Carnival Cruise Lines: Carnival Pride: a unique source of pride for the "Fun Ship" fleet - Ship of the Month

Cruise Travel, Nov-Dec, 2003 by Lynn Seldon

Carnival Cruise Lines has every right to be proud of the Carnival Pride. She was the second of three "Spirit Class" ships in the line's current fleet and, though the Carnival Pride is very similar in general layout to her sister ships, she is quite different in style once onboard. The Panamax (largest size ships that can transit the Panama Canal) Spirit Class offerings are destined to become workhorses for the fleet and, thanks to her unique theme, the Carnival Pride is destined to provide the line with a sense of pride for many years to come.

The Carnival Spirit came first in the class, and the Carnival Legend was third. The former features architectural styles from throughout history, while the latter offers legendary people and places as her theme. The fourth Spirit Class ship, the Carnival Miracle, is scheduled to enter service in March 2004 and will feature famous icons from fiction (like Shelley's Dr. Frankenstein and Poe's Raven).

Carnival's renowned interior architect Joe Farcus chose "Icons of Beauty" as the central design idea for the Carnival Pride, in direct response to the requests of repeat passengers (Carnival Cruise Lines now has more than 30 years worth of them). Finding inspiration in everything from classic architecture and artistic masterpieces to athletic achievement and the human body, Farcus created a classic and quite classy) environment that provides passengers with myriad representations of beauty. Of he unique design, Farcus says, "From the physical to the spiritual to the experiential, beauty can be represented in many ways."

The beauty theme is definitely represented in the soaring lobby and nine-story atrium, including the ornate elevators and stairwells Throughout this typically bustling area, the design and craftsmanship of the Italia Renaissance are represented with rich manifestations in wood and bronze, with warm color tones of gold, sienna, and red throughout the space. This popular venue would eventually become one of our favorites for people-watching and pre-dinner cocktails and entertainment.

Architectural beauty is celebrated in the nearby Taj Mahal showlounge. Here, high lights include intricate Indian motifs, elephant friezes, and stonework with small jewels pressed into decorative designs that are beautifully illuminated from behind. More architectural beauty is represented in the two-story/two-seating Normandie Restaurant. Here Farcus emphasized dark wood and lots of "Art Deco" design elements base on the famed trans-Atlantic liner Normandie It makes for an elegant dining option for all three meals.

The beauty of experience is the theme it both the Perfect Game sports bar and the Winner's Club casino. The first has a fanciful motif of every imaginable ball used in sports they serve as wall sculptures and table bases--even the carpet depicts sports balls and the bar's curtains resemble basketball nets. The Winner's Club theme represents the experience of winning, with the feel of the Jockey Club at Churchill Downs, thanks to colorful bas-relief statues of jockeys and paintings of horses on the walls and ceiling.

The beauty of art is featured in the Ivory Piano Bar, as well as the Starry Night jazz club. The former features the Japanese art of netsuki (ivory carvings), with numerous resin-cast reproductions of netsuki interspersed with cast bonsai trees and pagoda-like lanterns in an Eastern-inspired room already highlighted by warm wood tones. The popular jazz club's interior provokes a reaction of having walked into a courtyard surrounded by lots of walls, windows, and shutters. The ceiling and wall are painted with a mural based on Van Gogh's famous "Starry Night" and illuminated by tiny lights.

Intellectual achievement and ideas are enshrined in the Nobel Library, which also serves as the ship's internet cafe (a combination we don't love). Named for the prize created by Sweden's Alfred Nobel, the blue and light-green room has a sparse and simple Scandinavian design and offers portraits of Nobel, the King of Sweden, and past award ceremonies.

The human body and form beyond the mind is celebrated in spaces like David's Supper Club, Mermaids' Grille, and Beauties Dance Club. David's, the ship's reservations-only specialty dining room, is uniquely located at the top of the soaring nine-story atrium. Actually, it's situated in a red-tinted glass dome that forms the forward portion of the massive winged funnel. The room is replete with lots of wood accents in a modern Renaissance style, including a full-size replica of Michelangelo's famed statue.

Mermaids' Grille is the ship's sprawling casual dining option. In keeping with the beauty theme, this space features three-dimensional cast sculptures of a school of haft-woman/half-fish beings. The figures are finished in weathered copper and successfully appear to float on sprays of cascading water (upon further inspection, it's actually acrylic that's illuminated from within). Between the banquettes of this generally busy restaurant, more metallic sculptures floating on "water" offer boys playfully riding dolphins. The watery theme continues with multi colored shells in blue and green hues on the ceiling and windowed walls covered in a mirror material that's been antiqued to somewhat successfully resemble seawater. Despite the bustle, this room is a pleasant visual respite anytime of day.