Carnival Legend

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

rwilymz — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:16:49 GMT

Okay, I met Candy. She figured out who I was from my description above. She was pleasant. We saw her only once after that first time -- I guess we had different individual itineraries. Although at the DI giveaway in Belize, "Candy" something was the first name Dominica pulled out of the hat. No show, so she kept pulling names until my wife won the raffle.

The muster drill folks didn't quite know where to herd the passengers going to section B -- which was disconcerting to some but annoying to me. Good grief, folks, you've been doing this for how long? Figure it out!

I won a free bottle of champagne at the last-day art auction. On our anniversary ... which was convenient. We toasted anniversaries and honeymoons at dinner.

My wife won some sandal thing at DI; I won the champagne. The kids were doing their best to win at bingo just to make it a clean sweep. They let the team down.

George the guitar guy ended up knowing me by name. I kept asking if he knew these off-the-wall songs; he didn't. What's not to love about 30,000 Pounds of Bananas? But he was going to learn El Condor Pasa just because three people asked him to play it.

I also won a coveted ship on a stick, for the trivia contest after getting back from Cayman. Got 18 of the 20. I shoulda remembered that London Bridge isn't a drawbridge, and gotten 19.

Talked with several merchants taken off the "recommended" list we'd known before and got very disturbing feedback on the Carnival "recommendation" program. I'm sure the info we got is somewhat subjective and not strictly accurate, but then I idly quizzed Dominica, the shopper chick, and she gave a completely different account. Sorta figured that'd happen.

But the stories from the merchants were all very, very similar and were from three different stops, while the story from Carnival was at odds with them. I would tend to believe the merchants' accounts were closer to the real reason those places were dropped. And near as I could tell from what I learned, either Diamonds International is attempting to muscle competition out of their way, or Carnival is attempting to solicit kickbacks for the benefit of "recommendation" and some of the smaller joints can't come up with the scratch.

Had an interesting conversation with one of the maintenance guys about 6:15 one morning early on in the cruise as I held the bar clamp he was using to repair one of the Lido Deck tables. Jorge, from the Philipines. He smiled and waved at me several times during the cruise. But that is for a different topic.

Hired a local outfit to take us to Tabyana, and learned that when Carnival is in town they seem to want exclusive access to the beach for themselves and their own excursion parties. We had to climb through condo construction to get there. Annoying. And then the place was so crowded it zapped all the wow out of it. It's just a beach. With elbow-to-elbow people and locals selling or renting virtually anything you can think of.

I tooks notes on the television channels available, but apparently we haven't unpacked those yet. I'll try to dig them up.

The newlywed game hasn't changed content or format; it just changed name. If my wife and I ever do that, we'll get every question answered the same. They really need to mix it up.

One day -- after Belize, I recall -- two of the pools were closed for the rest of the day. The one by the stage had a brown out [tip o' the hat to Linda for the phrase] while the aft pool [we heard; we didn't actually go look] had some kind of "oil slick". Many, many people were severely annoyed or greater, and I watched one woman having a meltdown at the chick running the towel/ping pong paddle desk over it.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me say this as clearly and distinctly as possible:
Babies in diapers do not belong in the pools.

And let me just casually mention that all that suntan oil you slather on yourselves? it comes off in water, which means the pool. Not all of it will come off, but if enough people are all oiled up and rinse off in the pool -- oil slick. Use the showers; that's what they're for.

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

rwilymz — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:48:37 GMT

...

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

waitintocruise — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:23:03 GMT

2 days!!! Yeah!!!!!

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

azuremoonlight — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:32:55 GMT

Time sure did fly with our cruise just a few days from us now.

I am very much ready for it!

Hope all of you will have a blast!

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

Tim — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:15:28 GMT

michelle67,

Ther is plenty to do and see. It depends if you want beach or city? I usally stay at the Tampa Waterside Marriott. It is in channelside next to the port. You can walk, less than 5 mins to the ship. There are plenty of resturants, bars, shops, movies and the Florida Aquarium all within wakling distance of the hotel. They also have a great Sunday brunch!!! Food before more food. If you stay there, then no need for a car rental. If you want something different than city try the beaches of Clearwater or St. Pete Beach (my home). Although a car rental would be needed. The closest car drop off to the pier is at the Tampa airport. I know that Dollar provides transportation to the pier.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your stay in Florida and your cruise on the Legend. Wish it was me, but I have to wait until Aug. 02nd .

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

candyandkids — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:09:08 GMT

Sounds good, I'm 5'3" brunette with two kids, my daughter is 14 and an inch taller than me and my son is 12 and up to my eyes already. We'll be the 3 wondering around looking lost. Anyone whose posted on here, especially the ones with teens come meet us too! Can't wait now, this week at work is gonna drag on I'm afraid!

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

rwilymz — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:49:05 GMT

candyandkids:
give me a time and place and I will find it.

Alright ... but I hate making executive decisions...

http://www.carnival.com/Deck_Plan.aspx?shipCode=LE&icid=CC_Carnival%20Legend_260

Select Lido deck. Avalon bar area, midship, between the two pools ... after the fun and informative muster drill. That'll give me an opportunity to get my signature red wine.

I'll be the skinny guy in the Cubs hat or the leather hat, with the red wine standing next to a tall, attractive woman with poor taste in men.

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

candyandkids — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:23:40 GMT

Never been on a cruise, not sure where to meet, give me a time and place and I will find it.

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

rwilymz — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:12:58 GMT

Alright, Candy & Michelle, where are we going to do this meeting thing?

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

michelle67 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:05:56 GMT

I will try to find you! Am also from Illinois so will also look for the "northern" tan! LOL!

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

michelle67 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:01:11 GMT

We are flying in the morning before the cruise. Want to spend some time sightseeing. Can you suggest places for staying? Would like to know how hard it is to get around by bus or trolley also. Are there places to stay that would be able to take us to/from airport and ship or are we looking at an alternative mode of transportation? Since you live there, any info would be helpful. Also, do you suggest seeing the Ybor and Channelside districts we've heard about? Thanks for you insight!

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

rwilymz — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:12:45 GMT

Common locations to meet are the atrium bar, or the pool-area -- near the bars -- with a given time range and a description of what you'll wear or what you look like.

A bar seems to be a common theme, for some reason ... and after today, I can see why.

The pool area is bigger, but generally has more traffic. The atrium bar is smaller, but folks don't always want to be staying inside when there's the loverly Tampa ship channel to look at.

So ... You pick a spot to accidentally run into each other right after the informative muster drill and I'll describe me:

Shorts, sandals, t-shirt of some sort possibly sleeveless, thin, medium height; about 50 and far too old to be getting carded [word of warning to beer vendors nation-wide]; I doubt I'll have shaven but it won't be 'beard', round glasses, most likely a glass of red wine in hand, definitely some kind of hat and it will either be a leather cowboy type or Cubs baseball. I'll be the one with the very attractive and tall wife with poor taste in men.

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

candyandkids — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:33:11 GMT

I would like that. Any ideas where/how?

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

rwilymz — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:30:58 GMT

Any plans to meet before sailing?

Re: Role Call - July 12th, 2009 - Carnival Legend - Who's with me (smile)

azuremoonlight — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:30:42 GMT

20 days and counting! :)