Pride 3/28 - 4/4 - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

[GroveGang]

This is the first Carnival Cruise we have been on. And by far, the BEST out of the six cruises we've taken. In this review i'll be giving our views on how the cruise went ... covering The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I'll be breaking it down by days ... and will happily answer questions.

Sunday March 28, 2010 - Baltimore:

Parking/ Luggage:

We live in Virginia, so we had a 1.5 hour drive to the port. Straight shot up I-95, traffic was good and we were pulling into the parking lot at Cruise Maryland at 12:35. Very nicely set up, right off I-95, lots of traffic direction. Pulled in, head to the parking line and dropped off luggage. Stopped the car, porter loaded everything onto the luggage carriers and off we went to park. (We paid cash, $105 for the week, no-one in line) The credit card payment line had about 10 cars. We were given a parking pass and directed to a space in the first lane. There were still people from the previous cruise straggling out or waiting for rides.

Terminal:

We were directed to the entrance (front of the building, facing I-95). Once in line, you go through security scanning. (Same as the airport) and are directed into line to check in. We had VIP Boarding (we upgraded to a suite, and it was included) so we went to the VIP Lounge (on the far right of the terminal). We checked in, given out sail and sign cards and were escorted to the waiting area. We were told we could board, after the wedding party.

(Check in note: The agent at Carnival advised us that our boys (17 & 18) could use our military id's and birth certificates for identification. Luckily, we were doing a closed loop cruise - departing and returning to the same port - and that was accepted, but the staff advised us that had it not, this id would not of been accepted and after June 1, will not be accepted. Do yourselves a favor, and get everyone in your party passports to avoid this problem).

We waited for 15 minutes or so, and were then allowed to board. You pass thru the U.S. Customs area at this time and they want to see id's and your Sail and Sign, so have them in hand. (There is also no personal photography in this area). The ships photographers are set up to take your embarkation photos and they are available later that day in the Photo Gallery for purchase.

Embarkation:

Carnival Pride = Beautiful!

We walked up the gangplank and entered Pride on Deck 2 Midship, directly into the Atrium Lobby. At the top of the gangplank, there is Pride Security checking everyone, activating your Sail Sign cards. You step thru security and are greeted by Pride Staff. If you haven't been on Pride before, be prepared to be awed. The sight of the 8 story atrium with it's art and glass elevators stops everyone in their tracks. Located in this area is the Atrium Bar with live entertainment, the Guest Services (Purser's) Desk, The Shore Excursions Desk and a table set up so you can get soda cards.

Our first stops were the Excursion Desk to sign up for the 'Behind The Fun' Tour for DH and I. This is an amazing tour, held on the last sea day and takes you into parts of the ship that passengers are not normally allowed to access. More on this later ... but defiantly something you would remember for a lifetime.

There are staff directing everyone to Deck 9 (Lido) to have lunch, drinks and enjoy live entertainment until the cabins are available (Usually around 3:30).

People on CC have noted that the buffet area on Pride is confusing. Not really, just different. They have gone with a 4 station approach instead of a never ending line in one long buffet. Take time to walk around before you get food. There are menu's posted at each station at the beginning of the line area. There is a Sandwich Station, making the daily specialty sandwiches and Panini's ... or you can ask for specific sandwiches made to order. They will also make grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids. There is an Asian Station (yummy), a station that changes daily and another that has a different ethnic offerings daily.

There are two dessert stations and two stations for beverages (coffee, hot tea, iced tea, fruit juices, etc). Soda can be purchased from any bar for $1.95 or use your soda card. Near the aft section of Lido, there is a coffee bar, a pizza station with a great variety; they also make fresh Caesar salads. There is a deli station with fresh meats, salads, fruit etc in this area also. Outside the aft doors are two ice cream stations offering cones or bowls of ice cream and frozen yogurt.

If you want something fast, Lido midship, near the pool is a station that serves hot dogs, burgers, fries and cold salads. Try their fresh made chips and salsa! Awesome!

In these buffet stations, breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily.

On all other days the Normandie Dining Room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a more upscale menu.

In my opinion, the food on Pride is very good. I tried foods I have never had before and enjoyed them. My kids ate with us most nights in the dining room, but the nights they didn't, they managed to find something. David's Steakhouse is amazing and defiantly worth the up charge for a special dinner. Be prepared tho, the experience takes 2 - 2.5 hours for the entire meal.

Room service delivers 24 hours. They make great sandwiches and bring the basics for coffee and breakfast. If you go hungry on Pride, that's your fault.

Cabins:

Cabins are ready between 3:00 and 3:30. Please, don't rush down trying to get into the cabins before the time announced. They stewards need time to turn the rooms around from the previous cruise and they do a wonderful job. The cruise director calls them cabin ninja's ... an apt description, because they do seem to come an go in record time. Leaving behind fresh towels, towel animals, mints and fresh ice. Give them time to prepare for you and you'll be glad you did.

We had Cabin 7347 (Aft Wrap Suite) and the boys had Cabin 7349 (Balcony) at the rear of Deck 7. The Suite was amazing ... never had one before, so I was impressed. I will be happy to answer any questions about the suite. The cabins are nice, have more than enough storage space and are kept in very good condition. In fact, the whole ship is very well kept.

After checking out the cabins, we dropped off our carry ons and went to explore the ship. We checked in at Club 02 (teenagers 15-17) and got the schedule for our youngest. I can't speak about the younger ages clubs, since I don't have kids that age. I will say that they announced there were 1,000+ kids on board for our cruise (Spring Break) and the kids clubs did an excellent job of keeping them active and entertained. We occasionally saw them around the ship with the camp staff, but they weren’t running around causing havoc ... so i'd definatly check out the kids club if you have little ones.

Sail away was a bit cool and drizzly, but they had the cover closed over the Lido Pool, a live band and plenty of food and alcohol ... so everyone seemed to have a great time. We stayed for a bit, they kids found some others to hang out with and DH and I watched sail away from our balcony while enjoying a glass of wine.

Luggage delivery went on into the early evening, we had all our bags before dinner, so I took a little time to unpack and explore the cabin.

Normandie Dining Room:

We had early seating dinner, Table 312 on Deck 3. (Normandie has two floors). We were seated by the windows in a booth for 4. Not my first choice, I like to meet folks when we cruise ... but it turned out nice as we were able to chat with folks nearby. Our waiter Korankot from the Phillipines and assistant waiter Jasenko from Monrovia were wonderful. They greeted us by name each night, got the drinks we liked without being asked. Korankot was funny and very knowledgeable and seemed genuinely interested in us and our boys. More than the general "hi, how are you" type of thing we've experienced on other lines.

The Pride dinner menu’s vary daily, but always have steak, chicken and a vegetarian entre' offered each night. The pasta dishes are great. I enjoyed each one I tried. My oldest son is the meat eater and LOVED the steaks. The night they had Filet Mignon on the menu, Korankot brought him two and made a friend for life. My husband had every seafood and fish dish they offered and declared the Red Snapper to be the best. The Warm Chocolate Melting Cake was as awesome as everyone has said it was. (I was lucky enough to get the recipe if anyone wants it). Overall, i'd rate the Normandie as first class. The staff are well trained, attentive and will do whatever they can to make sure you enjoy your experience.

The Atrium Bar:

After dinner, DH and I would stop by for an after dinner drink and listen to Tony Ray for a bit. If you get the chance to see him, do so ... he's very good. This seemed to be the hub of the ship on our cruise and a great place to people watch. We aren't big drinkers, but tried several DOD's and enjoyed them. Bar staff knew what they were doing, drinks were well made and everyone seemed to have positive feedback.

The Welcome Show was entertaining and well attended. We enjoyed all the shows we saw. Personally, I didn't care for Kirk the Cruise Director. Don't know why, but he rubbed me the wrong way. Jaime, his assistant was better. But that's just my humble opinion. So enough said there.

It had been a long day, so we called it a night around 11pm. Our day on Pride was very nice. I noticed when we were getting ready for bed, that the ship seemed to be rocking a bit, and when I stepped out on the balcony (a nightly ritual for me on a cruise) it was raining. Little did I know that we were about to be hit with a hell of a storm.

Day 2 - 1st Sea Day to follow.

[falkcor]

hey there, welcome back - great start, looking forward to the rest of your review :D

[GroveGang]

Thank you Mark. I apppreciate the compliment. I read your review of Pride before we left. It was funny how many times a question came up and you had already answered it.

 

You helped make our trip awesome.

 

Johanna

[Tiffany1203]

I think the confusing line people are talking about is the burger line...they have people starting at both ends and you end up meeting in the middle which was a hassle....:eek:

 

GREAT review!!! :D

[DBBJR87]

what a great review so far. i can not wait till there is more. One question I have is when you first get on bored. Where do you go to get in line for the Excursions Desk . I want to get in line to get that tour and a cabana.

Thanks

[family cruisers]

Hey Mark,

 

Not sure if you've seen it but We're heading back on the Pride same week, same itinerary .... Aft balcony this time :-)

 

hey there, welcome back - great start, looking forward to the rest of your review :D

[As You Wish]

I'm enjoying your review so far. It sounds like you got off to a great start.

[vavasmom]

I am also enjoying your review. We sail on the 27th of June and can not wait.

[GroveGang]

DBBJR87 - When you board, you will come onto the ship in the Atrim. Go straight ahead and you will see it to your right, just past the glass elevators. The line gets long later in the afternoon, so first thing is best.

 

You'll have a great time!

[Bill Friendly]

I was on the ship last year and also did not like Kirk.

[GroveGang]

Day 2 – March 29, 2010 – Sea Day 1.

So dawns our first sea day on the Pride. It was drizzling when we got up (we are early birds). Room service delivered coffee, bagels and lox and croissants precisely at 7:30 am. (God I love the people at Room Service). It takes me time to wake up and I’m grumpy without my first cup of coffee … so we have it delivered before we venture forth into the ship. Coffee was good, not sure what brand they use, but it’s okay. If you want specialty coffee, there is a coffee bar on the ship and will make your vente, mocha latte, half cafs, whatever’s for a fee. Never bought one, so I can’t share prices with you. For me, plain old coffee with a splash of French Vanilla works best (we brought the French Vanilla on with us in a small cooler and nothing was said). Croissants are fresh and light, bagels lightly toasted and the cream cheese and lox is DH’s favorite. So all was right with the world.

The ship was still rocking, but tolerable. We got situated for the day and picked up DS and headed to the Normandie for breakfast around 9:00. Also a tradition for us is Eggs Benedict in the dining room the first full day on board … it’s DS#2’s favorite thing in the world. (Yea, we have our quirks LOL).

Breakfast was nice, seated in an Aft window directly above the wake, joined by another cruiser and chatted for a while. The waiter asked if we were enjoying ourselves and let us know that the captain had advised there was a storm in North Carolina. We finished breakfast, figured out what the kids were doing and headed out to explore some more.

Around 11 or so, the rain got heavier and DS#1 found us and said DS#2 was not feeling well. I headed back to the cabin to check on him and he said he was feeling seasick. (Been like that since he was little, cars, planes, boats …) so I gave him some Bonnine (never leave home without it) some ginger snaps and had him lay down for a bit. By now DH was back to check on us. He turned on the TV and we saw that North Carolina was getting pounded by a huge storm.

By noon, the ship was rocking something awful. The captain had slowed down and put out the stabilizers, but 17 foot seas and 65 mile per hour winds were kicking Pride’s butt. By 2:00, both DS’s were seasick, DH and I have stronger stomachs, but we were dizzy and feeling the effects too. We were in Aft cabins and you feel the motion anyhow ….. For the next 6 hours, it was the roughest I’ve ever had on a ship. DH and I had to actually time our steps to the roll of the ship as we checked on the kids. Everyone looked like drunks as they bounced off the walls in the halls. It seems funny now, but it wasn’t at the time.

We were supposed to meet some folks from our Roll Call at 1:30 in the Piano Bar. So folks, if you are reading this, I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to meet all of you and I hope you will forgive me for the no-show. At 1:30, I was telling my 17 year old that he would, in fact, live thru the day. A big “Thank You” to Hartanto, our cabin steward for the extra “supplies”. All of the Staff were teriffic through this, even tho some of them were sick as well.

This was the first formal night, and I’m sure some folks enjoyed it … but we weren’t there. I will watch the Captain’s Gala on the cruise DVD. Such is life …

The seas finally calmed as we reached the South Carolina coast and by bed time and the captain announced that we had cleared the storm. Tomorrow would be beautiful he assured us … and he was right.

Onward to Day 3 …

[ChampionCruiser]

75 days to go. 75 days to go......ugh it's never going to get here!

 

But i'm enjoying your review in the meantime:)

[thePrincess1]

My DH and DS (15) will be sailing on the Pride in 41 days...

Your review is great! I cant wait for your next post!

[falkcor]

Thank you Mark. I apppreciate the compliment. I read your review of Pride before we left. It was funny how many times a question came up and you had already answered it.

 

You helped make our trip awesome.

 

johanna -

 

you're very welcome! i love reading about other peoples' experiences on the ship that i enjoyed so :D

 

and ha! i'm so happy to hear that so many questions were answered before they even came up - so glad i could help make your trip awesome - i appreciate that compliment ;)

 

looking forward to more! :)

[falkcor]

Hey Mark,

 

Not sure if you've seen it but We're heading back on the Pride same week, same itinerary .... Aft balcony this time :-)

 

carrie -

 

VERY COOL! i guess you really did like your cruise on the pride!

 

and enjoy that aft balcony - i'm gonna get one of those, one of these days... seems very appealing to me... :)

[kimmysmom]

Love the review so far. We sail out on Sunday 4/11 and cannot wait...

[alwalaska]

Great review so far. I am really enjoying it. We have not sailed Carnival yet, so I have a couple of questions and your review seems really detailed and fair, so I hope you don't mind if I ask.

 

First, were the shows such as the Welcome Aboard show family friendly? I know some shows such as the Newlywed game are not intended for kids, but I am wondering about the other shows.

 

Second, I don't want to start any fights, but I can't find anything worthwhile in the reviews or on Carnival's web site, so I was wondering what the smoking policies were on board.

[cantwait06]

great review, I am anxiously awaiting more! Sorry about the rough seas!

[littlesnit]

Hi Ann,

Reading this thread and saw your post. I just received this response from Guest Solutions to my recent inquiry:

 

Below is a list of all the areas throughout the ship that smoking is permitted.

 

Name: Beauties Dance Club

Location: Riviera Deck 1 - aft / Promenade Deck 2 - aft

Hours: 11:00pm - late, nightly

 

 

Function: Dance Club

• beverage service
  
• DJ music nightly
  
• dance floor
  
• guests must be 18 years and older
  

Name: Starry Night

Location: Promenade Deck 2 - forward

Hours: hours vary depending on the activities scheduled

 

 

Function: Lounge and Bar

• beverage service
  
• live music nightly
  
• dance floor
  
• Karaoke
  
• daily activities
  
• talks and lectures
  

Name: Perfect Game Bar

Location: Promenade Deck 2 - forward

Hours: hours vary depending on port / at sea days

 

 

Function: Sports Bar

• beverage service
  
• big screen TV's showing various sports events
  
• selection of cigars for purchase
  
• Smoking permitted including cigars/cigarettes/pipes
  

Name: The Winners' Club

Location: Promenade Deck 2 - midship

Hours: Sea Days: slots open: 9:00am / select tables open 10:00am / full casino open 12:00pm-3:00am

Port Days: closed while in port; opens after the ship departs port

Function: Casino

 

Name: Ivory Piano Bar

Location: Atlantic Deck 3 - forward

Hours: hours vary depending on the activities scheduled

 

 

Function: Piano Lounge and Bar

• piano music
  
• piano fun (sing-a-longs, games)
  
• Smoking permitted
  

Function/Location: Outside Public Areas

Smoking permitted on Starboard side

 

[alwalaska]

Thanks Littlesnit. I have to ask, where did you come up with your screen name.

 

Also, this list seems confusing to me. Only two of the sites are specifically listed as smoking permitted. Is smoking permitted in all the locations, even though it is not specified, or simply the two specified as such.

 

Sorry to be dense. I just really want to know the actual situation before we book something.

[littlesnit]

Funny, I e-mailed them back because I'm confused, too. Will update you when they get back to me with a clarification (I hope.)

 

My screen name is the "clean" version of the name of a pony I had bought for my niece a long time ago when she was young.

[falkcor]

Sorry to be dense. I just really want to know the actual situation before we book something.

 

Funny, I e-mailed them back because I'm confused, too. Will update you when they get back to me with a clarification (I hope.)

 

on your list, you can't smoke in the 'starry night' lounge that is used for karaoke and such...

 

smoking areas are as follows:

- beauties dance club (disco), but only on the upper floor (it's 2 floors)

- perfect game bar (sports bar), and cigars are allowed here too

- the winner's club (casino)

- ivory piano bar (piano bar), but often not around the piano, per entertainer

- open public decks, but starboard side only...

- in cabins, and on balconies (all)

 

here's a list of the full public areas:

http://www.cruisedeckplans.com/Carnival/fleet/pride/PublicRoomandFacilities.htm

 

and the full cruisedeckplans.com site for pride:

http://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/Main/Carnival+Pride-deck-plans.html

 

really, smoking areas are rather limited, in the grand scheme of things, and the severity to which they're 'smoky' will vary... not very noticeable, in my opinion...

 

hope that helps :D

[alwalaska]

Thank you Mark. That is very helpful. Sorry to have hijacked the thread. Back to the next posting of the review soon I hope. :p

[Glamourgal]

Thanks for taking the time to review your cruise. For those of us awaiting our cruise it is so much fun reading others opinions!!:) It has been over two years since my last cruise and I cannot wait for this one!! I signed up well over 400 days ago and it is finally getting close!

 

I've heard wonderful things about Roger Concepcione, the piano player in the piano bar. Did you hear him?

 

I look forward to the rest of your review!!

[GroveGang]

Ann: Seems like they covered the smoking question. They are correct in the locations. I am allergic to smoke, so for me to say I had no problems is good. The only time I really noticed anything was late at night in the casino and again when I passed by the sports bar late in the evening. Someone was smoking cigar. On decks, smoking is allowed on the starboard (right) side of open decks, so you can always walk thru on the Port (left) side.

 

I did learn on my "Behind the Fun" tour that the ship is equipped with smoke evac systems in the smoking areas and they keep it pretty clear in my humble opinion.

 

The shows: The Welcome Show is fine for kids. Varoooom has some costume issues in one number there female dancers are wearing Vegas Type costumes. They are wearing what I would call a g-string. Full coverage in front, but their bum cheeks do show for a moment or two. There is also a number where the male dancers show thier bare chests and are wearing a speedo type short. There is no full nudity or anything like that. To be honest, there is so much going on with music, lasers and lights, most kids didn't even notice.

 

The comedian Jayme Ball (comics change, so you may not have him) does a family friendly show, but his late night adult show IS NOT child friendly. This is noted in the daily Fun Times, it's projects onto the big screen before the show and they make a point of announcing it beforehand.

 

Carnival does give ratings in the daily event Fun Times about all shows and has parental warnings with the specifics on each show. Example: Varooom is rated PG with a description of costumes.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Will be posting Day 3 this evening.