Pride 12/05-12/12/2010---Review

Now that the house is finally quiet, I can get started on this review.[/size]

This was a girls week away cruise. Me and 3 other girls that I work with planned this cruise over the summer. Kathleen is a longtime cruiser, first cruise for Laura, and second cruise for Kelly. This was my second trip on the Pride. Mostly because it's so close to home, about a two hour drive from the Delaware beaches. We stayed in cabin 6232, the extended balcony cabin that has the extra long balcony on the port side. We definately needed the extra long balcony what with 4 women in one cabin.

My husband drove me to the port were I met my friends. They live further north than me and it was out out of my way an hour to go meet them in order to ride with them. Plus, I'm a smoker and there's no way I want to ride the two hours w/o smoking. We left our house a little after 9am and arrived at the port at about 11am. My friends had already been there about an hour before me. I have no idea why they felt the need to leave so early. Once we pulled into the port there people with orange vests directing traffic and they directed us to the drop off area. You just pull your vehicle up next to the big bins where your luggage goes and the guys take them out of your car and toss them in. Gave my husband a kiss and off he went.

Once I walked in the terminal area the line was minimal. They were on zone 7 by the time I checked in. My friends were sitting in zone 5 and the carnival employee allowed them to save me a seat. We waited until a little after 1 before they started boarding. Apparantly, due to the high winds the port kept closing the midship gangway and the passengers had to be diverted to the alternate gangway-aft. Due to the delay in their disembarktion, we were delayed in boarding. After boarding, we went to the guest services desk to put cash down on our accounts and to make sure our billing was done properly...pretty much I wanted to make sure that since my name was the dominant one on our booking that I was paying for everyone's cruise...

In the atrium next to the guest services desk they had the table set up for purchasing soda cards and stacks of the red carnival thermos cups discounted for those who purchased the soda cards. We waited for Kathleen to get her soda card and cup (with tax added on since we were still docked in port) and then went straight to the lido. It was pretty mobbed by the time we got there but we were able to get a table all the way aft where I like to sit so that Im close to the open deck smoking area in the back. At this point I had no idea that that was turned into the new adult serenity area during dry dock...which now makes that a non-smoking area. You have to take the stairs up a deck to 10 to smoke if you're in the aft area...VERY windy and cold there in the winter...on deck 10...on the lido too, but not as bad as 10.

It stayed empty like that the whole cruise pretty much as the weather wasn't the best.

Great pictures! That's too bad about the weather. We're heading on the Pride this January and I am looking forward to hearing more about your trip. :)

By the time we were finished eating, it was a little after 2:30 and they announced that our cabins were ready so we took the stairs down to deck 6. I'm all about taking stairs down...but going up them I try to avoid...:p. We had already planned the sleeping arrangement prior to. Kathleen prefers the bunk...up out of the way..wasn't sure if she wanted to be out of our way or us out of hers..but either way she was up. Laura chose the couch bed and kelly and I had the twins. Mine closer to the balcony so I wouldn't disturb everyone if I wanted to go out and smoke during the night.

Laura's sitting in the corner boozing it up already!...lol.

BTW..as you can tell, I stink at picture taking...lol.

Had to get a pic of Kathleen with her spilled coffee all over her nice white Carnival robe..

What I liked least about the cabin were these damn boats. They should make these obstructed view cabins..

.

Now it was time to take a tour of the spa since some of us planned on utilizing this amenity for showering before dinner while the others used the cabin shower. The Pride spa is beautiful! I love the hot tub there, it's so tranquil. We went to the spa daily and used the steam room and sauna too. All free of course. I wish I had taken pictures of the spa..but I didn't...sorry.

After the spa tour we did the muster drill. Same old same old...but without the vests. We all stood packed like penguins for body heat since it was freezing. Didn't matter who you were standing next to...lol.

Next was the sail away but it was freezing so we went to the spa raffle instead. It was posted $500 in free spa stuff. We thought it was the prize for one person and planned to split between the four of us if any of us won. But, it was multiple drawings totaling that amount. Free updo, men's haircut, fitness stuff and the biggie that I wanted to win..a full body massage. Everytime they announced that the prize was something to do with the gym I would say to the girls, "if they call my name for that, one of you go up." So, they announce the next prize is some fat metabolizer session. I know I'm fat, I don't need their machine to tell me that. You know they called my name right? No, not for the facial or the updo and most especially not for the full body message but for the fat session..wth you gotta be kidding me. So, I gave that away and paid $130 for my massage.

Now, months ago when Mach first told us about the Chef's Table and being able to prebook on John's blog I booked us for the Chef's Table and when I got the confirmation email from Carnival's steakhouse hostess I replied back to that email and booked the Chef's Table for my upcoming Feb cruise and David's for Valentine's. Then I read a thread about the free bottle of wine for the table if you book the steakhouse on the first night. So, I emailed Tina again and booked our steakhouse dinner for the first night since we had planned on doing that too sometime this week. Needless to say, there were many emails between her and I regarding both of my Pride cruises and also for ordering a birthday cake to be served at David's that night for Kelly's birthday.

So, we went back to the cabin to get ready for our first steakhouse experience. Kelly's bag wasn't there yet so we all went "as is". I was shocked when a lady came to the table and asked which one of us was Donna. It was Tina and she wanted to thank me for sending her an email that praised her for all the help in planning my dinners for both of my cruises. She said during dry dock everything was torn apart and drapes were covering everything all over the ship and she was not able to use her laptop for awhile and was behind on all her work. She said things were really hectic at that time and frustrating. She said she was in a really bad mood and when she logged on to catch up on her work she got my email and it made her spirits pick up. She sat and chatted with us for a while and when she left she said she'd see me on Valentine's Day. Anyway, it was very nice.

The girls ordered surf and turf, a filet with the lobster tail, and I ordered the porterhouse steak cooked medium. Now, as I said the food was wonderful, but my steak walked itself out to the table..that's how rare it was. I did have to send that back. And this would be the first of many times that I saw the head chef of the Pride, Jerry, out and about during the cruise. He brought out my new steak and stayed and chatted a bit. This is when we found out he does the Chef's table on the Pride.

What would pictures of the Pride be without a pic of David?

When we first sat down at the table, they delivered these little mini things...compliments of the chef.

The review is great so far. I can't wait for more!

After dinner we walked around the ship a bit so everyone could get oriented and then we headed to the Taj Mahal for the welcome aboard show. It was okay but not one of the best shows. Oh, I want to mention while it's on my mind this private alcove or hallway that runs along the right side of the Taj. It was really nice..

I thought that area was really cool.

After the show, we went to the butterflies lounge for the uncensored comedy show. The guys name was Happy Cole. We stayed for the whole thing but it was a little too uncensored for me.

By now it's well after midnight and we're were all ready to hit the sack. I was feeling very stuffy and congested before we left and knew I had started the beginning of a sinus infection that Laura had had the week before and I was feeling pretty drug out.

And I'm starting to feel pretty drug out now, so I'll have to do more tomorrow night. :D

Great Review! I am in single digits!!

Great Review! I am in single digits!!

Me too! We leave this Sunday and was hoping someone would write a review from a recent sailing. Thanks!

Hope you are feeling better soon!

great start to your review, donna!

i don't want to go back and quote comments between here and your capers post - but i really like your way with words :D

very funny and great perspective so far. keep going! :)

I was thinking about you last week! My family and I were down in Rehoboth area for some outlet shopping. I was anxious to hear about your week on the Pride and especially about cabin 6232. We're in 6232 in January. You and your friends look like a fun group. Sorry weather didn't cooperate, but I bet you all still had a great week. I love the Pride - this will be 4th time to sail on her, 2nd time in winter. Very different from summer cruise, but I enjoy it. Can't wait to read more....I'm enjoying the pictures as well as the review. Good job.

great start to your review, donna!

 

i don't want to go back and quote comments between here and your capers post - but i really like your way with words :D

 

very funny and great perspective so far. keep going! :)

Thanks :).

I'll post more tonight.

I was thinking about you last week! My family and I were down in Rehoboth area for some outlet shopping. I was anxious to hear about your week on the Pride and especially about cabin 6232. We're in 6232 in January. You and your friends look like a fun group. Sorry weather didn't cooperate, but I bet you all still had a great week. I love the Pride - this will be 4th time to sail on her, 2nd time in winter. Very different from summer cruise, but I enjoy it. Can't wait to read more....I'm enjoying the pictures as well as the review. Good job.

It's convenient to have the Pride so close.

My husband is sick of the same itinerary though. Thankfully there adding Bermuda.

We're doing the outlet shopping tonight too. I'm so far behind on shopping what with the 4 added grandchildren this past year!

Nice start to your review. Love the Pride. I would be interested in what you thought of the weather and sailing out of Baltimore in cooler months.

Nice start to your review. Love the Pride. I would be interested in what you thought of the weather and sailing out of Baltimore in cooler months.

I sure wish it was a little warmer. But, I find the winter months to be so cheap it's worth it to me. I like to vacation in the winter and since it's so inexpensive, I don't mind the cold for the first couple of days down.

I think this Dec cruise was a little colder than last Feb.

I will finish my review today when I get to work. It's a circus at my house..lol.

Excited to read more!

Love the pics Donna. My husband and I booked this cruise for May, we've left from Baltimore twice on the Grandeur of the Seas and also loved the convenience. We live in Denton on Marylands Eastern Shore.

Oh, I want to mention while it's on my mind this private alcove or hallway that runs along the right side of the Taj. It was really nice..

That's called the "Sunset Garden". :D