Pride 1/25/15..Annie rolls a rhino and Annie in the sky with diamonds!

[Miss_Mono]

Great review and pictures! I am on the Pride in Oct. Can't wait to see the rest!

[sxyshell]

I leave on the Pride in 4 days and I'm loving your review! Thank you!

[LizBear12]

Oh man that green slide looks intense! I'm way too much of a chicken. Your stateroom looks like such a gem! Love that huge balcony

 

 

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[elainmir]

Omgosh that green slide would freak me out! That whole floor falling out from under you thing and then being enclosed in a tube! NO WAY JOSE!

 

 

:D

[JAYVIATION]

Good Morning Costa Maya !!

 

 

can't picture more welcoming waters

 

 

nice little port area and you can see out for miles. was actually nice to not see tons of hotels and commerce. For the most part it looked quite "natural"

 

 

 

all the excursions met at the main entrance to the port mall area. We were the only ship in port and not everything was open yet. We boarded our bus for our "Rhino Mini Jeep" activity. It was about a 30 minute ride with a whole lot of nothin to look at. Our guide on the bus only mentioned a few words about the area that it was hit pretty bad by a hurricane. The drive however was smooth and comfortable thanks to the big bus we had with AC. we soon arrived at the main pavillion.

 

 

I was honestly not expecting a place on the water considering what we were doing there and the road we took. It was a pleasant surprise.

 

 

mmore to follow

[JAYVIATION]

apparently, there were multiple excursions based here. There was ours, then an ATV excursion and another "beach break". It makes perfect sense considering the location.. more on this later but here is what we came for...

 

 

our jeeps are to the right above. they seat 4 and it states they will be loaded thusly on the description on the excursion if booked through Carnival.... However, I did some digging on the reviews for it and found that you can request a jeep with just 2. For $100 a person, I don't want to be a passenger for 3/4ths the time. I backed up this possibility by checking how many ships would be in port that day and as we were it I guessed correctly the odds were in my favor so I asked the guide who asked his supervisor and he agreed to let all of us be in pairs in the jeeps...huzzah !

 

 

as you can see safety helmets are required and provided. Bandanas are also given out for all which is great because there is some sand and dirt kick-up for sure...and yes you get to keep em... lets go

 

 

I've never driven one of these things before and I understand why they call them "rhinos" they are VERY well built and sturdy and you can feel the power waiting to be unleashed

 

 

our guide was very generous with the fun factor letting us experiencing different power levels ans speeds. We started out in 2x2 mode in high gear and were flying down some dirt roads. then turned off into a wooded area and emerged by the water. It was here we put it in 4x4 in low gear and this is where the real fun started....

 

 

we starting dashing around the sand and over these series of bumps... felt like an Abrams tank test track.. was great and the laughter abounded.

 

 

more next..duh..

[KPfromCT]

So, I am curious.....:D:D

And you have to be honest......:D

What was your HONEST opinion of the "décor" of the ship?

Did you LOVE it? Did you TOLERATE it? Did you HATE it? Did you not CARE?

We really LOVED the layout of the Pride, but honestly, cruising on that ship for 7 nights, was like Night at the Museum. Just WAY too dark for our liking.

[JAYVIATION]

 

 

 

we weaved through the sand and wound into a dense woody area. It was a good challenge. The Rhinos have power to burn but their turning ability leaves a bit to be desired...you really have to yank the wheel around to make up for the large turning radius... so at the turning point, we switched places. Annie asked me to give her little pushes to try things out of her comfort zone and she took the challenge like a champ..

 

 

and we are off again...

 

 

 

RRRRUMMM RRRUUUMM

 

 

cont...

[JAYVIATION]

so we leave the beach once more and charge back into the shrubbery...

 

 

she handled the power and pacing perfectly, but I could tell she was really struggling with the tight turns around the trees.... you can barely make out the guide ahead of us in the shot below..

 

 

there was a turn I barely made earlier that was kind of a fast left then an instant right...and it was coming up....

[Bluemoon319]

Enjoying your review. Thanks, I know it takes a bit of work.

[JAYVIATION]

in the shot below, she just cleared the turn and tree to the left, she was in process of recovering to the right...

 

 

you can see in the next shot she is trying to turn hard left to avoid the tree on the right...

 

 

..the front wheel just clears but the rear catches on the tree and rides up..... and ANNIE ROLLS A RHINO !!

 

 

 

we smashed down on the left side and she instinctively grabs for the keys to shut the engine off to prevent a possible fire from a fuel leak. the netting on the sides kept her arms and legs inside during the roll saving a potential disaster..

 

 

so there I am literally suspended by my harness that kept me from trapping Annie. Some other riders came immidiately to help. Annie made it out quickly on her own and I clamored my way out after. I had no damage and Annie had a small scrape on her thumb and that was the worst of it.... the tour guys heaved the jeep back on all fours

 

 

I must say TOP MARKS to the excursion tour for providing flawless safety equipment that allowed this to be a mere shrug-off and laugh later.

 

 

 

 

[Bluemoon319]

Good Morning Costa Maya !!

 

 

can't picture more welcoming waters

 

 

 

 

Getting anxious to see this again. Next cruise is coming soon. :)

[Jasalth]

Thank you very much for the review and it brought back so many memories! While not on the Pride, we were in 7301 on the Legend. Best room ever (especially for the price we paid for it.. only $1900 for 4, but this was 4 years ago!)

 

Between not wanting to wait until August now and the 4 person 9B's not available when I booked I think I am just really jealous now!

[ferfoodle]

 

 

 

 

..the front wheel just clears but the rear catches on the tree and rides up..... and ANNIE ROLLS A RHINO !!

 

 

 

we smashed down on the left side and she instinctively grabs for the keys to shut the engine off to prevent a possible fire from a fuel leak. the netting on the sides kept her arms and legs inside during the roll saving a potential disaster..

 

 

 

I must say TOP MARKS to the excursion tour for providing flawless safety equipment that allowed this to be a mere shrug-off and laugh later.

 

:eek: Thank Goodness you two were alright after that! :eek:

[PathfinderEss]

Really enjoying your review and wonderful photo's..

[JAYVIATION]

so it was even more lucky we didn't have 4 in the jeep. I cannot say for sure the outcome would have been the same. In addition, the guides mentioned there were 3 other accidents on that same spot and they have wanted to clear the 2 trees on either side and I am happy to say our "intervention" has sealed the deal...the chainsaws were dispatched soon after. After righting the jeep we headed out to the water where we were provided water and a nice break...

 

 

so Annie thought the bandanas made her look like a bandit, but I retorted that an Optometrist bandit is not exactly scary....like "gimmie all your money...or I'll make your glasses REALLY really wobbly" but who am I to take away her fun.

 

 

after our break, I retook the wheel and we headed back to the beach pavillion. We found out they had open bar here...and it was quite obvious how open it was due to how sloppy "take me drunk, I'm home" some people were. There were plenty of chairs shaded or no to choose from and an inflatible play area out in the water ( not sure if there was a charge on that ). They also had food that was not free. No pushy sales of any kind and the bartenders and servers who got the drinks food were genuinely friendly politely asking if you needed anything. In conclusion, I highly recommend this destination.

 

 

 

there is one thing to keep in mind. departure times for the port are LOCAL and you MUST be on SHIPS time. Simply remember this and you will be fine but it does cause confusion.

 

 

back on the bus about an hour later and another comfortable 30 minute trip back to the port... we saw nothing interesting on the way back save for a large dog? in the road that ended up being a JAGUAR (not the car) that darted off into the woods...didn't have my camera out sorry..

 

next...back at the port

 

 

[JennyG123]

We were on this cruise also and did the ATV excursion you mentioned...we had a blast!! Our kids (ages 17-27) had a blast on the water sports after ATVIng. There was no charge however, like everything else, they kept asking for tips. We had chips and guacamole, quesidillas and nachos...very good and really not that expensive. Enjoying reading your review

[JAYVIATION]

to KPfromCT ( reply with quote wasn't working on your post for some reason )..

 

the decor... from all the prior reviews and pictures, I was prepared for a cave with all the complaints of the darkness and artwork (which was another complaint due to the nudity )

 

HONESTLY, I had no problem with the darkness. It felt very renaissance to be sure, but it was a nice change from the Farcus pink donut infestation on the Splendor that I was on before.

 

We actually spent a lot of time in the outdoor areas during the day, so strolling the inside at night was quite cozy.. just my opinion.

 

As far as the nudity goes... I wouldn't even have given it a second thought if no one said anything and is it not as rampant as some would suggest. that said, everyone has different tastes, tolerances and sensitivity to it so my view is no more proper than anothers :)

[JAYVIATION]

Thank you very much for the review and it brought back so many memories! While not on the Pride, we were in 7301 on the Legend. Best room ever (especially for the price we paid for it.. only $1900 for 4, but this was 4 years ago!)

 

Between not wanting to wait until August now and the 4 person 9B's not available when I booked I think I am just really jealous now!

 

best bang for the buck if you want a deep balcony and a very nice sized room for sure, would book again in a heartbeat :)

[JAYVIATION]

Really enjoying your review and wonderful photo's..

 

you are quite welcome, just wanted to give back to the cruise critic community that has provided so much enjoyment for me for years !

 

to those following, are the photos at a good size. I've been trying to tweak and I think it's ok...bigger, smaller or just right?

 

thanks for the feedback !! much more to come!

[JAYVIATION]

We were on this cruise also and did the ATV excursion you mentioned...we had a blast!! Our kids (ages 17-27) had a blast on the water sports after ATVIng. There was no charge however, like everything else, they kept asking for tips. We had chips and guacamole, quesidillas and nachos...very good and really not that expensive. Enjoying reading your review

 

glad you and your kids had a great time!! and thanks for stopping by :)

[ferfoodle]

you are quite welcome, just wanted to give back to the cruise critic community that has provided so much enjoyment for me for years !

 

to those following, are the photos at a good size. I've been trying to tweak and I think it's ok...bigger, smaller or just right?

 

thanks for the feedback !! much more to come!

 

Photos are perfect IMO.

[JAYVIATION]

ahh the shopping area in Costa Maya... it is essentially a large circle of shops with a central eatery/bar with a large pool in the middle. Lots and lots of craft stores and lots more trinket stores. EVERY SINGLE STORE had a guy calling you over.."hey amigo, come see, come buy"... sorry but that is an automatic 180 from your store/booth. We cannot stand that kind of in your face "adverising"...cute area nonetheless.

 

 

 

these guys were banging away on xylophones playing some great stuff. they were crazy go nuts !

 

 

 

they even had a dolphin tank right by the water..almost missed it.

 

 

it was time to head back to the ship..

 

 

more to come

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

 

What?!? They're painting this now? They had to have just started this because I didn't see it being painted back in November. :confused:

[JAYVIATION]

nice aft....

 

 

with the sun arching toward the west, it was time to leave toward our next destination and more strolls around the ship

 

 

 

 

 

below is the forward pool

 

 

yup, you guessed it...more