Review of our Spring Break '14 Cruise on Carnival Pride

[dadof2boys]

Hey Paul, I love reading your reviews and can't wait to begin this one. I know I've said this before, but it's really cool seeing your family enjoy these trips over the years and just how much the boys have grown. I can't believe you've got one in college now. My boys are young 4 and 6. Reading these reviews just drives home how fast time goes by.

 

Random question: Larry wouldn't happen to be a tour guide in the D.C. area as a sort of side job would be? We have the world's best tour guide every year in D.C. (I am a teacher) and his name is Larry.

[gborra2004]

Loving all the pictures so far. This was my very 1st stop on my 1st cruise

[gborra2004]

This fellow worked his butt of delivering beer. I don't drink beer and he only serves beer. He assured me that other bar servers would be by later to take orders; I never did meet up with any, but can't really say that I missed them either; HMC is too nice to be impaired even slightly;

 

 

 

I had three batteries for my GoPro, but I knew I would be needing to recharge so I looked for an outlet;

 

 

 

I assumed the AC was plugged into an outlet, but alas it's direct wired. There's also a very good reason that all electrical connections should be inside of a box with a lid on it;

 

 

 

Found one. I just had to make sure I kept an eye out for rain and that the misting fan didn't get aimed the wrong way;

 

 

 

 

Pride makes a fancy sprinkler head for the shower;

 

 

 

 

 

I do believe this is my most favorite place ever. My first cruise this was our 2nd stop rented cabana #10

 

Loving the pics thanks for bringing me back to my happy place

[PaulMedik]

.....

Random question: Larry wouldn't happen to be a tour guide in the D.C. area as a sort of side job would be? We have the world's best tour guide every year in D.C. (I am a teacher) and his name is Larry.

 

 

Dadof2boys,

 

No he's not, but he should be. :)

 

Sorry I missed your post for so long....

 

 

 

I do believe this is my most favorite place ever. My first cruise this was our 2nd stop rented cabana #10

 

Loving the pics thanks for bringing me back to my happy place

 

 

gborra2004,

 

 

HMC is our favorite place as well and we have a cabana already reserved for this July! :cool:

[tropicaledrink]

 

 

gborra2004,

 

 

HMC is our favorite place as well and we have a cabana already reserved for this July! :cool:

 

 

 

ohhhhh, which ship are you booked on for July?

[PaulMedik]

ohhhhh, which ship are you booked on for July?

 

 

Tropicaledrink,

 

Carnival Pride; Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, and Freeport. :) Kinda like a repeat, but warmer and more sunlight while sailing from Baltimore down to the ocean. :)

[tropicaledrink]

Tropicaledrink,

 

Carnival Pride; Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, and Freeport. :) Kinda like a repeat, but warmer and more sunlight while sailing from Baltimore down to the ocean. :)

 

We're on just a few weeks before you - May 31 to June 7 on the same itinerary! This is a long overdue return to Spirit class for me and DH's first time on a Spirit class. Plus the fact that Baltimore is a short 7.5 hour drive is a huge bonus! (we're in the very top corner of Tennessee, so we'll be hopping on I-81 for the majority of the trip!)

 

Already looking forward to your reviews! Hope Bryson gets to join you this time around!

[PaulMedik]

.

 

Already looking forward to your reviews! Hope Bryson gets to join you this time around!

 

 

 

Tropicaledrink,

 

Thank you.

 

Bryson is booked in the aft balcony beside ours; we got our same room again too. :) I think he's looking forward to it more than anyone!

[Tammylyne]

Hey Paul,

Loved the review and we are on the same sailing! I know you are not a smoker but would you know if there is smoking allowed at any of the pools? I like to go down around 6:30 am grab a chair by the pool, read a book and enjoy a cup of coffee.

[familycruzinnewbie]

Paul - I'm actually looking for some camera recommendations. Currently our Canon Powershot D10 (underwater) is our family camera other than the iPhone. We bought it for Hawaii in 2011, but it died during our 2012 cruise, was repaired under warranty but now hubby doesn't like me taking underwater. We have been looking at lower prices SLR cameras, maybe in the $600 range. But also wondering about the SX60HS? Do you edit all you pics in Lightroom and do you take your SLR pics in Raw. I have access to full photoshop but struggle, keep thinking I should just get Photoshop Elements instead. I scrapbook so I want decent pics for printing. And now DS(12), who likes shooting stop motion animation is looking at SLR cameras too (with equally expensive lens). Thanks

[PaulMedik]

Hey Paul,

Loved the review and we are on the same sailing! I know you are not a smoker but would you know if there is smoking allowed at any of the pools? I like to go down around 6:30 am grab a chair by the pool, read a book and enjoy a cup of coffee.

 

Tammylyne,

 

Thank you.

 

I'm not sure what the current smoking sections are, but at early morning hours it should be fine on all open deck areas.

 

 

 

Paul - I'm actually looking for some camera recommendations. Currently our Canon Powershot D10 (underwater) is our family camera other than the iPhone. We bought it for Hawaii in 2011, but it died during our 2012 cruise, was repaired under warranty but now hubby doesn't like me taking underwater. We have been looking at lower prices SLR cameras, maybe in the $600 range. But also wondering about the SX60HS? Do you edit all you pics in Lightroom and do you take your SLR pics in Raw. I have access to full photoshop but struggle, keep thinking I should just get Photoshop Elements instead. I scrapbook so I want decent pics for printing. And now DS(12), who likes shooting stop motion animation is looking at SLR cameras too (with equally expensive lens). Thanks

 

 

 

FamilyCruzinNewbie,

 

I like the SX60HS and it performs as well as my full frame cameras in natural lighting, but isn't nearly as good with artificial light.

 

I edit all of my pictures in Lightroom. I shoot in raw sometimes, but tweaking large jpg files in Lightroom is easier than making all of the adjustments on raw files. I have the latest version of Photoshop as well as many earlier versions and Photoshop Elements; I can't do even basic editing in Photoshop...:o Lightroom and Photoshop are both Adobe products, but they function too differently for me to adjust.

 

Prices on all DSLR cameras should begin dropping this summer after Canon begins selling the 5Ds. I've seen reductions in price already on my two cameras; 5DIII and 6D. I'll be shooting with a 5Ds on our Pride cruise this summer; I wonder what a 50.6mp fisheye of Half Moon Cay will look like? :cool:

Edited March 20, 2015 by PaulMedik

[soccersharon]

Hi Paul!

 

Looking forward to your Sunshine review :)

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[bluehenfan]

Loved reading this review. I will be on Pride cruise #5 in late April. I did the Turks, HMC, Bahama route once before but didn't enjoy it. Didn't have a cabana, too hot, shady spots taken and got a bunch of mosquito bites while watching my Gr dtr do the sting ray excursion. After seeing your amazing pictures, I'm ready to give that route another try but with a cabana this time.

By the way, Carnival has changed smoking rules and have set up several smoking areas with comfy looking chairs and shade. There is no smoking on balconies anymore from what I've read.

Thank you for the great report and pictures - one of the best I've ever read.

[familycruzinnewbie]

Thanks Paul. So hard as we need to figure out a few camera options. For a smaller cheaper point and click how is the "Canon PowerShot SX520 HS 16MP Digital Camera with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3-Inch TFT LCD - Black"

[PaulMedik]

Loved reading this review. I will be on Pride cruise #5 in late April. I did the Turks, HMC, Bahama route once before but didn't enjoy it. Didn't have a cabana, too hot, shady spots taken and got a bunch of mosquito bites while watching my Gr dtr do the sting ray excursion. After seeing your amazing pictures, I'm ready to give that route another try but with a cabana this time.

By the way, Carnival has changed smoking rules and have set up several smoking areas with comfy looking chairs and shade. There is no smoking on balconies anymore from what I've read.

Thank you for the great report and pictures - one of the best I've ever read.

 

 

Bluehenfan,

 

Thank you.

 

 

Thanks Paul. So hard as we need to figure out a few camera options. For a smaller cheaper point and click how is the "Canon PowerShot SX520 HS 16MP Digital Camera with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3-Inch TFT LCD - Black"

 

FamilyCruzinNewbie,

 

The SX520 HS is a fine choice. Side by side with my 5DIII it looks cheap, but the results are quite impressive and for walking around ports and ships it would be much more versatile than a DSLR; you can zoom in or go wide in less than a second and not miss or skip a shot due to having the wrong lens mounted.

[Trips for 2]

:):):) I have spent the whole morning reading, and looking at your photos. have one question though, will you give me photography lessons??? As a long time Canon user also (1st one Canon AE-1 program film) I still am not happy with my photos!!!

 

Seriously you take awesome photos!

[PaulMedik]

:):):) I have spent the whole morning reading, and looking at your photos. have one question though, will you give me photography lessons??? As a long time Canon user also (1st one Canon AE-1 program film) I still am not happy with my photos!!!

 

Seriously you take awesome photos!

 

 

Trips for 2,

 

Thank you.

 

I bet your pictures are better than you think they are; we are our own worst critic. The fact that you are unhappy means you have the critical eye that is required to improve yourself without any lessons.

 

Many of my favorite pictures are quick snaps; when I see something I like from an angle I like I point and shoot it. Sometimes I shoot the same picture with different settings and never find one I like. I also shoot a lot.....so I eventually get lucky. :p

[pcrum]

I absolutely loved this report and your stunning photos! You visited our two favorite ports! Although I've never been to Half Moon Cay (our visit was cancelled during our last Ecstacy cruise due to winds), from the photos, I know it will be one of my favorite when we finally do have the chance to cruise there.

I also love the spirit class ships. The Miracle was our favorite cruise. I hope the Pride comes to Tampa, because I'd love to cruise her as well.

 

From your photos, it appears the aft wrap is the way to travel. Can you say which deck has the most shade for an aft wrap? We are very fair and although we love sitting out on deck, we cannot sit in direct sunlight!

 

Finally, the Greenbrier!! My mom is from Charleston, W. Virginia and we visited the Greenbrier several years ago. Loved seeing the underground bunkers and all the chintz in the hotel!!

 

Looking forward to your review of the Sunshine. She sails from our home port, but reviews have been so mixed. I'm looking forward to your take on her!

 

Thanks again for such a detailed, beautifully photographed report!

[KroozFoolz]

Paul - anxiously awaiting your review and pictures from your recent Sunshine cruise!!! Pretty please!!!

[PaulMedik]

I absolutely loved this report and your stunning photos! You visited our two favorite ports! Although I've never been to Half Moon Cay (our visit was cancelled during our last Ecstacy cruise due to winds), from the photos, I know it will be one of my favorite when we finally do have the chance to cruise there.

I also love the spirit class ships. The Miracle was our favorite cruise. I hope the Pride comes to Tampa, because I'd love to cruise her as well.

 

From your photos, it appears the aft wrap is the way to travel. Can you say which deck has the most shade for an aft wrap? We are very fair and although we love sitting out on deck, we cannot sit in direct sunlight!

 

Finally, the Greenbrier!! My mom is from Charleston, W. Virginia and we visited the Greenbrier several years ago. Loved seeing the underground bunkers and all the chintz in the hotel!!

 

Looking forward to your review of the Sunshine. She sails from our home port, but reviews have been so mixed. I'm looking forward to your take on her!

 

Thanks again for such a detailed, beautifully photographed report!

 

 

 

pcrum,

 

Thank you.

 

On Conquest class ships, the aft wraps on deck 6 have the most shade, but are almost equal and Deck 7 would have the least overall shade. On Spirit class ships deck 4 has by far the most shade, but there are still plenty of areas for sun.

 

Paul - anxiously awaiting your review and pictures from your recent Sunshine cruise!!! Pretty please!!!

 

 

KroozFoolz,

 

It won't be long; I came down with bilateral pneumonia on Saturday as we were returning home so between that and working every day I've been unable to get the pictures uploaded. :o Hopefully I'll get them online and get started within the next week.

[pcrum]

Thanks so much for the information. Hope you feel better soon. I'll keep an eye out for the Sunshine report!

[soccersharon]

Feel better soon, Paul!