REVIEW - Carnival Legend 5/8 - 5/15

[Mike981]

Great stuff, thank you.

[SunshineOnTheBrain]

[quote name='mprince4']I think it would probably be worth it. Since it'll be the same time zone 2 weeks from now (at least I assume it will be...), you'll dock at noon Coz time - if you got off the ship right away and grabbed a taxi, you'd still have a good solid 4 or 4.5 hours there before it closes at 5 - and then you have from 6-9ish (ship time) to shop and do whatever else at the pier if you want. I think we ended up being there from about 11-4 (ship's time) and I feel like it was totally worth the money. I probably could have stayed there forever, but if you've never been to Nachi and that's what you think you want to do in Cozumel, I say go for it - if you don't feel like you get enough time there this time, you can just plan to go back soon :D

I'm about to post some pics of Nachi that might help make up your mind :)[/QUOTE]

Thank you so much for replying. I think you swayed me!

[MagSeven1413]

[quote name='mprince4']I have more pics of Nachi if anyone wants to see them - they are basically more of the same but I have some other shots of the beach and the covered lunch area and one of the pool. If you want me to post them, just ask. I didn't want to upload a ton of pictures of the same thing so I thought I'd just give you an idea first :)[/quote]
We're booked with them on our October cruise so if you can post a few more I'd greatly appreciate it. My DW loves seeing the photos of places we're going to visit. Joe

[mprince4]

[quote name='fwbgirlie']We will be on the Legend this Sunday! YAY!! I just booked Nachi yesterday for 4 of us. I haven't gotten an email back from them yet though (I did get the confirmation # when their website took my deposit). Did you hear much from them after you booked your reservation? I am sooooo looking forward to our day their, especially after reading your review. Thanks![/quote]

I was worried about this too, because I didn't get a confirmation e-mail - and when I looked at some threads in the Cozumel board, some other people said they hadn't gotten confirmations and had to e-mail Nachi before it was sent. So I sent an e-mail saying that I hadn't gotten a confirmation and it was e-mailed to me later that day. So I would just shoot them an e-mail if you haven't gotten a confirmation yet.

[mprince4]

[quote name='MagSeven1413']We're booked with them on our October cruise so if you can post a few more I'd greatly appreciate it. My DW loves seeing the photos of places we're going to visit. Joe[/quote]

I'll put a few more up later today or tomorrow when I have the chance to get up the Belize pics :)

[serene56]

[quote name='mprince4']I was worried about this too, because I didn't get a confirmation e-mail - and when I looked at some threads in the Cozumel board, some other people said they hadn't gotten confirmations and had to e-mail Nachi before it was sent. So I sent an e-mail saying that I hadn't gotten a confirmation and it was e-mailed to me later that day. So I would just shoot them an e-mail if you haven't gotten a confirmation yet.[/quote]


a few people over on the cozumel board stated the taxi would not get you there without a confirmation-- make sure you get the confirmation

[mprince4]

[quote name='serene56']a few people over on the cozumel board stated the taxi would not get you there without a confirmation-- make sure you get the confirmation[/quote]

I read that too, and our taxi driver didn't ask for a confirmation - but I think it was because it was such a slow day for cruise ships and Nachi wasn't full. I would want to have the confirmation just in case.

[jules1121]

[quote name='fwbgirlie']We will be on the Legend this Sunday! YAY!! I just booked Nachi yesterday for 4 of us. I haven't gotten an email back from them yet though (I did get the confirmation # when their website took my deposit). Did you hear much from them after you booked your reservation? I am sooooo looking forward to our day their, especially after reading your review. Thanks![/quote]

This is a common problem but the web page the confirmation # was on should count the same as the email (this is per the Nachi people when DH emailed them about not getting an email confirmation)


OP, you mentioned a long wait for dinner the first night. Was the wait better the other nights or did it continue to be a long wait each night?

Thanks!

[mprince4]

[quote name='jules1121']This is a common problem but the web page the confirmation # was on should count the same as the email (this is per the Nachi people when DH emailed them about not getting an email confirmation)


OP, you mentioned a long wait for dinner the first night. Was the wait better the other nights or did it continue to be a long wait each night?

Thanks![/quote]

It wasn't a problem other nights - besides formal night when there was a huge bottleneck of people taking pictures making it impossible to walk through deck 2 (around the atrium) to the dining room - at first we thought it was a line for the dining room but I don't think it was. So on the first formal night you may want to go up to deck 3 and then back down to avoid it - unless you want some pictures :)

[jules1121]

Cool! Thanks for the heads up and the tip. :)

[mprince4]

Day 4 - Belize!

We had to wake up early today because I booked us on the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins tour. I booked this through Carnival due to the length of the tour and boy, was I glad I did. I was SO EXCITED for this tour because I really wanted to see some ruins - in fact, I really wanted to go to Lamanai, but since it’s also extremely long and Carnival does not offer it as an excursion, I opted for Xunantunich.

I think we woke up at about 6:45, got dressed, and went upstairs to the buffet for breakfast. I filled up my water bottle at the buffet and we stopped by the room to drop something off before heading to the Follies Lounge, where we were supposed to meet up. We got there a little before 8 and waited in a short line outside the lounge. There was a table with several Carnival employees checking tickets and issuing stickers. When we got to the table, we showed our tickets to a woman who gave us blue stickers marked “37" and told us to sit upstairs.

We waited in the lounge for probably about 15-20 minutes total. There was another employee on the stage giving announcements (like about how the officials had to tender and come on the ship before they could start tendering) and telling us we’d be released soon and she called out groups to make sure everyone was in the right place. There were probably about 10-12 groups in the lounge, including those who had booked independent tours. Blue 37 and Green 27 were upstairs, and our Blue 37 group got released first, with Green 27 (cave tubing) coming right behind. So at about 8:20 or so, our ruins group started trekking to the very first tender to leave the ship. I was feeling really crappy on the tender and I was hoping it would pass because I was about to be getting on a bus and this was not a good time to have a weird bout of motion sickness (which is very unusual for me) - and luckily it did - I think my breakfast just wasn’t quite settled.

We probably got to the Belize pier at about 8:45 and our tour guides immediately led us out to the buses. I think the ruins tour actually took two separate buses of people. J and I were some of the last people to get on our bus, which had 33 people total (the bus was not full). The bus was air-conditioned and very comfortable and had a bathroom. As we started driving out of the city, tour guide Carla started telling us some information about Belize. I found Belize to be totally fascinating - I really enjoyed the information she was sharing (especially about cashews - who knew?), and I was taking all kinds of pictures out the window of the bus because there was a lot of interesting stuff to see - like, for example, two brush fires, which is apparently a pretty typical thing. J, on the other hand, did not care much about hearing about a new place and mostly listened to his iPod.

It took a good 2 hours to get out to the ruins, but it went quickly for me. When you get off the bus, they give you a bottle of water, which you will totally need - even if you brought your own. There are a few stalls to shop in right outside, but our other tour guide Gus told us we would need to leave shopping for after the ruins. We hopped on the hand-cranked ferry over to the other side of the river, where there was only one minibus waiting for us. Gus said there were supposed to be two, but they handled it well - they piled a group in the first van, sent them up, and the van came back to pick up a second group (which we were on) and then came back to get the third group. It worked out fine because it only took a few minutes for the van to make the trip there and back and the groups were able to hit the restrooms at the ruins in staggered groups instead of everyone going all at once.

Once we were all at the area below the ruins, the other bus group started to arrive by minibus and our group started walking up the hill. The hill is pretty steep and it was HOT. We went into the small museum-like area where they have a model of the ruins, and Gus showed us what we were going to climb and where we would be. Then we walked out to the ruins, got some awesome pictures, and Gus started telling us all about the ruins.

I’m going to take a moment to make a side note here. When I read reviews of this excursion on CC, every review I read, the person recommended wearing long sleeve shirts and long pants because of the bugs. That seemed reasonable to me, so J and I specifically packed light long pants to wear along with long sleeved shirts. If, however, it is the dry season in Belize, DO NOT DO THIS!!!!!!!!! We were there during the dry season, there were hardly any bugs, and we just roasted in our long sleeves and pants. :( Almost every else on the tour was wearing shorts or capris and tanks or short-sleeved shirts, we hardly saw any bugs, no one seemed to be having any issues with bugs (and we had bug spray anyway), and I was really wishing I had not taken this advice. It was very hot and uncomfortable in all those clothes, and I would have been much happier in capris and a tank or short sleeve shirt. Now, if you’re there during the wet season, it probably makes complete sense to wear long sleeves and pants because the bugs would be much worse (and I would happily trade comfortableness to avoid 5390573296826 bug bites) – but check to see what season it’s in before you decide or you may suffer like we did. I kept getting glares from J all day because I took this advice (he also wore a dark shirt that did not help), and I was soooo regretting it.

Ok, back to the story. After we learned about the ruins, THEN it was time for THE CLIMB of El Castillo. The climb is pretty tough, even if you are in good shape, and it can be nerve-wracking in a few spots even if you don’t have a fear of heights, but it is really worth it. There were a couple elderly people and people who did not look like they were in great shape, and we all made it up there ok (although one elderly gentleman did set down to rest for a few minutes at one point). The climb moves somewhat slowly because you stop at a couple different points so Gus can tell you more about the ruins.

The view from the top is amazing! We spent a few minutes at the top taking pictures and just marveling at everything and then you go down a different way. Going down is actually more difficult than getting up there because of the uneven and rocky steps, but we all made it down fine and there are cool picture opportunities on the way down too. If you go on the excursion, I recommend taking pictures of yourselves with the winding rock staircase in the background - it’s the staircase you take at the very last part of climbing down, and it makes for a cool picture. I’ll post one of them later.

Once we made it down from the top, we were by the ball courts, and Gus told us some information about the game the Mayans played. Then we walked past a school group (what an awesome field trip!) back through the open area and back down the hill. Before we left, we smelled leaves from an allspice tree, which is apparently a really good remedy for aches and pains.

Back down at the entrance to the ruins, along with the bathrooms, there were a few shop stalls that were now open. Gus gave us a few minutes to hit the bathroom and the shops before we took the minibuses back to the ferry. I bought a shot glass (I buy shot glasses everywhere I go) and we hopped back on one of the minibuses to go back to the ferry. Once everyone was bussed to the ferry, we got on that, rode it across the river, and Gus gave us a few more minutes (like 5-7) to shop in the stalls by the river. I bought some wooden salad utensils in one of these stalls, which is something I really needed at my house.

We got back on the bus and it was time to get lunch! We stopped at a restaurant close to the ruins - I want to say it was only like a 15-20 minute drive from the ruins. At the restaurant there are tables outside with people selling stuff - so if you are worried about not having the opportunity to shop on such a long trip (and missing out on your chance to shop in Belize), do not fear! You have three opportunities!

Gus told us we had 33 minutes to eat lunch (I think we were running a bit late due to the late tendering and minibus issue), and while this might sound like not enough time, it was totally fine. We sat down at a bunch of big tables and the food was served right away. We got bottled soda or water and then stewed chicken, rice and beans, a fried plantain and some coleslaw. I thought it was all delicious (and I am seriously picky about chicken), and I had time to go up to the counter to buy a Belikin (I want to say it was only $1) because I was determined to try the local beer. It was good too :) The bathrooms at the restaurant were nice and clean. I think they had wine for sale too, and I think I read another review of this excursion that said they got to taste some wines, but we didn’t really have time for it. After we chowed down, a lot of people headed outside to the tables to do some more shopping and I bought a bracelet. Then we hopped back on the bus to head back to town. Gus talked a little bit more about the Mayans and their ball court game on the way back, and then passed around surveys for everyone to fill out. I thought it was a great, well-run excursion, and I thought Gus was awesome. Carla was good too, but she didn’t have the enthusiasm and humor that Gus maintained throughout the day. We tipped the guides $10.

When we got back to the pier, I want to say it was already 4:30 and the last tender was supposed to leave at 4:30, so we didn’t have any time to do anything around the pier. There were three (or maybe four) tenders at the pier filling up with people and all the boats made their way back to the ship. We were back on the ship around 4:45 and I immediately hopped in the shower because it was time to get ready for the past guest party!!! I wanted to see if J could come too, but he said he didn’t care about it and went off to do something else while I went to the Follies Lounge for the party. It started at 5:15 and lasted til 6. They took invitations at the door, so who knows if J would have been allowed in or not. I sat in the back and I managed to get 6 free drinks during the party :) I alternated between blue margaritas and white wine (I am a very fast drinker). The party itself would have been fun even without the drinks - they did some Carnival trivia stuff for prizes after they’d gotten some people to come up on stage to dance, and then played the video of all the ships to cheer for - I thought it was really fun.

After the party J and I met back up again and we decided to skip the MDR for dinner because we were pretty worn out from the ruins tour and a long day. We went up to the buffet to eat and we were happy to see a lot of the same things that were on the MDR menu - I had the Yukon Gold potato soup on the buffet and thought it was delicious. J got some fried mozzarella, the grilled chicken breast and some beef stroganoff, and I probably ate some other random stuff, fruit, and a huge salad (I LOVED the salad bar - more about that later). I guess I missed the bitter and blanc b/c I don’t think I even looked at the dessert choices on the buffet - but I’m not a huge bread pudding fan, so it might not have been my thing.

Anyway, we had a good dinner at the buffet, popped out to the Serenity deck for a few minutes, but J thought it was too windy, so we went to Enchanted Forest to play cards and I turned in early. It’s not in my notes, but I think J did play poker and I think he won that night - he won a little one night and won big one night, but I don’t remember which was which. I want to say this was the little win. :)

That's all for Belize day - next up Roatan! I will post pics of Belize day before I start in on Roatan, but I may not be able to do it tonight because I have to go to trivia - funnily enough, although I play trivia every week at home, I never played it on the ship!

[Froufie]

So I presume "Gus' is not a common name in Belize? Is this him?

[IMG]http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/44850/2816274240059010061S600x600Q85.jpg[/IMG]

We did the River Wallace/Altun Ha excursion thru Carnival and had Gus as our tour guide and he was amazing - very smart and funny - made the tour extra-great!

[mprince4]

[quote name='Froufie']So I presume "Gus' is not a common name in Belize? Is this him?

[IMG]http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/44850/2816274240059010061S600x600Q85.jpg[/IMG]

We did the River Wallace/Altun Ha excursion thru Carnival and had Gus as our tour guide and he was amazing - very smart and funny - made the tour extra-great![/quote]


That's him! :)

[Froufie]

[quote name='mprince4']That's him! :)[/QUOTE]

Guess he moves around from tour to tour!! Too funny! :D (you can see more pics and description of Gus the tour guide in my Valor review - see link near signature!)

[mprince4]

[quote name='Froufie']Guess he moves around from tour to tour!! Too funny! :D (you can see more pics and description of Gus the tour guide in my Valor review - see link near signature!)[/quote]

Hahaha I did - and he called our group the Happy Group too! :p

[Froufie]

[quote name='mprince4']Hahaha I did - and he called our group the Happy Group too! :p[/QUOTE]

We can consider ourselves 'honorary members' of Gus' Happy Group - no matter what tour we are on! :D:D

[Gecko7]

Still missing the pictures. :confused: I'm going to try another browser since your review is so good I feel I'm missing out. Can't wait to read about Roatan.

[mprince4]

[quote name='Gecko7']Still missing the pictures. :confused: I'm going to try another browser since your review is so good I feel I'm missing out. Can't wait to read about Roatan.[/quote]

Are you on Facebook? That's where I'm posting all the pics, so I could friend you so you could see them. If you're not on Facebook and the other browser doesn't work, I'd be happy to e-mail you the pics.

[mprince4]

Sorry guys, things got too busy for me to post pics last night, but I'm going to go home for lunch and try to put the Belize pics up so I can get to Roatan!

[Gecko7]

[quote name='mprince4']Are you on Facebook? That's where I'm posting all the pics, so I could friend you so you could see them. If you're not on Facebook and the other browser doesn't work, I'd be happy to e-mail you the pics.[/quote]

I'm on fb geoff womack

[mprince4]

Ok, I'm going to start on the Belize pics and come back to more Nachi pics...

I was AMAZED at the trash everywhere!

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/824/img0738vu.jpg/"][IMG]http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/2219/img0738vu.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


And the giant cemeteries!

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/830/img0740a.jpg/"][IMG]http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/4576/img0740a.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


There is a little kid on this tractor :D

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/684/img0748vx.jpg/"][IMG]http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/903/img0748vx.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[mprince4]

Hmm... fun diapers... :confused:

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/585/img0759j.jpg/"][IMG]http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/2879/img0759j.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


The river

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/img0761u.jpg/"][IMG]http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/9279/img0761u.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


This sign totally cracked me up

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/5/img0763d.jpg/"][IMG]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2166/img0763d.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[mprince4]

On the river we crossed to get to the ruins

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37/img0765yv.jpg/"][IMG]http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8195/img0765yv.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


Hand cranked ferry

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/121/img0766zg.jpg/"][IMG]http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/6665/img0766zg.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


Looking back towards the bus and shopping stalls

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[mprince4]

The hill - it doesn't look bad here, but it was tough!

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/847/img0768rr.jpg/"][IMG]http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/4810/img0768rr.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


First views of the ruins

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/810/img0770mp.jpg/"][IMG]http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/7344/img0770mp.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/41/img0771bf.jpg/"][IMG]http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/889/img0771bf.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[mprince4]

More of the ruins

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/198/img0772o.jpg/"][IMG]http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/8642/img0772o.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


Gus telling us about this building

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/151/img0778p.jpg/"][IMG]http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/1432/img0778p.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


El Castillo

[URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/713/img0780go.jpg/"][IMG]http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/9065/img0780go.jpg[/IMG][/URL]