This was my first cruise (my wife's second), so I eagerly anticipated it and did extensive research on CC before choosing Carnival Legend. The cruise lived up to most of my expectations. I should say that the areas that the cruise fell short may have more to do with our lifestyle than any shortcomings of the cruise itself.

Embarkation - We flew out of Atlanta early Sunday morning and arrived at about 10:30 am at the Tampa Port. Our luggage was taken off of the transfer bus that we had purchased from Carnival and we were "herded" into the waiting area at the port. We were finally allowed to board at 12:30 pm. For first-timers, make sure that you have all documentation on your person and not in your luggage taken to your cabin.

Ship - Carnival Legend is a remarkable ship. There is much discussion on CC that the Legend's decor is over-the-top, but we found it to be fascinating and beautiful. Each of the ship's public rooms seems to have its own "drama". We had an obstructed view cabin, which actually had more of an ocean view than I thought it would have. There was lots of storage space in the cabin (more than we needed for two people). On the negative side, the ship is not easy to navigate. The most used public rooms seem to be the farthest away from the majority of passengers' staterooms. I would suggest a good training regimen for a few months before sailing on the Legend! At the very least, bring good comfortable shoes for all the walking. And do not expect privacy on the ship, unless you are in your cabin. There are over 2100 passengers on the ship so you will always find the loudest and most obnoxious ones when you want a quiet moment on the deck. Service - The Legend is kept immaculately clean by the staff. Our steward, Santiago kept our cabin clean and made up, while rarely being seen. We had Wilmer and Omar as our waiters in the dining room (late seating), and they were one of the highlights of the trip. They were personable, efficient and fun taking care of our dining needs while entertaining us with song and dance. We wouldn't have traded them for any other servers. We would have traded some of the pre-packaged food. We found that people from small towns were more impressed with the food than us city-slickers. We have 200 dining options in Atlanta better than the ship's food. The social hosts on the ship did a super job with the various games and contests on the cruise. Big Bad Brad, Baby Nate, and Allen Allen were a blast! On the negative side, I wish that soft drinks were a little easier to come by. If you purchase a "fountain fun pass", you shouldn't have to walk a half-mile in the evening to get a diet coke. Personally, I think soft drinks should be included in the cost of the cruise. Read more