staceyglow

The Pride is one of my favorite ships. It has one of the highest public space to passenger ratio of all the ships on Carnival.

I am happy for you that you have been so lucky, but you and I both know that Carnival wouldn't give cheap or free cruises to gamblers if they come out ahead in total on the gambling losses. I live in Las Vegas. I know how it works. I don't do a lot of gambling myself, but I know the places where they will give me free drinks while I sit at the bar and play video poker at a quarter per hand. I might lose $10 , but I got 2 or 3 drinks comped, so in my mind, I won. But I am not like most people who gamble in Las Vegas. The last time I cashed out a winning ticket, I stood in line for the combo ATM/ticket redemption machine behind a guy who was getting declined for a cash advance on several different credit cards. He is the guy that is paying for all the comped rooms and free dinners for all of the winners.

From my understanding, the charge for popcorn is to help offset the cost of cleaning the mess some people leave.. I can't imagine how long it takes to clean up all that popcorn from under and between the deck chairs, especially if it gets wet.

In my experience, the lunch menu is pasta, bread, and salad. Cookies for dessert. There are many more low carb options for dinner. All delicious.

We have never seen any. They usually have one "throwback" day where they do the horse races, the knobby knee contest, ice carving, etc.

No Starbucks. But if you are flying in, I bet the airport does.

I still think it depends on the person. There are people who might like Holland America or Celebrity who wouldn't like the Carnival experience at all.

Even the ones working with the Carnival photographers?

If you have ever priced out a word tour, you would know this is not an insult; just reality. My guess is that even at Carnival-type prices, a 60-day cruise is going to run in the upper-4 figures pp base fare for an inside cabin, so probably well over $20K per couple by the time you do taxes, port charges, excursions, etc. Not too many lower income Carnival cruisers could afford that.

I don't mean to get all politically correct, find some of the costumed photo ops to be a little ... problematic. I can't help but think that local people finding someone not of their heritage dressing up in costumes from their native culture to be disrespectful. Imagine if a ship stopped in the U.S. and there were crew members from the Philippines or Croatia dressed up like Native Americans? And I believe that is still going on. I saw it one of the last cruises I took.

Fixed it for you. I am sure that tens of thousands of pins, gifts, chocolate treats, etc. were going straight into the garbage every week before they changed the procedure. And there is nothing wrong with Carnival trying to minimize that.

Not in Florida, though...

If you don't spend any money on a cruise ship, then quite honestly, they aren't particularly interested in having you as a customer, and they aren't motivated to give you any deals. All mass market cruise lines are lucky to break even on the cruise fare itself. All of their profit comes from drinks, gambling, shore excursions, onboard shopping, etc. and they are going to focus on those people. I am not saying this to disparage you; we aren't big spenders, either. But that's the way the cruise industry works.

Free cruises are offered to gamblers. And I am pretty sure that for most of them, they aren't really "free".

Once I was getting back on the ship after doing the Cozumel Bar Hop and I tripped a little on the gangplank. The security people were super nice, and they asked if I wanted a wheelchair. That was a little embarrassing. 😬

Oh, I am sure it's a reactionary response. I am not denying that it is happening. But I don't think it happens on the majority of cruises, especially on the longer ones. I believe that was the concern of the poster I was responding to.

All I can say is that I have been on over 20 Carnival cruises out of many different ports and I have never smelled pot or witnessed agressive behavior. Even if it is not happening on the vast majority of cruises, my guess is that Christine Duffy released this video to nip this problem in the bud. As a general rule, longer cruises like your 8-dayer are more sedate than the weekend ships, anyway. I am sure you will be fine.

I suppose, if you need pot so desperately that you are willing to be denied boarding if they still catch you. 🥴

I noticed that there are two seatings for breakfast in the MDR, 6:30 am and 7:45 am. The people who complain that Seaday brunch closes at noon would be losing their minds.

All steakhouses.

Enough to fill a 5100-passenger ship?

Exactly. When I become the elderly parent that everyone worries about, that's when I'll go! 🤣

Carnival's market skews younger than those other lines, and although I was recently on a journeys cruise that had a pretty high median age, I doubt there would be demand for a Carnival Cruise for that length of time. For example, if I am an early retiree. Even though in theory I have the time to take a 3-month cruise, I have elderly parents and young adult children that I would not want to be halfway around the world from them for that long.

Yeah, I guess I meant the computer where they swipe your S&S card.

They don't appear to enforce it. I have seen people carry 3-4 bags onboard for a 4 day cruise. Of course, you are the one who is going to have to figure out where to store everything in your cabin. Personally, I only do one backpack and one carry-on sized piece of luggage, even on my last 14-day cruise. And I brought 5 dresses with me.