This is my third vacation on Carnival. All three have been to the Caribbean and I have enjoyed each of them. I sailed on the Conquest, the Glory's sister ship, from Galveston in June of 2006 and LOVED it! Prior to sailing my wife and I stayed at the Country Inn and Suites in Cape Canaveral. We had a package that allowed us to park at the hotel during our cruise instead of at the port which saved us a few dollars. The front desk staff was great, especially Laura and Wendi. The shuttle the next morning was ready to go as soon as we were. Even though my wife and I were the only ones ready to go at that time, they were glad to take us. We weren't herded in or made to wait until they had a minimum. Also if you are spending the night, avoid all of the fast food places on the "strip". There are a couple of good restaurants near the port, right on the water. We went to Fishlips...try the crab "burger"...out of this world. You can see the other cruise ships in port if you eat out on the deck. Upon return from our trip, Jason was there waiting to take us back to the hotel and our car was right where we left it and just fine. I was a little worried about that, but with no need. Embarkation: Port Canaveral is a very nice area and the staff at Embarkation were fine. They were doing the YMCA. It was a little "cheesy", but better than being a "stick in the mud" like I've seen before. I was a fairly irritated when we got into the line and we received a letter stating that our itinerary had been changed and my wife and I didn't receive the dinner seating we had requested almost a year prior to our sailing. That being said, things went smoothly and we were on board by 11:30. We had lunch at the Red Sail and were in our cabin by 1:00pm. We had a balcony cabin on the aft of the ship. We requested this after sailing on the Conquest. You really get a great view from the back and it is not nearly as windy as places on the sides of the ship. As we left the port, we received an extra special bonus. We just pulled into the water, and were treated to the launch of the space shuttle Discovery. I've never seen this other than on television and it was a truly special treat. The first day at sea was incredible...perfect weather for relaxing or activities on the deck. We we arrived, there were no deck chairs to be had, which did not thrill my wife at all. But within a few seconds a helpful employee retrieved the two of us chairs. Crisis averted! We didn't really get into too many of the activities but there was plenty to do...hairy chest competition, newlywed game, bingo, etc. Been there...done that. Port Day---Cozumel. Having been to Cozumel previously, I really wasn't too excited, which was good because it rained. We stayed on the ship and had a relaxing day. It was nice...just to stroll around, listen to music, and read. If you're looking for a quiet day like we were, stay on the ship during your "least favorite" port. Port Day Two---Roatan, Honduras. This is the place to see. The landscape is gorgeous. Mountains and beach in the same view. My wife and I boarded the air conditioned shuttle and were taken to the other side of the island to Gumbalimba Park for the Pirates, Birds, and Monkeys of the Caribbean excursion. In my opinion, this is a MUST SEE! You are able to see beautiful plants, birds, and actually hold spider and howler monkeys. It is amazing, but watch out for hats and sunglasses. They'll end up being worn by one of the monkeys. Port Day Three---Belize. I was really excited about this day, but due to Tropical Storm Arthur, we were rained out...HUGE disappointment. The captain decided to go back to Cozumel again...another disappointment. I would have rather had another day at sea, or gone to another port...Nassau, Key West, somewhere else. Port Day Four---Freeport. This was really nice, but once again not much to do. A little bit of shopping and sightseeing. We arrived on the Bahamian Labor Day, so most of the stores were closed. I really thought Carnival could have moved things around better. If it weren't for Roatan, all of our excursions would have been a total bust. Ship Staff---I will say that one area of improvement on the Glory as compared to Conquest was their bar staff. The Glory staff was, for the most part, very good. The staff on the Lido bar were great and always had a smile. Our Cabin Steward was sufficient, but NOT what we have come to expect from Carnival. The dining room staff was the same...good not great like past trips. The food for the most part was good...try the Lobster bisque! Two people that really shined were 1.) the Cruise Director Mark. He is fantastic and always smiling. If you needed it, he'd do it! And his hypnotist show is NOT to be missed...HILARIOUS. Also, 2.)Karaoke. Even if you think it might be cheesy, give it a shot. Lenka does a great job. DEBARKATION---My wife and I self-assisted and were off the ship and on our way back to the hotel by 10:30. It was very efficient and pretty much painless.

Overall this was a good trip; maybe not as good as the Conquest, but still a great value for the dollar. I wish we hadn't had issues with the port days, but I suppose you can't do anything about the weather. On the other days, it may seem like we didn't do much, but as a high-school teacher, I was looking forward to some relaxation and if you feel the same way, then rest assured that relaxation can be found amongst all of the action. Will I travel with Carnival again?...sure, but maybe another destination besides the Caribbean.