Glory, Glory What A Late Review This Is- 4/16/23

[sparks1093]

I apologize for the lateness of this review but life got crazy after we got home.. There are 5 of us on this sailing- DW and I (7^th Carnival cruise), our two youngest sons (3^rd and 2^nd Carnival) and a family friend (first trip of any kind), R for this review. Both DW and R have allergies and dietary restrictions and the staff did a great job accommodating both of them. We booked this cruise to celebrate our 30^th anniversary (which was last August). We had been on Glory for our 25^th so it was good to see an old friend. We flew in the day before to spend a little time in New Orleans but were so tuckered out that we didn’t do much of anything. Used Door Dash to get some food and just chilled in the hotel. Stayed at the Comfort Inn Saint Rose both before and after the cruise. They had an airport shuttle so that’s what we used to get there when we arrived.

 

4/16/23 Embarkation

Up and to the lobby in time for our Uber, about $40 to the port. We arrived at 1045 and were checked in an seated by 11. We had priority since we had a suite for this trip and the others joined us at 1110. I can’t remember our check in time but we were a little early but they didn’t even look at that. The NO port waiting area  is well laid out and spacious and they had vending machines for drinks and a shop selling Carnival gear such as lanyards and such. Things moved quickly and I was so excited that I forgot to look at my watch but we were onboard by noon. Went to the muster station to get that out of the way and then grabbed a drink at the Atrium bar. We have Cheers this time thanks to our sons who bought it for us for our anniversary. We were in cabin 7274, the boys in 7345 (interior) and R is in 7336 (balcony). Our cabin is a spacious suite with a sitting room and a jacuzzi tub with plenty of storage. Unpacked and walked around a bit, including grabbing a bite to eat on lido and watching sail away. I don’t really have a bucket list but if I did sailing on the Mississippi would have been on it and now that is checked off. Eventually went to the Atrium and listened to Scott Lucille on guitar. Good act and he does take requests. Had early dining and went to our table, a booth for 4 with a chair at the end. I had the calamari, shrimp cocktail, braised brisket and tiramisu. DW had the tomato soup, veggie lasagna and WCMC. Food is well prepared and is very tasty and my memory tells me that it is better than our other cruises. Suraj came by for some close-up magic. R has many foods on her list that she can’t eat but is finding plenty of options for food. We sat in the cabin roughly planning the next two sea days and then went to the PG comedy of Dino Vigo. He was funny but I had the impression that the R rated show would be where he shined. Went to the Welcome Aboard show and our CD is Mike from NJ. He’s got good energy and he’s only onboard through this week and is an emergency replacement. K had a headache so we called it an early night. We all got the chat in the Hub App and it is much improved over what it used to be. I really like Glory’s new look. Our steward is Clemente and he took great care of us throughout this cruise. DW had a dress that she wanted dry cleaned, but they no longer offer dry cleaning services onboard. Boys said they stopped charging tax around midnight or so.

 

4/17 Sea Day

I’m up at 5a.m. and enjoyed a great shower. The tub provides much more room than the standard balcony shower. Had to use something to keep the dressing room door from sliding back open. Made it up to Lido at around 5:30 and the coffee was ready. Typical Carnival Lido coffee, nothing to write about (even though I kind of am). R joined me and we chatted until the buffet opened at 7:10 (20 minutes early). The ham was really delicious. Went back to the cabin at 8:30 to wake DW. Once she was up we played a couple rounds of trivia and then went to brunch. Had the brunch burger, beignets and banana cream pie. DW ordered a fresh juice and it wasn’t until it was delivered that we found out that juice is not covered under Cheers any longer. Very tasty burger and close to what a Guy’s burger is. R is really enjoying herself and likes being at sea. Went back to the cabin and put our swimwear on then spent some time up on the pool deck by the Azure pool. This is where Serenity used to be but they moved it to an upper deck. The adults only signs are still up and the area is relatively quiet. The dining room now has an app called Menu Mate that allows the staff to put in each person’s allergies and restrictions, so both girls did that to make ordering easier. Played Wheely Big Trivia then dressed for dinner. Had some photos (elegant night) taken before dinner. We had asked to be moved given the cramped nature of our table and we are now at a 10 top with some folks we had met on Legend (no accident, they had booked the cruise so we could sail together again). Our head waiter is Gordana, assisted by Mung and Victarino. Had the crab cake, shrimp cocktail, filet mignon and grand mariner souffle. DW went with stuffed mushrooms, fettucine alfredo, and key lime mousse. Show time was one of the waiters singing and we found out that he is Gordana’s husband, which was cool. Changed after dinner and browsed the Fun Shops before resting a bit before the show. Went to Motor City and it is an act we’ve seen before and this cast did well. Went to Dino’s R rated show and he wasn’t as funny as I had hoped but still good. Grabbed drinks at Alchemy and chatted. Since the Hub app allows you to order food to be delivered anywhere on the ship we decided to order pizza since we didn’t want to go up to stand in line at Pizza Pirate. You put in your location and take a picture of yourself so the staff can find you. The App allows you to give an extra tip if you choose to, no need to carry money. It took about 40 minutes for the pizza to arrive and it beat standing in line, for sure. Turned in around 2a.m.

 

4/18 Sea day

Up around 6:15 and up to Lido for coffee. Went to brunch at 9. The ladies had ordered their meals for the day the previous night through Gordana to make sure they were prepared in an area free of allergens so there wouldn’t be cross contamination. Played some trivia before going to the military appreciation gathering. There was great turnout, and the event took about an hour. Then we went to Groove for St Jude before grabbing Guy’s and Blue Iguana tacos. I chatted with the server at Guy’s and he said they go through 2000 burgers a day. Played some more trivia before getting ready for dinner. I started feeling sick so I decided not to go to dinner, which was a good decision since I did throw up. Just stayed in the cabin all night reading.

 

4/19 Jamaica

Made it through the night only being sick once more. Even though we have excursions booked I decide to stay onboard. Tied up and first passengers ashore by 7:39a.m. Our excursion (Rose Hall) is at 9:30. I called medical to let them know that I had stomach issues and they told me to come on down, I was the next contestant. They took my vitals and gave me a COVID test. Positive on vitals, negative on COVID. Had to fill out a multi-page form that includes questions about everything I had eaten for 3 or 4 days. Of course I have to isolate until the next morning. There was no charge for the visit. Went back to the cabin and read some more and slept quite a bit. I had started feeling better earlier in the day and around lunch I got hungry and ordered a turkey wrap from room service. I forgot that medical told me that if I told room service I was isolated there would be no charge. Ate about half of the wrap which was delicious. At dinner time I remembered to tell room service that I was isolated and tried to order chicken tenders, but they said medical had me on a bland diet so I could only have plain rice and grilled chicken. I asked if I could have some fresh fruit and he wasn’t sure. The order came and they were able to include the fruit. Had two pieces of chicken and a cup of plain rice. It was all quite tasty and even though I’m not a plain rice fan it was seasoned well enough that I liked it. When I signed for it there was a nominal charge on the slip, but it never made it to my onboard account. The group loved Rose Hall and I was sorry I missed it. Hung out in the cabin dozing and reading.

 

4/20 Grand Cayman

Up at 4:30 after sleeping really well. Feeling my normal self and ready to go. Grabbed coffee on Lido and a light breakfast. Went to medical at 7:50 and they took vitals and another COVID test. I didn’t have long to catch the tender for our excursion but the medic said I had to wait until 8:30 before I could leave. I really thought I was going to miss the excursion but he came in a couple minutes after 8 and told me I could go. Medical is right next to where the tender is boarded so I was on the tender at 8:05. I was nervous about missing the turtle excursion because the time for meeting was rapidly approaching. The tender docked and I wasted no time finding the check in table for the excursion. I was the last to check in and they sent someone to hold the bus, which had been boarded and was getting ready to leave. Got to the bus and was able to sit in the fold down middle seat next to my family. Whew! The turtles were really cool. They have 289 breeders and hatch eggs at the site and take eggs out to put on beaches for natural hatching. We got to touch the yearlings but they can no longer be picked up. K went for a dip after we finished walking around and then we ate the included lunch. Beans and rice, BBQ chicken, fried fish, veggies and plantains. You can also order off the menu if you choose to and want to pay for it. Walked around the gift shop a bit and then went out to wait for the bus. Got back aboard around 1:50pm. Went to the pool for a bit and then rested. When we went back to the cabin there was a letter advising that I was getting a future cruise credit of $185 for being isolated, which I thought was very nice of them and I wouldn’t have thought to ask for anything like that. (Fast forward to today, the FCC has been applied to our Mardi Gras sailing for 4/24. I called my PVP when we got home and she was glad to put it through. It took some time to go through but got the confirmation today that it did) Went down to the shore excursion desk and told them that I had been isolated and missed my excursion and was refunded for the excursion that I missed (medical had told me that I could do that). Had some pictures taken before dinner. Had the mushroom bisque, striped sea bass and fruit plate. DW had the bisque, carbonara and WCMC. Food was nicely prepared as usual and the bass was a good size and quite tasty. I can understand why people say it’s dry, although mine was just moist enough. A few more minutes under the warming lamp would have made it too dry, for sure. Put together a laundry bag, which is one of the few perks for a suite. Played trivia before going to the Epic Rock show. Too late to catch the first comedy show but caught Dave Goodman’s act and he is really funny and is now one of my favorites. Went back to the cabin and played some cards and ordered room service. The Quesada’s were really good but the tenders weren’t tender at all, even though they tasted good. It’s the only thing I ate the whole cruise that wasn’t really good.

 

4/21 Cozumel

Woke at 7a.m. While drinking coffee on Lido saw Gordana selling drinks. Went ashore at 10:15 and met up with the shore excursion folks. Our youngest stayed ashore so there were only 4 of us. Doing the Dolphin, Manatee and Sea Lion excursion. We had a great time with the dolphins and manatees. There is no shade while doing this so make sure you wear sunscreen if you choose to go. The included buffet is plentiful and decent. The fruit punch is tasty and they have Dos XX on draft, plus mixed drinks, all included in the excursion price. We decided on the photo package for 4. A single picture is $40. A package for one is $70 (includes all of the pictures of one person). A package for 4 is $220 ($55 per person). They email you a link and you are able to download your photos once you get home. We ended up getting a good number of photos so each photo only cost a few dollars each with the package. Back onboard around 2:45 and up to lido for snack and drinks. Did a speed test on DW’s internet package (she had the Social plan I think, it was the middle package of the three) and it was .5 mpbs. Hung out in Atrium until it was time to go to dinner. Had caprese salad, alligator beignets, shrimp creole and praline cake. DW had French onion soup, spaghetti (made special since she couldn’t have the lasagna due to sensitivities) and praline cake. Picked out our pictures then off to Punchliner. Watched JC Coccoli’s PG show and then Dave Goodman’s. Called it an early night.

 

4.22 Sea day

Up at 5:30 for coffee. Walked around the ship taking pictures. Played trivia at 10 before going to brunch at 11. Played some more trivia and then grabbed tags for disembarkation. Got zone 24. Went to the cabin and pre-packed a little. Played trivia all afternoon. The Captain announced an on time arrival in the morning. Went to dinner and had the fried shrimp, shrimp cocktail (in case you haven’t discerned it, I like shrimp), enchiladas, sirloin steak and baked Alaska. DW had peach soup, fried chicken and WCMC. Both entrees were very good. Maitre’d announced that there are 65 nationalities in the crew. Put the luggage out, then caught the shows before calling it an early night.

 

4.23 Disembarkation

Got up around 6 and had coffee on Lido before waking DW up to get out of the cabin by 8. We found a table on Lido and hung out until our zone was called at around 9:05. Got in line for Customs at 9:24. Three of us had passports and went through a different line and were cleared with facial recognition. We were all through Customs at the same time and made it to the hotel around 10:10. We took a cab to the hotel and it cost about $25 more than an Uber. Checked in to one room so we could drop off luggage. While we were unloading the cab we were talking about going in to see the city and an Uber driver was dropping off a large party. He offered to take us in to the city and we said we still needed to drop off our stuff. He said I’ll just go grab a coffee then come back and get you. So that’s what we did. He dropped us off at the beginning of the French Quarter and gave us some tips about what to see. Walked around gawking for a bit then went to Oceana for lunch and really enjoyed the Cajun food. Walked to the French Market for some souvenir shopping before heading back to the hotel. Confirmed with the hotel that their shuttle wouldn’t be running when we had to leave for the airport so we made a reservation in Uber. Uneventful flights home.

 

Final thoughts. I know a lot of people say that Carnival has gone down hill but you couldn’t prove it by this cruise. The crew was super friendly and helpful, what we’ve come to expect from a Carnival crew. The ship is clean and well maintained. The food was good to great, with only one thing that I wouldn’t be in a hurry to have again (the chicken tenders). We definitely got our son’s money’s worth with Cheers, even with me being sick for a day. Carnival really impressed me with the way they handled me being sick and while it did suck being isolated it beat being at home and being isolated. 

[Purvis1231]

Thanks for the review. Sorry, you got sick. We will be on this ship in a few weeks. 

[sparks1093]

15 minutes ago, Purvis1231 said:

Thanks for the review. Sorry, you got sick. We will be on this ship in a few weeks. 

It wasn't pleasant but I was impressed with Carnival's response. 

[sparks1093]

Quick update- I contacted my PVP and asked about using the FCC for our Mardi Gras sailing next April. She put it through (didn't need a copy of anything, it was all in the system) and in a few weeks the amount was credited to our invoice. Carnival definitely exceed my expectations in this regard.

[Journey11]

Thank you for your well written and detailed review. I’m happy that you had a good cruise even with your being sick for a while.

I too am impressed with how Carnival handled your illness and the credits you received for being isolated.

[spjazz1]

Did you pay cash for photos for the dolphins/manatees/sea lions or did they take card? Appreciate you in advance!

[sparks1093]

13 hours ago, spjazz1 said:

Did you pay cash for photos for the dolphins/manatees/sea lions or did they take card? Appreciate you in advance!

Great question! They took credit cards. You have the option of downloading the photos to your phone while you are there, as well, but I waited to get home to download them to my computer from the link that they provided. I think each person in our group ended up with about 30 pictures, so under $2 apiece with the group pricing. 

[crucero]

Thanks so much for your detailed review! We are going on the Glory for the same itinerary on Sunday. Lots of good info here. 

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, crucero said:

Thanks so much for your detailed review! We are going on the Glory for the same itinerary on Sunday. Lots of good info here. 

Glad to help. Have a great cruise!