REVIEW: Carnival Glory July 4-11 2015

[ideadisk@yahoo.com]

Just for future reference...if you look in your pic from the bathroom with the shelves on the right side of mirror, see that little square up high above the mirror? If you flip it up there is a plug in there...took me several cruises before I found it.lol.great review with pics.

 

Thank you for the info. The plugs looked like they weren't set for U.S. appliances. Glad I'm wrong.

[ideadisk@yahoo.com]

Hi, enjoying your review. Quick question about the Hampton Inn Blue Lagoon. Did you have to call for the hotel shuttle after you arrived at the airport? How long was the wait to get picked up? We are staying there in December and wondering if we should use the hotel shuttle or take a cab. Thanks!

 

The shuttle does a round trip from hotel to airport every thirty minutes from 6:00 am to about 10:00 pm I think. They can come other times I believe, if you call and set it up ahead of time. I did call though when we arrived because I wanted to see how long it would be. There is no where to sit while waiting for the shuttle. There was lots of room in the shuttle. I doubt we would have had enough room in a cab since there were four of us and each of us had a large suitcase.

[pbmsmile]

Great review so far! We are doing a B2B on her in march..love Glory reviews!!

[ideadisk@yahoo.com]

Although I did relax until dinner (6:00), I took time to enjoy the Launch Deck Party (4:00) and did a little line dancing. If you enjoy dancing you’ll want to practice YMCA, Wobble, Cupid Shuffle, Electric Slide, and the Macarena. We were scheduled to set sail at 4:00, but left closer to 5:00. Not a big deal. I did shoot the requisite South Beach video of our departure. Grin.

 

 

The required Safety Briefing went fairly quickly. I'm glad since it was 100 degrees outside. We didn't have to wear our life vests which was nice. Odd difference between this and every other cruise I've been on...no one verified that all passengers were accounted for. On every other cruise the cruise staff checked off each person's name and we had to wait until everyone was marked off. It was nice not having to wait for that, but a little disconcerting, especially considering Carnival's history.

 

We ate dinner in the Golden Dining Room (4 FWD). Our table was upstairs. Upstairs tables didn’t have window views, and it was nearly impossible to see the waiters do their show each evening.. It was very claustrophobic. If you are placed at one of these tables, I encourage you to ask to be re-assigned to a table on the lower level (they had window views), or in the Platinum Dining Room. That said, our waitstaff was very nice. They were a team of three with 10 tables to manage. Dining attire for our first evening was casual. People wore pretty much anything and everything short of bathing suits.

 

After dinner we went to the Amber Palace for the evening’s entertainment. There was never a time during the week that seating wasn’t available. Never too crowded. First they played Sea Feud, which was a fake version of Family Feud. They chose random people from the audience and assigned them “family” roles, “Uncle Charlie,” “Grandma Jones,” etc. with two teams playing against each other. Low key and mildly entertaining. When that ended Mike, the Cruise Director conducted a short Welcome Aboard Show. He introduced people, talked a little about ship highlights and then the evening’s comedian did a short show to kick off the Punchline Comedy Club. I didn’t go to the full comedy show (25-30 minutes) because it didn’t start until 11:30.

 

Here are a couple of shots of the Amber Palace. This is where larger shows were held throughout the week. The first shot is from Sea Feud.

 

 

 

Wasn’t up for a late evening of drinking and dancing so after the Welcome show it was time for bed. I think my first night’s towel animal was a snail.

 

 

On a side note, for new cruisers. There are four items you DON’T want to forget. 1) Dryer sheets. Yes, the stateroom has had MANY people living in it…and it smells like it. Dryer sheets really help freshen the room. 2) Small flashlight – one per person. You may never use it, but do you really want to be stuck somewhere on the ship if the electricity fails? We were in the dining room when the lights flickered. It happened a couple of times during our week. 3) Battery powered alarm clock. Set it to ship time. You don’t want to miss out on an excursion because you didn’t get up early enough. 4) Power strip. Carnival has a new rule. Power strips will be confiscated if left out in a room because of fire hazard. My room steward gave me a head’s up to hide it away when I wasn’t in the room. It wasn’t a problem. I charged everything at night while sleeping. Worked out well.

 

 

Next up….Our first Sea Day.

Edited July 25, 2015 by ideadisk@yahoo.com

[ideadisk@yahoo.com]

I didn’t mention previously, but no, Carnival doesn’t do fireworks from the ship for July 4th. They had some decorations up, and the waiters sang God Bless America for their dinner show (humorous having so many accents singing that song). When I asked why no fireworks, I was told it’s because the ship is registered through Panama, and they don’t recognize July 4th as a holiday. I did enjoy fireworks as we sailed along the keys. Lots of fireworks all along the way. Pictures didn’t turn out though.

 

Sunday was our first At Sea day. Breakfast is available through the buffet, or can be enjoyed at their open seating brunch (8:30 – 1:00). We enjoyed the brunch, but since the food was ordinary, I didn’t take pictures.

 

Since my father is a smoker, and smoking is VERY limited on the ship, I spent a fair amount of time in the casino to keep him company. It was a great place to people-watch. I gave myself a budget of $20 per day to spend, so I never felt I was overspending.

 

Activities throughout the day were mostly infomercials. “Fun Finds Shopping Show,” “ProPortraits Photo Ops,” “Detox for Health and Weight Loss,” and “Live Art Auction” were a few of the options. My Sister-In-Law enjoyed a manicure at the spa. My brother explored the ship and I enjoyed the adults’ only pool. My dad split his time between the casino and reading on Deck 10 (The other area where people can smoke.) The pool got VERY crowded by 10:00. It was fun though to visit with so many different people. It was filled with warm ocean water. I did need to refresh my sunblock often though because the pool had no shade. Recliners were in the sun too, so it didn’t bother me that all were taken. Chairs were available in the shade and that worked better for me. I even found a spot to enjoy reading for a while.

 

I had soft tacos at the BlueIguana Cantina for lunch. Yum! Note – They won’t put beef on tacos, only burritos…odd. I had pork. My favorite lunch food for the week. Lots of toppings.

 

 

My afternoon consisted of ship exploration, a nap, and reading on my balcony. Lovely. Here are a few photos.

 

This photo is of the Serenity Adults Only area. The hot tub was never too crowded, but I find it interesting that this area is on the opposite end of the ship as the adults only pool.

 

 

 

The open area is where most on-deck activities were held.

 

 

Basketball, volleyball, and more was all played in the same area. Very confusing.

 

 

Deck 10 smoking area.

 

 

Tried to attend the Captain’s Celebration in the casino at 5:15, but it was so incredibly crowded that I gave up.

 

Live music plays all over the ship at various times. It’s fun and a nice touch. I’m surprised that only recorded music is played on the Lido deck.

 

Another nice touch is that you get two fresh beach towels each day in your room. If you need more you can check them out from the Lido deck. They will want to see your Sign and Sail card because you will be charged if you don’t return them.

 

Next up….Dinner time. It’s our first Elegant Night.

[ideadisk@yahoo.com]

Our first Elegant Evening. No one enforced rules. It was nice seeing those who did dress up. You could tell how special they felt.

 

The only differences in the dining room were a more limited menu- with slightly higher quality foods, and tablecloths on the tables. I switched to hot tea, hoping I would actually get something served this time. We were almost to desert when my water arrived. Everyone else got their beverages quickly, but refills were slow.

 

The menu is set up a little differently. It is a single page.

 

 

Don’t they make shrimp cocktail pretty? (5 stars)

 

 

My brother couldn’t decide between Mushroom Cream Soup and Italian Wedding Soup…so he got both! See the smile? Yes…he does make me laugh. (5 stars each)

 

 

I loved the Baby Spinach Salad. (5 stars)

 

 

Sister-In-Law enjoyed the Romaine Caesar Salad. (5 stars)

 

 

In part two we move to entrees…

[carnivaladdix120]

Great review and pics!!

[kruise66]

This is SUCH a great review! I can't wait to read and see more!

[pbmsmile]

Where have you gone to?? I am waiting for the finish!! :p