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Length: 867'

Beam: 105'

Draft: 24.5'

Gross Tonnage: 70,000 Tons

Passenger capacity: 1,804

Crew: 723

Speed: 24 knots

My review of the Legend of the Seas is based on her inagural sailing from San Franscisco to Alaska during the week of June 3rd - 10th. I compare this ship to the Song of America, Monarch of the Seas, and Viking Serenade,(all belonging to RCCL).

If you are familiar with the company's other vessels, the first thing that catches your eyes is that the funnel and Viking Crown have been located more midship than on the other ships. This is due to the fact that the Legend was designed to be faster than her other sister ships (24 knots cruising speed),which in turn required larger and heavier engines. therefore the engines needed to be mounted more towards the middle of the ship for stability and seaworthiness. this not only creates a handsome profile, but also allows the Viking Crown Lounge to be placed over the main lobby (or Centrum as RCCL calls it). Now one can reach the Viking Crown by way of the glass enclosed elevators directly from the Centrum. This layout works very well.

The public rooms are spacious, and the overall design of the ship is very good. One design flaw that I noticed however is the placement of the casino directly aft of the main show lounge. When arriving or leaving the theater, you must go through the smokey casino, or exit out onto the Promenade and go around the outside. The Main show room is truly a theater , providing great sight lines(no supporting pillars), and a real orchestra pit. The entertainment was fantastic and "professional".

The Windjammer Cafe is located on deck 9 and overlooks the bow of the ship (similar to the Sovereign class ships). Service in the Windjammer was excellent. The two level dining room is absolutely gorgrous! Twin flowing staircases, floor to ceiling windows, and pleasing decor made dining here a real treat. Also the service provided here was exemplary. Our waiter (Engin) and busboy (Gogo) made it a point to learn our names and our daily wants. The Champagne Terrace which is located mid ship on decks 3 and 4 has been enlarged compared to the Monarch, Majesty and Sovereign. This was a favorite meeting place before dinner, and has great views through the full length windows, and wonderful music provided by the Rosario Strings.

The Solarium is located at the aft end of the ship, and contains a small pool, two hot tubs and a juice/snack bar This area is covered by a retractable "glass canopy" that protected us during Alaska's inclement weather, but allowed plenty of sunshine as well. this part of the ship was frequented often by many passengers, but never seemed crowded. When the canopy was opened, it moved to the rear and covered the 18 hole miniature golf course. By the way, this little course was a real kick! There is also a main pool on the Sun deck, flanked by 2 more hot tubs.

I guess enough passengers have complained about the size of cabins on the company's other ships because these are about 30% larger, fore and aft dimensions are 9 1/2 feet compared to 7 feet. Still a little small compared to other cruise lines in this price catagory, yet are well designed and had ample space for Sharon and I. The decor was pleasing with soft pastels, brass and wood. There is no movie theater on this ship, but there was a good selection of recent films, and satellite t.v..

With the exception of a veal dish I had one evening, the food was very good to excellent in preparation and quality.

The Promenade deck does not wrap around the front of the ship. This was something that I missed. Also I heard some passengers complaining about the number and location of public restrooms aboard, especially near the dining room.

I have read from other bulletin board reviews of a vibration problem on board the vessel. It was noticeable to me especially around the shops and in the dining room. It was not bothersome and did not detract from the quality of our cruise.

There is a great deal of art aboard the Legend, provided by London Contemporary Art. Paintings, sculptures and the like can be found in all the public spaces. It was all very nice (I am not an art critic however).

In conclusion, the Legend of the Seas is a classic, handsome, fast and very comfortable ship, which should exceed the expectations of most (if not all) the passengers she carries.

I thoroughly enjoyed this ship.

Bon Voyage!
Chris

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