This was our second cruise, and it was GREAT! Truly an enjoyable experience. I've read a few reviews from past cruisers on the Carnival Glory, so I had a pretty good idea what to expect. To anyone who has ever rated this ship a BAD experience, all I have to say is- What were YOU doing WRONG??? The Carnival Glory crew from room stewards, to dining staff, to anyone else on the ship are very friendly, and go out of their way to please you. In my humble opinion, anyone who doesn't enjoy themselves on the Glory have lofty expectations. OK so now onto the various different areas:
Embarkation Day: This could not have been a smoother process. We arrived at the port of Norfolk early (Having read some prior cruise critic reviews that recommended arriving before the posted embarkation time) this paid off HUGE! We arrived around 11:15 AM dropped our bags off at the port, dropped the car off at the Cedar Grove parking facility and on the ship by 11:45. In contrast our previous cruise in Baltimore we arrived at the published time, and sat in the terminal for nearly an hour and a half. Sunny day, we enjoyed the Lido Deck and explored the ship a bit before our room was ready promptly at 1:30. Through our carry-on bags in the room and proceeded to continue to explore the ship. Lots of stuff to see when arriving on a new ship! We discovered the Serenity Deck, which was where my fiance and her sister set up camp to tan the remainder of the week. I have to say, the addition of the Serenity Deck's on Carnival cruise ships is a welcome addition, it's sometimes nice to get away from rowdy crowds and children!
Food: I am not much of a "foodie" though my travelling companions are, so for me any food that I don't have to pay for is AWESOME. The truth is I'd eat hot dogs and hamburgers all week as long as I can be on a cruise, but since that isn't the case I will comment on some of the great items I've had this week: FIRST and foremost was my favorite meal: Lobster and Shrimp on the first formal night. I had two plates! Next was the Braised Brisket, this was the most tender meat I've ever tasted and it was truly a delight! I also had the opportunity to try Shark meat... this was actually pretty good too.
Average size balcony on Aft Empress deck. Adequate space for the three of us! Super comfortable beds and linens, fun towel animals every night!