Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Amanda's Birthday Family Cruise on the Pride, May 28-June 4: A Trip Report w/ Photos

amandajean06

By amandajean06,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

 Share

Recommended Posts

amandajean06

amandajean06

Posted
  • Author
Posted
My husband and I were on this cruise with you and I remember being in the elevator with your family. Y'all were wearing matching shirts and I remember you because we have a daughter named Amanda. Looking forward to reading more of your review.

 

And congratulations on your promotion!

 

 

 

How neat! Amanda's are the best [emoji6]

 

Thank you so much! More to come.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amandajean06

amandajean06

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Can't wait to read all about your adventures! Have 2 boys also....but they are grown and 1 has 3 boys and the other 2 girls and a boy now! ;p But have many special memories of cruises with them! You have a lovely family!

 

 

 

Aww, thank you! We are in the business of making as many memories as we can, too. [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amandajean06

amandajean06

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Enjoying your review. I don't have kids but I am always super amazed at the organization it takes to cruise with them.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

Thank you! It is quite a different type of vacation, ha ha [emoji1]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amandajean06

amandajean06

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Great review so far. Our last cruise was on the Pride for my 30th birthday with my 15 month old, husband, and my parents doing the same itinerary. Too funny.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

 

No way! That is too cool. It must be the ship for birthdays [emoji23]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amandajean06

amandajean06

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Can you explain the cabana? Is that for HMC or the ship? I too booked waaaaay early. booked in april 2017 for a june 2018 cruise

 

 

 

The cabana rental is for HMC. You purchase it ahead of time through your Cruise Manager on the website as an excursion, then once on board you select what number cabana you'd like out of what's left. Booking early has its advantages but the wait is torture! [emoji13]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amandajean06

amandajean06

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Great review! We love Pride and we're cruising on her again in July...can't wait! Question: We booked late and there are no HMC cabanas being sold anymore. When you got to the excursion desk to pick your cabana, did they mention if there were any available that day? We did this last time too, and got ourselves on a standyby list when we got on board, and lo and behold the next day we were told that we had gotten cabana #4. Unfortunately, the weather was bad and we skipped HMC...really looking fwd to going this time.

 

 

 

Hi, Swodog! I read your last review and really enjoyed it. No, they did not mention whether any cabanas were available, but then again, I didn't ask! We actually looked one day and the cabanas were sold out online, but they next day, they showed availability! So, keep checking just incase! [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sammee

sammee

Posted
Posted

I was on this same cruise. I tried to book the cabana for HMC online but it was "sold out". As soon as we got on the ship, I went to the excursions desk and they had some available. I was so glad I did that. So don't give up hope.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
swodog94

swodog94

Posted
Posted
I was on this same cruise. I tried to book the cabana for HMC online but it was "sold out". As soon as we got on the ship, I went to the excursions desk and they had some available. I was so glad I did that. So don't give up hope.

Thanks for the info! I check on line every day, and if that doesn't work I'll hit the excursions desk as soon as we get on board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amandajean06

amandajean06

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Great start to your review! I love the Pride...we only live about 2 hours away from the port. I guess that's why we've sailed her 9 times! LOL

 

Following...

 

Thanks! More coming soon.

 

Oh, if only I lived two hours from a port! :hearteyes::hearteyes::hearteyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amandajean06

amandajean06

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Sunday, May 28: Embarkation Day, Continued

After lunch, it was right smack-dab at the kids’ afternoon naptime. My kids are pretty good sleepers, and both take good naps. If they miss their nap- forget it. It’s a war zone! In a (feeble) attempt at avoiding this, we headed on back to the cabin for some “rest.” Now those of you who cruise know exactly what I am about to say: this is NOT prime naptime! Luggage is being delivered, announcements are being made, the emergency drill sound is blaring over the speakers, and of course, muster time is drawing ever closer. All in all, I think the kids got a solid 20-30 minutes so we called it a wrap and headed to Muster Station B at about 4:00. They did scan our sail and sign cards to account for everyone. The actual drill itself didn’t take too long, but waiting to be released afterward seemed like an eternity. Then after that, you deal with the stampede of hot, sweaty, impatient people to exit, and…well, you get the idea. Not our favorite part of the cruise! A necessary evil, but less than pleasant with two toddlers, nonetheless.

 

After the muster drill was complete, we decided to walk around and explore inside a bit, as it had now started to rain. The rain wasn’t a total downpour or anything, but it was enough to be annoying. Drew was itching to find the arcade, so that was our first stop. For any who might be wondering, the arcade is a bit hidden! It is at the VERY front of the ship, past the Taj Mahal theatre, down a secret hallway, and up a flight of stairs! It’s an interesting location, to say the least. We became experts at navigating the area, though, because a half hour of games would become our pre-dinner tradition each night. The games operate by swiping your sail and sign card and they charge you by the dollar. The only two games Drew was interested in were air hockey ($2 per game) and Skee Ball ($1 per game) so I can’t help with the other prices, sorry.

 

Before we knew it, it was time to head to the Normandie Restaurant on Deck 2 for our early dinner seating at 6:00 p.m. To backtrack just a bit, I had emailed the Maître’ D about 10 days before our sailing to request a private table for 8, by the window, and in an area that would be conducive to small children (also known as, NOT in the middle of the floor). I posted on CC about my concern with not hearing back from the Maître’ D prior to sailing, and most folks were reassuring that my needs would be met. Welllllllllllllllllll, I got one out of my three requests, but that was it. We sat at Table 119, a round table for 8 (yay!) that was not next to a window and was in the middle of the floor/walking area (boo!) I realize that I could have asked to be moved and all of that, but I decided to make the best of it and roll with it! It was not the location I had hoped for and I probably should have requested a change after night one, but did it ruin our cruise? Heck no! We made it work.

 

We soon met our wait staff: Fortunato (head waiter), Hendra (assistant) and I Made (assistant.) They got us a high chair for AJ right away, and we informed them that tonight as well as every night, my husband would drink Coke (and lots of it) and my mom and brother would like iced tea. By the way, I pre-purchased the Bottomless Bubbles package for my husband and I’m glad I did because the price hike went into effect the day we sailed! Whew! We also requested some fruit to snack on for the kids, and extra bread and butter because we are big fans of our carbs here in the Midwest, ha ha! Spoiler alert: these requests were most often forgotten and once we reminded the staff, it took for.ev.er to get what we needed…more on dining dissatisfaction later.

 

As I previously alluded to, I intended to go around the table, take pictures of all 7 appetizers, entrees, and desserts, and write down the names of each one. Ha! What was I thinking?! Between keeping knives out of kids hands, picking Fruit Loops up off the floor, tag-teaming with my husband cooling off and cutting up chicken nuggets and French fries, taking trips to the potty, and actually attempting to taste my food, let’s just say those photos didn’t happen. I am sincerely sorry for that. I LOVE looking at and reading about food in reviews. I blew it this time folks. Maybe when my kids are a bit older I can make up for it! =) I must say, for those who hate on kids in the dining room, my children were the youngest ones in our area and they behaved excellently. We removed them right away if they got whiny or fidgety and went for a walk, but they never cried or disrupted anyone else. Several guests complimented them and I was very appreciative of that since one of my biggest worries was dining room behavior.

 

Although I don’t have everyone’s dinner choices down, I can tell you this. Every night, at least one person at our table had the Flat Iron Steak, my dad always ate something adventurous, and the majority of us always had Carnival Melting Cake (even though I still called it Warm Chocolate Melting Cake out of habit most of the time.) We are not foodies, we are not picky, and we are just regular folks. I don’t think anyone ever left the dining room saying, “Wow! That was the best meal I have ever eaten!” However, no one ever left hungry either. We could find positives and negatives about the food and menu selections each night.

 

The total time for dinner service was right at 1.5 hours for us. That is really pushing it with small children, so they were ready to roll most nights before our dessert had arrived. This required a lot of walks taken by my hubby, my brother, my parents, or myself. They were so great at helping us out. We liked to walk around and look at the Pixels photo gallery, stroll the outside promenade on Deck 3, or sit in the Atrium after dinner. These things all helped pass the time until the 8:15 show time in the Taj Mahal, which we went to almost every night. Tonight’s show was the Welcome Aboard show and included some entertainment from our cruise director, Saffie, and the Playlist Production performers. My kids LOVED watching the shows and paid more attention there each night than they do to any TV show or movie at home.

 

Everyone was exhausted from a long day and decided to head back to the cabin at that point. We got the kids ready for bed and settled down, and then my hubby went to check out the action in the casino for a bit. He enjoys gambling, but rarely does it at home and doesn’t spend too much on a cruise either. I read a book for a while until he returned, and that was it for our first day on the Pride!

 

 

Up next: Sea Day and Elegant Night #1

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amandajean06

amandajean06

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Day Three: Monday, May 29: Memorial Day

One of my absolute favorite things about a cruise is hanging that little breakfast order form on the door before bed and knowing that someone will bring me a pot of coffee first thing in the morning. For free! Well, plus a small tip, but hey-still worth it! It feels so luxurious and special to me. All of this to say, every morning started off the same way for us. Our kids don’t really “sleep in.” They’re still young enough their internal clocks really control their sleeping habits and even staying up a little later than usual doesn’t exactly equate to sleeping in. We were always up by 6:30 or 7, and usually before the room service arrived. Only one morning did I have to do the sleepy, drunk-looking stumble to the door in the pitch black routine. Along with my coffee, I ordered muffins for us to nibble on and boxes of cereal to pack up and take along with us on our various activities for the day. I usually also got a couple cartons of milk to keep in our mini “fridge” until AJ wanted a bottle that night.

 

We ate at Mermaid’s Grille (the Lido buffet) each morning for breakfast except for the Green Eggs and Ham breakfast, which will come later in the week. This was just easy for us. It had everything the kids would want (yogurt, waffles, pancakes, hash browns) and plenty for us adults, too. We never encountered long lines or a lack of places to sit. I would say we were there at around 8:00 on most days. The food was consistently good, and some of the manners of the other passengers were consistently bad. Sigh. Each time I heard, “Gimme some bacon” I really wanted to scream! Why is it so difficult for people to use simple respect and manners? Oh well, I digress. All in all, breakfast was successful. I ate more of those dang chocolate muffins that week than I care to admit. :halo:

 

Next up was the Water Works area for us. Drew had his eye on the little splash area and tiny water slides all day during embarkation, so we knew that on sea days we would likely be planted here most of the time. He had a ball! My only complaint here, again, has to do with other people and not Carnival. Why don’t people watch their children?! I just don’t get it! These are young kids for crying out loud. Call me a helicopter parent if you want, but I am not leaving my child without supervision anywhere on a ship, much less where they could get seriously hurt. This type of thing happened on more than one occasion, but here is an example: a little boy (3 or 4 years old) was running through the splash area, slipped and smacked his head on the ground. He immediately burst into tears and was frantically looking around for comfort. I went to him because my mommy mode kicked in, and got him calmed down. He sat with me on the side bench and was finally able to explain that his mom and dad had left him to play there while they got in line for the water slide. Seriously?!?!?! He was 3 or 4 years old! And they left him! Alone! I was stunned. When the mother finally returned, I explained what happened and she didn’t even seem phased one bit, nor did she thank me for caring for her kid. Geez. Some people. Carnival might need to post something about supervision being required at all times. If it was posted, I didn’t see it. Not that people would heed the warning, but it couldn’t hurt.

 

After a few hours of fun in the sun, we headed down to the main pool area for some lunch and ice cream. We all had a repeat Guy’s burger and fries and hung round for the mixology competition. It was fun! The layout of the Pride and the large TV screen being low like it is can make things difficult to see sometimes, but Saffie was a great entertainer. At this point the kiddos were ready to get dried off and take a nap, so we headed on back to the cabin to rest. The hubby decided to nap with the kiddos, so I went back up to deck 10 with my book for about an hour, and then down to the coffee bar for an iced mochaccino. I got myself a little hooked on those all week, and usually enjoyed one mid-afternoon as we all showered and got dressed up for dinner. The same gal was working each time I stopped in, and she was so sweet.

 

We all got ready early and decided to hit the photo ops before dinner. I was trying to be photographed before consuming 5,000 calories at dinner, lol! I really enjoy planning out my family’s outfits and trying to capture a good family photo, so we tried out a few backgrounds before my kids and my brother and my dad and my husband all lost their patience with it, so that left mom and me. We took a few by ourselves just for good measure, ha ha. The boys hit up the arcade for a little bit while we snapped photos, and then it was off to the dining room for American Feast!

 

I could care less about tablecloths and all that, but I really, really, hate a cluttered tabletop. Thankfully, on the elegant evenings, the wine bottle table number, water carafes, and huge bread plates were removed. That night, they also served you the bread, rather than leaving the basket on the table. Now to some this seems refined and classy, but to my bread-fiend husband, he wanted the basket left, and then wanted another one. I tried to calmly explain that he could have his bread basket back the next night but to please use his best upscale dining manners and allow Hendra and I Made to serve the bread! He begrudgingly obliged. I know that my dad had the lobster and “jumbo” shrimp (hint: they aren’t jumbo) and I believe I had a pasta dish. Again, we never had trouble finding selections that we liked and the food itself was served warm and tasty.

 

Now, let’s talk a little bit about the service. Remember: we never complained, we didn’t take gratuities away, we didn’t treat anyone badly. However, to be honest, the service was really not good. Not at all. We were as patient as possible every night because we do understand that these people work really hard. The odd thing was, we could only count three tables that our team was serving! We tried and tried but just could not figure out why they were so slow, discombobulated, and inefficient. Some examples: my husband asked for a Coke three or four times before getting one, my mom and brother asked for refills of their tea glasses and never received it, we asked for a baked potato and got mashed or vice versa, requests for sour cream, butter, etc. were promised but never came, extra side dishes were forgotten, meat was cooked incorrectly, everyone around us had finished dessert and was leaving while we waited for someone to take our dessert order, and the list could go on. I hope I am being clear here: this did NOT ruin our cruise and we went to the MDR every night except one (we went to the Lido buffet for comparison’s sake) but it was so apparent that cruising just isn’t like it used to be. There was a definite feel of chaos and confusion in the Normandie. Perhaps those of you who have cruised on the Pride multiple times can weigh in on whether or not you’ve experienced this before. Perhaps our team was new to the vessel or new to working with each other? We aren’t sure, but we do know that it just wasn’t the best part of our cruise like it used to be for us.

 

After we wrapped up dinner, we went for our evening stroll and then ended up at the Taj Mahal for the 8:15 performance of 88 Keys. We thought it was awesome! Were the singers off key sometimes? Yes! Did the dances lack some technical finesse? Yes! Were we thoroughly entertained? Yes!!! Best of all, my two little men just fell in love with watching the shows every night. The music, the lights, and the ambiance was magical to them, I think. We loved watching them enjoy themselves. My parents offered to come to the cabin and stay with the boys after they fell asleep so that we could go with my brother to the R-Rated comedy of JR McCollom in the Butterflies Lounge. He was absolutely hilarious, in our opinion. We laughed until we cried a few times! After his show, we went to the casino and surprisingly I sat down at three different slots that looked fun, and won on each one of them. I put in $10 to start and left with $34. I’ll take it! My big win concluded the night for us, and we went back to the room before midnight. :p

 

 

Up next: Sea Day #2 and “Oops, I forgot how badly that Caribbean sun can burn!” :o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...