I cruised on the Pride in April, 2002 out of Port Canaveral, Florida and loved the ship from the moment I stepped on her. When I realized that I was getting to sail on the Pride again, I was thrilled. Even though this was my second cruise on this ship, it was my first trip to California, and my first trip to the Mexican Riviera. My three friends and I were really looking forward to this cruise and were counting down the months, weeks, and then days for our first cruise to the Mexican Riviera. I just wish we could have flown to LA a few days earlier so we could have done some sightseeing  maybe next time.

We flew American Airlines from Raleigh/Durham, NC to LAX the day before our cruise, with a change of planes in Chicago. After giving up our seats in Chicago for $500 vouchers each, we spent four extra hours at OHare Airport. It wouldnt have been bad if it had not been so hot in the terminal. However, it was worth a $500 voucher. We arrived in LA around 5:00 pm and took the Super Shuttle to the Long Beach Hilton. This hotel is very nice and convenient to the cruise terminal (about a 5 minute drive). We had problems getting in touch with room service, but that wouldnt stop me from staying there again. We were told that we could get a shuttle to the cruise terminal from the hotel, but it turned out to actually be a public shuttle  not enough room for our luggage.

Day 1 - The hotel called a taxi, and we were on our way to the cruise terminal. I will add here that the temperatures in LA were much cooler - highs in the lower to mid 60's and lows in the 40's - than I thought they would be. We had to wear long sleeves and long pants to the port, and that is a first for us. After checking our luggage at the terminal, we headed to the Queen Mary  right next to the Pride  for early check-in. This is when I found out that I was a Platinum Card holder, or a Concierge Club member. This is something Carnival has started new for passengers who have sailed with them 10 times or more. Believe me when I say that this is a nice perk, but more about that later. We then went on a tour of the Queen Mary. I could almost see the ladies and gentlemen from the 1930's wandering around on the decks in their finest. The tour is very interesting as well as educational. It was around 12:30 pm when we decided to board the Pride. As we walked up I could see a very long line waiting to go through security into the terminal. I walked up to a Carnival employee and asked what line I needed to be in as a Concierge Club member. She opened the door for me and told me I didnt have to wait in a line. We went through security, and because we had done early check-in, we went straight to have our picture taken and then onto the ship. The Pride is as pretty as I remembered it, with its Renaissance theme. If you want a glitzy or neon type ship, this is not the one for you. It is done tastefully and with class. This is my favorite size ship because it is large enough to have everything you need but not so large that it looses its charm. Read more