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My Glory cruise 4/7/2018-4/14/2018


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I've been back a couple weeks and have finally had time to sit down and compose my thoughts. This was my 10th time on the Glory and my favorite cruise of all time. I'll post the FunTimes, but didn't keep up with the menus (you can find them on my previous review from October as they are still the same). I'll put in some pics here and there too although nothing has changed since I was on her last October.

 

I normally like to do this live from the ship, but honestly I didn't have time. I kept quite busy with family and friends both new and old. Forgive me if I skip around as I'll be doing this all from what's left of my memory :p.

 

Pre cruise we stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites Blue Lagoon. There were 4 of us (Mom, Sister, SIL, and me) as well as another couple that I met on a Roll Call here a couple years ago. This was our 3rd cruise, all on the Glory, together.

 

I opted for the Suite with 2 Queen beds and a pull out sofa (thanks to Honors points). The room was very nice and I would recommend it. Right across the parking lot is a Walgreens and across the busy road is a Publix and shopping center with various different stores. We got our wine and soda between the 2 of them. This was the first cruise that I didn't get BB so I stocked my fridge with a couple 12 packs of Diet Soda some of which were brought on by friends. I found I drank less this way and had no issue bringing a couple with me to dinner. I only forgot one night so I had no qualms about paying for one can. It was nice not having to go the bar when I was thirsty and with the price increase, I have to say it isn't worth it anymore.

 

We had a very large, active, fun group elsewhere so I knew it was going to be a blast. And boy was it! One couple from Australia did a B2B the previous week and were able to secure Bar Blue for our after muster party. Lots of us brought local things to share such as chocolates from Belgium (YUM!), Kinder Eggs from Great Britain, Aero Bars from Canada (and per my special request also maple syrup for me :)), Tim Tams from Australia, just all kinds of stuff. Notice the food theme? I contributed Salt Water Taffy. We had the whole bar surface covered. It was great meeting everyone after talking online for months. I have to say this was the best group of people with NO drama the entire time. What a refreshing change from some of the groups I have been a part of!

 

I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with embarkation. It was very quick. Everyone that was Diamond/Platinum/Suite/FTTF all got the 11:00 (earliest) timeframe no matter when they selected it. There was one person I know of for sure that didn't do any online check in including selecting a check in time until about a week before the cruise. They had FTTF and were still able to get the 11:00AM slot. Others in our group that waited or didn't have status got the later check in times so take that for what it's worth. I know some people don't believe the early times are relegated for those that don't have to select a time, but I can tell you that was the case for our cruise. They may have a few for others (for argument's sake), but from what I have experienced not only this time but previously, I am still of the opinion that the majority of these slots are for the Priority/FTTF people. If you don't agree, fine. I'm not going to debate it.

 

There were 2 lines for non Priority guests. One for On Time appointments, and one for Early/Late arrivals. There were people in the latter line as well line so I'm guessing it was being enforced. Check in was super quick. The notebooks at the desks are gone now they are little hand held things. No wait for that and right through security. They didn't even ask about or inspect the wine or soda. As a Platinum member we were told to take a left and enter this TINY, hot room which had 2 parts to it. People crammed everywhere even sitting on the floor lining the walls. What happened to the big room with all the windows we were in last time? This was quite ridiculous. Luckily we didn't have to wait long because I was getting sweaty and claustrophobic. FTTF went to the right and apparently they called them like right after us. We had to go up the escalator and traverse the walkway and then walk all the way across to the other door on the Glory to enter. Because of this, the FTTF people (including my family) got on the ship before me. Kind of messed up IMHO.

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After our party it was time for dinner. The 4 of us plus my Glory cruising buddies and the couple from Australia all had our bookings linked together for early dining. We were against the Port side wall at an 8 top next to a mirror. It was a decent table and our waiters were great! There were 2 nights I didn't eat in the MDR - Monday night when 6 of us went to the Steakhouse, and Tuesday after Roatan. More on both of those shortly.

 

I only had dessert a couple times as I was full after every dinner. I think my stomach shrunk or something. I didn't have Chocolate Melting Cake once which has NEVER happened before! I honestly just could not eat another bite most nights. The food was very good with my Prime Rib cooked rare to perfection both times. The family got lobster on the first Elegant Evening and they were pretty large and red compared to what we have experienced in the past. They used to be almost the same size as the shrimp and orangish colored. We all said "Wow!" when they brought these babies out. I don't eat lobster, but my family does and it is a highlight of the cruise for them to have. I realize not everyone feels the same, and that's OK.

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As usual I didn't do any organized activities like Trivia, shows (not a fan of Playlist AT ALL and don't get me started on Hasbro), etc. But there were some firsts for me. Shocking I know! Let's see if I can list them all:

First time:

 

Not eating dinner in the MDR or Steakhouse (except when I had food poisoning on the Conquest)

 

Going to the Piano Bar - Jo Ann ROCKS!

 

Going in the pool (I may have been "helped in" a little after sitting on the ledge on the inside dangling my feet into the deep). Yes the aft pool IS adults only again thanks to a bunch of us :). Yes, it is enforced, and yes, it was utilized a lot by adults. I did see one family get told their approx 5 year old wasn't allowed in so they left. Yay!

 

Going in a hot tub. I'll be honest, the thought did gross me out for the longest time, but after having my friend's bathing suit get bleached in one from the week before, I knew it was pretty well sanitized. And when I got in, the smell of chlorine was very obvious so that put my mind at ease a little. I did scrub extra good in the shower both times after. I'll be sure to post if I come down with any funky diseases. Also I only went in when it was just the few of us and maybe one other person.

 

I didn't lay in bed and watch TV. Thanks in part to the no regular network programming, but also I was hardly ever in my cabin.

 

Actually stayed up until 2AM on the ship. Yep, I did it!!! LOL!

 

I already mentioned not getting Bottomless Bubbles, but I'll put it here again since it fits.

 

There may be more that I'll think of later, but this list will have to suffice for now.

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Let's go to the day by day, shall we?

 

Sunday was a sea day and Elegant Evening. Already discussed the Lobster so I guess that leaves the dress code. I didn't noice anyone in shorts or a t-shirt this go around, but since I sat against the wall/mirror facing aft every night, my view wasn't the greatest. So that's that.

 

Monday was Grand Cayman. We chartered the same boat company as last time. There were 7 of us and we had a lot of fun. Stingray City was busier than before because we weren't the only ship on port this time. We each got to hold and touch one which was fun especially for those that hadn't done it previously. When our stingray decided he had enough we decided to pull anchor early and head to Starfish Point and spend more time there. Our Captain found a lot more starfish there than we saw before and that was neat. I actually got out of the water this time and walked up the beach with my friend a bit to see what was there. Answer: not much.

 

That evening we went to the Steakhouse. Ugh. Our server who's name I can't remember was the most cold, emotionless server any of us had ever had on a cruise. Not once did she crack a smile and for some reason decided she didn't like one of our Aussie friends. No idea why as he was super polite to her.

 

She asked if everyone wanted water and most said yes thinking it was like the MDR. Well she took it upon herself to open a couple bottles of I don't know what and pour it into the glasses. This wasn't our first trip to the Steakhouse and normally they ask if you want Still water, Sparkling Water, tap water, etc. There were no options so they were thinking water from the pitcher. Long story short, my mom and friend were each charged a few bucks for water. Ummm, that's not what they asked for but they paid it. Wasn't worth arguing at that point. I asked for a Diet Coke and then she inquired as to if I had Cheers or BB. When I said no she replied that she didn't need to see my card then. OK. I didn't know soda was included, but we'll go with it. I had 2 cans and wasn't charged for either. I was the only one that left her a tip. It was $5. Not really for her (lack of) personality or service that was no better (if not worse) than the MDR, but because I had planned on an extra $5 for my Diet Cokes anyway.

 

I have said it before and I'll say it again. The Steakhouse is nothing special IMHO and not worth the $35. I guess I have either been really lucky with the servers I have had in the MDR or extremely unlucky with the Steakhouse. I figured the 3rd time would be the charm but it was not meant to be.

 

I ordered the Filet Mignon and it was very good. The only thing I liked better than the MDR was the whipped potatoes with wasabi. Other than that, I prefer the $20 upcharge Filet in the MDR. I did both this cruise again and came to the same conclusion as the previous 2 times. I will stick with the $20 Filet. There was NO difference in flavor and very minimal, if any, difference in flavor of the Baked Onion Soup in both venues. The BOS may look a little different in the Steakhouse, but again the flavor isn't noticeable enough to warrant the extra $15.

 

I took pics of both steaks and soups for comparison. The steaks are at different angles so it’s not a fair comparison, but there were grill marks on the MDR one as well. You just can’t see it on the top due to the mushrooms.

Steakhouse

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MDR

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Edited by firemanbobswife
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Thanks for your review. Do you have people asking how you can do the same cruise and ship over and over? I don’t mind, I cruise to cruise, love being on the water and being on vacation.

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Yes I do and I tell them it's because I like to go and relax. I find it easier to do when I've already explored the ship and can focus on doing what I want to do which could be a lot or nothing at all.

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Tuesday was Roatan and we did Little French Key for the 3rd time. I headed up a group of about 98 people and it was so much fun! If you haven't been there, you need to go. Don't waste your time or money at the man made beach there at the port. I would dislike Roatan too if that's all that I thought was there. They have a new baby Jaguar named Siri and boy is she feisty! Super cute, though! Some of our group got to swim with Esther and it was a hit! Once again I was taken care of extremely well as was everyone in the group. The drinks were strong and delicious and like all fun things, time was over too soon. We didn't wait until the last minute like in October, though. I behaved even in my extremely impaired state and returned with about an hour to spare.

 

Oh another first (I thought there may be more)! I got up on a paddle board after drinking 2 or 3 Tornadoes - Woo hoo!!!! Didn't think I could do it sober, much less three sheets to the wind but I did!! Didn't last long before I became unbalanced and ended up in the drink. Note to self: when plunging into water it's a good idea to stop taking a breath in. Ooops!

 

This was the day that due to our numerous adult beverages my friends and I decided to get into the aft hot tub and skip dinner. We had more drinks and pizza poolside, took showers, and then went to the Piano Bar. Great fun! This is the night I introduced my Aussie friends (affectionately referred to as just "friends" previously and also probably in the future) to a shot called "Cinnamon Toast Crunch". If you're not familiar with it, it's Rumchata and Fireball. Woooooo weeeeeee!!!!

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It's so great to see two very good opinions of the ship my next cruise is on. Very happy to see you rate it so highly. A little worried about my steakhouse reservation, though lol. Hopefully I'll get a different sever. Is little French key through the cruise line or a private excursion?

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Wednesday was Belize and the only day I got a nap in which is very unusual for me. I wandered around the ship and had a Guy's Burger. Maybe it was because I got it as soon as they opened, but it didn't seem to have as much flavor as before. I'm thinking because the grill hadn't been "seasoned" yet. I kind of like when the outside is a little crispy.

 

Not much else sticks out in my mind about that day or night.

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It's so great to see two very good opinions of the ship my next cruise is on. Very happy to see you rate it so highly. A little worried about my steakhouse reservation, though lol. Hopefully I'll get a different sever. Is little French key through the cruise line or a private excursion?

My friends heard from some Staff that they knew from the week before that one Server that worked in the Steakhouse quit the day after we ate there, so hopefully it was her!

 

It's private and worth every penny! You have to go directly to their website. Do NOT confuse it with Big French Key which is offered through Carnival.

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Thursday was Cozumel and that means Mr Sanchos! Love love love this place. The weather was perfect today as every day pretty much was. We frolicked in the ocean on pool noodles and my sister and SIL used their full face mask snorkels I got them for Christmas. They did see some fish but said Little French Key was way better. We all got our $55 worth of booze and food. It was awesome to be back again with family and friends just like last October. Some people are worried about how busy it gets, but if you reserve ahead of time, even when it's at capacity it doesn't seem crowded. There are plenty of tables and loungers to go around.

 

That night after dinner in the MDR, I went with my friends to the Serenity hot tubs. It's not quite as deep (well the seats are up higher) so it's better for us short girls! We felt like we would drown in the aft ones so we had to sit on our knees. There was no one else up there but us 3. I had my bottle of Moscato which I brought with transferred into one of those plastic wine bottle things with the screw top as to not have glass up on deck. It was so relaxing having some drinks talking about traveling which we all love to do. Well it was nice until the guy gave us the boot at 10PM. Party pooper! After that we had some pizza and said goodnight. What a great day!

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My friends heard from some Staff that they knew from the week before that one Server that worked in the Steakhouse quit the day after we ate there, so hopefully it was her!

 

It's private and worth every penny! You have to go directly to their website. Do NOT confuse it with Big French Key which is offered through Carnival.

Thank you!

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Friday - the last day :loudcry:

 

I hate the last day with a passion. Usually I mope around and take a nap to try and forget that tomorrow it's back to reality. But today was different. Very different. Decided to get my tan on one last time before returning to the cold. So we lounged up on Deck 10 right outside of the BBQ area. Now I don't know if any of you recall, but I am extremely claustrophobic. So much that I try not to take elevators and had to test out an inside cabin (my son's) before I could commit to staying in one. For the record the inside cabin is my favorite. I like it dark when I sleep and it's perfect. I would rather save money and cruise more often in an inside vs waste money IMHO on a "better" cabin. Like I said at the beginning. I wasn't even in it but to sleep this time around anyway and a window or balcony wouldn't have changed that one bit. Anyhoo, back to the point.

 

I had to go to the bathroom so I went to the ones there on 9 by the pool. It was hot and I got in a stall I couldn't do it. Figured I would run back down to Deck 1 and come back up. Got in an elevator and just as the doors were about to close, I realized I didn't have my S&S card. It was by my friend. Got out and figured I would give it a go again. I was able to get the corner stall which was much larger - HC I think. It was all good even though I was shaking the whole time. Composed myself and made my way back to the lounge chair. That's when it happened. We were by the air vent which was loud and all of a sudden it got quiet and thick, black smoke started pouring out of one side of the Whale Tail. The power was out and we were dead in the water. Now if I had gone back down to my cabin, I more than likely would have been stuck in an elevator on the way back up. I would have DIED!!! There were people stuck for a little bit until they could get the lights back on maybe 15 minutes. The generators kicked on but only like half the lights came on for a little bit. The Captain said something but I couldn't understand him. Thought maybe we didn't have to go back, but unfortunately he got her going again and we were back on our way :(. Lucky time #1 of 2 that day.

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Had the last dinner in the MDR and ran off before they started singing "The song". You know which one. Makes me almost cry every time. And I knew if I heard it this time I would for sure start bawling.

 

See, the reason why it was my best cruise ever was because of the people. I met so many wonderful people who I had been talking back and forth with for months and by the time we met we felt like we had known each other for years. While I hung out everyday with the Australian couple mostly because we were the ones communicating on a regular basis and they were also my age, everywhere I went I ran into someone from the group and we all had a fantastic time. The Piano Bar was particularly memorable. So it wasn't only new friends, but also old ones too as well as family. We all got along so well and just all gelled if that makes sense. I just wish there were more of me to go around and more days. I didn't get to spend as much time with everyone like I would have liked to, but you have to deal with what you have.

 

But wait, there's more!

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We had talked about doing a small slot pull just between our little tight knit group earlier in the week so it was now or never. The large group had one on Sunday the first sea day. I didn't participate but some of our smaller group did. They came out a couple bucks ahead. Anyway, back to the good stuff.

 

After dinner, 6 of us were interested so we decided to each put in $21 and played a few machines. We did VERY well and ended the cruise on an extremely high note! I'll just leave it at that :D.

 

While that also helps to make it the best cruise ever, for the most part it was due to friends and family. You can have fun just about anywhere, but when you can experience it with others, it makes it that much better.

 

We stayed up until about 1AM not wanting to say goodbye and also still pumped about our win. It was super hard to watch your friends walk away not knowing if you will see them again. But don't be sad for me. We already have plans. I have always wanted to go to Australia and now it's looking like I just may do that :D!

 

I hope to be able to visit or go on another cruise with my other friends as well. Since Glory is going to NOLA, we may have to find a new favorite ship. Trying to get them to come over to Celebrity with me but it's proving harder than I anticipated. Old habits die hard, I know!

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I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with embarkation. It was very quick. Everyone that was Diamond/Platinum/Suite/FTTF all got the 11:00 (earliest) timeframe no matter when they selected it. There was one person I know of for sure that didn't do any online check in including selecting a check in time until about a week before the cruise. They had FTTF and were still able to get the 11:00AM slot. Others in our group that waited or didn't have status got the later check in times so take that for what it's worth. I know some people don't believe the early times are relegated for those that don't have to select a time, but I can tell you that was the case for our cruise. They may have a few for others (for argument's sake), but from what I have experienced not only this time but previously, I am still of the opinion that the majority of these slots are for the Priority/FTTF people. If you don't agree, fine. I'm not going to debate it.
This would totally explain why our check-in time changed automatically. We chose 11:30-12:00 back in December when they first popped up, but at the beginning of April, it changed automatically to 11:00-11:30. We have FTTF, so it would seem that your theory the earlier times are relegated to priority passenger could be true. It fits what happened to us, at least.

 

 

Going in a hot tub. I'll be honest, the thought did gross me out for the longest time, but after having my friend's bathing suit get bleached in one from the week before, I knew it was pretty well sanitized. And when I got in, the smell of chlorine was very obvious so that put my mind at ease a little. I did scrub extra good in the shower both times after. I'll be sure to post if I come down with any funky diseases. Also I only went in when it was just the few of us and maybe one other person.
I don't think I can get into a hot tub on the ship. Not because of what might be floating around in there, but because it's too hot for me. I like hot tubs when the weather is cool/cold. But I will say this, there's a slight chance that I might hop into a Serenity hot tub at night, when it's a bit cooler, with a beer or two. We'll see. ;)

 

 

This is the night I introduced my Aussie friends (affectionately referred to as just "friends" previously and also probably in the future) to a shot called "Cinnamon Toast Crunch". If you're not familiar with it, it's Rumchata and Fireball. Woooooo weeeeeee!!!!
We're going to have to try this. I really like me some RumChata, but with all that cream, I can't drink too many of them. I've tried...blah! ;p

 

Thanks for the nice review. Two very positive reviews of Glory today. Very nice to read. Six weeks and counting...six weeks too many. I want to handle this cruise differently. On our first one two years ago, we let the couple we were with take the lead since we were new and they go often. And being new to it all, we were a bit nervous to stray away from the ship. This time I want to see more of the ports of call. Explore and see what these places have to offer. The wife is still nervous about it, but it's either come with me and experience something new or chill on the ship by herself...cause I'm going bye bye! :D

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Debarkation went smooth. We were told to meet in the Golden Dining Room for Priority Self Assist at 7:15AM. We got there about 7AM and shortly thereafter Dustin came in and said Customs would be a little late clearing the ship so it would probably be 7:30AM before we could leave. On that note, sister and SIL went out to smoke. Wouldn't you know 5 min later they were letting people off. Finally they showed up and off we went. Carried all our bags and through Customs in 5 min. Summoned an Uber who was there in 2 min and we were on our way.

 

Found out once mom got cell service in the early morning that her flight to MSP was canceled due to the snow. She was due to connect through DFW and that explains why it wouldn't let me check her in the night before. So as soon as we got to the airport, I checked my bag with the Skycap just so I didn't have to lug it around (I travel with only a carry in sized suitcase and under seat bag) and mom went in to the ticket counter. No wait and walked right up. They reissued her ticket to DFW which is where she was connecting through and rescheduled her to MSP for Monday which is the first available they had going in there. My brother lives in OK so they rented a car and stayed with him for a night and I got them a hotel in DFW Sunday night due to their early flight.

 

Oh, and before I forget. Their flight to DFW left at 9:10AM. Even with stopping at the ticket counter and having it take FOREVER for the lady to redo it all after having to go away to use a different system, and my bag getting flagged for extra screening because they weren't sure if my scissors were too big, they still made it with time to spare.

 

So those that give the advice to "Not risk a flight before noon, whatever, whatever, whatever." Please stop. It is totally doable and my flights typically leave at 10AM which means I am sitting around the airport for hours. Security lines are not full first thing in the morning. They are way worse as time goes on. Just because you may be a Nervous Nellie doesn't mean others feel the same. 99.9% it is extremely possible without breaking a sweat. If something happens that causes you to come in late or an emergency, then just about any flight with the exception of evening ones could be affected. The key is to be prepared. Be prepared to carry your luggage off. Be prepared to take an Uber or taxi - do NOT take a shuttle bus. Be prepared to travel with a carry on only or check it with a Skycap and skip the ticket counter all together. Be prepared with PreCheck or even if you don't have that, make sure your pockets are empty, shoes off, etc. Don't hold up the line. Be prepared with a plan B in case there is a snafu.

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