Glory Ultra Cruise Western Caribbean Review

[jam19872016]

Hello everyone. First let me apologize for not finishing my last review. CC really threw a wrench into my plans with the prolonged downtime during the "updates". Then when it did finally come back all the pictures were missing so I ended up abandoning it not knowing if it would ever even be view able again. Even as I type this, I am not sure I will post this review but if you are reading it I have posted and am committed to seeing it through (although it will probably take a couple weeks to post completely depending on how busy things get at work).

This cruise was on October 20th and was a 7 Day Ultra casino cruise on the Carnival Glory going to the Western Caribbean. It was the same itinerary on the same ship as my Ultra cruise I went on last year. But it was not about where it was going or what ship, the only part that mattered was the Ultra which I was excited to be invited to and able to find a date that would work with my work schedule.

 

About Me:
I am 31 years old and am lucky enough to live in Florida so taking cruises is more affordable and easier to do than for many people. This was my 20th cruise, 16th time on Carnival and my second time on the Glory.

 

I am cruising this time with my good friend and frequent cruise buddy, M. She is the one who got me into cruising.

 

I mentioned that this was an "Ultra" cruise. For those who don't live in the casino, an Ultra cruise is a special event held in the casino that select high rollers are invited to. Oh, and I got an invite also. Carnival's casino comp program is a mystery to say the least but in general their invite process goes like this:

 

Earn 7,500 points in a rolling 12 month period and get an invite to a "Premiere" cruise. 

 

A premiere invite comes with priority boarding, a small discount (very small, like about $40) or a free room for high rollers. It also comes with freeplay ($200-$1000 depending on your gambling history), a drink card for you and a guest as well as many special drawings in the casino intended to keep you in the casino as much as possible. 

 

Earn 7,500 points on a single Premiere cruise and get an invite to the Ultra cruise.

 

An Ultra comes with all of the above, but usually no cash. Instead it comes with a guaranteed prize starting at $300 freeplay and going up in value from there. More on that later. It also has many more drawings including a drawing for $2000 freeplay every night at 12:30 AM. Needless to say, sleep will not be a priority on this cruise.

 

I took one premiere during the eligibility period and did so horribly that I simply stopped playing. I came nowhere near the stated requirement for an invite (not even 10% of the requirement) but I was not too worried since I did not plan on going anyway. Traditionally Ultras are held in November and December which are very hard to get off from work. I begged for the time off last year for the novelty of saying I went on one, but had no plans to do so again.

 

I was very happy when I got an invite anyway and they had cruises this time in October. The two to choose from were the Horizon on 10/6 and Glory on 10/20. I really wanted to do the Horizon but landed on the Glory for two reasons. One was pricing. Natuarally the Horizon was quite a bit more expensive and the budget was tight at the time (this was after I blew through more than double my budget on Epic) and secondly M had a trip to Europe in September and the dates were a little too close together.

 

I will have lots of information about the Ultra as I go which may not be helpful for the current round since they are pretty much all over but hopefully for anyone taking one in the future it will provide some idea what to expect.
 

For those interested in a full review, I am sorry to say this review will be a bit light. I usually have a lot more to say but this cruise quickly turned into a 24/7 gambling fest and as such there is not a whole lot else to report. Hands down I spent more time in the casino this cruise than I ever have before. If I wasn't playing, I was watching M play. 

 

It felt good. I've had no real allotted gambling money since March so I've had to watch every penny I played. I earned two free cruises from my trip on NCL (including my upcoming MSC New Years cruise to Cuba) so I can swallow it as an investment, but its been a rough half year in the casino for me.

 

This time I had a good budget built up plus a winning trip last month on the Liberty where I was up a couple hundred for the week. I have only left with Carnival's money 4 times. Twice was on 3 day cruises on the Liberty where I did not play much. Once was a 7 day where I didn't play much. I've only left up with a good amount of play one time and that was on my Ultra cruise last year. I was hopeful I could do it again - and prepared to blow a lot of money if that was not the case.
 

[jam19872016]

Day 1: Embarkation - Miami

 

The day was finally here - cruise day. I'm still working at getting M to get to the port earlier. I mean we have priority for gosh sake why not use it . M gets bored easily when there is nothing to do but my philosophy has always been that I would rather be doing nothing on a cruise ship, than doing nothing at her house. Today we really needed that extra time, there were a lot of headaches and I would say what ended up being a great cruise certainly got off to a very bad start.

 

We used Safe Cruise Parking and the service was a little slow but all in all I would recommend them. There are cheaper alternatives, but I have had enough unpleasant parking experiences in Miami that I am willing to pay a little more for a company I have used before and continues to be reliable. There are also more expensive options which would likely provide quicker service but I felt like they provided a happy medium on price and reliability. M would prefer the bargain basement route so YMMV.

 

My first glimpse of the Glory.

 

 

 

The porters were once again very aggressive about taking our luggage. They told us we had to check our bags and we once again said we never do. They have upped their game and said the policy was just changed. This probably would have worked with most people but I held firm and told them no, we would be carrying our own luggage on.

 

The next hurdle came from security. I carry a box fan with me and I've been on a good streak with not being questioned about it but it usually goes something like this. 

 

You can't bring this.

 

Yes I can, fans are allowed.

 

It's too big it's not allowed.

 

I always do and it is allowed, can you get a supervisor.

 

Supervisor waves me through.

 

This time the supervisor did not wave me through. I was pulling up the TOC on Carnival's website which says:

 

"Electrical devices such as fans, power strips, multi plug box outlets/adaptors, and extension cords (without surge protectors) are allowed on board when used with proper caution.  However, if such devices are determined to pose a hazard, they will be removed and returned the last day of the cruise prior to debark."

 

No mention is made of the size. Obviously it needs to fit through the scanner, and it does. While I was pulling this up someone came by and waved us on. The fan continues on with us, but why do so many people insist there is some rule about the size of the fan?

 

Also, once again, M boarded with a purse full of water (it really was water) without anyone batting an eye. Top notch security team they got here lol!
 

[jam19872016]

I booked a room on the Riviera deck (Deck 1) and was later able to upgrade to Deck 10 (Panorama). I got another offer to upgrade to a balcony but M's finances were a little tight and honestly we didn't use it much last time so we declined. I am very very thankful of that decision.

 

 

Our Ultra sign on the door.

 

 

Now you may be wondering why I call Robert, M. Shouldn't her name start with an M? Isn't Robert a man's name? Last year her name was not on the sign at all, this year her name is Robert. I have no idea who Robert is or how his named ended up on our sign but this was not a good omen.

.

I added M's name as the second person later, and confirmed with my PVP at Carnival that I could still add her and she would be part of the Ultra events since she also had an invite to the Ultra. She said it was no problem so I did not add her right away because we were not sure would be able to go so close from coming back from her Europe trip. I felt very confident having used her many times before and knowing that she specialized in casino bookings.
 

[jam19872016]

I have amassed a handful of branded items either through the casino or for being platinum. I am always thankful for a gift but some have been more useful to me than others. The most useful was from my Ultra cruise last year. 

 

 

 

I use it to keep water cold when I go ashore and also to stockpile the drinks at cocktail parties  Basically I am super happy with it and on a recent trip to Honduras I had a local beg and plead that I give it to him as a gift. Ummm, no way. 

 

My welcome gift this year.

 

 

 

They took my best gift, and made it even better. The opening on the old one was small enough that it was not practical pouring your drink into but the opening is much wider on this one. It also came with a handle for easier transporting. I guess I could have given that guy my other one but I doubt I will ever see him again.

[jam19872016]

The time for you to pick up your Ultra prize was printed on the back of the drink card in your room. M's card did not indicate a time. Uh oh. This meant that she was not booked properly as an Ultra invite but rather as my guest. We were both a little hungry but went to the casino to try and get this sorted out.

 

First we walked around the casino to see what slots they had. M's favorite was a game called Sinbad that she found on here last year and hasn't seen since. We did not see it and later learned it had been removed the cruise before ours. Bummer.

 

My first and I believe only Funship of the cruise. I am getting to where I don't like really sweet drinks.

 

 

 

There were a lot of people waiting in line to speak with the host. It seemed a lot of people were having problems. Diana was our executive host on board for the Ultra and Kumbu was her assistant but left midway through the cruise. I think he was just there to help with all the first day snafus they knew they were going to have. We spoke to Kumbu who was able to see on his computer that she did in fact have the offer but Diana would fix it on her computer since his was just a backup computer. He also said there was nothing he could do about the magnet with the wrong name. He told us to come back in a little bit and Diana would have it fixed.

 

We headed up to Lido for a bite to eat, except everything was closing for Muster. When they say food service will shut down at 3, they don't mess around. I almost always skip breakfast the first day and was so very very glad that I didn't today since I would not be eating lunch today!

 

Once muster was over we sat in the library for a few minutes to let the crowd thin. I can appreciate that technically sail away did not start until after muster, but it was so close that I still ended up missing the start of it. Sail away in Miami is gorgeous and really is the only thing that makes it worthwhile to add the extra travel time to port since I live so close to Port Canaveral. What I did capture was still amazing and the weather could not have been any better.
 

[jam19872016]

Sail away.

 

 

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

Sail away cont.

 

 

 

[momof3cruisers]

Well I for one, will never qualify for a casino cruise as my gambling budget or tolerance level on a cruise is usually about $40. Lol

 

However, I am finding your review very interesting and hope you continue with it. You're doing a great job so far! You have a very nice writing style and add a good amount of detail.

[jam19872016]

While I went to sail away, M went to the deli for something to eat. I was going to meet up with her at the Ultra cocktail party but it was over so quick since I'd missed so much that I ended up going to the deli for a bite as well.

 

Sail away party on Lido.

 

 

 

I may be in the minority, but I love the new deli menu. I first experienced it on the Glory last year and think it is a huge improvement over the old selections. I just wanted a small bite to eat so I would have room for appetizers at the cocktail party so I ordered the tomato and mozzarella.

 

 

 

I'm not sure if I was just super hungry or what, but this sandwich was amazing. I meant to order it again to confirm but I was too busy eating other things. And living in the casino.

 

I could be wrong because I did not notice it until after the cruise but I don't think the sandwiches are premade anymore. I know for sure they were not sitting out on the shelves as they have been on previous cruises but perhaps they are just premade somewhere out of sight? Either way, I enjoyed the deli a lot during this cruise.
 

[jam19872016]

I've been on a handful of these special cruises and don't always read the letters they leave in the room. I just sorta assume everything will be the same and do what I have always done. The cocktail party has always been held in the comedy club so I made my way there only to discover an empty lounge.

 

We made our way back to the casino to find out and saw it was already open. I guess because we left early we were able to open early. We found out the party was in the main theater instead of the aft lounge. This should have set off a warning alarm but at the time it did not.

 

We checked on M's situation with Diana and she had no clue what we were talking about. Wow. So we explained it again and she pulled up some stuff on her computer. She said the promotion ended in June and M was added in September so therefore not part of the Ultra as an invite but instead as a guest. I explained that my PVP said she would be able to be added and asked me who my PVP was so I gave her her first name. 

 

She perked up and called her by her full name so I was happy that she was obviously well known by the casino peeps in Miami. She told us she normally calls to have things like that arranged and she didn't and asked if we could provide the email confirmation from her. She even let us use the casino computer to access my email. But somehow I had deleted the email. I don't know how that happened, I never delete anything until I know I will not need it anymore. She said she would keep working on it and to check back in with her.

 

Needless to say this was not a great start to the cruise. We had been in one line or another since we boarded trying to get this fixed. We were getting the run around and M was not a happy camper. She said if they don't fix this it will ruin her whole cruise. I tried to tell her not to think like that but she wasn't having it. She said if it was the other way around I would be acting the same way. I don't think she is right but I hope that I never find out.
 

[jam19872016]

We made our way to the cocktail party and OMG there were people everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

I've heard horror stories before about how crowded Premiers and especially Ultras are, but I've never really felt they were much busier than a regular cruise. This casino was PACKED! 

 

Food service was slow and drink service was non existent. I finally walked up to a waiter to get a drink. Once the initial rush died down it did get better and I actually ended up with too many drinks. I put one in my new "water" bottle and took one with me. I never wanted for drinks all week and both ended up being poured out when it was time to disembark.

 

The first drawing of the week was held at the end of the reception. It was the Snowball Raffle. They start out with $100 freeplay and draw a name. Everyone who is a part of the Ultra has their name in the barrel and if the person called is not present then the money rolls over to the next day's jackpot which is usually $200 to start out with each day's starting jackpot being $100 higher plus any money that rolls over. There were no rollovers this cruise.

 

In addition to that, wristbands were handed out and if our name was called and we were wearing the wristband, we would win an extra $50 freeplay. They called a name and of course the person was there (I think the whole ship was there, more than you ever see in the theater for the shows for sure). Then they did their normal spiel where they ask if they should draw another name. We of course say yes, and they always say they will.....tomorrow. But this time they kept calling. I think they called about five or six names in total and helped to set the tone that they would be giving out a lot of prizes this cruise!
 

[jam19872016]

Once the cocktail party was over we headed to the casino because hey, that's what we're here for right? We both ordered a drink and the server returned to ask M if she wanted to upgrade to a double shot for $3 more. Ummm she is supposed to have free drinks but the server said it was not in the system. He went to find a host. A host came and all was fixed, her DOU was in the system and she was now added to the ultra as an invitee and would get to pick a large prize. I was very relieved that worked itself out and pretty quickly. 

 

The next drawing in the casino was "Shoot To Win". This event was held at 8, 10, and 11. Each one lasted about 30 minutes.

 

Two people were called and each would shoot baskets and whoever got the most in would win I think it was $250 freeplay and the other person would win $100 freeplay. And don't forget about the extra $50 freeplay for wearing your wristband. They would then call another two people and another for about 30 minutes. 

 

This was the scene, all drawings were very crowded.

 

 

 

I left the casino and came in the other side so that I could be a little closer and actually see what was going on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With all the drawings the only time we would make dinner was after this drawing. I told M I wouldn't mind missing dinner if she wasn't ready to leave. That set a precedent for the week and we actually did not attend the MDR for dinner once this cruise, but I have no regrets. The dining room isn't as special as it used to be. That is not a complaint, I enjoy the food its just that I've been there done that now a few times it is truly a wonderful problem to have. Most nights we just ate at lido or the deli.

[jam19872016]

Turn down tonight included a towel animal which we have not had the first night for a couple cruises.

 

 

 

 

 

That was a nice touch, but I had a bit of a bad taste in my mouth after our introduction. I don't know if it is because I am platinum but I have never had a room steward try to insinuate I could choose am or pm service. In fact on my last cruise when I chose pm only he asked if I was sure. But for the first time I was asked to choose am or pm. I said both and it was not a problem but it was weird to have it presented that way. When I cruise alone or with my mom once is enough, but after choosing once one time with M, we learned we absolutely need twice a day service. Ironically, we were never awake in time for am service after the first day so maybe we don't really need twice a day.

[jam19872016]

I had a long day and I am sad to say that after the 10 pm drawing, I laid down for a nap. I was not sure how that would work I mean who takes a nap at 10 pm? I set the phone for a 12:15 wake up call so I would not miss the final drawing at 12:30 for $2000 freeplay. I felt much much better when I got back up and I had no further old man episodes all week .

 

We stayed in the casino until about 2:30 and then I made a late night pizza run. Lido deck was deserted at this point.

 

 

 

 

The line for pizza at 2:33 in the morning.

 

 

 

This would be the earliest pizza run of the week.

 

We ate our pizza and then turned in for the night. This was a very rough start to the cruise but I am happy to say it was all uphill from here. 

[jam19872016]

21 minutes ago, momof3cruisers said:

Well I for one, will never qualify for a casino cruise as my gambling budget or tolerance level on a cruise is usually about $40. Lol

 

However, I am finding your review very interesting and hope you continue with it. You're doing a great job so far! You have a very nice writing style and add a good amount of detail.

 

I consider gambling an entertainment expense  $40 can go very fast when the machines are not hitting lol. Its all for fun though and one should never gamble more than they can afford or tolerate hehe.

 

Thanks for the kind words, glad you like it and I am gonna see this review through. As a reader it's been tough to adjust to this new format, but as a poster I am finding it to be easier (as I learn at least).

[samiam0403]

Following along! Great Ultra review so far - looking forward to reading more! I just booked my first Ultra for next April, so this sneak preview is fantastic. 

[CruiseMomTX]

Following along also!  We just booked our first 2 Ultras both in March and both on the Vista.

[jam19872016]

18 hours ago, CruiseMomTX said:

Following along also!  We just booked our first 2 Ultras both in March and both on the Vista.

 

Got mine booked today 

 

23 hours ago, samiam0403 said:

Following along! Great Ultra review so far - looking forward to reading more! I just booked my first Ultra for next April, so this sneak preview is fantastic. 

 

I will be there with you! Just got booked on the Sunshine. Glad I had my PVP place a hold on a room for me before I officially got my offer, by the time I got home from work it was all sold out. I have a feeling the casino is going to be jam packed for our cruise! See you there!

[sc4125]

I was on this cruise as an Ultra with you.  It was my first Ultra, but I have been on several Premier cruises.  I could not believe how crowded this one was.  I was lucky enough to be called to play one of the games - the one where you roll the dice & have that many spins unless you hit the bull - I actually won $500 which was great.  My poor sister who usually is the lucky one was there for every drawing & was never called.

 

I also won the Samsung Galaxy - I will be having to purchase a cell phone as I'm retiring and losing my work cell so this was the best prize I could have won.  My sister won the Apple watch - she has an Apple phone so she's happy.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.  BTW very lucky that they got everything taken care of for M.  They are usually real sticklers when it comes to booking after their "book by xxx" date.

[jam19872016]

13 hours ago, sc4125 said:

I was on this cruise as an Ultra with you.  It was my first Ultra, but I have been on several Premier cruises.  I could not believe how crowded this one was.  I was lucky enough to be called to play one of the games - the one where you roll the dice & have that many spins unless you hit the bull - I actually won $500 which was great.  My poor sister who usually is the lucky one was there for every drawing & was never called.

 

I also won the Samsung Galaxy - I will be having to purchase a cell phone as I'm retiring and losing my work cell so this was the best prize I could have won.  My sister won the Apple watch - she has an Apple phone so she's happy.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.  BTW very lucky that they got everything taken care of for M.  They are usually real sticklers when it comes to booking after their "book by xxx" date.

Agree it was very very crowded. I've never been in such a crowded casino before. I hope they iron that out before the spring Ultras, but I won't count on it. They made a TON of money with every seat occupied like that.

 

The drawings were amazing. Sorry to hear about your sister not getting called. It seems like there are always a couple people who get called again and again. I am happy to report that was me and M! It was crazy how many times they kept picking both us. I would hate us if I was anyone else lol.

 

My PVP came highly recommended as a miracle worker who specializes in casino bookings. Having used her for a while I can confirm the hype around her so I had no doubt if she said she could do it, she could do it. But that didn't mean I wasn't mortified when it looked like it wasn't gonna happen. Not to mention all the horror stories I've heard with communication between OPC in Miami and the folks on the ship when somebody is not on the list for something they should have received. It got sorted out very quick and it was amazing how much the host's whole tone changed when I told her who I booked with. My PVP is worth her weight in gold 

 

I was very happy with my ultra gift...more on that later.

 

Thanks for reading along.

[silvercrikhix]

Thanks for sharing your Ultra Cruise experience. 

Inquiring minds want to know...

great so far! 

[CruiseMomTX]

19 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

Agree it was very very crowded. I've never been in such a crowded casino before. I hope they iron that out before the spring Ultras, but I won't count on it. They made a TON of money with every seat occupied like that.

 

The drawings were amazing. Sorry to hear about your sister not getting called. It seems like there are always a couple people who get called again and again. I am happy to report that was me and M! It was crazy how many times they kept picking both us. I would hate us if I was anyone else lol.

 

My PVP came highly recommended as a miracle worker who specializes in casino bookings. Having used her for a while I can confirm the hype around her so I had no doubt if she said she could do it, she could do it. But that didn't mean I wasn't mortified when it looked like it wasn't gonna happen. Not to mention all the horror stories I've heard with communication between OPC in Miami and the folks on the ship when somebody is not on the list for something they should have received. It got sorted out very quick and it was amazing how much the host's whole tone changed when I told her who I booked with. My PVP is worth her weight in gold 

 

I was very happy with my ultra gift...more on that later.

 

Thanks for reading along.

Don't keep us waiting too long! lol  And would love to change to your PVP.

[jam19872016]

On 12/7/2018 at 11:17 PM, silvercrikhix said:

Thanks for sharing your Ultra Cruise experience. 

Inquiring minds want to know...

great so far! 

Thank you!

 

On 12/8/2018 at 4:09 PM, CruiseMomTX said:

Don't keep us waiting too long! lol  And would love to change to your PVP.

 

Got some more I'm gonna post now. I would love to share my PVP with you, but CC rules are kinda funny and I don't know if I will end up in the naughty chair for doing so. At your next Ultra, ask some other ultra people and if a name comes up several times - that is probably her. And if it's not, well they are probably pretty good too lol.

[jam19872016]

Ship Tour:

 

These were all taken on my cruise on the Glory last year. But nothing has really changed in a year and the only difference was this cruise was decorated for Halloween in the lobby.

 

Decks 1 and 2 are guest cabins.

 

 

 

 

Moving up to the 3rd deck all the way forward is the Amber Palace which is the main show theater.

 

 

 

I liked the different colored tiles.

 

 

 

There is a fun hub terminal just outside the lobby.

 

 

 

Shore excursion desk.

 

[jam19872016]

My favorite outside spot, located just off the main lobby but usually very quiet.

 

 



 

The Colors Lobby

 

 

 

 

Guest Services.