We wanted to go to Alaska for our honeymoon. I was worried about our cruise because of all of the negative reviews, but honestly, we had a great time! The check-in process was efficient and speedy. We were on the ship after only a half an hour after arriving at the terminal. Staff were friendly and helpful during this time. My husband has food allergies (dairy, gluten, and eggs) and they were extremely accommodating! We made sure to report it ahead of time so that they could plan ahead. They worked hard to give him meals he could eat. I was very impressed. The food was ok. I wasn’t amazed, but I wasn’t unhappy. The variety was good in the buffet and the main dining room. If that’s going to make or break your cruise, then that’s unfortunate. We ate in the buffet, Truffles, and Nouveau. Nouveau’s food was fantastic, by the way. The adult-only area was peaceful and relaxing, with great views off of the stern at all of the scenery and wildlife. Our cabin was generally clean and well-kept. You could choose morning cleaning, evening cleaning, or both. We chose morning. We had a balcony with an obstructed view and, honestly, it wasn’t bad. The life boat was flush with the balcony, so we could easily see out while standing. We could see so much more off of the stern, so that’s where we hung out. The cocktails were yummy! We never reached our 15 drink a day limit for the beverage package (we did come close a few times) and we were thoroughly satisfied with what we were given. The staff was helpful and friendly. The crew are constantly working and cleaning up after guests who, frankly, have no regard for etiquette in public spaces. Be sure to always thank your crew for going to extra mile. The decor is interesting. It’s not my taste, but again, if that’s what you’re going to fixate on and allow it to determine whether or not you have fun, that’s on you. The casino was fun. Cruise ships always jack up there gambling prices, but we played a bit and enjoyed ourselves. We attended a comedy show. One comedian was hilarious, but the follow-up act was not great. A couples massage in the spa left us feeling relaxed. We enjoyed our spa treatment and felt that the atmosphere was calm and quiet. We enjoyed Skagway the most, but Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria were lovely. Each town has its own things to offer. We booked our excursions outside of the cruise line. Overall, if you go in with an open mind and a vacation mindset, you will have a great time! Read Less

We chose this cruise as extended family were going and thought it would be fun with a group. My sister and I normally just cruise with each other and in the Caribbean or Mexico. While we all met for dinners each night, we all did our own thing mostly during the day. We flew into Seattle the day before. Flying in from Michigan, we automatically plan to arrive a day ahead, just in case due to weather. We chose a downtown hotel, the Moore for the location to the Fisherman Wharf.This hotel was probably very nice back in the day. It was tired, for sure, but about $150 less than surrounding hotels downtown. Most importantly, the rooms were spotless. The beds were so comfy.We each had an adjoining bedroom and tabletop, individual fans, as there was no A/C!!!! It was in the lower 90's and the windows had no screens.We didn't dare leave them open at night while we slept as there was access to the room if someone wanted to crawl onto a work walkway. There wasn't a coffee maker or hair dryer in the room. The front desk had the hair dryer and there was a coffee shop in the lobby. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. To be fair, Trip advisor gave this hotel good reviews.My sister does all the bookings and SHE KNEW it had no A/C. She booked it during the winter and never thought Seattle would be so hot. We were conveniently only two blocks from the waterfront.The walk back to the hotel was all steps!! Lots to see and plenty of restaurants to choose from. It was fun to watch the vendors putting their fish catch on ice. We would stay here again because of its price and cleanliness. We actually appreciated it's atmosphere. We try to turn anything negative into an adventure and we lived thru no A/C. Embarkation and disembarkation were the quickest we have ever had!. We arrived right at our 11:30 slot and were in our cabin in 8 minutes!!! The port was not crowded with throngs of people and ships. I think we were the only ship in port. The ship never seemed crowded, but just under 3,000. I have to say that the crowd of young adults from a group in Canada were not that considerate or supervised. Several persons said they were loud on their floors each night and had to complain. We would see this group out and about and they were not that courteous to adults, altho not rude. Dinner in the main dining room was nice, a friendly crew, good food. We seemed to be served last and took longer but that could have been our 14 person table. The staff anticipated individual wants and were funny as well. We had booked a train ride in Skagway thru an outside company prior to the cruise. It was nice, but a little short. It included us being able to hike along the river which was so refreshing. Our helicopter ride in Juneau was AWESOME!!! OMG doesn't come close to describing it!!My sister gave me this as my 65th milestone birthday present. Best one ever!! Thanks sis, xoxoxo. The pilot was able to go OVER the glacier this time. Apparently they couldn't days ahead of us due to the cloud cover or fog. It was fantastic to see all around us and get out and walk on the glacier.The company provides special boots to wear over your own footwear for when you get out and walk around.They also have coats, etc if you need it.It was very scary to be able to look down this crevice that was hundreds of feet deep.We all tasted 500 year old water up there. The pilot took pictures for you. It was windy and chilly. Best tour ever!!! We just winged it in Ketchikan and Victoria. Lots of interesting stores in Ketchikan. We arrived so late in Victoria that all we really had time for was a wonderful dinner in a rather expensive outdoor restaurant. We took a tiny ferry across the bay for $6. We took a cab back from town to the pier for $10 total, plus tip. I wish these two ports had more time in them to explore. Being as the ships have to enter a foreign port before they return, they had to add Victoria, BC, which was a lovely city.Being that we arrived in the evening, the town was all lit up with lights on the buildings and very clean. We did the usual on board trivia games, casino a little, etc. This cruise it felt like we spent less time on board activities. However, it didn't seem boring or as if nothing to do. The entertainment was sadly lacking.I have found the last 3 cruises that the big productions either aren't, or the singing is terrible. We only attended the first show, knowing their voices were not going to get any better. There was a naturalist onboard who gave several presentations that were very interesting and informative. I would encourage you to attend. He also would announce whale or other animal sightings each day if he saw them and you could run and look. Sadly, we never got to see a whale or a bear personally. Must have had either a wrong advantage point on the ship or too late to get there. We saw several sea lions on the floating icebergs. Lots of bald eagles, salmon. I heard that people on the whale watching excursions did see whales. There is always an appreciation cocktail hour with the captain and his crew for Diamond and Platinum guests. Usually, it is so crowded you are crammed into the theater with no room. This time, there couldn't have been 100 guests, maybe smaller ship, less of us. Anyhow, the staff actually took the time to come and chat with each of us which was very nice. Overall, I considered this another wonderful vacation.Cruising for me is a time to relax and no cruise is a bad cruise. I won't be cooking, cleaning or taking care of a thing. I don't bring my cell phone or computer. I drink coffee all day and sleep like a baby without waking up. Back home,it is one cup of coffee and awake at least twice during the night. If anything were to happen, we would look at it as an adventure. God forbid, not including any emergencies for anyone. I would recommend that you bring a light jacket and a heavier one, maybe those packable down jackets. Bring gloves and a hat also. Even in July, it was very windy and chilly on the moving ship and on the glacier. I don't have any pictures, my sister takes those and will be doing her own review. Read Less

Let me start with the positives... We had fantastic service at the Red Frog (our fave spot). Our teen loved club o2 for 15-17 yr olds. She spent a lot more time there than our last 2 cruises with carnival. Maid service for our cabin was wonderful. They left our cabin very clean each day. Overall, the ship was impressively clean too! Now.... I was super excited about the recent dry dock improvements. Most of it was fabulous. However, the design of the Nouveau Restaurant was very poor and dated. I could see that it was new but I felt I had walked into 1980. Too Carnival, UPDATE THE STATEROOMS!!!! Good grief! Why would anyone find mint greens bathrooms and blush colored cabins appealing. The rest of the ship is gorgeous but the staterooms are downright ugly. Entertainment.... I'm sure a nursing home is more lively than this ship. The food was barely subpar on the Lido deck. Breakfast was okay but most other meals were inedible. The pizza shop was incredibly slow. It seemed the only food you could get quickly were the burgers. Food in the dining room and Nouveau Restaurant were good. However, the service was painfully slow. Embarking and debarking was great from beginning to end. We were extremely unhappy that this ship does not participate in the luggage handling from ship to your airline through the port. This caused a huge inconvenience on our last day. We ended up sitting around SeaTac airport for 6 hours because there wasn't anywhere to put our luggage without causing delays. Read Less

First and foremost, AK is absolutely beautiful! Our week of July 10 to 17 was perfect weather. And I would do this cruise again, just based on seeing the views that AK has to offer. However, this review is for the Carnival Cruise ship Legend and their company. This is the 3rd Carnival cruise we've taken. The other two from Baltimore and from Tampa. This was our favorite. But a few things bugged me about this cruise and all my cruises so far that I want to share with whomever is curious. 1) when on the ship when it's away from port (underway), it just seems that everyone is eating, eating, and eating. Like all the time. If not eating, they are drinking it up. From morning to dinner and then all night long. Which either eating or drinking isn't a big deal if you want that, but for me it seemed that's all people did. 2) in the casino, there was smoking allowed. Also smoking allowed around the outdoor pool area. But worse in the casino since there was no where to go to get away from it to enjoy a little bit of gaming. 3) the was too much emphasis on buying jewelry and stuff. Whether on board the ship of in every port call. Way too many shops trying to sell jewelry. 4) bingo was fun but also way over priced. To play bingo and get the simple family deal, it was $40. But there was only 4 games played for $100 each. Just seemed cheesy. Should be $10 package or something and at least 10 games. 5) Gratuity. So if you havent cruised before, know that each person in your room is charged about $13 bucks a day. So even if you have kids, they get charged too. So for a 7 day cruise, you'll owe about $360. This covers tips for meals and room services such as cleaning and room service. But when you buy any drink, even a soda, they charge you 15% gratuity also. I just think this is too much. We should tip based on service and as we wish. In order to do this, you have to let customer service know prior to the end of the cruise. 6) pools and hot tubs. They just need more. Especially hot tubs. Because these are overloaded by young kids most of the time. Even in the adult only serenity area, there's only one hot tub. They need about 3 more in that area. 7) sports bar area on the Legend. We were excited to have this in the ship but when we were underway, there was barely any sports on the 15 plus TVs they had on the walls. They should have used that location more effectively. By having different sports on, having some peanuts or popcorn. Maybe having Keno pick game going on. But it was always dead and not even a waiter or waitress was present. 8) TV channels were horrible. I think we had 10 carnival channels. Some trying to sell jewelry and others of the front of the ship. Then 3 CNN channels that only provided based news reporting. They should have offset that with Fox News to keep it more fair. And maybe one movie channel. They need to do a better job with cable of something. Oh and the TV was about an 15 inch screen. 9) Wi-Fi is horrible too. But if you must have it, get it. PROS: -beds were comfortable -Shower was a bit small but powerful water pressure. -Our balcony was good size and with great viewing area. -Enough closet space for 2 adults and 2 teens -All crew staff were nice and helpful -Everything seemed clean (room, cups and dishes, towels, etc). -A lot of food choices. Salad bar was great. -Picture opportunities were plentiful and at fair cost. -On and off of ship for port calls was quick and easy. -Shows were good. Comedians were great. Glad they did a family friendly show and then adult show separately because no kid under 18 should hear what's said in the adult show. Again, I repeat, my family and I loved our cruise and would likely do it again. But I just wanted to vent on the small stuff that bothered me and give a heads up for those looking at booking this cruise. Read Less

I picked this cruise because my parents have wanted to cruise to Alaska fro a long time, and I've always cruised with Carnival. We saw a lot less wildlife than I expected on the trip. My parents really enjoyed the trip and loved the views of the mountains, glacier, bald eagles and whales. There wasn't as much to do on the ship as I expected. They had shows each night, but some of them seemed like the same shows over and over again. I'm not of fan of food on cruise ships, and I really wasn't a fan of the food on the Legend. Our wait staff wasn't nearly as friendly as they've been on other ships. My 18 year old niece was with us, and she also didn't enjoy the food. My parents were fine with the food. My favorite stop was Victoria, Canada, and we were only there for 4 hours so we didn't have enough time to explore. I wouldn't do this cruise again. Read Less

Seattle is a beautiful City! I highly recommend planning some extra time and seeing the city either before or after you leave. The port in Seattle is the most organized port I have been to so far! Please note that I've only sailed out of Galveston and New Orleans, but this cruise port is very well put together, and there was no confusion on what to do or where to go. The staff there in the front helping us with our luggage was extremely nice, and would not accept a tip. The ship is loads of fun! There is always something to do, both for adults and kids. Our cabin was a balcony room, and included a fridge, a safe, and plenty of storage space for all four of us in the room. Evening meals were our favorite. Our waiters were all amazing, and I was never hungry the entire cruise. We enjoyed all of the ports we stopped at. Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Victoria BC, and even cruising Tracy Arm Fjord was all spectacular! We had much more sunshine than I had expected, and temperatures stayed primarily in the 70s. It was amazing! Our cruise director was one of the best! She was absolutely amazing! The rest of entertainment staff was equally amazing! The singers/dancers for the evening shows were very talented, however my one complaint with the shows is the guy at the sound board was not very good at mixing the vocalists. Not sure if he was new or what, but as an A/V guy my self (my primary job), it irked me quite a bit. Read Less

We chose this cruise line and boat because we were a group of 16 consisting of 10 kids. Carnival seemed a better option for kids, since other cruisers with kids or in a younger age group cruise carnival. We were on somewhat of a budget but that wasn’t a huge deciding factor in our selection. The itinerary was good but I think they are all pretty similar. I was not a fan of this boat at all. Yes the decor has a certain flare but the layout of this ship had me perplexed. Common areas are cramped. For example the atrium area was not open as in most ships and on the formal nights when they had photo stations set up it was impossible to move around. Accessing areas (like kids club) required you to walk down interior hallways past staterooms. Nearly all traveling on the boat from one area to another took you though stateroom hallways which I thought was odd. Usually there is a central hallway you can view other floors from while walking around. Also the casino layout was unlike I have ever seen before. You have to walk though the casino floor, stations and slots are on each side of you. Usually there are windows and seating on one side and the casino on the other side. The food was mediocre. The pool was nice (they covered the top to keep it a bit warmer in the one pool). The kids liked the slides when they could use them (winds) The spa was ok my massage wasn’t the best but I should have given more input on pressure and focus areas. Overall the experience was what we were there for. Seeing parts of Alaska you can really only get to by boat. We had wonderful weather. No rain and calm seas. The captain was great and our naturalist was informative. The ports were fun. We booked all our excursions independently (helicopter tour to Mendehall from Temsco. Jeep rentals in Skagway from greenjeep company and a zodiac boat tour in Ketchikan through Ketchikan outdoors). All highly recommend! If we did this again I would like to try one of the bigger newer ships like the bliss which just sailed this summer. I was a bit disappointed our travel agent didn’t inform us of the new sailing. Read Less

Our cruise began and ended with easily the smoothest, quickest, and friendliest embarkation and disembarkation we've ever experienced. The Legend is a clean, lovely ship with an easy layout. Food was plentiful, but often less than attractively presented. Dining staff were efficient, but disinterested. Stage shows were entertaining and well-done; comedians were only so-so. We loved the unusual layout of our extended balcony cabin, but were unimpressed with our inattentive steward. The spa provided a relaxing pedicure; the adjacent gym featured a variety of equipment and an amazing view over the bow. Don't miss the uniquely charming "Enchanted Forest" interior promenade. Scenery was absolutely breathtaking: we enjoyed the ship excursion on the White Pass Railway in Skagway, but found the town itself a mere tourist trap; we were thrilled with Whale Watching in Juneau with Alaska Galore Tours; flew magestic Misty Fjords with Taquan Air in Ketchikan; and toured historical Victoria with Surfside Tours. All in all this was an excellent cruse--we made memories that will last a lifetime! Read Less

This review is based on our actual experience. You may have your own opinions or read others that may differ. The Check In: We were greeted at the airport in Seattle by a Carnival Cruise representative who directed us to a holding area. Our luggage was taken and were told it would be at our room. Let me tell you something. Carnival Cruises has check in down pat. We loaded a bus, went to the ship, and there was our first buffet. Room access is not granted until 1:30. From our ship The Legend, we took stunning pictures of Seattle. It i a beautiful city with its busy ports and marinas. Our cruise ship left at 4:00 and off we went.The waters were smooth with very little wave roll. The weather was great. Our first stop was the Tracy Fjords.Pictures cannot describe its beauty. Majestic Mountains with snow peaks. Wildlife increased the further you went. Hunks of floating ice were navigated by our Captain.There was a marine Biologist on board and she was very informative. She gave history events and described the Mendenhall Glacier and stated it changes weekly. There were Sea Otters and eagles hanging out in their element. We signed up for the Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching Tour in Juneau . As we cruised trying to spot the whales, our captain was excellent. He told us to look for a blow of water up in the air. Once spotted he maneuvered the boat for picture taking.We saw 8 whales and Sea Lions that were constantly barking at each other. Drinks and food were available for purchase and Binoculars were provided. Skagway Alaska was a quaint town we walked the shops. Shopping was the typical overload of jewelry stores and local shops. Food, in my opinion, was very pricey. $15 for a hamburger, fish sandwich and tacos. A "plate" of two pieces and fries and a drink $24. Ketchican Alaska was the Salmon Capital of the world. If you get caught up in frenzy you will pay a hefty price. We were quoted $39.99 a pound with a 10 pound minimum. We did buy 8 Oz of smoked salmon for $18.95. we did the Duck Boat Tour. At $59.99 each, it was pretty good for a Photographer. I took a lot of pictures of Bald Eagles. Victoria Canada was pristine. Yards of residences were manicured and the color of the flowers almost looked fake. The city was clean. Though I did not book an excursion, I would recommend taking one. When you get off the ship, you are bombarded with people wanting to drive you around. Cabs were 10.00 one way and up to 75.00 for a tour car. I felt they were scalping you and would book this through the ship. Overall, The cruise was nice. However, the food was cafeteria grade with the exception of the Prime Rib and Lobster tail on the second night. Carnival need to step it up. The Chicken given many names is nothing more than pre breaded, precooked, with a different sauce. The buffets were a big disappointment. If you do not like very spicy food avoid the Asian food buffet.Italian buffets were not up to standards. Breakfast was the best meal of the day with made to order omelettes, bacon sausage and french toast.The 24 hr food is Pizza. Excursions were very expensive.Our Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching was good. In speaking to other people, the Train ride, the Dog Sledding were popular but all concerned stated they would not pay that kind of money for it again. Highly recommended is the Tracey Fjord Tour that actually goes on the Glacier. Patrons stated they saw Moose and Bear. ** Just a note, we went to Alaska on a budget.We picked a tour that we thought was best. You can wrap up a lot of money in excursions. There was always shopping at ports but really are repetitive with the same stuff. ""Caution, read the label. Your Alaskan Souvenirs may be " Made In China". The Cruise director Jen was a A+ Director. Entertainment was good. A MUST SEE is the lip Syncing contest. There are some very talented artists performing on board. Packing: Do not over pack. Our trip had weather that was overcast. Rain was very minimal.we layered a T shirt topped with a long sleeve shirt the topped with a rain jacket. If you get cold, there are fleece lined jackets for sale on the ship for $40.00 and we saw nice jackets from $20.00 on shore. Finally, we did enjoy our cruise and would go again but probably fly in, rent a car and see Alaska on our own. I wish pictures could show its true beauty. It truly is a Marvel. God knew what he was doing when he created Alaska. Read Less

I just turned platinum so I have been on many carnival cruises. I was worried because I saw so many negative reviews about the Legend. We had a great experience. The food was probably some of the best I've had on carnival ships. There are a lot of posts about the bad decor..its odd but it didn't bother me at all...The ship was clean, our steward was great. Our waiter was a little stuffy...not friendly like most but oh well.. The only complaint, if you want to call it that, for us was the arcade and casino. Since we went to Alaska, the kids couldn't use the water park. A few brave kids got in the water but it was cold. The kids like the arcade and it was so small compared to other ships we've been on. The Casino was very small and didn't have a good variety of machines..but again, we managed..didn't affect the trip. We went to the Chef's table for the first time..it was fun but the food was not for us...large variety of things and like mixing different alcohol mixing that many varieties of food made some of us a little sick... Read Less