General Pride Review out of Baltimore 6/6/09

[CapsR1]

Pride Sailing Report for June 6, 2009

Just got off the Pride yesterday. A few hints which I hope you might find helpful:

 

DO NOT get to the dock early, meaning before 2pm, because you will just end up sitting in a waiting area. We arrived at the port around noon, dropped off our luggage curb side and parked. There are several port employees who have mobile credit card machines and they swipe your credit card for the $105 parking fee while you are still in your vehicle.

 

Went inside and were escorted to VIP check-in which went very smoothly, but then had to sit there until close to 1:45 pm before we were allowed to board and we had priority boarding. I spoke to someone else later on the cruise who arrived at 2:30 pm and breezed in without having to wait in line.

 

Seas were smooth the entire trip but there was a noticeable vibration in various parts of the ship (dining room, casino, lounges). Other PAX noticed it as well.

 

Formal nights were Sunday and Thursday nights. Very few men in formal dress, many in sport jackets without ties. Women dressed in everything from bermuda shorts to formal gowns with many wearing pant suits and summer type sun dresses.

 

We did not do any excursions due to our son's age (6) which was too young for many of the offerings and we didn't like the high prices being charged for most of them.

 

Bring BUG SPRAY for Half Moon Cay because there were little black sand bugs that seemed to target certain people who had bites all over their bodies. Many of them had to visit the infirmary for calomine lotion.

 

If you choose to get off in Freeport, take a cab to the Lucaya area (the ONLY shopping area for tourists) which is $5 per person. They cram in about 8 or 9 people into mini-van cabs and then collect $5 from each person when you get off. It is about 11 miles from the port.

 

We found an incredible restaurant called ZORBAS in the shopping area which was recommended by one of the locals. For those of you like myself who crave Bahamian cusine, they had the BEST stewed fish and grits that I've had in years. Conch fritters and chowder were also on the menu. They also had a very wide variety of Greek food and sandwiches. They are open for breakfast and lunch (I wish I had known that ahead of time because I would have eaten breakfast there)!

 

Bring cash for the casino because if you go to the cage for a transaction, they will charge you a 3% fee.

 

Eat in the dining room for both breakfast and dinner. The food is far superior to the buffet and better options.

 

Bring a laid back attitude, have a great time, focus on the positive and you will have a fabulous cruise. The staff were magnificent!

 

I would be happy to answer any further questions. And yes, I would take this cruise again in the early to mid summer with the same itinerary.

 

The worst part of the cruise was coming back!

[Jeffy294]

Pride Sailing Report for June 6, 2009

Just got off the Pride yesterday. A few hints which I hope you might find helpful:

 

DO NOT get to the dock early, meaning before 2pm, because you will just end up sitting in a waiting area. We arrived at the port around noon, dropped off our luggage curb side and parked. There are several port employees who have mobile credit card machines and they swipe your credit card for the $105 parking fee while you are still in your vehicle.

 

Went inside and were escorted to VIP check-in which went very smoothly, but then had to sit there until close to 1:45 pm before we were allowed to board and we had priority boarding. I spoke to someone else later on the cruise who arrived at 2:30 pm and breezed in without having to wait in line.

 

Seas were smooth the entire trip but there was a noticeable vibration in various parts of the ship (dining room, casino, lounges). Other PAX noticed it as well.

 

Formal nights were Sunday and Thursday nights. Very few men in formal dress, many in sport jackets without ties. Women dressed in everything from bermuda shorts to formal gowns with many wearing pant suits and summer type sun dresses.

 

We did not do any excursions due to our son's age (6) which was too young for many of the offerings and we didn't like the high prices being charged for most of them.

 

Bring BUG SPRAY for Half Moon Cay because there were little black sand bugs that seemed to target certain people who had bites all over their bodies. Many of them had to visit the infirmary for calomine lotion.

 

If you choose to get off in Freeport, take a cab to the Lucaya area (the ONLY shopping area for tourists) which is $5 per person. They cram in about 8 or 9 people into mini-van cabs and then collect $5 from each person when you get off. It is about 11 miles from the port.

 

We found an incredible restaurant called ZORBAS in the shopping area which was recommended by one of the locals. For those of you like myself who crave Bahamian cusine, they had the BEST stewed fish and grits that I've had in years. Conch fritters and chowder were also on the menu. They also had a very wide variety of Greek food and sandwiches. They are open for breakfast and lunch (I wish I had known that ahead of time because I would have eaten breakfast there)!

 

Bring cash for the casino because if you go to the cage for a transaction, they will charge you a 3% fee.

 

Eat in the dining room for both breakfast and dinner. The food is far superior to the buffet and better options.

 

Bring a laid back attitude, have a great time, focus on the positive and you will have a fabulous cruise. The staff were magnificent!

 

I would be happy to answer any further questions. And yes, I would take this cruise again in the early to mid summer with the same itinerary.

 

The worst part of the cruise was coming back!

Great review. Do they make you prepay your parking, the way you wrote it thats the why I wondered?

[CapsR1]

Great review. Do they make you prepay your parking, the way you wrote it thats the why I wondered?

 

Yes, you have to prepay, using cash or credit card prior to boarding. It ends up being convenient because when you get off the ship, you can either self assist with your luggage or have a porter take your bags directly to your car and drive out.

[RickyandLucy]

Do you know the name of the speciality coffee shop on board? thanks.

[CapsR1]

Do you know the name of the speciality coffee shop on board? thanks.

 

I'm sorry, but I don't recall the names, but there were TWO. One was located at the back of the buffet and was open during meal times. The other was located next to the Starry Nights (Karaoke) lounge and served pastries and coffees until at least 11pm every night. They made delicious chocolate covered strawberries, apple cake, fruit tarts and we saw huge 10 layer cakes displayed daily. I believe everything was fresh because at the end of the night, their inventory was very limited.

 

You may be go able to look on the ship's website under dining or restaurant options to get their names.

[RickyandLucy]

Thanks CapsR1!!!

[lakehouse6009]

Thanks for the review. I am a first-timer going out of Baltimore. My DH is ALWAYS early for everything, but I don't want to just sit around for 2 hours if we can avoid it. If we get to the dock around 2 pm, do you think there will be a lot of traffic and getting into the parking lot and is there anything negative about boarding last?

[sailingbuddy]

Thanks for the review. I am a first-timer going out of Baltimore. My DH is ALWAYS early for everything, but I don't want to just sit around for 2 hours if we can avoid it. If we get to the dock around 2 pm, do you think there will be a lot of traffic and getting into the parking lot and is there anything negative about boarding last?

 

 

We arrived around 12:30. There was plenty of parking available as people who are disembarking leave and spaces open up. They started embarkation around 1:30pm. We were in zone 22. It was packed like cattle in the cruise terminal and you are literally sitting shoulder to shoulder with people until zones are called. They called new zones about every 10 minutes. We were onboard around 2:15. The only reason to go early is if you have an excursion that must be booked onboard before they fill up. we went early to rent a cabana on HMC. 5 had already been taken by the time we got to the excursion desk. I heard they were gone before 3pm. If you don't have that pressure then go later. I heard there was little waiting for people who arrived after 2:30pm. Good luck. Have a great time.

[peacefrog]

thanks for the review-Can you tell me what documents you needed to board? I always read different responses. Some say passport only. I read a review where the pax wasn't allowed entrance without funpass. What did you need in Baltimore?

 

Thanks

[Jansen]

Was the cabana worth it? Do bartenders wait on you or do you still have to go to the beach bar? There are only two of us, but we're still thinking about renting one. I'm assuming the $225 is charged to the sign and sail card?

[firefly4423]

thanks for sharing such a good review!

[eric813]

thanks for the review-Can you tell me what documents you needed to board? I always read different responses. Some say passport only. I read a review where the pax wasn't allowed entrance without funpass. What did you need in Baltimore?

 

Thanks

 

Regarding documentation, funpass, passport and credit card are all that is required. I believe you can do WITHOUT funpass, but it will take longer at the desk (do not quote me on that part). I would just plan to bring the funpass to be safe.

 

We arrived around 12:30. There was plenty of parking available as people who are disembarking leave and spaces open up. They started embarkation around 1:30pm. We were in zone 22. It was packed like cattle in the cruise terminal and you are literally sitting shoulder to shoulder with people until zones are called. They called new zones about every 10 minutes. We were onboard around 2:15. The only reason to go early is if you have an excursion that must be booked onboard before they fill up. we went early to rent a cabana on HMC. 5 had already been taken by the time we got to the excursion desk. I heard they were gone before 3pm. If you don't have that pressure then go later. I heard there was little waiting for people who arrived after 2:30pm. Good luck. Have a great time.

 

We were on the same cruise and arrived at the parking lot at 1:30 pm and were on board at 3:30 p.m. If memory serves me correctly (can check time stamps on photos later), it was about 30 minutes in line of cars to drop off luggage. We then paid for parking and parked the car and inside terminal building. Filled out medical form and waitied in line for X-ray (15-20 minutes) followed by line to check in (15-20 minutes). We were also Zone 22 (the second time around) and waiting area was very comfortable with plenty of seating. About a 15-20 minute wait to be called. Took our our embarkation photo and up the ramps to the ship. If patient and in no hurry this is a good time to get there. Only disadvantage, is we missed the ship tour, but cabins were opened up about the time we got on board so we went straight there.

 

Eric813

Future Cruises -1

Pride of America (NCL) - November 7-14, 2009

Past Cruises - 10

Carnival Pride (CCL) - June 6-13, 2009

Holiday (CCL) - March 3-8, 2007

Jewel (NCL) - July 2-9, 2006

Explorer of the Seas (RCI) - November 6-13, 2005

Imagination (CCL) - June 12-17, 2000

Inspiration (CCL) - July 14-21, 1996

Britanis (Chandris) - December 1985

Rhapsody (Paquet) - December 1983

Festival (CCL) - December 18-25, 1982

Norway (NCL) - December 1980

[peacefrog]

Thanks Eric

[eric813]

Pride Sailing Report for June 6, 2009

Just got off the Pride yesterday. A few hints which I hope you might find helpful:

 

DO NOT get to the dock early, meaning before 2pm, because you will just end up sitting in a waiting area. We arrived at the port around noon, dropped off our luggage curb side and parked. There are several port employees who have mobile credit card machines and they swipe your credit card for the $105 parking fee while you are still in your vehicle.

 

Went inside and were escorted to VIP check-in which went very smoothly, but then had to sit there until close to 1:45 pm before we were allowed to board and we had priority boarding. I spoke to someone else later on the cruise who arrived at 2:30 pm and breezed in without having to wait in line.

 

Seas were smooth the entire trip but there was a noticeable vibration in various parts of the ship (dining room, casino, lounges). Other PAX noticed it as well.

 

Formal nights were Sunday and Thursday nights. Very few men in formal dress, many in sport jackets without ties. Women dressed in everything from bermuda shorts to formal gowns with many wearing pant suits and summer type sun dresses.

 

We did not do any excursions due to our son's age (6) which was too young for many of the offerings and we didn't like the high prices being charged for most of them.

 

Bring BUG SPRAY for Half Moon Cay because there were little black sand bugs that seemed to target certain people who had bites all over their bodies. Many of them had to visit the infirmary for calomine lotion.

 

If you choose to get off in Freeport, take a cab to the Lucaya area (the ONLY shopping area for tourists) which is $5 per person. They cram in about 8 or 9 people into mini-van cabs and then collect $5 from each person when you get off. It is about 11 miles from the port.

 

We found an incredible restaurant called ZORBAS in the shopping area which was recommended by one of the locals. For those of you like myself who crave Bahamian cusine, they had the BEST stewed fish and grits that I've had in years. Conch fritters and chowder were also on the menu. They also had a very wide variety of Greek food and sandwiches. They are open for breakfast and lunch (I wish I had known that ahead of time because I would have eaten breakfast there)!

 

Bring cash for the casino because if you go to the cage for a transaction, they will charge you a 3% fee.

 

Eat in the dining room for both breakfast and dinner. The food is far superior to the buffet and better options.

 

Bring a laid back attitude, have a great time, focus on the positive and you will have a fabulous cruise. The staff were magnificent!

 

I would be happy to answer any further questions. And yes, I would take this cruise again in the early to mid summer with the same itinerary.

 

The worst part of the cruise was coming back!

 

I agree about the vibration - this was mainly when we sat in the back of the Normandie dining room during lunch, especially the last sea day as the Pride was hauling it back to baltimore. It was enough to rattle a stack of plates.

 

We did only one excursion, Gibbs Cay Stingray. This was nice, especially like CapsR1, we had small children. There were a handfull of stingrays right at the water's edge. So you could stand and tehy would swim past or you could snorkel. Only fish we saw were near the Stingrays. We took 2 five year old's a 7-year old and an 8-year old. They did fine snorkeling. The only problem was that my wife had trouble getting to my 7-year old daughter after she swam behind the boat, although my daughter was not in any danger or anything. The snorkeling part after the Stingrays was not great as the was nothing to see (same area as the Stingrays, but another boat came in and their passengers were by the Stingrays).

 

I second the Half Moon Cay and bug spray comment. Upon arrival, we rented our clamshell ($15.99 for the day) and were setting up when my wife got about 10 mosqito bites and I raced the island store to buy a $9 bottle of bug spray for the family which was apparently not waterproof. Based on the lady in the store the bugs were out our week but not the week before.

 

The other alternative to cash for the casino is to make sure you win early to get more cash, but if not, you will pay the 3% service charge. There is an ATM on board as well, but I do not how they do fees for that.

 

Eric813

Future Cruises -1

Pride of America (NCL) - November 7-14, 2009

Past Cruises - 10

Carnival Pride (CCL) - June 6-13, 2009

Holiday (CCL) - March 3-8, 2007

Jewel (NCL) - July 2-9, 2006

Explorer of the Seas (RCI) - November 6-13, 2005

Imagination (CCL) - June 12-17, 2000

Inspiration (CCL) - July 14-21, 1996

Britanis (Chandris) - December 1985

Rhapsody (Paquet) - December 1983

Festival (CCL) - December 18-25, 1982

Norway (NCL) - December 1980

[CarrieJ]

Filled out medical form and waitied in line for X-ray

 

 

x-ray?

[amdmsk]

For renting a cabana in HMC, what time does the shore exursion desk open to book them?

There are four of us and we are thinking of renting one and will probably get to the port early, so I was wondering what time the desk opens. Thanks!

[CapsR1]

For renting a cabana in HMC, what time does the shore exursion desk open to book them?

There are four of us and we are thinking of renting one and will probably get to the port early, so I was wondering what time the desk opens. Thanks!

 

The excursion desk is open as soon as you board. It is directly in front of where you come in on the boat, or you can ask directions just to make sure. If you want to book the cabana, then you should come to the ship early, bring a book, IPOD, magazine, etc and just wait until you are called. There are only 15 cabanas and yes, do do sell out quickly.

 

Personally, we felt the money was worth it because it allows you to get off on the first tender at 9am, includes water, sodas if you request instead of water, tortilla chips, a tray of fresh sliced fruit, a tray of fresh cut veggies, a plate of fresh oranges, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, an outdoor shower, 4 beach mats and snorkel equipment to fit your family (they inquire about sizes when you check in). Everything is waiting for you in your cabana when you arrive. You can bring the unused beverages back onto the ship.,

 

It also has an air conditioner, ceiling fan, table with 4 chairs and 2 lounge chairs so you feel like kings and queens for the day. You can eat at the BBQ or bring your food back to the cabana.

 

Waiters will walk around the beach and you can ask them to bring you drinks. Of course, everything is charged to your set & sail card. I would book one again, because we used it for the entire day and were the last tender back to the ship.

 

We could have slept there all night!

[cschultz]

Filled out medical form and waitied in line for X-ray

 

 

x-ray?

 

 

Medical form was to find people with any symptoms of swine flu, prior to boarding.

 

X-ray was the security scan, for the bags.

[OReilyBros]

Thanks for the great review. My husband and I just booked the Pride out of Baltimore for Sept., but the ports of call are different. We're going to Pt. Canaveral, Nassau, and Freeport. Can someone clarify what ID you need to board? We were told no passport was needed, that we could use Driver's License and a Birth Certificate with the raised seal. Is that correct? Thanks,

Eve