Writer Rob Lovitt based this independent review on his 7-night Mexico cruise departing from Los Angeles, California.

There’s never a dull moment on Carnival Pride. During the day, passengers split their time between the gym, the spa, and the ship’s three main pools. At night, they choose from three restaurants, 12 bars, and Vegas-style shows and variety acts. Add in a large casino, extensive children’s facilities, and three exciting ports, and it’s no wonder this ship attracts an active crowd. She’s not a party boat -- think family reunion, not all-night rave -- but her passengers sure have a good time.

Walking through Pride’s main public areas is like strolling through a textbook on Renaissance art. There’s the 10-foot David in the supper club; a four-story Raphael in the atrium; and cupids, cherubs, and Ruben-esque nudes beyond counting. It’s all part of the ship’s Icons of Beauty theme, which emphasizes ornate interior décor over expansive exterior vistas. Subtle, it’s not, and some may be put off by the ample displays of Renaissance flesh -- but there’s always something new to see.

Why Carnival Pride?

• Formal setting, family fun: Looking past Pride’s go-for-baroque décor, passengers will find a first-class children’s center, eight pools and hot tubs (plus waterslide), and activities for all ages.
• Sunny days, sizzling nights: Hit the pools, the beach, or a Mexican market by day, then head below decks for a hot casino, karaoke action, and Vegas-style shows.
• Small bucks, big bang: Get a balcony cabin for the price of many ships’ standard oceanview rooms -- then spend the difference in the spa or specialty restaurant.

Who should go
Drawing primarily from California and the West Coast, Pride’s passengers span the ages with a high percentage of honeymooners, anniversary couples, and extended/multi-generational families thrown in. Among the adults, 40- to 60-year-olds outnumber the 20-40 crowd, and it’s not uncommon to have 600 or more kids onboard when school is out. A nonstop activities schedule also makes this a good choice for first-timers who want to explore the varied facets of cruising.

Who shouldn’t go
Those seeking a quieter, more refined experience may feel like one of the herd among Pride’s 2,100 passengers. Veteran cruisers may also take issue with the service -- efficient, but a tad impersonal -- and the recurring announcements touting bingo, cruise-log videos, and vacation club memberships.

Heard on the deck (from a woman in a glass elevator getting a full frontal view of the ship’s 10-foot David statue): “Oh my, I really didn’t need to see that before dinner.”

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: The cruise director’s Bedtime Story -- three volunteer passengers improvise their way through a tall tale in which anything can happen, and often does.
• Best part of the ship: A bit baroque, a bit rococo, the 10-story Renaissance Lobby is visually stunning and centrally located near the casino, the shops, and several bars.
• Best experience: From a masked ball to the Folies Bergere, from Lord of the Dance to The Lion King, the “Wonderful World” revue offers one show-stopping number after another.
• Best shipboard activities: Passengers with young kids take to the dance floor during family-friendly deck parties. Those without hit the bars during the organized pub crawl.
• Needs improvement: Spa times, shore excursions, and tables in the supper club go fast. Expanded hours and/or offerings would certainly help.
• Activities to skip: Offering an array of cold cuts, basic desserts, and a dozen types of pressed pâté, the post-midnight Grand Gala Buffet isn’t worth staying up for.

How to meet the captain
All guests are invited to a formal-night welcome reception in the Taj Mahal theater, where the captain makes a short speech from the stage. Returning guests get a little closer with a handshake (but no speech or photo op) at a slightly smaller reception later in the cruise. Both, however, quickly turn into promotional events, so you may want to enjoy the free champagne, cocktails, and appetizers, and move on. (The captain also has a table in the dining room, but rarely uses it.)

One buffet restaurant, one formal dining room, and one “supper club” -- it’s not a lot, and yet dining on Pride provides surprising variety. Go for carved meats and fresh sushi in the multi-station Mermaid’s Grille, try the sea bass or Aussie lamb in Normandie, and splurge on steaks and seafood at David’s (or try both with the surf and turf). From the tableside Caesars in the supper club to the roaming coffee-and-Danish carts by the buffet, service with a smile is a given.

Normandie Dining Room Named for the luxury liner of the 1930s, Pride’s two-story dining room presents a grand expanse of frosted glass and polished copper. It can be noisy (it seats 1,300), but booths and smaller tables provide a hint of intimacy. Dishes are often more artful than flavorful, although the occasional sweet and sour sauce or black cherry salsa adds a bit of zest. There are low-carb, low-cal, and vegetarian options nightly -- leaving more room for that dessert soufflé or Swedish almond cake.

Heard on the deck (about the eager-to-please wait staff in the Normandie Dining Room): “They look so sad when you say ‘no’ to dessert.”

Mermaid’s Grille
With four main buffet lines, separate salad and dessert stations, and a 24-hour pizza counter, this casual Lido restaurant is busy around the clock. Breakfast and dinner offer the basics, but the lunches are tasty, multi-plate affairs with hearty pastas, rotisserie meats, Asian fare (including sushi), and a different International cuisine each day. The faux-bronze mermaids and spouting fiberglass fish are a bit much, but the wall-sized windows provide some of the ship’s best ocean views.

David’s Supper Club
Seven decks above the atrium floor, a see-through spiral staircase leads past a 10-foot replica of Michelangelo’s David and into a quiet oasis beneath a soaring, red-glass ceiling. White-jacketed waiters present carts with sample cuts of meat, the wine list highlights Dom Perignon and Veuve Clicquot, and the filets and lobster tails are as massive as they are melt-in-your-mouth tender. Afterwards, burn off those crème brûlée calories with a spin around the small dance floor. Cover charge: $25.

Other dining options

• Pizzeria: Part of Mermaid’s Grille, this take-out counter stands alone for its superb selection of thin-crust pizzas. The Caesar salads aren’t bad, either.
• Piazza Café: Start your day with a steaming latte at this coffee bar near the lobby, then come back for some layer cake or chocolate-covered strawberries before bed.
• Afternoon tea: Hot tea, canapés, and a classical trio provide a touch of class twice each cruise (although tea-time etiquette is no match for a hungry overflow crowd).
• Room service: The choices are limited to cold items -- Continental breakfasts, sandwiches, and a few desserts -- but it all shows up within minutes 24 hours a day.

Best dining

• Dish: With a four-ounce filet, six-ounce lobster tail, pumpkin ravioli, and asparagus-fennel tart, the Surf & Turf at David’s turns the age-old favorite into edible art.
• Dessert: Say no to dessert in David’s, and your waiter will respond with a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries, pistachio cookies, and a trio of to-die-for truffles.
• Restaurant: Where else? David’s, where the glass-dome ceiling (part of the main stack) lends a lavender glow to the elegant setting. It fills quickly, so reserve early.
• Food seminar: There are no food seminars, per se, but the galley tour includes demonstrations of cake decorating, vegetable carving, and napkin folding.

How to…

• Get a table for two: Request when booking. There are no guarantees, but with Pride’s family-oriented clientele and almost 50 tables for two, odds are better than usual.
• Celebrate a birthday/anniversary: Order a cake through the formal shop, Piazza Café, or hostess stand, and several waiters will provide the vocal accompaniment.
• Change seating: The maître d’ takes requests in the main dining room from 1 to 3 PM on embarkation day, although he won’t make any changes until the second day.
• Dress for formal night: Among the women, sheathe dresses and shawls are more common than gowns. For men, coats and ties outnumber the suits and tuxes.
• Dress for casual night: Jeans or slacks with a golf shirt or comfortable blouse is fine. Shorts are frowned upon, but no one gets the boot for bare legs.

Tips:

• They’re not listed on the menu, but alternative dishes (steak, fish, Caesar salad, etc.) are available in the Normandie Dining Room. You just have to ask.
• If you prefer traditional cruise-style dining, request a large table when booking. With all the families onboard, they may not be available otherwise.
• If David’s Supper Club is all booked up, get on the waiting list for the evening in Puerto Vallarta or Mazatlan. Longer port days often mean more cancellations.
• To avoid standing in multiple buffet lines in Mermaid’s Grille, have friends or family members cover different cuisines and get extra servings for the table.
• Afternoon tea is offered in the Florentine Lounge, but only twice per cruise, so get there early if you want a seat.
• Check the daily planner for the occasional ice cream buffet. They feature six flavors, almost 20 toppings, and a “chef” who makes specialty sundaes.

Pride’s 1,062 cabins aren’t the fanciest, but they are spacious (185 square feet for an inside or standard oceanview) and well-designed with multiple mirrors, under-desk minibars, and ample storage space. Suites (360-465 square feet) are a bit more stylish with teak entries, granite counters, and bathrooms with dressing areas and jetted tubs. Best of all, 70 percent of all cabins have balconies (40-220 square feet), which means a room with a sea-breeze view is pleasantly affordable.

Cabins for guests with disabilities
All 16 wheelchair-accessible cabins feature lip-free bathrooms, roll-in showers, and good turnaround space, and half of those have balconies accessed by sturdy steel ramps. (Alas, all four oceanview rooms have obstructed views.) Almost all public facilities are accessible, and there’s even a wheelchair lift to the video arcade and an accessible treatment room in the spa. All that’s missing is a ramp to the dance floor in the disco.

Tips:

• When choosing a cabin, look at the deck plan carefully. One-third of Pride’s balcony cabins offer extended balconies (60 vs. 40 square feet) -- for just a few dollars more per day.
• Cabins located far forward on Deck 5 are next to the Fun Club and above the Taj Mahal, meaning they can be noisy from early morning until late at night.

Most of the action takes place on Decks 2 and 3, where passengers will find the disco, a galleria of shops, and everything from a Parisian bistro/karaoke bar to a theater modeled after the Taj Mahal. As the ship heads south, the tri-pooled Lido Deck heats up with daily activities; but come evening, most passengers are back below decks, strolling amid the Icons of Beauty as they make their way from restaurant to theater to casino to any of a dozen bars.

Bars, lounges, and casino
Pride passengers aren’t really hard partiers, but they do like to have fun. For many, that means crooning karaoke in the Van Gogh-inspired Starry Night bar; for others, singing along in the Ivory Piano Bar or catching some cool jazz in the Raphael Lounge. Check out the oddly decorated Beauties disco -- yes, those bar stools are naked plastic torsos -- but save some energy for the casino, where 15 tables and 200-plus slot machines draw a loud, lively crowd until the wee hours.

Heard on the deck (from two women playing nickel slots in the casino):
First woman: “Have you figured it out yet?
Friend’s response: “No, I just put in money and push the buttons.”

Swimming pools
Instead of one large main pool, Pride features two smaller pools, each with its own hot tub and tiled wading area. Kids by the dozen splash in the pools, while parents simmer in the tubs and grandparents snooze on the surrounding deck chairs. There’s also an adult-only pool and hot tub far aft; a kids’ pool and waterslide on Deck 11; and, of course, the occasional Survivor-esque contest. Honestly, though, most passengers are more interested in sunning and soaking than getting silly.

Shows
In a word, “Wow!” With nary a bad sightline among its 1,100 seats, the Taj Mahal comes to life every night with first-rate entertainment. By far the best is “Wonderful World,” a lavish international dance revue with cancans, Cossacks, and costume changes galore. (Don’t miss the tuxedoed penguins “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”) A second revue, “Vroom,” takes a similar approach to rock ‘n’ roll (think Elvis, Elton, and the Beatles), with various variety acts packing the room the rest of the time.

Shore excursions
The good news is that you can book shore excursions in advance (5-180 days before sailing) or in your cabin via the TV. The bad news is that you may have to, as excursions start selling out within hours of sailing. There are no waiting lists, either, but the staff is informative and happy to suggest alternatives. If all else fails, remember that Pride’s tourism-driven ports are well-suited for independent travel and that good deals on guided tours are often easily found on the dock.

Weddings and vow renewals
Decorated with frescoes and flowers, Pride’s 40-seat chapel is a picture-perfect setting for saying “I (still) do.” Vow renewals are performed by the captain, and everything from a cake and photos to recorded music, hors d’oeuvres, and an open bar can be arranged for a fee. Weddings, on the other hand, are performed by a local officiant before sailing and should be arranged when booking. The high number of honeymooners onboard suggests that this is a popular option.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: Tucked behind the Taj Mahal theater, the Sunset Garden is really just a decorated corridor; but, unlike the ship’s library, it’s usually empty and pin-drop quiet.
• Liveliest spot: From bingo and game shows to dance lessons and dazzling theater performances, the Taj Mahal is always abuzz, usually with regular eruptions of cheers or laughter.
• Most popular activity: Family karaoke often fills the Starry Night lounge, but when the kids go to bed, their parents pack the casino for slots, roulette, and table games.
• Best view: Head for the small deck (Deck 12) above the jogging track for a panoramic view of where you’re going or the aft pool deck to see where you’ve been.
• Best show: With 16 performers, $750,000 in costumes, and almost 20 production numbers, “Wonderful World” is a dazzling display of dancing -- and, oh, those penguins.
• Best drink: Apple martinis in the atrium on the second formal night -- when vodka and sour-apple schnapps are poured through an ice sculpture into your waiting glass.

Tips:

• Instead of showering off poolside, head to the spa, where private showers with five wall-mounted showerheads provide a delightful water massage.
• If you’re interested in a canopy tour, dolphin swim, or other highlighted shore excursion, reserve your spot(s) as soon as the excursion desk opens.
• Look for the SPA symbol on the shore excursion price list. Marked tours include a $25 credit towards select spa treatments good on any port day.
• The Internet terminals in the Nobel Library are available around the clock, but the bookcases are only open one or two hours per day.
• The library is also the only spot that gets wireless Internet access. When it’s crowded, you can usually get a signal in the adjacent Ivory Piano Bar.
• Art auctions are well-attended (probably for the free champagne), but there’s not a lot of bidding. See something you like and you can often get it at the opening price.

Spa and salon
It’s a good spa, not a great spa. The waiting area is a semi-enclosed glass room overlooking the gym (bad), the salon offers frangipani scalp massages (good), and the massage therapists are adept with everything from sea weed to hot stones (wonderful!). By the same token, there are no bathrobes (bad), the saunas and steam rooms are complimentary (good), and the health and beauty seminars are informative -- at least until they turn into thinly veiled product pitches (very, very annoying).

Fitness areas
Pride’s passengers are an athletic bunch, and they use the ship’s gym morning, noon, and night. Even with almost 40 pieces of equipment, you may wait for an open treadmill during prime times. A separate, soundproofed studio hosts several exercise classes each day (some complimentary, some for a fee), and a golf cage and basketball/volleyball court are just outside. The only negative is the dinky running track: At 15 laps to the mile, you may feel like a dog chasing its tail.

Tips:

• The hot tub in the fitness center is by far the least crowded. Bring the bathrobe from your cabin, though, as there aren’t any in the gym or spa.
• Kids ages 12-16 are allowed to use the exercise equipment, but only when accompanied by an adult.

Heard on the deck (from a treadmill-trotting couple in the fitness center):
Her: ”Well, this should burn off last night’s dessert.”
Him: “Actually, I’m thinking it’s earning me a really big dessert tonight.”

Named in honor of the famous boutique-lined street in Rome, the Via Veneto consists of a half-dozen stores set along a winding corridor just off the atrium. At $10 each, the pseudo-Pashmina shawls are popular, as are the rotating sale items (T-shirts, logo wear, gold by the inch) set up on nearby tables each day. As for the port/shopping talk, it focuses almost exclusively on the ship’s “recommended stores,” so if you know the drill, pick up the port guide and skip the spiel.

Tips:

• Clearance racks come out as the cruise progresses, with shorts, shirts, and other items going for as little as $10 each late in the cruise.
• Buy $50 or more in the Via Veneto shops on the last day and you’re automatically entered in a raffle for $500 worth of gemstones and jewelry.

Nicely isolated far forward on Deck 5, The Fun Club features two play areas with computer stations, spin- and sand-art machines, and pint-sized furnishings. It’s designed for kids ages 2-5 and 6-8, with those under two welcome during select hours, and fee-based babysitting available 10 PM to 3 AM ($6 per hour). Activities for older kids (9-11, 12-14, and 15-17) take place all over the ship, which seems to work for everyone. Even with 600-800 kids onboard, they’re seldom seen and rarely heard.

Tips:

• Leave the bulky stuff home: Strollers, bouncy seats, and travel swings can be rented onboard for $25 per cruise.
• Once each cruise, the shore-excursion staff organizes a teen-only, off-ship adventure (fees apply). Ask at The Fun Club or Shore Excursion desk.

Heard on the deck (from a young girl to her even younger sister): “It’s called The Fun Club because you’re going to have tons of fun!”

Pride sails 7-night cruises year-round from Los Angeles (Long Beach), with Sunday departures and stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.

• Cruise line - Carnival
• Ship name - Carnival Pride
• Type of cruise - Fun/Casual
• Total cabins - 1062
• Private balcony cabins - 750
• Decks - 12
• Passenger capacity - 2124
• Total crew - 930
• Officers nationality - Italian
• Ship size - Large
• Year entered service - 2002
• Tonnage - 88500
• Ship length - 963
• Registry - Panama