Glorious was largely based, along with the rest of the Mediterranean Fleet, in Malta. The Grand Harbour at Valetta had long been a base for the Mediterranean Fleet. This position was further cemented after WWI, when the base was somewhat expanded and modernised. This was driven largely by shifts in British naval strategy. To ensure the Royal Navy could respond to the possible Japanese threat in the Far East, but still be capable of reacting to developments in Europe, the main part of the fleet was held in the Mediterranean. Glorious operated in the Mediterranean from 1930-1939, with a number of refits in the United Kingdom. During most of this time, she operated from Malta, with occasional visits elsewhere in the Mediterranean. In April 1931, she collided with the French liner Florida to the north-east of Gibraltar. Temporary repairs were made at Gibraltar dockyard, before she returned to Malta for more permanent repairs. During the Abyssinian Crisis of 1935-6, she moved to Alexandria, along with the rest of the fleet. The close proximity of Malta to Italian bases in Sicily made the base there risky during this time of high tensions with Italy. She remained based at Alexandria, until the crisis lifted. In 1937, she was sent to Gibraltar, as part of the British response to the Spanish Civil War. She would return to Alexandria in 1939, as tensions rose again.

As far as where the crew's families lived, they did not typically follow the ship. In peacetime, RN officers and men were split into three 'manning divisions' - Chatham, Portsmouth, and Devonport (Plymouth). These divisions were centred on the eponymous port. The men would, when on shore, live in barracks in the vicinity of the port, and go on training and courses there too. Every ship would be assigned to one of the divisions as well. It would draw its crew from men from that division, and return to the port for refits and the like. This system meant that the men had a place they would always return to, where they could settle their families. The RN did not pay for or provide housing of its men's families, either officers or ratings. Instead, they had to make their own arrangements. It was rare that officers would bring their families abroad, as the RN did not, until 1938, pay for the relocation of the families of those serving overseas. Nor did it provide guidance, assistance or advice for those that chose to relocate their families. Glorious was a Devonport ship, so her crew's families would likely have stayed in private accommodation in Plymouth.