Tell me about the Pride and Carnival in general

[vswan]

I have been cruising for about 30 years, averaging one or more cruises per year. Am 3 star on HAL, platinum on NCL, 5 cruises on RCL and have sailed Celebrity, Princess, MSC, Costa, etc., but never Carnival. Am heading out on my first Carnival cruise this weekend with my daughter and 14 year old grandson on the Pride out of Tampa, yes it is spring break. My daughter loves Carnival and I let her pick. She has sailed with us as a family on HAL, NCL and RCL, also on Celebrity, but loves Carnival and I let her pick the cruise.

 

We have booked a balcony cabin, set-time dining, and I booked internet for myself. I couldn't justify the Cheers package since I am a light weight drinker  - only beer - and we can take several bottles of wine on with us for my DD.

 

I have been following the boards and it looks like the Pride is an interesting ship and I am prepared for that. I personally like the smaller ships, much easier to navigate. What are some things I should do, be prepared for and what is different on Carnival than what I'm used to. I have no doubt that we will have a great cruise. Just don't want to miss something that would make it stupendous. We have booked one Carnival excursion - are going to be Spiritual Cleansed in Belize, LOL, and I've booked the Paradise beach resort AI in Cozumel. Looking at the beach near the ship in Roatan - love the West End Beach, but 45 minute ride each way is a lot, and this will be a new beach for me - and a beach day in Grand Cayman.

 

I've learned a lot from these boards over the years. Thanks to all of those who participate.

 

 

[ninjacat123]

6 minutes ago, vswan said:

I have been cruising for about 30 years, averaging one or more cruises per year. Am 3 star on HAL, platinum on NCL, 5 cruises on RCL and have sailed Celebrity, Princess, MSC, Costa, etc., but never Carnival. Am heading out on my first Carnival cruise this weekend with my daughter and 14 year old grandson on the Pride out of Tampa, yes it is spring break. My daughter loves Carnival and I let her pick. She has sailed with us as a family on HAL, NCL and RCL, also on Celebrity, but loves Carnival and I let her pick the cruise.

 

We have booked a balcony cabin, set-time dining, and I booked internet for myself. I couldn't justify the Cheers package since I am a light weight drinker  - only beer - and we can take several bottles of wine on with us for my DD.

 

I have been following the boards and it looks like the Pride is an interesting ship and I am prepared for that. I personally like the smaller ships, much easier to navigate. What are some things I should do, be prepared for and what is different on Carnival than what I'm used to. I have no doubt that we will have a great cruise. Just don't want to miss something that would make it stupendous. We have booked one Carnival excursion - are going to be Spiritual Cleansed in Belize, LOL, and I've booked the Paradise beach resort AI in Cozumel. Looking at the beach near the ship in Roatan - love the West End Beach, but 45 minute ride each way is a lot, and this will be a new beach for me - and a beach day in Grand Cayman.

 

I've learned a lot from these boards over the years. Thanks to all of those who participate.

 

 

DH and I cruised the Mediterranean on Pride this past October and loved it! Serenity is at the aft and in our opinion a great location. Not windy and easy access to lido for snacks. We had a great MDR team! We had dinner at Steakhouse which was ok but DH’s filet was tough and both our lobsters were overcooked. Dinner twice at Bonsai Sushi was great. Go to the comedy club at least 15-20 minutes ahead of scheduled start time. The space per passenger in this category is more than other Carnival ships so it will feel more roomy. Alchemy was fine but a little loud with the duo playing in the corner. Let me know if you have questions. 👍

[jsglow]

Pride might be our favorite ship. 

 

I note that you said 'several' bottles of wine. That's incorrect. Each adult is allowed ONE 750ml bottle in carry-on luggage only.

Edited March 19 by jsglow

[sgttami]

Loved Pride.  Sailed on her 7X.from Baltimore which I think is the easiest port ever.

 

I like the smaller ships on any line,  Food was good and there was always something to do.  Met a lot of people on the ship and there's a lot of repeat cruisers on Pride.  Saw some several times on my trips and stayed in touch with them.

 

Always a good time!

[jimbo5544]

We have sailed her 9 times from Port Canaveral, Tampa, Baltimore, Long Beach, Rome, and London.  Older ship, but we love her.  Not as many dining options as many other ships but think you will enjoy it

[pcvtmom]

The Pride is a wonderful ship! We've sailed on her several times from Baltimore,  and in 19 days we will be on the 14 day repositioning cruise bringing her back to Baltimore from Tampa. Enjoy your cruise!

[Noledad77]

We've been on the Victory and Freedom and going on the Paradise this summer. All of them are among the smallest in the fleet, so the size of the Pride may come as a little bit of a shock if you're used to the much larger ships. Honestly, the small ships haven't bothered me, and there has never been a lack of things to do. I suppose one day I'll go on a bigger one, but for now I'll stick to whatever is booked for us while my youngest is dancing (this will be her 2nd time dancing on Carnival). I can't compare my experience to anyone's on a larger ship, but I think you might notice the age and coziness of the smaller ones.

Have a great time and please report on the ease (or lack thereof) of the Tampa port when you return!

[mz-s]

19 minutes ago, Noledad77 said:

We've been on the Victory and Freedom and going on the Paradise this summer. All of them are among the smallest in the fleet, so the size of the Pride may come as a little bit of a shock if you're used to the much larger ships. Honestly, the small ships haven't bothered me, and there has never been a lack of things to do. I suppose one day I'll go on a bigger one, but for now I'll stick to whatever is booked for us while my youngest is dancing (this will be her 2nd time dancing on Carnival). I can't compare my experience to anyone's on a larger ship, but I think you might notice the age and coziness of the smaller ones.

Have a great time and please report on the ease (or lack thereof) of the Tampa port when you return!

 

Victory and Freedom are megaships compared to Paradise and Pride, tbh.

[eas2225]

We've been on the Pride 7 times, and also sailed on the Legend and Miracle, her sister ships.

 

David's Steakhouse is our favorite and we go at least twice per sailing.  If you go the first night, you can get a free bottle of wine, which in my opinion isn't the best, but you can purchase any other bottle they have for half off.  Great deal!

 

MDR food has always been good, and they have the best by far Maitre D, Ken Byrne, who sings Sinatra and is very talented.  I just hope he'll be on your cruise.

 

Alchemy bar has a fun vibe and if you don't see anything on their menu that interests you, just tell your alchemist what you like, citrus or berry flavors, savory or sweet, whatever,  and they'll come up with something delicious!

 

Be sure to get a Guy's Burger and something from the Blue Iguana!

 

If you're looking for a quiet, out of the way area to read or relax, on Deck 3 Forward is the Sunset Garden, which fits the bill. 

 

The Pride never seems crowded anywhere, except maybe the theater, so get there a little early.

 

Most of all, enjoy your cruise and make lots of memories with your daughter and grandson.

[Noledad77]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

Victory and Freedom are megaships compared to Paradise and Pride, tbh.

They are? I thought they were much smaller ships. Come to think of it, I think it was the Fantasy and not Freedom. Fantasy and Victory. Anyhow, they seemed smaller to me. Looks like the Victory was renamed to the Radiance? Looking at a pdf that shows all of the ships by class, Paradise is longer, but the other two seem to have waaayyyy more balconies (because they do). See? I've learned something new today.

[mz-s]

1 minute ago, Noledad77 said:

They are? I thought they were much smaller ships. Come to think of it, I think it was the Fantasy and not Freedom. Fantasy and Victory. Anyhow, they seemed smaller to me. Looks like the Victory was renamed to the Radiance? Looking at a pdf that shows all of the ships by class, Paradise is longer, but the other two seem to have waaayyyy more balconies (because they do). See? I've learned something new today.

 

Fantasy and Paradise are the same size, Pride is not much larger than that. Victory/Radiance is larger, by today's standards she is not a huge ship but in comparison to those she is. Freedom is a blown up Victory/Radiance and is larger still. Freedom is about the biggest ship Carnival has built (the ships built after Freedom were a little larger but not really enough to notice), until the Excel class.

[grimpil]

Every time I get off the Pride I tell my wife "yup....that's my favourite ship". Combination of size, layout and staff. Loved that small pool in in the gym but alas i think it is gone... sigh

[ninjacat123]

22 minutes ago, grimpil said:

Every time I get off the Pride I tell my wife "yup....that's my favourite ship". Combination of size, layout and staff. Loved that small pool in in the gym but alas i think it is gone... sigh

You're correct, I didn't see a small pool at Pride's gym.  Where was it?

[grimpil]

It was in the middle, I believe it was taken out during the pandemic (if I have the right ship) It was more like a large hot tub. There was also a current (lap) pool on one ship in the gym which was removed as well ( possibly the spirit or freedom)

[cacruisin]

My first time cruising as an adult was on the Pride and it holds a special place in my heart and is a large part of my love of cruising.....I hope you enjoy just as much as I did!

[vswan]

Thanks everyone. I am very much looking forward to a new adventure on a new line for me. I have sailed many of the smaller ships and really like those better, but even on the largest ships I just roll with it. I am not the type to do a live, am usually too busy relaxing in my lounge chair, but will come back after the cruise with my thoughts on the new line and the Pride. Thank you to all of you that do the lives. I've learned a lot from you throughout the years!

 

My daughter loves the "fun" ship feel, the Blue Iguana, Guys Burgers, and especially the comedy shows - so I'm sure we'll be checking it all out. We fly in Friday night for a Sunday sailing and am looking forward to beach time in St. Petersburg before the cruise.

 

It's time to sort through my piles and figure out what I need to put in the suitcase and what goes back in the closet. One question. I have the impression that overall the dress code on Carnival is quite relaxed. I know I can wear what I feel comfortable wearing, but am I wrong to leave my dressier clothes in the closet?

 

Someone asked about Tampa port. I cruised out of there in January on the NCL Jade. Know this is a different terminal, but found the airport easy to navigate, easy to get a taxi to the port and just felt like a lot less hassle than Miami (I like Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral better than Miami). Tampa feels laid back and relaxed.

[ninjacat123]

I usually bring one "fancy" dress (the blue and gold one) and casual dresses (I got a bunch of them on Amazon for $19 a piece, easy to pack), black pants with a couple strappy tops and my gold metallic sandals (they go with everything!) Shoes take up the most space and weigh a lot so I've been better with keeping it to one pair of shoes for dinner.

Edited March 19 by ninjacat123

[cacruisin]

You'll find all types of clothing on Carnival and the only place I've seen a dress code enforced in the last decade was the Steakhouse.  Basically, within reason you can wear what makes you comfortable (they will usually draw the line at bathing attire in the dining room etc).  At formal dinner there will be those in suits and gowns and those in jeans and a hawaiian shirt and everything in between.  This is a somewhat unfavorable thing with many guests but true all the same.

Edited March 19 by cacruisin

[vswan]

30 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

I usually bring one "fancy" dress (the blue and gold one) and casual dresses (I got a bunch of them on Amazon for $19 a piece, easy to pack), black pants with a couple strappy tops and my gold metallic sandals (they go with everything!) Shoes take up the most space and weigh a lot so I've been better with keeping it to one pair of shoes for dinner.

Thanks NinjaCat. I have a couple of things in my pile that are more similar to your casual dresses, but should probably pack one of my fancier things. Don't have many places to wear them anyway, so at least they'll get some use...

[ninjacat123]

3 minutes ago, vswan said:

Thanks NinjaCat. I have a couple of things in my pile that are more similar to your casual dresses, but should probably pack one of my fancier things. Don't have many places to wear them anyway, so at least they'll get some use...

When DH and I were on our Europe cruise, I wore the same dress to Steakhouse and then a couple nights later wore that dress for dinner in MDR.  I know the waitstaff don't care, but I do. I agree, I don't have many places to "dress up" so it's fun to wear something different from my usual shorts and a top with flipflops here in the South.😺

[JMAE]

April 2024 will be our 12th cruise on a Spirit class ship (1 Legend, 11 Pride) and we love the layout.  You are able to walk from the front to back on each deck without using stairs to get around crew areas.  The Spirit class ships have the highest passenger space ratio of the entire CCL fleet, so there is "a lot" of room to move around compared to the other ships.  Here is one recommendation you may like, try Sunset Garden Promenade (Pride), located on deck 3 forward.  It is a little used walkway that goes around the outside of the Taj Mahal lounge (Pride).  It has seating areas with tables and windows.  Most don't even realize the doorways are for Sunset Garden. If you want a drink before dinner, try Raphael Lounge (Pride) on deck 3, just forward of the aft elevators.  The Alchemy Bar is located one deck below Raphael's on deck 2, Alchemy is often very busy around dinner time that is why we use Raphael's.  One more tip, if you don't need or want to sit around the pool, we get lounge chairs on deck 10 aft near the stairs to Serenity area.  It provides easy access to a bar, pool, food and restrooms on deck 9 without a lot of people sitting around you.   Enjoy your cruise!   

[bstel]

16 hours ago, JMAE said:

If you want a drink before dinner, try Raphael Lounge (Pride) on deck 3, just forward of the aft elevators.  The Alchemy Bar is located one deck below Raphael's on deck 2, Alchemy is often very busy around dinner time that is why we use Raphael's.  

 

Funny you bring up Raphael Lounge.  I just got off the Pride on Saturday.  I have been on Pride 3 times and other Spirit class ships for about a total of 6 cruises.  This was the first time I ever realized the Raphael lounge was there.  good find, as my wife isn't a fan of the Alchemy bar, since they don't serve wine.

[vswan]

I have the Raphael Lounge and Sunset Garden Promenade on the list! Thanks for your input. Will also check out Deck 10. Like to be close to the pool, but sometimes it's pretty overwhelming and just too much. The last cruise I took with my daughter we found loungers on the fringes mostly in the shade.

 

 

[ChuckF]

On 3/19/2024 at 6:55 AM, pcvtmom said:

The Pride is a wonderful ship! We've sailed on her several times from Baltimore,  and in 19 days we will be on the 14 day repositioning cruise bringing her back to Baltimore from Tampa. Enjoy your cruise!

Be there with you for the Journey's cruise.  First time on Pride. Looking forward to it. 

[jimbo5544]

On 3/19/2024 at 6:44 PM, ninjacat123 said:

When DH and I were on our Europe cruise, I wore the same dress to Steakhouse and then a couple nights later wore that dress for dinner in MDR.  I know the waitstaff don't care, but I do. I agree, I don't have many places to "dress up" so it's fun to wear something different from my usual shorts and a top with flipflops here in the South.😺

You sound like my wife