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The Longest (& most ostentatious) Carnival Glory to Canada Review [6/25 5 Day:Boston]


iletired

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The Longest (and most ostentatious) Carnival Glory to Canada Review Ever! [boston-Saint John, New Brunswik-Halifax,Nova Scotia: 6/25-6/30]

 

 

Day 0: Trip there

I’m going on this cruise with my mother (Who has walking issues thanks to a botched knee surgery eight years ago) and myself, as a mother-son cruise. It was her mother’s day/birthday/Christmas gift from me to her. We were originally going to go to Vegas, but the agent we were working with was horrible- was overgouging us, didn’t get back to our e-mails, and not very friendly, I saw a sale on a Cruise with a deal I could’t beat so I asked her to change plans. It actually worked out better for her in the long run!

 

 

A bit about me: 24, male. (duh). Teacher (history background, due to budgets I’m in a part time position working with suspended and sick students- actually had an interview for a full time job ON THE WAY to the cruise [day “0”]). Love to travel (lived in Beijing, Paris, and traveled across the world).

 

This is my fourth cruise, first in five years. Three of the four were on Carnival. I started with 12 days of Carnival sailing, and ended it with 17! This is also my first cruise as a (legal drinking age) adult.

 

 

 

A few ground rules about my massive review:

-90% of this was written during the actual cruise. I am only adding in this (like the brief stuff from above or embellish as needed to make things make sense

-I’m a teacher, but I hate how everyone rags on you for one or two typos and random mannerisms in my writing- forgive me. I was on vacation!

-It is way too long. I’m the one who wrote a 43 page text for undergraduate research with 8 pages of citations. I could have stopped after page 29… but kept going. This review covers 22 pages, single spaced, in Microsoft Word. Yup. It’s that long.

-I am going to post them as I go- the more feedback I get, the faster I am going to post. It’s all written, so it’s just copying and pasting. But I want to see excitement!!!! (such a teacher thing to do..ha!)

-Feel free to ask me any questions whatsoever- I don’t know if there is a private messaging feature on the board, or just post around here.

-Photos- no clue how I’m going to do this. Give me some time as I test things out! I also have videos and “photospheres”.

 

 

Day 1:

 

This morning I was fast asleep until the bright light of Somerville came and gave me a gentle nudge. The real kicker wasn’t my ridiculously horrible alarm clock app that makes me solve math problems in order to wake up, but rather, a Cruise Critic e-mail notification from a fellow passenger. [Edit: she was actually my neighbor on the cruise!!!!!! :)]

 

 

I awoke, showered, and did all of the usual stuff. I am going on this trip with my Mother as a mother-son trip. We were going to go to Vegas, but prices were killer, and this was a very cheap alternative. Seeing as we are only 5 hours away in the Syracuse area, this was a very great trip idea!

 

Breakfast in the hotel was packed, but we were able to get a few things, and my first sign of trouble happened when my throat spasms (a minor issue that is a result of massive acid reflux in a 24 year old…) started to come up. Oh well… at least I have a full new bottle of RX to keep me going. I hope the new food doesn’t give me any issues.

 

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After we ate, we vegged out in our room for a bit, as mother did not want to wait and stand for a while. In lieu, I took my (1 week old new car) out to the gas station to fill up with some gas. Being in a big city, prices were comparable.

 

I readjusted all our suitcases and carry ons, we only took a day bag for the night stay in the hotel. Once everything was established, I ziptied our bags. Ziptie: a cheap trick to get around security for the agents who see something minor and don’t care enough to cut into it.

 

After an hour of waiting around, we finally got to the car and headed out. Traffic was heavy- 10:30 must still be Boston rush hour. Being a history and travel geek, I loved driving in the Big Dig. Yes, I rolled my windows down and enjoyed the urban smells! Forgive me if the Carbon Monoxide leads to any bad typos.

 

We navigated through the cruise area and I dropped my mother off. With handicap/walking issues, this was the best option. The cell phone lot was a cheaper and easier alternative. I paid in cash, out of fear they did not take credit. I did see one of the portable scanners for credit cards at their table, but I would just pay in cash if I were you- easier and get it done and over with. There was a shuttle bus to take us there, one of the large coach busses. You can put large luggage underneath, but I only had my carron left. After ten minutes of waiting to fill up, we were on our way.

 

Once on our way, we went into the cruise terminal and we were able to get ourselves through security. Everybody was very friendly, but I was a bit disappointed with the wheelchair services. We waited for almost an hour for a person to come with a wheelchair for my mother. We had accessible boarding, and if you have problems, ask Carnival. It is very easy on my mother with walking trouble to get around. We were able to get someone finally, but it was frustrating to wait for such a long time. They did have a dedicated assessable check in for us. Once we got a wheelchair, in ten minutes we were on board!

 

 

 

After a brief snacking at the lido deck and my mother getting a Guy’s burgers (better than I expected after a brief bite- I thought it would be all hyped and not that great), we went into our room. We are in Glory 2470- the MUCH larger but still listed as a regular room. I’ll post photos! It is just a bit more open, though configured in a weird way. It lets her walk in a more open area than being cramped. The only mishap was we have a king bed, despite requesting twins. Looks like mom and I are sharing a bed.

 

(Edit as I finish writing in the afternoon, we left for muster and sail away, I wrote a note asking to switch the beds, and they were done in a few hours!)

 

 

 

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I’m typing this part of the post after our sail away, in the evening. After we rested for a bit and settled into our cabin, my mother and I went up to some lounge near the muster area to get ready for the drill. One thing I found out was people with disabilities can stay in the lounge for muster rather than getting crowded in the sides of the ship near the boats. This was a very great accommodation, and if you have trouble walking or standing, or have a wheelchair or assistive device, make sure you ask them about it. I do want to note that only those with needs can do this, as they will check off your name on a list- you should be fine if you notified carnival of any needs earlier. Don’t try to crowd this if you don’t need to, let it be for those with needs. Thankfully, most were respectful.

 

After, I went up to the aft of the ship to prepare for departure. I had no clue what would be the best way of going about this, so I picked the aft. This was a good choice. The ship moved out backwards and had to turn around. Planes from Logan were flying overhead- it was a great experience to see the plans flying only a few hundred feet higher than the ship. As the ship turned around, the aft went into the bay, in such a manner that I could see all of Boston before sailing out. It was a gorgeous sight! After we straighten out, a Lufthansa flight flew very close overhead, making a stunning backdrop against the skyline.

 

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I returned to the room and found I still had domestic service (ATT) as we hugged the shore for another half hour. I finished my usual young adult phone thing and shut it off for good. I didn’t want to risk it. I have a Kindle 3G Keyboard that lets me use unlimited 3g- it works with the ship’s service, albeit very slow and painful to use. But, it keeps me up to date as needed. I am in the aft and there was substantial noise for the first hour after we left port, but it cleared up once we were in open waters. As I type, it’s a very faint gentle hum.

 

We headed to the Golden Restaurant for Anytime dining. This is the dedicated location for anytime people, and it was a bit busy. Note, it was hell to get there, especially with someone who struggles walking. Here is a tip for everyone:

 

When you board, you enter the atrium. You need to be in that location for the Golden Dining- from there, walk towards the aft, and you should be there. This is the ONLY entrance, and trying to go in the back isn’t worth the attempt. Just go to the main atrium, that’s where you need to enter. I had to help a few lost people after.

 

Dinner was good, I had: Gespatcho (very good, liked the cold soup, refreshing after the hot deck while leaving port, was a tad spicy, but this is something I like), Chicken Greko (basil/herbed Chicken on a bed of penne- surprisingly good), and warm chocolate cake and I split a creme brule. Dinner was very good, corkage fee was $10 for a bottle of wine (for myself!) I brought on. I didn’t like paying the fee.. but oh well. The food was great, but service was very slow. I was very disappointed having to wait twenty minutes after dinner finished to get my dessert menu. I think (and hope) it was just the first day and everyone trying to get themselves in order. The waiter was nice, but I guess he must have had every table on the same menu schedule.

 

After dinner, I returned to the room and enjoyed the Serenity deck- being 24, I can finally enjoy the older people things! My last cruise I was 2 weeks before my 18th birthday! The water was nice, but after seeing a distance flash of lightening, I made my way to the gym to check out the sauna and steamroom. Sauna was great, steam room was like a giant vat of Vicks Vapor Rub… a bit too strong for my tastes. You can give them your SS (sail and sign) card and they will give you a key to the lockers. They are separated by gender. I’ll be heading up the gym in the morning to burn off my dessert.

 

They played some James Bond movie in the lido deck in the evening, and I cooled down in the ship- followed by reading a bit in my Kindle (coughcheckingfacebookcough) and vegging out. I did return to the room to rest and plan my day for tomorrow, and obviously type this out. I am writing in stages, so this may seem long, but it is as close to a liveblog as you may get on these boards! My mother, if I’m a betting man (and she taught me to bet!), then she’ll be at the Casino until it closes. Here’s to hoping she wins another cruise! Talk tomorrow!

 

Note: Mom Didn’t go to casino, younger guy enabled her by telling her where it was when I ran into her later sitting down not knowing where it was. Ended up going to the comedy club, pretty good, not amazing, but good for what you’d expect on a cruise. Guy wouldn’t let a joke die even after the laughter returns diminished.

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we leave in august on the glory i look forward to the rest of your review. since we are leaving on a mnday i was curious to know how the menu worked the 25th was a tuesday and it looks'like'you had day one menu

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Oooohhhhh! I've been watching for Glory Canada/New England reviews!!! Thanks in advance!! Can't wait for more. We leave in July 14!!! :) Love how detailed your review is!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

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You were in my room 2470. We had it on the Glory May 19 and have it again October 20. Loved it! Did you leave me any cash under the mattress?!

 

On a part time teacher's salary? I think not! I did take a "photosphere" using my Nexus Google phone, which makes a 3D "virtual globe" of the room so everyone can find out how great it was. I just got to figure out how to post it.

 

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we leave in august on the glory i look forward to the rest of your review. since we are leaving on a mnday i was curious to know how the menu worked the 25th was a tuesday and it looks'like'you had day one menu

 

I'm not sure- it was the menu we were given. I think they count the day you leave as Day 1 (since it is your first night). I used Day 0 to talk about the day before I left (getting into town the night before).

 

I would guess every first night of the ship would have similar menus.

 

 

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Come on! Baited breath here!!!

 

I once taught a lesson in an elective class on the 60s/70s about DB Cooper and the hijacking. This was in an urban area school, so I framed it on the perfect crime. I pressed pause right before they made a major revelation and said we'd pick it up tomorrow. Kept a few kids from skipping the next day!

 

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Yes! I just passed by the Glory in port today and I couldn't wait for my turn on the ship! So close. I'll be watching this review :D

 

 

I visited the pier in May after I was at BofA Pavillion for my Master's graduation, and Carnival wasn't even in port yet!

 

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Thanks for the review, we did this trip last July and I'm interested to hear your views on it.

 

We had 2470 on the Freedom, loved this room! So spacious for the same price as a regular OV!

 

Will check back for updates...

 

This will be the only room I ever get from now on! It really does feel more open. I should have brought a ruler and measured!. Ha.

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Day 2: Day at Sea

 

Today is perhaps the most interesting day of cruising I have ever been on. It was just weird. Not a bad weird, just weird. For example, I woke up a bit before my alarm and got up and got ready a bit- I went to check on my room service for breakfast (Coffee, juice, fruit, etc.) and the minute I open the door, the steward is about to knock with my food. Radical man. It was funny and like “***”on both of our parts.

 

 

 

(EDIT: On the last day before we left, I was in an elevator and this same room service lady walks in- we both clearly remembered and laughed about the incident!)

 

 

 

After I finished my light breakfast I headed to the gym. The machines were a bit weird to get used to at first, more high tech than my YMCA gym! I was doing a heart rate interval… and the resting heart rate was so low (125) that when I got anywhere near (130-135) I actually got higher because my heart was pounding in frustration “WHY CAN’T I GET TO 125!?!@?!@!ssef3LKSJDF!”. Alas, I changed it to 145 and I was all set. The equipment was nice and well done. I proceeded to weights, and there was a bit more of a weight, mostly because of the scheduling of where people were. There was a spin class going on in a corner, so it was a bit crowded, but nothing overkill. The gym was a bit overheated though. I have never sweated so much in a gym before. I know I’m a swimmer and most of my sweat wicks away in the water, but this place had to be at least eighty degrees with limited AC. (Note: I went back through later and they had fans going, perhaps this was a momentary thing). Weights (machines and free) were well kept, only issue was having to wait.

 

 

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(Me trying to take a photo while running. Fail)

 

 

Let’s make a bet today that by the last cruise day, half as many people show up? I went to the showers after, which gave me more room than the small cabin. These are free. There is a sauna and steam room. They are both free as well. You just have to go through the locker room (by gender) to go. That means husband and wife can’t sauna together, but husband and husband can, thanks to today’s Supreme Court ruling.

 

After showering, I returned to my room and stumbled on my room attendant, who has been great, but due to scheduling, haven’t seen him. I honestly don’t recall his name as I type this at night, but he was quite nice! I asked to give two Carnival capers every night and he did so when I returned.

 

 

On Cruise Critic a few of us decided to meet for breakfast burritos (Well I said let’s meet there) at 9:30- I went with mother and very much enjoyed the burrito, but I didn’t see anyone else. L Oh well! Tis’ sad, but, perhaps I may stumble into someone by the end.

 

 

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Now the unique thing about this really weird day was the fog. I have never been in such fog before in my life, and so dense. I had been in foggy cruise out of Galveston a few years ago (actually, 8 now that I think of it) that delayed our entry into port, but this was so thick I was walking through a cloud on the Serenity deck. They blew the fog horn every five minutes, which probably attributed to my slow, dull, and annoying headache that lasted almost the whole entire day!

 

 

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After breakfast I headed up to the Serenity deck. As a history teacher and political junkie, I couldn’t resist busting my Kindle Keyboard out and looking at the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States for all you non political people) rulings on gay marriage. I have a lot of gay friends, so I was pleased to see the result. I don’t mean to insert this as a political plug, but, in that using a Kindle Keyboard 3G (I can post a link to THIS AND ONLY THIS model that does this) allows you to use internet over the ship’s cellular at sea tower for free. It is annoying, horribly slow (I would type a page in, people watch for 2-3 minutes, who probably thought I was stalking them that’s how bored I was waiting for 1G data speeds), and then spend 5 minutes reading intently. Lather, rinse, repeat. It’s a good trick, and one that only works with that specific model. Touch users, no dice. (EDIT: Later in cruise I found the covered serenity deck also had service, so I went there to do it)

 

 

 

Link for the Kindle (this and ONLY this specific product version works)

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HZYA6E/

After I met my mother up for some trivia. I need to get my history degree refunded seeing as I did horrible at the 1960s/1970s trivia. This is even more of a total loss for me because my research area is in Cold War nuclear history and I have a big background in Cold War history. Seriously though, they asked you some really weird pop culture questions that I was lost in.

 

 

 

We made our way down for the art auction. I have never been to one before, and I will never go to one again. They started a half hour late (Which was worse for us because we got there early to ensure a seat for my mother), and went on for over two hours. I did not expect this, perhaps it was naiveté for being my first time, or perhaps it just was going slow. I was a bit disappointed most of the art work was in the thousands of dollars. I know people say if you don’t have the money, don’t cruise; shut up. I’m on a part-time sub-standard teacher pay working with suspended and sick kids. I afforded a mother-son cruise because I love my mother, not because I’m rich.

 

 

But these works are way too overpriced for the general population of a Carnival cruise. I wished they had works that were under 100- even 200. But most were in thousands range, which was upsetting. I only think like 2-3 painting actually sold during the whole two hour saga because the bids were so low. I strongly suggest to Carnival to have a lower-priced auction, one for works under 500 even. I’m sure you will get a lot better response from people. I went for fun, though I did hope to get a steal on a painting for around 100- 200 at the most. Instead, I left with my free gift. The only good thing was the free painting was a “print” of a wine bottle and glasses. I make my own wine, so it was very fitting. Oh, and free champagne wasn’t worth it; got it ½ through hour 2 and it was like 2 sips

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The whole art auction put me in a bit of a sour mood, and my headache was still lingering. I went to Guy’s burgers for a whole burger (instead of stealing a bite from Mother) and relax a bit. I am impressed with Guy’s burgers, you go up and I said “cheese and fries” and he gave me a cheeseburger and some fries (with good seasoning), and then I made my way to a condiments bar with topics and stuff. I got onions, but later noticed caramelized onions, which were much better. I was clueless about the condiments on “tap”- they didn’t seem to work, broken or ran out, who knows. They had large vats of ketchup I lathered on.

 

 

At this point, the fog had lifted, but the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees. If you are on this cruise, bring a blanket too! I brought a heavy and a light sweater, and I was still a bit chilly. I brought my stuff up on the Serenity deck and relaxed a bit, but the cold wore me down. I made my way to a coffee bar to get hot cocoa, but I could not find it. Much to my displeasure, hours later when we passed by it, they had Jamaican Coffee (booze and coffee = love). I wish I saw it when I froze my ass off! Bring a blanket on this cruise, even after bringing two sweaters, I was cold! My headache still not clearing up, I returned to my cabin to don more ibuprofen and take a nap.

 

 

 

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(My favorite channel! I slept to it some nights! Ha. It had gentle music in the background too. Channel 17 FTW!)

 

 

 

One hour later, I awoke to change for elegant night. Mother and I looked pretty good dolled up, I might say. For those looking at pictures, they were actually three times to go, and if I recall, they are: 430-630, 730-830, and 930-1030. Double check, but they should fall in range. Because I took a longer nap than expected, we got there for photos and were stuck in between their breaks. We proceeded to eat.

 

 

The line for Anytime dinning was MASSIVE at around 715- I waited in line for 15 minutes for a pager, and then waited another twenty minutes. I guess we just came at the right time, as we did not have much of a wait (only 5-10max) yesterday. The best thing was, for once in my life, things were worth the wait. The wait staff we got was SOOOOO much better. We had Edwin, and I hope to whatever that I get him again tomorrow. He looked our names up based on cabin numbers, introduced ourselves, and even retrieved my wine AND poured the glass for me. The other guy didn’t even ask our names and didn’t pour a class. Small things here… but very classy. Thanks Edwin!

 

 

 

I had the pumpkin soup (very savory and nice) and the strawberry bisque (it’s like thin milkshake, but very good- light and refreshing). Now my father (who was not on this ship, he’s on his own “THE SON AND WIFE ARE GONE LET’S PARTY” vacation) always complains I never tried anything new. This time, I tried the lobster. I was disappointed, not in the taste but the texture. It tasted way over cooked. Perhaps it is how lobster is made, but I didn’t care for it. Just in case, when I ordered I got two entrees as well, and enjoyed the prime rib, which was so tender It melted in your mouth.

 

 

Afterwards, we got our photos taken by some really kind and sweet girls. We did some red background with a red chandelier, a piano and window, and a white generic background. I don’t care for the overtly cheesy backgrounds. After that, we parted ways. I went back to my room to type this up and pack for Saint John, mother went to the show.

 

 

Me? It’s 10:27 and an R rated show starts in 3 minutes… I’m going up stairs! Good night y’all!

 

(PS: By this point, headache is 100% gone. YAY!)

 

 

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Disappointed I missed you at Blue Iguana! I'm spending this morning scanning in all of the "paper" that ended up in my luggage (Fun Times, etc).

 

I'm a little jealous. I wanted Anytime Dining, mostly because DS was getting antsy by the Late seating, and because Late seating meant that you missed most of the night's entertainment.

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Howdy iletired, Great job so far on the review. I will be leaving Dec.1st on her from Miami. Can't wait! Keep posting pictures of the ship and things you did we must see on the ship and eat! I have never been to Canada so I love hearing about the ports you went to too. Thank you!

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Did you happen to go to tea on a sea day?? Wondering about that! :) Do you have to dress up? We've gone for high tea as a family once and loved it!

 

I am still loving your review and constantly checking for updates...now I have figured out how to subscribe so I can get an email when you write more! :D

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Oh man, I swore off CC because I hate to read anything the week before I cruise, but this one has me hooked so I keep coming back to check. Put me out of my misery! Post!

 

PS: you write/speak juuuuust like a foreign student I just had in my house for a year. I sent this on to family members and they are convinced he's playing a joke on me! It's uncanny!

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