I have never been on a cruise before so I don't have any other ships to compare the Ledgend too. I have to say, however, that this ship was spotless. The bathrooms, the staterooms, the lounges, the restaurants, everything...just spotless. And the…Read More

I have never been on a cruise before so I don't have any other ships to compare the Ledgend too. I have to say, however, that this ship was spotless. The bathrooms, the staterooms, the lounges, the restaurants, everything...just spotless. And the staff were very accomodating and friendly. They make it a point to remember your name. You have the same server in the restaurant every night. She remembered our names from the start. There is one night club on this ship. I was hoping there would be more. It was called Medusa's Lounge. They played awesome dance music. There was a kareoki bar a sports bar and a piano bar. The food was to die for. Everything we ate was delicious. From sushi to burgers to chinese to Italian. I even had a vegetarian Indian meal my first night and it was delicious. There was not much to do on this ship between early evening and 9pm. Actually, we were pretty darn bored. We took 6pm dinner which is too early. Next time I would take 8pm dinner so we can hang by the pool longer, then eat, then there is less time to wait for the night life to start. We saw comedy shows a few nights. They had rated PG shows and rated R shows later. I thought that was a great idea. These comedians were awesome. The drinks were expensive. They add gratuitiy and tax to every drink. So they came out to be 8.75 each. Beers were 7.00 each. We didn't drink that much. If we were made of money maybe we would have drank more. The pools on the ship were small. There was a baby pool on the top deck where it was windy as heck. Who would bring their baby up there? There were 2 other pools that were small and crowded. The best pool was in the Serenity lounge. No kids were aloud there, but that just means that the adults could act all amuck. That pool was small too and it was hard to get a lounge chair there. Still though it was nice to be there. The ship had a workout lounge with treadmills, weights and eliptical machines. The machines had t.v.'s on them which i thought was totally cool. Helped me stay on longer. The excursions were cool. Some better than others. I'll explain those in my other reviews for this trip. My final room bill at the end of the trip was only 178.00. The ship charges you 10.00 a day in gratuity fees. This bill included the gratutity, some drinks, purchases at the gift shop, and professional photos that we took. Not too shabby. Could've been worse. The ship had 2 elegant nights. Men dressed in suits and tuxedos, women wore evening gowns and kids had on their Sunday best. I loved the little boys in suits the most. They were so cute. They had a dozen professional photographers in the main lobby taking pictures of families, individuals etc. No sitting fee. Every pos you purchased cost 20.00 for a 8x10. A copy of a pos cost 9.99. This was a very decent price. I think worth it. If I ever go with my hubby and kids, we will definitley do this. This time around I went with my sister. We got the professional shots. Hopefully, i'll be able to add them to this review along with some pics of the cruise.    Close

On the tenth of April, 1912, Miss Hannah Riordan from Glenlouga, Kingwilliamstown, Co. Cork, Ireland, was aboard the Titanic, heading for New York. She was traveling with her cousin, Patrick O’Connor. They had confidently boarded the largest, most luxurious ship afloat,…Read More

On the tenth of April, 1912, Miss Hannah Riordan from Glenlouga, Kingwilliamstown, Co. Cork, Ireland, was aboard the Titanic, heading for New York. She was traveling with her cousin, Patrick O’Connor. They had confidently boarded the largest, most luxurious ship afloat, in Queenstown, Ireland, and were traveling third class. In Southampton, England, Mr. Masabumi Hosono, a civil servant from Tokyo, Japan, went aboard as a second-class passenger. He was traveling alone and was the only Japanese on board. As we went into the Titanic Artifact Exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, in Tampa, FL, my husband and I were given their boarding passes and were suppose to assume their identity.

A pair of glasses, a derby hat, money, a watch and more items, exhumed from their watery grave, two and a half miles down in the cold North Atlantic Ocean, were on exhibit in glass cases around the first room we came to. The next room had a chronology of events as they occurred, starting in 1907 when J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star Line and Lord James Pirrie conceived the idea of dominating passenger travel by building the largest ships the world had ever seen.

Next, we were welcomed aboard by Captain Edward Smith, who was wearing an elegant 1912 uniform. He was booming with hospitality and didn’t care what class we were traveling, which is more than I can say for some of the first class passengers we met, later. We started down the elegant first class hallway, expensively decorated with cream colored painted woodwork and Oriental carpeting. As we went around the corner we were awed by the grand staircase directly in front of us. Above it was a massive wrought iron art glass dome with a magnificent crystal chandelier hanging from the center. The hand carved wooden balustrades were accented with gold leaf. Large black and white tiles in geometric designs were on the floor in front of it. The stairs went half way up and then split to the right and left.

A lacy bronze grillwork door, used to restrict the first class dining hall for first class passengers, dishes, decanters for drinking water, cooking utensils and other paraphernalia, all taken from the real Titanic, were displayed in the next room. Then we came across two ladies, wearing fancy period clothing, who were sitting in a small, but elegant first class café, an exact replica of the one on the ship. One of the ladies got up and offered me her jewel-clad hand. She wanted to know my name and what class I was traveling, and if I had seen John Jacob Astor and his eighteen year old wife. She was so hospitable, with a take-charge attitude, she annoyed me, but I tried to cope with the situation without seeming unfriendly. I said I wasn’t sure what class I was traveling so she told me to look on my boarding pass. I did and read, "Third class."

"You’re not allowed in here. This is first class only," she instructed me.

I sat in an empty white wicker chair at her table and said, "I like first class."

She was so completely offended by my insolent behavior she was going to call someone to remove me to third class. Not schooled in the art of role playing and finding myself in so much trouble, I could think of no other answer than to move on, frightened by the experience.

A placard on the wall in the next room explained the scandal of the day that was keeping first class passengers so amused. John Jacob Astor, one of the wealthiest men in the world, had recently divorced his wife so he could marry his eighteen-year-old girlfriend. They had an extended honeymoon in Egypt, and, when the bride became pregnant, they decided to go back to America. Astor went down with the ship. Shunned by his family, his wife, who did survive the disaster, gave birth to John Jacob Astor V, alone. He started the chain of Winn-Dixie stores during his lifetime.

We next, passed a beautifully decorated first class bedroom and the obnoxious lady from the café was sitting on the bed. She looked at me, raised her eyebrows, and said, "Third class is around the corner."

Afraid of another scene, we continued to third class. It had been furnished with unpainted wood bunk beds. A talkative third class passenger greeted us and when she found I was also a third class passenger, invited me to choose a bunk. She told us all her business and that of her employer, more juicy gossip.

Many more items, from the ship, had been brought up from the deep, including the famous safe, but we weren’t prepared to see a piece of the actual Titanic. The room was in semidarkness and an imitation of the sounds and coldness of the air gave a feeling of what it was like to be there. A 20,000-ton piece of the hull was displayed behind a thick sheet of clear acrylic. Glass portholes were broken and one was falling lose. A small piece of the hull was under another piece of acrylic with a hole in it and we could put a finger in and feel it. It was hard to leave that awesome exhibit.

Books and gifts, related to the Titanic, were on sale at a special gift shop within the exhibit.

A beauty!A lot of friends told me that this airport was the best, I can now agree with them.Easy to navigate, people flow is easy, you don't get lost so easily as in other airports. An extra nice touch is to divide the airport in…Read More

A beauty!

A lot of friends told me that this airport was the best, I can now agree with them.

Easy to navigate, people flow is easy, you don't get lost so easily as in other airports. An extra nice touch is to divide the airport in Blue and Red areas depending on the airline you are flying with, so the lounge, the airtrain and the satellite will be color coded and you just need to know your airline and gate to be ready to go. On the arrival side, it is much easier, you disembark and follow the color/airline to your carousel in a route that will be straight forward.

Vehicle flow was a breeze due to the correct planning of all the access and the layout of the departure and arrivals areas, everything is perfectly organized and you don´t need to get in areas you don´t want to be in. If you are there for a departure, the traffic for arrivals won't bother you at all and vice versa. There are three lines at each section, just for download or pickup and a fourth one for through traffic. As long as the driver stays with the vehicle there are no problems with the cops or your car being towed away. At departures areas there are lots of curbside baggage check in counters. At arrivals area, there are big outdoor display board with the arrivals information, so drivers can stay at their cars while waiting for their passengers, neat. And also, a nice touch is that the carousels are assigned to specific airlines, so frequent flyer's are always picked at the same gates.

And for taxis and shuttles things are just neat, at the end points of the arrivals areas you get a waiting room and meeting point for the shuttle of your preference. I got arrangements with Blue One and they ask you to call them when your plane lands, in the time it takes you to walk from your gate to the carousels and go out they will be ready to pick you, great timing and planning.

Downtown Tampa is just 15-20 minutes away (except of course at rush hour) and it costs around US$10-12 by shuttle or US$20 by cab, prices are of Feb '07.

Take a look at Tampa's Airport website, very informative.
www.tampaairport.com   Close

If Mia knew how to say bear or fruit bat in Somali, she sure wasn’t in the mood to share it with me. The sun was hanging high between plump, puffy clouds that marked the sky with an overcast appearance. For spring, the…Read More

If Mia knew how to say bear or fruit bat in Somali, she sure wasn’t in the mood to share it with me. The sun was hanging high between plump, puffy clouds that marked the sky with an overcast appearance. For spring, the Florida humidity was a killer and made a trip to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo a little tough to handle, but we managed well. I was tagging along with my friend Muna and her 17-month-old niece, Mia, for the day. Muna had been trying to focus her energies on being a good aunt and figured a zoo trip would be perfect for the little one. Though there were times I think Mia would have preferred a trip elsewhere, she did manage to sit quietly and give the animals a half glance when they so deserved her attention. I was impressed. Of course, this was all show, as Muna assured me she normally wasn’t so well behaved.

I was delighted to be at the zoo. I hadn’t been since I was a kid. Child Magazine apparently ranked Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo the number-one zoo in the USA in 2004. That’s what was printed on the zoo brochure the woman handed me when I got my ticket, and after flipping through the pages, I could see why. Zoos had come along way since I was a youngin’, but I took my eyes from the glossy foldout and placed them on one of the most bizarre birds I had seen. I believe it was called an emu, but it resembles an ostrich of sorts. The emu was only the beginning.

From there, we discovered the hideouts of fruit bats, singing dogs, and koi swimming in a man-made pond. I personally prefer the term "giant killer goldfish" when it comes to koi, but that would be far from scientifically correct, even though the fish do look like giants and possibly killer goldfish. Keeping in the direction we had set out on, we headed next to the petting zoo.

When you’re at the petting zoo, you’ll notice the little machines where a token earns you a nibbling of food for the anxious goats and llamas on the other side of the fence. None of us were really wild about furry llamas lips in the palm of our hands, so we watched as others fed the hungry zoo creatures. Hands-on wasn’t a necessity. After our brief pause here, Muna began to zip the stroller with quiet Mia to the area that piqued all of our interests - Safari Africa.

In Safari Africa, you’ll find all the greatest animals on Earth! In my own opinion, giraffes rule, zebras are cool, and elephants know how to really rock the party, or stampede at the very least. I went a little overboard taking pictures of the long-legged giraffes, as another token grants you access to feed them and take great close-up photos. Strangely enough, Mia found enjoyment from the warm breath of the giraffes, though the long black tongues were a bit foreign to us all.

Next on our agenda was getting Mia onto a camel for her very first camel ride. Muna said that her grandmother in Somalia had a camel farm that she never had the opportunity to experience but knew the family would be delighted to know Mia rode on one, even if was only at the Lowry Park Zoo. Camels are slow, dragging creatures, and I still can’t figure out how they manage to hold the weight of lazy human bodies that so often ride them. Our camel’s name was Hank, and he was no exception to the description I just provided. Muna hopped onto Hank first, and the zoo attendant assisted in getting Mia placed in front of Muna for the ride. I’m not certain if Mia knew she was riding on a camel judging by the way she banged on his hump like a drum, but all the same, she remained calm and cool. Mia, by far, was one of the coolest kids at the zoo if that hadn’t already been established.

The heat was getting to us all at this point. The water in the vending machines was just a little too overpriced for me, and I wanted to get some place with A/C. Taking a quick look at the zoo brochure and map, I spotted the Manatee and Aquatic Center. Score! A sure place for air-conditioning and an opportunity to hang out in huge aquariums made this the cream of the zoo crop. Of course, there is required speeding past some of the other animals, like deer, but you can catch deer on almost any long drive on any highway, even in places near the beach it seems. Deer are boring, and they don’t have air-conditioned spots to hang out in and gaze at them, so pass.

The Manatee and Aquatic Center is fabulous, a sure plus to the already well-developed zoo. They had a pretty decent amount of manatee swimming in the huge tanks and various other underwater creatures sharing what space was left. Muna parked the stroller in front of one of the tanks with Mia’s back to the tank. Even before she turned the stroller in the opposite direction, I don’t think Mia realized she was watching huge manatee swim past, and if she did, she didn’t really give a hoot. We hung out here for quite some time, sucking in all the air we could before realizing the time.

It was very much time to leave, as we both had things to do, but bidding farewell to a trip to the zoo can be hard, and we robbed Father Time of whatever little bit of time we could steal. We zoomed past stingrays, river otters, turtles, American alligators, and Florida panthers on our way out. "Hello and Farewell," we yelled!

A day at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo really requires a day’s worth of your time but will be much worth it for any child or adult. There were so many sites and attractions we still hadn’t taken advantage of, like the Treetop Safari, Birds of Prey Theater, and Pony Trek, among several others.

I know deep down inside that Mia had one of the best times of her life.

If you go, the Lowry Park Zoo is located at:

1101 West Sligh Ave.
Tampa, FL 33604

Contact them in advance for additional information by phone or check out their website: 813/935-8552/www.lowryparkzoo.com

The beach that we frequented on our vacation was small and peaceful. It is situated out in the bay, and is connected by a two lane road about 100 yards out. The majority of the people using this state park were elderly, and…Read More

The beach that we frequented on our vacation was small and peaceful. It is situated out in the bay, and is connected by a two lane road about 100 yards out. The majority of the people using this state park were elderly, and it wasn't very crowded. The temperature was in the high 90s and one complaint I had was the lack of shade from the sun. There are a few palm trees, but the only true escape from the heat was getting in the water. We bought some cheap snorkels and masks to try out, but the water was too murky to see very deep. There was also large crops of slimy seaweed growing about four feet deep, which was difficult to avoid. All in all, I enjoyed this place.    Close

A few girlfriends and I headed over to Viva La Frida's for a spacial Halloween Yappy Hour in Tampa, FL. Of ourse, we all dressed our canine kids in their costumes. We were greeted at the entrance of the enclosed patio by our…Read More

A few girlfriends and I headed over to Viva La Frida's for a spacial Halloween Yappy Hour in Tampa, FL. Of ourse, we all dressed our canine kids in their costumes. We were greeted at the entrance of the enclosed patio by our ghoulish hosts who gushed over how adorable our little furry friends were. We took a seat and watched as the other guests arrived. Shortly, a server headed our way and we treated ourselves to cocktails and appetizers, while we listened to the DJ's festive selections for the evening. Once everyone was settled in, the costume contest went underway. The winners were awarded with doggie treats and toys.

This was a very fun and different experience. The owners and dogs were friendly, the service prompt, and the atmosphere simply fitting for such an occassion. We will certainly return for another Yappy Hour in the future.   Close

This amusement park was pretty fun, but don't plan for it to take up an entire day. I went there around 3pm, and was done with everything by 9pm. It's very family-oriented, and the roller coasters are good, but it's a bit overpriced for what…Read More

This amusement park was pretty fun, but don't plan for it to take up an entire day. I went there around 3pm, and was done with everything by 9pm. It's very family-oriented, and the roller coasters are good, but it's a bit overpriced for what it is. If you're looking for an awesome theme park, I would just recommend going to Orlando, which is relatively close to Tampa. The parks are a bit more exciting, and admission is the same price. It is good if you are looking for animals and rides in the same place.    Close

The exhibit is set up so that people can follow a drop of rainwater from Florida's swamps to the open gulf, meeting all the creatures along the way. The aquarium houses various exhibits. There are some tanks open to the air with real trees, plants,…Read More

The exhibit is set up so that people can follow a drop of rainwater from Florida's swamps to the open gulf, meeting all the creatures along the way. The aquarium houses various exhibits. There are some tanks open to the air with real trees, plants, and birds above them. The aquarium also has shows throughout the day. Go to their website for a $2-off ticket if it is still there. Someone in the line in front of me had a buy-one, get-one-free ticket, so check those Tampa tourist magazines; it may be available in one of those.

Directions: Downtown on Channelside Drive, right next to the cruise-ship terminals. The Ybor/downtown trolley stops at the entrance.

Website: http://www.flaquarium.net/

With a family scattered about, I not long ago was reunited with my cousin who lives in the Tampa area and who booked my first fly-alone flight for a visit. Since then I've been there several times. My first surprise was the size…Read More

With a family scattered about, I not long ago was reunited with my cousin who lives in the Tampa area and who booked my first fly-alone flight for a visit. Since then I've been there several times.

My first surprise was the size of Tampa's airport (and many others - I love Pittsburgh), although I'm getting better at navigating it, even through rerouting trauma. He was kind enough to wear the same special lavender shirt (or similar) as in a family photo he'd initially emailed me, so I could easily spot him (although he towers over others) in a crowd.

Secondly, I was made aware of the enormous number of horses that are quartered here and nearby and that he actually had a horse of his own. Her name is Breeze and she was a gentle ride. Hunting of wild boar is also available as he does in the northern part of FL with some success, and his cooking is excellent, with a preference for mesquite.

The houses are seemingly small and comfortable with no cellar or attic, so accumulation of "stuff" is Spartan (St. Petersburg's Bay Shore area -- SO not!). There are lovely floral accents everywhere. We shopped on "the pier" which had some very nice shops and refreshing ice cream for relief from the heat regardless of season. We dined at "Cody's" and "The Crab Shack" . . . not upper crust but very nice with good food although, I must confess, it's quite nice to eat "at home" with family, all members being excellent in the kitchen and at the grill. I became acquainted with several fine craft and yarn shops during my first (and second visits) – "Carol's" and "The Knitworm". This is also a land of the long-leaf pine needle (with which I sometimes weave baskets) and there's one on the adjacent property which gives my cousin a good supply from seasonal droppings. There's also a little but productive grapefruit tree on the premises - looks like a lollypop tree that kids draw but the fruit is yummy.

My current visit, from which I write, is quite different . . . "we" now have a Jacuzzi and a little pond (with fountain and lights) in the backyard . . . I love it!

Tampa driving is hellish and I hope to never be behind the wheel here. Prices vary from those in New England as do items carried by large chain stores. I adore the shoes here and generally wait for another visit to buy less clunky styles, although it's appearing younger folks are settling in the area and it's showing in the shoe departments.

Still, the Tampa/St. Pete area has tons to offer in culture, innovations and good food. The flora is exquisite and plentiful. This current trip we found the Dali Museum on the IGOUGO net and we went...wow! (See other entry.) We've visited the Renaissance Festival, sited so well in a forested area - a thrilling experience with no electric rides (totally muscularly powered) and fun to watch. There is also (among so many other functions) an International Food Festival offering so much more than items to test the pallet. Goods and vendorph from several south American countries gather here with offerings that make unique gift giving treats. It's really nice that way as well as tasty.

The local terrain seems flat and never-ending with everything a body could want and it's so different from my home in the foothills of the Berkshire mountains - a true refuge (and they even offered to transport/house my dog!) How great is that!!! Not every airline does, but USAir does/Southwest doesn't.

The whole Tampa area has tons of activities to offer anyone/everyone enjoyment - from the mundane to the sophisticated- it's quite a place.

Without plans to board a cruise ship or visit a Florida theme park, I filled my time in Tampa with eating, drinking, shopping, and simply lounging around. With their Hawaiian-printed T-shirts and worn-in shorts, the locals are very laid-back and easy to talk to at…Read More

Without plans to board a cruise ship or visit a Florida theme park, I filled my time in Tampa with eating, drinking, shopping, and simply lounging around. With their Hawaiian-printed T-shirts and worn-in shorts, the locals are very laid-back and easy to talk to at any number of bars and restaurants across the city. They are certainly eager to help you plan your time and suggest activities you may enjoy.

The Green Iguana Bar has several locations in Tampa, two of which we visited on our trip. They serve your normal mixed drinks and beer with little attitude in a casual environment. Slightly nicer, the Bahama Breeze is another restaurant/bar that has a lovely outdoor seating area with live music many nights. Located in close proximity to each other (Green Iguana Bar & Grill (813) 288-90767627, W Courtney Campbell Cswy, Tampa) you can have a relaxed evening meal and late-night drinks without walking far. The hotels in this area (near the airport) looked inviting, and I would not be afraid to stay at one in the future.

Tampa also offers typical surburban shopping malls to fulfill all your purchasing desires. I particularly enjoyed hunting discounts at Burdine's in Westshore Plaza (http://westshoreplaza.com/), a department store that does not exist in Chicago.

It is easy to "take it easy" in Tampa.