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Carnival Glory B2B: 97 Photos, 19 Videos, 1 Long Review


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This is my review of our most recent cruise: back-to-back Eastern & Western Caribbean cruises on the Carnival Glory during the last week of April and the first week of May, 2014.

 

Our ports of call included Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, Grand Cayman, Half Moon Cay, St. Thomas, San Juan, and Grand Turk.

 

Almost all of the pictures and videos were shot with a Canon EOS 70D camera, with the exception of the time-lapse videos and underwater videos.

 

I'll get things started by sharing a few of my favorite pictures from the cruise...

 

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One of the best days of my entire life!

Relaxing in a private cabana at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.

 

 

 

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One of my favorite cruise destinations: Grand Turk

 

 

 

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From the balcony of our cabin, we had a beautiful view of the ship's wake

and quite often some beautiful sunsets and sunrises

 

 

 

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My favorite place on the ship: the aft swimming pool and Jacuzzis.

In 2 weeks, we had three afternoon rain showers where they closed the dome over the aft pool.

Of course, at all other times it was open to take advantage of the warm Caribbean atmosphere.

 

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GuyFieriBurger-IMG_1128.JPG

It may surprise you to know that this was actually my favorite picture that I took during the cruise.

I think the Guy Fieri burgers are FANTASTIC, and I'm glad I finally got a picture that does them justice.

 

 

 

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We took some really enjoyable shore excursions

including a visit to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world,

Trunk Bay beach on St. John in the US Virgin Islands.

I'll give you the full rundown on all of our shore excursions a bit later

as we get further in to this story.

 

 

 

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The Carnival Glory at anchor off the coast of Belize

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Before we get any further in to this story, I guess I should introduce myself...

 

Jim&Kellyn-May2014-IMG_0892.JPG

 

I'm Jim Zimmerlin (everyone calls me Jim Zim) and I cruise with my wife, Kellyn. (Pronunciation tip: it rhymes with Helen.) We're from Grover Beach, California... a little town on the California coast about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

 

These back-to-back Caribbean cruises on the Carnival Glory were our 21st and 22nd Carnival cruises. We've also cruised with Princess cruises and with Norwegian cruise line. We'll be giving Royal Caribbean a try later this year, and we're considering giving Disney a try next year. As you've probably figured out, we LOVE to cruise!

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Carnival Glory cabin 7440

 

Over the years, we've done a lot of experimentation to find the type of cruise ship cabin that we like best. We have literally stayed in just about every kind of cabin that Carnival offers... from the cheapest interior cabin to ocean-view cabins, balcony cabins, spa cabins, suites, and even The Captain's Suite. For these two weeks on the Carnival Glory, we opted for what we think is "the sweet spot" in the balance between comfort and price: a Premium Vista Balcony cabin, commonly known as an "aft-wrap". These cabins are located at the extreme back end of the ship, on the corners... with huge balconies that wrap all the way around from the back of the ship to the side of the ship.

 

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This portion of cabin 7440's balcony looks out behind the ship.

This part of the balcony is wind-blocked and usually warm to hot.

This photo was taken in Miami, with Carnival Conquest docked behind us.

 

 

 

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This portion of cabin 7440's balcony is on the side of the ship,

and is covered, which provides some shade.

When it's 80+ degrees outside, this shady area with a bit of a breeze is quite comfy.

 

 

 

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When the ship is at sea, this is the normal view from cabin 7440's balcony

 

Having a cabin with such a huge balcony gives me a quiet place to relax outdoors and still have some privacy. If I feel like being social, I'll go up two levels to the aft pool and chat with people there... but when I just want some quiet time outdoors, that big balcony is the place to be. My wife likes to sit out here and read books on her Kindle, and I like to just sit out here and enjoy the views... especially at sunrise, sunset, or right after an afternoon thundershower...

 

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A rainbow appears after one of those afternoon thundershowers

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CarnivalGlory2014-Sunrise-IMG_1007.JPG

Sunrise, as seen from our balcony

 

 

 

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Sunset

 

Still pictures don't do our cabin and balcony justice, though. The best way for me to show you what's so great about these "aft-wrap" balcony cabins is to give you a video tour. Click the triangle in the center of the video screen below to start the video playing.

 

[YOUTUBE]Zob53BSSIsc[/YOUTUBE]

 

A tip about the videos on this page:

They default to playing at a fairly low resolution on this page, but you can watch them in high definition at resolutions of 720p or even 1080p if you want to. To do so, you have the click on the YouTube logo in the lower right-hand corner of the video screen to open the video up in a new window on YouTube, and then change the "settings" (also in the lower right corner of the screen) to the resolution of your choice. If you choose 720P or higher, it is recommended that you also set the video to play full screen.

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Carnival Glory public areas

 

Carnival Glory is a Conquest-class ship... so if you've sailed on the Carnival Conquest, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Valor, or Carnival Freedom you'll be familiar with the layout.

 

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Glory is one of the lucky Carnival ships that has received the "Funship 2.0" upgrades such as Guy's Burger Joint, the Blue Iguana Cantina, and the Red Frog Rum Bar... which only about a third of the ships in Carnival's fleet have received so far.

 

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Guy's Burger Joint

"The Ringer" is my favorite hamburger at sea or on land!

During our 14 day cruise, I probably ate 10 of them.

 

 

 

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The Red Frog Rum Bar

My wife loves those parrot glasses in the right side of the picture

(notice that my camera lens had fogged in the lower left corner due to the humidity of the air)

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There are two main dining rooms on the Carnival Glory...

 

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The Golden Dining Room

features "Your Time Dining" on the lower level and conventional assigned dinner times on the upper level

 

 

 

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The Platinum Dining Room

features traditional assigned dinner times on both levels

(please note I shot this picture early in the day before they had set the tables)

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Among the many improvements added to this ship in recent years is the Serenity Retreat

which features comfortable loungers, couches, and day beds with big, thick cushions

 

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There are also two Jacuzzis on the upper level of the Serenity Retreat

 

Because the Serenity Retreat on Conquest-class ships is way up high and at the front of the ship, it's not a great place to hang out when the ship is in motion... because it can get very windy. When the ship is in port, it's a little slice of paradise up there... and typically quite empty because most passengers are ashore. We usually like to plan at least one day during the cruise when we will stay onboard and enjoy the Serenity deck while all the other passengers are off the ship. Another trick to getting some quiet time on the Serenity deck without it being crowded is to come back a little earlier than everyone else on port days.

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CarnivalGlory2014-Cabana-IMG_1256.JPG

 

Hi Jim,

 

I have to disagree with you on the Burger photo I really like this photo above more. I came over to the Carnival forum to check up on an other Trip Report That I was following and seen yours and had to click. I am loving how you are teasing us with a few overview photos before you get into the nitty gritty of the Trip Report. I normally don't click on Video links but I did enjoy your video of the cabin tour. I will keep reading and will probably steal some of your style for my next Trip Report. Thanks for taking the time and sharing your trip report.

 

Regards,

Kevin Reid

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GuyFieriBurger-IMG_1128.JPG

 

It may surprise you to know that this was actually my favorite picture that I took during the cruise.

I think the Guy Fieri burgers are FANTASTIC, and I'm glad I finally got a picture that does them justice.

 

..........

 

 

Jim,

 

Without a doubt, you NAILED it! Great pic!

 

I'm at work and it's lunch time, but even if my belly were already full this pic would have my mouth watering!

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When you're sailing on a ship with more than 3000 other passengers, you do have to accept that there are times when the ship will be a little crowded. Let me give you a visual...

 

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The Lido deck at its most crowded... on a "fun day at sea".

When I shot this photo, there was some kind of contest happening in the center area by the pool

which is why people are lining the rails and looking towards that center area.

 

 

 

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Here's the Lido deck at night, with a movie about to start on the big screen

 

 

 

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A closer look at the mid-ship pool on a sea day

 

The mid-ship pool is "the party pool" because there is always something going on out there. There's quite frequently a DJ playing party music, or a concert playing on the outdoor big screen TV, or a musician playing live music. There are also games and contests, and later in the day there are movies... with free popcorn! This is not a quiet area, but it's a fun area. People in the under-30 age group seem quite happy here.

 

I'm in my mid-50s... so the mid-ship pool is not for me. Too loud and crazy! I prefer the aft pool, which is adults-only and which is much quieter.

 

CarnivalGlory2014-AftPool-IMG_0442.JPG

Aft pool with overhead sliding dome open in good weather

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Another favorite place of mine is the comedy club,

just two decks below our cabin.

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Comedian Allyn Ball, one of four comedians we saw in the Punchliner comedy club

during the first week of our cruise. Because we stayed for a second week,

we got to see two other comedians, too.

 

 

 

If you'd like to work off a few cruise ship calories, there's a very nice fitness center...

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I find running on these treadmills to be so much easier than traditional jogging

because each treadmill has its own television that distracts you from the work of exercising.

 

 

 

But if you prefer to do it the traditional way...

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...there's a jogging track up on deck 11

 

 

 

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The Sports Bar

 

As you know, Carnival is infamous for a loud (bordering-on-tacky) style of decoration thanks to interior designer, Joe Farcus. Thankfully, they're getting away from it in the newer ships. I can't wait to see the Vista!

 

Regarding the loud interior decorations... Carnival Glory is not one of the worst offenders in the fleet. The pink circles on the Carnival Splendor are my least favorite, and Carnival Breeze certainly has the most beautiful interior style. Here's about as loud as the interior design of the Carnival Glory gets:

 

CarnivalGlory2014-Arcade-IMG_0463.JPG

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Carnival Glory Secrets

 

There are a few places on the Carnival Glory that you might only discover with some serious exploring. Let me save you some time and point you to a few places on the ship that some passengers never even find.

 

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Fish N' Chips Restaurant

 

Calling it the Fish N' Chips restaurant doesn't really do it justice, as there's more to it than that. Let's call it the seafood lover's restaurant. It's never busy, there's plenty of available seating, and the best part is that it's free. All you have to do is find it! Go to the Lido Buffet, find the dessert area they call "the sweet spot" with the big skylights letting lots of sun come in, and walk up the staircase to deck 10. Here's some Bouillabaisse soup that Kellyn got there one day...

 

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The next secret place is a viewing area at the front of the ship... with a great view of where the ship is heading. If you want to take a picture of something ahead of the ship, this is the place to go! Or, if you just want to see what's coming up, or how far the ship is from some place it's heading to... this spot is for you. Here on CruiseCritic, most people call these viewing areas at the front of the ship the "secret decks". I don't actually have a photo of the secret decks on the Carnival Glory, but I do have one of the Carnival Conquest... and they are sister ships with the exact same layout.

 

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Notice the three decks directly below the bridge...

which is the all-glass area with the green-tinted reflections up at the top of the photo.

 

 

Those three "secret decks" below the bridge are accessible to passengers, but not many people know about them. They're very exposed to the wind, so sometimes during severely windy conditions the crew will lock the doors that lead out there... to prevent injuries caused by the wind slamming a door shut on someone. I suggest trying to get out there via the doors at the far front end of the cabin hallways on deck 7. The doors that lead from the hallways on the port and starboard sides of deck 7 were designed in such a way to be resistant to the wind. So, they usually only get locked in the most severe wind conditions. From the secret deck on deck 7, there's a little exterior stairway you can use to get to the secret viewing decks on the other levels.

 

To give you an idea of what a great spot the "secret decks" are for shooting photos,

here's a photo I shot from there as our ship headed in to the Port Of Miami before dawn...

 

CarnivalGlory2014-MiamiAM-IMG_1064.JPG

 

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It's a fact of cruise life that only a small percentage of guests ever set foot in the gym during their cruise. If you don't explore the gym on the Carnival Glory, though, you'll never find the secret pool and Jacuzzi that are hidden there!

 

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The gym's pool and Jacuzzi are incredibly tricky to find! Three years ago, during our first cruise on the Carnival Glory, I saw them on the ship's deck plans and headed over to the gym to have a look. From the gym, I could see them through a glass wall, but I still couldn't figure out how to get to them! I had to go back to my cabin and look at the deck plans again to try to figure out where the entrance was.

 

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The secret pool and Jacuzzi located behind a solid wall of glass (with no doors) in the gym.

 

To show you exactly how to access the Jacuzzi in the gym, I put together a little video that shows not just that, but all the other Carnival Glory secrets I could think of. Hit the play button and take a look...

 

[YOUTUBE]i1lJstgIcH4[/YOUTUBE]

 

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One little secret I forgot to add to the video is that one morning during your cruise, you're going to wake up and discover that the entire Lido deck has been taken over by towel animals!

 

Here are a few photos...

 

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CarnivalGlory2014-TowelAnimals-IMG_1009.JPG

 

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Sailaway

 

One of the most exciting parts of any cruise is the sailaway from the ship's home port. Miami is an incredibly beautiful place, so sailing out of the port of Miami is always a great sight to see. I've got a couple of videos that show it two different ways.

 

The quick version is a time-lapse video shot with my cell phone, looking behind the ship:

 

[YOUTUBE]IeQbNiJ4qKA[/YOUTUBE]

 

 

The long version, shot with my Canon 70D, shows the sailaway in real-time, looking in front of the ship:

 

[YOUTUBE]Fgsn2jfQpys[/YOUTUBE]

 

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Shore Excursions

 

HalfMoonCay-Sailboat-IMG_1240.JPG

 

Getting off the ship and having some fun at a warm Caribbean beach is our idea of vacation fun. We have no interest in touring Mayan ruins or going downtown to do some shopping... just get us to the beach! That's why we've only done Caribbean cruises and Mexican Riviera cruises and have never done a Mediterranean, Panama Canal, or Alaska cruise. (At least not yet, we haven't.)

 

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Kellyn loves the beach and sitting out in the sun.

This little sign, actually meant for beach towels, seemed appropriate for her.

 

A lot of cruise ships only stop at three ports of call during a seven day cruise. One of the reasons we picked the Carnival Glory out of all the possible cruise ships to sail on is that she visits four ports of call during the week. Because we did two cruises back-to-back, that meant we got to visit eight different ports of call during our two week cruise.

 

Let's go one by one through each of the places we visited...

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Cozumel, Mexico

 

CozumelSunrise-IMG_0539.JPG

Our first stop was Cozumel. The weather was quite cloudy all day long, but the upside was

that it created this beautiful sunrise as we pulled in to the Puerta Maya cruise terminal.

 

 

 

Not too long after we docked at the pier, an old friend pulled in right next to us...

CarnivalMagic-IMG_0563.JPG

 

I call the Carnival Magic an old friend because we did back-to-back Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises on her back in 2012. You can read about our 2012 Carnival Magic cruise here. The Magic is a Dream-class ship... the largest and newest ships in the Carnival fleet. At the time we cruised on her, the Carnival Magic was the best ship we had ever been on... featuring several innovations we had not seen in our previous cruises. It was only two years ago, but it seems like a long time ago because we've done a LOT of cruising since then!

 

 

Here's a little video of the Carnival Magic as she pulled in to the pier next to us...

 

[YOUTUBE]FPyLrJ5flYo[/YOUTUBE]

 

 

One of the things that jumps out at you when you first arrive in Cozumel is that the color of the water is so beautiful!

 

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Does this photo look phony to you... like I Photoshopped a boat on to a picture of water?

Nothing phony about it... that's the way the water looks in Cozumel.

 

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Great review, anxious to read more. I've read your reviews before and you do an awesome job. I am doing the Western Caribbean itinerary on the Glory next April, so this is definitely of special interest to me. It will be a our "3rd Sisters Cruise"! Looks like you had the best of both worlds for those two weeks. My last cruise was a 5 night to the Eastern Caribbean and I have to agree with you about the private cabana at Half Moon Cay was definitely awesome. My sister and I truly felt we had died and gone to heaven for the day!

 

We were actually booked on the Conquest for this next cruise, going to the Eastern Caribbean again since we truly did love Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk and thought the addition of St. Thomas and San Juan would be wonderful. Sadly though Carnival cancelled that cruise when the announcement to relocate the Conquest to Fort Lauderdale came out. We were scheduled for April 26 and needed to stick as close to the same week as possible, thus we rebooked April 25 on the Glory going to the Western Caribbean. Can't wait to read your review about those ports since we have never been to any of them except Cozumel during land vacation several years ago.

 

Also loved the video of the cabin and balcony!

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