Legend of the Seas 12/3/05 Pt V (debarkation)

[imatarb]

as continued:

 

DEBARKATION

 

This has to be the smoothest process I've ever been involved in. Getting off the ship was probably even easier than getting on, and getting on was no big deal at all.

 

We held yellow 8 for debarkation, and we were off the ship right in the middle of our specified time (between 9am and 9:45am). It was orderly, smooth, and the line kept moving the entire time.

 

The thing that impressed me the most was the luggage bay. It was clean, well-lit, staffed by many, many porters, waiting to help with your luggage, and people directing you to your bags. It took about 30 seconds for us to find our things and be on our way.

 

Customs was a breeze, too. Have your form filled out, make sure your group is together, and they will get you in quickly. We waited maybe 3-4 mins. in the line for customs.

 

(Ask them to stamp your passport, or your child's, and they will do it for you.)

 

We were out of the Port of Tampa and in our hotel room by 10:30am the Saturday of debarkation. I don't know about you, but this is the best experience I've ever had getting off a ship!

 

MORE TIPS:

 

-Speaking of passports, I took our son's passport to the Purser's Desk the day we were in Grand Cayman (I forgot to do it on our first sea day). They were able to stamp his passport with the stamps from Cozumel and Belize. For some reason, they couldn't do it in Costa Maya, and it was too late for GC. In any event, it's a great way to add stamps to your child's passport, and the Purser is happy to do it.

 

-Unless you are bringing an overabundance of toiletries, leave the over-the-door organizer at home. We had plenty of cabinet/countertop space for all of our items. Save the space in your luggage for souvenirs, etc. ;)

 

-Don't forget the extension cord. We didn't find a single plug in the bathroom, except for a men's shaver up high near the overhead/vanity light. I may have missed it completely, but I swear I looked high and low! There is a two-outlet 110V plug on the vanity in the D1, so we just plugged in our extension cord to power our two-way radios (which we never really used), charge our son's Gameboy, etc.

 

-If you utilize the AO for your kids, be sure to show those folks your appreciation by extending gratuities. It's never mentioned in the Compass about tipping these folks, but they are true life-savers, and they deserve every penny they earn. We tipped them generously, as our son utilized AO on a daily basis.

 

-Most importantly, enjoy yourself. Cruising is truly a luxury, and we are fortunate, blessed and lucky to find ourselves on a beautiful ship wanting for nothing. Take time to appreciate and savor every single minute onboard and in each port.

 

That's it!

 

I hope I've been able to provide some insight to our recent Legend cruise. We truly enjoyed her, and she never failed to live up to our expectations. I'm anxious to take our turn aboard the Enchantment next December, as we are in love with the Vision class. :)

 

Bon Voyage to all, and please don't hesitate to ask questions..I'm more than happy to answer them.

 

Lisa :)

[IMNiles]

Hello Imatarb, fancy meeting you on a thread about Legend! :) Debarkation for our group of 15 was reasonably smooth... We didn't all get the same color tags, so we were off at different intervals, and although the lines to get through customs were quite long, we were still through in 20 minutes or so. Alas, one member of our party actually lost a suitcase. So far as I know, it still has not turned up - either it stayed on the ship or another passenger took it thinking it was their own (there were two bags left behind RCCL tells us, and we're hoping one of those people has the bag, as it contains souvenirs). I guess the lesson here is to make sure your bag is marked in some distinctive way so somebody won't accidentally take it.

 

Once we got through customs, it took us something like 30 seconds to find OUR bags, and we were out. We waited longer for the airport shuttle than we did to get our bags. This is a far cry from my last sailing from Miami, where I waited more than 45 minutes for my bag to come off the carousel.

 

With the exception of the lost bag, I'd say our debarkation was "more smooth" than many I've had in the past.

[imatarb]

Hi there IM...yes, fancy meeting you here!

 

It was a smooth debarkation, all things considered. I also felt that people did a good job of not congregating in areas that could easily become congested (i.e. Deck Four, Champagne Bar, etc.) It was quite orderly.

 

Do you have any other cruises in mind? We are already booked on the Enchantment for 12/4/06. Went for the aft balcony this time around in a JS category. Couldn't resist. Our 7-yr. old just figured that all cabins had a balcony. :D