So here's my take on the 4/22 Carnival Pride cruise to Bermuda.

Embarkation: Baltimore has it down to a science. We arrived during a torrential downpour a little after noon, dropped our bags off with the porter and got inside. We were in the security line and for the next hour we moved quickly and by 1:30 we were on the ship. Everyone working during the embarkation process was very pleasant and it was a painless quick process.

Drinks/Bars: Since the first thing we did was grab a drink, I'll talk about this first. I'll talk about the dining room later, so these comments and thoughts are just about the other bars and lounges. Every bar server and bartender we encountered we found polite and efficient. Iryna (sp?) at the lobby bar was great all week and we piano bar staff were wonderful. Roger in the piano bar was sick and so the piano bar was closed for a few days during the cruise. First note: souvenir glasses were available all week on the lido deck, but only occasionally at the bars on decks 2&3. Second note: Martinis (not cosmos, appletinis, etc. but real martinis) were the best deals by far. A Stoli martini was $8.95, a small FYI for those looking for the most bang for your buck. Third note: buckets were $.50 off for 4 beers and you could mix and match beers in the bucket. Read more