PRIDE Review Week of May 29. 2011

[CapsR1]

This was our second time on the Pride out of Baltimore. The itinerary this trip was Pt. Caneveral, Nassau and Freeport. Two years ago we sailed to Grand Turk, HMC and Freeport.

 

Our family has sailed three times on Carnival and twice on RCCL. Our son turned 8 on this trip and it was his fifth cruise as well.

 

Being only one hour away from the port is a big plus for us, no airplanes, hotel rooms, etc., just pure convenience.

 

We took very few photos on this cruise, so won't be attaching any to the review.

 

Sunday, May 29

 

The Cooler Issues . . .

 

Those of you that are veteran cruisers will appreciate this story. Yes, we know that Carnival limits the cooler sizes to 12x12x12 and that you are allowed to bring on two bottles of wine per couple and 12 beverages per person in your carry ons when boarding.

 

We have one cooler that is on wheels and also doubles as a carry on that we put stuff in on top of bottles of water. It looks like a small rolling suitcase and is 12x12x16. The other rolling cooler is about 14x12x8. Both coolers were filled with allowable beverages and some articles of clothing.

 

As we were putting the coolers through the security x-ray machine, we were asked if the large container was a cooler, to which I replied, "yes." Mrs. Meaney (you will later see why I named her this) said it was too large to take on, and actually had a ruler to measure the size. We were instructed to take it back to the car.

 

As I'm panicking and racking up the bottled water and mixer prices that would inevitablly show up on our sign and sail card, another security agent told Mrs. Meaney to give us a couple of clear trash bags so we could bring the items from the cooler onboard. I could have kissed her for this and gave her a smile and a thank you.

 

We stuffed the bags with beverages. We put the smaller cooler and our stuff back on the conveyor belt as my husband was getting ready to trek back to the car with the large empty cooler and Mrs. Meaney yells out to him, "wait don't go, you're going to have to take this cooler too, it's too big." I asked her to measure it and it was 14x12x8. Mrs. Meaney told me that fourteen inches was taller than twelve. The nice agent who instructed her to give us the trash bags told her she could put the small cooler through but Mrs. Meaney said it was larger than 12x12x12. Okay, we're off to a great start here and we haven't even filled out the health questionnaire!

 

My dh at this point was shooting daggers at me with his eyes and I am totally humiliated by this whole fiasco, especially with people behind us in line waiting. We stuffed the two trash bags with the articles of clothing and beverages from the small cooler and DH took the two offending coolers back to the car.

 

Why am I retelling this embarrassing story? Because it is a warning to everyone else who is thinking about taking the chance that I did. It was not worth it and I won't do it again.:eek:

 

Embarkation

 

Embarkation was a breeze. Arrived at the port at eleven a.m., zone 3 boarding and eating our first meal on the Lido deck by 12:15! It was a gorgeous sailing day in Baltimore, sunny and warm.

 

Great selection of items to choose from at the buffet today! Freshly grilled burgers, chicken breasts, hot dogs, veggy burgers (yes, I don't eat red meat, and love their veggy burgers), made to order sandwhiches at the deli, fresh pizza, Italian and Chinese cuisine and a salad bar. There is something for everyone.

 

And to top it off, our favorite soft serve frozen yogurt served behind the grill area, strawberry and chocolate flavors today.

 

Cabins ready by 3:15 p.m. I had Bon Voyage decorate the cabin in anticipation of our son's b-day on the 31st so gave him the key to walk in first. The room looked so festive, they had decorations swinging across the room, hanging from the ceiling and strategically placed around the room.

 

The bottle of spirits and fruit basket were awaiting us as well and we were all so excited to be on board!

 

Muster drill at 4pm, sail away at about five p.m. Off to the upper deck to blow some bubbles and wave goodbye to Baltimore. See ya next week!

 

More to come . . .

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

Going on this itinerary next Sunday...can't wait for more of your review!

[spideyfam]

Looking forward to the rest of your review. Cruised the same ship/itinerary in april.

[CapsR1]

After a lovely sail away under sunny, blue skies, we trotted off to hear the Carnival Kids Club orientation and hand in the mandatory registration forms (I prefilled them out online) for our soon to be 8 year old. Since he had an upcoming birthday, he was asked by one of the camp counselors to draw names for prizes they gave out to some of the kids in attendance with their families. My son was awarded a cute red Carnival t-shirt for helping out. The air was full of excitement and anticipation because we were all CRUISING!!!

 

Back to the room, luggage was waiting so we did a little unpacking and changed for our early 6pm dinner.

 

We have always had a three top table for our small family on all of our cruises. We like to talk about the day's events and share some family time together. The rule of thumb on cruises in our family is that our son eats dinner with us every night, but we allow him to choose one night to eat with his fellow campers in the buffet.

 

When we arrived at our assigned table, there were two other couples. Let me just kindly say that the conversation was stilted and uncomfortable, even though I tried to be friendly and ask questions, make small talk, etc. Ok, no problem, two cocktails for the grown ups and a cranberry juice for the young man.

 

The service this evening was extremely uneven. We couldn't find anyone to get our drinks (as I was typing notes on my Ipad during the cruise, my son reminded me that our drinks were delivered well after the main course); we couldn't really tell who our servers were because people were running around in different directions and it just seemed chaotic.

 

DH and I ordered the sweet and sour shrimp appetizers, but they came without the sauce on the side. We requested the sauce, but it was taking a very long time so we just ate the shrimp. They were very tasty, but the sauce would have been enjoyed. My son received his pizza after our main course was served. By the time dessert came around, we were ready to leave as it was almost 8pm. It usually doesn't take 2 hours to eat in the dining room.

 

On our way out (the line for the late seating wrapped around to the Atrium Bar), I asked the maitre'd if we could have a table for three the following evening and he took down our cabin number and said he would see what he could do. He was extremely pleasant.

 

Back to the cabin to finish unpacking . . . it's been a long, but exciting day so far!

[trptplayer22]

After a lovely sail away under sunny, blue skies, we trotted off to hear the Carnival Kids Club orientation and hand in the mandatory registration forms (I prefilled them out online) for our soon to be 8 year old. Since he had an upcoming birthday, he was asked by one of the camp counselors to draw names for prizes they gave out to some of the kids in attendance with their families. My son was awarded a cute red Carnival t-shirt for helping out. The air was full of excitement and anticipation because we were all CRUISING!!!

 

Back to the room, luggage was waiting so we did a little unpacking and changed for our early 6pm dinner.

 

We have always had a three top table for our small family on all of our cruises. We like to talk about the day's events and share some family time together. The rule of thumb on cruises in our family is that our son eats dinner with us every night, but we allow him to choose one night to eat with his fellow campers in the buffet.

 

When we arrived at our assigned table, there were two other couples. Let me just kindly say that the conversation was stilted and uncomfortable, even though I tried to be friendly and ask questions, make small talk, etc. Ok, no problem, two cocktails for the grown ups and a cranberry juice for the young man.

 

The service this evening was extremely uneven. We couldn't find anyone to get our drinks (as I was typing notes on my Ipad during the cruise, my son reminded me that our drinks were delivered well after the main course); we couldn't really tell who our servers were because people were running around in different directions and it just seemed chaotic.

 

DH and I ordered the sweet and sour shrimp appetizers, but they came without the sauce on the side. We requested the sauce, but it was taking a very long time so we just ate the shrimp. They were very tasty, but the sauce would have been enjoyed. My son received his pizza after our main course was served. By the time dessert came around, we were ready to leave as it was almost 8pm. It usually doesn't take 2 hours to eat in the dining room.

 

On our way out (the line for the late seating wrapped around to the Atrium Bar), I asked the maitre'd if we could have a table for three the following evening and he took down our cabin number and said he would see what he could do. He was extremely pleasant.

 

Back to the cabin to finish unpacking . . . it's been a long, but exciting day so far!

 

I'll be going on this cruise for the third time in Sept, I love the Pride:)

What dining did you have? Anytime or Early?

[CapsR1]

Monday, May 30, 2011

 

I wake up extremely early and put in a quiet call to room service to send up a couple of carafes of "coffee." Yes, I almost fondly remember the brown, brackish tasting water they call coffee on the ship, but the one thing I forgot to pack were my individual instant coffee packets from a well known coffee shop, so I was on my own until the dining room.

 

Coffee came up in twenty minutes, tipped the server and carried the cup and carafe out onto the balcony with a book. Yes, the coffee is bitter, but I'm on vacation and finally cruising so who cares?

 

Breakfast

 

Off to the Normandie dining room for a sit down breakfast with the family at 9:00 a.m. To all of you non-pork eaters out there, the dining room has chicken sausage and turkey bacon served during breakfast while the Lido buffet does not.

 

The food was fresh and tasty, but it was warm, yes everything, even the yogurt. But, the coffee tasted much better than the coffee from room service.

 

Coffee

 

If you LOVE good coffee like I do, then the best coffee I found on the ship was from the coffee bar located next to the pizza in the back of the Lido Buffet. For less than two dollars (including the 15% gratuity), I purchased a daily cup of freshly ground coffee made to order and savored every last drop. I saw many of the ship's officers sipping tiny cups of espresso there every morning!

 

Pool

 

Mid deck pool by ten a.m. Still plenty of chairs available, but they were all pretty much gone by eleven a.m. Chair hogs basically took over the rest of the cruise, I rarely found a chair near the pool after 10:30 a.m.

 

The salt water pools are refreshing but a little chilly. Nothing a warm sunny day can't take away. I'm on a cruise, reading a book, sitting pool side on a cruise ship, how lucky can one be? It's a glorious eighty degree day and when the two person "band" starts playing caribbean music around noon, I just look around and smile;)

 

Lunch

 

At the buffet, not too hungry; we all had something from the grill. The grill seemed to be the most popular place to eat lunch, the lines began daily around noon, but within about twenty minutes you had piping hot food on your plate. Grilled chicken sandwiches and salad.

 

I'm Just Lovin This Cruise

 

While DH and DS played a game of chess with the giant sized chess pieces near the pool, I meandered over to check out the new Serenity Adults Only deck at the rear of the shipl

 

It is gorgeous! Turquoise and sand colored plump cushions line the chaise lounges and a handful of lucky people snagged spots on shaded hanging hammocks or round cushioned loungers with fabric clam shell covers that could be raised up or down. There is also a small pool and hot tub.

 

I found a nice shaded spot on a cushioned love seat, ordered a drink from the bar area and breathed in the fresh, sea air. Met some new cruise friends and we shared a drink together.

 

Met the guys back at the room, and we showered and changed for the first formal night or as they say in cruise speak, "cruise elegant evening."

 

There was a little card in the room from our maitre'd saying that our request had been granted (thank you, oh seating genie) and showed our new table number.

 

Dinner

 

Posed for a few snapshots with one of the ship's photographers and then onto the dining room.

 

Shown to a lovely intimate table for three and our new server "BamBam" (pronounced "Bahm-Bahm") promptly introduced himself, his assistant "Yoga" and asked us all our names.

 

The service tonight was impeccable. Wow, what a difference from last evening. Lobster and shrimp tonight! I downed my tail so quickly that BamBam didn't blink an eye when I asked for another and brought DH one as well. Everything was delicious.

 

Drink service was prompt, servers were attentive and the entire meal was well paced. Out of the dining room before seven thirty p.m.

 

Evening

 

Dropped our son off at kid's camp, he was soooo happy to be there. I took DH to see the serenity deck. The chairs were all stacked and workers were changing pillows on all the loungers!

 

Casino for a very short period of time, then off to adults only comedy show which lasted thirty minutes. Comedian was very funny and entertaining. The show was standing room only, we arrived at 9:30 for the 9:45 p.m. show and there wasn't an empty seat. People were standing along the back and sides of the theater. Looks like we're going to have to get there a little earlier next time. Back to the casino where Lady Luck was on our side.

 

Picked up our son from CC, late night bites of pizza and back to the room.

 

I love staring into the sky and watching the stars from our balcony. In the distance I see lights from other ships, the smell of the sea area is fresh. It's so dark . . .

 

Nighty night!

[CapsR1]

I'll be going on this cruise for the third time in Sept, I love the Pride:)

What dining did you have? Anytime or Early?

 

We always take the early dining, because my son likes to go to kid's camp around 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. so it works out okay for us.

 

I wish I could go with you - have a great trip!

[appoquin]

We are sailing next week. June 12th.

We are celebrating our 3 kids graduation.

 

Think we could get there rooms decorated celebrating this?

 

 

 

This was our second time on the Pride out of Baltimore. The itinerary this trip was Pt. Caneveral, Nassau and Freeport. Two years ago we sailed to Grand Turk, HMC and Freeport.

 

Our family has sailed three times on Carnival and twice on RCCL. Our son turned 8 on this trip and it was his fifth cruise as well.

 

Being only one hour away from the port is a big plus for us, no airplanes, hotel rooms, etc., just pure convenience.

 

We took very few photos on this cruise, so won't be attaching any to the review.

 

Sunday, May 29

 

The Cooler Issues . . .

 

Those of you that are veteran cruisers will appreciate this story. Yes, we know that Carnival limits the cooler sizes to 12x12x12 and that you are allowed to bring on two bottles of wine per couple and 12 beverages per person in your carry ons when boarding.

 

We have one cooler that is on wheels and also doubles as a carry on that we put stuff in on top of bottles of water. It looks like a small rolling suitcase and is 12x12x16. The other rolling cooler is about 14x12x8. Both coolers were filled with allowable beverages and some articles of clothing.

 

As we were putting the coolers through the security x-ray machine, we were asked if the large container was a cooler, to which I replied, "yes." Mrs. Meaney (you will later see why I named her this) said it was too large to take on, and actually had a ruler to measure the size. We were instructed to take it back to the car.

 

As I'm panicking and racking up the bottled water and mixer prices that would inevitablly show up on our sign and sail card, another security agent told Mrs. Meaney to give us a couple of clear trash bags so we could bring the items from the cooler onboard. I could have kissed her for this and gave her a smile and a thank you.

 

We stuffed the bags with beverages. We put the smaller cooler and our stuff back on the conveyor belt as my husband was getting ready to trek back to the car with the large empty cooler and Mrs. Meaney yells out to him, "wait don't go, you're going to have to take this cooler too, it's too big." I asked her to measure it and it was 14x12x8. Mrs. Meaney told me that fourteen inches was taller than twelve. The nice agent who instructed her to give us the trash bags told her she could put the small cooler through but Mrs. Meaney said it was larger than 12x12x12. Okay, we're off to a great start here and we haven't even filled out the health questionnaire!

 

My dh at this point was shooting daggers at me with his eyes and I am totally humiliated by this whole fiasco, especially with people behind us in line waiting. We stuffed the two trash bags with the articles of clothing and beverages from the small cooler and DH took the two offending coolers back to the car.

 

Why am I retelling this embarrassing story? Because it is a warning to everyone else who is thinking about taking the chance that I did. It was not worth it and I won't do it again.:eek:

 

Embarkation

 

Embarkation was a breeze. Arrived at the port at eleven a.m., zone 3 boarding and eating our first meal on the Lido deck by 12:15! It was a gorgeous sailing day in Baltimore, sunny and warm.

 

Great selection of items to choose from at the buffet today! Freshly grilled burgers, chicken breasts, hot dogs, veggy burgers (yes, I don't eat red meat, and love their veggy burgers), made to order sandwhiches at the deli, fresh pizza, Italian and Chinese cuisine and a salad bar. There is something for everyone.

 

And to top it off, our favorite soft serve frozen yogurt served behind the grill area, strawberry and chocolate flavors today.

 

Cabins ready by 3:15 p.m. I had Bon Voyage decorate the cabin in anticipation of our son's b-day on the 31st so gave him the key to walk in first. The room looked so festive, they had decorations swinging across the room, hanging from the ceiling and strategically placed around the room.

 

The bottle of spirits and fruit basket were awaiting us as well and we were all so excited to be on board!

 

Muster drill at 4pm, sail away at about five p.m. Off to the upper deck to blow some bubbles and wave goodbye to Baltimore. See ya next week!

 

More to come . . .

[CapsR1]

We are sailing next week. June 12th.

We are celebrating our 3 kids graduation.

 

Think we could get there rooms decorated celebrating this?

 

I don't recall seeing an option for graduation celebrations, but you can look yourself. At the bottom of the main carnival page, under "Already Booked" is a link for "Gifts and Services."

 

If you don't see what you are looking for, you can purchase your own decorations at a party store, bring some tape and decorate it yourself.

 

I once snuck away from my family to decorate the room with items I had purchased and brought with me from home. They were quite surprised when they came back!

 

Don't forget to decorate your door too so it's easy to find (use masking tape).

[CapsR1]

Our son's 8th birthday - what a great place to celebrate - on a cruise ship! He gets to choose our activities for the day.

 

Breakfast

 

Breakfast in the MDR near a window which is so relaxing to watch the sea while eating. Smoked salmon, eggs and fresh melon. Cereal, melon and a small cheese danish for the birthday boy. Chicken sausage, eggs and toast for the DH. Today I brought my insulated coffee cup which the waiter willingly filled up during breakfast and provided a fresh refill to go. Still not as good as the Carnival barista's two dollar cup of coffee, but it will do.

 

Photos

 

Time to peruse the photos taken last evening. Why does it seem that Carnival photographers know just how to pose you for pics and everyone always looks like they have an angelic glow around their face? DH loves to purchase cruise photos and he made sure that Carnival stockholders would receive dividends next quarter. Tip: If you want multiple copies of one photo, just pay the extra $10 and get the photo put on a disk, then you can go home and print as many as you want. Saves a lot of $$$

 

Late Morning, Early Afternoon

 

A short stroll through the shops to scope out the duty free prices which I plan on comparing in Freeport and Nassau, then on to the pool area.

 

By 10:30 a.m. there was not a single lounge chair to be had so the guys walked me up to the sun deck, left me to soak up some rays and fantasize while glaring at the sparkling sea. Temps in the low eighties, still smooth sailing. Can I do this for a living;)

 

Before I could continue my fantasy about life aboard a cruise ship, it was time for lunch. Even though the line for the grill is always the longest, I still love my freshly grilled veggy burger and the guys like the grilled chicken or beef burgers.

 

Arcade, ping pong, basketball and more play in the arcade for the birthday boy this afternoon. He is going to Camp Carnival from two to four thirty today as a special birthday request as we typically keep him with us all day and that camp after dinner. But it is his b-day . . . wonder what DH and I can do for a couple of hours while he's gone?

 

Dinner

 

Another great meal with our two wonderful servers this evening. The drink server just confirms our order and brings back a tray with something for the birthday boy. Pumpkin soup for the young one, his first time trying it and he thought it was delicious. Then something from the kid's menu. Farfalle pasta with very moist and tender turkey breast preceded by a shrimp cocktail for me and sea bass for DH with a caesar salad.

 

I had previously ordered a small vanilla birthday cake for our son and he was graciously serenaded by several servers. Dance time for the servers who got down "low, low, low, low" while asking us to join them! What a lot of fun! I took the left over cake and delivered it to the counselors in camp.

 

Evening

 

Back to Camp Carnival to drop off the birthday boy, then a short stroll outside on the open decks to breathe in the fresh air.

 

Saw the early seating (9:45 p.m.) of the adult comedy show. I almost fell asleep, he just wasn't funny to me compared to last night's entertainer. We arrived about twenty mins before show time and were able to find a seat.

 

Another stroll through the corridors, peaked in on karaoke and then to the sports bar. We didn't last there very long because cigarette and cigar smoking is allowed and the smell was not very appealing to us. Of course, the casino is on the other side of the sport's bar and we had to make our nightly visit. We were greeted nightly by name and servers came by frequently to check up on us. If I wanted a cup of ice one evening, they made sure I had one the next night as well. Lady Luck left her mark after twenty minutes and we were on our way out to pick up our son.

 

Ahhhh, another lovely night to sit on the balcony and discuss the day's events. I could sleep out here. . .

[CapsR1]

Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - Port Canaveral

 

We missed breakfast in the MDR because we didn't pay attention to the times it was open today. MDR closed an hour earlier than yesterday and the day before (which were port days). Breakfast on the lido deck. What can I say? No one ever starves on a Carnival ship!!!

 

Port Canaveral

 

With ominous dark clouds above, we boarded a shuttle but to the cocoa beach area. We were warned by the guide that they were currently experiencing a "jelly fish" problem on the beach. She said that if we were stung, we should go to a life guard stand for a "solution" that would immediately take the sting away. I looked at my DH and we both laughed as it reminded us of the time when I was stung in Nassau some years ago:

 

After coming out of the sea smarting on my thigh from a nice juicey jelly fish stinger, another tourist from the UK told me that I should get some "ur-on" from my DH and it would "immediately take the sting away." I had no idea what she was talking about, but did manage to get a tube of ointment from the hotel gift shop which helped. I later found out that a chemical in human urine ("ur-on," get it?) can take the sting away, but I think my DH was grateful that I went to the gift shop instead.

 

As soon as we got off the bus in the cocoa beach area, the skies opened up and it poured. We walked around in the rain, in and out of shops and a quick peak at the beach. We meandered our way through different surf shops and touristy gift shops, then ended up in a restaurant called "Shark Bites," in the Sheraton Four Points Hotel. Decent food, inexpensive and we had eaten there about four years ago prior to an RCCL cruise. After a light lunch, we walked around more, then back to pick up the shuttle bus to the ship. As we boarded, the sun came out and the skies cleared.

 

Dinner

 

We posed for more photos, heard some very brave people attempt karaoke and watched another line of people line up for sushi.

 

Dinner tonight in the MDR. The best thing we did was to request a three top, because our servers greet us by name every evening and provide top notch service. This was my least favorite main course of the cruise. It was polenta and vegetables and just didn't taste great. I had a shrimp cocktail, caesar salad and fresh fruit instead of a main course, it just wasn't palatable. Tiramisu for dessert, melting cake for the guys and everyone was satisfied.

 

Ahhhhh, we are half way through our trip already. Can I find out where to get a Future Cruise Certificate and just happen upon it when my DH and I walk around after dinner?

 

Tonight the ship was a rockin and a rollin. I take Bonine preventatively every morning and night so didn't feel sick at all and DH and DS didn't seem to mind the rocking motion. Although I felt the motion, it didn't bother me. We did meet up with some others that evening who were not feeling to well though . . .

[CapsR1]

Thurs. June 2, 2011 - Nassau

 

Yes, I do remember the ship rocking last night. I was out on the balcony at six-thirty this morning and saw that the water was still a bit rough. Around seven-thirty, we sailed under a rain cloud and I watched the rain fall directly in front of the balcony, but saw that it was clear just a short way past us. By eight-thirty, the seas had calmed down and by ten, I saw Nassau and we began a slow crawl toward the island.

 

Nassau

 

We like this island and have been there several times. We got off at eleven a.m. and made the fifteen minute walk to the Hilton British Colonial downtown where I had purchased day passes. Fifty dollars per adult, twenty-five for kids, which included a seventy-five dollar food credit.

 

Their protected cove beach was beautiful, calm, clear waters with schools of tiny fish swimming around our ankles. The passes included towels, lounge chairs and free snorkle equipment. My son was in awe of seeing so many types of fish under clear water when he put on a snorkle mask.

 

Our first meal of the day was lunch at noon. A burger for the young one, chicken wrap for me, grouper fingers and turkey burger for DH with one soda and two alcoholic drinks came to a little over seventy-six dollars! A fifteen dollar gratuity was automatically added so we owed about eleven dollars. The food was good, but the two drinks were watered down, way too sweet and a complete waste of money. A vodka and cranberry tasted like fruit punch with two drops of vodka. Next time, we will skip the drinks.

 

We spent hours playing in the water and on the beach. Changed our clothes in an outside (very clean) restroom and then headed to Bay Street for some shopping. I checked the prices of a couple different brands of liquor sold on the ship, and found that the ship's prices were better by at least a couple of dollars, and sometimes more than their duty free stores. The exception is local rum, my DH bought a large bottle of banana rum for around $14.

 

We were craving Bahamian food, so walked to Conch Fritters, a restaurant directly across from the hotel. We have eaten there many times over the years, however, the last time was about four years ago. I had conch fritters and conch chowder. The fritters were very good, the chowder was fair, not very much conch or vegetables and pretty watery. DH had cracked conch and shared my fritters, he said the conch was tasty. Son had nachos which he deemed, "okay." Three sodas, one beer, one chowder, one conch fritters, one nachos, one cracked conch platter was eighty dollars which included a fifteen percent tip.

 

For all you Bahamian foodies, walk next door to the Imperial take-away and order Guava Duff to go! We brought it back on the ship and licked our lips as we sat on the balcony and waved goodbye to Nassau later that evening!

 

Back to the ship to relax, we were exhausted from a long day in the sun, walking and shopping. We just decided to stay in and chill. Nice hot showers and family time. Hint: Bring small packets of laundry detergent to wash out your swimsuits nightly.

 

Tomorrow is our last port day in Freeport, then a sea day, then back to Baltimore.

[Perfect Stranger]

Nice review!

 

What is Guava Duff?

[CapsR1]

Nice review!

 

What is Guava Duff?

 

It is a jelly roll type cake that is has bits of guava fruit or guava pulp mixed in with the batter and served with a sauce made from brandy, butter and more guava pieces.

[Perfect Stranger]

Yummy! :)

[CapsR1]

Friday, June 3, 2011 - Freeport

 

Drinking warm coffee from room service while watching our ship pull into Freeport around six-thirty a.m. Out of the room and into a taxi ($5 per person, each way) to the Our Lucaya Marketplace where we visited our favorite restaurant, ZORBA'S. They open for breakfast at seven in the morning and serve breakfast till noon, then lunch and dinner. Zorba's is a Greek restaurant that also serves some of the best Bahamian cusine I have ever had!

 

Stewed fish (grouper) and grits for me, stewed conch, grits and johnny cake (similar to cornbread) for DH and a turkey sandwhich for DS. Oh my goodness, my stewed fish is so good that I don't want to swallow the last bite, it was exactly what I have been craving for months!

 

Walked to the public beach next to the Our Lucaya resort (there is a public walkway). Waves were a little rough but the water felt great. This part of the beach consists of a very narrow strip of sand with not too much room to spread out, but since we only have four or so hours total until we had to get back to the ship (Pride docks at 7am, departs at 2pm), we made the best of it.

 

After enjoying the refreshing water, we walked around the shops at the marketplace and stopped back at Zorba's again for more Bahamian food. I ate a cup of conch chowder that was so good I wanted to bring it back home with me. We shared conch fritters (excellent), DH had grouper fingers and a burger for the youngster. Okay, two days of Bahamian food satisfied our cravings!

 

The sad walk across the street to catch a cab back to port. We arrived a little after one p.m., all passengers had to be on board by one thirty for two p.m. departure.

 

Pre-Dinner

 

It started to rain when we got back to port, so instead of going to the pool, we took showers and changed for dinner. Tonight is the second and final cruise elegant evening

 

A nice glass of wine on the balcony before dinner. Our cruise is nearing the end, but oh, how lucky we are to be here!

 

Our cabin steward, Rinaldo and his assistant are superb! We NEVER had to ask for anything and they were always very kind. Room was spotless from the time we came in to the time we left (and yes, I am one of those people who brings a travel sized packet of disinfectant wipes and wipes the remote and all door handles, etc., as well as travel with a can of Febreze which as I'm sure you can imagine comes in handy throughout the cruise)!

 

I told DH we need to plan our next cruise on this ship. I'm one of those people who always likes to have something fun to look forward too, or I'm just a cruise addict, take your pick!

 

Cocktails in the Atrium Bar before dinner, cranberry juice for DS. We purchased a soda card for him which was $4.50 per day and included juices from the bar and Coke products. Martini specials in the Atrium bar as we watched various concoctions being poured through an ice sculpture. Posed for more photographs in our cruise elegant attire (we don't get super dressed up, just something a little dressier than other nights, but comfortable).

 

Our last night in the MDR with our wonderful duo of waiters. Tomorrow night we reserved David's steak house for the two of us. We will miss their impeccable service and smiles. Toward the end of dinner, the wait staff formed several conga lines and encouraged diners to join in. I loved watching everyone dance and have a great time. We tipped our waiters this evening since we wouldn't be at dinner tomorrow. They deserved an extra tip on top of the auto tips because they worked so hard and every dining experience with them was fabulous.

 

Dropped the young one off at Camp Carnival, then walked to the ship's store to make our liquor purchases. Two liters of Absolute vodka (several flavors available) were $24.99. Contrast that to what Carnival charges for ONE bottle through Bon Voyage - $40 !

 

Strolled around the ship, outside and inside decks and ended up in the adult comedy show (surprise, surprise). We had already seen the shows on our last Pride cruise and didn't feel like seeing them again. The comedian tonight was hysterical, wish his set was longer than 30 minutes!

 

Short stop at the casino where the stockholders will be happy to hear that a donation was made and then back to Camp to pick up DS.

[CapsR1]

Saturday, June 4, 2011 - Sea Day

 

Woke up to room service delivering my brown coffee flavored water (when will I learn?), which I drank on the balcony and watched the sun rise over the horizon. Ship is making steady progress on her way back home. What a beautiful day!

 

We didn't eat breakfast this morning. Hung out in the room and plotted out our day and what we would have to do later to prepare and pack. The dreaded customs forms appeared and letter with disembark information. True reality of our last day at sea . . .

 

Went to play mini golf but the wind was brutal on the upper deck so we came back down. Checked out our formal night portraits and purchased a few.

 

Lunch on the Lido Deck and more walking around the ship from one end to the other to take in the sites and create more memories. Showers in the room and the dreaded packing begins.

 

Off to see the talent show at 4p.m. performed by volunteer campers from CC. Kids were adorable, dancing and singing. Dropped DS off for his one and only dinner with his CC buddies and we wandered around the ship until our dinner reservations at Davids.

 

David's Steakhouse

 

Walked up the clear crystal staircase to the restaurant and were given a lovely window table. I had onion soup (delicious), caesar salad, broiled lobster tail and sauteed mushrooms. Everything was fabulous and very nicely presented. DH had crab cake, caesar salad, surf and turf and wasabi mashed potatoes (which he adored). The food and service were impeccable. Everything was hot, appetizing and delectable. Dessert for both of us was a chocolate sampler served in four miniature glasses. Each glass held a different desert with some type of chocolate: mousse, tiramisu, chocolate banana (mousse?) and something else resembling chocolate melting cake. I could only eat a bit of each one because I was stuffed.

 

After dinner, we waddled, I mean made our way up to the top deck and lovingly stared at the base of the whale tale and said good-bye.

[CapsR1]

Sunday June 5, 2011 - Final Farewell

 

I woke up early and peeked outside just as we were approaching the Francis Scott Key bridge. It seemed like we barely cleared it going under. I can now see why the newer, taller boats can't sail out of Baltimore due to height restrictions. A bit chilly and cloudy as we pull into the Port of Baltimore.

 

Dressed for our last breakfast in the dining room. Our dinner waiter and his assistant were working and they made their way over to us to say good bye and wish us well.

 

Had to stop in a room on deck 3 so DH could pick up the bottle of rum he purchased in Freeport, as Carnival no longer delivers liquor purchased off the ship to your room at the end of the cruise.

 

A final look through the photo gallery (no, we didn't buy anything this time) and back to the room to pack up the odds and ends in our carry on.

 

We had zone 1 embarkation and were called before 10 a.m. Customs line went pretty quickly and we were on our way before 10:30. With only an hour commute, we had a short ride home.

 

Thanks Carnival for a great vacation and GUESS WHAT?

 

I just now booked the Pride for the end of August 2012 going on the other itinerary, HMC, Grand Turk and Freeport.

 

DH is either going to kill me, shake his head or just laugh. I hope it's the latter;)

 

I hope he likes his Father's Day present . . .

[lovermonkey]

Thank you for the review. My have booked a cruise on the same ship In April of 2013. I know, it is a long time, but we just got off a cruise so I am good until then.

 

How does Dave's Steakhouse work. I have heard that you have to pay for that. Is it a one price type deal or what?

 

thanks in adv.

[CapsR1]

Thank you for the review. My have booked a cruise on the same ship In April of 2013. I know, it is a long time, but we just got off a cruise so I am good until then.

 

How does Dave's Steakhouse work. I have heard that you have to pay for that. Is it a one price type deal or what?

 

thanks in adv.

 

You can either book online prior to sailing (and they will email you a confirmation), or wait until you board to call and reserve. They serve lobster and shrimp in the MDR on the first formal night which was Monday, so we didn't book for that day. We chose the last evening of the cruise which worked out fine because by that time, we were ready to tease our palettes with something beside the food from the dining room. I've also read that a free bottle of wine is included if you book the first night of the cruise, but truthfully, the food in the MDR is a couple of steps down from David's, so why not wait until later in the cruise?

 

The four course meal, which allows you to choose from appetizers, entrees, side dishes and dessert is $30 per person (gratuity not included, you add it on at the end of the meal). There were several options to choose from, including non-meat entrees (chicken, seafood, etc.) If you are going to drink, or order a nice bottle of wine with dinner (they do add 15% gratuity to your drinks which is presented as a separate bill), count on the entire meal costing about $100 per couple.

 

In my opinion, it was well worth every penny.

[LBumb]

great job

[CrusinCyndi]

You mention that you were Zone 1 for dis-embarkation....were you in a suite or just luck of the draw ?

 

Do they check your tags to verify Zones ?

[JaniceB]

Did your DH enjoy the sea bass? My DH loves sea bass, just wondering if he should order it.

 

Really enjoying your review, it sounds like you had great time.

[CapsR1]

You mention that you were Zone 1 for dis-embarkation....were you in a suite or just luck of the draw ?

 

Do they check your tags to verify Zones ?

 

Yes, we had a suite because the price was right. The weeks after our cruise for the rest of the summer would have cost upwards of between $1000-$1400 more for our family because we basically went when school was still in session for most folks.

 

And, yes, we did take our second grader out of school for 4 days with an assignment from his teacher that he was to journal each day of his trip. He willingly complied and returned with a composition book filled with 23 pages of handwritten entries. I truly never saw him write so much in his entire life, but it was obvious that he enjoyed the trip and enjoyed keeping the journal. He decided on his own that he now wants to keep a cruise journal for each of his future trips!

 

They didn't check our tags, but we were called off. I did hear that if you try to get off too early before your zone is called that the luggage won't be ready for pick up.

[CapsR1]

Did your DH enjoy the sea bass? My DH loves sea bass, just wondering if he should order it.

 

Really enjoying your review, it sounds like you had great time.

 

Thanks to all for your kind words; we more than enjoyed our trip, we loved it and so appreciate the time spent together as a family!

 

My husband liked the sea bass so much in the MDR that he ordered it twice during the week.

 

The thing I absolutely marvel at in the dining room is that they don't blink an eye if you say you don't like something and want to send it back for something different.