We been lucky enough to sail on the Carnival Pride several times, both before and after its dry dock in 2023, we’ve included changes later on. We had previously only sailed on Carnival ships for shorter cruises from Florida, so had an idea of what to expect on board. Those expectations were well and truly exceeded with what was at our disposal.
Our first time on the Carnival Pride was a Panama Canal cruise. We were so impressed with the ship and the VIFP cruise offers, we decided to book two more cruises when we got home; their Mediterranean cruise and their Norwegian Fjord Cruise. In this complete guide to the Carnival Pride, we’ll cover every aspect of what this class of cruise ship has for you to enjoy and what made us want to sail again.
Carnival Pride Statistics
The Pride was launched on the 29th March 2001 as part of the Spirit class of ships. The official stats at that time were
- Weight: 88,500 gross register tons,
- Passenger Occupancy: 2,124 people,
- Size 294 meters in length and 32 meters max beam,
- Ship’s Crew: 930
What is On-board the Carnival Pride?
Despite now being one of the smaller classes of ship, The Carnival Pride still has 12 decks. As you would expect, most of those are filled with cabins for the passengers, but there are essential 3 main communal decks for people to enjoy. Theses decks are the lido deck (deck 9), which consists of pools, buffet restaurants, beauty spa and fitness centre, as well as decks 2 and 3 where the main restaurant, bars and entertainment can be found.
We will cover what you can find on each of these decks in more detail below, as well provide full room info later on, but let’s start with the fun stuff.
Carnival Pride Bars
Carnival cruise ships are often referred to as fun ships, with the drinks package being their number one selling product. So it just makes sense to start with the areas of the ship where the fun can begin, and as you can imagine there are quite a few places to choose from.
Heroes Tribute Bar (Formerly SkyBox Sports Bar)
Despite its appearance, this bar on deck 2 is the dream of every sports fan, There are giant screens behind the 20 foot bar and smaller TV screens throughout the bar, all showing your favourite sporting events via TV network Sports24. There is also plenty of seating throughout, from high tops to booth chairs and stools in front of the bar.
As you can probably guess, Carnival took the opportunity to celebrate branches of American military with the theme of the Heroes Tribute Bar. With military paraphernalia spread around the room.
Piazza Café
After maxing out the drinks package or a late night at the casino, you are probably going to need a bit of a caffeine hit. This little counter on deck 2 is the perfect spot to put that spring in your step, with a variety coffee and tea options. If you have a sweet tooth, they also have a range of cakes that far exceed the quality that you get in the buffet. Sadly, these aren’t included in your cruise fare, so you have to pay extra.
Red Frog Pub
This was our first experience of a ship with a dedicated pub and we couldn’t wait to try it out. The Red Frog Pub is on deck 2 and themed on Carnivals own craft beer the ThirstyFrog Red. In fitting with the fun vibe, this bar has a Caribbean feel with palm trees all around you.
There are also some traditional pub games dotted around such as darts and a foosball table. As for seating, there is a mixture of tables and high-top stools with a few relaxing lounge chairs.
The Red Frog Pub tends to be the place to go for live music and karaoke, offering a great range of drinks including their own craft ales on tap and a variety of cocktails.
Alchemy Bar
This is a bar for the cocktail lovers out there, but don’t expect to see your favourites like long island iced teas or Singapore slings. The alchemy bar has a high end big city cocktail bar feel with science lab theme that suits the expertise of the mixologists.
You will find completely unique concoctions available to suit all tastes, from floral flavours to potent whiskey cocktails. The Alchemy bar has a chilled vibe with a relaxed seating area nearby, topped off with acoustic sounds from the ships entertainers.
Renaissance Lobby Bar
At mid ship on deck 2 you will find atrium lobby and Renaissance Bar. As this is near the guest services and shore excursions desks, seating is limited. You will find a semicircle bar opposite the glass lifts, with bar stools in front and a small stage behind for musical entertainment.
Mid-Ship Pool Bars
The main pool area on deck 9 is a great place to grab a drink while you soak in the sun, and there are two themed bars nearby. The first is the RedFrog Rum Bar that specialises in run based cocktails and drinks. The second is the BlueIguana Tequila Bar, and as you guessed it, they specialise in tequila based drinks and shots.
Both of these bars also offer some popular frozen cocktails, as well as draught and cans of chilled beer.
Serenity Pool Bar
This is a very popular bar that can be found at the back of the ship behind the lido buffet. Serenity is an adults only bar with comfortable rattan chairs and couches. It is a great place to sit in the shade when taking a break from sunbathing, offering a similar range of drinks to the other pool bars.
Raphael Lounge
The Raphael Lounge is a chilled bar that can be found near the main dining room. As it is a quieter spot and close to the dining room, it’s a great place to chill before while waiting for the restaurant doors to open, with lots of comfortable and sophisticated looking seating available.
Ivory Piano Bar
The Piano Bar is one of the most popular bars on the ship, and for good reason. It doesn’t open until 9pm and as such is a more relaxed alternative to the nightclub, but with a similar atmosphere.
As the name suggests, the focal point of the bar is an impressive elevated grand piano. There are bar stools positioned around the piano and adjacent bar as well relaxed seating around the room.
Every night a specialist pianist plays until the early hours of the morning. Entertaining guests with some high octane piano playing, usually taking requests and throwing in some fun and playful songs.
Carnival Pride Restaurants
It’s not just all about partying on the Carnival Pride, we can imagine you’ll want feeding at some point, and this ship has a great variety of options. There are two only main dining areas but that doesn’t you can’t eat in other areas of the ship. Full details what you can enjoy and where can be found below.
Normandie Restaurant
Normandie is the MDR (Main Dining Room) and has more of a formal vibe with full waiter service. There are tables of 2, 4, 6, 8 and ten with each table being looked after by 3 smartly dressed wait staff.
As it is a formal table service, you will be presented with a menu consisting of a wide choice of starters, mains and desserts. The food tends to follow a theme of where the ship is docked that day, including local specials. On sea days it will generally be an elegant night where the specials will be steak and lobster.
The meals tend to reasonably filling, but if you have a bigger apatite or can’t decide between the delicious mains available, you’ll be pleased to know you can order two dishes.
But before you start to think the fun has disappeared and the formal appearance feels a bit stuffy, they do make every evening entertaining with a little performance from the dining room team.
Mermaid’s Grille – Lido Buffet
Mermaid’s Grille is actually a buffet section that can be found on the Lido deck between the mid-ship pool and the Serenity pool.
It delivers a wide variety of food stations, with each one offering endless supplies of ranging cuisines at three different meal time during the day.
At breakfast you can expect to find typical breakfast fare at each buffet station, as well as individually tailored options at the omelette station. Pastries, tea and coffee are also available as well as fruit juices.
For lunch and dinner, each station has a slightly different theme. They offer a carvery section, home comforts, salad bar, pizza and a dessert station. During lunch one counter will be an Asian station called chopstix, this will then change for the evening to a seafood station which is a chargeable extra.
There is also limited late night buffet for snacks, which is available after the main buffet closes until midnight, as is Pizza Pirate.
Poolside Dining Options
There are two specialised food service stations on the lido deck next to the mid-ship pool, before you enter Mermaids Grille. You will not want to miss these.
The most notable one is definitely Guy’s Burger Joint, and is open from lunch time through to the start of dinner service. They serve signature burgers brought to you buy celebrity chef Guy Fieri, with a myriad of toppings and options and specially seasoned fries.
BlueIguana Cantina is open for both breakfast and lunch service, offering build your own breakfast burritos in the morning, and burritos and tacos in the afternoon. This is always the first place we head to on embarkation day when we arrive on-board, starting our holiday with a burrito just seems the right thing to do.
Speciality Restaurants
There are essentially two speciality restaurants on the Carnival Pride, but sadly eating at these will incur an additional cost. Bonsai Sushi sits between the Atrium Lobby and the Casino on deck 2, serving a small menu of sushi and soup dishes as well as sake and Japanese beer. Bonsai is open for the majority of the day and is a walk up restaurant with no reservation required.
The main speciality restaurant is Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, formerly David’s Steakhouse. Modelled on the type of high end steak house you would find in New York City, you can choose from various cuts of steak, cooked exactly to your liking. They also have an excellent selection of wines to pair with your meal.
Fahrenheit 555 is reservation only and the cost can vary depending on what you pair your steak with, but if you are an avid casino player, you can often receive a comped meal from the casino manager.
Carnival Menu Mate
We have food intolerances and dietary requirements which can sometime make cruising difficult. Thankfully times are changing and Carnival’s Menu Mate can make sure you are well fed. Located in the lido buffet, the menu mate allergy assistant is who you notify of dietary requirements on embarkation day.
They will then insure your meals in the MDR are cook specifically to your needs. As a lot of breakfast items are repeated they will also tell you what you can eat from the buffet. The lunch and dinner buffet rotate so it’s a little harder, but they are always around to ask if you need additional help.
Carnival Pride Cabins
So now you’ve been fed and watered, where exactly will you lay your head at night? Thankfully, Carnival has a great range of cabin options to suit all budgets. We stayed in a rather unusually named interior cabin obstructed view and it’s honestly our favourite cabin of all the ships we’ve cruised on. Details of all the cabins available on the Carnival Pride can be found below.
Interior Cabin
This is the entry level cabin for the budget conscious traveller or those that want to spend their money on excursions. There ere is 277 interior cabins spread around the ship which are around 185 square foot in size, and they can accommodate up to four people.
Within the basic interior cabin you will find a vanity area with stool, a fridge, safe, some wardrobes and draws, and a bathroom with shower. On the spirit class of ship there is an extra interior category, which is the one we mentioned we stay in. These cabins are limited and are the same size as balcony cabins but they have floor to ceiling windows. The windows cannot be opened and are obstructed by lifeboats and despite letting in some natural light, you cannot see very much, which is why they are classed as interior cabins.
Ocean View Cabin
The ocean view cabin is generally bigger than the standard interior and all 103 rooms with ocean views are located on decks one and two. Thankfully the windows in these cabins are unobstructed, providing some lovely views of the ocean and sometimes a sunset or two. It’s a very similar layout to the obstructed view rooms and also have a couch and slightly more vanity space.
Balcony Cabins
The Carnival Pride has four categories when it comes to balcony rooms, with a total of 632 rooms spread between decks 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The options include balcony, balcony with obstructed views, extended balcony and then the premium balcony. All of these cabins, with the exception of the premium balcony, are the same size which is 185 square feet.
You will be pleased to know that this measurement doesn’t include the actual balcony size because this can vary. The standard obstructed balconies are 40 square feet and the extended is 60 square feet. The premium balcony cabin is a whopping 230 square foot with a 55 square foot balcony.
Suite Cabins
Just like the balcony cabins, there are also multiple grades of suites on the Carnival Pride., which include Vista, Junior, Ocean and Grand. There are additional benefits to booking a suit cabin and not just all of the additional space you will enjoy. Each standard of suite varies slightly, but for all of them you will find a walk-in closet and a whirlpool tub in the bathroom. Here is a little information on what is in each:
Vista Suites
These are the entry level suite cabins on the Carnival Pride and Vista class ships, with a total of 245 square feet to enjoy in 10 Vista suites. Despite being larger cabins, the room only accommodates up to three people and has a sofa bed, table, chair, vanity unit and a bathroom with a tub. But the real draw of this suite has to be the wrap around balcony, it’s almost as big as the room itself at 220 square feet behind a wall of windows. On the balcony there are two loungers, two small tables and five chairs, so you can relax in the privacy of your own space.
Junior Suites
Junior suites on the Carnival Pride are limited, with only two available and they can only accommodate a maximum of two people. Slightly bigger than the Vista, they measure 275 square feet and offer the same amenities of a seating area with a couch, table and chairs, a walk-in closet, and a bathroom with a tub. The balcony is much smaller than the Vista though as it is only 40 square feet and had two chairs and a small table.
Ocean Suites
Despite being the same size as Junior suites at 275 square feet, Ocean Suites can actually accommodate four people and there are 32 of these cabins. They offer all of the same amenities as the previous suites but have a slightly larger balcony than the Junior at 85 square feet.
Grand Suites
Now if you want to feel like a VIP, then the Grand Suite is the way to go, but be warned it does come at a hefty price. Grand Suites are the largest on the ship with 300 square feet and has everything you need and more. There are just six Grand Suites with a large bed, a desk and chair, a dressing area with a vanity, sofa bed, chairs and table, and an extra-large bathroom with a whirlpool tub and double vanity. A suite of this size demands a large relaxing area, so comes with a 115 square foot space with two chairs, two loungers and a small table.
Carnival Pride Facilities
Cruise ships are generally considered floating hotels, and being as you spend most of your time on them, they need to keep you entertained. There are lots of things to do on the Carnival Pride that will suit every kind of passenger, so you should never find yourself bored.
Taj Mahal Theatre
We thought we would begin with the main entertainment area, and that’s the theatre. Taj Mahal is spread over three floors and can be accessed on decks 2 and 3. It has a capacity of 1,167 guests with its comfortable and elaborately decorated chairs. Despite being so large, it does get busy during show time, so we recommend getting there early to grab a seat with a good view. The theatre is used for various events including shows with dancers and singers, magicians, game shows, daily bingo and even informative gatherings such as the disembarkation meet up.
Butterflies Lounge – Punchliner Comedy Club
Sticking with the main entertainment, this beautiful lounge can be found on deck 1 and has walls and ceilings covered in butterflies. This beautiful space predominantly houses the Punchliner Comedy Club and generally has at least three shows a day. They have an early comedy show that is family friendly, so the jokes tend to be much cleaner than the later show. These are followed by two shows later in the evening where the comedians can really let loose.
We have to admit, the Punchliner is our favourite entertainment show, having seen some fantastic comedians. In fact, Carnival provide the best comedy shows of any cruise line we’ve sailed with. The lounge is only a small venue though, with limited seating. So if you are looking for lots of laughs, you need to get there at least 20 minutes before show time. There is a bar at the back of the room serving comedy themed cocktails and an array of drinks, but don’t worry because servers can be found easily.
Winners Club Casino
After the shows, this is probably the busiest part of the ship in the evenings, and we have to admit, we are partial to having a spin of the slots. The winners Club is actually a good size, especially compared to other cruise lines, and is one of the reason the Carnival Pride is considered a fun ship,
There is a fantastic range of slot machines to both casual and hard core gamblers. The Winners club also has good range of table game options including roulette, craps, blackjack and poker. If you are a keen gambler then you will be interested in the special games and tournaments they hold every day, these can be found on the Carnival Hub app.
Beauties Nightclub
If you like to party in to the early hours and get down and boogie, you can’t get lower down than the nightclub on deck 1. Beauties nightclub has bit of a retro disco vibe, but it isn’t stuck in the disco era. The resident DJ plays popular hits from every decade, but as Brits we have to admit, American’s don’t know how to do proper clubbing music. Despite this we did enjoy some late night cocktails and dancing when we had a sea day the following day.
The Fun Shops
What would a cruise be without a little duty free? On deck 3 you can find the fun shops that are split by a central walk way. On one side you will find most of duty free options such as perfumes, make up, jewellery and designer bags and high end watches; avoid the Invicta watches though as they are overpriced trash.
On the other side you will find duty free alcohol and tobacco and a bit of a general store. This is where you can pick up any essentials you may have forgotten such as toiletries. There are also lots of Carnival themed cruise gifts and clothing for you to take home as souvenirs. Keep an eye on the Carnival Hub app for daily sales and spirit tasting sessions.
Pools
We’ve mentioned the pools on the Carnival Pride earlier in the content, but thought we would provide a little more info in the dedicated section. There are three pools for you to enjoy, depending on whether you have kids or not, the Apollo pool, Venus pool and the Serenity pool are all on deck 9.
If you have children and like to sunbathe by a pool and swim with a little peace, then the Apollo pool is for you. This pool is situated slightly forward of mid-ship as you exit the lifts by the Spa area.
For those looking to party a little more while they swim, the Venus pool should be right up your street. This pool is mid ship next to two well stocked bars and close to Guys burger, so you don’t have to venture too far for food and drink. There is also an area for DJ’s and live music and big screen TV for movies under the stars.
Our preferred pool has to be the Serenity pool at the back of the ship, mainly because we don’t have kids and like it quiet. The pool itself is only small but there are plenty of sun loungers that are comfier than the main pool, as well as some domed cabanas for a little extra privacy.
Hot tubs can also be found in the pool areas to relax in, and with drinks servers walking around, you don’t even need to leave your lounger or the pool.
Spa & Fitness Centre
Although you are on a cruise, some people want that extra relaxed feeling, which is where the Spa come in. Found on deck 9 forward, The Spa on the Carnival Pride boasts 14 treatment rooms offering a range of treatments such as massages, facials, and salon services.
The Spa is available between 8am and 10pm and you can book by heading to the Spa itself or by using the Carnival Hub app. Keep an eye on the daily events planner for Spa specials as the prices are pretty steep, but if you want pure relaxation then this is the perfect option.
For those of you who like to keep fit or looking to burn off a few buffet calories, then we think you will be pretty pleased with the on-board gym. We like to work out when on a cruise, and the Carnival Pride Gym is one of the best we’ve seen, you just can’t beat a sea view while building up a sweat.
The gym is open from 6am to 10pm, so there is plenty of time to get a workout in, plus the are lots of exercise machines, resistance machines and free weights to use. There is also a fitness studio that is used for the regular classes run by the fitness team, these need to be booked in advance.
Both the Gym and Spa have access to a changing room, with men’s being near the Spa reception and women’s being near the hair salon. In each of them you can find lockers for your clothes and valuables, as well as toilets and showers. There is also a steam room and sauna in each changing room that has large windows for some amazing sea views.
Other Facilities
As well as those detailed above, there are other facilities available for you to enjoy, but they just don’t require as much detail. So we will list them below.
- Raphael Room Art Gallery (Deck 3) – The Raphael Room is home to a decent range of artwork that can bought and shipped to your home address, they even hold final day auctions for bargain hunters.
- Chapel (Deck 3) – For those who are inclined there is a small chapel available.
- Atrium Lobby (Deck 2) – This is the area where you can speak to guest service or book an excursion.
- Promenade (Deck 10) – Ideal for walkers and those of you who like a peaceful space to look at the ports or just gaze at a beautiful sunset.
- The Carnival Shop (Deck 2) – Prior to the 2023 dry dock this was a games room, but sadly it made way for a carnival themed shop to buy excursion accessories and clothing.
- The Warehouse Arcade (Deck 3) – This room is filled with a range of arcade games for all ages.
- Self-Service Laundry (Various Decks) – If you don’t feel like utilising laundry service from your room steward, there is a self-service option. Laundry rooms are based on Deck 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7. You will need to have coins for the machines, and you can buy detergent on board.
- Pixels Gallery (Deck 3) – This is where you can view any of the thousands of pictures that the ships photographers will take of you. Most are just random ones taken around the ship or as you leave the ship at the ports, but some of the gala night pictures might be worth a look.
- Dreams Studio (Deck 3) – If you fancy treating yourself, you can book a professional photo session in the Dreams Studio
- Cherry On Top (Deck 3) – This is a sweet shop that offers a number of tasty options, plus you can buy soft drinks, flowers and gifts for those special occasions.
Carnival Pride Kids Club
Cruises have historically been for the older generations, but is changing fast and with Carnival being a bit more relaxed, you will find more kids on-board. There are various clubs and activities arranged for children that cover ages 2 to 17.
The Camp Ocean Kids clubs on the Carnival Pride are separated by age groups and are nautical theme. You have the Penguins (aged 2 to 5 years), Stingrays (6 to 8 years) and Sharks (9 to 11 years).
The activities are all age appropriate and create a fun educational experience on the wonders of the ocean. This includes things like art, crafts, songs, dancing, toys, movies and video games. If you want your kids to join in with Camp Ocean, then you will need to register them online before you sail.
During mealtimes the children will eat together and be served kid friendly options such as chicken nuggets and mac n’ cheese.
The camp is available every day whether you are at sea or in port, so you can enjoy a day sightseeing while your kids stay behind and well catered for. They are open from morning until night, but after 10pm it will become a babysitting service called Night Owls. The night owls service is a chargeable service.
Children in their early teens (12 to 14) sailing on the Carnival Pride have the Circle C club. This has more of a chilled vibe than Camp Ocean, and is a great place for them to make new friends. The Circle C team supervise your children as they play age appropriate games, take part in dance parties and scavenger hunts and watch movies.
Finally for those in their mid-teens (15 to 17), there is Club O2 which offers various activities throughout the cruise. Unlike the other kids clubs, O2 is generally closed on port days until the final boarding time. But on sea days they are open from 12pm to 5pm and 8.30pm to 1am. Activities are similar to Circle C but also include video games, sports, and even a Carnival prom.
If you want to enjoy a few activities with your younger children, then Carnival ships have some Dr. Seuss events. You can take your kids to a Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast, Story Time and a Seuss-A-Palooza Parade. There are even character appearances so you can get a photo with your favourite Dr. Seuss character.
Carnival Pride Entertainment
As you will have a lot of down time on a cruise ship, Carnival don’t want you to be bored, that’s where the Carnival Fun Squad come in. The fun squad is Carnival’s dedicated entertainments team, and they are responsible for planning and carrying out all of the on-board activities.
You can see what activities are available for the entire cruise on the carnival hub app, or the daily planner that will be left at your door each evening. There are also areas of the ship where you can yourselves entertained, typical activities and entertainment you can expect to see on the Carnival Pride include;
- Art Auction
- Ping Pong Tables
- Basketball Court
- Mini Golf Course
- Bingo
- Carnival WaterWorks – Water slides and kids play area
- Deck Parties
- Dance Classes
- Karaoke
- Trivia Quizzes – Held in the Tribute Bar
- Movies Under the Stars at the Carnival Seaside Theatre
As you can see, there is more than enough to fill your time on-board. If some of the activities are not your usual cup of tea then why not just sit back watch others take part, and soak up the fun atmosphere.
Carnival Pride Dry Dock
In 2023 the Carnival Pride went in for dry dock for a bit of a freshen up and bit of a facelift. The carpets and mattresses were replaced throughout with a few other cosmetic touch ups. But the big visual difference was the updated ships livery, to match the new and more modern additions to the Carnival Fleet.
Sadly we lost some customer favourites, like the games room which became a shop, and the sports bar memorabilia was replaced with military attire. The steakhouse just received a name change, so nothing much there, but the gym had a huge overhaul and this definitely an improvement.
The biggest internal change came in the form of accessibility. More disabled access toilets were added throughout the ship, which is a vast improvement on the previous options. Carnival have added lifts to the outside on deck 10, to improve access to the deck 11 sports section and waterworks.
Rumour has it that this ship will undergo another dry dock in 2025 or 2026. But we feel this may be more of a mechanical upgrade with a few touch ups to areas showing wear and tear.
Should You Sail on the Carnival Pride?
Cruise itineraries can often dictate whether you choose a cruise but knowing the vessel can also play its part. So hopefully that has helped you to decide whether the Carnival Pride is the ship for you.
This ship has so much to offer that that we may have even missed a few things off. But having sailed her several times, we can whole heartedly recommend the Pride, especially if you are new to cruising.
Regardless of the types of food or entertainment you like to see on holiday, Carnival should definitely have something for you and have you wanting to book another cruise when you disembark.
If you have enjoyed this review but are more of a visual person, then we found this Carnival Pride Ship Tour on YouTube that you may find interesting. We also have our own Facebook page where you can find regular tips for cruising, as well as other ship and port guides.