Carnival Pride is currently in dry dock for upgrades and maintenance, and among the planned changes are rebranding the steakhouse and removing the occasionally controversial David statue from the space, as well as adding other new venues to the ship.
The revitalized Spirit-class ship is due to reenter service from May 28, 2023 and will spend the summer and early autumn in Europe before returning to North America.
Carnival Pride Dry Dock Update
Carnival Pride is currently laid up for dry dock in Cadiz, Spain, as different spaces are being revitalized and upgraded and the ship is generally being refreshed. General onboard maintenance and other interior upgrades are all part of this dry dock stay.
The most significant upgrades during the month-long dry dock will be the addition of three completely new venues to the vessel: the Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge, the Carnival Adventures Shop, and the Dreams Photo Studio.
Furthermore, the ship’s current steakhouse, David’s, will be rebranded to the familiar Carnival favorite Fahrenheit 555, and in doing so, the occasionally controversial replica of Michelangelo’s statue of David will be removed from the ship. While the replica does now bear a modest fig leaf over David’s most private bits, the statue has occasionally raised the ire of more conservative cruisers.
Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald has commented on the upgrade, confirming the removal of the statue.
“The Steakhouse will be redesigned to become the Fahrenheit 555 as we have on most of the fleet. This means we have to say ‘ciao’ to David,” Heald said. “I know he and his now covered dangly bits have been a feature there since the ship was delivered in 2002 but it is time for David to retire.”
Other planned changes include a complete refreshment of the spa and stateroom changes to create more accessible cabins.
Carnival Pride has not had a significant dry dock since 2019. The ship first joined the Fun Ship fleet in 2002.
Hull to Be Repainted, New Livery Added
One of the most immediately visible projects for Carnival Pride‘s dry dock will be repainting the classic white hull into the new red-white-and-blue livery colors that first debuted in 2021 with Mardi Gras.
Over the past two years, the new livery colors have been added to multiple vessels as they enter scheduled dry docks and the hulls can be completely repainted.
The upcoming “Costa by Carnival” vessels Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze will have similar new livery, but in blue-and-gold colors that pay homage to their original Costa colors. Carnival Luminosa, the first ship to have transferred from Costa Cruises to Carnival Cruise Line, has the red-white-and-blue livery.
Return to Service
Carnival Pride is scheduled to return to service and welcome guests into her newly refreshed and updated spaces on May 28, 2023.
Her first sailing will be a 12-night, one-way cruise from Barcelona, Spain to Dover, England, calling on various ports in Spain, Portugal, France, and Belgium along the way.
For the summer and early fall, the ship will remain homeported in Dover offering different European itineraries, before moving to Rome for a few sailings in September and October. On October 28, 2023, Carnival Pride will reposition from Rome to Tampa, Florida, which will remain her homeport through early April 2024.
From Tampa, the revitalized ship will offer 6-, 7-, and 8-night Western Caribbean sailings, including select partial Panama Canal voyages. Ports of call include Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel, and Costa Maya, depending on departure date.
Carnival Pride is now one of the older ships in the Carnival fleet, but still delivers exceptional experiences for everyone aboard. The 88,500-gross-ton ship can welcome 2,124 guests at double occupancy, or up to 2,680 guests when fully booked an all berths filled. An international team of 910 crew members provides great service for all passengers.
