My final cruise

Carnival Glory Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

djdmunson

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 50

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Exotic Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 12, 2016

Ship: Carnival Glory

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8204

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

The cruise I took will probably be my last, which saddens me, because I enjoy them, but there are so many better vacation alternatives nowadays. Cruises have changed so much over the years, not always for the better, & this trip really brought that truth home to me. When I took my first cruise 20 years ago, you paid for the trip & that was it, except for (voluntary & at your discretion) tips. Now, you pay through the nose for the cruise & then are nickle & dimed for the entire trip. NOTHING (except for copious amounts of food, most of it mediocre, some of it amazing) else is included. Come on, cruise companies - you can't include free soda fountain drinks in your prices? $6 for a beer? $20 for a lobster? For four people, over & above the cruise price itself, the bill came to nearly $2000 for excursions, 6 drinks (we counted), a spa "special" & tips - apparently, 20% for anybody we ever passed in a hallway or acknowledged on a deck.

The cruise itself was pleasant, if you like lots of noise & drunks. (To be fair, it was spring break on the ship &, evidently, college kids now have a ton of money to spend on cruises & liquor.) I knew Carnival was a "party" line, but why do bands in small, enclosed places have to have 4 amplifiers? We spent most of our time on the "Serenity" deck, where children weren't allowed, but even there the music was too loud. We were bombarded with photographers constantly (5 of them in a row along the dock when we left the ship in the ports). All the "activities" that we could find on board revolved around selling things - jewelry, mostly.

On the plus side, our room was very nice with a balcony. It was always kept clean by an extremely pleasant steward, who always acknowledged us by name. We had very congenial tablemates in the dining room, where we had most of our dinners. The food there was, overall, top notch, & our waiters also knew our names. There were movies every night, both family & adult, beside the pool with popcorn & blankets, which we all enjoyed. The music, while loud, was good & covered lots of different genres. We took advantage of a spa special one day & were impressed by the treatment & the staff. The excursions (two of us swam with the stingrays & two went on a city tour in Cayman & two went to Tulum in Mexico) were good. (A big shout out to our guide Paco in Mexico, who knows EVERYTHING about the Mayan culture!) So it wasn't all bad, just overpriced.

Cruise lines, add some more activities to your day - trivia contests, demonstrations, anything that isn't tied to "selling". Let us have fountain drinks included in our fares. Tone down the music. Quit shoving photographers in our faces every time we walk down a hallway. STOP NICKLE & DIMING US TO DEATH.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Decent size & we enjoyed sitting on the balcony.

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

3 out of 5

George Town, Grand Cayman

5 out of 5

Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

3 out of 5

Belize City, Belize

1 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

54 Comments

DavidDickerson 8 years ago

You don't have to buy the pictures and if you don't like other people having a good time go to bed and put snooze on your door

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deboftheseas 8 years ago

The problem with me, I'm way too honest

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funsea 8 years ago

Lol exactly what I was trying to say.....to each his own....enjoy

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Barry9 8 years ago

Well lets all agree to disagree, this thread is getting pretty long. Sorry for the tax code thing. I have no idea what goes on in Canada.

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funsea 8 years ago

I am platinum on Carnival and also on NCL, I still would rather book NCL regardless of platinum status on Carnival. Just my preference.

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funsea 8 years ago

I am actually packing for my cruise this weekend as we type, idc who likes what cruise line, I just love cruises and feel like they are the best vacations regardless

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Barry9 8 years ago

I have only gotten obc from carnival. The whole point is mute, at least to me. I'm platinum and am going to enjoy that process.

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funsea 8 years ago

Yes that is very true, you have to weigh it out and decide what is the better deal but it definitely can be done. I've had times where prices went down and my perks would stay the same and I've had times where my perks would be lost and the price different wasn't that much so I chose to leave it alone.

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CrusinTim 8 years ago

That is only partly true. Yes, you "may" be able to get a price reduction or upgraded to a higher category BUT, you may also LOSE any perks like OBC's you had under your initial booking promo. If the new promo you want to change to because it's cheaper doesn't have those perks, you will lose them.

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Barry9 8 years ago

You should shop around, they don't do that for free. I have used a TA twice in my twenty years of cruising and both times they called to try to up sell me something. That is fine. That is their job. I book directly with Carnival and have been upgraded almost every time, and I never pay a cent more. As for our TA friend who always pays for her own cruising, the tax advantages more than make up for that. I own a Condo hotel room in Florida and every year I fly down there and spend a week or two and it is a tax write off because it is considered my job. If she is paying for cruising, then something is wrong.

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deboftheseas 8 years ago

But that depends on when they booked or under what,,. rate code or promotion. also I m in Canada, the travel agency business in this country is regulated, we can't charge service fees, we are individually licences, people can't lose their $$ if someone goes bankrupt etc...I don't know if it's the same in the US, but I've heard people on here talk about being charged additional fees when using agents, so I can only assume maybe there is. but the pricing fluctuates hourly at times on cruising, and new promotions come out constantly, that's probably why your friends paid more. look at it this way....today for whatever reason you book a cruise at today's price... You must have been agreeable to that price or you wouldn't have booked it. I have many times checked a customers pricing before final payment and if it has gone down, I've had the price adjusted..that means I just made less money, but in the long run, I kept a customer for the future. not everyone does this. I don't understand why people on a cruise want to discuss what they paid, except to hope that they got the best price out there. with Royal Caribbean its the people who book later that are paying for the people who booked earlier. we book year or more out, and have never paid too much yet. it's all a supply and demand game

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funsea 8 years ago

Rates go up and down for the same cabin depending on when you book it not who you book it with. You can book it a year out and some one else books the same category 6 months later and price is different. If you see the price has gone down after you pay you can have the rate adjusted as long as it's before the final payment due date......If I book far out ,I always check.for sales or price decreases then I call my cruise consultant and she adjusts it for me and I get the difference back.......

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Barry9 8 years ago

Why so defensive? As for your comments about every one paying the same as using a TA, I can not tell you how often I have sat across a dinner table with people who spent hundreds more than me for The same type of room.

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funsea 8 years ago

😜

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deboftheseas 8 years ago

And I actually steer people away from Disney because of the price, so there goes your greedy liitle me theory

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deboftheseas 8 years ago

And I do sell Carnival, just not as many. alot of people think it's party crazy, and then when all their ships were breaking down that didn't help them. Zthats why they gave us free cruises in Jan of 2014, to try to show us things have changed

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Barry9 8 years ago

At least you admit it.

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funsea 8 years ago

Good for you Deb, you don't owe anyone an explanation. It's none of their business how much money you do or don't have. People that are so defensive and whiny about Carnival is because that's all they can afford and that's fine but don't get pissed off when someone says they don't like Carnival , everyone can like or dislike what they want. For those that have only cruised Carnival except for 2 small old NCL ships then you have nothing to compare to. Again everyone has their own personal preference , so if anyone is "tired of the haters ", stop reading....

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deboftheseas 8 years ago

Actually that has nothing to do with it, alot of people come in saying they don't want to do Carnival based on what they've heard. I actually try to find the best dates and pricing I can because most people only care about what they pay. it cracks me up how people think they pay more using an agent than booking themselves, its all the same. only difference is if you do it, the cruise line saves paying out a commission to agents. We have a lot more knowledge to share thasn you'll ever get from a sales rep at the cruise line. and yes, my husband has a good job, that's why I can afford to make so little myself and still cruise

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Barry9 8 years ago

And selling the more expensive cruise to your customer has nothing to do with it?

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deboftheseas 8 years ago

Yep, but I pay the same as everyone else, except Carnival gave out a free one to try to rebuild confidence in their brand

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Barry9 8 years ago

She has been on a lot of cruises so a TA or too much money on her hands.

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Barry9 8 years ago

Same goes for you Mr bull....

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banaford 8 years ago

Concur

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funsea 8 years ago

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on here. Everyone has their own views and likes and dislikes. If you don't want to read anything that disagrees with your opinion , stay off the chat. Some people don't like Carnival, some don't like NCL ,some don't like RCC,Princess,etc, no reason to cry about it......to each their own.......

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banaford 8 years ago

Let it go Barry. Not worth it. I believe deboftheseas is a TA, or works for a cruise line. Am I correct deb?

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Barry9 8 years ago

Really getting tired of the haters!

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funsea 8 years ago

How do you go for free?

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deboftheseas 8 years ago

Yep, the only way I go back now is on free ones, lol

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funsea 8 years ago

Lol

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deboftheseas 8 years ago

Not a Carnival fan either, we've done 3, and the 3rd one was totally free in a balcony with my family... Still wasn't impressed, the staff were okay, its the ships that I dislike so much, lack of a live band at the pool, and just way too many kids running around, pizza was really good tho. even that Serenity deck area is tacky..that was on Pride, really thought the ship was dirt ugly in decor

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funsea 8 years ago

I agree Carnival is at the bottom, that's why I call them the Walmart of cruiselines. I've given them many chances to change my mind. I too have the new Vista booked but that's it. I just want to see the new ship. I am going on my fav NCL this weekend and I have the new Royal Caribbean ship Harmony booked which I'm sure will not disappoint.

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DivaLove2Travel 8 years ago

Thank u for ur feedback I definitely want to try Royal Caribbean I personally like to travel getting stamps but cruising is fun

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ReneeBikerChic 8 years ago

None taken at all..... These were already booked but I will not be booking any other after I'm finish. I had a much better overall experience with Royal Caribbean and NCL! Carnival has not been 100%, but it's been the worse. Not one complaint at all on the others but it's always something with Carnival! Not everyone feels the same and I can respect that; we have had excellent things here!

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DivaLove2Travel 8 years ago

No shade Renee but if u hate Carnival why do u have a future cruise 🤔 just curious?

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ReneeBikerChic 8 years ago

NCL is much better!!!!!!! Carnival is the bottom of the barrel!!!! Give the Vista a year or less and it will be trash as well! Look at the picture of the test ride, it already looks dirty!!!!! Although we are sailing on the Glory currently, I HATE Carnival!

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gizmonian 8 years ago

We were also on this cruise, spring breakers all over the place, drunk, loud and annoying. I agree with everything you said about nickel diming you for everything. Still love cruising but it won't be on Carnival

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rodneysblue 8 years ago

Bye

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Barry9 8 years ago

The problem with all inclusive resorts in the past is they became condo hotels. The way they are cutting their prices it may be happening again.

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sweetaj 8 years ago

So true

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DivaLove2Travel 8 years ago

Gotta love all-inclusive resorts but cruising is nice too

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tmunzert 8 years ago

Spring break is a bad time to cruise.

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debbmike 8 years ago

I recently read a review of RC spring break out of drunk control college kids. Don't book on spring breaks unless it's a really high end cruiseline. A lot of people like getting their picture taken when all dressed up. No one has ever approached us to get our money. I agree on the soda. It would be nice if that was included. I'll drink tea and lemonade or buy a soda if I'm really wating one.

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funsea 8 years ago

👍

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Barry9 8 years ago

Well, you know that you chose to spend that extra $2000. I have never spent more than $100 dollars a day per person on any cruise and I still believe that for the money, you will never beat cruising. Some like to spend a lot because it is their vacation. That's fine, it's your money but don't complain when it is you that is running up the bill.

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djdmunson 8 years ago

Don't get me wrong - I understand prices have gone up on everything. My point was that the cruise lines (& I've been on several different ones, not just Carnival, which I know is not the top) put "selling" above everything else. & when I said $2000 for four people, if you read closer it said "$2000 OVER & ABOVE the price of the cruise, which was over $2000 itself." I don't mind paying for some things, but why can't we get sodas for free (if I remember correctly, they cost less than 5c each when dispensed from a soda machine)? Why aren't there shows anymore, like there used to be? I'm not living in the past, believe me; I guess I just expect a little more when I'm trapped on a cruise ship out at sea. I've done Royal Caribbean & Norwegian & yes, they are a different crowd from Carnival, but I should be able to enjoy a cruise without constantly running into loud, disrespectful, drunken college students. I'm thrilled that everyone is ecstatic about their cruising & I'm sorry my experience didn't equal that, but I am pretty much done with cruising. All-inclusive resorts are now my vacation of choice.

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deboftheseas 8 years ago

People get comfortable with what they know, and stick with it, especially when you start getting decent perks. we have never tried NCL, we want to, but we keep going back to Royal Caribbean or Princess because of loyalty levels. our next cruise is Celebrity, this will be interesting to see how it stacks up to expectations. maybe that's what cruising is all about... How it did or didn't meet each person's expectations based on hype

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funsea 8 years ago

It is absolutely a matter of preference. Some people like Carnival and some like NCL and some prefer Holland America for an older crowd. It depends on what your looking for. I don't mind spending $30 for bingo or whatever it costs because I'm on vacation, so I expect to pay for things. Cruises are great in general because you choose what you want to do or not do.....

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MrsOneal 8 years ago

Everything is going up in prices so why would you think that cruises wouldnt. It cost more for the food and drink they buy to put on the ship so therefore the consumer has to pay more as well. You can't expect something to be the same price as 20 years ago. Just doesn't work that way.

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Mickeycrazed 8 years ago

I cruised with NCL, and was very disappointed, $30 for like 3 games of bingo, not much to do overall. Took your family of 8 on Carnival, always had something to do, that didn't include spending money on the ship, that also kept our price to under $1000 a piece. This was the 2nd time in 2 days I have heard the reference to Walmart, and I truly think it's a matter of preferences. It's not over priced, but can be crowded. If you chose to eat at peak times, there are gonna be lines. I think Carnival has done a good job of keeping the luxury of being able to cruise at an affordable price, and if they didn't eat your high expectatilns, maybe you should move over to the more "adult" and more expensive lines.

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deboftheseas 8 years ago

In my job I try to qualify my customers to which cruise suits them best, and to me, you should be on Princess, I think you'd enjoy what they have to offer, and they were the first to introduce Movies under the Stars, with blankets, popcorn, pizza and ice cream. you'd enjoy the Sanctuary, adult only pools...not many kids, cuz it just isn't geared to kids, and the music isn't blaring all the time . The Explorers Lounge offers great short term entertainment, you can sit there all evening, there's always something happening in there, maybe a 30 minute show, then A break, then another event starts. D ont give up yet, just try something else. and Princess loves to do trivia, galley tours, cooking demos etc.

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funsea 8 years ago

In my opinion ,Carnival is the Walmart of cruise lines. Carnival is always my last choice, NCL is my fav, then Royal Caribbean. That's just my opinion, some people love Carnival. I don't think you should give up on cruising all together based on a bad experience on an older Carnival ship.

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jbattle48 8 years ago

Let's see $2000.00 for (4) people, a balcony, excursions...That comes to only $500.00 a piece... Where in the world do you get that was overpriced?

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banaford 8 years ago

If you love cruising, don't give up. Pay to go on a "higher end" cruise line. It is still a good value.

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Other reviews of this sailing

No AC in Cabin for three days, terrible service, nasty staff only dining room staff were professional and pleasant

Surpassed my expectations