Just off Pride

[LovesCruising]

Be happy to try to answer any questions you may have:)

[bonstersd]

How about a review? I love to read about people's experiences!

[hvyhttr21]

I have a question...did you need a new pair of undies when you saw the snow?

[disneylynn]

How was the ride? very rocky?

How was the weather? when did it start to feel warm

 

Thanks

Lynn

[LovesCruising]

hvyhttr - didn't see the snow til we disembarked. Being from Jersey it really wasn't a surprise. Sorry I didn't take a picture of my care - completely covered with snow - couldn't even see it. Two nice men were in the lot digging people out - offered a tip - wouldn't take it - finially we made him take the money - what nice people! They really cleared the lot out very well and had no trouble getting home.

 

lynn - ride was very rocky. lots of rain and wind. High seas. Alot of people ill. Ship was really rocking and rolling. We were on deck 8 and it was actually calmer up there than it was down on deck 2. Missed Freeport due to high winds and rough seas. Captain attempted to enter channel 3 times to dock but could not.

 

Weather did not warm up until we arrived in Port Canaveral and that didn't happen til afternoon. Weather was overcast and cool in am. When the sun did come out it was still not swimming weather. Probably hit high 70's. Nicest day was Nassau - low 80's - then it got cold pretty quickly on our return home. So to answser your question probably into day 3 and then day 4.

[golfadj]

Balt is closest port to Va but the ride down to warm weather can be rather unpleasant and also not thrilled with itinerary.

 

That is why we leave from florida

[Laurab23]

Were you able to lay out on the ship at all or was it always too cool?Were there enough indoor activities to keep you busy?Did you use the hot tub in the spa?I leave on Feb 14 and want to know everything.What time did you get to the port to embark?

 

Laura

[LovesCruising]

golfadj - I have to agree with you 100%. This was my 17th cruise so it was something new as far as the port and ship were concerned. Got a good price but the Itinerary wasn't great - pretty much done with the Bahamas. To the Caribbean from now on!

 

Laura - Never laid out once. Nassau would have been the day but we took advantage to get off the ship and got back late. Main pool was covered most of the time so you could lay out in a covered area if that was your thing. Used the spa hot tub once and that was nice. Spa treatments discounted on port days. Go and inquire before they advertise, they know ahead what the schedule is and you can book your appointment ahead. Forget tanning though - at least on this trip - rain and overcast.

 

They had lots of trivia, Casino open every day except the two days we ported, art auctions, game shows, cooking demo, wine tasting, tea time, mixology contest, scrapbooking and probably alot of other things I am not remembering already. Oh yes, Bingo of course! So yes, if you want to participate there is alot to keep you busy.

 

We arrived at the port at approximately 12:15 and were checked in by 12:30 - on board by 1. Baltimore has it down very well as far as getting you on and off the ship. Cabins were not ready til about 2:30-3:00.

 

Captain kept us very informed about the weather all the time. We were not surprised about the storm bause we knew what was going on.

 

Repeaters party was just cocktails no h'dorves, Captains Party was discounted drinks - $1 off regular price - Captain was available talking with guests and mingling - Fairwell party - 1 hour - free drinks - no h'dorves - no different that the repeaters party. Held in Taj Showroom, very dark, passed cocktails - some warm - no big deal. People sitting, band playing - not a real party atmosphere.

 

We did get chocolates and towel animals ever night.

 

Ate at Davids Steakhouse - worth the 30.00 charge per person

 

If your in the Casino - tell Darwin - Cheryl said hi - you can't miss him - he is a slot attendant and always around, always remembering your name and always greeting you and wishing you good luck! What a sweetie

[jojo1108]

Did you take any liquor in your checked bags? Just wondering.

 

Also, did you get seasick? What do you use to avoid getting seasick? This will be our first cruise and I am so looking forward to it, but, I am a little worried about getting seasick. I have the patches and Bonine. I figure I'll start with bonine and if that doesn't work, I'll try the patch.

[LovesCruising]

Hi Jo Jo, My friend and I carried on 1 bottle each of wine - no problem

She had an additional bottle of wine in her checked luggage - no problem - no other liquor taken.

 

No I didn't get sea sick, but then again I don't so I don't use any sea sickness precaution. They do have free Bonine at the Guest Relations Desk - just ask for it. "Bags" were placed in the rest rooms for those in need. They say the skin of apples help - especially green ones, if you need - call room service they will bring to you - let them know you are sea sick as its not on the menu. If you should get ill and nothing is helping you - call or go to the infimary - they will give you a shot, yes it should be a last resort and yes they will charge you but it will cure you and you will be able to enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

If you are leaving out of Baltimore, or cruising the Atlantic in general at this time of year you may want to use the patch and not wait - especially if you are prone to motion sickness of any type. It was pretty rough on this cruise. In 17 I have never seen the bags out before.

 

Hope you enjoy - when do you leave?

[jojo1108]

We leave on the 21st. We live about 20-25 minutes from the Port of Baltimore, so I'm not too worried about getting there, even if there is snow. I have the patches, and I have bought Bonine. I was gonna start with the bonine, and then move on to the patches if the bonine doesn't work. Maybe I will just start with the patch. I do get carsick once in a while, and I guess that is why I am worried. Other than that, I am so excited for this cruise.

 

Thanks for the info. If you want to review anything else, I love reading this stuff!

[sabretooth]

strange question.... did you wear winter jackets onto the ship? wondering if I should just leave them in the car at the port.

[LovesCruising]

Hi jojo, you are going to love going out of Baltimore, very nice port.

Since this is your first cruise and you say you sometimes get car sick, I would recommend putting the patch on. I don't know if the patch works as well if you apply it after you are feeling ill. I think the meds in it need to get into your system. Typically the Atlantic is rougher than the Caribbean ocean. My sister gets sea sick/motion sickness and uses the patch. Its really going to depend on the weather how rough it will be. Try not to think about it, mind over matter! Motion was felt more on the lower decks - such as 2 than it was up on deck 8 - which is really strange. Usually the higher up you are the more you feel.

 

We were on the 8th deck - cabin 8184 - extended balcony. The balcony was quite large. There was some noise from the Lido deck above. (Whatever made me book under the Lido is beyond me - I know better) Anyway, occassional scraping/walking sounds really didn't bother us, however - they did have a party one night up on deck from about 11-1 AM and you could hear the band and feel the pounding the entire time!

 

This ship is very Dark and has almost a Gothic feel. It is not typical of any Carnival ship. I did read somewhere that the Pride was originally built to be a Costa ship and Carnival took it over. Could explain the decor.

 

Staff was extremely friendly. You will have a great time.

 

Definately go to David's Steakhouse - worth every penny.

 

Sabretooth- hello, I hate wearing winter coats, however, I did wear mine into the terminal and onto the ship. If you park in the lot, its a walk into the terminal and you would probably need your coat. Once on board, it hung in the closet until we disembarked. You will probablly need a sweatshirt at times on board if the weather is chilly.

[robcool]

I am booked on the Pride next January, the main reason being I can drive and avoid the cost of flying. Do you think that leaving from Baltimore, not having warm weather for a couple of days, the rough seas, all were worth avoiding the extra travel cost? Do you still think it was a good decision to leave from the nothern port in the winter?

 

Thanks for all the info!

[LovesCruising]

robcool, this is a tough question and you will probably get different answers depending on personal choice and depending on how many cruises you have been on and if you have been to the Bahamas or not.

 

I love going out of ports where I do not have to fly, however I must admit saving the cost of air, having cold - bad weather and having been to the Bahamas before was not worth the savings to me. I love the warm weather and was terribly disappointed with the weather on this trip. We really only had 1 good day in Nassau. Spent alot of indoor time and alot of money in the Casino.

 

I think alot has to do with the itinerary. In my opinion this is a very weak itinerary. Port Canaveral offers nothing other than the Space Center and Disney in my opinion. Once you have been to Nassau - seen Atlantis, there is no need to go back - Freeport is 7 AM - 2 PM - hardley enough time. Would love to see Key West substituted.

 

Being from Jersey, there are several ports I can drive to. I have taken longer cruises from these ports which reached down into the Caribbean and the weather was great! In the future I would definately do that again, take a 9 or 10 night cruise to where the weather is fine and save the airfare but possibly spend that additional saving for a longer trip on board. I could deal with a cold day or two knowing I was going to have warm beach weather when I got to the Caribbean. Hope this makes some sense.

[robcool]

robcool, this is a tough question and you will probably get different answers depending on personal choice and depending on how many cruises you have been on and if you have been to the Bahamas or not.

 

Being from Jersey, there are several ports I can drive to. I have taken longer cruises from these ports which reached down into the Caribbean and the weather was great! In the future I would definately do that again, take a 9 or 10 night cruise to where the weather is fine and save the airfare but possibly spend that additional saving for a longer trip on board. I could deal with a cold day or two knowing I was going to have warm beach weather when I got to the Caribbean. Hope this makes some sense.

 

Thanks for your thoughts, I have been thinking along the same lines. We did a cruise out of Charleston that was exactly the same itinerary just on NCL. It is a 12 hour drive to Charleston vs. six to Baltimore, so I thought we would try this one. We can find stuff to do on the islands since we have only been there once before, but you are right, the weather is a crap shoot in the winter.

 

Are there other ports that host winter cruises other than Baltimore and Charleston that have better destinations?

 

Thanks again!

[LovesCruising]

robcool, Makes sense to drive 6 hours instead of 12. Also different ship, different cruise line, different experience.

 

I did the same trip out of New York last New Years Eve on NCL. Weather was a little better and we got a stop at NCL's private island - it was a great beach day so you never know. and it was fun being on board for New Years. Having done this itinerary twice, I won't do it again, but thats a personal choice.

 

I am sure there are drivable ports with longer itineraries that go into the Caribbean. Where are you driving from?

[mykidsrock76]

I am booked on the Pride next January, the main reason being I can drive and avoid the cost of flying. Do you think that leaving from Baltimore, not having warm weather for a couple of days, the rough seas, all were worth avoiding the extra travel cost? Do you still think it was a good decision to leave from the nothern port in the winter?

 

Thanks for all the info!

 

I am right there with you. We sail on Jan16 and I am really worried about the weather. I am trying to convince all those traveling with us to switch, but nobody wants to.

[robcool]

robcool, Makes sense to drive 6 hours instead of 12. Also different ship, different cruise line, different experience.

 

I am sure there are drivable ports with longer itineraries that go into the Caribbean. Where are you driving from?

 

Columbus, Ohio.

[bonstersd]

If your in the Casino - tell Darwin - Cheryl said hi - you can't miss him - he is a slot attendant and always around, always remembering your name and always greeting you and wishing you good luck! What a sweetie

 

Cheryl, do you know the name of the casino host? Also, any luck in the casino? Mom and I will be spending a lot of time in there!

[PA Dutchman]

I would like to see longer itinerary to go south out of Baltimore Jan and Feb maybe 1 or 2 cruises 9 days or more.

[tdms1324]

I'll chime in with my thoughts regarding cruising out of Baltimore in winter (I also just came off of the 1/31 - 2/7 Pride sailing)...

 

I wasn't crazy about the itinerary, BUT what I realized that I did like was the fact that I got to relax a lot because I didn't have to worry about waking up early for excursions off the ship. I never got off in Port Canaveral and really just enjoyed relaxing on the ship. I think they had a pretty good amount of activities scheduled. Also, I worried that the ship would really be cold, but it was pretty comfortable.

 

The seas were VERY rocky and the ship really rocked and rolled. Lots of people were sick, including me the second day at sea. My mistake was taking the free pills they give out at the Guest Services desk. They worked, but knocked me out cold for most of the day. If you find that you are starting to not feel too good, you are better off buying the Bonine in the gift shop. I never got sick after the second sea day, but my 11 year old daughter started to feel iffy a couple of days later. The Bonine worked quickly and didn't make her sleepy. Once I wasn't sick, I found the rough seas and crashing waves very exciting.

 

Service was excellent by all staff that I encountered. I found that surprisingly the Pride felt less crowded than other ships I have been on in the past.

 

Any questions that I can answer, just let me know.

[highbridge5]

I was on the Jan 17th sailing of the Pride.

 

I needed to take some Bonine on Monday but was the motion was calmed by Monday night.

 

We were sunbathing on the deck by Tues afternoon and the cover was off the pool by Tuesday as well.

 

We used our coats to be out on deck for sailaway and for debark. Other than that, they just took up room in the closet. For January, leave the winter coats in the car and wear a light jacket/rain coat instead.

 

Florida can be 45 or 75 in January. Our day it was 70. The week before, it was in the low 60s. Two weeks earlier it was in the 40s. You never know.

 

We had no rain at all except the day we left.

 

The trip up the coast on Sat (from around Cape Hattaras up) was really rocky and this seems to be consistent for all the cruises in the last few weeks.

 

There is some unpredictability picking a cruise from a northern port in winter. I think I got lucky. Prepare for the worst and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

 

hb5

[LovesCruising]

Hi Robcool, don't know if you are willing to drive to NY or NJ but...there is a 9 night out of Bayonne on RCCL's Explorer of the Seas - SJ, St Thomas, Dominican, Labadee

10 Night out of NY - NCL Jewel - or Gem - both doing SJ, St Thomas, Antigua, St Maarten, Tortola

 

bonstersd - I am embarressed to tell you I do not remember the casino hosts name. If you have played on a Carnival ship before, I would e mail ocean players club - contact us - let them know your last cruise ship and date, the cruise you are going on w/booking number - you should receive an e mail back - They will check your play for the previous cruise - I did and didn't expect much - got a letter in cabin offering a free drink and 500 player points - which is pretty standard - went with letter in hand to casino, met the host, he actually walked me to the bar, we chatted and that began a week of several complimentary drinks. I was approached by another casino staff member however and not the same host for the additional drinks. They treated me very well. I thought the casino was very friendly and people were winning. If you find Darwin he will certainly help you find the host for sure. (If this is your first carnival trip I would still e mail the players club and let them know you are sailing for the first time and your name/booking number etc - can't hurt)

 

I did win several times and of course gave it all back - LOL - but I had a ball. Good luck with your play - enjoy.

 

Dutchman - agree 100% - if longer itinerary was offered from Baltimore into the Caribbean would do it in a minute. Baltimore is a very nice port.

 

tdms - yes, very friendly staff and excellent service. No complaints there.

[mykidsrock76]

Dutchman - agree 100% - if longer itinerary was offered from Baltimore into the Caribbean would do it in a minute. Baltimore is a very nice port.

 

tdms - yes, very friendly staff and excellent service. No complaints there.

 

I agree with both of you. I saw the longer itineraries after we booked the one on the Pride. We booked under ES, so I do not think changing is an option at this point. Plus, I like Carnival for my children's ages. We did a Celebrity ship a while back and I am not sure they have as much for the kiddos. I might look at a longer one for Jan2012, if they ever post the schedule. My kids have a week where they are out of school for 3 days (and the other 2 are blow-off days) and it make the perfect time to take a vacation during the school year. Glad to hear you had a good time. With all this lovely weather I could soooooo go on a cruise right now!