Dear B~~~
How excellent for you----your first cruise! We have all of us vacationed and gone on holiday hopefully many times in our past.....but there is nothing like a first cruise! It is sublime: being at sea day after day and then stopping to call at places that we might not have ever gotten to on our own....the feeling of the ship under our feet...the sea air....the night sky....standing in the black midnight wind at the front of the ship while under way...the rewards are endless....
While on a cruise on the Legend of the Seas in April of 2004, I took a few notes about the unique delights of this ship---(I am borrowing from a review that I wrote.)...things that struck me as noteworthy as compared to the many other cruises I have been fortunate enough to have sailed on. Perhaps you might enjoy looking out for these things....In your future these might stand out compared to your second and third cruise on perhaps different ships and cruise lines....
There are laundry rooms with iron and ironing boards on this ship! Bring your own detergent or purchase with quarters. This is so helpful for people with families or anyone who does not wish to lug along a lot of clothes (My Sweetie goes through polo shirts like crazy! Two per day at least!)
Old Timers will nod here: There is a wonderful TEAK! promenade deck, which, with a little imagination and door-opening, could be considered an almost-wrap-prom. (Go through the Enchanted Forest.) I wish there were deck chairs! I shake my head still.....who would think that Carnival would deliver such a classic item, whilst other lines have embraced the artificial Bulidt surfaces!
Commenting on the informal eatery up near the Lido Deck...there is a 24-hour Pizza Station with Caesar Salads. Ice cream is 24-hour too! Every meal in the Unicorn Cafe is a good thing because of all of the variety and the infrequent lines. I really appreciated the excellent and very huge-selection salad bar off to one side. For the regular food choices, there are over six food stations--no lines.
Hot chocolate machines in the Unicorn Cafe!......Elsewhere on board there is a formal Afternoon Tea done several days during the cruise (one day in the Piano Bar Lounge); the set-up looked formal and inviting, but I wasn't able to attend.
Take advantage, or at the very, very least, take notice of the fact that this ship has a pool and pool deck not only in the middle of the ship but also on the aft end of the ship---as was quite common years ago. It is quite wonderful to have your lounge chair very near the aft railing....reading a wonderful novel....hearing the ship's wake.... Ah....
Bon Voyage!
Lana
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