Carnival Cruise | Bahamas & Turks and Caicos Island

It was time for our family vacation and with the disparate likes, dislikes and interests of our group of 8, we finalized a cruise. It was the perfect choice for a family vacation as the cruise offers something for each age group. We did not have to worry about planning, coordinating excursions, food etc. The cruise had it all figured for us!! Once we got on the ship, we enjoyed like a baby just eating, sleeping and pooping 😉

In June 2018, we sailed on the Carnival Pride to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Freeport – A 8 day cruise typically has 3 port days and 2 formal evenings when you have the opportunity to get all dolled up. Cruise doesn’t require much planning but this report is to share our experience with you so you can take advantage of all that it has to offer.

Cabin Information

Choosing a cabin can be fun and yet challenging at times, especially for first timers. Here is some information on cabin types on a cruise so you do not get overwhelmed. Cruise cabins aka state rooms can typically be categorized into 4 major groups:

• Interior: the smallest-sized room, with no window to the outside.
• Ocean: a room similarly sized to an inside cabin with a window which has an outside view.
• Balcony: a room featuring a verandah that allows you to step outside without going up to a public deck.
• Suite: a larger cabin, often with separate living and sleeping areas with a wide variety of extra amenities and perks.

Tip:

• If you have motion sickness or are claustrophobic, we recommend a balcony room. We booked 2 balcony rooms for our stay – 4 people in each room which had one queen bed and a bunk bed.
• Secondly, try to get a room in the middle of the ship and at a higher deck as movement will be least there.

On-Boarding process

24 hours prior to our departure time we had to complete online check in which upon completion populated printable luggage tags and most importantly provided our check-in time which was a 30 minute window. Each group is given a time slot for the check in to avoid large clusters.

We departed from the Port of Baltimore where the service was excellent and we had a smooth embarkation process. There were several staff at the port which provided instructions on how to proceed to drop off passengers, luggage drop off, where to park etc. It was a systematic process – we first dropped off our luggage which we just had to transfer from our car to a small cargo – we then headed to the parking lot which charged $15 per day parking fee.

We then headed to the checkin terminal. The entire process was roughly 3 hours before we got to the room.

Tip: Your luggage will be delivered to your cabin around dinner time so it may be a good idea to pack a carry-on bag with your valuables that you cannot loose, and any other items you need for that afternoon such as a swimsuit, change of clothes, camera etc.

Day 1, 2 and 3 – Fun Day at Sea

The ship has a lot of activities throughout the day for guest entertainment such as live comedies, trivia, dance classes, hairy chest competitions, scavenger hunt and much more. A schedule for the following day was delivered to our room every evening with the daily activities and their timings.

Our favorite activity was playing scavenger hunt – probably because we won that contest and earned a carnival trophy 😉

We also attended multiple live comedies throughout our stay which were very cheerful!

We got lucky and won $300 at the casino by collecting three sets of “B O N U S” from a quarter machines 😀

The ship also had various games such as corn hole, mini golf, basketball court, ping pong, bingo and much more.

The pools were always so full so we did not end up taking a dip but we really enjoyed the thunder from the water slides for adults, followed by some relaxation time at the Jacuzzis, finishing up with steam/sauna.

Day 4 – Grand Turk

Grand Turk is a beautiful island with a lovely beach.

As soon as we got off the ship there was a huge market with multiple shops and restaurants. There was a pool behind the restaurant “Margaritaville” where a lot of people went for a swim as there were hosts there that entertained the guests with games and music.

We however wanted to get away from the crowds and enjoy a swim in the ocean so we walked for 25 minutes away from the main area towards the “Governors Beach” which is said to be the best beach in Grand Turk. The ocean’s clarity is exquisite and the sand was soft. It was like we had the whole beach to ourselves as most of the crowds were at the main beach. The ocean was calm with some low rolling waves.

Governors beach is also popular for it’s rare view of a rusted cargo ship, the Mega One Triton, which washed ashore during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

I also got braids while on the island for $20 – there were multiple opportunities that can be easily spotted at the main beach.

Day 5 – Half-moon Cay

Half-moon cay serves as a private retreat for carnival line passengers and was our favorite island!

The cruise did not dock at the port as the water gets very shallow closer to the shore. The ship halted at a distance from the beach, from which passengers were transferred from the ship onto a smaller boat for transportation to the shore. The boat carries roughly 100-125 people and it was a short 8 min ride.

The beach is incredibly white and sandy and the water is beautiful and crystal clear.

Tip: If you want to rent a cabana when on the island, make a reservation in advance as they get booked quick.

The island also offers a basketball court, volleyball court, play area for kids and much more.

Day 6 – Freeport

In comparison to the other two islands, Freeport ranked last on the list. The biggest downside of this island was that the beach was not easily accessible. We had to take a taxi, at $10 round trip fare per person, to get to Lucaya beach which was 30 minutes away. Secondly, the beach and ocean is not as clean/clear as the prior two islands. It was however rich on water sports such as jet skiing, banana boating etc.

At a short distance from Lucaya beach is the Lucaya marketplace where we found lots of varieties of hats, souvenirs, beach clothes, home décor, jewelry and much more, at a better rate than the marketplace right outside the ship.

Tip: Negotiation is common at the markets and prices go down considerably.

Day 7 – Enjoyed activities on the ship and relaxed

Day 8 – Return

Food, Food, Food!

One thing you will not miss when on a cruise is the food! There were multiple buffets with a wide variety of cuisines for all three meals. In addition to that there was a 24 hour pizza station and a burger/sandwich station from 11am to 11pm so you will always be stuffed when on a cruise. Here is a glimpse of less than half of the food we ate!

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