Debbie Jackson

Age: 56
Occupation: Teacher
Number of Cruises: 2
Cruise Line: Carnival
Ship: Glory
Sailing Date: February 5th, 2005
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean

Last year our group of nine cruised the western Caribbean on NCL-the Majesty, which sailed out of Charleston, SC. This year we decided to try a larger ship and booked the Carnival Glory out of Port Canaveral, FL. Most members of our group are experienced cruisers, so those of us who aren't agreed to the suggestion. First of all, our group decided we will book a smaller ship next year (more about that later); we will also not drive to any port which is longer than a 3 hour drive away.

We had no problem finding Port Canaveral. The directions provided from AAA (who booked our cruise for us) were very exact. Drop-off and parking were easy and efficient. We were all amazed that the embarkation process for better than 3,000 people was so quick and easy. I don't think we stood in line for more than 30-45 minutes, of that long, and we moved continuously. We were also amazed that our "checked" luggage arrived at our cabin so quickly. Some of our group received their luggage within an hour of boarding. The muster drill (which took place as we departed) was a royal pain. We were tired from the embarkation process plus the last 5-6 hour drive to Port Canaveral. We also had two ladies in our group in their 70's and standing at our muster station for nearly 25-30 minutes was very hard on them and equally as uncomfortable for many other passengers. We also happened to be standing in front of a massive fan, and we were literally blown away for the entire time we stood.

We had inside cabins, because we decided we only spent time in them to sleep and shower. Paying for cabin views seemed ridiculous when the decks offered much more extensive sights than a porthole could offer. Anyway, our cabin (for 2) felt much smaller and much more closed in than the Majesty offered last year. We heard Carnival's inside cabins were more spacious than most ships' cabins, but none of us felt this was true. The inside cabins feel and look very small. Our group was located on the Upper Deck, which was a perfect spot. We were very near the elevators. Our cabin steward was wonderful and extremely friendly and attentive to our needs. His assistant was equally as efficient, friendly, and helpful. Our rooms were clean, made-up and restocked with towels and drinks (hard and soft) regularly. We all agreed the cabin stewards were the best and most efficient crew members of all.

We had second seating for dinner in the largest dining room....not the Platinum. I was personally very pleased with our dinner staff, but other members of our party didn't feel they were as friendly or as efficient. I strongly disagree with that. The food for dinner was only average; I was not impressed with the entrees; the appetizers were inventive and tasted very good. The desserts were so-so. The buffets and quick-serve areas on the Lido deck were like fast food restaurants. Again, I was not impressed with the quality of the food. Also, the service personnel on deck and in the bars were not very efficient at all. We believe this is because there were so many passengers and no enough help in these areas to take care of our needs. Tables on the Lido deck weren't cleared and it was impossible to get a lounge or table for the at-sea days because of the large crowds. It was also difficult to find waiters/waitresses for drinks. We often got our drinks ourselves.

If you are a smoker, you will have to search for a place/bar to imbibe. There were many areas off-limits to smokers, including several bars and even areas of the outside decks. There were several smokers in our group and these restricted areas were an absolute nuisance. While we respect the rights of nonsmokers, we felt the restricted areas were far too numerous and that restrictions in open-air (outside) areas were unnecessary. There are non-smoking ships. At many times, it felt like this was one of them!

Because of the general size of this ship, it was always a very long walk to specific places not located in close proximity. There are laundries on each floor, but it was a very long walk to get there from our area, if we wanted to iron clothes or wash. The laundry area was also so cramped that it was almost impossible to pass behind another person in the room.

We were told this boat's size would eliminate almost all ship-rocking, but that wasn't the case at all. The boat rocked and the movement was apparent for the entire trip. There was some mention that a stabilizer was broken, but we were also told that Easter Caribbean trips this time of the year presented rougher seas. Whatever the case, the only times we were still were when we ported. Disembarkation was an extremely smooth process, by the way. It was every bit as easy as embarking, and we were all impressed with those parts of the trip. It gives a good first impression and a nice lasting one!

We had a wonderful traveling group, so it truly didn't matter if we were traveling around a harbor, but the inconveniences I've mentioned were numerous enough to make the trip less than what we expected.

 

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