The Carnival Glory is completing its 20th year in service this month.
Built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the Conquest-Class vessel was delivered to Carnival Cruise Line on June 27, 2003.
After crossing the Atlantic with no passengers onboard, the cruise ship arrived ats its homeport in Port Canaveral a few weeks later.
Following a christening ceremony, in which the physicist and astronaut Sally Ride served as godmother, the Carnival Glory departed on its first commercial cruise on July 14, 2003.
During its inaugural season, the 110,000-ton vessel became the largest ever to sail from Port Canaveral, offering a series of alternating seven-night cruises to the Western and the Eastern Caribbean.
The program’s Western Caribbean itineraries sailed to Mexico, Belize and the United States, with visits to Cozumel, Puerto Progreso, Belize City and Key West.
The Eastern Caribbean cruises included visits to Nassau, in the Bahamas, as well as to Phillipsburg, in St. Maarten, and Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas.
Currently sailing from New Orleans, the Carnival Glory is set to soon return to Port Canaveral as part of a ship redeployment move.
Starting in May 2024, the vessel will take over the program currently being offered by the Carnival Liberty, which includes short cruises to the Bahamas.
Departing from the Central Florida homeport on Fridays and Mondays, the Glory is scheduled to visit different destinations in the country, including Nassau, Bimini and Princess Cays.
Until then, the 2,974-guest vessel continues to offer a series of week-long cruises from the Louisiana port.
Sailing to the Western Caribbean, the itineraries feature visits to popular ports destinations in the region, such as Mexico’s Cozumel, Jamaica’s Montego Bay, Honduras’ Roatán and Grand Cayman’s George Town.
The Carnival Glory is part of a series of five ships known as the Conquest-Class. With interiors and public areas designed by architect Joe Farcus, the vessel offers an array of facilities including an Art Gallery, three pool decks, a library, a casino and several bars and lounges.
