Got bit by the "love bug" on the Pride.

[cschultz]

We just got off of the Pride this morning. I just wanted to give you a few details from our trip. I am a platinum cruiser, and have never experienced anything like what happened to us this week. I guess Florida gets infested with insects called love bugs twice a year, in May and September, or so I am told. They are flying insects, and believe me, while we were in Port Canaveral, they were everywhere. My husband and kids went to Cocoa Beach, and had to return an hour later because there was nowhere to hide from these bugs. Back on the ship was no better, as they swarmed the balconies and the open decks. I was never so glad to leave a port in my life.

 

Aside from the bug problem, the cruise was good. I $pent lot$ of time in the ca$ino, enough to earn free drink$ for the duration of the crui$e. (1500 points is needed, I reached that on Thursday evening) I think I got 16 free drinks in all. Kiss on the lips is a good one to try(peach schnapps, grenadine, mango frozen concoction) Rules of the program: You have to be playing a slot machine to get a drink, so you have to wait for a server. Sometimes they are nowhere to be found. You can only order 1 drink at a time. You have to wait 15 minutes in between orders.

 

The cruiseline seems to have cut down on the nuisance photos. (The ones with the pirates, the dance girls, the life preserver photos as you get off the ship, the ones of you coming down the ramps with the sun in your eyes and your hair blowing in your face) A good change in my opinion. The other photo opportunities are still there.

 

For all you smugglers out there, they have cracked down a good bit. My advice to you...

be creative!

 

I have mixed feelings about the serenity deck. While the chairs where very comfy, the serenity deck in my opinion has created more of a problem with overcrowding. The aft deck now seats only 1/4 to 1/3 as many people as it did before. That is a shame as there are many people that hung out in that area just to have some peace and quiet, and to enjoy and adult atomosphere.

 

Other than that it was a typical cruise. The cruise director was good. Nothing to either complain or write home about. The food was fine. Same shows, same activities. I wish they would change things up a bit, for those who have cruised multiple times.

 

For anyone that is interested, the Platinum gift was the Pen/notepad set.

 

Sad to be home, but looking forward to my next cruise in November on the Valor, a new ship for me.

[2thesea]

Welcome home!!!

 

We are cruising on the Pride June 5th, this will be our 30th cruise and 9th on Carnival Cruise and our 2nd on the Pride. Our 1st Pride cruise not our favorite BUT I wanted to give her another chance

 

Motion....have been reading that "rocking" has been an issue? Did you have any motion issues last week?

 

Thanks! and once again Welcome home!

[Doug910]

...Glad to hear you had a good time.

 

...I have to laugh about the lovebugs. Here in South Florida, we get these flying bugs this time of year. Last week, my daughter drove home from school (Florida State) in Tallahassee, through the Orlando area, and completed her trip home to Boynton Beach. Her car was ABSOLUTELY covered in these lovebugs. She said it was the worse she has ever seen going through the Orlando area! She had to stop at every rest stop (4 times) to scrap and wash her windshield. Luckily, the "lovebug season" lasts just a few weeks.

[firefly333]

Thats how I got my firefly name. It was love bug season and I had driven to Orlando. OMG, they are the worse things to get off your car. I dont even care if they are in my hair, but they are horrible, like glue once they really get dried.

 

Florida rest areas have washs for your car and its still hard to get from one to the next once you enter florida before you cant see thru your windshield.

 

Anyway, I was afraid people would think the name lovebug too suggestion, so changed to firefly, this was in the 90s, when no one heard of yahoo.

 

Luckily lovebugs dont bite.

[cschultz]

Welcome home!!!

 

We are cruising on the Pride June 5th, this will be our 30th cruise and 9th on Carnival Cruise and our 2nd on the Pride. Our 1st Pride cruise not our favorite BUT I wanted to give her another chance

 

Motion....have been reading that "rocking" has been an issue? Did you have any motion issues last week?

 

Thanks! and once again Welcome home!

 

 

We had no problems at all with motion. On our way to the Bahamas, there was some motion, as there were storms all along the East coast. On the way back, the water was as smooth as silk. I have never seen the ocean so calm before.

[cschultz]

...Glad to hear you had a good time.

 

...I have to laugh about the lovebugs. Here in South Florida, we get these flying bugs this time of year. Last week, my daughter drove home from school (Florida State) in Tallahassee, through the Orlando area, and completed her trip home to Boynton Beach. Her car was ABSOLUTELY covered in these lovebugs. She said it was the worse she has ever seen going through the Orlando area! She had to stop at every rest stop (4 times) to scrap and wash her windshield. Luckily, the "lovebug season" lasts just a few weeks.

 

I took it in stride, however there were some very unhappy cruisers. Many wanted to cancel their excursions to Cocoa beach, but Carnival would not offer any refunds. I guess Carnival has an excursion for something like $17 for an adult, less for a child, to basically transport cruisers to Cocoa beach. (My family used the Radisson shuttle, which used to be free, but now they charge $6 per person)

 

The lovebugs really were everywhere, to the extent that many people thought that this port should have been cancelled.

[MSRussell]

The Radison shuttle driver is very nice...I took the shuttle in January to Cocoa Beach. Back then it was free, and of course I gave him a tip. There was a little hassle, as I didn't know where it was, and the woman standing at the end of the gangway didn't know.

But I found it, I was the only passenger, I guess not many people knew about it.

I love your description about the bugs. In Indiana, we get flying beetles going across a certain bridge. It's funny watching a convertible go across,

Melanie

[GayleR]

I am originally from Orlando and I can say that I don't miss the love bugs. Ewww. But as someone said, they don't stay for long.

[2thesea]

We had no problems at all with motion. On our way to the Bahamas, there was some motion, as there were storms all along the East coast. On the way back, the water was as smooth as silk. I have never seen the ocean so calm before.

 

Great to hear!! We are really looking forward seeing the Pride again and giving her another try. Our first cruise was a year ago this past December right after an ice storm.......not a great way to start a vacation.

 

Glad you had a GREAT time, we can not wait!

[StingRaysfan]

hahaha I think it's funny they wanted to cancel a port because of lovebugs.. the only thing they really harm are your cars. In SW FL we get them for about a week or two in late May and then they are gone. I don't remember seeing them in September here in my 31 years on this earth. Luckily they do not bite .. they just fly around "attached to each other" and wouldn't hurt a fly.... Although annoying I wouldn't cancel a port for them....

 

.

[Ceece911]

I heard on the news that since we're in a drought in southern Alabama, we've been spared this love bug season. I guess they all went down to FL. I hate those things so I understand why some passengers were upset, especially if there're not used to dealing with them.

[retiredgram]

Welcome home cschultz.

We were on the ship also and I agree with everything you said. I did hear people complaining about the lovebugs, but you can't stop mother nature.

Can't add anything new to your post, except that I wish I were back on the ship.

[golfadj]

So nobody asked for refund of cruise due to love bugs?

[stanatbil]

My Husband and I were also on this cruise and I agree that those lovebugs were insane :eek:. We did the airboat and alligator tour and planned on going to the beach afterwards but decided against it after dealing with the bugs all morning. I also agree about the serenity area, we would go up right after breakfast around 8:00 and still couldn't find a seat. One morning a couple told us that they had been there for over an hour and several of the chairs were being reserved with a towel and that we should remove them. I personally couldn't do this but I think Carnival needs to enforce the no reserving policy a little better. Overall we enjoyed ourselves and I can't wait for our next cruise :).

[michelle1836]

So nobody asked for refund of cruise due to love bugs?

 

Wait for it.......:rolleyes:

[floridacruzin]

Lovebugs...the price we have to pay for living in Paradise.....

[pansieFL]

...Glad to hear you had a good time.

 

...I have to laugh about the lovebugs. Here in South Florida, we get these flying bugs this time of year. Last week, my daughter drove home from school (Florida State) in Tallahassee, through the Orlando area, and completed her trip home to Boynton Beach. Her car was ABSOLUTELY covered in these lovebugs. She said it was the worse she has ever seen going through the Orlando area! She had to stop at every rest stop (4 times) to scrap and wash her windshield. Luckily, the "lovebug season" lasts just a few weeks.

 

 

a tip for the lovebugs - before she starts her trip, have her rub dryer sheets along the front of the car - it keeps them from sticking and preserves your paint job as those little suckers are full of acid that attacks it if left on too long!

[destiny217]

We sailed from Port Canaveral on the Carnival Dream last Saturday and the lovebugs were dreadful. The ship was covered in dead bugs and swarming with the live ones. First sailaway we spent inside. Our friends went to DisneyWorld the same day and they didn't know what we were talking about. Said they never saw a bug all week.

[Frank12]

Welcome to Florida! We put up with Lovebugs every May and September. Some years are worse than others. This year has been pretty bad so far in Central FL. :(

[cschultz]

Welcome to Florida! We put up with Lovebugs every May and September. Some years are worse than others. This year has been pretty bad so far in Central FL. :(

 

Why have I never heard anyone mention them on these boards before? I think that I will avoid May cruises to Florida after this experience. Not only could we not enjoy the beach,

we also lost out on a day on our balcony. Are they all over Florida?

[pomm1972]

Have hardly seen any this year in Tampa. Come to think of it, has been pretty light the last couple of years. Guess they all decided to go east.

[ZoeyVictoria]

They are in SW Florida also. We went to the resort pool in our community yesterday a.m. and left our towels on our chairs while were in water for thirty minutes. (No, it was not chair hogging because the snowbirds have gone "up north" for the summer and there are numerous chairs available.) When we returned after thirty minutes, there were several dead love bugs on our towels, and the ones that were still alive harassed us as we tried to read/nap. We will be driving from Naples to Biloxi for the holiday weekend and hope we won't be stopping at every car wash along the route.

[StingRaysfan]

Zoey- you shouldn't have a problem.. I live up in Sarasota county and for the most part they are gone.

 

OP- did you leave the ship area? You guys may have hit just a bad day for them, but they do tend to swarm a bit. You can be in one area where it seems like they are everywhere, then go a mile away and only see a few.

[sharecruises]

We don't seem to have the same problem in south florida, Ft Lauderdale

but a couple times I did drive to central florida during Love Bug season and yes, had the windshield full of them

 

I have seen some of them here but maybe only for a day or two, or if out walking etc....we don't seem to have the same problem as Central Florida. I guess people who drive the turnpike/95 a lot will have them on their grill/windows for a few days??

 

This year we had the ineveitable Love Bug story on tv and in newspaper, but the picture they showed was from 2007, which seemed to be a year we had some in Broward LOL

 

they are actually flies : they mate in the trees and then fly around looking for food...the male dies after mating !! They are harmless

[cschultz]

Zoey- you shouldn't have a problem.. I live up in Sarasota county and for the most part they are gone.

 

OP- did you leave the ship area? You guys may have hit just a bad day for them, but they do tend to swarm a bit. You can be in one area where it seems like they are everywhere, then go a mile away and only see a few.

 

I stayed on the ship, but my husband and kids took the shuttle to Cocoa Beach. As I said in the original post, they went in the water to try to get away from them. They were all over the beach. Two of our friends went to the Kennedy Space Center for the day. Most of their tour was indoors, so it wasn't as bad for them. I did not hear from anyone that spent the day at WDW or Epocot.