We chose the Legend of the Seas based on the Western Mediterranean itinerary and the news that the ship was in dry dock and being refurbished. We have taken two other cruises, one on the Serenade of the Seas, and one on the Celebrity Eclipse. I set a Google alert months ago to learn more about the ship and read what people were saying. I enjoyed seeing pictures of the improvements, but learned that this is a smaller ship and the oldest in the RC fleet. I was hoping for the best.

We took the RC transfer from the airport in Rome, about a 90 minute bus ride, and embarked in Civitavecchia. It was a quick, friendly, and smooth process. We had packed swim suits in our carry ons, and headed for a quick bite to the Windjammer, and then off to the pool. This was the only time I went to the Windjammer, as the buffet scene and food is not my favorite. A nice group called the Dynamic Duo was singing at the pool for sail away, and when the sun started to fade, we headed to our cabin to unpack. Bags were waiting for us. We met our room steward, who was very pleasant and efficient throughout the trip.

I had requested a round table for 5 for the second dinner seating through our travel agent, on the phone with RC, and by email. It seemed a simple enough request, but we were led to a table of 8 the first night for dinner. We actually enjoyed visiting with a wonderful family from Honduras, but again tried to arrange our table for 5. We were promised the moon, but go figure, the next night, same shenanigans. After a similar frustration on night three, I headed to guest services and expressed my disappointment. I alluded to writing a review on Cruise Critic, and honestly, those words seemed to do the trick. The next morning we received a phone call, had breakfast with the head waiter, and our table for 5 was waiting for us each of the following nights. We actually had an amazing waiter and assistant, who couldn't have been more professional, friendly, and attentive. The food was very good, although I was disappointed that lobster was no t an option on any of the menus. The lamb shank was delicious, as were the duck and prime rib. Desserts were hit and miss. Overall, we enjoyed the dining very much. Read more