Hoping to be Legendary

"Glitzy" was the word used by U.K. media to describe the new Carnival Legend, but to Americans familiar with Carnival, this ship is anything but. We found it to be one of architect Joe Farcus' most subdued efforts, perhaps because of the extensive use of dark burgundy in the atrium and passageways. "We wanted to make this the most luxurious ship of all our ships," Farcus says, pointing to details like high-grade leather sofas and, in the cabins, Murano-glass light fixtures and hand-held hair dryers.

But it's still Carnival, so there are rooms like Medusa's Lair dance club, with its luridly colored Medusa heads, their fiber- optic eyes glowing. We especially liked Billie's Piano Bar (dedicated to Billie Holiday), with its 1930s Streamline Moderne style of polished stainless steel and the Firebird Lounge, with decorations recalling the fairy tales depicted on Russian lacquer boxes. The ship's central theme is legendary people and places.

Farcus says he purposefully designs in an eclectic manner, so, "Different people will find areas that appeal to them." If some of the Brits on board dismissed the style as "too American," agents we talked to from both sides of the pond were favorably impressed. "Each ship keeps getting better and better," says Tom Finizio, Straight A Tours & Travel, Orlando.

We heard Europeans young and old praising the food in the two- story Truffles dining room almost grudgingly admitting Americans could wow them with well-prepared dishes like lamb. And we noticed the 24-hour room service menu now offers sophisticated choices like focaccia with zucchini, mozzarella and portabella with basil aioli.

The Golden Fleece Supper Club elicited raves from everyone we talked to, with passengers making comments like, "It stands up to any restaurant ashore." At $25 a pop, the venue is averaging 100 covers a night. Australian chef Craig Salamone says the Golden Fleece uses only USDA prime aged meats, "simply the best you can get in the States." About 12-15% of diners choose the stone crabs flown in from Joe's restaurant in Miami Beach, but Salamone says younger diners go for the steaks. Dickinson says: "All our ships from now on will have a Supper Club."

In terms of service, we didn't come across a single surly or disinterested crewmember. A helpful attendant patiently shepherded passengers in the Internet Cafe, while a plumber arrived in less than five minutes to retrieve an earring that dropped down the bathroom drain. Overall, it was the best service we've experienced on any Carnival vessel.

-- Cruise Week