Silverspringcruiser

The menu was slightly different on the Pride. We had the mushroom cappuccino and the spinach salad, but the main and dessert were beef stroganoff and cheesecake. The stroganoff was amazing, not the brown cream gravy you usually get; this was something you can imagine being prepared for the Czar. Too bad that isn't what they serve in the MDR.

 

STAFF: The Cruise Director is Josh "Big Sexy" Waitzman, who does an outstanding job! He's very friendly, funny and really loves his job. He has to be one of the best CD's that Carnival should be proud to have on board! His assistant Calvin, and social hosts Pauly, Char, and "Pickles" were absolutely a hoot! "Pickles" is one fantastic gal and will be with Carnival for a very long time! She's fabulous! We had a blast with everyone!

We were on the May 25th cruise and want to second how great the staff is. Both Josh and Angelica learned our names and always had a big smile whenever we passed by. I forgot to ask her how long she's had her nickname (anyone familiar with Nickelodeon cartoons knows how she got it).

I've been on cruises with forgettable CDs, but I can't tell you how excited I was when I looked at the 1st Fun Times of our last cruise and found out Josh "Big Sexy" Waitzman was the CD. He was the ACD when we sailed the Miracle in 08 and fortunately the promotion hadn't changed him. We reintroduced ourselves and everytime we saw him again he was nothing less than super friendly, like he was hosting a party and was so glad everybody came.

Are the MDR menus the same as the 7-day non-American Table menus posted on zydecocruiser?

I wonder how many cruisers want all the extra amenities and activities, and how many just want a deck chair, a slushy drink, familiar food, and the opportunity to do nothing. For those people you can't beat the value of Carnival.

Elegant night is the best time to get pictures taken, and not just because of what you're wearing. The photographers really work to pose you so you look your best, having you turn your body this way and tilt your head just so. And they take more than one shot. Probably the best picture my wife and I ever took was on Carnival, and that includes our wedding.

It is on the children's menu.

 

I meant the 1/2 pound burger and real fried chicken, not the kiddie burger and chicken nuggets.

Is the sports bar ever busy? On my last 3 cruises I've wandered into them in the afternoon and they've always been dead. Are they busier at night?

Why did they get rid of hamburgers and fried chicken as an everyday option? If I don't like the entrees of the day I don't want my only options to be a dried out piece of meat.

CD was Josh.

You didn't like Big Sexy? He was the assistant CD when we were on the Miracle in '08 and we thought he was great.

What a coincidence. Our last cruise was the Glory and our next (in 20 days! Woohoo!) is the Pride!

You said the shows are good. Were any must-sees, and are there any I won't regret missing?

That CARROT CAKE is delicious! and it's only like $1.95 or $2.95 and yes enough for 2 people.

 

You can get steak in the MDR but people still pay $35 to eat in the steakhouse...right?

Except the steak in the MDR is terrible. I don't feel the same way about Carnival's desserts.

I just can't figure out where to put more dessert into my schedule. Should I have it before or after my afternoon pizza?

We're on the May 25th sailing. What's the big musical revue?

With all the delicious desserts Carnival already provides what reason is there to spend money on pastries at the coffee bar? Are they that much better? I know the coffee is better; that I understand.

Do ATD and say you'll take the first available table. You can eat when you want, you won't have to wait as long for a table of 2 to open up, and you'll meet different people every night.

Do you have to stay for the whole length of the excursion, or are there shuttles running all day back to the ship?

I would think the controversy would be over the fact that neither the White Rabbit nor the Cheshire Cat is a person!

 

I edited out from my response the pedantic observation that the first "person" (non-animal) Alice meets is the Duchess. Furthermore, the first character she "meets" is not the White Rabbit. She sees him first, but he's not the first to who she talks to. That would be a mouse, when she's swimming in the Pool of Tears created when she was larger. But anyway you look at it the Cheshire Cat is not the right answer.

I've seen a couple of the answers get challenged during trivia but so far most of the social hosts will just award them the point also. Ex: "who is the first person that meets Alice in Alice in Wonderland?" Answer was White Rabbit, but a guest pointed out that in the book it was the Chesire cat. Both answers were awarded the points. The hosts do their best at all times to try to make sure everyone has fun, it is on the honor system and some folks may not be so honorable but is it worth it to challenge anyone over a game?

We had that question too, and the host said there was controversy about that question. (Maybe as a result of your experience.) He also accepted the Cheshire Cat, which I did argue was completely wrong. I think he made the excuse that it was correct in some foreign translation.

I'm surprised at all the recommendations to "relax". I find that midafternoon on sea days there's nothing to do but relax.

Speaking of room service, I just learned about the chocolate cake and how good it is. I might have to try it.

It has a free pool you can access without going through the restaurant. And it has a swim up bar.

On my next cruise I'm going to get a nice slushy drink and bring it back to my room so I can drink it on my balcony while reading my Kindle. I've gotten slushy drinks in the afternoon before. I've read my Kindle on the balcony before. But for some reason it never occurred to me to both together. Anybody else not realize a way to have more fun until their 2nd, 3rd, or even later cruise and think why they didn't do it sooner? And what was it?

Am I remembering wrong, or are the Conquest class buffets not much bigger than the Spirit class, despite there being over 800 more passengers? I was annoyed by how crowded it was on the Glory, but I don't remember feeling the same way about the Miracle.