Abr155

Thank you for the detailed review! Sailing in April with our almost 3 year old daughter. I'm trying to keep my expectations reasonable while also recognizing the high price we paid for such a short cruise!

Hmmm, looking at our Sign and Sail, looks like just $10/$8

Ooo! Forgot we snagged the menu! Here you go😊

Other kiddos, especially older ones, LOVED it! Per their parents, their only complaint was leaving haha

That’s what they called it (with a Seuss spin), but having never done the sea day brunch until this trip, I can’t say for sure!

She LOVES going to daycare at home and ran into Camp Ocean the first day. The second night she was a little hesitant but went though we eventually got a call that she was screaming which is extremely rare for her, and the 3rd time she refused to go (I get that I could’ve left her there anyway, but this child rarely cries or throws fits, so it wouldn’t have sat right with me to leave her like that). It was such odd behavior for her that I didn’t try to send her back! I don’t think anything happened, but she def wasn’t feeling it and/or had FOMO. The hours were mostly: 10 am to 5 pm and then 7 pm to 10 pm. After 10 pm, you could pay for late night owls. We did trick or treat through the ship which started at Camp Ocean! The ship didn’t have a build a bear store, but it did a workshop on the theater! I’ll post a pic 🙂

Just off the Legend, and it was amazing! As was all the Seuss stuff. First they had parade where adults and kids were handed banners and bells, and we marched through the ship with the characters to the theater. Once in the theater they did story time which was more like a mini play! Cruise director read Horton and they acted it out and got audience involved - super fun! Breakfast was the last sea day. They had a sign up table at embarkation, but we missed it so we just signed up at Guest Services ($10 for adults and $8 for kids). Our ship had hardly any kids, so it wasn’t packed and the characters gave the tables a lot of attention. Food was fun and yummy! Here are some (edited for privacy) pics! Let me know if anyone has any other kiddo questions. Sailed with our 2 year old!

We booked the Legend for its embarkation port (Baltimore is 1.5 hours from us), itinerary (just Bermuda - a place we've been before and LOVED), and size of ship as it was our 2-year-old's first cruise (and our first cruise as parents). I read a ton of reviews, looked at a ton of pictures, and watched a million videos - so I knew exactly what to expect from the ship. Embarkation was a breeze. We had a 12:30-1 arrival time. Pulled in to park around 12:15, and were on the ship less than an hour later. The ship is outdated compared to the new, modern ships BUT, we all agreed that we enjoyed the classic, traditional feel. We did not find the ship dirty, broken, or in need of repair. Our statement (extended balcony), was clean and a good size for our family. My mother-in-law had the stateroom next door, so we went down to guest services and had them open the balcony partition creating a mega-balcony. Food: The MDR food has definitely gone downhill since our last Carnival cruise many moons go, BUT it was still tasty and the staff worked tirelessly to try and appease you. We had Your Time dining and never waited longer than 10 minutes for our table (always around 7/7:30 pm) for a table of 5 adults and toddler. Bonus: despite Your Time dining, we were always sat at the same table with the same waitstaff which was great! There was never a dish I did not like, but no wow factor. The food always came out room temperature which was actually perfect for our toddler haha, but maybe not so much for others. The lava cake was of course delicious. We also ate Guy's Burgers multiple times (YUM), Pizza Pirate (amazing), sushi (best dinner we had), and steakhouse (while the food was great the service was HORRIBLE). Our steakhouse reservation was at 7:30. Despite only a few tables, we did not have water or drinks until 8:15 and that was after flagging someone down. Sadly, service took so long that the daycare called bc our kiddo was tired resulting in them keeping my steak "warm" for me as the food was just coming out - at 10 pm - by the time I could back with my kiddo snoozing in her stroller, it was cooked way over done. They did give us a bottle of wine to make up for it. The bad service also caused the rest of our party to miss the show that night which was a bummer. Sea day brunch was good - and we found the service fast. Buffet was comparable to other ships I've been on - as expected. Dr. Seuss breakfast was AMAZING. I cannot speak to any of the shows - didn't make a single one. Bar service on the pool deck wasn't the best - slower and weak drinks. Bar service at Alchemy, casino bar, Serenity, MDR were impeccable with great drinks! The ship was decked out with Halloween decor and activities which was a nice touch. They offered a TON of kid friendly activities: Dr. Seuss trivia, parade, story time (which was like a mini-play production in the theater), and breakfast. They also offered trick or treat throughout the ship which was so fun! And a build a bear workshop. Pools always seemed busy, but we never get in cruise pools anyway. The kids' splash pad area was empty - literally had it to ourselves, as were the water slides (very few kids on this cruise). I believe the ship was close to capacity if not at capacity and it never felt crowded. Very rarely did we wait in lines for food, drink, or elevators. Bermuda was awesome (we spent a week there a few years ago, so were very comfortable with the island). We were also blessed with beautiful weather both in Bermuda and the entire trip. For our full day in Bermuda, we got a day pass to Cocoreef Resort (booked directly with resort). Took a cab from dockyard to the resort (about $60 each way). Had full access to their beach with umbrellas/chairs, pool, and included 3 course lunch. Highly recommend. For the half day we just walked around the dockyard shops and ate at Frog and Onion. This felt like a wasted day and in hindsight, I wish we had booked a Carnival excursion for this half day. The live music was great. Serenity was busy, but we always found a lounger - same with the clam shells. We paid $5 for the chat feature in the Hub which was worthless. Had premium internet which was great for a few days, but useless on some. Hit some rough water coming back, and WHEW does this ship rock. I am still wobbling and rocking 3 days off. Debarkation was also easy. We had WAY too much stuff to carry off, and we picked the latest time (11:15 am) since we didn't have flights to catch etc. We were booted out of our rooms at 9 am, and went to buffet for breakfast. Oddly, this was the best breakfast we had. TONs of bacon and delicious choices (maybe trying to use it all up?). Hung out on Lido deck for a few hours and walked right off at 11:15, no lines, no fuss, and luggage happily waiting for us. It was a great ship for our toddler's first cruise - small, easy to navigate, etc. Not sure if we'll be back - mainly because as she grows, we'll likely get more adventurous with the ship and ports and choose. They did tell us at the start of bingo that she is undergoing a full refurb in 2024, so we'll see how she is after that!

Thank you for your review! Sail this Sunday on the Legend with my husband, our 2-year-old daughter, and my mother-in-law. My MIL is very worried about getting sick on board, so happy to hear you came home healthy!!

I've had so much fun following along! We sail out on the 9th for the same 6 day to Bermuda (our weather also not looking great)! Thank you so much!

Looks like you're in luck, and Canada lifted their requirements! BUT, we are scheduled for OnPoint for our Oct. 9 Bermuda cruise. Paid online, then brought me to scheduling page, selected date and time, and received email with Zoom link. Can do by phone so long as video capabilities.

Following up on this! It let me schedule all 3 of us for one appointment, but I only paid for one test?! Did they confirm you paid for all of you?? If I pay separate, it won't let me schedule the same appointment!

Sail with our 2-year-old October 9th and would LOVEEEEEE if it was back!

We're sailing in October as well - so pumped! https://www.carnival.com/awaywego/cruising-fun/what-to-expect/what-to-expect-during-a-halloween-cruise-with-carnival

Omg! Love wine and did not know they had a package. I for sure thought Disney didn’t have any type of alcohol package. Love that we can both bring 2 bottles aboard!

Thank you every one for the thoughts! We plan to be extremely flexible whilst at Disney World to keep her naps and bedtime on track - she is an excellent sleeper, so definitely don't want to mess that up! Definitely food for thought!

We are taking our then almost 3 year old daughter to Disney World in April (she'll be 2 months shy of 3). We are going for 7 nights and budgeted out quite the budget to take this trip. THEN, friends reached out and offered that we tag along with them when they use their mom's DVC points (we'd just pay our share of her yearly fee), so we are staying a week at Wilderness Lodge for like $900. I was playing around with Disney cruises, and the Wish has a sailing out of Port Canaveral for the last Friday of our trip (we're going Saturday to Saturday). Is it crazy to add a 3-day Disney cruise onto an already 7 (well, 6 because we'd cut a night if going on cruise) night Disney vacation? Will we and daughter be too exhausted to enjoy the cruise? It goes to Nassau and Castaway. We'd stay on ship in Nassau to enjoy the ship more (been to Nassau twice). Thoughts? Also, for those who say BOOK BOOK BOOK, inside versus Verandah? We typically sail balcony (haven't sailed with her yet) - would be nice to be able to sit on balcony while she naps I suppose, but pretty significant price difference for just 3 nights! EDITED to add - the COVID testing procedures are also a concern - would obviously be risking exposure at Disney World and then would have to work out testing while in Orlando 😕

Disregard! Just saw someone asked same question above!!

Thank you! And last questions because I keep seeing Spirit class posts. How is the ship? I understand she’s older and likely in need of a facelift-but did you find her dirty or overly depreciated??

Thank you for sharing! We're on the Legend Oct. 9. We've sailed a handful of times across several cruise lines (including Carnival), but this will be our first time with a toddler in tow. Picked the Legend for her first cruise because wanted a smaller ship / less people, so VERY happy to hear about how it didn't feel crowded! We're headed to Bermuda, so different itinerary but includes 3 sea days. Did you do Sea Day Brunch? Was it every sea day? We did Your Time dining because - toddlers need flexibility. Hope we don't regret it! We're in an extended balcony...ALMOST switched to a premium balcony that opened up today, but it was $500 more 😞

https://help.carnival.com/app/utils/create_account/redirect/answers%2Fdetail%2Fa_id%2F1406 You can then link your booking using the booking number you should have received in the confirmation email!

... disregard

Piggy backing off of everyone. Several parents reported that the camp being closed to under 5 is no longer because of COVID but because of staffing (this is what they were told aboard several ships). Obviously that is not an official statement. So, sadly, I'm not sure if the vaccination eligibility of under 5 matters - especially since they opened the camp up to 5+ regardless of vaccination status. Rumor is things may go back to normal in the fall after some sort of hiring period goes through. Again, not an official statement. Also remember, your little must be potty trained, no swim diapers allowed, to use the pools and splash areas. I say this as a mama bringing her 2 year old on the Legend in October! I've done a ton of research of what we may or may not be able to do. As someone else mentioned, Dr. Seuss isn't back yet on all ships. I want to say the parade was back on Mardi Gras, but not the breakfast 😞

So well said. I like to stay apprised of the things going awry, so we will be prepared if it happens to us BUT, we booked this cruise at an incredibly good rate knowing that things aren't 100% back to normal.

Wish they'd send it to me. I love specialty dining and have no problem paying extra for a more intimate setting and usually higher quality service and food (especially if they would start doing specialty dining plans like Royal and NCL)!