My family spent 7 days on a Carnival Legend cruise to the Bahamas. It’s only $100 per person per day, but we wouldn’t do that again.

The trip was fairly inexpensive and ended up costing less than $3,500.

We paid just under $3,500 for our five-person, seven-day trip. Of course, that price does not include tips or extras.

We purchased two family shore excursions, which cost more and were $494 of the total, but did not purchase any special restaurant food or drink packages which were not covered by our all-inclusive package.

The safety regulations changed between the time I booked in April and boarded in November.

When I made our cruise reservations in April, Carnival required guests to present proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test before sailing.

Then, in late October, I received an email from Carnival stating that “immunizations, proof of vaccination, and testing are no longer required for unvaccinated passengers on cruises of 15 nights or less.”

I wasn’t thrilled with this to update but I expected most of my fellow travelers to be fully vaccinated like we were.

Carnival recommended wearing masks inside the ship, but they were not required and few people wore them. However, there were hand sanitizer dispensers placed around the boat and we used them frequently.

The ship left the port of Baltimore and seemed to attract mostly local passengers looking for a quick and easy vacation.

Our family Drove about five and a half hours from Cleveland, Ohio, to come on board in Baltimore, Maryland, so we fell into that category as well.

Our family of five couldn’t fit in one cabin, so I booked two rooms.

Believe it or not, my husband and I have we never stay in our own room on vacation, so we enjoyed a bit of privacy in our adult-only space.

My children were in a room that was directly across the hall from ours.

The kids, ages 14, 11, and 8, were close enough to catch up with if they needed my husband or me.

Our television had two channels showing various movies.

Carnival Legend did not have a giant movie screen outside like other cruise ships, but the TV in the room featured a selection of movies that played on two channels throughout the day.

The highlight of our vacation was Thanksgiving.

Us Thanksgiving day passed at Princess Cays in the Bahamas. It’s a private resort on the island of Eleuthera, and Carnival offered a land-based lunch and plenty of activities throughout the day.

We did our shore excursion in the morning and had an all-inclusive BBQ on the beach in the afternoon.

The guests could also go swimming in the crystal clear water, rent boats and equipment, or just stretch out on the warm, sandy beach.

The Thanksgiving feast was at the same place where we had all of our dinners: Truffles Restaurant, the main dining room on the ship.

At first we were wedged into a place for a late dinner every night at 7:45pm, but guest services moved us to 5:30pm so our kids wouldn’t have to eat so late.

One of my favorite things about cruising is trying unique foods. During this trip, I ate escargot, alligator fritters, and frog legs. I’ve tried all of these before, but I’ve also had kids try them this time.

My family members are not very fussy eaters so we ate breakfast and lunch on the lido deck for most sailing days.

The lido deck featured a deli counter, salad bar, station serving Asian-inspired cuisine, pizzeria, and a classic lunch buffet.

There were also two specialty restaurants on the lido deck. Guy’s Burger serves burgers and fries, and BlueIguana Cantina specializes in tacos and burritos. Both places offered memorable bites without any out-of-pocket expense.

The Legend had two family pools, two water slides, and an adults-only area.

A family pool was outside and located in the center area of ​​the ship. The other had a retractable dome that allowed swimming on cold or rainy days. When we left Baltimore it was 30 degrees Fahrenheit so we definitely had freezing weather on this trip.

The ship also had a Carnival Waterworks area with two slides. The big yellow slide was more traditional and twisty. My children loved it. The green slide was a fast paced drop slide. My kids refused to try it, but my husband took it once, which was enough for him.

The Legend had Serenity, an adults only area, which had an additional pool and seemed like a relaxing space with no children.

My husband and I saw this as a family trip, so we didn’t spend a lot of time in the ship’s bars, clubs, and adult events.

This trip was about family so my husband and I I didn’t spend a lot of time drinking alcohol or doing adult activities without our children.

Carnival offered a free babysitting service called ocean camp, but my children wanted nothing to do with it. On a cruise we did a few years ago, they would cry every time we left them, so we didn’t even try this trip.

Our family took advantage of the onboard activities posted on the Carnival HUB app.

There were over 100 activities per day posted on the Carnival HUB app. One day, we saw an ice carving demonstration. We also did a towel folding class with our cruise director.

Our rooms were also close to the Follies main hallwhich facilitates the appearance of night shows with or without children.

We had a good time, but I would not book another trip on the Carnival Legend.

There were many things that I loved about this vacation. We went from 30 degree Fahrenheit sweater weather to 80 degree beach weather, not a bad way to spend a week in late November.

Although the price was reasonable, about $100 per person per day, I didn’t think the cruise had enough unique amenities and ports of call to make it worth repeating the trip.

Still, Carnival Legend had a lot to offer for those near the Baltimore Harbor and looking for a simple and inexpensive getaway.