PRIDE Review Week of May 29. 2011

[Shelli]

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).

 

According to Carnival, the $30 pp fee DOES include the gratuity. Some cruisers leave an additional tip, while others do not.

 

Thanks for a great review! I enjoyed reading it.

[CapsR1]

According to Carnival, the $30 pp fee DOES include the gratuity. Some cruisers leave an additional tip, while others do not.

 

Thanks for a great review! I enjoyed reading it.

 

I wish I would have been aware of that fact! When presented with the check, it read "two covers at $30 per person" and then there was a blank line for "gratuity." A bit misleading, don't you think?

[JaniceB]

Thanks for letting me know that he enjoyed the sea bass. It is hard to get here and when you do it is quite expensive. I am sure my DH will be ordering at least one.

 

Your sons teacher gave him an assignment that he will treasure forever. When I was young and we traveled I would write down what we did each day. We didn't watch much TV or have movies to watch in the car, so it helped me pass the time. I can look at those journals and relive the family vacations we took each time I read them. It is a special memory.

[cruisin on the Pride]

Thanks for the great review!! We're going on the Pride in September. We went last September and loved it: HMC, Grand Turk and Nassau.... CAN"T WAIT!!!!:p

[jnmcruise]

nice review...... thanks

[CapsR1]

Thanks for the great review!! We're going on the Pride in September. We went last September and loved it: HMC, Grand Turk and Nassau.... CAN"T WAIT!!!!:p

 

I'm so jealous as that is my favorite itinerary.

 

The staff were wonderful on this past trip and made our family vacation even more memorable.

 

Have a fabulous time and write about your trip when you return. I never get tired of reading about cruiser's experience on The Pride!

[Mad Capn Bob]

Good review. If ye had that much trouble with yer cooler, I should likely leave me ol' sea chest at home. I've got a cruise lined up, on the Pride, for Oct 23-30, and I'll tell ye, the days are just *crawling*...slower than molasses running uphill in January. I'm planning on getting a day pass for the Brit. Hilton...there be a bit of pirate history on that particular patch of ground.

 

It'll be me second cruise (first was also on the Pride). Even tho the cruise ends the day before Halloween, I'm hoping there'll be something Halloweenie on the cruise, and that I'll have advance notice, so I can pack...suitable clothing. Altho maybe I should leave me cutlass and me trusty Queen Anne's at home...

[dontstayathome]

That was a FABULOUS review! I loved the positive spin you put on your whole week! We are leaving for that same cruise THIS Sunday! I specifically logged on tonight to see if anyone had written anything recently so I was thrilled to see your review. One question for you.....did you notice if any of the "dividers" on the balcony rooms were opened? We have 5 cabins in a row and we want the dividers to be opened so we have one big deck. Thanks so much....glad you had an awesome vacation!

[trptplayer22]

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.

 

We went to Conch Fritters last year and plan to go again this time too. I really did like them.

[CapsR1]

Good review. If ye had that much trouble with yer cooler, I should likely leave me ol' sea chest at home. I've got a cruise lined up, on the Pride, for Oct 23-30, and I'll tell ye, the days are just *crawling*...slower than molasses running uphill in January. I'm planning on getting a day pass for the Brit. Hilton...there be a bit of pirate history on that particular patch of ground.

 

It'll be me second cruise (first was also on the Pride). Even tho the cruise ends the day before Halloween, I'm hoping there'll be something Halloweenie on the cruise, and that I'll have advance notice, so I can pack...suitable clothing. Altho maybe I should leave me cutlass and me trusty Queen Anne's at home...

 

Capn Bob:

 

You have a great sense of humor! Yes, leave your sea chest at home and wait until the end of the summer when Walmart and Target will have those 12x12x12 coolers on sale to take with you on the cruise.

 

The Hilton is a good deal and the waters were so calm since it is a protected cove. We talked to some other cruisers who had gone to the public beach in Paradise Island the day we docked in Nassau and they said that the waves were really rough; to the point that they incurred minor injuries. No waves where we were.

 

You have so much to look forward too; your cruise will be here soon enough. Have a fabulous time and I look forward to reading all about it upon your return to reality!

[CapsR1]

That was a FABULOUS review! I loved the positive spin you put on your whole week! We are leaving for that same cruise THIS Sunday! I specifically logged on tonight to see if anyone had written anything recently so I was thrilled to see your review. One question for you.....did you notice if any of the "dividers" on the balcony rooms were opened? We have 5 cabins in a row and we want the dividers to be opened so we have one big deck. Thanks so much....glad you had an awesome vacation!

 

Love your CC moniker! I did not notice any of the dividers open on either side of us, so sorry that I can't help you out there.

 

If you can, pack one of those small six plug adapters because there is only ONE outlet in the entire cabin. And no, NOT a power strip, those will get confiscated. We had a "Belkin" six outlet adapter that we used to plug in the Ipad, Iphone, Zune, DS, etc. and it really came in handy. The other thing we plugged in was a small inexpensive night light to help you navigate the restroom when it's dark.

 

Have a fabulous time and please let us know how it went when you return!

[CapsR1]

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.

 

We went to Conch Fritters last year and plan to go again this time too. I really did like them.

 

If you like Conch Fritters restaurant, then you will LOVE Zorba's in Freeport. They have much more authentic Bahamian food (with the exception of their guava duff; the carry out next to Conch Fritters has the BEST) and better prices.

 

Have a wonderful cruise and please post your experiences when you return!

[suezyq50]

Thanks for the review. I hope October arrives soon!

[erewhon]

Thank you for taking the time to post this great review of your cruise.

[bunchesofun]

 

We went to Conch Fritters last year and plan to go again this time too. I really did like them.

We were there the week of May 15-22 and there didn't seem to be much conch in the conch fritters, just batter. Pretty expensive in that case.

[jg51]

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

 

Thank you, CapsR1, for all the info.

I would like to ask you about the item I highlighted, above: karaoke.

On the Pride, where did karaoke take place? How many people can fit in that venue? Was karaoke done every night? When it was done, what was the time period? Were there multiple overhead screens showing the lyrics, or was there just one low little screen for the singer?

Much obliged for the help.

[trptplayer22]

If you like Conch Fritters restaurant, then you will LOVE Zorba's in Freeport. They have much more authentic Bahamian food (with the exception of their guava duff; the carry out next to Conch Fritters has the BEST) and better prices.

 

Have a wonderful cruise and please post your experiences when you return!

 

 

We'll have to try Zorba's, thank you.

[CapsR1]

Thank you, CapsR1, for all the info.

I would like to ask you about the item I highlighted, above: karaoke.

On the Pride, where did karaoke take place? How many people can fit in that venue? Was karaoke done every night? When it was done, what was the time period? Were there multiple overhead screens showing the lyrics, or was there just one low little screen for the singer?

Much obliged for the help.

 

Karaoke was in the Starry Nights Lounge which is a pretty good sized venue (couple of hundred?). We saw Karaoke every night and during some sea days in the afternoon. I only saw one small screen for the singer, so not very high tech.

[jg51]

Karaoke was in the Starry Nights Lounge which is a pretty good sized venue (couple of hundred?). We saw Karaoke every night and during some sea days in the afternoon. I only saw one small screen for the singer, so not very high tech.

 

Thank you. Sounds interesting.

[Duckie26]

Loved your review...thanks for sharing. I just love reading about the Pride. I've been on her twice having done the Nassau itinerary both times (in January and February!).... but we will be doing the the Eastern Caribbean at the end of April 2012. Can't wait for my first "warm weather" cruise! LOL

 

When you get back to Freeport....try the Dive Inn Bar and Grill next to UNEXSO. They have some of the best food and Cracked Conch I've ever had. I'll definitely be going back there again for lunch while we are there.

[CapsR1]

Loved your review...thanks for sharing. I just love reading about the Pride. I've been on her twice having done the Nassau itinerary both times (in January and February!).... but we will be doing the the Eastern Caribbean at the end of April 2012. Can't wait for my first "warm weather" cruise! LOL

 

When you get back to Freeport....try the Dive Inn Bar and Grill next to UNEXSO. They have some of the best food and Cracked Conch I've ever had. I'll definitely be going back there again for lunch while we are there.

 

Thanks for the recommendation, will definitely try it out next time we're down there. My DH loves cracked conch.

 

The eastern caribbean itinerary is wonderful, you will love the beach at HMC. Enjoy!

[Kato27]

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 . . .

Ur review was AWSOME! I sail on the Pride at the end of July, it will be my first cruise ever. After reading this i feel alot better about taking a cruise, u see it wasnt my first choice, more the wifes choice...lol

Also what u did off the ship seems like something we would do also, and i guess we will.

We are also looking into reserving the steak house.

The idea of reserving the steak house at the end of the cruise instead of the beginning, for the reasons u mention are brilliant.

were going to reserve for the last night, instead of the first night.

Thanks for posting this ,it was helpful to us:)

[CapsR1]

Ur review was AWSOME! I sail on the Pride at the end of July, it will be my first cruise ever. After reading this i feel alot better about taking a cruise, u see it wasnt my first choice, more the wifes choice...lol

Also what u did off the ship seems like something we would do also, and i guess we will.

We are also looking into reserving the steak house.

The idea of reserving the steak house at the end of the cruise instead of the beginning, for the reasons u mention are brilliant.

were going to reserve for the last night, instead of the first night.

Thanks for posting this ,it was helpful to us:)

 

Thank you for your lovely and kind words. Even after five cruises, I personally have learned so much from the Cruise Critic forums, that I felt it was time I shared some of my experiences.

 

I read the boards all the time to gain new knowledge.

 

The end of July will be a wonderful time to cruise, no worries about cold weather (it will be hot wherever you go, bring lots of sunscreen and aloe vera gel in case you get burned) and the ports will be beautiful.

 

I think that I will always now book the steakhouse for the last night. It will be a kind of farewell to the vacation, but ending on a high note with a wonderfully prepared, delicious meal!

 

Enjoy your cruise, and please post when you return. ("Oh Canada, our home and native land,"), my mom is a Canuck!

[Kato27]

Thank you for your lovely and kind words. Even after five cruises, I personally have learned so much from the Cruise Critic forums, that I felt it was time I shared some of my experiences.

 

I read the boards all the time to gain new knowledge.

 

The end of July will be a wonderful time to cruise, no worries about cold weather (it will be hot wherever you go, bring lots of sunscreen and aloe vera gel in case you get burned) and the ports will be beautiful.

 

I think that I will always now book the steakhouse for the last night. It will be a kind of farewell to the vacation, but ending on a high note with a wonderfully prepared, delicious meal!

 

Enjoy your cruise, and please post when you return. ("Oh Canada, our home and native land,"), my mom is a Canuck!

CapsR1,

thank you! I will let u know how it goes. I have no doubt ur Mom is a wonderful person!:)