Frisco and Friends Pride Revue 2/25-3/4

Hello Cruise Critics!

I have been back from cruising the Carnival Pride to the Bahamas for a week now and feel the need to get my review going before I forget too many details to do an adequate job.

This was my third time on the Pride and I brought my two friends who had been on the ship once before. I am platinum and this is both of their second Carnival cruises. They have also done a Princess cruise and often drew comparisons which tended to be both negative and positive.

I don't have a great eye for photography or patience to upload pictures like some of the posters on here, so this will be a prose revue. I promise there are better pictures floating around on these boards than what I could take.

This trip almost didn't happen. My life partner found out she was with child about a month before the trip and didn't want to cruise given the restrictions the company places on pregnant women re: drinking and smoking. However, because I booked through the casino, it was going to cost a lot of money to cancel at this point. As a result, I recruited my two friends who are gov't employees and could get vacation on short notice to go with me. We are all guys in our 30s. We like to party, gamble and have a general good time. I like to eat more than they do, Friend 1 (Larry) is a bit of a cocksman and Friend 2 (Gary) has a bit of a gambling problem;). (Not using their real names to protect the innocent) They are cousins but we all grew up outside of Dayton, Ohio and have been close for as long as I can remember.

We wrestled with how we'd get to the ship. Gary likes to fly everywhere. Larry wanted to take a bus and I wanted to drive. I was almost on board with Larry and we were about 20 minutes from booking bus fare until Gary had a fit and got on board with driving (he is an elitist who works in politics). Given the weather was good for February, we decided we'd just drive in the day of the cruise in order to let Gary attend a bachelor party the night before.

We left my house in Ohio at 5:30 AM on Sunday morning and laid eyes on the ship around noon. The drive was beautiful and uneventful. We listened to podcasts and argued about the topics being discussed. It was quite a fun time for a bunch of nerds. Of course we forgot some toiletries so we had to stop at RiteAid before getting on the ship. We were in line to park by 12:45.

I think if you're coming from Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky or Indiana, it makes sense to drive. The view is breathtaking and the trip is relatively painless. I know some people have health issues that might prevent them from driving but assuming you're able bodied, it really is the way to go. I think we spent about $60 on gas and $105 on parking. There is no way we would have all been able to fly for that cheap.

Now this should be an interesting review. Frankly I am shocked that you follower of all rules would skip muster drills.....

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Hahahaha This is great so far😂😂😘

How warm was it the days going down and coming back?

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I've got to get some work done and go to a board meeting tonight so I'm going to have to finish the review tomorrow. Next installments will be, ports of call, complaints, praise and overall summation. Thanks for reading and apologies for not finishing in an afternoon.

Hahahaha This is great so far😂😂😘

Glad you are enjoying

How warm was it the days going down and coming back?

 

 

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It was 60s going down but with the wind it felt colder. Coming back I believe it was 50s but the wind was really strong and it felt like 40s. I had to bundle up on the last day to walk across the outside portion of Lido. Unfortunately we had warm weather at home the week I was gone without wind so I felt like I was missing out other than the time we were on or near the islands!

This is one of the most entertaining reviews I've read. I'm looking forward to more.

Now this should be an interesting review. Frankly I am shocked that you follower of all rules would skip muster drills.....

 

 

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Hey just because I don't think people should have drugs on the ship, I'm not a complete square! There's rules and there's RULES after all!

But honestly, if they did every muster drill like this, I wouldn't have a problem wasting the 45 minutes that it always seems to take. This was definitely an upgrade though I think most would agree they are silly. I've got Gary on board with my position over the past couple cruises. I am sure it is low on his list of things but I hope he brings it up over cocktails from time to time when he meets with important gov't officials at fundraisers and things. He pointed out that it is probably not something that will change unless there's some sort of calamity where the protocol is proved to not work and the people in charge are under pressure to make changes. I think he has a pretty good point.

This is one of the most entertaining reviews I've read. I'm looking forward to more.

Thanks! :D

Hey just because I don't think people should have drugs on the ship, I'm not a complete square! There's rules and there's RULES after all!

 

 

 

But honestly, if they did every muster drill like this, I wouldn't have a problem wasting the 45 minutes that it always seems to take. This was definitely an upgrade though I think most would agree they are silly. I've got Gary on board with my position over the past couple cruises. I am sure it is low on his list of things but I hope he brings it up over cocktails from time to time when he meets with important gov't officials at fundraisers and things. He pointed out that it is probably not something that will change unless there's some sort of calamity where the protocol is proved to not work and the people in charge are under pressure to make changes. I think he has a pretty good point.

I can certainly agree that at times they could go better. That aside, they are needed.

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Loved reading the review. Thanks a lot! I was hoping that you could answer a few questions of what yu saw.

1. Was the Lido Deck covered while leaving Baltimore? And if so, when was it removed?

2. Was there a money giveaway drawing in the casino daily?

3. Are the pool areas open on day one?

Thanks

Hello Cruise Critics!

 

I have been back from cruising the Carnival Pride to the Bahamas for a week now and feel the need to get my review going before I forget too many details to do an adequate job.

 

This was my third time on the Pride and I brought my two friends who had been on the ship once before. I am platinum and this is both of their second Carnival cruises. They have also done a Princess cruise and often drew comparisons which tended to be both negative and positive.

 

I don't have a great eye for photography or patience to upload pictures like some of the posters on here, so this will be a prose revue. I promise there are better pictures floating around on these boards than what I could take.

I'm amazed how many details I've forgotten already and if I do a review it won't have pictures either. It sounds like there will be at least two reviews with pictures from this cruise though.

Congratulations on the new baby. I hope mom and child stay healthy and she has a pleasant pregnancy. It's very thoughtful of you to encourage your daughter with her fast, sticking with it even when she wasn't there to see it.

Stateroom, Stateroom Attendant and Room Service

I booked this cruise as a "bounceback" offer from the casino and must have been still drunk from my last cruise when I did the booking. I do not remember booking an ocean view. We had a balcony on our last few cruises and they were fine. But, to be honest, I was excited about the dark, cave-like sleeping atmosphere that interior rooms provide.

 

 

Needless to say, I was shocked when we saw the window for the first time in our room. This was my first time in an oceanview and it may be my favorite room type now. I loved the view of the sea but don't really use the balcony enough to justify the cost of having a balcony or suite. On our trip back to Baltimore we experienced a Nor'easter and the fury of the ocean was mesmerizing from the safety of our room.

 

 

The room itself was in pretty good condition. They upgraded the TVs to flat screens since October. Unfortunately there was nothing to watch as all the decent channels had been removed. I felt like an anthropologist trying to watch CNN and experiencing its"news". We really missed ESPN but it probably kept us out of our room a bit so not entirely bad I suppose. The worst part was when we were getting ready and wanted background noise. Gary (a right-wing lobbyist/political hack) couldn't handle CNN without outbursts so we watched the same CCL infomercials and movies much of the time. I also made a few sports bets at Atlantis and it would have been nice to be able to watch them away from other people because they were pretty tight games.

 

 

There were two negatives about the room. The first was the water in the shower never seemed to get cold enough for any our liking. It seemed like it would have been an easy fix (according to Larry) but we decided not to bother maintenance with the issue. The second was the normal informational literature such as room service menus or how to use the phone was missing. We were able to get most of it from our room attendant as needed but we never did get an evening room service menu despite asking room service and our attendant.

 

 

We ordered breakfast room service once and it was on time and more than we needed. We didn't order evening room service because of the upcharge. We all enjoyed it in the past and thought it was a kick in the nuts that they are adding a charge on it. I miss the shrimp and steak sandwiches, I'd pay for those suckers.

 

 

Our stateroom attendant and his assistant were ninjas. They did an adequate job servicing us. They kept our ice bucket full and gave us more waters daily. Because they were ninjas we rarely saw them. I know they are busy and seem to be getting busier so I'm not disappointed in them for not chatting more. I guess I'm disappointed in the company for not giving them more time in their schedules for guest interaction. That's truly one of the big reasons I cruise.

We had the new RS menu behind the phone with both 6-10 items and 10-6 pay menu (it was all in one, not a separate menu). We ordered continental breakfast for Freeport and they were prompt and the food was plentiful.

I agree that indoor musters are a much nicer way to go. It seemed like our muster station at least was better about getting there promptly. We had one of the dancers and Ashley (bassist from Beasts from the East) and they kept the crowd entertained while we were waiting, including making sure kids had their green bands - and I think tossing out Del Sol rings for the kids (unless that was a different event:confused:).

Food!!!!

 

I'm not foodie. My parents are the world's best cooks and I'd take their food over anything the world over. Maybe I don't have the most refined pallet but I thought the food was pretty good the entire cruise. My daughter gave up sweets for lent so I did the same as encouragement. I also gave up bread my food experiences were limited a bit.

I was ready for my own cooking by the end of the week, but I never went hungry and appreciated others doing the shopping, cooking, and cleaning;)

 

The blue iguana tacos were delicious all week. I'm not a big pork person so didn't try the pork until the last day. Of course they were the best! You really can't go wrong with any of them though. The fresh tortillas and toppings combined with the delicious meat make them as good as tacos I've ever had (and my first wife was Mexican). I don't remember pork for the tacos - was this the breakfast burrito? Their shrimp was fantastic and was my lunch at least 4 of the days:eek: . Guy's fries were pretty good too.

 

 

We ate Seaday Brunch every day it was offered. The steak and eggs were better than normal. I also really enjoyed the fruit and various sides. I really missed the breads though, can't wait to get them again!

Husband and I enjoyed our first brunch, but not the second day. He also enjoyed the steak and eggs and the huevos rancheros were very good (different than BI, but good there too). We tried pancakes and the spicy chicken the next day, but both were "meh."

 

I didn't have anything revolting on the buffet. We actually ate there for dinner a couple nights which I've never done. I really like that they have people going around with drinks. I didn't use their services but I think it's a nice touch for older people and people traveling with kids. I guess it's not all cutbacks! The only dish that wasn't impressed with was the lamb. I usually like lamb at home but the piece I had was just too fatty. It probably is a bad time to buy lamb though so maybe they had a limited selection.

 

 

The MDR food was delicious as usual. I ordered more salads than normal and they were very good but decided to avoid the cold soups even though they are my favorite. I also missed being able to get the delicious desserts. Oh well there's always next time.

I learned early to ask for dressing on the side - unfortunately they drown their food a bit.

 

Two dishes that stood out were the lobster and the frog legs. The lobster and the accompaniments (I had 4) was some of the best I've ever had. The frog legs were an upgrade to what they had been, the sauce wasn't thick and the legs were good quality.

I didn't have the lobster - think I went with Carbonara - but tried the frog legs. I agree that the sauce was nice, but my legs were very bland. Escargot was nice, also the green beans with bacon were very tasty.

 

I tried the Indian food one night. I wasn't a huge fan but I'm glad I tried it. I like Indian food at home but CCL's version was vegetarian and I don't eat vegetarian options generally.

 

 

I ate a lot less than normal this trip, I'll definitely step my game up next month and in May!

 

 

We had Any Time Dining and I hope I can always get this option. It is nice to not be bound by a set time. The service was always excellent.

Appreciated anytime as well for the flexibility, but found the service hit or miss and consistently slow (and we enjoy leisurely dining).

 

 

 

Loved reading the review. Thanks a lot! I was hoping that you could answer a few questions of what yu saw.

1. Was the Lido Deck covered while leaving Baltimore? And if so, when was it removed?

2. Was there a money giveaway drawing in the casino daily?

3. Are the pool areas open on day one?

 

Thanks

Pools were open on day one, but drained at Freeport due to the winds.

Echo above^^^^^

I enjoyed all of the ports of call this trip but today was my easily my favourite. Gary had plans to meet some people he knew who were at Atlantis so he planned to get to there as quickly as possible. Larry and I decided we wanted to walk around the city and play it by ear.

Larry and I spent about an hour walking through the business district and contacting people back home from a pizza shop. We got a little bored and decided to go to Atlantis. We got a ride to Atlantis for $4 each in a shuttle/cab. The ride took about 15 minutes. Larry doesn't like Atlantis's casino so we both got off at the beach stop and walked to beach to get to the resort itself.

The beach was beautiful but I felt like the vendors were some of the pushiest I've ever encountered, even in Jamaica. The umbrellas and chairs were also pretty expensive ($30 each) which seemed like a huge ripoff to me. After testing the water, we decided that today wouldn't be a beach day and we walked up the beach to get to Atlantis.

We enjoyed the outdoor attractions at Atlantis for a bit and walked into the casino. Larry quickly got bored and left me to my own devices. I played a bit of single deck blackjack (for the novelty) and won several hundred dollars. I then made my way to the sportsbook to put that money on some games. I'm pleased to report that I'll be sending some winning tickets with a coworker in a few weeks and will have money coming back!

I was pretty annoyed by how unfriendly the casino staff was at Atlantis. I asked the pitboss a question about their craps and he answered it like a smart ass so I decided not to give them much action. Glad I walked out a winner.

Larry walked from Atlantis to the cruise terminal. He loves to explore and be active and said he had a great time. I waited and waited and waited some more for a shuttle back. It took about 30 minutes which was very disappointing. Once I got back to the cruise ship area, I settled into a bar within sight of the ship and drank/chatted it up with locals. I went back to the ship a couple hours before we were supposed to get and saw Larry in line. We decided we'd drop off our stuff in the room and head back out until right before the ship left.

We went back to the bar and one of the guys who I was talking to had taken over running the bar. He gave us drinks very cheap and we got pretty well oiled the rest of the afternoon while chatting with the locals about crypto-currency, local agriculture, local politics, tax systems and how the Bahamas have stopped being as big of a player in the global financial system. It was a really fun last couple hours in Nassau!!! We were among the last people back on board. Larry bought a couple pints of rum to smuggle on and did so without any issues FWIW.

Gary said he had a good time at Atlantis. His friends who were there hooked him up with a day pass or something so he got to enjoy the entire resort all day. He agreed with me regarding the casino staff at Atlantis not being friendly. He won big playing blackjack he said.