I joked that this was like an AARP convention, but this ship full of mostly retired people were very friendly and respectful of each other. Be aware that 90% are Platinum, so it is unlikely your dining time will be changed if you are not. My favorite cruise yet.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation at New Orleans was the fastest ever for us. Our documents weren't quickly verified and it took literally just the walking time to get onboard. We checked our luggage with a porter.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The deli made excellent sandwiches which could also be toasted. The MDR had excellent service as usual, though a table mate complained that the coffee and Carnival melting cake was cold a couple times. We had late dining. We did not eat any specialty dining meals.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
One of the many great things about a 14 Day cruise in February is that all of the kiddies are in school. This is the first cruise I have found space to get in the pool. Deck chairs by the pool were also usually open. I used the scale in the fitness room to see how many stairs I had to climb to keep my weight in check.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Epic Rock is an epic performance, worthy of Broadway. Rough seas saddled a few other shows, but since this was a long cruise, the Playlist cast was more involved in shows outside the auditorium. This was also the first time I have ever seen kareoke with a live band. Live music varied from steel drums to horns, 50's to some modern stuff.
Children's Programs
Very few kids onboard, I heard there were less than 30 kids under 18 years old.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The crew is what makes a cruise so enjoyable and this crew did a fantastic job. My room steward, Nih, always took care of any issues promptly. Once I called during her break time and another person took care of it for her. I met Sarah from the Phillipines when eating one day. She explained how fortunate she was to work on the cruise ship and travel all over the world. She said she was picked out of 300 that were interviewed.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The Glory is starting to show her age, with some rust and worn carpets. The crew keeps the woodwork polished and maintained, but I saw several material deficiencies, such as water flowing from the overhead and a toilet that would not flush. The design is excellent, though I still have a hard time remembering to go up to the 5th deck to go aft to the main dining room on the 3rd deck. I noted that Glory has an outside deck on the 3rd deck which was not a feature on two Royal Caribbean ships docked with us at Cozumel.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin is adequate and clean. There are 2 pull-down bunks we did not use. There are only 2 outlets in the cabin and one is used for the reading lamps. The outlet in the bathroom will turn off with the light, so we had to leave that light on to charge phones. Carpet is worn.
The ship docks in an industrial area, though there is a bird sanctuary within walking distance. We took a tour of the walled city. The most memorable part was when the guide left a couple of us in the bathroom in the middle of town. If Alena is your guide, stay close.
You have to do this once, just to admire the engineering. You want to be forward to see the ship enter the canal and to see the old canal on the right. Glory has a 'secret deck' on the 10th deck which is a great view, just look up directions. It takes about 4 hours to get through to the lake. We anchored in the lake for several hours until we returned back through after dark. The outside 3rd deck is a good vantage point to see the ship rise and fall in the locks.
Our excursion was booked through Shore Excursions Group and the operator was GIO Tours. There were about 200 of us prepaid for this tour. Our printed instructions from SEG said to meet the busses at the pier and look for the GIO tour guides who would have signs there. There were busses and taxis and tour operators there, but no one from GIO Tours. Finally, someone suggested that we walk to town to catch our bus. Do not book any tour involving GIO Tours because what you are told is a lie.
We jumped in a taxi with another group and took a tour of the island, stopping at the tequila factory, a pharmacy, a couple beaches on the east side (undeveloped because of turtle nesting) and some souvenir stands. The taxi drivers will negotiate on the fare.
Excellent. We hand-carried our luggage off and walked quickly through customs. My brother picked us up at the pickup location quickly. The Uber drivers had a tough time, since they did not know who they were picking up and could not wait with the taxis. If you Uber, keep a keen eye out for your ride or the police will move him on.
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