Pride Review June 3-10

Good Morning All, just back from the Pride yesterday and thought I would throw a few thoughts together for anyone sailing soon. Always get good info from this site and want to be sure to help out. Will try to break things down by sections and as always these thoughts are just mine and understand that others will feel differently.

Ship: The Pride is a great ship, well laid out and easy to navigate, that being said she is showing her age and is ready to go off to the plastic surgeon for a bit of a nip and tuck. While there wasn't anything substantial that was wrong it was pretty obvious that it is time for a dry dock. If someone wants to they can find the flaws, but it's vacation and it won't distract you from having a great time.

Stateroom: We were in a standard balcony cabin, 6120 and it is just what you would expect from this type of cabin. We (wife and I) had plenty of room for our things and the suitcases fit under the bed just fine. Our cabin steward, Sabina, was great and always made sure we were taken care of. Since the stewards are working hard all the time, we opted to just have our room made up in the morning each day rather than twice a day and had no issues. The balcony did have a bit of an issue in that the gutter that runs along the edge was not sealed to the decking and allowed water to collect underneath of it which squirted out if you stepped on it. For the entire cruise the decking on our balcony was damp and wet and never did dry out. Also the deck above us must have had some issues as well since we would get dripped on throughout the cruise from above.

Activities & Events: We found that without fail nearly every event lacked sufficient space for those that wanted to attend. The Dive In movies were always full and folks were dragging chairs to get seats or sitting on Deck 10 to watch from above, the comedy shows were virtually impossible to attend unless you showed up at least 15 minutes early, and the trivia events were jammed each day. We attempted to attend one of the shows in the evening (88 Keys) and there was a problem with the stage so they held it as a concert without dancing or anything, just the cast sitting on stools singing......well we didn't make it through the first song. We ended up calling them the Solid Gold Dancers and Singers and likened it to watching a high school talent show. Again just our opinions but we did not find them entertaining. The casino was as smoky as ever and very tight!!! The musicians on board were fine, we enjoyed the Fusion String Trio for the first few days and then grew tired of hearing the same songs played, Kaleidoscope were good as well. We chose the Cheers package since we have figured out that we can at least come out even at the least, works well but the drinks tend to be pretty weak.

Ports: Our first port was Grand Turk and we were joined in port by the Sunshine. We went straight to Jack's Shack and rented a couple of chairs and an umbrella where we spent the day enjoying the water, sand, cold beers, and of course Topher and Calypso. Since there were two ships in port it was a bit crowded but nothing like the mass of humanity that was closer to the port. We then went to Half Moon Cay, and being our first time there we were blown away by how beautiful this island is. We didn't do anything but enjoy our time on the beach and couldn't get over the water and the views. Since the Cheers package does not work on the island (why I don't know), we had stocked several beers in our cabin fridge throughout the early part of the week and put them in a collapsible cooler with ice and took it with us, lasted throughout the day and no one said anything to us. Final stop was in Freeport and after reading not much about this port and having the crew even say that there is nothing to do there we went in with low expectations. We ended up sharing a cab with 8 others to Taino Beach for a few hours and enjoyed a couple of cold ones, but were less than impressed, back to the ship with a little shopping at the port and then back on board. Really you only have about 5 hours total in port and there is nothing to do other than shop and drink at the port village.

Embarkation and Debarkation: We drove over from Northern Virginia Sunday morning around 11:30 and were checked in and ready to board by 12:15. There was a small issue with clearing the crew by CBP so that delayed getting folks on, but we were on the ship by 1:30 room keys in hand and had all of our luggage before muster drill. Debarkation is simple for us as we chose to self carry and were in our car and headed home by 10:30.

Food: The main dining room was fine and the food was pretty good, service was great compared to our last Carnival Cruise last fall until the last day when we had to ask for assistance both for breakfast and dinner since we seemed to have been forgotten about. The buffet was OK for breakfast but lunch was to me at least not appealing and I opted for either Guy's burgers, burritos from Blue Iguana, or a sandwich from the deli. Pizza is thin and not the best you will ever get, but it gets the job done. We dined at David's one evening and as usual it was excellent, from the service to the food I would have dinner there anytime.

Well that should about wrap it up, please hit me up with any questions you may have. One last request, the number of straws and pieces of plastic that we picked up both onboard and walking down the various beaches was astounding. If you don't need a straw ask them not to give you one, honestly you would think that the cruise lines would do away with them or at least opt for a biodegradable version to help clean up the very waterways and oceans that they depend on.

Thanks!!

Thank you for this review. My family and I are heading out on the Pride in 12 days and this is our first cruise. The 4 of us are beyond excited for a relaxing family vacation.

Thanks for the review. We've had a couple of solid cruise on Pride. Just as an aside I've read that the reason Cheers doesn't work at HMC is because there is no real time connectivity between the bars on the island and the ship so they can't keep track of the 15 drink limit easily.

awesome review. we sail on the pride later this month.

so get early for Dive in movie?

shows good? get there early?

how was the buffet?

did you stay on the ship for Freeport?

again, thanks a million for your review.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Any talk of the updates for the 2019 dry dock?

Thanks for the review. We've had a couple of solid cruise on Pride. Just as an aside I've read that the reason Cheers doesn't work at HMC is because there is no real time connectivity between the bars on the island and the ship so they can't keep track of the 15 drink limit easily.

But yet somehow they can charge your S & S card.

One word, GREED!

Thanks for the review. We've had a couple of solid cruise on Pride. Just as an aside I've read that the reason Cheers doesn't work at HMC is because there is no real time connectivity between the bars on the island and the ship so they can't keep track of the 15 drink limit easily.

But yet somehow they can charge your S & S card.

 

One word, GREED!

As Sparks mentioned, the issue is the real time tracking of the drink limit. They can charge the card, but I don't know how soon it sinks up with the ship. Carnival states clearly that Cheers doesn't work on the private islands, so it's not like they are being sneaky about it. It becomes like any other port stop that drinks not purchased on the ship are not covered by Cheers but also shouldn't count against your 15, so you can still get your fill once back on board.

OP - thanks for the review! We will be sailing this itinerary in September. I'm glad you had better service for the most part in MDR, it was disappointing on our last cruise but hopefully will be improved this fall.

We liked Freeport when we were there last, but you are right that it isn't much time. I'm sure a lot depends on a person's interests, too.

awesome review. we sail on the pride later this month.

 

so get early for Dive in movie?

 

shows good? get there early?

 

how was the buffet?

 

did you stay on the ship for Freeport?

 

again, thanks a million for your review.

Almost all of your questions are answered in the OP's first post. :confused:

Great review! I enjoyed reading it. We were on the same sailing and just down the hall from you in 6249. And our balcony was in need of repair, too. The flooring was really squishy and warped in places.

I hope you don't mind, I'm going to jump in and add my thoughts to your review :)

I have to say, the Pride is my new favorite ship! It didn't feel crowded at all compared to some of the other ships we've been on (the Dream especially!), and the layout and decor are really nice.

First of all, muster drill was a JOKE. I have never experienced such disrespect at a muster drill. It was kind of funny but this poor guy was trying to keep everyone's attention and people just started walking toward the door so they'd be the first back inside to catch an elevator. Well it started a chain reaction and all people cared about was getting in position to bolt. It was so rude and luckily there were Carnival workers manning the door and blocking them from sneaking back in.

We didn't realize how cold it was going to be sailing down the Chesapeake! It was too cold and windy the first night and early the next morning was chilly when we sat out on the balcony and had our coffee. I will pack a jacket next time!

We loved all the events offered....plenty of trivia, organized games, karaoke, music playing (LOVED the violin trio-Fusion!) We downloaded the Carnival Hub app and the funtimes were right there on my phone. For $5 a person, you can text each other from the app, which was very handy for keeping track of my kids.

In Grand Turk we went to an all-inclusive beach, which was a short bus ride away. It was nice, but for the money, we probably would have been fine staying at the port. We did Margaritaville and the flowrider last yr and wanted a different experience, though. On the drive to our beach, we saw that there is still a lot of hurricane damage to homes and businesses. I guess there is no money to rebuild/repair. Half Moon Cay did not disappoint! It's the most gorgeous beach, with the softest white sand and crystal waters. Amazing. We swam with dolphins in freeport and it was worth every penny. What an incredible experience! Lots of little markets around the ship that were fun to poke around in, too.

We thought the food was fantastic. The dining room wait staff was wonderful, we enjoyed the seaday brunch, and Guy's burgers and Chopsticks were great. We ordered room service coffee every morning between 6-6:30 and would sit on the balcony for a couple hours until the kids woke up. One of my favorite things about cruising!

We drove to Baltimore and arrived the day before the cruise. We stayed at the Arundel Mills Best Western because they allow you to leave your car there for a week, and provide a free shuttle to and from the cruise terminal. How great is that?? I highly recommend it. The hotel is very clean with a nice indoor pool, a restaurant on the grounds, and a nice free breakfast.

 

We drove to Baltimore and arrived the day before the cruise. We stayed at the Arundel Mills Best Western because they allow you to leave your car there for a week, and provide a free shuttle to and from the cruise terminal. How great is that?? I highly recommend it. The hotel is very clean with a nice indoor pool, a restaurant on the grounds, and a nice free breakfast.

Was the shuttle on time with driving you and picking you up at the port?

Bluejay555 - Thanks for your input too:)

I agree that the Pride is very nice for not feeling crowded, and love all the music choices. We also liked the decor - not as gaudy as we remembered on our first cruise (Glory) in 2012. I wish passengers would be respectful of muster :( - if we all did it would go much quicker. Quiet time on the balcony - especially at sunrise - is one of my favorites about cruising too <3

We stayed at Best Western O'Donnell Street and had a great shuttle service, but the hotel itself wasn't our favorite. For September we will drive, but if we take another cruise where we stay the night before will keep Arundel Mills in mind.

Great review! I enjoyed reading it. We were on the same sailing and just down the hall from you in 6249. And our balcony was in need of repair, too. The flooring was really squishy and warped in places.

 

I hope you don't mind, I'm going to jump in and add my thoughts to your review :)

 

I have to say, the Pride is my new favorite ship! It didn't feel crowded at all compared to some of the other ships we've been on (the Dream especially!), and the layout and decor are really nice.

 

First of all, muster drill was a JOKE. I have never experienced such disrespect at a muster drill. It was kind of funny but this poor guy was trying to keep everyone's attention and people just started walking toward the door so they'd be the first back inside to catch an elevator. Well it started a chain reaction and all people cared about was getting in position to bolt. It was so rude and luckily there were Carnival workers manning the door and blocking them from sneaking back in.

 

We didn't realize how cold it was going to be sailing down the Chesapeake! It was too cold and windy the first night and early the next morning was chilly when we sat out on the balcony and had our coffee. I will pack a jacket next time!

 

We loved all the events offered....plenty of trivia, organized games, karaoke, music playing (LOVED the violin trio-Fusion!) We downloaded the Carnival Hub app and the funtimes were right there on my phone. For $5 a person, you can text each other from the app, which was very handy for keeping track of my kids.

 

In Grand Turk we went to an all-inclusive beach, which was a short bus ride away. It was nice, but for the money, we probably would have been fine staying at the port. We did Margaritaville and the flowrider last yr and wanted a different experience, though. On the drive to our beach, we saw that there is still a lot of hurricane damage to homes and businesses. I guess there is no money to rebuild/repair. Half Moon Cay did not disappoint! It's the most gorgeous beach, with the softest white sand and crystal waters. Amazing. We swam with dolphins in freeport and it was worth every penny. What an incredible experience! Lots of little markets around the ship that were fun to poke around in, too.

 

We thought the food was fantastic. The dining room wait staff was wonderful, we enjoyed the seaday brunch, and Guy's burgers and Chopsticks were great. We ordered room service coffee every morning between 6-6:30 and would sit on the balcony for a couple hours until the kids woke up. One of my favorite things about cruising!

 

We drove to Baltimore and arrived the day before the cruise. We stayed at the Arundel Mills Best Western because they allow you to leave your car there for a week, and provide a free shuttle to and from the cruise terminal. How great is that?? I highly recommend it. The hotel is very clean with a nice indoor pool, a restaurant on the grounds, and a nice free breakfast.

the hub app worked well for you to communication with kids (I have two teens traveling with DH and I). where is chopsticks? is that part of the lido deck buffet??

Thank you for the review, short, to the point, very insightful [emoji16]

I too am curious if you used Hub for the family to stay in contact. Will be on Pride with my teen girls in July and hoping Hub is sufficient foe keeping in touch. No wifi...will be an off-the-grid vacation.

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the hub app worked well for you to communication with kids (I have two teens traveling with DH and I). where is chopsticks? is that part of the lido deck buffet??

Chopsticks is part of Lido buffet ( I think across from the Deli). A couple soups each day and a half dozen or so other options. I don't remember if they had actual chopsticks for use or not.

"The balcony did have a bit of an issue in that the gutter that runs along the edge was not sealed to the decking and allowed water to collect underneath of it which squirted out if you stepped on it. For the entire cruise the decking on our balcony was damp and wet and never did dry out. Also the deck above us must have had some issues as well since we would get dripped on throughout the cruise from above."

It's too bad that you had this balcony issue. Did you call Guest Services when you found this? If they don't know about the problem, it will never get fixed.

Thanks for the review. We've had a couple of solid cruise on Pride. Just as an aside I've read that the reason Cheers doesn't work at HMC is because there is no real time connectivity between the bars on the island and the ship so they can't keep track of the 15 drink limit easily.

It's very odd that in today's tech, syncing to the ship via wifi/microwave etc can not done on CCL ships.:cool:

Even stranger, RCL doesn't seem to have this problem on some of their islands, and one that Carnival has frequented on occasion?? It's the one where they change the sign on the dock depending on the cruise line line?? I think it was Little Stirrup Cay???:confused: On RCL it was named something else. I will need to go back to the pics and notes to be sure...:confused:

Was the shuttle on time with driving you and picking you up at the port?

Yes, we asked for a 12pm shuttle to the port and he was there at 11:55, then after debarkation we called and requested a shuttle and he was there within 20 min. Very prompt.

the hub app worked well for you to communication with kids (I have two teens traveling with DH and I). where is chopsticks? is that part of the lido deck buffet??

Yes, the app worked well. The only issue with it is you have to be running the app in order to get text msg notifications. It was my first time using it and I will definitely use it from now on!

Chopsticks is a chinese buffett (not as many choices as the regular buffet) on the lido.

Thank you for the review, short, to the point, very insightful [emoji16]

 

I too am curious if you used Hub for the family to stay in contact. Will be on Pride with my teen girls in July and hoping Hub is sufficient foe keeping in touch. No wifi...will be an off-the-grid vacation.

 

 

 

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We were off the grid too and the hub worked great! Although I was on Princess last summer and texting in their hub app was free. Carnival is $5 per person. Oh well, it was worth it.

We were off the grid too and the hub worked great! Although I was on Princess last summer and texting in their hub app was free. Carnival is $5 per person. Oh well, it was worth it.

That’s good to hear, thank you!

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Did you feel a vibration on the pride? We sailed on it a few years ago and we could really feel the vibration especially on lido. Even while we were in port. We would love to go on the pride again since we can drive to Baltimore. What is your experience?

Did you feel a vibration on the pride? We sailed on it a few years ago and we could really feel the vibration especially on lido. Even while we were in port. We would love to go on the pride again since we can drive to Baltimore. What is your experience?

We did feel a vibration every once in a while, but I don't think it was out of the ordinary. Your sailing must have been having engine issues!