Semi Live Carnival Pride review. March 7-16th.

[Dave994]

Ok...let's start the review I had hoped to post while on board the ship :)

 

We had gotten word via e-mail that the cruise prior to ours was delayed coming back and would not be arriving until 4 or 5pm and to not arrive at the port prior to 3pm. Like any excited cruiser, we ignored this and arrived at the port around 1pm.

 

 

We took a seat and were pleasantly surprised when they announce boarding would begin shortly before 3pm!

 

A few pics on the way up to the ship.....

 

 

 

Finally we are on the ship! Here is DD and DS looking excited :)

 

[Dave994]

We went straight up to our room and were very happy to realize it was already clean and ready for us..Balcony room 5197.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and finally our Balcony :)

 

[asalligo]

This for me was a bit of a let down and a reason I would look at other cruise lines. We sailed the pride 2 years ago and the shows we saw this time were almost exactly the same with a new cast and a few added songs. I can't speak to what carnival was like back in the day, but to have the same shows 2 years later is not what I expected. Our last cruise had the live music on the lido and I miss that as well as it was enjoyable.

 

When we took the behind the scenes tour someone asked the choreographer this question. Why did the shows change so seldom? His response was that it basically took a dry dock to make real changes and implement a new show and that occasionally that did happen between dry docks, but it was rare. He said that most props had to be brought on in pieces and assembled onboard.

[momof2cruiser]

I have a strange question.....Was the bottom bunk bed ever set up like couch? I have been on the Pride and thought it was set as a couch during the day and bed at night??

[Dave994]

I have a strange question.....Was the bottom bunk bed ever set up like couch? I have been on the Pride and thought it was set as a couch during the day and bed at night??

 

Ours stayed as a bed the whole time and the upper bunk stayed down as well. Same with our last cruise on the Pride...it stayed as a bed.

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[NCTribeFan]

Sailing early May. Thanks for the review.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing the décor. Highly doubt they'll change anything when they refurbish. After all, each ship has a theme. They aren't going to change her from classical art to, I don't know, rainbows and unicorns! Fantasy's been on the seas for almost 25 years and they haven't materially changed her acid-flashback-inspired décor! :p

 

As for the shows, I stopped going after a few cruises, but I've actually enjoyed them more over the past couple of years (unlike so many people on these boards that complain over and over about the Playlist shows; who cares if there isn't a live band?). I think the quality has actually improved. I stopped going because I feel that singers should actually be able to sing on key and they didn't. All the ones I've heard on the past several cruises have been much better performers. And, as usual, people tend to underestimated the effort involved in the show productions and seem think they can just switch them every couple of weeks. :rolleyes:

 

Same reason I don't miss the Lido bands. I'd rather have no music (or a DJ) than have poorly performed music, thanks very much!

 

Anyway, looking forward to more. :)

[NCTribeFan]

OK, I just went back through the posts and didn't see a name of your pre-cruise hotel. Or did I just miss it?

[Coopie]

Have sailed the Pride many times. Sailing her again end of April. Was just wondering if they have switched over to the new menus.

[NCTribeFan]

Don't mean to speak for the OP, but there have been several threads about the menus. As far as I know, they are only on 4 ships currently and Pride isn't one of them. I wouldn't mind a change, personally. But I always have several things each evening that I want from the current menus, so it's not like I need any more options! ;)

[asalligo]

I can confirm that they are still on the old menu. The head sous chef also said they had no plans in the near future to take a new menu. Some boats were testing, but that they were not yet on the list.

 

He told me that on March 1st.