Carnival Glory in one read
Carnival Glory arrived in 2003 as the second ship of the Conquest class, and she's spent recent years building the kind of track record that only comes with time. She got her WaterWorks aqua park in 2017 — years before Valor or Liberty added theirs — which means her water-park experience is genuinely the most settled and proven of the class, not a brand-new addition still working out the kinks.
She sails from Port Canaveral, close to Orlando, running short Bahamas getaways that suit a quick trip rather than a full week away. A March–April 2026 dry dock added a non-smoking casino section and redid her Club O2 teen space, keeping her feeling current without a wholesale overhaul.
Fit scores, not review scores — a lower relaxation number means she suits a quiet trip less well, not that she's a lesser ship.
Families near Orlando who want a short Bahamas getaway on a big ship with a well-proven, long-running water park.
You want the very newest refit in the class — Conquest's is fresher — or a full week-long itinerary rather than a quick getaway.
Is Glory your ship?
Four quick questions and we'll give you an honest read on whether she fits — not a sales pitch.
Where she sails
Durable pattern, not a fixed schedule — verify your exact sailing.
Port Canaveral, on short getaways. Glory runs short Bahamas itineraries, typically including a call at Celebration Key, from a homeport that's an easy drive from Orlando and Central Florida.
A March–April 2026 dry dock refreshed her casino (adding a non-smoking section) and redid Club O2, without changing her homeport or itinerary pattern.
Onboard: her features & standouts
A settled, well-proven lineup — her water park has the longest track record in the class. Tap through.
Where Conquest and Valor are showing off freshly finished 2025–2026 refits, Glory's biggest recent addition — WaterWorks — has had nine years to settle in. If you'd rather book a feature with a long track record than a just-opened one, that's the honest case for her.
Cabins & suites
What's aboard
- Standard interior, ocean view, balcony and Carnival's usual suite tiers.
- A 2003 build with periodic refreshes — comfortable rather than modern.
Worth knowing
- There's no Havana, Family Harbor or SkyRide on this ship — all later-class features.
- Carnival markets her at about 110,000 gross tons (110,239 registry), carrying roughly 2,980 guests at double occupancy.
Her sisters
Same stretched-Destiny platform, four different paths since — here's how her sisters compare.
Carnival Conquest
Miami, and currently the freshest overall refit in the class as of February 2026.
Sister shipCarnival Valor
New Orleans (moving to Mobile in 2027), with a brand-new 2025 WaterWorks of her own.
Sister shipCarnival Liberty
Longer 6- to 8-night weeks from New Orleans, tied for the class's highest Cruise Critic rating.
Sister shipCarnival Freedom
The one built at a different shipyard, with occasional Mediterranean and transatlantic sailings.
The honest read
Glory holds a 4.0 out of 5 Cruise Critic member rating, solidly mid-pack for her class. One independent aggregate ranking places her among the better-regarded ships in the Conquest lineup. She doesn't appear in Cruise Critic's official best-or-worst Carnival ships feature at either end — like the rest of her class, she sits outside that particular conversation.
The honest read: she isn't the newest or the most recently refitted ship in her class, but the water park she does have has nearly a decade of operating history behind it, which is a real, if quieter, selling point compared to sisters still breaking in a 2025 or 2026 refresh.
Our verdict
Glory is a dependable pick for a short Bahamas getaway from Central Florida — the Port Canaveral homeport is convenient for anyone near Orlando, and her water park has had years to work out any early kinks that a brand-new attraction hasn't yet. Her 2026 casino and Club O2 refresh keep her feeling current without a full overhaul.
Book her for the settled, proven experience rather than the newest one. Her godmother, astronaut Sally Ride, gives her a distinctive christening story among the five.
Ask Seabound about Glory
Tell us about your trip.
Homeport, group size, kids' ages, budget and length — and we'll tell you honestly whether Glory is your ship or another Carnival fits better.
Instant answers from our guides · always verified against current Carnival information before you book.
Quick answers
Is Carnival Glory a good ship?
She holds a 4.0 out of 5 Cruise Critic member rating, solidly mid-pack for her class, and doesn't appear in Cruise Critic's official best-or-worst Carnival ships feature in either direction.
Does Carnival Glory have a water park?
Yes — she got her WaterWorks aqua park in 2017, the longest-running of any ship in the Conquest class (Valor and Liberty didn't get theirs until 2025).
Where does Carnival Glory sail from?
Port Canaveral, Florida, on short Bahamas getaways, typically including a call at Celebration Key.
Has Carnival Glory been refurbished recently?
Yes — a March–April 2026 dry dock added a non-smoking casino section and redid her Club O2 teen space.
What's Carnival Glory's steakhouse called?
The Emerald Room Steakhouse — a name unique to this ship among her Conquest-class sisters.