Carnival Glory - Canada from Boston - Detailed Review - Part II: Embarkation

[CaribbeanBound]

Due to the length of this review, I have broken it up into several parts which I will post as quickly as I can.

 

Part II - Embarkation

A. Boston, MA

We flew into Boston a few days early to watch the Red Sox play in Fenway Park on Independence Day followed by over 30 minutes of spectacular fireworks that night on the Charles River. Boston is a really fun city and we have visited Boston several times. Here are incredibly detailed information on the subway ("T") as well as some of the great tours, bars, restaurants, and events we have enjoyed in Boston.

 

If you are flying in on cruise day and wish to go directly to the ship, you can either take a taxi into Boston for about $30, or take the Silver Line bus. The Silver Line bus has a low step (about 6") that makes it easy to get on and off with luggage - certainly no harder than a rental car bus at an airport. The "SL1" buses have luggage racks and it is easier to get on at the rear doors.

 

From Airport to Black Falcon Cruise Terminal:

The Silver Line from the airport is currently free from the airport and leaves from the lower level of terminals A, B, C and in front of terminal E. Take Silver Line 1 (SL1) from airport to World Trade Center (WTC) station. Take escalator or elevator to transfer up and over the track to pick up the SL2 going in the opposite direction. Switch to SL2 at WTC and ride it a few blocks to the Black Falcon terminal. There are about 6 stops near the Black Falcon terminal (the bus basically encircles it).

 

The all-internal WTC (World Trade Center) bus station is now open. WTC is a new indoor station with escalators and elevators to transfer up and over the track to pick up the second Silver Line bus you need to get to or from the Black Falcon cruise terminal. Since it's internal, transfers are free. You can transfer at the "Silver Line Way before Manulife Building" station which is one station stop closer in each direction, but you'll have to pay to transfer.

 

In our particular case, since we were already in the city, we simply walked an easy six blocks (with our rolling luggage) from The Westin Boston Waterfront to the Black Falcon cruise terminal. Upon arrival at the pier, we turned our luggage and a tip over to the baggage handlers and headed into the terminal.

 

B. Security Processing and Boarding

Even though Carnival sent an email informing passengers not to arrive before 1:00pm we had heard there was a good chance we could board early in Boston. We were in the terminal by 11:00am. Security was very quick and check-in was smooth. It helped that we completed all of our documentation online before we left home. There is a large waiting area with two long lines (priority and regular) that feed into about two dozen Carnival employees who will process your documents and give you the okay to board. There was no one in line when we arrived. After processing, we had our pictures taken to imprint our mugs electronically on our cruise cards for use on the ship and when leaving and returning to the ship. We proceeded directly to ship and boarded on Deck 3. Rooms were not yet ready so we climbed the stairs to Deck 9 for lunch. All of the foodie areas on Deck 9 were open. The whole process from departure from the hotel to arrival on the ship was about 45 minutes!

 

C. Explore The Cabin

We were in cabin 7323, an interior category 4F cabin with 185 square feet. This is one of the largest interior cabins we have been in. (For comparison, Celebrity's interior cabins run closer to 170 square feet). We were located near the center of the ship, on the Empress Deck 7. Our interior cabin on this deck was accessed from the Port hallway. The cabin was extremely well laid out. Lots of drawers and enough room in the closets for our clothes. The bathroom has lots of room, storage, and a shower. Our cabin also had a desk and a pair of tables. Hangers and robes were provided. The desk featured a number of informational brochures including Tuesday's event newsletter "Carnival Fun Times". Our stateroom attendant (Hernando) and his assistant did a wonderful job throughout our cruise. Of note, we found the inside cabins really easy to sleep in. Since there is no window, the room stays dark --- making it really easy to sleep late or take a nap any time of day. It's also very quiet.

 

D. Tour of Ship and Search For Food

We found lunch at Guy's Burger Joint on Deck 9. This is by far the best hamburger we have enjoyed at sea! Hamburgers are hand-formed from fresh ground beef, grilled, and placed on a tasty bun. A condiment bar (with crispy bacon, grilled onions, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, and other items is located nearby to top off your burger. They also cook up some great fries to go with your burger.

 

Hint: locate the stairwell in the back of the Red Sail Restaurant on Deck 9 that leads up to the Fish and Chips station on Deck 10. This "hidden" area has over 50 tables that are rarely used. We ate all of our meals up there. The Fish and Chips station is also very good, but it will take most folks a few days to discover it. There are four buffet lines in the Red Sail Restaurant on Deck 9 (Two in front and two in back) with lots of hot meal and salad choices. We rarely ate anything off the buffet. Instead, we got really good food at the specialty stations (Deli, Guy's Burgers, Blue Iguana Cantina, Fish and Chips, and the Pizzeria). In the morning seek out the 3 omelette stations. One usually has no line. There is no extra charge for any of the food on this deck.

 

The ship is well laid out with ample sets of stairwells and elevators. We spent a couple hours exploring the ship. The Amber Palace theater is located on three decks (3, 4 and 5) and features stadium seating on Deck 5.

 

E. Lifeboat Drill

About 45 minutes prior to leaving port, we participated in the mandatory lifeboat drill. If you've never been through this drill, a loudspeaker announcement is made for all guests to report to your assigned muster station (as directed on your cruise card). After waiting for all passengers to arrive, you are directed on the proper use of the vest and given additional safety instructions. You do not actually board the life boats. We did not need to actually wear our life jackets to the muster drill. A final announcement will dismiss all passengers. The drill went smoothly and lasted less than 30 minutes.

 

F. Cruise Critic Meeting

On our first day at sea, we met at the Alchemy Bar for about an hour. The meeting was listed in the Fun Times. Just under 2 dozen folks swapped stories for an hour. The cruise director, Jacques De Lange, stopped by to greet us as well.

 

G. Dinner - 6:00pm First Seating

We requested a large table. We were seated with family at a round table for 8 in the upper level (Deck 4) of the Golden Restaurant. Peter, our server, his assistants, and Chubby, our Maitre'd did a very good job throughout our cruise.

 

Next up: Part III - Food!

 

You can read also the review in its entirely, with images, at http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/carnival-glory.html, but you won't be able to enjoy the input from fellow cruisers like you can on CruiseCritic. Feel free to post your questions and comments below.