Pride’s Condition? Polarizing reviews

[Tapi]

Hello:

 

I’m in the early stages of researching a cruise that I’ve booked on the Pride, so I’ve spent some time reading multiple reviews and watching videos. The reviews range from “she’s immaculate and in top shape” to “don’t sail aboard this rust bucket, she needs to be scrapped”. Can they be any more opposite? 
 

Something tells me that the truth is somewhere in between, so that’s why I’m posting this thread. If you’ve sailed on Pride recently, what’s your impression of her overall condition? I know that rust happens, but I hate a ship that looks sadly neglected. 

[cyclist_guy1]

the "truth" lies with you. not trying to be sarcastic but honestly if you read the reviews as you mentioned you will be all over the place with opinions, take it with a large grain of salt (as is the case with most anything written on the internet). ive been on the pride multiple times. love the pride mostly for its smaller size. is it an older ship - yes. less people - yes. is it showing some wear and tear - sure. but the crew works hard to keep the people areas in great shape.

 

just go, go with an open mind, and form you own opinion. you wont regret it.

[StolidCruiser]

The Pride is in acceptable condition given her age.  She’s not pristine (anyone can find minor issues here and there).

 

She’s rough around the edges but well maintained.  Newer ships will of course feel fresher but we’ve enjoyed every sailing we’ve had on her with two more booked before she repositions in late 2021.

 

The polarizing reviews are two extremes (as you have deduced).  I believe you would enjoy her for what she is...a great little ship!

Edited December 23, 2019 by StolidCruiser

[ObstructedView2]

57 minutes ago, Tapi said:

 

I know that rust happens, but I hate a ship that looks sadly neglected. 

 

 

Pride is a fine ship. She just had a routine dry dock this past February 3rd to the 16th. New carpeting and tiling in lounges & public areas. The cabins could use a refreshing, however, unlike the reviews that clearly are a dime a dozen, the Pride shines up like a new penny. 

Enjoy your cruise!

[ray98]

You will find those type reviews on every ship.  Think back to a cruise you had a great time on.  If you look you will find reviews from that same sailing that will make you question how those experiences can be that far apart.

[jimbo5544]

You are correct, the answer is in the middle.  We have sailed on the Pride 5 times, the latest last year.  We love the class of ship and sailing out of Baltimore as well, Although after a long run she is moving on to a new home port as you know,.   She certainly is not a spring chicken, but in our eyes kept up well.  

[Purvis1231]

To some people every Carnival ship is a rust bucket. 

[runnersuzy]

Just got off 21 day B2B last month. Our 5th and 6th time on her. Got extra day and a half due to weather coming up the coast. Pride is a Spirit class ship, our favorite. Plenty of space to passenger. Wide walkways, no choke points. Great serenity area. David's is best quality steakhouse at sea we have ever experienced. In our opinion well kept up for her age. Well trained attentive and friendly crew, especially in dining room. Ken, if your maitre dee, is best Carnival has to offer. Have a great cruise.

[jimbo5544]

25 minutes ago, Purvis1231 said:

To some people every Carnival ship is a rust bucket. 

Lol, true dat

[stetucke]

I was on the pride last year. If you want to find areas that could be touched up look around and you can find them. If your just out having a good time you won't notice them. I give everyone this advice about cruises. You will have as much fun or find as many problems as you set out to on day 1. 

 

Go have a good time. 

[eas2225]

We last sailed on the Pride in September of this year.  This was our seventh time on the ship and I have always found it to be clean and in good condition.

 

We see the crew always painting, repairing ceiling and floor tiles, and washing balconies.

 

Is there rust?  Sure, but it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of our cruise.  Our next is a Halloween cruise next year, and we're bringing all our kids and 5 grandkids!  The ship will be another year older and maybe have a little more rust, but we don't care.  The crew is outstanding!

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

You are correct, the answer is in the middle.  We have sailed on the Pride 5 times, the latest last year.  We love the class of ship and sailing out of Baltimore as well, Although after a long run she is moving on to a new home port as you know,.   She certainly is not a spring chicken, but in our eyes kept up well.  

 

She at least has the seaside theater which the Legend and Miracle do not, Unsure about the Spirit. I am excited to have the Pride here in Tampa.

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

 

She at least has the seaside theater which the Legend and Miracle do not, Unsure about the Spirit. I am excited to have the Pride here in Tampa.

You are correct, I think they will be adding one to the Legend during her upcoming drydock.

[fair-winds39]

We returned home Dec. 15 from our 7th cruise on the Carnival Pride.  The ship is an older ship, and I'm sure there are signs of it's age, but as far as rust all over the ship and the ship appearing in disarray, I would disagree.

 

As far as our recent Pride cruise, our cabin was perfect; it was clean, in fact, we had twice daily cabin service, although we told the steward that once a day was fine. We had late (8:15) traditional dining and it was as we expected. I'll put it this way, we didn't send anything back and the dinner choices were fine for us. We're not fussy and we enjoyed all of our meals. We have been cruising for a number of years and most cruise lines have scaled back on food, etc., or added optional dining choices which you pay for on the newer ships. We ate in the MDR for lunch once, the Bonsai Sushi once and both were good. The buffet was just that, a buffet. You can always find something to eat. We also had Guys Burger one day.

 

There were a number of family reunions, groups, and also a lot of kids, which we noticed more than any other time we were on the Pride. Maybe it was the time of year and a lot of people were able to get away. We used the Serenity Pool area which was nice, especially when everyone gets off of the ship in Princess Cay and Nassau. I can't comment on the entertainment as we really didn't see the shows. We did enjoy a trio of violinists a couple of nights before dinner, and the solo vocalist in the Atrium was also good. We didn't purchase the drink package, but I had a few martini's from the Alchemy Bar that were good. Some of the bars no longer provide straws. I had a drink with an edible straw, and DH was able to snag a couple straws from one of the servers.

 

All in all, we had another great cruise on one of our favorite ships. No complaints or criticism from us. We hated to leave. Boarding was great, and our appointed time was between 1:30-2:00, but we shuttled from the hotel (Park & Cruise package) and they took us early. We were sitting in the Atrium by 12:45. Luggage was delivered before Muster Drill.

 

Hope you have fun and enjoy your cruise.

 

[Jamman54]

The Pride is our favorite ship hands down. I have three reviews covering three different itineraries in my signature.😎

[crookedhalo]

WWe have been on Pride twice and she is a lovely ship BUT the last time (late 2018) there seemed to be a lot more rust on the balcony than before - lots of missing plating on the underside of the balcony above too. Don't get me wrong - I would sail on her again in a heartbeat BUT she is showing her age and needs a little exterior TLC, JMHO. The two pics below show a lot of rust - kind of sad 😞

[JMAE]

We have sailed on the Pride 10 times, yes, it is an older ships and shows her age, but we feel it is well maintained and clean.  We love the Pride and the staff that provide outstanding service.  The Legend (inaugural cruise: 8/24/2002), which is replacing the Pride in 2021, is about six month newer than the Pride (inaugural cruise: 1/12/2002).  These ship have been in many dry docks to maintain the functionality and decor. 

 

You are the only person that can determine which reviews are correct.  I have been on ships when they were new and didn't like them at all.  But what ever you decide, enjoy your cruise!

[Tapi]

12 minutes ago, crookedhalo said:

...the last time (late 2018) there seemed to be a lot more rust on the balcony than before - lots of missing plating on the underside of the balcony above too.

 

Thanks for the photos. I appreciate it!  I’m OK with some rust. But what I’m not OK with is with what I encountered on my last Carnival Cruise aboard the Fantasy. Our stateroom had many maintenance issues (closet door that ripped right off its hinges, broken TV, leaky window with a bad seal with water pooling on the ledge, and a broken water faucet with a worn handle that kept coming off). There were also similar issues around the ship. There was nothing truly major, but the long list of little things made the ship feel neglected. We still had a wonderful time on that cruise, but I felt sad to see that ship not aging gracefully and not being given the attention that she deserves. 

[crookedhalo]

1 hour ago, Tapi said:

Thanks for the photos. I appreciate it!  I’m OK with some rust. But what I’m not OK with is with what I encountered on my last Carnival Cruise aboard the Fantasy. Our stateroom had many maintenance issues (closet door that ripped right off its hinges, broken TV, leaky window with a bad seal with water pooling on the ledge, and a broken water faucet with a worn handle that kept coming off). There were also similar issues around the ship. There was nothing truly major, but the long list of little things made the ship feel neglected. We still had a wonderful time on that cruise, but I felt sad to see that ship not aging gracefully and not being given the attention that she deserves. 

 

I know what you mean. Pride looks good inside and the added venues (Alchemy, Guys, Blue Iguana etc.) are fantastic! The staff is friendly as all get out and obviously enjoy their work.  Love the Headliners club (spent most nights there) and the comedy.  We've also done Grandeur a few times (living in SoMD it's easy to hit B'more) and love the more intimate feeling of this size ship, but once we sailed Pride won't go back to Grandeur again 🙂

[cloudninecat]

I thought she was a pretty ship but she's definitely showing her age. I noticed little chunks broken off over the door frames, rust and badly water stained windows. Did it affect my cruise? Not really. The only thing that bothered me was that the cushions on the loungers and sun beds were all covered with this black nasty looking stuff that made you not want to sit on them. She's small compared to other ships in the fleet but it made it easy to get around and the only time I noticed a lot of crowding was around the pools. 

[cruizergal70]

What are your expectations? The ship is obviously seaworthy.  It has standard Carnival amenities.  

 

What? Will you see rust or lime on a few windows. Yes. 

 

Only you know if such things matter to you.

[pacruise804]

We sailed Pride twice in 2018 and Sunrise this year, and  I found the Pride in better shape and a more enjoyable ship than Sunrise.

 

There is always room for improvement, but the positives far outweigh the negatives on the Pride for me.

[sgttami]

Going back on Pride on the Jan. 5th Journey's for the 7th time since Feb. 2018.

 

I like it since it's easy to navigate and I've met more repeat cruisers than ever before.  It's clean and the crew is great and that matters more than a bit of rust here and there.  If it was horrible, like some claim, I certainly wouldn't be going back.

 

Complainers and whiners are never happy.  I pay no attention.  It's become my favorite Carnival ship. 

[Tapi]

On 12/25/2019 at 2:48 PM, cruizergal70 said:

What are your expectations?

Rust is understandable and expected . What I don’t want to expect is neglect and mounting maintenances issues as outlined on my previous post concerning our last Carnival Cruise on the Fantasy. 

Edited December 27, 2019 by Tapi

[RRLLAL]

On ‎12‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 8:05 PM, crookedhalo said:

WWe have been on Pride twice and she is a lovely ship BUT the last time (late 2018) there seemed to be a lot more rust on the balcony than before - lots of missing plating on the underside of the balcony above too. Don't get me wrong - I would sail on her again in a heartbeat BUT she is showing her age and needs a little exterior TLC, JMHO. The two pics below show a lot of rust - kind of sad 😞

 

wonder if they cleaned that up during her dry dock earlier this year?