1st time cruisers, Carnival Pride April 2013

[Greysea74]

My mom and I are going to be cruising out of Baltimore, in April 2013, on th Carnival Pride. This will be our first cruise, and we were wondering what you all would recommend to pack? and places to go when in port ( Canaveral, Freeport and Nassau ). We are very excited and its all that we talk about.

[fritolayNY]

We cruised out of Baltimore on the Pride last March. This was my second cruise. Make sure to check out your roll call. Wish we had found this board on our first cruise. We talked to many people cruising that week and talked about everything from what to do and what to bring. We even had a met and greet onboard. Have fun.

[Dare2Believe]

The Pride is a great ship! I have sailed on her twice. My parents took their first cruise on her and became HOOKED...fair warning. :-) The port of Baltimore is very user friendly as well; the terminal is so much nicer than the Port of New York (which I hate to say, since I am a New Yorker!). It's a great "first timer" port.

If you plan on taking the excursion to Disney World, I would recommend it for a
quick visit. We went to the Magic Kingdom twice on this cruise and had plenty of time to see everything, especially if you are 2 adults with no kids!

As for Freeport, I would DEFINITELY book an excursion; there is little to do at the port itself besides a little straw market that held no appeal to us either time we went. The second time we went, we booked an excursion to a beach that also included access to a resort..sorry, can't remember that name of the beach/hotel, but if you see something similar to this on your excursion list, it is worth it! Beautiful, uncrowded beach, and the access to the hotel's pool was nice as well! Definitely worth the cost, which I think was only around $30 back when I went.

In Nassau, I would visit Atlantis. It is an easy cab ride from the port and its a beautiful place. No need to book an excursion, unless you want access to the pools/water attractions. Also, Senor Frogs is ALWAYS a good time, with a great view of the ships in port!


Let me know if you have any other questions about the Pride or this itinerary; I've done it twice!

[Dare2Believe]

As for what to pack, there are TONS of lists online that give you a great starting point.

A couple of my favorite MUST-HAVE items:

-Post its to leave notes for your cabin steward (i.e. "more ice please!") or your fellow travelers (i.e. "Mom - I went to the pool!")
-A power strip. The Pride has very few outlets in the room, so a power strip is a must have for charging your electronics/an alarm clock (there are no clocks in the rooms)
-Clorox wipes to wipe down the cabin when you first arrive. It's been cleaned, obviously, but its better to be safe than sorry! Illnesses spread like wildfire on a cruise ship.
-I bring a small bag (similar to this: http://www.verabradley.com/catalog/s...clutch&x=0&y=0) to carry around on the ship, to hold my sail and sign and other miscellaneous stuff if I don't have any pockets.

[Greysea74]

Thanks for the idea about the power strip. My mom is on a CPAP machine and needs an outlet to plug in to. Is there one near the bed or do you recommend taking an extension cord too?

[medianeh]

Come join our roll call! I am on this cruise with you!!

As far as what to pack, I would bring a couple pairs of pants (it may be chilly the first day, and the day we get back), and some sweaters. And of course, it will be nice the rest of the days so definately summer stuff!!

We do not have our excusions planned yet. I believe we are going to go to Cocoa Beach in Florida, no plans yet for Nassau, but I believe we will snorkel in Freeport.

Check out the roll call.

[Dare2Believe]

Originally Posted by Greysea74

Thanks for the idea about the power strip. My mom is on a CPAP machine and needs an outlet to plug in to. Is there one near the bed or do you recommend taking an extension cord too?

I believe there is a plug near the bed, but I am not positive. I would bring an extension cord just to be on the safe side.

[Jen_G]

Originally Posted by Greysea74

Thanks for the idea about the power strip. My mom is on a CPAP machine and needs an outlet to plug in to. Is there one near the bed or do you recommend taking an extension cord too?

I've never sailed on the Pride but on every ship I've been on there is only one plug in the room which is on the desk. Bring the extension cord.

[eltotaupin64]

Originally Posted by Jen_G

I've never sailed on the Pride but on every ship I've been on there is only one plug in the room which is on the desk. Bring the extension cord.

Confirm that claim and also suggest extension cord. being that it's for medical reasons i cant see that they would confiscate it or the power strip

[Greysea74]

I really appreciate all of the advice. I am going to call the cruise line and ask about the outlets. Just trying not to over pack my suitcases. Someone said that they cant weigh over 50lbs. We are so excited!

[jenng1976]

Originally Posted by Greysea74

I really appreciate all of the advice. I am going to call the cruise line and ask about the outlets. Just trying not to over pack my suitcases. Someone said that they cant weigh over 50lbs. We are so excited!

Are you driving or flying? If driving, there is no weight restrictions on your luggage, and you can bring as many suitcases as you need.

I'm sure you will love the cruise! We did this itinerary last Sept and it was a very relaxing and enjoyable vacation.

I did a picture review if you're interested, link in my sig, and there are lots of other great reviews you should check out too that will give you lots of info on the ship and ideas for port (Darth Grady and Ardnassac come to mind).

Oh, and we did the Kennedy Space centre in Port Canaveral and would recommend that.

Have fun planning!

[Greysea74]

We are driving, as I live in Ocean City, MD, which is a 2 1/2 hr drive. Staying over night the night before. Thanks for letting me know there is no weight limit, that will definately make it easier when packing!!

[Greysea74]

I loved reading your review, I am even more excited now then I was before. Come On APRIL!!!

[dixieva]

When you have all of the clothes out that you want to pack---put half of them back in the closet! Really, on my first couple of cruises I took way too many clothes. Mix and match is the secret.

Have a great first cruise!

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

For the CPAP plug in issue, I recommend calling Carnival's Special Needs number specifically, rather that just the normal customer service line...or you can email them. THat way your request is on record...never had an issue with anything I've requested of them, but this way the right area is telling you what to do.

I have been on Pride twice and love it. Very nice size ship...not too large or small. On this particular cruise you are on, it will be very slow going out of Baltimore, because it doesn't take that long to get down to Canaveral, so I would bring a jacket/sweater and pants for that first day and evening. It's nice because it is pretty smooth sailing at such a low speed. For Canaveral, we actually stayed on the ship! DH and I got a couples massage and got the "value" price good on port days only (not the spa special, but actual value pricing on all the other services while in port). It was great. Pool to ourselves, mini-golf, food, etc. all basically to ourselves.

Also, there is a nice whirlpool (not really very hot when we were on, but it was nice anyway) in the spa/gym area that you can use for free even if you don't have any spa treatments.

For space reasons, we always take a couple of smaller bags, because they are easier to store under the bed or in the closets. I tend to pack light, because I know I'm probably going to change a couple of times a day, especially if you do a lot of swimming. So you can wear things a couple of times.

For Nassau, I love Stuart Coves Ultimate Snorkel excursion...well worth the money and no more than any other snorkel excursion. We booked through Island Marketing, because you only have to put down half at the time of booking, rather than the full amount if you book through Stuart Cove. For our upcoming cruise we are doing the Colonial Hilton Beach day since not everyone in our party wants to snorkel.

Freeport is pretty bare, and you can get better prices in Nassau at the straw market than in Freeport. Last time in Freeport we did a snorkel excursion through Pat and Diane tours, and it was good. Not as clear water or as many fish as there were in Nassau, but still a good excursion, and not too pricey. So check them out...they also have some other tours. If you do decide to just stick to the straw market, then I recommend taking the bus that is $5 pp to the Port Lucaya market, because there are more vendors, and you get a little tour of Freeport on your way there.

While we did not get off in Canaveral, I did hear from others that it is a good use of money to get the fast pass at Disney if you decide to do a Disney excursion. Since you don't get to stay as long as you would if you were staying in Orlando, this allows you to ride more things...didn't do it personally, but heard that as some advice.

Also for packing...lists can get crazy, so don't overdo it. I've never taken a popup hamper, over the door shoe organizer, highlighter, etc...but some people find these useful for various things. Space is good but everything is compact, so keep that in mind.

I hope you have a great time!!!

[jenng1976]

Originally Posted by Greysea74

I loved reading your review, I am even more excited now then I was before. Come On APRIL!!!

Thanks!

And if you're staying over the night before, definitely check out the Best Western through Trinity Reservations - it was only $95 incl tax/breakfast/parking/shuttle so was a great deal and a nice hotel.

[christie629]

The Pride is a great ship. We are sailing again on the Pride this Sunday! Can't wait!

I can speak to the CPAP - my husband brought his. You WILL need an extension cord as the plug is across the room. We actually fed the extension under the bed and kept it plugged at night only since its your sole cabin outlet and the cord will knock you over

Bring your own cord - Carnivals are first come / first serve. Make sure it's a good condition and pack with CPAP. Be sure to bring as carryon.

[Msel4u]

You and your Mom are going to have so much fun, i just wish you two were going to cruise with us.. As some people said check out the roll call for your ship, the last cruise I went on we knew about 40 people before even getting on board.

[Greysea74]

Originally Posted by jenng1976

Thanks!

And if you're staying over the night before, definitely check out the Best Western through Trinity Reservations - it was only $95 incl tax/breakfast/parking/shuttle so was a great deal and a nice hotel.

I work for a Choice hotel, so I am able to get a hotel at the inner harbor for $25/night. A friend is dropping off and picking up at port so there is no parking fees.

GG