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Carnival Pride

By NJEMT29 , May 18 in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Has carnival made any announcements for sailing from Baltimore 

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They announced that it would return to Baltimore on May 26th. The sailing will originate in Norfolk, but will return to Baltimore.

https://www.wmar2news.com/keybridgecollapse/carnival-cruise-line-to-make-baltimore-return-three-months-after-key-bridge-collapse

Very curious to know how Carnival made that decision.

1 hour ago, bar1068 said: Very curious to know how Carnival made that decision.

I am guessing it was based on when they could dock the ship in Baltimore.

2 hours ago, bar1068 said: Very curious to know how Carnival made that decision.

After coordinating with the port? The Port of Baltimore announced Royal Caribbean was returning on the 25th earlier in the week, then announced Carnival’s return on the 26th yesterday.

The current plan is to refloat the Dali early Monday morning, where it will take 21 hours to get to its dock.   

BearsFan315

same dates i have heard, working in Norfolk in Maritime industry, those crews have been busting $$ the last few months, and continue to do so. I know many crews around here are up there working.  It has been nice to see the cruise ships here in port, and especially since we are cruising out of Baltimore in a few months, was nice to go down and see the ship we will be cruising on 🙂  we have never cruised, so this will be our first. granted leaving from Norfolk would be nice since we are local, we do not mind the drive up to Baltimore for our cruise. here is a shot of hte Carnival Pride leaving Norfolk last night (Sunday). this will be the ship we are cruising on 😮  

as a side note she will NOT return to Norfolk, plan is to return to Baltimore !  Carnival will return cruising from Baltimore May 26 🙂  

yeah, It is going to Bermuda 🙂  

On 5/18/2024 at 6:18 PM, pcvtmom said: The sailing will originate in Norfolk, but will return to Baltimore.

Sounds like a bit of a headache for those who got on in Norfolk. I'm surprised they aren't unloading in Norfolk first and then repositioning to Baltimore, especially since they have to sail by Norfolk anyway.

10 minutes ago, notscb said: Sounds like a bit of a headache for those who got on in Norfolk. I'm surprised they aren't unloading in Norfolk first and then repositioning to Baltimore, especially since they have to sail by Norfolk anyway.

Carnival will provide free transportation to folks who want to get back to Norfolk.

agree Carnival has been taking care of its passengers with this change !!!

getting them where they need to be, granted it is an inconvenience

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Carnival Pride Deck Plans & Reviews

Carnival Pride

Activities & entertainment

• Alchemy Bar
• Art Auction
• Basketball Court
• Carnival WaterWorks™
• Dance Classes
• Deck Parties
• Evening Kids Programs *
• Fitness Center
• Fitness Classes *
• Fitness Studio *
• Green Eggs n Ham Breakfast *
• Groove For St. Jude *
• Hot Tubs (4)
• Ice Carving Demonstrations
• Jogging Track
• Nobel Library
• Photo Portraits *
• Real Virtuality Video Arcade *
• Seuss-A-Palooza Parade & Storytime
• Spa Carnival® *
• Spa Parties *
• The Look Beauty Salon *
• White Party
• Wine Tasting *
• Waterslides (2)
• Circle "C"®
• Camp Carnival®
• Beauties Dance Club
• Butterflies Lounge
• Carnival's Seaside Theatre®
• Comedy Shows
• Lip Sync Battle
• Live Nightly Music
• Photo Gallery *
• Raphael Lounge
• Taj Mahal Main Lounge
• The Winner's Club Casino *
• Bar - Pool Bar *
• Normandie Restaurant - American
• Mermaid's Grille Lido Restaurant - Burgers
• Cherry On Top - Candies *
• Buffet - Casual
• Lido Café - Coffee Bar *
• Guy's Burger Joint - Fast Food
• Captain's Club Restaurant Annex - Gourmet *
• Salad Bar - Healthy Fare
• Bonsai Sushi - Japanese *
• Taste Bar - Light Bites
• Alchemy Bar - Martini Bar *
• BlueIguana Cantina - Mexican
• Ivory Piano Bar - Piano Bar *
• Pizza - Pizza
• RedFrog Pub™ - Pub *
• RedFrog Rum Bar - Rum Bar *
• Deli - Sandwiches
• Skybox Sports Bar - Sports Bar *
• David's Steak House - Steakhouse *
• David's Steakhouse - Steakhouse *
• BlueIguana Tequila Bar - Tequila Bar *
• Excellent 29
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• English ( 79 )
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Carnival Pride

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Traveler Reviews

A ship’s traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com , which manages one of the largest databases of cruise reviews and ratings by travelers. A total of 2957 guests have reviewed Carnival Pride , giving it a rating of 4 on a scale of 1-5.

Cruiseline Travel Rating:

Reviews by traveler type, most recent reviews.

Just okay unfortunately

May 25th, 2024

A lot of improvements could be made but my group made the best of it

Traveler Type

Family (young children)

2-3 cruises

Could have been better.

May 22nd, 2024

This was our first experience with Carnival and will probably be our last. The best part of the trip was meeting new people. Unimpressed with the ship, staff, and overall cleanliness.

4-6 cruises

Back on the Pride

May 19th, 2024

This was our 3rd cruise and we love the Pride and was excited to see it after dry dock refurbish last year. Biggest issue was they removed the bar from the casino area, meaning if you earn casino points for free drinks which are only available from the casino, your only option is to be playing at a machine and wait for a server to come around taking drink orders. Previously you could go right up to the casino bar and order a drink, and also i met my husband on my first cruise at that bar -- so it was sentimenal! Anyway, it often took nearly an hour for them to come around and then another half hour to come back with your drink -- def needed more waitstaff if they are going to operate this way.

Great Time, Ship and CCL Staff

May 14th, 2024

Overall, we had a wonderful time on the Pride and plan on sailing on her again.

April 21 2024 Family Cruise

May 11th, 2024

Enjoyed our cruise. The second time cruising on the Pride, no issues, we had a great time. Already booked our next Carnival cruise.

Fun-filled Caribbean Cruise

May 9th, 2024

Enyoable, fun and relaxing vacation celebrating a special event with our daughter. The exercusions were fun and the scenery was beautiful. We met new people, ate great food and spent quailty family together.

Family (older children)

Wonderful Cruise

May 8th, 2024

The cruise was overall very nice and we will definitely consider Carnival Cruise line again.

Great Cruise

Wonderful cruise. Easy ship to learn. The food and drinks are plentiful and not over crowded.

Ease of boarding in Norfolk

May 7th, 2024

It would have been nice to know that since we embarked in Norfolk, VA, rather than Baltimore, MD, that our drink package was not covered because of VA law. We felt ripped off.

Singles/Friends

Carnival Pride 4/21/2024

May 2nd, 2024

I had a nice vacation this cruise. Spent too much time in the casino, so hoping I'll get some good casino offers for my next cruise. Came home sick though????????

Disclaimers about ship ratings: A ship’s Health Rating is based on vessel inspection scores published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If a ship did not receive a CDC score within 22 months prior to the calculation of its Overall Rating, its Health Rating appears as N/A; in such a case, the ship’s Overall Rating is calculated using the average Health Rating of all CDC-rated ships within the cruise line. All ship Traveler Ratings are based on ratings provided under license by Cruiseline.com.

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Carnival Pride Review and My First Impressions

Note:  Carnival Pride underwent a short dry dock in February 2019. The chapel was removed and a Michael’s Craft Center took its place. Everything else is the same – dining, activities, pool etc.

Three reasons why I chose the Carnival Pride.

1. the appeal of a tampa departure..

Tampa’s cruise passenger demographic during the winter (except for school holidays) tends to attract an older, retired crowd from the surrounding area as well as snowbirds from the Midwest. I had a lot of work to do and would welcome a slower paced week.

2. A $75 million Funship 2.0 makeover.

It had been years since I was on the Carnival Pride so it was time for a Carnival Pride review. There’s new carpeting and stateroom upgrades, the addition of Guy’s Burger Joint, the BlueIguana Cantina, RedFrog Pub and BlueIguana Rum Bar. The George Lopez Comedy Club was added as well as one of my favorite new Carnival concepts, the Taste Bar.

3.   The Annual Cayman Cookout .

The Carnival Pride my first choice between two cruises from Florida that would arrive in Grand Cayman on the exact day of an international culinary event that I wanted to attend.

Port of Tampa Embarkation

If you haven’t cruised from the port of Tampa , you should try it. The adjacent car parking structure is a breeze.

Many hotels in the area, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Marriott Courtyard and more, offer a pre-cruise hotel package that includes breakfast, free parking during your cruise, and a shuttle to/from the port. I stayed at the Marriott Courtyard Westshore and I’d gladly stay there again.

Boarding the Carnival Pride, from shuttle drop-off at the port at noon to walking into my room took less than 25 minutes. I dreaded a mid-day boarding but Carnival had plenty of staff to facilitate the rush, which actually seemed to be closer to 2pm.

Our Itinerary

For a 7-night cruise, we covered four ports; Costa Maya , Belize, Mahogany Bay (an island off the coast of Honduras) and Grand Cayman. All ports were in the same vicinity along the coast of Mexico and Central America and then over to Grand Cayman, with sea days as bookends to the itinerary.

First Impressions

From the moment I stepped aboard, there was no mistaking I was on a Carnival ship. Guests are greeted with a rainbow of vivid colors, a red-glass-roofed atrium with brass-trimmed glass elevators and a huge semi-circular bar. There’s a DJ getting the sailaway party started and people are dancing even before the ship leaves port.

The themed dècor is kind of Renaissance meets ancient Greece and Rome. Whether along the hallways or adorning the pools and spa, there are reminders and replicas of Mediterranean paintings and statues. Unusual and very interesting, contemporary glassworks are encased in the corners of each stairwell. Worth the time to look at them, even though the artists’ names are not listed.

My balcony stateroom looked very familiar. The Carnival Pride (built in 2002) is one four Carnival’s Spirit Class ships on which I’ve sailed many times. From the peach and orange stateroom interior color and aqua bathroom countertop to the desktop and closet space, it’s all the same on all the Spirit Class ships.

On the balcony, one chair was fixed upright and the other could recline. A small table made it easy to enjoy a room service coffee in the morning and a glass of wine and snacks before dinner.

The bathroom had ample space and the shower sported a new shower-head and curtain. Plenty of storage for two people.

There’s the adults-only Serenity pool and relaxation area with plenty of hammocks, padded loungers and sitting areas. A midship pool with a retractable roof was handy on our rainy day in Belize. Over at Carnival Waterworks water park, I didn’t try either of the awesome twisty water slides. At night along the pool deck is the large screen Seaside Theatre featuring themed movie nights. Soft ice cream and yogurt are available around the clock, located at two stations near the pool.

Food and Dining

It’s the same Lido food buffet that I’ve seen a zillion times, yet it still takes me a couple of days to get my bearings. There is always a choice of crispy-crust pizzas and on-request Caesar salad.

Outdoors at lunch time around the Lido pool is Guy’s Burger Joint, open until 6-6:30pm. BlueIguana Cantina Tacos and Burritos offers a pick-out-what-you-want filling and an excellent toppings bar, complete with nearly two dozen hot sauces to choose.

My favorite Carnival dining venue is Bonsai Sushi and I ate there three of the seven nights. Reasonably priced, the sushi and sashimi are amazingly fresh, beautifully yet simply presented and larger-than-usual portions. Depending upon what I selected, my dinners ranged from $10 to $14 dollars. This included a small salad, sushi dish, a sampler bite, hot green tea and dessert. Best value around.

In the evenings, the Lido Buffet offered almost all of the same options as the Normandie main dining room. A nice break if you want “dining room food” in a casual atmosphere. There’s also 24/7 room service. On the last formal night, I dined at David’s, a reservations-requested upscale (and very good) steakhouse. The fee was $35 per person.

But as I always do on cruises, I tagged my door handle with my breakfast request before I went to bed. Out of courtesy (and convenience for me) before I went to sleep, I set out a couple of dollars on the table so that when my breakfast was delivered I didn’t have to fumble for a gratuity for the room service person.

Entertainment

There’s plenty to do in the evenings. On a couple of nights, I walked through but didn’t stop in the casino; it was a bit too smoky-smelling (though not smoke-filled) for me. Instead, I headed down to deck one to the George Lopez Comedy Club to listen to a hilarious comedienne from Minnesota. Several other male comedians rotated performances throughout the cruise, with evening and late night adults-only shows.

Playlist Productions stages four full-blown theatrical shows, with flashy but not risqué costumes. One night the show was “80’s Pop to the Max,” another was a Motown-style revue called, “Heart of Soul.” Two more new shows plus a variety of entertainers on the non-Playlist nights filled the Taj Mahal Theater.

Carnival has a partnership with Hasbro, so families are entertained with Hasbro the Game Show on several occasions. I stuck to the dazzling Playlist Productions plus a couple of the comedy shows and enjoyed all of them.

Smaller than some of the newer Carnival ships, the Pride offers a relaxing week-long cruise. With four consecutive port days flanked by two sea days, there’s a lot to do on land and plenty of shore excursion choices. For me, staying on board for half of the day in Belize while the ship emptied out, added to my relaxation.

I never heard anyone hawking a “Gold by the Inch” sale, although there were two lunchtime announcements for art auctions. I wasn’t approached to buy $10 drinks in souvenir glasses or pushy photographers. It seemed like onboard sales pitches had been downplayed and the once-intrusive marketing was nearly non-existent.

Going with my assumption that Tampa departures equate to older guests and this wasn’t a school holiday week, I didn’t notice many teenagers. A few families with infants may have taken part in Seuss at Sea (as in Dr. Seuss) activities and themed Seuss character breakfasts ($). Of course, the passenger mix will vary from sailing to sailing especially during holidays.

Carnival has done much to improve their image over the last year or so. From better personalized service and upgraded food quality (except for the packaged yogurt!) to diverse dining venues and less raucous energy.

The Carnival Pride is but one example of how this cruise line is working hard to overcome a few rough bouts of negative publicity. With insightful, new leadership at the helm, exciting new ships on the horizon and an overall drastic improvement, I’d cruise again on Carnival without hesitation.

Disclosure:  In the spirit of full-disclosure, I was a guest of Carnival Cruise Line aboard the Carnival Pride. My goal is to present the facts as unbiased as possible. However, all opinions, statements and sentiments given are my own. If I don’t like something, it doesn’t mean that others won’t enjoy it. And just because I’m crazy about something, doesn’t guarantee others will like it.

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Hi Pat, Thank you for your questions. Yes, the Carnival Pride was in drydock in mid-February. All that was done was to remove the chapel and put in a Michael’s Craft Center. Other than that, to the best of my knowledge, there weren’t any other major changes. Except of course, like you said, now the ship sails from Baltimore! I really like Carnival’s older ships, too. The Pride only has slightly over 2,100 which for me, is a decent size…and “small” these days.

Have a wonderful cruise! Sherry

Can we get a 2019 update in The Pride that now leaves out if Baltimore, MD? Hasn’t it been in dry dock? Has it been renovated? Updated?

Hi Rob, Thanks for your upbeat comment! Enjoy your next Carnival Pride cruise. Sherry

Being from PA, The Carnival Pride departing from Baltimore is good as it gets for me and my Family We Enjoy every moment and its a great ship…4th time Cruising on the Pride..

First cruise ship I was on and probably the last, too many kids and I didn’t think the service was very good.Had to wait too long for drinks ,15 minutes to get a Coke that sucks.Sorry but for what it costs me and my wife were very dissatisfied.

Went on the ride in Feb of 2015 so far my favorite carnival ship ive been on

Hi Carol, Remember…the longer the cruise, the older the demographic. And Tampa seems to attract an older passenger, too. I went on quite a few Carnival cruises in the last two years and I have not been disappointed and enjoyed all of them.

Interesting! Have not cruised on Carnival for 20 years, but may try it again.

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Updated on March 10, 2019 by Sherry Laskin