Carnival Pride has consistently received high marks from passengers on those comment cards that the cruise lines ask passengers to fill out at the end of every voyage. She received them on the West Coast when she was operating out of Los Angles and she is receiving them now that she is on the East Coast operating out of Baltimore.The ship is a Spirit-class (also called a Vista-class) design. These ships have good speed and good seakeeping properties so that they perform well in rough weather. They also have a convenient interior layout. The major public areas are on three decks and so it is relatively simple to find ones way around. So, that could be one explanation for the high marks.
Baltimore is just developing as a cruise port. Yes, cruise ships have stopped there before but Pride is the first ship to sail year-round from Baltimore on a regular basis. Having a first-tier cruise ship within driving distance makes cruising a convenient option for many people. Perhaps the high marks just reflect the fact that they are happy to have such a ship based nearby. But then, the ship received high marks in Los Angles and on the cruises she did out of Miami in the process of repositioning to Baltimore.
To get an inside perspective as to why Carnival Pride has succeeded so well, I spoke with her hotel director Brian D’Souza. Brian has worked his way up the management chain on a number of Carnival ships and so is in a position to know why Carnival works even in these tough economic times. I also asked him about what it has been like taking Pride to a new home.
Our conversation is posted at: http://beyondships.com/CarnivalPride-art-Dsouza.html
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