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Short Pride Review by NCL sailer


CruisnGram

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Just returned from sailing to Bermuda on the Pride out of Baltimore. My first Carnival cruise in over 25 years. I sail regularly on NCL ships.

 

 

Embarkation: C: relatively smooth but some nasty ass workers, ordering you around rudely

 

Deco of ship: C: ugly artwork and its so so dark

 

Condition of ship: A

 

Ship amenities: A: For being older, it had a water slide and a mini gold course. Also a retractable roof to cover the pool in bad weather. Lots of little bars, lounges etc.

 

Lunch after embarking: D: no dining room open, have to go to lido and fight the masses for a table. Really missed that since I'm used to it on NCL.

 

Buffet: C: no where near NCL's buffet. Got tired of eating the same things for lunch.

 

Dining room food: A: outright excellent and better then NCL's. Lots of choices on their daily menu.

 

Desserts: C: pretty but tasteless. The warm chocolate melting cake everyone raves about wasn't sweet enough. Average at best

 

Service: A: Excellent service from our waiters and our room steward

 

Cabin: A: much larger then NCL's balcony cabins. Lots of storage space. Beds were hard as a rock and we forgot to ask for egg crates.

 

Daytime Activities: C: just wasn't much offered for them being the fun ships and all

 

Nightime Activities and shows: A: lots of fun stuff offered. Shows were very good. The two main vocalists were the best I've heard on any cruise line. Lots of comedy shows offered too. Their final show on Saturday night uses the guests who they auditioned during the week and its great. They call it Carnival Legends and It's a big production show with costumes, dancers etc and not just a normal boring show with them calling out guest after guest to sing or dance or whatever.

 

Casino: B: Very small and very tight to move around in. Smoking is limited to about 1/4 of the machines so you get tired of playing the same ones if you want to smoke. Slots are tight as on all cruise ships. I did play enough to get free drinks (1500 points) and for every 1000 points you make, you get $10 cash back. They don't give you slips when you cash out of a machine. You use your sign and sail card and load the money right onto that. When going to a new machine you put in your sign and sail card, and download money from your card to the machine. Nice system.

 

Staff: A: found everyone to be polite and helpful

 

Some other notes: Not sure how well anytime dining works on Carnival but if/when I cruise them again I'm doing that. We had a set dining time of 6 pm and I hated it. Worrying about getting back to the ship in time to dress for a 6 pm dinner, worrying about not eating a snack in the afternoon if you were hungry cause dinner was in 2 hours. This confirmed to me more then ever that freestyle dining is for me. Not to sound cheap here either but we tipped more with having the same waiters every night. Gave them extra above the service charge like we did our room steward. On NCL we don't normally tip the waiters extra cause we don't get to know any of them. lol

 

We enjoyed immensely it overall and I would cruise them again without question. And recommend them to others. NCL's Casino At Sea program tho will most likely keep me loyal as no one can beat their price :)

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There were rude staff at Embark? Shame. Both times I sailed from Baltimore, the staff always reminded me of the greeters at Walmart...nice older women, smiling and helful. With the exception of the crew outside, that's all I saw.

 

Two things I agree with you about:

Bed were hard. I like a softer bed.

 

Lack of activities during the day, even on sea days.

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Aways interested in reading about regular NCL and RCI cruisers views on Carnival.

"NCL's Casino At Sea program tho will most likely keep me loyal as no one can beat their price "

It seems that NCL like RCL uses their loyalty programs very well to keep their regulars captive (said with admiration)

 

Did you go to David's? I understand NCL is all about premium fee restaurants. Do you usually go to these? Are they good?

 

Please keep posting

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I think that might be the first time I have ever heard anyone say the Melting cake isn't sweet ENOUGH:). Usually melts the enamel off your teeth.

 

That was my thought too when I read it! I cant imagine it needing to be ANY sweeter!

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You saw the same things all the time for lunch? :confused:

 

They have different national foods every day, Italian, Caribbean, American, French, etc.

Agree, I thought the variety was excellent AND delicious.

 

I think that might be the first time I have ever heard anyone say the Melting cake isn't sweet ENOUGH:). Usually melts the enamel off your teeth.

Almost too sweet for me, that's for sure!!

Glad OP liked it overall though, nice of her to post.

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Thanks for your candid review.

 

We have been on the Pride twice and always experienced nothing other than courtesy both on the dock and on the ship, but I respect your opinions and experiences.

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Good honest review! I was thinking of trying NCL but have heard horror stories of getting nickle and dimed to death. Also you should have booked 8pm dining then no need to rush.

 

No real difference in the nickel and diming between the two lines. NCL does have more specialty ( pay extra ) dining, but they still have multiple free dining locations as well ( two MDR, buffet, room service, Blue Lagoon, tapas depending on the ship ). I agree with OP that NCL buffet is better while Carnival MDR is better.

 

NCL may have reputation as nickel and diming because of the multitude of options. Looking forward to the new Carnival menus this weekend.

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I'm sorry that some interpreted my review as negative. As I said, overall I thought it was excellent. And I would def sail them again without question.

 

I have sailed out of Baltimore twice and the 1st time the staff was great. Maybe they just had a bad day. lol

 

As far as the chocolate melting cake, I was so excited to try it. And I did...twice. It truly wasn't sweet enough. And I'm not a big sweet person. Most things are too sweet for me. Maybe it was just whoever was making them last week.

 

As far as NCL I'd be happy to honestly answer any questions anyone has. I've sailed on the majority of their ships and am pretty familiar with everything about them. So just ask away. :)

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Aways interested in reading about regular NCL and RCI cruisers views on Carnival.

"NCL's Casino At Sea program tho will most likely keep me loyal as no one can beat their price "

It seems that NCL like RCL uses their loyalty programs very well to keep their regulars captive (said with admiration)

 

NCL has the best program at sea for their casino players. I just booked a cruise for next December and was offered a free OV cabin for a week cruise. I was able to upgrade to a huge suite (including a butler) for $800 pp. And I'm NOT a big time player. Yes, I spend a lot of time in the casino, and I spend my fair share, but I don't spend thousands of dollars. Anyone who enjoys playing, should really try NCL out. After you return from your first trip and have established a playing history with them, you call their Casino at Sea office to find out what you qualify for based on your play. It can range anywhere from a 20% discount on up to free acomodations. And no matter what you qualify for, if you book through them you get free drinks in the casino for the whole trip.

 

Did you go to David's? I understand NCL is all about premium fee restaurants. Do you usually go to these? Are they good?

 

We actually didn't go to David's. The food was so good in the dining room we just didn't see the need. We have gone to many speciality restaurants on NCL but again, I find their MDR food to be very good and its definitely not a necessity to get a good meal. There are many on NCL ships, but truly, it's a matter of personal choice if you want to try them or not.

 

Please keep posting

 

I'll try. :)

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I'm sorry that some interpreted my review as negative. As I said, overall I thought it was excellent. And I would def sail them again without question.

 

I have sailed out of Baltimore twice and the 1st time the staff was great. Maybe they just had a bad day. lol

 

As far as the chocolate melting cake, I was so excited to try it. And I did...twice. It truly wasn't sweet enough. And I'm not a big sweet person. Most things are too sweet for me. Maybe it was just whoever was making them last week.

 

As far as NCL I'd be happy to honestly answer any questions anyone has. I've sailed on the majority of their ships and am pretty familiar with everything about them. So just ask away. :)

 

How were the cruise elegant nights onboard? Did a lot of people get dressed up in formal wear or were they in the minority?

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Embarkation: C: relatively smooth but some nasty ass workers, ordering you around rudely I am sorry that you had some nasty workers...I guess it could happen at any port but I am sorry it made a less than perfect start to your cruise. Glad to hear you didn't let it dampen your trip! :) BTW- I hope it wasn't inside of the terminal though and maybe it was just the cargo handlers...

 

Desserts: C: pretty but tasteless. The warm chocolate melting cake everyone raves about wasn't sweet enough. Average at best Wow, I loved the WCMC but then again, everyone has different tastes so I can respoect that and I am sure there are others who completely agree with you. Well, at least you can say that you tried it, even if it wasn't your favorite...

 

Daytime Activities: C: just wasn't much offered for them being the fun ships and all I totally agree with this- unless you like Bingo...;)

 

Some other notes: Not sure how well anytime dining works on Carnival but if/when I cruise them again I'm doing that. We had a set dining time of 6 pm and I hated it. Worrying about getting back to the ship in time to dress for a 6 pm dinner, worrying about not eating a snack in the afternoon if you were hungry cause dinner was in 2 hours. I agree- that is why we chose Anytime for our first cruise and also chose Anytime for our upcoming one. My thoughts are that- I don't want to have to rush my family to dinner if they would prefer to stay in the pool a little bit longer or take a nap for a while longer...I live by schedules all year long, but don't want to be told when to eat dinner while I am on vacation (true- I could go to the buffet, but I want to eat in the MDR and be waited on...not have to juggle my plate, my DD's plate, drinks, etc.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post a Pride report card. I agree with alot of what you said and disagree with some, but I do appreciate your point of view so thanks again!!

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How were the cruise elegant nights onboard? Did a lot of people get dressed up in formal wear or were they in the minority?

 

Most people dressed nicely. It ranged from tuxedo's and gowns to slacks, jackets, and dressy blouses. I did see a man in jeans and a open necked shirt in the MDR one formal night so evidently its not required to dress up.

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Buffet: C: no where near NCL's buffet. Got tired of eating the same things for lunch.

What was missing? What varieties do you get on NCL that you didn't get on the Pride? Did you try the international options?

 

 

Desserts: C: pretty but tasteless. The warm chocolate melting cake everyone raves about wasn't sweet enough. Average at best

 

Oh boy. It is pretty sweet to me but that's just me. I don't eat those dense chocolate things because they make my teeth hurt.

 

Cabin: A: much larger then NCL's balcony cabins. Lots of storage space. Beds were hard as a rock and we forgot to ask for egg crates.
Maybe they haven't gotten the good beds like on the Dream and Magic yet. Hope they do soon. They are heavenly.

 

We enjoyed immensely it overall and I would cruise them again without question. And recommend them to others. NCL's Casino At Sea program tho will most likely keep me loyal as no one can beat their price :)

I totally agree about the loyalty programs. They keep me coming back for more, too.:)
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What was missing? What varieties do you get on NCL that you didn't get on the Pride? Did you try the international options?

 

Yes, I did try some of the international options but many times they didn't appeal to me. On NCL their buffet area is probably 3 and half times the size of the one on the Pride so there are just so many other choices. You can eat lunch every day and not repeat the same thing twice.

 

Oh boy. It is pretty sweet to me but that's just me. I don't eat those dense chocolate things because they make my teeth hurt.

LOL I wish it was that sweet. I was so looking forward to it. Maybe that was the problem, I was filled with too much anticipation. :)

 

Maybe they haven't gotten the good beds like on the Dream and Magic yet. Hope they do soon. They are heavenly.I totally agree about the loyalty programs. They keep me coming back for more, too.:)

 

Well the bed issue was our fault. I should have asked for egg crates.

 

Two other things I forgot to mention.

 

1) Wine: loved that you could bring a bottle of wine per person on board with no charge. On NCL nothing gets past them without paying a fee.

 

2) On NCL ships they have a 24 hour place like a sports bar that serves all sorts of items. You sit down and have a menu you order from. Wings, soup, sandwiches, etc. I really missed everything shutting down at 1 am and no other option other for a snack other then pizza or room service.

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Nope, I avoided them. :)

 

Hope you had a good trip.

 

 

We Did...and it was very pleasant being with the other self-asorbed and rude people...it would have ruined it to have someone join us that was not invited, especially if they were not rude and self asorbed like ourselves. A good time was had by all of us

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My family and I (DH, DD8 and myself) are looking to either cruise on the Pride or Norwegian Star. We can't decide which ship will have more fun for us. My DD loves the pool and slides, I love to relax on the deck but still be able to see her in the pool. We love things to do in the evenings, like dancing and music, we want to include DD in this. She wasn't crazy about Camp Carnival, does NCL have a kids program like that? Any reviews on it?

 

Guess I am just looking for lots of general info and maybe some pictures of the ships.

Thank you

Andrea

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