Our week on the Pride - in a nutshell :)

[dpg9300]

I guess this is going to be a pretty big nutshell, but here goes:

Embarking: We arrived at the port around 11a via taxi. We were checked in within 15 minutes, waited for another 30 minutes or so, then we were on our way. About the only benefit we received from FttF was priority embarkation (great!) and disembarkation (not great!), and receiving our luggage earlier – I still thought it was worth it, and I’d book it again.

Ship: Beautiful. What is “dark and gloomy” to one is “calm and peaceful” to another. I’m the latter sort. I was surprised at how much vandalism of the property had occurred, though. I found the artwork to be very lovely and not at all offensive. If you’re worried about a lot of skin, however, avoid the evening shows. (In fairness, we only saw one, but since it was the one the kid’s club went to, I’d assumed it would be the most family-friendly.)

Food: Good. Not five-star, but equivalent to what we paid for and expected. My only complaint is that it was sometimes difficult to find something other than pizza or deli food. Even at 5:30 in the afternoon, that was all that was available. The buffet should be open longer and I believe that the dining room should be open for every meal, every day. This was the first time I’d ever had trouble finding something to eat on a cruise ship! Also - no desire to start something, just an observation - the dress code in the dining room really is much more relaxed here than our other cruises have been. I was surprised to see cut-offs and flip-flops at dinner in the dining room. My daughter is a very rules-oriented kind of kid, and she was shocked! that so many people weren't following the dress code suggestions. It was a good opportunity to provide a "roll with it" lesson :)

Service: Stellar. Exception: A couple of the pizza guys took the “pirate” role a little too seriously – they were a bit surly. Then one laughed at me because I asked him to put mushrooms on the pizza after if came out of the oven (only because he forgot to put them on before, like I’d requested.) He refused to do so after, and didn’t offer a pizza made correctly. This is not a big deal, but it is an example of poor customer service. It's really the only one I experienced all week.

Bar service: Dining room – forget it. Bring your drink in with you. Other places on the ship, pretty consistently good.

Entertainment: We attended a few games and one show, a dance lesson and some trivia. All of the entertainment staff did a great job. We enjoyed them all. The shows are not Broadway caliber, and no one should be expecting that, but the staff kept things fun.

Camp Carnival: Our 10-year-old daughter loved it. She did mention that a counselor was not very nice to a girl who was crying one day, but she didn’t give many details, and she always wanted to go back…Overall they seemed to keep the kids happy and occupied. Mine wanted to be there at least 2-3 hours each day and she made some great friends that week.

Ports: Port Canaveral – we stayed on the ship. We vacation and visit family often in Fl, so this stop was just a nice ship day for us.

Nassau – It was a windy, rainy day and we hadn’t booked anything. We walked to Junkanoo Beach. It stopped raining when we arrived. Still, it was not great – the sand was coarse and dirty, which wouldn’t have mattered as much if the wind hadn’t been so fierce. I had sand EVERYWHERE after that – ugh. We left the beach to walk the town a bit, then got tired and looked for another option. There are horse/buggy tours just inside the gate at the port here. Our experience was pretty bad. The deal we were offered: $40 for the three of us for a 25-minute ride with a tour guide. What we received: a 14-minute ride with a guy who yelled out whatever was written on the signs we passed (“Bank!”, “Government House!”, “Frederick Street!” – Really?!). It would have been hilarious if it hadn't cost me 40 bucks! We were within one block of the Queen’s Staircase and he did not go there. Sometimes, he’d stop yelling out the signs long enough to demand a good tip. Then we returned to the port so another guy could demand a tip. They don’t ask for one, they tell you to give them one. I understand that they live on tips. This is why they should provide a service that leaves people feeling like a tip is deserved. We gave them each $5 and were glad to get back on the ship.

Freeport – we did a beach/shopping excursion to the Grand Lucayan resort. The resort, beach and pools were great. Very clean and comfortable. I would do this again.

Disembarking: Disorganized. We were told to go to the nightclub. We arrived 15 minutes before the time listed to find the nightclub closed. We asked someone where to go for FttF, and she said back to the main line. We asked someone at the main line where to go for FttF, and they pointed to a lounge. After waiting a few minutes and wondering why we were waiting there while others were debarking, I asked a third person, who explained that we could leave then. We just had to cut into the line. They don’t help with this or explain to the people in the line that this is how priority debarkation is done. How many people in the line do you think were willing to let a family step in front of them just as they were reaching the doors? Carnival REALLY needs some sort of procedure here. It was a cluster and not a great way to end the week.

Overall, a nice week. We got a really good deal on a 4k cabin (the French door-to-nowhere rooms), so I felt like we got our money’s worth, but I will say that this was our least favorite cruise, so far. There were more than a few “ME first” types and one family with several unruly children and several adults who were, apparently, taking a vacation from parenting these children. And you know, somehow those 12 people seemed to be everywhere on the ship at all times. Weird how that works. This isn’t the cruise line’s fault, I guess that’s the culture we live in now. No consideration for others, no appreciation for the value of patience, kind words, and good manners. But I’ll keep trying to teach my daughter that the golden rule still holds true and we’ll keep cruising and being thankful that we can get away every once in a while. :)

[rrraydon]

Thanks for the review! :)

[CruisinSunBunny]

I was on this cruise, and barely noticed children. And those I did notice, were always well-behaved. Which means you and I must have always been on opposite sides of the ship or something, hahaha!

 

I agree about disembarking. It seemed disorganized. We saw people waiting in areas they clearly said don't wait. When it was our turn, we waited in a line that went through the casino. Even though no one was smoking, the smoke smell made me very nauseous after 20 minutes.

 

And then, get this, just as we were finally out of that stink-hole, this whole family of four adults with three kids cut in front of us! The nerve! (;) Just kidding!) It was clear that the family (your family?) was told to sit on the side and cut in, so I didn't mind.

 

I'm glad you had fun! We had a blast.

[fair-winds39]

Thanks for a great review.

 

We are sailing on the Pride in 2014. We did the same itinerary 3 yrs. ago. At that time, we felt that overall, although we had a nice time, there were some minor issues that we noticed but tried to ignore. We felt similar to you...we got a great balcony price, and from a travelers point of view, we got what we paid for.

 

I will say though, I'm a bit skeptical about our upcoming 2014 Pride cruise. But, like in 2010, we got a great price for the balcony cabin, so we jumped on the opportunity. Lately though, some of the recent reviews haven't been too complimentary for the Pride, and some of the same issues still seem to exist. I think your advice of "roll with it," is great, and that's exactly what we're going to do, and we'll make it a great cruise.

 

Thanks again for your review, and glad you had a nice week.

[Ocean Dancer]

How was the Music? And what kind?

[khrivnak]

I was on the week before you... I have to say I agree with your review. This was my first cruise and I have to say there were many times I wandered around looking for something to eat and couldnt find anything. Glad to know this isnt the norm.

 

also... bar service in the MDR was HORRIBLE. I waited 35 minutes for a drink once. The first elegant night (we had Your Time Dining), we waited 1 hour 15 minutes for a table. It was a nightmare.

 

Disembarkation was also crazy for us (when you were getting on). There were multiple announcements of people trying to leave the ship before their station was called and it was clogging the gangway, etc., delaying disembark. Im not sure if you guys were delayed getting on becasue of it or not.

 

All in all, the staff made it bearable for me as far as a first cruise for me and my family (my daughter also mentioned one "mean teacher" in camp carnival). I have another cruise booked on a different ship to try a differernt experience. I loved the Pride, but am hoping for a completely different experience.

[dpg9300]

How was the Music? And what kind?

 

I have no complaints about the music, but I didn't think it was anything special, either. The DJ on the Lido Deck played from the same short list all week, it seemed. Gangnam Style is a song that I remember hearing daily. I'm sure there was better stuff than that, but lucky me, every time I sat by the pool, that seemed to be queued up.

 

I didn't get to the Piano Bar, and I really wish I had.

 

The guitar player in the atrium was pleasant and accommodating. And sleepy, but I think his sets were meant to be relaxing. I'd have gone with something a little more energetic, but nobody asked me :)

 

The band in Starry Nights was fun to listen to and adept at playing what the mood called for. They did some good old Motown and some very nice modern jazz pieces, too. This was the only place on the ship that I saw couples dancing.

 

I heard some karaoke. Anything I'd have to say about that would be unkind, so I'll refrain :rolleyes:

 

The one stage show we saw was "Vroom." I'm the sort of person who enjoys the humor in things that were never intended to be humorous, and it's in that vain that I enjoy the stage shows on cruise ships. The music was sometimes a lot of fun, sometimes a little meh, but I never felt like I'd rather be somewhere else.

 

There seemed to be a lot of Michael Jackson-themed stuff that week. I don't know if that's normal, but I like MJ's music, so that was all good.

 

That's about all I remember. I didn't go to the dance club, but I think the Lido DJ is also the dance club DJ.

[dpg9300]

I was on this cruise, and barely noticed children. And those I did notice, were always well-behaved. Which means you and I must have always been on opposite sides of the ship or something, hahaha!

 

I agree about disembarking. It seemed disorganized. We saw people waiting in areas they clearly said don't wait. When it was our turn, we waited in a line that went through the casino. Even though no one was smoking, the smoke smell made me very nauseous after 20 minutes.

 

And then, get this, just as we were finally out of that stink-hole, this whole family of four adults with three kids cut in front of us! The nerve! (;) Just kidding!) It was clear that the family (your family?) was told to sit on the side and cut in, so I didn't mind.

 

I'm glad you had fun! We had a blast.

 

Glad you had fun, too! We are the sort to always have fun - even if it's just laughing over how miserable something is, we'll find a way to enjoy ourselves.

 

There were very few children on this cruise, so we probably just ran into this family a lot because they had children in the same kid's club as ours, which put us on a similar schedule.

 

...And our family is just three total, so it was some other family of cads that cut you off ;)

[Ocean Dancer]

Thank you, We are more Motown, oldies, Buffet fans:cool:

[dpg9300]

Thank you, We are more Motown, oldies, Buffet fans:cool:

 

I recall hearing all three in Starry Nights. The band was a drummer, lead singer (lady) and two guitarists/vocalists. They were my favorite on the ship.

[DKane]

Our fourth trip on the Pride is coming up in January. We sailed last August and I can say that one of the pizza guys was snarky to me and a couple of other folks waiting in line. I asked for two different pizzas and he was gonna give me two of the same kind. I politely told him I had folks waiting for the other one.

 

What bothers me about people like this working around food is that they are extremely unhappy and God only knows what he is doing behind that counter to satisfy his miserable personality. Just saying!

[Eiansmomma]

I guess this is going to be a pretty big nutshell, but here goes:

Embarking: We arrived at the port around 11a via taxi. We were checked in within 15 minutes, waited for another 30 minutes or so, then we were on our way. About the only benefit we received from FttF was priority embarkation (great!) and disembarkation (not great!), and receiving our luggage earlier – I still thought it was worth it, and I’d book it again.

Ship: Beautiful. What is “dark and gloomy” to one is “calm and peaceful” to another. I’m the latter sort. I was surprised at how much vandalism of the property had occurred, though. I found the artwork to be very lovely and not at all offensive. If you’re worried about a lot of skin, however, avoid the evening shows. (In fairness, we only saw one, but since it was the one the kid’s club went to, I’d assumed it would be the most family-friendly.)

Food: Good. Not five-star, but equivalent to what we paid for and expected. My only complaint is that it was sometimes difficult to find something other than pizza or deli food. Even at 5:30 in the afternoon, that was all that was available. The buffet should be open longer and I believe that the dining room should be open for every meal, every day. This was the first time I’d ever had trouble finding something to eat on a cruise ship! Also - no desire to start something, just an observation - the dress code in the dining room really is much more relaxed here than our other cruises have been. I was surprised to see cut-offs and flip-flops at dinner in the dining room. My daughter is a very rules-oriented kind of kid, and she was shocked! that so many people weren't following the dress code suggestions. It was a good opportunity to provide a "roll with it" lesson :)

Service: Stellar. Exception: A couple of the pizza guys took the “pirate” role a little too seriously – they were a bit surly. Then one laughed at me because I asked him to put mushrooms on the pizza after if came out of the oven (only because he forgot to put them on before, like I’d requested.) He refused to do so after, and didn’t offer a pizza made correctly. This is not a big deal, but it is an example of poor customer service. It's really the only one I experienced all week.

Bar service: Dining room – forget it. Bring your drink in with you. Other places on the ship, pretty consistently good.

Entertainment: We attended a few games and one show, a dance lesson and some trivia. All of the entertainment staff did a great job. We enjoyed them all. The shows are not Broadway caliber, and no one should be expecting that, but the staff kept things fun.

Camp Carnival: Our 10-year-old daughter loved it. She did mention that a counselor was not very nice to a girl who was crying one day, but she didn’t give many details, and she always wanted to go back…Overall they seemed to keep the kids happy and occupied. Mine wanted to be there at least 2-3 hours each day and she made some great friends that week.

Ports: Port Canaveral – we stayed on the ship. We vacation and visit family often in Fl, so this stop was just a nice ship day for us.

Nassau – It was a windy, rainy day and we hadn’t booked anything. We walked to Junkanoo Beach. It stopped raining when we arrived. Still, it was not great – the sand was coarse and dirty, which wouldn’t have mattered as much if the wind hadn’t been so fierce. I had sand EVERYWHERE after that – ugh. We left the beach to walk the town a bit, then got tired and looked for another option. There are horse/buggy tours just inside the gate at the port here. Our experience was pretty bad. The deal we were offered: $40 for the three of us for a 25-minute ride with a tour guide. What we received: a 14-minute ride with a guy who yelled out whatever was written on the signs we passed (“Bank!”, “Government House!”, “Frederick Street!” – Really?!). It would have been hilarious if it hadn't cost me 40 bucks! We were within one block of the Queen’s Staircase and he did not go there. Sometimes, he’d stop yelling out the signs long enough to demand a good tip. Then we returned to the port so another guy could demand a tip. They don’t ask for one, they tell you to give them one. I understand that they live on tips. This is why they should provide a service that leaves people feeling like a tip is deserved. We gave them each $5 and were glad to get back on the ship.

Freeport – we did a beach/shopping excursion to the Grand Lucayan resort. The resort, beach and pools were great. Very clean and comfortable. I would do this again.

Disembarking: Disorganized. We were told to go to the nightclub. We arrived 15 minutes before the time listed to find the nightclub closed. We asked someone where to go for FttF, and she said back to the main line. We asked someone at the main line where to go for FttF, and they pointed to a lounge. After waiting a few minutes and wondering why we were waiting there while others were debarking, I asked a third person, who explained that we could leave then. We just had to cut into the line. They don’t help with this or explain to the people in the line that this is how priority debarkation is done. How many people in the line do you think were willing to let a family step in front of them just as they were reaching the doors? Carnival REALLY needs some sort of procedure here. It was a cluster and not a great way to end the week.

Overall, a nice week. We got a really good deal on a 4k cabin (the French door-to-nowhere rooms), so I felt like we got our money’s worth, but I will say that this was our least favorite cruise, so far. There were more than a few “ME first” types and one family with several unruly children and several adults who were, apparently, taking a vacation from parenting these children. And you know, somehow those 12 people seemed to be everywhere on the ship at all times. Weird how that works. This isn’t the cruise line’s fault, I guess that’s the culture we live in now. No consideration for others, no appreciation for the value of patience, kind words, and good manners. But I’ll keep trying to teach my daughter that the golden rule still holds true and we’ll keep cruising and being thankful that we can get away every once in a while. :)

 

Is the MDR open for lunch?

[Silent Penguin]

The long wait in the casino area. How I remember that. I agree that you definitely have to have a "roll with it" attitude when it comes to disembarkment.

[dpg9300]

Is the MDR open for lunch?

 

Some days, but not every day.