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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Lauren Roper
Email: lauren@n-jcenter.com
Age: 37
Occupation: Technical Writer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Legend
SailingDate: 10-22-99
Itinerary: 10 Night Mediterranean Cruise
Cabin: 2515/N
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 77
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 69
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 79
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 69
EntertainmentLounges: 69
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 69
EntertShowLounge: 69
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 69
EntertainmentPoolside: 69
CruiseActivities: 60
Casino: 69
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 79
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 75
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Nov 1999
Time: 18:23:10
Remote Name: nspm2c-01.n-jcenter.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise and we were on our honeymoon. We did enjoy cruising, however, we
felt that our ship did not
live up to the hype associated with cruising, particulary the food.
We ate most of our dinners in the main dining room, a few in the Windjammer Cafe, 1 lunch
in the main dining room,
and all breakfasts either by Room Service or in the Windjammer Cafe. We were fortunate to
have been seated with
other honeymooners in our age range, and our 'tablemates' were the only redeeming factor
at dinner. The dinners were
not served hot, they were mildly warm at best. The fare offered was not real gourmet fare.
The 'grilled items', steak,
chicken, fish, etc. did not taste grilled, but rather warmed-up entrees that were dry and
often tasted 'old'. There were
several side dishes, entrees, and desserts that had to be sent back to the kitchen because
they tasted so bad, or were
not cooked to 'order'. Everyone at our table found the food to be barely desireable. Our
table consensus was that
cruise food is either overrated, or rated by people who do very little fine dining at
expensive gourmet restaurants and
therefore are easily impressed--we, however, were not. Our one lunch meal in the main
dining room involved a Reuben
Sandwich that was prepared with some type of meat other than corn beef, white american
cheese, sauerkraut and
mayonnaise. Trying to explain to my waiter that this was not a Reuben sandwich was
difficult. I did end up getting a new
Reuben with the Thousand Island dressing, instead of Mayonnaise. Because much of the value
in the price of cruising
is attributed to the inclusion of your meals, we felt that we had not received full value
for the cost.
The Windjammer Cafe, which offered alternative, buffet-style dining, was slightly better
than the main dining room.
However, as the days passed, rolls and breads began to taste stale. The Wait Staff cleared
our table one
night--including table service--while we were up at the dessert bar. It was completely
self-serve, we were not offered
drink refills and our dirtied dishes were not cleared away. Of course, the only real
service we received was to ask
whether we wanted wine--costing extra--with our meal. The Breakfast Buffet was a real
disappointment; Shoneys
Restaurant does a better breakfast buffet. The Pancakes buffet item had a plastic bottle
of Fat-Free Syrup next to it
and a small metal container of cold maple syrup. There were no special syrups, and no
special waffles. The breakfast
pastries were unbelievably stale. You had to wait in line to get your drinks, and you had
to return to the counter to get a
refill.
The Casino had the worst drink service I've ever encountered. It's the only place on the
boat that they didn't 'push' the
drinks. You were lucky to be able to find a Bar Waiter at all. There were not enough $
5.00 Black Jack Tables-2 were
smoking and 2 were non-smoking. Most of the dealers were okay. But Las Vegas dealers they
were not. The cards
were dealt sloppily. One dealer-a young English man-complained about what they were paid
and tried to do a comedy
act during dealing. He joked around switching people's cards around, committed so many
dealer faux pas that he
wouldn't have lasted ten minutes in Las Vegas or on a River Gambling Boat.
The pianist in the Schooner Bar was long on jokes and short on songs.
The Viking Crown Lounge had good drink service, but didn't start really playing any dance
music until 12:30 a.m.--a
little late when you have a full day in Port the next day. The atmosphere was great and
offered a wonderful view, day
and night. The evening entertainment shows weren't that great, but they brought around
nice after dinner dessert
treats. Most of the crew could be found in this lounge after Midnight. The crowd was
younger in this lounge, one of the
reasons we spent so much time here.
The 'Spa' staff were unprofessional at best. Having been to several spas in the states, I
found my treatments to be less
than average and grossly overpriced for the service performed. My seaweed wrap, required a
rinse in a shower that
had not been cleaned from the previous appointment--the green seaweed mud was still all
over the shower floor. The
worst part of the services were the sales pitches for products that were sold in the
spa--they were pushy and
high-pressured, ruining the wonderful relaxed feeling that you book the services for. I
had three different services done
and all included a post-treatment sales pitch that evaluated me and informed me which of
the ships' spa products that I
needed to buy. They pushed their products almost more aggressively than they pushed the
drinks on the ship.
The Shore Excursions were pricey and you were not informed in the info mailed prior to
traveling about travel options if
you chose not to book the Shore Excursions. We were glad that we only signed up for a few
and did most of the ports
on our own.
We had great Ports of Call and they were the highlight of our trip. Had we cruised just
for the benefit of the food and
on-board services and activities we would not have enjoyed this vacation. The on-board
activities were definitely geared
toward the 60's plus crowd. There were no activities that piqued our interest. They need
to offer something for the
30's-40's crowd.
The ship was very beautiful. Aside from the stained carpeting in our hallway leading to
our cabin, most areas were kept
very clean. The staff kept busy working on and cleaning the ship daily.
Overall, I feel that Royal Caribbean needs to make major improvements in their food
offerings, staff hiring and training,
and cruise activities if they want to impress the professional 30's and 40's crowd. We are
gourmet savy and are not as
easily impressed as other age groups.
We do hope to cruise again, but I will spend more time researching cruise companies and
their ships to find one that
meets our expectations for food, service and on-board activities.
The crew was also a disappointment. Most were young, unprofessional and understood little
English. Even more
frustrating was their inability to answer questions about the location of various
facilities on the ship. Our Waiter,
Assistant Waiter, and Cabin Steward were the few competent employees we encountered on
board the ship, actually
more than competent they were professional and provided excellent service and attention to
detail.
Name: Libby Child
Email: lchild@steelcase.com
Age: 50
Occupation: Human Resources Manager
NumberOfCruises: 16
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Legend
SailingDate: September 16, 1999
Itinerary: Western Mediterranean
Cabin: 7130
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 70
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Nov 1999
Time: 14:28:45
Remote Name: steelcase-bh.steelcase.com
Remote User:
Comments
We are cruise enthusiasts, and have taken a total of 16 cruises, but this one was by far
the best ever. Through out the
cruise, I kept remarking - this is an experience of a lifetime – and it was the
combination of a beautiful ship, an exciting
itinerary, wonderful service and an outstanding staff that made this cruise such a
memorable experience.
Our embarkation in Barcelona was flawless; it took us less than 30 minutes to clear
through the necessary paperwork and
be in our cabin. We were fortunate enough to have a cabin with a verandah, which provided
us with 12 days of wonderful
scenic views. We enjoyed one day in Barcelona prior to embarkation which gave us a chance
to recover from jet lag,
assure that our luggage arrived and enjoy walking around the city and especially enjoying
Las Rambles –a not to be
missed experience.
The 12 night Western Mediterranean itinerary included stops in Marseilles, Livorno
(Florence/Pisa), Naples, a restful day
at sea, 2 days in Venice, a day at sea, Messina, Sicily, Civitavecchia (Rome),
Villefranche (Monte Carlo/Cannes), one last
day at sea, and back in to Barcelona for disembarkation. We enjoyed every port of call,
thinking each one was the best,
until we arrived in the port for the following day. The culture, the history, the art, the
religious significance of everywhere
we went were experiences that can’t be replicated in a book or taught in a class.
Experiencing them, live, in person, in
color was awesome. The breath-taking scenery, especially in Capri, Venice and from the
hilltops of Eze along the French
Riviera was spectacular. The art work in Florence, the canals and beauty of Venice, the
architectural ruins near Messina,
the spiritual experience of visiting the Vatican and St. Peter’s Cathedral, the
historical significance of Pompeii, and the
excitement of Monte Carlo and serene beauty of Cannes and Nice are memories that will last
a lifetime.
The food, service, cleanliness of the ship, entertainment and on-board activities were all
very good. The one aspect of the
cruise that I found to be a challenge was that there was so much to do, and so little time
to do it. At each of the ports of
call, there were a number of excursions I would have liked to have taken – but time
allowed for only one. Oh – to have
such serious problems!
Our captain, Thomas Wildung, Master of the Legend of the Seas, deserves special mention.
He remembered us from a
previous cruise, and extended invitations to us to dine with him and also spend time on
the bridge. Those two unique and
special experiences were a part of make this cruise very special. Also, our waiter
Constantine Matei and Head Waiter,
Debra Woods were outstanding. We enjoyed our cabin steward, Ericka, who went out of her
way to have our cabin in
tiptop condition at all times. Dale and Mary Nathan, who worked in the casino, also were
on many of the shore excursions
with us. They went out of their way to make sure our excursions were safe and comfortable,
and never failed to greet us
with a friendly hello when we saw them on the ship. Matthew Gillespie, the jeweler on
board, was especially
knowledgeable, not only about jewelry, but about the ship, cruising in general, and was
always helpful in answering
questions. With cruising becoming more competitive all the time – customer service
and satisfaction will be prime
considerations, and the Legend of the Seas is #1 in our book. In fact, as I read back over
this review, and noticed the
times I mentioned once in a lifetime, and memories to last a lifetime – I must
confess now are not true. We just put a
deposit down on this same cruise ship and itinerary for next September. That should speak
volumes!
Name: William Peter
Email: peterw@nasd.com
Age: 36
Occupation: Travel Agent
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Legend
SailingDate: Oct. 22, 1999
Itinerary: 10 day Mediterranean
Cabin: 3095
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 69
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 79
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets: 79
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 80
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 78
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 50
DiscoNightclubs: 75
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 70
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Nov 1999
Time: 14:26:02
Remote Name: nasdgw1.nasd.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was my third cruise as a travel agent, and my first on Royal Caribbean; I will never
sail with them again. We arrived at
the pier in Barcelona to claim our cruise documents, and were told our cabin # was 3095
(inside); I had a confirmation fax
in hand from RCI showing our cabin to be on deck 6 (outside); I knew the next 10 days
would be anything but enjoyable.
The RCI representative/pier manager was both unprofessional and unhelpful in trying to
clear up the mistake. She
advised us that the ship was full (later admitting it was oversold), and told us to call
Miami if we were not happy with the
inside cabin that we were switched to.
We accepted the inside cabin and sailed with the understanding that an outside cabin may
be vacated later on; well, it
never happened. The purser staff/cabin management was apologetic, but somewhat dismissing,
and not very sincere. To
add insult to injury, our inside cabin was right below the dining room and galley, and we
could hear every footstep above
as though horses were running around. This went on every evening until about 1 a.m., and
started up again every
morning at about 6 a.m. We complained about this to the purser but did not notice any
improvement.
The best part of the cruise was it's itinerary, although the shore excursions were
overpriced. The ship itself is beautiful,
spacious, and you rarely get a feeling of being crowded. The food was acceptable, but by
no means gourmet; dining room
service was excellent; our cabin steward was quick and efficient. The entertainment was
lacking in both variety, and
appeal to all ages; it seemed quite amateur at times. I will definitely try a more upscale
cruise line next time.
Name: James & Suzanne Adam
Email: toto2@oz-online.net
Age: 58 & 49
Occupation: Retired/Office Manager
NumberOfCruises: 10
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Legend
SailingDate: January 23-February 9, 2000
Itinerary: Sydney to Singapore
Cabin: Cabin #6024 Category F
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 50
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 75
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 75
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Feb 2000
Time: 11:34:43
Remote Name: chap-173152.oz-online.net
Remote User:
Comments
Royal Caribbean/Journey to the Barrier Reef Sydney to Singapore (17 Days) Legend of the Seas
January 23-February 9, 2000
This would be our 10th cruise, and the very best yet. We have sailed on Princess, Celebrity,
Premier, Royal Caribbean and Carnival in the past, but nothing compared to this adventure on the
Legend of the Seas/Royal Journey to the Great Barrier Reef.
At the time we cruised, the U.S. dollar in Australia was worth about 1.50 Australian dollars and in
Singapore, about 1.65. Bali's Rupiah was about 7500 per U.S. Dollar. So U.S. Dollars go a long way
in this part of the world.
We set out from Kansas City for a two day pre-cruise stay in Sydney. Which I would highly
recommend because of the time change and crossing the International Date Line (It can be a real
killer). We flew over on Air New Zealand and Returned on Singapore Air. The reviews on the Airlines
will show up at a later date on their review sites.
We spent the first two days at the Furama Darling Harbor Hotel (which I will review in the hotel
section, a must read and a definite "stay away from")
We boarded the ship on January 23, 2000. We were booked in a larger outside stateroom which
was adequate even for this long of a cruise. Plenty of storage space throughout the cabin. Twin
Beds that will also convert to a queen size, two night stands with drawers. Love seat, coffee table,
dressing table with three way mirror. Large closet with those nasty anti theft hangers (which I hate).
Color television with a variety of movies and local stations while in port, along with CNN and the
ship's channels. Bathroom larger than we expected with a shower only, mirrored medicine cabinet
and under sink storage. Amenities. included shampoo, conditioner, soap and a hair dryer (bring a
robe on this one because RCI does not provide them in standard outside or inside cabins). This is
one beautiful ship with everything you could ask for except a self service laundry. Items must be
sent to the ships laundry which is quite reasonable and they do a very nice job. Average for items
such as shirts or slacks run about $2.50 each, but all run from $1.50-$3.50 per item. They also
have a dry cleaning facility aboard if you are in need of that.
This ship offers a 24 hour Internet service that is accessible by scanning your cruise card. There
are numerous computers and it makes it easy to keep in touch with home through any online email
account. The charge is .50 per minute compared to the $7.95 per minute ship to shore call.
The ship is immaculately kept, one of the cleanest ships we have sailed on. Beautiful pool outside
and an even better one in the solarium. Very nice spa and exercise facilities, even a mini golf coarse
that is free for the using. We sailed with about 1300 passengers (2000 is capacity), so there were
very few lines or waits. The elevators on this ship were large and fast. Never did we have to wait
more than a couple of minutes for one to arrive. One draw back on this ship was the cabins located
in the aft section. There are no elevators of any kind so if you should want to book a cabin in that
area, be prepared to do some walking, to everywhere.
There is one dining room aboard and of coarse the normal main and late seating arrangements. It is
beautiful with floor to ceiling windows and has an upper floor that looks down to the main dining
room. Dinners with a view every night as we watched the ocean from our table. We found the food in
the dining room to be good to very good, but I would hesitate to give any of the meals an excellent
rating. Every night there was a lamb, fish and beef dish to choose from......(I think I am mooing a bit
after eating beef for such a long time). The fish was good on most evenings, the lamb had its ups
and downs and the steaks and beef dishes went from good to very good but again, no excellent
rating from us. On one evening we were served a stuffed lobster tail (that was not very good) and
there were no actual lobster nights which we always look forward to. We were also surprised at the
fruit served while in this part of the world. Melons, apples, bananas and pineapple were always
available, but no exotic fruits were ever at hand, which was very disappointing. Desserts were good,
but often better in the Windjammer Cafe. The Windjammer was an excellent choice for alternate
dining especially for breakfast and lunch. We decided to have dinner there on two evenings
because of late returning tours and we were not pleased with the selection or the actual food
served. There is also Pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs available at different times in the solarium.
Pizza was good the first time and not so good the second.
The service on this ship makes up for any flaws in the food. It is excellent. The staff is very friendly
and helpful and after such a long voyage, you feel like part of the family. Many remember your
name, especially the bar waiters, and go out of their way to address you each time they pass.
There were four production shows while on the Legend and each was very good, with wonderful
costumes and a very talented cast. There was entertainment each night on board, but except for the
productions shows, most lacked something. We saw everything from sheep shearing on stage to
unicycle riders. But the production shows were well worth seeing. The theater is large with wonderful
site lines, there is not a bad seat in the entire house.
We visited Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Bali and Singapore. We arranged our own tours in
each port and found the price to be less than half of the tours offered by the ship. Most were pre-
arranged with the help of the Internet, and contacting each company by email before we left the
States.
In Sydney we visited the Blue Mountains by four wheel drive and had a great day including lunch up
in the mountains and tea next to a stream that we could wade in. This tour was arranged by
Katherine at Queensland travel in Sydney , accessible from the Internet. (Price for this all day tour
was around AU $120.00 pp).
In Brisbane we had arranged to tour by mini van with a group that we had met on the Internet. It was
a city tour and gave us a chance to view this large city in a very short time. This tour was arranged
by Mr. Day Tours, accessible from the Internet also. (Tour was AU $35.00 pp)
Cairns's, what a fantastic place, we could have spent an entire week there with no problem. We went
by Catamaran to the Great Barrier Reef and also visited Fitzroy Island. Even if you don't enjoy the
water, the reef is a must see. There are semi-submersibles and touch tanks for those who do not
wish to snorkel or dive. Beautiful coral and colorful fish everywhere. The ride over can be a bit
rough so if you tend to have a problem with smaller boats, you might want to pop a seasick pill or
use a wristband before venturing out for this tour. (Tour was AU $ 118.00 pp)
We found Darwin to be wonderful........HOT.....But wonderful. We took the ships shuttle into town
and happened upon a tourist bureau within a block. Within 5 minutes, we were in a four wheel drive
(Air Conditioned) and heading toward Litchfield National Park. A fantastic place with waterfalls and
termite mounds and a beautiful rain forest. Our tour guide knew all the spots that would not be
crowded and found several waterfalls with rock ponds for us to swim and cool off in. A fascinating
day from start to finish. (Tour was AU $99.00 pp)
Bali, a magical place. We anchored in Badung Bay. A very poor country, and if you venture off the
ship into the adjoining town there is nothing I can say to prepare you for what you will experience.
Mexico seems like a flee market compared to being mobbed by up to 30 street venders trying to sell
you their wares, all at one time. You can find some real bargains in everything from loose fitting
clothing to souvenirs to the knock off Rolex watches ($5.00) if you can handle the vendors.
Bargaining is expected there and is therefore accepted. They are not dangerous, just a little
overwhelming, in fact a lot overwhelming. But if you can get them to calm down and quit pushing,
they are very nice to talk to, and also very helpful. There are also lots of children there attempting to
sell you postcards and necklaces. Bali accepts American Dollars and you can actually get a better
deal using them as their Rupiah is not stable and they deal in it only when necessary. As you look
over the side of the ship, you will also see dozens of small boats trying to sell things to you while you
are on the ship. They also attempt to get you to throw money and their major request, shampoo and
soap overboard, so that they can dive in and retrieve it. We had arranged two half day tours while
on Bali through the Internet with others that we had previously toured with. Our first day we left at
1:30 for a tour of Bali by air conditioned mini-van and it included dinner. A very interesting tour of
the traffic jams and temples. Dinner was included and we were taken to a nice restaurant where we
feasted on Bali's traditional foods. Excellent..........and the service surpassed any of the best
restaurants we have ever been to. (Now for the best part, the entire tour and dinner ran us $20.00
pp American Dollars-Honestly) We returned at about 10:00 P.M. that evening to the ship. The
second day it was a morning tour with the same guide and air conditioned mini-van. It included visits
to the Bali Bird Park, the Bat caves, temples and also included lunch and all of our donations and
entrance fees. (This tour was $25.00 pp American Dollars) Half day tours without meals can be
purchased right on the dock for as little as $10.00 pp American Dollars.
Our next and last port was Singapore. A very large metropolitan city. Not as clean and neat as a pin
as we were lead to believe though. Lots of rules and lots of fines for breaking the rules. Fines for
chewing gum and larger ones for spitting it on the roads or sidewalks. Fines for littering of any kind.
Fines for jaywalking, and even fines for using public restrooms and not flushing. We took the tram to
visit Sentosa Island which is like a large amusement park but different than ours. More like a walk
through museum than anything. With different sections, one for fish, one for spiders and lizards of
that region, etc. The tram ride is a great way to get a look at the harbor and the city, fabulous views.
In Singapore there is a great section of China town that has some wonderful shopping and very
good deals for souvenirs. We visited The Raffles Hotel and it is beautiful. The price to go for tea
through the cruise line was in excess of $60.00 American and those we spoke to said that it just
wasn't worth the price.
The ship was able to dock at all ports except for Bali which we tendered into. The tenders were no
problem and ran on a 30 minute schedule to and from.
This cruise gave us the opportunity to visit several places in Australia along with two other countries.
Although it can be expensive, it is well worth the price. I definitely want to cruise to this region of the
world again. It was fascinating and beautiful. One suggestion to anyone that may venture out to this
part of the world, if you go as we did in January-February, it is their summer. This can mean
temperature ranges from 80 to +100 degrees F with the humidity at about the same level. Take lots
of loose fitting clothing, lots of film, lots of swimsuits, sun screen and a hat. Drink lots of fluids and
always have bottled water with you. But above all, take a good attitude, take it slow and easy, these
temperatures can become dangerous to those of us that are not used to the high heat.
Name: Carol & Jack Irvin
Email: carolofclark@aol.com
Age: 49
Occupation: Vice-President
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Legend
SailingDate: 05/14/2000
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 7548
FoodDiningRoom: 82
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 82
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 79
FoodLidoDeck: 79
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland: 0
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 99
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 93
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 89
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Jun 2000
Time: 16:13:12
Remote Name: cs28152-202.satx.rr.com
Remote User:
Comments
We made our own flight arrangements in order to arrive the day before and were well rested and ready for an
easy embarking process. We had read previous reviews on how quick and easy embarking was on this ship.
Much to our dismay, it took a little over an hour to embark. We arrived early (11:30am) thinking we would
avoid the crowd. Others had the same idea.
We were very hungry and ready to find something to eat after putting our carry-on's in our cabin. We had
sailed on the Grandeur of the Seas last summer and expected the limited lunch menu with ordering from the
table. We found a hot, overcrowded room with a tasteless buffet. Dinner in the dining room, that night, was
much better. The food overall was bland with a limited selection, but it was much better than the buffet style
option.
Our waiter was grouchy and was upset because we didn't bring our ship cards to the dining room. He said
according to RCL's policy we were to have them on our persons at all times. Upon retreiving the cards for
him, he used them to copy our names on a sheet of paper and never asked for the cards again. Later, he
explained he had been on the ship for six months and was to go on a much needed leave in two weeks. The
rest of the dining room staff were perfect in every way. We enjoyed them all and they met our every need.
The room service staff was wonderful. The order was always correct and on time.
Our room was made promptly and replenished with clean towels, but I never got a chance to meet our room
steward. He did breifly introduce himself to my husband on the first night and that was the last we ever saw
him. We were expecting the same in-cabin amenities from past sailings but found only shampoo and
conditioner. There was no shower gel or body lotion. We hadn't bothered to bring these things. We really
enjoyed the shower improvements. Two people can fit in the shower and still close the doors. Yes, they had
doors and not curtains on the shower. Another plus was the interactive television. Ordering shore excursions
from your room was great.
We stayed on the ship at our first stop. We had been to Labadee before and didn't feel up to that again. We
had asked if all the ship activities would be open as we were not going ashore and were advised that all
activities would be open and available. We were so disappointed to find the pools were the only open activity.
The minature golf, basketball courts, rock climbing wall, skating rink, etc. were all closed. Even the movie on
the itinerary was forgotten about until we found someone to start it for us. The ship quickly filled as most
people we talked to did not like Labadee. The people are so poor and in need of so much. It is hard to enjoy
the island. As we were leaving, two boat loads of natives were risking their lives to beg for money from us who
were looking off our balconies. We tossed as much as we had time for in plastic baggies.
Our next stop was Ocho Rios and we took the Plantation tour and throughly enjoyed every minute. We also
did the Dunns River and had a blast. We shopped in the secure shopping areas and were not bombarded as
others in the town were.
In Cozumel, we took the Dolphin Encounter tour and will always remember this as one of the best times ever.
We stayed at the National Park where the dolphins are located and enjoyed a beautiful day. The park is lush
and has everything needed. This is a perfect place for all ages.
Disembarking went rather smoothly and we were sad our week had gone by so fast. All in all, we thought the
ship was magnificent and something to see, if only once, and had we not had other RCL cruises to judge by
we are sure we wouldn't have noticed all the differences.
Name: Robert Bard
Email: rbard@btinternet.com
Age: 44
Occupation: Company Director
NumberOfCruises: 20
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Legend
SailingDate: 15th.July 2000
Itinerary: Barcelona,Villefranche,Corsica,Rome,Sicily,Malta,
Cabin: Category F, 6064
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 60
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff: 30
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 80
EntertainmentPoolside: 40
CruiseActivities: 50
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 70
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 50
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Jul 2000
Time: 15:09:35
Remote Name: webcacheh09a.cache.pol.co.uk
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I cruise two or three times a year. This was the largest ship we have been on and we
were very impressed with the architecture of the ship which is ultra modern and throughout
impressively comfortable. The ship was so stable we barely felt it move during the whole week. There
is little or no engine noise or vibration which we had found to be particularly annoying on other
ships.Our cabin was spacious with a separate sitting area.The service was nearly always with a smile.
The facilities in general border on the superb.Our luggage was taken at Heathrow and delivered to
our cabin in Barcelona. On the return trip, our luggage was taken 10pm the night before arrival in
Barcelona, and we collected it at Heathrow. Also, boarding cards for the flight were handed out the
previous day, so there was no need to check in at Barcelona. Very slick, and well thought out. On the
negative side, the embarkation in Barcelona was organised chaos. As you board the ship you are
offered what seem to be complimentary Cocktails. Once it's too late you discover you have just spent
$5.95 twice over. This appearance of complimentary drinks happens throughout the cruise. The
same Celine Dion tape was played by the pool every morning including the theme tune to the Titanic
film which we found quite amusing. The quality of the food is in general, average, plentiful, but not
particularly exciting. The Romeo and Juliet dining room in the evenings was extremely noisy, and with
young kids running around out of control, it was less than relaxing. The evening entertainment was
professional, and slick, but completely lacking in imagination. It was however the most comfortable
and luxurious theater I have ever set foot in. The complimentary excursion at the end of the cruise
was extremely disappointing, being little more than a disguise to get you off the ship early,9am,and
kill time until the flight back to London at 1.50pm. In conclusion, a very enjoyable week, which we will
definitely look to repeat next year.
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