rccl-legendra083098

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Ray and Charlotte Alexander
Email: charlea@arkansas.net
Age: 50
Occupation: Secretary/Homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Legend
SailingDate: Aug 30, 1998
Itinerary: Alaska - inside Passage
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 99
FoodRoomService: 97
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 96
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 92
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 94
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 92
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Sep 1998
Time: 03:05:26
Remote Name: 205.198.201.79
Remote User:

Comments

First Cruise, great experience! My husband and I booked this Cruise in celebration of our 30th Anniversary. While not sure what to expect, we
were hoping for time to relax and spend quality time together as well as see a place we had only read about. We came home totally pleased with
the experience and are ready to go again! We booked thru our local travel agent, did the Air/Sea program. We flew from Little Rock, Arkansas via
Dallas to Seattle (departed Little Rock 8:00 am CDT, arrived Seattle about noon PDT). Then we took a 3 1/2 hour bus ride from Seattle to
Vancouver and were deposited directly at the Royal Caribbean debarkation terminal exactly at 3:20P, PDT. Lunch (a yucky sandwich, apple juice,
applesauce and cookies) was served on the bus, but Hey! at least they thought about lunch! THE AIR part of the return was the down side of the
trip: Debarkation from the ship began at 8:00 am, we climbed aboard our bus at 8:50am and pulled out for Seattle at 9:00 am. We arrived at the
airport at 12:30pm PDT to find a MOB of people trying to check in for their flights. The airlines were set up under a large tent with one agent from
each airline trying to check in several hundred people from several ships trying to get home. I have never seen such jostling and fighting for
position! You had to be careful where you were standing - people were pushing luggage into others, cutting lines, etc. After standing in the same
place for ten minutes and going nowhere because people were cutting in line from all sides, my husband paid a porter to take our bags to the
American Ticket counter INSIDE the terminal. When we arrived there we were advised the flight out to Dallas was going to depart an hour late
(probably because of the mess outside) and we would miss our connecting flight into Dallas. However, the agent was very nice and got us on a
Continental flight and we arrived home an hour earlier than we would have on the original booking. NOW FOR THE CRUISE ITSELF: Wonderful,
delightful! Weather was great after our 100+ degree summer, beautiful weather sailing north out of Vancouver, Monday morning sweater weather,
cooler and rainy Tuesday afternoon at Hubbard Glacier, but we had gone prepared with rain slickers and layered clothing. The second night out
(Monday), Captain Nikolaos Antalis announced that we were heading into rough seas; a storm 400 miles north was causing 20-30 ft waves which
would affect the ship for about 24 hours. And rock and roll we did! As my husband and I are prone to seasickness, we each took a Dramamine
followed by a beer at the Captain's Cocktail party and we were both fine! However, a full 50% of the passengers didn't fare so well, as evidenced
by dinner that evening and the messes in the public restrooms. The ship rocked and rolled into the night and we slept so very good! The next
morning wasn't quite so rough - most passengers were out and about - probably had found the Dramamine stash - and when we entered Yacatat
Bay about noon, we found calm waters again! We had a few rough hours again Tuesday evening when we headed out of Yacatat Bay and around
into the passage headed to Skagway. We shared stories on the way home with a couple who were on the Holland American's Stattendam that they
were in the aforementioned storm with 40 foot waves, 60-70 mile winds .... and each time the ship rolled dinnerware crashed to the floor in the
dining room! This couple said they were even offered straps to keep themselves in their bunks! THE FOOD: Second seating, Deck 5, table #35 and
we had absolutely the BEST Waiter (Gurzo' GABOR - Hungary) and Assistant Waiter (Sarah Demit - Philippines)! There could have been no more
perfect service than given by this team! Our Head Waiter was Victor and was OK, didn't see him much. The food was absolutely fantastic ... five star
rating from us, even enough veggies for my husband! Gabor and Sarah made every meal such a pleasant experience. We took all but two meals in
the dining room as it was just more pleasant and less crowded than in the Windjammer (which was rather smelly and quite dirty around the window
tables!) OUR CABIN: #3028 larger outside cabin with window, quite adequate, very satisfied. First glance thought it small, as week ended, great.
That shower is absolutely amazing!! I'd take one about half again as large in my own home! In fact, wish home builders would get so smart about
how to put so much storage/versatility into such a small space. Our Cabin Stewardess was Beata Kot from Poland, very sweet and personable and
such a hard worker. She, too, gave perfect service! The cabin stewards are on duty 8am-12noon, and 4pm to 8pm, or until their work is done.
Keeping 14 cabins clean and ready at all times is a big job, so we tried to be considerate in our comings and goings to make our "stewardess'" job
easier. SHORE EXCURSIONS: Did the White Pass RR trip in Skagway on Wednesday (rainy) - awesome scenery! Took the Mt Roberts tram in Juneau
on Thursday (rainy), not much to do at the top unless you eat lunch or shop. Friday in Ketchikan, beautiful day, we just walked and enjoyed the
town and the exercise. Check out the salmon fishermen on the bridge! Someone told me to hold the shopping until Ketchikan and they were very
right! This is the place to make your purchases, prices much cheaper. The Russian dolls that were $30-$100 in Skagway and Juneau were $8 to
$50 in Ketchikan. I found it a shame that these places have become so commercialized. I guess I rather thought they would all be like the town in
Northern Exposure - Not at all! OVERALL we rated this cruise a 99 - maybe because we enjoyed it so much, maybe because we needed the time
away and it totally met our needs .... whatever the reason we intend to cruise RCI again (the Panama Canal is the next one). The Legend is a
beautiful ship, albeit getting a bit ragged and worn (broken hardware in public restrooms, areas in the Windjammer that obviously haven't been
swept in weeks). By the way, the only places to get iced tea are the dining room and the Windjammer, and when these are closed, it's Room
Service! The bars and lounges serve it in cans only which you pay for. As we are tea and water drinkers, this was a real bummer for us!! NOTE:
This is the Legend's last season in Alaska. It is going to the Baltic after the pass through the canal this fall, or so we were told.

Name: Noel Orraca
Email: orraca@compuserve.com
Age: 35
Occupation: CPA
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Legend
SailingDate: November 21, 1998
Itinerary: Panama Canal
FoodDiningRoom: 82
CruiseDirector: 94
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 84
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 82
DiningRoomService: 96
CabinQuietness: 92
FoodMidnightBuffets: 88
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 84
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 86
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 92
TenderService: 94
GoodForSeniors: 96
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 91
EntertShowLounge: 88
OverallPortsofCall: 89
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 92
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 92
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 89
EmbarkDisembark: 88
DiscoNightclubs: 88
DeckSpace: 96
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Dec 1998
Time: 12:52:32
Remote Name: 159.37.7.11
Remote User:

Comments

This is a review of our 14-day cruise aboard the Legend of the Seas from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale (thru the Panama Canal).

Background My wife (34) and I (35) were on cabin 8078 (cat C.). This was our third cruise, all on RCI. Our first cruise was on the
Monarch (7-day Caribbean), and the second was on the Splendour (11-day Caribbean). As in our Splendour review, our
comments are based in comparison to earlier cruises.

Overall Impression This was an excellent cruise, better than our Splendour experience, but slightly weaker than the Monarch. We
were pleasantly surprise to see that we had a younger passenger group than the Splendour with the average been around
mid-fifties. As a result, the ship was more alive than the Splendour. Still, we found things were RCL could improve upon, these
we be listed throughout the review. My wife and I did feel that 14 days is probably our limit in terms of length of cruise (too much
of a good thing is not necessarily better).

The Ship The ship was identical to the Splendour, except the decorations. All our cruises have been on category C suites. Our
balcony was a major plus, especially with 7 days at sea, and the canal crossing. We can not see ourselves traveling in anything
other than a balcony cabin in the future. NOTE TO RCL : for the money that we paid for a suite, we should have been allowed
priority desembarkation. We did prefer our cabin facing the back of the ship on the Splendour.

The Food This was the most disappointing part of the cruise. This was by far the worst food we have had in any of our cruises
(not to say that it was terrible, but not to RCL standard). The menu has been changed beginning with our cruise. There are no
longer theme nights. I know that food is a very personal issue, however the complaining about the lack of quality or originality in
the food became a major subject of conversation among ALL passengers throughout the cruise. RCL NEEDS ADDRESS THIS
INMEDIATELY. Service in the dining room remains excellent.

Entertainment The entertainment was good, with a decent variety. However, I did not feel that we had a headline entertainer
during the cruise. The music reviews were the same as other cruises. The lounge and centrum singers were the best we have
ever had.

The Trip

Day 1: Even though we had the air/sea package from RCI, we did not like the flight they put us in from San Francisco to San
Diego and booked our own. We arrive in San Diego about 9am, and located an RCI rep soon afterward. We were among a handful
of cruisers that had arrive early and avoided the crowds. The ride to the pier was about 5 minutes. I must say that the facilities in
San Diego were excellent, and the fact that we were the only ship in town made the whole embarkation experience that much
better than in prior cruises. We were on board by 12 noon. Since this was our 3rd cruise, we have our routine set when we board.
First, we go to the cabin to drop off the carry-on luggage and pick up the excursion form. Then, we headed to the Windjammer
café for lunch, where we pick our excusions. Afterwards, we went to the Spa to book our treatments. The rest of the day was
spent exploring the ship, which was outstanding. We went to dinner, where we met our tablemates, which turn out to be the best
ones yet. Our waiters were very good, but not up to par with the ones we have had in our prior cruises. The same can be said for
our cabin stewart, who did his job throughtout the cruise but never went the extra mile.

Day2: We spent the day at sea. My wife had a massage at the Spa, where we ended up spending a lot of time and money during
the cruise. This was the nicest and most professional spa personnel we ever had on a cruise. Special mention to Debbie to the
England and Emma from Ireland who provide my wife and I with excellent service throughout the cuise.

Day 3: Cabo San Lucas. We booked the boat trip to Los Arcos and Senic Drive. You get a nice view of Los Arcos from the ship
when it anchors on the bay, so I did not feel this excursion was worth the money. Some of our tablemates went to the land only
excursion, and had a better time. However, Cabo can be easily explored on foot.

Day 4: At Sea. More spa time and spent most of the time reading in the solarium.

Day 5: Acapulco. My wife is Mexican and her family came over to meet us from Mexico City. I can not say anything about the
excursions, but the City is not what it once was. It is crowded with poor people, and if you walk outside the pier vendors will
hound you. The traffic is terrible, with many streets still not repaired since the hurricane that hit the City earlier in the year. Most
passengers we talked to did not enjoy this port.

Day 6-7 At sea. More relaxing time at sea, with some strong gale winds on day 6 which made sitting by the pool almost
impossible. More time in the Spa for the wife and me. Had dinner in our balcony one night (room service) which was great. NOTE
TO RCI: The tables inside the cabin and the balcony are inadequate for having lunch or dinner. A table that hidden on the wall (at
least on suites) would be a nice addition.

Day 8: PuntaArenas, Costa Rica: A new pier was built in Punta Arenas (10 miles from the old pier), and we were the first ship to
use it. The whole town turned out to see us when we got there and throughout the day (it was Saturday). Costa Rica is my
favorite country in Latin America, and it did not disappoint us this time either. Since we had been to San Jose, we opted for the
HorseBack Riding excursion, which was very nice (please note that excursion goes mostly through a mango farm and not
through the rain forest as it seems in the brochure). There is a flea market at the pier where you can get most of the stuff you can
get at Sarchi. From what I heard most people had fun in the excursions, except for the Poas Volcano one because it was cloudy
at the top and people could not see the Crater. This happens frequently from what I gathered.

Day 9: At sea. Another sunny day spent near the pool. On our way to the Canal, the Ship entered a bay in Panama full of islands
and lush tropical jungles. It was an amazing sight.

Day 10: Crossing the Panama Canal. A once in a lifetime experience. Our balcony paid for itself here as the entire ship seemed
to be on deck everytime we went thru a lock. NOTE TO RCI: During the cruise it was constanly advertise that Panama Canal
merchandise would be sold only from 7am to 12noon on the day of the crossing on the Pool Deck. For the life of me I can not
fanthom why they do this. It was a zoo to buy anything. First, cashiers were charging the cards by hand, which made the paying
line almost as long as the canal. If the ship can not move registers to this area, then have the sale in the Centrum. Also, the
souvenirs were set up near the entrance to the Windjammer café, which made moving around difficult for both shoppers and
Windjammer passengers alike. This should be moved to both sides of the pool where dual shopping lines can be created.

Day 11: Cartagena, Colombia. The ship only docks here for 5 hours, so the only practical way to see the city is by excursion.
This city is similar to Acapulco, in that you will be hounded the vendors constanly and the traffic is terrible. NOTE TO RCI:
Consider eliminating this port. Everyone that took tours had negative experiences, including us. A good substitute would be the
San Blas Islands. If RCI keeps going to this port, then the excursions need to be address. For all excursions, passengers were
hoarded from one sight to another with very little time spent on each one. All excursions stops were terminally crowded with
tourists and vendors. RCI should reduce the number of stops, with the extra time devoted to the remaning stops and shopping.
Shopping at Cartagena we found to be very good, however, all tours leave you with very little time to shop. If your time is limited
in Cartagena, consider skipping the tours and head straight for the shopping areas (or take a shopping excursion, if the ship has
one). IMPORTANT: Of the 3 excursions offered by RCI only the DELUXE excursion (the one we took) had air-conditioned buses.
This turned out to be a wise choice because it was hot, and because it shielded us from the vendors. Some of our tablemates
took one of the other 2 excursions, and had vendors coming thru the open windows as they drove around.

Day 12: Aruba. We had been here a year ago on the Splendour. So we decided to rent a jeep a head out to Baby Beach on the
eastern tip of the island. We had a nice time there, and drove around the island on our way back to the ship.

Day 13-14: At sea. More Spa treatments and time in the Solarium.

Day 15: Arrived in Ft. Lauderdale. Had a friend pick us up and take us to Miami International where we boarded our non-stop
flight to San Francisco.

Summary My wife and I had a great time on the Legend notwithstanding the problems or weaknesses noted above. For anyone
with questions or comments about the ship, itinerary or excursions, please send me an e-mail to orraca@compuserve.com.

Name: Chris Spence
Email: chris_spence@prodigy.net
Age: 42
Occupation: Real Estate
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Legend
SailingDate: August 9, 1998
Itinerary: Alaska Inside Passage
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 88
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 92
FoodMidnightBuffets: 88
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 91
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 82
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 92
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 88
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 92
DiscoNightclubs: 92
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 92
SpaceRatio: 92
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Dec 1998
Time: 13:13:16
Remote Name: 166.72.246.38
Remote User:

Comments

A beauitiful ship on a wonderful cruise through some of the most fantastic scenery there is. The Legend of the Seas is a new
ship with a top notch crew. Service is one level up from other RCCL ships I cruised. The Legend claims to have more glass than
any other ship afloat, and it shows. The public areas have wonderful views with plenty of seating areas. The dinning room view,
with it's two story floor to ceiling windows, was breathtaking. But the best place to watch the mountains glide by was the 13th
floor Royal Viking Lounge. During the day it is a quiet and warm place to enjoy the views while sipping hot chocolate in the those
big leather seats.

The children program was very good with 100+ in attendance. Their play space was somewhat limited due to the colder climate
which kept them indoors. The indoor pool and solarium was a nice treat, however many of the older passengers used this as an
indoor nap area, which curtailed the children's normal noisy use. The entertainment was excellent, as usaul on RCCL ships, but
the acts were geared for the 50+ age group.

Over all, this was an excellent cruise with an upscale staff.

Name: Rob Conway
Email: robin_conway@hotmail.com
Age: 39
Occupation: Exec
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Legend
SailingDate: October 31, 1998
Itinerary: Mexican Riviera
FoodDiningRoom: 65
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 65
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 50
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 60
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Dec 1998
Time: 16:37:02
Remote Name: 12.13.226.13
Remote User:

Comments

After a number of trips to the Caribbean we decided it was time to try a new itinerary. We chose the Mexican Riviera because we
had wanted to explore some of the ports-of-call and because of the attractiveness of having a relatively short west coast hop to
San Diego rather than a 3 time zone and 6 hour flight jump to Florida. We arranged for our own air transportation and arrived in
San Diego around 12:15. We had not purchased transfers to the ship. When we departed our flight I spotted a RC escort and
asked her whether it was better to buy the transfers or just catch a cab. She told me to go get a cab, as it was one-third the cost
and about an hour faster! We hopped a cab and were at the ship in less than 5 minutes, well, at least we were at the dock. This
was, by far, the worst embarcation we have ever experienced. The line literally wound round and round the small terminal. It
seems that many people from the Southern California area had taken last minute deals to fill the ship and all of them arrived
around 1:00. We waited in line for 2 hours before getting to the check-in counter. After that though things were speedy and we
were able to get on board, up the elevators and to our cabin in a flash. The ship is beautiful. Nice open spaces, a spectacular
open atrium, good deck layout, and lovely indoor and outdoor pools. Our cabin, a superior inside, was a bit small but quite
workable. The cabin proved to be so sound and light proof that sleep was no problem - or at least sleeping wasn't a problem - we
managed to not awaken until after 10:00 am on several days even though we had hit the sack before 11:00 pm.

The food on this cruise was the worst I've experienced on any cruise ship. I actually sent meals back, and I'm not a particularly
picky guy. Many menu items were repeated again and again. The fish dishes in particular were VERY bad. Deserts seemed to
be stuck in a cream/citrus mode. The same over-cooked pod peas appeared meal after meal. Salads were ho-hum. Asking for a
plain salad resulted in the delivery of a wedge of iceburg lettuce being brought to your table for the waiter to cut up. On a scale of
Jack-in-the-Box to Tavern-on-the-Green this was Denny's.

The only thing worse than the food was the show-room entertainment. The comedians in particularly were horrible. The routines
included racist, homophobic, and disability jokes/routines. We actually complained to the cruise director who indicated that the
Miami offices chose the entertainers, but that she does provide them feedback. I hope, for RC's sake, these people never return.

Shore excursions were average. There was a very bad tender problem in Puerto Vallarta that resulted in a 2 hour line of people
waiting to get back on to the ship, standing in line in 95 degree heat with no shade. Very unpleasant.

This ship attracts a VERY VERY VERY elderly crowd. I would have to put the average age of passengers at over 75. Many
wheelchairs and passengers with mobility problems. There also seemed to be a great number of cranky old people as it was
unusual to not be hearing a fight in some public area about seating, or slow movement or something else - bizarre.

Would I do this itenerary again? No. Puerto Vallarta and Ixtapa were the only ports I would ever visit again. Would I use RC again
or sail on the Legend? Sure, if the deal was right and I had some indication the food was going to improve.

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