Travel Post: Inside the Carnival Legend
Seeing that our Japan travel post was well received, we decided to post about our 8 day cruise to Pacific Islands on the Carnival Legend. There are three sections to our Travel Post of Carnival Legend.
This was Matt's second time on Carnival cruise and my first. I was really nervous that I might have sea sickness because past experience with ferries and small boats leads me to feel nauseous. That said, my stomach held out and all was perfect. We did have some rough nights on the sea but even then I had no trace of sickness the whole cruise which meant more alcohol, more food and more importantly more time to relax!
This is the very top deck on the Carnival Legend. It's super windy so be careful, and ladies make sure you don't pack any dresses/skirts that are not bolted down to your thigh as you will most definitely be exposed. The view at this level was breathtaking. Even though the weather was warm, the wind was cold, so braving the weather we stayed here for a while to enjoy the horizon and sunset. So romantic!
If you are new to the Carnival series, let it be known that it is a family friendly ship meaning that kids are EVERYWHERE. They basically take up both of the main pools on the Lido deck and it can be quite grubby at time. However there is a silver lining! Introducing.. SERENITY.
For all the parents out there, this is the adults only retreat that you much deserve and much need. Yes, that means no kids allowed! If you're jumping up and down, we are too! Nothing wrong with kids, but peace and quiet is sometimes all you need on a cruise. Especially if you can find yourself a pod. Be sure to rent a towel from the towel station to place inside your pod. We often had an afternoon nap in a pod, snoozing in our fresh towel, overlooking the sea with a cocktail in one hand and... indulging in our wood fired pizza with the other. Half margarita and half quattro formaggi to be exact (yes, you can order half, half at the pizza station) - you can thank us later ;)
Spoiler alert - the yellow slide was quite boring and actually, I had to push myself all the way down the slide. Make sure you follow the instructions and actually lay down and cross your warms because as soon as you peek up (hoping to catch a glimpse of the sea) you freeze. Embarrassingly enough, I had lots of little kids watching me push myself down the slide.
On the other extreme, the green thunder was terrifying. I hated it, but I'm glad I gave it a try. You are told to stand on a platform and cross your arms to which a door closes in front of you. After some time a voice starts counting down from three... 3.. 2... and before it can even say 1 the platform is pulled back and you are sent FLYING down the slide. You can't see anything because water is flicking in your eye. I couldn't breathe because water would get in my nose. I just held my breath all the way down and finally, you see the end of the slide. It was absolutely terrifying but its a great thrill for all the adventure seekers out there. Especially knowing that it is free!
Before we begin with the tour of the interior, it is important to know that a specialized itinerary is provided each day noting the wide variety of shows and activities that are happening on the cruise throughout the day. There is something for everyone whether it be a drink making class, dance lessons, health seminars, dance and music shows or even fun activities for the kids.. there was almost always something to do. Make sure to use this as a guide to plan out your day wisely!
Legend Lobby
The legend lobby was the first thing we saw as we entered the cruise. It is both grand and majestic. This is where a live band plays each night as well as your chance to have a professional photographer take your pictures. Expect to see lots of dance classes, seminars and cooking demonstrations here!
Follies Theater
We were here every night watching the theatrical performances that occur both at 7:30pm and 9:30pm! We are still wondering how the talented performers maintain their balance considering the boat is tilting back and fourth! We were also lucky enough to catch a magic show where members of the audience were hypnotised. Be sure to arrive early for the shows as the seats fill up quickly. While you might have some interactivity with the performers if you sit on the lower level, you get a much greater experience if you sit up top.
Firebird Lounge
We had lots of drinks and laughter at the Firebird lounge, it's where all the comedy and adult game shows happens! But in the day time, the entire space is transformed into an art gallery. Don't forget to join the art auction for a free glass of champagne and artwork to take home! When it comes to comedy, always sit in the front! That is, if you don't mind being heckled at times. There were usually two shows played directly after one another with new content each night, it was great! We also mentioned that this lounge gets turned into an adult themed game show really quickly which are not for the feint of heart. Once you are in there though, there is no leaving..dun dun dun...
Walk to freedom
Ooops, I mean...to the spa, sauna and steam room. This was our only opportunity to get away from each other on the boat. No wonder why we loved it so much! Not many people knew about this secret passage way.
Both men and women have an identical spa area with the same facilities. This was the ladies locker room. It was so peaceful with calming music, I almost thought I entered a therapy session. But wait, it gets better!
The above photo is the sauna room where you can control the temperature and sweat out all the alcohol and greasy food you have most likely been eating up until this point. The favourite was the steam room which unfortunately is hard to take a picture of as it is completely foggy. Here you don't control the temperature and it gets hot REALLY quickly. It is best to only stay in here for no longer than 15-20 minutes. Surprisingly both the sauna and steam room were not packed. Afterwards, why not go jump into the adults only pool, or have a quick shower and head into the spa!
Truffles Restaurant
Amazing service, decent food and even better entertainment! This restaurant is included as part of your package and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner sessions. We normally found ourselves only visiting for dinner though and heading upstairs to the buffet for breakfast and lunch. Probably one of the best tips we could tell you is to book anytime dining, especially if you are planning for long days on the islands, you don't want to feel rushed. Anytime dining just means that you may need to wait to be seated, but the longest we waited was probably around 20 minutes while we sipped on some martinis. All the crew members must have magical powers because they even got Matt and I off our seat to dance and also don't forget to pack clothes for the restaurant attire of the evening. Themed nights include formal, Mexican and Caribbean. If you are not wearing formal attire (smart casual) for the formal nights, you won't be allowed entry.
Fruit displays at the buffet
Lift and our room
This was our stateroom with an obstructed view. We barely felt any motion sickness during our stays. It helps that when you shut out the lights, it is complete darkness. Our room was placed right in the middle of the ship, n the fourth level and was only one level away from Truffles Restaurant!. Matt has cruised before and found that the lower decks helped better to reduce sea sickness.
Also be excited when returning to your room at night! Why? You never know what animal will sneak into your bed! The towel animal also comes with your Fun Time itinerary.
Instead of coming back to our room expecting to see another towel animal, Hector our stateroom steward made us a special love heart towel. He must have known Matt successfully proposed!
Yes, we're ENGAGED :)
Carnival Legend Travel Posts
Explore the links below to find out more about our experience on the Legend