Carnival Pride Reviews

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Living in Northeastern Pennsylvania has its perks. One of them being a 2 1/2 hour drive to the Port of Baltimore to cruise the Pride. It was very convenient and it sits right off of route 95. Another great perk was you didn't even have to get out of your car as you just popped the hatch and they took your luggage from there. How cool is that!!?? We arrived around 11:00am and went through the check in process very quickly. It was very organized and in my mind flawless. By 11:30 We had our first drinks and some lunch. At 2:00pm we decided to go see if our cabin was ready. Not only was it ready, but all of our luggage was there to. I had heard that your luggage arrived to your cabin after you do(sometimes long after) and was pleasantly surprised to see ours there. We had an 8E balcony on Panorama deck forward. Very quiet at anytime of the day. The ship is decorated in the Renaissance era. Lots of naked statues, paintings, etc. We saw quite a few kids giggling. I didn't find it overkill and actually we liked it. There are some areas of the ship that feel darker than normal, but all in all it's laid out very well. It felt very uncrowded on the ship. The ship itself is very well kept and squeaky clean. The staff were all very very friendly,knowledgeable and went above and beyond to all of your needs. The food. We did the breakfast buffet out on Lido deck everyday and found it always hot, fresh, filled and very tasty. Lunch on Lido was also just as good as breakfast. Dinner in the Normandie dining room wasn't so hot. You can tell there were major cutbacks here as the quality of the food was just sub par. We found most of the meals were very very bland, unseasoned or not seasoned enough. The food was never hot when it came to you, but lukewarm. We also felt they need to add more selections. Now Davids Steakhouse was amazing!!! Worth every penny and the best dinner I had all week. Get the cheesecake for dessert. We never went to any of the shows or to see the comedians perform. The casino was always rocking along with all of the bars. Our 15 year old son did Club O2 and enjoyed it very much. It's great that he could meet kids his age to hang out with. We never did use the gym but it is really nice. All new equipment and never to busy. The weather didn't cooperate with us on this trip, but never the less we had a great time as there are so many things you can do on the ship. We chose self debarkation and it was very very very quick. We were off the ship by 9:00 am and in the car by 9:30 on our way home. Overall this is a great cruise and a great value for your money. I recommend the Carnival Pride to all cruisers.

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CARNIVAL PRIDE SEVEN DAY CRUISE, MAY 13, 2012. Stops at Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport, Bahamas EMBARKATION A 90 minute drive from home, Baltimore was a convenient embarkation port for us. Cruise terminal is located minutes from I-95. Baggage handling and parking is easy. We didn't even have to get out of the car! CHECK IN We arrived before noon and was on the ship by 12:30. We had "VIP Check In" because of our Jr. Suite. No champagne, but water was provided in the VIP waiting area. Like everyone else, able-bodied VIP guests lug their own carry on bags aboard. THE SHIP Carnival Pride was launched in 2002. CCL performs constant maintenance and we found the ship to be clean. Readers may have heard about about the interiors of Pride; a ship that betrays its gleaming exterior with dark and cluttered below deck spaces. The ship seemed overly ornate, although that's a matter of personal taste. There is an overwhelming use of brown and bronze, generating a closed in effect. Even the soaring Atrium seemed small; this on a ship nearly 1,000 feet long. Much has been written about the use of nude artwork and while it did not bother me, parents of children may be red faced. Seems art work was everywhere but on the ceiling (however there are sculptures of bare chested mermaids on the ceiling of the Mermaid Grill!). STATEROOM We treated ourselves to an aft junior suite, the largest cabin we have ever had at sea. Over twice the size of standard cabins, this space offered a bar area, sitting area with flat screen TV, a sitting area with makeup mirror/lights and a large bathroom with dual sinks and a whirlpool bath. We had a standard sized balcony but two windows. One window overlooked a stairwell that was only used during muster. I have read reviews of this cabin that complained about constant slamming of the stairwell door. It was not a problem for us. We were able to check our Sign and Sail account by stateroom TV. FOOD Breakfasts were hearty with an extensive menu. Some of the best scrambled eggs I have ever had at sea. A continental breakfast is offered for early risers. Coffee was better than expected and very consistent. Room service, best ordered by interactive TV, arrived within 30 minutes. We never had lunch in the main dining room, opting for Mermaid Grille fare. 24-hour Pizza is a nice option. Some diners complained about a distinct lack of tomato sauce. Dinner in the Normandie Dining Room was a pleasant experience but it is a noisy place and conversation can be hard to hear. My food usually arrived lukewarm, but still tasty. Frogs legs were offered as an appetizer one night! David's Steakhouse is worth the extra fee. The filet mignon was a highlight of the week. SHOW LOUNGE AND SHOWS After cruising on stretched ships that put added demands on non expanded public spaces, it was a delight to sail Pride. The Taj Mahal Show Lounge can accommodate those passengers who want to see a show. Often, we saw empty seats; a shame because this ship had some of the best dancers we've seen on a cruise. The shows had the standard "music through the years" themes but I was impressed with the sheer number of songs and dance routines. OTHER ENTERTAINMENT On cruise ships, comics come and go with some degree of regularity depending on port stops. Plan to get to the Butterflies Lounge early to get a seat for the adults only comedy show. Best line of the week: "What do you find on a ship with hundreds of crew direct from Italy? Two Filipinos serving slices at the 24 hour pizza bar!" The basement like Beauties Disco offered good sound, but does not take advantage of views of the ocean; a strange shortcoming on a "Fun Ship." CASINO/SPORTS BAR Ours was a "Players Club" cruise and the place was hopping. A continental breakfast and coffee are offered in the casino where there is live entertainment. The usual games with a couple of pool tables to the side. I was able to keep up with the NBA playoffs during our cruise, thanks to the sports bar and its dozen TV monitors. CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES We did not use this feature, but saw Pride staff keeping kids busy all week. There is a "slide to nowhere" near the kids pool an an upper deck. Also, a "virtual reality" video game arcade is located near the main show lounge. SPA AND GYM Pride has a well appointed spa and gym with the newest equipment that allows you to work off last night's warm melting cake with great views forward. An outdoor short jogging track is located on the top deck, forward with the mini golf course. DEBARKATION Guests must vacate cabins by 8:30a and wait in designated areas for their "zone number" to be called. Guests with no checked bags can be off the ship as early as 9am. We were on the road by 10:15a. FINAL THOUGHTS Carnival Pride offers a nice getaway from a northeast port at a value price. While the style of the ship may not suit all tastes, cruising is all about looking seaward where we saw a dolphin breach the water, directly in front of our balcony, mid-vacation. That's a long lasting memory!

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My wife and I sailed on the Carnival Pride on Apr. 22, 2012 from Baltimore. The following is my review of the cruise. Embarkation-We arrived at the port around 2:30PM. There was no wait checking in and we were on the ship by 2:45. The stateroom was ready so we dropped off our carry on luggage and explored the ship. Suit cases arrived by the time the muster drill was over. Ship- The Pride is a very nice and clean(although old)ship.The ship design is Italian Renaissance. The staff was friendly and accommodating. Stateroom- I booked an 8C balcony. The room was spacious with plenty of closet and drawer space. It was kept clean by an efficient steward and his assistant. Room Service- Good selection and prompt. Food- The Normandie Dining Room was comfortable, not loud and with a great selection of table sizes. Regular dining is on the second deck. Anytime dining is on the third deck. We chose late dining, a table for two on the second deck. The Maitre D' was very helpful, he honored our table request without a problem. ( Note, if you need a table change make sure you see the Maitre D' before the muster drill. If you don't see him before the drill you will not be able to see him until the early diner service and it is very hectic at that time.) We have been on three previous Carnival Cruises and we have always found the food as good as other cruise lines we have sailed on. During this cruise I was disappointed with the food. Although the food was not bad and a person could find something they would like to eat, I found the food to be bland, boring and nothing special. This was not the case on other Carnival cruises I have been on. The exception was the desserts. They were extremely good, better than other Carnival cruises I have sailed on. My feelings for the food at breakfast and lunch in the Dining Room are similar. Bland, boring and nothing special. As a result we decided to eat breakfast and lunch at the Mermaid Grill Buffet on the Lido. again, I was disappointed. Nothing bad but nothing really good. The exceptions to this was the Deli where you could get a great made to order hot or cold sandwich or the Pool side Grill where you could get a good hotdog. The service in all the eating areas was great. Whether you ate in the Normandie Dining Room or the Mermaid Grill the wait staff was friendly and attentive to your needs. David's Steakhouse- The food and service was great. It is well worth the $30.00 charge. Public Rooms- Nice with a lot of areas to relax in. A very quiet and relaxing area was the Sunset Garden on both sides of Deck three forward. Bars- There are enough on the ship to satisfy passengers needs. Drinks are reasonably priced and bartenders are friendly. ( Note to smokers, the only bar where you can enjoy a cigarette or cigar at any time is Starry Nights. This bar is also the main Karaoke Bar.) Entertainment- We did not go to any shows but the singers and musicians who sang and played at the bars were good. Pool Areas- Two nice pools, one canopied one open. The weather the first few days was a little cold and rainy so they kept the canopy closed. As a result that pool was crowded. When the weather got warmer and both pools were used the area became less crowded. The adult only Serenity area was very nice but it was difficult to find any chair to sit on. Spa and Fitness Studio/Gym- Did not use. Casino- It is a little different than other ships I have been on. For the most part slots were on one side and table games on the other side. Bar in the center. Debarkation- I thought this was also very efficient. You are asked to sit in a certain area and given a time to be called. We were called earlier than expected and were off the Pride in ten minutes. We cleared Customs in less than five minutes and found our luggage with no problem. There were a lot of porters available in the luggage area. The total time it took us to get off the ship and get to our car after our debarkation number was called was about 25 minutes. This was the most efficient debarkation of the ten cruises we have been on. The Pride is a very nice ship and we would cruise on it again. Baltimore is a great port to cruise out of, this was our second from there and we would definitely cruise out of there again.

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So, I booked this cruise as a Christmas present for my mom. She is in her 60s and has cruised before, but not on Carnival. I am 38 and this was my 6th cruise...5th one on Carnival. It was my first time cruising out of my homeport of Baltimore. It was very nice to drive just 25 minutes to get to port. The port of Baltimore was decent enough, though there were many delays. We got to port around 11:20 and did not get on the ship until 1:15 (boarding didn't even begin until 12:30 or so and we didn't leave port until about 5:45 or so). There was also a delay in getting off the ship (we put our bags out the night before and were #10...we got off around 11 am and there were still many folks on the ship). The delays were irritating but nothing that would ruin a trip. The ship was great. It was very clean and upkept and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The buffet area seemed understaffed the last couple (2) days and tables were not cleaned up as quickly as they had been the first several days (5). But, it still wasn't all that difficult to find a clean table to sit at. We loved the layout of the ship, it was very easy to navigate. We liked all the many venues. There was always plenty to do. We liked to watch karaoke and see the shows and comedians. We also spent some time in the casino and piano bar. I didn't feel like the ship was too crowded, except for the sea days out on the Lido/Serenity deck. We could NEVER get a chair in the sun near any of the pools. We wanted to be on the Serenity as we were not with kids. We even got out there at 7:30 am one day and all the chairs were being used or saved. We had to get our own chairs from a stack and squeeze them in up on deck 10. That worked fine, but not as easy as I'd have liked. The food was good and we always could find something yummy to eat. We had your time dining and ate in the MDR all except for 1 night that we went to the steakhouse. The service was fantastic in the MDR as well as in the steakhouse. It was actually the best MDR service I've experienced with Carnival thus far. We only had to wait for a table 1 night and that was for only about 15 minutes. We were given a pager and sat at the bar nearby. We enjoyed a cocktail and then our pager went off. Our cabin was nice. We had a balcony. It was my mom's first and she loved it. It was nice to sit out there. The cabin was big and clean and everything worked (TV, toilet, etc). Our steward was wonderful. He was super friendly and helpful and always had everything in tip top shape. The location was nice too. We only had a quick walk up 2 flights to the buffet and Serenity area. We could also grab an elevator, right around the corner, to go down to the casino/lobby/lounges/theater (where we spent a lot of time). The one negative was noisy neighbors. We heard a lot of door slamming and cabinet slamming and kids running around. It woke me every morning around 6:45-7 am, though my mom could sleep through it. I was very tired by the end of the cruise. I would liked to have gone home, to my 3 kid, a more relaxed person. I used the computers in the library to keep in touch with my husband and kids at home. We used the forums on the Carnival website to post on the 'currently onboard' forum. It worked well...for me anyway...my husband had trouble at home with the website. But, I could post daily to let them know what and how we were doing. I would usually post in the mornings, after I got woken early and while my mom was still sleeping. The ports...well 2 of the 3...were awesome. We loved Grand Turk. It was a really fun day there and is now my favorite port. We just hung out at Margaritaville. We also had a nice beach day at Half Moon Cay. It did take a while to tender to and then from the island. We were on the last tender back as we just sat and waited out the line. The weather was perfect those 2 days and pretty nice for the entire cruise really. The last port was Freeport and I hate it there. It is nothing spectacular and the vendors are pushy. We shopped for about an hour or so and then got back on the ship. We hoped to go get a spot on the Serenity deck finally, but no such luck. It was already packed when we got there and not free chair to be found. We eventually got a spot on one of the comfy couches in the shade, but my mom prefers the sun so she was not thrilled. But it worked and we even got some time in the hot tub that was usually packed. It was a great cruise and my mom told me it was the best Christmas present she's ever gotten. That was priceless to me. I'd give this cruise a 9/10. We both bought Future Cruise Certificates and would love to use them to take another ride on the Pride.

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So here's my take on the 4/22 Carnival Pride cruise to Bermuda. Embarkation: Baltimore has it down to a science. We arrived during a torrential downpour a little after noon, dropped our bags off with the porter and got inside. We were in the security line and for the next hour we moved quickly and by 1:30 we were on the ship. Everyone working during the embarkation process was very pleasant and it was a painless quick process. Drinks/Bars: Since the first thing we did was grab a drink, I'll talk about this first. I'll talk about the dining room later, so these comments and thoughts are just about the other bars and lounges. Every bar server and bartender we encountered we found polite and efficient. Iryna (sp?) at the lobby bar was great all week and we piano bar staff were wonderful. Roger in the piano bar was sick and so the piano bar was closed for a few days during the cruise. First note: souvenir glasses were available all week on the lido deck, but only occasionally at the bars on decks 2&3. Second note: Martinis (not cosmos, appletinis, etc. but real martinis) were the best deals by far. A Stoli martini was $8.95, a small FYI for those looking for the most bang for your buck. Third note: buckets were $.50 off for 4 beers and you could mix and match beers in the bucket. Dining Room: I'll talk about David's and the Chef's table in a moment, but here are my thoughts on the Normandie Dining Room. We did Any Time dining and usually arrived as early as 7 and as late as 7:30. With (basically) 4 days at sea, 2 straight days in the same port, and embarkation day, the convenience of Any Time dining really appealed to us. Also as a party of 2, wanting to eat by ourselves this cruise, I'm glad we chose Any Time dining. If having a table for 2 is important, just do the Any Time dining, the longest we waited was 15 minutes and some nights we were sat immediately. Most nights we each had an appetizer, soup, salad, entree and dessert, we also ordered another item or 2 to share. The food was, overall, very good every night. Almost everything was seasoned well and cooked properly (impressive for the sheer volume the kitchen is serving every night). That said, I doubt we'll do Any Time dining again. While we enjoyed the food, the service left something to be desired. I'm not sure how the service was for those with fixed time dining was, but here's how it felt upstairs with Any Time dining. The service was disjointed and rushed. Most of the time the wait staff seemed like they were just going through the motions. On more than one night we found our assistant waiter to be more personable than the head waiter. Part of the problem may have been the number of diners each team of waiters was waiting on. Most nights it looked like our wait team was waiting on 8 - 10 tables (20 -- 28 diners) at once. That's a lot. Chef's Table & David's Steakhouse: Both were great experiences but very different. At The Chef's Table (CT from here on), the overall experience was outstanding but even though the food and service were good, it was more about the interaction both with the Chef and the other guests at the table. At CT you sit at a very long and wide table and you are seated across from your date (if you have one). For the most part men sit on one side, women on the other. It ends up adding a lot to the experience because it forces you to interact with others around you. The food is good, but nothing remarkable if you eat at least occasionally in upper tier mainland restaurants. The service was particularly good with the Chef, 2 Sous Chefs and a waiter taking care of the table. Wine is freely offered throughout the evening and coffee served at the end (along with more wine). Would I do it again, probably. Would I do it on every cruise, no. David's on the other hand... I will do every cruise, at least once. Great service and outstanding food, it's worth every penny. I had the new spice rubbed Ribeye, and it was outstanding. Cabin: We had cabin 4149, it's a 4k and it was perfect for us. The 4k rooms have French doors that open into the room. There's a railing directly outside the doors, so you can't step out onto anything, but at least you can get plenty of light and the ocean sounds. The room was more than large enough for us with a king size bed, a full couch and plenty of storage. The best part is the room is priced as an inside cabin! Our room steward Rupert was seldom seen, but always had the room cleaned in the morning and turned down in the evening. We were very happy with the room and our steward and would definitely book a 4k again. Bermuda: It was fantastic! We had a great time there and visiting on a cruise ship is a perfect way to see Bermuda. Eating and drinking on the Island is very expensive so if you plan your days well, you can minimize those expenses. The first day there we got our 2 day ferry & bus pass, hopped on the ferry to St George's and made our way to Fort St Catherine. After touring the fort we walked back to town, hopped on a bus rode to Hamilton. There, we grabbed lunch (very expensive) and walked around a bit. Took a ferry back to King's Wharf, shopped and had a few drinks at the Frog and Onion Pub. The second day we toured the Maritime Museum (not as interesting as St Catherine's) and then we took a bus to Belmont Hills Resort and played a round of golf. After that we took a bus back to King's Wharf, shopped a little more and had happy hour again at the Frog and Onion. I would absolutely go back to Bermuda, but only probably on a cruise. Fellow Passengers: A few observations about the other people on the ship with us. On the first formal night (our first day at sea), I'd estimate that at least 80% of the people dressed up which I was happy to see. Most of the men wore suits (a few wore tuxes) and most of the women wore cocktail dresses. Also, a lot of people stayed dressed up into the evening. The second formal night was very different. People dressed slightly nicer than on other nights but the number of people dressed 'formally' I'd guess to be closer to 40%. I was a little let down and may have not put my suit back on but my fiancee wanted me to, so who am I to argue? As to the whole chair hog issue: I didn't see a lot of hogged chairs, even in the Serenity area, but I saw a lot of people incorrectly accusing people of hogging. A couple who had been laying in one of the Serenity hammocks, reading and napping for an hour or so, went to grab a plate of food and a drink. They were gone 15 minutes at the most and when they came back a woman was standing directly next to the hammock waiting to tell them about the rules of holding chairs. It was quick and the couple just kind of laughed it off but it was really uncalled for. There were very few children, or at least it felt like it. Debarkation: We did self assist and we were off the ship and through customs by 10:30. I'm sure I've missed some things so feel free to ask questions and I'll answer anything that I can.

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