Taking a cruise had always been something that I thought I would never get a chance to do. You see so many adverts on the TV, or brochures at the travel agents. They all looked so luxuries and I felt that it can only be a dream. But, 2 years back, that dream came true. My husband had taken the day off work, saying he was ill. I went to work as usual. During the day, I get a call from him saying he’s got a surprise for me. When I came home, he gave me an envelope, which to my big surprise, were tickets for a 13 day cruise which he had bought for our anniversary that was in 2 weeks time. I was so excited I was going on a cruise. My brother-in law, his wife and their 5 year old daughter, Ariya were coming as well. Which was great, they are fantastic company and their daughter is such a sweetheart.
Our dream vacation on the Legend of the Seas was during the summer and we all had the time of our lives.
This was the first time any of us had ever been on a cruise, so we were not sure what to expect. As we had a 5 year old travelling with us, this was the best cruise to take due to its highly rated children’s programs. So that there will always be something to keep her busy.
Itinerary for the cruise The cruise started off on a Saturday and finished on Thursday. 13 days in total starting from Barcelona…. Saturday: Barcelona Sunday: Cannes Monday: Livorno in Florence Tuesday: Naples Wednesday: Sea Day Thursday: Venice Friday: Venice Saturday: Dubrovnik Sunday: Sea Day Monday: Messina Tuesday: Civitavecchia in Rome Wednesday: Marseilles Thursday: Barcelona
The cities were Europe only which was perfect as when we tend to take a holiday we hardly stay within Europe. These cities were places we had never been to, so were all geared up ready to go.
The Ship The ship was built in 1995. It was a wonderfully huge looking white ship.
Deck 8 had an Internet access area. It had 16 machines that very rarely every filled up. There was never a problem with finding an open an open terminal. This was great as you can always check e-mails and send e-mail to people back at home.
Deck 9 had a café called Windjammer. It was a very popular café. The food was pretty good, but the choices were quite limited.
On deck 3, is the doctor’s surgery, should anyone need this service. We did visit once because Ariya scraped her knee on the poolside. The doctors and nurses are quite pleasant and professional but it’s very expensive.
On deck 10 you are able to walk all the way around the huge
ship. This was excellent. Looking out to the Ocean was very beautiful. It was a little windy though on a few late afternoons, so not a good place to take small children.
The Outdoor pool was more children friendly. It had a large wading pool at one end and at the other had the deep swimming pool. The Solarium pool was shallower and the water temperature was a bit cooler than the outside pool. The pools, strangely enough, were filled with salt water. This took us a little while to get used to as we are more familiar with the swimming pools at our local centre. Although, Ariya loved it. She spent most of her time in the pool. There was also a fountain beside the pool.
Club Ocean was the place that was the loudest on the ship. This was where all the teenagers were playing on arcade games.
Our favourite place was deck 11. This was where we went to unwind after dinner at the Viking Crown lounge. We’re not very loud people and this lounge was the quietest than the other lounges on board. We also enjoyed a couple of Karaoke nights and the spectacular views of the lights off of the Mediterraneancoast at night. Also, there is a late afternoon Cigar Aficionado club up there. This was a very smoke filled cabin, and generally had older men in there.
Accommodation We paid a fair amount for the cruise, and we were able to afford to stay in a Premium Deluxe Stateroom with a balcony. Our cabin was located in the middle of the ship. It was about a third of the way from the front.
I wasn’t sure what to expect of a room on a cruise but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The room was very nice. It had a king size bed very beautifully made up with a bed side table on each side. Each table had a vase filled with flowers. There was a vanity, chair, glass coffee table, and plenty of storage space for our clothes. Not that we took much. We only had stand up showers, but that suited us just fine. We also had our refrigerator which was quite large, which was stocked up to out requirements and billed to our account when we boarded. The lightening in the room was just perfect, not too bright. It actually looked quite romantic. What I had expected was just a bland looking hotel room, but thankfully it wasn’t.
There was also a large TV. We didn’t watch much TV, only during occasional evenings. There weren’t much choice in channels, so it was mainly children’s programs we watched. We saw 2 kids’ movies, A Bug’s Life and Stuart Little. Two very amusing films. In the evenings, there were game shows night’s talent shows. One channel was devoted to shopping tips, but people on there seemed very pushy. Most of the shops they were emphasizing were those on board or connected to the Royal Caribbean cruise line. It was presented by crew members where it was fairly obvious that they were reading from prepared texts.
For me, the balcony was the best part of the room. There was a table and two chairs outside. The views were spectacular from about 70 feet up. When we weren’t exploring around the ship, this was where we spent our time. We just took drinks and sandwiches outside and watched the scenery in the cool Mediterranean air.
We had a cabin attendant to answer to all our whims. I did find that annoying as he was always hovering outside the room a lot. I guess it was all part of the service we paid for, but it was still strange. We felt a little guilty asking him to get anything for us, as we’re so used to doing things for ourselves. He also answered to things that Ariya asked for, as in if she got hungry and wanted food. We were a little worried that she may get used this; we didn’t want her getting really spoilt. I think that can be the main problem with taking kids on a cruise. As it’s really living a life of luxury where you don’t do anything for yourself, it can be quite addictive.
The laundry service was quite expensive, but it wasn’t something that was avoidable, not with a small child.
Dining Service I’ve already spoken about the Windjammer Café. We also ate in the main dining room and in the Solarium.
Solarium Grill This was mostly fast food, but it’s the ideal place for kids. The only downside was that it was only open between 10-7. The Solarium Grill can get very packed but the foods great. It’s mostly pizzas, burgers, hot dogs, fries, tacos and the best ice cream with a dozen toppings. The food is all free and delicious. Because it can get quite packed, you may find yourself standing in the queue for nearly 10 minutes.
Romeo and Juliet Dining Room It is a two-story dining room aboard the ship. It very beautiful and it offers exquisite dining every single evening. This was a great experience. This is a place to eat fine foods with a personalized service. You get a head waiter of our own who gets to know you from the first day you board the ship. He or she learns your name and also eating habits, you can be waited on hand and foot with in the ways suited for you. The service here is excellent. There are also special formal nights, semi-causal and casual nights.
For the kids
Club Ocean Here, 8 specially recruited youth staff arranges programs for kids aged from 3 to 12. They are so experienced which becomes apparent when you see them with the kids. Each of them has some had advanced degree, and are all well trained at dealing with kids. We spoke to a few of them, as we were a little apprehensive of leaving Ariya alone with them but they were more than qualified to deal children. Ariya loved Club Ocean; her eyes always sparkled when we took her there. Activities were touring round the ship and meeting the Captain (which is something we, as adults never got a chance to do), to art, building volcano’s, singing, dancing, story time, reading, games and also preparing for an end of cruise show. The kids collected coupons for each activity they attended which was normally 2 or 3 per day. These could then be traded at the end of the cruise for fun kids stuff like toys, CDs, sunglasses, key chains, etc.
The activities were free but during the evenings between 10 to 1am, there is a cost for the service. But we didn’t use them in the evening.
I have to mention that the youth staff were exceptional. They were always enthusiastic and creative. They made sure that not only did the children have fun but incorporated educational activities as well.
Entertainment & Activities Most of the entertainment was held in the That’s Entertainment lounge. There was lots of singing and shows put on. There were also game shows using the passengers as contestants.
Spa Facilities This was fantastic. I booked three massages as soon as I got on board. All staff there are very professional and the service was excellent. The hydro therapy bath treatment was divine. Highly recommended.
The Voyage and Ports We booked a lot of shore excursions, as we thought it would be better for Ariya, so she wouldn’t get board on the ship. We didn’t realise that the ship would so fantastic for kids. Anyway, it was definitely not a disappointment, as we got the best of both worlds, on ship and on shore.
We flew into Barcelona the day before departure; this was included with the costing of the cruise. So we had a chance see around the city. It’s a wonderful place.
Day One: Barcelona, Spain embarkment We were allowed to start to board at noon. There was a big tent with lemonade and water set up (all free) for the passengers whilst waiting to check in. The lines looked incredibly long but it only took about 20 minutes to get checked in. It was very efficient. Lunch was ready for us in the Windjammer Café and the Solarium Grill. We opted for the Solarium Grill. After lunch, we went to our rooms to unpack. The ship then left the port around 5pm and our room attendant introduced himself around 6pm and our luggage arrived about 8pm.
Day Two: Cannes, France We had the chance to attend a festival being held. There were small carnivals on the beach and beach was beautiful. Royal Caribbean used large motorized life rafts for the tender. Service was provided continuously and we only had to wait a few minutes. Free cool drinks were provided while we waited.
Day Three: Livorno, Florence (Italy) From Livorno, it took about an hour to get to Pisa and 90 minutes to get to Florence. The excursions began about 7:45. We saw the piazza featured in the movie Hannibal through the Academia and Art Excursion. Italy is a wonderful place. Most of the journey was through a bus ride. We were one of the first one on, so we got a chance to ride on top, which was open top. The weather was mild with a slight breeze. The actual city of Florence was not something we could explore on a bus. The roads were quite small, and sight-seeing is best done on foot.
We took a few photos of the scene from Hannibal. It was great but very crowded. We saw many sites, the 2 main ones were the Medici palace and Duomo. They then took us lunch near the Ponte Vecchio, then for a tour of the Santa Croce. We finally went back to the Piazza de Michelangelo for the panoramic shot of the City. It was white and green marble everywhere, beautifully buildings. It was very picturesque.
Only problem with tour guides though, is having to wait for people to catch up with the rest of the group.
Day Four: Naples, Italy This was the only real sea terminal on the entire trip. It was a walk through terminal building which had a few shops inside. Naples is a city which was quite close so you could walk into it. However, this day was very hot and most people decided against it.
We signed up for the panoramic Tour of Naples. This meant that we would be touring inside an air conditioned bus all the way around the city. We had 2 stops, where we had the cities ice-cream which was most delicious.
The beaches in Naples are wonderful and we had an excursion to Pompeii. This was most exciting. I’ve heard of the history of Pompeii otherwise known as the forgotten city. This was where on August 26, 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius had erupted that completely wiped out the entire city. We saw a lot of ancient ruins and few museums.
Day 5: Sea Day On this day, there are no excursions or tours. All passengers had a chance to stay on the ship and enjoy some relaxation. Touring can be very tiring, even if you’re riding around on a bus. We spent the day swimming and laying on the top deck enjoying the sun and the activities on the ship.
Day 6 and Day 7: Venice, Italy (two days) We did so much in Venice that I will have to about it on a separate review. Everyone loved this place. Our first Excursion was to the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica. We took a 60 minute gondola ride. There was a bit of a queue for a free gondola, but it was well the worth wait!! We also took an art tour to see the San Rocco.
We had a lovely romantic dinner in Venice, just my husband and I and evening sightseeing.
Day 8: Dubrovnik, Croatia We saw beautiful medieval stone sea fortress. The streets here are quite modern, which I was a little surprised. Shopping in the old town, you will generally find its lace and local embroidery. The food wasn’t to my taste. Ariya simply hated it that was everything, food and the whole city. So, we didn’t spend much time here.
Day 9: Sea Day Another day to spend on the ship lying round the pool.
Day 10: Messina, Sicily At Messina, we took Taormina volcanic excursion. I’m not much of a coffee drinker but the coffee here is wonderful, very rich and inexpensive. We took a horse drawn carriage ride around the city. It’s a beautiful city, with lots to see. The people were very friendly.
Day 11: Civitavecchia, Rome Rome is absolutely fantastic!!!! We had opted not to take any excursions, so we could wonder about ourselves. Rome is a very popular and very crowded. We started off with short bus ride tour through the city. This wasn’t part of the cruise, so we did have to pay. We saw the Vatican, Coliseum, renaissance palaces and baroque basilicas. We saw many monuments. The whole city was simply breathtaking. At the end of the day, we were so tired. We had crammed a lot in a day.
Day 12: Marseilles, France The only other city in France that I’ve been to is Paris. Marseilles is very different to Paris. It has its own sense of style. We took excursion to Aix on Provence (the city of art) We then took a mini tour train around the city, where the guide began with the singing of their national anthem.
Day 13: Barcelona, Spain Disembarkment Disembarking was just as efficient as the first day we boarded the ship. A bus was provided to take us to our hotel. We weren’t leaving till the next day so again we went sight-seeing in Barcelona, mostly spending time on beach. In the evening we strolled around vibrant town centre.
***Conclusion*** We had the most fantastic time ever. The ship was magnificent and the cities we visited were wonderful. It is something that we would definitely do again. The lifestyle can get very addictive on the ship, as the staff there caters to you every whim.
Disadvantages????????? Not advisable for anyone who gets sea-sick. No other disadvantages, although, this kind of trip is very costly.
Other than that it’s simply amazing.
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All onboard. Haven't been on a cruise and the Disney one looks attractive. XXX Benny Ong
frkurt 10.09.2004 21:33
Sounds like a great time!
funphobic2 08.09.2004 19:48
Fantastic review! I went on the Navigator of the seas in June (check out my review!), one of the voyager ships and loved it! RCI has an amazing fleet. Kel x
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Advantages: A HOLIDAY ON A SHIP/wheelchair accessable cabins/24 hr food/entertainment for kids and adults alike Disadvantages: ??????????oh the pce of alcohol
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