A First Time Cruiser's Review of the Carnival Pride

[Duckie26]

This is my first attempt at a review and it was my first time cruising so have patience! This will probably end up being very long. LOL I’m used to doing “travelogues” rather than reviews so that is probably what this will end up being.

 

In any case, I hope you enjoy it.

 

Just for reference… I am 38 and the DH is 40 and we don’t have kids, just dogs. This was our first vacation together since we got married 18 years ago and it was long overdue.

 

On March 5, 2009, I booked my first cruise on the Carnival Pride for January 10, 2010. Since this was our first cruise and the Port of Baltimore was so close to home, we thought this was the best choice for us after doing much research. The weather could of been a problem but since we had nothing to compare it to, I figured it was worth a shot. We were not to be disappointed. Yes, the first couple days were very cold but we still had an awesome time.

 

I do want to say before I start that I lurked and sometimes posted on this board for over a year and I learned so much!! The DH was very impressed with my knowledge of the ship, the ports of call and what to expect!! So thanks to all who post such valuable information here.

 

Anyhoo... away we go!

 

Embarkation

We left our home at 9:45 AM, on the morning we were to set sail and by 11:30 we were through security and sitting in Zone 6 waiting to board. While checking in was a breeze, we did find the parking lot at Baltimore to be a bit confusing and we made many u-turns to finally get us to the long-term parking lot. There are not any signs to direct you through the system, but no worries, there are plenty of people to ask. We dropped off our bags and eventually got where we needed to be.

 

By 1:00 PM, we were on the ship, having lunch on the Lido Deck and enjoying our first DOD! By 4:30 PM, the DH who is not normally a drinker, was totally smashed. LOL It didn’t take him long to embrace the “Fun Ship” motto.

 

Getting on the ship!

 

Our first of many DODs!

 

Notice the icicle on the showerhead! Not something you see every day on a cruise ship!

 

We found this to be true! LOL

 

 

Somehow I got him to our cabin where we found our amazing balcony and started to unpack.

 

Our awesome balcony! Classified as an 8K - Cabin No. 7258. Notice the DH leaning a bit...yep, he was trashed. LOL

 

 

 

We were supposed to leave at 5:30 PM but our departure time was pushed back to 7:00 PM. I eventually heard there was a surprise immigration check which is what caused the delay.

 

The first night is a bit hazy as I had a few DODs myself but we got through the Safety Drill well enough and then we had our first dinner in the main dining room. We choose to do “Anytime Dining”. After dinner, I believe we explored the ship some and then we went to bed.

 

We skipped the “Welcome Aboard” show because we were both exhausted.

 

As I had mentioned in another post, the first night seemed to be very noisy and there was lots of banging going on and a noise that sounded to be an ice machine coming from the storage room beside us. We never heard these noises after the first night.

 

There is also a vibration in that part (aft) of the ship . It can’t be helped due to the location of the engines and I’ve read posts by people complaining about it but it didn’t really bother us. After the first day or two, we got used to it and after the first night, we both slept like babies for the rest of the trip.

 

To be continued...

[Duckie26]

First Two Days at Sea

 

We are early risers so it was still dark when we woke up that first morning at sea. We hadn’t slept well due to the excitement of being on the ship and sleeping in a strange place, so a call was made to Room Service for coffee and lots of it. It arrived in about 20 minutes and we enjoyed it while sitting our balcony watching the sun rise.

 

 

 

Yep.. it was pretty darn cold out there but we didn’t care. We were on our first vacation together in 18 years and we were going to make the most of it.

 

At 8:00 AM we went to the main dining room for breakfast and I had a tasty omelet with corned beef hash. The DH wasn’t very hungry so he just had coffee and some hash browns. The food was ok, and it could have been hotter. We then explored the ship some more, I played a round of bingo, and then we grabbed some lunch on the Lido deck. After lunch, it was nap time. LOL This was to become a pattern on our days at sea.

 

This evening was Elegant Night so we dressed up in our finest and went to the main dining room for dinner.

 

 

 

I’m going to be honest and say for us, we did not care for the main dining room. The wait seemed long for our food and drinks to arrive and the food was never hot, it was barely warm and I would rate it from ok to tasty. We also kept getting seated in a far off corner and felt somewhat excluded. Maybe that was just me but I just didn’t feel comfortable there.

 

We found this to be the case all three times we ate in the MDR, for breakfast the one time and the two dinners we ate there. Elegant night was our last night in the main dining room for the rest of the trip. We made do with the Lido Deck buffets and enjoyed it.

 

They actually served most of the items each night up there as they did in the MDR and we loved being able to take our trays back to our room and eat on our balcony. So this is what we did for the rest of the trip. Perhaps on our next cruise, with friends, we will find the MDR to be more of our liking, but for this trip, we just were not feeling it.

 

We did attend the show that evening, “Wonderful World”, and it was ok. Lots of different costume changes that highlighted different parts of the world with singing and dancing. The dancing was good and so was the singing. I’d rate it as a “5.5”. Perhaps a 7 after a few drinks. LOL

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The second day at sea was like the first. Up early, a visit to the Lido for breakfast and coffee. I attended a cooking show in David’s Steakhouse while the DH soaked in one of the hot tubs. After lunch on our balcony, it was nap time.

 

Oh yes, I must mention that on the morning of the second day, all the sudden, the ship seemed to be FLYING… it was moving really fast! We were to learn that there was a medical emergency on the ship (heart attack) and we were to arrive in Florida that night instead of the next morning and we were moving as fast as the ship could go.

 

The 2nd night, we dined at David’s Steakhouse and it was good. The DH is a steak lover and he enjoyed his 24 oz Porterhouse very much. I had the lobster tail and it was ok, but it was lacking in flavor. The appetizers were ok (I had the crab cake and lobster bisque, the DH had the tuna tartar and a salad). I’m not going to rave about the food here because while it was good, I can’t say that it was the best I ever had… the food could have been a little hotter and service seemed a bit “over rehearsed” but overall it was ok. I will say though the “Chocolate Lovers” dessert was FANTASTIC!!

 

Overall, the steakhouse was a nice experience and I’m glad we went, but it’s not something we want to do again.

 

After dinner, we spent some time in the casino, drinking a few DODs and then we saw the ventriloquist, Jerry Goodspeed.

 

This show is a MUST SEE!!!

He is freaking hilarious and I swear I peed myself a little bit from laughing. I’d rate this show a 10!

 

Unfortunately, this was the last show we were to attend. We just never made it back there. I’m so glad we are going back again next year so that we can see the rest of shows and do more activities on the ship! So much to do and so little time!!

 

After the show, we went up on deck to watch us pull in to Port Canaveral (it was cold!) but I was also happy that I was able to turn my iPhone on and make a few calls. Man, I had missed my phone!!! LOL It was really funny to see everyone pulling out their phones once they realized we were close enough to land and not be roaming anymore.

 

After we pulled in to port and checked out the new view for awhile, (it was nice to see land again after a couple days) it was off to bed! We were getting off the ship for the first time in the morning and we were looking forward to our visit to Florida!

[LBumb]

very good review so far. i am enjoying your comments and photos. nice to hear you vacationed after 18 years.

[jojo1108]

Your review is hilarious! We leave on the Pride on 2/21 and I freaking can't wait. My husband read the review over my shoulder and we both were like, "I hope we get to sit with people like them"! Thanks and I can't wait to see the rest!

[Duckie26]

Port Canaveral

 

 

We had made reservations with Budget to rent a car for our day in Florida. I had read about this in Mark’s review and we were not disappointed. We got off the ship, the shuttle was right there waiting for us and within 5 minutes we were at their center and in our car. We ended up with a 2010 Canary Yellow Camaro. SWEET! The DH wanted to fish a bit (he’s lives to fish) so we drove over to Jetty Park. Beautiful park! We paid $10 to get in but you do not need a fishing license to fish from there. He tossed a lure around for a bit, caught a few “small ones” but decided it was just too cold and windy.

 

A few pics of from the day:

 

 

Jetty Park

 

 

 

Beach at Jetty Park

 

 

 

After a quick stroll on the beach, we drove around Cocoa Beach for a bit and then decided to go to Kennedy Space Center for the rest of the day. We enjoyed our time here very much and it eventually warmed up enough so that we were able to shed our jackets. I loved seeing all the wildlife too, while at Kennedy Space Center. We saw lots of armadillo, a wild boar drinking from a canal, and an alligator sunning himself. Too cool!

 

 

We returned our car a little early because we were missing the Pride…and were anxious to get back. We then we spent the rest of the afternoon on our balcony, a quick snack from the Lido, and just enjoying the sun and warm air. We also took advantage of the weather to walk around all the upper decks of the ship to take some pictures. It had been way too cold on the way down to go up there.

 

A few more shots from this day:

 

A sunrise as seen from our balcony.

 

At Kennedy Space Center (we could also see this from our balcony on the ship but of course it was at much greater distance..lol)

 

 

The famous Whale Tale!

 

We spent some time that evening in the hot tub watching the sun set, had a light dinner accompanied by a couple DODs. After that we were off to bed.

 

We were very excited that we were to be in Nassau the following day!! Also, we noticed that after a few hours leaving Florida, the air temp outside started to rise and it had a balmy feel to it! Awesome!

[jsgrandma]

Great review

[bonstersd]

Thanks for posting this Duckie! It's fun to read all about your first cruise experience!

[Duckie26]

Nassau

Coming in to Nassau is something I’ll never forget. It was my first time seeing “blue” water and it almost made me cry! LOL It was just gorgeous. The sun was out, the air was warm, and even though it was a bit windy, it promised to be a gorgeous day. We had just left the arctic cold in Baltimore a few days before so anything was better than that!!!

 

We went to the upper decks as we pulled in to port. Just amazing. The pilot ship pulled up, the pilot boarded in seconds and as they pulled away, the Captain sounded the horn. It gave me goosebumps! Seeing the Conquest in port when we arrived was something to see too! I just loved everything about this day.

 

We had booked the “Atlantis Beach Day” excursion through the ship and we were to meet up with the shuttle at 12:15. Since we got off the ship at 11:00 AM, we had time to take a quick stroll through Festival Place before our shuttle left . We did a quick stroll and then it was back to the meeting place to wait.

 

And wait.

 

And wait.

 

I swear it felt like it was hours before we were actually on the bus to Atlantis. I was getting pretty irritated. And then we were herded along in a group by an Atlantis employee to the beach that was ours to enjoy.

 

It IS about a 10 minute walk from where they drop you off to the beach, and I wouldn’t have minded it so much if I hadn’t felt like a 5th grader on a school trip. Follow your leader.. stay with the group… let’s stop and wait for the stragglers. UGH!

 

I would say it was about 1:45 before we were off on our own, exploring the resort. But once we were... I forgot all about being irritated.

 

We didn’t use the beach because we wanted to explore the aquariums and lagoons and see all the sites. I don’t regret booking this excursion and I felt safer booking through the ship since it was our first time, but I won’t do this again. I don’t feel like it was a waste of money but I didn’t like the waste of time. We’ll do it on our own next time.

 

With the excursion, we had a “meal ticket” that could be used at several cafes. We chose “Shark Bites” where we had an awesome meal of Fish and Chips and Conch Fritters sitting by the beach. The food was delicious and the setting was gorgeous. We toured the aquariums and walked around the resort just soaking it all in.

 

Seriously…I just loved Atlantis and can’t wait to visit it again.

 

After Atlantis, we went back to Nassau to explore some and do a little shopping. We played it safe and stayed within a couple blocks close to the port. We ended our day at Senor Frogs where we both got “The Yard” and I enjoyed my Bahama Mama on one of the swings with the Conquest and Pride looming in the background. What a fantastic way to end the day!

 

By now the sun was setting so we went back to the ship and spent the rest of the evening on our balcony, watching over Festival Place, enjoying the balmy temps and drinking many more Bahama Mamas which were the DOD. Our cabin was in a very convenient location to the lido deck and Poseidon’s Bar. A quick trip up the stairs one flight and there we were! After the 4th DOD we started using the elevators. LOL

 

Pictures from Nassau:

 

Coming in to Nassau

 

The Conquest with the amazing Atlantis looming in the background

 

Hard to believe she is just a “mid-sized” ship!

 

ATLANTIS!

 

 

Conch Fritters for lunch! YUMMY!

 

A beach at Atlantis

 

 

 

More pics in the next post....

[Duckie26]

Leaving Paradise Island.

 

Conch shells for sale in Nassau. I almost bought one but was afraid they would start to smell! LOL

 

The Conquest and Pride. Such pretty ladies!

 

Enjoying a drink at Senor Frogs on the swings!

 

 

A shot of Festival Place

 

 

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Freeport and the rest of my "review" will follow later this evening.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading! :)

[rrraydon]

Ducky, great review can't wait to hear about Nassau and Freeport!!!!!:)

[ryanpatricksmom]

So glad to hear that you had a great time! We've just booked our 4th sailing on the Pride. We've now sailed her in all types of weather, and we've loved each and every trip.

 

The only time that I've experienced the Pride's MDR was an afternoon tea. I gave up on the whole formal dining experience years ago....it's casual clothing and the lido buffet for me all the way.

 

Our next sailing we've opted for an obstructed view balcony because the weather is less than stellar for much of the trip. We figured the savings would be better spent in the casino or our nightly beverages since we haven't spent alot of time out there in the colder months.

 

Our Pride vacations are a way to unhook from the world and unwind. We aren't fans of the itinerary, but it doesn't matter a bit. She's starting to feel like a home away from home. I love hearing that others enjoy the off season sailings. I've been afraid that people will start to shy away from Baltimore sailings because of the cold, and the opportunity to hop on my favorite ship and sail away every few months will disappear.

 

Great review!

[Duckie26]

very good review so far. i am enjoying your comments and photos. nice to hear you vacationed after 18 years.

 

Thanks! It was well worth the wait!

 

Thanks for posting this Duckie! It's fun to read all about your first cruise experience!

Thanks for encouraging me! It was a bit intimidating, but I had fun once I got started! :)

 

Ducky, great review can't wait to hear about Nassau and Freeport!!!!!:)

 

Thanks! I posted Nassau right above your post. You may have missed it. Freeport to follow tonight!

 

So glad to hear that you had a great time! We've just booked our 4th sailing on the Pride. We've now sailed her in all types of weather, and we've loved each and every trip.

 

 

Great review!

 

I would love her in any weather! It was such a great time and a beautiful ship. I hope to experience warm weather cruising eventually but we'll be doing the Pride one more time next winter.

 

Thanks!

[dnnkbk]

Duckie,

 

This is great seeing the same cruise from the perspective of someone else. I'm curious to see if I am in any of your pictures! So far I'm in agreement with almost everything you've said. I am thinking of doing a review of my own (still haven't made it through all my pics and videos though).

 

Can't wait to read more, thanks.

 

Doug

[read52]

Where did you buy the conch to eat? My dh wants to do that.

[Duckie26]

Freeport

Again, we were up early, and feeling the effects from the night before, but a few Advil and a bottle of water helped. It was still dark, but we could see the shores of Freeport and we were excited about our day. The weather today sucked. It was cool, it was windy, and we had an occasional downpour but we had scheduled the Jeep Adventure excursion so the weather didn’t matter. We are really glad that we booked this excursion because if I’m going to be honest, Freeport is not a very interesting port of call. You arrive in an industrial port and the only way to get anywhere is by a cab. There are a few “shops” when you get off the ship but that’s it.

 

We felt that the Jeep tour was the best way to see the Island and totally worth the money. While Freeport may not be the most exciting island, we found that what we saw of it was beautiful. The tour guide was funny and very knowledgeable. The Jeeps were not brand new by any means… but they got everyone where they needed to be safely.

 

The excursion advertises a “light snack” which turned out to be a full lunch of a choose of sandwich and chips in a gorgeous botanical garden called “The Garden of the Groves”. Taino Beach was charming with its conch huts and little straw market. The other beaches that we saw were beautiful too. The tour through the “Grand Bahamas’ Pine Forest” was a little sad, since all of the trees are dead from being flooded with salt water after Hurricane Andrew but the Red Mangrove Swamp was something to see.

 

I’d recommend this excursion to anyone.

 

Since this was a short port day, we were back on the ship and pulling out by 2:00. Of course the sun made an appearance for about an hour as we were on our way back to the ship but it didn’t matter. We still enjoyed our day and were happy to be back on the ship for our scheduled nap time! LOL

 

I took so many pictures this day but since I am limited to how many I can post per reply, I'm only posting a handful:

 

Taino Beach

 

 

Straw market at Taino Beach

 

 

 

 

 

Red Mangrove Swamp... went on for miles. As far as the eye could see!

[Duckie26]

 

 

 

 

Fascination in dry dock!

 

 

Leaving Freeport

 

 

Leaving Freeport

[Duckie26]

Last Day at Sea

 

Ironically enough, the one day we wanted to sleep in late was the day we had to get up early for the Behind The Fun tour of the ship. LOL

 

I booked this excursion the first day and we had been looking forward it to all week. However, I’m glad I set my alarm because we would of slept right through the 8:45 meet time.

 

The tour was good and I would recommend you do it once. Just being able to go up on the Bridge and see that view was worth the price! We got to visit behind the Taj Mahal stage and see the dancers’ dressing room, we saw the galley, the laundry room, the control room, one of the crews’ dining rooms and lounge. We went on the bridge to visit with the Captain and we ended the tour at David’s Steakhouse where they were pushing reservations. They do that every chance they get. LOL

 

You also get pictures and various goodies and surprises with this tour. I’m sure other people have posted all the details, but I’m not going to as to not spoil it for some people who don’t already know.

 

After the tour, we went back to the cabin to start packing. The rest of day was spent walking around, taking pictures, last minute shopping and enjoying our last meals from the Lido deck. I was trying to do everything that I could.. “once last time”.

 

The seas on the way home were unusually calm. It was like glass from the time we left Freeport until we arrived in Baltimore. The Captain said this was the best sail back to Baltimore on this route yet! Lucky for us because I heard the ride back can be really rough at times, especially coming by Cape Hatteras.

 

I didn’t realize how sad the last day was going to be. It was hard to believe that our time was almost over. The ship felt like home and the crew that we got to know felt like family. IGusti, our room steward, took such good care of us and he was so nice. I don’t remember the bartender’s name from Poseidon’s Bar, but he was nice too and we loved chatting with him. Every crew member I encountered on the ship was very friendly and helpful . It was just an amazing experience all around and I was sad it was all coming to an end.

 

 

Disembarking

 

The last day was upon us and again, we were up early. We sat out on our balcony in the cold pre-dawn light, as we approached the Key Bridge. It wouldn’t be long until we were off the ship and on our way home. *sigh*. We made our way down to Deck 2 around 9:00 AM to wait for them to start calling decks to leave.

 

We choose to do “self-assist” for leaving the ship. We had way too much luggage, but somehow we managed. They started letting people off the ship a little before 9:00 AM. By 10:30 we were going through customs, and by 11:45 we were home. Our first cruise had come to an end. We had such an amazing time. So much so that by Tuesday of this week, I had booked another cruise on Pride for February of 2011!

 

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To end this, I’d like to comment on some concerns that I had read about on the boards before we left:

 

Cabin temperatures: I read people complaining that their cabin was too cold. We did not have this issue and in fact, it was too warm at times, according to the DH. I’m “warm blooded” and can never be too warm so I had no complaints.

 

We had a balcony cabin and it was located on deck 7 aft.

 

 

Coffee: I’m an avid coffee drinker and while I wouldn’t say the coffee was great, I didn’t have any problems drinking it and I drank plenty of it. Sometimes it could have been a bit warmer but besides that it was fine. I could definitely make do it with and did just that.

 

Water: When I did drink the ship water, I did notice an odd taste to it but it wasn’t so bad that it would stop me from drinking it. This is coming from somebody who drinks artesian well water at home and bottled water at work. It’s not that bad at all.

 

Food stations on the Lido: I read about people finding the layout of this area confusing. I didn’t find them confusing or difficult to maneuver at. There are three sections of the Mermaid Grill and each food station could be found on the end of each section, with the deli, pizza and salad bar always in the same place, and the “grill” was either on the left or right hand side, depending on the day.

 

It only took a couple strolls around the entire area to figure them out. The lines could be long depending on the time of day, but we never had an issue and we ate 95% of our meals here.

 

Food Quality: I’m going to be honest and say that the food was not the highlight of our trip. I would rate it to being between OK and tasty. However, I will say that we NEVER went hungry and we could always find something to our liking. I really enjoyed the cheeseburgers from the grill!!

I will not agree with those reviews that complain and say that the food was horrible or not edible. We always looked forward to each and every meal and was satisfied 99% of the time.

 

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If I were to rate our overall experience and take everything into account (food, ship, service, cabins, ports) I would give it a 9.8 out of 10!

 

I can’t wait to do it again!!!!!!!!!

 

If you have any questions about cruising on the Pride, please don’t hesitate to ask!

[Duckie26]

Where did you buy the conch to eat? My dh wants to do that.

 

We got the conch fritters at a little outside cafe at Atlantis called Shark Bites. The food there was very good and the fish was some of the freshest we have ever eaten.

 

That's saying a lot since the DH is an avid fisherman and brings home flounder caught fresh from the Chesapeake all summer long!

[pbstef]

How much was the excursion and how much cheaper would it be if you did it yourself? thanks jan 31 ye ha. I am a chef and would really like to know is the supper club worth the 60 dollars or is it better to spend on something else?? thanks exellent review.

[Duckie26]

How much was the excursion and how much cheaper would it be if you did it yourself? thanks jan 31 ye ha. I am a chef and would really like to know is the supper club worth the 60 dollars or is it better to spend on something else?? thanks exellent review.

 

Which excursion? Atlantis or the Jeep tour?

 

Doing Atlantis has got to be cheaper doing it on your own, but I don't know by how much because I haven't looked in to that yet.

 

I doubt the Jeep tour can be done on it's own because they only have one tour, and it's booked by the ship, if that makes sense. Although I could be wrong but I didn't see any other tours going on while we were on it.

However, due to the time limit on the island, you would be wise to go through the ship. Because if the tour is running late, then the ship will wait for you. If you are running late on your own... I hope you can swim really fast!!

 

I don't think I can answer the Steakhouse question for you. I can tell you that the food was well presented, and they used the finest ingredients (prime meats, etc). The DH loved his steak. I am not a big beef eater and my lobster wasn't that flavorful, but that isn't their fault.

 

If my appetizers had been warmer, I may have enjoyed them more. We don't regret spending the money for the experience.

[NJBride]

I loved your review!!!! I don't normally read the whole review when I see them but yours I did. We will be on this cruise Dec 26 so we will be there for New Years Eve.

I loved the picture of the ice in the shower!!! LOL

Thank you so much for the review and the pictures! I'm happy that you enjoyed your first cruise!!

[Duckie26]

I loved your review!!!! I don't normally read the whole review when I see them but yours I did. We will be on this cruise Dec 26 so we will be there for New Years Eve.

I loved the picture of the ice in the shower!!! LOL

Thank you so much for the review and the pictures! I'm happy that you enjoyed your first cruise!!

 

 

Thanks so much for the kind words! It took me a week to get up the nerve to write and post a review! LOL

 

Enjoy your time on the Pride! I hope your cruise is as wonderful as mine was. Tell her I said hello and that I'll see her again soon! :)

[wone3]

Nice review Duckie......can't wait for August and our chance on the ship tho our trip will be different as we are doing the Grand Turk,Half Moon Cay and then Freeport.

 

We are looking at the excursions this weekend for the trip.

[Kerryman50]

That was a very good HONEST review of your cruise. We are cruisin on The Pride in 9 DAYS:D and reading this has us even more excited. Great pictures and I'm very happy for you that you booked another cruise(NOT 18 years later:eek:).LOL

 

James & Kerry

[ravenjls]

Thank you for the review. It was great. Can you tell me some of the dinners you enjoyed at the buffet. Was the pool covered when you left Baltimore. Was it warm enough to sit by during the first and last 2 days?