This cruise fulfils beach lovers’ every need
Sometimes, you just want a good, quick, affordable cruise to the Caribbean. That’s exactly what I just returned from: A weeklong voyage to the Eastern Caribbean and the Bahamas aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s 2,124-guest Carnival Pride.
Sailing out of Baltimore, Md., this was the beach-lover’s ultimate cruise. Our first port of call was Grand Turk, in the Turks & Caicos. Here, you can swim in the crystal-clear waters or stretch out on miles of white sandy beaches — all less than 100 feet from the pier where the 963-foot Carnival Pride towered over its guests.
Our second port of call was Half Moon Cay, a private island in the Bahamas used exclusively by Carnival and Holland America Line. Even among private islands (all of which are pretty spectacular), Half Moon Cay stands apart for the vibrant colours of its waters and its pristine beach, shaped like a half moon from which the island derives its name.
Even though it’s uninhabited, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. Half Moon Cay features shops, bars and plenty of shore excursions, from the bicycle and hiking tour of the island to excursions that let you go on personal watercraft adventures, horseback rides along the beach, snorkelling trips, or just kicking back and relaxing in your own private cabana.
The final port was Freeport, Bahamas, and while it didn’t offer the same kind of natural beauty (it’s rather industrial), it still provided guests to go ashore for some rum runners and local conch (pronounced ‘conk’) fritters.
As beautiful as the ports of call were, it’s the Carnival Pride that’s the real star. She holds fewer guests than most Carnival ships, which makes her more spacious and less crowded than her fleetmates. She’s also benefited from some great upgrades since her launch in 2002, including the Green Thunder drop waterslide, Guy’s Burger Joint and the Mexican-themed BlueIguana Cantina & Tequila Bar. There’s also Carnival’s own pub at sea, the RedFrog Pub and the Alchemy Bar, which mixes craft cocktails on demand.
Kids can have a great time, too, thanks to Carnival’s partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to create Seuss-a-Palooza, a series of programs and events that bring the classic children’s books to life at sea and encourage them to read.
A week on Carnival Pride was almost too short. It’s easy to fall under the spell of Carnival’s brand of uncomplicated fun — and Carnival Pride’s terrific crew saw to it that guests of all ages came away with a cruise vacation to remember.