Sail Away
Carnival Pride Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern
7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Baltimore Roundtrip)
Sail date: August 30, 2015
Ship: Carnival Pride
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 8264
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 9 years ago
Review summary
I just recently returned from my 7-day cruise on the Carnival Pride from Baltimore to the Bahamas and Grand Turk Island. The weather was great, the ship was well-trimmed, the service was very good, and the experience phenomenal! My wife and I had a great 7-day vacation on the Pride!
We had been to the Bahamas before ... so we elected to stay on the ship while most passengers took the tenders ashore to Half Moon Cay. Good move on our part! We hate being herded around with hundreds of passengers ... and that was our experience at Half Mood Cay several years ago. Our choice to stay on the ship paid-off ... we had the Serenity deck entirely to ourselves and spent a relaxing day in the sun and around the pool. No herding! We visited Grand Turk ... and it was good to see since we had never been there ... but there's really not much there to see (aside from Margaritaville ... that's a must-see!). It's an impoverished, barren island. Some OK beaches ... but no need to return from our standpoint. Our stop in Freeport was also a bit disappointing. The ship was in port from 8am-noon ... and we grabbed a taxi to Port Lucaya hoping to browse the many shops ... but nothing was open! We walked around aimlessly for an hour or so, then grabbed a cab back to the ship.
The ports of call were not expected to be the highlights of our trip since we had been there before. We looked forward to the experience aboard ship and were very happy and satisfied with that experience. I'd take the cruise again ... but likely wouldn't bother disembarking at any port.
We enjoyed the shows and really liked the music trivia hosted by Steve the Cruise Director!
The cabin was spacious and we got plenty of use out of our balcony!
I can't comment on the food ... I wasn't allowed in the main dining room so we ate at the buffet every meal (long story ... I ain't goin' there!).
One complaint - the primary water slide broke on the 2nd or 3rd day of the cruise and was not available for the remainder of the cruise. We never got to try it.
One more complaint ... my wife opted for the Cheers program to make alcohol consumption more economical for the week ... and I was REQUIRED to also purchase the Cheers program since I shared a cabin with my wife ... but I don't drink alcohol! I understand the rule ... but I feel like I got hosed!
Overall, a great week and a great cruise!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
I highly recommend a balcony! A great escape from the crowds and a little peace & serenity.
Ports of call
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)
Traveler Photos
13 Comments
ravensroost4 9 years ago
OK ... explanation on the dining room comment ... I was welcome in the dining room and had hoped to go to enjoy the fabulous meals ... but my wife is a 5' and 90 lbs., eats like a bird, doesn't like sit-down multi-course meals that drag-on, and is uncomfortable in the formal dining room setting. She preferred eating cheese cubes and slices of olive loaf from the buffet in the Mermaids Café. Really. Rather than rock the boat (punny?), and to keep my wife happy, I dined with her in the café so we could share the time together. The food was good ... but I would have much preferred steak and lobster and grilled salmon and the many exquisite offerings available in the dining room! The choice was mine. You gotta do what you gotta do!
CrusinTim 9 years ago
@Lima77...The only problem here is that my wife does get the unlimited soda package when she sails. They don't FORCE everyone in the cabin to get it. What is to keep her from getting me a free soda throughout the cruise? I agree on your reasoning but don't understand the double standard.
CrusinTim 9 years ago
Good review raven! And I agree, having to purchase the beverage plan for EVERYONE in the cabin is insane. RCCL wanted to do this with us a couple of years ago. I wanted the package but since my wife doesn't drink (and never has), I only wanted it for myself. RCCL said they only way for her to opt-out and allow only me to get it would be for her to secure a note from a doctor stating her health doesn't allow her to drink. WHAT??? It's not because of her health, it just that she doesn't drink!!! We've been together for 27 years and she has never had a drink. Just doesn't appeal to her. Needless to say, I squashed the plan and paid as I drank. They probably lost money on their bad idea because I don't drink that much to begin with. So it's not just Carnival that has this stupid plan.