Review of Pride: 02/19/06 Sailing

[Sailfish]

Let me begin by saying we had a very enjoyable cruise, and the few negatives I list in this review should not deter you from going, as they may or may not be an issue for you. This was my second cruise aboard the Carnival Pride. The first time was back in 2004; just me and my husband. This time around, we went with a group of 67 volleyball players – all good friends – and I was the group leader! Although I like to try new things, as the group’s leader, I wanted to insure that fun would be had by all and most importantly, no surprises. That’s why we suggested to the group that we go to Mexico aboard the Pride. Everyone had a great time, and I am certain no one would hesitate to go on another Carnival cruise in the future. Carnival isn’t for everyone, but when it comes to groups, they beat the other mass marketed cruise lines by a huge margin in every aspect: pricing, group amenities and onboard support.

I have never been a big fan of Carnival. I am more partial to Royal Caribbean’s Voyager class ships for family cruise vacations and Celebrity when it’s just the two of us. But for an affordable group vacation, Carnival outshines all the others. From start to finish, they provided great service and communication in the planning stage, good support throughout our booking and made good on all their promises once we got on the ship. We had an online travel agent handle the particulars of our booking. This was our third volleyball group cruise – our first aboard the Norway in 1994, the second one in 2003 aboard the Navigator of the Seas, and the third one aboard the Pride. All were lots of fun, but the one with the least amount of hassles, the most bang for the buck, the best group amenities and by far, the best support both off and on the ship was this one aboard the Carnival Pride!

As we reside in California, we drove to the pier. Check in began around 9am aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach. We parked our vehicles, gave our luggage to the porters and walked over to the check-in counter at the Queen Mary. They processed our cruise documentation, and within minutes we were out the door with our ship’s ID card. We walked around the Queen Mary ($10 for Carnival Passengers) and surrounding area until 11:30; then it was time to line up for the cruise by the terminal. We waited in line for about 45 minutes before we were given the okay to board the ship. Once on the ship, we proceeded to our stateroom, dropped off our carry-on and went to lunch.

Our Stateroom

We booked a category 8A balcony stateroom guarantee and received a category 8D balcony cabin on Empress Deck. Our cabin consisted of two twin beds that were pushed together for us, lots of storage space with two hanger closets, cabinets, shelving and even a small refrigerator with mini bar items (which you had to pay for). You can ask your room steward to remove its contents, like we did.

All rooms aboard the Pride have new bedding – duvets, crisp white sheets and fluffy pillows. A definite cut above the other cruise lines to say the least! The beds were very comfortable – by far the best of any cruise line I have experienced. To get an idea of what you will experience, check out this link:

http://carnivalcomfortbed.com/

Bathrooms now come with “Dove” products – body wash and shampoo. Although I tend to buy salon shampoos, “Dove’s” quality comes in a close second, and had I known, I probably would not have brought my own shampoo. There was a little basket of sample products in the bathroom which was also a very nice touch. Suffice it to say, between the new bedding and the improved quality in their toiletries, Carnival gets high marks in my book for cabin amenities, not to mention the generous cabin size. My only disappointment with the room was the size of our balcony. It appeared to be much smaller than the one we enjoyed last year aboard the Mariner of the Seas (we had a low end balcony cabin then also). The size of our cabin was about the same, but the balcony was a little deeper.

There was a hair dryer in the cabin attached to a drawer in the vanity, and I found it very annoying to have to hold down the "on" button when in use. I would recommend you bring your own, but I suppose if you didn't have much hair to dry, the one in the room would probably be okay as well.

 

Our stateroom and bathroom were cleaned and picked up twice a day. The stateroom attendants have specific hours they are available, so it is important to contact your room steward with any special requests when he/she is available. It will do no good to request extra towels at 1pm, as he is available only from 7am -10am and 5pm-10pm!

Ship Decor

There has been a lot written about the “artwork” on the Pride. Done up in dark mahogany and Renaissance art reproductions, the good stuff is hidden away in the stairwells – a multimillion dollar glass collection that’s definitely worth the climb but will be unappreciated by most! Too bad the real artwork is not showcased well. The rest of the “art” is nothing more than poster and wall paper type prints glued to the walls. In keeping with Carnival’s tradition, the large posters depicting Renaissance nudes have thankfully replaced Las Vegas neon. I won’t go so far as to call it tacky, as a lot of people in my group were genuinely impressed. But it’s not my cup of tea – I prefer real works of art by unknown artists then poor reproductions of the “Masters”. For whatever reason, it works on the Pride. You'll get used to it fast.

Public Areas of the Ship

The ship is very well laid out, and easy to get to from one end to the other. I had no trouble finding staterooms, restaurants, lounges and clean bathrooms. The Taj Mahal theater is on one end of the ship and the restaurant is on the other. In the middle, you had lounges an atrium with glass elevators and the casino. To get a good idea of what the ship looks like, please visit this link for a virtual tour:

http://www.virtualtoursusa.com/carnivalpride.htm.

Entertainment There were several lounges with music and singers, but sadly, they were rather poor. There was a nightly headliner show; sometimes it was a variety show, a comedy act, or a Las Vegas style revue. The performances were well attended, but I personally didn't care for the show girls and their dancing. Compared to performances you see in Tahoe or Las Vegas, the ship's performers were not all that good. But most folks, I'm sure, found them to be entertaining.

 

My biggest complaint last time is the same this time: there seems to be a lack of things to do during the days at sea. There are three full days at sea, which can prove to people looking to relax by the pool, a very positive thing. Because I was with a large group, we made our own fun. But just glancing through the daily list of activities, one doesn’t see much to do. There are things like bingo, the casino, the spa, art auctions and shore talks that the Cruise Director encourages you to attend, but short of these activities, there was little else to do. Please don't misunderstand me; there’s nothing wrong with the activities that were offered. It's just that Bingo and the other revenue generating activities are not my cup of tea. On past cruises, I have gone to the spa, participated in Bingo and attended the shore talks, so I knew what to expect. If this is your first cruise, you may wish to partake in all of this; I did once. But once was enough!

Dress Code

Carnival is much more casual than Royal Caribbean and the other mass marketed cruise lines – and if you ask, it appears they want to keep it that way. Though everyone dresses up for the two formal nights, people tend to dress down for dinner the rest of the time. Jeans were fine in the formal dining room on all non-formal evenings. I didn't see any wierd outfits or people in shorts. All the kids I saw were dressed appropriately as well.

 

Cuisine

I was very pleasantly surprised how tasty everything was at formal dinner the first time I sailed on the Pride and with the exception of David’s (the $30pp fine dining establishment on the ship), it was just as good, if not better this time around. Food presentation and variety was excellent. Not four star cuisine, mind you, but much better than anything we have had recently had on other cruise lines. We ate dinner in the formal dining room every night (except one); breakfast and lunch up at the Mermaid's Buffet & Grill. The buffet was well stocked with lots of variety, including fresh pizza, sandwiches made to order, made to order burgers and fries, a carving station, Asian entrées including sushi at lunch time, an impressive salad bar and a desert bar. You name it, the buffet had it.

My husband and I went to David’s Supper Club with another couple; I was very disappointed and will probably not go again. This was the third time I checked out an alternative restaurant on a cruise (on three different cruise lines), and all three times now, I wasn’t impressed. David’s wasn’t terrible – it’s just the service was slow (on purpose) and the food not much better than what we had in the formal dining room. Our waiter at David’s wasn’t polite so that added to the frustration. I doubt you’ll find me going to another one of these restaurants. With that said, several people we spoke with did have a positive experience. I heard good comments about the food and service, so maybe we went on an off night.

 

Ports of Call

 

We called on Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. In Puerto Vallarta, we made arrangements via the Internet to go snorkeling with a Party Boat that made stops at two different beaches. The final stop included a hike or horse back ride up to a beautiful water fall. We paid $30pp for this all day shore excursion - the same trip booked on the ship would have been $70pp. You can get more information here:

 

http://www.mexonline.com/cruisevallarta.htm

 

In Mazatlan, we walked over to the stone island water taxi, which cost us $1 round trip to Stone Island. Most people come here to go horseback riding, but we came for the beautiful beach. There are several restaurants that serve the famous giant Stone Island shrimp right on the beach - by far the best I have ever had! Check out Lety’s on the beach.

 

In Cabo San Lucas, we spent the day on the beach at Mango's, next to the "Office". As the "Office" does not have lounge chairs, we opted to spend the afternoon at Mango's.

 

Short of buying one bottle of alcohol on the ship, we didn't do go shopping at the ports of call.

 

Conclusion

Short of my complaints centering on daytime activities (the lack thereof) and the quality of some of the nighttime shows, I really can't say anything bad about our cruise. The Pride is a very clean ship. The ship's public bathrooms were always clean; the carpets and floors were constantly being cleaned. I was very impressed with the service we received from the crew. If you cruise often, like we do, you will miss some past guest perks that other cruise lines extend to their repeat customers. Unlike Princess, Celebrity or Royal Caribbean, Carnival does very little short of a free party and a quarterly magazine. But that's a cruise line policy, not a ship issue.

 

I'll be the first to say, I used to avoid Carnival like the plague. Unlike other cruise lines who have cut the quality in their product, Carnival actually has taken steps to improve theirs. Better ships, better accommodations, better food are attracting lots of new passengers who in the past have avoided Carnival. I would still recommend you avoid Carnival's older ships, but ships like the Pride compare favorably to other similar sized ships in competing cruise line's fleets.

 

So here are some tips:

 

1. Book Early to get the best rates. Last minute discounted rates are harder to find.

 

2. Check-in Early at the Queen Mary.

 

3. Bring cool weather clothing for the first and last days at sea.

 

4. Research the Ports of Call on web.

 

5. Pack some flavored Rum or Vodka to mix with free Punch and Lemonade on ship - yum! Buy one drink in a souvenir glass and use for in-room mixed drinks.

6. Have a great time!

 

 

[LHP]

Sailfish: Thank you so much for an outstanding balanced review. We are headed out in a couple of weeks on our 13th family cruise on her.

 

I agree with you about the Sea Days Activities. I noticed that more and more, particularly on the Spirit last July. The activities they do have are getting more and more revenue oriented. This is where I love my comment card. I use it to ( the ones of my husband and 2 children) help "Uncle Bob" stay in touch with those of us who cruise with them 2 -4 times a year. I also write a detailed letter (not to Uncle Bob) to Customer Service after each cruise to critique the events of the week. I have gotten some good responses back from them. As Carnival has adapted over the years from mainly singles to a family line, I believe they are going to have to adapt to the fact that more of their cruisers are not "first timers" and make adjustments in the activities accordingly. I mean, we know all the "joke lines" from the Newly-Not So Newly Wed game by heart. I won't spoil it for any newbies...but they need to work up some new material.

 

I am not a show person, so I can't comment on that one way or another. Hubby loves the shows...so he does that while I do karaoke. And he probably doesn't care if the ladies are in step, as long as they are good looking!! ; )

 

Having cruised Carnival since 1982, I am very excited to see that Carnival is at last getting on the "perks" program for repeat cruisers. We will be enjoying the Skippers Club for the first time and enjoying the other Concierge Club goodies. I do understand why their "perks" would not be as good as a Princess cruiseline due to the fact that Princess does not do the 3/4 day cruises that Carnival does. IHMO, Carnival should have based it on "days sailed"....but they didn't.

 

I am hearing some hit and miss about the beef on this ship from reliable cruisers. Since I only eat beef, I always pay particular attention to this. Also, I am hearing some hit and miss on the serving temperatures of the food. I will be paying particular attention to these things.

 

Glad you had a great time. I am looking forward to expanding our horzions to Princess (and some other lines) in the next few years as my "cruising needs" change. We are wanting to do more European cruises (especially around Athens and Turkey) and will probably have to do another line for that.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to post such a thorough review. You did a great job!!!!!

[LHP]

Finally!!!

[LHP]

I am trying to delete the double post...but it won't let me!!!

[cathyz]

Let me begin by saying we had a very enjoyable cruise, and the few negatives I list in this review should not deter you from going, as they may or may not be an issue for you. This was my second cruise aboard the Carnival Pride. The first time was back in 2004; just me and my husband. This time around, we went with a group of 67 volleyball players – all good friends – and I was the group leader! Although I like to try new things, as the group’s leader, I wanted to insure that fun would be had by all and most importantly, no surprises. That’s why we suggested to the group that we go to Mexico aboard the Pride. Everyone had a great time, and I am certain no one would hesitate to go on another Carnival cruise in the future. Carnival isn’t for everyone, but when it comes to groups, they beat the other mass marketed cruise lines by a huge margin in every aspect: pricing, group amenities and onboard support.

I have never been a big fan of Carnival. I am more partial to Royal Caribbean’s Voyager class ships for family cruise vacations and Celebrity when it’s just the two of us. But for an affordable group vacation, Carnival outshines all the others. From start to finish, they provided great service and communication in the planning stage, good support throughout our booking and made good on all their promises once we got on the ship. We had an online travel agent handle the particulars of our booking. This was our third volleyball group cruise – our first aboard the Norway in 1994, the second one in 2003 aboard the Navigator of the Seas, and the third one aboard the Pride. All were lots of fun, but the one with the least amount of hassles, the most bang for the buck, the best group amenities and by far, the best support both off and on the ship was this one aboard the Carnival Pride!

As we reside in California, we drove to the pier. Check in began around 9am aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach. We parked our vehicles, gave our luggage to the porters and walked over to the check-in counter at the Queen Mary. They processed our cruise documentation, and within minutes we were out the door with our ship’s ID card. We walked around the Queen Mary ($10 for Carnival Passengers) and surrounding area until 11:30; then it was time to line up for the cruise by the terminal. We waited in line for about 45 minutes before we were given the okay to board the ship. Once on the ship, we proceeded to our stateroom, dropped off our carry-on and went to lunch.

Our Stateroom

We booked a category 8A balcony stateroom guarantee and received a category 8D balcony cabin on Empress Deck. Our cabin consisted of two twin beds that were pushed together for us, lots of storage space with two hanger closets, cabinets, shelving and even a small refrigerator with mini bar items (which you had to pay for). You can ask your room steward to remove its contents, like we did.

All rooms aboard the Pride have new bedding – duvets, crisp white sheets and fluffy pillows. A definite cut above the other cruise lines to say the least! The beds were very comfortable – by far the best of any cruise line I have experienced. To get an idea of what you will experience, check out this link:

http://carnivalcomfortbed.com/

Bathrooms now come with “Dove” products – body wash and shampoo. Although I tend to buy salon shampoos, “Dove’s” quality comes in a close second, and had I known, I probably would not have brought my own shampoo. There was a little basket of sample products in the bathroom which was also a very nice touch. Suffice it to say, between the new bedding and the improved quality in their toiletries, Carnival gets high marks in my book for cabin amenities, not to mention the generous cabin size. My only disappointment with the room was the size of our balcony. It appeared to be much smaller than the one we enjoyed last year aboard the Mariner of the Seas (we had a low end balcony cabin then also). The size of our cabin was about the same, but the balcony was a little deeper.

There was a hair dryer in the cabin attached to a drawer in the vanity, and I found it very annoying to have to hold down the "on" button when in use. I would recommend you bring your own, but I suppose if you didn't have much hair to dry, the one in the room would probably be okay as well.

 

Our stateroom and bathroom were cleaned and picked up twice a day. The stateroom attendants have specific hours they are available, so it is important to contact your room steward with any special requests when he/she is available. It will do no good to request extra towels at 1pm, as he is available only from 7am -10am and 5pm-10pm!

Ship Decor

There has been a lot written about the “artwork” on the Pride. Done up in dark mahogany and Renaissance art reproductions, the good stuff is hidden away in the stairwells – a multimillion dollar glass collection that’s definitely worth the climb but will be unappreciated by most! Too bad the real artwork is not showcased well. The rest of the “art” is nothing more than poster and wall paper type prints glued to the walls. In keeping with Carnival’s tradition, the large posters depicting Renaissance nudes have thankfully replaced Las Vegas neon. I won’t go so far as to call it tacky, as a lot of people in my group were genuinely impressed. But it’s not my cup of tea – I prefer real works of art by unknown artists then poor reproductions of the “Masters”. For whatever reason, it works on the Pride. You'll get used to it fast.

Public Areas of the Ship

The ship is very well laid out, and easy to get to from one end to the other. I had no trouble finding staterooms, restaurants, lounges and clean bathrooms. The Taj Mahal theater is on one end of the ship and the restaurant is on the other. In the middle, you had lounges an atrium with glass elevators and the casino. To get a good idea of what the ship looks like, please visit this link for a virtual tour:

http://www.virtualtoursusa.com/carnivalpride.htm.

Entertainment There were several lounges with music and singers, but sadly, they were rather poor. There was a nightly headliner show; sometimes it was a variety show, a comedy act, or a Las Vegas style revue. The performances were well attended, but I personally didn't care for the show girls and their dancing. Compared to performances you see in Tahoe or Las Vegas, the ship's performers were not all that good. But most folks, I'm sure, found them to be entertaining.

 

My biggest complaint last time is the same this time: there seems to be a lack of things to do during the days at sea. There are three full days at sea, which can prove to people looking to relax by the pool, a very positive thing. Because I was with a large group, we made our own fun. But just glancing through the daily list of activities, one doesn’t see much to do. There are things like bingo, the casino, the spa, art auctions and shore talks that the Cruise Director encourages you to attend, but short of these activities, there was little else to do. Please don't misunderstand me; there’s nothing wrong with the activities that were offered. It's just that Bingo and the other revenue generating activities are not my cup of tea. On past cruises, I have gone to the spa, participated in Bingo and attended the shore talks, so I knew what to expect. If this is your first cruise, you may wish to partake in all of this; I did once. But once was enough!

Dress Code

Carnival is much more casual than Royal Caribbean and the other mass marketed cruise lines – and if you ask, it appears they want to keep it that way. Though everyone dresses up for the two formal nights, people tend to dress down for dinner the rest of the time. Jeans were fine in the formal dining room on all non-formal evenings. I didn't see any wierd outfits or people in shorts. All the kids I saw were dressed appropriately as well.

 

Cuisine

I was very pleasantly surprised how tasty everything was at formal dinner the first time I sailed on the Pride and with the exception of David’s (the $30pp fine dining establishment on the ship), it was just as good, if not better this time around. Food presentation and variety was excellent. Not four star cuisine, mind you, but much better than anything we have had recently had on other cruise lines. We ate dinner in the formal dining room every night (except one); breakfast and lunch up at the Mermaid's Buffet & Grill. The buffet was well stocked with lots of variety, including fresh pizza, sandwiches made to order, made to order burgers and fries, a carving station, Asian entrées including sushi at lunch time, an impressive salad bar and a desert bar. You name it, the buffet had it.

My husband and I went to David’s Supper Club with another couple; I was very disappointed and will probably not go again. This was the third time I checked out an alternative restaurant on a cruise (on three different cruise lines), and all three times now, I wasn’t impressed. David’s wasn’t terrible – it’s just the service was slow (on purpose) and the food not much better than what we had in the formal dining room. Our waiter at David’s wasn’t polite so that added to the frustration. I doubt you’ll find me going to another one of these restaurants. With that said, several people we spoke with did have a positive experience. I heard good comments about the food and service, so maybe we went on an off night.

 

Ports of Call

 

We called on Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. In Puerto Vallarta, we made arrangements via the Internet to go snorkeling with a Party Boat that made stops at two different beaches. The final stop included a hike or horse back ride up to a beautiful water fall. We paid $30pp for this all day shore excursion - the same trip booked on the ship would have been $70pp. You can get more information here:

 

http://www.mexonline.com/cruisevallarta.htm

 

In Mazatlan, we walked over to the stone island water taxi, which cost us $1 round trip to Stone Island. Most people come here to go horseback riding, but we came for the beautiful beach. There are several restaurants that serve the famous giant Stone Island shrimp right on the beach - by far the best I have ever had! Check out Lety’s on the beach.

 

In Cabo San Lucas, we spent the day on the beach at Mango's, next to the "Office". As the "Office" does not have lounge chairs, we opted to spend the afternoon at Mango's.

 

Short of buying one bottle of alcohol on the ship, we didn't do go shopping at the ports of call.

 

Conclusion

Short of my complaints centering on daytime activities (the lack thereof) and the quality of some of the nighttime shows, I really can't say anything bad about our cruise. The Pride is a very clean ship. The ship's public bathrooms were always clean; the carpets and floors were constantly being cleaned. I was very impressed with the service we received from the crew. If you cruise often, like we do, you will miss some past guest perks that other cruise lines extend to their repeat customers. Unlike Princess, Celebrity or Royal Caribbean, Carnival does very little short of a free party and a quarterly magazine. But that's a cruise line policy, not a ship issue.

 

I'll be the first to say, I used to avoid Carnival like the plague. Unlike other cruise lines who have cut the quality in their product, Carnival actually has taken steps to improve theirs. Better ships, better accommodations, better food are attracting lots of new passengers who in the past have avoided Carnival. I would still recommend you avoid Carnival's older ships, but ships like the Pride compare favorably to other similar sized ships in competing cruise line's fleets.

 

So here are some tips:

 

1. Book Early to get the best rates. Last minute discounted rates are harder to find.

 

2. Check-in Early at the Queen Mary.

 

3. Bring cool weather clothing for the first and last days at sea.

 

4. Research the Ports of Call on web.

 

5. Pack some flavored Rum or Vodka to mix with free Punch and Lemonade on ship - yum! Buy one drink in a souvenir glass and use for in-room mixed drinks.

6. Have a great time!

 

 

Thanks for the review, sounds like you had a good time! Can you tell me how the kid situation was given that it was somewhat of a holiday week in parts of the U.S.? We're on the Pride the same week next year and can't wait!

[Lurkyloo]

Glad you had a good time! Looking forward to the Pride in April! :D

[crazidude1400]

Was the slide open?

[Sailfish]

Past Guest Amenities

 

As "Platinum" members, we did, for the first time, get some nice perks - VIP status tags (first to get on and off the ship), a bottle of champagne from the hotel manager at embarkation and chocolate treats two nights delivered to our cabin. I took along a copy of Carnival's Past Guest magazine and asked about the other "proposed" amenities - no one on the ship knew about this (I spoke with the Purser and our group coordinator as well as Chris, the Cruise Director) - go figure! It's a nice start.

 

Given our Diamond and Elite status on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, sometimes choosing a cruise simply boils down to who gives us the best past guest amenities. 9 times out of 10, we'll choose Royal Caribbean - the Concierge Lounge definitely tips the scales in their favor!

 

Water Slide

 

It was closed all week - we were told by a staff member that the cruise line will be taking it out.

 

The Beef

 

I thought the three beef (steak type) dishes I had were cooked to order and quite tastey. Medium rare is as rare as they will go. Up at Davids, the fillet was also very good. None of the food we got was piping hot - is it ever?

 

Formal Dining Room

 

I know the debate goes on and on about what to wear, but I thought I would add my comments concerning the "casual" nature of the formal dining room. Unlike other mass marketed cruise lines, the dining room on the Pride and on other Carnival ships has a much less formal feel to it. For starters, there are diner-like booths here and there in the dining room (no other cruise line has these). The lighting is brighter and the level of activity encouraged by staff is greater than that you will see on other cruise lines.

 

People on both formal nights dressed up. But the rest of the week, people came to dinner like they would if they were going out to eat. I spoke to an officer about the casual attire I saw - he said it was the norm. He also pointed out that I should pay attention to Carnival's adds on TV which is promoting a more casual cruise experience.

 

Camp Carnival

 

There were about 300 kids on the ship the week we sailed - mostly younger kids (3-10); very few teens. My school district here in Northern California has the week off, but not so for most schools in my area or the state for that matter.

[cathyz]

Thanks for the great review! We'll be on the Pride the same week next year with a group of friends. Can't wait!!

[Casshew]

Hi there, thanks for your review of the Pride. I just booked category 8D, our cabin is midship (near the cat 12 suites) is this where your cabin was? Do you have any pics of your cabin?

 

Thanks again

[pppiglet]

Great review...I want to go back!

[southbayer]

Cool review, i'm going next month, can't wait!!:D

[Sailfish]

Hi there, thanks for your review of the Pride. I just booked category 8D, our cabin is midship (near the cat 12 suites) is this where your cabin was? Do you have any pics of your cabin?

 

Thanks again

 

All the standard balcony's on the ship are configured the same. I personally thought the 8A balconies on Main Deck were better (all our friends had these), as they had an additional storage cabinet that our cabin did not have. You basically pay more for rooms on decks higher up. Also, the 8A cabins on Main Deck were closer to the water - personally I thought this too was better.

 

To see some pictures of this and other cabins, go to www.cruisestateroom.com. Scroll all the way down to view the pictures once you find your cabin on the Pride's Deck Plan. Our cabin was mid-ship and in a good location, but given what I know now, I would have prefered to be downgraded to an 8A as their location was ideal, not to mention, a slightly better cabin with better storage. Just because you pay more does not mean you get more.

 

Good luck.

[Casshew]

Hi there, thanks for the advice. I prefer the middle decks (not too low, not too high) so we can walk up or down and avoid the elevators. I will check out the link you posted.

 

thanks!

[Sailfish]

Hi there, thanks for the advice. I prefer the middle decks (not too low, not too high) so we can walk up or down and avoid the elevators. I will check out the link you posted.

 

thanks!

 

With the exception of the pool decks above, the restaurants, lounges and the theaters were all on decks 2 and 3. Main (8A balconies) was on deck 4. Empress (8D balconies) was on deck 6. Although we climbed a lot of stairs, our friends had an easy one or two flight walk down to where everything was happening on the ship from Main deck every evening - not so for us. The buffet and pools were on deck 9.

 

I bring all this up, as when I learned we got "upgraded" away from our friends on Main deck, I though we would be in a better location - no so. I even tried to 'downgrade" to a cabin on Main, but as I waited too long to do so, we ended up in our cabin on Empress deck.

 

I suppose had our friends been in cabins all over the ship it wouldn't have mattered all that much. But they were in cabins side by side - with terrific views of the water and in what I considered to be a better cabin (more storage). They upgraded me as I was the group leader (a very nice gesture from Carnival). Had I paid closer attention, I would have known the upgraded cabin was not as good!

 

As you know, the higher up you go on a ship, the more you pay. But the fact remains, on newer ships, the rooms on higher decks are usually identical to those on the lower decks. For whatever reason, the 8A cabins on Main deck had an additional cabinet - maybe it was by a fluke we didn't have this in ours. Suffice it to say, it's worth paying close attention to location. I personally thought it was cool to be so close to the water.

[Sailfish]

One word of advice when selecting a stateroom aboard the Pride is to recognize that with the exception of the pool and deck areas on the ship, the public spaces where you will be hanging out will be on the two lower floors of the ship - decks 2 and 3. This is different from most ships I am used to where the public areas are in the middle of the ship.

 

Therefore, cabins on decks 1 and 4 were really among the best as opposed to those higher up. Climbing up stairs to get to the buffet or the pool during the day is no problem. It's just nice not having to do so at night (in heels:) .

[Casshew]

I guess I should have paid more attention to the deck plans!

[Sailfish]

I guess I should have paid more attention to the deck plans!

 

Since the standard balcony cabins are all identical, I doubt you will be disappointed with your stateroom regardless of where you are on the ship. Being on the Empress Deck was no different than any other deck - you never see the insides of the rooms near by, so I had no idea there were suites on this deck.

 

Walking down the hallway on Empress pretty much looks like every hallway with staterooms on the ship. I would have loved a suite, but I was not willing the pay the extra $$$. I will say that we had an excellent cabin steward. We didn't see much of him, but he did a lot for us in helping to coordinate three parties. He helped obtain party "supplies", extra cups and ice and did a great job cleaning up afterwards. We were never charged for juices - we requested pitchers of tomato, punch, orange and cranberry juices so we could make mixed drinks. I know if you call room service, there would have been a bar charge for the cranberry juice.

 

We averaged around 25 people in attendance at each party - one for bloody mary's on a morning while at sea, one for martinis before dinner and one mid-afternoon on the last day at sea to use up everyone's spare alcohol! Suffice it to say, all three parties were a big hit and well attended. And I thank our cabin steward for helping (on the last day we collected a "tip" from everyone - I think he ended up with close to $100 for his efforts)!

 

Quite a few people in the group with cabins on Main Deck remarked that their cabin steward wouldn't empty out their refrigerators - the few that did placed the items on a shelf in the cabin. All said the rooms were kept clean and picked up, but several people who requested extra ice, for example, had a hard time getting it. Cabin stewards were slow to replace wine and champagne galsses, for example. We never had these kinds of issues. In fact, our cabin steward was on top of every request.

[james fredricks]

Glad you had a good time! Looking forward to the Pride in April! :D[/quo te] we'll be there for our 15th cruise from Alabama. fred and peggy 8-i balcony