I Booked The Glory a 2nd Time for a Reason!
Carnival Glory Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Contributor Level:
Third Mate
Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 172
7 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: September 08, 2018
Ship: Carnival Glory
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 2304
Traveled as: Singles/Friends
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
My Eastern Caribbean experience on the Glory back in 2016 was so great, that I decided to book the Glory for a 2018 Western Caribbean cruise following a 2017 cruise on the newer Vista that I didn't enjoy as much. I have to say that returning to the Glory was an excellent decision and the service was as amazing as I remembered. Embarkation was efficient and seamless, apart from the outdoor muster drill they still have (the Vista does the muster drill indoors). Bar service was fast, friendly and personable; I recommend The Ivory Club for dinner or before dinner drinks and I recommend The Alchemy Bar/Tequila Bar/Red Frog Bars for all other drinks. However, I rarely had bad bar service and since I get the Cheers Package/Drink Package, that is very important to me. Even the bar service in the White Heat Club is fast and efficient; the White Heat Club itself was a great place for dancing and drinks during late night hours. I once again enjoyed the shows that I attended; comedy shows brought laughs and the musical theatre productions held my attention. Lido deck contests and shows were also a great thing to participate in. It is very much worth going to Breakfast and Brunch in the MDR as often as possible; those were the best meals that were included in my opinion. Although the breakfast buffet was enjoyable and the breakfast burritos were a good quick option, they just paled in comparison to that kind of breakfast experience. The lunch buffet was inconsistent but tasted hot and fresh and Guys Burgers were on point as always; I am not a fan of the lunch burritos at The Blue Iguana though. The service in the MDR for dinner was impeccable but the food was again, inconsistent; I highly recommend the Emerald Steakhouse for a few non-elegant nights because the difference in food quality made it worthwhile to me although the service was comparable. Overall, the biggest complaint I have about the ship is the inconsistent quality of the food and the fact that Guys Burgers seems to be the only worthwhile option at lunch most of the time. I even attempted to order a lobster roll for a $12 upcharge at lunch and was very disappointed in the flavor as well as the quantity of lobster offered. However, the service in all dining areas were good and when the food was good, it was great and brought a smile to my face. I would highly recommend the Emerald Steakhouse for dinner at least a few times during your cruise if you are a person that appreciates fine dining at all. The waterpark was a lot of fun and is a great thing to have on a mid size ship; you should check out the water slides if you enjoy water park activities at all. There was always water activities available on board and they have an adults only pool area that many of the newer ships do not have. If you enjoy milkshakes or coffees, they have great coffee drinks as well as milkshakes and you get service with a smile at Creams (a place I frequented often during the cruise). My cabin steward was attentive and very personable; my cabin steward was very forgettable on my Vista cruise in comparison. I would recommend this ship to anybody. The atmosphere is laid back like you would expect of Carnival but has the type of awesome service that you would expect of a more upscale cruise line, despite the inconsistent food from the included dining experiences.Embarkation
very fast and efficient...I was even shocked at the efficiency
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Breakfast and brunch were the highlights of my trip food wise. I found that going to the MDR for breakfast and brunch was worth it despite a decent breakfast buffet (and excellent omelette station) and the breakfast burritos at Blue Iguana. I thought the lunch buffet was mediocre but always seemed hot and fresh. I tried the lobster roll at the Seafood Shack and was not impressed; I do not recommend ordering that. The service in the MDR at dinner was impeccable but the food was either great or terrible; it was not consistant at all. I ended up going to the Steakhouse for dinner a few nights to be worth the upcharge despite loving my waiters and dinner companions in the MDR. Guys Burgers and fries were great as always but I wish I didn't feel like they were the best option for lunch every single day. The bar service was consistently excellent no matter which bar I went to; The Alchemy Bar had the best cocktails as always but the service was the best at low key bars like the one in The Ivory Club, which had the personalized service and high end liquors. I recommend Zuma (a man from Zimbabwe) that is either at the Reg Frog or the Ivory Club and Gede that is either at the tequila bar or the casino bar and Tihomir that is at The Alchemy Bar.
BlueIguana Tequila Bar
They have strong drinks and memorable service and the best tequila selection around for tequila lovers.
Onboard Activities
great variety of activities for adults in the evenings...great lido deck and serenity deck
Entertainment
I enjoyed every show I attended although the Rock of Ages show is the best one. There was an excellent variety of shows as well.
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
You have to rate an inside cabin based on comfort and cleanliness and service. I had an amazing cabin steward
Ship tip
Make sure you participate in the lido deck activities as well as the shows.
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
I highly recommend Miami's nightlife and restaurants before or after your cruise. The Holiday inn Miami Beach was a beautiful yet affordable oceanfront hotel. It is not far from the cruise port either.
The tender exit was highly disorganized to say the least and the only things to do other than water tours or the beach tours are shopping and eating at nearby restaurants. I thought Cheeseburger reef was an excellent snorkel and the USS Kittiwake snorkel was fun; I would highly recommend this excursion through Carnival or a private provider.
Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
This port is a tourist trap set up by Carnival and the beach isn't particularly impressive compared to many other beaches in the Caribbean. I found Mahogany Bay itself to be boring as well as overpriced although I am an adventurous person and I want to do more than lay in a lounge chair at the beach. I would definitely venture out in Roatan with a local guide if I could do it all over again and knew where the taxis were, etc.
This is an excellent port but I would recommend an excursion through your cruise ship. The people are charming and friendly but I would not venture into Belize City on your own without a local guide or taxi driver. My cave tubing tour was breaktaking, however, and I imagine the other tours are breathtaking. People were bragging about how great their excursions were despite the annoyingly long tender rides.
This is a great place to explore on your own without an excursion. There are an abundance of taxis right outside the port itself and I had no problem getting a taxi ride at any point. The locals were friendly and there was interesting shopping to be had. Just take a taxi to Sky Reef or Paradise Beach and have the time of your life! I waited 3 hours after docking to get off the ship and still had an action packed day.