Carnival Pride - Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2017 (Berlitz Cruise Guide) (2016)

Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2017 (Berlitz Cruise Guide) (2016)

Carnival Pride

★★★ +

Berlitz’s Ratings

Ship: 361 out of 500

Accommodation: 143 out of 200

Food: 223 out of 400

Service: 251 out of 400

Entertainment: 76 out of 100

Cruise: 273 out of 400

Overall Score: 1327 out of 2000

Carnival Pride Statistics

Size: Large Resort Ship

Tonnage: 85,920

Lifestyle: Standard

Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Lines

Former Names: none

IMO Number: 9223954

Builder: Kvaerner Masa-Yards (Finland)

Original Cost: $375 million

Entered Service: Jan 2002

Registry: Panama

Length (ft/m): 959.6/292.5

Beam (ft/m): 105.6/32.2

Draft (ft/m): 25.5/7.8

Propulsion/Propellers: diesel-electric (62,370kW)/2 azimuthing pods

Passenger Decks: 12

Total Crew: 1,029

Passengers (lower beds): 2,124

Passenger Space Ratio (lower beds): 40.4

Passenger/Crew Ratio (lower beds): 2.2

Cabins (total): 1,062

Size Range (sq ft/m): 185.0-490.0/17.1-45.5

Cabins (for one person): 0

Cabins (with private balcony): 750

Cabins (wheelchair accessible): 16

Wheelchair accessibility: Good

Cabin Current: 110 volts

Elevators: 15

Casino (gaming tables): Yes

Slot Machines: Yes

Swimming Pools: 3 (1 w/ sliding glass dome)

Hot Tubs (on deck): 5

Self-Service Launderette: Yes

Dedicated Cinema/Seats: No

Library: Yes

Onboard currency: US$

Carnival_Pride_03

Try this ship for a fun-filled, contemporary family-friendly cruise

Overview. Carnival Pride is sister to Carnival Legend, Carnival Miracle, and Carnival Spirit, and shares the same layout and configuration. It was designed with families in mind, and there are plenty of entertainment facilities. The kids should have a great time.

The Ship. While the open deck and sunbathing space is not extensive, there are two swimming pools, and one can be covered by a sliding glass dome in case of inclement weather. An extra-charge, adults-only area, Sanctuary, has its own bar, pool, hot tub, and other facilities. Located at the aft of the ship on Lido Deck, it is a good area for anyone wanting to have a quieter space for sunbathing and relaxation.

Inside, the interior decor is very artistic - with art being the theme. Even the elevator doors and interiors contain reproductions (blown-up, grainy photographic copies) of some the great masters such as Gauguin, Matisse, and Jacopo Vignali. Throughout the rest of the ship, you’ll see lots of nude figures - all reproductions from the Renaissance period. It’s all a bit of an eclectic mix. Somehow, it all works - well, sort of!

An interior walkway, named the Yellow Brick Road, connects many of the major public rooms on Atlantic Deck, one deck above Promenade Deck, which also sports a number of public rooms, including a large Club Merlin Casino (you have to walk though it to get to the main level of the showlounge from the restaurant, which is located aft).

The colorful atrium lobby, which spans eight decks, has wall decorations best seen from any of the multiple viewing balconies on any deck above the main lobby level. Take a drink from the lobby bar and look upwards - the surroundings are visually stunning. You’ll see a 37ft (11m) -tall reproduction of Raphael’s Nymph Galatea - best seen from any of the multiple viewing balconies on each deck above the main lobby deck level.

A small wedding chapel is located forward of the uppermost level of the two main entertainment decks, adjacent to the Nobel Library and Internet center. Other facilities include a shopping street with boutique stores, photo gallery, video games room, and an observation balcony in the center of the vessel, at the top of the multi-deck atrium. The large Winners Club Casino invites hopeful gamers and slot players.

Carnival Pride is a floating playground for the young and young-at-heart, and anyone who enjoys constant stimulation and lots of participation events, together with the three ‘Gs’ - glitz, glamour, and gambling. This really is cruising Splash Vegas style - a fun, all-American experience. Because it’s a large resort ship, there will be lines for things like shore excursions, security control when re-boarding, and disembarkation, as well as sign-up sheets for fitness equipment.

This ship is not for anyone seeking a quiet, relaxing cruise experience. Niggles include the many annoying announcements, and the never-ending hustling to get you to buy drinks, jewelry, and trinkets. Also, shore excursions are booked via the in-cabin ‘Fun Vision’ television system, so obtaining advice and suggestions is not easy. The small reception desk in the atrium lobby is almost always congested. It’s hard to escape from noise and loud music (even in cabin hallways and lifts), and masses of people walking around day and night. Many private balconies can be overlooked from public locations. You need a credit card to open the personal safe in your cabin - inconvenient if your credit cards and wallet are inside the safe!

Families. Youngsters have their own play areas, with children’s programs divided into five age-specific groups under Camp Ocean (ages 2−11 - with children ages 2−5 called ‘Penguins’; 6−8-year-olds called ‘Sting Rays’; 9−11-year-olds called ‘Sharks’). Tweens have ‘Circle C’, while teenagers have their own ‘Club O2’ - a chill-out (no adults allowed) room/disco.

By the end of 2015, the words and world of Dr. Seuss will have been rolled out as part of Carnival’s children’s program (check before you sail) − from ‘green eggs and ham’ for breakfast, served by waiters in Dr. Seuss-inspired uniforms, and characters such as the Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Thing Two, and Sam attending, to special showings of movies such as The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (these will be shown outdoors on the poolside Seaside Theater screen on Lido Deck).

Accommodation. There are many cabin categories, priced by grade, location, and size. The range includes suites (with private balcony), outside-view cabins with private balcony, 68 ocean-view cabins with French doors (pseudo balconies that have doors which open, but no balcony to step out onto), and a healthy proportion of standard outside-view to interior cabins.

All cabins have spy-hole doors, twin beds that can be converted into a queen-size bed, individually controlled air conditioning, television, and telephone. A number of cabins on the lowest deck have views that are obstructed by lifeboats. Some cabins can accommodate a third and fourth person, but have little closet space, and there’s only one personal safe.

Among the most desirable suites and cabins are those on five of the aft-facing decks; these have private balconies overlooking the stern and ship’s wash. You might think that these units would suffer from vibration, but they don’t - a bonus of the pod propulsion system.

For extra space, it’s worthwhile booking one of the larger deluxe balcony suites on Deck 6, with private teakwood balcony. These tend to be quiet suites, with a lounge and sleeping area, a good-size bathroom with twin washbasins, toilet and bidet, and whirlpool tub. They have twin beds convertible to a queen-size bed and a huge amount of storage space. The balcony has a wide teakwood deck with smoked glass and wood railing (you could easily seat 10 people).

Dining. The 1,300-seat Normandie Restaurant is the main restaurant, with seating on two levels. Small rooms can be closed off for groups of up to 60. Choose either fixed-time dining (6pm or 8.15pm) or flexible dining (between 5.45pm and 9.30pm). Note that the dining room is not open for lunch on port days.

Other dining options. For casual eaters, there’s Mermaid’s Grill Lido Restaurant − it’s a fancy name for a self-serve buffet-style eatery. It’s located in the aft third of Deck 9. The venue includes a central area with a deli sandwich corner, Asian corner, rotisserie, salad bar, dessert counter, and a 24-hour pizzeria, all of which offer both indoor and outdoor seating. Movement around the buffet area is slow, and lines form for everything. Each night, the venue morphs into the Seaview Bistro, for serve-yourself-style dinners (typically 6pm-9.30pm).

David’s Steakhouse − an upscale dining spot atop the ship, with just 156 seats and a show kitchen. There are great views over the atrium lobby and fine table settings, with proper china and silverware. Reservations are required and a cover charge applies.

Entertainment. The glamorous 1,170-seat TajMahal Showlounge is the principal venue for large-scale production shows and cabaret shows. Spiral stairways at the back of the lounge connect all three levels. Shows are best seen from the upper three levels. Directly underneath the showlounge is the Butterflies lounge and bar.

Almost every lounge/bar, including the Ivory Piano Bar, the Starry Night Jazz Club, and the Florentine Lounge, has live music in the evening. Finally, for the very lively, there’s the Beauties Dance Club for thump music; and there’s always karaoke.

Spa/Fitness. SpaCarnival, spanning two decks, is located directly above the navigation bridge in the forward part of the ship. Facilities on the lower level include a solarium, eight treatment rooms, lecture rooms, sauna and steam rooms for men and women, and a beauty parlor. The upper level consists of a large gymnasium with forward-facing ocean views, and an aerobics room.

There are two centrally located pools outdoors, one with a retractable glass dome cover. A winding water slide two decks high is located aft. Another smaller pool is available for children. An outdoor jogging track is located around the ship’s mast and the forward third of the ship; it doesn’t go around the whole ship, but it’s long enough for some serious walking.