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

We are a couple in our 60s; this was our 22nd cruise. Our friends came along, and this was only their 2nd cruise. Although we hadn't sailed on Carnival in 8 years, Pride's home port of Baltimore is only a 2-hour drive, so it's very convenient. We've never been huge fans of Carnival (this is our 5th time on Carnival and 2nd time on Pride), but we thought we'd give them one more chance to impress us. They failed. Miserably. Embarkation was a bit of a surprise, in that when they assign you a specific time, they mean it! We got there about an hour early for our 2:30 assigned time, and we waited in line outdoors for an hour. Once inside, all went smoothly... till we got on board. I need to stop here and say that 8 years ago, on our last Pride sailing, we were appalled at how very ugly it was! The Renaissance must have not been the most attractive era in history. We hoped the recent re-do in dry dock improved things. It did-- most furniture was much more attractive (or less ugly, depending how you look at it), and the myriad pictures with nude women (and defaced nipples) were gone. An improvement, for sure-- but I still think this ship is ugly! We were told that our key cards would be in the "mailbox" outside our cabin... and they were. But they didn't work. Nobody on our deck (1) could get into their cabins-- nobody's key cards worked. Finally, someone showed up to fix the problem-- he had to reprogram every single cabin's key cards. Annoying, but at least they fixed it. Our outside cabin was typical for Carnival, and our bed was very comfortable. Plenty of storage available. We liked our waitstaff so much by our second night of Anytime Dining that we requested them to please reserve our table every night. They were great, and the food was GREAT. That was dinner, though. Other meals were not as good-- our one breakfast in the dining room was very disappointing, both in the food and the ridiculously slow service. And things weren't great in the buffet, either: there is no more smoked salmon (lox) , my favorite. I did have it in the MDR, but I wished it were also available in the buffet. Also, if you wanted butter, it was not available in single wrapped servings-- instead, there was a large crock of it (nearly melted) for everyone to help themselves. I found this gross! And it wasn't easy to find, being far from the bread. I think our biggest disappointment was the entertainment. Carnival earned a good reputation for this, in our experience... but apparently not anymore! Two of the three production shows couldn't be held as expected because of rough seas, so they were replaced by the 6 entertainers sitting on stools and singing. Several were off-key, kinda ruining things. I wasn't surprised by how loud they were-- why is it assumed that making music louder makes it better? It doesn't. I'm glad we had the forethought to bring earplugs. The "show" on the last night was... :::: drumroll::::: a lip synch to recorded music. Ridiculous! There were comedy shows, but the one PG show we attended was mainly bathroom humor. Sorry-- not funny! And I seriously doubt that making it R-rated by adding a bunch of curse words would help much. Can't comment on the music on the Lido deck, because we spent most of our time in the Serenity area (which wasn't always serene, due to so many at the bar being very loud). Other than that, there were 3 musical acts playing around the ship at night. The same 3, all week, rotating locations. Tolerable to listen to... for a while. But over and over? Nah. The piano bar wasn't open much-- generally only too late for us. Good thing we like trivia, because there wasn't much else to do on sea days. With this cruise line, it seems to be all about the up-sell. Play Bingo! Buy a drink! Book a massage! Buy, buy, buy! Come smoke in the casino while you spend! Oh yes, the smoky, stinky casino... placed so all the smoke leaks out and goes throughout the ship. Gross! We did enjoy the ports. At Grand Turk, we went in the pool at Margaritaville. We actually found partial shade on Half Moon Cay, but didn't stay all that long. And although they told us upon arrival that Freeport would be replaced by yet another day at sea, on Wednesday it was announced we were going there. We'd booked an excursion, so we were glad. And since we were the first returning cruise ship since the hurricane, all the vendors were so pleased to see us that they weren't as aggressive as I'd always heard-- they were all very nice. So that's the good (the dining room food and service), the bad (the entertainment and general lack of things to do), and the ugly (better looking than it used to be, Pride is still one ugly ship)! 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

We had never been on a cruise before, but we're curious enough to give it a shot. So glad we did. We sailed out of Baltimore for the convenience factor. We live about 30 minutes north of Allentown, PA, so the drive wasn't bad at all. Cruise terminal was very easy to get to. Traffic flowed smoothly and all staff were VERY helpful. We breezed right through the security line, no waiting. We sat a bit until they were ready to let everyone board, but we were still in the serenity area on a clamshell with adult beverages in hand by 12:15. Our cabin was gorgeous. I'll admit, I was nervous. I read a lot of negative reviews about the conditions of cabins. Absolutely no complaints. There was a bit of rust on the balcony, but seeing as how it's a boat with a whole lot of exposure to salt water and weather, the rust was minimal. The staff were. All. Amazing. Japhett was our steward and was fantastic. It seemed as though he knew what we wanted before we did. Very attentive and really nice. We spent the bulk of our time on the Lido deck by the pool. Dr E was our cruise director and he was hilarious. With his "good morning" and "good evening" songs and everything in between, he kept us laughing all week long. Our favorite was the guess that 70s/80s song activity in the main atrium. He outdid himself. Huge shout out to all of the bartenders, but our favorites were Nebo and H at the Blue Iguana Tequila Bar. These guys are hilarious and super friendly. As for the negative reviews. I read a ton of these after I booked this cruise. Here's my 2 cents, and I've read other reviews saying the same thing: know what things are most important to you when you book your cruise. Don't book a Carnival cruise if all you're looking for is quiet and relaxation. We were incredibly relaxed when we came home, but there's a lot going on on this ship. If you're expecting super high end, maybe check out a different cruise line. This boat was exactly as it was advertised: family friendly and party-like atmosphere. In general, the negative reviews were extremely nit-picky. It's a vacation. You're on a cruise with 2,400 of your newest best friends. There's absolutely nothing worth getting all fired up about. Also, be nice to the staff. They live there. We're guests in their home. If you wouldn't do it in your own, don't do it there. (Yes, I'm talking to you, lady who dumped an entire plate of food in the buffet line and just walked away without so much as an apology to the crew member on the floor trying to pick everything up so no one would step on it. Also talking to the gentleman with the stellar personality who screamed at the attendant at the pizza station...I still haven't figured out what was so upsetting.) Sidenote: also know what you're looking for as far as entertainment. I read a ton of reviews about folks being wildly offended by the late night comedy shows. Here's the thing. On the daily newsletter, it says right on it that the late night comedy shows are rated R and only suitable for 18+. Further, before the show even started an announcement is made reminding everyone of such, and also suggests that if you're easily offended or even a little sensitive, you find your way out. The comedians were absolutely hysterical and don't deserve to be slammed for being totally offensive by folks who were well warned as to what they were getting into. Our cruise on the Carnival Pride has set off a total cruise addiction. We came home Sunday and booked our next cruise on Wednesday. Carnival is fantastic! 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

I took this cruise because it was 45 minutes from my home. It cost $105 to park your car all week. I had an interior cabin with 2 narrow beds. There were 2 of us in the room. There was more than enough closet and storage space for 2 people and plenty of hangers. We had Late Dining, but were able to be changed after the first night to the Early sitting. This was much better for us. We were seated with 5 other couples. Our Dining Waiter Paul Chamberlain was excellent at remembering names and all the requests. He also liked to dance. Carnival has the waiters do a dance every night. Some did not look thrilled to be doing this. The food was just OK I had no complaints. Also ate in the Steakhouse one night and the food there was excellent. On the Lido deck, the Mermaid Grill food was also OK, especially Guys burgers and the Pizza place. Our cabin was sufficient but I found some change in the bedside drawers (2 drawers); which suggested the drawers are not wiped out after the last guest. I was VERY ANNOYED that in the Red Frog Pub, late night, with folks drinking alcohol, they let people bring children/toddlers in there to run around. This disturbed people on the dance floor, and distracted from the excellent band, CoCo Notes. Come one Carnival, I get that you want everyone to have fun but there is a time and place for children! The man who brought these kids had no insight his kids were disturbing people. Carnival it takes away from an adult experience when you allow children in drinking venues. Who wants to be around little children who should be in bed at midnight? The Casino was also pretty smoky. I was surprised to see smoking and Vaping is still so popular..... Carnival did give my companion lots of perks for playing in the casino; which were also extended to me. I got a Pappasan lounger twice in the Serenity Lounge; but you have to be there before 7 am to get one facing the very back. I found a man trying to reserve 4 of them in the back, (with no towels or belongings on 3 of them) and I told him that wasn't right, and I told him so, he agreed and I took one! Gran Turk island was the worst port I've ever stopped at. The beach where the ship stops is rocky and full of boulders. There are hardly any free umbrellas and there are people there trying to steer you to the paid ones for $25. Be careful at this beach, its crowded and you will stub your toe or trip over one in the water. I also ordered 2 cocktails from the Maragaritaville there and it was $32 with tax and tip! There were no bar waiters circulating on the beach. Half Moon Cay was a tender port and much better. Carnival serves a nice lunch there for free. My last experience with a private island was with Norwegian where you get charged for food on their island. The water was beautiful. Most of the chairs don't have umbrellas for shade. Get off early so you can try to score a covered chair. Freeport stop was cancelled due to a recent hurricane. We had 5 sea days in total. I didn't mind because I just wanted to relax and read. The Pride is a small ship, holding over 2000 guests. The Carnival Magic (4000 + guests) was parked next to it in Grand Turk, and you could clearly see that ship was twice as big and way longer. I liked the compact size of the Pride. It was easy to get around the ship no matter where yur cabin is located. All in all I enjoyed the cruise and would take it again not for the onboard activities and ports; but for rest and relaxation. Fortunately the ship was not overrun with children on my Sept 22 departure. Read Less

The Trip: Now that our kids are grown, my wife and I prefer cruising in late August/early September for several reasons - not the least of which is to take advantage of back-to-school while its still warm enough to swim and enjoy the sun. This year was no different, and we knew the risk of booking during hurricane season - despite the fact that we'd been lucky over the previous 4 cruises and knew the odds were starting stack up against us. Previously we've had minor inconveniences, but nothing major. Well, we finally had a cruise that had to be redirected due to a hurricane, and it really wasn't that bad of an experience. We had a couple of days of rough weather (5-10 foot swells), but we wore the seasick patch and fared pretty well. Other people who had nothing or waited too late to take Dramamine didn't fare as well for 2 of the days, but I have to thank Carnival for redirecting south along the far edge of the storm to Grand Turk and Amber Cove rather than going north to New England or Canada - we were able to enjoy the warm weather and swim/sunbathe all 7 days. The Ship: The pride is an older ship, but in general Carnival's refreshes have improved her and she has held up fairly well. Some complain about the decor (I frankly don't care), and others complain that the ship is old. However, my wife and I prefer the smaller feel of the older design - the newer ships (in particular the megaships) are just too crowded for my taste. We did a Royal Caribbean cruise on a larger ship (3500-4000 passengers), and were turned off by the way they managed the larger crowds. The downside to the smaller design is that there really isn't a lot to do all day during bad/cold weather; the bigger ships have enclosed pools or other activities beyond the bars and casino. A definite upside is that the passenger to crew ratio is better, and the ship is easy to navigate. The Food: The best "free" food is definitely in the dining room at dinner, and the whole experience is a positive. The food was generally very good, although a few items were average (appetizer/dessert). My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the singing and dancing of the waiters - it is a nice touch I hope they keep. For lunch Guy's was great, and rivaled any chain such (Five Guys or Smashburger). The Lido buffet is passable, but it is average at best even for a buffet. At breakfast the dining room was good, but the room service egg sandwiches were not. We did pay for David's steakhouse one night for dinner, and it was excellent. Entertainment: One of the reasons my Wife and I prefer Carnival over other lines is the nightly comedy club. Over a 7 day cruise there are 2 pairs of comedians who do 3 different sets apiece so the comedy is fresh each night. The comedy shows are thus much better than the song and dance production in the main theater. On good weather days there is plenty to do up on deck, and at night there are plenty of choices of live music along with the typical clubs and bars. Service: For the most part service was pretty good, and in particular our steward and Dinner staff were very good. They did seem to be rushed at times, but were always pleasant. Walking the ship, most of the crew would greet you with a smile and a hello. The steward did offer a choice of morning or evening which offends some, but honestly I didn't feel the need for anything more than once. Embarkation: We live in southern New Jersey, and have sailed out of New Jersey, New York, and Baltimore. By far the easiest port to get into an out of is Baltimore. The new scheme of your sail-and-sign card being on your door is absolutely fantastic - there was virtually no line at security and once we were through we just walked onto the ship. We typically do the "faster-to-the-fun", but for embarkation you really don't need it now. Grand Turk: This was our first time to Grand Turk, and since we were redirected there after we sailed we couldn't do any prior homework. We picked an excursion for an all inclusive trip to a beach, and would not do it again. The food was pretty bad, and the drinks were basically rum punch or soda. It was a 10-15 minute ride, and it would have been much easier and cheaper simply to go to one of the beaches right at the port terminal. The beach had lots of rocks, and without water shoes my wife couldn't even go in deeper than her knees. Amber Cove: First time here as well, and we ended up booking a trip to "Ocean World" to swim with the dolphins and it was great. It is basically a smaller version of discovery cove plus seaworld, without the rides. Despite the reputation of the Dominican Republic, there was plenty of security at Amber Cove and Ocean World. Conclusion: We've already booked next year's cruise on the Pride, so yes I am happy with the experience. After cruising on Disney, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity my wife and I are convinced that Carnival offers not only the best value but has the best options for us. 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

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

Don’t know where to start. Entertainment director was very disorganized. No one could understand him. He did not set up good activities. It was a total chaos on the ship. People were boarding on and off whenever they want. They initially provided the time to each deck but people were getting off whenever they want to. Staff was extremely rude and impolite. Food was horrible, lines were extremely long. Room services lost our bottle of wines which we bought at the port and then they were ignorant about that. Very bad experience with carnival. No help for people who were using walkers. It was major mess, no organization . Staff was the worst , no manners to talk to people. I felt like I was in military ship and staff was talking down. We were supposed to be in king size bed ( they joined two twin size beds and there was significant gap between beds). Very disappointing . Read Less

My husband and I, along with another couple, decided to take this cruise out of Baltimore. Getting to port, parking, and embarkation went extremely smoothly. I would cruise out of this port again in a heartbeat! We both had aft balcony staterooms on opposite sides of the ship. Our head steward, Dawi, was incredible. He took very good care of us. We have no complaints about that. The balcony showed its age with rust, peeling paint, and the deck chairs were speckled with paint. Our biggest complaint though was the constantly slamming doors! We found the food to be lacking in both the main dining room and the buffet. We chose to eat at the steakhouse on our second day at sea. There was no more than 8 other people in the restaurant, which we felt was strange. The food was well prepared and delicious. We went out on excursions in Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. In Grand Turk we did the dirty dune buggy excursion. All four of us enjoyed it immensely. At Half Moon Cay, our friends did the horseback riding excursion and enjoyed it. My husband and I signed up for the stingray and snorkel. We were extremely disappointed. The only stingrays we saw where the two that the guides were holding. As for snorkeling, we saw more fish without gear when we went to the beach afterward! We wish we had known that Freeport doesn't have much to do. We would have skipped the snorkel in Half Moon and booked something in Freeport. At the end of our trip, debarkation was again simple and easy. Our cruise director Dr. E. was very entertaining! His activities in the atrium and out on the Lido were so fun. Fluffy also was phenomenal with her trivia activities. The stage shows, however, were subpar. Not at all what we have seen on other ships! 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 for our honeymoon. We loved the ship, the only complaint that I really have is the amount of seating that was available on the Serenity Deck. We thought it would be a quiet, peaceful area to relax during the day and it was a fight to get a chair unless you got there by 7 am to claim a chair. We had the best time in The Piano Bar, The Alchemy Bar and the Atrium bar. Specifically at the Piano Bar, the bartender MJ and Mike at the piano, Dejan and Inga at the Alchemy Bar. We discovered the piano bar on our second night after we went to the 88 Keys show, which was absolutely amazing, and we had a blast singing a long with Mike. We went back several times over the week we were at sea. Dejan and Inga were amazing and absolutely the most friendly bartenders I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. They were personable, and by Friday had our drinks already in the works as soon as we sat down as they discovered what our favorites were. I wish they were local! Read Less

Honeymoon, no airfare required, Platinum status with Carnival this cruise seemed like a great option. 2 days prior to sailing we got call to upgrade from french door interior to balcony for $300 total. Since this was our honeymoon sailing we did it. The entire cruise I received all paperwork for another couple. Our room steered even called us by these names when we finally met hi m on day 4. Despite going to guest services several times, the name confusion continued until the last day when we received a bill in the other peoples names. Once we met the room steward, he'd did a good job, our room was clean, but there was no interaction with him or friendly banter. He did write a Happy Honeymoon note on the mirror on day 5 and they were a few towel animals during the week. Room was comfortable, balcony very rusty, bed very comfortable. The headline shows were AWFUl, the cruise director phenomenal, Take Two and Coconotes Band were very good as well. Overall the safe was present, but not friendly, warm or welcoming with the exception of a few bartenders. The overall dining experience was terrible. Food served cold continually. overcooked or undercooked. Tablecloths only on formal night and no type of dress code is at all enforced. Drink service was very slow in dining room and the buffet food was awful. The best places to eat were the taco/burritto bar and Guys Burger joint. The pizza was even gross. I watched the entire cruise officers pass by passengers without even a smile or a nod. We resorted to paying for there steakhouse for the last two nights and the food was good, but the service was extremely slow. I am not a news cruiser and I rarely feel as passionate as I do writing this negative review. My honeymoon was not acknowledged and my platinum status was not either. So disappointing. I am booked on the Sunrise in November and I think I am going to cancel. Read Less

We chose Carnival Pride because the departure city of Baltimore is about an hour away, so no airfare required. Drove to the harbor and had to wait maybe 20 minutes for luggage drop-off and parking. Check-in went quickly at our appointed time. The walk up the gangplank is a bit of a hike if you're out of shape and lugging much carry-on. We splurged on this cruise because we were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary, and were really happy with our Grand Suite, except the lack of outlets. See below for cabin review. But I will add that we LOVED having a nice big balcony, so there was no need to compete for space around the pools, all of which were extremely crowded, including the Serenity area. If I had wanted to be in the pools, I would have found that very annoying. Dinner every night was in the main dining room, where we took the late seating. Initially assigned to a table for 4, our dining partners moved to a table with a window, so we had the table to ourselves all week - yay! Wait staff was friendly and efficient, and brought us a special little dessert for our anniversary. Once hubby found out he could pick and choose entrees and sides, have dessert as an appetizer and take another dessert back to the cabin to eat later, he was a happy camper! I enjoyed sampling the more adventurous options - but overdid it at the start of the week and by the end of the week was keeping it simpler. I was a little disappointed that a number of guests did not comply with the dining room dress codes at all, even on the formal nights (a few wearing shorts, t-shirt, and baseball cap). I appreciate that the ship doesn't want to be clothing police, but it would be nice if people understand that it brings the experience down for other diners if they're dressed like they went to McDonalds. At least a polo shirt and slacks would have been a decent compromise (even though that's technically what's expected the rest of the week at dinner, right?) We mostly enjoyed our cabin, balcony, and casino. Line dancing on Lido deck was fun. Dr. Dre was outstanding as cruise director - so much energy and humor! But we didn't really partake of other entertainment or activities this time around - just wanted relaxation. Port #1 - Grand Turk: Excursion Deep Sea/Reef Fishing - We had a blast. Six cruisers on the boat, and we caught 3 baracuda! Had the option to stop trolling and go bottom fishing to catch more, but we were all having fun so we kept trolling for the big guys! Port #2 - Half Moon Cay: No excursion. Rented snorkel and enjoyed a little self-guided exploration. Port #3 - Freeport: Excursion - Ocean Swim with Dolphins! YES! This was so much fun - I highly recommend, even though it's pricey. It was a bucket list item. Swimming in the lagoon would be better for people not comfortable swimming in deep ocean with fins. Back on the ship - our steward Farry was really nice, and did a great job taking care of us. We asked for ice twice a day, and there it was! We blew up an extension cord (oops) and he got a replacement. Very efficient and thoughtful. 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

This was a family trip with my Dad and Sister. Every bit of it was perfect. I enjoyed the serenity pool and hot tub. My room steward was very nice and prompt. The room was clean and comfortable. Best sleep I've had in a very long time. I wanted to take the mattress home. The shows were very good...we saw movies on the deck, comedy shows and variety shows. I was unable to book any excursions due to an injury prior to the cruise, but there was shopping and swimming right off the ship. I have to admit, I had all but given up on Carnival's food before this trip, but they did a fantastic job. It was definitely up to par this time. I would book on this ship again as the staff was very welcoming and attentive. The only complaint that I could muster is that the shower did not maintain temperature throughout. It would go from a little too hot to a little too cold. Read Less

The bedding in the stateroom is perfection, the stateroom attendant was great. With that said, we were traveling with a party of 10, 5 balcony cabins in a row but somehow they split one of the cabins and so not a fixable thing. Also, one of our cabins had leak from Sunday to Wednesday and it was a flood zone 4 ft in from the doorway...and all they wanted to compensate was 2 drinks until my friends fought and fought until there was a resolution. Dining room food was never hot and the menus not so great. No escargot--my favorite, also no Bananas Foster, another favorite. Shows were good, bars were ok. Embark and debarkation was easy. Islands were great; it wouldve been better if we could've stayed longer--crappy times for the ports. Also, chairs were saved in the Serenity adult section from 6:30 am so we never got to experience that area. This was my 18th cruise and I wont be doing Carnival again. Read Less

This was not a long planned cruise; it was a spur of the moment trip. Cruise originated out of Baltimore. We are within driving distance to Baltimore. Embarkation was very smooth, parked car in port lot and we were on our way. There was a glitch in our dining reservations, so our first stop was to straighten out our sitting. We were accommodated by a very pleasant young crew member. Onward to Lido deck for lunch. We were met by a crowd as expected. What we did not expect is the lack of servers at food stations. The lines were so long. These lines were an every day occurrence. Often there was only one server at each station. Our luggage had not yet arrived in our cabin. We did some exploring; familiarizing ourselves with the ship. We went to dinner, then rechecked our cabin. Our luggage was there. There were announcements by our cruise director, Savannah. We had NO idea what she said. Her speech was rapid fire, I thought she was swallowing the mic. She needs elocution lessons and good advice on the proper use of a public address system. This problem continued throughout the cruise. Later in the cruise my husband and I were in the red frog pub. Savannah happened to come along to the pub and sat at the bar. The bartender was asking my husband what he would like. Savannah interrupts telling the bartender to take care of her friend. The young female bartender remarked she would after she took care of people who were there first. Because the bartender spoke up, her tip reflected my husband’s appreciation. I thought this was a deplorable maneuver by a cruise director. I was told by a crew member she was onboard for only about 2 weeks. Perhaps she is new in the position and simply lacks training and experience. We went to a few shows, comedy acts and sing alongs. They were all very good. I am always impressed with Carnival’s theatre. The aisles are wide and drinks are not passing through a half dozen hands to get to you. The sofas and cocktail tables are a nice touch. Our cabin 8168 was comfortable. There is only ONE outlet. It needed to be replaced, the plug was constantly falling out of it. The balcony ceiling was flaking off. Subsequently white chips were all over the lounge chairs. Beware of clothing, make sure there is a towel down first. The public restrooms were recently updated. They were always clean and well maintained. We spent a lot of time in the serenity area of the ship. It was nice. They actually did police the area for chair hogs. It was nice to see this being done. We visited Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Freeport. We took a carnival sponsored bus tour. It was 2 hours long, well done and interesting. We tendered into Half Moon. The beach was beautiful, barbecue on island was okay. We only walked through the local huts on Freeport. It was the most commercialized port I have ever seen; not really worth getting off the ship. We enjoyed perfect weather the entire cruise. The main dining room for dinner was very nice. A little entertainment every night was a nice touch. The food was mediocre. Appetizers and desserts were just about the same every night, limited offerings. Our dining staff were all accommodating and very pleasant. The debarkation process was smooth. It was well organized and moved quickly. We had not sailed carnival for a number of years. The quality has deteriorated over time. This ship needs a long dry dock. It’s decore is dark and dreary and the ship is showing signs of wear. I would not recommend this ship overall. Read Less

The crew on this ship is the most helpful, thoughtful and kindest of any cruise line we have ever sailed. We took our 91 year old mother on a cruise for Mother's Day.When we arrived Savannah the cruise director greeted mom and had a brief conversation with her. The next day mom received chocolate covered strawberries in the room. Wow! For the rest of the trip she felt like a rock star. What a nice gesture. Jess, the server in the casino bar was always quick with a drink and always remembered our names. (makes us feel welcomed). The staff at the Normandie Restaurant was just wonderful. When you travel with an older senior it can be difficult, but everywhere we went on the ship the crew were always so kind and helpful. We have sailed on different cruise lines and have sailed on this ship before. I would have to say that the embarkation process for this cruise is the best we have ever had. The staff at the terminal checks your documents and photographs you on the way into the building. Then you are sent through security. That's it! No standing in line for hours. After security we went directly on to the ship. WOW! We had a balcony stateroom that was plenty big enough for 3 adults. The room steward, Claudius was very attentive and our room was very clean and tidy every day. Read Less

I have cruised on Carnival 9 times and this was the 2nd to worst cruise. The activities were lacking, the assistant wait staff was poor for the first few days and one Alchemy Bartender was really rude and not customer friendly. On the other hand our cabin steward Rommel was an awesome professional, our waiter Mehmet was the saving grace and the lobby bartender Katherine was the best bartender ever. The food was not of the normal quality and they did not offer escargot on this trip. The entertainment after dinner shows were bad talent and they need to find a better way so all passengers can enjoy the Captain's cocktail party. With all the competition among cruise lines Carnival needs to step it up. Further like Princess Carnival should consider allowing individuals to sign up for the Cheers Program. My wife does not drink and I don't think it is fair to require her to sign up just because I sign up. Also need to figure out a way to allow passengers to get to the dining room without walking through a smoky casino Need to step it up. Read Less

We choose this cruise since it was leaving from Baltimore, which is only 3 hours from our home and we wanted one that went over Spring break Our Steward, Rowena, was wonderful and had such a sweet personality. She was so very responsive to our every concern. We were in room 6246 and 6252 on the Carnival Pride the week of 3/31 to 4/7/19. The ship was very clean and everyone was very helpful both times we went to Guest Services. The food was delicious and my grandson ate more than he needed to from the Pizza shop and Guys pizza. He was a little better with the ice cream but not by far. We also went to the clinic for help with sea sickness and they sold us pills for $1 for two of them and they worked wonders on my daughter. Dramamine was not helping her or her wrist patches. It was very rough. The dining room service was exceptional. I am allergic to MSG and they gave us the menu for the following day so that I could place my order and they would ensure that it was MSG free. Our head waiter, Oliver, took great care of all of us and just had a delightful personality. Dr. E was such a joy. He was so funny and so energenic and talented. The dance and singing group was excellent. The male lead was so convincing as the nerd that he played that I laughted all the way through it. We enjoyed all of the ports. I was glad that it was highly suggested that we take an excursion in Freeport so we took the Garden and shopping tour. The garden was very lovely and we enjoyed it a lot. My daughter and grandkids went on the Dolphin Encounter and loved it. In Half Moon Cay, we enjoyed the barbeque and the beach and in Grand turk, we stayed on the beach and shopped in the stores. We bought smoothies in the smoothie shop and my Grandson thought it was the best he ever had and I would highly recommend them, too. I believe it was one of the first few weeks for the crafts activities. As far as I noticed, there was only one activity. It was a travel journal notebook and you were to place stickers on it. It was obvious that this was new to everyone involved but the stickers did not stay in place on the notebook. They really needed to have glue guns or additional glue. It was obvious that noone had ever tried to put these together. A lot of people showed up for the activity and the person had to go back and get more supplies. The area that was used for the activity was just an open seating area. Additional tables to work on the craft would have been helpful. I hope to get to cruise on the Carnival Pride again or somewhere else out of Baltimore, Bermuda or the NorthEast. I would definitely love to do this again. Read Less

We went with two other couples and chose this crew as we are from Pittsburgh and Baltimore is only 3.5 hours drive. This was the first cruise for my husband and my first cruise on Carnival. My last cruise was about 10 years ago on a different cruise lin and I was interested to see what had changed since I had last cruised. Pros: - We loved our stateroom with a balcony. We were midship which was perfect as we didn't feel the motion of the ship as much as the front or back. We had enough room to move around and didn't feel claustrophic. Our room was very clean and room steward Yudi was helpful and friendly as he provided me ice every night due to my one foot swelling. -The Lido Deck with the different food stations in addition to Guy's Burger Joint and the Blue Iquana Cantina were excellent. - Daily Entertainment on the ship in the bars and 2nd floor atrium were good. - Liked our Cruise Director, Dr. E. Thought he was funny and talented. - Overall we thought the ship and restrooms very clean. The staff we met were friendly and helpful when we had questions. - Enjoyed the ports especially Half Moon Cay with the lunch buffet. That was the best stop in our opinion. In Freeport we did the Dolphin Close Encounter which was great. The drivers to and from the Unexso facility were not at all friendly. They were there to haul us back and forth and nothing more. However once at the facility, everyone there were friendly. The boat captain was great and funny. The dolphin trainers were funny and extremely knowledgeable answering questions about the dolphins. Cons: - Difficult to find seating if you got there after 9 am especially at Serenity Pool. The 3 hot tubs were always crowded and the 6 of us could never get in together. - Grand Turk: The island is beautiful, however there is no mention about how rocky the beach is to swim and to recommend some type of water shoe if going in the water. My husband had to swim much further out to get away from the rocks. - Dining. We thought the food lackluster and just okay. Most of the time the food was luke warm. We had the anytime dining option so each night we were seated in different areas of the restaurant with different wait staff. We were very pleased with Ariastini and Yovanni who were our waitstaff on the first and last nights of the cruise. We would have loved to be seated at their tables each night. . The biggest issue was from Thursday to Saturday no matter what time we showed up from early (6 pm) to a little later, we always had a 30 minute wait time to get seated. In addition, one night for dessert was the Creme Brulee. It was so delicious that we requested to have it again for dinner the next night. Our waiter said he would notify the chef and tp just let the server know we had ordered the dessert. That never happened. After much miscommunication and speaking with the hostess several times, we ended up not getting until the last night of cruise. - Entertainment was average. We really enjoyed the hypnotist show and the Music from the 80's. However the last 2 nights with the adult comedians were truly vulgar and not remotely funny and a waste of our time. - Debarkation. What a nightmare. Minimal Communication for those who opted to have luggage checked and received zone numbers plus a bottle of rum which was in a protective carrier managed to get broke and soaked everything in that luggage. Overall I liked the Pride since it was a smaller ship and easier to move around. It was clean and staff were friendly and helpful. My husband really enjoyed Half Moon Cay where he could get in the water and sit on the beach. Very disappointed in the evening meals. I would not take this particular cruise again since I am not a fan of the Bahamas but enjoyed visiting Grand Turk. Read Less