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Twenty years ago, the Carnival Legend arrived in New York City for its debut in the United States.
The first of two cruise ships that entered service for Carnival Cruise Line in 2002, the Spirit-Class vessel docked in a stateside port for the first time on September 22, 2022.
On that day, the Legend concluded a 15-night transatlantic crossing before kicking off its first cruise to Canada and New England.
The 11-night voyage included visits to Boston, Portland, Quebec City, Sydney and Halifax before returning to New York City.
As part of its inaugural program, the Legend offered additional itineraries departing from New York City as well as cruises departing from Philadelphia and Baltimore in October.
The 2,100-guest vessel then arrived in Fort Lauderdale – the homeport for its first winter season in the Caribbean – in November.
Prior to its arrival in the United States, the Legend became the first Carnival ship to offer cruises in Europe.
Soon after being delivered from Kvaerner Masa-Yards in August, the ship sailed two different cruises to Northern Europe and the Baltic.
Continuing Carnival’s Spirit Class, the Legend followed the 2001-built Carnival Spirit and the 2001-built Carnival Pride. A fourth vessel in the series, the Carnival Miracle, entered service in 2004.
Designed with a multi-deck atrium, a glass-enclosed pool deck and a large number of cabins with private balconies, the ship underwent a major refurbishment in 2014.
The multi-million-dollar renovation included the additions of the Green Thunder, one of the steepest and fastest waterslides at sea; the tropics-inspired RedFrog Pub; and a full-service sushi restaurant called Bonsai Sushi.
Currently sailing from Baltimore, the Legend last saw a drydock in 2021. At the time, it received Carnival’s new livery, as well as general maintenance and upkeep.
In addition to the Carnival Legend, the Carnival Conquest also debuted in 2002.
Carnival Horizon a 'Vista Sista' but with notable differences
The outdoor serving station at Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse/Brewhouse. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
ONBOARD THE CARNIVAL HORIZON -- Before this ship got its official name, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy liked to joke that it would be called the Vista Sista.
The two ships are truly as similar as siblings, with just a few wrinkles separating the 2016-delivered Carnival Vista from 2018's Horizon.
One of the most noticeable differences can be discerned as soon as guests board the 133,500-gross-ton Horizon, however. The Horizon is the first Carnival ship to be equipped with "destination-based" elevators.
The Funship Towel Animal mascot strolling the decks. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
The system, which was initially intended for the Vista, puts all the elevator floor commands on a touchscreen in the waiting area, rather than having them clustered on a panel inside the elevator itself.
Passengers punch in their destination, and a software program assigns them the next elevator that is headed to their destination floor. The idea is to cut down on wait times.
For anyone who hasn't encountered the system on land previously, it takes a day or two to get comfortable with not having the traditional buttons to push inside the car. The walls next to the elevator doors look oddly empty, and one is left to trust that the system really will deliver you to the desired destination.
Many of the features introduced on the Vista have been faithfully reproduced on the Horizon without any variation, including the Imax theatre, the Family Harbor Lounge and the amazing Dreamscape columns that anchor the main atrium and the casino bar.
Up top, the nifty SkyRide recumbent bikes suspended from their dual tracks circle the funnel just like on the Vista.
At first glance, the Havana Cabana section seems like another duplicate, but the warren of tropically themed suites has been enlarged, giving it 79 cabins, 18 more than on the Vista.
On the top deck, the WaterWorks children's water park has been festively rebranded with Dr. Seuss themes, with Seuss characters prowling the premises. Kids can choose between the red-and-white Cat in the Hat slide or the blue Fun Things slide. There's also a 300-gallon Cat in the Hat tipping bucket.
Stairs to the water slides at the Dr. Seuss WaterWorks. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
In the atrium, Carnival has added new retail names such as Michael Kors, Hublot and Kate Spade. But the biggest addition for the Horizon is Victoria's Secret store, the lingerie chain's first full store at sea.
Perhaps the greatest area of innovation on the Horizon has been in the food offerings, starting with Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse/Brewhouse, a name that requires some unpacking to understand.
The Guy is Guy Fieri, the TV chef who has created a burger concept for Carnival and also some complimentary BBQ pit stops on a few Carnival vessels. The Horizon is the first ship to have a proper barbecue restaurant, which accounts for the Smokehouse part of the name. It is open for free lunch on embarkation and sea days and at dinner with a la carte pricing each evening of the cruise.
The Brewhouse is a relocation of the brewery on the Vista from the RedFrog Pub into the BBQ restaurant. Carnival's brewmaster has created four craft beers intended to complement the smoky food.
Another area where Carnival has combined venues is Fahrenheit 555, the steakhouse speciality restaurant that now has piano music at dinner. That was accomplished by relocating Piano Bar 88 from an area down the hall on the Vista to a space immediately adjacent to the steakhouse, where a private dining room sits on the Vista.
Bonsai Teppanyaki is Carnival's foray into a Japanese griddle restaurant. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
A wall divider between the piano bar and the restaurant is opened during early evening when dinner begins.
"You have live piano music while you're in the steakhouse," Duffy said. "And then we close that off and go back to the piano bar after dinner."
Another change in the steakhouse is dessert presentation, which is done with flair and brio at the table.
The Bonsai Sushi area has been expanded to incorporate Carnival's first attempt at teppanyaki, the Japanese griddle restaurant with performing chefs who plate food with a circus-like theatricality.
Carnival Cruise Line is phasing out a partnership with video game maker EA Sports that put the EA brand on a number of sports bars on Carnival ships.
The brand will no longer appear on new sports bars built as part of Funship 2.0 renovations, starting with the Carnival Miracle in March.
Carnival and EA Sports, a brand of Electronic Arts, Inc., first collaborated in 2011 when Carnival put EA Sports Bars on the Carnival Magic and Carnival Liberty. They have since been installed on other ships such as Carnival Dream and Carnival Sunshine.
The existing bars branded as EA will continue under that name, spokesman Vance Gulliksen said. "Going forward, any additional sports bars introduced on our ships will not be EA Sports branded. While we will continue to feature sports bars, which are a popular feature on our ships, over time the EA brand will be phased out," he said.
The bar on the Carnival Miracle, named Sports Bar, will be installed during a two-week drydock in March that will include a host of Funship 2.0 features such as RedFrog Pub, Alchemy Bar, Seuss at Sea, Hasbro the Game Show, Cherry On Top and more.
The Miracle operates year-round from Long Beach, Calif.
Carnival Legend to cross Panama Canal and visit Tahiti
By Jerry Limone
Prior to its deployment to Australia in fall 2014, the Carnival Legend will operate two repositioning cruises: a 13-day Panama Canal cruise and a 23-day transpacific voyage.
Prior to these cruises, the Carnival Legend will undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation in which Carnival will add features of its Fun Ship 2.0 program, including the WaterWorks aqua park, RedFrog Pub and Cherry On Top candy store.
The 13-day Panama Canal cruise will depart Tampa on Aug. 17, 2014, and arrive in Long Beach, Calif., on Aug. 30.
The Legend will visit Grand Cayman and Cartagena, Colombia, prior to the Panama Canal transit. That will be followed by daylong calls to Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The Legend’s transpacific voyage departs from Long Beach on Aug. 30 and arrives in Sydney on Sept. 22. The voyage will feature visits to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea, French Polynesia; Suva, Fiji Islands; and Noumea, New Caledonia.
The two voyages can be combined to create a 36-day cruise.
