Thread: New here! Roll Call for Carnival Pride on May 27th 2012

Hello all!
First, sorry for the long post. I'm just excited! :-)
We found this site as we were doing research on our up coming cruise to the Bahamas.
I'd like to introduce ourselves and see how many have been, or will be, in the same situation.

We have never been on a cruise before. Nothing remotely close.

We only get to take a vacation every 3 years or so, (I'm self employed and the wife works with 8yr olds, posing as adults , as a senior branch manager) so we really look forward to them when all the planets align and we can do it.
Since we are at the 4 year mark now, the wife and I are in desperate need of a little R&R! I'm sure it is the same with most folks these days.

This one is even more special! Both my wife and 13yr old son have spent a total of an hour on beaches between them their whole lives! The Bahamas should be awe inspiring for them! (They've seen some pictures but I lived in Key West as a kid!).

Since we are bringing our 13yr old son (Don't worry fellow cruisers, he knows how to act!), we're not sure if we'll have a chance to "let our hair down" without feeling like we left him abandoned on ship and we're also concerned about his safety and well being with strangers.

We hear they have a great teens club but also hear that how great it is, depends on the particular crew you have running it and it seems things are a bit over embellished in the brochures.
This makes it hard to plan anything because if he likes the Kids club, we may have to pry him out of it to go with us on any excursions and if he doesn't like the kids club and we haven't booked any excursions, he'll be strolling the shops with us while mom buys sun dresses and straw hand bags!
(I have to deal with that because it comes with the territory, right guys? but the poor kid shouldn't have to!
We're headed to Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport starting May 27th.
The more I read, the more I think I'll just stay on the boat and when we get to Nassau, jump out, run to the closest beach, stick my toes in then go back to the ship! They will have everything I need right there anyways!
There seems to be a TON of bars that probably would be fun for mom and me but not a good place to take our 13yr old. I also don't want to take any chances on not getting back to the ship on time and there aren't many excursion choices we like or trust to be what they say they are, being offered.
So much to worry about when we're supposed to be recharging!

We're not picky and just want to relax a little, enjoy a little pampering and maybe party a little bit in the evening hours while the kid is occupied with something else!

Any suggestions?
Really, any insight for us newby's is welcome!

Wow! Great way to start your cruising career :-) The Pride is a lovely ship, its that nice medium size that means that there is still plenty to do, but it doesn't feel overawing.

Make sure you do the ship's tour on the first day (normally around 14:00) so you get really well familarised with the ship and find where everything is. Some of the areas like the games room and the internet cafe are tucked away so this way it will make sure you won't miss out on anything.

For your son, he will be totally fine, Camp Carnival is great and they do have good programs for all ages and they tend to reduce the activities during port time so don't worry I think he will still be keen to head out with you, especially if this is his first time to the beach. Re saftey on board, as a 13 year old he will be pretty independent and looking to do things with his friends which is great as you will get time alone with your wife. Might be a good option for a romantic meal in the Steak house. A lot of families will take on two way radios which are a good way to communicate and keep track of each other. You can hire them on board but experience says they normally run out pretty quickly and they are not always reliable.

Just a suggestion as a crew member, but I would say it works to have some rules in place around contacting each other regularly, eg, meet up every two hours at the drinks machine on the Lido deck and definitely a curfew. You mentioned your son knows how to behave, but its easy to get distracted when you are with other kids. You might want to let him know that is he goes missing at night then there is a full security search of the ship that eventually means his name will be announced in all the cabins waking people up and letting them know he is missing - it will definitely inspire good behaviour
:-)

Re: Things to do in Bahamas, to be honest the beaches really are the best option. Although in Nassau I think that as a family you will really enjoy the aquarium at Atlantis Casino too. The Casino is great to walk through, pretty awe-inspiring and the aquarium is really beautifully done. You can book through the ship, else you can do it all independently. Taxis are about $4 per person to Atlantis one way. I'd suggest going with another group of people so you feel safe.

There is also a really nice beach close to Atlantis, an easy 10 minute walk. Its' quite popular and has services like hiring beach chairs and umbrellas. Just a reminder that the beaches in Nassau can be targeted by pickpockets so carry minimal valuables and keep an eye on your belongings.

Just as an FYI so your expecations are at the same level of Nassau. When you arrive on the pier you will walk to the end an go through the security terminal. It can be a pretty intense place as you will get a lot of touters approaching and they can be quite intimidating. Take a deep breath, take your time, walk through the building (there is some good shopping inside) and onto the street, there are lots of cabs there that take a bit of the stress out of it. Also if you are going to wander around the shops stick to the main streets of town, you'll know which ones they are by the look and feel.

Have a great first cruise!

I've been on six Carnival cruises (see my list below), and the last three my daughter came too (she was 23 months, 3 years and 4 years so she doesn't have experience with their teen center; she was 13 on our last cruise on the Golden Princess, but she mostly hanged with girls her age or played video games in their teen center; she was also minus five months old on one cruise).

There should be a packet of info on the teen group when you first arrive in your cabin. You should go with your son to the registration meeting so you can fill out the forms while he meets the other teens. that's on the first day/night of the cruise.

Before the cruise, go over the rules (no going to someone else's cabins, etc.). There will be one or two kids' dinners where the kids meet up in the buffet for a private party. Don't know if the teens go too, even if invited (they may prefer to go in a group separately).

Before our cruise, I went online and ordered some brochures for each port, even though we've been to those ones before. Then I gave them to my daughter with post it notes and told her to mark the places she wanted to see (she was doing the usual teen type complaining that she won't get to do anything she wants to). After eliminating the places that wouldn't be open on our port days, we came up with a plan to suit the three of us. We didn't do any excursions at all this time so it was winging it. (hubby will program his watch just in case we get sidetracked but we usually get back to the ship at least an hour before)

Make sure you take the day's Capers (the ship's newsletter) as it will give you needed info (what time to be back on board -- which isn't the same as sailaway time). Make sure you're on ship's time which may not be the same as local time. Don't take off ship's food as it may violate local laws (I pack Power Bars and the like -- factory sealed snacks are great if you get the munchies before finding a local place to eat or before you return to the ship).

Welcome to Cruise Line Fans!!

Great that you have booked a cruise -- you will be hooked on cruising after that first one.

Thank you Hope! That was a VERY good post!
I know this trip is going to be heavenly! I am so excited that I can't hardly think of anything else!

Our Disney trip a few years ago went really badly. It rained for 8 straight days (1pm-5pm).
Ironically, that was how long we were there!) THEY HAD RECORD FLOODING THAT WEEK! After about 3 days of that, the anxiety started to show itself. I don't mind large groups as much as I hate rude people and you can't imagine how many rude folks you can pack into one line when it's raining. AND, you'll NEVER catch any of us "Zombie walking" with our cell phones!

My biggest problem was, I didn't expect adults to act the way they were. I guess I don't get out much.
It was a dog eat dog week with everyone booking restaurants 5 at a time so no matter where they were in the park at dinner time, they had a reservation! Problem was, it was impossible to get a seat anywhere to eat because we were always waiting on a dozen or more folks who were never going to show up! When the greed of others causes my family to miss out, it ticks me off.
We'll wait patiently and quietly with no issues but that's not the case with many!
DO unto others right?
Anyways,
I let it ruin my vacation and everyone elses too! I didn't "flip out" or anything, I was just in a bad mood the whole week! Lesson learned but it still sticks with me! I've got to do better this time.

I have a better mind set this time out and have been going over the things in my head that may irritate me. As long as I know the type of things to expect, I can avoid or "drink" my way past them and enjoy myself :-) There's not that much really. I just dislike "Rude" and usually will "say something polite" to bring it to someones attention. Drives my wife crazy!
I just think people should be kind and respectful to one another and when they aren't it bothers me to no end.

Now you know my story, you can see why this trip is so important. I can't afford to screw this one up or I might be left at home for the next one! :-)
Just knowing what to expect is half the battle with me I think and those things you can't plan for or control, I need alternatives, be it in attitude or destination.
All your suggestions will go a long way in making our trip as smooth as it can be!

I can see our son forgetting what time it is and the meet up spots are a great idea!
We'll use that one for sure! I have a feeling we'll always find him near the ice cream! :-)

Thank you "Crusin chick"!
You all have been very helpful! I never thought of ordering brochures! Great idea!

Any excursions you guys found to be worth the trip? It looks like Nassau is the nicer Island and Freeport is a bit more industrial, is that right?

We're open for anything. Senior Frogs looks like fun and the wife would love to pet a dolphin.
I think I'd be fine just snorkeling off the beach all day and a couple tropical drinks containing Rum in a hammock under a palm tree! :-)

I've already decided that if it rains all week on THIS trip, we'll just spend all of our shore time in the water!

Phone zombies drive me crazy. Here in Los Angeles, they're everywhere, including intersections (they're crossing the street while on the phone, and if a driver planning on turning is also on the phone...)

I've only been to the Bahamas once on an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Paradise, out of Miami. Of the ports you've listed, only been to Nassau. Our girl, then 3, stayed onboard in Camp Carnival, while we did a little shopping in Nassau. That was all we did and then returned to the ship. Maybe your family can just beach it. No need to book an excursion for that.

If you get traditional dining (not sure what Carnival calls their flexible dining), eating will be a snap for dinner. You just go to your dining room at your seating time and sit at your assigned table. No lines. We prefer this (if we think we may get hungry before that, we go to the buffet in the mid-afternoon and grab a snack) to go to the flexible dining and perhaps having to wait for a table.

It's too bad you had that problem at Disney. Is there a way you can send them some feedback and suggest a better way of handling reservations so that people can't put in duplicate reservations for the same meal?

Welcome to CLF! It's great to have you as a part of our friendly community!

Originally Posted by cruisin' chick

If you get traditional dining (not sure what Carnival calls their flexible dining), eating will be a snap for dinner. You just go to your dining room at your seating time and sit at your assigned table. No lines. We prefer this (if we think we may get hungry before that, we go to the buffet in the mid-afternoon and grab a snack) to go to the flexible dining and perhaps having to wait for a table.

It's too bad you had that problem at Disney. Is there a way you can send them some feedback and suggest a better way of handling reservations so that people can't put in duplicate reservations for the same meal?

Carnival calls it "My way or Anytime" dining I think.
We decided to do the late dining so we would could spend as much time off the ship and it is also supposed to be more "interactive". We don't get out much so we want to mingle and have some fun.

For Disney, they're too far gone for any email from me to do anything but get us a coupon. It's sad. I used to go every summer as a kid because we lived so close and it truly was a wonder land. Now, it's just one big commercial of self centered, money grabbing theatrics. They make you feel like cattle because they're building more and more resorts on the property but not expanding the actual park to compensate. This squeezes every ounce of revenue out of every inch of space. Throw in a bunch of folks who have the "I'm never going to see these people again" attitudes (not it the "good way as in" let your hair down and have some fun" but in like, I want what I want and I want it now" kind).

I don't know how many times where my family was in line, that someone from the park was giving us directions and no one else was paying attention. We were told to wait for the next group but the folks behind us had no idea because they were all on their cell phones. When the line in front of us was ushered into the ride, it left our family in the front of the line. Everyone behind us was getting mad that it "looked like" we were just standing there holding up the line and not going. This is when these wonderful folks started pushing us, (Me, my 110lb wife and 8yr old son!) which caused the folks further back to start complaining and pushing too. I was mortified! I was determined to keep the line behind us as instructed however, one of the kids from the family behind us, squeezed between us. We expected the mother or father to corral their kid back in line with them seeing as though it now looked like we had TWO kids with us, but instead, they quickly followed right behind. Once that door was opened, it paved the way for the thousand folks behind us!

The attendant chose that exact time to come back (She instructed once then left for almost 10 minutes which was a common occurrence) and we were finally motioned to come forward with a wave of her hand, families behind us started pushing forward and separated my family like we deserved to be run over because we were holding everyone up!

That was not only the end of my day but the end of my vacation! We had only been there 3 days out of 8 so far and we had been run over, ignored and rained on (I understand the rains not Disney fault!) almost everywhere we went.
I didn't want to be near anyone after that and because I was so mad, my family would have rather not been near me as well which only made matters worse! We spent a lot of money, stayed at the Polynesian and paid for all the bells and whistles for once instead of going the "cheap route" and it looked like everyone else in the park was blissfully ignorant, abusing the system, doing what they wanted, when they wanted and having a great time but us!
We just couldn't get a break!

I CAN"T LET MYSELF GO THERE THIS TIME!!

Just so you don't think I'm TOO anal......

I don't mind waiting in an orderly line.
I don't mind kids having innocent fun.
I don't mind paying a little extra for stuff (Well, I do mind" but I understand, it is what it is)
I understand I might have to wear earplugs to sleep at night.
AND, I'm OK with changing plans at the last minute due to bad weather, overbooked excursions or just change our minds when we get there.
I understand it might be hard to find a seat for 3 everywhere we go.

All I want is to be treated like we treat others, nothing more.
however,
I also understand that I might just have to be in my own little world if I intend on relaxing!
I hear a little RUM and a lot of Jimmy Buffett helps with that a lot!

I know it was unintended but thank you for letting me vent!
I'm getting it all out.......
OHhhhmmmm.....OHhhMmmmm

Welcome to
CruiseLineFans

Reggie

Welcome aboard and enjoy your cruise. The first is always a source of memories.