Carnival Glory Review

The second in Carnival Cruise Line's popular Conquest-class vessels, Carnival Glory was launched in 2003 on the heels of fleetmate Carnival Conquest. The 110,000-gross ton ship can carry 2,980 passengers at double occupancy, spread across some 13 decks and 1,490 staterooms and suites.

Though Carnival Glory has long been on the three-and-four night cruise circuit throughout its career, a Spring 2024 refit has left the ship looking refreshed. In addition to receiving Carnival’s new livery (hull art) comprised of a swath of blue near the bow that gives way to a white hull with blue and red cheat lines, Carnival Glory’s month-long stay in drydock also added a refreshed Camp Ocean Kids Club; the popular Heroes Tribute Bar; and the replacement of all balcony doors and windows onboard, not to mention outfitting every cabin with new LED lighting to reduce power consumption.

And while you’re still going to notice Carnival Glory’s age in places (the teak decking by the pool, for instance, could use a refresh, and some ventilation louvres on Panorama Deck 10 have seen better days), the ship, by and large, sparkles, not looking a day of its two decades in service.

Where Carnival Glory might be a tough pill to swallow is in the décor department. The ship was crafted in the heyday of Carnival’s wacky, often zany interior creations by longtime design guru Joe Farcus. Don’t get us wrong: we’re huge fans of the Farcusian design aboard Carnival Glory, which ranges from the whimsical (the Japanese cherry blossom motif that runs through both main dining rooms) to the completely bizarre (the life-sized candles, complete with faux dripping “wax”, that adorn the White Heat Dance Club).

In fairness to Carnival, you do get used to these spaces, particularly as night falls: the vibrant, all-red Cinn-a-Bar Piano Bar looks like something out of Blade Runner, while the three-level Amber Palace Main Show Lounge ends up looking gorgeous at any time of day, thanks to its soaring ceilings and imposing chandelier. And on the plus side, Carnival’s old-school décor on its classic fleet is certainly unlike anything else at sea.

But what really makes Carnival Glory an excellent ship for a quick three or four-day getaway to the Bahamas is its homey-ness. Crew are universally friendly and eager to please, and even though the ship is as party-hard as they come, even on our three-night voyage to Nassau, we had no problems joining in the fun – or finding a quiet sport to relax, grab a drink, and read a book. Staterooms are clean, crisp and comfortable – even the line’s value-added inside cabins are an excellent choice. And the onboard food and entertainment, while designed for the first-time cruiser, are good enough to please even experienced big-ship cruisers.

What else makes Carnival Glory a great choice for a quickie cruise? Read on.

The Carnival Glory Deck Plan is Great for New Cruisers

The Carnival Glory deck plan is laid out in a way that is easy for new cruisers to understand, and familiar to those who have sailed with Carnival before.

Most of the entertainment aboard Carnival Glory takes place on Decks 4 and 5, which house the majority of the ship’s public rooms – though the central Old Glory Atrium and the Amber Palace Theater dip down into Deck 3 forward.

Atlantic Deck 4 houses the second level of the Amber Palace Theater all the way forward, before giving way to the middle level of the Atrium that houses the onboard Library and Photo Galleries. From there, the Golden Forward Restaurant takes up the entire width of the ship, which means to pass through to the other attractions on Deck 4 – including the Ivory Club Lounge and the Platinum Aft Restaurant – cruisers will need to go up (or down) one deck, as the dining room cannot be passed through during meal hours.

Promenade Deck 5 is the social hub of Carnival Glory. Running almost from bow to stern, Deck 5 houses most of the ship’s bars, lounges and entertainment diversions, like the upper level of the Amber Palace Theater, The Camel Club Casino, The White Hot Dance Club, the Alchemy Bar, The Cinn-a-Bar Piano Bar; the Ebony Cabaret Aft Lounge, the White Heat Dance Club, and new features like The Warehouse Arcade and the Heroes’ Tribute Bar, which replaces the old SkyBox Sports Bar.

The way Carnival Glory is laid out makes it very convenient for passengers: cabins are primarily located on Decks 1, 2 6, 7 and 8, with a smattering on Decks 9, 10 and 11. Carnival Glory is big without being too big; cabins are never far away from the action, either on the main entertainment decks or on the upper decks, which house the ship’s pools and casual eateries like the Lido Buffet, Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina.

That’s part of Carnival Glory’s charm: the Carnival Glory deck plan, once passengers get used to it, is very easy to navigate. It’s a huge win for those taking their very first cruise (as many on Carnival Glory will be), and it will feel very familiar to anyone who has ever sailed the vast majority of Carnival Cruise Line’s Fun Ship fleet.

Cabins on Carnival Glory Are Spacious – And Refreshed

Carnival has always offered larger-than-industry-standard cabins across all categories, meaning Carnival Glory holds up well when it comes to the design and feel of its accommodations, despite the age of the ship.

One area where these cabins have historically fallen short is with the number of electrical outlets onboard. As built, they had just one North American outlet and one two-prong, European-style outlet. But Carnival Glory’s recent refit has changed all that: passengers will find dual USB ports on the bedside lamps, plus a 120V North American outlet, vastly expanding the recharging capability of even standard inside staterooms. The downside: the electronics for the lamp are massive, and a huge cable and transformer take up much of the space in the bedside table cupboards, limiting their usefulness as a storage unit.

Carnival Glory offers a huge selection of cabins to suit every budget, and then some: inside cabins are plentiful and spacious enough for two, especially on these short three-and-four-night sailings where most of the action takes place outside the cabin anyhow. Carnival even offers discounts on some of its more interesting cabins: smaller interior cabins that feature upper and lower “berths” (cruise-speak for “beds”), and oceanview rooms with porthole windows that are actually classified as Inside Cabins when you try to book them. For something different, try one of the oceanview cabins overlooking the ship’s deck space all the way forward on Decks 6 and 7.

One interesting quirk, or oddity, of our aft-facing balcony cabin (7453): it was narrower than most, with a smaller desk area placed around the rear wall of the bathroom instead of being located along the entry wall. The room was missing a couch and had two awkward dining room chairs added in place as a seating option. The cabins adjacent to us seemed to have the usual couch set up. While not a deal breaker, we definitely missed the seating area, though the extended balcony was nice.

When it comes to suites, Carnival offers a small selection of larger rooms aboard Carnival Glory. They’re pretty average, really, and hard to recommend over a standard balcony cabin – or even a pair of connecting balcony cabins, particularly those at the aft end of the ship with enlarged balconies.

The exception to this are the two large Captain’s Suites on Deck 9. Positioned over the bridge wings, these suites offer sweeping 180-degree views over the bow, side and stern of the ship, along with more living space and all the requisite suite perks. Of course, this extra clout comes at a price – typically three to four times that of the average balcony cabin on most sailings – but is well worth the bragging rights. These may very well be the best suites Carnival has ever designed.

No matter what accommodation category you end up with, all rooms aboard Carnival Glory come with Carnival’s Dream Bed and bedding, which are still industry-leading for this price point, and some of the most comfortable in the mainstream cruise segment. Cabins all come with bar soap, wall-mounted shampoo and body wash (that we quite like the fragrance of, despite the day-glo orange and blue coloring), towels, and plenty of storage space courtesy of two to three full-sized closets per room.

Dining aboard Carnival Glory Offers More Choice Than One Cruise Can Contain

You’ll be hard-pressed to take in all of Carnival Glory’s culinary offerings over the course of just one weekend. From complimentary food to satisfy a quick craving to more elaborate dining experiences, Carnival Glory has you covered.

Casual eats aboard Carnival Glory are primarily held on Lido Deck 9, with the beautifully-decorated Red Sail Restaurant serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner – along with late-night snacks and mid-afternoon munchies – to hungry patrons. Like most oceangoing buffets, it’s a busy, chaotic place, particularly at peak times. For best results, go for breakfast early, eat lunch late, or hit up the dining room for dinner.

Carnival could charge for its two popular (and casual) poolside eateries but chooses not to. Both Guy’s Burger Joint and the BlueIguana Cantina offer made-to-order dishes that are among the best at sea and they do it completely free of charge. Whether you’re in the market for one of Guy Fieri’s burger creations or a breakfast burrito, these two poolside eateries offer it up gratis. And these days, that’s a rarity among big ships at sea.

The ship’s two dining rooms are among the most pleasingly-decorated spaces onboard, with a soothing Japanese cherry blossom motif running through both venues. The Golden Forward Restaurant on Atlantic Deck 4 is a two-story affair that is, actually, the nicest of the two main dining rooms onboard, and caters to those diners who have chosen “My Time Dining” – flexible dining that can be reserved via the Carnival FunHUB app.

The Platinum Aft Restaurant on Atlantic Deck 4 is also two levels and serves cruisers who have signed up for early (5:30 p.m.) or late (8:15 p.m.) dinner. It is also open on Sea Days for Carnival’s Sea Day Brunch, which is well worth the wait.

Menus are identical in both dining rooms, with a selection of daily items that rotates nightly, alongside an “Always Available” menu of classic favorites. One of the most lauded dishes, interestingly, is the Vegetarian Indian option, which is among the best we’ve tasted at sea. Beverages are an additional cost unless you have one of the beverage packages, and your dining attendants are always happy to re-cork a half-used bottle of wine for the next evening’s meal.

Those seeking a more intimate dining experience will love Carnival’s Emerald Room Steakhouse on Deck 10 midship. This classy venue, located above the Red Sail buffet, offers great views out over the upper pool deck of the ship, along with a steakhouse experience that is virtually unmatched on mainstream cruise lines. Carnival doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel here: this is a fully American steak (or surf-and-turf) experience, with all the requisite bisques, side dishes and hearty wines one would expect. Bonus tip: book on the first night of the cruise to get a complimentary bottle of red or white wine.

The most upscale dining experience aboard Carnival Glory is the Chef’s Table dining experience. For about $100 per person, passengers can indulge in an exclusive experience that offers a set menu of delicacies, hosted by one of the onboard chefs, that lasts between two to three hours and even includes a private tour of the ship’s galley, or kitchen, during the busy dinner service hour. Complimentary sparkling wine and free-flowing wines are included in the experience, making it one of the best values on the ship for those with an adventurous (but not overly so) palate.

Complimentary or paid, sit-down or grab-and-go, Carnival Glory’s dining options offer something for everyone to enjoy.

Carnival Glory Fits the Short Cruise Bill

Carnival Glory reveals itself to be the perfect ship for a three or four-night cruise. We’d be hard pressed to select it for a weeklong voyage – there are more feature-laden Carnival ships out there for that – but its mix of cozy public rooms, well-kept staterooms, and the sense of discovery its wacky and often bizarre décor provides continually heightens the passenger experience, combines to make a perfect cruise experience that rivals those aboard newer vessels.

Carnival Glory has something that newer ships lack: the personality and relaxed atmosphere of a ship that has been around the block. The crew know their jobs and roles; the passengers enjoy themselves and their surroundings. It is a happy ship – a party ship if you want it to be, a quiet ship if you want that, or a ship that focuses on entertainment and live music in a way that other lines simply do not at this price point.