Public Rooms: Icons of Beauty are celebrated in more than 20 public rooms and areas. The Renaissance period inspired the decor of the lobby, atrium, Florentine Lounge, elevators and stairwell areas. Italian artisans and craftsmen of that era inspired the use of rich woods, bronze moldings and artwork dominated by sienna, gold and burnt-red tones. The lobby atrium gives the impression of a typical Italian town center, with faux apartment houses surrounding a central bar area. The Starry Night jazz club makes inventive use of the famous Van Gogh painting "Starry Night" as a wall and ceiling mural illuminated by tiny lights in a courtyard setting. The Taj Mahal show lounge is filled with intricate Indian designs, elephant friezes and jewel encrusted decorative walls. The Normandie Restaurant, fashioned after the decor of the famous cruise liner Normandie, emphasizes dark wood and deco accents. The Perfect Game sports bar and the Winner's Club casino are keyed to a fanciful motif of wall sculptures and table bases that will win the hearts of sports fans.

Passenger favorites are the Sunset Garden and Butterflies Lounge. But finding both is a challenge; the entrance to the Sunset Garden is hidden near the Taj Mahal. It lines the bulkhead and is favored as a quiet, relaxing area decorated in gold, and burnt red with murals of Old Sol painted on interior walls. Butterflies Lounge, directly below the lowest level of the Taj Mahal, is an inside room with an outside feeling with its faux windows decorated with colorful transparent fabrics resembling butterfly wings. The Ivory Bar is true to its name with an ivory decor and offering up popular sing-a-longs after dinner.

The Atrium is amidships from which everything connects, but a mini-two deck atrium at the aft is one of the most lovely areas on the ship featuring a waterfall. One deck up on Atlantic Deck is the Via Venetto shopping area. The Chapel, which hosted four weddings on this cruise is located near the Piano Bar, Rafael Room, an elegant card room, and the Gallery. Interesting to note that passageways are treated as public lounges on Promenade Deck and are divided into intimate seating groupings by two sided replicas of old masterpiece paintings.

Five self-service launderettes (a wash is $1, a dry is $1; soap and softener is 50 cents each) are available on passenger decks.

Dining: The Normandie, the Pride's formal dining room, is a two-deck room highlighted by dark wood accents and art deco touches reminiscent of the namesake classic ocean liner. Crystal chandeliers add to the elegant atmosphere, which is enhanced by a grand circular staircase stylized with a sculpture of a very regal Empress. Large circular windows are bordered with cast frames. Tables of two to 10 are available on both levels while adjacent to the restaurant is the Captains Club, an annex to provide a more private dining venue for group and special events. Dining room menu options are lengthy and include five course menus with a choice of four or five main courses, a low calorie specialty daily as well as vegetarian choices.

The Lido restaurant buffet, Mermaid's Grille, has four serving lines and multiple stations with specialized foods. Tables are set with linen napkins and are serviced by wait staff for drinks. The majority of seating is at small tables adjacent to windows. Multi colored terrazzo flooring and hand painted murals turn the self-service room into a light and airy grotto. Mermaid's Grille offers full breakfast and lunch buffets that include meat carving and pasta stations, expansive salad bars, and a 24-hour pizzeria, as well as a deli. Casual dinners are also available nightly.

Dinner in the reservations-only David's Supper Club comes with a $25 surcharge per person. Meals are served atop Versace china using elegant flatware while a trio plays soft danceable music and tuxedo-clad waiters attend to every detail. While steaks and chops are specialty items and dessert is hard to pass up, it's Joe's, the famous Miami restaurant, stone crab that is the top the menu choice and are exclusive to the Pride and Spirit. David's featured decor item is a full size replica of the famous Michelangelo sculpture on the second level of the room which was hoisted into place by a giant crane while the ship was under construction.

Cabins: Eighty percent of the cabins are outside and 80 percent of those staterooms have private balconies. Interesting to note that inside cabins measure the same 185 square feet as outsides without verandahs. Balcony cabins increase to 225 square feet, including the verandah. There are 58 suites in three categories starting at 360 feet and going up to 465 square feet (including a wrap around terrace). All staterooms and suites are tastefully furnished with twin beds that convert to a queen, large closets, plenty of drawer space, televisions and refrigerators, plus the usual amenities found on new vessels (telephones, private safes, tub and shower or shower only, depending on category). Suites (Categories 11 and 12) include separate dressing and sitting areas, refrigerators, double sinks and bathtubs, as well as showers, and large balconies. Good design and soft lighting add to a feeling of spaciousness in interior staterooms (Category 4). Category 5 staterooms are outside and have French doors that open but views are obstructed.

Entertainment: Carnival, known for its Vegas-style and musical revue production shows does not disappoint on the Pride. The Taj Mahal, a three level show lounge with excellent acoustics, lighting and sound, spotlights eighteen dancers and singers backed by a 10-piece orchestra bringing the room alive with two high-energy shows each cruise. Costuming is breathtaking with more than 20 quick changes per show. Elaborate scenery and unbelievable special effects, dazzle critical audiences and bring them to their feet for the finales show after show. Guest entertainers are flown in for specialty acts to round out the other nights of the cruise.

The Nobel Library, which also houses the 12-station Internet Cafe ($99 for one week unlimited use, or 75 cents per minute), is named after the famous prize and follows a simple classical Swedish design and offers an array of both fiction and nonfiction books available to borrow.

The Winner's Club features 220 slots and tables for roulette/dice (1), blackjack (10) and poker (2) and I couldn't count the number of slot machines. The room itself is glitzy and casino-like. Beauties Dance Club, a two-deck disco, is lined with copies of famed statues of women in a natural state. And, for late-night entertainment, adult-only musical and comedy acts are presented in Butterflies Lounge.

Fitness and Recreation: The Body Beautiful Spa is a two-level 13,700 square foot spa offering everything from aerobics and kick boxing classes to relaxing facials and body treatments, as well as the latest work out equipment. The gym is fully equipped with stationary bicycles, resistance machines, treadmills, and a lot more. Instructor-led classes are scheduled throughout the day. Also offered: sauna, steam, beauty salon, one whirlpool (within the spa, there are four others aboard) 10 treatment rooms for European-style therapies including Aroma and Stone (using heated, scented oils and warm basalt stones). There's a jogging track (15 times around equals a mile) and four swimming pools, one of which is covered by a retractable dome used in inclement weather.

Children's Programs: Camp Carnival is centered on a 2,400-square foot enclosed play area on Deck 5, away from adult activities. The Fun House is headquarters to a supervised program, divided by age groups, offering children's activities for ages 2 to 15. with a bottom of the sea theme. Three areas are connected by tunnels: one area for crafts, a second one for computer games and a third one for games and a video wall for movies and cartoons. One deck below is an arcade with both virtual-reality and video games. An outdoor play area offers mini-basketball, jungle gyms and other playground equipment. A children's wading pool and a corkscrew water slide are also available for fun at sea. Teenagers had overnight slumber parties among their menu of activities. Carnival offers a Fountain Fun card, good for unlimited soft drinks during a one-week voyage for $19.95. Baby-sitting for children ages 2 and over from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at the Fun House ($5 for the first child and $3 for each additional child in the same family).

Tipping: Carnival recommends $9.75 per person, per day and automatically adds the gratuity to guest shipboard accounts. Passengers have the option of bowing out of that arrangement by contacting the purser's office. The $9.50 is divided into $3.50 per person, per day to stateroom services; $3.50 per person per day to the dining room service team and 75 cents per person per day for "alternative dining service" in the Lido. A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to all bar services.

Dress Code: Suggested attire for a one week cruise is two "formal" evenings. Most men opt for jackets and ties but a large number wear tuxedos. "Resort casual" is suggested for the rest of the evenings.