Carnival Pride Cruise

I recently went on our companies Conference aboard the Carnival Pride cruise ship departing from Baltimore, MD. The ship was fabulous! Many of you may be like me and think that a 7 night Bahamas cruise is a bit much, but oh what a joy! I have never had the opportunity to drive to my cruise.
Since I live in the Dayton, Ohio area the drive is only about 8 hours, so we decided to drive instead of fly to the cruise. With the airlines now charging for baggage, you defiantly have a advantage by driving. When I cruise I have to change clothes at least 2 to 3 times per day I have no option but to take at least 2 suitcases for myself, plus my carryon bag. Anyway, we left Dayton Saturday around 3pm to drive to Baltimore and arrived at the hotel at a little after midnight. After checking into the Holiday Inn Express and arranging for our transfer to the pier, it was off to bed.
Sunday morning we went down to the breakfast bar, which is included in the cost of the room and had breakfast. We took the complimentary 11am shuttle to the port and checked in for our cruise. We were in group 13 for boarding. The seating area at the port was very packed; it seemed that we were sitting on top of each other. Carnival put the beach balls out and most people enjoyed hitting the beach balls around. Time passed quickly and we were invited to board the vessel! Oh I love this part, the first impression of your home for the next 7 days!
The Carnival Pride is a lovely ship, she is a ‘Spirit Class’ ship and is not a huge ‘mega’ ship by any stretch of the imagination. This was great because getting around was not difficult. The décor of the Pride is Renaissance with a lot of art work. Ok, nudes so don’t be surprised when you see a naked statue of David or a naked lady painted on the wall. It is tactfully done and I found the décor pleasing. We took a quick ship tour and then it was off to our cabin. Oh yes, I was ready to sail!
For those of you who are concerned about sea sickness, yes, I am ALWAYS concerned about that! I was worried about going down the east coast since the seas can be rough. I put the patch on Sunday morning, changed it on Wednesday evening and I was fine the entire cruise! I did not get seasick at all. The ship, the food, the entertainment, the crew, and the itinerary were wonderful! I would recommend the Carnival Pride to anyone looking for a good vacation from a port that is close to home!
While on the cruise it was announced that next year’s conference will be on the Norwegian Epic, that is going to be another wonderful trip. I have a entire year to wait!!!
October is Cruise month and the cruise lines are offering some fabulous deals, drop me a note and I will get your trip booked! If you are looking to hold a family gathering or a class reunion we can help! Contact Carol or Peg at 800-479-0906 or cmontgomery@cruisesinc.com Check out our website at www.flyawaycruises.com