We booked this cruise to celebrate our son's 10th birthday.
Our family has cruised Carnival twice (the Pride and Breeze) before, but this was our first time on the Glory
Likes:
The food and variety was great.
The Fun Squad really kept folks engaged (Mixology contest, syncronized swimming, hairy chest, etc).
The steel drums at the main pool.
Ship layout. Our last cruise, the Pride, was a challenge because the water park was all the way in the back of the ship... but the Glory got it right.
Dislikes:
Slow bar service.
The back pool being for 18+ contrary to what we'd been told by Carnival before.
Missing the port in Honduras... but safety first
Tips:
Invest in faster to the fun. It's well worth the money. You get priority embarkment/disembarkment, priority tender service, and a special line at the customer service desk.
Know that with Carnival, they're catering to families with kids. If you want a calm and quiet experience, choose another cruise line.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We purchased faster to the fun. We were on the ship by 11:45, and our room was already ready (due to Faster to the Fun). We were able to drop our one carry-on suitcase and hit the pool by noon!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We dined in the dining room 5 times (my time dining). The food was excellent. The waiters were friendly. My only complaint is that the bar service is SO slow during dinner. We opted to go out to the lobby bar and get our own drinks.
Truly enjoyed the convenience of the burger joint and cantina at the pool. Allowed us to continue having fun at the pool during lunch.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
My boys both asked multiple times to go to the kids club. My oldest (10 years old) loved the various scavenger hunts and the ability to sign himself in/out of the club.
The main pool and hot tubs were completely overrun by kids, but we were prepared for that seeing as this was a Carnival cruise during spring break.
I was very disappointed to learn that the back pool was for 18 and over. Based on previous research, we had been assured by Carnival that the back pool was kid friendly, but upon boarding the ship and activating the Hub app, it was communicated that the pool was for 18+. I understand the need to give adults sanctuary... however, I thought that was the purpose of Serenity.
My boys both loved the water slides and spent countless hours there. The location of the slides was great- we could see our kids from the pool.
And, of course... the mini golf. I can't count the number of rounds we played!
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We were able to catch 3 shows... the Motown themed one, the Beach Party one, and the 80's Hair Band one.
I only found that my kids had interest in the Beach Party performance... but overall, I thought the productions were well done. Carnival could stand to turn the volume down a little though.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
As already mentioned, both boys (7 and 10) spent time at the Kids Club. My oldest, though... he truly enjoyed it and begged to go back. I found him out and about doing scavenger hunts on the ship, and one evening, they had a Wii tournament.
My younger son participated in a Lip Sync Battle at the club and really enjoyed himself.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Service was pretty good. Of course, some staff members are friendlier than others.
I was disappointed that we didn't see our room steward more than 4 or 5 times the entire cruise. That's not to say that he didn't do his job well! But we never developed any sort of relationship with him as we've done with stewards on prior cruises.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I absolutely loved the layout. With two busy kids, it was a godsend to have the water park within a stone's throw of the pool.
We found the common areas to be tidy and under constant watch by the staff during our time on the Glory.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We knew what we were getting- minimum and sufficient. Same interior cabin design of all Carnival ships we've been on.
I just wish there were more outlets! (Hint... bring an extension cord with multiple inputs... it helps alot).
We had previously visited Grand Cayman and done a tour with Aquarius Tours... when we found out they weren't running a tour the day we were in port, we decided to stay put.
OK- you need to go into this eyes wide open. You need to take a tender, and the ride to the port is 15/20 minutes. It's a haul.
BUT once you get there, it's great. We found Belize to be safe and full of friendly individuals.
We booked the stingray and shark tour through Carnival and loved it. My son is a shark addict, so it was perfect. Snorkeled at the Barrier Reef, swam with rays and nurse sharks, had lunch. As added bonuses, we visited a starfish nursery AND (the best part) were able to hand-feed tarpon from the boat.
Finally, while this wasn't part of the tour, we saw a hammerhead shark and dolphin on our way back into port. Just the icing on the cake.
Bad currents didn't allow us to visit Roatan, which was very disappointing. But safety first. High five to Carnival for putting together extra activities to keep folks happy and engaged during an unexpected day at sea.
@khooper it’s considered an excursion from the departure port. I don’t know the price but it gives you priority embarkation, debarkation, and tender service. And a separate line for guest services
@pdean79... something about the currents. It was really rough that day. I don’t profess to be an expert so we just went with the flow. It’s Mahogany Bay. So this just gives us excuse to cruise the western Caribbean again sometime soon.
@1endonurse, you purchase before your cruise on Carnival site. Have to go to excursions for your home port! They sell out pretty fast! We have ours already for our cruise in December😉
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