Cruise Diva's CRUISE DIARY
Carnival Glory
July 14-19, 2003 ~ Inaugural 5-Night Cruise
by Linda Coffman (Part 3)
A "Fun Day" at Sea
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Pierside in Cozumel, Mexico
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Carnival Glory alternates Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings and our maiden voyage was unique with two ports of call in Mexico and two sea days.
Our final day at sea began with a trip to the spa and gym and the hours ahead offered an array of choices. From a galley tour to active and not-so-active games and activities, we could play trivia, Bingo, and Shipboard Survivor (which unlucky passenger would end up "overboard"?), participate in a Scavenger Hunt, attend an art auction, watch the Marriage Show, or enjoy a classical concert. I attended some of the indoor pursuits while Lori spent time enjoying the antics on the Lido deck.
One thing we agreed upon sharing was lunch in Fish & Chips where the menu includes not only the namesake cider-batter fried fish filets and traditional chips, but also fried blue point oysters, bouillabaisse, calamari with Maui onion fritters, tiger shrimp, and cold appetizers and salads. Delicious! A nice touch during peak serving times in the buffet areas are waiters circulating with a beverage cart for drink refills.
With so many things to fill our day, Lori and I missed the cruise director's Debarkation Talk; however, when we met up in our cabin to prepare for dinner, we watched the taped session on television. We were quite pleased to learn that we would be able to leave the ship early since we could easily carry (or roll) all our own luggage off. We planned ahead to pack light and use our airline's online check-in system, which we accessed from the Internet cafe on Carnival Glory to print our own boarding passes. We saved a lot of time and the hassle of waiting in lines by doing so and the early debarkation meant we could catch the first bus to the Orlando airport.
Pleased with our plans, we packed and dressed for a final, festive dinner in the Golden Restaurant. Once again, we were struck by the understated decorparticularly the lovely Japanese-inspired cherry blossom muralsand how good the food was.
For a grand finale, we attended "Rock Down Broadway," the second of two new shows created especially for Carnival Glory and premiered during our sailing. The performers were even more striking than the costumes, scenery, and special effects... Lori and I turned to one another and asked, "Why don't they have recording contracts?" Really! With their extraordinary talent, they ended our cruise on a high note.
Debarkation
As smooth as the sea had been throughout our voyage. "Walk-offs" were called at 8:15 am and by 9:00 am we were on our way to the airport.
Bon Voyage!
More --> Take the Carnival Glory Photo Tour
Back to --> Carnival Glory Cruise Diary (Part 1)
Carnival Glory Cruise Diary (Part 2)
