Carnival Conquest 12/11 Review (long)

My new husband and I took the Carnival Conquest cruise that left on 12/11/05. We are experienced cruisers, but this was our first with Carnival. Our experience overall was not that great and we will not sail Carnival again. We talked with many others on the ship before I decided to post the truth as I have seen others get reamed on this site for posting anything bad. A few people said they had a great time but at least a dozen were not too pleased. It was just the two of us cruising, we were not in a large group and we do realize that when cruising the more people you have with you the more fun it can be. We are also not big drinkers so some things were not as amusing to us. There seemed to be more alcohol flowing on this cruise than others we have been on and it showed in the behavior of our fellow cruisers (sometimes it was cute, sometimes not so much).

Embarkation

We spent the night in Galveston so that we could arrive early enough to beat the big crowd. This was not necessary, as we just had to wait. By the time we did get on the ship the crowd was pretty large. No major issues and it went fairly smooth. Would have been nice if they would have had someone to hold any carry-on luggage while taking your picture. We ended up with a goofy picture of him holding my wedding dress.

Room

We purchased a balcony guarantee and ended up in a room on Deck 7 Aft. We are SO HAPPY we got this room and as the week went on we realized how lucky we were. This was the quietest deck well away from the nightclubs and noisy bars. We had a good view without being in the dungeon or up so high we rocked. The room was great, especially compared to what we have experienced in the past. Plenty of room, a king size bed and a couch. Lots of storage and closet space. We didn’t step on each other all week! The bathroom was a decent size, plenty of shelves along the mirror to keep stuff out of the way. Shower was better than anything we have ever experienced. Water pressure was great and we didn’t have to straddle the toilet this time (that was a joke, most of the bathrooms are very cramped). Only complaint was a stain on the duvet cover which was changed promptly by our room stewardess (Putri) who was the most awesome person we met on the boat (staff) all week. Our neighbors were very loud, but only randomly. They apparently thought their balcony was soundproof and were often out there talking very loudly but since we didn’t speak the same language, it really didn’t matter.

Ship

When we got on the ship we were very impressed. The ship is absolutely gorgeous and very large. The attention to detail was amazing from the ceilings to floors. The murals on the walls were very impressive in the lobby. The bars were very elegant and comfortable. The main lounge where the shows were held was amazing with 3 levels, there really weren’t any bad seats but we always sat up front. Our only complaint about the ship was some pathway issues. On certain decks (Deck 3) you could not get from one side of the ship to the other or (Deck 4) you had to cut through the dining room. Many felt comfortable doing this but we felt it to be rather rude. TIP FOR FUTURE CRUISERS: To access the front of the ship (outside) go to deck 6 or 7 Forward. They do not advertise this view but it is excellent and since those floors are only rooms, most people do not realize this and therefore it is also a very quiet view.

Cruise Director and Staff

Our cruise director was Todd and we were really disgusted with his lack of enthusiasm. Every time we listened to him we were very depressed. He seemed to whine a lot about being single, how love sucked, and how hard it is to do work like this. His jokes were old and tired and heard many times before. He was not at all original or spontaneous. The rest of the staff was okay but did not have memorable personalities. We felt bad for Jennifer on the first day when she got booed by an entire group of rednecks when she was introduced. We were embarrassed for her but she overcame this well. This was not the last time our fellow cruisers made Americans look pretty embarrassing.

Activities

We were REALLY disappointed in the activities on this cruise. There were not really many activities not geared towards getting smashed and acting stupid. They had a couple of trivia games (Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Name that Celebrity) but not many. They did have bingo, but we learned many cruises ago that this can become expensive very quickly and we didn’t play this time. They list all the piano bars and singers as activities but when you take those out, there really isn’t too much to do during the day.

Entertainment

We went to almost all of the shows. The first two comedians were really good. One was a ventriloquist and while he wasn’t so good at that, he was still really funny. All the comedy shows were for adults only and were late at night. We are not easily offended, but before they started each show they prefaced it with, “if you are easily offended go find a buffet” and we did not care for that too much and found it to be a bit rude and by the 3rd time it was also old. The magician was okay, but not great. We saw some of the things she was doing and it was more a light show than anything else. It was slightly sexual for a family show but we did enjoy it. The Vegas style show with the dancers was pretty good. They were not Vegas quality and slightly off but we were pleased considering they were doing two shows a night. The Broadway show was pretty bad and we left after about 20 minutes. We did not attend the Talent Show as we did not go on a cruise to see amateurs. Usually these shows are in the afternoon and we think they did this to avoid paying another professional act. We did catch it on the TV and were not too sad that we missed the original. The juggler performed the last night and we were very impressed considering we were having a really rough day at sea hitting 12 foot waves. He dropped the pins the first couple times and we felt bad but he got it together for an awesome show and he was really funny. The orchestra played at most of the shows and were pretty good and like I said, the dancers were good, but not the best.

The last comedian, Tony Acosta, was HORRIBLE. I have never been offended in my life and this man managed to run me off in tears. They did preface it with the usual buffet comment and said there would be foul language and sex related material. This would not have offended us. His main show was to talk about what was wrong with each ethnic group. According to Mr. Acosta: White people are arrogant and something is wrong with their children, Indians should all be treated as terrorists and in fact he follows them to make sure they get where they are going (the people next door to us were of this decent and were at the show), Black people are great because they know how to hug without looking gay and bump instead of shaking hands (this is better because White people shake hands and apparently don’t wash them after using the restroom), Asians are only the people that comprise the wait staff (this was really embarrassing for them and he even made fun of one waiter announcing that he had a “big dick,”) Jewish people are all landlords and interested in money, Italians don’t fight but just talk **** and then he started on the gays. This part lasted forever and he did several really horrible imitations of gay men (which is funny because it was the same way he imitated White people in general). He went on and on about how scary a gay man is to a straight man, how he would kill his son if he was gay, and on and on and on. This is where I left. I knew there were several gay people on this ship and I was so embarrassed that they would have to listen to this. No one should go on vacation, go to a comedy show, and be put down like this. Everyone knows someone who is of one of these groups and it was just really hateful. He was about 5 feet tall and bald and what I think would have been funny is him in an Oompaloompa outfit. I was so offended by him I was praying I would run into him on an elevator. Real life is funny, making fun of yourself is funny, racist remarks about ethnic groups, culture, religion, and character is not funny. He also performed on the last day for a “family show” where he spent most of the time discussing how White people need to beat our children more and asking what is wrong with them as they are the ones bringing guns and bombs to school. Many people scooped up their children and left. All of the rednecks where whooping and hollering but I guess things are funnier when you are ripped and I have to believe they had no idea what they were laughing at. This man should have been pulled off the stage.

Restaurants

We ate in the Renoir restaurant most nights. We originally were at a large table but got moved so a large group could sit together (they never ate in there again we noticed). That was okay because we got a much better table with a view of the first level. Michael from the Philippines was our waiter and he was AMAZING. He was very funny and entertaining. One day I went to dinner in a horrible mood and by the time we left I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe. The wait staff was very entertaining. We are slightly offended when people do not adhere to the dress code for several reasons: 1) the atmosphere is supposed to be that of a nice restaurant where you dress accordingly, take time through dinner, and enjoy conversation. This is not so easily done when you have folks tramping through in tanks and flip flops waiting to be fed like cattle (there is a buffet for casual dining it’s not like you don’t get to eat if you don’t want to get dressed up!) 2) we take the time to pack and prepare to dress nicely and change clothes to go to dinner and we should get the same consideration from others and 3) the people that can pull off their tanks and shorts/jeans/etc are never the ones wearing them (come on, some can make you really lose your appetite!) This was an issue on this ship, but not as bad as we have seen on others. For the most part everyone dressed appropriately and those few that didn’t just looked foolish. We also noticed that those that were not appropriately dressed also lacked some manners for a fine restaurant and sat with their arms on the tables, didn’t use napkins and yes, we even saw some people who thought they were eating finger food. We ate at the buffet one night when were not in the mood to change and the food was okay. We noticed that the food on the buffet for lunch and dinner was good, but just not quite great, like something was missing. We ate at the Super Club one night and were disappointed. The steak was great, but everything else was a little strange. The presentation was absolutely amazing, but the taste wasn’t anything to write home about. A baked potato would have been sufficient, but we ended up with some grilled tomatoes and rutabaga and eggplantL Our waitress was very sweet but we regretted spending the extra money to go to this restaurant. My husband tried twice to have a glass of wine with dinner and both times he got chilled red wine. Now most of the people on this cruise were not the kind to notice, but it really ruined it for him and their wine was very overpriced. When we ate at the supper club he noticed that a bottle of $60 Pennfolds was $262!!!!! We let them keep that bottleJ We also tried a few mixed drink but they were pretty watered down and not at all worth the cost. The Gala buffet was BEAUTIFUL but didn’t taste that great and people had already stuck their fingers in some of the desserts (we had a boat load of folks that could have stood to sit through finishing school). The chocolate buffet was also very pretty but the desserts were very strange. I had been waiting for some chocolate cake all week and was disappointed when everything had something weird in it (chocolate pear cake, chocolate orange cake, etc). We did notice that people were piling their plates high and looked like greedy sheep but there was plenty and we still got to try some things (but we didn’t like much of it…again, something was just a touch off). THE MAIN DISAPPOINTMENT: The food is the same in all the restaurants!!!!! Maybe not on the same night, but often it is the same on the buffet and the dining rooms each night. We paid to go to the supper club and have a filet and the next day there was filet on the buffet and the next day it was in the dining room! The atmospheres were different, and there wasn’t much else to do, but if we had known, we may have saved some time and energy and just gone to the buffet.

The pizza was good if you got hungry for a snack, but we would have preferred normal pizza over goat cheese pizza. The grille was good, but again not great. We had a hamburger and a steak sandwich and both were edible. We never ate at the seafood restaurant. The Chinese food was TERRIBLE and we didn’t make it past the first bite. There was so much salt we just couldn’t handle it. We never ate at the sandwich place. Room service was pretty good. We had a BLT and fruit salad once. The food arrived very quickly and room service staff was very nice. The chocolate chip cookies are to die for if you can find themJ

Jamaica

Jamaica was AWESOME. We had the ultimate excursion…we got married. Now, I say Jamaica was amazing, but this is because it had absolutely nothing to do with Carnival. We paid a private resort to handle everything from transportation and flowers to champagne and the ceremony. This resort was so beautiful and we definitely recommend it to everyone. It was Sunset Beach Resort and is an all inclusive resort. You can purchase a day pass for $40 per person and spend the day with drinks and food included. This is a good choice if you want a safe excursion and it is only a couple of minutes from the port. The people were FRIENDLY and HELPFUL and we wanted to stay for the rest of the week!

Grand Cayman

We did not plan any excursion for Grand Cayman. We tendered when we felt like it and checked out the shops. Worst problem…there were 9 freaking cruise ships there!!! This was an issue and everything was so packed with people that you couldn’t move. It wouldn’t have been so bad, but it seemed everyone thought they were the only ones there and we got sick of getting stepped on and headed back. Tendering was pretty much painless except for the people that had obviously found the local bars and were pretty obnoxious on an even smaller boat. There was no escaping but thankfully the ship was pretty close to shore.

Cozumel

On this stop we decided to book an excursion. We are well acquainted with how things run in Mexico and thought of just taking our chances when we got off the ship, but decided it would be best to book something through Carnival so we would know what we were getting. We looked through the choices and visited the Excursion Desk in person to ask a few questions about the Playa Mia Beach Break. We asked if there were going to be so many ships in this port, if the beach was nice, the sand flea situation, and the non-motorized equipment rental. He assured us that this was a beautiful beach and they had tons of stuff to do and we would not be disappointed. He also said there would not be as many ships but he didn’t know exactly how many. Morning came and it was raining. We got some breakfast and it was pouring. It was looking grim but we were trying to do a no-rain-dance so we could go to the beach. We then found out that even though we bought an excursion, we still had to get in line to tender because it was not an excursion that included transportation. I will say this again because it is confusing, even though we paid for an excursion we had to tender as if we were not on an excursion because the transportation to the beach was our responsibility. We got in line for a tender ticket but since one tender boat was taking people off 40 minutes away we were left waiting for the one that was left. We waited for an hour and realized that between the rain and the wait, there was not going to be much beach time. We went to the purser’s desk and were told that they would not refund the excursion because it was not canceled. Again, this is confusing…We were on an excursion, but not an excursion, to the beach that could not be canceled because of rain. So, we waited for the tender boat (2.5 hours) and finally made our way to the “beautiful resort.” When we arrived we found that admission to the beach is actually only $12 and we had paid $33. The tour to the beach was interesting and we got a first hand look at the hurricane damage, but it did not stop there. The beach was a disaster, the buildings were gone and everything was being held under a big tent. They were even still digging one of their water trampolines out of the sand. We decided to try a paddle boat but the area we had to use them was very small and the equipment had all been patched and was not adjustable. I am sure a midget would have enjoyed this adventure, but we were folded up and this made it pretty difficult. We were still trying to be positive and the rain had let up so we decided to lay on the beach for a bit. We got a beer and a Diet Coke and sat in one of their flat beach chair type things until he started to feel sick and I had sand fleas crawling all over me. At this point it was time to head back and the rain was returning. We got out of the cab with water up to our shins and made a break for the tender boat. We spent $66 to go to the beach and $30 in cab fare and we had been gone just a little over an hour. We spent the rest of the day in our cabin quite ill. We waited until the excursion desk was open the next day to discuss this adventure at which time he told us he had “just been there last week and it was lovely.” I don’t know what his idea of lovely is, but well, I guess anything is possible. I have looked at their website since we returned and it WAS lovely, but now it is a nightmare and not suitable for tourists. He said he would send a letter to our stateroom by 8p.m and let us know what they could do. At 10p.m. there was no letter and we headed to the purser’s desk. She explained that since no one else complained they would do nothing and in fact she couldn’t do anything anyway as the Excursion Desk was closed. The following day would be disembarkation day and we wanted this resolved before our account was settled. She refused and said that she would be glad to beep him earlier in the morning but for tonight “NO.” I thought my husband was going to burst a blood vessel as this was a pretty shady trick. The man told us he would do something and then put us off until his desk was closed and the cruise was over. We finally did receive our form letter around 11, but it was just patronizing and we returned the cheap, warm champagne they had sent to shut us up.

Excursions in General

The excursions available through Carnival are very few compared to other ships. They are also very short and expensive. We took a horseback tour through Belize that lasted 7 hours that included lunch and bottles of water and only paid $89 per person last year on Norwegian. The excursions we had to choose from on this ship were only 2-3 hours long, if that, and were the same price or MORE! I like the idea of an excursion and the safety, but it is not worth it to me for the prices they were charging and especially not if they do not back up what they are selling you. I could have taken the risk and only been out a third of the money to go to this beach! We also talked to several people about their excursions and they were not happy. This is hearsay, but I’ll pass it along anyway. One woman went to the beach in Grand Cayman and paid over $20 per person and was in a very small roped off Carnival section only a block from the public entrance that was $4. Her child tried to buy a hot dog and it was $8!! A man told us that he went on the glass bottom boat thing and the glass was so messed up they couldn’t see, his wife got sick, and there were no fish. We heard that the sting ray tour was way overbooked and too crowded. We saw the Mexican cooking demonstration in Cozumel and it looked pretty crowded there too since they were operating under a tent.

Photo Shop

We were really upset about the photos on this cruise but maybe this was because we had something to compare it to. On other ships we have been offered a “package deal” to get all of the pictures or at least a good number of them (although we have never seen so many photographers!) On this ship, almost every picture was printed in an 8X10, even our embarkation photo holding our luggage. There was no choice in buying the picture, if you wanted it small you could buy the big and they would print you a small. The 8X10 photos were $20. On formal night we expected to take lots of pictures, but they had so many stations it was annoying. Several groups kids were running around taking tons of photos at each stop and this not only held up the line, but just made more photos that would be thrown away. We cannot understand why they cannot just print a small preview type strip and allow you to choose which ones you want to print and in what size. This would cut down on the waste, and allow you to make some choices. We finally broke down and bought a couple, but on the last day there were thousands of pictures that were headed for the trash. We really wanted more pictures since this was our wedding vacation, but at $20 apiece, we could go sit at a professional place and leave with the photos! Most of the backgrounds were pretty cheesy and available at your local Wal-mart anyway. Everywhere you turned all week though they were trying to take your picture: dinner, getting off boat, formal night, causal night, etc. This just didn’t make any sense to us, it seems there is a more environmentally sound way to do this that would let everyone get more pictures. As I have said, we are not new to cruising, we understand the pics will be pricey, but this was ridiculous. Again Norwegian actually puts them to shame!

General Staff

The general staff on this ship was pretty yucky. Our waiter and stewardess were the only ones that actually even spoke more than a word. Most of the staff looked tired and not very friendly. We had a few eye rolls and several blank stares. The purser’s desk was really horrible. We know they hear crap all day, but they have this really amazing way of making you feel very small. I think it is the size of the ship and the mass amount of people on it that made this so bad. In the huge group of people you really just get lost in the shuffle. It’s very similar to being herded and you never really get treated as an individual guest. I’m sure that those who got great deals were okay with this, but we did pay more on this since it was a special occasion and some personal touches would have been nice. (At least we found a bed full of swans and flowers from our room stewardess on our wedding night).

DON’T GO TO THE SPA!!!

I went to the spa to get a facial before my wedding. It was such a scam. She smeared some stuff on my face and shined a light on my skin but after a little use of my psychology degree I had the real truth. She was 20 years old from England and really had no experience in this at all. What she was good at was a scam! She said she would “get me some stuff to use tonight” for my eyes (I had not slept well) and I ended up with a $300 bill for a $100 facial. She talked to my husband while I was getting dressed and made him think that I had already agreed. I had no idea she was about to sell me bottles of this stuff (which by the way is nothing more than a Burt’s Bee Green Goddess mask you can buy for $5 a pound). By the time we left we were just looking at each other saying “what the hell just happened?”

Beauty Salon

The beauty salon was great. I got a manicure the day before my wedding and was pleased. A little more expensive than at home, but it was easy to get in and I would expect to pay more on a cruise ship. She did a good job and was very nice. I got my hair done on my wedding day (I booked this the day we got on) and it was beautiful!! She was pretty fast and very nice. I had 73 hairpins and my head seemed to way 50 pounds, but it lasted all day and I hated to take it down. I felt like a princess and it was well worth the $50!!

Disembarkation

Not too smooth. We decided to do self assist as we were past ready to get off this sucker. The line got held up and it took over 2 hours to get off the boat. We passed our Asst. Cruise director on the way out who didn’t even say a word. The girl checking our cards on the way out didn’t speak either, not a bye, drive safe, or kiss my ass. When Carnival is done with you, they are done!

In all it was not a good cruise. There are just too many people and it seems they are trying to scam you every time you turn around. We didn’t feel like we had very many choices as it is their way or nothing. I also believe we got stuck with a different group of people. Usually we get a more diverse group of people to mingle with but this one was pretty much Southerners and man were they proud of it. Overall I was embarrassed to be from the South and hate that it is these people who will set the stage for how others see us. If I never hear “Git er done” again, it will be too soon!!! We have thought about upgrading to Princess or something, but I refuse to give Carnival another dime. We will return to Norwegian and Celebrity or go to the resorts insteadJ

Hope this helps anyone as it took FOREVERJ

I am sure that you will get slammed for this but you seem to point out the good with the bad.

Wow :eek: :eek:

I was on the same cruise, and while I seemed to enjoy it more than you did, most all your points are spot on. The wait staff, and room staff were great, but the CD, ACD, Purser, etc seemed either in really bad moods, or just weren't friendly people. I understand Todd was sick and wasn't feeling his best, but on a ship this size, you would think they could have several assistant cruise directors to pick the slack when someone is ill, and make sure guests are entertained.

I also think part of the problem is a large % of the guests on this curise used their Salvation Army/Fema Debit cards to book the trip. I've never in my life seem so many people that after 6 days on a boat still couldn't figure out that if you wanted to go to deck 10 and were on 9 you didn't hit both up and down buttons. Wait for an elevator with a down arrow to open with 16 people already on board, push your way in, stand in the doorway the whole way to the bottom, never offering to move out of the way as others tried to exit, making it almost impossible for them to get out of the elevator when it took them down to their floors.

HI Sorry you didnt like your cruise, seems like this paticular ship is hit or miss. Could you email me at etheralmassage@yahoo.com? I was wanting to ask a few questions about your wedding as I am trying to plan mine and not thru Carnival. Thanks!

Whoa! This is a family board FTLOG! :p

Sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise. Thank you for being so thorough in your review... I hope your next cruise is better!!!!

You never did say how the wedding went.

No I don't work for Carnival and no I am not a Carnival defender but.. Thanks for your review. You pointed out good stuff and bad stuff. Never sail Carnival again.. ? Your choice but that is your loss IMHO. I am NOT flaming you ok>>>? I just find that peoples expectations are often far in excess of what is normalacy. You seemed to have some legitimate concerns so don't think I disagree with all that you said it just that I think perhaps your expectations were way out there in some areas. I know very few people who run in the circles where the dollars flow like water and since they are paying mega bucks can espect and demand perfection. That is not to say one should not expect decent service or should lower expectations to the point they accept "bad" service as the norm. Its just that there are going to be problems regardless of where you go - assuming you aren't one of the big bucks crowd. Whether you are at an all inclusive or on Princess or Carnival guess what... it rains and there isn't much the cruise line or the all inclusive can do about it. Would you expect Disney to refund your money if it rained the day you were at the park? Don't think so. Now if I was paying $25K a night to stay in the cross over suite at Atlantis I would pretty much expect perfection. Yes we did a cruise on the Conquest and no it was not perfect but we enjoyed the heck out of ourselves and chalked up the minor problems to just that - minor. Go to the other crusie line pages and what you will find are many of the same problems posted here - that includes the reportedly upper crust cruise lines. Sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise but perhaps you were expecting a bit too much. Just a thought.

Thanks for taking the time to write such a long and detailed review. I loved the Conqeust but agree about Todd as the CD, he did nothing for us personality wise.

We also missed the filet in dining room on this cruise as we had a fabulous dinner in the Point. But, thru research here I knew we would be missing it on this night -did have it a week and a half ago on the Triumph and it was fabulous.

Glad you loved your room and the location. DId you ever see Damian in the piano bar? He is fabulous and will be leaving Carnival in February to go back to New Zealand to finish his rock opera.

Hope you try Carnival again.....

Hi princessdi01, Sorry that you had some snags on your cruise. We've been on 7 and have liked some lots better than others. Don't discount carnival altogether though. We've enjoyed our 2 carnival cruises, however our favorite was one on RCL. And our worst (though we still had fun!) was on RCL. It just happens.

Our daughter and son-in-law are sailing on the Conquest 2/5. They also took a balcony guarantee and I'm hoping they are as fortunate with their room assignment as you were. She's in the military (he's a police officer) so they were able to take advantage of Carnival military discount and could afford to go to a balcony. They have two small children (I'm doing baby-sitting honors) and after Katrina (we live in the Biloxi/Gulport area) are in dire need of some R & R.

Enough history. I am slowing leading up to my question! They'd heard about these inclusive day resorts in Jamaica but had no names or prices. I thought I'd tell them about the one you mentioned...Sunset Beach Resort. Do you just take a cab to the resort and buy the day pass there? Any details you can recall will be appreciated and passed along to them.

Thanks and congratulations on your wedding. Good luck to both of you!

You mentioned that it did you no good to arrive early for embarkation. What time did you arrive and when were you actually able to get on the ship?

I have to put in my 2 cents in on your review.

We spent the night in Galveston so that we could arrive early enough to beat the big crowd.

The reason we arrive the day before our cruise is to allow for airline delays in order not to miss the ship and to get a good nights sleep by not getting up before the crack of dawn to catch a flight. Getting to the port early to beat the big crowd is a bonus. This is also dependant on the previous cruisers debarking without delays. If customs holds things up, then the whole process for the next cruisers gets pushed back.

Would have been nice if they would have had someone to hold any carry-on luggage while taking your picture. We ended up with a goofy picture of him holding my wedding dress.

If you really wanted this picture, take your time and put down your carry-on luggage off to the side or by the photographer and take a picture.

We didn’t step on each other all week!

Glad to see you loved your cabin, Carnival has big cabins compared most other cruise lines. I just came back from a RCI cruise and could not believe how small the cabin was compared to Carnival.

We were REALLY disappointed in the activities on this cruise.

What type of activities were you looking for? Can you give examples of the types of activities Celebrity or Norwegian holds that makes it so much better than Carnival?

The last comedian, Tony Acosta, was HORRIBLE. I must agree with you on this one.

We went to almost all of the shows.

Does Celebrity or Norwegian hire professionals for their entertainment?

folks tramping through in tanks and flip flops waiting to be fed like cattle

This was an issue on this ship, but not as bad as we have seen on others.

What other ships have you seen this to be worse on? Celebrity? Norwegian? Oh my!

Sunset Beach Resort

The people were FRIENDLY and HELPFUL and we wanted to stay for the rest of the week!

I think you found your calling. But, be warned, you can also have a bad experience/vacation at an All-inclusive. There are message boards just like this one where you can read both great and horrible reviews on AI. Remember, at AI the drinks are included and guests can drink all they want all day & night. The drunks are here too and also get obnoxious.

Cozumel. We got a beer and a Diet Coke and sat in one of their flat beach chair type things until he started to feel sick and I had sand fleas crawling all over me. We spent the rest of the day in our cabin quite ill.

What do you think made the two of you sick? This never helps in making of a great vacation. Sand fleas on the beach are something you can expect certain times of the year. They really suck. What if you were at an All-Inclusive resort that had sand fleas that particular week? Would you ask for a refund?

I thought my husband was going to burst a blood vessel as this was a pretty shady trick.

It was too bad they did not reimburse your money for the excursion after all you went through. Would Celebrity or Norwegian have reimbursed you your money if you had a bad experience with them? From what I have read most cruise lines are all about the money and sometimes just don’t give a hoot.

Everywhere you turned all week though they were trying to take your picture: dinner, getting off boat, formal night, causal night, etc

I found this to be true on RCI along with Carnival. They don’t do this on Celebrity or Norwegian?

DON’T GO TO THE SPA!!!

What cruise ship Spa is not a ripe off! They are all way over priced! (IMO)

I got my hair done on my wedding day

I felt like a princess and it was well worth the $50!!

Congratulations on your wedding!

We have thought about upgrading to Princess or something, but I refuse to give Carnival another dime. We will return to Norwegian and Celebrity or go to the resorts instead

I’m surprised you picked Carnival in the first place and sorry you had so many disappointments. Why fix something that is not broken with Celebrity or Norwegian? I have seen drunken obnoxious people, inattentive staff, and tasted unappetizing food on Carnival, RCI, and at AI. We have also met beautiful people, wonderful staff, and good food. Good luck on your next vacation.

DONT BOOK THRU CARNIVAL!!!!! We saw several couples getting married, many things are not included and if you are not happy Carnival is not responsible. The resort was AWESOME, they handled EVERYTHING. We left with an awesome bouqet and a CD of about 90 PERFECT pictures!!! We paid 900 bucks plus 200 for the paperwork. Only complaint...according to our license, I am a "spinster" but that is pretty freaking funny:)

Perfect!!!! Not a single problem. Great people, great pics and a perfect day.

I'll be on the same cruise in February.

What beach resort did you go to in Cozumel?

thanks,

I'll be on the same cruise in February.

What beach resort did you go to in Cozumel?

thanks,

In her review, she said Playa Mia.

I went there a few years ago.. pre hurricane, I hated it! They couldn't pay me to go back.

Sorry you did not have a great cruise. We saw you leave out Sunday and we left on the Elation on Monday. Our cruise went without a hitch or any of the problems you experienced. From what I've read on the different boards, it looks like your particular cruise had many problems and the crew were having a bad week. But it sucks that it had to happen on your cruise. If you are unhappy with CCL, I would write them a letter and explain why you were unhappy and how your experiences were better with other cruiselines. This is the only way a company can know how to improve things.

4 of us were on the same cruise last week and over all we all enjoyed it. Of course there were some events that were not perfect, but mostly all went very well. I won't comment on everything the OP mentioned, but will comment on a few topics.

We arrived at the terminal somewhere around 1:30 and basically walked right onto the ship. As far as the picture getting on the boat all you had to do was set your carry ons behind the rock right next to you.

As this is my third cruise, I thought the consumption of alcohol was below what I had seen on 2 other Carnival cruises. The OP talks about other passengers as being rednecks, needed finishing school, etc. How is this Carnivals fault as they could have been on any cruise line also.

As far as the Point, if you did not want a fancy meal you should not have gone. Our meal was wonderful and that meal off the ship at a comparable restaurant would have been at least $100 a plate if not more. If I remember correctly, the sides were on the menu and you were able to pick what you wanted with the main course and the baked potatoe was listed.

Shore excursions are a risky adventure. I am sure they vary from week to week, but I think that Coz. is in great shape considering their misfortunes. We went to Paradise Beach and had a great time considering the weather. I studied for many weeks as what to do in Coz. and we were very glad that this was we picked. We ordered 15 beers, 1 yard mixed drink and 2 orders of Nachos for $56. The cab was $13 each way.

In Cay. we booked a stingray trip off of the boat. There was maybe 25 passengers on this trip. This was the best excursion that I have ever been on. The ships excursions probably had 250 passengers aboard.

I will now skip to getting off the boat. It was announced that a passenger tried to get off the ship before his tag color was called and that customs was sending him back on and that was the delay. Again, not Carnivals fault. On our way off, we passed Malcolm (asst CD) and all four of us shook his hand and said our good byes to him.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. All in all we had a wonderful time and it is still hard for me to believe that there were 3000+ people on board.

4 of us were on the same cruise last week and over all we all enjoyed it. Of course there were some events that were not perfect, but mostly all went very well. I won't comment on everything the OP mentioned, but will comment on a few topics.

 

We arrived at the terminal somewhere around 1:30 and basically walked right onto the ship. As far as the picture getting on the boat all you had to do was set your carry ons behind the rock right next to you.

 

As this is my third cruise, I thought the consumption of alcohol was below what I had seen on 2 other Carnival cruises. The OP talks about other passengers as being rednecks, needed finishing school, etc. How is this Carnivals fault as they could have been on any cruise line also.

 

As far as the Point, if you did not want a fancy meal you should not have gone. Our meal was wonderful and that meal off the ship at a comparable restaurant would have been at least $100 a plate if not more. If I remember correctly, the sides were on the menu and you were able to pick what you wanted with the main course and the baked potatoe was listed.

 

Shore excursions are a risky adventure. I am sure they vary from week to week, but I think that Coz. is in great shape considering their misfortunes. We went to Paradise Beach and had a great time considering the weather. I studied for many weeks as what to do in Coz. and we were very glad that this was we picked. We ordered 15 beers, 1 yard mixed drink and 2 orders of Nachos for $56. The cab was $13 each way.

 

In Cay. we booked a stingray trip off of the boat. There was maybe 25 passengers on this trip. This was the best excursion that I have ever been on. The ships excursions probably had 250 passengers aboard.

 

I will now skip to getting off the boat. It was announced that a passenger tried to get off the ship before his tag color was called and that customs was sending him back on and that was the delay. Again, not Carnivals fault. On our way off, we passed Malcolm (asst CD) and all four of us shook his hand and said our good byes to him.

 

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. All in all we had a wonderful time and it is still hard for me to believe that there were 3000+ people on board.

Ok, apparently someone here who is trying to put words into my mouth.

I thought the consumption of alcohol was below what I had seen on 2 other Carnival cruises.

Yes, below other CARNIVAL CRUISES. Like I said, I was not comparing it to other Carnival Cruises.

As far as the Point, if you did not want a fancy meal you should not have gone.

We did want a fancy meal, that is why we went to this restaurant. We eat at these types of restaurants regurlarly at home, so maybe we know more what to expect. My main complaint here was that the food was the same in the other restaurants and therefore did not warrant the additional expense. We did have a baked potato thank you for your concern and direction on how to read the menu. I was saying that the "grilled veggies" were of a very interesting combination/selection.

I think that Coz. is in great shape considering their misfortunes. We went to Paradise Beach and had a great time considering the weather. We ordered 15 beers, 1 yard mixed drink and 2 orders of Nachos for $56. The cab was $13 each way.

So you went to a completely different beach. Glad you had better luck. I don't see how you couldn't have a good time with that much alcohol and we would have likely been passed out somewhere at that rate. So the beer has no correlation, the beach either...you were in a compleltely different beach. Thanks for the comments.

The OP talks about other passengers as being rednecks, needed finishing school, etc. How is this Carnivals fault as they could have been on any cruise line also.

This is my favorite and apparently my comments hit close to home? I NEVER suggested that this was Carnival's fault and in fact was suggesting that some of our not so fun time WAS NOT Carnival's fault but instead due to the roulette you play when you are getting on a ship this size. You never know who you are going to be getting on the ship with. We were hoping to leave them behind for a week, instead we got stuck on a ship with them. Fortunately the last part is incorrect, there are cruise lines that will not attract this crowd.

Sorry you did not have a great cruise. We saw you leave out Sunday and we left on the Elation on Monday. Our cruise went without a hitch or any of the problems you experienced. From what I've read on the different boards, it looks like your particular cruise had many problems and the crew were having a bad week. But it sucks that it had to happen on your cruise. If you are unhappy with CCL, I would write them a letter and explain why you were unhappy and how your experiences were better with other cruiselines. This is the only way a company can know how to improve things.

You are right and I have started writing a letter. I feel bad doing so as I realize they had quite a group to deal with and they probably did better than I could have. I will send my concerns and compliments, but do not expect anything in return from CCL.

Hi princessdi01, Sorry that you had some snags on your cruise. We've been on 7 and have liked some lots better than others. Don't discount carnival altogether though. We've enjoyed our 2 carnival cruises, however our favorite was one on RCL. And our worst (though we still had fun!) was on RCL. It just happens.

 

Our daughter and son-in-law are sailing on the Conquest 2/5. They also took a balcony guarantee and I'm hoping they are as fortunate with their room assignment as you were. She's in the military (he's a police officer) so they were able to take advantage of Carnival military discount and could afford to go to a balcony. They have two small children (I'm doing baby-sitting honors) and after Katrina (we live in the Biloxi/Gulport area) are in dire need of some R & R.

 

Enough history. I am slowing leading up to my question! They'd heard about these inclusive day resorts in Jamaica but had no names or prices. I thought I'd tell them about the one you mentioned...Sunset Beach Resort. Do you just take a cab to the resort and buy the day pass there? Any details you can recall will be appreciated and passed along to them.

 

Thanks and congratulations on your wedding. Good luck to both of you!

They may actually come get you if you like. THe ride is about 5 minutes driving Jamaica style (HOLD ON!!!). You can just go and buy a day pass at the front desk. Check out their website at sunsetbeachresort.com! I'm sure they will have a blast~!! Thanks for the Congrats, we are still in bliss as far as that goes, and hey, at least we'll NEVER forget this one!

Thank you for an interesting review.

I too would have walked out of a show that's content was ridiculing others. However, I would also have gone directly to the Purser's Desk and lodged a written and verbal complain, following up with a letter to Carnival's President upon my return home.

Your reference to Rednecks and people using their FMA cards was IMO unnecessary and insulting.......perhaps you should be less critical of others no really knowing their situation.

And congratulation on your marriage.

Thank you for an interesting review.

 

I too would have walked out of a show that's content was ridiculing others. However, I would also have gone directly to the Purser's Desk and lodged a written and verbal complain, following up with a letter to Carnival's President upon my return home.

 

Your reference to Rednecks and people using their FMA cards was IMO unnecessary and insulting.......perhaps you should be less critical of others no really knowing their situation.

 

And congratulation on your marriage.

So sorry you were offended by the redneck categorization. Around here that is a group of people who are not ashamed of it. We are from the South and therefore have never offended anyone by using that term. As for the other, well, that was not in my review, you should address them directly.

. We ate at the Super Club one night and were disappointed. The steak was great, but everything else was a little strange. The presentation was absolutely amazing, but the taste wasn’t anything to write home about. A baked potato would have been sufficient, but we ended up with some grilled tomatoes and rutabaga and eggplantL

 

Sorry, but I read that as it says you ended up with some grilled tomatoes and rutabaga and eggplant. Sounded to me that is all that you got instead of a potato. Glad you got your baked potato and there were many meals in the dining room that I got veggies that I did not know I was going to get. Seems to be part of the menu.

 

Also sorry as I was just telling other readers of other options in Coz. I was not trying to compare the 2 beaches. As far as our consumption of alcohol, we were there for at least 3 hours and for 4 people that is really not that much.

 

Your last comment does not hit close to home and as for putting words in your mouth, that is how I interpreted what you wrote, and it seems that you are doing the same to me. Again I am sorry that I interpreted you writings wrong. To each his own.

Ok, apparently someone here who is trying to put words into my mouth.

 

I thought the consumption of alcohol was below what I had seen on 2 other Carnival cruises.

Yes, below other CARNIVAL CRUISES. Like I said, I was not comparing it to other Carnival Cruises.

 

As far as the Point, if you did not want a fancy meal you should not have gone.

We did want a fancy meal, that is why we went to this restaurant. We eat at these types of restaurants regurlarly at home, so maybe we know more what to expect. My main complaint here was that the food was the same in the other restaurants and therefore did not warrant the additional expense. We did have a baked potato thank you for your concern and direction on how to read the menu. I was saying that the "grilled veggies" were of a very interesting combination/selection.

 

I think that Coz. is in great shape considering their misfortunes. We went to Paradise Beach and had a great time considering the weather. We ordered 15 beers, 1 yard mixed drink and 2 orders of Nachos for $56. The cab was $13 each way.

So you went to a completely different beach. Glad you had better luck. I don't see how you couldn't have a good time with that much alcohol and we would have likely been passed out somewhere at that rate. So the beer has no correlation, the beach either...you were in a compleltely different beach. Thanks for the comments.

 

The OP talks about other passengers as being rednecks, needed finishing school, etc. How is this Carnivals fault as they could have been on any cruise line also.

This is my favorite and apparently my comments hit close to home? I NEVER suggested that this was Carnival's fault and in fact was suggesting that some of our not so fun time WAS NOT Carnival's fault but instead due to the roulette you play when you are getting on a ship this size. You never know who you are going to be getting on the ship with. We were hoping to leave them behind for a week, instead we got stuck on a ship with them. Fortunately the last part is incorrect, there are cruise lines that will not attract this crowd.

I think you are nuts. Im sorry you didnt have a great time, but to me you are also to blame for this. Vacation is what u make of it for yourself, and frankly its sounds like u made yourself miserable for the most part. People who cruise come from all walks of life..."rednecks" are no exception. The way you speak of these people I think tells us volumes about you and your character. Just my opinion.