Glory Review 3/5/05

[BostonAtty]

Glory Review 3/5/05

 

 

General - What a great trip! On Saturday morning my girlfriend and I made the trek from Orlando to the Port. We used Avis, and dropped the car off at the Canaveral office. We quickly caught the shuttle to the ship, and it was painless. Embarkation went as smooth as one could expect with so many folks trying to get on at the same time. I’d guess we were on board by 12:30. I did have a problem with my sign and sail card, so I had to exchange it at the Purser’s Office. We grabbed lunch on Lido (Red Sail Restaurant), and then proceeded to find our cabin.

 

 

Cabin - We were in cabin 6250 (inner), which is on Deck Six (Upper), forward. I knew going in that we would be above the Amber Lounge (main showroom). Noise could be heard when music was played, but it wasn’t anything that was awful. I am a light sleeper, so I brought earplugs. You may also hear some applause during a show, so if you are in this area and sleep lightly, earplugs may be a nice thing to have. We found it to have just enough space for the two of us.

 

 

Dining Room Seating - If you want to request a seating change, be sure to go to the Golden Dining room to find the Maitre’D, even if you will be sitting in the Platinum. We requested a table for two, and got it with no problem (I didn’t offer him a tip until after he changed it, so flashing cash isn’t necessary). The Platinum Dining Room is somewhat difficult to find at first. You have to go all the way to the back of the ship on Deck 5, then go down to Deck 3. I suggest you walk it out once you get on the ship, and it will be a piece of cake.

 

 

Food - The food in the Red Sail was good (not great, but not too shabby either), and the food in the dining room was very good. Our waiter in the dining room was mediocre at best, while his assistant (Marlon) was top—notch. Our cabin steward, Henrry, was very nice and did great work with our disaster of a cabin.

 

 

Entertainment - As far as the entertainment, there was a lot of it. By far we had the most fun in the Cinn-A-Bar (piano bar). Darin, the performer, is unbelievable and he can really bring the crowd to life. By the second night, you got to know “the regulars” who would be in there as well. If you check him out and like his work, ask for his CD. He finally told us on the last night that he had one.

 

 

Carlo Lombard was the Cruise Director, and he was OK. He seemed like a really nice guy, but was awkward at times. We found one of the Social Hosts, Butch, to be much better at hosting events and such. The two “Las Vegas” type shows were pretty good. The first dealt with different types of American culture, while the second celebrated Broadway. As you probably know, they break up the ship into “Red”, “White”, and “Blue” teams. Each team earns points by winning various events around the ship, and they announce the standings at dinner each night. Although it may sound cheesy, it made things a little more fun and got people talking to each other. We made it to two of the three “R-Rated” comedian shows, and they were good for some laughs. We liked Michael Macy the best.

 

 

 

Well. I know I could write a lot more, but I don’t want to bore anyone! So, if you have any questions, let me know and I will answer the best I can!!!

[BostonAtty]

I forgot to add that it was very rocky during the last two nights! First time in three cruises that I had to reach for the Bonine. It actually made things a little exciting :)

[OCruisers]

Thanks for the review!

 

What did you do in the ports ... anything special?

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[estherhead]

Did you go to the Martini bar at all? I saw in the brochure there was one and my bil is very excited. Just wondered.

[BostonAtty]

Thanks for the review!

 

What did you do in the ports ... anything special?

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

 

We actually did a little of everything in each port, so I will take them port by port.

 

Nassau: We were never really sure what we wanted to do here, so we booked an excursion at the last minute over the cabin television (Off topic for a moment. We loved how you could book the excursions over the television, as well as being able to keep track of your Sign and Sail account). We booked the combination city tour/zoo excursion. Basically it started off with a nice little tour of the city, which led us to the zoo that has the Flamingo show. The show was cute, and there were some interesting animals at the zoo (a couple of large Jaguars, and a big boar which was uncaged, sleeping right where people walk; a great photo op to be sure). After the zoo, the tour continued with more sights of Nassau. We were dropped at the port, and decided to look at some shops since we had time before the ship left. Unfortunately, a decent number of shops were closed due to the fact that it was Sunday. This was our least anticipated port, but it turned out to be nice.

 

St. Thomas: We had decided a while back that we wanted to try out the "mini-boats." Basically, you take these small motor boats for a nice ride along the southern portion of the island en route to a "deserted island." The bus ride across the island was stunning, and the hills make for an exciting ride. Once there, you get a quick tutorial on how to "captain" the boats, some sights you will see, and who to follow. This was such a fun excursion! You go for approximately 3 miles before you get to the island. You get some outstanding views, and a great ride. Once there, you jump out for some snorkeling. Let me tell you, the fish come right up to you and there are a lot of them. After about 1/2 hour of snorkeling, we made our way back to the little harbor. Then, it was rum punch time! :) Then, it was back to the port. We then proceeded to head up to Paradise Point for sunset. I will try and get some pictures up of the Glory, as well as two other ships leaving right around sunset. Breathtaking is not a strong enough word. The guy who runs the gift shop is from my hometown (Boston), so we had a nice talk about the Red Sox. If you are a Sox fan, ask him to show you his hidden messages. (Not for Yankees fans!) :) ;)

 

St. Maarten - For this island, we decided on the Golden Eagle Catamaran. Picture-perfect weather! Although we left at 8:30, the rum punch was definitely flowing! On this excursion, you take an hour and fifteen minute catamaran ride to another deserted island to do some snorkeling. Along the way, the Captain points out all the sights. The crew on this boat was fantastic, as were our fellow guests. We met a lot of great people from all parts of the country. Anyway, the beach on the island was superb, while the snorkeling was only OK. Hey, it was over 80 degrees, sunny, and I wasn't in Boston, so who cares if I only saw a few fish? After a good hour or so on the beach, we returned to some dance music, more rum, and champange. After we got back to port, we dropped our beach stuff off in the cabin and walked downtown. It wasn't too long of a walk, but if people have physical limitations, they may want a cab (you will get offers for a cab, so it isn't a problem). The shops were nice, though I am not much of a shopper.

 

I thought each excursion was very well run, and well-worth the price.

[BostonAtty]

Did you go to the Martini bar at all? I saw in the brochure there was one and my bil is very excited. Just wondered.

 

I never did stop in, but I walked by it a great deal. So yes, there is a martini bar (they kept showing the woman bartender over and over on television making one), and it sure looked like the people there were enjoying themselves. It's located across from the disco and next to the piano bar on Deck 5.

[mnsawyer]

What about disembarking? Did you do the self-assist? Would like some information on approximate times, etc.

[OCruisers]

BostonAtty .... Thanks for replying with the ports info! Especially, loved hearing about the Golden Eagle because it's been quite a while since we have been on that one. Sounds exactly the way we remember it -- not the best snorkeling BUT lots of fun! :D

 

Thanks again! Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[laurie1534]

BostonAttyThanks for the great review, we leave Saturday on the "Glory" and after all the ship problems its great to get some positive feedback.

 

We are also doing the Golden Eagle Catamaran so looks like we made a good choice there.

 

5 days and counting!!!

 

Thanks again and hope I can report back with a great review.

 

Thanks

 

Laurie :D

[flygrass]

Could you tell me ,,,did they sell Michelob Ultra on the ship ???

Thanks for the reveiw,, we will be Glory bound 4/30/05:cool:

[vaskohop]

On my June Cruise, I will be 2 rooms away on the balcony side. Can you expound on the location. Did you fel the movement of the ship more? How long do the shows go into the night that you have to worry about noise?

 

Were the elevators convenient or was it better to just take the stairs.

 

Anything else would be helpful. This is our first cruise.

 

Thanks,

Joe