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PHOTO REVIEW: H goes Solo Cruising on the Carnival Pride ( TONS of food porn )

ProfCruise

By ProfCruise,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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ProfCruise

ProfCruise

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MDR SOUPS AND APPS CONTINUED

 

Green bean and roma tomatoes

app_bean%20and%20tomato%20salad_zpsriy0hhls.jpg

Vine ripe beefsteak tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella

app_tomato%20mozzeralla_zps4sexupns.jpg

 

Asparagus vichyssoise (that's as far as my spoon went)

app_asparagas%20soup_zpsgqsvn4qn.jpg

 

New England crab cake

app%20crab%20cake_zpsnuejxr21.jpg

Arugula, mint and vegetable salad (It's so cliché for a vegetarian to order salad, so mom hardly ever does. She loved the two salads she ordered in the MDR, though)

app%20arugala%20mint%20salad_zpswhvwhgjv.jpg

Corn chowder Maryland

app_corn%20chowder_zpsygrvq3pp.jpg

 

To be continued...

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ProfCruise

ProfCruise

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MDR SOUPS AND APPS CONTINUED

 

Saving the best for last:

 

Mango cream

app%20mango%20soup_zpsj5ehmzdg.jpg

 

Before I move on to MDR entrees, a few words about our wait staff. Our head waiter was Adina. She seemed sweet, worked extremely hard (as everyone on our "big boat" did), and was quick and efficient. She didn't interact with me as much as the head waiters (shout out to Art and Everton!) on the Freedom and Sensation though. She had two assistants helping her. One brought me bread, so I liked him a lot. I think mommy must have offended the other one with her smell or screaming, because he didn't seem to like us very much.

 

Hardly a high five to be seen in the MDR (which is to say the staff wasn't as friendly as we've grown accustomed to), but we still enjoyed ourselves very much.

 

One of my favorite parts of the MDR is SHHHHOW TIME!!! And man did Ken, our maître d', know how to put on a heck of a show. He had a wonderful voice (almost a great as mommy's) and sang each night before the waiters danced.

 

Here's our wait staff singing us goodbye (while thinking, "don't let the gangway hit ya where the good lord...").

MDR%20wait%20staff_zpsw3rnvpe4.jpg

 

And here I am dancing with my new bff.

MDR%20showtime%20harrison%20and%20friend_zpsidouak0t.jpg

Up next, MDR entrees!

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ProfCruise

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I was on this sailing as well. It will be interesting to see another perspective of it. My son loved Camp Carnival. I have to admit that I thought the Dr. Seuss stuff may be a bit hokey, but Carnival did a great job with implementing it. This was my third time on the Pride, but first since the upgrades. It was a great cruise. I really don't know if there is such a thing as a bad one. We had some amazing weather.

 

How old is your son? I wonder if I played with him at camp? How fun to have someone following along who was on the same trip. I'm eager to hear your take on everything, too! Glad to hear you had a great time. [spoiler alert], we did too! In case I didn't get to give you one in person, virtual high five!!! :D

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ProfCruise

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I have eagerly been waiting for this for quite sometime! I ca't wait to see all of the details and fun things and amazing things (and not-so-amazing things), because Baltimore is the closest port to where I live and would like to see if it reaches your standards.

 

I'll provide more detail later, but we LOVED sailing out of Baltimore. Easiest ever!!! Time to plan yourself a cruise out of there (and take me with you!). :D Thanks so much for reading!

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ProfCruise

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I was really hoping to talk my extended family into this cruise since the port is 30-40 minutes from our house. But no go. We are flying to Galveston in October for the Freedom. But we are doing the other stops than you did. Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. We will be doing lots of beach days. We have 4 kids, 9, 7, 5, and 2. Our youngest is a month older than you. So what did you prefer? Freedom trip or Pride? I thought the stops on the pride seemed exciting but my brother and sister in law, not so much.

 

In terms of the overall convenience of the port, I'd go with Baltimore any day. It was awesome to drive there and was the most efficient port we've ever sailed out of (seriously, so, so easy). In terms of kid's activities, I'd go with the Freedom, hands down. They have Camp Ocean (which is MUCH nicer than Camp Carnival on the Pride), the Dr. Seuss Bookville, and a playground. I had a blast on both ships, though -- can't go wrong with either one. Have fun!!! :D

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ProfCruise

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MDR ENTREES

As a vegetarian, mom’s entrée choices were limited to the Indian vegetarian or the evening’s featured vegetarian selection. Her strategy was to go with the vegetarian selection unless it didn’t appeal to her, in which case she’d go with the Indian vegetarian, which has always been outstanding (if you like Indian, you’ll LOVE it or you can call me a liar. Seriously, you’d call a sweet little 2 year-old names? You’re a monster).

 

After dad’s unfortunate experience with the “award winning” fish dish on the Sensation, he decided to stay away from anything with more than 2 ingredients. That served him well and he didn’t have to spit anything out in his napkin.

Me? Well I’m also a vegetarian, but one with a more sophisticated palate than mommy, so I was limited to the cheese pizza, PB&J, and tofu.

I’ll start there, with the tofu steak, because I know you endured all those desserts in anticipation of finally getting to feast your eyes on:

entree1_tofu_zps3czbcnqk.jpg

 

Indian vegetarian

entree3_indian_zps3v8wvnwl.jpg

 

entree4_indian_zps9o8iswrb.jpg

 

Grilled flat iron steak from USDA choice beef (dad's orange sherbet)

entree2_steak_zpskqnxlpzq.jpg

 

Southern fried chicken

entree_fried%20chicken_zps5imscncu.jpg

 

Chili rellenos (Mom's 1 for 3 with this. She loved it on the Sensation, but didn't like it on the Freedom or Pride. Was VERY small, with almost no filling and too spicy HOT on the Pride)

entree_chilli%20relenos_zpsgptm0kts.jpg

 

To be continued...

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ProfCruise

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MDR ENTREES CONTINUED

 

Barbecued St. Louis style pork spare ribs

entree_ribs_zpsllln96xi.jpg

 

Baked herb polenta (mom loved this)

entree%20mushroom%20polenta_zpszfzymaro.jpg

 

Penne siciliana (I tried this too. After scraping all the veggies off, it was very good)

entree_pasta_zpsdwayftux.jpg

Cinnamon, pumpkin, squash, yam and cheddar cheese pie (This used to be mommy's favorite, but, after making dad order an extra one for her, she was disappointed. Bland on the Pride.)

entree_cinnamon%20yam_zpsuvyxhxiw.jpg

 

Zucchini and eggplant parmigiana

entree%20zucchini%20eggplant_zpsezyl6czc.jpg

 

Grilled jumbo tiger shrimps

entree_shrimp%20formal%20night_zpsadsw5dxk.jpg

To be continued...

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ProfCruise

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MDR ENTREES CONTINUED

 

Tender roasted prime rib of American beef au jus (dad was pleasantly surprised -- said it was a pretty good cut of meat, no too fatty and he really liked the creamed spinach)

entree%20prime%20rib_zpsy8aftwda.jpg

 

And my two favorites:

entree_pbj_zpszro2glfy.jpg

 

And

entree_cheese%20pizza_zpsyur9iddn.jpg

 

Don't calculate your WW's points just yet, there's more! Up next, Lido Buffet.

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ProfCruise

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THE LIDO BUFFET: IT'S NOT AS BAD AS YOU THINK IF YOU THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BAD.

 

There was cheese and soft serve ice cream. That's all you really need to know.

lido%20buffet%20harrison_zpszivlt2kr.jpg

 

Caribbean day

lido%20buffet%20carribean%20day_zpsc2jtizzk.jpg

lido_harrison_zpsud171h0s.jpg

 

French day

lido_food_zpsl4nvoncb.jpg

 

lido_dessert_zpslbm2khls.jpg

 

This strawberry soft serve helped mom survive the infamous poisoning incident. "If it bleeds, it leads," so I'm going to keep referencing the infamous poisoning incident to keep my review on page 1. Rest assured, I'll eventually get to the story or you'll see it this Friday night on Dateline NBC (Episode: Poisoning on the high seas).

 

lido%20strawberry%20frozen%20yogurt_zps6fejddtm.jpg

Up next, Pizza Pirate, Blue Iguana Cantina, Deli, and Guy's Burgers.

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ProfCruise

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Pizza Pirate

With a location almost directly above our stateroom (all the way at the back of the Lido dining area), we ate here quite a bit. This was also one of dad’s “safe” foods – when the roast on the buffet turned green and furry and started chasing him, daddy ran to the Pizza Pirate, because that dude had a sword. And good pizza.

We tried 3 of the 5 varieties (margherita, quattro formaggi, and prosciutto) and liked them all. They prepare the pies to order, which means they are really fresh, but also means there is usually a wait (and a long one at peak times). But good things shall come, and so on.

 

 

Here's the prosciutto (topped with arugula):

pizza%20pirate%20arugala_zpslttuvqlp.jpg

 

Here's the margherita:

pizza%20pirate%20margarita_zpschrdu1gu.jpg

 

Here's the quattro formaggi:

pizza%20pirate%20cheese_zpsivclclvm.jpg

 

H approved!

pizza%20pirate%20harrison1_zpsiuyfjlks.jpg

 

pizza%20pirate%20harrison2_zpstqdsnhqn.jpg

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Blue Iguana Cantina

Mom loved the breakfast burritos at the Blue Iguana Cantina so much she made a collage of them to use as her screen saver (see below), wrote a song about them to the tune of “Big Butts,” and gave up “bitter and blanc” night in the MDR and almost her life for one (infamous poisoning incident…keep reading or tune in Friday night). Daddy also really liked the breakfast burritos (which played a part in the infamous poisoning incident…stay tuned).

blue%20iguana%20cantina%20collage_zps5n8h9xtd.jpg

Me? I preferred the arepas and had them everyday for breakfast. They are fried sweet corn pancake thingies filled with cheese. Mom loves these too, although she didn’t think the arepas on the Pride were as tasty as those on the Freedom (not as sweet and a little soggy on the Pride).

 

blue%20iquana2_harrison%20aripa_zpsjqgt0rzo.jpg

Daddy tried a lunch burrito and thought it was “okay.” Not as good as the breakfast ones. Mom has to give Carnival props for having a habanero salsa that was too spicy for daddy. Nothing has ever been too spicy for daddy. After defeating many spicy food challenges, he was taken down by a “fun ship.”

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djyellowsub

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It's official. You have completely taken over Jack Sparrow's first place spot as my favorite pirate ever! You and your mom and dad are one cute family. We are going on the Pride in October and always enjoy your reviews. Thanks for the picture of your dad ordering multiple desserts in the MDR. That give us confirmation that it's ok to do that!

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cantthinkofanythingfun

cantthinkofanythingfun

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How old is your son? I wonder if I played with him at camp? How fun to have someone following along who was on the same trip. I'm eager to hear your take on everything, too! Glad to hear you had a great time. [spoiler alert], we did too! In case I didn't get to give you one in person, virtual high five!!! :D

 

 

He's five. He recognized your photo from camp, but I don't think his eyewitness testimony would hold up in a court of law. I have attached a photo of him trying to conduct a mutiny on the ship. He enjoyed everything except for the nearly one hour muster drill that went into sail away.

 

ImageUploadedByForums1436823987.851238.jpg.b8c89553910184b5b5647eec2d83151d.jpg

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Deli

They make a mean grilled cheese (I threw some fries on there whenever I missed home -- let's see if anyone can guess where I'm from) and mommy really enjoyed this tomato, mozzarella, arugula sandwich:

deli%20veggie%20sandwich_zpsmusrwd7r.jpg

The best thing about the deli? It was never crowded. Wait was rarely more than a minute or two and everything was made fresh, to order.

 

Guy's Burgers' Secret Menu

I ordered a veggie burger at Guy's (takes about 10 minutes to cook) which didn't appear on the posted menu (score!). But I pushed it too far when I asked for it "animal style." The server seemed very confused, "An animal style veggie burger?" So I just had him throw some cheese on it and I headed over to the deli and ordered a reuben with no corned beef or sauerkraut. I slapped the two together and had an animal style veggie burger. Then I headed over to the soft serve machines and mixed some chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla together in a glass with some milk and BAM, neapolitan shake. Best of my two favorite burger joints combined! Try it -- you'll thank me.

 

Dad liked Guy's a lot. He ordered several different on-menu items (boring) and took advantage of the extensive toppings bar.

guys%20burgers%201%20wringer_zpsj6s6vfci.jpg

 

guys%20burgers%20freeport_zpsgi8ucggu.jpg

 

Here's the "animal style" veggie burger

 

guys%20burger%20veggie_zps9duqlhzw.jpg

 

 

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ProfCruise

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He's five. He recognized your photo from camp, but I don't think his eyewitness testimony would hold up in a court of law. I have attached a photo of him trying to conduct a mutiny on the ship. He enjoyed everything except for the nearly one hour muster drill that went into sail away.

 

[ATTACH]355980[/ATTACH]

 

I'm kind of hurt that my mom thinks your son is the cutest pirate she's ever seen. Plus he's got a giant fruity drink. Mom loves him more than she loves me. Re: muster drill -- stay tuned, we think we cracked it (or at least made it slightly less painful)!

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cantthinkofanythingfun

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I'm kind of hurt that my mom thinks your son is the cutest pirate she's ever seen. Plus he's got a giant fruity drink. Mom loves him more than she loves me. Re: muster drill -- stay tuned, we think we cracked it (or at least made it slightly less painful)!

 

 

That's just because she didn't have to change his diapers.

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godspoetry

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Yessss! I had given up all hope that Guy's had a veggie burger. This made me soo happy! :D I'm not quite a vegetarian because I occasionally eat seafood but I really wanted to try all the fun toppings and was so sad I couldn't from everything I was able to find out on the forums etc. What did mom think of it? Was it homemade or like a frozen boca burger type thing?

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ProfCruise

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Room Service

Here are the new room service menus on the Pride.

room%20service%20menu1_zpsmdpcf4xa.jpg

room%20service%20menu2_zps5gztozxr.jpg

room%20service%20menu3_zpspipvycb5.jpg

Mommy was DEVASTATED they removed her mushroom sandwich and threw a huge tantrum and refused to order her favorite two desserts out of protest. I was like, “I understand you’re feeling disappointed, but you shouldn’t give a mushroom that kind of power,” and proceeded to order 2 each of these (because you know as soon as she saw them, she’d forget all about her convictions and want MINE):

Chocolate cake (best ever!)

room%20service%20chocolate%20cake_zpsqud62zue.jpg

New York cheesecake (This looked and tasted different than it has in the past. It used to be cut in a square with a strawberry sauce. The new version looked and tasted more like authentic NY cheesecake. Very good.)

room%20service%20cheesecake_zpsf9qt3hed.jpg

I only ordered room service twice because, well, I had a daddy to run up and get me whatever I wanted from the Lido to eat on my balcony (I knew there had to be a reason I brought him along).

I didn’t care for any of the new “pay” items on the menu (except for the cheese pizza, but, hello, you can get that at like 20 other places for free) and mom and dad couldn’t imagine paying for anything they offered, except for maybe the sushi (which is something they intended to pay extra to try at Bonsai Sushi anyway). It will be interesting to see what happens with the menu going forward. Has anyone out there tried any of the pay items?

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ProfCruise

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H, please don't tell the very nice people over on the Royal Caribbean boards, but you are my favorite reviewer, EVER!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I wondered why you came in here in a hat and dark glasses. You'll be happy to know I'm going on my first RCCL "big boat" early next year. Thanks for reading! :D

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