Carnival Pride review 5/29/05 sailing

[muffin123]

My husband and I got back from our cruise on Sunday. Overall we had a great time. Some of the highlights of our trip were swimming with the dolphins in p.v. and not having to cook or clean.

Some quick tips about this cruise.

-Do not eat the pasta chicken dish in the dining room on Sunday night. It was by far the worst I've had in a very long time.

-Linda, the cruise shopper, will tell you where to find good deals in the ports. However, all of her good deals are quite expensive. Carnival is really pushing diamonds and tanzanite at the ports. If they don't own "Diamond's International", they must have a lot of stock in it. Her recommended resturant in P.V. that had the "best blue shrimp" was less than ok. I had chicken fajitas and my husband had 8 med. shrimp, he had a beer, I had a coke, and it was 40 bucks before a tip! In Mexico! The worst thing is that Chevys is much better, and lots cheaper. In the other ports we avoided her recommended stores and resturants. They are tourist traps. You pay twice or even more for an item than somwhere else.

-On Wed. in P.V. there is a small market right next to the dock. It is very expensive. Wait for Mazatlan. Great deals there. Here's an example. I saw a wooden carved bear I liked in P.V. He was asking 120 dollars! I bought the same thing in Mazatlan for 28 dollars. My husband said we should wait and he was right. Everything they offer in PV they will have in Maz. for lots less. At this same market there is a store where you can call home for 10 minutes for 5 bucks! You can't beat this. Didn't see anything like this in the other ports so we didn't call again. To call from the ship is 6.99 a min. + other charges. Pay phones are just as bad in Mex. This is the place to call home.

-We booked our snorkeling excursion in Cabo. The water was 68 degress and was quite icy. The water was murky. I heard from other people that the water in P.V. for snorkeling excursion was very comfortable and the water was very clear. Everything I read said Cabo was the best, but it didn't happen that way for us.

-In Cabo they say not to parasail. My husband did it and we found it very safe and lots of fun. We think they don't get kickbacks and that's why they won't recommend it.

-Air conditioning on a Mex. bus is not the same as our air conditioning. We canceled our 7 hour bus tour in Maz. and we were so glad we did. People who took this excursion complained about how they were miserably hot all day. We loved our taxi drivers in Maz. very friendly. The open white taxi cars are so fun, nice people.

-In Mazatlan we went downtown and avoided the "golden district" at first. We went to the locals market. Later we went to the ship's recommended area. Some of the things we bought downtown, we found were cheaper from vendors there and vice versa. So... just go to the golden district. It is much cleaner and they offer the same goods. Maybe 1 or 2 more or less dollars.

-I asked Linda, the ship's "shopper tipster" why she didn't cover other items besides fine jewelry. She said, "Oh, I don't know anything about the markets". She ignored my comment that 40 bucks for lunch in Mex. was quite expensive. She really just snubbed me. Was not impressed. I think the majority of people don't come to Mexico to buy diamonds and tanzanite. But that is what they really push. We talked to a few other people who ate at the same resturant she recommends in P. V. and they felt the same way. Way too much money and not all that great.

-Don't be late to the first show on Monday night. It is great! We had to sit at the top at an angle and didn't have the best seat. Go early.

Hope this helps. Have a great trip.

[lstrong]

Thanks for the great hints! 17 family members are boarding the Pride on 6-19. We're are so looking forward to it.

[bigsky]

Hello Muffin123..

Thanks for the review. I'll be on her this Sunday! Been on the Pride and loved her. First time in Mexico. What's the stores name in Mazatlan that you can call home so cheaply for? Sounded like the same store you bought the carved bear in?

Was the slide open yet? Do all the rooms have the new bedding?

 

Thanks!

[muffin123]

I don't know about the new bedding. It was white, so maybe that helps. The place to call home is in PV. It is a computer online service and calling service. It's a small store. The market is small too. I think the store is somewhere in the middle, but don't worry you'll see it. I bought the bear in Maz. not PV. The slide was closed and it doesn't look like they have any intention of opening it.

[rwethereyet]

<<The slide was closed and it doesn't look like they have any intention of opening it.>>

 

According to CCL, they have no knowledge of the slides being closed on any ship. And if for any reason the slide was closed, repairs would be made IMMEDIATELY to fix the problem.

CCL quote, "Carnival is not in the habit of opeating ships in disrepair".

[KathiS]

Our girls will be so disappointed! Our TA didn't even know that the slide was closed!

[rwethereyet]

You should call CCL 1-888-CARNIVAL and let them know of your disappointment.

The slide has been closed for months in a shroud of secrecy.

CCL has a website with news updates, I guess they are select on what they report on. LOL

[moonlily]

Thanks for a great review.

 

There was a lot of Hype re Tanzanite & Diamonds on the Glory 04/06. Since it was my first trip down there I was only interested in picking up "native" crafts. I wouldn't know the first thing about buying jewelry.

 

I did buy a pendant and earrings in Progresso. I'm so glad I did because it looks like I won't be going back there anytime soon