Pride Review Solo 5/4-5/11 GT, HMC & Freeport

[lidodeckbound]

You review is great! I LOVE the way your write and your great attitude!

[ALWAYZCRUISEN]

NC, I wish I could have met up with you guys...I was your lucky charm, you guys would have done well in the slot pull had I remembered where I needed to be at 2pm. I won $2000.00 on the pull tabs, I hit $1600.00 on the slots and my husband won $1000.00 in that cash vault where they had the money in cubes.

 

Yeah, I agree with the other poster, you don't look your age!!! You look great!!!!

 

I'm so mad I didn't get to meet you and now that I see your picture, I searching my brain to see if I remember you. I'm in the process of writing my review, I have a question...how do you post pictures?

 

I forgot to mention, I rececived a free crusie while I was on the ship so I booked September 28, 2014 on the Pride agian!! Yeah, I was having all kinds of luck.

[NOSaints1]

I'm thinking the fantasy going to GT, Nassau and HMC or the Pride. Any thoughts on what might be better?

 

 

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[Shake-n-Bake]

Wonderful review thus far. Wish I was there! :D

[NCTribeFan]

AC - I honestly don't know what criteria they use when the Players Club gives away (or offers discounted) cruises. I had over 2500 points by the end (way, way more than I've ever had) and I received nothing. And then I read here about another round of free cruises going out to people who rarely sail and gamble little. It's rather insulting, really. But since I almost always have at least one future cruise already booked, why should they offer me anything? They believe I'll continue to sail often. Well, I will. Until I get my Milestone cruise. And then I'm probably gone. But they don't care. Anyway, wish we'd met, too! Oh, photos. You have to upload them to a website and then copy and paste the url into the post. I forget how to do it in between each cruise. I think there's a help board somewhere (there may even be a photo board on here, too, that gives instructions).

 

NOSaints - I've done both. I happen to love Fantasy, and love sailing from Charleston, but the Spirit-class ships are just wonderful, imo. I love the layout and they just feel so much less crowded (but I think our sailing wasn't full, which makes a difference). If you "have" to have a balcony, go Pride. Fantasy has none, only suites (and I'd never pay for one of those). I don't, so I'm fine on Fantasy in inside cabins. I probably prefer Nassau a little over Freeport, just because there's more at the port, but if you go out and "do" things, they're both fine.

 

S-n-B - you should've come! It would've been great to see you. November's a long way away. The price was right (no solo supplement; cheap balcony cabins). You could've come to the dance club and laughed at my solo dancing. :p

[bunchesofun]

Thank you for the review. We are booked in a french door interior for this itinerary in Oct 2015. Very much looking forward to it. The ship will have had the 2.0 upgrades by then too. Thanks again!

[jbhcw]

Enjoying your review..and pictures:) we've sailed the Pride twice and love the ship...btw...really liked the looks of your balcony with room for a lounger...we've never done an aft...dh doesn't like them:( Closest we've been was on the Liberty...we were next to a corner aft...but actually that balcony was pretty useless...just really long and really narrow:eek:

[sjn911]

Fabulous review..just great. I'm a solo dancer too...I luckily learned this in college..and we gals in the dorm had some great line dances we did to Earth Wind and Fire..I am sure it helped me permanently with my rhythm..LOL. Yup last cruise on the Spirit had me in a similar position and those Spirit class dance floors are a little weird if you are the only one but as soon as you are out there with MJ..it does not take long..LOL. Love him...

 

Anyway thanks for the fabulous review..my next birthday is, "I can't drive 55"....sooooo...I am considering adding myself to the 1000 inane questions group one more time and ask, if you turn 55 on the cruise do you get the senior discount..LOL.

 

I do want to try other lines and am too far back to be loyal to one but the prices and no solo supplement have me considering one more on Carnival soon if it is still going to be the old menu...for this October..will have to see what is going on and I am watching..

 

Continue your great sailing..this was a wonderful way to wake up today...thank you!!

[NCTribeFan]

I hope to finish this up tonight, but I absolutely have to go to the grocery store (get my senior discount at Kroger on Tuesdays :p ). I haven't been in almost a month and if I don't make it there tonight, I'll be living on Wheat Thins and water.

 

I don't know that I've ever booked under a senior rate and if I did, I was well over the age requirement. :o I usually book PG. The rare times I book ES have been on 1-time sailings and the prices usually just go up and up and up on those. And you can always get price drops under any other fare code up until final payment date. I don't think everyone realizes that so they automatically book ES and then have a fit when they need to change or cancel and are penalized. I just am not a fan of restricted fares.

 

More about the cabin later...

[sjn911]

Those are all great tips..yup, my pantry needs help too...go grocery shopping..we will all be here and i like the more free the better..lost 200 on my learning ES..sets you up for so much lack of choice on the redo too..Sarah

[ALWAYZCRUISEN]

AC - I honestly don't know what criteria they use when the Players Club gives away (or offers discounted) cruises. I had over 2500 points by the end (way, way more than I've ever had) and I received nothing. And then I read here about another round of free cruises going out to people who rarely sail and gamble little. It's rather insulting, really. But since I almost always have at least one future cruise already booked, why should they offer me anything? They believe I'll continue to sail often. Well, I will. Until I get my Milestone cruise. And then I'm probably gone. But they don't care. Anyway, wish we'd met, too! Oh, photos. You have to upload them to a website and then copy and paste the url into the post. I forget how to do it in between each cruise. I think there's a help board somewhere (there may even be a photo board on here, too, that gives instructions).

 

NOSaints - I've done both. I happen to love Fantasy, and love sailing from Charleston, but the Spirit-class ships are just wonderful, imo. I love the layout and they just feel so much less crowded (but I think our sailing wasn't full, which makes a difference). If you "have" to have a balcony, go Pride. Fantasy has none, only suites (and I'd never pay for one of those). I don't, so I'm fine on Fantasy in inside cabins. I probably prefer Nassau a little over Freeport, just because there's more at the port, but if you go out and "do" things, they're both fine.

 

S-n-B - you should've come! It would've been great to see you. November's a long way away. The price was right (no solo supplement; cheap balcony cabins). You could've come to the dance club and laughed at my solo dancing. :p

 

NC, by the time I left the casino on Saturday night around 3am, I had 8809 points.

[absolutely brilliant]

I hope to finish this up tonight, but I absolutely have to go to the grocery store (get my senior discount at Kroger on Tuesdays :p ). I haven't been in almost a month and if I don't make it there tonight, I'll be living on Wheat Thins and water.

 

I don't know that I've ever booked under a senior rate and if I did, I was well over the age requirement. :o I usually book PG. The rare times I book ES have been on 1-time sailings and the prices usually just go up and up and up on those. And you can always get price drops under any other fare code up until final payment date. I don't think everyone realizes that so they automatically book ES and then have a fit when they need to change or cancel and are penalized. I just am not a fan of restricted fares.

 

More about the cabin later...

 

What is PG? Also I thought that you could only get price drops if you booked ES with guaranteed price drops.

[BigDoug]

What is PG? Also I thought that you could only get price drops if you booked ES with guaranteed price drops.

PG = Past Guest Rate

You can get price drops up to the final payment date. Just did it for my upcoming Pride cruise.

Edited May 20, 2014 by BigDoug

[absolutely brilliant]

PG = Past Guest Rate

You can get price drops up to the final payment date. Just did it for my upcoming Pride cruise.

 

Thanks. I'll have to look into that for my next cruise. That's what's great about these boards. You always learn something besides getting other's perspective's on their cruise. Not to mention a seemingly endless array of answers to any question.

 

Loving your review!

[NCTribeFan]

Friday, 5/9/14, Freeport – I was awake really early, thanks to the neighbors out on the balcony, bellowing and smoking and letting the door slam repeatedly. Fell asleep for a little bit longer but was up at 7. Had my usual breakfast and hunted for somewhere to sit on the Serenity Deck. I had to settle for a “regular” lounger because, of course, all the round ones were taken.

 

I was mildly bored, so I left the ship and went in search of the bar I’d visited in September to see if they had free wi-fi. It’s now a Fat Tuesdays and I really dislike spending my port time at any chain bar/restaurant. But I wanted a Sands Light. Yeah, so it wasn’t even 11 o’clock. I’m on vacation! I had to have the manager enter the password on my phone and tablet so I could have access, but it was nice to sit there at the bar, catching up on my Facebook and email reading, and enjoy my Sands beers. I don’t normally go for light beers, but I’d done the Sands brewery tour last May and liked that and their amber the best. Unfortunately, I don’t think the amber is available anywhere except in local bars/pubs on tap.

 

Yum.

 

I headed back to the ship, got my turkey and swiss sandwich, and took it down to the cabin so I could enjoy it with some of the leftover nacho chips from HMC.

 

Yum, Pt II

 

I love watching them load/unload the container ships.

 

I believe that's a Princess ship in dry dock.

 

I got dressed for dinner and decided to go see the show (Vroom). I thought it was OK. Both the male and female singers were quite good, and I thought most of the dancers were good, but it just didn’t do much for me. I liked most of the song selections, but it just seemed a bit random. I preferred the two shows on Fantasy (The Brits and whatever the Motown show was called (even though I strongly disagree with the inclusion of the Queen song in The Brits – that song was out in the early 80s!)).

 

It turned out two of my tablemates had been there and really enjoyed it. And then I made my comment about the “poor” piano bar guy and how awful it must be to be a professional musician and have to be subjected to the sing-along and requests of the same songs every single night, forever and always. The older woman was very indignant that I would dare to say that I felt bad for anyone working on a cruise ship! I tried to explain that when I was young, I had many friends who were musicians, and that it was a tough life, even if you had some success. And I tried to explain the whole “Piano Man” song meaning and irony that these people have to play it probably multiple times every night. She really didn’t understand my reasoning. Oh well.

 

This was another night in the MDR that the menu doesn’t do much for me. I think I finally broke down and got the fried chicken. It was okay, but not great.

 

Of course, I went to the casino after dinner for a little while, but I was tired so went to bed fairly early. And then the neighbors woke me in the middle of the night – again – with the slamming door and extremely loud talking. I finally got up and tried to yell at them, but it’s so loud back there because of the wake, and they were so loud, I don’t think they heard me. So I reached over and grabbed a chair and banged it against the partition several times and then slammed my own balcony door. That seemed to get their attention.

[NCTribeFan]

Saturday, 5/10/14, 3rd sea day – We’re heading home and I’m depressed. I had my same breakfast and found a lounger to do the last of my sunbathing. I had finished both the half-read book and another book and took them to the library to donate to their collection. And to use the computer to book another cruise.

 

Yes, another cruise – Splendor to Bermuda in October 2015. It turned out that there was no one on the ship this week manning the credit card/future cruise desk. So I asked at the Service Desk and was told I could use the computers in the library, book online, then bring them my booking number and they could submit it so I’d get my OBC for booking on board. But what about the two Friends and Family vouchers I’m supposed to receive? They had no idea what I was talking about. They aren’t in sales and don’t know what promotions are available when. I told them to not worry, that I’d contact my PVP when I got home and he’d make sure it was all as it should be.

 

I went to brunch at about 12:30 and had the same things I had on Tuesday (minus the mimosa). The food wasn’t as good and the service was very slow even though the dining room wasn’t terribly full.

 

Time to pay a visit to the casino! I found Roll Call member and paid her for my ¼ of the cabana cost. She was hanging around to see if she’d qualify for the slot tournament finals (she did, but didn’t win).

 

 

Later, I was sitting in a relatively quiet area and Paul, the casino host who’d I’d spoken with on the first night, came up and called me by name. How do they do that?!?!? We talked about England and Australia (he’d been on Carnival Spirit before moving to Pride only a few weeks ago). We talked about blackjack (I confessed that I don’t have the nerve to sit down and play, although I’d really like to some day). We talked about the availability of British tea. He found it amusing that I buy PG Tips at World Market. Hey, only for tax season! I need “real” tea to get me through those weeks!

 

I needed to spend some last hours sitting on my balcony, reading, so I did that until it was time to get ready for dinner. I have no idea what I had, but if that’s the night with cappuccino pie for dessert, that’s what I had!

 

Marina, drink-server-guy-who-I-never-met, and Dana

 

 

I had already decided that I’d just carry off my bags in the morning, not that I was in a big hurry, but I did have 5+ hours to drive, but mostly because I just couldn’t bring myself to finish packing, especially with the later arrival than on other ships. I knew I had plenty of time to pack in the morning.

 

I broke down and bought a photo, mostly to show off the tunic I bought in November in Antigua

 

We went to both the late comedy shows, which was a mistake. I continued drinking, and wasn’t in bed until close to 2 am. And then the shaking kept waking me up. It wasn’t your normal “at sea” movement. This was major shaking. Back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. It was awful. I had a terrible night. :(

[Danacat222]

Very much enjoying your review, i want to cruise solo some day!

[Moshewil]

Hey honey! It was so nice meeting you:D

Great review by the way. So glad you included some pics of yourself this time, you're beautiful.

 

My sister and I didn't forget about our "girls cruise" :p:p

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Forums mobile app

[turning40withMickey]

Great review.

 

 

The tunic is awesome!

 

When you toured the brewery in Freeport, did you do it as an excursion? I am hoping to just take a taxi only to the brewery, but I haven't had much luck finding out if this is actually possible (and easy) to do.

[Shake-n-Bake]

I am loving your review and the pictures are great and I'm also glad you included pictures of yourself. Come November if I see you on the dance floor dancing by yourself I'm coming out there to join you. :D

[BigRed93]

Great review. Great pictures. Funny about the serenity towel girl-she knew my name too and called it out when she saw me at HMC. Freaked me out a bit. LOL

Spending the day floating at HMC was the best $15 I spent that week :) We spoke in the water. I was the one who asked if you were from cruise critic. I did try to participate in the roll call when I could and it was a shot in the dark because you all seemed to fit the descriptions based on the precruise conversations. Unfortunately I napped thru the M&G, so it really was a good guess.

 

It was a nice quiet trip for us. Spirit class always seems less crowded, but this was pretty empty. I think one of the staff said they were about 400 below capacity for guests.

 

 

 

 

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Edited May 21, 2014 by BigRed93

[activeac]

Love your humor - great review!

[NCTribeFan]

Hey honey! It was so nice meeting you:D

Great review by the way. So glad you included some pics of yourself this time, you're beautiful.

 

My sister and I didn't forget about our "girls cruise" :p:p

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Forums mobile app

 

Hurry up and book the Splendor to Bermuda! It's expensive but selling quickly.

 

Great review.

 

 

The tunic is awesome!

 

When you toured the brewery in Freeport, did you do it as an excursion? I am hoping to just take a taxi only to the brewery, but I haven't had much luck finding out if this is actually possible (and easy) to do.

 

I did it through the ship. At that time, I hadn't seen it offered anywhere else. Since then, I've thought about going on my own via taxi, but couldn't be bothered. Check the Bahamas board. I know people have asked about sharing a taxi and doing the tour on their own.

[NCTribeFan]

I am loving your review and the pictures are great and I'm also glad you included pictures of yourself. Come November if I see you on the dance floor dancing by yourself I'm coming out there to join you. :D

 

Good. My cruisebuddy isn't much of a dancer. I've dragged her out there a couple of times, but I could use a dance partner. Just as long as you don't cramp my style. :p

 

Great review. Great pictures. Funny about the serenity towel girl-she knew my name too and called it out when she saw me at HMC. Freaked me out a bit. LOL

Spending the day floating at HMC was the best $15 I spent that week :) We spoke in the water. I was the one who asked if you were from cruise critic. I did try to participate in the roll call when I could and it was a shot in the dark because you all seemed to fit the descriptions based on the precruise conversations. Unfortunately I napped thru the M&G, so it really was a good guess.

 

It was a nice quiet trip for us. Spirit class always seems less crowded, but this was pretty empty. I think one of the staff said they were about 400 below capacity for guests.

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Good to meet you, too. I saw you and your DH getting photos taken on the 2nd elegant night. He looked great in his kilt! Sorry you guys didn't make it to the M&G.

 

The MDR seemed only 1/2 full. It wasn't even nearly full on lobster night. I'd LOVE to sail again with a ship that empty. Didn't keep Serenity Deck from being full bright and early every morning, though!

[NCTribeFan]

Very much enjoying your review, i want to cruise solo some day!

 

Do it! I've been single forever, so I've been doing things on my own for a long time. As nice as it is to share these experiences with others, it's also very nice (and liberating) to just have the opportunity to do what you want, when you want. And you can totally be yourself or be anyone you want!

 

Love your humor - great review!

 

Thank you!

 

I'll try to wrap this up tonight. I did bring the FunTimes into work this morning and will scan them to upload to my Flickr page, too.