Melissa

Age: 15
Occupation: student
Number of Cruises: 1
Cruise Line: Carnival
Ship: Pride
Sailing Date: February 15th, 2004
Itinerary: Mexican Riviera

My experience on the Carnival Pride was great. Everything from the service to the food to the activities was top notch. I went with my family, and there was something to do for everyone. My sister and parents spent most of their time at the shows, which they said were amazing, and the casino. My brother and his girlfriend explored the ship and always found something to do at night. Before the cruise, I was a little apprehensive because I wasn’t sure how much there would be for me to do, as I have found that most places do not give many programs for teens, but after the first day I had completely changed my mind. On the first day, there was a greeting show in the Taj Mahal, and that’s where I met the first few people that I spent my time with on the cruise. Later that night we met so many people. I made many new lifelong friends that I hope to keep in touch with and I will never forget.

Mornings :
We usually slept in until about 11 o’clock, so I cannot tell you much about the morning activities, but there always seemed to be something going on. Breakfast was good, some mornings better than others, but that might just be because I am slightly picky.

Afternoon :
The weather was beautiful, so most of my afternoons were spent basking in the rays of the sun on one of the many sun decks. One pleasant surprise was that there was always enough space for all the guests wishing to suntan. The competitions during the day were eventful. Some of my favourites included the Survivor Contest, Hairy Chest Contest (disturbing, but all in good fun) and the Scavenger Hunt.

Night :
The days were not boring, but I had wished they were a little more exciting, but again that may have been because I am a teen, and some of the events were focussed more for adults. At night, however, I always had a blast! After dinner, I left my family with just my purse and a curfew. Then I didn’t see them all night with the exception of a wave “
“hello” as I walked through the casino with my friends. The night activities, though slightly limited, were enjoyable. Mostly there was just karaoke and a dance just for teens. I always had fun dancing the night away, but unfortunately not everyone was up for dancing. Mot of my night time was spend just hanging around on the Lido Deck, the Butterflies Lounge, the Beauties Disco (don’t judge it by the name, it’s a really neat dance place) or just around the decks. I kept on meeting really nice people. That’s the great thing about cruises, everyone is there to have a good time and meet new people, so everyone’s friendly. I wasn’t sure how many people my age would be one the cruise, but when I got there, I found that there were many people of all ages. Also, it wasn’t necessarily the people my age that I spent most of my time with. I am 15 years old, and the people I had the most fun with were aged between 14 and 20. Normally I stick to people within 1 or 2 years of my age. Overall, the night was definitely the best part of my day.

Service:
The service was great. I had nothing to complain about. The people who cleaned our rooms and our waiters even learned our names, which I thought was very neat! The staff were all very friendly and helpful. Even when I lost my room key (which I knew I was bound to do at some point ) they helped my cancel it and get a new one with no trouble.

Food :
The food can be described in one word….well make that 2..: ABSOLUTLY AMAZING! Seriously, I have new had such a good week when it came to eating. The slogan for the ship was : Eat plenty and eat often. I certainly did that. With the buffet breakfasts and lunches, 24/7 pizza and ice cream, midnight buffet, the coffee and desert shop and the incredible diners, I sure ate my fair share. The food was unexplainably delicious. And I think I’ll leave it at that.

Mexico:
Our trips into Mexico were great. I didn’t do any of the planned excursions, so I can’t tell you about them, but I can tell you that Mexico is a great place to visit. My favourite things were the beach in Cabo San Lucas, and the shopping in all three ports.


Overall :
I would have to say that my week on the cruise was the best week of my life, and I am not exaggerating. I will hold all of the memories close to my heart forever and I am eagerly awaiting my next cruise ship adventure.

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