new to Carnival Glory...questions

[Terri68]

We are in the process of booking an inside room on Glory for early September. This will be our first Carnival cruise (usually we take Celebrity). We are anxious to have a change of pace.

I have a few questions that I have not found answers to:

-Is room service free and available 24 hours?

-Are the deli and "Fish and Chips" free? Are there other free places to eat at "off" hours?

-Are there daily drink specials and approximately what are the prices? Is it easy to find places to get soda from the soda card?

-I have been told that the constant announcements can get annoying. Is there a way to turn them off while in your room. Did you find the announcements to be a plus or a minus?

I am a bit leary to go on Carnival after being on Celebrity because people have told us that we will be disappointed. However, we are looking for a bit more nightlife/ daily activities compared to the past.

Thanks so much!

[Flip2cruise]

-Is room service free and available 24 hours?

Yes, its free..just remember to tip them a few bucks

 

-Are the deli and "Fish and Chips" free?

Yes

 

Are there other free places to eat at "off" hours?

The lido deck buffet and pizza place

 

 

-I have been told that the constant announcements can get annoying. Is there a way to turn them off while in your room. Did you find the announcements to be a plus or a minus?

The only announcement I have ever heard in my room, is the one for the muster drill. But then Im rarely in my cabin :)

[kbatschke]

Just got off the Glory 4/16 sailing. Announcements were within reason IMHO, and the only one in the room was the muster drill as already mentioned. Otherwise, announcements were barely audible from inside the room, we had to open our door IF we were interested in hearing them.

 

Generally, morning drink specials; Mimosa or Bloody Mary's were $2.95.

 

Soda is available at any of the many bars on board.

 

As for your satisfaction relative to Celebrity, that will greatly depend on you. I suspect that your Carnival cruise will be significantly less costly than Celebrity. That several hundred dollar per person difference buys you something. That said, we've never felt like we got less than a great vacation on Carnival, but it's not 5 star either. Go with a mind to have fun and enjoy all that the ship has to offer and you will get more than your money's worth and have a ball.

 

We've looked at Celebrity, having heard that it's a nice step up from Carnival, but, when it's all said and done, we can't justify the extra cost for our purposes. That's why they make icecream in 57 flavors right?

 

Enjoy your cruise, we loved ours and are going back on board the Glory in October.

[brickiemom]

Took the Glory for our sons senior trip Easter Break 2005. We soooooo loved it. The announcements are not that bad. They get you on & off in a timely fashion. Key west was a bit slow but we had no worries that week. After a year of college apps, AP exams, SAT, ACT, and endless scholarship essays it was just what the DR ordered. I would get on deck in plenty of time to get chairs. Hubby is an early riser so not much of a problem. He was poolside by 9 or so each morning. We did need to put a limit on our youngest,s (12 at the time) S&S due to a severe game room addiction LOL. I felt the food was far superior to what I prepare for my family daily. :) Hope this helps!

[Tmeister]

In most respects, you will find that Carnival is a step down from Celebrity, but you won't have a bad cruise. Your cabin may be a bit larger than a comparable cabin on Celebrity. Entertainment is more lavish, but I wouldn't say it's better or more plentiful than on a same-size Celebrity ship. Embarkation/debarkation is far better on Celebrity. Celebrity decor is much more to my tastes; Carnival is Vegas gone wild.

[edpeeks]

Was on Glory a couple of weeks ago. The room (OV) was spacious. Been with Princess, RC, Premier, Disney and the Glory room was excellent. It was almost as big as the Disney Family Balcony cabin. We really liked the Glory and plan to go back. The food was excellent in the dining room. The specialty places to eat were novel and tasty. Breakfast was the boring (since it was exactly the same every morning at the Red Sail) but the scrambled eggs were loose just like the way we men like 'em! Pizza lived up to its rep. The cheese on the pepperoni was fantastic! Getting around took consciousness for the first couple of days then it was fine. Enjoy!!

[lsscancun]

Went on the Glory with a group of 16 last July (ages ranging from 20 to 60) and enjoyed it so much we are going on her again April 2006 with an even larger group for a wedding in St. Thomas. You mentioned that you wanted more nightlife than Celebrity. I've never been on Celebrity because we also like the nightlife. However, years back I remember talking with a retired US Supreme Court Judge who was 76 at the time and cruised over 100 times on every cruise line around the world. Naturally I questioned him about his favorite and guess what...his overall choice was Carnival! That is not to say that other lines didn't outdo Carnival in the decor or food category. He just felt that all the way around, Carnival was his favorite because of the friendly atmosphere and nightlife. He said that in all of his years of working he had to watch what he said, where he went, and what he wore. On cruises such as the Radisson, Celebrity, etc. he felt like he still had to uphold the very businesslike behavior and dress code that he was accustomed to. He also thought people weren't as friendly and went to bed very early. However, on Carnival no one cared who he was or what he did so he could have fun. For once in his life he was able to enjoy the many aspects of nightlife on Carnival with many others. I will never forget this man...he had so much charisma and personality.

[GroupCruiser]

The "Drink of the Day" is $6.95 and you get to keep the glass. You can also get a refill or one in a regular glass for around $4.50.

[L_T]

I felt the food was far superior to what I prepare for my family daily.

Love this quote!! When we hear someone complaining about the quality/quantity of food on cruise boats, my wife and I always have a difficult time controlling the urge to burst out laughing. It's a running joke for us - we always say "yah, wonder how they eat at home", or in some cases we do know how they eat at home.........

 

Just like the complaints that breakfast is "boring". Yep, breakfast on the cruise ships can be boring, just the same old bacon, eggs, sausage, toast, pancakes, rolls, custom omlette, fruit, grits, cereal, etc, etc, etc. All enjoyed in a wonderful setting as a new day in paradise begins to unfold. With the choice of serving yourself or being waited on in the dining room. Or if you aren't up to leaving your room yet - breakfast delivered to your room. Just like at home??? Not where I live!!

[Magnifique1908]

Love this quote!! When we hear someone complaining about the quality/quantity of food on cruise boats, my wife and I always have a difficult time controlling the urge to burst out laughing. It's a running joke for us - we always say "yah, wonder how they eat at home", or in some cases we do know how they eat at home.........

 

Just like the complaints that breakfast is "boring". Yep, breakfast on the cruise ships can be boring, just the same old bacon, eggs, sausage, toast, pancakes, rolls, custom omlette, fruit, grits, cereal, etc, etc, etc. All enjoyed in a wonderful setting as a new day in paradise begins to unfold. With the choice of serving yourself or being waited on in the dining room. Or if you aren't up to leaving your room yet - breakfast delivered to your room. Just like at home??? Not where I live!!

 

Wonderful attitude....I like it :D

[caviargal]

Personally, I think that Carnival is the antithesis of Celebrity and I would encourage you to perhaps look at RCI Radiance class or even Princess if you are looking for a similar experience in quality, service, decor and food.

 

I am not a fan of Carnival as the onboard experience is simply not for me. And I did not find the nightlife on either of my CCL sailings to be very good. In fact, I cannot remember ever getting in at night before 1 or 2 on a RCI cruise but on CCL we were often in the cabin by 11pm. We do not care for shows and there was little entertainment for our age group (40s). The disco catered to those in their 20s and I am not a fan of that music. There were no jazz bars or venue with live dance music, except for older folks. We were bored.

 

This is my opinion but I think you will be dissapointed.

[Terri68]

Thanks for all the comments. We dragged our feet and missed the great price, but that motivated us to take a cruise much earlier...we just booked a ship for the middle of June (just over a month away). Yea!

[mnsawyer]

You'll love the Glory. We sailed her on 4/9 and thought it was our best Carnival cruise yet. We loved sailing out of Port Canaveral and the Cocoa Beach area. Had a 8A balcony cabin and loved it even better than out cat 11 two years ago on the Triumph. Enjoy!

[Intrudr]

I am not a fan of Carnival as the onboard experience is simply not for me. And I did not find the nightlife on either of my CCL sailings to be very good. In fact, I cannot remember ever getting in at night before 1 or 2 on a RCI cruise but on CCL we were often in the cabin by 11pm. We do not care for shows and there was little entertainment for our age group (40s). The disco catered to those in their 20s and I am not a fan of that music. There were no jazz bars or venue with live dance music, except for older folks. We were bored.

QUOTE]

 

we sailed on Glory on 3/26 and were never bored. We found plenty of entertainment for 40s age group and were always up past midnight. The Casino was hopping and the White Heat Disco usually had deent music to work off some of those dinner calories. The Cinn-a-bar (piano bar) was always a big hit and karaoke was fun too. The late night comedians were hit or miss. The Ivory bar features jazz music as well. So, in short, I don't agree with Caviargirls assessment with what you will find on the Glory. My full review can be found at this thread.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=159239

[Intrudr]

Had a 8A balcony cabin and loved it even better than out cat 11 two years ago on the Triumph. Enjoy!

 

We just booked a cat 11 on Triumph for 4/2006 and would love to get a little more info on the room. sailed on triumph in 12/2001 and had a great time then...

[palmtre2]

Caviargal - how hard did you look for entertainment? I've always found the jazz bars and the piano bars full of 40 somethings. The jazz bar isn't the easiest to find on the 2 ships I was on though.

[caviargal]

Caviargal - how hard did you look for entertainment? I've always found the jazz bars and the piano bars full of 40 somethings. The jazz bar isn't the easiest to find on the 2 ships I was on though.

 

I sailed on Fantasy and Inspiration. Neither had a jazz bar at the time I sailed. I hit the discos after dinner each evening but found the music too young for me, which was a real disappointmet because dancing til the wee hours is high on my list of evening things to do.

 

I do not like to sit so do not go to shoes or comedy routines. I do not gamble.

 

The Karaoke Bar on Inspiration was so smoky I stuck my head in and left. The wine and caviar bar was a joke.

 

I posted recently to someone just off the GLory and he said there was no nightly Jazz bar, just once in the lobby. He also said he and his wife went to the disco several nights and it was all kids; even on 70s night they played no 70s music.

 

I am just hoping Glory will have a more interesting nightlife than what I have experience previously on CCL. If not, I have my balcony and a half dozen novels.

[Intrudr]

I sailed on Fantasy and Inspiration. Neither had a jazz bar at the time I sailed. I hit the discos after dinner each evening but found the music too young for me, which was a real disappointmet because dancing til the wee hours is high on my list of evening things to do.

 

 

I am just hoping Glory will have a more interesting nightlife than what I have experience previously on CCL. If not, I have my balcony and a half dozen novels.

 

Fascination and Inspiration are a far cry from the Carnival Glory. Hopefully you'll give her a chance...otherwise, happy reading! (do you sit while reading??)

[Boston6]

The Glory is a great ship. You'll enjoy it very much. Caviargal's opinions seem to be consistantly anti-Carnival so take them with a grain of salt. She seems to like RCI but spends a lot of time bashing on the Carnival boards.

 

 

Besides the pizza place (24 hrs) and the fish & chips (which serves more than fish & chips) you can also get free food at the Red Sail buffet, the deli, the oriental food counter and there are burgers & hot dogs available. All on the Lido.

 

Sushi is served on Deck 5.

 

As others have said, announcements are not made in the cabin unless they are deemed important enough by the Captain to warrant an in-cabin announcement. (change of itenerary, etc.)

[dsclark]

My biggest complaint with the Glory was the entertainment (was on her last June).

Pool music was almost always Dj records, not a band. My last CCL cruise (Victory, last Xmas ) always had a band out at the pool.

The shows? There were only a couple. There were other "shows" that consisted of the CD doing the "Aren't you glad to be here?" schtick over and over.

The guest entertainer, a motown singer was the highlight.

Food in the dining room, like other CCL ships, was hit or miss. They really do use good ingredients- it's jsut a matter of preparing them correctly. for example, my lobstger came over cooked. On the Vic, it came undercooked (yuck!), Both times, the second lobster that ws brought was perfect. However, by then, the lights start flashing and the wait staff starts to so their nightly "dance"- yuck!

The deli is great, fish and chips ok (watch out for bones!), pizza is great...

Overall, the ship is good, it really is.It is a bit crowded though, especailly around the pool and dining room.

Our server on the Glory transferred to the Victory and when we were on the Vic, we saw him in an adjacent station. He told us that he prefered the Glory because the serving stations were better designed, easier for him.

Here's my big, big hint:

The pool areas can get real, real, real crowded, and noisey too. Good luck finding a chair. So, try this- go to level three where the pursers desk is. Go out the door to the outside part of deck 3. There you'll see a deserted (most people don't know about it) deck where every lounger has a view of the ocean. And, as a special bonus, all the loungers are PADDED! You can get great sunset pics here, read a book, stare at the ocean, it is a really good place to be...

[Girlsnightout]

I agree with you 100%...Celebrity is my favorite cruiseline, and I was disappointed in the Glory. Long lines, VERY crowded, lots of drunks (that goes for guests AND crew, both of whom kept us awake at night), and music poolside that was ridiculously loud.

 

I like to party as much as the next person, but some of the people on our cruise still had a frat house mentality. On second thought, I don't think they ever belonged to a frat house...but they sure partied like they did!:)

 

Terri, please don't take this the wrong way, but the best advice I can give you is to adjust your expectations. It won't be like X. Think of it this way, it's like Hilton Head vs. Vegas. That about sums up the difference.

[sgtmonz]

I agree with you 100%...Celebrity is my favorite cruiseline, and I was disappointed in the Glory. Long lines, VERY crowded, lots of drunks (that goes for guests AND crew, both of whom kept us awake at night), and music poolside that was ridiculously loud.

 

I like to party as much as the next person, but some of the people on our cruise still had a frat house mentality. On second thought, I don't think they ever belonged to a frat house...but they sure partied like they did!:)

 

Terri, please don't take this the wrong way, but the best advice I can give you is to adjust your expectations. It won't be like X. Think of it this way, it's like Hilton Head vs. Vegas. That about sums up the difference.

 

to each their own...

 

i love carnival for many of the reason GNO does not like them...

 

we stay up late (4 to 5 am) to party so we are usually the last ones up... also, we sleep late so when we go to eat something at 10 or 11 am there's not a problem with long lines... not that i ever really saw that problem... i love the music loud because we can hear it better from the funnel deck... :D

 

also, i have found the food, for the most part, good... there are some exceptions, of course, but they go both ways... i had prime rib one night that was overcooked (kinda like i was) but i also had some type seafood dish (fish with a sauce with crab, lobster and some other stuff) one night that was truely excellent... yum yum... :)

 

i'm booked on glory again 12/10/05 and can't wait... now, i've not decided who is going with me yet... if i could just find someone who would want to go on a cruise free of charge... ;)

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/sgtmonz

[Girlsnightout]

to each their own...

 

i love carnival for many of the reason GNO does not like them...

 

;)

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/sgtmonz

 

You are soooo right sgtmonz, and you sound like the perfect Carnival cruiser. I can't remember when I've stayed up until 5 am, I think it was sometime in the 80's after a lot of white pow....oops, nevermind, at any rate I'm an old married lady with kids, and my idea of fun now involves beautiful scenery, quiet, being waited on, and a really good glass (or 2, or 3) of wine. 'nuff said, but different strokes for different folks, have fun on your cruise...:)

[sgtmonz]

You are soooo right sgtmonz, and you sound like the perfect Carnival cruiser. I can't remember when I've stayed up until 5 am, I think it was sometime in the 80's after a lot of white pow....oops, nevermind, at any rate I'm an old married lady with kids, and my idea of fun now involves beautiful scenery, quiet, being waited on, and a really good glass (or 2, or 3) of wine. 'nuff said, but different strokes for different folks, have fun on your cruise...:)

 

GNO... that stuff will give you drain bamage... :cool:

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/sgtmonz

[MSSQRL]

We are in the process of booking an inside room on Glory for early September. This will be our first Carnival cruise (usually we take Celebrity). We are anxious to have a change of pace.

I have a few questions that I have not found answers to:

-Is room service free and available 24 hours?

-Are the deli and "Fish and Chips" free? Are there other free places to eat at "off" hours?

-Are there daily drink specials and approximately what are the prices? Is it easy to find places to get soda from the soda card?

-I have been told that the constant announcements can get annoying. Is there a way to turn them off while in your room. Did you find the announcements to be a plus or a minus?

I am a bit leary to go on Carnival after being on Celebrity because people have told us that we will be disappointed. However, we are looking for a bit more nightlife/ daily activities compared to the past.

Thanks so much!

 

Hubby and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary aboard Glory last June and loved it so much we are leaving on the Miracle in a little over 2 weeks. I see your questions have for the most part been answered, so I'll just give you my opinion:

I have seen others say they paid over $4.00 for the daily drink specials. We never paid over $2.95. In fact, that's really all we ever drank because of the price. However, they didn't seem very strong which suited us fine because we are not big drinkers, we just like the flavor of the tropical drinks.

 

Yes, I thought the constant announcements were EXTREMELY ANNOYING. Especially when we were trying to sleep in and the cruise director started making announcements at 8:00. Hello, we were on vacation. Plus, before each announcement they ring a little chime similar to a doorbell. So, if you want to sleep in, take some earplugs.

 

We were always out until 1or 2 a.m. But, I will admit most of the clubs were geared more toward the 20's crowd. The thing I was least impressed with was the number of carnival employees who crowded into the different places of entertainment on their off hours. I know they are at sea a long time and they need some down time. But, their presence shouldn't crowd out the people who have paid good money to cruise.

 

These are minor issues compared with the granduer of the Glory. Go with an open mind and you should not be disappointed;)