Carnival Glory: a glorious addition to the "fun ship" fleet

Cruise Travel, March-April, 2005 by Georgina Cruz

Public Rooms: Golden Dining Room (formal dining room, seats 744), Platinum Dining Room (formal dining room, 1,122), Copper Room (restaurant annex, portside, 28), Silver Room (restaurant annex, star-boardside, 36), Red Sail Restaurant (casual lido restaurant, 1,396), Amber Palace (main show lounge, 1,400), Camel Club (casino, 484), Ebony Cabaret (cabaret show lounge, 425), White Heat (dance club, 211), Bar Blue (jazz bar, 88), The Emerald Room (supper club, 108), Creams (promenade bar, 23) Colors (lobby bar, 10), Cinn-A-Bar (piano bar, 100), On The Green (sports bar, 55), Black And White Library (library, 17), Burgundy Bar (wine bar, 30), Ivory Bar (grand bar, 147), Club Crimson (club lounge, 30).

Facilities/Features: Fully air-conditioned, stabilized, 13 guest decks, 18 passenger elevators, 9-deck-high main atrium, fully-equipped spa and fitness center (13,300-sq. ft. including steam rooms, saunas, gym, locker rooms, massage rooms, a couples-only massage room, and two deluxe treatment suites offering dry float beds for exotic therapies), 24-hour pizzeria (also serving Caesar salad) and ice cream/frozen yogurt stations, full casino, beauty salon, teen dance club, shops, Internet cafe, infirmary, tour office, sushi bar, photo studio, jogging track, volleyball court, shuffleboard, four swimming pools, waterslide, seven whirlpools, game room, children's playroom.

Money Matters: The Carnival Glory features "Sail & Sign" whereby the room-key/ID card is used for onboard purchases (shore excursions, spa treatments, photos, souvenirs, etc.) that are charged to guests' accounts. A required application form is included with the cruise documents, and Carnival accepts American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, and cash for deposit on accounts (a minimum deposit of $200, for 5- to 8-day cruises, is required for cash accounts). An itemized statement is delivered to cabins at the end of the cruise. A $10 per-person/per-day gratuity is automatically posted to guests' accounts (Carnival's recommended guideline), which consists of $3.60 for stateroom services, $5.50 for dining room team service, and $0.90 for alternative dining service. Passengers can adjust the amount up or down at the purser's desk onboard. Other personnel, such as maitre d', room service, casino, etc., may be tipped at guests' discretion. A tip of 15 percent is automatically added to bar bills, which guests may adjust.

Itineraries/Fares: The Carnival Glory sails year-round every Saturday out of Port Canaveral on alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages. Eastern Caribbean cruises call at Nassau, St. Thomas/St. John, and St. Maarten; Western Caribbean sailings visit Key West, Belize, Cozumel, and Progreso/Merida. Brochure rates start at $1,649 per-person/double-occupancy for an inside cabin with upper/lower berths (Super Saver rates for that same cabin begin at $549). Single guest occupancy rate is 150 percent to 200 percent of the double-occupancy rate.

For More Information: Contact your travel agent or Carnival Cruise Lines (Cruise Travel Magazine) 3655 NW 87th Ave., Miami, FL 33178; call 1-800-CARNIVAL, or log on to www.carnival.com.