Carnival Pride Review (LONG) March 21-March 28, 2010

[a6h73]

Here is my review of our recent trip on the Carnival Pride (3/21-3/28) out of Baltimore. The reviews on cruise critic were SO helpful to me in planning and packing so I did a pretty detailed review to contribute.

Background: We went on the trip with our two boys (ages 2 and 6), our friends and their children (2 and 4) and their parents. We are all in late 30’s professionals. My husband and I and one of the other couple are close friends from college. I had been on two cruises, the last one in 1999. None of us have ever cruised with children. Our friend also brought along his parents, who we have also known for 20 years. My first tip is to bring friends! We have found that all trips are inherently more fun when you go with friends. We booked 3 Cat 11 suites about 6 weeks in advance.

Embarkation: We left from Baltimore, which is why we booked this trip. That, and Camp Carnival accepts 2 year olds. The trip from Northern VA was easy- less than an hour. The port was right off 95. I had read it could be confusing with poor signage but we didn’t have any issues. The parking was $105 for the week. You drive up and drop off your bags, prepay parking then park. It’s a short walk to the cruise terminal. We arrived around 12:30. We had VIP boarding and after waiting in a line of about 15 people for security, we were whisked away into a private on-boarding room for check in. However, there were zero lines anywhere as far as I could see so the VIP check in wasn’t necessary. A few minutes later we were on the boat.

Ship: The theme of the Pride is Renaissance art. There is artwork everywhere, you feel like you are living in a painting, and also some sculpture. I loved it. I thought it was beautiful. It’s a mid-sized cruise ship, which is a really nice size. It was darker than other ships I have been on as much of the décor is meant to look like pewter or darker metals. It sort of felt like a palace that had been turned into a art museum. Prior to this I was on the Carnival Fascination which had a glittery Hollywood theme and on Princess cruise which had no theme that I recall. This was my favorite ship. I had read of people’s concern about nudity in some artwork. I don’t know what to say about that really- the art as nothing you wouldn’t see in any art museum or art history class. My children are not shocked at images of the human body and were oblivious. The art was not lewd or gratuitous and most everything “revealing” was soft focused. An anatomy chart in a doctor’s office has more detail. The only possible crowd I could think that would even take note would be early-teens, whose hormones make them easily embarrassed by about anything. If anyone is worried, take a trip to your local art museum and if you can handle that, you should survive just fine. The ship had multiple lounges and bars, casino, main show theatre, 2 major pools (one covered with retractable roof, one without), multiple hot tubs, small children’s pool, water slide, mini golf, golf practice range, basketball court, running track, gym, spa, arcade, disco, teen clubs, chapel, library/internet room, etc. The ship never felt crowded except at debarkation. There were apparently 650 kids onboard. I never saw most of them. I would have guessed there were 100 on board (including mine).

Cabin: We had OV Suites (Category 11). Ours was 6185. Our friends was connecting in 6183. For those of you who want to see these, there is a You Tube video of 6183 and if you have seen that, you have seen the suites. There are no differences in them so don’t worry about finding your exact room. The suite initially felt small to me since I don’t cruise a lot and am used to hotel rooms, but felt bigger as the trip went on. We had four people in there and I cannot imagine going smaller, especially when you have to spend a lot of time in there with children’s naps etc, but I suppose others manage. There was so much storage I couldn’t believe it. Huge bags fit under the bed, there are millions of drawer, closets, etc. We didn’t fill half the storage space. The bathroom/dressing area was very nice for a cruise ship- double vanity, jetted tub (used every day), lots of space really. There was always hot water and good water pressure.

Bring a 6-outlet strip as we did, or you will be very limited- there are only 1 or two outlets in the cabin. The mirrors in the cabin are “skinny” mirrors- be warned, your mirrors at home wont hide the weight gain so well! The beds were really comfortable. I initially thought they felt hard and thought “uh oh”, but they were sort of like temperpedic and they didn’t feel hard after a minute. The sheets were soft and I am a sheet fanatic. They were probably 400-600 TC. There were about 15 pillows in the room. We had the couch converted to a bed – which I thought they would convert back to a couch during the day. But they never did. We didn’t care. We also had the top bunk that comes out of the ceiling over the couch out all week. No one slept up there, I wouldn’t put my 6 year old up there, he moves a lot while sleeping and the rail is only about 5 inches high and 2 feet long. However the kids LOVED playing up there so we kept it out all week as a sort of tree house. They initially gave us a crib which was nice enough but my 2 year old didn’t want to go in it so he slept in the King bed and we gave back the crib after 2 days, which freed up space.

There are a million lighting options in the room, I never did figure out all the switches. You don’t need book lights or night lights as a result. The mini fridge was only semi cold, we brought a collapsible cooler, which our wonderful steward “B” kept filled with ice. This was nice, we put soda and water, juice boxes and sometimes beer in there. We didn’t have any issues with the cooler “sweating” like I had read. The TV I hated. The remote was slow and didn’t work half the time. When you turn on the TV it defaults to high volume which is horrible. The inputs for the DVD are prominent on the wall and they DON’T WORK. They are deliberately disabled. This was a big disappointment as we brought a DVD player for the kids and they had to watch the movies huddled around the tiny screen. There were a lot of hangers in the closet but they were the weird kind that are semi permanent and I was glad I had regular hangers from my garment bag. There was a temperature control in the cabin which I barely adjusted all week- the temperature was usually right on. I think you could have made a big difference either way if you needed to.

We had connecting balconies with our friends. They opened the doors the 2nd day at sea due to rough weather on day 1. This was awesome. At a suite level, you really don’t notice the door obstructing the view b/c it’s not your main view. The balconies were larger than I expected and the rails were high, about 5 feet and had clear plexi-glass all the way to the floor so nothing could roll off the deck. I was very happy with this set up as I was totally worried about the kids on the boat and the balcony and on this ship, I had no worries at all. Even if they stood on chairs (and there was an early lecture by us parents that this was expressly prohibited!) I don’t think they could have gotten over the balcony. The balcony doors are hard to keep open and you have to wedge a table in there. It shuts off the AC in the cabin if you do this, but with kids in diapers, every so often, you just might want to air things out.

The décor of the cabin was decidedly mid-scale. It wasn’t the Four Seasons or the Days Inn. The mid-tone wood was ok, lots of granite, it was nice but not opulent. The maintenance was good but again not great. The upper bunk railing needed to be repainted. There was some chipping of the paint out on the deck, but given this boat is at sea every week, that happens and it’s hard to repair it with a 2 hour turnover window on Sundays. It always felt very clean. The whole ship did.

The cabins were very sound proof. We never heard anything in the cabin or the balcony. Our two year old had a bit of a tantrum one morning at 5 am and our friends next door didn’t hear any of it.

Dining: I was prepared to face the horrors of the Mermaid Grill, which from what I read served mediocre food in a confusing arrangement. I had even pictured it as being outside exposed to the elements. However, we thought Mermaid Grill was great. It was all indoors, except for a Grill portion that had the hot dog/hamburger/chicken finger type food near the pool that could be open or closed depending on weather (mostly closed in our case). The rest of it for us, was really easy to figure out. They have a number of stations, but they are different cuisines. Each station has enough food to easily fill out an entire meal- so this issue with food getting cold wasn’t an issue for us because it’s almost like you pick on restaurant to go to eat from that assortment. Should you decide you want Thai, German, a Reuben and a chicken fettuccine all in one meal, you will have a walk around to a few places. One station was always Asian food (excellent), another was always Deli food (couldn’t stand the lines never went), one was always Pizza (good), one was the Rotisserie which I consider the misc. catch-all American food, and the last was Food of Nations, so every day it changed themes- French one day, Indian another, etc. There was also a salad bar area and a desert area. Most of the food we had there was REALLY good. I don’t know where they get their mayo from, but it was out of this world. The food was super. We live outside DC and have many wonderful restaurants and we were very happy.

I would say breakfast was lacking a little, the eggs were powdered unless special ordered. They had sausage, bacon and Canadian bacon, cereals, hard boiled eggs, Danishes, either pancakes or French toast (only so-so), oatmeal (watery), grits, etc. every day. It was my least favorite meal but just because it paled in comparison to the very excellent food served at other times. The coffee I heard was horrible, but I had no issues with. The room service was AWESOME. Super quick and super good. It did have a somewhat limited menu but it was good stuff, so we didn’t care. The continental in room breakfast was average, like the regular breakfast. We never did breakfast in the dining room.

Dinner was in the main dining room every night. There is only one- which is a little odd and in fact most of the ship’s food is on the aft decks 2/3 and 9. There is a sushi place open at night near the Taj Mahal lounge and a little café there that you have to pay for. Otherwise it’s centralized. Sort of annoying if your kid wants a lemonade in the wrong part of the ship but not a huge deal. We could all use the exercise with the way we were eating. The dinner took exactly 1 hour and 45 minutes every night. We weren’t sure if our kids would be able to manage it b/c we don’t usually take them to nice restaurants (voluntarily), but they snapped into shape and did great. Also the ship has a hum from the motors and that sort of disguises ambient noises or kids chatter. They give them crayons, etc. and the four kids did good overall. The wait staff understands to get their drinks and snacks out quickly. I bemoaned the dress code a little but in the end it was fine. I wore a comfortable dress every night and heels, my husband wore khakis and a golf shirt except for formal nights he wore work dress pants and a button down shirt. My kids wore khaki shorts and golf shirts every night except formal nights I put them in khaki pants and dress shirts. They wore leather sandals every night. It was actually a little nice to clean up for a couple of hours after lounging around all day. The food at dinner was again, mostly really good. Some excellent some just ok. We did order more than one entrée or desert at times- there is no issue or charge for this, they don’t bat an eye. They have a kids menu but we mostly ordered split dishes for our kids from the main menu. I was annoyed that they served “spread” (ick) vs. real butter at dinner and I couldn’t seem to get butter packets and took to bringing my own from the Mermaid. The chocolate melting cake everyone talks about is good- my husband doesn’t usually like sweets and loved it. It’s sort of soufflé on top that merges into a thick rich pudding served with vanilla ice cream. It’s definitely good if you like that sort of thing. If you are expecting “cake”, it’s not. Our first night dining was a sort of comedy of errors as the assistant waiter tried to take our order and he basically didn’t speak English. We’d ask for plastic cups (he served lemonade to my 2 year old in a wine glass!) and he’d bring us crayons. We were pantomiming away and it was crazy. By the second night, the main waiter had to take over everything- which left him a little harried. But we all survived. I’m usually a filet/steak ordered in restraints but the beef options were sort of limited and I was so full from lunch I’d be more adventurous ordering fish, pasta or other entrees. Even, gasp, vegetarian! But they were great and I was glad I did. I thought the Caesar salad had a fishy taste even without the anchovies (as if they are also in the dressing- I think they are), but others loved it.

We got the “Cruise the Vineyards” package as we on-boarded so we had a ticket for a bottle of wine every night. Definitely recommend that. We also ate at David’s one night- the $30/person steakhouse. We ditched the kids in camp and went adults only. This took about 2.5 hours and there was hardly anyone there. Some things were AMAZING- most importantly, the steak. It was incredible and we do all the big steak houses in DC, so we have some basis for comparison. Well worth the $30 ($60 for two) though I understand why people wonder about spending extra when the regular food is so good. But this steak was easily a $400 dinner in regular-land. The regular steaks on the menu in main dining room are generally not very good, so if you want steak one night, I highly recommend David’s.

Weather: We went at the end of March. The day we left it was sort of a odd 78 degree day, so we went to the dock in shorts. However, by the time we hit the Atlantic, it was cold. It wasn’t until Tuesday that we could go back outside. They had the open decks closed due to wind and the balcony was also cold. Monday we hit bad weather and had 60 knot winds and 20 foot waves. A lot of people were sick. I took Bonine when I felt a lot of movement and had no issues. My kids were fine. My husband was a little queasy at times but wouldn’t take the Bonine. Some people were throwing up and I heard a lot of people remark it was the worst they had seen on a cruise. I get car sick but it didn’t bother me at all- except in the very front of the ship. We took the kids to the arcade and it was a nightmare up there. That is what did my husband in and the camp is also in the front of the ship and the kids in camp were all sick that day. While it was cold outside, it was very tropical inside and we wore shorts/t-shirts the whole trip until debarkation day. Once we hit Port Canaveral, it was high 70s/low 80’s and all the decks were open until our last day. It was raining and cold on Freeport morning and I was sure that day was a bust but at 10am the sun came out and it shot up to like 75-80. We headed out and had a great day, but as we were leaving at 2, it started to rain again. The last day was cold like the first days. This was an ok trade off for us as there was a lot to do indoors and we really loved not having to fly to port. I don’t ever recall being hot OR cold on the ship.

Camp: We booked Carnival specifically because it allowed two year olds in camp. We weren’t sure how it would go as my two year old is at home with our live in nanny all day and my 6 year old is slow to warm up. Overall we were happy with it although they spent almost no time there. The first day we dropped them off to get acclimated while we went to the gym. Unfortunately my kids were in separate rooms as my just turned 6 year old got put in the 6-9 room next door which was a little old for him. They were big into Wii etc, that my kid isn’t into because he is my oldest and I have dragged my feet on launching his video game addiction (mean mommy). Also this two room thing meant two lines to wait into to check in- which was bad the first day. And he was disappointed some things he saw on the website, like a big tunnel didn’t exist in this ship. My two year old was fine. After about 20 minutes we got a call that my little one was sick (they give us cell phones). We went back and found out that they called the wrong number, my little one was fine. We went back to the gym and about 10 minutes later we just got consumed with guilt b/c it was SO ROCKY in the front of the ship, where the camp and gym are, that we went back to spring them. I’d say 70% of the kids were sick, on the floor with pillows, looking like they were going to throw up. We got our two, who were not sick and went mid ship.

I found out later in the week that you can downgrade a border line aged kid like my son and he liked that better- all the kids were in the same room then. I think in total, we used the camp 5 hours. Which is WAY less than I expected, and it was mostly the night we went to David’s then we went to a show so it transitioned into babysitting ($10/hour for 2 kids- bargain), and that was great. My little one fell asleep there and my older one watched a movie. I think the counselors were good but to be honest, my kids didn’t clamor to go there as I had been led to believe would be the case. My 6 year old outright didn’t want to go, but his deal is that he is an elevator fanatic and wanted to ride elevators all day. Also since we traveled with friends, we spent more than an average amount of time on the shared balcony with the kids in one room or another so having a babysitter wasn’t integral to our fun. And since we all work to some degree, we did want to spend the majority of our time with the kids. So we were not unhappy with the way camp worked out my only complaint is that the location is pretty rough for Atlantic sea days and I was surprised to see people check in their kids while so many were so obviously ill from the location of the camp. Even the counselors weren’t doing so well. The camp is open at 9 to 10, then babysitting till 1 or 3am depending on age. They close at certain times for meals but also you can have your kid eat there if you insist, I am really not sure how it all works, we didn’t ever run into an issue with the hours.

Excursions: In Port Canaveral we were lounging around luxuriating in the sunshine on upper decks and basically didn’t make any decisions so didn’t do much. My older son and husband took the shuttle to Cocoa Beach while I stayed with my little napping one and read my book. The other family stayed on board. Everyone had fun doing what they did! Still this port is overall lame- it’s a provisioning stop since Baltimore doesn’t have a real cruise ship operation it might be unavoidable, still, I wish it was Key West or something.

In Nassau we did the Blue Lagoon dolphin excursion. Little snafu with that as we booked a 10:30 excursion (not through Carnival) then realized that morning we weren’t arriving until 11am. But they were nice and rescheduled it no charge. We have done this one before with my first son years ago while staying at Atlantis, but we liked it and did it again with both kids. We took a 5 minute taxi ride to the dock at paradise island ($4/person) and then took a boat to the island. The beach at Blue Lagoon is awesome. Technically you aren’t supposed to use it as a Dolphin-only tourer but we went over there with no issues and had a couple drinks on the beach. It’s like a movie set. The water is shallow and translucent and perfect for kids. I highly recommend a beach day there and the dolphin excursion. If you ask, they will tender you back to the ship directly. Otherwise I think Nassau is a mess, but this is a hidden jewel.

Note on kids car seats: I dragged car seats and booster seats on the trip and never used them. EVERY taxi I saw in both Nassau and Freeport ports were really shuttle vans and only one of them had a seatbelt (and then only for the ends of the back row). Bottom line, we left our car seats on the ship.

In Freeport, we dock in a very industrial area near the power plant. You can understand why people would be horrified. However, after the rain stopped, we jumped in a shuttle to Our Lucaya to hit the beach at the Radisson/Our Lucaya Reef hotel. The shopping area there is very very cute with lots of nice shops and restaurants. The beach was windy but very fun. We walked straight on the beach with no day pass or anything. We could only stay an hour due to the timing of it all but the kids had a blast swimming and making sand castles. The shuttle was $5/person and it takes 15 minutes. This was the place I felt more unsafe with the kids out of safety seats b/c you actually hit some open roads where you pick up some real speed. I don’t know what to recommend really. We had a good little excursion but chances are, you will have to hold your kids tightly and pray a lot on the ride vs. find a car with seat belts that can be used to install car seats. The day in Freeport is very short. The beach/pool pass might be a good idea if you had longer but for our timeframe, it wasn’t worth it. I have heard great things about Deadman’s Reef but we are glad we didn’t book it as the rain in the morning would have ruined the day.

MISC: Husband and I both have Verizon smart phones, he Blackberry, me Droid. We moved to international plan to allow data. Any voice calls on board would be $2.95/min. We only did that to rebook excursion. However, my phone barely worked. I got email like once the entire trip, oddly on Tuesday. The rest of the time, no connection. I don’t think Droid works on cruise ships. Verizon insisted it would but I am here to tell the tale- didn’t work. However, I am glad it didn’t work. I am used to always being in touch as an exec at a technology company and being unable to connect was awesome. No work, no guilt. Took post it notes, those were used occasionally. Took ipod speakers, that was great. Took juice boxes, nice for excursions. Brought 12 pack of pop onboard, that was nice to have in the room, otherwise drank only iced tea. We brought two bottles of wine and also a box of wine (smuggled) in luggage. We ran out of wine on Wednesday b/c our friends and parents didn’t bring any onboard and are all drinkers. That was sort of a bummer as domestic beers were $5/each and wine like $8/glass so we racked up some big charges the last few days (college friends, what can we say). Tips are distributed Saturday. We gave our steward an extra tip in cash because we really liked her.

Gripes: There were a couple of things we weren’t thrilled with. Guest Services was sort of a nightmare. We had a couple of issues with our cabin initially- a loud intake fan in the dressing area that sounded like a jet was about to take off. It took 4 calls on Sunday to get someone up there and then they tried to say it was normal. But having been in two other suites, we knew that was baloney, and they did eventually patch it (though not fix it) so we didn’t hear it anymore. Also we did laundry mid way through the cruise and half the machines were broken or if they weren’t they were eating coins. After losing $6 my husband called down and they promised to send someone right up. 30 minutes later a guy arrived with no coins. My husband called back down and they said he had to go to guest services personally- even after they told him he didn’t on the phone. Anyway, he was gone for 1.5 hours looking for working machines and dealing with this (our laundry ended up all over the ship) while our friends and I drank wine on our balcony. I wasn’t sure if he was hand washing the clothes on a rock or what had happened to him, but he was not happy when he returned. We never even got our money back! Guest Services- not very good. Also, I mentioned I hated the TV and remote and fake DVD connectors. The casino was a total rip off. We got sucked in every day to some extent but it wasn’t even fun. The slots take the money and don’t even give you false hope with an occasional win. It’s just lose, lose, lose, no more money. Pathetic. The tables were also very un-lucky. We couldn’t find anyone who even had an up night. I don’t know what is going on with that casino but it’s a black hole. Stay far, far away. We stuck to cash so we knew what we were throwing away but some others who used their sign and sail cards were a little shocked at bill-time. Also there was a fake-tattoo lady up by the pool. Our friends got their 4 year old one- the lady was very rude and practically mean to the child. But most of the workers, who were mostly from Indo/Micronesia or Eastern European were very hospitable and pleasant. I think Carnival does a good job training them.

Shows/Activities: We did the Las Vegas style shows which were really good (esp. Vroom) and the comedian was amazing, though his “r-rated” show as a little more racey than I expected (we brought my friends mom along!). There were a lot of things to do on ship and we did Bingo and other things but mostly hung out with the kids and friends. I would have liked to do some of the behind the scenes tours or discussions on wines but it just didn’t work out schedule wise. We hit the disco and karaoke places. We brought the kids to family karaoke hour and it was just our two families. The karaoke guy was sort of lame (good singer though) and was at the bar drinking and we had to force him back to work but the kids had fun singing twinkle twinkle little star etc.

Disembarkation: We were two hours late returning, no idea why. They had breakfast and wanted you out of your rooms by 930, but we were in until 10. We docked at 10 and then the VIPs could self disembark by about 10:30. However, we checked luggage and so we didn’t get off until VIP checked luggage people were let go at about 12:10. This was a boring wait. They told VIPs to wait in the Starry Lounge but you cannot hear the announcements there. Thus we tried to get off in the wrong group and were held up, our friends were taken elsewhere due to their stroller and they DID get off (along with some people in wheelchairs), but then were held up at the end of the gangway b/c they didn’t have luggage out yet. So they had to wait for an hour and a half outside at the pier- not allowed in the terminal, or back on the boat (even the people in wheelchairs were left there!). And it was 47 degrees out. So that wasn’t so hot. So we were the first group 1’s to leave the boat (other than those stranded outside), there was a short wait for customs, and then our luggage was right there and we were in our car and back home in 45 minutes since you prepay parking. That was very awesome. I do have land sickness though ironically and have been feeling boat motion ever since getting home ( but not on dock oddly).

Overall, we had a FANTASTIC time on the Carnival Pride. There was so much to do and the food was great and it was just really fun. I would recommend the trip to anyone.

Feel free to ask questions!

[KatieLovesMickey]

Thanks for the terrific review! We're booked in Suite 6183 on the Pride in August and I can't wait!!! :D

[tomsgirl3]

Great review! We leave on the Pride in 40 days! Our girls are 7 & 5, hope they want to spend a little more time in Camp Carnival though.

 

We also are doing David's one night..alone! How did the kids make out eating dinner in there?

[a6h73]

David's was great- we didnt bring the kids (probably contributed to the greatness, haha). We put them in camp at 7:45 for our 8:00 reservation. At 10 I called camp and said we were still at Davids and they said no problem, the kids were fine, it just converts to babysitting at $2.50 for every 15 minutes. So we ended up taking our time then going out for a bit before picking them up around 11:30. The little one was sleeping- they give them a pillow and blanket.

[Tiffany1203]

Thanks for the review!

[cantwait06]

Great review thanks so much! Can you tell me a little more about Blue Lagoon? We are going in 20 days with our 3 year old, and have the Dolphin Encounter booked. Is this what you did? I'm wondering about the water temp and water depth, and how your 2 year old did with the dolphins! Also, you said you were able to use the beach and no one gave you any problems? We really really want to do the beach but were under the impression that would be available to us.

 

Also, did you use the kids pool at all? I haven't read much about it and I'm wondering if this was a great pool or not. I know the main pools have shallow wading areas, and I'm thinking that might be better for us. Any opinions?

 

Thanks again for the review, there is so much detailed info in there!

[avandrie]

Great review thanks so much! Can you tell me a little more about Blue Lagoon? We are going in 20 days with our 3 year old, and have the Dolphin Encounter booked. Is this what you did? I'm wondering about the water temp and water depth, and how your 2 year old did with the dolphins! Also, you said you were able to use the beach and no one gave you any problems? We really really want to do the beach but were under the impression that would be available to us.

 

Also, did you use the kids pool at all? I haven't read much about it and I'm wondering if this was a great pool or not. I know the main pools have shallow wading areas, and I'm thinking that might be better for us. Any opinions?

 

Thanks again for the review, there is so much detailed info in there!

 

I second the above request! One part of our group wants to go to the Blue Lagoon excursion, and we want to go as well, but also do the Dolphin Experience. Our DD doesn't swim very well so she's looking for more of just an interaction.

[a6h73]

Great review thanks so much! Can you tell me a little more about Blue Lagoon? We are going in 20 days with our 3 year old, and have the Dolphin Encounter booked. Is this what you did? I'm wondering about the water temp and water depth, and how your 2 year old did with the dolphins! Also, you said you were able to use the beach and no one gave you any problems? We really really want to do the beach but were under the impression that would be available to us.

 

Also, did you use the kids pool at all? I haven't read much about it and I'm wondering if this was a great pool or not. I know the main pools have shallow wading areas, and I'm thinking that might be better for us. Any opinions?

 

Thanks again for the review, there is so much detailed info in there!

 

 

Ok, so Blue Lagoon: The carnival excursion is beach only and they have a private tender pick you up at the dock and bring you back there- I dont know what time that boat leaves or returns. If you book the encounter directly they will tell you to go to the dock at Paradise Island. We got in at 11 and they told us that we could go to the dock at noon and come to the beach for a little while before our 1:30 encounter or that we could take a 1pm boat. We ended up on the 1pm boat because we were disorganized. We went straight to the encounter as a result. They have you sit around a little square platform about 20 feet on each side with the middle cut out. One end of the platform has a submerged platform about 5 feet wide and about 2 feet deep. That is where you take turns standing to do the encounter. They have wetsuits if you need them. The water was cool, high 70s, but my kids didnt notice. You kneel on the platform if you are an adult and just stand or are held if a child. The dolphin comes up to you there. My two year old LOVED it- squealed in delight over and over. My 6 year old who loved it when he was 1, was a little more skittish but also enjoyed it overall. Be prepared for expensive photos! Its a great experience though. Then you just walk over to the beach side or up to the shops afterwards. The boat we took home left at 4. I dont know if there was another one, it seemed pretty deserted at that point. Some kids are free at the encounter but I dont recall if the cut off is 2 or 3. Its on their website. Otherwise its $98. If you have other questions on this I didnt cover, please let me know.

 

As for the pools, they were filled with treated saltwater, which might be a suprise. The water slide was only occasionally open due to the wind. The main pools were very popular, my husband and kids played in them a lot, esp the first two days. They do have a nice wide shallow- like 2 inches depth- lip to them, presumably for sunbathing or kids. But the kids quickly want to jump into the main deep pool. It can also be crowded. The kiddie pool I didnt even notice until the middle of the cruise. My friend took his daughter for hours one day and loved it b/c it was deserted and a perfect depth for her (2 years old) and he just hung out in the water and sunshine. I never made it back there with my kids because we got busy with excursions then we were back on the open sea and that area is not accessible when they close top decks due to wind. If you plan on lots of swimming you will probably want to use both, depending on climate. The kiddie pool is nice when docked.

[a6h73]

Ok, so Blue Lagoon: The carnival excursion is beach only and they have a private tender pick you up at the dock and bring you back there- I dont know what time that boat leaves or returns. If you book the encounter directly they will tell you to go to the dock at Paradise Island. We got in at 11 and they told us that we could go to the dock at noon and come to the beach for a little while before our 1:30 encounter or that we could take a 1pm boat. We ended up on the 1pm boat because we were disorganized. We went straight to the encounter as a result. They have you sit around a little square platform about 20 feet on each side with the middle cut out. One end of the platform has a submerged platform about 5 feet wide and about 2 feet deep. That is where you take turns standing to do the encounter. They have wetsuits if you need them. The water was cool, high 70s, but my kids didnt notice. You kneel on the platform if you are an adult and just stand or are held if a child. The dolphin comes up to you there. My two year old LOVED it- squealed in delight over and over. My 6 year old who loved it when he was 1, was a little more skittish but also enjoyed it overall. Be prepared for expensive photos! Its a great experience though. Then you just walk over to the beach side or up to the shops afterwards. The boat we took home left at 4. I dont know if there was another one, it seemed pretty deserted at that point. Some kids are free at the encounter but I dont recall if the cut off is 2 or 3. Its on their website. Otherwise its $98. If you have other questions on this I didnt cover, please let me know.

 

As for the pools, they were filled with treated saltwater, which might be a suprise. The water slide was only occasionally open due to the wind. The main pools were very popular, my husband and kids played in them a lot, esp the first two days. They do have a nice wide shallow- like 2 inches depth- lip to them, presumably for sunbathing or kids. But the kids quickly want to jump into the main deep pool. It can also be crowded. The kiddie pool I didnt even notice until the middle of the cruise. My friend took his daughter for hours one day and loved it b/c it was deserted and a perfect depth for her (2 years old) and he just hung out in the water and sunshine. I never made it back there with my kids because we got busy with excursions then we were back on the open sea and that area is not accessible when they close top decks due to wind. If you plan on lots of swimming you will probably want to use both, depending on climate. The kiddie pool is nice when docked.

 

 

Also, with kids, take advantage of all the photo sessions they have every night. We got some very cute shots. I wouldnt have ever thought to do this but my friend got my hooked on it mid cruise. The pictures were really good and if you ever struggle to get a good professional shot of your kids (dont they always melt down at the photo studio appointments?), these shots take 20 seconds and they dont have a chance to realize they should be melting down. Very fun.

[melanie1877]

Great review! I am sailing on the Pride on May 2 with my 3yo, so it was nice to see a review with kids in tow. So, it seems you didn't have any problems keeping your kids occupied, even w/o camp carnival? I too, work full-time, and want to spend as much time as I can with my son on our vacation. What sort of activities did you do on-ship?? I also booked the blue lagoon excursion, but only the beach day. How was the water there? Is it safe for a small child to play at the edge? Were there large waves, or a strong undertow? Also, did you take the portable DVD player into the MDR at all? This is usually what I do to keep my son occupied in restaurants. Do you think that the noise level in the MDR is high enough that it wouldn't be a disturbance to anyone if it was turned down low? Sorry for the rapid fire questions, but your children are close in age to mine, and it's hard to find reviews with small children!:)

[a6h73]

Great review! I am sailing on the Pride on May 2 with my 3yo, so it was nice to see a review with kids in tow. So, it seems you didn't have any problems keeping your kids occupied, even w/o camp carnival? I too, work full-time, and want to spend as much time as I can with my son on our vacation. What sort of activities did you do on-ship?? I also booked the blue lagoon excursion, but only the beach day. How was the water there? Is it safe for a small child to play at the edge? Were there large waves, or a strong undertow? Also, did you take the portable DVD player into the MDR at all? This is usually what I do to keep my son occupied in restaurants. Do you think that the noise level in the MDR is high enough that it wouldn't be a disturbance to anyone if it was turned down low? Sorry for the rapid fire questions, but your children are close in age to mine, and it's hard to find reviews with small children!:)

 

As a disclaimer, my kids (2 and 6) love mechanical things and so they were happiest wandering around the ship looking for new elevators. So we did a lot of wandering and just chatting with them- we were out for leisurely strolls and they were on the hunt. We'd stop at places along the way, the shops, the ice cream machine, duck our head into some event. They'd do swimming (for hours), loved mini golf, went to arcade several times, they were excited to go walk around the light up disco floor, they always had some sort of idea in mind, they just wanted to explore is my guess. At night they'd watch movies in the cabin. They still refuse to take off their wrist bands and my 6 year old has been crying every night that he wants to go back and live on the Pride.

 

We brought the DVD player to the taj mahal once and it actually worked great. You couldnt hear it play with the noise and my 2 year old was glued to it laying on the floor, not moving. That was relaxing! For the MDR, you could *probably* get away with it, depending on your table. Ours had bench seats on one side which was nice as the kids could kind of roll around there. You may find you dont need it. It shocked us that our kids could sit though a 2 hour dinner nightly. I would have bet they couldnt. But I have two and two can be easier than one as they entertain each other (or fight!). But worst case you could bring headphone for the player, we do that on occasion if we want silence and there is only one of them.

 

You will love Blue Lagoon for your three year old. What I loved about it is the one side is an enclosed cove. So the water is almost totally still and the its clear and has a gradual sandy entrance. Its really perfect for kids. The beach in freeport was more more vigourous, we had to grip them tightly. Blue Lagoon also has hammocks, tons of shade, chairs, and water toys like kayaks, pedal boats, snorkling things, etc. You can also wander over and see part of the dolphins performance for free. Its a really nice place, if we end up back in Nassau, we will go there again- for the third time.

[melanie1877]

As a disclaimer, my kids (2 and 6) love mechanical things and so they were happiest wandering around the ship looking for new elevators. So we did a lot of wandering and just chatting with them- we were out for leisurely strolls and they were on the hunt. We'd stop at places along the way, the shops, the ice cream machine, duck our head into some event. They'd do swimming (for hours), loved mini golf, went to arcade several times, they were excited to go walk around the light up disco floor, they always had some sort of idea in mind, they just wanted to explore is my guess. At night they'd watch movies in the cabin. They still refuse to take off their wrist bands and my 6 year old has been crying every night that he wants to go back and live on the Pride.

 

We brought the DVD player to the taj mahal once and it actually worked great. You couldnt hear it play with the noise and my 2 year old was glued to it laying on the floor, not moving. That was relaxing! For the MDR, you could *probably* get away with it, depending on your table. Ours had bench seats on one side which was nice as the kids could kind of roll around there. You may find you dont need it. It shocked us that our kids could sit though a 2 hour dinner nightly. I would have bet they couldnt. But I have two and two can be easier than one as they entertain each other (or fight!). But worst case you could bring headphone for the player, we do that on occasion if we want silence and there is only one of them.

 

You will love Blue Lagoon for your three year old. What I loved about it is the one side is an enclosed cove. So the water is almost totally still and the its clear and has a gradual sandy entrance. Its really perfect for kids. The beach in freeport was more more vigourous, we had to grip them tightly. Blue Lagoon also has hammocks, tons of shade, chairs, and water toys like kayaks, pedal boats, snorkling things, etc. You can also wander over and see part of the dolphins performance for free. Its a really nice place, if we end up back in Nassau, we will go there again- for the third time.

 

Thanks for all the advice!! We'll try the MDR without the DVD player, and see how it goes! Worst case scenario, I'll get a set of headphones!:)

[jimbo5544]

Very nice detailed review. I loved the Pride and have sailed on her twice (not out of Baltimore). Thanks

[wone3]

Thanks for the review....I have the alternate summer cruise trip planned but it was nice to read and hear about the ship too.

[TrinaLC]

Also, did you take the portable DVD player into the MDR at all? This is usually what I do to keep my son occupied in restaurants. Do you think that the noise level in the MDR is high enough that it wouldn't be a disturbance to anyone if it was turned down low? Sorry for the rapid fire questions, but your children are close in age to mine, and it's hard to find reviews with small children!:)

 

Please do not bring a DVD player into the Dining room unless your child is wearing headphones! Same on an airplane or other enclosed place! We do NOT want to hear your child's baby einstein or other DVD.

 

Personally, I think this is a good learning experience for a child to learn to dine with grownups in a restaurant environment, so we never did the DVD/headphone thing, but to each his/her own.

[littlesnit]

There are inexpensive adapters available so you can connect 2 sets of phones to one player if you needed to. Radio Shack might have them.

[cantwait06]

Ok, so Blue Lagoon: The carnival excursion is beach only and they have a private tender pick you up at the dock and bring you back there- I dont know what time that boat leaves or returns. If you book the encounter directly they will tell you to go to the dock at Paradise Island. We got in at 11 and they told us that we could go to the dock at noon and come to the beach for a little while before our 1:30 encounter or that we could take a 1pm boat. We ended up on the 1pm boat because we were disorganized. We went straight to the encounter as a result. They have you sit around a little square platform about 20 feet on each side with the middle cut out. One end of the platform has a submerged platform about 5 feet wide and about 2 feet deep. That is where you take turns standing to do the encounter. They have wetsuits if you need them. The water was cool, high 70s, but my kids didnt notice. You kneel on the platform if you are an adult and just stand or are held if a child. The dolphin comes up to you there. My two year old LOVED it- squealed in delight over and over. My 6 year old who loved it when he was 1, was a little more skittish but also enjoyed it overall. Be prepared for expensive photos! Its a great experience though. Then you just walk over to the beach side or up to the shops afterwards. The boat we took home left at 4. I dont know if there was another one, it seemed pretty deserted at that point. Some kids are free at the encounter but I dont recall if the cut off is 2 or 3. Its on their website. Otherwise its $98. If you have other questions on this I didnt cover, please let me know.

 

As for the pools, they were filled with treated saltwater, which might be a suprise. The water slide was only occasionally open due to the wind. The main pools were very popular, my husband and kids played in them a lot, esp the first two days. They do have a nice wide shallow- like 2 inches depth- lip to them, presumably for sunbathing or kids. But the kids quickly want to jump into the main deep pool. It can also be crowded. The kiddie pool I didnt even notice until the middle of the cruise. My friend took his daughter for hours one day and loved it b/c it was deserted and a perfect depth for her (2 years old) and he just hung out in the water and sunshine. I never made it back there with my kids because we got busy with excursions then we were back on the open sea and that area is not accessible when they close top decks due to wind. If you plan on lots of swimming you will probably want to use both, depending on climate. The kiddie pool is nice when docked.

 

 

Thanks again for the detailed response! One last question. My fiance and I have a bet as to how expensive those photos at the dolphin encounter are. Do you remember the price? We would like to be prepared. Also, can you bring an underwater camera with you to take photos? Thanks so much:)

[a6h73]

Thanks again for the detailed response! One last question. My fiance and I have a bet as to how expensive those photos at the dolphin encounter are. Do you remember the price? We would like to be prepared. Also, can you bring an underwater camera with you to take photos? Thanks so much:)

 

A 5 by 7 was $16. There are packages, I think 3 5X7, 1 8X10 and 2 magnets are like $90. You can bring an underwater or waterproof camera, yes. The best pictures are of the dolphin kissing you and that is where they get you because you wont be in a position to take a shot of your group- even friends in the session might have trouble getting it unless they went right ahead of you and could turn around and snap it.

[maxamuus]

Great review. Thanks for sharing!

[melanie1877]

Please do not bring a DVD player into the Dining room unless your child is wearing headphones! Same on an airplane or other enclosed place! We do NOT want to hear your child's baby einstein or other DVD.

 

Personally, I think this is a good learning experience for a child to learn to dine with grownups in a restaurant environment, so we never did the DVD/headphone thing, but to each his/her own.

 

 

Totally agree with you if anyone else can hear the DVD player. We have never done this is a fine dining restaurant, I'm talking more like loud, noisy chain places (olive garden, etc.). Would never want to disturb anyone else's dinner, but sometimes, we get halfway through a meal with no issues, and then the meltdown comes, so IMO a DVD player turned down low enough not to be heard at the next table (or using headphones) is the lesser of two evils versus a screaming toddler.

Oh, and I would NEVER use a DVD player in an airplane without headphones!

[rlthomas7]

Thanks so much for your detailed review. Our son will have just turned three when we sail next year, so I was glad to hear about the experience with young kids!

[cantwait06]

Thanks again! I was sure one photo was going to be around $40, so I can handle $16:)

[bb80]

Thanks for the review, we are sailing on the Pride the end of May with our 2 year old son and it was great to hear your thoughts. The phone part was also interesting since my husband has a blackberry and I have a Droid. I think I'll be turning them off when we board and not worrying about it until we return!!

[Trendy00bett]

I went on this as well and here is my packing list.

http://www.ehow.com/how_6013460_create-cruise-vacation-atlantis-bahamas.html

[a6h73]

Ive downloaded my pictures of the trip so I have a few pictures of the suite and blue lagoon etc. I dont know how to post photos here but if you need one in particular I can email it.