Breakaway vs carnival pride?

[luckyinpa]

I've been on the BA to bermuda and bahamas

 

now looking at ports other than NY that are within my driving distance and i see royal and carnival out of baltimore

 

I'm looking to travel this coming sept-december. ideal scenario is bermuda but that is of course a lot more $ no matter what line you are on. and i do see royal has short trips but unsure id be happy with shorter trip.

 

so can you compare the BA balconies with the Pride's balconies? yes i am one to spend time in my room or else i'd get an inside.

 

is there any comparison with the ocean/junior suites on pride vs haven on BA? from my brief research, it's just priority embark/reservations etc. not an entire separate area which would explain the more reasonable prices for suites.

 

another comparison if possible, would be an ocean or JR suite on pride vs balcony on BA

 

any and all comparisons would be appreciated. the things on BA i dont not use (ie dont need on pride) are : rock wall. ropes course. not a nightclub person. i am curious the hot tub situation on pride as i enjoyed those late nites on BA. Also which ship do you think has more indoor stuff for bad weather or cold weather days?

 

thank you

[Two Wheels Only]

Have you looked at Anthem OTS sailing out of NJ?

[TrinaLC]

The Pride is a much older ship that doesn't have the bells and whistles of the Getaway/Breakaway. Sounds like you won't miss some of those (rock climbing/ropes) but you also won't have all the specialty restaurants and other eating venues - pretty much just the Steakhouse. She does have Guy's burger, Iguana and those various updates though.

 

I've sailed the Pride a bunch of times and like her/her crew, but the experience is really, really different. The internal décor is tired and dated. She does have a great Aft serenity deck though!

 

Would I sail Pride again to save taking a flight to Miami? Absolutely. In fact we're sailing the much smaller Ecstasy in a few weeks for that very reason.

[luckyinpa]

Have you looked at Anthem OTS sailing out of NJ?

 

i did notice that in october its only 2100 for 5 nites. 2436 for the grandeur. why is a new ship cheaper. maybe as in the BA is cheaper than the Gem for instance?

 

however 7 nites on BA in sept are 2710 and while i realize its 30% more. it is more time in bermuda. so it's a tough call. i really really prefer bermuda but the shorter trip has me fighting with myself.

 

pride has sept sailings for 2200 for the week (up to about 2600 but i didnt study the different classes of balconies) also ocean suite is 3000 which i no way wanted to spend but i was curious how the cabins compare to NCL haven cabins as they are significantly cheaper.

 

i also read about FTTF and that interests me very much. when i was in haven on NCL i the boarding issues were totally nil because of the haven.

 

also complicating things is the cheap bahamas trips that all lines have. pride is 1866 in november for instance.

[luckyinpa]

The Pride is a much older ship that doesn't have the bells and whistles of the Getaway/Breakaway. Sounds like you won't miss some of those (rock climbing/ropes) but you also won't have all the specialty restaurants and other eating venues - pretty much just the Steakhouse. She does have Guy's burger, Iguana and those various updates though.

 

I've sailed the Pride a bunch of times and like her/her crew, but the experience is really, really different. The internal décor is tired and dated. She does have a great Aft serenity deck though!

 

Would I sail Pride again to save taking a flight to Miami? Absolutely. In fact we're sailing the much smaller Ecstasy in a few weeks for that very reason.

 

i always had 3 specialties on the BA and enjoyed them greatly. i see the steakhouse is $35 which isnt too bad compared to the 3 deal plan for 82 on the BA. i also see room service is free as are pizzas. :) throw in bottled water and i'm there lol. i dont care about tired decor as long as its a clean ship. i gotta say BA was super clean always.

 

i'm not a pool person but i looked at pride deck plans since you mentioned serenity. do i see 3 pools for half the number of people on BA. wow.

 

i have to admit while the crowds didnt bother me, i feel its time for a change from BA, especially if i can get a lower price.

[luckyinpa]

oh boy, i made a mistake, the prices i've been looking at are 2018 for bermuda ...crud

 

pride is actually more expensive than BA in september.

[ColinIllinois]

Go with Carnival. Try something different this time. New experiences are good for you.

[theanoy]

I have been on the Pride three times. Would sail again in a heartbeat. Great ship. Have also been on the Grandeur of the seas. Did not like like it, Pride is better. Will be on the Breakaway in 30 days. Can't wait! I will look for your thread when I get back and offer my opinion of the Breakaway.

[darlene62]

I haven't been on the Pride but I have sailed on her sister ship the Miracle when it was in NYC. They have these amazing aft suites with a HUGE wrap around balcony and a separate bedroom. No extra benefits for a suite like NCL but if you love relaxing on your private balcony this is awesome and being I was traveling with a small group we had great parties on the balcony. You have to book early they go quick.....but added advantage with Carnival if you book early saver and the price does go down your price goes down......or at least it did. Haven't been on Carnival in a few years. I have a friend who has sailed on Pride several times recently and he loves the ship.

[luckyinpa]

I have been on the Pride three times. Would sail again in a heartbeat. Great ship. Have also been on the Grandeur of the seas. Did not like like it, Pride is better. Will be on the Breakaway in 30 days. Can't wait! I will look for your thread when I get back and offer my opinion of the Breakaway.

 

for the dates ive reviewed. grandeur is 2400 for 5 nites and pride is 2850 for 7. based on that alone id discount grandeur. still id like to hear a bit about why you didnt like grandeur

 

however anthem 5 nites for 2100 is significant but still unsure i could handle only 5 nites.

[luckyinpa]

I haven't been on the Pride but I have sailed on her sister ship the Miracle when it was in NYC. They have these amazing aft suites with a HUGE wrap around balcony and a separate bedroom. No extra benefits for a suite like NCL but if you love relaxing on your private balcony this is awesome and being I was traveling with a small group we had great parties on the balcony. You have to book early they go quick.....but added advantage with Carnival if you book early saver and the price does go down your price goes down......or at least it did. Haven't been on Carnival in a few years. I have a friend who has sailed on Pride several times recently and he loves the ship.

 

i'm all over the place with pricing and dates now. see, posts like yours make me wonder how much the suites would be on pride and would i enjoy a more expensive room even on bahamas cruise. but then i realize not as nice weather necessarily in the cheap months. and of course bermuda is more . i dont need a separate bedroom but i did appreciate the extra 100 ft of space in the haven spa room vs balcony i had on BA.

 

is early saver the non cancelable rates i saw on the site? are you saying they do match price drops up until boarding? thats amazing if true. with NCL you just get a higher room at the same rate if it's available.

[darlene62]

Early saver is non refundable however they will give you cruise credit minus I believe $50. The aft suites are the vista suites. If you google one of the cabins I am sure you can find a video of the what it looks like. I have never had an issue getting a price drop on Carnival or OBC however......vista cabins and suites in general do not have many price drops. The Vista cabins sell out quickly and only a few of them so there is no need for a price drop.

[don't-use-real-name]

I haven't been on the Pride but I have sailed on her sister ship the Miracle when it was in NYC. They have these amazing aft suites with a HUGE wrap around balcony and a separate bedroom. No extra benefits for a suite like NCL but if you love relaxing on your private balcony this is awesome and being I was traveling with a small group we had great parties on the balcony. You have to book early they go quick.....but added advantage with Carnival if you book early saver and the price does go down your price goes down......or at least it did. Haven't been on Carnival in a few years. I have a friend who has sailed on Pride several times recently and he loves the ship.

 

Pride but I have sailed on her sister ship the Miracle

Another sister ship is the Carnival Spirit for comparison.

 

All 3 are medium size ships with little or no comparison to the BA (-AWAY

class) ships multiple decks high with a floating amusement park on the top

deck

Carnival - Beware of cabins on Deck 7 under the pool deck. Noise noise noise

at night while the crew swabs the deck and moves furniture around. Some

foot traffic and galley location problems too !

Have not been on the BA but essentially you are comparing a older Carnival

medium size ship to an overly large new NCL ship (about a 1000 cruise guests

greater difference) - crowds love-em - join-em or leave-em.

Like comparing oranges to grapefruits !

[theanoy]

for the dates ive reviewed. grandeur is 2400 for 5 nites and pride is 2850 for 7. based on that alone id discount grandeur. still id like to hear a bit about why you didnt like grandeur

 

however anthem 5 nites for 2100 is significant but still unsure i could handle only 5 nites.

 

Hello Luckyinpa, The things i did not like about the Grandeur of the Seas: Smaller and older than the Pride. Ship is showing its age. Never got comfortable on the ship, always felt too warm. Staff on the Pride is better. Grandeur staff did not look happy and sometimes felt they did not care. Dollar for dollar I feel the Pride was a better deal. I found a kids sail free deal on RCL so it was worth it to try something new. Will not do it again because, if sailing out of Baltimore I would choose the Carnival Pride. So far I have only been on Pride and Grandeur, so I am no expert, But if I had to choose I would sail on the Pride.

We are sailing on the Breakaway on March 5th. Got a family of four in a mini suite on deck thirteen, with free drinks for the wife and I, for $2200. Another good deal to try something new.

[StolidCruiser]

[

Carnival - Beware of cabins on Deck 7 under the pool deck. Noise noise noise

at night while the crew swabs the deck and moves furniture around. Some

foot traffic and galley location problems too !

 

On Spirit class ships, Deck 7 is not directly under the pool deck which is Deck 9. Deck 8 is a guest cabin deck which buffers any noise in Deck 7 cabins from noise originating from Deck 9.

 

Same goes for foot traffic and galley noise.

[luckyinpa]

Hello Luckyinpa, The things i did not like about the Grandeur of the Seas: Smaller and older than the Pride. Ship is showing its age. Never got comfortable on the ship, always felt too warm. Staff on the Pride is better. Grandeur staff did not look happy and sometimes felt they did not care. Dollar for dollar I feel the Pride was a better deal. I found a kids sail free deal on RCL so it was worth it to try something new. Will not do it again because, if sailing out of Baltimore I would choose the Carnival Pride. So far I have only been on Pride and Grandeur, so I am no expert, But if I had to choose I would sail on the Pride.

We are sailing on the Breakaway on March 5th. Got a family of four in a mini suite on deck thirteen, with free drinks for the wife and I, for $2200. Another good deal to try something new.

 

staff was one question i was curious about so good to know pride is better. my 2 experiences on BA were excellent as far as virtually all employees. 2200 for 4 is very good deal! i got a similar deal last december on a balc and didnt upgrade to mini because after price drops didnt like the locations left. but i had angled balcony 13290 and liked it.

 

any other info you have about pride would be appreciated. i'm not a pool person but i am thrilled to learn about the retractable roof in case of a colder cruise/bad weather. i think from my early research the thing i may most miss is the specialty dining on BA. i found matt's review of the pride on the carnival forum and got to see pictures of it and one thing that seems better than BA is pride has many more 'window' seating areas to just relax. excluding the buffet, there's really no free places to sit on BA and look out a window.

 

another silly thing i saw on pride is that most of the bars have no backs on them. i'm not a bar person but still found this interesting. i do Love that bottled water is 5 bucks a case on pride. NCL should take a lesson. and the free 24 hour pizza is hopefully good because that sounds good to me.

 

i just noticed NCL has the deal with lattitudes getting extra points and 100 obc and they still have the free calls/photos etc deal going on. i have to figure out all that value to me, if any. vs virtually the same price for the pride in september. i have not looked into the deals going on the pride. i do see the gratuities are about the same. i also noticed you lose 3 hours in bermuda on the pride but not a biggie. i see they get into port later than BA too which is interesting back in Balt.

 

i want to celebrate a big birthday this year and i wasnt planning on any cruising but with the 50 coming up i feel i have to!

[luckyinpa]

On Spirit class ships, Deck 7 is not directly under the pool deck which is Deck 9. Deck 8 is a guest cabin deck which buffers any noise in Deck 7 cabins from noise originating from Deck 9.

 

Same goes for foot traffic and galley noise.

 

i'm nowhere even close to a decision but i'm glad you reminded me to look at cabin location. on BA thats important if you are aft with spice noise and i you definitely have to be aware of pool deck noise etc.

[don't-use-real-name]

On Spirit class ships, Deck 7 is not directly under the pool deck which is Deck 9. Deck 8 is a guest cabin deck which buffers any noise in Deck 7 cabins from noise originating from Deck 9.

 

Same goes for foot traffic and galley noise.

 

StolidCruiser

You are correct - my memory fades to black and my recollection of the disasters on the Carnival Victory.

Sailed on the PRIDE Mex Riveria and the SPIRIT SB Alaska nice ships nice cruise only complaint was the crowded buffet facilities when everyone wants to eat at the same time but that would true with any cruise ship !

[luckyinpa]

StolidCruiser

You are correct - my memory fades to black and my recollection of the disasters on the Carnival Victory.

Sailed on the PRIDE Mex Riveria and the SPIRIT SB Alaska nice ships nice cruise only complaint was the crowded buffet facilities when everyone wants to eat at the same time but that would true with any cruise ship !

 

past 'disasters' like fire, power loss etc are things that come to mind when i think of carnival. right or wrong

 

part of me wants to try a new line and not deal with NYC embark/debark/ parkign $$ etc

 

part of me prefers the devil i know :)

 

i already know the Pride has outdated /old/non modern decor but its the same price virtually as BA to baltimore and the Pride has nothign like all the 'free' perks at NCL. if you think NCL nickels and dimes you, carnival really does. you dont have to worry about 18% on your free perk because there are no free perks.

[Lido_Deck]

I've been on the BA to bermuda and bahamas

 

now looking at ports other than NY that are within my driving distance and i see royal and carnival out of baltimore

 

I'm looking to travel this coming sept-december. ideal scenario is bermuda but that is of course a lot more $ no matter what line you are on. and i do see royal has short trips but unsure id be happy with shorter trip.

 

so can you compare the BA balconies with the Pride's balconies? yes i am one to spend time in my room or else i'd get an inside.

 

is there any comparison with the ocean/junior suites on pride vs haven on BA? from my brief research, it's just priority embark/reservations etc. not an entire separate area which would explain the more reasonable prices for suites.

 

another comparison if possible, would be an ocean or JR suite on pride vs balcony on BA

 

any and all comparisons would be appreciated. the things on BA i dont not use (ie dont need on pride) are : rock wall. ropes course. not a nightclub person. i am curious the hot tub situation on pride as i enjoyed those late nites on BA. Also which ship do you think has more indoor stuff for bad weather or cold weather days?

 

thank you

 

I'm guessing you are a person who doesn't like crowds, so the Breakaway which has a capacity of over 4,000 guests compared to the Pride which has a capacity of 2,600 may not be the best ship for you.

 

Serenity on Carnival ships is much nicer than what NCL offers for adults only.

 

Hot Tubs (not including the spa)...I count 6 on the Breakaway for 4,000 guests which is pathetic, but the Pride only has 4 for 2,600. I prefer the 7 hot tubs on the Pearl or Gem which has a passenger capacity of just under 2,400.

 

As someone who spent 25 years in the restaurant industry, there is no comparison to the food offered in the buffets...Pretty much any Norwegian ship puts the best Carnival has to offer to shame. In the main dining rooms the difference is not as stark, but nothing compares to dinner in the Manhattan Room on the Breakaway, especially if you get a table up near the bandstand and dance floor.

 

If you like to go to the production shows in the evening, anything Carnival offers is "Amateur Hour" compared to the Broadway shows on the Breakaway and I consider as not to be missed.

 

Inside activities...It seems Carnival has more social hosts and offers more activities than NCL does

 

As for balcony and suite comparisons, I'm an Inside Cabin kind of guy so I can't help you there, but Carnival, for the most part, has the largest cabins in the cruise industry.

Edited February 6, 2017 by Lido_Deck

[luckyinpa]

stuff like the buffet comment worry me because i dont mind paying for the finer dining but the impression i have of the pride is the steakhouse is pretty much it. and 2 of those 35 dollar meals is about the same as 82 cash price for NCLs plan (or free with perk). i could never survive on just the NCL buffet. even when i had no SDP as a perk i forked over the 82 for the fine dining. i'm not a foodie per se, i dont even understand half the stuff on the menus. i just prefer 'good food' and eating is what cruises are for

 

i'm a spreadsheet kind of guy and i hate to make it about lists but maybe thats what i need to do :) right now pride to bermuda only has a few things i can think of better

 

em/disembark in BALT vs NYC nightmare

FTTP which sounds good for 70 bucks

175 savings on parking

for cold months the covered pool/restaurant area

 

based on pics i've seen, there appear to be many more indoor seating areas for you to sit and look out.

better adult area.

more pools and seating (i'm not a pool guy normally though, never was in BA)

24 hour pizza

 

bahamas prices are a steal. 500 cheaper than NCL ..but i really didnt like that itinerary in december when i went.

 

----------

i can justify paying less for a lesser ship with no worries but virtually the same price in sept to bermuda is a tough pill to swallow especially when i know that little thigns like internet and soda pack will add to my bill that i wouldnt have with NCL.

 

my head wont stop spinning with all the pros and cons. will explode soon.

 

if there's enough to do on pride in the cold november , 1600 to bahamas is tempting and well over 1100 cheaper to bermuda.

 

but this will be 50th bday so again i'm anguishing lol

[Heather1972]

I've been on all the ships mentioned in this thread - Grandeur, Anthem, Pride and Breakaway.

 

You want to do something SPECIAL on your 50th birthday? Grandeur is NOT it. While I'm a HUGE fan of NCL, for that time of year I wouldn't do Breakaway since there's no pool areas that are covered. I had a great time on Pride. I would sail her again, but there's no bells and whistles. Even if it's a shorter trip, you really need to look at Anthem out of NJ. It's the best designed ship I have been on.

[luckyinpa]

I've been on all the ships mentioned in this thread - Grandeur, Anthem, Pride and Breakaway.

 

You want to do something SPECIAL on your 50th birthday? Grandeur is NOT it. While I'm a HUGE fan of NCL, for that time of year I wouldn't do Breakaway since there's no pool areas that are covered. I had a great time on Pride. I would sail her again, but there's no bells and whistles. Even if it's a shorter trip, you really need to look at Anthem out of NJ. It's the best designed ship I have been on.

 

i have only taken a cursory look at anthem but are they the one that have a very nice inside place for bad weather. please tell me all about anthem and your experience and why you think its best. i know to stay away from jersey week. but if i do nov i do want a place to go in the cold. i was on BA in december in bad weather and not too fun.

 

for bermuda for my dates anthem only offers oct 7 for 2100 and sept 23 for 2200. so compared to 2800 ish for the breakaway, would you say anthem is worth a 2 day shorter trip..cutting 1 day off the bermuda leg? cause i gotta admit cutting that bermuda out hurts.

 

anthem does have 7 day bahamas but nassau does not thrill me for a 2nd trip. but prices range from 2100 to 2300 for oct/nov. i have to see what perks they offer of course. because carnival offers zero. i'm assuming NJ is a lot easier embark/debark than the BA in NYC?

[Lido_Deck]

i have only taken a cursory look at anthem but are they the one that have a very nice inside place for bad weather. please tell me all about anthem and your experience and why you think its best. i know to stay away from jersey week. but if i do nov i do want a place to go in the cold. i was on BA in december in bad weather and not too fun.

 

for bermuda for my dates anthem only offers oct 7 for 2100 and sept 23 for 2200. so compared to 2800 ish for the breakaway, would you say anthem is worth a 2 day shorter trip..cutting 1 day off the bermuda leg? cause i gotta admit cutting that bermuda out hurts.

 

anthem does have 7 day bahamas but nassau does not thrill me for a 2nd trip. but prices range from 2100 to 2300 for oct/nov. i have to see what perks they offer of course. because carnival offers zero. i'm assuming NJ is a lot easier embark/debark than the BA in NYC?

 

Bottom Line: You will never know which ship and cruise line you like better unless you actually cruise on the Pride. Go ahead, throw caution to the wind, be bold, hoist the main sail and go out to sea on the Pride!

 

Then report back to us what the differences are in your opinion.

[poppadevan]

I have been on Pride five times and, while I haven't been on BA, I have sailed the Epic and Escape a total of four times. The NCL larger ships have Great Entertainment venues and acts/broadway and Las Vegas style shows. Carnival has nothing even close to this if entertainment is important to you. Having said that, The Pride is a great ship about half the size of BA. I live near Baltimore and this is so convenient for me I will continue to sail the Pride at least once a year. I don't enjoy the added travel time and expense of sailing out of Florida, but the itineraries and added entertainment on the larger NCL ships compensates for those drawbacks. I usually get offers from CAS and the Players Club each year, so I sail solo with very low cost complimentary cabins on both Carnival and NCL each year. It is great though to avoid the added expense and travel time by sailing out of Baltimore.

 

I've been on the BA to bermuda and bahamas

 

now looking at ports other than NY that are within my driving distance and i see royal and carnival out of baltimore

 

I'm looking to travel this coming sept-december. ideal scenario is bermuda but that is of course a lot more $ no matter what line you are on. and i do see royal has short trips but unsure id be happy with shorter trip.

 

so can you compare the BA balconies with the Pride's balconies? yes i am one to spend time in my room or else i'd get an inside.

 

is there any comparison with the ocean/junior suites on pride vs haven on BA? from my brief research, it's just priority embark/reservations etc. not an entire separate area which would explain the more reasonable prices for suites.

 

another comparison if possible, would be an ocean or JR suite on pride vs balcony on BA

 

any and all comparisons would be appreciated. the things on BA i dont not use (ie dont need on pride) are : rock wall. ropes course. not a nightclub person. i am curious the hot tub situation on pride as i enjoyed those late nites on BA. Also which ship do you think has more indoor stuff for bad weather or cold weather days?

 

thank you