Just back from the Pride - 1/30-2/6

[mlprahl]

We had a rather large group that sailed on January 30 onboard the Carnival Pride – 18 in total, which included a four-year old, 19-month old, 15-month old, and 6-month old. Most of us stayed at the Holiday Inn Express – BWI West location through their park and fly program (must be booked directly through HIE) – the beds were comfy, staff were friendly, and we paid $90 per room. There was a complimentary, albeit limited, hot breakfast, but there is also a Denny's attached next door to the hotel. Because of the size of our group, we were able to reserve a time for the shuttle to take only us and all of our luggage to the pier. It was maybe a 20-25 minute ride.

 

We arrived at the cruise terminal by 11:30 am and were able to go through security, fill out the health questionnaire, and obtain our Sign & Sail cards fairly quickly. We were in boarding group 6 – there was only one other general boarding group ahead of us, and of course, the VIPs went first. We had to wait for about an hour and a half, but were on the ship by 1:00 pm – our rooms were ready by 2:00 pm. We had a buffet lunch on the Lido Deck, and there seemed to be something for everyone. We (my wife and I, and our 19-month old son), had an extended balcony midship-forward on Deck 7 – it was felt roomy enough – definitely bigger than our last room on RCCL and NCLa, our most recent cruises. We had a crib for the little guy which blocked access to using the couch most of the cruise.

 

It was chilly leaving Baltimore – probably in the 30's – it improved over the next two sea days down to Cape Canaveral. We did have some downpours and were fairly close to some water spouts. I'll have to post pictures of those later on. But even when we had a bit of weather, we never felt the ship to be as bad (rocking) as what some claimed we would feel. Most of us had balconies on decks 7 and 8 forward to midship – though a couple had midship ocean views down on Deck 1. None in our party ever complained about too much rocking. There were a couple of times, however, that we did feel some vibration during dinner, which was in the aft dining room.

 

In Cape Canaveral, we had requested tickets to visit Kennedy Space Center through our US Senator. We spent the entire day at KSC and enjoyed the launch simulator and the Discover KSC tour – we saw the space shuttle Discovery on the launching pad (scheduled to launch currently on Feb. 24), though because of the wind and concern over the weather over the next three weeks prior to launch, it was encased in a metal cover, so we really could only see the external fuel tank. Others in our group visited Epcot and SeaWorld and no one had problems getting back to the ship. Just as an FYI – we booked our rental car through Thrifty – their office closes at 5:00 pm and the last shuttle to the cruise terminal is 4:30 pm – some of the other rental agencies seemed to have shuttle service extended beyond regular hours, I remember seeing a Hertz shuttle still operating as I drove past them on the way to return the car. I had dropped everyone off at the ship before heading to drop the rental off. All OnBoard was 6:30 pm with the Pride sailing at 7:00 pm. Luckily, there was a taxi waiting in the Thrifty lot when I dropped off the car – I boarded the ship at 6:35 pm – there were only two cruisers later than I in boarding...something I plan to never have happen again!

 

In Nassau, we had nice weather – it was high 70's/low 80's most of the day. Some in our group went out solely to shop and visit the straw market. A group of 10 of us jumped on a 10A jitney for $1.25 apiece and went to the Sheraton Resort for a day pass at Cable Beach (the cost was $25 pp for the pass, but kids 5 and under were free). They have several swimming pools (included one that is heated and is equipped with a swim-up bar) in addition to a very well maintained portion of the beach. The water was very clear and calm. There was a lot to do if you so desired. There are some private vendors on the beach offering water sports, e.g., jet skis, water bikes, snorkeling equipment, for an additional cost. There were also some vendors selling cigars (claimed to be cuban but we had heard via the Bahamas board that this is rarely the case for them to be authentic), hair braiding, and other things – they were very respectful when was said no.

 

You can also access Cable Beach with a #10 jitney, but the 10A took us more through neighborhoods and gave us a better reflection of life in Nassau. We saw no less than 3 accidents happen on our way to Cable Beach and my brother-in-law and I joked that we never saw a vehicle in Nassau that didn't have some form of body damage to it.

 

The Pride was docked from 11am to 10 pm, though we did arrive earlier than expected and people were able to start getting off the ship by 10 am. We were in port with the RCCL Enchantment of the Seas and the Carnival Fascination. We thought we could save our shopping time for after dinner – big mistake! - by the time we got off the ship around 7:30 pm, the straw market and all of the stores within walking distance of the pier were closed. The area also seemed to transform from a vibrant market place to someplace you wouldn't want to be after dark – though that may have also just been from our unfamiliarity with the port. We did see a crowd of folks who had a bit too much fun at Senor Frogs back at the pier, one of whom fell down so hard and in such a way that we were surprised at how fast she got back on her feet. We were positive she would be asking where she had gotten the bruises from the next day when she woke up.

 

We were in Freeport from 7 am to 2 pm the next day. Again the weather was great – we had planned originally to go to Deadman's Reef to kayak in the morning, but by the time we got going in the morning, we would have spent such little time there that it didn't seem worthwhile. Instead, we paid $5 pp for a very full taxi van ride up to Our Lucaya. My wife was very happy that she was able to buy some of the things she had hoped to pick up the night before at the Nassau straw market. Our little guy slept most of the time as we pushed him around in his stroller – we were back to the Pride around 1 pm...We also got a glance of the Valor in dry dock while we were there.

 

The last sea day seemed to go by really fast. Before we knew it, we were back into Baltimore, arriving by 7am. We were in group 12 to get off (following all of the self-disembark folks). We were off the ship by 10:45 am and after a seamless process in customs, had our luggage and waited outside the terminal for our HIE shuttle to take us back to the hotel.

 

As to some of the particulars – as I had mentioned, we have previously cruised Carnival, RCCL, and NCLA – others in our group had cruised Princess, Celebrity, and NCL. We all thought the food was really good – it was always served warm and there were many selections to choose from. My friend and I typically had two appetizers and two entrees each night. I pretty much always defaulted to the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake for dessert. My little guy could have chicken nuggets or hotdogs, but he ate primarily from the main menu, having fish on several occasions. The waiter always had broccoli for him, even when it was not on the menu – one of his favorites. Towards the middle of the cruise, we had requested a small bowl of blueberries, as he likes them quite a bit and we had seen them as garnishes in other dishes. While they were unable to fulfill that request, he was able to have a bowl of grapes whenever we asked. We later found out that the Pride gets most of their supplies and foods while in Port Canaveral, as the weather in Baltimore can be tricky enough that they might not be able to get everything they need upon embarkation day.

 

But we also thought the service was just a step down from what we had encountered both on previous Carnival cruises and through other cruise lines. It was not to say that this was a complete turnoff to future Carnival cruises. Obviously there are no tables that seat 18 in the MDR; but we were surprised that we had been split up into a table for 12 and two tables for 3, all significantly spread out through the dining room. We had booked this cruise almost six months in advance, so we never thought there was a chance we wouldn't at least be near each other. The Maitre' D Manual was initially not very helpful, though he did apologize for Carnival's gaffe. After a second visit with him that day, he told us that he would work on the situation that afternoon. We were pleasantly surprised when he took our two tables of 3 that were spread out and put us at a table for 6 right next to the main table of 12.

 

Our waiter never did learn our names, but our assistant waiter Hari was really a nice guy and spent some time talking with us. Though we knew who our room steward was, he never formally introduced himself and we had to request a crib once we were onboard, even though that was requested at the time of booking. We also had some mini-bar charges to our account that I didn't catch until the end of the cruise, which just couldn't have happened since we had it locked on the first night due to our traveling toddler. In writing this now, those do seem like trivial things – but even on past Carnival cruises, we had very warm relationships with both our dining staff and the hotel staff. And we always had that type of interaction on other cruise lines. Again, these are not deal breakers for future Carnival bookings, just something that we noticed.

 

As for some of the positives – my wife has celiac's disease, and we thought one of the hostesses – Monica – did a great job in making sure that all of her food was prepared without contamination. They seemed to make extra efforts to provide the same food choices for those who need a gluten-free diet. As an example, later in the week, she was surprised to find out that she too could have the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. She had to order her next day's meal the night before, but it seemed as though she had as many choices as we did throughout the cruise. They also had gluten-free bread for her each night; she thought it was better than what she had on RCCL.

 

Also, as you can imagine, traveling with four younger kids can be tricky at times. We thought the staff interacted with the kids really well and table-side magician visited frequently to entertain them. The only complaint we had about this was that the only days/time kids 0-2 can play in the Camp Carnival room (with parents, of course), is from 8 am – 10 am on sea days. It would have been nice to have had a few more times they could have had access to all of those toys.

 

We did do some of the onboard activities, too. The pair of grandparents were able to catch some of the evening shows, which they thought were good. The indoors pool on the Lido Deck was warm, even on sea days in the Atlantic. The water-slide was okay, too. The hot-tubs were more like lukewarm-tubs. My friend and I used the gym every morning. Most of the equipment was in good shape – we stuck to the treadmills, exercise bikes, free weights, and some of the weight machines. To use the outdoor track, we found that we needed to be up there fairly early since it encompassed the golf course and basketball court, which both seemed to get used frequently. My wife and I played pingpong a couple of times – they have two tables, but one is in really bad shape and not worth using until it's fixed or replaced. We also stumbled upon the “hidden coin.” We went to an art auction, did the galley tour, mini-golff, and a few other extras that were available during the seadays. My friend won $100 from the casino off of an initial $5 bet.

 

All in all, we had a good time. We found this to be a good cruise for us given the location to the majority of those traveling with us (most of them are from the Maryland/Pennsylvania area) and the ports of call were such that had any of the little ones taken ill, we would have either been in the United States or the ability to be back in the United States very quickly. We aren't Carnival faithful – we're typically more driven by price and itinerary. But we found being onboard the Pride was a good experience for all involved. While it was not enough for us to look solely at Carnival in the future, nothing was so bad that we would mark Carnival off the list for future cruises.

 

Given the help I got from CC in planning this cruise and our excursions, should anyone have any questions, I'll do my very best to answer each one.

[MSRussell]

Thanks for the review. Did they have the covered luggage carts in the port, where you could just drive up and put your luggage in? I was really surprised at that, at other cruises I was at a curb.

I had stayed at La Quina INN, and had a free shuttle to the port, but I tipped $5.00. When he arrived, he immediately hopped out and put our luggage in the cart. Very nice of him.

I was on the cruise before you, I'm happy that they fixed the stabilizer...one night the ship decided it wanted to try to lay down on it's side. They fixed THAT right quick.

Melanie

[reno3]

Thanks for the review.

I am thinking of booking the Pride for April 2012.

[rrraydon]

Thanks for the review...5 more days and it's my turn!

[PAcruiser25]

I'm thinking of booking 4/12 also - I think 4/26 there are some good rates for the Grand Turk / Half Moon Cay / Freeport itinerary.

Have sailed Pride 3 x with 4 th cruise booked - thanks, I enjoyed reading your review. I like this ship a lot.

[going to see the world]

The Pride is my favorite ship so far, looking to book a Bermuda trip on her. :)

The distance from Pittsburgh to Baltimore helps too, lol.

[waterbound]

Thanks for the review!!

 

I am a little partial to Pride.. she was the first ship I cruised on and I was HOOKED ever since!!

 

Honestly, we've been on 14 cruises since that time and I think Pride was the most beautiful of all of them! My favorite part was the back staircase and those awesome butterflies!! I do hope to get back on her one day!

[SammieMC00]

The Pride is my favorite ship so far, looking to book a Bermuda trip on her. :)

The distance from Pittsburgh to Baltimore helps too, lol.

 

Hey there i'm from Greensburg. We were on the Pride last may. I LOVED HER! The drive there was very quick and easy. We did the Nassau/Freeport itinary. We are however going on the Miracle out of NYC in Sept. We are going to take the mega bus from the convention center to NYC so we dont have to worry about parking in NYC. The port charges a very high amt there. I wish that Baltimore would get another ship in and do some shorter cruises. It would be nice for a long weekend!

[going to see the world]

Hey there i'm from Greensburg. We were on the Pride last may. I LOVED HER! The drive there was very quick and easy. We did the Nassau/Freeport itinary. We are however going on the Miracle out of NYC in Sept. We are going to take the mega bus from the convention center to NYC so we dont have to worry about parking in NYC. The port charges a very high amt there. I wish that Baltimore would get another ship in and do some shorter cruises. It would be nice for a long weekend!

 

 

Please tell me more about this bus! We actually live near the airport.

[Drewgirl]

My family also sailed on this cruise. We have a 5- and 8-year-old, and it was their first cruise.

 

We had a similar opinion of the service. Having only cruised with Princess before, we thought the Pride’s general service (and food) were a definite step down. However, for the lower price we paid and the ease of driving to the port, we’re certainly not going to complain.  We did have a fantastic waiter, Joel, for our anytime dining. He was so great with our kids, with remembering everyone’s preferences right from Day 1, and just in his general service and demeanor.

 

We never saw our cabin steward and I never felt particularly catered to by bar staffs and such, but those aren’t deal breakers for us, either.

 

I’m sorry your little ones couldn’t spend more time at Camp Carnival. That place was the highlight of our trip—not just for the kids but for us, because we got to spend some time on our own every day and evening. I wasn’t crazy about the way they divide the ages (our 5-year-old kindergartner who reads and writes was grouped with kids that weren’t potty trained and spent a majority of their time crying for mommy), and your kids’ ages and development levels were probably close to many of the 2-year-olds who were allowed in at any time.

 

I was so freaked out by the waterspouts that I didn't grab my camera in time----I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see your pictures. My kids and husband were in the pool and missed it, and I can't do the sight justice when I try to describe it.

 

To MSRussell, yes, they use covered luggage carts with a drive-through line to drop off. It was quick and easy.

[mlprahl]

I was so freaked out by the waterspouts that I didn't grab my camera in time----I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see your pictures. My kids and husband were in the pool and missed it, and I can't do the sight justice when I try to describe it.

 

I will post them as soon as I am home from work this evening...although maybe it will be earlier than usual today, because being productive after vacation is a bit of a struggle :)

[serene56]

 

I’m sorry your little ones couldn’t spend more time at Camp Carnival. That place was the highlight of our trip—not just for the kids but for us, because we got to spend some time on our own every day and evening. I wasn’t crazy about the way they divide the ages (our 5-year-old kindergartner who reads and writes was grouped with kids that weren’t potty trained and spent a majority of their time crying for mommy), and your kids’ ages and development levels were probably close to many of the 2-year-olds who were allowed in at any time..

 

by a chance- do you have the kids papers for the 5 year program?

I have three copies, January, APril and Dec. and not one is the same as the other.

I was wondering about the face painting they had in the January cruise= did you have any of that on yours?

do the kids need anything to bring with them-- a tee shirt? back pack? etc??

did they do a family digital scavenger hunt? how about a kids talent show??

[Drewgirl]

No, sorry, we didn't keep any of the Camp Carnival schedules. I can answer your questions though: Yes, twice my kids had their faces painted (and they weren't in camp at all times, skipped most afternoons). No, they don't need anything particular and in fact my kids were asked not to bring their water bottles. My daughter went back and forth on whether to take a camera but never did because she said it was hard to keep track of belongings. They colored their own t-shirts on the last night, included in camp, so we were glad we hadn't bought them Pride tees separately.

 

We loved the family digital scavenger hunt though be aware that there's no such thing as "employee of the day" and for the task of having a photo with EotD we asked a random employee and that was fine. Oh, and bring a red sock as that was the one point most families did not get on the hunt, which put us over the top to win.

 

There was a kids' talent show though mine didn't participate so I know nothing about it except it was the afternoon of the last sea day.

 

Our kids had a Fun Ship Freddy dance party, a late-night pajama party, and a pirate night (face painting, they didnt' have to dress up). There was no laser tag on our cruise, for whatever reason.

[Drewgirl]

One other thing to be aware of: the Camp Carnival rooms are HOT. They're also in the front of the ship and feel much more movement than anyplace else we went. So if your child is prone to motion sickness or gets overheated easily, be aware.

[wcurry66]

thanks for the review! We're 18 days and counting. can't wait

 

Regarding water spouts, can you elaboate?

[mlprahl]

thanks for the review! We're 18 days and counting. can't wait

 

Regarding water spouts, can you elaboate?

 

Sure...think of a tornado over water. The main differences being that they don't really move, because the cloud they attach to become (or already is) static. On this cruise, we saw two well-defined spouts and a third that was developing at the sea level.

 

Either the ship's radar or a nautical weather report must have come prior to seeing them, as we definitely made a noticeable turn about 20 minutes prior.

[Drewgirl]

My husband thought it was kind of funny that the water spouts freaked me out, but they looked just like land tornadoes, and I never expected to see one of those in real life. I asked one of the bridge crew about it and he said "oh, no, it was a passing shower, you misunderstood." Then at the captain's reception I jokingly thanked him for keeping us away from those and he replied, "yes, yes, very dangerous."

 

In retrospect it was really interesting to see.

[serene56]

. So if your child is prone to motion sickness or gets overheated easily, be aware.

 

I have been stressing about shorts or no shorts-- Now I think we will pack these. Grand Daughter who is 5 is looking forward to camp.

Was the Pirate night after 10PM?

[S-Dog]

 

We loved the family digital scavenger hunt though be aware that there's no such thing as "employee of the day" and for the task of having a photo with EotD we asked a random employee and that was fine. Oh, and bring a red sock as that was the one point most families did not get on the hunt, which put us over the top to win.

 

There was a kids' talent show though mine didn't participate so I know nothing about it except it was the afternoon of the last sea day.

 

Our kids had a Fun Ship Freddy dance party, a late-night pajama party, and a pirate night (face painting, they didnt' have to dress up). There was no laser tag on our cruise, for whatever reason.

 

We were on the same cruise... My wife, sister and son only missed the sock... My son REALLY liked the late night parties too.

 

My son was a little weary of going back to the Beauties disco after getting a slice to the face from another parent doing an aggressive "twist".

[PCHENG]

Sure...think of a tornado over water. The main differences being that they don't really move, because the cloud they attach to become (or already is) static. On this cruise, we saw two well-defined spouts and a third that was developing at the sea level.

 

Either the ship's radar or a nautical weather report must have come prior to seeing them, as we definitely made a noticeable turn about 20 minutes prior.

 

Damn, I was on the prior cruise (1/23 - 1/30) and all we got were rough seas on the second sea day and howling winds out of Freeport. I would have loved to see the water spouts. Calm seas and bright sunshine are so over-rated.

 

So how close exactly did Pride get to the water spout? Did the 2 spouts twirl around like in the movie "Twister"? Did you see any flying cows?

[mlprahl]

The third picture is one forming right at the sealevel...tough to see on the computer screen at first, but if you look right in the middle of the ocean, you can see the vapor starting to form upwards.

[Drewgirl]

Thanks so much for sharing those! Your third picture is a lot like the only good shot I got; that's when I started to find it interesting more than scary, was while watching the formation.

[Kerryman50]

Great pics, thanks for posting. I didn't have my camera with me:( but it was very wild to watch this happening.

[919er]

This was my seventh cruise, first Carnival cruise. I usually go by price and destinations. The Pride was a real bargain! I was in 6132 balcony, a clean, well lit, comfortable cabin. The steward team always serviced it very quickly when I put out the service tag. I thought this was a "right" size ship, big enough but never crowded, no long lines anywhere. Food was good with a few bland items and several really good ones. The strong tailwind on the last day allowed them to work the Pride up to 25kts for a while, pretty fast for a cruise ship! I will definitely do Carnival again.