|
Legend of the Seas in Asia |
|
Reviewed By: Keelan, Sale on 15th May 2009
|
| Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean Cruises |
Times cruised before: 10+ |
| Cruise Ship: Legend of the Seas |
Sailed:
April,
2009 |
| Destination: Far East |
Age: 56-65 |
|
We booked this cruise 18 months in advance whilst on another Royal Caribbean cruise to get the benefit of $200 OBC (onboard credit) Shortly after booking, we were contacted by the cruiseline to say that the cruise was now to start 2 days earlier, but that we could have the now 14 night cruise for the same price as the original 12 nighter plus we would be given $200 OBC for the inconvenience. What inconvenience is that?!
Before sailing we read many reviews of similar cruises on Legend, and one of our concerns was that the concierge lounge had been removed for the Asia season, but we need not have worried. It was running as usual, and the concierge Julieanne was excellent (even managing to get us our requested upgrade to a balcony cabin on day 5 of the cruise)
Another concern was that it would be mainly Asian food in the buffet and restaurant - again our fears were groundless. Yes....there were plenty of Asian choices, but there was also the usual western choice we have come to expect on Royal Caribbean. Food quality has deteriorated in recent years (apparently on all ships as the cruiselines seek to cut costs) - the most noticeable difference being the inferior cut of steak which was often tough, and the cherries jublilee which were mixed with other fruits and served in the most disgusting purple syrup (what a disappointment!)
We were on second sitting and were with 2 couples from Canada, a widowed lady from Canada and a young couple who joined our table on day 2 after finding their previous dining companions incompatible. What a great group - we all looked forward to meeting up and sharing our experiences at dinner, and were usually one of the last to leave the restaurant. Our servers were excellent, and it was a great advantage to have an assistant waiter who was Chinese, as he wrote directions to various places so that we had no problem with taxi drivers, none of whom spoke a word of English .
We all liked to do our own thing in port, not least because the cruiseline excursions were expensive. We did take the Highlights of Hong Kong Island on the second day in port, purely because of the logistics of making our own way to Aberdeen, Stanley Market and Victoria Peak in the time available. In every port except Hong Kong, there were minibus drivers looking to make up groups of up to 10 people to take a private tour. Much cheaper and more personal than the coach trips offered by the ship and covering the same or even more ground.
The ship is getting old and is showing it's age in parts. The paintwork needs shotblasting to get rid of the layers of paint and odd patches of rust. Some of the furniture is in dire need of replacement eg, the chairs in the Windjammer, but having said that, the crew go to great lengths to keep the ship as clean and sparkling as possible given it's age. Cleaning, especially of high touch areas, become even more frequent as news of the swine flu outbreak emerged. We do like this size ship, and this class of ship in particular (especially the quiet sundeck through the spa on deck 9)
The entertainment was excellent as usual. I felt the music in the first couple of shows was aimmed at an older age group (we are late fifties) but after that, it was more to our taste. The highlight for us was Bjorn Again who were excellent as Abba "sing- alikes"
Embarkation was a little disorganised as we arrived early at the port direct from the airport - easy to do via Maglev then cheap taxi from downtown to port (provided you have the address of the cruise terminal written in Chinese script) We were trekking all over the terminal trying to find where to leave our baggage, then after check-in nobody told us where to go to embark, but once onboard everything was organised to the usual high standards. I'd read that the pursers desk staff were unhelpful and unfriendly, but this was not our experience. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
We found drinks to be expensive, due in part, but not entirely to the pound/dollar exchange rate. We drink very little so that didn't really affect us. We did purchase the soda card @$6 plus 15% gratuity a day. In hindsight, we'd have been better buying individual cans on such a port intensive itinerary.
We'd certainly recommend this cruise on this ship despite the long flying time to reach the port. Our flight home from Singapore to Paris on Air France was horrendous. The plane was full and we had the only 2 seats with broken TVs. We flew at 11pm into a headwind, so the 13 and a half hour flight was almost entirel in the dark with dimmed lights. As DH can't sleep on a plane, he spent the entire flight twiddling his thumbs. It was pure torture. To make matters worse, we were served dinner shortly after take-off and breakfast shortly before landing. During the remaining 9 hours, there should have been sandwiches, snacks and noodles in the galley. But when we asked, all that was left were cupnoodles and icecream. So not only were we bored, but were also hungry. Air france? - never again!!
|
| Quality of Food |  |
| | Entertainment | |
| | Shore Excursions | |
| | Staff | |
| The concierge who went out of her way to give assistance, even to those who were not really her resposibility | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities |  |
| | Cabins | |
| | Overall Rating | |
|
|
