Legend is huge. There’s no getting away from it. I sailed on Royal’s UK-based ship Liberty of the Seas in May, and the Freedom-class vessel is noticeably smaller than Legend – Legend is 250,800 gross tonnes while Liberty, which was built nearly 20 years ago, is around 154,407 gross tonnes.
Royal chiefs make every effort to steer conversations away from Legend being the world's largest cruise ship. They highlight the impressive space to passenger ratio which they rightly argue enhances the onboard experience rather than the number of people onboard.
But, as you approach Legend from land, it’s hard not to take a sharp intake of breath. Like if you were taking in a famous Caravaggio for the first time. Legend dominates the skyline. It’s a behemoth.
Royal claims Legend offers the most dining options at sea with 28 places to eat for every occasion. And it's the dining options which Royal has focused on improving from other Icon-class ships – Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas.
New dining experiences include Hollywoodland Supper Club, and Royal Railway – Legend Station, where guests can enjoy a meal while being whisked along Marco Polo's famous Silk Routes through Italy, Turkey, Persia, India and China.
Make sure you tell your clients the price of Royal Railway. It’s an eye-watering $165 per adult, but as one agent told me: “People will pay that.” He’s right. The quality is so high on Royal’s latest Icon-class ship there’s no way passengers won’t want to try everything on offer.
Legend's silhouette is striking, even from a distance
And then there’s the entertainment. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory debuts on Legend in the main theatre, and there are new experiences in the AquaTheater and the Absolute Zero ice arena.
On Legend’s shakedown cruise to Civitavecchia, Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group’s President and Chief Executive, told media: “We’re desperately trying to go from delivering a vacation of a lifetime to a lifetime of vacations.”
This, of course, is a reference to each of Royal Caribbean’s brands which Liberty hopes can retain customers through each stage of their lives. He often refers to the Royal Caribbean "ecosystem".
Legend can without doubt reel in new-to-cruise families with young children and put them on a path to becoming a Royal Caribbean "lifers".
