Help...Just Offered An All Expenses Paid Cruise

[4cruisin]

My wonderful employer just came into my office, handed me a folder and said he wanted to send me and dh on an all expenses paid cruise on the Carnival Legend. (My xmas bonus). The cruise is in March and goes to Belize, Costa Rica, and Colon, Panama. I am in shock. We are scheduled to take another DCL cruise next December and I have only a few days to decide whether I want to take him up on this offer. I have the best boss but I need to decide quickly if dh and I are going. Anyone been on the Legend or to any of the ports I have mentioned. Please let me know your thoughts. We have passports in place so that is not a problem.



Nancy

 

[mariamard]

I HAVE CRUISED TWICE BEFORE ON CARNIVAL......THE IMAGINATION AND FACINATION. THEY ARE ARE GREAT CRUISELINE FOR ADULTS(NEVER TOOK KIDS, OR HUBBIE) WITH GREAT FOOD AND LARGE CASINOS. I HAVE YET TO GO TO BELIZE , BUT PANAMA IS A BLAST!! MY HUSBAND WENT TO COSTA RICA AND LOVED IT-GREAT SCUBA. SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL BOSS.......WHATS HOLDING YOU BACK FROM BEING EXCITED,2 CRUISES IN LESS THAN A YEAR?YOU ARE LUCKY AND I AM SOOOOOOO JEALOUS

 

[gometros]

I just want to know one thing - where do you work and are they hiring?

 

[rundogrun]

Here's a review...

Free cruise? How can you say "no"???

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The Carnival Legend is a spectacuplar new (2002) ship. At 86,000 GRT, she's slightly larger than the Magic or Wonder (83,000 GRT.)

I'm sure it would be a wonderful cruise. I would jump at the opportunity -- especially for free.

(No, I haven't been on any Carnival shio, nor have I been to Belize City, Limon, or Colon. But these sound like interesting ports.

 

[Dodie]

Regardless of a scheduled December DCL cruise, assuming that the time on the "free" cruise won't count against your vacation days (and it shouldn't - if it's a "bonus"), I don't understand why in the world you would be questioning whether or not you would accept it.

Congratulations!

 

[scottygirl]

If you don't want to go, I will!!!

 

[Cruisin]

Carnival is not Disney but heck if someone else was paying for it, why not?

I would be saying "Yes, please sign me up"

 

[4cruisin]

Yikes, I know I sounded ungrateful. I'm not, I think I'm just in shock and I have to make a decision and coordinate everything in just a few days. (I have to have all the paperwork in by 12/15). I work for a wonderful man and he is very generous. I have called my dh and asked him to check into specific date availability for his vacation time so we can discuss everything tonight. It is a balcony stateroom and the ports of call sound wonderful. I am overwhelmed since I am a plan-a-holic.

Dh seemed very excited and I am starting to let everything sink in now. Looks like we will be cruising in March if dh can get the time off.

Nancy

 

[4nana]

Wol!! Some boss!! That is one bonus I'll gladly take any day! Hope it all works out. Sometime, the less time you have to think/plan, the more you enjoy!!

 

[tecdavidt]

Take the cruise and enjoy, it is free correct? What a great boss. Kathy

 

[markmyboy]

OK...take a deep breath, make sure DH can get the vacation days & GO, GO, GO!!

We were on the Pride (a sister ship I believe) last November & we had a great time with our 4 year old & infant in tow!! Had it just been the two of us, it would have been an excellent cruise! Whereas DCL's focus is on families & children, Carnival's is on Partying & nightlife. Even though we were in every night by 10pm (& THAT was a late night) we were never bothered by others partying. The food was right on par with DCL's. We didn't get to any of the shows, though I would imagine them to be QUITE different from DCL's.

The only one of those ports that we hit was Belize & everyone recommends doing an excursion through the ship. We did the Geoff's Cay (probably spelled that wrong) excursion & it was AWESOME. THE best excursion we have ever done. We took the baby & our 4 year old along. You are picked up on a boat directly from the ship & you speed away past all sorts of tiny islands & end up at the tiniest one of all!! Many stayed on the boat , including my husband & cruised around the island snorkeling (they were given bottled water free of charge). I went ashore with the two little ones & rested on the sand under some HUGE palm trees. There are NO facilities, no power, no running water. There were a few people selling t-shirts & whatnot, Beer & water, and also someone barbecueing some hotdogs & burgers. I believe we stayed for 2-3 hours & headed back to the boat. This island was TINY, not even as big as a football field!! But just gorgeous, if there weren't 5 or 6 other boatloads of people there I would say it was like an island out of a dream!!

Carnival has been at this cruising thing for a while & they really do have it mastered. Have a great time & MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 

[buzz2400]

One of the best cruises is free one. My father had won a cruise once and he paid a little bit extra to take my sister and I and it was the best vacation ever. The anxiety of paying so much for a cruise was not there and we had a blast. How can you say no. You may never be offered a free cruise again. Take him up on the offer and have a great time. The worst thing that can happen is you gain a lot of weight from eating.

 

[ivanova]

A FREE cruise on a "bad" ship is better than a good day at work any time!!

I say go for it!!

Wow! Two cruises in the same calendar year, some people are just blessed.

 

[4cruisin]

Thanks for all the replies and encouragement. I am really getting excited about the trip and I talked to dh again and it sounds like he will be able to get the time off. Just need to go over everything tonight. I have already researched some of the ports/excursions to get a feel for the areas. Seeing the Panama Canal will be awesome. The ship does not traverse the canal itself but there is an excursion that includes a boat ride through it.

BTW, this is the second time my employer has offered me a cruise. The first time it was literally last minute (due to a family emergency in his family) but my dh and I could not go due to prior obligations. At least this time, we have advance notice and don't sail until March. Now, I need to start losing weight to fit into last years cruise clothes.

Nancy

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

I would say go and fun. We went to Belize on a CCL cruise in July as one of our ports and used a private excursion operated by Coral Breezes, they can be found at coralbreezes.com. I can not say enough about these guys they were great. The coolest "speed" type boat I have ever been on etc. I would also second the Geoff's Caye, cool place. Belize itself is a 3rd world country and from what we heard and were told dangerous and not very nice so be sure to book an excursion thru CCL or with a private company and have fun!!!

 

[hydster]

and absolutely had the best time! I was so excited to go to those ports because no cruiseships at the time offered that far away cruise for 8 days unless you bought the big Panama Canal trip which was way too expensive for us! I thought the islands here were wonderful (maybe because we were only the 4th or 5th month they had been going there) but we found the ports so Uncommercialized unlike Cozumel or Jamaica.

If you do go we took a Carnival sponsored excursion in each port (or tried to..more on that in a sec) but in Panama we spent alot of money to do a tour that took us through 3 locks on the Panama Canal. I swear that is one of the neatest things we have ever experienced! We boarded a big 3 deck boat and set sail down and through the locks! It was great because it didnt cost us as much as a Panama Canal cruise and yet we did get to see alot of it for less!

In Costa Rica we were going to take an Off Road tour but the Celebrity ship had first dibs on the vehicles and they actually ended up breaking down and couldnt get back to us to go in time. We put together our own tour with people who were going to do the off road with us and went to the Torturenga Canal (spelling is a little rustY) but it was really interesting. That Canal is actually a drug traffic water lane!

In Belize we did a scuba dive excursion but we were late getting into the channel due to a problem in Costa Rica with a tour not getting back on time so we had time for our 2 tank dive and about 20 min of sightseeing on the island. In Belize you HAVE to tender in which is time cosuming but we found the little pier thing really fun to go to. The area around the pier is a protected Coral Reef.

I do have some pictures on webshots of the ports and also a few of the Spirit which is in the same Ship class as the one your boss offered you. It is at
http://community.webshots.com/user/hydster

If it were me and I could swing vacation time for hubby I would go in a heartbeat! We had just a regular balcony on that cruise in a regular cabin but it was awesome!

Also if you have alot of time and want to read our mega review of our trip you can go here as well:
http://www.cruisereviews.com/CarnivalCruiseLines/CarnivalSpirit10.htm

Hope this helps!
Heidi

 

[jgalecpa]

I have only one thing to say:

Have a Great time!

Congratulations.

Jim

 

[erikthewise]

I'm curious why your boss wants to send you on a free cruise, but HE wants to choose the ship and sail dates! Why wouldn't he let you choose, or at least have some say in the matter?

 

[4cruisin]

Heidi,
Thanks so much for the info and link to the pictures. The ports look wonderful. I read your trip report and it certainly gave me lots of info to consider. I may need help as the date approaches as far as booking excursions and how to book spa appts etc. My dh and I went over everything last night and it is all starting to sink in. He will know later today if his vacation is approved. If not, he will just take it off w/o pay.

erikthewise,
My employer was part of a contest with business associates and the cruise is part of the promotion ( and price discounted) so he did not have a choice on dates or ports of call.

Thanks to everyone that responded and gave me insight into the ports of call. I am very excited. I think I was just in shock and overwhelmed at the suddeness of it because he had kept the contest quiet from me for almost a year so I knew nothing about it. He must have planned this all along because I usually am privy to information like this. I have the best boss.

Nancy