Wonderful time on the Carnival Pride Sept 16-23: Review, Pics + Comparisons to HAL

[absolutely brilliant]

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[jenng1976]

First Afternoon:

 

After lunch, we decided (well really I, since I was the one who does all the research, haha) to check out Serenity since I was pretty sure we wouldn't be able to get a seat out there the rest of the cruise since it's so popular.

 

After an initial detour since we went the wrong way - the first of many times my trusty sense of direction failed me! - we found the Serenity area. Yay! And blissfully empty too - almost no one had found this section of the ship yet since most people had yet to board. (As an aside - our cruise docs suggested arriving between 1PM-3PM, which we promptly ignored!).

 

We had brought along our bucket of beer and spent the next hour + out there relaxing before the cabins were ready.

 

 

 

Of course - I also had to try the hammock. Which is harder to get on than you would think! I'm not ashamed to say that was one source of amusement watching people get on - especially two at once! I know, that's terrible to say. But, it is interesting to people watch. Jim and I are both quiet-natured people and mainly keep to ourselves while checking out everything around us.

 

And here's our first shot of the water ...

 

We didn't see this area this empty again until the last morning of the cruise.

 

[dmarie1623]

Enjoyable review, nice pictures too! I'm looking forward to reading the rest. Thanks for sharing.

[Crusin Karen]

Looks like you are very excited for your cruise! Thanks for sharing and Happy Birthday to Jim! :);)

[amillard222]

Great start! We will be sailing on the Pride for the second time in Feb.

[jenng1976]

Well, before we knew it it was 1:30 and we headed down to check out our cabin. Plus it was HOT out there on Serenity! There wasn't much shade, unless you sat at one of the couches or the table/chairs. It's too bad they didn't have any shaded clamshell loungers for those who like a nice peaceful area to hang out, but who don't want to be out in the sun all day.

 

The doors to the cabin section were opened and we dropped our carry on bags in the room. No luggage yet though. We also "kept" our bucket from the bucket of beer since we did smuggle 12 cans throughout our 3 bags and hoped they would make it to the room. I know this is a controversial topic - but honestly we didn't really feel all that guilty about it.

 

In my opinion, they should offer some reasonably priced beer options from Bon Voyage. On HAL you could buy a 6 pack for roughly $20, which we took advantage of and bought one pack for each of us. It was enough of a discount that we didn't feel compelled to sneak any on since it was easier to just have it waiting for us. On Carnival you have to pay full price so there's no real reason to buy ahead of time.

 

You already saw my cabin pictures earlier - so we'll skip ahead to our walking around the ship pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jenng1976]

And a few more ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jenng1976]

Well, after exploring the ship for a bit - we decided to head back to the room before the Muster drill.

 

Oh - I also forgot to mention - one of our "usual" boarding afternoon activities is waiting in line at the Dining room to speak to the Maitre'd and request a table for 2. I know some people swear by big tables and how much more fun it is to sit with other people, but for me that's just not the case. For one reason, we're both shy and chit-chatting with people is mildly stressful. Secondly, I'm a pretty picky eater - I stick to the standards for the most part (meat/potatoes) and don't enjoy the 'why don't you like this' or 'just try it' talk that seems to come when you eat with people you don't know.

 

So, for both those reasons we always request our own table. We did try Anytime Dining on our last cruise, but prefer to have the same waiter team so went back to Early Dining on this cruise.

 

But I digress - I said this is usually part of our sailing day activities - but not today! This time, a couple weeks before the cruise we emailed the maitre'd for the Pride, and politely requested a table for 2 if possible. The reply we got back was a bit vague "will take care" - but we thought our chances were probably good. So, when we got our table # from the S&S cards, we quickly checked with the hostess who had a seating chart, and YES - our request had been granted!

 

We were thrilled (and we did tip him on the last night, even though we knew we didn't have to). Though anyone wanting to try the same thing - apparently they have been told by Carnival Management to stop replying to people who request tables by email since it's becoming more frequent.

 

Although to be honest I really don't understand the rationale - it must be easier to accommodate people's requests before all the tables have been assigned, rather than after. You'd think they would want everyone to be reasonably happy if they could - some people like big, some small - no one is wrong for having a preference.

 

Anyway - back to the room! Sorry, my short stories never seem to stay that way, lol. When we got back there - Jim's suitcase was outside the room waiting for us! One down, two to go.

 

It wasn't long before we heard the announcements that the Muster Drill would be starting soon. We decided to make a quick pit stop to Lido to get some ice water - then down to Muster. I'm sure everyone's least favourite part of the cruise! While we were up on Lido - I was amazed at all the people who just got a full plate of food and were about to sit down. Didn't they hear the announcements? It's just irksome to have to wait on people who don't feel the timelines apply to them.

 

But, we can't change anyone else's behaviour - so headed down to our station. Interestingly, they lined us up in rows of 6, from the wall to a bit before the railing. So, Jim ended up in the front of one row, and I was at the back by the wall of the next row over. This method seemed more organized than having people line up first along the back in a long row, then have people start a second long row, etc. I don't think I've described that well, but hopefully some of you know what I mean!

 

Overall it was pretty painless and didn't take too long before we were released.

 

We then headed back to our room for Sailaway!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Charxu]

Thanks for doing another Pride review, I can't get enough of them right now. We are sailing May 5th on the Pride and driving to Baltimore from Ajax, just east of Toronto. Can you please tell me exactly where that restaurant is it looks like it would be the perfect place to stop for lunch and also was it about half way to Baltimore? Thanks.

[jenng1976]

Thanks for doing another Pride review, I can't get enough of them right now. We are sailing May 5th on the Pride and driving to Baltimore from Ajax, just east of Toronto. Can you please tell me exactly where that restaurant is it looks like it would be the perfect place to stop for lunch and also was it about half way to Baltimore? Thanks.

 

Well, hello! I know exactly where Ajax is, my family lives in the Whitby/Oshawa area, and once upon a time I worked at the CIBC and Costco on Salem.

 

Anyway - I'm not sure what route you are taking, but we crossed at the Peace Bridge and did a zigzaggy route down to I86 (google maps) - and the restaurant was in Hornell, NY just off the exit. It was listed on the Restaurant sign on the highway. It was close to 1/2 way, maybe a little less.

 

It really was a good restaurant if you're going that way!

 

On the way home we went a different way - we crossed at Gananoque from the I81 - and it was a longer drive (about an extra hour), but it was a simpler route.

 

J

[Crusin Karen]

Funny to see that yellow plastic cup on the bar in picture #3. One of my "pet peeves" is when people just plop a cup or glass wherever they want...Another pet peeve....muster drill....we are always there on time. ANNOYS me when pax come straggling in at the last possible moment and are standing IN FRONT, so they are the first ones to leave too. I know it seems petty and in the scheme of life ...:cool: but in fairness, the crew should put the pax who first get there in the lst row and fill in the latecomers in the back. Okay, that is my vent for the day! :rolleyes::o

[yogimax]

Keeps getting better!

 

I agree with you about the table for two. We're sailing on the Glory tomorrow, so I'm curious to see if they honored our request.

[jenng1976]

So, I will try and finish Day 1 of the cruise tonite! These things always take so much more time than you think they will. I mean - really? - how can I still be on day 1? lol

 

Anyway - we spent the rest of the afternoon after sailaway on our balcony reading. Interspersed with checking every so often for the other two bags. We didn't have to wait too long for the next one - the Garment bag. But where's my bag? It can't possibly be lost, can it? I mean, we're sailing away - please please please let it not still be on the dock.

 

I flash back to when my luggage tag fell off and the porter said he would put a new one on ... sigh. But, I hadn't lost hope. They don't deliver ALL the bags at once, mine is probably still in process. We even walked down to the midships elevator section where we had seen tons of bags earlier - but empty now.

 

A bit discouraged, but still hopeful it would be coming eventually we continued our reading. And drinking some of our "stash" we brought on board - we had 4 in each bag, so far 8 had made it to our room safely.

 

About 5:50 (we had Early seating) I realized that my bag is NOT going to be there before dinner. Luckily I had a cute dress in the garment bag (though that wasn't what I originally had planned on wearing) - but no makeup or anything or proper shoes so I had to wear the dress with flipflops to dinner!

 

And off we went - down 3 flights to deck 2. (We took the stairs wherever we went all week - only once did we use the elevator, no matter how many flights we had to go).

 

Truly - what I saw next shocked me - and continued to shock me all week long. At 6PM there was this GIANT line to the MDR. I mean, it snaked all the way to the Atrium. It was crazy, honestly. So, we headed to the back of the line and waited for it to start moving. And mentally made a note to come a few minutes later the next night to avoid the line. It seemed to me to be the best solution. Did everyone else think that way? No. More on that tomorrow.

 

Eventually we made our way to the front and were led to our table. Which was in a great location. Table #182 if you want a good table for two. We were in the middle of two other tables for 2, but back to back, rather than side to side, so you didn't feel like you were sitting with them. And beside us was a booth on one side, and the aisleway, then a table for 9 in the middle section.

 

What made it a great location was that it was so interesting! I sat towards the dining room, and could see the waiters coming in/out of their behind the scenes rooms, as well as could people watch at other tables. And Jim faced the entrance, so he could see all the comings & goings at the Hostess section.

 

Even better - we had a great wait team! I was a little worried about the 3 waiter system after everything I read here, but this ranked near the top of our dining experiences (along with HAL). Each of our servers (Sushi, I Wayan, and Edsel) seemed to do everything - Sushi was our head waiter but would also refill water or bread, and the other guys sometimes would take our orders or whatever. All week long these guys were amazing.

 

My water was never empty (and I drink a lot of water). They got our orders correctly, and we never had cold food.

 

Here's a couple pictures from dinner:

 

 

[Crusin Karen]

Went back and read your AK review. Very nice, but wonder if you are aware that by page 4 the pictures are gone and what is left is the dreaded RED X. :mad: :confused: Looks like you had a great time, tho and that balcony and the furniture is awesome! :D

[jenng1976]

After a delicious dinner (loved my Warm Chocolate Melting Cake!) ... we headed back to the room to hopefully see my bag there.

Was there? No. Oh no! We ran into our Cabin Steward and asked him if they were still delivering bags. He said no - but there was some random bags at Guest Service that didn't have tags and said we should check there.

After a bit of a time finding Guest Services (we didn't see it the first time we walked through deck 2), we headed to the desk. Before we got there - what's that we spotted? My bag! Soooo happy to see it! You have no idea. I really didn't want to wear my opening day outfit or dresses all week long! The tag had fallen off and I guess the porter didn't put a new one on. Grrrr. But still happy to see it. So, we took our one and only elevator trip up our cabin and I could unpack my clothes. The beer was all still there too! Finally - I could relax.

Up next ... the evening entertainment. We did a mixed bag of stuff. Started off at the casino - did well at the penny Dragon machine (love the Instant spins!) - but Jim not so much so we didn't stay that long. Then we went to the Punchliner Comedy club where they were doing Superstar Karaoke with the Carnival Pride band - after that we went to the main show lounge to watch the Welcome Show. We thought about staying up to see the Late Night comedian back at Punchliner, but by this point we're pretty tired and head back to the room where we were welcomed by ... the seal? lol.

And with that I'll leave you since I'll be headed to bed for real soon. But no towel animal here! Will be back tomorrow to continue with our first Sea Day.

Jenn

[jenng1976]

Went back and read your AK review. Very nice, but wonder if you are aware that by page 4 the pictures are gone and what is left is the dreaded RED X. :mad: :confused: Looks like you had a great time, tho and that balcony and the furniture is awesome! :D

 

Oh no - I didn't know that. :( Guess I exceeded Photobucket bandwith? That sucks, there were some nice photos in the review! I'll check tomorrow to see if I can fix that.

 

That was an incredible balcony, I don't think anything will ever compare on Carnival, unless we get an Aft wrap (and win the lottery, haha).

[liz827]

Great review so far, sounds like a great time! Looking forward to reading more!

[Dazey18]

I'm loving your review. I go on my first cruise in November and reading everyone's reviews and looking at their photos makes it all that more exciting for me. Your a lovely couple and I like your writing style, I look forward to the rest of your review! :-)

[Silent Penguin]

felt so lucky I had discovered the missing bag prior to getting on the cruise since I am sure it would have cost a fortune to buy things on the ship.

 

 

 

Yes, toiletries do cost a small fortune on the ship. I had to buy a new toothbrush and it was $3.00, not even a Colgate or Crest brand, just a plain old, no name toothbrush.

 

I was on the Pride right before you. It was our first Carnival Cruise. Going from a Mickey motif on the Disney ships to "nip-nips everywhere" decor (as my nephew used to say when he was a newly weaned toddler) was a bit of an adjustment. Congratulations on the great deal. I think we could live with the "bowling alley" if it means saving a few hundred dollars while still having a balcony of sorts.

[MrFunInTheSun]

Great review and pictures. Thank you for sharing your experiences and taking us all along with you.

[Scrapenthusiast]

I'm really enjoying your review and your pictures! Thanks for the tip on the hotel with parking included too, I have been looking for options of where to stay pre-cruise. :) Can't wait to read the rest of your review!

 

Latisha

[KPfromCT]

Absolutely LOVING your review!!:D:D AND, I can still see your pictures....lol

We were on the Pride in April, so I am reliving it. Keep up the GREAT work!!!!

[jenng1976]

Day 2 - Sea Day

 

Today was our first Sea Day, and we were up bright and early. Well, maybe not that early - but we were certainly looking forward to the day! It was around 0800 that we woke up and we decided to postpone showering until before dinner and put on our lounging around the ship clothes to go down to the Dining room for breakfast.

 

Two things you should know about us - one is that we love the dining room. If there is a choice to eat there (ie. it's open), that's where we'll be. So, the majority of the week that's where we had all our meals, with a few exceptions. So, you won't be getting a lot of buffet reviews since we didn't really spend much time up there.

 

The other is that we LOVE sea days. There's nothing more relaxing knowing you don't have to "do" anything that day. You can just wander around as you feel like it and do whatever you want, without feeling like you're wasting the day. I know not everyone feels that way - my parents for example, who also cruise quite regularly don't enjoy sea days so plan cruises without many of them included. But to each their own!

 

Anyway, back to our morning! We headed down to the dining room and requested a table for 2. We noticed quite a few other people had their own tables so we're not the only ones who enjoy eating on their own. Breakfast was good - as it always is. I was pleasantly suprised that the toast was somewhat warm, on past cruises I have found that it's practically ice cold by the time it gets to your plate. One of the few downfalls of eating in the dining room. But, we both quite enjoy all the pastries, and being served (any dieting goes right out the window once I'm on the ship so I eat what I want and pay for it later, lol). In particular, I really liked the Cinnamon Rolls.

 

After breakfast, I don't know exactly what we did - but most Sea Days involved one or more of the following activities: Casino, Bingo, Reading on the Balcony, walking up to Lido for water or snacks, shows in the showroom. Most days were all of the above!

 

Before we knew it, it was lunch time! Back to the dining room - table for 2 and also redeemed our Free Past Guest drink coupon. It was very easy, and we thought we would use it the first day so we wouldn't forget later. We noticed on the last Sea Day a TON of people redeemed theirs then, but accordingly there were a lot of bar waiters to serve them.

 

This afternoon I do know what we did - it was our Cruise Critic Open Bar party organized by the lovely Cathy Martin! She did a wonderful job planning in advance on our Roll Call and I'm going to say approximately 30 of us paid in advance for the 1 hour open bar party. This was actually the first time I've ever attended a CC event, though I have chatted on the roll calls on previous cruises. However - paying in advance meant we were committed this time!!

 

And what a great party it was. The servers were great and we felt that we got our money's worth - and it was nice to put faces to names with the people I had been chatting with for several months. Both of us had a really good time, and throughout the week we encountered many of the people we met there. Plus we had 2 other CC events scheduled for later in the week.

 

Somehow I neglected to take any pictures here, but if anyone who was there wants to post, feel free!

[jenng1976]

Day 2 - continued

 

Today was also the first Elegant night! We like dressing up, Jim brought one suit, but with different shirts/ties to wear on the two elegant nights. I had two fancier dresses, one black (from our Baltimore shopping trip!) and one navy for the second night.

 

We tried to get ready early so we would have time for photos before dinner - we usually like to do the Photo rounds in the hopes of getting one good picture out of the dozens that are taken! We didn't end up as early as I hoped, and headed downstairs around 5:45 to get a few shots.

 

Now - remember yesterday I was surprised at how many people were lined up before dinner? Today there was even MORE people in the line! While my thought was come later, so there would be no line - I guess everyone else thought, we better get there even earlier! Why in the world people would want to stand in line when you already know where you're seating is beyond me. And I'm just sure that there are newbies who would get off the ship and complain to their friends "we had to stand in line so long for dinner every night!". lol ... oh well, their loss.

 

Anyway - we walked past the line to the photo stations and had time to pose for pictures at 3 or 4 of them. Fingers crossed one will be good! By the time we finished - it was about 5-10 after, and the last people in the line were entering so we just walked right in. Perfect timing!

 

And had another wonderful dinner. Here's a couple of pics.

 

 

 

 

After dinner - after some time at the casino we saw a bit of the show Vroom - but left early so we could get a seat at the Punchliner Comedy club for the 9:45 show.

 

I was glad we went early, since not too long after we got a seat there was a million people streaming into the room and not everyone got seats. Two ladies sat on the floor and of course were picked on by the comic! He was very funny and we enjoyed the show.

 

After that - time for bed, we had another Sea Day to look forward too!

 

This cute little guy greeted us in our room:

 

[chellebert]

great review so far, can't wait for more and more pics!! I LOVE sea days too :)