Pride Halloween 2021 Panama Canal Review

vamartha · November 16, 2021

I've not done a review in a very long time so bear with me as I try and get my Sea Legs going again.

We just completed the 14 day partial Panama Canal crossing beginning on Halloween 2021, embarking in Baltimore and debarking in Tampa. We're home now and I will probably not do my usual step by step review but do more of a general musings type of review.

We like this style of cruise, the fares are usually low even pre-Covid. I suppose it is because people like to drive to port or because they like round trip airfare but we've found that repositioning cruises offer some of the best fares. Having said that, our longest prior was 11 days and by the end of 14 days we found that we were more than ready to go home. I think that 8-11 days is perfect for us.

We also aren't social butterflies and don't hang out in the bars or at the pools or attend many events. We like our balcony and we like to sort of hangout with ourselves. You won't see us in the MDR every night, we greatly prefer the relaxed casualness of the Lido (but we have sailed the Mardi Gras already and have two more booked and the fact that we never even saw the MDR on that ship and still had amazing food on that ship in cargo shorts and a set of skorts will weigh heavily on future booking decisions).

We have cruised Halloween cruises before and we love them. This one was a bit understated because it was embarkation day but we still participated and had a good time. We missed the elaborate costumes of cruises past but we already have 2022 booked and are looking forward with high anticipation! If you haven't cruised a Halloween cruise you probably don't know what a good time you are missing!

We stayed at Staybridge Suites in Baltimore. Nice room, no complaints from us but it can get loud as Larry Flynt's Hustler Club butts up to it in the same block and no I'm not kidding! I didn't have any idea that those still existed but then again I'm from the country and we don't get out much!

Pics will be a challenge. I haven't quite figured out how to get them from the phone to my laptop yet. I was way better at this when everything was on SD cards - not totally tech challenged but it does require a bit more thought than it used to!

The Pride is a very ornate ship. I thought the Atrium was a bit too dark while going up and down the glass elevators but maybe they are trying to mute some of the more spicy drawings! 😅 She is in decent shape for a ship that is 20 years old, shows age in some places and not in others. Her cabin hallways could stand a bit of attention as they are a bit rough around the edges but all in all she is sturdy and we didn't have any power issues or electrical issues. We've sailed the Legend before and knew pretty much what to expect. We prefer the Dream Class but since they wouldn't fit through the original locks in the Canal, here we were. We were not disappointed by the ship. She vibrates, but we knew to expect that. (DH was entertained by the mermaids on the Lido ceiling and was tall enough to feel them up a time or two! He's such a bad boy!)

vamartha · November 16, 2021

We had the highly desirable cabin 8232 and if you ever have the chance, grab it in a nanosecond! Its one of the bowling alley cabins. I cannot tell you how huge this balcony was. It felt like I was on a Superyacht and all that was missing was the cabin stew bringing me champagne.

Not kidding. This balcony was perfect for the Canal crossing as we had rain for the entire day. It has extra overhang because it is in the inset and if you are into sun you may not enjoy it but it was perfect for me. I had room to walk back and forth as the day progressed and it was just fabulous. Two lounge chairs and two regular chairs and while there was only the one little table, there was also room for a dining room table and fifty kitchen sinks. And thirty people. Just amazing!

The air conditioning worked great, we took a fan and lent it out to someone whose cabin didn't have as good AC as we had. I was actually cold most of the time in the cabin but as I am not into heat and humidity, it was fantastic. I can always get warm but if I can't cool off then we might have problems.

The fridge also worked amazing. We didn't give it a choice not to, we used a hack with a hairbrush (pics coming if I ever figure it out) from the moment we walked in and everything we took out of fridge was icy cold. Plus you are only 50 steps max from the ice dispenser on the Lido so staying hydrated with cold liquids was painless.

Let me at least see if I can get our crossing video uploaded. We purchased it from the ship so its highly edited, but I had a ton of nonrefundable OBC to burn so it was a good choice for spending. And maybe it will keep you entertained until I figure out how to upload my pics. That might take a day or two! 😁

vamartha · November 16, 2021

Our ports of call were Amber Cove, Aruba, Curacao, the Panama Canal partial crossing, Roatan, Belize and Cozumel.

I got off in Aruba for just a few minutes and again in Roatan to Little French Key and that was it. All of these were repeat visits and I'm finding as much as I love cruising that the ports offer so much heat and humidity that I am perfectly fine hanging out on the ship and waiting around for dockrunners!

This particular cruise was mostly seniors and they don't usually offer much in the dockrunner excitement factor but there were a few. I live for Cozumel and dockrunners, it is the best entertainment value at sea. We had one in Curacao but it turned out he was a comedian who was boarding for the first time and he had me completely confused as he was just strolling along like he didn't have a care in the world! He didn't, we weren't going to leave without him. Aruba was a late port and I think DH was one of the last ones to board, he spend the day at the roulette wheel ashore. Roatan only had one late couple and bless her heart she was appalled at the applause that she received. There may have been others in other ports but that was I that I saw. My entertainment value will go up again in Cozumel for the January MG cruise. Guaranteed!

vamartha · November 16, 2021

Lets discuss food, shall we?

I'll get a ton of people who disagree with me and that is OK right from the start. Food is subjective a topic and I've got a few opinions of what I experienced on the Pride.

Keep in mind we aren't MDR people. For years I really didn't give DH a choice. He was eating in the MDR at night and he didn't really have a say in it. I've given into him over the years and I've become a Lido person too. It doesn't require forethought, just show up and grab a plate. MG didn't have prosciutto on the Lido, Pride did. That was a huge plus!

We did eat Sea Day brunch once and it was good. We also did MDR on the Captains Gala night. It was another lobster night and it was fantastic!

But for us, Lido was hit and miss. The pasta was usually good. The Asian (Chopsticks) was generally very good. Anything mashed (red skinned or regular potatoes) was great. Steaks or chicken were very dependent on what time you went. Near the beginning of the pan, most were good, near the end of the pan it could go either way. There was a Mexican night that was pretty bad and I like Mexican usually. I think that was the busiest night that the Seafood Corner had. Everyone who ate there that night raved about how good it was. Salad bar was always there and had a lot of choices. Radishes were not a staple but made a few appearances but sliced carrots were there almost every day.

We also ate at David's Steakhouse. It was good. Not the best Steakhouse I have ever experienced but it was not bad. It was tasty, the presentation is still wonderful. I still hate those little tables for two, they aren't crammed in on top of each other like they used to be but they still get under my skin and are a huge part of why we stopped eating in MDR in the first place. I was extremely disappointed to be seated at one in the Steakhouse.

Like I said, food is subjective. I was so craving a Chick-fil-A when we got off. Disappointed as it was Sunday and you all know how that worked out for me! 🤣

Laurab23 · November 16, 2021

2 hours ago, vamartha said:

We had the highly desirable cabin 8232 and if you ever have the chance, grab it in a nanosecond! Its one of the bowling alley cabins. I cannot tell you how huge this balcony was. It felt like I was on a Superyacht and all that was missing was the cabin stew bringing me champagne.

Not kidding. This balcony was perfect for the Canal crossing as we had rain for the entire day. It has extra overhang because it is in the inset and if you are into sun you may not enjoy it but it was perfect for me. I had room to walk back and forth as the day progressed and it was just fabulous. Two lounge chairs and two regular chairs and while there was only the one little table, there was also room for a dining room table and fifty kitchen sinks. And thirty people. Just amazing!

The air conditioning worked great, we took a fan and lent it out to someone whose cabin didn't have as good AC as we had. I was actually cold most of the time in the cabin but as I am not into heat and humidity, it was fantastic. I can always get warm but if I can't cool off then we might have problems.

The fridge also worked amazing. We didn't give it a choice not to, we used a hack with a hairbrush (pics coming if I ever figure it out) from the moment we walked in and everything we took out of fridge was icy cold. Plus you are only 50 steps max from the ice dispenser on the Lido so staying hydrated with cold liquids was painless.

Let me at least see if I can get our crossing video uploaded. We purchased it from the ship so its highly edited, but I had a ton of nonrefundable OBC to burn so it was a good choice for spending. And maybe it will keep you entertained until I figure out how to upload my pics. That might take a day or two! 😁

We booked 8232 on Legend for a partial Panama cruise next Halloween. I have had 8232 twice before so I know how great it is.

Laura

2 hours ago, vamartha said:

RoperDK · November 17, 2021

It sounds like you had a great itinerary. I love the partial Panama Canal cruises. The passage always amazes me. We now just avoid the crowds and sit on our balcony to enjoy the view. We have also stayed in cabin 8232. Amazing!!! The overhang is a plus for us. Weather doesn't get in the way. Have to admit that I slept a night or two on the lounger out there. We did have a small amount of nighttime lido noise, but certainly not a no go for us. We also avoid the MDR now. Been on too many cruises with the same menu and like the flexibility of the buffet. Sure do miss the choices from back in the day.

vamartha · November 17, 2021

There was one dessert that was fantastic. It was either Gluten Free or Sugar Free, I don't remember nor do I remember the name of it but it was the only dessert that was tasty to me. A chocolate cake full of nuts and I got it only because it was pretty and it was fabulous. I think that their desserts went down hill years ago and I still have that feeling. They are all beautiful and the decoration far exceeds the satisfaction. In general, most things are just lacking that final taste factor, I can't really name what it is but then again I'm not a chef and my cake staple is Pepperidge Farms.

I have to comment on the Lido buffet music. It was Classic Vinyl on SiriusXM. Not really, but it was exactly the same! I wanted the volume control on a few occasions. It was fabulous. Perfect for our demographics and I was loving it!

The duo at the Atrium bar was terrific. I mostly experienced them on elevator rides and trips into the photo area but her voice is great and they took really great songs modern rock anthems like Creep and made them ship appropriate. Good job!

We drink a lot of Soda. We didn't purchase Bottomless Bubbles or Cheers. We had about $115 total invested in soda and water at the end of the cruise. Bottomless Bubbles was almost $300 with the 10% discount if we had prebooked it. Nope, not my style. I placed my first order from home, for a case of water at $4.95 per 12 pack and several six packs of soda at $10 per six pack plus the 18% delivery fee. My first order was about $45. Here is an interesting tidbit. Ginger Ale comes in 10 oz cans. NOT a good deal. But Sierra Mist comes in 20 ounce plastic bottles. GOOD deal. I evened myself out on that one by the end. Then I placed a second soda order, just like I was at home using the Fun Shop while I was onboard. You might be able to get this as well from Cherry On Top or room service but I have never tried it that way. I always just log onto the internet and order it as a gift for myself just like if I was at home. And a third the same way. Both of those were about $35 each including delivery. And I found the water on the Lido extremely drinkable and since I was only 50 steps away I used that far more than usual. Corkcicle Tumblers for the win. Not a paid ad but a product that I find worth its weight in gold.

Alcohol. Again, not really my style. I had three drinks on a 14 day cruise if that gives you an idea. DH isn't a huge drinker, he's more of a five a day person than a fifteen a day person. But he's discovered roulette and he earned drinks on the house by about day 5. I think it takes 1500 points in slots to earn that and I walked out day 14 with under 300. I gave up smoking after 47 years but I do vape a Vuse which has zero smell and I resent being stuck in the smoking section in the casino. The games on the Pride in the smoking section were less than desirable compared to the non smoking section so I pretty much blew my $20 a day for less than an hour and wandered back to my cabin. I like flashy slots and they were on the wrong side so that was their loss and my gain for my pocketbook.

vamartha · November 17, 2021

9 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

It sounds like you had a great itinerary. I love the partial Panama Canal cruises. The passage always amazes me. We now just avoid the crowds and sit on our balcony to enjoy the view. We have also stayed in cabin 8232. Amazing!!! The overhang is a plus for us. Weather doesn't get in the way. Have to admit that I slept a night or two on the lounger out there. We did have a small amount of nighttime lido noise, but certainly not a no go for us. We also avoid the MDR now. Been on too many cruises with the same menu and like the flexibility of the buffet. Sure do miss the choices from back in the day.

You sound like our soul mates! 🤣🤣

vamartha · November 17, 2021

If I have this figured out, the pics will be out of order. But it means I have the Google Pics thing figured out and I'll move to a desktop tomorrow and try to put things back in chronological order. So technically, this is a test.

welovetocruise1234 · November 17, 2021

14 hours ago, vamartha said:

We had the highly desirable cabin 8232 and if you ever have the chance, grab it in a nanosecond! Its one of the bowling alley cabins. I cannot tell you how huge this balcony was. It felt like I was on a Superyacht and all that was missing was the cabin stew bringing me champagne.

I actually have that exact cabin booked for the December 19th xmas cruise. I am solo in that cabin, my BFF and her husband are next door and my daughter is on deck 6 with her friend. I am glad it is so big!

d-train · November 17, 2021

We had 8232 on Pride a while back too - loved the bowling alley balcony so much!

Thanks for sharing details about your vacation!

Enjoy!

pcvtmom · November 17, 2021

We had a bowling alley balcony on a Pride cruise 3 years ago. Traveling with our 17 month old (at the time) granddaughter, it was a perfect room! She, unable to utilize the water features on the ship, due to not being potty trained, played for hours in buckets of water. Those balconies are amazing!!

Loving your review! The Panama canal transit is on our bucket list.

chocolate melting cake · November 17, 2021

Martha, we may have met up on the cruise-----I'm enjoying your review and agree thus far. If you (or anyone reading this) would be interested in viewing our cruise "album" I'll include it below, feel free to fast forward through our many personal shots. If it goes correctly, just click on the link----to see any or all of the pix large screen just click on the pix.

Carnival Pride 14 day cruise

Edited November 17, 2021 by chocolate melting cake
Correct grammar

vamartha · November 17, 2021

First pics in Baltimore. I didn't hate this terminal. It was almost a bit nicer than I had been led to believe. I'm not so sure I would be its biggest fan on a snowy January day but 65 degrees was not bad and once we actually entered the terminal, we never sat down again until we were on the Lido.

JessicaOfVA · November 18, 2021

On 11/16/2021 at 7:33 PM, RoperDK said:

We did have a small amount of nighttime lido noise,

This scares me about being under the Lido deck. I like my quiet and we can be light sleepers at times.

RoperDK · November 18, 2021

7 hours ago, JessicaOfVA said:

This scares me about being under the Lido deck. I like my quiet and we can be light sleepers at times.

We were under the buffet and the "cart rolling" sound woke me up, but not my husband. I would immediately go back to sleep. It wasn't all night. Kind of like when loud people are passing by your cabin late at night. Too me, cabin 8232 is worth it. I would tell people to avoid being under the deck chair portion of lido. I believe there is a lot of chair scraping noise when they stack, unstack, and clean the deck.

vamartha · November 18, 2021

11 hours ago, JessicaOfVA said:

This scares me about being under the Lido deck. I like my quiet and we can be light sleepers at times.

We were under the sides, sort of like the port side entrance from Serenity Deck. It didn't bother me at all but you could hear things all night. After I take an Ambien I don't hear a thing so I didn't have an issue with it at all. DH who for some reason has decided that retirement means living vampire hours said it was annoying but a decent trade for the balcony.

I felt sorrier for the people below us. Everything both of us picked up both weeks, we dropped. Remote, deodorant, can of soda, if we put our hands on it the poor people below us knew it. I made sure to leave an apology note on their door the last night.

vamartha · November 18, 2021

No, I haven't given up on this review! I was just having issues with photos and trying to use a laptop for the first time. And finding an external drive with a ton of room. Issued resolved, I think! Here's some pics and I'll try and keep them in some semblance of order but no promises!

They must have gotten a discount on this particular inflatable because I've seen it show up on almost every ship! While they took all the other decorations down they did leave the black and orange colors looped over the lower public decks. That might have been to discourage people from gathering there to listen to music too, who knows?

And you may have seen those costumes before. This wasn't their first cruise and likely won't be their last!

Bear with me as I figure out the spacing again! I feel like I'm twelve and I've never posted a pic on CC before!

Edited November 18, 2021 by vamartha

vamartha · November 18, 2021

All my pictures are taken with a cell phone and there isn't any editing other than the rare crop here or there when a fingernail got in the way. But a lot are in some sort of zoom, just because my phone is a Samsung S20 Ultra and sometimes I think zoom is better than not.

After a cloudy start, there were blue skies while we were at the dock in Amber Cove.

The weather was an interesting thing. For some people I'm sure it was perfect, for some it was probably awful but for me it was the perfect mix of everything. Certainly not the best weather we've had and the weather leading up to the Canal was awful (but I had done my research and knew to expect that). Roatan was a bit of a wash out until almost time to depart. Cozumel too was a rainy dreary morning with bits of sunshine mixed in. Aruba and Curacao were hot blazing messes of beautiful sunshine. Pretty, but I just love overcast days!

vamartha · November 18, 2021

The Oceana Insigna was in port with us but didn't have passengers. I believe that their first cruise is right before Christmas and then it has a sold out 180 day world cruise. I could feel the luxury from where we were!

I did edit this pic as I took it from the ship and then flipped it.

This is the area that you walk out. Last time we just walked up the street on the right but this time you actually have to walk down the sidewalk and through the green security gate building.

Daytime and nighttime views. Or visa versa.

vamartha · November 18, 2021

Curacao is still just the most beautiful and picturesque port. It was too hot for me to tackle the floating bridge but the views are just stunning from the ship.

My friend in NC kept sending me messages on Messenger asking why we were at the Hospital? I kept saying, no we're on the ship!

Pretty sure this shows why she kept asking!

Edited November 18, 2021 by vamartha

vamartha · November 18, 2021

One of these days I'm going to spend an afternoon in that pool.

vamartha · November 18, 2021

It was a bit disappointing to have not seen the coast of Columbia since Santa Marta and Cartagena were supposed to be our ports instead of Aruba and Curacao, but Panama more than made up for it.

We're the circled blue ship on the Marine Traffic map. Purchasing our position was worth the money for this trip. I can usually get it from a weather map but I wanted to be able to see all the shipping traffic.

There was weather all around us.

Our approach started off dark, then foggy, then flat our monsoon to driving rain to wet and damp and typical Panama and stayed that was all day. Except dark and foggy. The rest of it was wash, rinse and repeat!