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

[pinto18]

This is the first time a cruise review made me cry. (Although I did laugh at the meat-burrito poisoning for some reason) H is beyond adorable.

[blarko]

DADDY’S TOWEL ANIMAL TOWEL

Mommy, daddy, and I attended “towel-folding fun” which took place at 10am on our final sea day. This time, instead of doing this with my towels like I did on the Freedom...

 

 

...I decided to focus and learn something I can add to my resume. Mom wanted to be my “partner,” but she just got in the way, so I asked her to please sit quietly and watch.

Here’s my towel animal elephant:

 

 

It’s supposed to look like this:

 

 

 

 

But not bad for a first try.

Here’s what daddy made:

 

 

Although a little advanced for mommy, we all had fun and really have a new appreciation for our room stewards.

 

 

Thoroughly enjoyed your entire review, but especially this post about the towel animal class! Made me actually laugh out loud!

 

Awesome and hilarious writing through the eyes of a two year old!

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

[flyawayca]

Once again, great review! I really enjoyed it and I look forward to your GOLD review! :D

[tandemcruzr]

Thanks for the great review H. I'm glad you let Mommy and Daddy go with you. They would have probably been quite lonesome if they had to stay home.

 

Also, good news about Poppi. All smiles. :):):)

[ProfCruise]

We've got an extra bed on our upcoming DCL cruise in September if you want to join us! We're cruising CCL for the first time next June, I can hardly wait! DCL is wonderful but with only 4 ships the same itineraries get a little boring. I'm so excited to try the Vista. BTW, I'm loving your review, you're wise beyond your years!

 

Woohoo! I'm there!!! Which port are we sailing out of so I know which direction to set out on my trike. I'll be eager to hear your thoughts on Carnival vs. Disney next year. I'm trying both RCCL and NCL next year for the first time. I love Carnival, but am also excited to try something new. :D

[ProfCruise]

I'm so sorry that your review is over but I'm so glad it ended with such happy news about your Poppi. I can't wait to see him on a cruise with you!

 

Thanks so much for reading Selva. I'm super excited to sail with my Poppi! :D

[ProfCruise]

Thoroughly enjoyed your entire review, but especially this post about the towel animal class! Made me actually laugh out loud!

 

Awesome and hilarious writing through the eyes of a two year old!

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

 

I know, right? Unfortunately, I don't think daddy has a future as a room steward. :p Thanks for reading and for your kind words!

[Barbluvstocruz]

Thank you for a FANTASTIC review of your vacation! H - you have a pretty awesome mom and dad there! Stay sweet! :)

 

So happy to read that Poppi is doing well. Looking forward to reading about your cruise next summer!

 

I hope mommy lets you have orange sherbet and cheese at home sometimes!

:D

[Danacat222]

Awesome review! I must now go read your other reviews!

 

Dana

Donate Life VA License Plate holder

Va Blood Service Donor 4 Life

Friend of a liver recipient (and she is celebrating 10 years this Thanksgiving)

Half marathon finisher in support of Donate Life

Donate Life volunteer

Edited July 19, 2015 by Danacat222

[maxwell'sparents]

Great review! DH and I did the same itinerary on the Pride four years ago for our honeymoon and have been cruise addicts ever since. H, I am guessing you and your parents are are from Pittsburgh like us due to the reference to French fries on your sandwich and the dig on Cleveland. We too have been following Lucas's journey and are so happy he and your Poppi were able to be recipients and are getting better.

[ProfCruise]

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!

 

Yes, order as many as you want! All 3 of us ordered more than one dessert (I ordered the cheese plate and orange sherbet, or course) every night. Too hard to choose just one! Say hello to the Pride for us in October! :D

[ProfCruise]

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

 

From mom: True that! He's also pretty darn cute though!

[ProfCruise]

I have enjoyed your review once again. I am happy to hear about your Poppi. Organ donation is such a wonderful gift. I look forward to your next cruise. Safe climbing H.

 

Thanks for reading and for all your kind words. Happy cruising! :D

[rzyjzq]

Absolutely love your reviews H! Thanks so much for taking the time to post and share your trips with all of us. You are a cutie!! Happy sailings!!

Susan

[ProfCruise]

This is the first time a cruise review made me cry. (Although I did laugh at the meat-burrito poisoning for some reason) H is beyond adorable.

 

I'm an expert at making people laugh and cry in quick succession. Thanks for reading. :D

[CruizinMama1026]

I loved your review! We'll be sailing for the first time with our two little ones (3,5) on the Pride next May. Seeing H have so much fun has me super excited :D

[MsMot]

IN CLOSING

You may be wondering about the lapel pin I wore on my sport coat for formal night.

Here’s a closer look:

 

 

If you read my Sensation review, you’re awesome! And you also know that my Poppi had been very ill with a genetic liver disease and desperately needed a transplant. He continued to get sicker for several months and we came very close to losing him. That was, until May 5, 2015, when our family received a gift beyond measure. The donor was a young man. We don’t know who he was (although we hope we can reach out to his family someday), but we know people loved him, that he was someone’s “H,” that he cared about others by choosing to be an organ donor, and that his life was over too soon. A moment of tragedy for one family was a new beginning for ours.

Poppi and I after his transplant:

 

He’s out of the hospital now, continuing to recover at home (and we just happen to be spending this weekend together), and we’re planning a big family cruise for next summer.

Shortly after Poppi’s transplant we started following the story of Lucas Goeller (he’s 2, like me). Due to a rare, life threatening condition, Lucas needed a liver transplant. During this same time, another family received the earth-shattering news that their 3 year-old, Olivia (little O), had an incurable brain tumor. After spending her final few days on a Make-a-Wish cruise to the Caribbean with her family, Olivia passed away.

After her daughter died, Olivia’s mom, Lauressa Swedberg, wrote on her Facebook page, “Olivia will be making her journey to organ donation. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do walking away from one of the loves of my life.”

Her liver went to Lucas.

There’s so much about life I don’t understand yet and more I’ll never be able explain or control (even when I’m old like mom), but this I know:

“A persons a person no matter how small.”

So…

“Step with care and great tact. And remember life’s a great balancing act.”

And know that…

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot. Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

And…

“When you think things are bad,

when you feel sour and blue,

when you start to get mad...

you should do what I do!

Just tell yourself, Duckie [or H],

you're really quite lucky!

Some people are much more...

oh, ever so much more...

oh, muchly much-much more

unlucky than you!”

(all Dr. Seuss, of course)

Happy cruising or Disneying or eating orange foods or whatever makes you happy and I’ll see you again in December for my next installment: H turns GOLD on the Carnival Conquest.

 

I so love your writing Style H! You keep me laughing all the way through your review. I am happy that your Poppi was blessed and will have the chance to live a long and happy life. I can't wait to see the family cruise review.

[ProfCruise]

Thank you for a FANTASTIC review of your vacation! H - you have a pretty awesome mom and dad there! Stay sweet! :)

 

So happy to read that Poppi is doing well. Looking forward to reading about your cruise next summer!

 

I hope mommy lets you have orange sherbet and cheese at home sometimes!

:D

 

Thanks for reading! Mom and dad are okay, but they would be more awesome if they would sell our house and move us to a "big boat" full time. Or at lease, as you say, let me have some stinkin sherbet and cheese at home! I'll tell them you think they should. :D

[PinaCarada]

Thanks for the shout out, H! I'm a huge fan of all of your reviews, and I absolutely love your hilarious writing style and the fact that you love to eat (and take pictures of your food)! Mommy and Daddy also seem pretty awesome. It seems like you guys get to cruise pretty often and you seem extremely well-behaved, so this gives hope to the people out there who may be looking to add an orange sherbet/cheese-loving addition of their own sometime soon. Thanks again and I can't wait until your next adventure! :D

[ProfCruise]

Great review! DH and I did the same itinerary on the Pride four years ago for our honeymoon and have been cruise addicts ever since. H' date=' I am guessing you and your parents are are from Pittsburgh like us due to the reference to French fries on your sandwich and the dig on Cleveland. We too have been following Lucas's journey and are so happy he and your Poppi were able to be recipients and are getting better.[/quote']

 

Yes, yinz! High five to a fellow Pittsburgher! Thanks for your kind words. Happy cruising, go Steelers, etc.! :D

[not2old]

Can't thank you enough for this review! We will be first time cruisers on Carnival in Sept 2016-the Pride to Bermuda and back on in Oct for the Grand Turk cruise. We have done over 25 RCCL cruises but we wanted a 7night Bermuda cruise out of Baltimore and have not done the ports on the Oct cruise so we are really excited to try Carnival!! I am so sad that RCCL has dropped their Make A Wish connection, I am an RN that has worked transplant and ocology and Peds so my tears ran when I read about your Poppi and that wonderful family that donated their daughter's liver to Lucas. Hopefully we will meet you and your Mom &Dad on a future cruise, I would be honored to shake your hand! Thank you for sharing!

Edited July 24, 2015 by not2old

[beshears]

I can see who the STAR of this review is, he is so cute.:) I love looking at pictures.

[Blessedbythebest]

Great review!!! I really enjoyed all the pictures.

[Delta Dear]

Hi H, It's taken me a few days to get back on here to read the rest of your fabulous review.

 

I am SO happy that your Poppi received the transplant. That phone call saying, "We have a match," is the best phone call in the world. I've never seen a pin like you are wearing; that is awesome. We were able to thank my husband's kidney donor family by sending a letter to the transplant center at the hospital to forward to them. I hope your family has the chance to do the same.

 

I know your family cruise will be a wonderful time to celebrate all of you being together. Maybe I should adopt your family for a week and come along, too. Don't forget to throw those tantrums to get your parents to book the Nov.15, 2015 with you. Tell your Dad that he and I can demand that the Browns game be shown in the Sports Bar so that we can create a Dawg Pound at Sea.

 

You have brought many smiles and chuckles to my life once again with your review. Keep sailing and reviewing.

 

Until the next time. Happy Sails To YOU.

[ProfCruise]

Thanks for the shout out, H! I'm a huge fan of all of your reviews, and I absolutely love your hilarious writing style and the fact that you love to eat (and take pictures of your food)! Mommy and Daddy also seem pretty awesome. It seems like you guys get to cruise pretty often and you seem extremely well-behaved, so this gives hope to the people out there who may be looking to add an orange sherbet/cheese-loving addition of their own sometime soon. Thanks again and I can't wait until your next adventure! :D

 

Yes, I'm extremely well behaved. Mom sometimes requires some extra patience and flexibility. We always have tons of fun regardless, though. You and your husband seem awesome. Now get to work on your own little H so I'll have another buddy to dance with in the MDR! :D