Cruise was OK. Met nice people

Item: Carnival Pride
Rating: 4.3
Author: Seanugget

Carnival Pride Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Seanugget

Contributor Level: Second Mate

176 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 10

Helpful Votes: 217

Overall rating:

4.3 out of 5

6 Night Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 15, 2023

Ship: Carnival Pride

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 5207

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 11 months ago

Review summary

Even though we had an "icky" cabin. We had a lot of fun. Went with a group of friends and met a lot of very nice folks. The service was great as usual for Carnival. The ship needs a good scrub and refresh. The whole ship. Not just a few spots. The typical folks work very hard...servers, bartenders, cabin stewards, Fun Squad etc. They deserve a break and more help. We live in the Tampa area so this cruise port is extremely convenient for us west coast FL folks. The cruise port is very easy to get to and sail out of. We would sail on the Pride again if she get's the refresh she needs so badly.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Didn't care for most of the food. It was low quality and kind of...blah. The buffet area on Lido was always crowded. We actually had to stand at a table to eat lunch on embarkation day. Someone took all the chairs!! Literally nowhere to sit. Not even near the pool. It was nuts. Everyone in our party loved Guy's. I am over it and didn't have any. The Blue Iguana was OK. Usually better on other ships. That is usually my favorite. The MDR service was AMAZING! Loved the guys that served us; the food was slightly better than OK here. Steak house was decent but usually it is much better with Carnival. It was a little bit of a letdown. Alchemy Bar was awesome. Loved the Piazza Cafe coffee bar.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

The CD was awesome!!!! Loved him! We had so much fun. Played trivia many times. Won the grand prize of ship on a stick at the 80's-90's music trivia on Lido against like 200 people! It was so embarrassing and awesome at the same time! Really enjoyed the Fun Sqaud on this ship.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Piano bar was fun. Didn't do any of the shows. Not our thing.

Children's Programs

We do not have kids.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Carnival always has great service.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Could have been cleaner. The common areas seemed to be OK. The public restrooms were not that great. Used one once and then just used the one in the cabin each time. The card room and coffee bar across the way were great. Atrium area was nice. Pool area was kind of worn. Liked the Alchemy Bar and spent a lot of time there just because it felt updated and clean. The ship is easy to find your way around. I really like Spirit class. Was on the Legend (a sister ship) many years ago and really like that ship. The elevators were kind of odd. We could barely hear the "ding" sound to let you know that an elevator was ready. They are also very small. This wasn't an issue as it forced us to use the stairs! LOL

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Our cabin was a little GROSS. Found a huge wad of hair on the bathroom floor as soon as we got in our cabin the first day. Ceiling had black dust and rust in some spots. A large ball of dust fell on me when I opened the cabinet to the safe. (barf) There were dust bunnies in the corners and under the bed. Found the previous occupant's health insurance card and cold meds in the safe. Steward was nice but clearly overworked. They did come by at our very nice request and re-clean the bathroom. They also checked with us a few times to make sure we were happy with the cabin. Balcony was nice but it was kind of crusty. The location was good, being mid-ship on Deck 5, near the atrium windows. It is close to stairs, elevators, and just a few decks down to the atrium. Would recommend this area. It was not noisy at all. The size was fine for my husband and I. Could use a major refresh with new carpeting and window treatments. Crud was caked on in the sink faucet, drain and overflow hole. Never went around barefoot.