Carnival Glory Review
Had a wonderful experience on the Glory - unfortunately will not cruise again.
Rating by category
Additional details
We did the 7 day, Cayman, Roatan, Belize, Cozumel on Carnival Glory. It really was a wonderful trip. The ship was your typical Carnival cruiser, everything worked fine, was well maintained, staff was unbelievably friendly and attentive, all our requests and expectations were met. (Scroll to bottom if you want to know why I wont be cruising anymore)
Our housekeeping did wonderful work and were very nice people. Food was fine, nothing too special, but come on people if you are booking a cruise and expecting 5 star dining on Carnival youre in the wrong place. Buffets were pretty typical, I probably gained 5 pounds alone at the burger bar, but the sit down formal dinners really were pretty darn good. I've never had friendlier wait staff (Joven was the best server in the world).
The ports of call were all beautiful in their own unique ways. We booked all independent excursions and saved a TON of money and had exponentially more personal experiences than people who booked Carnival. Not to mention your money directly helps locals on the island and contributes to the local economy (instead of the cruise liners keeping everything). There were people who waited to book on the ship who ended up paying $120-$140 PER PERSON... our average costs for independent tours were $50-$70 per person.
Cabin Review
Interior
Average amenities, two twin beds pushed together, average TVs, comfortable sheets & blankets & towels. Great service.
Port Reviews
Cozumel
Cozumel is a fun island. We rented a scooter from a local place and were able to explore about 6 different beaches on our stay. Check out Playa Palancar if you want a calm beach with a good bar, and zip over to the beaches on the ocean side if you want to play in some big waves. A word of caution - dont drive any motorized vehicles on the outside bicycle paths around the islands, there are no motors allowed but this isnt clearly marked. We were stopped at a checkpoint by Mexican "police" and told that we were in violation and had to give them our passports, which would be taken to the police station and returned when we paid our 750 peso fine. They had already taken about 5 peoples identification before us. This should go without saying but NEVER, EVER SURRENDER YOUR PASSPORT OR LICENCE FOR ANY REASON, TO ANYBODY. If they do not give them back, take photos of the "officers", ask for ID, badge numbers, anything. Contact your embassy and report them. When we pressured them about this they let us go with our docs and no fine. We don't even know if they were actual police officers, they were in uniform with belts and ticket booklets but were driving on an unmarked black scooter. Keep your wits about you and stay skeptical everywhere you go.