Glory

Hello! I am not actually cruising on Glory for over a year. I have issues and I am a major planner. I am to the point that I want to have everything mapped out for this vacation like yesterday. It is a major fault and causes issues most of the time. My father and I are doing this cruise in a suite and any advice is welcome. We will be flying into FLL 2 days before the cruise and leaving out of POM. We are doing a western Caribbean itinerary with ports in Grand Cayman, Mahogany Bay, Belize, and Cozumel. Mind you my dad is 65 and totally opposed to actually leaving the ships while they are in port. I am definitely hoping to change his mind about all of this. Thank you in advance for any advice you may have!

Jamie

(FYI, my dad is scared of heights}

It sounds like this is your Dad'd 1st cruise....if so, I ran into similar issues with my dad. My family cruised yearly and always asked my parents if they wanted to join us....Always got the answer....not interested, nothing to do, etec etc....My mother really wanted to go...but Dad always said not interested. I fixed that by taking them on a 40 year anniversary cruise.... Had no choice since i paid for it.

After that cruise...my dad turned into a cruiseaholic and immediately booked a family cruise the following year....and then for next 10 years my parents cruised twice yearly (lol).... even progressing to a 10 day cruise.

So be prepared for the aftermath..... Seriously... To get your dad interested I would suggest you review some of these forums with him. Especially the excursion forums. That may peak his interest in doing things at your port of call

It sounds like this is your Dad'd 1st cruise....if so, I ran into similar issues with my dad. My family cruised yearly and always asked my parents if they wanted to join us....Always got the answer....not interested, nothing to do, etec etc....My mother really wanted to go...but Dad always said not interested. I fixed that by taking them on a 40 year anniversary cruise.... Had no choice since i paid for it.

 

After that cruise...my dad turned into a cruiseaholic and immediately booked a family cruise the following year....and then for next 10 years my parents cruised twice yearly (lol).... even progressing to a 10 day cruise.

 

So be prepared for the aftermath..... Seriously... To get your dad interested I would suggest you review some of these forums with him. Especially the excursion forums. That may peak his interest in doing things at your port of call

That is so my dad. My stepmom is always for everything and she eve oked my dad for this cruise saying that he just needs to get away after being being retired for 25 years and never really going anywhere except Branson every year. I recently went to Paris and London, telling my dad he should go to Germany some day. Funny thing is, my dad has always been reluctant until I went on my trip. He may be reluctant to a cruise, but I think once he finishes this cruise he will be addicted.

First off if your Dad is afraid of heights, then you may want to reconsider a stateroom that doesn't have a balcony.

Next it sounds like you need 2 more people to go with you. One that enjoys exploring new places and be your travel buddy while in the different ports. Then another person that likes staying on the ship that will keep your Dad company while you are off of the ship.

Good Travel companions are Gold! Just because you love someone it doesn't mean you will be good traveling together. Maybe a cruise vacation for your Dad and yourself just isn't the right type of vacation. Maybe you can explain why your Dad has no interest in getting off of the ship. Does he have mobility issues or is he uncertain about the safety of the ports?? You need to know what it is that has him in this mind set.

First off if your Dad is afraid of heights, then you may want to reconsider a stateroom that doesn't have a balcony.

Next it sounds like you need 2 more people to go with you. One that enjoys exploring new places and be your travel buddy while in the different ports. Then another person that likes staying on the ship that will keep your Dad company while you are off of the ship.

Good Travel companions are Gold! Just because you love someone it doesn't mean you will be good traveling together. Maybe a cruise vacation for your Dad and yourself just isn't the right type of vacation. Maybe you can explain why your Dad has no interest in getting off of the ship. Does he have mobility issues or is he uncertain about the safety of the ports?? You need to know what it is that has him in this mind set.

I have totally experienced the not good travel companion thing with my mother recently. We were in France and she wouldn't talk to anyone even if they spoke English, really ruined my trip. About the heights, I didn't think about that when booking the room, but he doesn't have to go out there. I hope he can appreciate my efforts. After I got back from my travels, he was all about going overseas.

I have totally experienced the not good travel companion thing with my mother recently. We were in France and she wouldn't talk to anyone even if they spoke English, really ruined my trip. About the heights, I didn't think about that when booking the room, but he doesn't have to go out there. I hope he can appreciate my efforts. After I got back from my travels, he was all about going overseas.

Sorry to hear about the travel experience with your Mother. I can't travel with my Mom either. She makes me want to pull my hair out!

Maybe you can get your Dad to compromise with you about the ports. Hopefully in your research, you can find something that interests him enough to get off of the boat. If not, then book a tour and go yourself. It will still be a great time to have with your Dad even if you don't end up enjoying the same things. My Dad passed away when he was 49 and he loved to travel...always said I got my "happy feet" from him.

Keep the suite....it will give you more room and he doesn't have to go out on the balcony...like you said.

I think this can work out....just enjoy your Dad for who he is and know that he loves you.

Sorry to hear about the travel experience with your Mother. I can't travel with my Mom either. She makes me want to pull my hair out!

Maybe you can get your Dad to compromise with you about the ports. Hopefully in your research, you can find something that interests him enough to get off of the boat. If not, then book a tour and go yourself. It will still be a great time to have with your Dad even if you don't end up enjoying the same things. My Dad passed away when he was 49 and he loved to travel...always said I got my "happy feet" from him.

Keep the suite....it will give you more room and he doesn't have to go out on the balcony...like you said.

I think this can work out....just enjoy your Dad for who he is and know that he loves you.

My dad is secretly excited about his trip, I know it. He is just a simple man who doesn't want to be a burden on anyone. Funny thing is, the reason why I am taking him on this cruise is my grandpa said that, before he died, Belize was a magical place for him and my dad always made it a point to get there. Well I am just making it happen now lol.

I think you will both have a wonderful time. I have taken various family members over the years. Other than my sleep schedule (I am old and go to bed and rise with the chickens) I've always tried to follow the lead of my cabin mate.

They not only have fun, but even on the same ship with the same itinerary, each cruise is a different experience for me.

Enjoy!

Search youtube for Carnival Glory, there are some great videos out there of the ship and such that will give your dad a great idea of what the ship is like. We leave in 3 short days and will post a review (hopefully with pictures) when we return.

Wait, your dad is 65 but retired 25 years ago? He retired at 40? Did you guys win the lottery or something?

Glory is a great ship, sailed her many times. My 2 cents, Stingray City in GC is maybe the best excursion I've ever done. Totally amazing experience, highly recommend. In Mahogany Bay, simply walk or take the ski lift to the beach. Eat, drink, swim, relax, it's all there. In Belize, you MUST book an excursion or I probably would day on the ship. Nothing at that port. For Coz, lots of options, but if you've never been to Tulum, it's incredible. On the downside, you take a ferry to the mainland, bus to Tulum, and back again. You won't have much time left for Coz.

Wait, your dad is 65 but retired 25 years ago? He retired at 40? Did you guys win the lottery or something?

Haha I wish. He worked for the railroad and was on disability for years and he has recently received the title of retired.

Haha I wish. He worked for the railroad and was on disability for years and he has recently received the title of retired.

Gotcha. Yeah, I'm 50 and have 20 to go!

You can read my review here for some great ideas on what to do in port and for some general ship info.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2556511

My parents love to travel and had always been intrigued by cruising, but typically defaulted to their go-to destinations year after year - until I introduced them to cruising in 2011. Now they are hooked! They cruise 2-3 times each year and love the 10- and 11- day cruises. They recently did a Panama Canal cruise from Miami and are doing the reverse cruise from Seattle next year. They like that they can see parts of the world this way. They're still tied to the same cruise line (NCL), but I'm guessing will venture out eventually and try a new line. After all, they eventually gave cruising a try and loved it. I imagine they'd like other lines as well, since they're mostly more similar than different. :)

We're sailing the Glory in 90ish days - my first Carnival cruise since 2011 (we've sailed NCL and love them, but love the eastern Caribbean itinerary of the Glory in February). Excited to check out the ship and see what's changed on Carnival in recent years.

Also, if your planning "addiction" (I can relate!!), another poster, sparks, is cruising on the Glory this weekend. He's got a thread going on questions you have about it that he'll check out once on onboard, and I think he's going to do a review when he gets back. Yay!

Have fun researching and planning!