A photo review of our Carnival Pride Cruise July 28, 2013

[ON THE GO!!!!]

thank you for the posting of your trip...I'm so excite this will be my first cruise ever, and am leaving oct 27th on the carnvial pride. :)

[minni323]

Loved your pictures. I hope it doesn't rain on my upcoming cruise

[WetToes]

The rain 'usually' doesn't last long.

[cruisenk]

Great pictures! And I just realized that you said you sailed with your mom and stepmother. That's wonderful!

 

What time did you get to the port and what time did you make it on board? It looks quiet around the pool area.

[wrigley80]

Nice Review....we enjoyed our time on the Pride

[Smitty74]

What time did you get to the port and what time did you make it on board? It looks quiet around the pool area.

 

Go back and read post #3. I got into detail.....

 

 

 

Sorry for the pause on this review. Getting over a cold.

[funinthesun1964]

Thank you for posting the comments and pictures.

[EJPhilly]

Go back and read post #3. I got into detail.....

 

 

 

Sorry for the pause on this review. Getting over a cold.

 

So what happened to rest of your review? I will be on Pride next Sunday so I'm dying to hear about your cruise!! Thx no pressure LOL

 

 

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[ripjerry95]

thanks so much for your review so far. I love the pictures gets me excited about cruising. Although I have to wait over a year for my next one. Boohoo!

[Smitty74]

Next Up, Davids Steak house....

 

We chose to try Davids on the last night of the cruise. This was not a bad night to go, but if I had it to do all over again, I would eat at David's on the second sea day. That way you get to eat both formal nights in the MDR, and the final sea day dinner is spent saying goodbye to your wait staff in the MDR. (if your new to cruising, this is something you will want to do by the end of the week.)

 

We had a very nice meal at Davids. Definitely worth the $35 per person we paid. It want the "dinner of a lifetime" experience that some had led me to believe, but it was a great meal. I took pictures of everybodies food, so dont think I ate all of this myself.

 

 

Crab Cake (very good)

 

Steak Tartare (a little dry, but good)

 

Mushroom Cheese and....oh heck, I forgot the name (not bad)

 

18 oz bone in Ribeye (really good)

 

 

And last, but defiantely not least, is the cheesecake. (really good) I wish I had more room for the cheesecake. Kinda hard to tell in this picture, but that piece is REALLY big. Like over the top kind of big.

 

 

 

I cant say I would go to David's more than once on my next cruise, but I would definately go once.

 

 

Next up, Odds and ends.... (things I wish I had seen pictures of before I went on this cruise.)

[Smitty74]

Stuff you may find interesting.......

 

We had an obstructed view balcony. It was a cheap upgrade over a regular window room, and something I would recommend. We stayed in 5151 which is in between two boats, and I would recommend that too if you can swing it.

 

 

 

Being able to "sorta" look down was a bonus.

 

Be aware that if your "regular" balcony is above a lifeboat, your balcony does stick out a few feet, but your view is effected as well if your looking down.

 

 

The rooms do have a temp guage in them, but I think there is a certian amount of the placebo effect going on. Most people turned it all the way cold and left it there. Even then, I dont think the room got colder than about 73 degrees. We called maintenance, and they tested it and I think it came down a degree or two.

 

 

Two quick notes, the AC turns off whenever the balcony door is opened. and the "quick cool" button gives you a little extra AC for about 10 minutes.

 

Based on tips from this forum, we asked housekeeping for a fan, they looked clueless, and told us to call the pursers desk. they sent us a fan for free. Pretty big and it put out alot of air.

 

 

One more post, then Im done......

[Smitty74]

A couple of odds and ends.

 

Heres a picture of the moms in their interior room. they said it was fine for them. My only complaint is that the lack of a weather forecast, or a window to look outside to see what the weather was hurt their planning a little. for example, on Freeport day, it was raining pretty good and they left their rain gear in the room because they didn't know they needed it.

 

 

Also, I almost forgot. The Wife and I took the "Behind the Fun" tour. It was very interesting, and I loved seeing the galley, laundry, Bridge, etc, but it was $95 per person. That was a little steep for me for a 3 hour tour. Im glad I did it, but I would probably not spend the money again. (sorry, no pictures are allowed. they even "wand" you to make sure you dont have a camera).

 

 

I will end my review with a picture of the inner harbor in Baltimore. I liked this one alot.

 

 

Questions are welcome if you have any.....

[WetToes]

Smitty, no questions. Just a thank you for the review and pics.

Last picture is very nice.

[ON THE GO!!!!]

Wow what an awesome review. thank you so much for sharing. being a new people to the CC and a first time cruiser this really is awesome and so are all the people on here!!!!!:) I will be sailing Oct 27th. from Port Baltimore also. I will be starting out at the bottom with Oceanview On Riviera Deck. Then I will advance as I become a expierence Cruiser like the many people on there. Again thank you for the posting love all the pictures. And Moms really look good!!!!;)

[beshears]

Good review, and especially liked the pictures.:)

[teetee6263]

Great review Smitty :), patiently waiting my turn.

 

By any chance did you notice if they had any of the following activities...

Laser tag

In the bag

60 Seconds or less

Carnival quest

 

Thanks

TeeTee

Edited August 15, 2013 by teetee6263

[colleenod]

Can you tell me approximately how much your sign and sail account wound up being and what you had purchased. We are going on our first cruise ever on the pride in October. I am just trying to get a rough estimate of how much we may wind up spending. Great review, thanks!!!

 

 

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[Lynneeloo]

Thank you for the great review. We are on the Pride 9/29. Just wondering if you, or anyone else knows if the main dining room is open for lunch on embarkation day. Would prefer that over the crowds at the Lido buffet.

[CookieShip]

Thanks for posting, love when there are lots of pictures.

[Smitty74]

Can you tell me approximately how much your sign and sail account wound up being and what you had purchased. We are going on our first cruise ever on the pride in October. I am just trying to get a rough estimate of how much we may wind up spending. Great review, thanks!!!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Colleen, How much you will spend is very much dependent on the following.

 

1. How much alcohol are you going to drink?

2. How much bingo are you going to play?

3. How much gambling are you going to do?

4. How much shopping are you going to do?

 

Let me emphasis the 4th question. There is a full on sales push to get you to buy jewelry at the ship stores. Every day there will be sales, and most will be tempted. Being a guy, Im not much into jewelry, but even I was tempted by the non stop wrist watch sales. Your on vacation, your going to be tempted.

 

My Mother was tempted by none of these, and she walked off with a $35 bill. My wife was tempted by the shopping, and walked off owing a few hundred.

[funinthesun1964]

Colleen, How much you will spend is very much dependent on the following.

 

1. How much alcohol are you going to drink?

2. How much bingo are you going to play?

3. How much gambling are you going to do?

4. How much shopping are you going to do?

 

Let me emphasis the 4th question. There is a full on sales push to get you to buy jewelry at the ship stores. Every day there will be sales, and most will be tempted. Being a guy, Im not much into jewelry, but even I was tempted by the non stop wrist watch sales. Your on vacation, your going to be tempted.

 

My Mother was tempted by none of these, and she walked off with a $35 bill. My wife was tempted by the shopping, and walked off owing a few hundred.

 

To the person that asked the question:

 

 

Also, are you going to the steak house? its 35$ per person, per visit. Some people really like it and go several times a week. Some never go at all.

 

Some like the specialty coffees and get a couple of them a day... some people never.

 

Like massages, hair services, manicures? Spa is pricey. You don't have to go, but if you do, charges are there too.

 

There are many way to spend on board. But only YOU control that spending. You can go all out --- or play it cool and save some money for the next trip. It's totally up to you. Have a good trip whatever you decide.

[Delta Dear]

Smitty, I have to thank you for a very different reason than the others; yes, it was a good review, yes the photos were great; BUT

 

Thanks to your review, my husband who'd said he didn't want to go on any more cruises, agreed to go on another one. YAY, YAY and Double YAY !

 

He did not feel very well on our March cruise on the Breeze because of some health challenges and an upcoming surgery the following week. After the cruise and the surgery recovery, he said he was not interested in going on any more cruises. (Boo HOO.) So, I haven't tried to push it.

 

I have continued to read CC all the time. As I was reading your review, he glanced over and said, "Ok, where are you this time." LOL, I think it was the picture of the prime rib that caught his attention.

 

Since we live in Delaware, I suggested that if we sailed the Pride, it would be easier on our 70+ year old bodies if we didn't have to deal with flying fatigue.

 

He said, "If you will go to Puerto Rico, I will go on a cruise." I contacted our TA who found the perfect cruise; The Pride, Nov. 30, 2014 when it sails to San Juan. WE are BOOKED.

 

That is the last sailing out of Baltimore for the Pride. We like the Spirit class ships, we will have great ports; Grand Turk, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Maarten San Juan. We will spend a couple of days in San Juan and then can fly non-stop back to BWI. How PERFECT can that be???? And the price was right, too.

 

I am SO, SO excited and SO happy that I was reading your thread on Sunday. I can't thank you enough for posting. You never know the power of a post. Cheers !

 

If you decide to come on this cruise, I owe you a drink ! LOL

[Smitty74]

Delta,

 

Thank you for the response. I'm honored to hear that a picture of my dinner talked your husband into another cruise. :)

[JackieH]

I enjoyed your review and photos...We just booked last nite on the Pride for Dec 8th..We have never cruised in Decemeber.We also got a balcony ,obstructed view. We have never had a a balcony either..We are booked in 5234.

[WetToes]

I enjoyed your review and photos...We just booked last nite on the Pride for Dec 8th..We have never cruised in Decemeber.We also got a balcony ,obstructed view. We have never had a a balcony either..We are booked in 5234.

 

Congrats on the balcony. I would suggest changing, if you can to one of the cabins between the lifeboats. 5230 or 5232 would give you a bit of a view down to the water.