Carnival glory? Is it the right choice?

Hi , to celebrate my parents 40th anniversary and my niece 5th birthday my brother and I want to organize a trip to Florida with a cruise . We settled on a western Caribbean cruise (7 days from Miami) on the carnival glory on April 20 2019. No one in our group has ever cruised before and I wish to make it memorable. I am about to book 3 ocean suites but I wonder if it is the right ship for us. I can't change the dates because I am a teacher. Is the glory fun? I saw there was a slide but no waterparks and no sky "things". I am also worried about the quality of food , my parents being used to good French fare. What about the crowds? I read some horror stories about groups of young people heavily drinking and ruining other people vacation. We are no prudes and we will drink some but we won't be drunks. I don't want my niece to see drunk people vomiting everywhere. Also her parents are worried about other children being naughty and her picking bad habits .

Hi , to celebrate my parents 40th anniversary and my niece 5th birthday my brother and I want to organize a trip to Florida with a cruise . We settled on a western Caribbean cruise (7 days from Miami) on the carnival glory on April 20 2019. No one in our group has ever cruised before and I wish to make it memorable. I am about to book 3 ocean suites but I wonder if it is the right ship for us. I can't change the dates because I am a teacher. Is the glory fun? I saw there was a slide but no waterparks and no sky "things". I am also worried about the quality of food , my parents being used to good French fare. What about the crowds? I read some horror stories about groups of young people heavily drinking and ruining other people vacation. We are no prudes and we will drink some but we won't be drunks. I don't want my niece to see drunk people vomiting everywhere. Also her parents are worried about other children being naughty and her picking bad habits .

The Glory is a good ship. Yes it is fun. Is that the only ship leaving on those dates? The quality of food is good and exactly the same on every ship. Ships will have a lot of people but will only feel crowded when everyone is trying to do the same thing like embarkation, etc. I'm sure there will be some drunk people there (not all drunk people throw up) but most of the young party crowd don't go on the week long cruises. If her parents are worried about her picking up bad habits from other kids then they shouldn't take her anywhere. Unfortunately kids misbehave everywhere, not just on cruise ships.

It is a good ship. My kids have been in camp since age 2 and 8 respectively and have had zero issues.

It's all about what you are looking for. It doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles but we don't need that. We have only done balconies and those have been just fine for us so I can't comment on the value of the ocean suite on Glory.

Carnival is the Fun ship. There will be everything from ice carvings to harry chest contests on the Lido deck. It is a very family oriented line. If you want more expensive bells and whistles look at RCI. If you want a family friendly line with a bit more of a classic, elegant cruise feel with a "classier crowd" (think Target vs Walmart) the consider Princess. Most of the mainstream lines are similar experiences in the big picture but each have their own culture or feel to them.

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We just did the Glory in June after doing the Vista (with all the sky things) in January. We preferred the Glory. It's super fun. The entertainment was awesome, the vibe was fun, it's super colorful, lots of activity going on all over and not nearly as crowded feeling as the Vista. Busy, yes, crowded, no.

We had 6 kids between the ages of 9 & 16 and they absolutely LOVED the Glory. (They did not do the Vista). While they were pretty excited about the water slides before we sailed, they only went on them one day because they were having so much fun doing all the other activities throughout the ship. They did not do the kids/teens clubs. They found enough fun, entertainment, activity on their own.

Groups of drunken people, not any more than any other ship. It was perfectly fine as far as the clientele go. Nothing out of the ordinary. We've been on 19+ cruises and it was one of our favorites to date!!

We just got off the Glory on Saturday (7/22/17) and we loved it. We have been on it before, but the 6 others in our group never were. 3 had never even cruised before! They couldn't say enough good things about the ship. We didn't run into any problems such as overly drunk people or anything like that. Carnival ships are FUN! They have tons of things to do or you can do nothing at all. There were a lot of young kids on this trip but we never even noticed. If you can get three suites next to each other they can open the balcony doors between and you can have one large balcony. We did that this time and it was fantastic. We held our own pre-dinner cocktail party out there each night. We can't say enough good things about Carnival. And while we want to try different ships, we are afraid they won't be as fun as Carnival. Have a great trip!

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately being from Europe I have no idea about Wal-Mart and target. We looked at other lines but some looked too fancy my dad and brother don't even own a tuxedo and we are all casual people. I am glad to hear all the positive things about the crowds. When is usually spring break in the US? The plan is for my niece to attend the kids club since she likes her preschool and group activities. My brother and SIL just worry because of some stories of kids crying and yelling or even bothering others by pushing the elevators buttons (?? Is that an American prank)or splashing people in the hot tubs.

Did you select Glory because of the price? If so, it's a great ship and cruise and you'll enjoy it. Obviously it's a little older and smaller ship than what else is available, but you'll pay more to get more. If you are simply asking if there is better options, yes, there is.

Did you select Glory because of the price? If so, it's a great ship and cruise and you'll enjoy it. Obviously it's a little older and smaller ship than what else is available, but you'll pay more to get more. If you are simply asking if there is better options, yes, there is.

The glory corresponded to the time ( around a week from April 20th 2019) we can go and the ports seemed interesting to us. We could have paid a bit more for more amenities like a water park. We don't need a huge brand new ship.

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately being from Europe I have no idea about Wal-Mart and target. We looked at other lines but some looked too fancy my dad and brother don't even own a tuxedo and we are all casual people. I am glad to hear all the positive things about the crowds. When is usually spring break in the US? The plan is for my niece to attend the kids club since she likes her preschool and group activities. My brother and SIL just worry because of some stories of kids crying and yelling or even bothering others by pushing the elevators buttons (?? Is that an American prank)or splashing people in the hot tubs.

Spring break in the US runs from early March (private school and colleges mostly) through the week after Easter. Many public school vacations tend to be either before or after Easter.

I wish I knew European stores to give you a better idea. How about 2 stars vs say 3-4 on another line like Princess? Carnival is a very casual cruise line so may fit you well. For men a pair of kakis and a dress shirt works for elegant night and shorts and a basic shirt are fine for dinner in the MDR. I think the biggest difference is you will see men in baseball caps in the MDR or an occasional few who don't think a shower and a change of clothes is necessary after a day at the pool. IMHO a dossier line like Princess seems to draw a more mannered and less "party hard" crowd. It's often a subtle distinction but it is there.

Most of the passengers are going to be normal Americans though there is usually a large Canadian contingent on board and several other nationalities represented as well. I have seen the behavior you are concerned about on Carnival and I have experienced drunk adults. It is a small minority and I have not seen the same on Princess but I have heard reports that it happens on all mainstream lines. None of it stops me from cruising Carnival. We have a ton of fun and the price is right. Just expect 2 star not 5 and all will be well!

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The glory corresponded to the time ( around a week from April 20th 2019) we can go and the ports seemed interesting to us. We could have paid a bit more for more amenities like a water park. We don't need a huge brand new ship.

I'm pretty sure Glory has a water park. They just added it this year in dry-dock.

Personally? Your first cruise, why not go huge? Royal has the new Symphony of the Seas sailing a Western itinerary to 4 ports on the same dates. It'll have water parks, flow riders, slides, etc. etc. etc. The kids clubs are about 5X bigger, too. Ice skating rink, aquatheater, exceptional shows and entertainment.

Glory is a nice ship and you'll have a nice time either way, but if the price works for you, Symphony will offer substantially more.

her parents are worried about other children being naughty and her picking bad habits .

Unfortunately, with hundreds of kids onboard, chances are that she will come across a kid or two with less than stellar behavior. But if her parents have raised her well, she should be able to pinpoint the bad behavior and not emulate it. My kids are currently 5 and 7 and they've taken 6 cruises on 4 different cruise lines and they still haven't brought home newly acquired bad behavior from a cruise. Hope you have a similar experience.

About the foodies in your group, remind them that this is mass market cruise line, and one that caters to a budget minded clientele. So expectations about the cuisine should be adjusted accordingly. Most people will enjoy the food, but passengers with a more discerning palate may disagree.

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Thanks again. If there is the waterpark that's a huge bonus for me (we are water people) it did not appear on the YouTube videos I watched but there were not very recent . We looked at the symphony as the dates were perfect but even though we could pay a bit more , it would cost twice as much for the same cabin size (a junior suite on the symphony vs an ocean suite ) and as I am just a teacher I can't afford more than 3 balconies. I don't think we would use an icerink or do rockclimbing in the caribbeans. Is the food much better on Royal Caribbean?

I think the worry about drunk people running around is way overblown. Have I seen drunk people? Sure. But it's never been to the point where it bothered me at all.

I love the Glory. It's easy to get around and never found it as "crowded" as some of the larger ships.

As for the food, that's highly subjective. I put Carnival dining room food at a mid-priced restaurant. Not high end, but not fast food. I like their food overall.

I'd go on the cruise and have a good time knowing there may be some things you don't like all that much. But find me a vacation where everything is perfect.

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Thanks again. If there is the waterpark that's a huge bonus for me (we are water people) it did not appear on the YouTube videos I watched but there were not very recent . We looked at the symphony as the dates were perfect but even though we could pay a bit more , it would cost twice as much for the same cabin size (a junior suite on the symphony vs an ocean suite ) and as I am just a teacher I can't afford more than 3 balconies. I don't think we would use an icerink or do rockclimbing in the caribbeans. Is the food much better on Royal Caribbean?

Food will be the same, though on Symphony you'll get a lot more options. Why do you need to do the suites? A regular oceanview balcony is more than fine. We sail with our 2 young children and did a Junior Suite on Oasis, then a regular balcony and it really makes very little difference to be honest. We don't do Junior Suites anymore.

The waterworks park on Glory won't compare at all to Symphony. The ice rink has an amazing ice show! And you may find yourself doing these activities.

I did Oasis and Glory last year and there was no comparison. Ultimately, again, you'll have a great time either way, but it's simply no comparison between Symphony and Glory. I'd take regular balcony room on Symphony over a suite on Glory in a heartbeat.

Glory waterpark. As you can see, it's really a couple slides and that's about it.

This is Harmony (which Symphony will be similar), and that's not even counting the several large water slides:

Thanks again. If there is the waterpark that's a huge bonus for me (we are water people) it did not appear on the YouTube videos I watched but there were not very recent . We looked at the symphony as the dates were perfect but even though we could pay a bit more , it would cost twice as much for the same cabin size (a junior suite on the symphony vs an ocean suite ) and as I am just a teacher I can't afford more than 3 balconies. I don't think we would use an icerink or do rockclimbing in the caribbeans. Is the food much better on Royal Caribbean?

Food is very subjective and I think if you read a ton, the general theme is that people prefer the MDR food on carnival but the lido deck food on Royal. But again - very personal. Depending on the Royal ship, you may have a lot of pay extra venues; on Glory, the only one will be the steakhouse. It is a $35 up charge PP for the adults and like $10 for a child. It is a high quality steakhouse which would equate to one that would run $100+ pp on land here in the US. I think the food on Carnival is on the whole tasty - like what you would find in a mainstream US restaurant though with more unique options like escargot. Keep in mind they are cooking for 3000 people but to me it doesn't taste like that.

Be prepared that on all cruise ships, the pools are small. Here is a photo of the newly added water works:

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/carnival-glory.aspx

If you are water people, you will get plenty of water time if you plan those for ports of call.

PS - they have added seafood shack (can't comment) and if you have real foodies, Chef's Table is pricey but worth every penny.

We looked at the symphony as the dates were perfect but even though we could pay a bit more , it would cost twice as much for the same cabin size (a junior suite on the symphony vs an ocean suite ) and as I am just a teacher I can't afford more than 3 balconies

Just my humble opinion, but if I had the opportunity to sail on the brand new Symphony of the Seas in a standard stateroom for about the same price as sailing on an ocean suite aboard an older ship that's less than half its size, there's no question in my mind that I would choose Symphony.

While the concept of sailing on a suite is appealing, keep in mind that, on Carnival, suites lack most of the perks normally associated with true suites on other cruise lines. Besides being a larger stateroom and getting priority debarkation, they are not worthy of the name "suite".

Symphony will absolutely blow your mind. These Oasis class ships are like nothing out there. They offer so much for everyone, specially for a large family with various tastes, not only in food but entertainment. You'll be in a state of awe the entire week!

It's been pointed out how the food on the Carnival Glory will be mostly free except for the steakhouse, and that on the Symphony you will have to pay for food at more venues. That's a cleverly worded way of twisting the truth. Yes, it's true that on Symphony you will have more venues for a fee than on the Glory. But you will ALSO have more venues free of charge than on the Glory. The options are extensive, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to eat free of charge, and for those in your group who do appreciate more upscale cuisine and are willing to pay for it, Symphony will deliver in a way that the Glory never will.

We had the opportunity of sailing aboard Allure of the Seas (Symphony's sister) during its inaugural year. We selected a standard stateroom with a window overlooking the Boardwalk (didn't even have an oceanview). That cruise was more than twice the cost of our oceanview balcony stateroom aboard the Carnival Dream later that year. While we had a wonderful time aboard the Dream, without a doubt the cruise aboard the Allure was the better one by a landslide.

Based on our past experience, without a doubt I'd pick a lower category on the Symphony before picking an ocean suite on an older Carnival ship. Just my humble opinion.

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The American clientele on the Glory (or any US based major market cruise line for that matter) will be different than what you are used to. Food is good, not not for a European foodie... IMO. I have traveled a few European cruise lines and the "pressing all the elevator buttons" is NOT exclusively a US kid prank!!! For my 2 cents, I would skip the suites on Carnival, not as big of a bang for your buck. The Oasis class ships have a large selection of dining and entertainment options (Including water shows, Ice shoes and broadway musicals). They have several pools and a splash park, but no slides (other than the newer ships). Additionally, they offer a dining package for about $110 pp you can dine in specialty restaurants onboard for 5 nights (this includes the steakhouse, Japanese, Fine dining venue, Italian etc..) it might suit a more foodie crowd. I personally enjoy the Glory and the fun casualness of Carnival and the festive atmosphere, I find RCCL and Princess crowds kind of "boring" , but you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. And badly behaved children can be found everywhere, regardless of cruise line!

We much prefer carnival over the large, new, Royal ships. We feel that the atmosphere of carnival is a lot more fun.

The American clientele on the Glory (or any US based major market cruise line for that matter) will be different than what you are used to. Food is good, not not for a European foodie... IMO. I have traveled a few European cruise lines and the "pressing all the elevator buttons" is NOT exclusively a US kid prank!!! For my 2 cents, I would skip the suites on Carnival, not as big of a bang for your buck. The Oasis class ships have a large selection of dining and entertainment options (Including water shows, Ice shoes and broadway musicals). They have several pools and a splash park, but no slides (other than the newer ships). Additionally, they offer a dining package for about $110 pp you can dine in specialty restaurants onboard for 5 nights (this includes the steakhouse, Japanese, Fine dining venue, Italian etc..) it might suit a more foodie crowd. I personally enjoy the Glory and the fun casualness of Carnival and the festive atmosphere, I find RCCL and Princess crowds kind of "boring" , but you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. And badly behaved children can be found everywhere, regardless of cruise line!

I found the atmosphere on Oasis to be substantially more vibrant and fun than Glory. Substantially. If I had to label one boring, it's Glory by a long shot. Oasis had lots of active people dancing in the great venues, parades, dance parties, lots of activity in the sports zone, pools, etc. Etc.

We are also talking about Symphony with the OP, which has several large waterslides and the huge dry slides too.

I found the atmosphere on Oasis to be substantially more vibrant and fun than Glory. Substantially. If I had to label one boring, it's Glory by a long shot. Oasis had lots of active people dancing in the great venues, parades, dance parties, lots of activity in the sports zone, pools, etc. Etc.

 

We are also talking about Symphony with the OP, which has several large waterslides and the huge dry slides too.

I'd have to say this depends entirely on the time of the year, itinerary, length of the cruise. Each Carnival cruise I have been on has had very different sets of people on board, and very different sets of party atmospheres.

I'd have to say this depends entirely on the time of the year, itinerary, length of the cruise. Each Carnival cruise I have been on has had very different sets of people on board, and very different sets of party atmospheres.

I'd totally agree with that. Oasis was in July and Glory was October. Both had people having a good time. But the idea that one line is somehow so much more "fun" than the other is ridiculous to me - and especially in light of my own experience. Every evening the promenade was packed with people having a great time, Boleros had live music and tons of people dancing and socializing, and that's just one little area. The ship seemed to be non-stop fun. Glory had almost no venues with a similar atmosphere. It just didn't exist outside the piano bar and that was "meh". Just no contest. OP seems to be considering Glory and Symphony - it's not even a fair comparison! Save money, do Glory - still have a great time. If Symphony is within budget, then it's an easy choice.

I'd totally agree with that. Oasis was in July and Glory was October. Both had people having a good time. But the idea that one line is somehow so much more "fun" than the other is ridiculous to me - and especially in light of my own experience. Every evening the promenade was packed with people having a great time, Boleros had live music and tons of people dancing and socializing, and that's just one little area. The ship seemed to be non-stop fun. Glory had almost no venues with a similar atmosphere. It just didn't exist outside the piano bar and that was "meh". Just no contest. OP seems to be considering Glory and Symphony - it's not even a fair comparison! Save money, do Glory - still have a great time. If Symphony is within budget, then it's an easy choice.

Different strokes I guess?? Don't get me wrong, the Oasis class are amazing ships and I was never really "wanting" for entertainment, but I just find Carnival has an certain energy that I prefer... although off season cruises can be a yawner sometimes... but I choose RCCL Oasis class all day for a romantic quieter cruise, or with teens (the flow rider and sports courts can't be beat for keeping teenagers occupied)! I do not like the MDR on RCCL but the specialty dining is wonderful, especially with the packages.

Symphony looks amazing and it is very tempting for my brother and I . I am not sure my parents would love it as much though . 6000 people sounds overwhelming to them. They would love RCC shows but they wouldn't care about all the new amenities. We intend to do all ports so won't be on the ship 24/7. The cabins look very nice on the symphony but to stay on budget we would lose 100 square feet per cabin and I know my parents and my niece will spend some time in the cabin.

We aren't real foodies my mum is just a gloriole and wont eat horrible food. Apart from McDonald's which my mum hates the only American chain we know is cheesecake factory , which we like. How is food on cruise comparable?

Again thank you all for your advice.

Symphony looks amazing and it is very tempting for my brother and I . I am not sure my parents would love it as much though . 6000 people sounds overwhelming to them. They would love RCC shows but they wouldn't care about all the new amenities. We intend to do all ports so won't be on the ship 24/7. The cabins look very nice on the symphony but to stay on budget we would lose 100 square feet per cabin and I know my parents and my niece will spend some time in the cabin.

We aren't real foodies my mum is just a gloriole and wont eat horrible food. Apart from McDonald's which my mum hates the only American chain we know is cheesecake factory , which we like. How is food on cruise comparable?

Again thank you all for your advice.

Food between the cruises will be comparable enough to not be anything to consider other than you'll get more options on Symphony. As another poster said, taking a smaller cabin on Symphony for the same price as a fake suite on Glory is a no-brainer. As for the 6,000 people on the larger ship - don't let that fool you. Symphony will feel less crowded than Glory. It's person per gross ton ratio is much higher. So while there are more people, there is so much more space.

If the size of the cabin is your hangup, it's really not a good reason to go Glory. If you like the Glory ports better and you are saving enough money to be worth it to you, then go Glory. But considering the ports are similar and Symphony is within budget, it seems actually quite silly to sail on Glory to me. It's really no comparison. And which amenities do you think they don't care about? It's not the flowrider that makes the difference, it's just the regular public areas you'll be hanging out in that are so much better. Relaxing live string music in central park, adults only solarium, several pools, great waterslides and waterpark, bigger/better buffet, more food options, bigger/better casino, several big show productions that are amazing, etc. It just goes on and on. I think you mentioned you have kids that may use the kids club? The Symphony kids club is multiple times bigger than Glory with a movie theater, science room, etc. Way more to do. The kids club on Glory is a single room and kind of lame (though the staff are obviously nice).

You sail Glory because it's cheaper. If Symphony is within the same budget, the smaller room won't make a difference - it's really no comparison.

Symphony looks amazing and it is very tempting for my brother and I . I am not sure my parents would love it as much though . 6000 people sounds overwhelming to them. They would love RCC shows but they wouldn't care about all the new amenities. We intend to do all ports so won't be on the ship 24/7. The cabins look very nice on the symphony but to stay on budget we would lose 100 square feet per cabin and I know my parents and my niece will spend some time in the cabin.

We aren't real foodies my mum is just a gloriole and wont eat horrible food. Apart from McDonald's which my mum hates the only American chain we know is cheesecake factory , which we like. How is food on cruise comparable?

Again thank you all for your advice.

I think cheesecake factory would be a good comparison in terms of food quality - just don't expect Carnival's cheesecake to rival their delights! Has anyone told you about Zydeco cruiser - there are a bunch of menus on there to give you ideas as to what to expect in terms of food choices in the MDR.

I know a lot of people on here love the Symphony - and to be fair I have not been on her - but I am not attracted to RCI, and in particular the mega ships. Having been on Carnival Magic at full capacity at 4600, that was too many people for me - I could feel it.

A lot of experienced cruises will tell you that they fall into one of two camps - many cruise for the ship and basically use it as a destination itself. Symphony would fall into this category with more to see and do on the ship in a week than is possible, without even taking in the ports. Often, the port choices on these ships are more limited because the larger ships can only be accommodated certain places. If you are into this, and value the ice shows, rock climbing and all that it has to offer, I certainly understand why people enjoy this. The other camp would of course be the people that are simply happy to be on the water, have fun, relax and explore a variety of ports. We personally fall into this camp. A standard balcony with the kids in an inside is perfectly comfortable for the week and we chose the cruise based on ports of call. For example, we are happily taking the Fascination (one of the smaller, older ships on Carnival in March to do an island hopper out of San Juan to Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Martin, and St. Thomas) - many say "no way" because they want "more" in their ship.

I don't remember if you posted the ports you are considering. But if you are traveling for those, we can tell you a lot about them, if that would help in your decision.