Ok...first the disclaimer...posting after free flowing wine at dinner!

We boarded the Legend this afternoon at about 2:45 - drove from home - when we arrived we felt as though we were LATE - no lines - no one waiting as we approached dock 21!

While I parked the car Tom waited and when I returned we were escorted on to the ship. We waited a few minutes but checked in within a very short time and then walked to our suite - same one as last year - we knew our way and didn't need assistance.

We're happy to be back - love our stewardess from Johannesburg. Enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails in the club and then went to dinner at about 8 PM.

Everything was wonderful - I promise to post the menu in the morning - I'll compose in word to save some internet charges.

Tom just announced that his pillow was fine - I asked for an extra "thin" pillow per his request.

I've decorated our suite with Christmas Lights and we are excited to start our holiday cruise.

BTW - CC readers may know about Collin's parents from Australia - I meet them this afternoon after our lifeboat drill - I'll tell you more about them tomorrow.

So for now, night- night!

Margo, glad you got there safe and sound. Seems like you are off to a good start. Have lots of fun.
lynn

Margo,
Thanks for the initial report and I look forward to the rest.
I was aware of Colin's parents being on board and am pleased that you have met them already.
Continue to enjoy all that is on offer.

Wayne

Margo, Sounds like a wonderful beginning to a fabulous cruise. Thanks for the seamail. You PUI was just fine!!

Its a beautiful morning....I'm up early, ready to enjoy every minute. I uploaded a few photos from yesterday's sailway.

http://gallery.mac.com/ogram1/100223

Thanks for the photos! Amazingly quick on getting them posted.

Thanks for the mail and pics, Margo. Nice to see you are having a good time. It is neat having a ship or resort decorated for Christmas, and I am sure your holiday should be very festive.

Thanks for checking in Margo. The ship looks lovely. I know you and Tom will have a wonderful cruise! :)

Thanks for posting, M! Ship/sail away looks lovely. Have a great cruise.

Great to hear from you, Margo. Have a fantastic cruise!!!

I am keeping notes as we go along - sort of a cruise "review". These are some of my impressions so far.

Day One

We drove from Sarasota to Fort Lauderdale. Drive time less than 3 hours. The Port Everglades parking garage was almost full. I had to park on the roof – guess everyone is on a cruise this week!

Embarkation from Dock 21: very smooth, short wait in lounge. Shore staff was friendly and helpful. Tom used small portable wheelchair for boarding – much easier for both of us as he is very slow over long distances.

We are in Suite 134, with handicap access – for Seabourn that means a shower instead of tub and lots of grab bars in the bathroom. Otherwise I believe the suite to be identical to all others of this size.

Our stewardess greeted us a few minutes after we entered our suite. She seems eager to help us feel comfortable. Our luggage arrived very quickly and we were able to settle in fairly easily.

Cocktails in the club – busy, many guest present, short introduction program of cruise staff

Dinner – table for two, at about 8 PM. Staff was very busy and there was a bit of a wait to order.

We both had Seared Beef Carpaccio, sesame vinaigrette with toasted shitake mushrooms and scallions DELICIOUS

Tom enjoyed the Chicken Bouillon with herbed dumplings and celery confit

I ordered the Mediterranean Pasta & Poached Salmon Salad with semi dried tomatoes, artichokes – the salmon was undetectable and I would have sent it back but the staff was so harried and I didn’t really care to make a fuss about it.

Our main course items were excellent. I had the Grilled Tuna Fillet smothered in vegetables with soy-lime dressing and fresh coriander – just typing it makes my mouth water – yum!

Tom made his “reliable” selection of Grilled Sirloin Steak with Guinness Braised Short Rib with grain mustard potato mousseline and sweet tomato marmalade.

Our bottomless wine glasses were filled with nice selections of Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot from California

My favorite dessert is the lovely cheese plate with four small tastes of different cheeses, nuts and condiments – and of course a glass of port.

Tom’s vanilla ice cream with butterscotch made him happy.

We finished a bit late to go to the show so decided to call it a day and get settled in our suite – early to bed and a wonderful smooth night, the slight rocking of the ship made for happy dreams.

Day Two

It’s a sunny morning, but very breezy on the walking track. I only did a mile and then grabbed some coffee in the Observation Lounge

We had a light continental breakfast in our suite and I stopped in for the shore excursion lecture. Because of the holidays many of the ports offer little or no shopping and the choice of activities is limited. If this was my first trip to the Caribbean I would probably find that disappointing. Just a note for anyone planning cruises at Christmas.

Thanks for checking in and posting your pix, Margo. Dinner last night did sound lucious. The Grilled Tuna makes my mouth water, too. Enjoy, relax and have a lovely holiday with Tom.

Margo, thanks for seamail and detail--have fun, r/wes

Thanks for posting and love the description of the menus. Working on a diet after "over indulging" the last few months so I can imagine that wonderful meal you described without gaining a pound.

I should stick to just reading the menus too! But NOT!

Here's our latest report:

Friday, December 21

It’s another beautiful morning cruising towards Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos.

We expect to arrive at about 1 PM. Tour selection is a bit limited today so I’ll probably just poke around the cruise terminal. We were there last April so I know what to expect, duty free shopping, and a hotel with pool and beach within easy walking distance.

Seabourn is planning one of their “Exclusively Seabourn Experiences” this afternoon. We will enjoy Sunset hors d’oeuvres and cocktails before our 7 PM departure – sunset is at 5:30 so this will make for an early start to our evening but it sounds like fun.

Our sea day yesterday was very laid back. We managed to get to the Sky Bar at around noon and had the delight of meeting Marja (from Cruise Critic Seabourn Board)

Choosing a lunch destination was our biggest chore and the Dining Room won out. We arrived just before the trivia crowd and enjoyed a quiet lunch for two, After some time on the pool deck, a nap took care of the afternoon.

Last night the Captain welcomed all of us – we usually choose to accept those greetings from an alternative venue so we enjoy cocktails at the Club. The duo “Fantasy” provided lovely music for the few couples who were there. We also made a last minute decision to have dinner at “2” (The Legend’s alternative restaurant) A quick call to reception secured a table and we enjoyed a lovely French Bistro Dinner instead of the mad crush that always occurs after the Captain’s party. Ryan is still working there and took great care of the lucky few who chose to dine there. Tom and I both had the escargot. I had a fabulous lobster bisque and Sea Bass Nicoise Style entrée. Tom enjoyed the Grilled Lamb – generous enough to share a taste with me.

We each selected a different dessert in order to taste both. Warm Chocolate Ganache Cake with Brandy Ice Cream for Tom, Roasted Peaches with Frozen Yogurt for me…roll us down the gangway because we are not losing any weight this week! LOL

True to form, Tom wanted to call it an early evening – I was going to pop out to the show but somehow the comfort of our suite always wins out. I brought along some new DVD’s so we watched 30 Rock – OK, I know, why watch TV shows on a cruise ship? We missed the entire first season so we are catching up. What better to place to be a couch potato than here?????

Margo I am loving your Sea Mail - thanks for letting us tag along! :)

There is nothing wrong with being a couch potato. Todd would be your biggest advocate and competitor. Since he often works 19 hours a day, he is more than happy to bring DVDs, watch the ships or hanker down for the shown movies.

Margo, thanks for taking us along with you on your fabulous cruise.

Nancy

Hi Margo,

I love your sea mail. We almost booked this cruise, and now I wish we had. We are doing 3 weeks in October on the Seabourn Spirit in room 134. We are not disabled but it was all that was available for the entire 3 weeks. I was concerned that the layout would not be the same as the regular cabins. I am happy to hear it is basically the same.

Maybe we will meet someday as we love Seabourn and try to cruise with them at least once a year.

Merril

Except it has a funny hum-some kind of machinery or other. We changed our suite to another because it got on my nerves after awhile. However, I liked the shower much better than trying to climb into the tub. The layout is identical with the other suites. (except for the shower)

Jean - perhaps the Legend is a bit different - I haven't noticed a noise and I'm usually the first to complain of such things.

Here are some more photos...today when we docked in Grand Turk the crew gathered on the beach for a Christmas Photo.

Also there's a shot of Kaye and Brian just before we docked. It's a beautiful day and our shore event at sunset should be the icing on the cake!

http://gallery.mac.com/ogram1/100239

Sounds like a great trip! Thanks for the seamail, Margo.

Cheers, Anne

Wonderful update and pics, M! Thanks!

Great pictures. The small Seabourn ships have the most beautiful lines and are truly stunning to see in a port of call or at sea. A real luxury yacht appeal. I have had some good times on the Legend.

Margo,

I'm loving your reports and pix. Thanks for posting!
Have a great time!!!!!

Margo, great pix of GrandTurk and the beautiful ship. Thanks
Lynn

Ok...I'm a little late for your morning coffee but it's Saturday so hopefully you slept in!

Legendary Parties….we have several in our future!

But first let me tell you about the rest of our visit to Grand Turk.

Shortly after arrival many of the crewmembers went ashore for a Holiday Photo. It was fun to see them with Santa Hats and other holiday finery – from the waist up – they were going to wade into the water for the photo so the wise ones prepared accordingly.

Of course disorganization ruled and they wandered and waded for a while, finally Santa arrived but someone forgot the surfboard (you know the one they use for caviar in the surf) Anyway, someone was dispatched to get it and finally Santa was lifted onto the board, the crew gathered round and cameras were focused – many by passengers too.

You saw some of the results in the last photo link I posted. After the photo session some returned to work and other lucky ones continued to frolic in the warm Caribbean water. This is a sensational port for crew, they can walk to the beach within minutes and the facility is really lovely. I’m sure that will make this a popular stop for all of them.

Many passengers enjoy the beach as well. In late afternoon we were all invited to return for a cocktail party and to enjoy the sunset. Lavish preparations were made and when we arrived there were dozens of linen covered tables arranged for our party. Flowers, candles, silverware were laid out ready for the party. It’s clear that the resort and Seabourn went to great lengths to create an event for us. Unfortunately we are completely spoiled by the 5 star services on the ship. The wait-staff for this event was local and while they tried their best we waited quite a long time to be served.

The wait didn’t dampen our spirits; we were enjoying conversation with new friends. I had the chance to meet James King, his mother and grandmother. Along with Kaye and Brian we had a great time talking about Australian school program compared with the UK and USA.

A group of school children performed a program on steel drums and then one of the resorts official gave a very long and unfortunately boring blow-by-blow history of Grand Turk. None of this really bothered us but the sand fleas and mosquitoes finally drove us back to home sweet home on the Legend.

Back onboard the ship we freshened up for dinner. Of course a visit to the Club is required so we stopped to enjoy another cocktail before going to the Sky Deck for surf and turf. I’m sorry to say we didn’t plan this well and with an eight o’clock reservation we arrived to find only a few empty tables located in windy locations.

The staff tried to sort it out but we really weren’t upset and decided instead to go down to the restaurant to dine. We’ll definitely try the deck dinner but will plan to arrive a bit earlier for a better seat.

The dinner menu selections continue to be wonderful and if I tell you everything we enjoyed I’d have to consider a serious diet – and I’m still in denial so just know we are not starving!

Sara Jane (our CD) was the headliner in the lounge last night. She entertained us with some wonderful tunes and some special news. Seems there’s going to be a wedding during our cruise….HERS! Sara is to be wed to Niko on Dec. 29 – she’s invited all of us – you can imagine the excitement. I don’t have many other details yet but everyone is looking forward to this very special occasion.

Well, enough news for now. Tonight we’re joining a birthday party – I’ll have more fun to share later.

So, until then, greetings from everyone on the Legend cruising towards St. Barth.

We had a wonderful dinner last night as we celebrated Jennifer's birthday. Our table for 9 was the last to leave the dining room

We are really enjoying time with Brian and Kaye, the couple from Australia traveling on their trip of a lifetime. They share their joy with all of us. What a special pleasure it has been to meet them.

Last night we "Yanks" were in the minority at our table 5 from Downunder and two from the UK. You know how that is, we were all speaking a different English! LOL

While there are no other LCT cruisers, our little band of CC posters has formed a very nice alliance and plan to continue the fun for the next 10 days. We are so grateful to find new cruising friends.

Here are just a few more photos:

http://gallery.mac.com/ogram1/100255


St. Barth today - hope the water is warm I have a 9 AM snorkeling excursion.

Margo, thanks for the detailed seamail. You are so dedicated to report to us daily. I'm enjoying your cruise through your writings. Thanks a bunch!

The photos and reports are great. I know the Seabourn CC bunch are very bonding. You must be having a great time, and the water looks just beautiful.

We are on our way to Deshaies, Guadeloupe. We should anchor in a few hours for a quiet day is this small town.

Yesterday was quite the opposite. We were in St. Barths…vacation mecca for mega yachts! Oh the toys boys love. It’s clear the holiday is near as you see ships anchored everywhere. We craned our necks to see them al,l noting exotic names and designs, yes there was a bit of name dropping – who owns what and who’s in town.

I didn’t hear of any actual celebrity sighting but it’s clear their yachts are at the ready. As we tendered into port you could see crewmembers loading boxes of Champaign and wine into small boats to be delivered to the big ones!

Once we reach shore we boarded a catamaran for a morning of snorkeling. It was a clear sunny day and we had perfect conditions. Unfortunately the bay where we anchored was crowded with small day sailors and we had to swim quite a distance to reach a very small reef area with a few fish – not a great reward for the effort. I did spot two sea turtles, one with a sand shark riding it’s back.

The water was lovely as well as the companionship of others from the ship. It’s fun to discover new friends in such a relaxed way.

I returned to the ship for lunch and Tom and I joined Brian and Kaye in the Veranda Café. Several 100 calories later we decided to have a lazy afternoon on board. There were a few shops open but as many of you know dollars to euros isn’t a great exchange. So no Christmas gifts from St. Barths!

The sunset/sail away was beautiful – as we were leaving a massive sailing yacht circled by us on it’s way to an evening in Gustavia.

http://gallery.mac.com/ogram1/100263

We had the choice of the deck barbeque or a quiet dinner in the restaurant. – and true to form Tom voted for quiet! We joined some friends in the club for drinks and then had a lovely dinner. The dining room wait staff rewarded our choice with wonderful attentive service.

Of course the post dinner choices included the “Rock the Boat” party but we were happy to let them rock us to sleep and we dreamed about another great day.

Margo,

I am soooo enjoying your reports and terrific photos! Thank you very much, for taking the time to report your wonderful experience.

Keep having fun and keep posting when you can!!

Hi Margo - I'm enjoying your posts and photos very much. The Rising Sun really gets around - we saw it in Papeete - it seemed almost as long as the PG!

Dena

We made a trip to a local beach - it was fun to see children playing and enjoying Christmas eve. This seems to be a very popular spot for French vacationers.

When we returned to the ship they had deployed the marina - I've attached some photos for those of you who have never had the chance to see it. The conditions are perfect and everyone is excited to jump in...the banana boat is ready!

http://gallery.mac.com/ogram1/100278

And some holiday decorations on the ship:

http://gallery.mac.com/ogram1/100271

Merry Christmas to all!

Margo, your reports are so great and I know how time consuming they can be to write. I enjoy reading every word. Merry Christmas! You've picked a great way to celebrate.

I love hearing about your trip, Margo - Seabourn is a someday "must-try" for us. "Several 100 calories later" - I love your wording! :) Thanks so much for taking the time to report in, and do enjoy the rest of your voyage.

Good Morning and Merry Christmas from the Legend.

As the sunshine floods our suite this morning we feel so lucky to be celebrating Christmas at sea.

Last night was lovely. First everyone met in the Club to sing Christmas Carols….it was a standing-room-only event. While the dress suggestion was Elegant Casual many were in their Christmas finest. All of the cruise staff and talent joined together to lead us in song.

The dining room menu featured many holiday favorites but we decided to dine at “2” again. While the menu is limited we really love the quiet ambiance of this restaurant and the staff couldn’t be more attentive. We enjoyed roast duck as our entree and spiced pumpkin crème brulee for dessert.

After dinner showtime was entitled “It’s the Most Wonderful Time!” with more holiday songs; and at 11:30 Christmas Eve Services and Midnight Mass.

When we returned to our suite we found a plate of cookies, fruit and chocolates. Of course we had to taste a few just to show our appreciation ☺

It was a wonderful way to start the holiday!

Today is likely to be more of the same. Santa is having breakfast with all of us in The Veranda Café – I need to note that there isn’t a child under 21 anywhere in sight but you can bet the “kid” in all of us will stop by to say hello to Santa.

The rest of the day will follow a normal sea day routine with lectures, bridge, yoga, putting, tea etc. Tonight it’s formal attire for dinner after Christmas Cocktails with our Captain Tom Thomasssen.

There’s lots of talent on the program too with Frank Freeman doing vocals at 7 PM and Shirley Dominguez performing “When the Harp Goes Latin” at 10 PM.

Looks to be a very busy day ahead.

Best wishes to all of you. Enjoy your family and feasts,

Merry Christmas to you and Tom! Did you hop on Santa's knee? The cruise sounds wonderful and no muss or fuss, the best!

Merry Christmas, Margo. What a special time for you guys.

Merry Christmas Margo and Tom. Thanks for you reports.
All the best from "Down Under"
P.S. We had Christmas Day yesterday (your time)!
It was great.