Enjoyable Glory Cruise- July 30- August 4

[vplsh]

I wasn't going to write a review of our Glory cruise to Canada, as there have been several really good ones written recently. But we had such a good time that I figured I'd share what are MY OPINIONS ONLY! I'll include pictures as I go along and please feel free to ask questions.

 

 

Cruising on this voyage were my husband and I (early 50s) and our 21 year old daughter. DH and I have been on 13 cruises and DD has been on 7; 3 of them have been Carnival cruises, the others spread out among Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Princess. Our last Carnival cruise was on Carnival Valor in 2009, and we remember it as one of our favorites.

 

We live about 45 minutes from NYC in western NJ and drove to the port on Saturday morning. After breezing through the Lincoln Tunnel, we headed to 12th Avenue and drove uptown to 55th Street. This turned out not to be the best decision, as we got stuck in the single lane that makes a U-turn into the port. In the future, we would definitely go up 10th Avenue and cross town on 55th Street.

 

After making our way up to pay for parking, we were told to make another u-turn and head to the closer parking lot, where the car was checked, and we parked about midway down. We walked back to where the elevator was and headed down to the main level. Once there we had to go outside to check our large bags with a porter, then went into the terminal to check in. This was about 11:30.

 

Check in was quick and we were given a Zone 5 card. We took our embarkation picture, then sat in the area we had been directed to. Boarding began shortly after noon and we were onboard the ship at about 12:30. We headed for the Red Sail Restaurant, as our cabins wouldn’t be ready until about 1:30.

 

Our first lunch onboard was quite good. We were the first people to get to the Burrito station and each of us had a delicious burrito.I'd read about how crowded the burrito station gets on the cruise, so we were so glad to be able to get there at least once. Having sailed on the Valor (Glory’s sister ship) we knew to head upstairs near the fish and chips for a good seat.

 

Afterwards we headed to the dining room to check out our table and then to the cabin. We found that we were seated at a table for 8 on deck 3 of the Platinum dining room. We requested a change to a table for just the 3 of us (we've had some iffy experiences in the DR and have come to enjoy sitting by ourselves at dinner) and were told that if one was available we would receive a card under our door the next day. We wandered around the ship for a while before sailaway, then went up on deck for the spectacular sailaway down the Hudson River. We passed some of the highlights of the NYC skyline then Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty before making it under the Verrazano Bridge. Having done that once before, I still couldn’t believe the funnel would make it under!

 

 

 

[vplsh]

After sailaway we stopped at the Sushi lounge for a quick bite- we got there before the line got too long. The sushi is a really nice treat, especially if you have late dining and you need to fortify yourself until 8:15! We changed for dinner and headed to the Platinum Dining Room on Deck 3 around 8:10, expecting to wait since it’s always slow on the first night. We got into the DR around 8:30 and found our table, one for 8 against the wall on the starboard side, and sat down to wait for our tablemates. We’d been told it was another family of 3 and 2 single women. After ordering, 3 of our tablemates arrived. The other 2 did not show up at all that night. I remembered enjoying the first night tilapia entree so I ordered that, DH and DD ordered brisket from the Comfort Food section of the menu. We have always enjoyed Carnival’s dinner food and feel it is better than that of most of the other cruise lines that we have sailed on. And I was truly looking forward to my first helping of Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. Dinner wasn’t that great, but the dessert was as awesome as ever!

We attended the Welcome Aboard Show that night and it was enjoyable. Over the course of the rest of the cruise we would attend a couple of shows as well as the late night comedy show and the Love and Marriage Game in the evening.

 

Sunday- Day at Sea-

Slept in and enjoyed coffee and fruit from room service There were a lot of activities going throughout the day, and we enjoyed several of them. The weather was also pretty nice so we spent some time outside. I headed to the library for a noon scrapbooking intro, which turned out to be one of the assistant cruise directors talking about what you can collect to use for your scrapbook and inviting us back on the last sea day to pick up a packet of goodies. Lunch that day was fish and chips for DD and me and a variety of foods for DH from the buffet. We sat upstairs and enjoyed our meal. Fish and Chips are a must! Don’t forget the fritters!!!

After lunch we went to the Emerald Steakhouse for a cooking demo that was excellent. We had no idea they would have samples, or we’d have waited to have lunch. This was a great way to spend ½ hour. They provided you with a demonstration of several courses and then you got to sample what was cooked. The process was extremely efficient and the food delicious. We really enjoyed it. This is a definite must!! While we were there we checked on our Chef’s Table reservation for the following evening. More on that later!!

[njmomof2]

Wow, a very detailed, interesting review. I feel like I was almost there with you. And I'm taking this very same cruise in just under 3 weeks.

 

ROFLMAO! Seriously, I get more information from reading your review than I did at lunch on Saturday. Must have been that screaming baby behind us.

 

Love your pictures. Sorry mom had them and I couldn't get to see them. But this is very fun!

 

ETA: In case you guys don't know it, VPLSH and I are sisters!

[LisaT12]

Love your review....can't wait for the rest. We are on this cruise this Sat.:)

[warb]

Beautiful photos. We're going on the 27th. Thanks for report.

[njmomof2]

Beautiful photos. We're going on the 27th. Thanks for report.

 

We'll also be on this cruise. Maybe we'll meet each other.

[crusinpsychRN]

Great pictures!

[LBumb]

nice start

[njmomof2]

To those of you who prefer a trip report be timely and all get up on the boards quickly, let me apologize for the fact that vplsh will not be able to do that for you.

 

The reason...because, being the wonderful sister she is, she brought me back all of the Fun Times so that I could go over them with my kids in advance of our cruise on August 27th. Of course, she needs those papers to remind herself what they did each day and which events they attended.

 

We only live 4 miles apart, but we work on different sides of NJ so we don't usually see each other during the week. But I will make a concerted effort to bring those papers to work tomorrow, copy them, and then drop them off at her house after work. So she will be able to get back on and continue her review, hopefully, on Wednesday.

 

Thank you for your consideration.

[Delta Dear]

We can be as patient as you need for us to be ! We're sailing the Glory to Bermuda on Oct. 16 out of Norfolk, it will be our first cruise on the Glory, our third on Carnival.

 

Do you have the new menu ? Comfort food section ? Hmmm, looking forward to that. Was the menu the one posted in one of the other threads this week about new menu selections ? I guess by Oct. the menu will be all set on all ships.

[joydisney]

Great start. We will be on the Glory October 01.

[LisaT12]

To those of you who prefer a trip report be timely and all get up on the boards quickly, let me apologize for the fact that vplsh will not be able to do that for you.

 

The reason...because, being the wonderful sister she is, she brought me back all of the Fun Times so that I could go over them with my kids in advance of our cruise on August 27th. Of course, she needs those papers to remind herself what they did each day and which events they attended.

 

We only live 4 miles apart, but we work on different sides of NJ so we don't usually see each other during the week. But I will make a concerted effort to bring those papers to work tomorrow, copy them, and then drop them off at her house after work. So she will be able to get back on and continue her review, hopefully, on Wednesday.

 

Thank you for your consideration.

 

 

That is very nice of you....I live in New Jersey too....South Jersey the town next to Ocean City.

[vplsh]

I don’t have my Fun Times here, so I know I’m missing some things, but I wanted to get some more posted. I’ll come back and fill in the missing activities when I get home.

 

At around 4, DH and I decided to hit the gym. We have gone around this time on other cruises and find it to be not too busy. Unfortunately, the 4 o’clock yoga class was being held at this time, and the gym doesn’t have a separate room, so it was really crowded. The design of the gym is odd- the only way you can get to the gym is to go through the locker rooms of the spa. Then you go out into the one room- I almost banged the door into the yoga instructor, as that’s where the class was being held. The gym was really crowded, and there was only one treadmill available. I grabbed that and DH did some machines before snagging an elliptical machine. It was really warm in there too, and we really weren’t happy with the whole place. Exercising isn’t my favorite thing to do, so I’m always looking for an excuse to get out of it. The design of the gym on Glory did it for me!

 

I forgot to mention that there’s a small pool and spa inside the gym. You access it through a door in the locker room as well. The spa seats 4 people and the pool can be turned on to make it a lap swimming pool. DD and I went down there in the morning on Sunday and enjoyed a half hour of quiet before a family arrived and started splashing around. When we tried to get in other times, the spa was full. As I said, it only seats 4 people, so it can fill up easily.

 

After the gym, we headed back to get dressed for formal night. We headed to the Colors Lobby bar and enjoyed drinks and the music. One of the highlights for us on this ship was the music! There were so many good musical acts, particularly the show band and their singer and the “Romantic Duo”. This time the show band was performing and, I have to admit that after the 2nd martini I joined some others out on the dance floor! DD took lots of pictures of my backside!!

 

[njmomof2]

Shake that groove thing, sissy!!!!

 

Trust me, after a couple of martinis, she'll do just about anything LOL! We were so crocked at Thanksgiving this past year, that I never made it to dessert. BIL likes to mix them with a heavy hand so we were done before we even started!

 

I copied the pages I wanted, and I have them all in an envelope for you. Will drop them in your mailbox on the way home.

[vplsh]

OK, got the Fun Times back from my sister, NJMomof2, and I looked over them to see what I missed. Looks like there were a frew things on the first Sea Day that we did that I had forgotten about. Easy to do when you have 3 sea days!!

 

So after the Cooking Demo in the Emerald Room Steakhouse, we walked past the ice carving demo, which is shown on the big screen outside over the pool, and headed inside to watch Family Karaoke in the Colors Lobby. This is something we ended up doing a few times, and each time it was a lot of fun. Lots of different people, some really awesome, sang a variety of songs. We found seats there and enjoyed an hour or so.

 

Afterwards DD went to take a nap and DH and I hit the main dining room for Tea time. I'm a big fan of this on Princess, and was really happy to see it in the dining room on the Glory. We were seated at a large table and served our choice of tea and delicious treats. Scones and clotted cream, salmon sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches and about 4 other kinds of sweets. Service was good and we enjoyed it.

 

Gotta go get dinner. Back in a bit with more!

[LisaT12]

I love reading your review!!!! What day and time was the cooking demonstration at the Emerald Restaurant???

[scrapycruiser]

I am really getting excited about our Oct 24 Glory cruise !!

It's been a while since we were on Carnival...really sounds like a FUN ship !

I like hearing the good food reviews !

Thanks !!:)

[vplsh]

I love reading your review!!!! What day and time was the cooking demonstration at the Emerald Restaurant???

 

 

Thanks Lisa. The cooking demo was on the first sea day, Sunday for us, at 1 in the Emerald Room Steakhouse. It was definitely a must-do!!

[Meyer2]

Great review & pictures so far! I look forward to reading more. Thanks

[lprime60]

Thanks Lisa. The cooking demo was on the first sea day, Sunday for us, at 1 in the Emerald Room Steakhouse. It was definitely a must-do!!

thanks for the reveiw, We are from northwest NJ origionaly what town are you from? we are from Blairstown. Do you know that area?

[Andoria]

Great job so far!

[JPH814]

I don’t have my Fun Times here, so I know I’m missing some things, but I wanted to get some more posted. I’ll come back and fill in the missing activities when I get home.

 

At around 4, DH and I decided to hit the gym. We have gone around this time on other cruises and find it to be not too busy. Unfortunately, the 4 o’clock yoga class was being held at this time, and the gym doesn’t have a separate room, so it was really crowded. The design of the gym is odd- the only way you can get to the gym is to go through the locker rooms of the spa. Then you go out into the one room- I almost banged the door into the yoga instructor, as that’s where the class was being held. The gym was really crowded, and there was only one treadmill available. I grabbed that and DH did some machines before snagging an elliptical machine. It was really warm in there too, and we really weren’t happy with the whole place. Exercising isn’t my favorite thing to do, so I’m always looking for an excuse to get out of it. The design of the gym on Glory did it for me!

 

I forgot to mention that there’s a small pool and spa inside the gym. You access it through a door in the locker room as well. The spa seats 4 people and the pool can be turned on to make it a lap swimming pool. DD and I went down there in the morning on Sunday and enjoyed a half hour of quiet before a family arrived and started splashing around. When we tried to get in other times, the spa was full. As I said, it only seats 4 people, so it can fill up easily.

 

After the gym, we headed back to get dressed for formal night. We headed to the Colors Lobby bar and enjoyed drinks and the music. One of the highlights for us on this ship was the music! There were so many good musical acts, particularly the show band and their singer and the “Romantic Duo”. This time the show band was performing and, I have to admit that after the 2nd martini I joined some others out on the dance floor! DD took lots of pictures of my backside!!

 

 

 

Assuming that is you in the blue dress....I enjoyed meeting you in the piano bar

[vplsh]

thanks for the reveiw, We are from northwest NJ origionaly what town are you from? we are from Blairstown. Do you know that area?

 

We are in Roxbury, not too far from you!

[vplsh]

Assuming that is you in the blue dress....I enjoyed meeting you in the piano bar

 

Nope, I'm the one taken from behind, in the black sweater! Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet!

[vplsh]

Sorry for the delay- I was at a conference and didn't have a minute to even turn on my computer for the past 3 days! I believe I was up to day 3- St. John...

 

We had booked a tour over the internet with Roy Flowers, based on reviews on the Canada board. Roy had emailed and asked us to call him about 7AM ship's time to let him know where we were, so we did that, but we were still quite a distance from Saint John. We were scheduled to dock at 8AM (ship's time is 1 hour behind New Brunswick) but that came and went. We didn't get cleared to disembark until 9:15. At that time we moved quickly and got off the ship to find Roy. He was waiting for us and we hopped into his van and began heading out. Because we were late, he didn't think we'd be able to walk in the Bay of Fundy due to the tide coming in. We headed out of town and then to see the Reversing Falls in one direction, before heading out of town towards St. Martin and the Bay of Fundy.