Cruisin'

I just got back from a cruise.  I hadn't been on one in over 25 years.  The ship that we (me and the family)  sailed on was the Carnival Pride.  While, for the most part, we had fun, there was some items that could have been improved.

I'll start with Carnival itself.  The Pride is older ship  and needs some TLC.  The constant upselling was totally annoying!!!!  You couldn't even enjoy dinner without someone in your face hawking pictures or drinks.  The excursions were pricey.  We did our own thing on the islands for a lot less and had a ball. Our cabin was tiny, but we managed.  The pools were small and crowded.  Get there early if you want to grab a lounge chair.

There was plenty to do on-board: karaoke, gambling, contests, shows, movie nights, and more.  There were some cool shops and bars as well.

We had bad seas on the way down and back.  I can only blame Mother Nature for this.  The waters calmed down while we were at the islands.

The three islands had much to be desired. Turks and Caicos were by far the best and prettiest.  The people were extremely friendly.  We went to Pillory Beach and swam and paddle boarded.  I have traveled globally and have to say that this is one of the prettiest places that I have ever seen.  Truly beautiful!!!!  Half Moon Cay was a bust and Freeport wasn't much better.  Both were kind of junky and touristy.  We did enjoy Margaritaville in Freeport.  The temp was hot and humid as one might expect in the Caribbean.  I thought that it was funny that even the locals were complaining about the heat.

Pillory Beach

The food (which was amazing on my first cruise)  I'd give an overall rating of a B+ on this one.  There is plenty of it and you can literally eat 24-7.  My favorite place to eat on the ship - Guy Fieri's Burger Joint.  I have to say these may be the best burgers in the world!!!  Also, room service was spectacular -  great chocolate cake!!!!

We loved the four comedians we saw on the ship at Punchliners.   Marvin Todd, Vincent Morris, Happy Cole, and Jeff Jena were hysterical.  I don't think that I have ever laughed so much in my entire life.  Kudos to all of them!!!!

I saved the best for last.  The staff was absolutely amazing.  They truly made the trip worthwhile.  Big shout outs to our servers: Glen, Sheldon, Gabriel, Maurice, and Cesar.  You guys were tremendous!!!!  Our cabin attendant, Made, did an outstanding job and met our every need.  Thank you, amigo!!!!

That about sums it up.  It was nice just to get away for a while and enjoy quality family time.  I still want to do an Alaskan cruise, but I think that I'll wait for a bit....I'm still trying to get my land legs back under me!