Review of 'Spice Route' & 'Suez canal' Cruises

We are back from a 23 night back-to-back cruises - 10 night 'Spice Route' from Singapore to Dubai and 13 night 'Suez Canal' from Dubai to Barcelona, starting in Singapore March 3, 2017.

See the full itinerary with details at this link.
The ports of call did include Singapore, George Town, Penang, Malaysia; Cochin and Mumbai in India; Dubai; Cruising Suez Canal; Piraeus, Greece; and Valletta, Malta; and Barcelona.
Ports of Call with links to additional information about sights, and shopping.

Read the full review of our cruise in posts below - start at the end (please note that 'older posts' are on separate site.

Legend of the Seas's last scheduled cruise with Royal Caribbean ended in Barcelona, Spain on 26 March 2017.
The ship was transferred to Thomson and will be renamed 'TUI Discovery 2'.

Legend of the Seas (TUI Discovery 2)
On the 2 June 2016, Royal Caribbean sold Legend of the Seas to the UK based Thomson Cruises. Legend of the Seas's last scheduled cruise with Royal Caribbean ended on 26 March 2017 before the ship was transferred to Thomson. The ship will be renamed TUI Discovery 2 and will sail out of Malaga, Spain starting on 14 May 2017 TUI Discovery 2 was the lead ship of the Royal Caribbean International Vision Class of cruise ships class. 
Gross tonnage of 69,130 GT, and maximum speed of 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph ) The ship can carry 2,074 passengers and a crew of 720-750. Its maiden voyage was May 16, 1995. 
It's 11 deck facilities include a Minigolf course, a theater and cinema, a solarium, two pools, a spa, a fitness center, a two story dining room called the Romeo & Juliet, the Windjammer Cafe, four themed bars, a dance center, a shopping center, a teen disco, a piano bar, an observation center, a rock-climbing wall and the Viking Crown Lounge. 
Legend of the Seas was the most-traveled ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet, having been based in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the South Pacific, Alaska, Central America, Caribbean, the Baltic, Mediterranean and the Middle East during her 19-year career at sea. Starting in the winter of 2009 she was based in Asia on a year-round basis. 
Legend of the Seas is the sister ship to Splendour of the Seas now renamed TUI Discovery and a sister ship to TUI Discovery.

Some Statistics - Distances for the Cruise

Back-to-Back cruises from
Singapore to Dubai (3,743 nautical miles / 5,504 statute miles) and Dubai to Barcelona (4,783 nautical miles / 4,307 statute miles).
Distances in Nautical Miles between ports of call:
 - Singapore to Penang - 419 nmi
 - Penang to Cochin - 1,611 nmi
 - Cochin to Mumbai - 613 nmi
 - Mumbay to Dubai - 1,175 nmi
 - Dubai to Suez Canal - 2,893 nmi
 - Suez Canal to Piraeus - 703 nmi
 - Piraeus to Valletta - 525 nmi
 - Valetta to Barcelona - 674 nmi

A nautical mile is a unit of measurement defined as exactly 1852 meters ( 6,076 feet or 1.1508 statute miles). Historically, it was defined as one minute of latitude, which is equivalent to one sixtieth of a degree of latitude.

Departure, Barcelona

Legend of the Seas arrived into Barcelona before schedule (Scheduled for 6:00 am) - was cleared by the local authorities at 06:30 am.
More information about Barcelona Departure.

The departure process did start 15 minutes later than planned - we did have luggage tag no 5 and dis-embarked at 7:35 am (15 minutes later than scheduled) - do not know why we were running late - no queue at the gangway and no immigration passport check! 
Picked-up our luggage from the belt (six in total) - most of the luggage were already loaded on the belts.
Straight to the taxi stand - plenty of taxi's and 16 minutes drive from the cruise terminal to BCN airport (Sunday morning) - well in time for our Norwegian Air Shuttle flight to Copenhagen at 10:35 am.

Day 13 - Last Day at Sea

Time to say farewell - to our fellow guests and Legend of the Seas.
Casino was closed - the slot machines will be distributed to other ships as spare  - technicians did start dismantling of the machines.
A another challenge was the suitcases. At our flight from Copenhagen to Singapore the weight limit was 50 pounds (23 kg) - from Barcelona  to Copenhagen we were flying Norwegian Air Shuttle - need to buy additional check-in luggage, however the weight limit is only 44 pounds(20 kg) - at last managed to get all suitcases below the limit. Suitcases must be out side the cabin before 11 pm.
 

Day 12 - Valletta, Malta

It is our first visit to Malta. The ship docked just below the town, situated on a mountain plateau 100 meters above sea level. There is an elevator / stairs from the port up to the town. The old town is about 600 m wide by 1000 m long and all the streets are perpendicular to each other. Impressive buildings that brought thoughts back to Crusader times. The city is surrounded by a wall built originally to protect against the Turks. The city was built by a very strict planning legislation: All houses should go right out to the sidewalk. The gardens were banned, only paved courtyards. Owners of corner houses were to decorate the corner, so there are many beautiful statues on the house corners. The Knights built many magnificent palaces. An interesting walk through the city, where we saw the many palaces and churches. The streets were steep and the pavements were with stairs. Enjoying the spring sun at a cafe with a cafe latte. Back on the ship we ate lunch on our balcony. 
A video from our day in valletta below

We sailed from Malta at 5 pm -  were invited to a 'Sail Away Party' on the aft deck for guests who have sailed many times with Royal Caribbean (video below)

More information about Valletta Sights

Legend of the Seas, Farewell to Remember

After 22 years in service, Legend of the Seas has retired from the Royal Caribbean International fleet.
Royal Caribbean International, officers the crew and passengers said farewell to Legend of the Seas. Follow her final voyage from Dubai on March 14, across the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean to Barcelona March 26, 2017.

At Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, Legend of the Seas were refurbished and rebranded as TUI Discovery 2 for Thomson Cruises. TUI Discovery 2 sailing the maiden voyage from Malaga on the 14th May 2017. In summer 2017, TUI Discovery 2 will join the Thomson Cruises fleet. TUI Discovery 2 is the sister ship to TUI Discovery, former Splendour of the Seas,
Se more at thomson.co.uk

Day 11 - Legend of the Seas Farewell Ceremony

Thursday March 23, 2017 was the "Legend of the Seas Farewell Ceremony", in Centrum . Royal Caribbean Cruises has sold Legend of the Seas to Thomson Cruises - tonight she was official handed over from RCCL to Thomson, at the 'Legend of the Seas Farewell Ceremony'. She will become a sister ship to former 'Splendour of the Seas' and will be renamed 'TUI Discovery 2'. 

A short video with highlights from the Ceremony:

Day 10 - Walking in Athens

We had been told that there was a X80 express bus from the cruise terminal to Syntagma Square. Bought a X80 ticket in a kiosk at the terminal - € 4.50 for the whole day. Went to the bus stop - there were lots of buses, but no X80. Back to the ticket office to get to know that X80 were not running so early in the season, but we had to take a city bus to Piraeus Station and then the metro to Athens. Easy, we were told - except that most information was in Greek with Cyrillic letters !!! We took a city bus, got off at the fifth stop, walked to Piraeus Station and took the metro to Monastiraki right at the Avissinias Square and Plaka, in the center of Athens. In the train information thankfully is in English. Started the trip to go along the main shopping street of Ermou to Syntagma Square with Vouli building that houses the Greek parliament and the presidential residence. In front of the tomb of the unknown soldier stood two National Guards - Evzones - wary. Continue through the National Park to the ruins at Agora. We had a 'cappuccino break' from which we could see the Acropolis. Went through Plaka and some incredibly interesting old streets and houses. In Plaka we did stop at a local restaurant where we got musaka, before heading back to the metro to Piraeus. 
We only saw the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis and Agios Georgios chapel on Lycabettos mountain from the distance. 
We decided to walk the approximately 20 minutes from the station to the cruise terminal. Back on the ship, we enjoyed the afternoon sun on our balcony. 
At 6 pm we sailed from Piraeus with an incredibly beautiful sunset, see post below.
More information about Athens Sights

Sail Away Piraeus, Athens

At 6:00 pm we did leave Piraeus, Athens. Below two videos - on footage from the ship and the the footage from the harbour. Same day and time.

Video footage from Legend

Video footage from the harbour.

Day 8 - Sunrise over Sinai Desert, Suez Canal

We arrived to the Suez Canal entry Sunday at 23 pm. 
The pilot arrived at 02 am Monday morning - at 03:45 am, 4 hours later than scheduled we entered the Canal. 
There was a beautiful sunrise over the Sinai Desert Monday morning. Green and lush with many cities on the western shore and desert on the east. 
Pictures from 06:30 am local time. 
More information about The Suez Canal

Sinai Desert to the right

North bound Convoy

West bank

Cruising The "New Suez canal"

Legend of the Seas cruising the Suez Canal March 20, 2017. 
In August 2014, construction was launched to expand and widen the Ballah Bypass for 35 km (22 mi) to speed the canal's transit time. The expansion was planned to double the capacity of the Suez Canal from 49 to 97 ships a day. The "New Suez Canal", as the expansion was dubbed, was opened with great fanfare in a ceremony on 6 August 2015. The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. It was constructed by the Suez Canal Company between 1859 and 1869. After 10 years of construction by 20,000 slaves, It was officially opened on November 17, 1869. It extends from the northern terminus of Port Said to the southern terminus of Port Tewfik at the city of Suez. Its length is 193.30 km (120.11 mi), including its northern and southern access channels. In 2012, 17,225 vessels traversed the canal (47 per day). The Suez Canal is a single-lane waterway with passing locations in the Ballah Bypass and the Great Bitter Lake. It contains no locks system, with seawater flowing freely through it.



 

Our convoy entering Great Bitter Lake

South bound convoy waiting in Bitter Lake

Ferry crossing the Canal

The New Canal

The New Canal

Mosque

Day 6 & 7 - The Red Sea and Gulf of Suez

Early starts of the mornings - active already at 6 am .
Morning walk on the upper deck followed by breakfast on the balcony.  Read / knitted during the mornings at the balcony and a little sunbath  in the afternoon. The evening was a 'welcome back' show
Sailed from the Red Sea into the narrow Suez bay. We were many ships bound for the Suez Canal.
Was invited to lunch with the officers in the main restaurant, along with other guests who sailed many times with Royal Caribbean. Delicious, delicious food and delicious cakes for dessert.
Unfortunately, the weather has changed when we entered the Gulf of Suez -  very windy and only  22 degrees C.  
Sailed through a 'sand storm' and the entire vessel was covered with a fine layer of brown sand. The crew subsequently flushed everything to get the sand off.

Day 7 at 11 pm we arrived at anchorage outside the Suez and waited for the convoy was assembled so that the passage of the Suez Canal could begin.

Day 5 - Bab-el-Mandeb Strait

Friday morning at 06 am we left the Gulf of Aden and passed through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait with the Perim island to starboard.

The Bab el-Mandeb (Arabic:"Gate of Tears") or Mandeb Strait is located between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The Strait is 27 km (16,8 miles) wide and is shared by the Yemeni island of Perim in an eastern and western passage.

Day 4 - Gulf of Aden Passage

Sailed through the Gulf of Aden. Some lovely hours on the balcony reading / knitting - a walk and a little time on the pool deck in a deck chair. Again a day of splendid sunshine and calm seas  - and no pirates !
Ship speed at 19 knots.
A beautiful sunset and calm sea.
In the evening there was a concert with The Beatles - or was it a tribute band? - "Beatles - A Musical Celebration"! Good music and good entertainment before dinner.

Day 2 & 3- Gulf of Oman

Sailing in Gulf of Oman along the coast of Oman at starboard.
Weather extremely nice and the sea very calm - forecast for coming days is promising.
Day 2 was the very last 'Legend of the Seas' Captain's Welcome Aboard Reception in Centrum with Captain Juan Luis Caranti's welcome address and presentation of the senior officers. 
The total number of guests are 1696 from 47 different nationalities - from UK a total of 431 guests and a total of 442 Australian guests all the way from Brisbane. Crew Members 751. 

At this cruise there are 1067 Crown & Anchor members:
- 270 diamond, 183 diamond plus and 57 pinnacle members.
Due to the large amount of diamond members Anchers Aweigh is overflow lounge.

At Day 3 at 10:30 am we did have the 'Safe Haven' drill for preparation of the Gulf of Aden transit. The procedures in case of an very unlikely event that we do encounter pirates was explained and practiced. During the passage there will be lookouts in place around the ship.

Day 1 - Dubai (Suez Canal Cruise)

The departure process was very smooth and immigration efficient. 
Dis-embarkation finished one hour before schedule. All consecutive cruiser’s must, due to local regulations, go off the ship. We went ashore at 08:30 am. Collected our passport and new sea pass for the consecutive cruise in the main dining room. Went through immigration and our passports were collected by cruise ship for the next cruise. 
Took the free shuttle bus provided by RCCL to Dubai Mall. From Dubai Mall we took a taxi to Deira and did some shopping in the old Souk’s. 
More information about Dubai sights and shopping.

Below three short videos from our visit:




Back on the ship by 3 pm for a late lunch in Windjammer. Went straight onboard with our new Sea Pass provide this morning. 


From our balcony we watched the Vision of the Seas sailaway from Dubai. 
Sailed away from Dubai at 8:00 pm.

A short video of Vision of the Seas sail away from Dubai - footage from Legend of the Seas.

Day 10 - At Sea

Last day for the Singapore to Dubai leg of our cruise. Nice and calm weather. The Crown & Anchor event scheduled for yesterday took place at the Spa Relaxation deck this after noon (picture).
At 05:30 all guest who should disembark in Dubai picked up their passport - consecutive cruisers should collect their passport the following morning prior to leaving the ship for Dubai excursions.

Day 9 - At Sea

Day 9 at 09:45 am there was a Consecutive Dubai Cruiser information meeting by Guest Service Manager Jorge Pedrosa in That's Entertainment Theater . 
A total of the current 870 guest are continuing the cruise from Dubai to Barcelona - probably the biggest number of consecutive guests ever? 
In order to maximize the time for tours in Dubai, Guest services has negotiated immigration and boarding procedures for consecutive cruisers with the Dubai Authorities. 
Also free  'Legend of the Seas' shuttle buses has been organized for Dubai Mall.

Very well thought arrangement which hopefully will reduce the queues when leaving/arriving the ship in Dubai.

At this cruise the sea has been very calm so far - this afternoon we passed an area with more stormy weather and rough sea - there was a 'Crown & Ancher Society & Suites Party' arranged at 5:15 pm at the 'Spa Relaxation Deck.' Due to the rough sea the event was cancelled. However the motion of the ship was not that bad.

Formal night and 'Legend of the Seas Parade of Flags' in Centrum at 8 pm.

Day 8, Mumbai, India

For Mumbai we had signed up one of the ship's excursions., "Mumbaion the Move".
Ready for departure at 10, but our bus wasn't! A small microphone problem meant that we had to switch from an old dirty bus for an even older dirty bus. 
First stop was the Gateway of India - an impressive welcome portal to the Port of Mumbai. Right next is the great Taj Mahal Hotel. There live more than 20 million people in Mumbai and the streets can not cope with the traffic. Traffic jams of cars and motorcycles that winds between each other, while all honking the horn - a deafening inferno. Pedestrians crossing streets at risk of life and limb - there are no rules to keep back for people who need to cross the streets. 
Next stop was the Church Gate Station, a busy hub in south Mumbai. Here we saw the so-called dabbawallahs- who brings lunch out  from home for jobs. The women in the home cook every day fresh food in the morning,. Then dabbawallahs collect food in small bags and brings it to the central squares, such as Church Gate. The food is distributed there to other dabbawallahs who brings the lunch to the men's workplace. In the afternoon the bags are collected and brought back to the home. From Churchgate we took the local train to Mahalaxmi station. Where roads were a chaos as train services to function, although all trains were jam-packed and the doors of the train are not closed.
In Mahalaxmi so we Dhobi Ghat (translated: place where the clothes are washed) - which is Mumbai's largest human-powered washing machine: Every day washing thousands of kilos of clothes and linen in the 1026 outdoor troughs, hang to dry, packaged and brought back hotels and private . We had a fine view of washing the seats from the bridge over the railway at the station.
Next stop was Mani Bhavan which was Mahatma Gandhi's headquarters. The building is now a museum with historical photographs and exhibits showing how the famous leader Mahatma Gandhi once lived and conducted his political activity. Letters he wrote to world leaders - eg. Hitler, Mussolini and Roosevelt. On the ride back to the ship through the crowded streets so we sacred cows, passed the impressive Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station and the University of Mumbai. We were back at 3 pm, somewhat later a calculated due to problems with the bus, but also the heavy traffic in the streets. Windjammer had kept lunch for us - a late lunch and time for sun on the deck.
More information about Mumbai Sights and Shopping.

Day 7 - At Sea

Deck 9 had on several walls plaques from ports Legend of the Seas has visited through the 20 years of service. These plaques are now being taken down and packed in boxes to be sent to Miami.

For Day 7 a face to face Mumbai ImmIgration passport inspection similar to the inspection Day 4 for Cochin. However Guest Service managed to negotiate a smoother process with the Mumbai immigration officers. Now everyone had to pick-up the pre-printed landing card in Centrum 5:30 pm at the same deck as their cabin. 

There have been some coughing and sneezing from many passengers  starting Day 3 or 4. The bug seems to last for three to four days. Slight fever, scratchy throat, coughing and head congestion.

Day 6 - Cochin, India

At 07:00 am we met the pilot boat at the entrance canal to Cochin in India - it was a nice entrance, passed close by the very special Chinese fishing nets used for fishing from the beach - the only place they are used outside China.

At 08:00 Legend of the Seas was docked at Ernakulam wharf on the northeast side of Willingdon Island.

Originnaly it was our plan to take a boat from Ernakulam Pier to Fort Cochin and then walk around the old part of town.. 9:00 am we were ready to leave, but when we came down on the pier, it was very, very hot,  - not only it was hot but also uncomfortable,  so we changed our plans. There were many taxi'er and tuk-tuk'er at the harbor entrance. We decided to take a tuk-tuk, instead of the boat and on foot. We negotiated the price and set off in the dense and chaotic traffic of motorcycles, cars and tuk-tuk’s towards Fort Cochin.

Visited the Cochin main sights such as Santa Cruz Basilica, St. Francis Church and off cause  the Chinese fishing nets - the absolute highlight of the tour. Visited the Dutch Palace, the Jewish Synagogue and some Indian temples before heading back to the ship.

Was back at 2:00 pm. Enjoyed the afternoon at the pool deck.
More information about Cochin Sights and Shopping.

Day 3, 4 & 5 at Sea

Three days at sea from Penang in Malaysia to Cochin in India- through the Bay of Bengal of the Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka.

The sea was quite calm and apart from a single tropical shower the sun was shining with few clouds and beautiful sunsets.

The temperature was at 81F.

During the transit we were greeted by several large flocks of dolphins that swam and jumped close to the ship.

Day 3 was 'Formal evening' with the captain's welcome and introduction by senior officers. Black tie was optional and there were also few guests with tuxedo.

Sailed due west the clock was changed backwards twice  - the first night with an hour and a third night with 1.5 hours - so we were at the same time as Cochin and Mumbai in India. The India Bureau of Immigration requires face to face inspection of all passengers holding a proper Indian Visa - not to spend unnecessary time at passport control in Cochin. There were four Indian immigration officers on board Legend of the Seas from Penang and they performed the personal passport control on board - controls went very smoothly. All passangers who wished going ashore got issued a landing card.

I were very excited about internet coverage on the ship, apart from small outages - an overtly good internet coverage - the same level as I only have experienced at Anthem of the Seas

The three days at sea, we have primarily used for reading on our balcony and a little sun on the pool deck.

There are the usual activities on the ship and movies on the big screen on the pool deck.

I had felt that there were many Diamond / Diamond + members on board, but that is not the big hustle in Concierge lounge or Viking Crown Lounge.

Day 5 at Sea was the 'Top tier Event' - cant't recall the exact numbers - in the order of 970 gold and above - exact numbers are 176 Diamond 123 Diamond+ and 20 pinnacle.

Day 2 - Penang, Malaysia

During the morning we sailed through the Straits of Malacca in Malaysia's west coast at starboard and Sumatra at port side. We sat on our balcony in the sun and read.

Our first stop was Penang island in Malaysia. We docked 3:00 pm at Swettenham Pier with a nice terminal in George Town. This is close to Beach Street, Weld Quay, Clock Tower and Esplanade. 

The old town is very walk able and easy accessible from the Cruise Pier.

The oldest portion of the city center has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 2008.  Recognized as having a 'unique architectural and cultural towns cape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia'.

At 14pm we went ashore. Temperature was 29 C (84F)  - fortunately it was cloudy. We had planned a walk round in George Town, to see the main attraction and soaking up the atmosphere.
Not far from the port lay the remains to an old fort - the wall with cannons facing the sea. Past the town hall and through the old town, In the city there are many temples - the first one we visited was a Buddhist temple. Here was good time in incense stick end. When the temples were decorated with lights and flowers.
In the main street there were bazaars and street kitchens, and much tribulation.
The tour ended at Penang Jetty, a city built on stilts in the water. Here we also got the opportunity to see how local lived. At 8:00 pm we were back on the ship - very tired.
More information about George Town Sights and Shopping.

Here are 24 pictures from our Penang visit.
And three videos:



Legend of the Seas were ready to set sail at 11 pm. We were sitting on our balcony with a glass of wine to follow the exit from George Town and the challenges the pilot boat had to pick up the pilot from the ship when pilot boat was hit by a wave.

Arrival Penang

Temple in Penang

George Town Jetty

Day 1 - Departure Singapore (Spice Route Cruise)

We stayed two nights pre-cruise at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel.
Friday morning after breakfast we packed our suitcases and at 11:00 am we check out from the hotel and took a taxi the 15 minutes  to the cruise terminal at Harbourfront.
The boarding went very smooth - RCCL had communicated a boarding schedule based on deck and it worked quite well.
There were a landing card we had to fill in for visas to India. At 11:30 we boarded 'Legend of the Seas '-  some queues for security as well as picture for sea pass and copy of passport - but in general very efficient. We got a glass of sangria when we came on board - probably because the cruise ends in Barcelona. Ate lunch in the Windjammer Cafe.
At 1:00 pm our cabin were ready and then our three suitcases came dripping during the afternoon. Alternately read/coffee on the balcony and unpacking the suitcases. 4:30 pm the mandatory muster-drill by the lifeboats. We should have sailed at 5 pm but there was some mess with the registration of passports, as well as a passenger who fell ill and had to be picked up by an ambulance.
A little delayed Captain Juan Luis Caranti did turn the ship and the cruise could begin.

We did start Our cruise started with a Manhattan Cocktail in the Viking Crowne Lounge followed by dinner in the main restaurant. 
This is the farewell to Legend of the Seas in Barcelona  - she will be handed over to Thomsom Cruises and continue under the name TUI Discovery 2 - already now items are on sales - this evening a discount of up to 60% at selected bottles of wine in the dining room.
Finished the evening with a glass of wine on our balcony - a day with few showers and 84 F (29 C).
Link to information about Singapore Sights and Shopping.

23 Night The Spice Route Cruise and Suez Canal

We are sailing 'Legend Of The Seas' from Singapore to Barcelona - a 23 Night The Spice Route and Suez Canal Cruise.
This is a 'Back-to-Back' 10 night 'Spice Route Cruise' from Singapore to Dubai and 13 Night 'Suez Canal Cruise' from Dubai to Barcelona.

See the itinerary in post below and get more detailed information about the itinerary at this link.

During the cruise we will post our experiences, add pictures, videos and reviews. 
At the end of the cruise there will be a full day-to-day review of the cruise. 

Legendary Farewell to Remember
This will be our third cruise with the 'Legend of the Seas', however the last cruise Legend is sailing under Royal Caribbean Flag. In Barcelona she will be handed over to Thomson Cruises.
Legend of the Seas will be renamed TUI Discovery 2 and will be the sister ship to TUI Discovery which was previously Splendour of the Seas, also purchased from Royal Caribbean. 
The Discovery 2 will begin sailing fro Thomson in May 2017 and deployed in the Mediterranean.

Video of the itinerary, Moving Route on Map

Here is a short video showing the itinerary with ports of call from Singapore to Barcelona with:

>
Get more detailed information about the at this link.

Spice Route and Suez Canal Itinerary

Get more detailed information about the itinerary at this link.

03 March, Singapore, departure 5:00 PM
04 March, Penang, Malaysia from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM
05 March, at Sea
06 March, at Sea
07 March, at Sea
08 March, Cochin, India from 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM
09 March, at Sea
10 March, Mumbai (Bombay), India from  07:00 AM to 06:00 PM
11 March, at Sea
12 March, at Sea
13 March, Dubai,  from 06:00 AM to 08:00 PM
14 March, at Sea
15 March, at Sea

16 March, at Sea
17 March, at Sea
18 March, at Sea
19 March, Suez Canal - 11:00 PM Passage start.
20 March, Suez Canal - 03:00 PM Passage end.
21 March, at Sea
22 March, Piraeus, Greece (Athens) from 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
23 March, at Sea
24 March, Valletta, Malta from 07:00 AM to 05:00 PM (departure time changed)
25 March, at Sea
26 March, Barcelona, Spain - arrival 06:00 AM

Get more detailed information about the itinerary at this link.

Legendary Farewell to Remember

This will be my third Legend of the Seas cruise - past cruises from Shanghai to Dubai and a Baltic Sea from Copenhagen - but it will also be a 'Legendary Farewell' to Legend of the Seas. 
Thomson Cruises has purchased Legend of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International. She will join the Thomson fleet in May 2017, and will sail under the name of 'TUI Discovery 2', a sister ship to 'TUI Discovery' - another former Royal Caribbean ship and a sister to Legend, Splendour of the Seas.

MS Legend of the Seas 
Is the lead ship of the Vision Class of cruise ships. She is build in France and was launched September 4, 1994. A significant 2013 dry dock with many upgrades including new carpeting, soft furnishings and new decor in cabins and public areas. 
The refurbish also saw balconies added to Deck 6 cabins, as well as 13 new cabins.
The Capacity is 2,076 passengers in 915 cabins (nearly 40 percent have balconies) and Crew of 750.
Total of 11 decks featuring a theater and poolside movie screen, a solarium, two pools, a spa, a fitness center, a 2 story dining room called the Romeo & Juliet, the Windjammer Cafe, 4 themed bars, a dance center, a shopping center, a teen disco, a piano bar, an observation center, a rock-climbing wall a mini-golf course and the Viking Crown Lounge.
Legend of the Seas is the most-traveled ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet, having been based in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the South Pacific, Alaska, Central America, Caribbean, the Baltic, Mediterranean and the Middle East.