Had a great vacation by
Carol D. from Toms River,NJ
Sailing date: Jun 2009 Pros:
I cant find fault with anything on the ship
Cons:
I must say I wish we didnt stop at Freeport, I would have rather stayed an extra day at Half Moon Cay or go to Nassau
This was my first cruise and I enjoyed it so much. We traveled as a group of 13 from ages 4-50 and there was something for everyone. We loved the whole experience. The rooms were clean and I found them larger than I was told by past travelers. The food was very good. The crew was very entertaining. The adults would meet at the Piano Bar at night and have a great time singing with everyone. The kids loved the waterslide when it was opened. I just think it was a great vacation. For a first time cruiser I have no complaints.
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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A great experience! by
Karen B. from Channelview (Houston area), Texas
Sailing date: Mar 2009 Pros:
Ship's crew is fantastic.
Cons:
Food below par and tours not what expected as per "advertisement"
The Carnival Pride is a great ship. Lot's of activities and you cannot possibley get bored. Was disappointed the Chapel was not "open" every day and also disappointed that the "religious" service on Sunday was strictly Catholic. But then, I guess most people don't think of that on a cruise and it was not a show stopper. Just a comment. The entire experience was great!
Ship Quality The ship is easy to navigate through all the places to go. Decor on this ship was in the "artistic" style of the Michealangelo era artists. Just beautiful. Some were offended, but then, some may not know the arts. As to cleanliness - great! I never saw anything out of place in common areas or staterooms. As to accessibility, it was probably a little inconvenient for some in walkers and wheelchairs, but overall, it was great.
Dining/Food I was very disappointed in this ship's food. My past Carnival experience was without question, the best food around. This was almost "boring" and bland. But the challenge may have been for a 14 day cruise vs. a shorter cruise. Dining times were great and our wait staff was superb!
Stateroom Quality Wonderful! Always clean, always freshened! The housekeeping staff is underpaid for what they do - I'm sure!
Ship Staff Quality I think all the staff goes above and beyond. There are, of course, always a couple of "stinkers" who are just doing a "job", but 99.9% of them are there for you!
Entertainment & Activities There were a lot of technical difficulties in the main show lounge throughout the trip, but overall, it was good. Danders are exceptional! Other entertainers were okay.
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Cartagena, Colombia Absolutely not what it was advertised. We had 5 minutes to take a picture of a fort and drove all over the place. Guide got political with US president Bush and seemed a little upset that the US had one of their drug lords killed. And the point is? We did not stop at all sites advertised and the "walk" through the old town was awful. Many people had a difficult time navigating those streets and the heat. This was not clearly defined in the advertisement. Shopping was not that swift!
Don't Miss: None.
George Town, Grand Cayman I took the Turtle Farm and it was a lot of fun. Food was great. I think the time spent there could have been shortened because after the guided tour and "on your own", there was very little to do. Some snorkled but most did not. It is a beautiful place, though.
Don't Miss: Turtle Farm
Ocho Rios, Jamaica Took the Bob Marley tour and would recommend it to anyone. Only problem was when reaching the museum, their were stairs (very steep) in most places and a few folks were unable to participate. However, I HAD A BLAST! Food at the rest area was acceptable, although the "jerk" was sort of tame and mostly bone.
Puntarenas, Costa Rica Took the bus trip and boat ride and it was okay, but the welcome center had 3 types of fruit that was served, a very small gift shop and absolutely no time to shop when we returned. But was late because of road construction and the delays were not good.
Don't Miss: No "don't misses" on this one. I would not do it again.
Manzanillo, Mexico Tour was great and the entertainment at "Fiesta" was good. Food was awful. There were ants on the tables, the food had been left sitting out for quite some time and some was dried and some we had no idea what we were eating! Would not do this one again.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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How to Sell Up the Carnival Way by
Rick G. from Arizona
Sailing date: Mar 2008 Pros:
Always finding new friends
Cons:
Having to pay out the nose for all those "extras"
You have to rate Carnival high in being able to market its products well. I would like to be a stockholder. Unfortunately, I'm not. Instead, I am a frequent cruiser stuck with a limited choice because I live in the desert Southwest, and can't afford to fly to Florida or pay the high price of gas if I want to drive south of the border. I can just barely make it to L.A. or San Diego on a budget, and then have real choices in cruising only between September and March -- holidays excluded. That means going on an old tub like Vision of the Seas or getting stuck again and again with Carnival Pride. This review reflects several repeat trips. First, it's not a bad ship and the crew is at least as good as most. But be warned! It's a floating bazaar except for those few hours in port. Steer clear of the casino...you'll be an instant loser. And if you try to bring anything on board like a bottle of booze that competes with their own shops, forget it.
The expensive cost of an ordinary soda comes with an automatic fifteen percent tip, and a drinkable cup of coffee at the espresso bar is also extra.
Have your own little one-cup coffeemaker? Forget that too...not permitted.
I can't believe some of these reviews praising the food...unlike other cruise lines Carnival is at best uneven in quality. Still, it's a newer ship, and I'm getting ready to go on it again, so what can I say?
Ship Quality
Dining/Food I think they use frozen meat products. I once had a Chateaubriand that looked, felt, and tasted like the bottom of a shoe.
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Entertainment & Activities Never anything really special, which is odd given that this is a West Coast ship.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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October 21st by
A Traveler from Cleveland, Ohio
Sailing date: Oct 2007 Pros:
Mazatlan
Cons:
The sales pitch after my Spa treatments.
The staff was very nice and everyone was very helpful. There were little details that I thought could have been done better. The wait staff consitantly reached over people to serve meals. This to me is a lack of training.
In addition I would perfer an "all inclusive" option for payment. I like to know what it will ultimately cost me before I cruise. I did not like the fact that I had to pay for each individual thing I did (water in my room, yoga classes and Bingo.) It would have been helpful to know this in advantage and more helpful to pay for it in advance.
The Spa treatment was relaxing, but the attempt to sell me $1500.00 worth of products after the treatment ($1000.00 for detox-massage/wrap, and $500.00 for facial) turned me off completely. To need that kind of money to be healthy or have a good completion is demoralizing! I always thought I took care of myself...and to be told that I needed all these product at such a high cost was upsetting to me. I am so turned off by this that I will think very hard befor I visit a Spa again.
Ship Quality Public rest rooms could have been cleaner.
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Ship Staff Quality Staff was always nice and helpful.
Entertainment & Activities I did not think they were very professional.
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Mazatlan, Mexico I would give Stone Island an Excellant, however there were too many vendors trying to sell good. It was hard to relax when someone was always asking you to buy something.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Too populated...and not enough time there.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Great Cruise by
Charles C. from Houston, Tx
Sailing date: Jan 2007 Pros:
The ports and excursions. Nice balcony room
Cons:
Too much time on ship with not enough live entertainment during the day
Beautiful Ship.
Ship Quality Entertainment was not as good as the Estacy we went on out of Galveston.
Dining/Food Very good food and service.
Stateroom Quality Great room and service.
Ship Staff Quality Great staff at dinner and most of the other places. Had a rude person at the Butterfly lounge tell us to "slide on out", when we were just checking things out the fist day on the ship. Could have been a lot nicer about it. A few of the bartenders could have been a little more friendly.
Entertainment & Activities Not enought live entertainment during the day while at sea. I have been on the Estacy out of Galveston with a whole lot better live entertainment.
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Puerto Vallarta, Mexico We took a sailboat cruise that was great.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Really liked the port and area.
5 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Carnival Pride Review by
Teresa M from Calgary, AB Canada
Sailing date: Mar 2006 Pros:
good food
Cons:
difficulty in getting a coke!
Overall our party of 11 had a good vacation. There were lots of things we liked about this ship and a few things we didn't. The kids clubs were great! We had a total of six children ranging from 2-13 and they all had such a good time and we felt they were safe and well taken care of. The food was very good as well as our waitstaff. We would not do this particular itinerary again because we did not find the ports of call worth it. The soda card which we purchased was definitely not worth the money. It was never convenient to get a coke with any meals and you cannot get one before the bars open in the morning. I didn't enjoy the pressure I felt to tip during the week when I took excercise classes.
Ship Quality
Dining/Food We all thought the quality of the food was very good. The waitstaff was great although we could never get a coke with our meals.
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Mazatlan, Mexico The shopping beach and lunch was not worth the money especially because the beach was covered in people selling everything from fruit to jewelry and you couldn't just sit and relax for the short time we had without being constantly approached.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Our children loved the water park
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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A Wonderful Trip by
Cindy F. from Phoenix, Arizona
Sailing date: Mar 2006 Pros:
The service, cleanliness, amenities
Cons:
no cons
The Pride was wonderful. Everybody from the cruise director on down were great. There were a lot of activities to join in on if you wanted. The food was good and available whenever you wanted to eat. There was something for everybody. There were a lot of children on board, but you would have never known it. There were adult only shows and activities. THe childrens camp kept them busy. The rooms were spacious and clean. I enjoyed the small amenities provided.
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20 out of 24 people found this review helpful.
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