Carnival Pride Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Over all, everything was good(1.food services in diner time was excellent..My water name is IDA, he was so kind to us.  2. room services was fun, they made all kind of animal towel so fun. 3.chop stick restaurant in 9 deck was good for us.4. but I was little unsatisfied in travel information desk on deck 2, when I asked any question to him, he did not do good job, I think he was busy to look something in computer.He just answer on my question without looking at me....)

But over all, It was great

We boarded in Baltimore in light snow and 21 degrees F. We arrived back in port at 28 F for all the time in between it rained and never got above 65... What a great cruise!... We spent most of the time wrapped up in blankets as the Pride has wonderful air conditioning but no central heating system. My Son, daughter-in law and two grand daughters,(12 & 9) were with us. Sounds miserable huh? Well NOT... First, the kids program is great, the little darlings disappeared at 8:30 AM not to be seen until dinner... Because of the poor conditions, we had to skip Freeport -been there done that - didn't miss it... However to make up for the bad weather and missed port the crew went above and beyond to give us a great time. We all arrived home with full bellies and no sunburns...

As you probably know Carnival owns just about everything, but still has the reputation of the Chevrolet of cruise lines...GREAT, they keep their prices down. We've been on the pride 9 times, ( Baltimore's port is only a 35 Min.drive from our home in Annapolis - I don't like to fly ), They try to please everyone. The food is very good - not great - except for David's Steakehouse which is superb and little gems like the new sushi place and the Deli on the lido deck. The drinks are poured with a generous hand and all of the Bar staff could not be friendlier. We love the Pride, she gives us a "down home vacation" away from home...  

The trip was fine if you are a first time cruiser but being that we took this exact cruise 3 years ago we were not happy with several of the changes. 3 yrs ago the we had more dining options and the were open more often. The cruise seemed like you had to pay for more then you did last time and the quality was lackluster. Our kids enjoyed exploring the boat and our 4 year old loved camp carnival when he would go. We love spending time with our boys so they were with us much of the time. I recomend the hasboro show the boys loved it and if thay are up for wild and crazy they will surely get picked to go up on stage. The shows were not as fun nor as exciting for the boys or myself. They have bingo daily but be ready to shell out some cash to play. The last time we went we could pay cash for our drinks at the casino but this time everything went on your sail and sign card and make sure you use a regular credit card and not your bank card. We switched the card half way through the cruise however i still have charges on both cards even though they were never to have charged the first card. I will also mention that be careful if you are walking the deck from the lido deck as there is a bar between the two pools and when it rains the tile near the bar is extreamly slippy even though it is under roof. On of my sons slipped going through the door and smashed his eye off the sliding doors. I also slipped but was able to catch myself. When i spoke to the front desk about the issue and asked if the could put an indoor outdoor carpet down they basically said no you'll have to be careful. I was less worried about me however we were traveling with my 90 year old grandmother and i was very concerned for her needless to say we kept her off that side of the deck. 

THIS WAS NOT THE BEST AT ALL THIS TIME.  I AM NOT UPSET THAT DUE TO THE WEATHER WE COULD NOT GO INTO FREEPORT.  ONCE AGAIN, SAFETY IS THE UPMOST IMPORTANCE.  SOME FREEBIES OR EXTRA OUT OF THE BOX ACTIVITIES COULD HAVE BEEN OFFERED INSTEAD OF 11.28 THAT WAS GIVEN BACK TO US. NOT ONLY ME OR OTHERS IN MY GROUP FELT THIS WAY, BUT OTHERS ON THE SHIP AS WE BEFRIENDED OTHER PASSENGERS FELT THE SAME.  NO MUSIC PLAYING TO KEEP THE MORELL.  MOTOWN MUSIC SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLAYING.  THE STATEROOM STEWARD AND THE DINING ROOM STAFF WAS EXCELLENT.  MANY FELT THE FOOD WAS NOT EVEN GOOD  THIS TIME AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.  I SUFFERED A FALL ON THE SHIP AND HAD TO HAVE MEDICAL SERVICES, I GOT A LETTER 2 DAYS LATER SAYING I HOPE YOUR SON IS FEELING BETTER TODAY.  NO APOLIGY TO ME WHO WAS THE INJURED ONE NOT MY SON WHO WAS NOT SICK OR HAD A FALL.  NOTHING TO ME.  VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS. ENTERTAINMENT WAS TERRIBLE.

Jan. 10 to 17 2016. The ship was very cold. Had to wear your coat in the ship. They could not close the roof over the pool area on the top deck. We had bad storms, could not dock in Freeport in the Bahamas. 

We spent most of the cruise at sea, but had a great time while on board.  The Entertainment staff had plenty of options for things to do and enjoy.  Shows were great, enjoyed the Comedians.  The service during dining was excellent, and there is no shortage of good food.  The food that was available was not typical and boring, they were very willing to put tastes together you would not expect (and most of them were amazing).  Steward services were wonderful.  Shopping and shore excursions were plentiful and we were able to find some great bargains.  My wife and I traveled without our 3 boys this time, but we are looking forward to planning the next one with them.

The actual cruise was great.  The weather was not....cold/cool; cloudy/rainy.  At ties it was too windy to go on deck.  I enjoy deck activities and they were few and far between. Our port of call for Freeport was canceled entirely.  I was looking forward to this particular stop for shopping.  Carnival refunded a whopping $11.28 to our accounts (port taxes and fees) and any monies paid for excursions.  What a disappointment.

This was my first time on a Carnival Ship (the Pride).  The cruise terminal in Baltimore, the ship, the staff were all very good.  I am not a fan of the destinations on this cruise (Port Canaveral and Nassau).  We were unable to visit Freeport due to bad weather.

overall this was a good time, felt like I was up against the clock to get to dinner then a show. no time for relaxing, food on this ship is very good and the staff provide excellent service.

The dome to the pool was OPEN, and, therefore, it was too cold to get in the pool.  There are not enough hot tubs on the ship.  There were mainly children in the hot tub.  Also, why the big, outdated TVs.  I would think if the ship wanted to save energy they would have flat TVs.  Plus all that weight.  The room was very hot at times.  I could not sleep very well.  The food in the main dining room, however was VERY GOOD.  I think it was the best I have ever had on any ship.  The crew was friendly, for the most part. 

We had a group of 12 on this trip.  Everyone had a GREAT time.  The service, entertainment, food and fun exceeded my expectations each and every day!  There were so many choices of food, and all of it was delicious!  The entertainment "ROCKED!"  The comedy and magic shows were top notch!  I would highly recommend Carnival Pride!

We had a total of 8 people with our group and everyone of us left feeling this was the best vacation ever.  The staff was amazing.  The evening entertainment could of been better.  The magician and comedians were good.  Cruising out of Baltimore was an ideal situation for us but the 2 days at sea were a little long.  We would of enjoyed more time in the Bahamas.

It is hard to complain when you go somewhere warm and beautiful. So I gave it a good rating. Would I repeat it -no. The Ship was cold when it was cold outside and comfortable when is was warm outside. Diner at the Normandy was slow, food was often cold and lacked flavor. We joked that the Chef at the Normandy where trained in culinary school (made things look pretty) but the cooks at the buffet were trained by Mom (not pretty but flavorful). Don's waste your $ at David- you get better steaks and friendlier service at home. It is unclear to me why the excursions are so expensive. Entertainment seems to be centered around drinking. We enjoyed Nassau Blue lagoon excursion,  it was beautiful, not crowded and we did a great Segway tour with Ashton.

Loved the staff and had a great new years eve! Ship was very clean and everyone was very helpful and accommodating! Would recommend to any family for a holiday!

We loved our trip on the Carnival Pride. The ship was very nice and the people who worked onboard were amazing! Our room steward, Masandi, was extremely friendly, professional, and learned our names on the first day! We also had a bartender name Wilawan who remembered our drink orders every time after our first visit! She was amazing and so nice! We had such a blast and will cruise with Carnival again!

The room was very nice the ship was beautiful the ship was out of this world but the food wasn't always hot kind of bothered me the ports that we stopped at where wonderful grand Turk we had a great time we would do it again soon .

This is my second time on the Pride and took this cruise primarily for the convenience.. the port is 10 minutes from my house! It was a Christmas cruise and there were over 900 children onboard.  Most of them were pretty well behaved, so it wasn't so bad to bear...lol.  Last time on the Pride was 5 years ago and the ship has been updated since then.  The addition of Guy's Burger Bar and the Iguana Cantina on the Lido deck were welcomed with open arms.  The burgers were probably the best I've ever had at sea.

The crew on this ship is always outgoing and happy to be there.  Tables in dining rooms are cleared quickly,wait service is timely and fun, bartenders are friendly and the room stewards are efficient.

The cabins are OK, but TV is very small and old.. flat screen additions would be nice.  Bathroom had soap, shower gel and weird shampoo.  No conditioner, moisturizers or other toiletries.  We had an aft balcony, but the glass railing was filthy dirty and never cleaned during our stay, so when you were sitting down you couldn't see the view.

Food in the main dining room and buffet was mediocre at best.  Carnival has switched to this "American Feast" concept of comfort foods and most of the time it doesn't work.  The quality just isn't there... shrimp were small, steaks were bland, everything was under seasoned.  Some of the soups were good and the Oysters Rockefeller were my highlight.

Carnival is not known for their entertainment and the Pride follows that rule.  Their production shows are a little lame although their singers and dancers are trying their best.  And why do all ships cram you into a smaller venue for the comedy shows?  We arrived 10 minutes early and still couldn't get a seat.  Once the comedian started, we walked out anyway because every other word was a crude cussword.  This was an over 18 show, and there are times when it is appropriate, but this wasn't one of them.  Their piano player in the Ivory Lounge was talented, but his scraggy looks could turn you off.

The movie screen at the main pool was too loud and played way too many rap/concert videos.  It just added to the deafening noise from the kids in the pool.  With the dome closed all week it was nerve wracking to walk through that area.  The weather was warm to hot all week.. they should have opened the dome.

Overall, you get what you pay for with Carnival.  We wanted to get away for Christmas and relax and we accomplished that.

We went on this cruise over Christmas so we thought the experience would be wonderful. Instead, we were greeted with AWFUL food, bad mannered employees and nothing to do. I was especially mad that the pools closed at 10. I've never been on a cruise where I couldn't take a midnight swim. Another thing that bothered me was the food. The formal dining room was fabulous( once you got pastthe rude hostesses) but the lido deck food was vomit worthy. How do you mess up beets? If I wanted to keep my stomach happy I would either starve, or make it in time for brunch downstairs. I understand that the staff worked over Christmas but a smile would be nice. If i would have known the majority of the staff would be miserable because it was Christmas I would have cancelled. We also had children with us which added stress and the staff did not make us feel anymore comfortable. Royal Caribbean offers kids programs from "Royal tots" age, WHY CAN"T YOU. We were left with a two month shy two year old having to watch his brother have fun but not him. Thanks :) Overall, I would not pick this ship again for the sake of my health and overall happiness. If it wasn't for the piano bar we would have stayed in our cabins all day. 

We boarded the Carnival Pride on December 20th for our first Christmas cruise. The embarkation was very smooth and the representatives checking people in at the port of Baltimore are much friendlier than those in Miami.  The ship had a nice layout.  I was disappointed that there were only 2 outdoor hot tubs.  They were always very crowded and some kids used them as splash pads.  We have met very nice people on board and have to say overall, the atmosphere on this cruise was one of the best we've experienced.  Since the cruise was over Christmas, there were a lot of families on board.  It was nice to see parents spending time with their kids.  We haven't seen any rowdy people like we did on the Carnival Ecstacy in May which was more like a party cruise.

Generally the crew was friendly although I found most of the wait staff distracted in the MDR.  They always seemed rushed, brought out desert menus while we were still eating dinner, looked around while taking our order, not a big deal, just something we noticed.  Overall they were good.

The entertainment crew at night did a great job getting everyone together dancing on deck and doing a huge conga line.  It was nice to see all ages having fun.

We only did one excursion and that was the ATV's in Freeport which I would highly recommend.

I would definitely go on another cruise from Baltimore.  It was a nice vacation.

This was our first cruise. The ship, Carnival Pride was nice, clean, and I loved that there were paintings disguising all the "crew only" doors. It was decorated for the holidays with a huge gingerbread village in the Atrium Lobby Bar. Christmas trees in corners with boughs and big red bows draping the stairs and balcony. Our cruise director "Donkey" (don't know why he chose that name) was always upbeat and had a Santa hat of some design on every time I saw him.  We didn't participate in a lot of organized activities but those that did sounded as though they were having a blast. We spent most of our time in The Serenity 21 and over adult lounge at the pool and bar. We enjoyed our pre-dinner (we had the 8:15 dining) time at the Atrium Bar with the bar maids Anna, Simona, and one other woman whose name escapes me. Either Jessica from St. Louis playing acoustic guitar and singing mostly country songs though she had some surprises thrown in there, or Sean from Ireland, also playing acoustic guitar and an eclectic selection of pop/rock tunes were at the Atrium Bar and wonderful to interact with. Middle C was the Caribbean duo that also played at the Atrium as well as the main stage at the Lido pool. They too were wonderful and involved their audience with questions about their day and evening plans. We tried kareoke one night with The Oo La Las as the host and then the next night with them as the band backing up singers instead of a kareoke machine. My complaint with both of these activities is that they start too early and don't go long enough. My husband go to sing at the first Kareoke night but then we had to rush to get to dinner and then the "bandeoke" night which was supposed to have a 10:00, 18 and over hour seemed to have hold overs from the previous 2 sets so when we signed up there wasn't enough time for us. In fact, it ended just before I was to go up. There seems to be a miscommunication in what they put on the daily schedules and how they actually are. There were other scheduled events that weren't quite what they appeared to be from the description on the schedule. Not a big deal really just a little irksome. The Ooo La Las played in The Red Frog Pub almost every night. Nadine, the lead singer was wonderful at engaging the audience and has a great voice. They were a "variety" style pop/rock band. Think wedding band with out Frank Sinatra. That would be the maitre d' in The Normandy Restaurant. He looks like Anthony Quinn and every night he'd sing a Frank Sinatra song or two. We started to try and guess what that night's song would be. He was very good. After he did his song, the waiters would come out and they would jump up on this bar  high tables and dance to some upbeat song. The other waiters would be around the edges doing the same dance and grabbing diners to get up and dance. I dance with our head waiter Neil one night and one of our other waiters, Fernando another night. Yasa made up the rest of the team and I can't say enough about them. They always remembered our names and their service was fabulous. We had two other couples that we didn't know dining at our table and made friends with them exchanging emails before the cruise was finished. The food at The Normandy was good. I can't say "great" because there were a few misses here and there but for me overall, it was good.

Beauties disco was a blast. We went on 70's night. The deejay played all the great funk hits and threw in some disco and then we moved into "Ballywood" songs that were so much fun to dance to. I was wearing 4" heels and the boat was rocking pretty well that night. I ached all over the next day so I don't recommend high heels, high seas and a dance floor. Take your shoes off!

I do have a wee complaint though. I know this was a Carnival Cruise and is considered "family friendly," and I knew that going in. But, there are many places dedicated solely for kids on this ship as well as children oriented activities so when I go to a bar or one of the pubs I really don't want a 10 year old on the bar stool next to me or anyone under the age of 21 and there didn't seem to be any rule about that. Also, The Serenity Lounge seemed to have been discovered by teenagers in the evening hours (it closes at 10:00) using the hot tub and lounging in the pool with no one really telling them to leave. I did point it out one time and the crew member spoke to them but they said they were 21 and if they were I'd eat my hat. I'd been a bartender for many years and can spot someone under 21 in blink (for the most part).

Over all, it was a great cruise and we had a wonderful time.