Mixed Bag

Having cruised a number of times on Princess, Holland, and the Carnival Breeze, we were wide-eyed when we walked on the Glory.  The decor is very clubbish, with lower ceilings, bold colors, and neon lights.  With over 1000 more passengers than the Princess ship we just left, the ship often felt crowded, but that also upped the energy level.  All 22 bars were hoppin'. The ship wasn't dirty, but not white-glove clean either, and it just felt a little tired. Ship: C (although if you're into clubbing, you might feel differently.)

The food was a big let-down in comparison with other ships. We certainly didn't starve, but overall the quality, selection, and service just wasn't up to par.  There were a number of times we cringed at the sanitation practices.  The dining room was congested and understaffed.  That said, Guys burgers and fries are really good, the pizza was popular, and on the formal nights they broke out the table cloths and improved the menu.  Food: C-

We booked three excursions with the ship.  Snorkeling at Half Moon Cay was cancelled, but no notification was given until we tendered ashore and reported to the meeting spot. At St Thomas we were to do a certified scuba dive which met on the pier, two hours after the ship docked.  When we reported to our meeting spot we were told it was cancelled due to rough weather.  "Unsafe--6 foot waves" were their exact words.  What?  It was a stellar day with seas like glass, and all the other water activity excursions had gone. We returned to our room and there was a note under our door from Shore Ex saying it had been cancelled due to lack of participants. Arrrgh.  Both times, if we'd had even a little notification, we would have been able to better adjust our day accordingly.  The third excursion was a transfer from Miami to Fort Lauderdale with a stop at an Everglades airboat park.  It went fine and was an enjoyable way to spend the morning instead of sitting in the airport all day. Shore Ex: D 

Like most Carnival Corporation cruises, daytime activities centered a lot around shopping and selling excursions.  There were no enrichment at sea type presentations.  It's just not that kind of ship. I can't speak to the kids' activities. The bars, pool areas, and casino were busy, and the vibe of the ship was just people kicking back and enjoying themselves.  Daytime activites: C

The saving grace on this ship was the evening entertainment.  There were 4 playlist productions on our 7 night cruise. Each one was spectacular, probably the best we've seen on any ship. The Punchliner Comedy Club featured various comedians (although parents beware, we thought Manny's "family" show wasn't kid appropriate.)  The Hasbro shows were fun family shows and the cruise director did a great job.  There was live music all over the ship, usually good, and Carnival lived up to its "fun ship" mantra in the evenings. Entertainment: A

Overall the Glory didn't live up to our expectations, but we had perfect weather, beautiful ports, a balcony, and great evening entertainment.