Carnival Cruise Glory Ship — Local services in New Orleans

TLDR: +++ Would cruise on the Glory again.

Relevant nfo: Non-cruiser (46, second cruise ever) Did not select the cruise nor pay for my (part of the) cabin All the details you could want are in the same videos/posts that anyone can find about this ship/these ports - this is just my overview of the overall experience

Ship: Carnival Glory Route: Canaveral - Bimini - Nassau - Sea - Canaveral (Mon - Fri) Early February, clear to partly cloudy, 80s day, mid 70s night, I def wanted hoody on deck after sunset

Still here? Mmmkay, well...

Parking: Have your non-carry-on bags tagged and ready! They will check them right there at the parking deck entrance. Their parking deck in Terminal 3 was easy access. You can get there earlier for a lower spot but with the elevators earlier is only necessary to avoid the uncovered top level(5th?). We arrived marginally early for our around noon boarding time and there were still plenty of spots left underneath.

Boarding: Seemed easier than the airport? They take your pic, send you through the scanner and send you off to the ship. We knocked out the muster point bit, verified our room locations and then began exploring. Food spots were open and rooms were ready by 2'ish.

Ship: Again, plenty of specific videos already cover most things on the Glory. I loved the size. I still was taking wrong turns from time to time but I found it easy to recognize when I did and it became very easy to traverse from one side/deck to another very quickly. I probably used the elevators 3 or 4 times in total and only because my party wanted to. And sometimes I'd just leave them and take the stairs anyway. Our cabins on 7 forward near elevators/stairs. Casino/other entertainment 5. Pools/food 9 mid and aft. Serenity 11-12 forward.

Cabin: Exactly as expected. Interior, 2 beds. Unexpected: 3 power outlets and two USB outlets. Plenty of hangers and more than enough storage for two light packers. Unsure of how the two heavier packers fared but heard no complaints. Did not hear neighbors on any side, above nor below. Could hear people as they conversated whilst walking down the hallway but not horribly loud. The overhead announcements were far more annoying than neighbors.

Food: We stuck to the free options. While nothing blew my mind I did not hate anything. Guy's was spot on. The buffet options were on point with quite the variety of options from standard fare to more exotic offerings. I had a hard time walking past the self-serve ice cream stations without stopping. The 4 of us did the sit down in the main dining room two of the nights.

Entertainment: The only on board event I attended was the main comedy shows on the last night. We'd intended to hit the comedy shows every night but just never managed (and they were fairly packed save the last night which was in the main show room.) Both comedians were funny.

Ports: I stepped off the boat in Bimini and touched sand and then walked back on. I took some pictures of Nassau from the deck. Both places looked beautiful and I would revisit and consider purchasing an excursion for more of the experience.

Crew: We all said that the crew was great. Everyone seemed happy and enjoying what they did. I had no above and beyond experiences but I also did not engage many, including our cabin dude, save to say hello in passing.

As stated in the TLDR up top, I would sail with Carnival and on that boat (and even pay for it myself!) again anytime, was a good experience.

(pic is leaving Bimini, ~40 miles west of...

We have had a wonderful 7 days on the Carnival Glory!

The food anywhere you go on board is delicious! Guy's burgers is definitely worth the wait in line as is the Blue Iguana Cantina. The food and service in the dining room is phenomenal! Patrick, Ron, and Sandra took very good care of us each night at dinner.

Although the rooms are small, the layout is such that you have lots of room to unpack clothing and belongings. The bathroom and shower space are small, but the water is always very hot and the water pressure in the shower is awesome!! Way better than what I have at home!! I wanted to linger longer in the shower everyday, just because it was so good!! Krisna was our room steward and he was so very friendly and helpful. We especially appreciated him cleaning up after us and our teenage boys each day!!

Circle C is an area especially for 12-14 year olds. My 14 year old was very resistant to going there until he found out about Oliver from Great Britain! My son spent a great amount of time talking "tea" with Oli when not playing video games with all the friends he made.

The ship itself is especially clean! Staff are continuously cleaning the deck, dining areas, wiping railings, etc. Not once was I worried about getting covid on this ship!! At this point guests on the ship are not required to wear masks, but staff do. They wear them all the time regardless of the stiffling hot temperatures! And they also wear them properly!

There are many places on this ship to hang out, participate in activities, or listen to music. You can do as much or as little as you want to. You can always find a place to go if you want peace and quiet as well. We had a room with a balcony, so we took advantage of that quite frequently! Loved having a view from our room and will probably not book another cruise without a balcony!!

On this cruise, we went to Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel. There were plenty of fun excursions available at every stop. Our favorite excursion was the cave tubing in Belize.

One more thing I feel is important to mention... We had a photographer, Aakash, do a photo session with the entire family, separate from the usual pictures that are taken. They turned out absolutely beautiful, so we ended up ordering a package to take home with! Kelvin was another photographer we want to mention because he took a lot of great shots of our family as well! Both were very friendly, professional, and easy...

Our experience with this cruise unfortunately fell far short of our expectations. While the onboard activities we were able to attend were enjoyable, they were the only aspect of the trip that stood out positively, which is why I’m giving one star.

However, several issues significantly impacted our overall experience. We had an upsetting encounter in the medical center where we felt the care we received was subpar (including being stabbed with a needle "by accident" and a needle being dropped on the ground and still was used to inject drugs). In addition, we were told room service was complimentary, but we were charged twice for it. The dining options we were given were limited and restrictive, with a specific list of foods only available before 10am—something that proved inconvenient when we were unwell.

Despite no longer showing symptoms after 24 hours, we were not permitted to leave the boat for a third consecutive day, which felt unnecessary and frustrating. Furthermore, we were told we needed to pay for WiFi even though we were confined to the ship. When we reached out to customer service for help, they were unhelpful, and when we requested to escalate the issue, we were informed that “Miami” made the decisions, yet no one could assist us until we disembarked.

After returning home, I submitted a form to Guest Services and was advised to wait 15 days for a response. After waiting even longer, I called and was told to submit another form, despite the previous instructions to wait. Eventually, someone did reach out to apologize but informed me that they could only offer cruise credit and not a refund for the $149. I also requested the credit be transferred to another person who booked a cruise, but that was not possible, which seemed unfair given it was my credit.

While I understand that policies are in place, the lack of flexibility and the way we were treated during this entire experience left us feeling disappointed. As a part-time travel agent, I can’t in good conscience recommend Carnival to anyone, and I will be suggesting alternative cruise lines to my colleagues and friends moving forward. This experience has caused significant emotional distress, and I believe $149 in cruise credit doesn’t adequately address the...