We cruised on the Carnival Pride 6/15/2008-06/22/2008. My husband and I had cruised once before but it was my daughter's first cruise (12 years old). We initially cruised the three day to Ensenada on Carnival to see how we liked the experience. We enjoyed the experience so we decided on a longer vacation with our daughter. I had heard mixed reviews of the Pride so I was not sure what to expect. The Pride is a beautiful ship. The dEcor is rich and inviting. Some people have complained about the art (some naked) but I found this not to be true, there are some statues and pictures but nothing gross or offending. This is the last year for the Pride. The Carnival Splendor (brand new) is replacing this ship.

Departing: We arrived at 12:00 and checked in at the Queen Mary. Check in at the Queen Mary was very organized and fast. We were given a line number and proceeded to get into line to board the ship. Unfortunately, the coast guard decided to make an unexpected inspection of the ship and no one from the cruise before could get off and no one from our cruise could get on.....gridlock. We waited in line until around 3:30 when the finally let us board. It was very hot in the sun and our line like most of the other lines did not have shade. Everyone was cranky and hungry when we finally boarded. We were on vacation so it really did not bother us that much. Once they gave the clearance the Carnival staff moved rapidly to get everyone on board. We left port only half and hour late. The Carnival staff outside while we were waiting were friendly and informed about the delay.

Cabin: Our balcony cabin was on level 4 almost at the back of the ship. This was a nice location, not a lot of noise and easy to get the upper levels. Our cabin stewards were wonderful and friendly. The towel animals were the best part of coming back to the cabin at night. We brought a bungee cord to hold open our balcony door and it worked perfectly. Our dinning time was 6:00pm and if I had to do it again I would have had the late seating because it is hard to make 6:00 dinner after a long day of excursions and late lunches. Food: The food was wonderful everywhere we ate on the ship. The dinning room always had a good selection and it was nice that you could order more than one thing so you could try different items. The desserts were the best part and they were delicious. The buffet on the lido deck was always stocked and had good variety. The Pizza bar and the outside grill were always good for a quick snack between meals. Read more