Carnival Glory Review 9/18 - 9/27 (Part I)

[Ms Belvedere]

Warning: This is a very long review. :D

 

We left DC on Sept 16th and had an uneventful flight arriving in Orlando on time. Got our luggage and headed to Avis for the car rental. We passed Alamo on the way and it was packed with people, Avis only had two people in line. In 20 minutes we were on the highway and on our way to the Radisson in Port Canaveral. As we came down the highway we spotted the Miracle in port. They had to stop at Port Canaveral due to the storm and itinerary change. The trip from the airport to Canaveral wasn’t long, a little over an hour.

 

Hotel check-in was a breeze, the check-in host was a reader of Cruisecritic and let us see his menu for Grills for dinner. The Radisson was clean, our room overlooked the tennis courts, there are laundry facilities on site for 1.50/wash or dry. Their pool area is beautiful and the hotel is centrally located. They have a van that will take you to Grills or other places for dinner. We didn’t need to use it but were glad to know it was available.

 

Grills had very good food, the fresh shrimp and french fries were great. The shrimp scampi was tasty but I think another order of fresh shrimp would have made us just as happy.

 

The next evening we ate at the hotel restaurant, Flamingos. When we checked in we were given a 20% off coupon for the Friday night buffet which is 23.95. The rest of our group was there by then and it was nice to eat in the hotel and then relax by the pool in the evening.

 

On Saturday morning we waited with the others for a shuttle to take us to the port. Disney Magic was also sailing that day and everyone was anxious to get to their ships. It was a quick ride to the port and when we got there we were told the ship was delayed 2 hours that morning and so we couldn’t board immediately. We waited with others and talked about the itinerary change due to the storms and what everyone was planning to do. I wasn’t prepared for the change but we’d been to the other ports before and had an idea what was available.

 

By about 1:00 we were on board and dumped our carry-ons in our room, then headed to the Lido for lunch-o. The food was as varied and delicious as all the rest of our cruises, something for everyone and all of it looked good! After noshing for a bit we decided to explore the ship and see how different this class is from the Spirit classes we’ve been sailing the last few years. We weighed ourselves in the gym and kept right on moving through the ship, locating the main areas of interest.

 

I’m not going to go over where everything is in this review since so many others have talked about room size, bars, dining rooms etc…but will say our room was on deck 6, a balcony, in the center of the ship, close to elevators and the laundry. Our table for dinner was in the Golden, a four seater, lower level.

 

End of Part I

[Ms Belvedere]

We had our life boat drill, and then dashed to the Purser’s Desk right after to fix a problem with our sign and sail card. We had two people with the same name in our room and the system didn’t recognize the Sr. and Jr. as two different people. Got that fixed and went to the Azure Bar to meet up with some Cruise Critic cruisers we had met on Roll Call, Paul and Jenn, Steve Dave, Karl and parents. It was good to finally meet some of the people whose posts you read everyday! We talked for a while then went up to the upper deck for sail-away and to see a port we wouldn’t be returning to, by ship anyhow.

 

Our luggage arrived very fast and only one piece was missing, but it came within the hour. I don’t know how they did it but the workers got the luggage up the elevators without shutting them all down like they usually do. It must have been very organized downstairs for it all to be so smooth in the passenger area.

 

A brief word before I talk about ports. My DH and I rush through our lives all week/year. We have long commutes to work and work opposite times of the day. When we go on vacation we need to slow down and take it easy. Find us a beach with warm ocean water; put a drink in our hands, play some Caribbean music and we’re in heaven.

 

Ports;

 

Costa Maya was our first stop. The area at the dock is very nice and offers a swim up bar, large covered bars with music, an outdoor show, a smallish beach with lounge chairs and hammocks, massages, clean restrooms/changing area, and shopping. We had been here in April and decided to head into town, the taxi ride was 3.00 pp. Karl, Steve and Dave had said they’d be in town too, they rented a golf cart and drove into Majahual.

 

Just as the cab driver dropped us off we spotted them parking their golf cart and we all headed into El Faro bar for Sols and Dos Equis. A singer serenaded us as we drank and a nice breeze was blowing through the open bar, Karl mentioned that it looked like a Corona ad. It really did! There was seating at the beach with chairs and lounges, you could rent jet skis, and there were people swimming in the ocean. This has to be one of the most pleasant times I’ve ever had in port, so relaxing. The bar owner, Ricardo, shook our hands as we left, he couldn’t have been nicer. I look forward to coming back to Costa Maya and heading into town on a future cruise.

 

Karl gave us a ride back to the dock on his golf cart, as we left a man was selling cigars and offered good deals. We bought some from him and some more back at the docks before heading back to the ship. As we left town we did swing in for another beer at the last bar in town, Tequila Beach. Fishermen were returning with their catches of the day and this was another nice place to sit and relax.

 

End of Part II

[SoccerMom#3]

Thanks for the info. We're sailing on glory in June so it is helpful to read the reviews.

 

Elise

[Ms Belvedere]

Belize was Tuesday’s port. I’ve always wanted to do the cave tubing but didn’t see Reggie at the port. It was a national holiday so he may have taken a day to party. I talked to a couple back on the ship who said they went on the ship’s cave tubing excursion and were disappointed, the water was low and their butts were dragging on rocks.

 

We walked through the shops and bought some meds at the Pharmacy, checked prices on liquor, then sat and had a drink while watching the port area. There was music playing both live and recorded. An internet café is in the port for anyone who needs to connect to the real world, we didn’t use it so I don’t know prices. I did get something to eat at the dock, it was reasonably priced. We headed back to the ship and to be honest my favorite part of Belize is riding the tender in to the dock and back. It looked like a pier was being built out at the other end of town so maybe the tenders won’t be used in the future.

 

Cozumel is always a blast. There are so many options and if you don’t have fun in Cozumel then there’s something seriously wrong. As we walked through the shops at the pier we noticed that Los Cinco Soles has an area outside their store with lounge chairs facing the ocean both in the shade and out. They also have a very small version of the Pancho’s Backyard restaurant there too. For anyone wanting to stay near the ship and have a view of the ocean, be served drinks and food, this would be ideal.

 

We’ve gone to Chakanaab more than twice and decided to try Mr Sanchos this time. The cab ride for two was 18.00 with tip and we were the first ones there. Very strange feeling to be the only ones walking around a resort type area like that but we did get to scope everything out before it got crowded and find chairs. There were shells and coral rock everywhere that had washed in overnight, we picked up shells, swam, and watched boats go by. Eventually the workers came and more people from the ships showed up, we rented floats for the water and floated around on them. Lunch was coconut shrimp and a bread bowl of chili with cheese. They brought us a large plate of nachos and salsa before our order came out, no charge. The total for our meal along with two Coronas was 19.50. A bargain!

 

This is a better place to bring small children than Chakanaab since the waves were very gentle and there was a big sandy beach for them to play on. But the snorkeling is not as good. We did see lots of fish in the water; the biggest was about the size of your hand. It never did get crowded at Mr Sanchos, and we wouldn’t hesitate to go back there on a future trip to Cozumel.

 

We cabbed back to the pier and it had rained, but was still nice to walk around the shopping plaza. Bought a t-shirt and went to Fat Tuesdays for a final Colada before heading back to the ship. The Fascination was docked next to us and the Elation and Celebration were docked downtown.

 

End of Part III

[Ms Belvedere]

Next port was Progresso, the last time we were there they had a hurricane the month before and were rebuilding everything. It was pretty torn up and the water didn’t look inviting at all. The shopping area where the busses drop you off are the same, lots of sales people trying to get you to buy from them and offering “good deals” on their “first sale of the day”. We bought a silver money clip (great gift for men) and a silver bracelet. They are willing to work with you on price here and I got bathing suit cover-ups for 5.00 a piece. The badgering got to be too much though and we walked downtown. Their rebuilding efforts seem to have gone pretty well considering the people’s economy and access to building materials etc.

 

There is a lot of poverty, but the people are upbeat and it’s interesting to see how they live. We walked through the market where fish and fresh chickens were being sold, the fruit looked wonderful. Stopped at a stand where we had been the last time and got something to eat, I don’t know what it was called but was a tortilla shell with meat and cheese inside then fried, sort of a sandwich. Two of those and a drink were 5.00 and we tipped them 2.00.

 

The buildings along the water edge had been rebuilt, there were plenty of chairs to lounge on and jet skis to rent, they were about twenty dollars cheaper here than in Cozumel the day before and there was no limit where you could ride. We went to a 7/11 just for the irony and bought Sol beers for 1.00 a piece. We brought some of those back on the ship in DH’s bag.

 

After bussing back to the pier we stopped at the bar to the left as you walk back into the shopping plaza. The two guys selling beer on either end along the sidewalk will give you free shots of Tequila from their coolers. We found a T-shirt shop that had liquor along their back wall and table was set up to give free samples of everything they sold in the back of the store. The Kahlua was a few dollars cheaper here than in the plaza at Cozumel.

 

I have so much more to say about the ports but this review is already way too lengthy.

 

On to random thoughts and recommendations about this cruise:

 

John Heald was the cruise director and I asked our waiter when John was leaving Carnival. He said that John is “always” leaving but that is part of his act and has been for years. That he never leaves just goes to another ship. Our waiter had been to JH’s house in England and said it is beautiful.

 

The waiters are paid 74.00 a month by Carnival, the rest of their pay comes from tips. He said that many workers are unhappy on the Glory due to low tipping by Pax. He pointed out what we had noticed right away, the dining room was not filled. There were large tables that never had anyone sitting at them all week. He has one more month on his contract and is planning to move to another ship after his vacation.

 

When we re-boarded from ports there was always a table set up with cold, damp washcloths for the pax use. A Carnival emp passed them out with tongs.

 

End of Part IV

[Ms Belvedere]

Don’t miss the water slide – it’s a blast!

 

We were surprised at the number of people in jeans on Formal Night, and every other night, in the dining room. They WERE clean and I don’t have any complaints on a regular night but on formal night they really did not fit in.

 

I had to laugh when I saw people in bath robes; they were even in the casino. We’ve always seen them in the morning at the breakfast buffet but never this many and all over the ship.

 

Sushi was good, not a big variety, but Reggie saved me a plate every day that he had prepared a little differently. I tipped him daily and told him he needs a tip jar on his counter.

 

Slots didn’t pay well but we won a few dollars on the nickel machines at the bar in the On The Green sports bar.

 

Joel and Lorna, the couple who sing in the supper club and also in the lobby, are excellent! The Jazz Band in the martini bar is also great.

 

Saw lots of people getting whole pizzas for their groups and Calzones were also flying out of the pizza place. Never tried the Calzone but pizza was very yummy.

 

 

The extra two days at sea: We were surprised to hear that the cruise may be extended, but to be honest, the extra days were just okay. The crew seemed to be down on the 8th day, not themselves. One told me that they weren’t kept informed as to what was going on, and the ones who were scheduled to be off the ship for a day were stuck on the ship. Everyone was on their cell phones trying to get a signal. No one knew for sure if we were docking on Sunday or Monday or where we were going to go.

 

People were mad that their accounts had been charged tips for the extra two days, we didn’t mind since the workers were still doing their jobs. It’s not like they had any control over what was happening.

 

John Heald and the Captain did keep coming on the intercom and letting us know what the possibilities were as far as coming back to land. There were at least 6 other ships out there with us trying to dock and when we finally did get to Fort Lauderdale we counted 6 ships in port besides the Glory. Fascination, Zuiderdam, Disney Wonder, Caribbean Princess, Celebrity Century and an RCI. There may have been more.

 

We were the last to leave the ship and were off by 10:00, stood in the heat waiting for a bus to take us back to the Orlando airport. I won’t go into detail about it but it was a bit of an ordeal.

 

End of Part V

[Ms Belvedere]

Back at the Orlando Airport we checked into the Hyatt in the terminal after calling the airline to get a flight to DC in the early afternoon on Tuesday. The Hyatt has an escalator to the first floor where you check in. Now this is a real gem as far as traveling goes. Their lobby extends around in a huge square that overlooks the terminal floor. This is open to ANYone, has a large screen television, VERY comfortable chairs, clean restrooms, and access to McCoy’s Restaurant. You can get beers or cold drinks in the bar and sit in front of the television if you have a layover of any amount of time. We are definitely going to remember this for the future instead of wandering aimlessly around the airport waiting for our flight.

 

Our room was 149.00 and had a private balcony. We had access to the work out room and the pool, checkout is not until noon. They also offer a daytime deal for 75.00, you get a room and use of all facilities, but not overnight.

 

On Tuesday we went down to the terminal and walked around shopping, had coffee and got a salad for the flight at Sbarro Pizza in the food court. The food prices were high like in any food court. For about the same price you can be served in McCoy’s Restaurant in the Hyatt and enjoy real silver ware. Plus you don’t have to look for a trash can when you’re finished eating.

 

Flight home was not bad but we flew right into the storm in DC, at least it wasn’t a cold rain.

 

Overview of the cruise:

 

Highlight was Costa Maya’s Downtown, Majahual. The bar, El Faro, was great and the owner, Ricardo, couldn’t have been friendlier. We had beautiful weather every day and even though our ports were changed, we had two extra days at sea. The ship was nice but I like the Spirit class better due to layout. Food was excellent, I made a salad at lunch some days of lettuce then went to the fish stand and ordered Ceviche to put on the lettuce. Low cal, low carb and very tasty!

 

End of Review :) ;) :D

[Cruising89143]

quote:

 

The waiters are paid 74.00 a month by Carnival, the rest of their pay comes from tips. He said that many workers are unhappy on the Glory due to low tipping by Pax. He pointed out what we had noticed right away, the dining room was not filled. There were large tables that never had anyone sitting at them all week. He has one more month on his contract and is planning to move to another ship after his vacation.

 

 

I think that this is happening more and more. I would not be surprised to see Carnival add the gratuities on as a surcharge on all passengers sail n sign card like NCL is doing. On NCL this amount cannot be lowered.

 

Nice review and thanks for posting.

[basketballmom]

We will be sailing the Glory next summer. Your review has made me that much more excited. Did you eat in the Emerald room at all?

[Ms Belvedere]

We will be sailing the Glory next summer. Your review has made me that much more excited. Did you eat in the Emerald room at all?

 

No we didn't eat there, I had tried the Fine Dining Room on the Pride and the Miracle but not this ship. We did have a wine tasting in the Emerald room and I thought it had a more intimate feel than the other "Pay-for" restaurants.

[dbmiller1956]

We will be sailing the Glory next summer. Your review has made me that much more excited. Did you eat in the Emerald room at all?

 

Though my experience on the ship was not quite as good as Ms Belvedere, I can say the Emerald Room is fantastic. We ate there 3 times, twice just my husband and myself and once with the other couples we traveled with. the food is excellent and the service absolutley perfect. It is well worth the extra cost and we tipped to match. May be why we were disappointed with our dining room service. Our waiter never did get anything right and we finally gave up and began to eat on the Lido deck. I asked if he was new but was assured by the maitre'd that this was his 5th month on the ship. After that length of time you would think he would know that you get to order dessert after dinner. We would have to ask for the menu.

 

Hope you have a better time thatn we did.

[Boston6]

2 comments -

 

1 - We thoroughly enjoyed the food and service in the Platinum Dining Room on the Glory. IMO the Emerald Room was not enough of a step up to merit a $25 pp surcharge.

 

2 - Alamo in Orlando is absolutely the worst rental company. When we picked up our car the line was 45+ minutes long. Then they tried to get us to sign documents with a rate that was double what we reserved on their web site. A manager finally processed an override to get us the correct charge. Then we got a car that was supposed to have a full tank and it only had about 3/4. (We were expected to return it full) They said that they would adjusted it down by $6 when we returned the car. On the return they once again tried to charge us more than the initial agreement. After fighting with them for 30 minutes they overrode the computer again, but we lost out $6 credit for the 3/4 tank. I cut my losses at that point, for fear that I would have strangled the rep. if this continued. I'll NEVER rent alamo again. TERRIBLE customer service.

[Ms Belvedere]

Though my experience on the ship was not quite as good as Ms Belvedere, I can say the Emerald Room is fantastic. We ate there 3 times, twice just my husband and myself and once with the other couples we traveled with. the food is excellent and the service absolutley perfect. It is well worth the extra cost and we tipped to match. May be why we were disappointed with our dining room service. Our waiter never did get anything right and we finally gave up and began to eat on the Lido deck. I asked if he was new but was assured by the maitre'd that this was his 5th month on the ship. After that length of time you would think he would know that you get to order dessert after dinner. We would have to ask for the menu.

 

Hope you have a better time thatn we did.

 

I'm sorry to read this, a good Waiter and Room Steward mean the world in having a good cruise. :(

[Ms Belvedere]

quote:

I think that this is happening more and more. I would not be surprised to see Carnival add the gratuities on as a surcharge on all passengers sail n sign card like NCL is doing. On NCL this amount cannot be lowered.

 

Nice review and thanks for posting.

 

Glad you enjoyed it! As far as the tipping goes, I can see that happening. We'll still cruise, I hope that service doesn't go down hill though.

[Ms Belvedere]

The pay-for-view movies cost 8.99 each. The family titles were Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Shrek 2, Harry Potter and Prisoner of..., New York Minute, Home on the Range, Scooby Doo 2, Agent Cody Banks 2, Teacher's Pet.

 

They had other groups of movies available too, these are just the Family Titles.

 

HTH!

[Ms Belvedere]

2 comments -

- Alamo in Orlando is absolutely the worst rental company. When we picked up our car the line was 45+ minutes long. Then they tried to get us to sign documents with a rate that was double what we reserved on their web site.

 

It seems to always cost a good bit more than the price quoted on the sites, but your experience sounds painlful. I felt sorry for all those people standing in line. :eek:

[mnsawyer]

I realize this an old thread but have a late flight (5:30 p.m.) out of Orlando. The Hyatt option sounds great!! Should I call ahead and reserve a day pass? Even if we didn't go with a day pass, the option of the lounge and TV with the restaurant sounds wonderful. We had no idea what we were going to do for 4-5 hours! Any advice you can provide on this is appreciated!

[Ms Belvedere]

I realize this an old thread but have a late flight (5:30 p.m.) out of Orlando. The Hyatt option sounds great!! Should I call ahead and reserve a day pass? Even if we didn't go with a day pass, the option of the lounge and TV with the restaurant sounds wonderful. We had no idea what we were going to do for 4-5 hours! Any advice you can provide on this is appreciated!

...or use the pool or workout room. You can go up on the elevator or escalator and use their nice comfy sofas and watch TV for free, it's very casual and peaceful. You can have drinks and snacks, or a full meal in the restaurant. You can also bring drinks out to the tv area. You can walk all around that upper area and look down at the rush and hustle/bustle below. There are clean restrooms to use and plenty of seating.

It's a real hidden gem up there!

[mnsawyer]

I called the Hyatt directly and it's $75 for a day room which is available from 10-6 only. I booked it because I know we'll want to probably swim in the gorgeous pool especially if it's a nice day. I love cruising but hate salt-water pools! In addition, we'll be able to relax and if we want, take a nap and a nice hot shower before we head for our flight.

[Ms Belvedere]

I called the Hyatt directly and it's $75 for a day room which is available from 10-6 only. I booked it because I know we'll want to probably swim in the gorgeous pool especially if it's a nice day. I love cruising but hate salt-water pools! In addition, we'll be able to relax and if we want, take a nap and a nice hot shower before we head for our flight.

The pool area was very nice, a little breezy when we were there but nicely laid out. You'll be relaxed and refreshed for your flight home! Those rooms are guaranteed 100% soundproof and the whole place was quiet, we never heard planes even though we were right in the airport.

[khaselm]

Hi Ms. Belvedere.

 

I sailed with you on the Glory last September. (remember the golf cart?) Hope everything is alright with you. We have finally recovered from Hurricane Jeanne and are sailing the Westerdam on April 10 and talking about the Liberty on Dec. 10. If you are ever in South Florida let me know. It would be nice to meet you all for a cocktail.

 

Karl

[Ms Belvedere]

Hi Ms. Belvedere.

 

I sailed with you on the Glory last September. (remember the golf cart?) Hope everything is alright with you. We have finally recovered from Hurricane Jeanne and are sailing the Westerdam on April 10 and talking about the Liberty on Dec. 10. If you are ever in South Florida let me know. It would be nice to meet you all for a cocktail.

 

Karl

 

Hey Karl, Great to see you on here! We had such a good time that day and on that cruise, how could I ever forget? Glad to know you got through the hurricanes and are still cruising. We go on the Fantasy in two weeks and are trying an RCL cruise in the fall, first time on another line for us.

 

If we get down yor direction I will definately shoot you a message first. We'd love to get together for drinks!

[judyjbest]

I have a question that maybe one of you Glory cruisers can answer. How is the best way to shuttle between Orlando and Cocoa Beach? We don't like the "herd" aspect of the Carnival transfers. Are there other better options?

[Ms Belvedere]

I have a question that maybe one of you Glory cruisers can answer. How is the best way to shuttle between Orlando and Cocoa Beach? We don't like the "herd" aspect of the Carnival transfers. Are there other better options?

And it was very easy. The return was on the strip just down the street from the Radisson but on the opposite side of the street. They will shuttle you back to the port. Some people will drop their luggage and passengers off at the port then take the car back to the Avis return. Another option is Arts Shuttle Service. I don't know their price, you'd have to call.

 

It would be a good idea to start this question as a new post here on the Carnival Cruise Critic board. You'll get more options from other posters.

[shabcruzn]

What room did you stay in? We will be in rooms 6352, 6346, 6348 right in front of the mid-ship elevators portside. I want to know if you knew if there was their a lot of noise and does being over the casino and dance clubs cause problems?