~~REVIEW~~Glory August 21-28, Eastern -- PART 1

[ken_nyc]

We returned from Glory on Saturday the 28th of August. I was hoping to get a review out as soon as I got back but came down with a cold at the end of the cruise and stayed in bed all of Sunday.

 

This was our second cruise ever, both with Carnival. I am a graphic designer and my wife is a teacher. We sailed Carnival Glory from Port Canaveral for our 30th Wedding Anniversary with another couple with their two great kids who came down on the day of embarkation.

 

PRE-STAY: My wife and I flew down on an early flight Friday the 20th, on JetBlue, great airline. We rented a car from Avis right at the airport and drove to the Radisson for our overnight stay. My wife’s cousin and her husband drove up from Boyton Beach to stay over and see us. It was great being with them, we haven’t seen them in a while. After check-in we went to our room and found it to be as nice and clean as our room was two years ago. All of us lounged around the pool for most of the day until it was time to get ready for dinner, then off we went to Grills for dinner. It was about a 50 minute wait but the food was very good and worth the wait. The only thing is the band playing was extremely loud and having we had trouble holding a conversation even being inside. The next morning we met and at the breakfast buffet at the Radisson, which was good. We checked out after breakfast and drove to Avis to return the car and take their shuttle to the port, we had to wait about 20 minutes for the shuttle to return to the office.

 

EMBARKATION: It went very smooth, smoother then the last time with the Pride which actually surprised me. We did the ‘funpass’ pre-registration and got into the "funpass" line, which seemed like the only line there, which moved pretty quickly. We got to the port around 11:00 am and were through check-in, had our sail and sign card and had to wait awhile to board. They did not start boarding until around 11:30 am, which was fine because we met our friends as they got upstairs to go and check-in. We went through the security and then the embarkation photos and was onboard in about 40 minutes.

 

THE SHIP: Glory is a beautiful ship and not gaudy as you would of thought reading about all of the color that was being used. You enter the ship on the lobby deck into the atrium. The atrium is impressive but not as open and airy as on the Pride. We met our friends in the atrium area and immediately signed up for the Emerald room for Tuesday night at 7:30 pm and then headed up to the cabins to drop off the carry-ons, we were told not to go to the rooms until 1:00 pm, I asked one of our stewards and it wasn’t a problem. The cabins were pretty much the same as on the Pride, no surprises there. The public rooms were laid out well and decorated, the main complaints that I have is getting to the Internet Café you had to go through the Ivory Club I believe. The other thing is to remember how to get around the galley and the Golden Restaurant. As usual you have to go through Camel Club Casino to get to the either other side of the Prominade Deck, a good way to get you to gamble. Most of the dealers were veryl friendly and if you didn’t know a particular game they would help until you got the hang of it. I didn’t do well as I did on the Pride. I liked how they stepped the decking area around the main pool (midship). The aft pool was not as crowded. There is saltwater for slide and all of the pools, but the showers around the pools were fresh water.

 

THE CABIN: We were in cabin 7340, Empress Deck aft on the port side (left facing the front of the ship). Remember that Odd numbers are on the starboard side and even are on the port side. We love veranda rooms, and will never get an inner cabin. Wake-up in the morning, put on a robe and sit outside and watch the sun come-up; or sit out there and read a good book. Stand out there and watch the ship enter or depart from each. I had found one of our stewards, Fredrick, and had him to open our fridge. He said I could take stuff out so that I can put my bottles of water in there that I brought onboard. Both Fredrick and Anna Marie kept our cabin neat and orderly. There was more than enough closet and drawer space for us to unpack, and the space under the beds was perfect for putting our empty. The TV was a great feature to check your onboard portfolio to see how much you had spent everyday. Our friends were thrilled that the cabin was larger than the their Royal Caribbean Cruise last year, in which they had felt claustrophobic.

 

More to follow.......

[michelle319]

Ken, GREAT review so far!!! Am looking forward to the rest of it!:)

[ken_nyc]

Hi Michelle,

 

Thank you. I hope your family is doing better! I try and type up some of the review when I have a lull at work. So far not much of one.

 

Later

[dbmiller1956]

Am enjoying the review and looking forward to the rest. My husband and I with 2 other couples leave on the Glory the 18th, so any information and insight is great.

 

Especially want to know what you thought of the Emerald Room. Hubby and I are celebrating 25th wedding anniversary, so plan a dinner there. Did it get extremely crowded for any particular night? We are thinking of the Sunday, since we have a half day in port at Nassau. (Of course, with Hurricane Frances that port will probably change). But love to hear abour the restaurant.

 

Deena

[CruiseDawg2001]

Wow, this review is REALLY familiar... oh right, its basically mine with the specific details changed. Im glad I put in the work to provide you with a free template. I can't wait to read the rest!

[ken_nyc]

CruiseDawg2001, thanks for the sarcasm, but this was not from your review. I guess you give yourself too much credit. If it is similar, it is coincidence. Maybe you can say that about alot of the reviews since there are so many of them and they tend to be similar.

 

Deena, Happy anniversary, The Emerald dinning room was great! Just want you to know that the first formal night is on the Sunday when you are in Nassau. It was well worth the $25, my wife and I had the Chilean seabass which was GREAT!! My friend had the 24 oz. porterhouse steak (which he couldn't finish) and his wife had the prime rib (if I remember correctly). It is about a 2 hour meal.

[Lynne Myrna]

Ken.....we were on the Glory 7/23....we loved it. I loved the spacious stateroom we had, also the balcony was a big plus. We had cruised on the Mariner of the Seas...RCL, enjoyed this cruise better, I also thought that the food was much better, also all the workers on board always had a smile & a hello....it was not like that on the Mariner. I think that it makes a big difference for those cruising, that the crew be friendly. Thank you for review, i'm hoping that you have more to write. Did you go see Scottee at the Cinn-a-bar? I thought that he was terrific. Hoping to hear more from you.

Lynne