Newbies return from the Conquest

Someone suggested posting a video and I've just figured out how to do it. If you're interested some video of the band is here

 

 

Please excuse my not very good camera, sound or editing skills - it was only taken for our benefit, from the same seat we sat in each night. So please don't let the dodgy camera skills put you off - they sound amazing live :D

Enjoyed your review!! We will be sailing on the Conquest September 15th. Will your son still be aboard? We'd love an opportunity to meet him.

Thanks for such a lovely review. It is always nice to hear the perspective a new, positive, happy people.

A few things for note in the future. Don’t expect a big pool on Carnival - they don’t really have them. 2 or 3 small pools in various places are all you are going to find. Also expect the occasional rude bacon grabber or other such passengers...many ships have what irk others known as the bacon police to deal with such bacon abuse! And lastly, Nassau is not a favorite port of many - walking around the crowded and someone dirty town can be less than appealing. But there are great activities here from exploring the local food at the fish fry, to discovering Atlantis to taking a snorkeling or sailing tour. There is a lot to do at this port and the good stuff takes a bit of research.

Next time you travel I suggest you research on your port of call boards to see what you can find that may fit in your schedule.

Enjoy your next cruises - we agree it is an easy and relaxing way to travel!

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FYI I just got off the Conquest yesterday and since I know Gemay in the band, I took lots of pictures and videos of the band so I will be posting them later today or tomorrow in my review. I spoke with Mark quite a bit and let him know I'd be doing this. :)

Thanks for a great review!

I am wondering if you can share any more about what life is like for people who work on the ship, specifically in the entertainment departments? A couple of my kids are fascinated by the prospect of that life... what kind of room did Mark have? Did he have to share a room? And if so, with how many people and how are roommates chosen? If he can't eat in the main dining areas, is there another cafeteria for employees? Do they ever have days off? Do they have to pay for their accommodations or is that included in their salary? So many questions...lol...

Isn't it just - gorgeous! Thanks for reading along :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was water resistant, factor 30. Will need to go full waterproof next time (yes, I hope there will be a next time) :D

When I saw you all in your swim suits, I noticed how pale you all were, and thought to myself you were going to burn!! I use Sunscreen that is labeled for children with a factor of 100. I bring aloe gel to apply if I still get burned. Sun exposure in the Caribbean is so different than in the states. You can burn really fast!

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Thank you, Julie, for such an excellent review! It's been quite a lot of fun getting the perspective from someone "across the pond". I hope Mark enjoys his time on board and I hope to meet him on a cruise sometime. You are all a lovely family and I'm so glad you had a great newbie cruise!

Thank you for a great review,and I loved all the pics! We are cruise addicts, cruising as often as we can afford. Our first cruise was in 1995 for our 25th Anniversary, and I already have my 50th Anniversary cruise booked for 2020 on the Magic. We are sailing the Breeze in 2019. Both ships are in the Dream class, and I think your family would really like to try those ships. Much more amenities. I made a comment earlier in your review about sunscreen. I hope you didn’t suffer too much from your burn.

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Lovely family and awesome review! And I agree, HMC is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

Someone suggested posting a video and I've just figured out how to do it. If you're interested some video of the band is here

 

 

Please excuse my not very good camera, sound or editing skills - it was only taken for our benefit, from the same seat we sat in each night. So please don't let the dodgy camera skills put you off - they sound amazing live :D

Loved your review, thanks for sharing. Really enjoyed the youtube video of the band. I love watching the bands perform when I cruise. I always wondered if they were hired individually or as a group. I did not know if they stayed on one ship for a contract or played one week on one ship and the next week on another ship. I will be cruising on the Conquest September 15. Do you know if the Conquistadors will still be playing on the Conquest that week? Again, thanks for your great review.

Such a great review! Thanks for posting. Your family is lovely. My daughter and I visited Scotland last year, but didn't make it to Glasgow; it's on our list!

Enjoyed your review!! We will be sailing on the Conquest September 15th. Will your son still be aboard? We'd love an opportunity to meet him.

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.

Ahh, what a shame, September 15th is his debark day but that would have been nice. Hope you have a fantastic cruise :)

Thanks for such a lovely review. It is always nice to hear the perspective a new, positive, happy people.

 

A few things for note in the future. Don’t expect a big pool on Carnival - they don’t really have them. 2 or 3 small pools in various places are all you are going to find. Also expect the occasional rude bacon grabber or other such passengers...many ships have what irk others known as the bacon police to deal with such bacon abuse! And lastly, Nassau is not a favorite port of many - walking around the crowded and someone dirty town can be less than appealing. But there are great activities here from exploring the local food at the fish fry, to discovering Atlantis to taking a snorkeling or sailing tour. There is a lot to do at this port and the good stuff takes a bit of research.

 

Next time you travel I suggest you research on your port of call boards to see what you can find that may fit in your schedule.

 

Enjoy your next cruises - we agree it is an easy and relaxing way to travel!

 

 

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Thanks, we tried to just go with the flow and follow what Mark was up to so although we did a bit of research on Nassau before we went, it all really depended on what his day would be like once we go there.

FYI I just got off the Conquest yesterday and since I know Gemay in the band, I took lots of pictures and videos of the band so I will be posting them later today or tomorrow in my review. I spoke with Mark quite a bit and let him know I'd be doing this. :)

Oh that's great, look forward to seeing them :D

Thanks for a great review!

 

I am wondering if you can share any more about what life is like for people who work on the ship, specifically in the entertainment departments? A couple of my kids are fascinated by the prospect of that life... what kind of room did Mark have? Did he have to share a room? And if so, with how many people and how are roommates chosen? If he can't eat in the main dining areas, is there another cafeteria for employees? Do they ever have days off? Do they have to pay for their accommodations or is that included in their salary? So many questions...lol...

Thanks for reading along - I can only give you some idea of Mark's role, on this ship as I understand it differs by ship: We got to see his room which is basic, room with bunk beds/bathroom etc but not much room to move around. He shares with someone else in the band, but I don't know how these are allocated. He can eat on Lido deck and has booked into the steakhouse previously (and pays full price for) but doesn't eat in the main dining room. There's also a staff restaurant/bar/games room etc. He gets one day off per week, but sometimes will need to do a drill so isn't actually fully off. It just means he isn't playing. He also has full lifeboat training etc and is involved in the muster drill each embark day. He also takes part in Tell Us to answer guest queries on embark day. Accommodation/food etc is all included and then he gets a wage. He doesn't get free wifi though....has to buy that like everyone else if he wants it. Hope that helps :)

When I saw you all in your swim suits, I noticed how pale you all were, and thought to myself you were going to burn!! I use Sunscreen that is labeled for children with a factor of 100. I bring aloe gel to apply if I still get burned. Sun exposure in the Caribbean is so different than in the states. You can burn really fast!

 

 

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I've never seen anything higher than factor 50 in the UK so will definitely wait until we're in the US before buying it again :D

Thank you, Julie, for such an excellent review! It's been quite a lot of fun getting the perspective from someone "across the pond". I hope Mark enjoys his time on board and I hope to meet him on a cruise sometime. You are all a lovely family and I'm so glad you had a great newbie cruise!

Thank you so much, we had a wonderful time :)

Thank you for a great review,and I loved all the pics! We are cruise addicts, cruising as often as we can afford. Our first cruise was in 1995 for our 25th Anniversary, and I already have my 50th Anniversary cruise booked for 2020 on the Magic. We are sailing the Breeze in 2019. Both ships are in the Dream class, and I think your family would really like to try those ships. Much more amenities. I made a comment earlier in your review about sunscreen. I hope you didn’t suffer too much from your burn.

 

 

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Thank you - would really like to see the other ships, hopefully one day. We didn't suffer too much, were fine in a day or two ;p

Lovely family and awesome review! And I agree, HMC is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it - guess what my screensaver is......:hearteyes:

Loved your review, thanks for sharing. Really enjoyed the youtube video of the band. I love watching the bands perform when I cruise. I always wondered if they were hired individually or as a group. I did not know if they stayed on one ship for a contract or played one week on one ship and the next week on another ship. I will be cruising on the Conquest September 15. Do you know if the Conquistadors will still be playing on the Conquest that week? Again, thanks for your great review.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed reading along. The video is a bit dodgy....typical mum filming, lol....They are all hired individually which I think makes it even more incredible how great they sound. Unfortunately you won't get to see them, that's Mark's debark day so I assume the rest will be leaving then too. Have a great cruise :)

Such a great review! Thanks for posting. Your family is lovely. My daughter and I visited Scotland last year, but didn't make it to Glasgow; it's on our list!

Thanks for reading along, glad you enjoyed it. If you ever make it here give me a shout and I'll try and answer any questions you have :)

Really nice review! Enjoyed reading about your family - it must have been so hard to say goodbye at the end, though. There's always next time, more the fun.

JJ,

Should you & your family return to Fort Lauderdale check out the Jungle Queen Dinner Cruise. It a boat that takes you around some of Fort Lauderdale canals. You will get off the boat & have dinner at what they refer to as their "private Island" & then some entertainment. We went in April 2018. & thought it was quite enjoyable for a 1 time outing. You may be able to get a Groupon deal. :)

Really nice review! Enjoyed reading about your family - it must have been so hard to say goodbye at the end, though. There's always next time, more the fun.

Thank you, yes it was hard - I'm a big baby, lol.. Only 4 weeks to go until he's home though, so not long to wait :)

JJ,

Should you & your family return to Fort Lauderdale check out the Jungle Queen Dinner Cruise. It a boat that takes you around some of Fort Lauderdale canals. You will get off the boat & have dinner at what they refer to as their "private Island" & then some entertainment. We went in April 2018. & thought it was quite enjoyable for a 1 time outing. You may be able to get a Groupon deal. :)

That sounds really good, thanks for the tip :)

Wonderful. Fantastic family. Glad you had a great time and that you've caught the cruise bug.

From where you are in Scotland you pretty easily have the option of the Caribbean and Greek Isles for outstanding warm weather cruising. And for cold water cruising, both the Baltic and Norway fjords right from departures in England. Understand that each and every line caters to a somewhat different clientele so a Princess or P&O cruise will have a different feel. Have fun exploring your options.

And here's hoping that every Cruise Critic reader embarking on Conquest stops and says 'Hi Mark! Your family is so cool!'

Honestly, if it wasn’t for people then everything would go ok, lol.

I absolutely love this line and as an introvert, I understand 100%. I loved your review and the little insider look into the behind the scenes part of it for staff (and families of staff).

Nice Review!! Short and Sweet....You have a beautiful family! Best of Luck to Mark in his future endeavors!

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Thank you for sharing a little of Mark's life aboard a ship working. Often wonder about the crew life

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Wonderful. Fantastic family. Glad you had a great time and that you've caught the cruise bug.

 

From where you are in Scotland you pretty easily have the option of the Caribbean and Greek Isles for outstanding warm weather cruising. And for cold water cruising, both the Baltic and Norway fjords right from departures in England. Understand that each and every line caters to a somewhat different clientele so a Princess or P&O cruise will have a different feel. Have fun exploring your options.

 

And here's hoping that every Cruise Critic reader embarking on Conquest stops and says 'Hi Mark! Your family is so cool!'

Thanks for reading along. I’m sure I’ll be seeking out more cruises soon, just wish it wasn’t such a long flight :)