Carnival
Glory
7 Day Eastern Caribbean

Joe Weaver

Age: 31
Occupation: U.S. Navy
Number of Cruises: 1

I just returned from my first cruise and stumbled across this website. I read several of the reviews posted by other sailors and am really surprised by their negativity. My cruise couldn't have been better.

Before I touch on my experience I want to comment on the negative remarks made by other people. One of the most common complaints was about the lines people had to stand in if they wanted to eat the buffet. I am a sailor in the United States Navy and have to stand in line every time I want to eat, I am not afforded the opportunity of a "seating time" for any meal. You are on a ship of 3,000+ people and should expect to stand in lines from time to time. When was the last time you went to a restaurant and had to wait 20 minutes to be seated? The line for the buffet was no longer than 5 minutes at any time of the day.

Another thing that surprised me was people complaining about the port visit changes due to in climate weather. Carnival Cruise Lines has a lot of money, but not all the money in the world can change the weather. They did however change the port visits, which is no easy task. The Captain has to go through a lot of work to schedule a port visit, plot a course to get there, and make sure port fees are paid and immigration/customs procedures are executed properly. If a ship has to cancel a port due to weather you should be elated that the Captain was able to get you another port visit. Not that one is even necessary, I had the majority of my fun on the ship!

The port visits...

Nassau was wonderful, the people were great.

St. Thomas was a disappointment because it was kind of run-down. It is definitely a poor island and the United States isn't doing a good job of keeping it maintained as a tourist attraction.

St. Martin is beautiful, well kept, and very friendly. It was by far my favorite port visit during my cruise.

The ship...

My room was presentable and well kept by my steward. He even put a towel animal that he made on my bed every night. And yes, it was a different animal every night. :) There were mints placed on my bed when he came in to turn down my bed. The room was impeccable. A hotel couldn't have been better.

The food on board the ship was nothing short of phenomenal! Each dinner was well prepared, cooked as ordered, presented like a meal prepared by a professional chef, and delivered by the best waiter I have ever had. My waiter was Lucas (from Colombia) and he was absolutely awesome! He was the best waiter I have ever had, and I have been to 5 star restaurants. I got his e-mail address and plan on keeping in touch with him. He was a great guy.

There was always something to do. Every night a ship's newspaper 'Carnival Capers' was placed on my bed and had a schedule of the next days events. Everything was well planned and very organized. There was always something to do. I stayed busy and had the best vacation ever onboard the Glory. There are several bars, a Casino, restaurants, arcade, pools, there is just too much to list. I didn't take my children on this cruise but I could have and never had to worry about them. Carnival does an awesome job of taking care of your kids while you are away enjoying yourself. They have a teen dance club, a kids karaoke room, a play room, arcade, and several events for the kids to participate in.

I have been to 30+ countries, traveled around the world, and lived in Hawaii for 3 years. This was by far the best vacation experience I have ever had. I will DEFINITELY travel with Carnival again. I will no doubt be taking another cruise next year, maybe even a short one this year if I can afford it. I wouldn't mind going on a 3 day cruise that doesn't even hit any ports. The ships are just so much fun!

The drinks made at the bars were better than any you will get at a night club back home. The bartenders are by no means stingy with the liquor! They mix the drinks and they are never watered down. I did not hear one person complain about a drink.

The casino dealers are even friendly. I have been to Vegas and if you sit down at a table and don't know how to play they will rudely kick you off the table. If you are a novice gambler this is the casino for you. The dealers are friendly and help you learn how to play the game to make sure you have a good time.

I guess I would have to say the best part of my cruise was the people I met. I met so many people from around the country and know them by their names. I was kinda sad to leave because I had met so many new friends. It got to the point that no matter where I went on the ship I saw someone I knew by name. I even knew most of the crew members by name and they knew me by name as well. It felt so good to see a crew member and them know me by name. I could sit down at the bar and any one of them would know me by name. In fact my room steward said, "Welcome aboard Carnival Glory Mr. Weaver" when I first went to my room, and my waiter at my dinner table knew me by name when I arrived for my first meal. They actually took the time to memorize my name before I arrived to my room and dinner table. It was just a great experience and the crew really made me feel at home.

As far as complaints... I have none. Actually there is one... I wish it didn't have to end after 7 days. I could live on that ship!

Thank you Carnival, you provided me with the best vacation experience of my life!

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