We boarded the Carnival Legend in Tampa, Florida on Sunday December 23 - embarkation went smoothly and we spent the day getting accustomed to the ship and everything it offered. Our dinner seating was 8:15 p.m., so after dinner we caught a welcome aboard show and packed it in early.
Monday (Christmas Eve) was a beautiful sunny day spent lounging by the pool, attending information sessions and just enjoying our day at sea. Jenn and Amy even found time to go to an exercise class while Jane and I went to the Christmas concert put on by the entertainment staff and the children in “Camp Carnival”. It was also our first formal night, so it was fun to get all spruced up! We caught the pre-dinner entertainment show and then the 10 p.m. comedy show. Entertainment was top notch with professional singers / dancers, live band and stage sets that dazzle.
Wednesday found us in Belize. We took a tender to shore then boarded a bus for an excursion with the Chukka tour company which started with an hour ride on a school bus through Belize City and then through the country side over some rough roads.
Our first stop was the Altun Ha Mayan ceremonial center where the jade head of the Sun God was found during an expedition lead by David Pendergast of the Royal Ontario Museum. Little did we know that there was a Canadian connection when we booked the tour. After purchasing a local lunch at a small “resort”, we boarded a speed boat for a trip down the Wallace or Belize River where we saw large iguanas, crocodiles of various sizes and heard howler monkeys. The boat took us back to the harbor where we jumped back onto the tender for the ride back to our ship. We started the tour the tour late due to the 5 cruise ships in port that day so we had no time for shopping in the port. It was good to get out of Belize City and see some of the country side. It was not as depressing as some countries, and we did see some gorgeous homes along the river as we approached the harbor.
Thursday morning we arrived in Mahogany Bay, Roatan. Carnival docks in this harbour and has built a “private island” complete with a small shopping area of jewelry stores and souvenir shops and a beautiful beach with lounge chairs, bars, restaurants and rental equipment. We accessed the beach by riding the Magical Flying Beach Chair lift which was a pleasant ride and especially welcome on the way home. We all got to swim in the sea and all got nicely tanned.
Our stay in Roatan was short, so this was also the second formal evening. Our pre dinner show was a New Orleans themed Broadway type show. What super performers! Dinner was great and we are all getting better at sampling multiple appetizers. After dinner we went to the comedy club for the show which sure beat the magician we saw the night before.
Friday! Yikes, can you believe it's already Friday. I am sitting on our balcony watching the sun slowly rise while composing this diary. The seas are calm and the breeze is warm. Today we will dock in Grand Cayman Island. Our plan is to rent a cab and head to seven mile beach. The ships tours are heading for Tiki Beach - apparently one of the newest beach clubs, so we might head there as well.
In the end, we took a van to seven mile public beach for $5.00 a person and spent the day there. Our lounge chairs were at the water's edge. Amy rented a floating mat and we all did spend a lot of time cooling off in the ocean. This was the hottest day yet and we all managed to not get sun burned - although even I had had it by the time we returned to the ship. What a way to end our port days.
Saturday was a sea day as the ship headed back towards Tampa. The sun was out, so we mixed relaxing with last minute ship exploration - and of course the dreaded suitcase packing. Our final dinner was prime rib and seafood with molten chocolate cake for dessert. Did I mention the food was really good?
On a final note, the 10 year old Carnival Legend is one of the ugliest ships on which we have cruised. From the silver urns, to the Venetian glass in the dining room ceiling, to the ugly statues and the gaudy elevator decorations, it was a unique experience. Fortunately the staterooms were plain and serviceable, the balconies were great to escape the crowds on the pool deck, the staff were friendly and the food and entertainment very good.
Sunday morning's debarkation went well, and our shuttle driver picked us up. It was quite a shock to find that Tampa was cold but at least sunny. Soon we were back in our vehicle and checked into the Residence Inn near the airport. The girls were leaving on Tuesday, so with no plans for the day - what else, we headed to a giant outlet mall in Ellenton! Guess we really had not done any shopping on the cruise and it was definitely too cold to use the outdoor pool!
New Year’s Eve was a slow day since both Jane and I had started to get colds. We enjoyed the hotel’s free dinner time reception so we didn’t have to look for a restaurant and compete with party-goers. Little did we know when we checked in that we were in the closest hotel to the Outback Bowl. The hotel was filled to capacity with football fans all sporting their team’s logos. We were about the only guests who were not going to the game!!
On New Year’s Day, Jenn arrived home before Amy even left Tampa. Since there were no delays with their flights, once Amy checked in we started our drive back to Texas.
This was definitely a great Christmas vacation!
No comments:
Post a Comment