Review: Carnival Glory to Canada - 7/17/10 - 5 days

[Dave0311]

The evening of St. John is when the past guest party is. We left the port at 4:00; the party started at 5:00. Unlike the captain’s “celebration,” there are still free drinks. Because Carnival is oh-so popular, the past guest party has to be held in the main show lounge, which is the Amber Palace on our Carnival Glory.

 

For those seasoned Carnival cruisers, you know the drill with the past guest party. Hand in your invitation at the door, grab a seat, and wait for the waiters to come by with free drinks and finger foods. I say “finger foods” because the food can’t really be classified as hors d'oeuvres (spelled right?) anymore. This year, you had two choices: chicken salad or (if I remember correctly) tuna salad on a cracker. Oh boy. What a treat! Long gone are the days of the hot meatballs and fancy foods. This is why I believe Carnival needs to start having platinum guest parties on their cruises, with real hors d'oeuvres.

 

For about the 100th time this cruise, I spot Fun Ship Freddy. Why is this guy all over the place on this cruise? I hardly ever see him on our cruises, but this cruise I see him everywhere.

 

 

I tried to capture a picture of our cruise director, Jorge. He was faster than you might think! I managed to get a shot of him walking out of the lounge. So for those of you wondering what Jorge looks like (I know I did before our cruise), here he is.

 

 

I’ve heard a good number of complaints on these boards about Jorge. In my opinion, he did a good job as CD on this cruise. He was funny, and he kept the PA announcements down to a minimum. There were also a lot less sales pitches over the PA system as well, which was a welcome change. If you’re cruising on the Glory in the next few weeks, Jorge will be your CD. Disregard the comments made about him on these boards, whether positive or negative. Go in with an open mind and form your own opinion on him. That’s what I did (after reading a lot of negative comments) and I ended up enjoying him.

 

One of the traditions of the past guest party is the Carnival trivia game. If you’ve been to a past guest party before, you know what this is. For those who haven’t, I’ll explain. They ask for a number of volunteers to come on stage. On this cruise about 20 people came up. I’ve seen as many as about 50 people go up on stage for this. They ask a series of questions, each with two answer choices. If you believe answer A is correct, you move to one side of the stage. If you believe answer B is correct, you go to the other side of the stage. Those who answer (or guess) correctly move on to the next round. Everyone else is eliminated. The winner receives a ship on a stick and a bottle of champagne.

 

 

The competitors got eliminated really fast on this cruise. The question that got most people knocked out was this: Which ship was the first to feature Carnival’s signature funnel ? The Festivale or the Tropicale?

 

Do you know what the answer is? I’ll reveal it in a little bit. But here’s the remaining contestants after that question:

 

 

That’s quite an elimination, right?

 

After that question, everyone but the lady and the boy in the next picture were eliminated. I think the question was: Which ocean liner was purchased and converted into Carnival’s first cruise ship, the Mardi Gras? Empress of Canada or Empress of Britain?

 

 

Believe it or not, the boy ended up winning the whole thing! His parents got the bottle of champagne and he got the ship on a stick.

 

By the way, the answers were the Tropicale and the Empress of Canada.

[01Sweetpea]

A note for 01Sweetpea (remember me from Cozumel in 2005:)?) The shops in Market Square take US dollars, but they may give change in Canadian, depending on the store and what is in the cash register.

 

I DO remember you! In fact I remembered that you had taken this cruise before and was going to reach out to you if I couldn't find the info I needed since we booked this so last minute!

[Dave0311]

After the contest was over, Jorge came on stage to introduce the captain. The captain then drew a name for a raffle. I don’t remember what the prize was, but I do know I didn’t win. :(

 

 

Jorge then went on to explain the origins of Carnival. You know, when the Mardi Gras ran aground on its maiden voyage. The audience got a kick out of the story.

 

 

Afterward, Gerry Cahill and John Heald made a surprise appearance – onscreen, unfortunately – during the Carnival history video. As usual, they showed all of Carnival’s past and present ships, and you cheered for the ones you have been on. The Magic and Breeze haven’t yet been included as future ships.

 

That concluded the past guest party. And it was finished just in time for dinner!

 

I decided to take the scenic route to the dining room and snapped a photo of St. John, which was now a distant memory.

 

 

For dinner tonight my parents and I ate at the buffet. We weren’t very hungry, so dinner would’ve dragged on for a long time had we gone to the MDR. I got a tuna melt at the deli, which was very good. It wasn’t on the menu, so when I told the guy I wanted my tuna and cheese sandwich toasted, he looked at me funny. But he did it and it turned out well. This was my only taste of the deli on this cruise.

 

We returned to our room and there was an elephant waiting for us!

 

 

Guess what else was waiting for us? The fog.

 

 

Up next: Halifax

[nybumpkin]

 

I noticed the Glory was also flying a Canadian flag, in place of the American flag.

 

 

On the flags - The aft flag is always the ship's port of registry (in the case of Glory, Panama). In port, the main mast flies the flag of the port of call and the house flag (i.e., Carnival's flag). Up forward on the bow, you will see a house pennant while in port. The flags don't normally fly while the ship is sailing - it's just too windy and they'd be torn to shreds. (The things I've learned with a kid at the Merchant Marine Academy.:D)

[nybumpkin]

I DO remember you! In fact I remembered that you had taken this cruise before and was going to reach out to you if I couldn't find the info I needed since we booked this so last minute!

Our next visit to Cozumel on Conquest was a little less eventful - but we still ended up docking late and arriving home a day late due to fog in Galveston. Never had it happen on any other ship - I guess Conquest just likes having us stay around.:p

 

On doing a walking tour in Saint John - the times we've visited, there have been "greeters" at the pier with maps of downtown Saint John. The first time we visited, we turned left out of the pier area, walked over to Market Square (it started to rain so we went inside), then up the hill to City Market. Then we walked over to the Loyalists' Burying Ground and King's Square, back down to the Anglican church (one of the steeples in Dave's photos). Then back down to Water Street, where we had lunch at Steamer's (right across from the port).

 

Another worthwhile walk is the Harbour Passage - you'll see it on the map. It's a really nice walkway around the port area.

[cv322]

I'm loving this review Dave, and your pics are fabulous! Like you & your family, I haven't been on the Glory in many years & I look forward to the new changes when I board again in October.

 

This review has made me want to do certain things again (like the past guest party :p) that I haven't attended in quite some time. You've made it seem fun again! Also...I think I'll just wander in St.John rather than do a tour.

 

If you haven't considered a future in writing...you should! And keep the funnel pics coming...

[Dave0311]

Thanks for the comments everyone. :)

 

Kathy you've provided some great information! Thanks for your input. :D

[Dave0311]

On doing a walking tour in Saint John - the times we've visited, there have been "greeters" at the pier with maps of downtown Saint John. The first time we visited, we turned left out of the pier area, walked over to Market Square (it started to rain so we went inside), then up the hill to City Market. Then we walked over to the Loyalists' Burying Ground and King's Square, back down to the Anglican church (one of the steeples in Dave's photos). Then back down to Water Street, where we had lunch at Steamer's (right across from the port).

Yes, Steamer's is right across from the port.

 

[nybumpkin]

Thanks for the comments everyone. :)

 

Kathy you've provided some great information! Thanks for your input. :D

Glad to - I'm really enjoying your review and looking forward to our cruise on Glory!

[cruzship21]

My buddy and I were also on this cruise. I wasn't sure I would like this cruise going

to Canada but boy did we have a great time. The weather was perfect. Sunny and in the high 80's everyday but the last day. Last day was stormy. The ship is great, crew is great and the food was excellent. We loved laying out in the serenity area. If you don't know about it please go there it's the best place to lay out. Very quiet and nice chairs.

We did tours in both ports. I would recommend this cruise to everyone. We had

the owner's suite and it was awesome. I might do it again since prices were cheap.

 

Dave from NJ

[tvlevi]

We did this cruise 7/12. Did not have much fog at all. Someone on the ship told me she saw a whale as we left Halifax. I did not. I had the time of my life & I am so enjoying reliving it through your review Dave. Thanks.

[fototaker]

what an outstanding review! I am now thinking maybe its option for me next year!

[Dave0311]

The next morning (Tuesday), the view from our balcony was much better.

 

 

Is that Halifax in the distance? Yes, I think it is!

 

The pilot came onboard to help us to shore.

 

 

I thought it would be cool to get a picture from my secret deck. And guess what? I discovered the panorama feature on my camera!

 

 

 

Uh oh, now I have another feature to play around with! :eek:

 

100 points to the first person to find the mistakes in the following picture:

 

[Dave0311]

We were docked at the Pier 21 building.

 

 

At Halifax there were two gangways. You could get off at deck 3, forward or deck 2, mid-ship. The gangway for deck 2 was a lot less steep. So if you have trouble with ramps, I recommend getting on and off the ship at deck 2. Also, you don’t need to re-board at the same point you disembarked. So if I got off the ship on deck 3, I could get on at deck 2.

 

Both gangways lead to the same entrance at the terminal building, so for getting off the ship there is no advantage to taking one or the other. As you can see in the following picture, passengers are converging at the same point.

 

 

We were docked near an industrial port. We watched this ship pull out later in the day. (The big orange thing is the ship I’m talking about.)

 

 

They weren’t there in this picture, but later in the day I saw some people (locals, I’m assuming), pull into this parking lot near the ship and watch the ship. They took pictures and waved to us.

 

[disneylynn]

I am so happy you are doing this review a week before my cruise

Where is the best place to get a lobster lunch in port?

 

Thanks

Lynn

[Dave0311]

When you get off the ship (don’t forget photo ID and your S&S card) you enter an enclosed marketplace. This is similar to the tent market in St. John, but it’s much larger and located within the terminal building.

 

 

 

 

If you plan on walking the city on your own and need help navigating the city, the information desk is to the right after you enter the marketplace. We didn’t realize it was there when we got off. When we asked a tour guide for directions he informed us of the information desk. You can kinda make it out in this picture.

 

 

It’s right before the glass doors and the brick wall, so just look for that and you’ll be close to the information desk. They’ll provide you with maps and other information. The guy who helped us was very nice and explained exactly how to get to where we wanted to go. We wanted to check out the local casino, so we had to go right and down their boardwalk area.

 

Up next: a helpful hint for those who want to see the sights of the city for FREE!

[Dave0311]

Halifax offers a free option for you to see some of the sights of the city. It’s a bus that takes you all around the downtown area. Look for FRED – Free Rides Everywhere Downtown.

 

 

FRED rides in a loop in the downtown area. Frequency is every 40 minutes. We had just missed the bus so we opted to walk to the casino. Had we decided to wait, FRED would’ve taken us right there.

 

If I can find the pamphlets the information desk gave us, I’ll post a picture of the map that includes FRED stops. Stay tuned for that.

 

Halifax also has a lot of photo ops. Here’s a train car parked outside the terminal.

 

 

And another sight that’s always a pleasure to look at.

 

 

There are lots of double-decker busses here. I doubt they’re free like FRED though.

 

 

And so we began the walk down the road to the boardwalk area.

 

 

After a few minutes, the Harbourwalk was in sight.

 

[Dave0311]

The Harbourwalk is the boardwalk area I’ve been mentioning. It’s actually a very nice walk. It took us about a half hour to get from the ship to the casino. Along the way there are some stalls selling souvenirs, restaurants, and great views. The boardwalk goes alongside the water.

 

As you can see, the boardwalk can get very wide:

 

 

There are some nice views during the walk. Here’s an island with a lighthouse.

 

 

Uh oh, a panoramic picture of the waterscape.

 

 

Here you can see the stalls are starting to show up. There are some nice sitting areas along the way as well. This picture was taken not too far after we first entered the Harbourwalk.

 

 

A sail boat, which is probably used for tours.

 

 

Oh look, there’s another boat in the distance. I wonder what kind of boat that is?

 

Next time: more from Harbourwalk, the casino, and ice cream!

 

I'll probably have the next update tomorrow (Monday) afternoon. Until then, I'll respond to any questions or comments.

[01Sweetpea]

Our next visit to Cozumel on Conquest was a little less eventful - but we still ended up docking late and arriving home a day late due to fog in Galveston. Never had it happen on any other ship - I guess Conquest just likes having us stay around.:p

 

On doing a walking tour in Saint John - the times we've visited, there have been "greeters" at the pier with maps of downtown Saint John. The first time we visited, we turned left out of the pier area, walked over to Market Square (it started to rain so we went inside), then up the hill to City Market. Then we walked over to the Loyalists' Burying Ground and King's Square, back down to the Anglican church (one of the steeples in Dave's photos). Then back down to Water Street, where we had lunch at Steamer's (right across from the port).

 

Another worthwhile walk is the Harbour Passage - you'll see it on the map. It's a really nice walkway around the port area.

 

Our second trip to Cozumel was filled with "excitement". My youngest son got so sick the day before we pulled into Cozumel he wound up in sick bay hooked up to an IV. :eek: It was frightening! So he & I stayed on board while my husband took the other 2 kids to the beach. It took him a few days to realize he missed Paradise Beach!

 

We're planning on renting a car in Halifax and driving to Peggy's Cove and the just walking around Saint John.

[grammax3]

Dave, keep this review coming. It is fantastic....and as for the funnel, love it. At least you never lose sight of the ship, or so it seems. Can't wait for our cruise starting 9/6.

[MiddleAgedBroad]

Dave, I love this review and the photos. We are first time cruisers EVER, going on this cruise in 2 weeks so we are reallly looking forward to it, especially the sunsets (and sunrises!).

 

Is there any place you can go to see a 360 degree viiew of the sunset and sunrise? A deck where you can turn all the way around and see the whole sky?

 

So far we are signing up for the whale watching in Halifax, and deciding between 2 excursions in St. John. When one gets back from the excursion, can one walk around town and explore for the rest of the day? I'd love some more info on how the excursions work.

[Dave0311]

Dave, I love this review and the photos. We are first time cruisers EVER, going on this cruise in 2 weeks so we are reallly looking forward to it, especially the sunsets (and sunrises!).

 

Is there any place you can go to see a 360 degree viiew of the sunset and sunrise? A deck where you can turn all the way around and see the whole sky?

 

So far we are signing up for the whale watching in Halifax, and deciding between 2 excursions in St. John. When one gets back from the excursion, can one walk around town and explore for the rest of the day? I'd love some more info on how the excursions work.

The closest you can get to a 360 degree view would be the top-most deck at the front of the ship, where Serenity and the water slide entrance are. But even there it's not a complete view because there's some kind of equipment for the ship in the middle of the deck.

 

Maybe you could try going to the very back of the ship where shuffleboard is. The deck there is very wide and open. You won't get a full view of the horizon, but you might get a full view of the sky.

[grammax3]

Dave, I love this review and the photos. We are first time cruisers EVER, going on this cruise in 2 weeks so we are reallly looking forward to it, especially the sunsets (and sunrises!).

 

Is there any place you can go to see a 360 degree viiew of the sunset and sunrise? A deck where you can turn all the way around and see the whole sky?

 

So far we are signing up for the whale watching in Halifax, and deciding between 2 excursions in St. John. When one gets back from the excursion, can one walk around town and explore for the rest of the day? I'd love some more info on how the excursions work.

 

Once you return from the excursion, if there is time before the ship leaves port, you can walk around or go back to the ship. Just remember to be back on ship 30 minutes before it is scheduled to leave port. Usually the excursion will end at the ship, but to board or not to board then is entirely up to you. If it is a morning excursion, a lot of people will get back on ship for lunch, and then leave to walk around the town.

 

Enjoy your first cruise and don't try to do everything scheduled, do what you think you will enjoy the most.

[01Sweetpea]

Dave - Does EVERY past guest get invited to the "past guest" party or do you have to be a certain level?

[disneylynn]

Sweetpea Yes, if you have been on one Carnival cruise you can go to the past guest party.

A invitation will be put in your room. You hand in the invitation at the door There will be a drawing for a door prize. You once got a ship pin but carnival has stopped that.