Review: Carnival Cruise Lines - Glory - [April 23 , 2005]

[Net Reviews]

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Reviewer Comments:

This was a very spontaneous trip for us. We have a cruise points credit
card and I suddenly realized that we were going to start losing points.
They roll off if not used in 2 yrs. So, we booked an entry level cabin
on the Glory out of Port Canaveral simply because the price was very
right!

We live on the Gulf coast of Florida, so we had 3+ hour drive to get
there. I have health problems and the drive left me pooped. Sadly, the
embarkation was a true nightmare. I don't know if it was the port
authority or Carnival, but it was complete chaos and took hours. I got
so puny that I needed a wheelchair and we finally resorted to using one
that my husband found folded up (it was a Carnival one or we would not
have snagged it). But, because they didn't have enough personnel, I
ended up having to get up and hobble on board, as they would not allow
my husband to push it on board.

Now to happier news. We lucked out and got an 8 category upgrade.
Outside cabin with king-size bed, seating area, mini fridge, etc., etc.
This cheered us up immensely.

We had sailed on the Pride a couple of years ago, so I knew that the
sheer size of the ship would make things a tad hard for me. But, I was
pleasantly surprised at how well the ship was laid out. It did not feel
as if there were 3,000+ passengers on board. The Lido buffet had 5 or 6
primary buffet areas, plus at least a half dozen specialty food areas.
The fish and chips were particularly good, in our opinion. The show
lounge had a 2 deck balcony, with very steep rows of seats, so you had
a clear line of sight from almost any seat. Sadly, this turned out not
to matter much, as the entertainment was the worst I've seen in 30 some
odd cruises. The show band was very good, though. And, they had a jazz
band in the Ivory Lounge that was top of the line. We are both jazz
buffs, so it was a special treat to have nightly access to have
excellent live music in our favorite genre.

The other positive thing was that our dining room service was
impeccable. I don't care for whipped butter, and asked for regular
butter pats. My husband likes milk with dinner. We asked for these the
first night and they were waiting for us every night. The food was good
to occasionally excellent and the fact that we always received it hot,
when there are that many other people being served I credit to our
waiter. He and his assistant were a real treat.

Our cabin steward was also very good. Almost invisible, but things were
done well and consistently. The one day, I stayed in the cabin resting
all day, he seemed almost disappointed that he couldn't take care of
things.

Our first port was Key West, noon to 6 p.m. The ship docked at the
naval base, so we had to ride trolleys into town. We had not booked
tours, so did not even try to get off the ship until 1 p.m. Found that
everyone was still standing in line waiting for trolleys, including
folks on tours. Took over an hour to get to Mallory Square. My husband
rented a bike to do a self guided "tour", while I just wanderer
around.

Day two was at sea and I slept all day!

Day 3 was Belize. We did not do tours, as we had been there often
enough to have pretty much done what we wanted. My husband is a
drummer, who carries a small hand drum everywhere and the locals
remembered him and he ended up playing the day away jamming with them.
I did some shopping and called it a day. While Belize is not a port
where I feel safe, the good people are very friendly and welcoming.

Next was Cozumel. Husband did our one tour, ATV, which he said was not
as good as in Costa Maya the previous cruise. I poked around shops,
didn't buy much, as we've been to Mexico so many times. Met up with my
husband, who was so covered in mud from the ATV that he looked like he
had been living in the jungle for a year or six!

Last was Progresso. Long line for the free bus into town, so hubby
arranged a van for 8 people for $10 total. Bus went to a flea market.
Very aggressive vendors with the usual stuff. Did a double-decker bus
"tour" around the city for $2 each. The best shopping turned out to be
by the ship.

Last day was at sea, packing, etc. The ship had lost its propulsion
drive somewhere around Progresso, so we lost a lot of time. Ended up
being 3 hrs late getting back to Canaveral. 3,000 of us trying to get
off while 3,000 more were waiting to get on turned the port into chaos.
But, we got through it and safely home.

Overall, if this had been my first cruise and/or we had paid a lot, I
would have been disappointed, but it wasn't and we weren't. Saw a man
with a t-short that said "A bad day on a cruise beats a good day at
work". I totally agree!