Carnival Glory alongside Nassau on July 13, 2024 (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Carnival Glory alongside Nassau on July 13, 2024 (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Senior Editor, News and Features
Aaron Saunders
Last updated
16 Jul 2024
Read time
4 min read
Built in 2003, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Glory is a workhorse of the Caribbean cruise circuit. The 2,980-passenger ship now makes Port Canaveral its home, where it primarily operates three and four-night voyages to the Caribbean and the Bahamas.
The second of Carnival’s Conquest-class ships (which also include Carnival Conquest, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Freedom), Carnival Glory recently underwent a drydock in March and April of 2024 that further spruced up the 21-year-old vessel, and added new features to the ship, including the conversion of the SkyBox Sports Bar into Carnival’s popular Heroes Tribute Lounge.
Carnival Glory in Nassau (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Cruise Critic hopped onboard a quick sailing to Nassau and back in July 2024 to see what the ship is like following its most recent refit.
Carnival Glory’s Interiors Have Plenty of Funky, Old-School Charm
Located amidships, the Golden Restaurant is Carnival Glory's My Time Dining venue (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Love it or hate it, Carnival’s original Fun Ships were undeniably original. Designed by longtime designer Joe Farcus, almost every item on these ships – including Carnival Glory – was custom-designed, and revolved around an over-arching theme that ran from stem to stern.
The "Old Glory" Atrium is the heart of the ship (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Carnival Glory's atrium runs from Deck 5 to Deck 3 (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The Old Glory atrium aboard Carnival Glory (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Staircases on Carnival Glory are wide and easy to navigate (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The forward staircase and elevator bank aboard Carnival Glory (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The small aft lobby aboard Carnival Glory connects the Ebony Lounge with the Kaleidoscope Promenade (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Though it was built in 2003, Carnival Glory’s interiors feel like a throwback even further, to the early 90’s, when flashing lights, neon and crazy fixtures reigned supreme.
Case in point: the giant, human-sized candles in the White Hot Nightclub. Or the multi-colored ceiling tiles in the Old Glory Atrium that blink on and off in a dizzying array. Or the crimson-haze of the Cinn-a-Bar Piano Bar, which looks like something out of Blade Runner.
The Cinn-a-Bar Piano Bar is located on Dck 5, all the way aft (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Bathed in hues of red and amber, the Cinn-a-Bar Piano Bar is one of the most distinctive spaces on Carnival Glory (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Opening nightly at 9 pm, the Cinn-a-Bar Piano Bar is a rockin' place until the wee hours (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The White Heat Dance Club on Deck 5 has giant candles -- lots of 'em! (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The White Heat Dance Club typically opens late at night (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
No one can ever claim Carnival’s interiors were boring – and this ship showcases some of longtime designer Joe Farcus’s best (and maybe most bizarre) work. They’re, bold, they’re funky, and they hold up surprisingly well.
Added in the 2024 dry dock was the Heroes Tribute Bar on Deck 5 (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Photos, plaques and memorabilia adorn the Heroes Tribute Bar aboard Carnival Glory (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The Heroes Tribute Bar aboard Carnival Glory (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
On the new features front, look out for the rebranded SkyBox Sports Bar, which has now turned into the Heroes Tribute Lounge on Deck 5, next to the atrium. A former kiosk further aft has become a dedicated Carnival Adventures shop filled with necessary excursion gear like hats and water bottles, and the ship’s video arcade has been refreshed and rebranded as The Warehouse.
Cabins and Suites aboard Carnival Glory Are Now More Modern
All cabins aboard Carnival Glory were given a full refresh in the 2024 drydock (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
While Carnival’s cabins have always been generously sized compared to its competitors, their electrical systems used to be an ongoing source of pain, with just one North American and one European outlet per room.
My aft balcony cabin aboard Carnival Glory had a slightly different layout than most (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
An aft-facing balcony cabin aboard Carnival Glory (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Cabin bedside lamps are new, and now have 120V, USB and USB-C connections (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
That’s changed onboard Carnival Glory: all staterooms and suites have been outfitted with new bedside lamps containing one North American outlet, one USB outlet, and one USB-C outlet. We were able to plug our laptop in, charge our DSLR, and recharge an iPhone – all at the same time.
Carnival’s cabins have also undergone a soft refresh in 2024, too, so expect to see new carpeting, beds and bedding (the beds in our Carnival Glory aft-facing balcony stateroom on Deck 7 were among the best we’ve ever slept on!).
Cabin bathrooms on Carnival Glory are "standard Carnival" (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Aft-facing balcony cabins on Carnival Glory are deep enough to allow for a proper lounger (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Carnival also states that all balcony windows and doors were replaced in the 2024 refit, though we were disappointed to see the use of white plastic synthetic railings has supplanted the old polished teak ones the vessel used to have.
Carnival Glory Is a Great Size for a Quick Cruise
Carnival Glory at Sea (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
One of the best aspects of Carnival Gory during our three-night voyage from Port Canaveral to Nassau and back was that it was, in many ways, perfectly suited to these short runs. At 952 feet in length, Carnival Glory is not a small ship by any means, but it is not so big that you can’t get to know it in a short period of time.
The Kaleidosope Boulevard connects most of the ship's public rooms on Deck 5 (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Plenty of seating options line the length of Deck 5 aboard Carnival Glory (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The Alchemy Bar aboard Carnival Glory (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The Camel Club Casino was expanded during Carnival Glory's recent drydock (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The Came Club Casino aboard Carnival Glory. Note the original, Egyptian-themed support columns (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The Casino Bar aboard Carnival Glory (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
A lot of that success has to do with the fact that Carnival Glory and its sister-ships have most public rooms clustered around a corridor that runs along the starboard side of Deck 5. Not only does this function as a primary social gathering spot for passengers, but this corridor – technically known as the Kaleidoscope Boulevard – also serves as a shooting-off point for major public rooms like the Casino, the Alchemy Bar, and the Old Glory atrium.
Moreover, Carnival Glory offers plenty to do for the entire family – and Carnival’s superpower has always been its ability to attract folks to cruising regardless of age, race, or religion.
Located on Deck 4 aft, the Ivory Club frequently hosts nightly karaoke (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The Ivory Club has one of the nicest (and longest) bars on the ship (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
With its crimson panelling and Japanese cherry blossom motifs, the Golden Restaurant is a bright and attractive space (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Dinner at Emerald Steakhouse aboard Carnival Glory (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The Amber Palace is Carnival Glory's main theater (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The Ebony Cabaret is Carnival Glory's secondary show lounge on Deck 5 aft (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Carnival Glory's waterslides at dusk (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The view from our aft balcony cabin on Deck 7 at sailaway (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Yes, if you look hard enough, you’ll notice the dings and the rust. Carnival Glory is, after all, an oceangoing vessel that is entering into the latter stages of its career at sea.
But the ship’s dedicated crew keep Carnival Glory looking spotless on the inside, day in and day out. The ship delivers a better-than-average cruise experience, especially on these short runs where time is at a premium and the parties are practically non-stop.
Carnival Glory may have just turned 21 years old, but its 2024 refit has left it looking better than ever.