A Great Caribbean Cruise with Kate Coleman
Dear friend Kate Coleman joined us on a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on the Carnival Legend. The cruise departed from the port of Baltimore on April 23, 2023 and was scheduled to stop at ports in Grand Turk, Princess Cay, and Freeport. This would be Kate's first cruise, and first trip to the Caribbean. We hoped it would be fun and memorable for her.
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We arrived in Baltimore for our 1:30pm embarkation, checked in, and boarded the ship. We dropped our bags in our cabin, which was deck 5 mid-ship, and headed to the Lido deck 9 to get something to eat. Shelly and I were on the Carnival Legend in January 2022, so after lunch, we gave Kate a tour of the ship. We then stopped by a bar for a drink, and relaxed until the sail-away party started.
The ship was pretty full with almost 2400 passengers. We enjoyed the sail-away party despite it being pretty cold, maybe in the low 60's. We couldn't wait for the Bahamas and it's sunshine and 80 degree weather! We had two sea days ahead of us (Monday and Tuesday), and then we'd hit Grand Turk. We did not plan any excursions for the trip, and planned to enjoy the pools and beaches in port.
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We had a "anytime dining" dining schedule, so we headed to dinner. We sat a a table for three, and enjoyed our meals. We then browsed through the shops, looked at the art that would be auctioned off during the cruise, and took in the evening entertainment in the theater. Shelly and I played some blackjack in the casino after Kate went to bed. It was a fun departure day, and we looked forward to our sea days.
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Our two sea days were relaxing and we were blessed with nice weather. Shelly and Kate got charm bracelets from the jewelry shop, we sat in on an art auction given by Park West Gallery, but mostly relaxed by the pools and soaked up the sun.
We enjoyed our dinner and a magician who came to our table to do some magic. After dinner, we went to a Piano Bar and listened to Piano Jim play and sing some of our favorite songs. Shellman the Orca also made an appearance at the Piano Bar. And Shelly found a duck! Here's some photos from our two sea days.
Grand Turk, Bahamas
We arrived in port at Grand Turk and the weather was gorgeous. Margaritaville is a bar/restaurant near the port with a large pool, and free lounge chairs and umbrellas. We found three chairs under an umbrella and plopped down to enjoy the day. Shelly and Kate browsed the shops nearby, and Shelly found a conk shell seller who she met during our February 2023 Virgin Voyages cruise. Both she and Kate bought conk shells. They also bought some rash guard shirts from one of the shops. We relaxed, enjoyed a drink, and the pool. We went back to the ship around 1:00pm and found spots near the pool, and enjoyed a few drinks before dinner. Here's some photos of Grand Turk.
Princess Cay, Bahamas
Princess Cay, Bahamas, was the next port. It's a private island and Carnival provides free lounge chairs and a BBQ. We found some chairs under a wooden canopy, so we had shade all day. Shelly and Kate walked around the island, and found some shops outside the private area. Shelly bought a cool baseball hat with a peace sign. The weather was beautiful. Kate took a dip in the gorgeous green-blue water of the Caribbean, and we then gorged on the BBQ buffet. We stayed for several hours and stopped at a small bar to have a drink before heading back to the ship. Here's some photos of Princess Cay.
A bar on the ship had happy hour at 3:00pm, so Shelly and Kate enjoyed a pitcher of some vodka cocktail, and I had three Pepsi's. We sat and talked for 90 minutes or so, then relaxed a bit at the adults-only, Serenity Lounge on deck 9 before dinner.
After dinner, we went to Billie's Piano Bar to listen to Jim play some great tunes. I requested Jim play "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton. Shelly and I danced and Kate took a video. At 9:00pm, there was a surprise appearance by the Carnival Legend entertainers, 7 singers and dancers who perform nightly in the theater. Each sang a song and then shared a goodbye song as this was their last cruise together. Here are some photos and video of our evening.
Freeport, Bahamas
Our last port was Freeport, Bahamas. We arrived in port around 7:00am, and got off the ship around 9:00am. There are shops near the port, so we browsed around. Shelly bought a Christmas ornament and a peace sign necklace. Kate bought a few things too. We settled down for a drink at Dick and Willy's around 10:00am (it's 5 o'clock somewhere). We headed back to the ship and found some shady lounge chairs near the pool. Here's some photos of our time in Freeport.
Our Last Day at Sea
We enjoyed out last day at sea and it was supposed to rain, but we had sun and warmth most of the day. We found lounge chairs near the pool and watched an ice sculpturer carve a swan out of a large block of ice. Here's a few photos.
We had been going to comedy shows late in the evenings and the comedians were very funny. One in particular was PJ Walsh, who was from our hometown. He was hilarious, and Shelly took a selfie with him. He's performing in our hometown in June and we're going to see him.
Shelly attended an event where Carnival honored military active duty and veterans. Carnival shared a photo of the attendees on stage. Thanks for your service!
We arrived in Baltimore on Sunday and disembarked. We had a wonderful time with Kate, and hope this was not her last cruise. Thank you Carnival!