I just arrived home today from our 7 day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on board the Carnival Glory. Even though I'm tired out, I wanted to take the opportunity to write my own review since the previous reviews were so helpful to me when planning my own cruise. We travelled with my parents on this cruise. This was my husband's and my 2nd cruise with Carnival and my parents fourth. All cruises have been wonderful, each one topping the previous. The comments I will make are shared by all of us.
The embarkation process went smoothly except for one mistake of our own. We are all from Florida and only had to drive an hour and 45 min. to Port Canaveral, but when we arrived, we didn't drop our bags at the curb to check them in. Instead, we lugged them inside the terminal, only to find out we had to turn back around and take them back outside. My advice, pull your car up to the drop off area, leave your "tagged" bags, except for your carry on luggage, and then go park. Once inside, the check in process went perfectly and we were inside on the Lido Deck by noon having our hamburgers, fries, and of course "cocktails". For the first weekend in February, it was a bit chilly for us Floridians....but there were many, many northerners who thought the weather was just fine. Once we got further south, the weather got nicer and nicer. We had perfect weather and perfect seas the whole time. No sea-sickness and no other illnesses that are talked about so much these days with cruising. We carried antibacterial wipes and gel and used them often. We also washed our hands every chance we got. I didn't hear about anyone being sick. The crew is constantly wiping down everything and all areas seemed to be kept clean. Speaking of the crew...they were top notch in every way. I have not one single complaint about anything. From our cabin steward Aynaar....to our head waiter Roman from the Ukraine and his assistant Putri from Indonesia.....everything was wonderful. The food was great, plentiful and there was a variety at all times. No one can complain about not getting enough food. There is a sushi bar, oriental stir fry bar, hamburg and hot dog area, fish and chips, pizza....and ice cream available at almost all times....along with the buffet in the Red Sail Dining Room. How can anyone complain about the food? There is something for everyone!!! Even with formal dining at night, you can request anything....and they will get it for you. The entertainment was good as well. There were a couple of things I didn't care for, but that is just due to different personalities. Everyone won't enjoy the same things. That's why they offer a variety of entertainment options. Again, how can anyone complain? The alcoholic drinks can get expensive, especially if you keep ordering the specialty drinks in the "collectible glasses"...which are actually plastic that you will end up throwing away anyway. My suggestion is to order your drinks in a "regular cup". They are cheaper by almost $2.00. If you've been on a previous cruise, take advantage of the invitation only previous guest party. They serve you a lot of free drinks and aren't stingy.....like they are at the captains party.
As for the ports of call. The Bahamas....I didn't enjoy. Again, different tastes. I would stay on the ship if I ever go back. I didn't enjoy the town...shopping...or the people. St. Thomas was beautiful. We took a taxi to the shopping area down town. Once we got there, we met a man named Timothy who was offering tours of the whole island for $20.00 per person. He had a great open air taxi/truck that held up to 20 people...and it was painted with beautiful flowers and birds. The truck was well kept and clean and Timothy was such a nice guy...not too pushy. About 12 people, including the four of us...went along on his tour...and it was worth every penny. He took us up one side and down the other...and every square inch of that island....until we saw the good, bad, ugly and beautiful of the island. We felt that we got a real sense of St. Thomas, and we loved the tour. There are a ton of these taxi's waiting to take you on a tour...all with comparable prices, but I recommend not going in a covered vehicle. You might feel confined when you go up the steep mountains and look over the edge to see "way down below". We also did some shopping (not buying). Unless you love jewelry and booze, I'm afraid St.Thomas and St. Maarten will be a disappointment in the shopping category. It was fun to look anyway. St. Maarten was so charming. I loved walking the streets (Dutch side). You will take a water taxi to the shopping district (down town) but it is only $5 for unlimited trips. We stopped at little stands selling a local beer called Carib (which is the Caribbean's Corona). I liked it better than Corona!! For $1.25 a beer, you can't go wrong. Back on ship, we had 2 sea days until we got back to Port Canaveral today. These got a bit boring. Every deck chair seemed to be taken, so get there early to get one. As always, people save chairs, which is a no-no, but people do whatever they want. I recommend getting room with a window. Part of the fun was being able to look out at the ports we were arriving at, leaving from, and just being able to see the ocean. It is well worth the extra money.