Overall, I'd say the Carnival Legend 7 day out of Tampa is a great trip for the money. Our family, including dd7, are regular cruisers, and while this was not the best cruise ever, it certainly was well worth it and I would go again on this ship and itinerary without hesitation.

We stayed the night before at Hyatt Place, booked on Hotwire for $68, and would stay there again for the price. Shuttle picked us up at the airport promptly and we took a cab to the port for $20 for 6 of us (another family joined us). Hotel included breakfast, too and they shuttled us to a dinner spot and for drinks.

Embarkation was an absolute breeze! Perhaps the easiest ever. We arrived around 11 and was on the ship eating lunch within 40 minutes, including a trip to drop off bags in our room (we were surprised to see it was open and the Steward invited us to drop off bags...very nice!) and some wandering around. Porters outside the port weren't the best, but oh well, our cab driver was a bit clueless, too. Read more