Just back from the GLORY...Not much fun....

[nimbex1970]

I thank you for being honest and sharing your experiences, would have loved to hear more about the ports, your choices of excursions.

 

This is a very good eye opener, for those who book any type of vacation and don't research it up to the hilt. I'm a compulsive research gatherer, two to three SOLID weeks of research pre booking and then almost each day after that gathering every tidbit to ensure I'm getting what I'm looking for. luckily our first cruise (when we didn't have a clue how to research or what to even check into) we sailed with a pro and she guided us. BUT we weren't sailing with the kids.

 

So OP, I can assure you, if you'd spend a bit more time researching, now knowing that having that "insider" info is a huge bennefit, I'd bet that your next cruise will be pure vacation bliss!

 

sorry you had to learn some of the basics the hard way and I hope you'll try CCL again, but I'm sure some newbies have already learned from you, and I'm glad you shared your vacation post. Since your kids are younger, also consider october and just take 'em out of school that week, prices great, few kids, they'll be spoiled in the camp and it's not as hot in the islands, definatley not the college kid time.

[mnsawyer]

I don't believe the original poster has posted since his/her review but you've got 3 pages of comments!! We sailed the Glory last April and typically have cruised in March. Yes, there are lots of college kids but never had any problems but we don't have children either. In all honesty, have been others (not college kids) act drunk and disorderly as well! Sailing in April was great for us. Not during spring break, EAster or school vacation weeks! A bit of an older crowd but had a fabulous time. We are not foodie critics and enjoyed the food. Sometimes in the dining room wasn't quite what we wanted but never had a bad meal. Always fish or steak if you didn't like what was on the menu. We loved the Glory and sailing out of Port Canaveral. We sailed the Glory when it was 4 stops and loved it. Three whole days at sea would be too much for us as well. Sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your cruise. Spending all of that money and not to have a nice time would be very, very depressing. Also, the dancers we saw looked fabulous...would to have loved to look like that in my 2-piece bathing suit!!!

[Stu Gotts]

I just got back from the same cruise as Spottythecat, the original poster, and have a much different opinion. This was the first cruise for my wife and I. We have consistently traveled 2 times per year and never opted for a cruise, rather picked an island or location (usually in the Caribbean) and hung for a week or so.

 

First off, why did Spotty sit on the smoking side of the ship with your kids??? I hate cigarrette smoke, particularly when I am eating. Therefore, when I saw the clouds of smoke in the SMOKING section, I sat somewhere else. Simple enough.

 

The waitstaff - I live near NYC, have traveled around the world, ate at restaurants from McDonalds to five star fine dining rooms to dining rooms of foreign heads of state. I think my wife and I are qualified judges of service. The service was unparalleled on the Glory - my wife and I actually looked forward to dining in the main room (Golden) each night, just to speak to our waiter, share some laughs, learn about his country, and receive excellent service. He was personable and went above and beyond. I can honestly say that out of all of the people and friends we met on the Glory, our waiter was our favorite. In fact, he may be coming to NYC during his leave time and we are already planning to meet up. I will also be looking into visiting his homeland during his break. That may sound a little kooky, but I felt like I knew the guy for 20 years. I was not alone - on the last night I saw plenty of other tables, with different servers, taking pictures with them, laughing, joking around, etc....

 

Also, the waiters make $46 dollars per month and the rest of the wait-help not much more. They are from developing nations and trying to improve the lives of them and their families. Most fo the staff I got to know have a wife and kids and do not see them for 4 - 6 months at a time. BTW, I am no bleeding heart liberal.

 

Also, I think you get what you give, and don't think Spotty "gives" enough to get back the friendliness she craves. Also, in relation to tips, I gave our waitstaff something extra on the last night...and it was generous and they EARNED it.

 

Also, if you have special meal needs/requests...YOU JUST HAVE TO ASK...and that should be Carnival's new theme. The first night, my wife asked for skim milk for her coffee..and every night after the waiter remembered and automatically brought it. Also, one night I ate my meal and wanted to try a seafood/pasta dish, but without the pasta. He went into the kitchen and picked out the seafood for me. He also saw how much I eat and asked, every night, if I just wanted one or two plates, or two different dinners.

 

On the up-front gratuity. You can opt-out of it at the start. Apparently, Spotty didn't read that, missed it or whatever. It's all over this website and almost every review I read on cruising and Carnival. However, I never felt that the people didn't earn at least the minimum and had no issue with it.

 

On the so-called gay and drunk jokes. First off, I went to the same events. It was mild, and funny. Also, why are you bringing your kids to Bingo - do you bring them into a casino, the horse track or poker rooms back home? Also, not sure if you know this, but there are gay people in the world and people do drink alcohol, and this looked like an opportunity for you to explain the real world to your kids OR just tell them it was a stupid "adult" joke they wouldn't understand. I recall my parents doing the latter when I was a kid and I did not turn out to be a serial killer, gay, a drunk, a stalker or psychopath.

 

I do agree that some of the acts were below par, but this is NOT Vegas or Broadway, it is a cruise. One comedian was hilarious, one stunk, the cruise director was a riot and was Vegas-worthy (worked his behind off, too).

 

On the spring breakers. I knew it was spring break - for all levels of school, from college to grade school, here in the northeast. I can read a calendar. I took a gamble and we, too, got off to a rough start - first night the kids next door got in about 2 AM and wer loud for about 20 minutes. That was the first and last time I heard them, so we got lucky after that first night. Other than that, would never have known spring break was going on. Actually, the most drunk people and most offensive were the 50 year old couple in the piano sing-along-bar, that turned everything said into a sexual innuendo. BUT THAT WAS THE POINT OF IT and we had a blast. But it was no place for kids. My wife and I are in our late 30's and mix well with all ages, so maybe we were unique and more tolerant. We actually became close with a young college couple, whose parents we were closer in age to than them!!!! Next time, may I suggest you look for a cruise during either a different time or one like Disney, that caters to kids.

 

Finally, based on this experience, I woudl travel Carnival and would travel on the Glory, again. Carnival needs to improve their times and off-boarding at the ports of call. We got about 3 - 4 hours in Key West (waited on line about an hour to get off the ship) and IMO Costa Maya is dirty, cheezing and tacky. But the staff made it worth it and if you read and research a little, most of the "problems" Spotty had could have been avoided.

[donnavb5]

I am not sure what week you went, but this past week over 2.3 million college kids were on Spring Break. The week before that it was 1.3 million. We sail on the Senation on March 27th, there will be about 700,000 college students on SB. That is the same week that many Florida schools (elem. to high school) will be on SB. I expect to see alot of families, but that's ok, we expect it.

 

 

 

Could you please write a review on here when you get back. I'm going on the Sensation on the 13th of May and I'm dying to know how the update on her faired.

[kimmimom]

sorry you didnt enjoy it. we were on the miracle in jan and had a blast. The camp carnival folks told us that there were 100 kids on board and that on busy weeks they can have 500+ kids. I think they can be more flexible with moving kids to different groups when there are fewer kids on board (like when we went). We went on our cruise in Jan b/c we have no desire to go during spring break. We took the kids out of school for 2 days (thanks for holiday and 2 teacher work days).

[packercruising]

I have heard they were thinking about putting bowling alleys on ships but I did not think one was out yet..

 

NCL Pearl, which is supposed to launch next October, is going to have bowling alleys:cool:

 

I'm glad to see someone an have legitimate concerns and not get ripped to shreads. I wouldn't doubt that people were smoking on both sides of the ship.

[KruznKel]

NCL Pearl, which is supposed to launch next October, is going to have bowling alleys:cool:

 

I'm glad to see someone an have legitimate concerns and not get ripped to shreads. I wouldn't doubt that people were smoking on both sides of the ship.

 

Yeehaw lets go bowling...:rolleyes: While I was on the Victory I did not see anybody smoking anywhere that they shouldn't have been.. even the drunk college students..(most don't smoke it's not cool)

 

I did see parents sitting on the lido deck with kids in strollers and running around on the smoking side of the ship:eek: :mad:

 

On my way home in the ATL airport.. smoking rooms.. = very smokey.. there was a gal in there with her child.. I sometimes wonder about parents and people in general:(

[TanIslandGirl]

I just got back from the same cruise as Spottythecat, the original poster, and have a much different opinion. This was the first cruise for my wife and I. We have consistently traveled 2 times per year and never opted for a cruise, rather picked an island or location (usually in the Caribbean) and hung for a week or so.

 

First off, why did Spotty sit on the smoking side of the ship with your kids??? I hate cigarrette smoke, particularly when I am eating. Therefore, when I saw the clouds of smoke in the SMOKING section, I sat somewhere else. Simple enough.

 

The waitstaff - I live near NYC, have traveled around the world, ate at restaurants from McDonalds to five star fine dining rooms to dining rooms of foreign heads of state. I think my wife and I are qualified judges of service. The service was unparalleled on the Glory - my wife and I actually looked forward to dining in the main room (Golden) each night, just to speak to our waiter, share some laughs, learn about his country, and receive excellent service. He was personable and went above and beyond. I can honestly say that out of all of the people and friends we met on the Glory, our waiter was our favorite. In fact, he may be coming to NYC during his leave time and we are already planning to meet up. I will also be looking into visiting his homeland during his break. That may sound a little kooky, but I felt like I knew the guy for 20 years. I was not alone - on the last night I saw plenty of other tables, with different servers, taking pictures with them, laughing, joking around, etc....

 

Also, the waiters make $46 dollars per month and the rest of the wait-help not much more. They are from developing nations and trying to improve the lives of them and their families. Most fo the staff I got to know have a wife and kids and do not see them for 4 - 6 months at a time. BTW, I am no bleeding heart liberal.

 

Also, I think you get what you give, and don't think Spotty "gives" enough to get back the friendliness she craves. Also, in relation to tips, I gave our waitstaff something extra on the last night...and it was generous and they EARNED it.

 

Also, if you have special meal needs/requests...YOU JUST HAVE TO ASK...and that should be Carnival's new theme. The first night, my wife asked for skim milk for her coffee..and every night after the waiter remembered and automatically brought it. Also, one night I ate my meal and wanted to try a seafood/pasta dish, but without the pasta. He went into the kitchen and picked out the seafood for me. He also saw how much I eat and asked, every night, if I just wanted one or two plates, or two different dinners.

 

On the up-front gratuity. You can opt-out of it at the start. Apparently, Spotty didn't read that, missed it or whatever. It's all over this website and almost every review I read on cruising and Carnival. However, I never felt that the people didn't earn at least the minimum and had no issue with it.

 

On the so-called gay and drunk jokes. First off, I went to the same events. It was mild, and funny. Also, why are you bringing your kids to Bingo - do you bring them into a casino, the horse track or poker rooms back home? Also, not sure if you know this, but there are gay people in the world and people do drink alcohol, and this looked like an opportunity for you to explain the real world to your kids OR just tell them it was a stupid "adult" joke they wouldn't understand. I recall my parents doing the latter when I was a kid and I did not turn out to be a serial killer, gay, a drunk, a stalker or psychopath.

 

I do agree that some of the acts were below par, but this is NOT Vegas or Broadway, it is a cruise. One comedian was hilarious, one stunk, the cruise director was a riot and was Vegas-worthy (worked his behind off, too).

 

On the spring breakers. I knew it was spring break - for all levels of school, from college to grade school, here in the northeast. I can read a calendar. I took a gamble and we, too, got off to a rough start - first night the kids next door got in about 2 AM and wer loud for about 20 minutes. That was the first and last time I heard them, so we got lucky after that first night. Other than that, would never have known spring break was going on. Actually, the most drunk people and most offensive were the 50 year old couple in the piano sing-along-bar, that turned everything said into a sexual innuendo. BUT THAT WAS THE POINT OF IT and we had a blast. But it was no place for kids. My wife and I are in our late 30's and mix well with all ages, so maybe we were unique and more tolerant. We actually became close with a young college couple, whose parents we were closer in age to than them!!!! Next time, may I suggest you look for a cruise during either a different time or one like Disney, that caters to kids.

 

Finally, based on this experience, I woudl travel Carnival and would travel on the Glory, again. Carnival needs to improve their times and off-boarding at the ports of call. We got about 3 - 4 hours in Key West (waited on line about an hour to get off the ship) and IMO Costa Maya is dirty, cheezing and tacky. But the staff made it worth it and if you read and research a little, most of the "problems" Spotty had could have been avoided.

 

Hey Stu Gotts! In knew I liked you just from your screen name! LOL:D

I loved your reply. I was on the Glory 2/4-2/11 & had a great time. I agree with much if not all of what you said. We had a blast & were there to have a great time. We traveled (from NY also) with a total of 31, 11 of them being teenagers. Sorry this traveler had a bad exp with Carnival but I can tell him/her that the entire month of March is considered to be Spring Break. I was on the Triumph last March & so were 2,000 college kids but honestly they mostly all conducted themselves like respectful young adults while in the general public areas of the ship.

To those families never cruising with Carnival & considering a cruise next March dont write Carnival off because you think of it as a party ship that realy isnt the way it is. It is a great family cruise line. You should just do some homework before you go,for tips & advice as you should with any trip. Hope this cruiser gives Carnival another shot.

[CruiseHealing]

Could you please write a review on here when you get back. I'm going on the Sensation on the 13th of May and I'm dying to know how the update on her faired.

 

I plan to do some "Live on the Sea Reporting" every day, if the internet cafe has access. The reason I say that is because they will be moving the cafe so I am hoping it will be up and running.

 

If you see my post on CC, and have a question I will try to answer it. I will spend 20 to 30 minutes each day.

[paradiseseekers]

I personaly think cruises just are not for kids...

Take them to Disney, family resorts, The ocean. The boat is limited for kids, its more adult oriented.

You are complaining about smoking, well we complain about little kids on a cruise- no offense

[nybumpkin]

Our sons will be 15, 10 and 6 during our next cruise. You won't find us aboard a ship anytime other than summer vacation - DH and I can't take off from work during the weeks the kids are off from school, and we won't pull the kids out of school for a vacation. On our Conquest sailing, they announced that there were 900 kids on board. Not exactly conducive for those who want to avoid kids, but I thought the kids were fairly well behaved overall. Youngest son was in the 2-5 category at Camp Carnival, and given the number of kids aboard they divided this group into the 2-3 year-olds and the 4-5 year-olds, and it worked well. I can understand OP's comment that the 5 YO didn't want to play with the 2 YOs, but I suspect that there weren't enough kids on board their sailing to separate the age groups as they did on our sailing - I imagine that there are fewer Camp Carnival counselors on board sailings that have fewer kids booked, such as March sailings.

[barneco]

Most of what they wrote is opinion and they are certainly entitled to one. What did bother me was this quote:

 

"We weren't offered a children's menu or activity menu sheet until our final night. I mean, no one said the kids could order a burger, chicken etc...We dined the first 2 nights in the dining room, and didn't return until the final night when I finally asked for a children's menu. Even our server told us the entire time that she hated her job and couldn't wait to get off the ship in April!"

 

Having a bad server as reported is just inexcusable. Having been on 13 Carnival cruises (and 16 overall), I would definitely not like having a waiter who told me they hated their job. I would make sure the Maitre'D was aware of that kind of attitude. Of course, having been on so many cruises, I know most everything to ask for, such as multiple entrees if desired, the real dessert menu even when they offer only the specialty dessert like Baked Alaska and Anchovies for my Caesar Salad. I also know about letting the Maitre'D and our server know about my wife's special dietary needs and the fact that you can order steak or chicken every night even if not on the menu as well as Caesar Salad.

 

Barry

[Knights on the Beach]

I personaly think cruises just are not for kids...

Take them to Disney, family resorts, The ocean. The boat is limited for kids, its more adult oriented.

You are complaining about smoking, well we complain about little kids on a cruise- no offense

I understand and respect your opinion -- and you're not offending me -- my kids are now older, but they have been cruising with us since they were 12 and 5. Cruising is actually very family-friendly if you're on the right cruiseline. Carnival is one of those lines. The ship isn't as limited for kids as you might think. As long as Carnival offers things such as basketball, ping pong, the all important slide, Camp Carnival, arcade, etc., there will be kids on board. I absolutely agree that kids should be in appropriate areas and not at the midnight comedy show, for instance. Parents should also realize that if they are going to take kids into an adult-oriented area (bingo, game shows, evening entertainment, etc.), they should realize it is unreasonable for anyone to cater to the kids in that environment.

[cruisecastle]

I personaly think cruises just are not for kids...

Take them to Disney, family resorts, The ocean. The boat is limited for kids, its more adult oriented.

You are complaining about smoking, well we complain about little kids on a cruise- no offense

 

You may not think (if you think) so but Carnival does that's why they have 3,000sqare foot camp for kids. My 6 yr old has been on 4 Carnival cruises including Liberty europe and one Disney with two more Disney cruises coming this summer. We always have a great time

[cruisecastle]

I personaly think cruises just are not for kids...

Take them to Disney, family resorts, The ocean. The boat is limited for kids, its more adult oriented.

You are complaining about smoking, well we complain about little kids on a cruise- no offense

 

You may not think (if you think) so but Carnival does that's why they have 3,000sqare foot camp for kids. My 6 yr old has been on 4 Carnival cruises including Liberty europe and one Disney with two more Disney cruises coming this summer. We always have a great time

[GoodAsGold]

Unfortunately, for us, Spring break is usually the best time to take a cruise. Out of 8 cruises, 5 were during Spring break. Actually, we'll be sailing on the 5th spring break cruise three weeks from tomorrow. Out of those five, two are 4 day cruises. Not my favorite length, but sometimes that's what's in the budget and timeframe. I have to say, that we didn't run into the rowdy, obscene folks you mentioned. Two of the cruises were on Princess and those were longer. But, even on my Spring break Carnival cruises, things were never like what was described by the OP. Maybe we just got lucky! It could be that we're on the West coast and more partiers like the Caribbean. I'm hoping our upcoming cruise will be okay. Two of the women and three of my daughter's friends have never been on a cruise. I sure don't want them to get a bad impression. As it is, I had kind of wished we could have sailed the Sapphire or Diamond Princesss...or even the Dawn for their first time. The understated, somewhat elegant decor and Anytime Dining are big positives. Oh well! I intend to enjoy myself on the Paradise, regardless! Especially if the drunken college crowd stays clear of my pathway--better yet, stays off the ship altogether! :)

 

I am sorry to hear that you had a bad cruise. No matter what cruise line, Spring break is not the time to have a family vacation. Most family cruises are in the summer. quote]

[DqALEX]

I will take little kids on a cruise over drunks any day of the week

[lazyart]

I sailed this exact cruise... DW & I were honeymooners (did you see the Newlywed Not So Newlywed game?) and we had a blast. We werent interested in the activities on deck and steered away from them. This was certainly a spring break cruise and you get kids partying. This is not where I would bring little ones on board. Since I didnt have to worry about that aspect (and don't care to spend time in the sun) things were wonderful. The wait staff was top notch. My wife is diabetic and we went to the pursers desk and told them we were disappointed with the lack of sugar free options. From that night forward a sugar free dessert was automatically served with her dinner. The maitre d' also visited our table a few nights later to let us know that there would be sugar free options on the chocolate buffet and we were able to locate it. On the 2nd formal night he even offered everyone at the table a glass of wine.

 

We were thoroughly impressed and slipped extra tips to our dining room waiter (Phillip), our cabin steward (Agustinus) and the server in Red Sail who remembered our preferences and even our table.

 

Hairy Chest contest? No thanks. Watermelon eating contest? Not for us. Bingo, Casino, Piano Bar, White Heat, Az-Izz? All great fun.

 

Having small children, I could see there would be issues on this particular cruise. If I were traveling with children that age I wouldve gone with the Disney Magic docked right next to us.

[bplazo]

I like the drunks, I think they are more entertaining!

[GoodAsGold]

That's probably why we haven't encountered what others have. Our Spring break is usually in April or late March, running into April. That's good to know!

 

 

Just a different perspective on the kid camp... mine are 7 and 2, so no question they'd be in different groups. Not all cruise lines even take them below 3 (IIRC, Disney doesn't take below 3 in their camp!), and of those who do take down to 2, many others require either perfectly potty trained (no accidents, or so I've read), or they page you to change the diapers. My understanding is that Camp Carnival will even change the diapers, so we can actually go do something uninterrupted for an hour or two. :)

 

As for spring break, we are going during our school district's spring break, which is the first week of April. Seems from what some others have said here, most of the colleges should be done with their breaks by then; hope so! The university I work at has its break the week before my son's; now I think I'm glad! (I can't imagine many colleges would want spring breaks too much into April, since they tend to end earlier than K12 for the summer.) But I hadn't thought about the issue before reading this thread, so I'm glad for the heads-up.

 

Carolyn

Conquest 4/2/06

[auburn77]

I was on the emerald Seas back when I was 6 years old.. It was huge to me.. I remember the pictures of us on the deck, for our Easter Cruise.. And hearing the stories of how we fell asleep during the formal Dinner..

 

Looking at this site below.. It really wasn't as big as I thought..

 

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/ChandrisAtlantis.html

 

-Dolly

 

First of all, let me thank you for making me feel so old. Secondly, thank you very much for directing me to this website. You have made my day! I,too,thought that it was a huge ship at the time. We sailed during a tropical depression and it got pretty rough. I don't believe they knew about stabilizers then. Again, thanks! I can't wait to show my wife the pictures of it.

[Iamthesea]

We were also on the Glory 3/11 with the OP. We booked this cruise because it was spring break for our kids. The price, location of embarkation and port of calls was just right to suit our needs. Our ages were 53, 48, 25 year old DD, 21 DD, 18 DS and my parents in their 80's.

 

We too were disappointed in the cruise, but had a good time anyway and made the best of things. The Glory experience was very different from one we had during Christmas a few years ago on the Victory. I had planned to do a review of my own, with a grading system, but could not resist responding to this post. Let me point out that while some of our negatives were a fault of Carnival, others were not, so I am not blaming Carnival. Some people like a certain cruise for reasons that others would hate it. To each his own. While our children loved the "Funship" experience, DH and I determined that the overall Carnival product is not for our taste and we will most likely not be cruising with Carnival again.

 

What we didn't like:

 

Smokers were everywhere and on both sides of the sun decks. I did tell two different groups that they were on the wrong side for smokers. The first group were in their 40's and they completely ignored me.:mad: The second group consisted of college students. They apologized and got up and went to the other side of the ship. I thanked them for listening. There were many other adult smokers throughout the week that were on the wrong side, so I just gave up! We even encountered smoking in the halls and public areas that are non smoking. I do blame Carnival for not enforcing their policies. If you wish to smoke, that's fine with me, but please read the smoking regulations! We also had the pleasure of having smokers on either side of our balconies. No fresh ocean smells for us! There didn't seem to be any non-smoking areas in the casino.

 

Like the OP, we thought the buffet food, pizza and grill were wonderful, but the dining room food was not so good. The appetizers and salads were always pretty good, but soups and main entrees were only so, so. The worse was the beef. You could either get it medium rare or medium well according to our servers. I like meat MR, so that was not a problem. My son likes things MW...again not a problem, but the others like it medium and could not be accommodated. The fillet tasted like liver and I could not even eat what Carnival called Chateaubriand! The one exception was the prime rib...it was pretty tasty. I enjoyed the lobster and fish, but others at my table had to send back both because they were under cooked. I really enjoyed the Cornish hen and the bread! Vegetables, soups and desserts were nothing to write home about, either. Another complaint was that the dining room was not open for lunch on a few days. That being said, we didn't starve. I did lose weight though!

 

Our servers were not efficient at all! I couldn't figure out if it was Carnivals fault or the servers. The two women team never once introduced themselves and we never had the chance to engage them in conversation about themselves. It was like a tornado at our table! We sit down - they throw the menu at us - and then start back around getting our orders without a chance to really study it. Our appetizers come out and then replaced right away with the salads and soups. Before we have a chance to finish, the main entree was presented. Dessert took a little longer, but the coffee was often served after the dessert. We had the feeling that they were being rushed so that they would be ready for the nightly entertainment, yet when we looked around the dining room, others were joking with their servers and were still enjoying their meals. Perhaps they were new and nervous...I guess we will never know. We gave up trying to order a bottle of wine one evening because the assistant never came back after giving us the wine list. We never tried again, but instead ordered individual drinks from the bar server who BTW was very attentive to my 21 year old (asked her to meet him later that evening.) We received great service from him! The nightly dining room entertainment was not necessary, IMO. Another problem with the dining room was the crowding. We were in the Platinum and had to go through an obstacle course to get to and through the dining room every evening. We would start with drinks in the atrium on deck 3 and then have to get an elevator to deck 5, walk through the very crowded casino and bar areas and then take another elevator back down to deck 3. The doors would open and there would be no place to step out to because the foyer was packed with passengers waiting to enter the dining room (while DH, the children and I often took the stairs, my parents could not.) Once we were allowed to enter, we had to dodge the tables and chairs to get to our table on the very aft (which was a great location.) This proved to be a difficult task when the other passengers were pulling their chairs out to sit down. There are just too many passengers for this ship. Many bumps and bruises for our group.

 

We had late seating, so the show didn't start until 10:30. NOT! We would have to wait through a game of BINGO first and then the show began about 10:45. We stayed through about 10 minutes of two dance shows and left because the singers and dancers were terrible in our opinion. We have been on 11 cruises and have never left the theater. The male singer was especially horrible. He didn't sing... he shouted! The female singer was much better. I agree that the dancers were a little on the heavy side, but not fat. The problem was that they didn't seem to be in sync with each other and the backdrops were dull and boring. Stage was also too small. We didn't get to hear any of the comedy acts (mid-night is a little too late for the adults in our group.) My children did attend one and all said it was good, but my 18 year old said the language was very rough.

 

We didn't care for the CD or his side kick. Drove us crazy with their rambling and did not think they were very professional looking or acting. Speaking of being overweight! I am glad that I did not get a chance to hear any gay jokes, because I would have been very upset as we have a couple a gay members in our extended family and public bashing of any type is in poor taste and not tolerated by me.

 

Because we knew it was spring break, we did expect to see some wild behavior from the college students, but outside of a few that were drinking and loud, the college students were not the problem with us (except for the four girls on the Empress deck that acted like midnight was 10:00 am :D - I am sure that we bothered them the next morning when they were sleeping off their hangovers.) The problems we encounter were from the numerous unsupervised kids running about the ship. On one afternoon, I had to reprimand two darling little boys that were running up and down the Empress deck during nap time. I don't know where their parents were...probably napping also. :rolleyes: The child next door to us went in and out his balcony door at least 25 times a day, leaving the door to slam and cause vibration to the surrounding staterooms. Several teens visited the "secret" balcony on the Empress after midnight each evening and would run up and down the hall outside our room. One evening, my DH and I decided to go see what all the commotion was about and found the teens outside with smokes and drink in hand. Kids were riding the elevators and sitting in them. It's no wonder that one of the atrium elevators had a major malfunction one evening and caused quite a scare for those below. Many times, I rode the elevator with children as young as 2 and 5 with no parent in site. I also got chills when I passed a young girl in the hall by herself late at night one evening. Very sad that parents would let their children run around by themselves.

 

Beside the kids. It was the drunk, rude and obnoxious adults that we encountered around the ship. The deck chair saving, smokers and typical "red neck" behavior were at an all time high on this ship! I don't understand why some passengers (many on this ship) cannot dress up for dinner in a formal dining room??? Many jeans, t-shirts with offensive messaging and hats were seen. One guy even wore a karate type sash around his head a couple of nights. The college kids that my kids befriended were very well dressed at night. Oh, then there was the guy that thought he was being cute with all his wigs and his boom box. Many thought he was a college student, but my girls talked to his group one evening and found that they were on leave from the military. :eek: They were almost kicked off the ship for rude and lewd behavior. The "boom box" guy practically plowed over my father in Key West. I have it on video. We rode the same trolley back to the ship with the group and they were told to be quiet on more than one occasion by the driver.

 

The crew overall was not friendly. I passed by many in the halls without getting a "hello" even after speaking first. My DH was turned off by the spa personnel on the first day and decided that he would forgo a massage for the first time in 11 cruises. I overheard a very heated conversation at the pursers desk where a passenger was complaining about one of the social staff. Seems the passenger was asking about disembarkation colors and when his turn would come up and the crew member replied "get out of my face!" I happened to walk pass the same crew members and heard them talking of this situation and laughing about it, then they "accidentally" or not shouted into a microphone to "quit harassing the social staff!" The purser did reprimand one of the crew over this incident.

 

I think the biggest complaint I heard from every passenger was the crowding up on deck, the chair saving and those darn lounge chairs! Those things are an accident waiting to happen. Someone is going to be badly injured (or already has been) from those chairs collapsing under them and Carnival will be sued. Because I have had recent back trouble, I was very careful, but also very sore after spending any amount of time in them. The dining room chairs were also uncomfortable to me.

 

What we did like:

 

The Red Sail, pizza, the grill, hot chocolate and soft serve yogurt! Fish and Chips was OK. Loved the sushi...especially the salmon and ginger. Dining room service for breakfast was good, as was the breakfast. Room service very prompt!

 

Our Cat. 11 suite was very nice, although not as large as it looked in photo's. The suite and bath were the best accommodations we have had to date of any other suites. Balconies were small and narrow and the furniture should be upgraded for these suites... very uncomfortable! We did open our divider between our stateroom and my parents, which helped a bit. Our children's balcony stateroom was smaller than the same Cat they had on the Victory, so the surprise upgrade was a disappointment for me, but they enjoyed having the extra space anyway.

 

Our room steward, Anka was wonderful and very friendly. We did give her a $20 up front. (Incidentally, other than the extra to the steward, this is the first cruise where we have not tipped in excess of the suggested amount to our dining servers and we did not tip the Maitre D whom we never even saw.)

 

Loved having drinks in the atrium. Unfortunately, there was little choice of "classical" music before dinner. The bar tenders were all friendly.

 

Although our tab came to $80 a couple, we enjoyed our dinner in the Emerald Room. The servers were outstanding! Interestingly, they both commented that they enjoyed working in the Emerald, because it gave them a chance to perform their professions correctly...something they could not do in the dining room because of time constraints.

:rolleyes:

 

The Skipper's club! Outstanding embarkation (debarkation was a nightmare, but not Carnivals fault!)

 

My father enjoyed the adult hot tubs and my parents both enjoyed the outside Promenade deck for resting. The kids enjoyed the night clubs and making new friends.

 

We enjoyed all the ports! With limited time in Key West, we went bar hopping and enjoyed a great hamburger for lunch. The trolley into town provided a nice mini tour of the island. In Belize, we enjoyed the Bannister Island beach break which was great for the first couple of hours until more crowds arrived. The waters and foliage of this island are beautiful! We really enjoyed the beauty of Costa Maya. Yes, the port area was new and built for cruise passengers, but we saw nothing dirty about this area. It was very nice and spacious. I just couldn't get over how pretty the water was with the surrounding huts and colorful buildings. I took many photo's from the ship!

 

Besides the crowding around the open decks and in the dining room, we didn't encounter waits elsewhere. There was always plenty of seating in the Red Sail and the theater. The only day that we saw a line for food was our last sea day. No problem with the pizza, grill, F&C or the taco bar, though.

 

Our goal for this cruise was to provide a good time for our kids and that was achieved as they had a wonderful time and are begging us for another one. I had warned them beforehand that they were to be courteous to others, and quiet in the halls when they went back and forth to their stateroom and I believe that they behaved in a mature manner. I sure hope they didn't bother anyone!

 

My parents enjoyed seeing their grand kids having a good time, however I don't think they enjoyed the Glory at all! My Mom has severe asthma and for the first time in years, she complained of the smoke.

 

All in all, the cruise was fun and we achieved what we set out to do...provide our children with a great time!

 

I sailed this exact cruise... DW & I were honeymooners (did you see the Newlywed Not So Newlywed game?)

 

PS - Lazyart, we did see the show and were impressed that it didn't get very dirty. In fact the show was quite clean. Y'all did a good job, too!

[lazyart]

Thanks Iamthesea... As I was getting ready to answer one of the questions I looked out and saw the crowd, especially the kids in the front row. I then changed my answer to something vague.

 

The older couple was just hilarious. I hope Mrs. Lazyart and I group up to be just like them.

[Iamthesea]

That couple - especially the wife were very funny. Loved her legs!

 

Forgot to tell you that I saw you getting off the elevator for dinner the first night. I recognized you by your hats and Mrs. Lazyart's veil. I got really excited and was trying to get over to you, but the crowd pushed us away from you.

[Suburban Drudgery]

Or Las Vegas! LOL Talk about teens getting drunk all day and night.

 

 

I would NEVER cruise on spring break.

But sorry your experience was so bad.