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An absolute nightmare by
Dijana P from New York, NY Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: The stops the cruise made Cons: lack of empathy and customer service from the Guest Services staff Will probably not cruise with Carnival again Ship Qualitythe ship was ok, nothing special...the tiles in the pool were falling off and there was visible wear and tear...also the water in the pools didnt seem to have been changed one day so the second day the water was filthy. The hot tubs werent working for 3 days of the cruise. They were full of water but the heaters burned out so it was just a tub minus the HOT Dining/Foodfood was ok but there were occasions where you couldnt self serve. BreaKfast for example you had to get bacon, ham etc from the server and they'd give you two pieces of bacon and basically roll their eyes if you asked for more. The 24 hour pizza station attendants were just strange. They would give you 1 tiny slice of pizza and if you asked for another they'd tell you that other people are waiting too.well I guess then they should have made more pizzas. The dinner were great. They changed the menu every night and there was penty of variety. Stateroom QualityHad bed bug in suite and reported it 3 times and 2 times they checked the suite and didnt leave any messages or information on the outcome of the investigation. On last day of the cruise they basically told us they didnt find anything and to get over it. I guess 50+ bites on each of our bodies wherent enough to convinve them there was a problem Ship Staff QualityGuest Services were terrible. The worst I have ever encounteres, however the poor cabin stewart did everything he possibly could to ensure all of our sheets were changed every day to eliminate the insects as he was the one who saw the bites. Aside from his excellent service the rest of the staff was just ok Entertainment & Activities
 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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  Best vacation ever by
Kristin W. from Seattle, WA Sailing date: Sep 2009Had a wonderful time and I am looking forward to going again. We went for our 5 year anniversary and have never been treated so well by any other place before. Our balcony suite was perfect and we loved being out there and observing the lightning storms out in the distance. We took a risk going during hurricane season but the weather was perfect and the ship hardly rocked. Can hardly wait to go to the Europe next time. Ship Quality
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Not as expected by
Robert B. from Florida Sailing date: Sep 2009Pros: we got away from the daily tasks Cons: lack of communications It seems that when we raised a question as to why the items we were promised when we book the cruise were not done. No one on the ship could do anything without the approval of headquarters.
The ship allows smoking in the casino. The casino is totally indoors. There was not enough ventilation. In order to get to the entertainment venue one had to walk through the casino Ship QualityThey staff were constantly cleaning even to the point that they were vacuuming in the buffet while lunch was being served. This caused a safety problem with wires across the floor. Dining/Foodthe food was good and there was enough. The timing could have been better to serve people that went ashore for tours. Stateroom QualityThe steward was excellent Ship Staff QualityVery few even acknowledge your being aboard as they moved about the ship. They seemed to be too busy talking to each other. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe shows where good, but the bar waiters were constantly moving through the theater while the production was on. This made it difficult to enjoy the show. 2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Better than we expected, very successful by
Jean M. from Rochester, NY Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: Our veranda suite was luxurious, the service was perfect, crew and passengers were friendly, the evening shows were polished and high quality, the movement of passengers on and off was efficiently handled, everything was very clean. Cons: Lots of smoke, especially in lounges, shows, while good, were way too loud, especially vocalists, not enough signs saying Although we have done several small ship cruises, we have not been on a large ship cruise before, though we did cross the Atlantic on the QEII 20 years ago, so we were not sure what to expect when we booked a western Caribbean week on the Carnival Legend. Yes, there are a lot of people aboard, and not all of them are polite, but on the whole the passengers were pleasant, friendly, & helpful. We heard there were 600 children under 18 on board but they were well behaved and must have been enjoying their own activities, as we rarely saw them. The crew keeps a spotless ship, even in the constantly-in-use cafeteria and around the other public spaces. The food is quite good, not gourmet but with lots of variety, and when one tires of what is being served there is even more choice in the self serve areas, including pretty good ice cream (custard).
The shows, which I had expected to be mediocre, were quite fabulous, with excellent dancers and gorgeous costumes. As I mentioned above, the singing was miked too loud for our ears (a modern phenomenon I suspect). The specialty shows, magician, juggler, etc. were top notch.
Our veranda suite was roomy, attractive and except for the constant engine/a/c noise very quiet. Watch out for occasional soot on the chairs if you get a rear suite; the steward will give you towels to sit on to protect your clothes. If you don't like walking take note of how far your cabin choice is from the elevators.
The ship's decor, what can I say? Really kitchy, but it grows on you after a few days. It is kept in immaculate condition, however, for we frequently observed crew cleaning the molding, the decks, the windows, everything.
There is a lot of emphasis on shopping, on board and in every port, so brace yourself and decide ahead of time what items you might really need or want--all those diamonds make for a heady atmosphere!
We took two of the Carnival planned tours and particularly enjoyed the Goff Caye snorkeling expedition with great fish and lovely beach. The Roatan sail and snorkel trip was less successful as the snorkeling area was quite riled up. Watch for big changes in Roatan as they are building a whole new Carnival docking area there. The other two stops we built our own trips, being very careful to get back to the ship on time.
Yes, I'd go again, and I think I would choose the Legend. Ship QualityStill think an occasional sign to fore or aft, starboard or port would help Dining/FoodDesserts were their weakest point, appetizers their strongest, with lots of variety and beautiful presentation. Stateroom Quality
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Belize City, BelizeWe have been here before and find the fenced in secure shopping area offensive and annoying. Much too much emphasis on spend, spend, spend. Go snorkeling instead, or even see the ruins.
Don't Miss: Snorkel on Goff Cay, or one of the other islands available Cozumel, MexicoTook cab to Dzul Ha area to snorkel off beach. Beautiful! Palmar Estates there rents lockers and gear, and has a pool to relax by as well.
Don't Miss: snorkel!!!! George Town, Grand CaymanWe booked ourselves onto the Atlantic submarine and enjoyed the experience. We had planned to snorkel off the shore afterwards but returned to ship when rain threatened. It looked as if the Eden Rock facility would be easy to negotiate, however
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasThis is a pretty spot, very welcoming, and so far not so aggressively commercial as the busier ports. However with a new dock and shopping area being built this ambiance may not last. I thought the catamaran sail and snorkel was a disappointment. Yes, it did sail, but essentially went no distance so we ended up returning to snorkel in a roiled up area with minimal fish. Given the length of the trip (3 1/2 hours) I would think they could find a better location. Also, this is not an easy vessel to get out of and into, so don't choose it for your first snorkel experience or if you have trouble climbing ladders.
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Excellent Cruise by
TC from KC from Kansas City, MO Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: Extremely courteous, friendly, helpful staff. Kids stayed busy all the time with activities and made great friends. Very relaxing for my husband and me. Cons: We had no complaints. We had a great vacation. Our time on the ship was relaxing and our excursions were absolutely amazing. Ship QualityVery nice, clean, roomy. Dining/FoodFood was good. Wouldn't say it was the best I have ever had, but there was something for everyone at all times of the day. Pizza was excellent. The wait staff in Truffles was super friendly. Props to our waiter Clive. SUPERIOR service!!! Stateroom QualityPlenty of room...more than I expected. We had a private balcony, which was a great place to sit and read a book. Loved the daily towel animals. Our room steward, Abdul, was great also. VERY friendly! Ship Staff QualityAmazing staff. Entertainment & ActivitiesWe didn't participate much, but our teenage kids stayed busy 24/7. We did play miniature golf and sing karaoke with the kids. Ship also has lots of bars, casino, 3 pools, basketball court, etc. Children's ProgramsKids had a great time.
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Belize City, BelizeWe took the Canopy Tour and zip-lined across the jungles of Belize. Lots of fun! But it was a 1 1/2 hour bus ride over some of the worst roads you can imagine. Still worth it!!!
Cozumel, MexicoWe rode the underwater scooters, which were fun, but wish they were in a more scenic part of the ocean. Still a fun experience!
George Town, Grand CaymanWe swam with the sting rays, which was such an amazing experience. Highly recommend this!!!!
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasWe went to Gumbalimba Park to play with the monkeys. Lots of fun! Very pretty scenery. Beautiful island in general.
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Awesome Adventure by
Martha from North Carolina Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: ponies on the beach, cave tubing, dolphins at Chankanaab and Roatan monkeys and zip line Cons: It's over Clean, well organized, friendly personnel but we arranged our own shore excursions for less money. Ship Quality
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Belize City, BelizeI felt attacked by the women in the market at the port trying to braid hair and paint toe nails
Don't Miss: Cave tubing and ATV combo Cozumel, MexicoDolphin Adventure
George Town, Grand CaymanPampered Ponies
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasObviously a problem with government with lack of infrastructure
Don't Miss: Mayan Jungle Canopy, West End Beach, Half Moon Resort 3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Cruisin the high seas! by
A Traveler from st. louis, MO Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: the activities and the food were fantastic!!! Cons: A slightly smaller boat than some. The waterslide did not go into a pool The ship is decked out with 3 pools. 1 adult pool was where we did most of our poolside activities. The only bad thing was some "children" (teenagers) were in this pool area at times and there was no enforcement of the "adult only" area. There were plenty of activities to be involved in, or you could do whatever you pleased. A piano bar was one highlight of the entertainment along with nightly comedy shows or dancing routines. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe food was overall really excellent. I don't know who gets on here and doesn't like the food. I only had 2 items the entire tme I was not crazy about. 1 was a cheesecake dessert and the other a caesar salad. The only negative I have is that the desserts sometimes were almost too fancy that I didnt enjoy them as much, but I am picky about food tastes and textures, so everyone may not feel the same. Stateroom QualityI got the cheapest room and was expecting the worst. I was pleasantly surprised with the room. It wasn't as tiny as I had expected and I was able to sleep very comfortably and soundly. We were right below some of the bar areas and I also expected to be noisy, but it was pretty quiet with the exception of an occasional sound here and there, but my sleep was not affected. Ship Staff QualityThe staff are there waiting on you hand and foot with tons of energy and enthusiasm! Entertainment & ActivitiesI enjoyed all of the shows I saw. There was always some sort of entertainment going on. One can be involved as they wanted to be.
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Belize City, BelizeWe snorkeled at the barrier reef and had a private island beach stop. There were many fish to see along with the coral. I had a little trouble with my mask fogging up and water getting in my mask, so i would recommend bringing your own custom mask if you can. I think it would work much better as the one I was provided with poorly adapted to my face. The rum punch provided was fantastic on our way to the private island. The island was pretty nice for just hanging out and relaxing. There is a little beach area to relax in and seashells and crabs to find. There was time afterwards to go into the port city and explore some of the shops and eateries, which was nice.
Don't Miss: the snorkeling was great! George Town, Grand CaymanWe did the turtle farm, hell, and snorkeling with the rays....I really enjoyed snorkeling with the rays. It was fantastic with the rays comign so close to you. The turtle farm was interesting with hundreds of turtles and lizards wandering around....hell was not what I expected adn was disappointing, though it was fun to send a postcard "from hell"........this excursion took the entire alotted time we were in port, so it was a little diassapointing not to get a chance to see some of the touristy sites right at port. However, travelling to and from each place gave you a chance to see a lot of the city.
Don't Miss: snorkeling with the rays at sandbar city was excellent Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, Honduraswe went to tabayana beach resort. This beach was fantastic with very nice snorkeling right off the beach about 12-20 feet out, with tons of fish. It was a very nice resort with plenty of beach space to lay out on or swim. They have other things to rent like the snuba gear and kayaks, and snorkel gear, but they seemed a little pricey. Overall a very nice place to relax and hang out. There was plenty of time to get back to the port area to explore. However, it seemed to be a very poor area and not much to see in the port spot. We actually stayed a few minutes in this area and went back to the boat to eat lunch. We would have stayed longer at the beach had we known that area was not as impressive.
Don't Miss: The tabayana beach was a nice relaxing area. the port itself had some scenic views from the boat. 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Okay for the price by
Tom M from Nashville, TN Sailing date: May 2009Pros: Plentiful food, lots of activities on the ship, nice stateroom. Cons: Evening shows, kids program We were looking for a fairly cheap cruise. Did not want to fly to Puerto Rico We chose this cruise pretty much as it was the only line doing 7 day Western carribean cruises out of the continental US within driving distance from Nashville, and the price was fairly low. Did not want to spend a fortune on Disney.
The ship was overall in good condition. Stateroom was in good repair. The decorating was a little over the top, but that made it interesting.
The stateroom was kept clean and the beds were reasonably comfortable. Towel animals in the room each night. We had a balcony with two chairs. The chairs are very narrow, not comfortable to cram ones hips into. Made for very thin people at best.
The deck had more sunchairs than any other ship I have been on, but they were not comfortable. Many were broken. The pool decks had so many sun chairs around the pools it was almost impossible to walk between them.
The food was plentiful. During breakfast and lunch it could be very hard to find an open table in the buffet area. IT appears very few people eat in the dining rooms for those meals.
Service was friendly. Not quite as attentive as on other lines, but no real problems. The waiters were friendly and entertaining. They were willing to tell us places to visit on shore excursions without referring us to the excursion desk to purchase excursions. This worked out pretty well for us and saved us some $$$$. Ship QualityShip size was good. The layout tended to lead to some real traffic jams around dinner times in some passageways in the common areas. They had photography stations set up right in the walkways in the lunges or atrium and stairways roped off to take pictures on as well. With people waiting for dinner and to have pics taken, it made it very difficult to pass through the area.
Layout was bizzare in other ways. The casino was built around a common walkway. It was the only passage from the front to back of the ship on that deck, instead of a room off the passageway. I did not like that as there were other things on that deck that you would want to get to without going through the casino, especially as the casino is a smoking area and we had a kid in tow too. I know they want to attract you to the casino but you should not have to walk through it to get to other attractions, or be forced to go up or down a deck to avoid it. Dining/FoodFood was decent, plentiful and always available in some form. Very hard to find tables in the buffet area at breakfast and lunch peak hours and there were some very long lines to get food at buffet stations. Some of this was caused by lack of enough servers in areas where they had to put the food on your plate.
Food at dinner was pretty good. The desserts were not so great. Worst so called pumpkin pie I had ever had in my life. They need to send their chefs to New England at Thanksgiving to give them a lesson in that. One night there was cherries jubilee. It was a very small scoop of ice cream with three cherries. Other desserts were pretty good. Stateroom QualityStateroom was a balcony, 8E. Good size, very roomy bathroom compared to others I have used on other ships. That was nice. The beds were comfy. My daughter slept on a bed that has cushions on the back to use as a couch during day, she was comfortable on that. There was a 19 inch TV in the room that had a quirk. Every few minutes the volume would suddenly go up or down without us touching the TV or remote. We thought maybe it was picking up remote signals from another room, but either way it could be annoying.
Typical hotel/cruise ship decor. Nothing special.
Room steward did a good job. Ship Staff QualityNo complaints about staff. All were helpful, friendly and did their jobs well. Entertainment & ActivitiesEvening entertainment in the show room was nothing special. Performers were talented but the shows seemed like a tired rehash of things that had been done a million times before. IT was kind of like watching old reruns of the musical numbers on the Carol Burnett show or someting. In addition, the played the music WAY TOO LOUD. Speakers mounted on the ceiling of the show room and blasted music at volumes that were certainly at levels to be damaging to hearing. There was no place to escape it. Same thing on the pool deck. The stage bands and performers there had it way too loud. You could not carry on a conversation. There are other pools on board to escape the music, but if you want to hear some music at the pool deck you are going to have your ears ringing and not be able to talk to anyone. TURN IT DOWN. Again, at levels that can damage hearing. Other activities and games were well done and fun. Children's ProgramsWe had our 11 year old daughter with us. She tried the program the first day at sea and hated it. Groups are by two year age groups, she fell in the 9 to 11. When she went they lumped the 6 to 8 and 9 to 11 year olds all together for activities. They were geared toward the much younger children. My kid was bored to tears. We asked about moving her to 12 to 14 year old group but she had to be within 3 months of turning 12 and did not qualify. So, she refused to go back. You cannot mix 6 and 11 year olds and expect it to work. That was a real disappointment as we have been on other lines that did had a MUCH BETTER program. They need to work on that one. Maybe good for younger kids.
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Belize City, BelizeTook the city tour. IT was interesting. Remember, this is a 3rd world country so you will see terrible poverty and a lot of garbage, but, the tour guide is an excellent ambassador for his country and people. Stops at a small cathedral and the national museum were interesting. The museum is small, about the floor space of a small church. The tour was interesting and educations. Small tourist area to shop. It is not recommended you stray out of that unless you are on a booked excursion.
George Town, Grand CaymanBeen there before so we just went ashore to shop. Previously did the turtle farm, Hell and Rum factory tour. Nothing special. Might book snorkling, though not the one right by the pier. Right by road, no beach and you walk down concrete steps to swim.
Don't Miss: If you want to buy jewelry, this is the place. Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasAgain, a small island part of a 3rd world country, but it is has great beauty and potential. We booked a cab to take us to Tabyana beach. For 20$ per person you get the cab for the whole day. They stay at the beach so you can leave right when you are ready. The beach is beautiful. You can pay 10$ to enter through a club and have chairs to use and a restroom. The beach is public but there are no public facilities. IF you want a beach chair or restroom you will have to pay.
A guy came down the beach offering to boat people out to a reef to snorkel, equipment included. I took him up on it and when he got about 7 or 8 people he stopped back to collect me. 10 minute ride to a reef were we snorkled for an hour. It was incredible. He did not take payment until we got back so no problems there.
The water on the beach was clear and gorgeous.
The port has very little at this point, only a couple shops, but willl grow rapidl, as will the industry on the island as a whole.
Don't Miss: Hire a boat to take you to a reef to snorkel, much better than at shore. The fish are breathtaking 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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It was the best vacation by
Wesley S from Greer SC Sailing date: May 2009Pros: I loved the food the ports it was all great Cons: What I hated about the trip was it came to and end. My wife and I had the best time on and off the ship. We had one of the best vacation we have ever had. We will be back. Ship Quality
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Belize City, Belize
George Town, Grand Cayman
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, Honduras
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WE LOVED OUR CRUISE!! by
Sandra M from Milwaukee, WI Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: I'm having a hard time narrowing this down Cons: Bingo seems a little pricy for ONE GAME! The room was comfortable. This is our 4th cruise with 2 different cruise lines. We thoroughtly enjoyed it! Pool area was nicer, tool. Ship QualityNice size. There were 3 pools, but everyone seemed to want to be in there at the same time I did. But with the area inside the seating around the pool, you can still get in the water without feeling crowded. Dining/FoodThere was only one meal that I didn't LOVE. It was okay, but just not my favorites. Stateroom QualityIt was also the first time we decided to try an inside cabin (we're never there anyway). But they upgraded us and we got an oceanview room. Lucky us! I cruised the Carnival Glory and didn't like it as much as this one. Ship Staff QualityEveryone was extremely friendly. Always greeted us. Entertainment & ActivitiesTook a couple of tours...galley (interesting). I also did the towel folding class. Only disadvantage was that I didn't want it to end so quickly. I DID feel the nightly shows could be a little better at the end of the week. The beginning was great. The end...not so good.
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Belize City, BelizeWe really didn't do much here. Got off the ship, shopped for an hour or so and then just relaxed in a restaurant.
Cozumel, MexicoThis Bike and Snorkel trip was our FAVORITE. We thought Charlie (tour guide) was great. He was very personable. We really enjoyed it.
George Town, Grand CaymanLoved Sea Grape Beach
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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