My wife and I have been looking forward to this getaway for nearly 2 years and Carnival did not disappoint. This review is based on a July 28th - August 4th cruise on the Pride.

We booked a Vista Suite (4237) which included priority boarding. This was a treat and allowed us to bypass almost all lines and waiting. We truly were given priority and felt taken care of. We were dropped off at the port of Baltimore around 11:30. Drop off was a breeze and the priority boarding allowed us to blow past the lines and my wife an I were aboard the Pride by 12:00 on the Lido deck and enjoying the drink of day. We brought our carry on luggage to our room at 1:30 and got settled. The rest of our luggage found its way to our room between 3:00-4:00. The vista suit was absolutely wonderful! You certainly knew you were on a cruise ship, but the room was far more spacious than a balcony and many times more enjoyable than an interior cabin. The room included a small living room, bathroom with his/her sinks and a standard shower/tub with jets, changing room with vanity, a small walk-in closet, separate bedroom and a small hallway connecting the living room and bedroom. It certainly deserves the name Vista Suite as the windows along the suite provide a marvelous view of your surroundings throughout the cruise. One of the main perks of the room was the amazingly spacious balcony that wrapped around the side and spanned a good portion of the aft. My wife and I felt like millionaires for a week!

As expected, finding food was never an issue. Between the main dining room, the lido deck, and the steakhouse, and 24-hour room service we never went hungry. Our experience in the main dining room was just lovely. We took advantage of the anytime dining, but often arrived at dinner around the first seating. There was one evening that we experienced slow service, but the taste and presentation of the food was splendid throughout the week. I believe the service was slow that one night because my wife and I arrived at dinner around 6:30 after the first wave of anytime diners were seated and began their meals. It would seem to me that feeding a large amount of guests requires a certain rhythm and I feel like we arrived at a time when we were a little off the waiter and his teams rhythm. Regardless, I was in good company with my charming wife and when you're in the middle of the ocean your options of going elsewhere is limited. The Lido deck always provided quick bites to satisfy a hungry belly. The Lido deck was almost always busy, but with a little searching my wife and I always found a table. Our one evening at the steakhouse was a marvelously romantic experience. The pacing, presentation, and taste of our meals were perfect and the service and setting provided a memorable experience that should be shared by all couples. Finally, we took advantage of room service twice. The food was worthy of the lido deck, but I felt for being available 24 hours the selection was amble and the delivery time was adequate. We typically ordered room service at lunch, so we expected our wait time to be within 30 minutes. It was just nice to rest in the room and not have to worry about finding something on the Lido deck and finding a table. Read more