A few thoughts about our first cruise

[gstepic]

We just came back from a Glory cruise to the Western Caribbean. It was our first cruise and it was kind of what I thought it would be, maybe even a little better. Of course I have been reading posts on this forum and see how many get addicted to cruises, so I was expecting it to be pretty good.

 

I was hoping to get a little rest and that did not happen! i bought my laptop with me thinking I will do some work on my business web-site and brought a couple books to read. Never cracked open the computer and did most of my reading on the plane. We did watch one movie on our TV, tried to stay up to watch another but couldn't. We even tried to take a nap a few times.

 

There is just too much to do even if it is just walking around the ship. We went to all the shows and were impressed at how entertaining they were. Sure, not Vegas quality, but there was some talent on board and we were always very entertained. Our cruise director was pretty funny and he has definitly found his calling.

 

What can I say about the food! Your really did not have to pig out to enjoy a great dining experience. The quality of the food was good enough alone to look forward to dinner every evening. I can't say enough about Hristina, our server as she went out of her way to please us. The head guy (not sure how to spell the D word) did his best to entertain us while dining without overdoing it. It was just enough to add it a little fun to our meals. i enjoyed getting to know the people at our table. In fact, I think that is a good policy. My wife and I are a little on the introverted side so it is hard to go out of our way to meet folks. If we had open seating we probably would have kept more to ourselves. We were forced to get to know other passengers and our experience was all the better for it.

 

The same can be said for the formal nights. If I had my wishes before the cruise i would say don't have a formal night. But once we got dressed up for the evening we understood how it did make the night a little extra special. Just goes to show my wife and i need to go out and get dressed up more often. Formal nights really do add to the experience.

 

We did have a dinner at the Emerald room (my wife kept wanting me to cancel it though because the food was so good with our regular dining and she could not see paying the extra money). I am the type of person that is not sure what fork is to be used for what! Needless to say we do not eat out at fancy resteraunts. Many of the dishes were so attractive i thought more about taking pictures of the dishes rather than eating them. We had no regrets after our meal. As good as our regular dining room meals were this was on another level. I am not sure if we would do this on another cruise, but we are glad we had our special dinner.

 

Some of the bands were not the greatest in the world, but again what should be expected! We enjoyed going to the various lounges and listening to the music. And as I had hoped, there were all types of different music being played at various places on the ship.

 

From the other passengers we heard all kinds of opinions on the looks of the Glory. Not knowing what to expect in this regard I thought it was an attractive ship but feel there may be others more visually stunning. I guess this is one of many reasons to go cruising again. The stateroom was very comfortable and so was the bed. We had a balcony and next time we feel we would not mind an interior room. We really liked to be out and about more than staying in our room. Maybe after several cruises we would value a balcony more, but we could live without it. I admit we did enjoy sitting out on it from time to time.

 

I really enjoyed meeting the various staff members and finding out what countries they are from. Everyone seemed to try very hard to please. It was kind of fun to see how our towels would be folded every evening. I think our cabin steward struggled with English some but he always was very pleasant and we know he would have done all he could to help us feel comfortable, we really did not need anything special so we mainly just exchanged good mornings and good evenings.

 

Drinks were everywhere and I thought not outragously priced. I doubt if anyone would complain about having to wait for a drink order to be filled as there were ample waiters everywhere.

 

Of course we ran into some complainers and heard some comments about never going on a cruise again. I just wonder what these folks expected? My only complaint was the Carnival Club presentation we went to. Our sales girls said I would not get any discounts (I recieved a nice veterans discount for our cruise) on an Alaskan cruise and I think she fibbed about that and that turned me off the rest of the presention. i have spent much of my life in sales so a peeve of mine is when other sales people would say whatever they feel they needed to make a sale, even when not being truthful.

 

I felt so so about the ports we visited. Consumel really has been pretty damaged by hurricanes. I did enjoy hanging around town having a few beers while my wife tried to buy everything in site. We were scheduled to see Xunituch in Beleze but had to see another Mayan ruins as the river was too high when we got to the site. Our bus broke down a few miles out of port but another bus was soon there to pick us up. I am glad we changed from a private tour to a ship tour as there is some risk of not getting back in time. Who know what would have happened if our bus broke down further away on a private tour! Much to our suprise, Carnival refunded the cost of our tour even though i thought the "plan B" tour was pretty interesting. Costa Maya is really noting much to see, just a nice resting stop built for the cruise ships. We did not have much time in Nasua as my wife booked a snorkeling tour for the time we were in port. It looks like an interesting port to visit when we would have more time.

 

Time to get off work so I will cut my review a little short. All in all we had a great time and I have a very good impression of Carnival. They really did try hard to provide a lot of fun without overdoing it in my view.

 

Gary

[DocJohnB]

What an excellent write-up/review. It is good to read a review that isn't all gripes or complaints, yet doesn't appear to be written through rose-colored glasses.

 

Gary, it seems as though you and your wife went with the expectation that you would have a good time, and that, in your opinion, those expectations were exceeded.

 

I am sure there are people who were on your cruise who would find fault with your observations, but then they did not see the cruise through your eyes.

 

Thanks for taking the time to express your thoughts.

 

And, do cruise again.

[LHP]

So glad to hear you had a good time. Kudos to Carnival for taking care of you on that tour. Sounds like y'all are definately "cruise addiction" material!

Sorry about the CVC. It is sad. Their sale people are on strick quotas. You don't make the quota...you are history. An acquaintance is no longer on the Miracle, because she was just to nice. (at least that is the reason they gave for giving her the boot)

 

9 more cruises and you are Platinum!!!

[TicTac#2]

Gary...Wow what a great "fair and balanced" post!...It's so nice to hear the observations of ones first cruise. It's the attitude that makes the difference.

I was on a tender a few years back speaking to an older lady to find she had

she had been on 85 cruises. I asked her for a bit of cruise wisdom.

She thought for a second and said:

"You pay your money to the cruise line, and that makes them happy, but

the cruise can't make you happy that is up to you". I think you share the same belief. You will cruise again, beware of the addiction.

[habby]

Thanks so very much for posting your review. It looks like you went in with your eyes open, and took it all in!

 

So, when's the next cruise?;)

[DqALEX]

Thank you for a honest review. Just think now you can start looking for your next cruise.

[jenjens1023]

i enjoyed getting to know the people at our table. In fact, I think that is a good policy. My wife and I are a little on the introverted side so it is hard to go out of our way to meet folks. If we had open seating we probably would have kept more to ourselves. We were forced to get to know other passengers and our experience was all the better for it.

 

I'm so glad you didn't try to get a table for two. I think getting to know your table mates is half the fun of the cruise. On our first cruise we (me, DH, DM and teenage DD) were at a table for ten. The three other couples were all retired (as is my DM who booked the trip, so the table mates were based on her age), but my DD loved the experience of having six other grandparents on the ship. They were all very interested in what she had done everyday and the progress of her shipboard romance. I would never request a small table and, if given one, would request a change to the biggest table possible).

 

So when are you booking your next cruise?

[LHP]

Gary...Wow what a great "fair and balanced" post!...It's so nice to hear the observations of ones first cruise. It's the attitude that makes the difference.

I was on a tender a few years back speaking to an older lady to find she had

she had been on 85 cruises. I asked her for a bit of cruise wisdom.

She thought for a second and said:

"You pay your money to the cruise line, and that makes them happy, but

the cruise can't make you happy that is up to you". I think you share the same belief. You will cruise again, beware of the addiction.

 

Very, very wise words !!!! It is like life....it is what you make it!!!

[TicTac#2]

I'm so glad you didn't try to get a table for two. I think getting to know your table mates is half the fun of the cruise. On our first cruise we (me, DH, DM and teenage DD) were at a table for ten. The three other couples were all retired (as is my DM who booked the trip, so the table mates were based on her age), but my DD loved the experience of having six other grandparents on the ship. They were all very interested in what she had done everyday and the progress of her shipboard romance. I would never request a small table and, if given one, would request a change to the biggest table possible).

 

So when are you booking your next cruise?

 

Large tables and with the same tablemates are one of the things I miss when on NCL-

[babyher]

Very nice review :)

 

You started out on your cruise with a great attitude and it paid off. :)

 

May you have many many more wonderful cruises ahead of you

 

ENJOY!

[mattmdv]

Great review! Glad to hear/read that you enjoyed yourselves. In just about any situation, people can find the unpleasant aspect, same with a cruise. If you go expecting to have a GREAT and WONDERFUL time, you will, if you go looking for anyting negative, you can find that also.

Put us on a cruise ship and I guarantee that we will have a GREAT TIME TOO!!!

When is your next cruise booked???

 

Matt

[BND]

Great review and even though everything wasn't "perfect" you still had a great time. I personally think the time you have is because of the way you approach it. We'll be on Glory in 3 1/2 weeks for the eastern itinerary and we can't wait. Thanks for a very objective review.

 

We are not introverted when it comes to meeting new people and we enjoyed our table mates last year. It's a great way to get to meet new people and spend a little time with them.

[joan_al]

What a good review. Now we're really looking forward to our first cruise. The only thing that scares me is more then one fork.

Hope we enjoy it as you did.

[hstrybuf]

I know just how you feel! We were exhausted after our first cruise from trying to see and do everything. Granted nothing is perfect, but what an experience! Are you hooked now? :D

[LHP]

The only thing that scares me is more then one fork.

 

You will be fine. Years ago (I am 150 years old) I was headed to my very first formal dinner dance at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I was 16 and I was sooo nervous because almost everyone else there was going to be an adult.

 

I was so scared I was going to use the wrong folk or spoon. So Mom told me that when I sit down...the first thing she wanted me to do was take the place card with my name on it and move it to a slight angle to the right.

 

I asked her what that meant. She said nothing at all....but watch how many other people do it after you do it...and that will show you how many other people around you are just as nervous as you are about doing something wrong.

 

Sure enough, I moved my place card and half the table who saw me did the same. I was completely at ease the rest of the night.

[RWolver672]

What a good review. Now we're really looking forward to our first cruise. The only thing that scares me is more then one fork.

Hope we enjoy it as you did.

 

I was that way on our first cruise. Then I learned that you take them in order that they are laid out. Now they do it differently. They take away the one you just used and give you another one for the next course. They've taken the guess work out of it for you.:)

[gstepic]

In the Emerald room it is a little more one on one with the waite staff so I am sure our lack of etiquit (can't even spell it!) was noticed, but my wife and I did not go out with the intent of impressing anyone so it did not bother us and I am sure the staff understood and did not care as well. In the main dining room everyone is too busy looking at the various dishes everyone esle ordered, at least I was! LOL!

 

As far as questions about our next cruise, more than likely a Alaskan cruise. I would eventually like to go on an Eastern Caribbean and maybe even a southern Caribbean cruise as well. It will be in a couple of years though as my wife and I want to go back to Hawaii for our next big vacation and we have some Disney vactions planned. we have a time share and need to use our points. In three years I can retire so our vacations and most likely cruises will increase.

 

My wife really likes the theme parks as her idea of a vacation is trying to do everything that can be done while my idea is trying to find time to sit back and read a good book for a few hours each day, something I never have time to do at home. We spent three days at Disneyworld after our cruise and I think we walked off all the weight we gained (my wife has us at the park from opening to closing). We also used the stairs on the ship after each meal to walk off some of those extra pounds and being on the Lido deck my 58 year old legs felt the pain a few times. But I probably can get a few more rebounds now! Speaking of Lido deck, to me that is a good deck to have a room on. We were toward the front of the ship and never heard any of the music yet a few steps and we were on the deck for our breakfast and lunches (we mainly used the dining room for dinner).

 

My wife is not as excited about planning another cruise as I am. But when her mom came over all she could do was talk about the cruise and tell her mom how much fun she would have if she came with us. We are trying to talk to some family members into going on a Alaskan cruise especially.

 

Gary

[gstepic]

Double post, sorry

[habby]

Many of the dishes were so attractive i thought more about taking pictures of the dishes rather than eating them.

 

Gary

 

We did both!! Especially on our second Destiny cruise. It got to be "the thing to do".

[LizaMM]

Great review! Thanks for sharing!!

 

Tablemates and Formal Nights are couple of the things (of a very long list!) that have me hooked on cruising as my personal first choice of a vaction now!

 

When you know that you will be taking more cruises I think the need to do everything dies down a bit. The great thing about this kind of vacay is that your wife can join in on all the activities AND you can have R&R time - it's all there! I have noticed that many couples split up and do things seperatly on a cruise.

[BigDoug]

 

What can I say about the food! Your really did not have to pig out to enjoy a great dining experience. The quality of the food was good enough alone to look forward to dinner every evening. I can't say enough about Hristina, our server as she went out of her way to please us. The head guy (not sure how to spell the D word) did his best to entertain us while dining without overdoing it. It was just enough to add it a little fun to our meals. i enjoyed getting to know the people at our table. In fact, I think that is a good policy. My wife and I are a little on the introverted side so it is hard to go out of our way to meet folks. If we had open seating we probably would have kept more to ourselves. We were forced to get to know other passengers and our experience was all the better for it.

All in all we had a great time and I have a very good impression of Carnival. They really did try hard to provide a lot of fun without overdoing it in my view.

 

Gary

Don't tell the people over on the Princess board about this. They might have to rethink the whole AnyTime Dining nonsense (lol).:p I'm glad that you enjoyed your cruise and the whole cruise experience. :D

[luv2cruz44]

Gary,

 

As everyone has already said, great review, very fair & balanced. Now, that said, Alaska is a very good choice and whoever said you couldn't get a military discount on Alaska was wrong. As you can see by my signature, we are booked for next year on the first Alaska cruise which is round trip from Vancover. My DH got a very nice military discount for that cruise. We did this exact same cruise in May of 2003 and loved it. We said we would not need a balcony as we too had one on the first cruise and decided we really didn't use it that much. On this upcoming cruise we have an obstructed balcony guarantee as it was only $38.00 more pp than an oceanview. Anyway, there is already a roll call for this sailing and with your attitude, you would be great shipmates. Come join us.

[pucarter]

You will be fine. Years ago (I am 150 years old) I was headed to my very first formal dinner dance at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I was 16 and I was sooo nervous because almost everyone else there was going to be an adult.

 

I was so scared I was going to use the wrong folk or spoon. So Mom told me that when I sit down...the first thing she wanted me to do was take the place card with my name on it and move it to a slight angle to the right.

 

I asked her what that meant. She said nothing at all....but watch how many other people do it after you do it...and that will show you how many other people around you are just as nervous as you are about doing something wrong.

 

Sure enough, I moved my place card and half the table who saw me did the same. I was completely at ease the rest of the night.

 

What great advice! You had a very wise mother...:D