Carnival Pride Bahamas

While still a little gaudy, the Renaissance theme of Carnival Pride is preferred to the Las Vegas style on other Carnival ships I have traveled upon.  The abundance of balconies on Pride make booking that category more affordable.  The Bahamas itinerary was not my favorite, but the ability to tour D.C. afterward due to close proximity to the port was a bonus.  Freeport in particular was limited in time and experiences.  Embarkation and debarkation in Baltimore was the smoothest I have experienced so far.  The ship was clean, but in need of stateroom updates.  One of the two staterooms our party booked had a connecting door through which we could clearly hear conversations from the adjoining stateroom, so I wouldn't recommend such a room unless you need one.  The other stateroom's bathroom smelled musty.  Bring conditioner, because it is no longer provided and buying it in the store is expensive. Food was decent, but the Blue Iguana and  Guy's Burger Joint were good.  Your Time dining was efficient, but not as personal.  There seem to be more specialty food and activities that require additional charges, which is a trend I do not appreciate.  Many of the free activities onboard are essentially sales pitches.   The music/dance productions were among the best I have seen on a ship despite such a small cast.  Hasbro The Game Show and trivia were fun.  We saw two comedians who were mediocre.  The Serenity pool was too crowded every time we tried to find a lounge chair, but you could find chairs elsewhere on the lido deck.  The spa/gym was clean, well-equipped and not too crowded.  The locker room has a sauna, steam room and showers with multiple heads.  Our children made friends at the early teen and teen clubs the first day and attended club sponsored activities here and there.  They mostly just hung out with their new friends and had no complaints.