I have been on at least 20 cruises. This is the darkest ship I have ever been on. I think part of the problem in the buffet is that the ceilings are painted a dark color. There are several places around the ship that seem really dark. I had a great cabin steward and Ronnie my waiter in the dining room was very good. Plenty of games and such during the day, although I do wish there was more crafty things. The evening was filled with eiher shows in the theater or the comedy club. Nice to have both options. The selections on the dining room menu were quite limited. I now know that I could have asked for the children's menu for more options. While the food was ok, it was not great. I did a back to back sailing 2/9/20 by myself and my sister and brother in law joined me for the second week 2/16/20. Due to the whether we got back late in to Baltimore on Sunday. I had a 330 flight out and missed it. Ended up getting one out the next day around 1030. Other than giving me the phone number of American Airlines, the front desk was not very helpful in getting me back home. Pretty much felt like they were saying for me to deal with it on my own. Read Less

Went on my first cruise, carnival pride and was not impressed at all, the food was subpar and some of the staff didn’t seem like they wanted to help and seemed bothered if I stopped them to ask a question. Our neighbors had there kids unattended running up and down halls all night and slamming doors and we reported it several times and finally the day before we got home the noise stopped. So many young kids running around without parents that we couldn’t play miniature golf because they were breaking the clubs then we docked home 6 hours late, the one positive thing was the guy that cleaned our room, he was fantastic and we even tipped him extra!!! I’m not sure I’ll ever take another cruise and if I do it will NOT be with carnival pride. We wanted to go to movie night and there were not enough chairs and the ones that were taken had sleeping kids on them so we never got to do movie night and the serenity pool was nice but people came up to save there chairs at 6am by putting towels there then went back to room so chairs stayed saved and empty for hours so it was hard to find a chair to lay out, people who couldn’t find chairs did let staff know that seats are saved and empty for hours and they didn’t seem to care so I went over and removed all the towels so the 6 women could sit and I gave towels to employee and told them and they just took towels and didn’t even I spoke to them. Never again!!! 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 have been on numerous Carnival ships as well as on several other cruise lines. Pride was the worst maintained I have seen. Extensive exterior rust even salt buildup inside the windows on the lido deck. The roof over the midships pool leaked like a sieve. My wife looked in the refrigerator the 4th night and found a plate of rancid food and several drinks. Don't know how long they had been there but it stunk. Took 2 trips to customer service to get it all removed. The at sea brunch menu was not as good as it used to be. The first day service was horrible but we saw the maitre d being very pro active after that and it got much better. Dinner service was very good. Food seemed to be ok but some items we have always enjoyed are greatly different and not as good. Two examples are appetizers stuffed mushrooms and escargot. The day we were in Freeport it rained quite heavily which is no ones fault. However, they only had the gangway exit/entrance able to handle one person at a time. So all of those waiting to go back aboard had to wait in the rain while people were getting off. The pier was about 2 inches deep in water we had to stand in it waiting to reboard. Everyone was drenched! The ship got to the Baltimore pier about 9AM on our return. We walked off the ship at 1230. The cruise director marty kept announcing there was a problem at the gangway and they would be calling people to leave soon. That went on for nearly an hour, meanwhile people were sitting in the buffet area on deck 9 watching people leaving and getting in their cars and drive away. I suggest they begin telling the truth unless they believe people are blind or stupid and a lot of us have lots of cruises under our belts. I thought it might have been customs/immigration issues but that part was one of the smoothest and well run we have experienced. All in all it wasn't a bad cruise however if we cruise again it will be about as cheap and more enjoyable to fly to Florida and visit some better ports. Read Less

We wanted to cruise from Baltimore, no flights this time. Relaxation and good food were our requirements. Since we were in a Suite, we were spoiled, and enjoyed our stateroom more than any other cruise taken in 30 years. Our room stewardess was excellent. Loved the bath tub, the double sinks, and we couldn't begin to fill the closets and drawers. There was a sofa, with a nice coffee table to play cards on, or have the room service meals there. The arm chair was great to have, the TV was easily seen no matter where we were, in bed, on the chair, or on the sofa. The only downside was the lamps, we are readers and the lamps could have been better. We are booked on this cruise again in January 2021, and have a Suite again. Our balcony was larger than the regular balconies, we had a lounge chair and table, as well as 2 patio chairs. The food was excellent, we had anytime dining. Lobster was on the menu one evening, and we ordered it again a second night. The buffet offered great choices, from All American to Oriental and Sandwiches. The Taco bar had all the fixins, including guacamole, which we love. By the way, we had ordered bottled water for our room, which was delivered before we set sail. This saved a lot of money over purchasing single bottles. We saw passengers carry on 12 packs of sodas which would be a great savings as well. I highly recommend this cruise on THE CARNIVAL PRIDE. Read Less

This sailing on the Carnival Pride was a Journeys trip which means Carnival added several opportunities to meet with the entertainers, wait and cabin staff. They also had special events including the Captain’s Gala (which included free drinks, snacks and live musical entertainment and a Midnight buffet. We visited Grand Turk, Aruba, Curacao, Martinique, St. Kitts and Tortola over a 14 day sailing out of Baltimore. The islands were beautiful and fun but I found St. Kitts and Tortola expensive and the street entertainers agressive. In Aruba we spent the day at the Barcelo all-inclusive. The staff at the Barcelo was excellent but alas the guests at the hotel were rude and tied towels around chairs and recliners they NEVER USED! The only place to sit was the pool bar but the bartenders understood and I was able to sit and read a book at the bar. It was clear that the Barcelo overbooked by a very large number which made the resort less enjoyable than it could have been. In the rest of the ports we just walked around and window shopped. The people in Curacao and Martinique were all extra friendly. However, I don’t speak French and they don’t speak English so there were lots of nods and smiles. Despite a few minor issues this cruise was by far my favorite and my wife and I are already booked on another Journeys cruise in 2021. Well done Carnival! 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 chose this cruise because I wanted to get away for Christmas. Horrible, will never use carnival pride. Needs to be retired along with the horrible food and service. One African American woman was discourteous all of the time for breakfast. The show's were for amateurs. The casino only gave free drinks after 1500 ppints. The kids on the ship were knocking on doors randomly, horrible. The shipp is old, needs to be retired. The food was Luke warm. And had no taste. 2 days were good. Lobster and prime rib, spare rib. Needed a better assortment of vegetables. Had problems with the light in the bathroom. Was told to leave the light on. Was that an electrical issue? The entertainment was mediocre. I've been on different carnival ships and had an excellent experience, this was horrible. Been on Holland America and Norwegian and never experienced such as this. Very, very disappointed. Read Less

My boyfriend and I live in PA and we drove to Baltimore for this cruise trip. Embarkation and disembarkation were relatively smooth although we did have to wait in line for everything. Driving in Baltimore was slightly confusing even with the help of Google Maps, but the cruise terminal was relatively easy to find. We had to line up for parking. It was our first time cruising and overall it was pleasant. The room service was prompt and efficient, we had Kadek and he was very friendly. We got lovely towel-made animals every day. Dinner at Normandie restaurant was terrific, although we always had to wait for 20-40 minutes for a table (after 7:30 it gets better, but we preferred to go between 5:45 and 7), and had to wait to be served after being seated. Brunch at Normandie was also great, I loved their French toast. Lido buffet for lunch was usually pretty crowded and it was hard to find a table. I had very bad seasickness and had to call the room service for some medications. The meds were $4 per 2 pills. Wifi was expensive and the value plan didn't cover much. We switched to the social plan (the 2nd expensive one) and discovered that most sites could be used with the social plan, although the popular app WeChat was still restricted. We spent 3 days in the Bahamas and we only booked one shore excursion from an external site. The official excursions seemed expensive and boring. Our first day in Nassau was relatively entertaining. We walked to a lot of tourist attractions. The Starbucks near the cruise terminal had a reasonable price but poor wifi. On the 3rd day in Freeport, we stayed on the cruise. The ship itself is a bit aged, but it was fine. It was clean, and we didn't see much rust as seen in other reviews. The entertainment was ok-ish, not very attractive to me personally, so we stayed in our room and watched movies most of the time. The casino didn't have much in it, and it smelled bad. Overall, it was not so entertaining but very relaxing. If your sheer purpose is to relax, then carnival pride is for you. If you want some excitement and adventures, maybe choose another ship. 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

My husband rides on a scooter so traveling to a close by port is essential. 4.5 hours from our home, always come the night before and stay at the Hotel Hilton BWI. 15 minutes to the port of baltimore. On board as soon as we arrived. Porters took bags outside prior to parking. Through security and on board with no wait. This makes the start of vacation terrific. The Pride is a smaller ship, Roman theme. Easy to get around, fast elevators. Never waited on a line. Staff were so accommodating and friendly. This was our second time on the pride and we will go back again. Weather in December is finicky. 2 days sunshine in the 80s, 2 days heavy wind and rain. Did not damper our spirits. My husband is a smoker, this was easily available to him on various parts of the ship. Alchemy bar was a nightly stop for a martini before or after dinner. Dr.E the cruise director so entertaining and always, always smiling. We will be back. 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

Booked the Pride about ten days prior to departure on Premier casino cruise. 3rd time in 14 months on the Pride, We call the Pride our favorite even though the last few on her have gone down in service and food quality. This one was our least favorite. As I have read reviews in recent months and last year or two regarding the food, service and passenger behavior, we can say we did see a drastic change on this cruise relating to these topics. Pros: We always eat YTD in the MDR and getting a table each night was easy and quick. We had a different wait team each night. Embark was easy and fast Overall condition of the ship was very good and clean except for a few areas Our interior stateroom was great, lots of room and counter space located on deck 7. Room steward was kind and always made sure we had ice on hand. Kept our cabin clean as can be. Never had a problem getting a elevator but we were on deck 7 and used the stairs most of the time. Serenity deck area fantastic as usual, one of our favorite areas of the ship. Red frog pub-always enjoy this area to listen to the band and usually can get a seat. Sky box sports bar is nice, just wish it was a little larger. Guys burgers very good as usual as well as the burrito / taco cantina. Pizza ok. Gym area equipment all good Cons: Ate every night in the MDR, never had hot (not even warm) bread. Food was only lukewarm on most nights. HIt or miss but mostly miss on the taste of the food, this has been our biggest disappointment on the Pride on our past 3 on her but this was the worse on this cruise Service was okay, but we've never witnessed the turmoil like we did between the wait staff meaning they were trying to be discreet while arguing with each other. We had a different wait staff each night but noticed this on 3 occasions. We are pretty laid back, and don't wear suit & tie or dresses, but collared shirts yes and dress slacks or nice sundress with sweater yes..even nice jeans. .Wow, we've seen the attire change a lot in he past few years but never thought we would see the attire that many people wore in the MDR and that they were allowed to be seated. I can handle nice No collar shirt and decent jeans, but it was far from that and disgusting. what a shame to see such a beautiful dining room that we have always enjoyed being down graded. Having such nice and well mannered hostess's and waiters and then you have these passengers dressed as they are allowed in to be seated. This is CCL fault and should be addressed now and not later. Gotten worse in the past several cruises instead of better. Casino was as usual smoky and dirty. They need to get rid of the smoking area in the casino bar area where Non gamblers are within mere feet from non smokers at the tables. Even the few smokers who were gambling at the tables commented how bad the smoke was and it was mainly chain smokers at the bar area. The ashes and the build up of trash on and around the machines were over the top. So dirty. Buffet was okay, but we only ate there for a few times. Some good food some not and nothing was hot, but we were able to find something we liked. Maybe it was just this cruise, but we noticed so many people who used their hands vs. tongs to get food to their plate from the buffet and actually eating while still in line. Too many wasting food, too like they were eating their last meal on earth. We enjoyed the shows in the theater back on the past two Pride cruises, but this time not as much. Disembark was ok as we did self assist and are platinum, but CCL needs to have cruisers show their cards to be in the platinum area. We saw dozens with gold/red/blue cards and they were not with a platinum cruiser. Bottom line is we will sail on the Pride again, but not anytime soon. I think a change of the ships out of Baltimore will be a positive one. Our first CCL cruise was on the Legend so looking forward to sailing on her again. CCL needs to take a serious look at the food quality on the Pride and the smoke issue in the casino as well as enforcing the dress code attire. Will they? Who knows but many of us wish it could be like the ol' days with a little more decency when it comes to dress and behavior. We still will sail on CCL because we do love the fun ship experience unlike other lines but look forward to some changes to get back to the way it was a few years ago. Read Less

This cruise 12/01 to 12/08/2019 was selected as it was a Carnival Player Club (casino) cruise.I still look at the Carnival Pride with you eyes, yes she has dated decor and the elevator floor numbers are recessed so they are hard to see, but she is still "ship shape". Embarkment: about a half hour wait, but as a "priority" passenger, I had a separate seating area and we boarded first. The Buffet: As I am originally from NY, I enjoy good deli and the buffet has "good deli sandwiches" RCCL 's ships don't come close with their Compass Deli with one slice of meat, one half leaf of lettuce and a slice of tomato on an oversized roll. The remainder of the buffet has standard fair good fare for the "masses". Interior Stateroom: Standard stateroom with closets, dresser, chiller refrig, bathroom, as I was traveling solo, it met all my needs. I only saw my cabin steward once,, he introduced himself on the second day, but he fulfilled all of my written requests that was left in the stateroom. fresh bucket of ice daily, evening bed turn down only. The room was always refreshed daily to my satisfaction. The Pools/Serenity areas: Plenty of room and deck chairs for lounging. The had a very large smoking area outside by the pool, sufficient for the cancer stick and stogie folks like myself. The Normandie Main Dining Room: I had late dining at 8:25om and sat with three other solo passengers, the dining room service by Mohammad, Jose and Pa at table 160 was excellent. I have noticed that Carnival along with RCCL are standardizing their main dining room (MDR) entrees, but The beef selections of prime rib and beef tenderloin was on par or better than RCCL. The only disappointment was no escargot except for the last night, on RCCL it is 5 of 7 nights on a one week cruise. Drinks: Moderately priced compared to RCCL. Entertainment: As I was in the casino most of the time, I did not see the shows or the comedians. The Winners Casino: Carnival really knows how to run a casino players club program, the dealers and pit supervisors were all terrific, the waiters were plentiful and you rarely waited for a refreshed cocktail. They had nightly drawing and giveaways to keep the patrons engaged. The only disappointment was due to choppy seas, we could not tender to Pricess Cay, its private island resort. Nassau is Nassau and Freeport is not worth getting off the ship. The Bahamas government must require ships to stop there to generate some income for the island. Debarkment was satisfactory, off the ship, after snaking through customs, into SUV and at the airport BWI in under one half hour. I will miss this ship, as it will be transferred to another cruise line under the Carnival umbrella of cruise lines, but while its here, I anticipate to do another cruise, as there is still a lot of PRIDE in this crew and ship. Read Less

We wanted to go back and visit the Bahamas again and we wanted to try out the sister ship Carnival Pride because we just sailed on Carnival Miracle and thought that was a awesome cruise and a very nice ship. Everything went as smooth as possible before, during and after our cruise, very easy embarkation and disembarkation and from past cruises on Carnival we had no issues getting around the ship. The Pride is very clean except for rust on our balcony, our cabin stewards were professional and very friendly, the dining everywhere was excellent and we loved the entertainers even the Dr. Suess Christmas show for the children was cute. This was our first cruise out of Baltimore and we drove 6+ hours to get there, for some reason it was $400 to fly there round trip, we used the parkSleepSail and stayed at the Best Western PLUS Hotel & Conference Center, very nice hotel with friendly staff and a restaurant on the premises and they provided courtesy transportation to and from the port for a little under $200, we would do this same trip again. Read Less

This was our 29th cruise (5th on Carnival) and since we live close to Baltimore we take a Carnival cruise every couple of years. We were cut short a day due to a storm prohibiting the previous cruise from returning to port. Upgraded to Vista Suite for the first time mainly for the wrap around balcony and the separate bedroom. While it had a nice bathroom with double vanities and a huge tub with shower, the rest of the suite needed refurbishment. Also found hairs in the tub, which was not a good thing! Tops of vanities in suite were dusty -- the first time I've encountered dusty on any cruise. Also had to ask for a robe when you would think that would be a suite amenity. There was lots of storage spread throughout the two rooms. The layout was not comfortable, with only one chair in the "living room" with a fairly comfortable sofa. The TV was set so high that you almost had to lie down to see if without killing your neck. The bedroom had what I think was a queen bed which did not stay joined together, leaving gap in the middle. The first night, the very bright recessed lights would not shut off at all. There were more light switches than there are lights in the suite and we tried everything to turn them off. I called Maintenance, Guest Services and Housekeeping and no one answered ( it was 11pm, but it's supposed to be 24 hour service). Needless to say we didn't sleep well with the bright lights. An electrician came the next morning and took several hours to fix a faulty switch. Water glasses and wine glasses were not replaced after use and I had to ask for them. The balcony was dirty and lots of rust evident. While there was a hugh about of seating on the deck, but the chairs and lounges were filthy and didn't appear to have been wiped off at all. There was only one very small table for the entire deck precluding any kind of meal out there. The elevators were the fastest I've ever encountered and that was nice! Not even a wait on debarkation day. Food was superior and I was very impressed -- much better Than Royal Caribbean and Celebrity (not as good as Viking, but then nothing is). The one show we saw, Music of the 80s, was one of the best at sea shows we've seen. 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

I've been on the ship before, and my prior experience was exceptional, although not this time. I could not believe the quality of food and how much it has gone downhill. We were forced to eat at David's Steakhouse, which was fantastic but at a cost or the Lido deck that was uniformly revolting. We ate a lot of pizza as it's the only food up there that has held it's standard. The Lido Deck also has very strange ours for serving food. The Normandie Restaurant was hit and miss and didn't serve brunch daily, which was a setback. It's the only palatable food we could eat. The waiters took forever to get our food even when we arrived at our time and were prompt. We'd order drinks, and it would take 20 minutes to get them. We frequently ate off the boat and on the islands following an excursion. We took several excursions, and they all went very well. They were easy to book, enjoy, and returned to ship timely. Carnival has done a great job of finding legitimate merchants to work with. The ship was remarkably well-kept, and our chamberlain was exceeding marvelous. Our room was impeccably cleaned. Now, let's talk about the bed. We got a king thinking it'd be one mattress. They push two twin beds together. It doesn't work, people! Our backs suffered for 14 days, and you always wake up in a crack because the mattress separates. By morning it's about as wide as the San Andreas Fault line. I would recommend slumbering independently if you enjoy walking upright the next day. 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

Chose this cruise because the port is 20 minutes from home. Been on many cruises and this was the 3rd time on the pride. It will be our last. The ship needs to be placed in dry dock for a complete refurbish. Many areas are rundown and rusty. Windows are filthy. On other ships, I would see crew cleaning external areas while we were in port. Never saw this on the pride. The food has gone downhill as far as free food in the dining room and buffet are concerned. The most edible free food are the guys burgers that closes at 6pm and blue iguana cantina that closes at 2. In the dining room, hot food is never hot. Dinner in the buffet is very limited and lukewarm. I wonder if this is a health code violation??? They have the same side dishes every night on the pride in the buffet. While passenger behavior and lack of class or decorum is not in Carnival’s control, the ship could do a better job in dealing with it by making sure staff nearby know to call security before things escalate. I personally witnessed two ladies get into an altercation at the omelette station. They were close to getting into a physical fight but the other lady walked away after arguing very loudly for at least 5 minutes. I was about to go for security myself because the staff just stood there. I was in the serenity area where a woman was yelling all sorts of profanity at her husband. Everyone in the area at the time could here this. I felt bad for the guy but the calm, nonchalant way he responded indicated he was used to it. Very sad. The wife was tacky in behavior and appearance. Security was called on a woman during the comedy show because she would not stop criticizing the comic for saying profanity used for females. He tried to deal with it and even apologized but she would not shut up. It was an R rated show so best to stay out if easily offended. Better to use foul language at the comedy show than on the serenity deck as I witnessed. No one used the hand sanitizers except me before getting food at the buffet and no staff asked them. There were long lines of people and no one else used the sanitizers while I was in line. I kept my own hand sanitizer wipes with me and used them on my hands before I ate. I witnessed an elderly couple grab cookies off the buffet using their bare hands because that station was not open yet and the tongs were not set up. They, of course, touched all of the cookies as they reached in. I said something and the dessert attendant removed the cookies. You would think a couple looking to be in their 80s would know better. Given issues with norovirus and other ship bacteria, keep your own sanitizers and do what you can to protect yourself. These are just a few examples. I could go on. The behavior spanned across all ages, races, and ethnicities from what I witnessed. It was a rainbow coalition of poorly behaved and tacky people and not about one particular group of people. On a positive note, our room attendants were nice. Everything was clean except for the refrigerator. The cruise director Dr. E was hilarious. The best cruise director I have had in the 15 cruises I have been on. Servers were good to us. Been to all of the ports before and did not do anything but relax. No excursions. They did a good job of cleaning up the port in Freeport but there are still signs of the storm as one of the restaurant buildings is still closed. The only excursions available were by the ship. We were not interested in shopping or going to the beach in Freeport. We would rather fly to another port than get back on the Pride. 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

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