FLC OF CPR CE650 IS ISSUED CONFUSING CLRNC TO DSND (THEY ARE ON A STAR); THEN GIVEN A TURN TO 'MEET A XING RESTR' WHICH THEY WERE NEVER GIVEN. EVENTUALLY GIVEN A 360 DEG TURN BACK ON COURSE.

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WE HAD DSNDED TO 12000 FT APPROX 15 NM W OF GLAND INTXN WHILE HDG E. WE WERE EXPECTING TO CROSS GLAND AT 10000 FT PER THE STAR. ATC TOLD US TO TURN R TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS IN ORDER TO MAKE OUR XING RESTR AT GLAND. (WE HAD NEVER BEEN GIVEN AN EXPECTED XING ALT AT GLAND.) I TOLD ATC THAT WE COULD HAVE MADE GLAND AT 10000 FT ON OUR PREVIOUS HDG. ATC SAID THAT SHE NEEDED US OVER GLAND AT 5000 FT. WHILE TURNING R TO 270 DEGS; OUR ALT INADVERTENTLY WENT FROM 12000 FT TO 11800 FT. AS THAT OCCURRED; WE THOUGHT WE HEARD ATC TELL US TO CONTINUE DSCNT TO 11000 FT. WHILE THE COPLT TRIED TO CALL ATC TO VERIFY THAT CLRNC; I STARTED TO DSND BUT IMMEDIATELY STOPPED TO WAIT AND SEE IF THAT CLRNC WAS CORRECT. ATC BEGAN ASKING 2 OTHER ACFT WHAT THEIR ALTS WERE. SHE GOT THE ALTS MIXED UP BTWN THE 2 ACFT AND HAD TO ASK THEM AGAIN FOR THEIR CORRECT ALTS. THEN SHE ASKED WHAT OUR ALT WAS AND WE RPTED 11900 FT (I HAD STARTED A CLB BACK TO 12000 FT). FINALLY; I ASKED HER WHAT ALT SHE WOULD LIKE US TO MAINTAIN. SHE RESPONDED; 12000 FT HDG 260 DEGS. I READ BACK THE CLRNC. WE EVENTUALLY GOT TURNED BACK TO AN EASTERLY HDG AND CROSSED GLAND AT 5000 FT. SHE APOLOGIZED FOR HAVING TO TURN US 360 DEGS TO MAKE GLAND AT 5000 FT. I BELIEVE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS THAT ATC WAS OVERLOADED WITH ACFT AT THE TIME. THERE WERE MANY ACFT ON THE FREQ. THE CTLR SEEMED VERY SHAKEN WITH THE WORKLOAD. I SUSPECT SHE MAY HAVE BEEN IN TRAINING. AT ONE POINT; A MALE VOICE STARTED GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO THE ACFT; BUT SHE EVENTUALLY CAME BACK ON. ALSO; HAD WE BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT GLAND AT 5000 FT; I WOULD HAVE DSNDED MORE QUICKLY. ALSO; THE FACT THAT OUR ALT SLIPPED BELOW 12000 FT MAY HAVE ADDED TO THE SIT AFTER WE WERE ON THE VECTOR.