At 10,000 tons and a maximum of 200 passengers, the Legend is the smallest cruise ship
I've been on. To this point I've been a mega-ship kind of guy. I know I've been on cruises
where I've had more people on my balcony than are on this ship.
We boarded the ship in Acapulco, where she was in the midst of a 22 day
cruise from West Palm Beach, Florida to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, our air
arrangements had us arriving too late to have a taste of Acapulco's renowned nightlife.
In fact we got to the ship at 10:30 PM, and the ship was scheduled to leave at 11P.M.
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The majority of the other new passengers had arrived earlier in the day. When we arrived we
were checked in at the reception desk on the ship. It was a simple and speedy process, and we
were escorted to our cabin in minutes.
On this ship you're not given a shipboard ID/charge card. With so few passengers onboard the
staff know your name very quickly. There is also no signing for charges onboard. For purchases
of drinks or sundries on the ship they simply ask for your cabin number, until the next time,
when suddenly they know your name and cabin number.
Due to our lengthy travel day, and the lateness of the hour, we ordered a bite to eat
from room service to quench the hunger pains.
After sampling a surprisingly good hamburger, even though the hour was late, we had to
complete our regular cruise ritual, and take a quick tour of what was to be our home for the
next 8 nights. Remember this ship is only 10,000 tons, so we were back in our cabin in about
9 minutes. There are three lounges onboard. The Midnight Sun Lounge, the Club, and the King
Olav Lounge (which serves as the showroom). At midnight there wasn't anyone in any of them.
For a time, as we strolled around the ship, I thought I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone.
No matter where we went on the ship, there was no one to be seen except for the staff member
at the reception desk, who seemed to smile at us knowingly each time we walked by. Just as I
was wondering if we'd stepped into an alternate dimension, we ran into some fellow passengers,
exchanged some normal conversation, and with my mind now at ease, headed back to the cabin for
some much needed sleep.
