kwren

I have been advised to go with RCCL Explorer of the Seas to the Caribbean instead of Carnival Legend. However, when I look at cruise critic, this is how both are rated...

Legend: Dining-4, Entertainment-5, Family-5, overall blue ribbons-4+

Explorer: Dining-2, Entertainment-3, Family-5, overall blue ribbons-4

What am I missing here? Please help!

spur

Kwren,
If you look at member's rating on the same site (which I think are more illustrative than others), Explorer has 4.7 and Legend 4.2. But these are all subjective numbers that you can just take FYI. If somebody likes a particular ship, it doesn't necessary mean you'd like it too. You need to collect all the info about both ships and then decide based on your preferences. I can tell you exactly why I prefer Explorer. This is the staff that Explorer has and Legend doesn't:
Magnificent ice-skating shows by professional skaters. During day time your kids can skate.
Promenade parades that you and your kids will love, and Promenade itself.
Rock climbing wall, full size basketball court, mini golf court.
Beautiful 9th hole cafe on top of the ship.
Nice chapel with changing color lights.
Dining: both of them are not gourmet but O.K. RCCL offers better quality, except for pizza, which is best by Carnival. I don't know why Carnival food is rated twice as good as RCCL. May be because Carnival food is more plentiful, including deli and Chinese stations. But I could never chew on Carnival steaks, and that's when the difference in price shows. You get what you pay for.
Entertainment: Royal is more professional.
Family: I think about the same, but Explorer is a lot bigger ship with more choices what to do. It also has a large beautiful casino. And an adult pool which is actually separated from other part of the deck.
Bottom line is you will most likely have a good time on either one.
Hope this will help you decide.

kwren

Thanks spur - yes, that was very helpful. We have to decide if the extras on RCCL outweigh the extra price and budget for the 5 of us. (Might be different if we hadn't just spent 3 weeks in Europe this year!)

How are the lines for things like the rock climbing wall or skating? Are the kids going to be able to do those without waiting all day? How much to rent skates (I assume they aren't free)

Do you know anything about the promenade-view (inside rooms) on RCCL? Do all inside rooms have this view or just upper decks? Can you watch the parades from them? They sound much better than the typical inside cabins.

spur

Usually there were several people in the rock climbing wall lines, and it was two lines. Skates are free, and you must have long pants to skate. Promenade cabins are different categories from other inside cabins and usually cost more. You can watch parades from the window.

flycatcher06

A couple of other things to take into consideration - the Explorer of the Seas is a much larger ship - thereofre may have more tendering ports which is a pain! Also staterooms are generally smaller on Royal Caribbean. As far as the Legend goes I thought it was the most god awful dizzying ship as far as decor went however I have to say the food was excellent!

kwren

Good to know about the skates, long pants and promenades. Thanks.

I've also heard a lot about "urns" on the Legend. I'm afraid to ask (but I will)... Can anyone fill me in?

Flycatcher - did you enjoy the cruise on the Legend apart from the decor? What were the negatives for you?

CruiseDiva

The "urns" are a decorative item found in a number of areas throughout that ship.

Repetitive elements are a signature of Joe Farcus, the marine architect who designs Carnival ships. I wouldn't let the urns keep me from booking on Carnival Legend.

While some consider the decor on their ships a bit over the top, it can be fun to spot the different elements and note how they fit into the overall theme. Carnival is rolling out videos hosted by Joe Farcus to be shown on cabin televisions--in them he explains the ship's theme and why he selected certain items to carry it out.

Hope that helps explain it.

Linda Coffman
Author, Fodor's The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises

flycatcher06

We have been on about 6 Carnival Cruises and the Legend is definitely over the top. Every square inch is gaudily decorated whether you look at floor or ceiling but we in no way let it affect our cruise - we had a wonderful cruise and the food for some reason was the best we ever had on a Carnival Cruise. We have also cruised on Princess which is much more sedate - there is something electric about a Carnival cruise - the people are basically the same it is just a totally different feeling.