mere08

This was a great review with just the right number of photos and good details. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the review! We are taking this cruise next year and this is really helpful.

We cruise on the Legend in 4 days and am loving your review. Can't wait to read more!!!

Great review! Can't wait to read more!!

This is a great review. I love all your discussion about Port Canaveral. It really paints a good picture about the port and the facilities. Looking forward to the rest of the review!

This is great! We pick our room location based on where the Camp is located - that's how important it is to our family cruise! I think the freshening of the brand - this should really keep our daughter engaged and happy at camp!

We are sailing on the Legend in 16 days. Can't wait to read more of your review!!!

Why are they able to go to Port Canaveral and Nassau but have to skip Freeport? Is it harder to navigate in that port vs. the other two?

Of the 3 ports, if I had to skip one, Freeport would be it. But that means a 7 day cruise with only 2 ports.

This is a fantastic review - thanks so much! We are traveling the same itinerary on the Legend in May with my parents and child who are similar ages to yours. My DH and I are divers so I am taking notes regarding your shore excursions. This is so helpful!

One or 2 days added on doesn't create much of an impact, but 4 days makes a significant impact. If my husband, daughter, and I had been on this trip, the extra days at sea would have additional costs (1) time away from work for 2 people - we would burn vacation time thus preventing a future trip ($2500), (2) the cost of kenneling our dogs ($200), (3) paying the housesitter ($100), (4) paying for child care (we pay for scheduled time even if we don't use it) ($100), and (5) extra parking fees at my home airport ($40). These extra costs total $2,940 so the $1,500 paid to the three of us would not come close to covering these expenses. The extra cruise is nice but having lost 4 vacation days to an extended trip would make vacation planning over the next year difficult. $5,000/month for life is ridiculous, but I do think a one time payment of $5,000 would be reasonable.

Your professional pictures are stunning! You and your family are beautiful! Thanks so much for your review. Can't wait to read the rest!

Excellent review. We, too, choose the cruise based on ports first, ship second. We make the most of our port days and rarely stay up late. Of course, traveling with a 4- 5 year old helps with that. I can't wait to read the rest!

I'd rather have bare table than paper placemats. If I want to be that casual, I'll eat in the buffet. Cloth placemats would be nice, but would probably defeat the reason they took away the cloth tablecloths.

Just booked a cruise on the Dream and it's all I can think about! I thought it would be fun to ask/answer some carnival cruising questions:D

 

1. Favorite departure port and why

 

2. Favorite carnival ship and why

 

3. Favorite port of call and why

 

4. Best excursion you've ever taken and why

 

5. Favorite sea day activity..why

 

6. Favorite meal in the mdr

 

7. Favorite drink!

 

8. Favorite cabin type/deck...why

1. Norfolk - I parked across the street and it was very easy on and off. I was home less than hour after debarkation. I hated the ports visited on that cruise, though.

2. Legend - not too big, not too small. Excellent layout.

3 . Roatan - I love that island.

4 - Victor Bodden private tour of Roatan. And scuba diving in Belize.

5 - Trivia. Also, wine tastings.

6 - Appetizer - spring rolls. Dinner - lobster. Dessert - warm melting chocolate cake

7 - 40 is the new 20 at the Alchemy Bar.

8 - Balcony room near Camp Carnival.

I hate doing laundry at home so there's no way I'm doing it on vacation. If I were gone longer than 8 nights, necessity might force the issue but otherwise, no. I did do one load on our 2012 cruise but only because my daughter got sick and I didn't want the stinky clothes in our room and suitcase.

Now, if there were a bar in the laundry are as other have suggested, I'd consider it :)

I have to say I really enjoy the pictures. We try to be sure to get lots taken so we can take a few home. Hunting down our photos is our usual before dinner activity. I spend between $50 and $150 each cruise, depending on how many look good. If they cut down on the photo opportunities, I would likely buy less because I'd have less to choose from We typically don't buy the formal night posed pictures because I don't like the poses. I like the candid shot much better - they are cheaper and it's easier to throw a 4x6 or 5x7 in a frame than it is for an 8x10.

I've never been on RCCL so I don't have a basis of comparison, but this review seems really fair and objective. Thanks so much! We'll have to keep RCCL in our horizon for our next cruise.

I'd love to see them, too.

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I'm a big wine drinker but am capable of picking my own wine and having it served as I wished. However, does this mean no more wine tastings or food and wine pairings? I've really enjoyed those events on past cruises.

That is FANTASTIC NEWS! I HATE that thing!!!

Amen!! So thankful!!

This is a fabulous review because it give a good description of the "suite". I was already to book our vacation on the Fascination in an oceanview room. A balcony wasn't important to me but I underestimated the importance to my husband. He wanted to upgrade to a Jr Suite on the Veranda deck for $$$ more. After reading reviews such as this and really looking at the layout and square footage, we realized it wasn't worth the extra money. For the extra $$$, we ended up booking an extended balcony on the Legend, which is a bigger room, bigger balcony, on a better ship (in our opinion), with a better itinerary. Trade-off is the higher airfare to Tampa. Anyway, OP, thanks for your review. This is why I read Cruise Critic.

It looks like the current Chefs Table menu has been in place for a while. We did the CT on the Legend in early 2012 and LOVED it but skipped it on the Glory last year because the menu didn't appeal to us. We would love to do it again on the Legend in May but are hoping that the menu will change. Does anyone know when the menu is going to change again? TIA!!!

Thanks so much for your review! We really wanted to do a Disney cruise this spring but waited too long to book and the cost skyrocketed hence the Carnival cruise booked for May. Disney cruises get stellar reviews and I can't wait to take one.

We like mid-ship balcony rooms somewhat near Camp Carnival. I prefer guest rooms above and below me so minimize noise. For our next cruise we are deck 7, mid-ship but very forward to be fairly close to Camp Carnival, which is forward on deck 5.

Did the Legend get the Alchemy Bar during dry dock?