Carnival Legend

The 2002-built Carnival Legend cruise ship is the third of four Spirit-class CCL liners, alongside her sisterships Miracle, Spirit, and Pride, as well as Costa's liners Atlantica and Mediterranea.

CCL Legend was last refurbished in 2018 and extensively in 2014, prior to debuting on the Australian market.

The vessel (IMO number 9224726) is currently Malta-flagged (MMSI 229857000) and registered in Valletta.

History - construction and ownership

Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) is a US-based cruise company and a trademarked brand owned by Carnival Corporation. CCL was founded in 1972 by Ted Arison (1924–1999), co-founder of NCL Norwegian.

CCL operates Carnival Corporation's largest fleet by vessel count and gross tonnage (GT), and it leads the industry in passenger capacity. In 2023, CCL accounted for approximately 9% of global cruise industry revenue and 19% of total passengers. In 2024, Carnival Corporation held a ~51% share in the US$64+ billion global cruise market.

The 2124-passenger Carnival Legend introduced several firsts for CCL, including an onboard wedding chapel and alternative dining venues. Spirit-class ships are known for their high percentage of oceanview cabins—80%, with most of those featuring balconies—and thoughtful amenities such as specialty martinis and museum-quality artwork.

Legend's US$47 million refurbishment in 2014 introduced the Australian-exclusive Green Thunder waterslide, Splashdown kids’ slides and drenching bucket, Bonsai Sushi restaurant, Serenity adults-only retreat, Cherry on Top candy store, RedFrog Pub, and Australian-brewed ThirstyFrog Summer Ale.

Decks and Cabins

Carnival Legend staterooms (1,062 total in 28 categories) include 50 Suites, 634 Balcony, 171 Oceanview, and 215 Inside cabins. The ship offers 17 wheelchair-accessible staterooms but no Spa cabins. Most standard cabins are 185 ft² (17 m²), with balconies measuring 40 ft² (4 m²). Suite types include Grand, Vista, Ocean, and Junior, with Grand Suites measuring 300 ft² (28 m²) plus a 115 ft² (11 m²) terrace.

The ship has 12 passenger decks, 6 of which contain cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Carnival Legend features multiple dining venues and innovative concepts. The Unicorn Cafe buffet serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and offers 24-hour complimentary pizza and ice cream. Truffles, the main dining room, is a two-level venue with a three-course menu and wine list. A unique Truffles experience, "A Taste of Nouveau," offers sample dishes from the top-deck steakhouse Fahrenheit 555 (formerly "Nouveau" and "Golden Fleece"), which specializes in prime-aged beef and lobster.

The "Long Lunch at Sea" in Nouveau is available on sea days. The 3-course lunch costs $30 and includes options such as blue-crab salad and grilled cold-water lobster. A seafood platter is available for an additional $20, and wine pairings cost US$20 per person. Bonsai Sushi on Deck 2 offers a casual experience with sashimi, rolls, bento boxes, Japanese desserts, and sake.

Full list of Carnival Legend dining venues:

• Truffles Restaurant (1,122-seat aft Dining Room, with fixed dinner seatings or “Your Time Dining”; also offers "Seuss At Sea" themed breakfasts for $5; includes a 36-seat Private Club Room annex)
• Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse (744-seat specialty venue with seafood and prime steaks; includes dance floor and live stage)
• Unicorn Cafe Lido Buffet (1,396-seat self-service restaurant; transforms into a dinner bistro in the evening)
• Sushi Bar (complimentary)
• Chef’s Table (VIP dining experience in the Galley)

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Carnival Legend’s design theme—"great legends in history"—is reflected throughout her 12 passenger decks, 16 lounges, and indoor/outdoor promenades. The ship features a 9-deck-high Atrium, a golf program, duty-free shopping mall, video arcade, and a 1,800 ft² children's playground.

The Atlantis/Legend Lounge is ideal for cocktails and socializing. Follies Show Lounge hosts Las Vegas-style entertainment, while Billie’s Piano Bar features karaoke and live music. Dream Team Bar airs sporting events on large screens. Other venues include Satchmo’s Club and the Medusa’s Lair nightclub.

Complete list of lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues:

• Firebird Lounge (484-seat Punchliner Comedy Club/brunch venue)
• Medusa’s Lair Disco (211-seat, 2-level nightclub)
• Follies Theatre (1,400-seat, 3-level show lounge for live shows, movies, bingo, game shows)
• Trump Card Room (30-seat games lounge)
• Legend Cafe (28-seat coffee bar and patisserie)
• Taste Bar (appetizers); Dream Team Bar (sports bar); Billie’s Bar (88-seat piano bar); Juice Bar, Towel Bar, Odyssey Foyer Lounge and Bar (100-seat)
• Satchmo’s Jazz Club (425-seat)
• Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge
• Club Merlin Casino (108-seat with Merlin Bar and 6-pocket pool table)
• Legend Atrium (11-deck-high central hub with dance floor and 147-seat Lobby Bar)
• Atlantis Lobby Lounge (23-seat wine bar)
• Enchanted Forest Promenade (55-seat interior promenade)
• Dreams Studio (photo shop)
• The Holmes Library and Internet Cafe (17-seat, 24-hour)
• Wedding Chapel (30-seat venue)
• Hollywood Boulevard Promenade
• The Fun Shops (duty-free and logo merchandise); Formalities Shop (tuxedo rentals, gifts); Studio Photo Gallery
• The Warehouse (arcade, open 24/7)
• Circle C (pre-teen club); Camp Carnival (children’s club)
• Cloud 9 Spa & Fitness Center (steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, treatment rooms, salon, gym)
• Camelot and Avalon Pools (Avalon has a SkyDome roof); both served by Avalon Bar
• Serenity (adults-only area with whirlpool, pool, bar, loungers)
• Club O2 (teen lounge with games, movies, karaoke, parties)
• WaterWorks Aqua Park (Twister and Green Thunder slides, PowerDrencher, mini slides, kids pool)
• Sports Deck (volleyball, basketball, 9-hole mini-golf, jogging track, shuffleboard)

For more details on refurbishments in 2014, 2021, and 2024, visit the ship's Wiki section.

Itineraries

Carnival Legend's itinerary program features Caribbean roundtrips from Tampa, Florida (2025) and Galveston, Texas (2026). In summer 2025, she will operate from San Francisco, offering 4-day Baja Mexico cruises (Ensenada) and 10-day Alaska roundtrips.

Starting September 2014, Legend joined Carnival Spirit in Sydney, becoming Carnival’s second ship based in Australia. Her maiden voyage from Sydney began September 24, 2014, with roundtrip itineraries to Pacific Islands (8–12 days). The vessel was “Aussified” during her 2014 refurbishment.

In February–March 2018, she was homeported in Melbourne, operating 16 roundtrips ranging from 3-day cruises to Tasmania, South Pacific Islands (10-day), and New Zealand (11-day). This marked the first time since 2013 that a Carnival Australia ship was homeported in Melbourne.

In October 2019, Carnival Legend replaced Carnival Miracle in Tampa:

• 7-day Western Caribbean roundtrips to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Roatan, and either Belize or Costa Maya
• 8-day voyage (Jan 25, 2020) featuring a partial Panama Canal transit, Limon, and Grand Cayman
• 14-day Panama Canal sailing (Dec 1, 2019) with calls in Cozumel, Limon, Cartagena, Aruba, Curacao, Grand Cayman

In 2020, Carnival Legend was scheduled for a European season with 9–16-day itineraries, visiting 34 ports in 16 countries:

• 16-day Transatlantic (NYC to Dover, June 3–19) via Greenland (Qaqortoq), Iceland (Reykjavik), Shetland Islands (Lerwick), and Ireland
• 9-day Norwegian Fjords from Dover (June 19–28)
• 9-day Western Europe (Dover to Barcelona, June 28 – July 7)
• 9–12-day Mediterranean and Adriatic cruises between Venice and Barcelona

The season was canceled due to the pandemic. Carnival Legend resumed cruising in November 2021 from Baltimore, offering roundtrips to Bermuda (6-day), Eastern Caribbean and Bahamas (7- and 8-day), Southern Caribbean (14-day), and Panama Canal (14-day).

Legend’s European program was rescheduled for 2024, including 17 voyages from Barcelona, Civitavecchia (Rome), and Dover. The Europe 2024 season began on April 15 with a 12-day Transatlantic (Baltimore to Barcelona) and ended on October 26 with a 15-day Transatlantic (Rome to Tampa).

In September 2021, CCL announced Legend’s first voyage to Greenland:

• 14-night “Greenland and Canada” cruise (Sept 2–16, 2023, roundtrip from Baltimore), visiting Nanortalik, Qaqortoq, St. Anthony, Corner Brook, and Sydney NS
• A second 14-night cruise (Aug 13, 2023) was added due to high demand

In September 2023, Carnival announced Legend’s 2025 homeporting in San Francisco, operating alongside Carnival Miracle. The deployment includes 10-day Alaska roundtrips and 4-day Baja Mexico cruises, as well as two Carnival Journeys voyages—a 14-day Panama Canal repositioning (Tampa to SF, Apr 24) and a 15-day Hawaii and Mexico cruise (roundtrip from SF, Sep 21). Alaskan ports include Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, and Prince Rupert. Baja cruises visit Ensenada.

In 2025–2026, Carnival Legend will be homeported in Galveston, Texas, operating 4- to 10-day Western Caribbean voyages. Short itineraries visit Cozumel and Progreso, while longer cruises include Grand Cayman, Jamaica (Montego Bay, Ocho Rios), Roatan (Mahogany Bay), Belize City, and Cozumel.

The Carnival ship Legend is one of the company's Spirit-class liners, with sister ships including Miracle, Pride, Spirit, as well as Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea. The vessel was christened by British actress and author Judith Olivia Dench (Judi Dench). The Fun Ship 2.0 upgrade was completed in 2013.

When she debuted in August 2002, Carnival Legend was the first-ever "Fun Ship" to feature an onboard wedding chapel and alternative dining options. She also impressed with 80% of her staterooms offering ocean views, and 80% of those featuring balconies. The vessel boasts a 9-deck-high atrium, duty-free luxury boutiques, a robust golfing program, and a 1,800-square-foot children's play area. Her interior design is themed around great legends in history, which is reflected throughout all passenger decks, promenades, and lounges.

In February–March 2018, Carnival Legend was homeported in Melbourne, Australia. During this period, she operated six round-trip itineraries: three 3-night Cruises to Nowhere (short breaks without any ports of call), one 4-night cruise to Tasmania, one 10-night voyage to the South Pacific islands, and one 11-night itinerary around New Zealand.

The ship’s first-ever New Zealand cruise was a 10-day roundtrip from Sydney, Australia, sailing January 7–17. It visited Wellington (Jan 10), Akaroa (Jan 11), Dunedin (Jan 12), and Fiordland National Park (Jan 13). This voyage also marked Carnival Cruise Line’s first cruise to New Zealand. In 2013, the ship reached her furthest northern point during a 15-day Transatlantic crossing to New York City, which included a call at Qaqortoq, Greenland. From New York, she repositioned to Tampa, Florida, and began her Australian cruise program in September 2014.

In July–August 2021, the ship entered drydock at Chantier Naval de Marseille (Marseille, France) for routine maintenance and hull repainting.

Carnival Legend refurbishments review

The ship’s most recent drydock refurbishment was from April 28 to May 29, 2024, at Chantier Naval de Marseille. The project included routine maintenance, classification inspections, technical upgrades, hotel refurbishments, and hull cleaning and repainting.

During the 2021 drydock refit, the following updates were made:

• (Deck 2) The Taste Bar was replaced with the Internet Cafe; the Shore Excursions desk was renamed Carnival Adventures.
• (Deck 3) The Holmes Library & Internet Cafe (17-seat, 24-hour venue) and the Wedding Chapel (30-seat venue) were replaced with a new video arcade, The Warehouse. The Photo Gallery was renamed Pixels Gallery.
• (Deck 4) The Gigabytes Video Arcade (forward-portside) was replaced with The Cove, a children-only breakout room for arts and crafts.
• (Deck 11) A new mini-golf course was installed.
• New venues added include Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge, Chef’s Table, Dreams Studio, and Fahrenheit 555 (steakhouse, formerly The Golden Fleece).

The 2024 refurb also included a casino expansion, a complete redesign and rebranding of the wellness area (now Cloud 9 Spa & Fitness Center), and renovations to all public areas, youth facilities, and retail shops.

The deckplan changes following the 2014 drydock (in Freeport, Bahamas) included:

• New Carnival WaterWorks Aqua Park with the "Green Thunder" waterslide (187 ft/57 m, 25 mph/40 kph), the "Twister" waterslide (214 ft/65 m), a kids’ splash zone with sprays, mini-racing slides, and the 150-gallon (568-liter) "PowerDrencher" bucket.
• RedFrog Pub featuring ThirstyFrog Red beer (Carnival’s private-label draft brew)
• Bonsai Sushi (sushi, sashimi, Japanese beers)
• Cherry On Top (candy store)
• New entertainment options – "Hasbro, The Game Show" and "Playlist Productions"
• Upgraded swimming pools and fitness equipment
• New carpeting, tiling, and wall coverings

The last wetdock occurred May 2–14, 2018, at Portland (Oregon, USA) at the Vigor Marine Shipyard and included routine maintenance and classification inspections.