Legend of the Seas March 27th, 2005-April 10th, 2005 East Bound Panama Canal Transit -14 Days

Itinerary: Boarding -- Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005; Monday -- At Sea; Tuesday -- Cabo San Lucas; Wednesday -- At Sea; Thursday -- Acapulco, Mexico; Friday -- Huatulco, Mexico; Saturday -- At Sea; Sunday -- Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Monday -- At Sea; Tuesday -- Transit Panama Canal; Wednesday -- At Sea; Thursday -- Oranjestad, Aruba; Friday -- At Sea; Saturday -- At Sea; Sunday -- Fort Lauderdale -- Disembark.

We began our latest cruise with a two night pre-cruise stay at the Holiday Inn 'On the Bay' just across from the cruise port in San Diego. We paid the extra and reserved a Bay View Room and found it to be well worth the added cost (which was minimal). A nice sized room with a huge balcony and plenty of space to relax and watch the cruise ships come and go across the street. Friends that also booked this hotel purchased a regular room and it was quite small with a balcony only about a foot deep so no room for any type of furniture at all. If you decide to spend a pre or post cruise stay there, pay the small extra amount for a nice sized room and great balcony. The port of San Diego was very busy with cruise ships the three days we were there and watching them coming and going was exactly what we needed to build up the anticipation of this upcoming voyage. There is a good restaurant and bar in the hotel as well as several other choices for meals within a short walk. These include everything from a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse to seafood restaurants and take out along the waterfront. The hotel is just a short walk to the trolley/train where you can travel to many of the stores and attractions in the San Diego area. This hotel does provide a shuttle to Sea World and the World Famous San Diego Zoo. We decided to visit the zoo on this trip and spent the entire day wandering around the acres of tropical settings to view the animals with our Australian Friends who had come to the U.S. for an extended visit and to join us on this cruise. The weather was simply beautiful compared to what we had left behind at home, lots of sunshine and warm temperatures. We returned to the hotel after we left the zoo and decided to have dinner with out friends in the hotel restaurant. It was actually quite good and after a day of doing so much wandering and walking at the zoo, it was nice to be able to just dine without going out. Read more