Live from the Pride!

[edspec]

5 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

I have also been divested of the desire to travel "on my own" in non-English speaking countries because it has become abundantly clear to me that speaking un poquito Espanol may cut it in Mexico,  but not in Spain where they have 4 languages and one (Galician) is closer to Portuguese than Spanish and the other (Basque) isn't even an Indo-European language at all. I think I will stick to cruising to see Europe even if it is like trying to drink out of a fire hydrant.  

I can relate to this.  There are a few land trips I'd like to take, walking the Southwest Coast Path and the Camino, and time in Germany, and I'd also like to do some river cruising but to get even a glimpse of all the places I'd like to see I think mainstream cruising is the way for my family as well.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

On 5/30/2023 at 9:43 AM, SDPadreFan said:

My wife likes to go to the salad bar area (for lunch) and make a salad in a bowl - then head over to the deli to get several scoops of tuna on top. Usually by the second day, the deli servers are already waiting for her. She does one lunch at Guys, and then the rest doing the tuna salad deal. On ships that have the Salad Creations in the Serenity Area, she'll get her salad there and then take it down to the deli for her tuna. Of course - her kryptonite is the chocolate chip cookies.

I like to make a salad and stop in the Cantina and get some grilled shrimp on mine.  They don’t have shrimp every day, but when they do I’m there!

Edited June 4, 2023 by MagnoliaBlossom

[nybumpkin]

6 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I think having young kids influences the focus of whatever kind of touring one does. 

Being on the "other side" of traveling with kids, this is absolutely the case. DH and I travel very differently now - but I wouldn't trade those travels with kids in tow for anything. One of my favorite Carnival memories is from our first cruise, a five-day NYC-Canada cruise (we just wanted to see if we'd like it😉). Our oldest son was 13, the younger sons were 8 and 4. One night Camp Carnival (it was all Camp Carnival, just divided by age. Nothing like Club O2 yet) had a pizza/pool party for the older kids, and there was older son by the aft pool on Carnival Victory, pizza in one hand, ice cream in the other, exclaiming "This Is Great!" Today he's a 32 YO Navy lieutenant who has more days at sea than we could ever accumulate. He has literally sailed around the world. I like to take some credit for his sense of wanderlust.🙂

[Abby1234]

Have the washers and dryers started working yet?  Want to be prepared for the next sailing. 

[maluhia87]

10 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

I have also been divested of the desire to travel "on my own" in non-English speaking countries because it has become abundantly clear to me that speaking un poquito Espanol may cut it in Mexico,  but not in Spain where they have 4 languages and one (Galician) is closer to Portuguese than Spanish and the other (Basque) isn't even an Indo-European language at all. I think I will stick to cruising to see Europe even if it is like trying to drink out of a fire hydrant.  

Land tours can be fun and much more relaxing with the ability to spread everything out and not cram a location into one day.  We are a month out from another European vacation with two new to us countries (out of three, one being the only location I would be willing to move to outside of the US). I know a few basic phrases for one country but without knowing the others.  We have gotten good at communicating through appropriate gestures and the fact that, generally, they all know English. 

 

We stay in Airbnbs in Europe and find the hosts always helpful if needed to help bridge any language gap. 

[Eli_6]

5 hours ago, Abby1234 said:

Have the washers and dryers started working yet?  Want to be prepared for the next sailing. 

Yes!  They are working!  We all have clean laundry now.  

[Eli_6]

5 hours ago, maluhia87 said:

Land tours can be fun and much more relaxing with the ability to spread everything out and not cram a location into one day.  We are a month out from another European vacation with two new to us countries (out of three, one being the only location I would be willing to move to outside of the US). I know a few basic phrases for one country but without knowing the others.  We have gotten good at communicating through appropriate gestures and the fact that, generally, they all know English. 

 

We stay in Airbnbs in Europe and find the hosts always helpful if needed to help bridge any language gap. 

We had very good luck in Southern Spain and Portugal. My SIL is Spanish (and Colombian) and was from Malaga and she is very friendly, warm, outgoing, loud, will welcome you with a big hug, etc. I mistakenly thought all of Spain would be like that and I don't think it is. I think Southern Spain is more like my sister-in-law as everyone seemed very friendly to touristas.  However, the Basque people are an entirely different ethnicity and culture. And a VERY different language.  They have literally lived in the region since pre-historic times and their language isn't related to anyone else's language in Europe, but pre-dates all of them.  At one time, they were outlawed from even speaking it until the 70s or 80s.  I think this has made them a little separate from the rest of Spain. I know there is even a movement for them to get their independence.  

 

Long story short, I guess I was expecting the "feeling" and "reception" of Barcelona and Southern Spain and I think I was a little taken aback when I didn't get it. And I was scared to even try to speak Spanish to them as they might be offended as though I was "assuming" they speak Spanish when some may not. 

  

Edited June 5, 2023 by Eli_6

[pvpollock]

12 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

Yes!  They are working!  We all have clean laundry now.  

Sailing out of Dover to the Baltics on July 9th and I heard the Pride has self serve laundry machines.....how much is wash/dry, can you charge it to your room or need change, do you pay extra for detergent/cost, do you need to supervise/sit around?   Thanks for your review!

[Eli_6]

18 hours ago, pvpollock said:

Sailing out of Dover to the Baltics on July 9th and I heard the Pride has self serve laundry machines.....how much is wash/dry, can you charge it to your room or need change, do you pay extra for detergent/cost, do you need to supervise/sit around?   Thanks for your review!

You use your sail and sign card. $3.50 to wash and same amount to dry.  

[Eli_6]

We went to LA Rochelle yesterday and just walked around.   Loved it!  Everything we did was free.  Even went to a free animal park.  Carnival had shuttles from the ship to the town. 

[Eli_6]

Also, this cruise has been awesome.  Total turn around from last year.  Obviously,  they have a different crew...

 

Only bad thing was some punk kids locked my husband and kids in the basketball court by messing with the gates and somehow locking them in from the outside.  There were 4 other adults who were locked in, too. They had to wait for someone to come along to let them out.  Hubs was furious...not at Carnival but at the kids.  My kids recognized one of the kids and knew his name from the kids' club and my husband turned his name over to security.   I was taking a nap so unaffected by the whole thing.  The kids were like 9-11. Apparently, some people just let their young kids run around the ship unsupervised and check themselves in/out of Kids Club.  I really wish the kids had to be at least 12 to be unsupervised.  

 

My husband said he saw the same group of kids throwing ice cream in the pool and an adult (not Carnival employee)  getting on to them.  

[Eli_6]

Eggroll, jalapeño popper, and pasta plate.

 

Food on the ship has been best we have had on ccl since before the shut down.

[soccermom4]

How have the evening activities been?  We leave on the 6/18 Pride cruise.  My daughter went on a Carnival ship back in early Dec. and said "the shows were bad and there wasn't much to do in the evening".  (She's 25 - and all 4 of my 20-something kids are coming with us).  Trying to decide between Your Time dining for flexibility or Early to catch the shows/activities.

[Eli_6]

3 hours ago, soccermom4 said:

How have the evening activities been?  We leave on the 6/18 Pride cruise.  My daughter went on a Carnival ship back in early Dec. and said "the shows were bad and there wasn't much to do in the evening".  (She's 25 - and all 4 of my 20-something kids are coming with us).  Trying to decide between Your Time dining for flexibility or Early to catch the shows/activities.

There are shows in the theatre and comedians. I have been too tired to go to eirher.  We are doing 9 to 10 ports in 12 days. Only thing I have listened to is amazing violin trio and the singers by alchemy. 

 

Not many teens on board.  Mainly adults.  

[Eli_6]

The captain keeps saying the ship will go through the locks at 6 tomorrow morning.  Is this worth waking up to watch?  If we get up, can I watch from balcony or should we go up to lido?  Front or back of boat?

 

This is our substitute port for Paris.  

 

[Zach1213]

I guess it depends (a) which locks they are, and (b) if that kind of thing interests you. I'm an engineer and the technology behind locks, though simple, fascinates me. I wouldn't miss our on the chance to be on a large ship going through a set of locks. Others may not give a single darn, and that's just fine.

 

 

[shipgeeks]

What locks? Where are you?

[ColeThornton]

7 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

What locks? Where are you?

 

Well, she said it's a substitute port for Paris so I'm guessing the Panama Canal.

 

I failed geography in school.

[Host Hattie]

Perhaps the North Sea locks on the way to Amsterdam? Not that interesting and you'll get chance to see them on the outbound journey.

[lazydayz]

43 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Perhaps the North Sea locks on the way to Amsterdam? Not that interesting and you'll get chance to see them on the outbound journey.

 

Correct, Amsterdam was substituted for Paris on this cruise. 

[notscb]

I'm wondering if he's giving a heads up since it might cause some extra noise and wants folks with balconies to not be surprised if there is suddenly a very close up view of the lock walls at 6am?

[nybumpkin]

We went though the North Sea Canal on a Baltic cruise. It's not the Panama Canal, but I thought it was a scenic canal (lots of farmland and small villages) and I liked the locks (but I'm married to an engineer). There are industrial stretches. I agree with Hattie, though, one way is all you need. If leaving Amsterdam works for your schedule you can get a good view then.

 

Here's some photos of one of the locks:

 

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by nybumpkin

[1025cruise]

I'd wake up.

[Aplmac]

15 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

Well, she said it's a substitute port for Paris

so I'm guessing the Panama Canal.

 

^ Agreed ^

[BlerkOne]

I slept trough them one time and thought it was a mistake. Sleep after the cruise.