05/02/2023
My family and I just returned from a cruise with Carnival Legend, celebrating my husbands 40th birthday.
The ship was clean, staff very friendly and super accommodating. The guests were all excited to be cruising again without the vaccination restrictions and masking requirements.
Details about our room- the good and bad-
We stayed on the 8th deck in an extended balcony room. The room itself was comfortable, bathroom was a good size and both spaces offered plenty of storage. The bed- as long as you stayed busy and active all day, didn’t feel too bad, on sea days where you may have not been as active- the bed itself was uncomfortable, the linens and pillows were soft and breathable. The room is very dark at night once the curtains are closed and all lights turned off. If you have young kids- I would suggest a battery operated night light. There are only 2 outlets in the entire cabin- one is used for the tv and the other is for everything else. There were no outlets in the bathroom. The lido deck- where the food and pools are located was right above us. While this had its perks- quick trip up a flight of stairs for delicious treats and beverages- the downfall was- our room was right below the main stairs outside to go from deck 9 to deck 10. You heard every single time someone ran/ stomped up and down them. The carts rolling above from the staff was almost refreshing at midnight. We had neighbors to the right of us that slammed the balcony door every single time they went out, all hours of the night. My husband and daughter enjoyed nap time while the neighbors were adventuring during the day. We had some rough waters on our way down to the Bahamas- and our sea day on the way back, being on the 8th deck- you feel more movement. Suggestion would be- if you get motion sickness- but would like to try a cruise- stay on a lower level.
The shows and comedy clubs were spectacular. We ate dinner in the main dining room every night and had brunch there twice. This was by reservation only and also one of the biggest downfalls of the entire trip. All menus and reservations had to be made on the Carnival Hub app. Someone in your group had to carry their cell phone with them - so 100% disconnecting- wasn’t an option.
I purchased magnetic hooks on amazon after reading a review that another agent had posted. These worked out perfect! We hung our swim suits, hats, shoes, sandals- you name it out on our balcony to air dry.
Effective today, May 1st- you no longer need a passport to travel on closed loop cruises- although recommended- but as long as you have an enhanced drivers license- passport/ birth certificate are not needed as forms of ID.
The port of Baltimore- was a breeze to get in to and back out of. Luggage is dropped on the trolleys before you even park your car! From the time we parked my SUV - going through customs, getting our photos taken and getting on the ship- it was half an hour at max.
Debarking ( getting off the ship) was a different story. Staff wanted all guests out of their rooms by 9am but, had not begun the process of letting people off the ship, since you had to wait for clearance from boarder patrol. All guests were contained to 2 decks. After standing with our luggage for an hour and a half we were allowed to start the process of debarking. Passing through customs- and getting out to the car- less than 15 minutes.
Over-all we enjoyed our 7 day trip! Much needed relaxing time!
I will create a separate post for each of the stops we made and the excursions we participated in.