Glory Review 5/29 to 6/4

[hcs81m]

Background; I am a single male in my thirties. I am a big guy (6'4" 275 pounds) and I eat a lot of food. I did not have plans to do much on this trip other than to spend some time with my family and get some much needed rest.

 

The focal point of this trip was that my cousin was getting married and there were approximately 40 friends and relatives on the cruise.

 

This was my 6th cruise. Prior to this trip I sailed on the following vessels:

 

Majesty of the Seas

Carnival Paradise

Golden Princess

Pride of Hawaii

Oosterdam

 

I shared a cabin with my mother and sister (8457) extended balcony aft.Staff:Our cabin steward was from Bali (Suime)and he was terrific.

 

The staff on this vessel worked hard and made a point to learn the names of the guest and personally greet us whenever possible. With the exception of a few incidents, I was extremely pleased with the crew of the Glory.

 

Room:

 

The room was smaller than I expected (but adequate) and like several other areas of the ship it appears that it needs updating. The balcony was very wide and spacious and could accommodate 4 people easily (small table, 2 chairs and 2 chaise lounges). However, the balcony was not as deep as I thought it would be. Most of the depth is not usable due to the slanted railings. I spent many nights after dinner sitting on the balcony listening to music, it was very relaxing. My mother and aunts and uncles also enjoyed sitting out on the deck. I don’t think I would book the same room again as soot would sometimes blow down from smoke stack. I got soaked with water one day (it was not raining) and I have no idea where it came from. There were also constant chair scrapping noises from above and a strong and continuous vibration in the cabin throughout the cruise.

[hcs81m]

5/29

 

We arrived at pier by charter bus at 12:30 PM. I placed my suitcases on the luggage racks by the bus. I had also packed a rolling duffel bag with 12 bottles of water and 24 bottles of soda. I read on these boards that you had to carry soda on, but it was very heavy and I had my briefcase to carry. I tracked down a porter and asked if I could check the soda bag and he said “no problem”. I gave him a cash tip, he took the soda and the bag, which was waiting outside our door as soon as we returned from lunch. The other bags arrived a few hours later after we returned from the safety (muster drill).

 

Embarkation:

 

There was a long line to enter the building, a line to go through security and a relatively short line to get the sail and sign cards. We elected a cash deposit and after we received our sail and sign cards, we were advised we had 24 hours to make the initial cash deposit to our account.

 

After receiving our cards, we had to wait for our zone number to be called. At 2pm we were still waiting for our number to be called, but we were allowed to board shortly thereafter.

 

We set our bags in the room and proceed directly to level 9 (Lido) for lunch. Lunch was excellent, very fresh and the food was tasty. I tried the mongolian grill, very good but spicy. I sampled baked chicken, roast beef and salad. Ice tea and lemonade were available at all meals except breakfast which served apple and orange juices.

 

Safety/Muster:

 

We were not required to bring a life jacket. Station G was indoors with no air Condition, little ventilation and it was very hot. There was supposed to be a crew member to show people how to put on their life jackets, while a voice on the loud speaker gave instructions, however, there was only one crew member in sight who was managing the crowd and did not have vest with her.

 

Dinner

 

We had a nice table near a window at the back of the ship.We were seated at 8:15 and at 9:00 no appetizers or food had been served. Bar service took approx 25 minutes on first two nights, but it got better as the cruise progressed.

 

The food the first night was way above average. Shrimp cocktail for an appetizer. Second Course they offered lasagnaentree in a small portion (starter) Southern Fried chicken (excellent) and Crème Brule (highly recommended).

 

After dinner we went to guest services and placed cash on account, no lines and the transaction took less than five minutes.

[spideyfam]

soot would sometimes blow down from smoke stack. I got soaked with water one day (it was not raining) and I have no idea where it came from.

 

 

Both of these things have happened to us. With the soot, they looked hard, but the second you touch them, the turn to powder.

 

With the water, not sure where that came from either. Maybe they were washing a deck up above? Maybe it rained the night before and the wind is blowing it around?

 

Thank you for posting a review and I am looking forward to reading more.

[hcs81m]

5/30

 

I slept late today (10:00 AM) and sat on the balcony until lunch time.

 

I ate lunch at the Lido buffet was very good. There was a Jamaican theme and I sampled peas and rice, jerk chicken, shrimpand calamari fritters and carved to order veal roast.

 

After lunch I hit the casino won a few dollars on the black jack tables. I tried my hand at the slot machines and was down $40.OO until my quarter machine hit for a 100 dollar payout. I cashed it out and ran.

 

Dinner

 

Formal night (first of two)Stuffed mushrooms(2) Lobster tail and shrimp broccoli and mash potatoes (out of this world)Prime rib onion rings baked potato (very good)Apple pastry with caramel sauce and ice cream (just ok).

 

(Show time) The wait staff provided entertainment and dancing every night. Tonight if you were seated next to a beautiful woman you had to stand up and sing "that's amore" and ask her to dance.

 

The meal on this night was outstanding. I went to the comedy show at 10:45 but it was full so I went back to the casino and made a quick 35 dollars (5 dollar bets) in 15 mins and walked away.

 

The comedy show at 11:45 PM: This was the adult show, the comedian had a few zingers but overall was not very funny, he seemed unprepared and kept looking at his watch almost as if he had run out of jokes.

 

5/31

 

I woke up at 7:30 AM to prepare my clothes for dry cleaning pick upTip: don't worry about clothes getting wrinkled in your suitcase. The press only service was very reasonable.

 

I had nice breakfast on the lido deck with family.

 

Today we found seafood station on level 10 for lunch. Excellent fried fish and chips, fried oysters and calamari/shrimp fritters and bouillabaisse soup. Tip: try to go to this station on the first few days. As more people discovered this lunch option, the lines became longer.

 

I tried ice cream station on deck 9 near the pool for dessert, it was also very good.

 

The same day cleaning was returned at 4:15 PM (men’s 2 piece suit and dress shirt) and the bill should have been 21 dollars including the 50 percent surcharge for same day service. I checked my account on the TV screen and I was charged $40.00. Here’s the kicker, someone else’s shirt was in my package. At home this may have bothered me, but I knew the staff would take care of it and they did, guest services quickly fixed the bill and my cabin steward came and returned the shirt to the laundry.

 

Dinner

 

Black Bean Soup

Flat Iron Steak (always on the menu and very good)

Teriaki short RibsChocolate melting cake (Very good, very rich, I could barely finish it).

 

I met a new friend for a drink near the casino to chat and watch the NBA championship. I showed her the machine I was lucky on and she won 70 dollars within five minutes of sitting in front of the machine.

[LBumb]

great job

[hcs81m]

6/1 Half Moon Cay

 

The ship rocked the previous night and there was rain and a thunderstorm. There was also a lot of vibration in our cabin. I could feel it in my bed. I slept late and had lunch at 11:30 in the Lido cafe. Only the main serving stations were open due to us being in port.Some of the selections were pot roast, oven fried fish, carved ham, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, salads

 

I took the tender to half moon cay. This is a beautiful port. The beach was clean and the water was clear and warm. We did not stay long as the family wedding started at 3:30pm.

 

The wedding ceremony was beautiful. The Glory has a nice chapel on the 4th deck and I was astonished at how reasonable the charge was for the wedding and reception. The reception was in the white hot lounge, which doubles as a dance club in the evenings. The carnival staff was very professional and hosted a tremendous wedding event.

 

Dinner:

 

I did not have my normal appetite at dinner due to the afternoon wedding reception. The potato soup was just ok, seafood newburg (ok). Center pork chop(very good) and a scoop of pineapple sherbet (excellent)

 

I was too tired to watch the magic show, but I heard it was good. I sat on the balcony for 2 hours listening to music and watching the waves before going to sleep.

 

6/2

 

I was up at 9 AM and went to breakfast: oatmeal, eggs, ham, and eggs benedict.

 

We took a taxi to downtown Freeport (beach, casino and straw market) which is 5 dollars per person. The taxi drivers were very informative, personable and shared aspects of island life. They informed us that a gallon of gas is 5 dollars USD, a gallon of milk is 7.50 USD, and if you want to travel to Nassau, it is a 9 hour trip on the Bahamian mail services boat (which offer passenger services) or a short plane ride which tends to be more expensive and restrictive on the amount of goods and luggage you can bring.

 

After making a 20 dollar donation to the casino, I shopped for about an hour at the straw market.

 

Lunch in lido: Hot dog( excellent with great condiments) veal parm, baked fish in wine cream sauce (excellent)

 

I took a long afternoon nap, but there was a lot of vibration in the room.

 

DinnerCaptains Night (Formal)-

 

As a contrast to there first night, the appetizers were consumed and dinner was served a few minutes before 9.

 

Maryland Corn Chowder

Shrimp Cocktail

Grilled Jumbo Shrimp

Chateaubriand (dry not nearly as good as the flat iron steak that is always available)

Amaretto Cake with almonds/ vanilla ice cream

 

The potatoes that came with the entrees were excellent. The Shrimp werepretty good, they were served with a tomato sauce potatoes and Cauliflower. Two of us requested the Chateaubriand to be cooked medium. and we were advised that they only had medium rare or medium well. I went with medium well which appeared to be well done and tough. The amaretto cake was good but it was a little dry and had the consistency of a brownie.

 

I gave the serving staff an extra 20 cash tonight because despite the delays on the first few nights, the attention to detail, and friendly service warranted additional recognition.

 

6/3

 

I started the morning on the cabin deck watching the waves roll by. I went to lunch at noon with my family. The Mongolian grill had a long line so I settled for hot dogs, a small piece of mahi mahi, curry chicken and carved roast beef. For dessert there were banana fritters with vanilla sauce and a chocolate buffet, which included chocolate sushi, home made chocolate fudge, free milkshakes etc.

 

I watched my cousin and his new bride on the newlywed game and it was hilarious. The husbands had to do a Chippendales routine for their wives at the end and the pictures are priceless.

 

Dinner:

crab cakes (starter and very good)

Chicken mushroom fettuccine appetizer portion (one of the best dishes on the cruise)

Prime rib (very fatty but good)

Planko crusted jumbo shrimp (fried)

Chocolate melting cake with ice cream (You have to try this)

 

I went straight back to the room to pack as the bags out by midnight.

 

6/4

 

Since we had to catch a charter bus, the entire group was given priority tags and debarkation was quick and painless.I really enjoyed the staff, the food, and the relaxing atmosphere Carnival provided. Carnival will be at the top of my list for my next cruise, but I think I will try a newer ship or one that has been refurbished. I think my aunt said it perfectly when she said, “Carnival may not be the fanciest cruise line on the sea, but if you are looking for great service and great food, Carnival is always the way to go.

[redcruzer]

"The wedding ceremony was beautiful. The Glory has a nice chapel on the 4th deck"

 

 

The Glory has a wedding chapel??? Is this new??

[nybumpkin]

"The wedding ceremony was beautiful. The Glory has a nice chapel on the 4th deck"

 

 

The Glory has a wedding chapel??? Is this new??

It's probably the Green Room. I've seen it decorated for a wedding and it really looks nice.