pcvtmom

This happened to us last month in Tampa. I got the paper in my suitcase (delivered late) that said I had a "prohibited item". It was the tiny fan that has gone on most of my 34 cruises! I showed Guest Services the prohibited item list (from my phone), and fans aren't listed. However, they were not sympathetic at all, and I didn't get it back. (NOTE: I was told I could have gone to claim it upon debarkation, with security, but we were on the Pride repositioning cruise, so we had to bus from Norfolk back to Baltimore. No time to waste!)

I knew we had more in common than teaching! I come from a huge family of Parrotheads. My daughter and I have stayed at the Hollywood Beach Margaritaville...AWESOME place! We're considering making it an annual mother/daughter trip (down from Virginia). It's not cheap, but it sure is special!

We just did a Pride Journeys cruise. BlerkOne is correct! I don't remember which days the other elegant nights were, but the Throwback seaday one was the second Sunday (ours was a 2 week, Sunday to Sunday cruise).

Enjoy being disconnected and cruising! We will all wait for you "on the other side" of your cruise. Relax and refresh, friend!

Magic is a great ship! Reviews are frequently written by people with a bone to pick...just saying.🙄

I'm in the process of mulling over a Venezia cruise next winter (from Port Canaveral). I'm looking forward to your take on the ship! She's intriguing!

Congrats on surviving another year as a middle school teacher 😉!! I'm all in for this review!

The pullman will likely be up in the ceiling of the room, only lowered into the room space if needed, by the room steward. You won't even notice it, other than the outline of the bed on the ceiling. Some ships have them in the walls, but, again, they aren't lowered unless you need them for the 3rd person. The twins are pushed together. It's not one big king size mattress.

They announced that it would return to Baltimore on May 26th. The sailing will originate in Norfolk, but will return to Baltimore. https://www.wmar2news.com/keybridgecollapse/carnival-cruise-line-to-make-baltimore-return-three-months-after-key-bridge-collapse

That's funny, because I'm just the opposite! We've only had positive experiences with Allegiant, but horrible trips with Frontier. I'm sure much depends on where you're flying to and from.🙂 I will echo the advice to check flights into FLL, as opposed to Miami. It's always cheaper for us!

We cruise solely to relax! Sea days are a perfect time to read, relax, and refresh. We aren't gamblers, so the casino isn't a draw for us. Port days are nice, but I like sea days equally.

On the Pride, we just got the small tote bags. We somehow missed out on the toiletries bags, but we have double of the fanny packs! 😃 The tote bag is a perfect size for sunscreen, book, sunglasses, and card. I used mine both in port and on the Serenity deck, daily.

We got a nice little tote bag on the Pride. It was the perfect size for taking my Kindle, sunglasses, sunscreen, and phone up on the deck.

We did the Hawaii cruise in January of 2023. They had many "extra" activities on the sea days: lei making, Hawaiian language classes, Hula classes (daily), ukelele classes (daily), Zumba, ballroom dancing, lectures about the Hawaiian islands and culture, caricature drawings, cooking classes, and other things I've probably forgotten. We stayed quite busy! The other two cruises you mentioned are also good ones, but the Hawaiian cruise was something special, for us! (We are Diamond, with Carnival, so we've cruised often, FYI).

We're in the same position! We're driving from VA's Shenandoah Valley (which is about an equidistance from Baltimore and Norfolk.) We have the drive to Baltimore on the 5th, with a Park and Fly hotel deal, a flight on the 6th to Tampa, and concerns about getting back to our vehicle if we go to Norfolk. I keep telling myself, "one day at a time"... The most important concern is for the loss of life and the economic impact on Baltimore and the surrounding areas, as well as the supply chain issues. But that doesn't stop my anxiety over plans and arrangements. 😟

Thanks for a nice, balanced review of your trip. We'll be on the Pride in 10 days, repositioning her from Tampa to Baltimore (or perhaps Norfolk, due to the Key bridge disaster). We've enjoyed several previous cruises on the Pride, and find Spirit class ships, in general, to be our favorite size.

I'm on the Pride (Tampa to Baltimore??) repositioning cruise from April 7 to April 21. I feel like there will be time to find an alternate port between now and the 21st, and my first thought was Norfolk. I know they are planning to rebuild, to prepare for the arrival of the Sunshine in 2025, since Charleston will no longer accept ships. Depending on how far along the progress is, perhaps Norfolk is still a possibility. I guess speculation is all we can do at the moment.

On ships with the Havana bar, you can also pick up your specialty coffees there! They are not free, though.

I absolutely love the format of your report! Posting "tips" in red font, at the beginning of your posts, is so helpful! We've done this same itinerary, on the Horizon, but I've picked up on many of your suggestions. 😃

Sorry I didn't see this to respond earlier. This is also exactly what I did. It's a "work around " that was suggested by Carnival's brand ambassador, John Heald.

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!

Sure hope you can sleep on the plane! Those middle schoolers will be primed for you tomorrow, for sure! They always are after a break.

Uh Oh...

Use it when you have an expensive cruise booked! We used my husband's on a cruise to Hawaii last year.

Thanks for taking the time to report! I enjoyed your take on things and your laid-back attitude.