Entertainment & Activities

Theater

Catch one of the original productions created especially for Carnival Legend in Follies, the two-level main show lounge on Decks 2 and 3 at the front of the ship. Recalling the days of the magnificent movie houses of the 1920s, Follies evokes the feeling of an open courtyard in a Mediterranean villa. Arches, turrets and stained-glass chandeliers create an opulent, expansive space while providing excellent sightlines.

Carnival Legend offers a range of shows from Playlist Productions, which specializes in taking tunes that everyone knows, putting them on stage and transforming them into full-blown, but short (typically about 30 minutes) musical productions. The collection of productions includes Epic Rock, featuring songs from the glam bands of the 1970s and 1980s like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, as well as big arena rock performers like Bon Jovi. Other shows in the Playlist collection you might get to see are Motor City (R&B sounds of the 60s, 70s and 80s), The Brits (songs from British Invasion bands like The Beatles, The Who and Herman's Hermits) and Studio VIP (NYC's music scene in the 1970s).

The family-friendly, Hasbro, the Game Show, is held in Follies once per weeklong cruise.

Daily Fun

There's lots to do to keep busy during the day on Carnival Legend, from multiple trivia sessions to dance classes, bingo (for an extra fee), art seminars and auctions and various retail events when the ship is at sea. Other activities might include beanbag or ring toss competitions, dodge ball tournaments and free-throw challenges.

At Night

Live entertainment is the main draw at night on Carnival Legend, whether it's a Playlist Productions show in the Follies Theatre or live music in the RedFrog Pub, Billie's Piano Bar, or Atlantis and Odyssey lounges.

For people who like to laugh, the Punchliner Comedy Club is open most nights with three to five shows from two comedians, starting with a PG-rated show in the early evening and adults-only shows that kick off around 8:30 p.m.

Club Merlin Casino, the medieval-themed gaming area, is popular at night as well, with its castle-like atmosphere complete with a suit of armor standing sentinel at the bar and shields bearing crossed swords and a knight's helmet mounted on the walls. You'll also find a couple of pool tables right off of the casino.

A DJ starts spinning in Medusa's Lair Nightclub around 10 p.m. though it doesn't really getting rocking until close to midnight.

Carnival Legend Bars and Lounges

(During a May 2018 refurbishment, Carnival Legend received the Alchemy Bar.)

Firebird Lounge (Deck 1): Late-night comedy acts from the Punchliner Comedy Club lineup appear in the Firebird Lounge, a grand salon that takes its theme from the old Russian folktale of a talented seamstress from a small village who is turned into a bird by an evil sorcerer. A striking red- and pink-hued room, Firebird is decorated with replica hand-painted Russian lacquered boxes, accented by lamps with frosted glass globes painted on the inside to create a soft glow. You'll also find karaoke here on select nights, as well as lectures during the day.

Medusa's Lair Nightclub (Deck 2): Don't let the 3.5-foot-high Medusa heads (complete with strands of snake-like hair, capped with snake heads that have lighted eyes) keep you out of the rockin' Medusa's Lair dance club. The wall of closed-circuit televisions flashes images from the dance floor mixed with videos and special effects, while the sound system plays the latest dance music. Meanwhile, a sophisticated light system makes the Medusa heads appear to move and change expression. The nightclub is open from 10 p.m. until about 1 a.m. (or later depending on demand).

RedFrog Pub (Deck 2): The RedFrog Pub is a combination of a Caribbean bar and Irish pub, and apart from its beers (including a specially brewed RedFrog Aussie beer), it offers foosball (or table football) and a bean bag toss.

Dream Team Bar (Deck 2): The Dream Team bar offers overstuffed sofas and comfortable bar stools -- the perfect vantage points to quaff a brew and catch up on the latest sporting events.

Lobby Bar (Deck 2): As you enter the ship, you are greeted by the bar in the nine-deck-high Colossus Atrium, which is dominated by a towering mural of the Colossus of Rhodes. It's the perfect spot to grab a drink before or after dinner, or in the evening while watching live music.

Atlantis Lounge (Deck 2): This open lounge was built around the main thoroughfare cruisers must walk to get from the front of the ship to the back of the ship. Located right next to the aft elevator bank, it's got cushy sofas and chairs on one side of where people are walking and the bar and a small stage on the other side; it also features the same Greek neoclassical design elements found in the atrium. Although the bar is not an official Alchemy Bar, the bartenders wear Alchemy's signature white pharmacy jackets and mix drinks off of the Alchemy Bar menu. Live music, mostly lite-style instrumental and soft-voiced songs start up about 5 p.m. and continues on and off until 10 or so.

Billie's Piano Bar (Deck 3): Billie's Piano Bar is an intimate art deco club, where the piano player is the center of attention and everybody is a crooner. A stylish tribute to blues singer Billie Holiday, the centerpiece of the room is the stainless-steel musical bar lined with notes, and a faux 1930s-era oversized microphone decorates each table.

Odyssey Lounge (Deck 3): The Odyssey Lounge is similar to Atlantis Lounge in that it's located along Deck 3's main thoroughfare. In Odyssey, however, the seating, bar and a piano are located on one side of the walkway. As at the Atlantis Lounge, lite evening music begins around 5 p.m. most nights and ends around 10.

Enchanted Forest (Deck 3): Located right outside the Circle C kids' club, this hallway lounge features faux-wood accents, including fake trees popping out of the walls, and has an "I've got a secret vibe" with its out-of-the-way location and dim lighting. We never saw any adults here, just teenagers.

Avalon and Camelot Bars (Deck 9): These poolside bars are for cruisers hanging by the midship Avalon or forward Camelot pools, or for people dining in the Unicorn Cafe buffet to grab a drink to go with lunch or dinner.

Serenity Bar (Deck 9): A small bar dedicated to cruisers lounging in the adults-only Serenity area.

Carnival Legend Outside Recreation

Pools

Carnival Legend has three pools: the main Avalon pool, the quieter Camelot forward pool and the adults-only Serenity pool. Each pool also has one or two hot tubs nearby. Camelot Pool has a retractable domed ceiling for use during inclement weather.

Recreation

Carnival Legend WaterWorks is a top-deck area containing the exhilarating Green Thunder water slide, Carnival's signature Twister water slide (a much tamer ride) and the little kids' SplashZone. First introduced on Carnival Spirit in October 2012, Green Thunder is billed as the fastest and highest water slide at sea. The fun begins when the floor of the slide drops away and the rider freefalls for a few seconds before whipping around the curves at speeds up to 40 miles per hour (65 kilometers per hour). The ride itself takes just 10 seconds, but it's a heart-stopping 10 seconds, we're told.

SplashZone features two little purple water slides that descend into a wading pool and a big dipping bucket that spills water over the kids.

Cruisers looking for drier recreational fun can hit the mini-golf course on Deck 11 or shoot some hoops in the next door half-basketball court. A jogging track circles the front half of Deck 11; 15 laps equals 1 mile.

Sun Decks

Carnival Legend's main sun deck spaces are on Decks 9 and 10, right next to or right above the Avalon pool.

You'll also find loungers on Deck 10 in the adults-only Serenity lounge. It's furnished with cane sun loungers with blue padded cushions, a series of two-person cone-shaded cane and padded pods and a few hammocks. Those in the know say that a pod and hammock have been hard to come by, and many passengers get up quite early to grab them -- although seat/lounge minding is frowned upon. Serenity is child-free, but it's only a deck away (via a few stairs) from the kids SplashZone on the top deck and is often the place parents go to chill out when their children are at play. There's a bar offering waiter service, and it's only a walk away from the Unicorn Cafe buffet restaurant. Hence, folks like to hang out there all day.

Carnival Legend Services

The main passenger services desks are located in the Atrium on Deck 2, including the guest services and shore excursions desks. You'll also find an ATM on Deck 2, located just outside the casino, as well as a SAS (sail and sign) kiosk for checking your account balance. Right next door is the ship's quasi-internet cafe with five computers and a printer. We rarely saw anyone use it as the ship offers front-to-back Wi-Fi with three packages available. Also on Deck 2, in between Legend Cafe and the Follies Theatre is the Trump Card Room; the Holmes Library is one deck up.

Next to the library is the ship's chapel. Much of the midship space on Deck 3, however, is taken up by shops including the line's fun candy shop, Cherry on Top, as well as places to buy jewelry, perfume, designer and Carnival-branded clothing and Carnival-branded souvenirs.

Further toward the back of the ship on Deck 3 is Pixel Gallery, where you'll find all the photos of you taken by the ship's photographers throughout the cruise. The gallery also offers scrapbooking needs, professional landscape and cityscape prints and a portrait studio.

Carnival Legend has four DIY launderettes onboard, on Decks 4, 5, 6 and 7. Washing machines and dryers cost $3 each, as does laundry detergent.

There's a medical center on Deck A.

Spa & Fitness

Spa

The Carnival Spa, a 14,500-square-foot (1,347-square-meter) two-level health center, encompasses the forward area of the Lido and Sun Decks, (Decks 9 and 10), providing ocean views to exercisers. The Steiner-operated spa offers a variety of treatments, including aroma stone therapy, full-body and scalp massages, seaweed wraps, mudpacks and various slimming and toning therapies in 10 private treatment rooms. Also housed within the spa are complete locker facilities, saunas and steam rooms, and a full-service beauty salon.

Prices are hefty; a 75-minute Thai herbal poultice massage costs $215; a 50-minute Elemis Pro-Collagen quartz lift facial is $160; and a Fire & Ice Pedicure is $77. There are also select treatments designed just for men, and just for teens. All treatments incur an automatic 5 percent gratuity.

Fitness

The tiered gym, located next to the spa, features the latest cardio equipment, including a top range of treadmills and stair climbers, as well as stationary bicycles and free weights. A great feature of the gym is the chill-out hot tub or whirlpool (often called a spa bath by Australians) in the middle of the room, to ease those aching limbs post workout.

While most cruise ship fitness centers tend to look the same, Carnival Legend's is an original, tiered like a Roman amphitheater so you get a view of the ocean from every piece of its state-of-the-art equipment.

Adjacent to the workout area is a mirrored aerobics room, used for a series of exercise classes including low- and high-impact aerobics, yoga, spinning, and stretching and relaxation sessions. Some of these classes have an additional fee per person, so check prior to sign-up.

For Kids

Camp Ocean is centered on a 2,400-square-foot (223-square-meter) enclosed play area on Deck 5, away from adult activities. It serves as headquarters to a supervised program, divided by age groups, offering children's activities for ages 2 to 11 with an "under the sea" theme.

There is no private babysitting but the Night Owls program offers group child-minding and activities for those aged 12 months to 11 years. It's on every night from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m.; late-night munchies and games are on offer, with an extra fee of $8 per hour, per child.

Fun for cruise kids (and their parents) are the Seuss at Sea program and Hasbro, the Game Show. Dr. Seuss characters, including Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2, entertain kids at special character parades and during interactive story times. They also appear at one breakfast during the cruise (usually the first full day at sea), where a special menu of Dr. Seuss foods like green eggs and ham are served to the little ones.

While Hasbro, the Game Show (based on a TV show called Family Game Night) is not known to your average Australian, it is a hit with families and people who like to participate on stage. The cruise version is a contest between teams to play various board games (think Monopoly, Operation and a basketball challenge called Connect 4 Basketball). Loud and competitive, it appeals to kids, even if they've never played the board games or seen the TV show.

Kids

All kids 11 years old or younger need to be signed in and out of Camp Carnival, which comprises three areas connected by tunnels: one area for crafts, a second one for computer games and a third one for games. A video wall displays movies and cartoons. An outdoor play area offers mini-basketball, jungle gyms and other playground equipment. The top deck SplashZone is also suitable for children in this age group.

Teens

One deck below is Circle C, designed for children from 12 to 14, complete with an attached video game room, which also offers virtual-reality games. Other activities on offer are movies, swim games, sports, scavenger hunts and organized dance parties.

Teens from 15 to 17 have their own hangout space, Club O2, on Deck 10. Complete with a nonalcoholic drinks bar, a dance floor, lazy lounge area and the latest video games, it's the place for teens to have fun and meet new friends.