling, tied to my waist, I needed all the help we could > muster. The hotel itself was pleasant and as expected. We always try > to stay at Embassy Suites, and this was a good way to begin our trip. > Our son, Chris, had arrived earlier with the girls, so we met him in the > coffee shop for a sandwich that evening. Our last arrival didn't get to > Tampa until 10:30p, so she just headed for the room and we saw her in > the morning. > > Embarkation for the Legend was smooth. The only hassle was the home > printed luggage tags. This was the first experience with them and while > I'd brought tape, we found that a stapler is now a needed addition to > the luggage. The porter had one, thank goodness, and when the bags > arrived in the cabin, all still had the tags on them. Our friend was at > the Purser's Desk, however, that evening and said she spotted over 25 > "untagged" suitcases waiting to be identified and claimed. > > Our cabin consisted of two typical beds, separated by a night stand, a > couch with mattress on it for a third person and a fold-down bunk for > the 4th. While there were 4 adults in our cabin, it was not crowded and > nobody got in anyone's way. Our son's cabin was also comfortable. Both > were very clean, tidy and well maintained. TOWEL ANIMALS were in > evidence every night, which we enjoyed. > > The overall cleanliness, maintenance and appearance of the Legend was > terrific. It felt like a new ship. All the elevators were working, > there was virtually no wait to get one and our rear quarter cabin was > perfect to go right up to the Lido deck or down to the dining room. All > decks were accessible without having to go "up and over" some feature > like we had on the old Westerdam and now on the Ryndam. > > Our cabin steward was invisible, but the cabin was always made up > perfectly while we were at breakfast and freshened up again in the > afternoon and turned down at bedtime. There were plenty of toiletries > in the bath and plenty of towels. The shower was always cleaned and > wiped down each day. > > One of the important things, to us, is the food on a cruise. After the > Legend, I worry that other cruises will be able to live up to the > wonderful food we had. Despite what we ordered from the menu, it was > always perfectly prepared, sauces were appropriate and flavorful, > service was rapid and accurate, desserts were great, portions were > perfect for us, food was available for the grandkids and served promptly > while the adult dining was more leisurely and there was entertainment > almost every night. Everything was tastefully done, fun and the dining > room folk seemed to actually enjoy the songs or dances, compared to the > horrible "God blezz Amelica" cigarette lighter routines from the past. > At the risk of overstating our satisfaction with the dining room, it was > undoubtedly the best food, service and entertainment we'd encountered in > our cruising history, and perhaps the opposite of what was to come on > the Ryndam. > > An annoyance on most cruises is the photographers forcing people to > wait in line to be admitted to a function , embarking or going ashore. > On the Legend, photographers were everywhere, but we were never forced > into a line to get our "welcome aboard," "welcome to Tampa" or similar > photos taken. During the formal nights in particular, there were > perhaps a dozen different photographers and backdrops, but they were > peripheral to the flow of the people and were not obtrusive. > > Something I've commented upon in the past is the sincerity and attitude > of the crew on a cruise line. There are happy ships, indifferent ships > and unhappy, mismanaged, ships. The Legend was a Happy Ship in the > fullest implication of the term. From the young person wiping the > railings of salt spray to the head waiter, to the bus boy to the cabin > steward, the people seemed to be genuinely happy and appreciative of our > business. The ship arrived in ports on time, access for handicapped > people to tenders or gangways was terrific and there was never a sense > of being rushed. Everything worked as it should. > > Our Legend cruise ended back in Tampa on schedule, but since we planned > to just transfer to the Ryndam, we disembarked very late to give other > passengers more time and knowing that we'd just be waiting for the > Ryndam to begin embarkation. We asked our porter if he'd take the > luggage to the other terminal: just around the other side of the > Aquarium, which he did. It sure saved having to drag the cases > ourselves, and particularly since I had the broken, strapped-down > shoulder. As it was, the transfer was just a short, enjoyable walk and > we soon were in the other terminal. I'll continue with a separate > Ryndam post later on. >
From: Nonny on 1 Feb 2010 17:44 "Sue Mullen" <kjmullen(a)comcast.net> wrote in message news:7sop3kFmgmU1(a)mid.individual.net... > Hi Nonny, I am so glad you were able to enjoy your cruises, esp > with your collar bone. > > I know what you mean about a "happy ship", we just got off the > Granduer of the Seas last thursday and the crew was fantastic. > The Grandeur was our 2nd sailing out of Tampa and we find the > port and the airport to be very easy to deal with. > > Thanks for the review and say Hi to Mrs Nonny for me!! > > sue - who hopes you will be on the Oasis!! > Yup, we're planning on being there. -- Nonny ELOQUIDIOT (n) A highly educated, sophisticated, and articulate person who has absolutely no clue concerning what they are talking about. The person is typically a media commentator or politician.
From: Sue Mullen on 1 Feb 2010 19:07 Nonny wrote: > > "Sue Mullen" <kjmullen(a)comcast.net> wrote in message > news:7sop3kFmgmU1(a)mid.individual.net... >> Hi Nonny, I am so glad you were able to enjoy your cruises, esp with >> your collar bone. >> >> I know what you mean about a "happy ship", we just got off the >> Granduer of the Seas last thursday and the crew was fantastic. The >> Grandeur was our 2nd sailing out of Tampa and we find the port and the >> airport to be very easy to deal with. >> >> Thanks for the review and say Hi to Mrs Nonny for me!! >> >> sue - who hopes you will be on the Oasis!! >> > > Yup, we're planning on being there. Wonderful and I hope we will get to see each other more then last time. On the Legend you weren't feeling well and Kevin was also having health problems. sue sue
From: Jean O'Boyle on 3 Feb 2010 11:04
"Nonny" <somebody(a)cox.net> wrote in message news:ceF9n.31859$mT7.18556(a)newsfe05.iad... .. <snipped> > The overall cleanliness, maintenance and appearance of the Legend was > terrific. It felt like a new ship. All the elevators were working, there > was virtually no wait to get one and our rear quarter cabin was perfect to > go right up to the Lido deck or down to the dining room. All decks were > accessible without having to go "up and over" some feature like we had on > the old Westerdam and now on the Ryndam. > > Our cabin steward was invisible, but the cabin was always made up > perfectly while we were at breakfast and freshened up again in the > afternoon and turned down at bedtime. There were plenty of toiletries in > the bath and plenty of towels. The shower was always cleaned and wiped > down each day. > > One of the important things, to us, is the food on a cruise. After the > Legend, I worry that other cruises will be able to live up to the > wonderful food we had. Despite what we ordered from the menu, it was > always perfectly prepared, sauces were appropriate and flavorful, service > was rapid and accurate, desserts were great, portions were perfect for us, > food was available for the grandkids and served promptly while the adult > dining was more leisurely and there was entertainment almost every night. > Everything was tastefully done, fun and the dining room folk seemed to > actually enjoy the songs or dances, compared to the horrible "God blezz > Amelica" cigarette lighter routines from the past. At the risk of > overstating our satisfaction with the dining room, it was undoubtedly the > best food, service and entertainment we'd encountered in our cruising > history, and perhaps the opposite of what was to come on the Ryndam. < snipped> > Something I've commented upon in the past is the sincerity and attitude of > the crew on a cruise line. There are happy ships, indifferent ships and > unhappy, mismanaged, ships. The Legend was a Happy Ship in the fullest > implication of the term. From the young person wiping the railings of > salt spray to the head waiter, to the bus boy to the cabin steward, the > people seemed to be genuinely happy and appreciative of our business. The > ship arrived in ports on time, access for handicapped people to tenders or > gangways was terrific and there was never a sense of being rushed. > Everything worked as it should. > -- > Nonny Very interesting, Nonny! It looks like we must take a Carnival ship real soon with such a glowing review! It is good to hear that they still have such good food. Guess they took to heart all the complaints they got many years ago and did something about it.. Sure sounded like a happy ship and you and Vicki had such a good time! Sadly, I think the Conquest is the only Carnival ship going out of Galveston and having been on her twice, I don't like her configuration. --Jean |