We signed up to join my daughter and her family. Noise factor in our room adversely effected our experience. Food in the dining room was tasty, but we rejected some of the cooked dishes because they were served cold. The server took far too long for the courses and was a 1 1/2 hour experience. After we complained they got it down to 1 hour. The trivia sessions were conducted by some individuals who could not pronounce English words and it was nerve racking dealing with them. The song and dance entertainment was average, the band was above average. The drink servers (with the exception of Deborah in the Schooner Lounge seemed to take far too long to get the drinks, but were friendly and helpful. Our cabin steward was exceptional and was always present to help us by opening our door or assisting us with other tasks. I would rate the food and the service in the buffet as above average. The excursion to Pearl Island in Nassau was a waste of time and money. We left the island early. High drink costs and run down equipment. The included lunch of fish, rice and chicken was very tasty. Read Less

Wife and I booked this for our first. Probably our last, just not for us. The ship was nice, the food and service ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! I became seasick w/ somewhat rougher seas and weather the last 2 days. I am still having some land sickness, yes there is such a thing, but hopefully will get over that. We swam with dolphins at Blue Lagoon, another experience checked off our bucket list. Def. Recommend. Our cabin steward, Edison, couldn't have been more attentive, we ended up tipping him extra. Shows were ok, would've like to have seen more comedians and maybe some earlier in the evening. For us, esp. motion sickness prone me, I think we will stick to land and air. Oh, watch out if you check towels off the ship for a shore excursion. When we came back onboard they collected them but didn't scan our seapass. On the final bill there was a charge for $50, $25 a towel. As soon as we walked up to guest services she smiled and said "pool towels?" Had we not questioned, we would have been charged. She did remove it Read Less

I booked this cruise because it went out of Baltimore and it was the best deal I could find. I had very low expectations, and just wanted to get away for a week with my family, see some new places, and not have to cook or clean. The Carnival Pride surpassed my expectations in every way. The musicals at night were awesome. Our cabin was perfect. My kids had so much fun in the pool and doing the water slides over and over again. I had read reviews saying that the food on Carnival Pride was lukewarm and not good-- we ate mostly in the main dining room, and the food was wonderful and always hot. My husband did wish there had been a live dealer for poker in the casino. I had also read reviews saying that the passengers on the Pride are rude-- this was not our experience at all. Everyone was friendly and seemed to be having a great time. The other passengers did not act annoyed by our children, which I had been a bit concerned about as this is supposedly a "party boat." Many people stopped to talk to my kids and really seemed delighted by them. The ports were decent-- we swam and hung out at the beach in Princess Cays, and did a glass bottom boat Carnival excursion in Freeport. Those were both nice. We explored Nassau on foot and went to the Pirates Museum and the restaurant next to it for lunch. I enjoyed getting out of the cruise terminal area and walking to the museum-- we were able to talk with several local people who helped us with directions, and it was nice to interact with these kindhearted Bahamian souls. Nassau was my favorite port out of the three because it felt like we got to experience a bit of the true culture of the Bahamas. Ultimately, this cruise was so much fun and my whole family can't wait to do it again. Read Less

We went on this cruise over New Year's. The first 2 sea days were very bumpy. THis was because of a storm. Carnival's embarkation process was very smooth. The safety brief at the beginning of the cruise was also very simple. We had a lot of fun over the 7 days that we were on the ship. The dining room staff needed some training, but the main waiter was great. The bars were a slight disappointment because they were not open for most of the day. No rock climbing wall was also a disappointment. The dining overall was very great and I liked the ship. I would do it again. We stopped at Princess Cays which was a little bit of a disappointment. There should have been more than just a beach. But, Nassau was really great. The stores where really fun. Freeport was not the best stop due to the damage from Hurricane Dorian. Overall, the cruise was fun, but not over-the-top. Read Less

I booked this cruise last minute, 3 weeks prior to our sail date. I was traveling with my best friend (it was her first cruise) and my 2 sons. My first Carnival cruise was on the Horizon last summer, June 2018... I was not impressed.. quality of food was awful and no one ever cleaned anything, sanitizers always empty. Same for Carnival Sunshine.. Empty hand sanitizer for days. Sub-par food. Dirty and overcrowded. My expectations for Pride were very low due to these past experiences... She did NOT disappoint!! Embarkation was smooth, aside from waiting to park the car. Upon getting on the ship, I was impressed with the cleanliness and the layout of the ship. We headed straight to our room to set our bags down and go get all the first-day cruise stuff over with. We had stateroom 5131. It was a balcony guarantee, and I could not complain about the location (a few steps away from camp ocean.. a plus for us!) Muster drill was quick and painless. We took the kids to check out the kids club. They are penguins (2-5) and the kids area was a decent size, clean and inviting. My boys had an absolute blast in camp ocean! No complaints there. I had kept up with the reviews prior to this trip and I saw a lot of negative reviews on the food.. I could not relate to a single one of them. I love to eat and I grew up living that cruise life, so as a child I got to try those fancy cruise foods you don’t come across every day.. the food on Pride was spectacular. Not “lukewarm” and definitely not “inedible”. Most of the time I was burning my tongue on everything because I couldn’t wait to eat it! Our bread in the MDR was always brought to us hot. Our soups and meals were always hot and delicious!! The coffee on this ship was also significantly better than what they served on the Sunshine. The coffee on Sunshine was so bitter! The kids, my bestie and I ate to our hearts desires. My son ate pizza from Pizza Pirate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here’s a con: service at Pizza Pirate was S L O W. Holy crap they need a better system. But was always yummy and again, HOT. Sea day brunch was AMAZING. So so delicious. Guys Burger of course hit the spot like always. The deli was alright, nothing really to brag about. We stopped in Half Moon Cay, Nassau, and Freeport. Half Moon Cay is GORGEOUS! If you’re considering going, GO. It was so so nice. Clear blue water and powdery-white sand.. the sun was perfect, it was 80° with a nice breeze. The buffet on the island was delicious. I could eat that chicken all day, it was so yummy. Easy to get a seat by the water, didn’t have to walk too far. It wasn’t too crowded. Just a perfect day overall. We all enjoyed it very much. Next day was Nassau. We left the kids in camp ocean and hopped off to grab some souvenirs. The weather was less than favorable that day. It started off as a drizzle but by the time we were waking back to the ship, it was a full-blown downpour! We were soaked!! But still had fun walking around and looking through the shops. We walked the wrong direction at first and saw a lot of devastation :( but the area close to port was nice. We didn’t get off the ship for Freeport so I have nothing to report on that. We had a few VERY rocky days/nights. I’m still swaying as I type this review up, we just debarked yesterday! Definitely grab a seasick patch, bonine, Dramamine or SOMETHING cuz she rocks a whole lot. Most of the time it was gentle but we did hit some rocky seas. They had barf bags available all around the ship because of it. Did I mention Dr. E yet?? The cruise director. He was GREAT. So entertaining. Love how he announces the goings-on of the ship. The vibe of the ship was so fun! He was a highlight of the trip for sure. Piano bar was a fun place to be, with Martins sing along events.. those were great! My best friend and I sang with the microphone a few times there. What great energy he has! We thoroughly enjoyed that. Overall, I would absolutely sail on Pride again!! There’s room for improvement here and there of course but it was definitely a step up from my previous 2 carnival cruises. And so convenient sailing from Baltimore. We came from Reading, PA so about 1 hr 45 minute drive for us. Perfect! Did I miss anything? Our room steward was so nice. The service all around the ship was amazing and friendly. Everyone was having a good time. It was a blast and exactly what we needed in the midst of the cold miserable winter weather! I recommend sailing on the Pride! Read Less

We truly enjoyed everything about our cruise! The cruise director was fun and engaging. The activities kept us entertained. The food was tasty and our steward went above and beyond. The ship was very clean and we constantly saw people picking up and straightening. The cabin could have been a little bigger but I feel that way about all ships. There were plenty of food options and the only bad side, the food was cold a few times in the buffet. Not too many times but there were a few. I loved the shows and comedy. We did our own thing when at port and mostly only took local tours which were really nice. We were going to book a few with the ship but I feel like a get a better deal myself for the little bit I'm willing to do off ship. Wonderful ship and helpful staff! I'm sail with them again in the future. Read Less

By far worst cruise i have been on. I took off work for 7 days for this cruise and it was horrible. I understand weather but it should have just got cancelled altogether. I am a mom and can only do vacation one time a year. The staff are very rude and i had my food before my drinks n i had to get the head waiter to get our drinks. We got to nassaeu for only 1 hour n had to pay port services and we couldnt do anything for one hour. I am very frustrated.I felt unsafe a couple of times. My own daughter told me that she wanted to go to the room because she wa s scared of everyone yelling n screaming n a fighy almost happenend n no secuirty or staff around on deck 2 n i had to call security n of course they took their good old time. I have never complained. I would like some kind of money back. One day cruise credit for 2 days we missed out on is not fair. Staff was very rude throughput cruise. They dont care about their passengers. I will never go on this ship again Read Less

First of all, this certainly was not our best cruise experience; however some things were in my opinion unavoidable, but RCI still could have done better in their response. To start, prior to the voyage, RCI sent everyone both an e-mail and text message the day before the cruise informing us of an impending storm and that there may be itinerary changes. I viewed the storm myself on radar and it was rather large. I've been on a ship before that attempted to go around a storm and that was a bad idea, many people got sick. I certainly preferred to stay in calmer waters for 2 days, rather than take a chance. So of course this affected everything. We did not go to Port Canaveral at all (still need to recoup money for a third party excursion to Epcot Center); we arrived in Nassau at 11:00 PM and had only 90 minutes to see virtually nothing (most businesses were closed); and CoCo Cay was indeed nice, but that was about it. The staff was hit and miss, which was disappointing (some were very good, others were not). The shows were decent. Some of the on board activities were lacking, such as Bingo in which the cost was a bit pricey for just a simple game of straight bingo or 4 corners. Probably the most disappointing was the food. For the most part the buffet food in the Windjammer was lukewarm at best. The dining room was a bit better, but just overall average. Also it should be noted even for breakfast in the dining room, the food on the bar was cold. However, our dining room servers were great (Sinegar and Mark), as was our cabin steward (Chris). Also the young lady outside the buffet that providing the hand sanitizer was wonderful and always a breath of fresh air. The cruise directors Katrina and John (who had taken ill) worked hard to keep things going. I would like to note they also led a non-denominational service which I hope RCI does implement on all of it's cruises. The two tributes to the vets (of which I am one) was outstanding. Our cabin (although a junior suite) was just okay, a bit dated, but clean. RCI did provide everyone an additional monetary credit towards a cruise that needs to be used over the next year (good on you). Overall, not the best cruise experience and I would say it is good they are retiring this ship next year. Read Less

Port of entry Baltimore. Convenience. Good value. Staff excellent in every area. Pizza and burgers excellent. David’s restaurants absolutely wonderful. David’s / Worth the extra expense. Enjoyed the adult pool. Great time to travel. Casino great fun playing three card poker. Staff excellent. Enjoyed snorkeling. Jet ski and zip lining. Enjoyed Grand Turk. Lovely beach. Easy day off and on the ship. Relaxing. PR history is amazing. Umbrella area is one to see in PR St Kitt I found the merchants pushy/aggressive at times. We have visited most islands in the Caribbean. My favorite is St Maartin. I also enjoy PR. The music on the ship was lovely available ever night in multiple areas. The ship could use some updating. We enjoyed the dining room/anytime dining was perfect for us. Staff was always pleasant and accommodating. The gym was great. Great hot tub and sauna. Loved the midnight buffet. Amazing ice sculptures. Fun evening. Read Less

We sailed on The Pride from November 3 to 18, 2019. We booked a 14 day cruise, but a storm turned it into a 15 day cruise. Here is my review of the cruise and our experiences. The Divine: The food and service in the main dining room. Carnival served exotic and gourmet food each night. Their fruit soups can only be described as divine. I placed a spoonful of cool soup in my mouth, got a delicate and joyous sensation of fresh fruit and poof it was gone. My mouth and senses couldn’t wait for the next spoonful. Each night we looked forward to seeing what new appetizer and entree the chefs thought up. The gourmet in me squealed with joy looking over the offerings each night. The menu was never boring and the food preparation was spot on. I can’t say enough good things. FYI. Carnival publishes many of their famous recipes on their website. Embarkation was amazing. There were no lines to wait in and it took one minute to check-in at the dock. Our Seapasses were waiting outside our cabin with our passport pictures and credit card information that I used in the online checkin incorporated. Carnival definitely used technology to everyone’s advantage. The Great: We have been on the ship four previous times, and I disliked the decor so much that my son and husband teased me about it at home for years. Well, they took care of that during the refresh. The decor was toned down and modernized. Very nicely done. The musicians through out the ship. The band was wonderful, and they had a violin trio that roamed the lounges and was amazing. Their other lounge performers were also good. The ship was clean. As a germaphobe, I appreciated the total cleanliness of the ship. The food in the Mermaid was diverse and well prepared. I can’t say enough about the Pizza Guys and the Sandwich Guys. The food was made to order and excellent. Guys’s Burger and the Mexican Cantina served fresh, tasty food that got my attention a few times. Guy’s fries were worth the walk. We had originally reserved open dining, but the second night we transferred to late seating in the main dining room. We were extremely happy with our change. Our wait staff learned our preferences, and had the table set with them when we arrived each night. They danced with us on nights where the wait staff sang and danced. Needless to say, “Yes, I was in the Conga Line”. The room stewards, (yes, we had two), were fantastic. We requested our cabin only be refreshed at night, and we never regretted our decision. Ours stewards were friendly, professional and immaculate. You can see that a lot of training was given out on the ship. The Guest Services people did a good job with two issues I had. The Good: Entertainment on the ship was good. The Cruise Director, Dr. E, made sure we were entertained morning, noon and night. He made himself visible throughout the voyage and was extremely approachable. He made it a point to interact with the passengers. He may seem silly at first, but when things went sideways, you could see his professionalism and expertise Shine through. The size of the ship is great to me. It’s easy to navigate, and get to know crew and passengers. It doesn’t overwhelm smaller ports. The Meh: There were three sets of comedians during our voyage. It seemed that with each set, one comedian was good and the other bad. The bad comedians used the audience as fodder instead of their intelligence and wit. One comedian I will talk about under The Bad section. The ports were nothing new. To be honest, we were so tired of the ports that we didn’t even get off at a couple. We don’t always take a cruise for the ports, but rather to get away from the cold and daily chores. The Bad: Smoking in the Casino! The smoke from the casino would fill up the Atrium and go all the way up to the Mermaid Dining room. It was disgusting. I couldn’t participate in any Atrium activities; I had to hold my breath in the Atrium elevators; and had to choose my seating carefully in the Mermaid Dining room. I complained about this condition, and was told nothing could be done. To this I say “Bachelors of Science!”. They could suck the smoke up in the casinos through filters, they could put air curtains on all casino openings, or even ban smoking all together like other lines. No Excuse is valid! Now, we all know the saying that “cruises are for the Newlywed, the Well Fed and the Nearly Dead.” There were a lot of the third category with portable oxygen and scooters on this cruise. Who is Carnival pandering to? I take it they don’t want my money or the more senior crowd anymore. Since I am allergic to smoke, I must consider other options for my cruising. The comedian Thea. She was rude, boorish and so bad that people walked out when she took the stage. She cursed and threatened sexual harm to a young man during one show. If it was my son she did it to, I would have filed charges. The young man became so uncomfortable with her harassment that he walked out, and so did I. The Comedy Club manager heard quite and earful from many guests about how bad Thea was. Better screening of the comedians needs to be reimplemented. When George Lopez provided the comedians, I would cry with laughter. In Conclusion: The Pride could be a Great ship if they got rid of the smoking problem and got better comedians again. I doubt that Carnival will make the changes needed because The Pride has been sold and will leave Baltimore soon. I wish her well. Read Less

The only thing I can say good about our cruise is that my teenage boys room steward, Rouston Rodrigues was Amazing. He not only cleaned my teenage boys room, made them animal towels, but interacted with them and my husband and myself throughout every day of our cruise. My husband and I saw our steward, Wilfred (I believe that was his name) only once when we boarded. In the Great Gatsby dining room, Shereen, our waiter and Noemi her assistant waiter always greeted us with a smile and was always courteous and generous with their time. We tipped all three of these employees very generously. We also appreciated that a RC employee was there tomake everyone hand sanitize before entering the Windjammer buffet. Sadly, many cruisers refused the hand sanitizer. Now, for the down side of our family trip. They was very little activitys to do, (for our teenage boys, my husband and myself) activity wise, unless my teenagers wanted to learn to dance the tango, attend wine tasting classes (they are only 14 and 15 yrs old) or play bingo. The rock climbing wall stayed closed throughout the entire cruise, They were told that they were “too young” (they are 14 and 15 yrs old) to workout in the gym and the shuffle board on top of the ship was always, “saved” for other adult cruisers.Both my boys were thrown out of the Solarium 3 times by different RC employees (they were just walking through the solarium to go to the Park Cafe for a snack, as unlike on other cruise lines, RC Grandeur of the Seas does NOT have a variety of food stations/restaurants open 24 hours a day). The food on the entire ship was subpar to mediocre at best. On more occasions than frankly I care to admit, in the Windjammer cafe, I witnessed passengers eating off their plates while still in line, contaminating the food in the buffet trays with their germs and actually verbally fighting and pushing people out of the way to get to the food. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Finding seating was nearly impossible in the Windjammer Cafe and my family of 4 (when we didn’t eat in the Gatsby dining room) usually had to eat out in the pool area. Speaking of the pool area, the pool was mysteriously closed twice during our cruise and only the hot tubs were available for use. Every cruiser I spoke to was annoyed and going “crazy” watching the big TV screen play the same dog/cat/little boy UTube video over and over and over and over at nauseaum. The same video played over and over for 8 days straight!! The only thing that my teenagers did enjoy was the Karaoke each nite, but unfortunately it was from 10pm to 11:30pm and run by a different RC employee each nite. On 2 occasions, other cruisers rudely told my teenage boys to leave the Pacific showroom where the Karaoke took place. Fortunately, I was there and my teenage sons were allowed to stay and participate. In the casino every day/nite was an extremely intoxicated male cruiser being extremely disrespectful to RC women employees and guests. Making sexual innuendos and being extremely rude, loud and insulting. Not one RC employee said anything to him, “because the cruiser is always right”. After witnessing this behavior for 2 nights, my husband finally said something to him. He became louder and even more aggressive and belligerent. He even told my husband to “step outside so he could teach him a lesson as he was going to whip his ass”. The male passenger was 60-70 yrs of age and my husband is 50 and a Lt. with the Baltimore City fire department. The pit boss finally stepped in and the man was asked to leave. Everyone, RC employees and cruiser alike thanked my husband profusely because they (the employees felt they couldn’t really do or say anything, because they are taught to bend over backwards for the guests) and the other cruisers were shocked and intimidated by this man and were apparently afraid to intervene. Sadly, the very next day and night the same drunk, sexually inappropriate, loud mouthed bully was at it again and allowed to continue that behavior for the rest of the cruise. Many cruisers said they stopped gambling all together or just all together refused to be at the same table with that loud mouth, sexual predator. I have cruised other lines, the last being 4 months ago on Carnival Pride. It’s a smaller ship, but the food was impeccable, the service amazing and there was always an activity and something fun to do, whether you were young, old or somewhere in between. The Pride also has a pizza place (Pizza Pirate) that is open 24 hours a day, along with Guy Ferri burgers and fries and the Blue iguana (Mexican food) along with their massive buffet. On other cruise line, you can get coffee, hot choclate, tea, lemonade and even ice, 24 hours a day or nite without having to call room service. Sadly, RC doesn’t offer these amenities. As for “A perfect day at CoCo Cay”, we were very disappointed. We did have beautiful weather and we were the only ship in port so it was not crowded. My husband did the Pig Island excursion, swam with the pigs and loved it. My teenage boys and I stayed behind on CoCo Cay island. I do NOT understand why RC (who owns COCO Cay island) feels the need to charge their cruisers to pay an extra fee for the “thrill island” side. RC OWNS the island, and as cruisers, we have already paid for the cruise. We didn’t pay extra to go to Naussa, Port Canaveral or Charleston. This is RC just trying to fleece more money off of their cruisers. When my family and I cruised Carnival Pride 4 months ago, we went to Half Moon Cay. (The island that Carnival owns). As cruisers, we were NOT charged for anything on the island that Carnival owns. Food was served at no extra charge, they had a band playing on the beach, and many of their Carnival employees were there interacting with the guests, playing sand and water games and truly getting to know each and every one of us. Even more disappointing and reprehensible is the fact that because we were the only ship at COCO Cay, they kept discounting the “thrill side” of the island from the original excursion price to a mere $10 by 2pm (the ship departed at 6pm) because NO ONE was on the “thrill side” of the island. The cabanas go for up to $300 on the beach. Because we were the only ship in port, people used the cabanas for FREE, while others got stuck having already paid for the $300 cabanas up front. It seems to me, and many of the RC cruisers my husband and I spoke to throughout our 8 day cruise, that RC is just out to make a quick buck and do the bear minimum. On other cruise lines, the mustered drill is 20-30 minutes long at a minimum. Our drill was 5 minutes long (if that) and it was to just electronically buzz everyone’s sail and sign card. They never even showed us how to put on a life jacket! My husband and I were in one room, with our teen age boys next door, yet we were assigned different mustered stations!! The Centrum is absolutely tooooo small as people saved seats and the same people were down there each and every night to listen to the band. Most the cruisers had to watch standing up, leaning on the railings or pull up chairs on the upper railings (all the way to floor 8), to watch and listen from afar. The comedy was awful (we had three comedians on our 8 day cruise). The ship board “broadway show” had to be cancelled because of an illness of one of the RC employees. The show went on the following nite, but it was definitely subpar and many people walked out by the middle of the show. All and all, I have sailed on many cruise lines, and RC is by far the worst. I even had an employee tell me that they really didn’t care about anymore of the Grandeur of the Seas sailings, as a “rich sheik had just purchased the ship for himself and his 158 wives and children and the ship was being sold and retired at the end of the 2019”. That was a very disappointing and upsetting comment to hear. My husband and I were also told that RC was a “step up” in clientele, sophistication, and class. On every other cruise line we have sailed on, formal night meant just that.... dressing up. Apparently NOT on the Grandeur of the Seas. Cruisers were in the main dining room (the Great Gatsby) in SHORTS on both formal nites!!! On any other cruise line, that would not have been allowed and they would have been asked to change. I could continue on, but I think I have made my point regarding our below par family trip on RC. It’s sad when my teenage boys stated once we returned home that they would have rather NOT missed school and 8 days of homework than to have gone on this specific cruise. Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions regarding our subpar vacation. Read Less

I chose this cruise because my family wanted to cruise and not have to fly to do it. I had been on this ship before and it was ok. I thought it would be better this time since it was a few years ago since my last trip. SMOKING, SMOKING, SMOKING, I had no idea that carnival allowed smoking on the ship, at almost 4 areas. I was sick the entire time, the smoke caused lung issues and breathing issues for me the entire trip. I had to mostly stay in my cabin due to the smoke all over the ship. None of the areas were enclosed, so therefore the smoke was everywhere! I could not enjoy the casino, due to smoking and neither enjoy the activities in the main lobby areas due to the smoke all over! So really I hated the trip! Due to the smoke I needed some meds from the medical clinic, however if you did not catch them when they were open u had to wait 4 or 5 hours when ever they decided to open up again! Hint: medical facility should have 24 hour access on a ship! There were very few daily activities planned, got very bored with eating and sitting in the dining areas, absolutely nothing to do during the day! Food was barely warm, at all times, fries always cold! Never saw any sanitizing on the ship. RCCL always sanitizes the ship right before your eyes! Carnival, please order sufficient supplies in your medical unit, I was told the simple over the counter med., I needed was sold out, and it was the second day! Waters were really rocky and no explanation or notification was given at anytime about why the ship was so rocky the first two days of sail! Guys burger place had the (car wash rags for napkins) absolutely poor taste. Not looking forward to traveling with carnival again! Read Less

The most important take away from my trip is to review your Sail & Sign statement carefully. If you have prepaid for spa treatments, you could get billed again. Your CHEERS doesn't work at the Carnival island of Half Moon Cay. The Cheers program is NOT worth the money. You will spend less if you just pay out of pocket. You can get bored over the course of 7 days. The pools and chairs are always full. The in-room television doesn't have ample movie selections. You honestly feel like you are eating all the time and the food isn't great. We spent most of our time in the casino (we broke even thank goodness), but the ventilation is horrible from the chain smoking that occurs. If your pockets aren't full when you leave, your lungs will be. And your clothes will reek badly. They do keep the boat spotless and they work super hard to cater to you and your surroundings. We stayed in a suite and it was awesome. It is roomy compared to the balcony rooms. The only issue that I had and this was my second attempt to love a cruise was that the bedding always smelled like dirty laundry. I even brought my own blanket and pillow cases, but they couldn't hide the smell. In summary, we went with family which was a big plus, but this trip proved that I will never be a cruiser with many under my belt. You either love them or hate them. There is no in between. Read Less

This cruise line was chosen by a family member to have a family reunion. Checking onboard in Baltimore was quick and orderly. Once onboard we explored the ship while waiting for our cabin. Once in the cabin, the amount of rust, holes in the steel from rust, and rusted through stiffeners was quite noticeable on our balcony. It was also covered in salt. Needed to use a towel on the hand rail and chairs before we could sit outside and watch the ship sail. Food served in the dining room was often slow and lukewarm. Staff appeared to have more tables assigned to them than they could handle efficiently. Meals on the lido deck were repeated almost every day. Very little selection and lukewarm food. Highlight of the food scene was Guy Fieri's Burger Bar. Only place on the ship where you could get a hamburger between the hours of 12 noon and 6pm, the only hours it was open. Well seasoned hamburgers, served hot. Cabin attendant was good and maintained the cabin to perfection. Cruise Director was extremely annoying and was on the PA system numerous times through the day with extremely loud singing that was almost unintelligible. Speakers on the PA system were overdriven and hard to understand. This was my first cruise on Carnival and will be the last. I much prefer RCCL. Read Less

We were big Carnival fans but then they got greedy and service and quality went down to the basement. But we came back last year and things had improved-not much but somewhat On the Pride the service was excellent everywhere we went. Our cabin steward Yasa was fantastic. we had cruised with him before on Carnival. He exceeded all expectations of service and being just a great guy. We usually have issues in the formal dining. I mean some bad slow service but this time on the Pride- HayDee and her team of Roland and Rexter were outstanding. They were terrific people. My wife cried on the last service saying goodbye-Yeah I got a little choked up too. Due to weather the production shows were modified but still good. I hope Carnival keeps them as they are fun and entertaining. Some other cruise lines have changed things up and we don't care for their entertainment Cruise direct Dr. E worked hard to keep the crown engaged. He was fun. We are senior citizens but like fun times and Carnival most of the time provides that. But we expect excellent service and decent food. Carnival keeps trickling UP their drink prices and gratuity while limiting choices like a "bar" brandy and 18% tag on for drinks. They are greedy. Parents- either leave your kids at home OR watch them- IT is NOT their ship to run all over screaming and hollering. All in all- a good time was had. Read Less

This was our first cruise and we had a blast. Right from the port of entry the carnival people where polite and very respectful. Once onboard the ship was very amazing. The night dining meals was fantastic. Our waiter bent over backwards to meet our needs. Aba was one of them and the other was Edward. Once we got settled in our room was very clean and the air conditioner worked great. The balcony was nice at night time. Our room Stewart was niaom "not sure of spelling" Niaom was very polite and helpful. Anything ask he would go out of his way to get it done. Over all trip was fantastic and we seen land that my family thought they would never see. Half moon cay was a beautiful island to spend the day. Our next cruise will be to Bermudas and will be with the pride of possible. Can't forget the ship cruise director Dr E he put together and awesome week of entertainment. Read Less

They have absolutely nothing for the kids to do. Besides the closet sized room for the tots. My daughter is 3 and was nervous about going to the kids section and they wouldn’t even let me walk her in and say goodbye.. ridiculous. No activities.. nothing. Rooms are small. Workers are nice except for a few that seems miserable. Carnival pride is definitely a better choice. Their dining room is ok. Breakfast is the same food every morning. The crowd is mainly older and get mad when the kids are being kids.. just a warning. Our cabin is right above the door they open to let people off the ship so my kids get woken up in the morning and from their naps. Soda cans are $4.. they have ONE. pool open for public and if your kids are not potty trained they can’t go in.. so my one year old had nothing to do.. Read Less

We enjoyed cruising on the Pride. Leaving from Baltimore is a plus. Only a 30 minute drive from home. Check in was a breeze, they had a good system that was quick. Slowed down to take a picture for memories. Boarded ship nlt 1pm and room was ready by 2pm. Met our stateroom steward, Tegum. He kept our room tidy and requests handled in a timely manner. This was our fifth time on the Pride. Our first stop was to Guy's Burger and we were not disappointed. The burgers are juicy, the extras are plentiful and the fries are just as delicious. Menu in dining room was okay, but we did try the sushi bar (the boat for Two) was more than enough, especially with soup and salad and a drink. We celebrated my birthday and Teguh surprised me with discounts for Spa and tours. We had an obstructed view balcony. Dr E, the Cruise Director was very entertaining and the highlight of the cruise. Itinerary was changed due to Dorian. We stopped at Amber Cove. The port had a variety of stores, restaurants, activities and beaches. The people were very nice and the port offered free wifi. We look forward to returning to Amber Cove in the future. Read Less

I chose this particular cruise to take my son for his birthday/Christmas combined as his present. I had also booked him to do the deep sea fishing in Bermuda. We were both super excited as neither of us had been to Baltimore (so we arrived a day early to see some sights) and neither of us had been to Bermuda. We arrived on 8/30/19 and checked into a hotel, walked to the Inner Harbor for dinner and see some sights. The next morning we got to the terminal to check onto the ship and so far so smooth ... I had also purchased "the key" for us which expedited our wait with other perks as well. We were on the ship around 11 am. We had taken a tour of the spa area and had both booked services for that day. The ship was set to leave port at 4 pm, which is did. Once away from the dock I noticed that we appeared to be going in circles then we went back to the dock. We were told the propulsion system was not working properly and that it was being looked at. Fast forward to approximately 8 pm. The captain came over the PA and stated that the ship was broke and the cruise was cancelled. We had two choices leave the ship by 11 pm that evening or we would not be allowed to leave until 6 pm the following evening but all must be off by 9 pm the following evening. Our mouths dropped open .. like is this seriously happening??? Yep, it sure was. We were told there were letters in our stateroom explaining what their compensation would be, they would be reimbursing each guest up to $200 per person to change their flight plus up to $200 if you needed a hotel the evening of 8/31/19. I immediately went to our room and began calling the airlines to see about changing our flight and explaining what had just happened to our cruise. The airline we flew in on wanted $383 per person to change our flight! I went to guest services and they stated there was nothing they could do that everyone was getting the same amount and no exceptions would be granted. I went back to our room and started looking at all other flight options. Around 10:30 pm I told my son we either get off now or we're stuck until the following evening which would potentially mean we wouldn't get home until Monday as there were no evening flights to get us home the following evening. We decided to leave the ship. At that time we did not have a flight booked nor did we have a hotel for the night. I had been on the phone for approximately 45 minutes with Travelocity at this point. We walked off the ship me with my suitcase in one hand and my phone in the other. There was a park bench outside the terminal that my son and I sat on while we made arrangements for both flight and hotel. To reschedule our flight for the next day cost $349 per person (trust me I tried to find a cheaper one but it didn't exist!) and we found a hotel near the airport for just under $140. Remind you at this time I was still out the cost of the cruise, shore excursions we had booked, the drink package we had, the "key" we both had, spa services we both had done prior to the cruise being cancelled, our hotel the night before, our original filghts, etc... totaling nearly $3000! So on top of this I am now out an additional $850 (rescheduled flights, hotel, Uber) that needed paid that day! So far I have received some of the money but not all that they have agreed to reimburse me. RCs ship broke, 100% their fault 0% my fault thus I should have $0 out of pocket for this. I shouldn't have to wait 2+ weeks to be reimbursed nor do I feel I should be out any money at all on this. If I tried to find cheaper flights and couldn't I feel I should be reimbursed the entire $349 per person, not just the $200 per person. I am not very happy right now. I feel like I was abandoned and left to fend for myself with zero help from RC. While I would love to comment on the ship, cabin, dining, entertainment, ports, etc... I cannot as there was not much open during our few hours aboard the ship. Read Less

We chose a balcony stateroom with the expectation of enjoying fresh air. From the first day we were subjected to our neighbor's smoking. We immediately complained to Guest Services. This was repeated on subsequent days: smoking and complaints. Carnival provides extensive space both in the ship's interior and exterior for smokers. Some smokers want more. Our cabin attendant was friendly and very efficient as was the entire staff. Dining room service was sporadic. Sometimes prompt. Other times service seemed to drag on forever. Food was good and of course plentiful. Guy's Burger Joint has great hamburgers and fries. Pizza had thin crust and lacked the taste you would expect. There were no enrichment activities.The theme of the Cruise was "Fun" which means lots of action and noise at all times. Cruise Director must think himself proud: His announcements were preceded or followed by sounds resembling a stuck pig. I guess some folks thought that was fun. We thought it annoying. Bottom line:If you are looking for non stop action this ship is for you. Just don't look for any enrichment. The smoking issue and lack of enrichment impacted negatively on my, my wife's and our extended family;s overall cruise experience.Perhaps our expectations differed from the focus of the ship. We expected a quality (our definition) vacation but didn't feel we got our full money's worth. Read Less

We chose this cruise strictly for the convenience of the port. The port of Baltimore is so convenient, the parking is reasonable, the staff are helpful, and everything is run quite efficiently.. We also wanted to try a different itinerary other than the Caribbean..The New England coast was beautiful and did not disappoint us, but, I guess I was expecting a little more and eventhough I adored the staff, I do not believe it will be enough for us to come back unless there is an exceptional bargain being offered.us..for starters the Broadway shows and entertainment we always look forward to on other ships..just terrible..couldn't even watch it here. That was a bummer. Also, there was one evening I was not feeling well so I was in my room which is rarely the case .. but there is absolutely nothing to watch on TV . Only thing to watch are old reruns of some bygone show noone has ever watched and John and Katrina doing the RC commercials..its just really ridiculous and frustrating especially after all the money we've spent for that room! I like John and Katrina, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to watch them on tv all night too.! This ship sadly just does not offer enough activity for a livelier crowd.. with that being said, there are definitely some highlights though. Michael is awesome and so hilarious! He had me cracking up all week..My family loved him and he keeps everyone entertained as much as possible..The food is typical cruise food and theres plenty to choose from, so if you can't find something you like from the many options they provide, then don't go on a cruise! Also, the way I'm looking at it, I'm not cooking and cleaning for a week so I'm not complaining too much :-) it's a cruise for God sake so how bad can it be:-) my only real complaint was that it was way more money than I have paid for cruises in the past, so I guess I was expecting a little more Read Less

We arrived early for our 1 PM check-in time and were boarded within minutes. We had a balcony cabin, 5244. The view was great, the bed comfortable and cabin clean. It was very nice, but was a bit short on storage space for 3. We had an excellent wait staff. The food in the dining room was FABULOUS. The buffet was ok. Breakfast was a bit ho-hum, but not a big deal. Guys burgers was possibly the best burger and fries I’ve had in awhile. There was a 24 hour pizza, hand tossed and amazing. Drinks were good quality, but pricey. A tropical drink came to $11 with added gratuity. Even a beer rang up to $7.50ish. The entertainment was great and so fun. There were 2 deck parties with great music from the 70s, 80s and 90s that fit the typical cruiser very well. Dr E was the best cruise director I’ve sailed with. Having 3 pools on board helped to spread out the crowd on sea days. There was a perfect blend of activities and music styles for ALL to enjoy. There was a fridge in our room, we stashed our water we purchased ($4.50/12) and soda/ wine we brought. My 13 year old LOVED circle c club. I barely saw her all week. She made a ton of friends, which was great. Our first stop was Grand Turk. We shopped, swam in the area just off the pier and went to Margaritaville. Margaritaville had a fun pool party. Our second stop was Half Moon Cay...stunning, but we waited too long to get tender tickets and didn’t get there until 11:30. By 3ish, the island started clearing out. It was a scorcher and we were ready to get back onboard anyway. Our last stop, Freeport was the dud of the group. It is not pretty where you dock, at ALL. Really...take an excursion, we did dolphin experience/ snorkeling. Debarkation is late on this itinerary, however we were off 45 minutes earlier than advertised, consider rolling off your own luggage if possible. Also, the fitness center is sort of small. With the recent incidents in the Carribean and Mexico...I must say, I felt completely safe and everyone I encountered ashore was wonderful and friendly. I’ve sailed RCI and other lines, but I’ve been spoiled by Carnival. It was the best time I’ve ever had on a cruise. Read Less

We did not have a lot of luck with weather this trip but Carnival's crew still managed to entertain us with some cool activities. The fun staff were great; they always had us all laughing and dancing. Some of the activities on the itinerary did not look interesting at first but once we got there we always had a good time. The dining experience was pleasant and the staff were great. The food in the dining room could use a little more seasoning though. David's steakhouse was amazing. Our cabin was a little banged up but clean. We had a great view of the ocean from our balcony. We could simply look out and there it was. The only downside was that we always faced the ocean and did not get views of the ports, even as we were leaving. Also a thing to note is that the sunset on the side we were on which was great but also made it a little hot and bright in the evening. Half Moon cay was super disappointing from the standpoint that they no longer have a drink package. In fact I asked at every single bar location and was told numerous times that they have not had that in a very long time (a few said that they have been there between 6-9 months and never heard of it). The same goes for the lobster shack which was not open at all. Staff told me that since they have been there (6-9 months) they have actually never seen it open. This means that your only option for food is the BBQ which is simply put...OK. If I want a burger I will go back on the ship and grab one from Guy's you know. The bird around the BBQ were cool until they weren't. They would attack food without warning. I think the most offensive part of Half Moon cay is the drink prices. Unless you stick to beer they serve everything in these little tiny plastic cups overfilled with ice and the price is the exact same as it is on the ship. Essentially you pay full price for about a half of a normal drink. There was not much to do on the island but chill at the beach and watch the fish, which for some is cool. Carnival's fun staff came out and ensured that we had music and hosted some more beach activities. The debarkation process sucked but only because people do not follow instructions. Embarkation was a breeze. Very fast, simple, and actually fun and exciting. Read Less

So, my parents decided that they wanted to see Bermuda again, and wanted to take the rest of us - so we were a group of 10 (7 adults, 2 teens, 1 kid). My husband and I live in Baltimore, so my parents decided we should go out on the Grandeur. This was our third cruise, the first two were one the Carnival Pride (so fair warning, there will be some comparisons). The best: The solarium is an amazing place on this ship. A glass enclosed adult-only section with a little food counter and direct access to the spa with the sauna and steam room. It was amazing, and WAY better than the Pride's adult only section. We almost always were able to find lounge chairs, and the pool is a real sized pool! Actually, both pools were real sized - which was a definite step up from the Pride's pools, with way more hot tubs. We ate at Chops one night and it was delicious! (on par with the prides steak house) The staff is all very friendly and sweet and helpful. Comparing to the Pride: Embarkation and departure were a dream on the Grandeur - Easy and fast. (the Pride was a nightmare both times) The Good: The windjammer was delicious for breakfast and lunch. The great Gatsby was mostly good for dinner. The spaces on the ship (south pacific lounge, centrum, schooner bar) were beautiful. The bad: Dining: Not one dinner meal did everyone get their food at the same time - and my mom is a stickler for 'no one eats if everyone doesn't have a plate'. We received poorly done meat (seriously - who eats well done prime rib?). And breakfast in the main dining room was disgusting (cold eggs benedict two mornings in a row . . ugh). Maintenance: 2 of the 9 elevators were broken from day 1. 2 of the remaining were on/off throughout the cruise (luckily it's a small ship). Entertainment: The Schooner bar piano guy (andy?) needs to retire. No voice, not familiar with all the words to songs and very low energy. the beautiful south pacific lounge was bad karaoke multiple nights of the 5 night cruise. The ship basically closes down except the one night club room and an outdoor movie playing by 10pm each evening. Room: the beds were cots shoved together. Lumpy and hard. Verdict: I wish this ship could get a revamp - better food, better entertainment - because the ship itself is lovely and had a lot of promise. But, as is? I won't be choosing this ship over the Pride. The RC cruises typically are more expensive than Carnival, and the pros weren't enough to sway me. Read Less

Ok so let me say again we had a nice time. The GOS shows her age but that's to be expected. The main reason for writing a review is to add a little ballancd. Out of all the reviews I read before 99% had the GOS walking on water and to be fair to her that's a tough act to follow. The Great: Cruise Director = Great Activities Director = Great Activity Staff = Great Bartending Staff = Great Embarkation = Awesome Disembarkation = Awesome Chops Gill! = Awesome The OK: Room Steward: was just ok. Never been on a boat were at times the room wasn't touched until lunch time. The Food: MDR food to me has always been average but for some reason the food some nights seemed below average. The Bad: Replacing the Movie Screen! I know it was out of commission for at least 4-5 days and for me that's a huge deal. We enjoy watching movies at night. This should have gotten fixed at dry dock. Broken elevators: have two down the entire cruise after being at dry dock was an issue for me and some others. Food \ Beverage Package Selling: or should a say relentlessly asking to buy the package. We always buy the Dinner and Drink package beforehand and are already asked when we first get on the boat but these folks I know asked me at least a 2 dozen times the first two days and I felt that was tacky.. With all that being said if the ports,price and time is right ill cruise on Lady G gain.. Read Less