We chose this cruise because it went to 8 islands, 5 of which we had never been to before. We loved it. We loved the ship, the crew, the food, everything. I was worried about the American Table because of all the negative reviews. Turns out that it wasn't bad at all really. Each night I found something that I liked. I was, however, not thrilled about the no tablecloth thing going on. I don't like my silverware laying on a bare table plus the glasses sweat and water gets all over the table. Another nicety that is gone is the putting the napkin on your lap. None of these things ruined my vacation by a long shot it's just that one by one, they are missing. We still had a wonderful time by far.
Because this was a "Journeys" cruise, meaning 9 days or longer, it had a few added features. It had live Caribbean music on lido, the Captain's ball white glove affair complete with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. They were delish. It also had the spectacular midnight buffet. It was all that I remembered it to be from 2008. The last time I saw it. They also had 3 formal nights and 2 were lobster, much to our surprise.
This ship had a Guy's Burger joint. Two words.....Pig Patty!!! Oh lord, I knew I should have gotten my blood work done before this vacation. It is a patty of BACON on a burger. Blue Iguana Cantina, another good stop. They are open for breakfast and lunch that I know of. You can built your own burrito.
We went to David's Steakhouse for dinner the 1st night because you get a free bottle of wine then. Dinner measured up to my expectations. I had lobster and escargots.
There were plenty of comedians. We went to a couple shows and loved them. We also took in a show at the Dive In movies. It was March so they offer you blankets with Dive In Movies embroidered on them. I found out too late that you can buy them. I will do that on our cruise next year.
We got an obstructed view balcony which I will never do again. We usually get a regular or premium balcony. This time I wanted to be next to my family and that's what they got. I learned the hard way that there are not any upgrades to these. The balcony is narrower than others so it was crowded. Again, it did not ruin my cruise but never again.
All in all this was a great ship. I would definitely sail Pride again.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
I was worried about the American Table because of all the negative reviews. Turns out that it wasn't bad at all really. Each night I found something that I liked. I was, however, not thrilled about the no tablecloth thing going on. I don't like my silverware laying on a bare table plus the glasses sweat and water gets all over the table.
Blue Iguana Cantina, another good stop. They are open for breakfast and lunch that I know of. You can built your own burrito.
Guy's Burger's was AWESOME.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There is always something going on. Be it live music, ice carving, hairy chest etc. It would be shocking if anyone got bored.
Although we had no children, we did go to the Dr. Seuss breakfast. I got all of their autographs and got my picture with each of them. Aren't we all just a kid at heart? It was really fun :)
Entertainment
5 out of 5
There were plenty of comedians. We went to a couple shows and loved them. We also took in a show at the Dive In movies. It was March so they offer you blankets with Dive In Movies embroidered on them. I found out too late that you can buy them. I will do that on our cruise next year.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
Although we did not partake in this, we did have a few questions about next year with our grandchildren. They were happy to help and even gave us the schedules as an example of what they do with 2-5 year olds.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our dinning staff was awesome as usual. They anticipated what we wanted or needed quite often. Always greeting us with a smile.
Our room steward was the best so far. He brought us things without us having to ask, i.e, soda and ice.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was clean and in good shape. It had just been in dry dock recently so you could tell somethings were crisp and new.
Our room was clean and in nice shape. Our door whistled but they fixed it. Our TV was dark and they fixed it. I smelled an odor like motor oil and they came to inspect. They took care of our needs in a timely manner.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The cabin itself was very nice, clean and spacious. BUT...
We got an obstructed view balcony which I will never do again. We usually get a regular or premium balcony. This time I wanted to be next to my family and that's what they got. I learned the hard way that there are not any upgrades to these. The balcony is narrower than others so it was crowded. It did not ruin my cruise but never again.
Ship tip
This was the 1st time that I ever got the internet package. It came down considerably. I like to keep in contact with home because of my pets and house. Texting got costly in the past. I got the middle package. It was all but streaming video. I posted pictures as we went. Folks at home loved it.
This was our 1st time leaving from Baltimore and we liked it. We got there early, about noon. We were on the ship about 90 minutes after arrival.
We did self assist to get off. This was also a 1st for us. We usually travel in a large group and can't do self assist. We got off the ship really soon after they started leaving people off.
In Grand Turk, we always head down the beach a few hundred yards to a local watering hole. The beach is much nicer down there and not as crowded as Margaritaville.
This is our favorite island and we want to retire here :)
In San Juan we toured Castillo San Felipe del Morro. We did this on our own. It is HUGE!!! Give yourself most of the day to do this. After that we walked to Barrachina. A usual stop for us here. It is the birthplace of the Pina Colada. We go there just so we can have one.
In Dominica we did a hike through the rain forest to Sari Sari Falls. It was treacherous and strenuous. We had to cross the river about 8 times but the end result nearly brought tears to my eyes. The falls were BEAUTIFUL!!! On our way out we had soup for lunch. It was made in a pot over an open flame right there by the river. It was delish.
We hurt for days afterwards but we survived. LOL
In St. Lucia we just waled around town. We found a straw market and I bought a few things. It must have been farmers market day because there produce stands set up all over.
In Martinique we also just walked around town. It was kinda tricky here because most speak French. LOL
At the end of the pier was dancers and tent stores. I bought a few things there. People were saying the locals were rude but we had no problems.
In Antigua we did zip lining over a rain forest and then the beach with BBQ chicken for lunch. It was all included. It was a really fun day. The food was good and the beach was beautiful. This was the 1st time either of us had done zip lining and we loved it.
In St. Maartin we took a cab to Maho Beach so I could see the planes land and take off. I was not disappointed. They fly in so low it can be scary neat. I got what I went there for, pictures and video.
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