Adventures on the Carnival Conquest… a review of the Sep 26 7 day cruise to Cozumel

[WestTxCruiser]

Dont play miss innocent, there are pictures!!!:p

shhhhhhh;)

[*Mach*]

Prior to making our way to the impending party we did and additional bit of wandering. Did I mention we love to wander? Well, we do. On this occasion we wandered into this:

 

 

This is a Mocha Chocolate Getaway. Stitch fell in love with these on our Carnival Dream so she had to have one… eventually, she had to have many. It’s a wonderful concoction of Brogan’s Irish Cream, Gosling’s Black Seal run, and Ghirardelli chocolate. Stitch mentioned that it was less chocolaty than the previous ones on the Dream and Ecstasy but worthy of repeating.

 

While we were in the repeating process the Big Guy himself showed up… Fun Ship Freddy and not an inflated one like ours. This was the real deal!!! I wanted pictures of Freddy Jr. with the full size version but as big Freddy tends to hang out around Camp Carnival I though it best that I wait ‘til he made an appearance on the Lido Deck least my standing about at Camp Carnival be misinterpreted.

 

I dashed over with our Freddy and it was like a reunion. Freddy immediately hugged our little guy, posed for a few pictures and promptly walked off with him…

 

 

That last picture didn’t have our Freddy in but… well… it’s a guy thing…

[Cindy]

Awesome review, Mach!

Thanks for swatting me!:D

[*Mach*]

Awesome review, Mach!

 

Thanks for swatting me!:D

 

 

All Crazies are members of the SWAT Team of Fun... it's just that some happened to be on the Conquest and the rest of y'all were here keeping the fun alive for everyone else!

:D

 

[cutiediva]

May I be swatted? I have witnessess to my craziness:D

[*Mach*]

May I be swatted? I have witnessess to my craziness:D

 

 

Sorry... it's for the Committed Conquest Crazies...

Join us and you can be a SWAT Team member!

:D

 

[big_duck]

[/color][/size][/font]

 

That last picture didn’t have our Freddy in but… well… it’s a guy thing…

 

I knew I was right to tell you to get on with it. :D

[WestTxCruiser]

I knew I was right to tell you to get on with it. :D

lol!!!:D :D

[miniwheat]

That last picture with the girl, did anyone tell that girl to eat a burger!! LOL:D

 

Is there any way I can be swatted!!:D:D

[*Mach*]

It was time… there was no avoiding it. We were being forced to have fun, yet once again. We had a pretty good bunch for the cocktail party, 82 or so if I recall correctly. Stitch and I had a few things to do getting set up so we went to Vincent’s bit early. When we arrived folks were inside sashaying about. There was a wonderful group of dance enthusiasts on board and they had used Vincent’s the previous day for practice and were there today, this time without having the lounge reserved. I wasn’t going to bother them until the hour of the party drew closer but Charlieanne, the Events Coordinator, arrived and politely shooed them away.

 

There were folks setting up in the bar area, dragging out pretty much any variety of liquor that one could imagine, setting up glassware, filling little crystal bowls with Chex Mix like snacks and generally being more organized that I’ve been in thirty years.

 

Approximately ten minutes before three the folks began showing up with their REQUIRED wrist bands in place. As I mentioned earlier, using the wrist strap thingy is a fantastic way to make sure your party isn’t invaded, especially if there’s a bunch of folks attending.

 

The bartenders (three of ‘em…) and the drink waiters wasted not a second. Trays of cocktails, red and white wine, champagne and such were being offered… and the offers were being taken advantage of.

 

Shortly everyone had arrived and the drinks were flowing freely. Once again, I hopped up on the stage to thank everyone for coming and for the great time we had been having together. There was a lot of joking around, of course, and just a ton of fun. Plenty of good natured ribbing and a few somber moments as we remembered one of our group who had passed on since our last voyage together.

 

 

I don’t recall who it was but one of the group came up with the idea of passing around a snifter to collect tips for our great crew of waiters and bartenders. We did pretty good considering that not many folks carry cash on board. We had $70 for those folks to share how ever they saw fit. Not bad, not bad at all.

 

Everyone laughed and carried on until I gave what I thought was going to be last call. Charlieanne told me that we could have a bit more time… enough time for everyone to grab another cocktail. What excellent treatment. The Carnival people were absolutely wonderful to us.

[DALSAL]

Loved the review Mach. We took a few pics with Freddy. One of Lilly when she was sound asleep in the stroller after bringing her back from the infirmary! She never got to see him, but we did buy her one to bring home.

 

Loved the pic of the muster with NO life vest! I missed my very first muster, as Lilly was napping and the cabin steward said one of us could stay with her, so I gladly let the others have the fun of going! Dot

[2-laner]

Au.u.u.gh. I was just in the middle of eating my lunch (on lunch break from work) and enjoying your wonderful review, when it stopped. I need more, please, Mach. I am not done with my sandwich yet. You have me so excited about our first trip on the Conquest in February that I can hardly stand it. Please, please, please continue your way of describing the ship and your trip in general. It gives me a feeling of being right there with the lot of you - along with the wonderful pictures you have provided. By the way, everyone else probably knows the answer to this, but, how did Stitch get her name? It is so cute. She really doesn't look like Stitch from Disney's Lilo and Stitch, so, I figure there must be another reason. :)

[xerenthar]

That last picture with the girl, did anyone tell that girl to eat a burger!!

 

 

i hope not!

[*Mach*]

Au.u.u.gh. I was just in the middle of eating my lunch (on lunch break from work) and enjoying your wonderful review, when it stopped. I need more, please, Mach. I am not done with my sandwich yet. You have me so excited about our first trip on the Conquest in February that I can hardly stand it. Please, please, please continue your way of describing the ship and your trip in general. It gives me a feeling of being right there with the lot of you - along with the wonderful pictures you have provided. By the way, everyone else probably knows the answer to this, but, how did Stitch get her name? It is so cute. She really doesn't look like Stitch from Disney's Lilo and Stitch, so, I figure there must be another reason. :)

 

 

Thanks for being so kind...

Stitch is short for 'Stitchinfool' which is her Cruise Critic screen name. She's very talented doing that baffling complex cross stitch thing and is tremendously crafty in general. She makes candles and such so the house is constantly bathed in some wonderful scents... my favorite is 'Tropical Cocktail.' Smells like a pina colada factory!!!

:D

If I might take an additional second... we met because of Cruise Critic and Carnival. John Heald had told me that Carnival was going to shoot a commercial in Dallas and would I see if any of the Crazies would like to join in. I asked about and a bunch of the folks were ready to go!

A couple of the kids, Stitch included, needed a ride. I picked her and Lambie (lambnuckles...) up in Austin at 3:30 in the morning and we headed to Dallas for the day. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement.

We had our first date about a week after I returned from a sailing on the Splendor... the inaugural from Port Everglades... and we've been together ever since.

She's a brilliant gem and the best thing that's ever happened to me.

:)

 

[jetskier]

By the way, everyone else probably knows the answer to this, but, how did Stitch get her name? It is so cute. She really doesn't look like Stitch from Disney's Lilo and Stitch, so, I figure there must be another reason. :)

 

It came from sewing.

 

Hi Mach,

Thanks for helping the week pass by quicker. Amazing how the time comes to a crawl when you are waiting to board a ship but goes by so quickly once you are onboard.

 

Trying to figure out if I should be slapped or not

Sailed on the Conquest

Sailed with a bunch of the Crazies on the Blogger's cruise

Have the Crazies mentality of not letting anything get in the way of a good time.

Have the word KRAZY (Cajun) tattooed on my arm

Sailing with the Crazies in Feb.

 

Your call.......no pressure. :p

Dave

[WestTxCruiser]

Au.u.u.gh. I was just in the middle of eating my lunch (on lunch break from work) and enjoying your wonderful review, when it stopped. I need more, please, Mach. I am not done with my sandwich yet. You have me so excited about our first trip on the Conquest in February that I can hardly stand it. Please, please, please continue your way of describing the ship and your trip in general. It gives me a feeling of being right there with the lot of you - along with the wonderful pictures you have provided. By the way, everyone else probably knows the answer to this, but, how did Stitch get her name? It is so cute. She really doesn't look like Stitch from Disney's Lilo and Stitch, so, I figure there must be another reason. :)

Sewing, cross-stitching, crafting.....her son called her a Stitiching Fool one day and she said it stuck. So she is Stitch to us......I didn't even know what her "real" name was for a long time.:p

[*Mach*]

It came from sewing.

 

Hi Mach,

Thanks for helping the week pass by quicker. Amazing how the time comes to a crawl when you are waiting to board a ship but goes by so quickly once you are onboard.

 

Trying to figure out if I should be slapped or not

Sailed on the Conquest

Sailed with a bunch of the Crazies on the Blogger's cruise

Have the Crazies mentality of not letting anything get in the way of a good time.

Have the word KRAZY (Cajun) tattooed on my arm

Sailing with the Crazies in Feb.

 

Your call.......no pressure. :p

Dave

 

 

You're sailing with us on the Ecstasy in February therefore you are a Crazie!!!... in more ways that one...

:D

SWAT!!!

[flgojo]

This review just keeps getting better and better. (I just naturally skip over all of the early negativity). But I am glad it seems to have simmered down. I was loving the swat team of fun theme and then Fun Ship Freddy even showed up. What a tremendous deal he was! And now your sweet story of how you met your stitch. I hope someday I can be crazie too.:D

[kcroxyoursox]

I was able to acquire a much more robust patch kit at WalMart for $.99.

 

I wonder how you would have described that patch kit had it been from Target or Academy... :D

[tess2cruz]

It came from sewing.

 

Hi Mach,

Thanks for helping the week pass by quicker. Amazing how the time comes to a crawl when you are waiting to board a ship but goes by so quickly once you are onboard.

 

Trying to figure out if I should be slapped or not

Sailed on the Conquest

Sailed with a bunch of the Crazies on the Blogger's cruise

Have the Crazies mentality of not letting anything get in the way of a good time.

Have the word KRAZY (Cajun) tattooed on my arm

Sailing with the Crazies in Feb.

 

Your call.......no pressure. :p

Dave

 

 

Funny Dave, never sailed with ya yet, but I just always thought of you as one of the Crazies?? That is the way it is.

[stitchnfool]

Thanks for being so kind...

Stitch is short for 'Stitchinfool' which is her Cruise Critic screen name. She's very talented doing that baffling complex cross stitch thing and is tremendously crafty in general. She makes candles and such so the house is constantly bathed in some wonderful scents... my favorite is 'Tropical Cocktail.' Smells like a pina colada factory!!!

:D

If I might take an additional second... we met because of Cruise Critic and Carnival. John Heald had told me that Carnival was going to shoot a commercial in Dallas and would I see if any of the Crazies would like to join in. I asked about and a bunch of the folks were ready to go!

A couple of the kids, Stitch included, needed a ride. I picked her and Lambie (lambnuckles...) up in Austin at 3:30 in the morning and we headed to Dallas for the day. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement.

We had our first date about a week after I returned from a sailing on the Splendor... the inaugural from Port Everglades... and we've been together ever since.

She's a brilliant gem and the best thing that's ever happened to me.

:)

 

 

Awwwww, and you me! :o:)

[stitchnfool]

I wonder how you would have described that patch kit had it been from Target or Academy... :D

 

 

Now that's funny, I don't care who you are.

[Cindy]

All Crazies are members of the SWAT Team of Fun... it's just that some happened to be on the Conquest and the rest of y'all were here keeping the fun alive for everyone else!

 

:D

 

 

We had fun in our own peculiar landlocked & left behind way! I had a pretty good indoctrination to Craziness on Wednesday night...and paid for it at work on Thursday!:o

 

Thanks for being so kind...

 

Stitch is short for 'Stitchinfool' which is her Cruise Critic screen name. She's very talented doing that baffling complex cross stitch thing and is tremendously crafty in general. She makes candles and such so the house is constantly bathed in some wonderful scents... my favorite is 'Tropical Cocktail.' Smells like a pina colada factory!!!

 

:D

 

If I might take an additional second... we met because of Cruise Critic and Carnival. John Heald had told me that Carnival was going to shoot a commercial in Dallas and would I see if any of the Crazies would like to join in. I asked about and a bunch of the folks were ready to go!

 

A couple of the kids, Stitch included, needed a ride. I picked her and Lambie (lambnuckles...) up in Austin at 3:30 in the morning and we headed to Dallas for the day. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement.

 

We had our first date about a week after I returned from a sailing on the Splendor... the inaugural from Port Everglades... and we've been together ever since.

 

She's a brilliant gem and the best thing that's ever happened to me.

 

:)

 

 

What a sweet story! I love a great romance!:)

 

 

Funny Dave, never sailed with ya yet, but I just always thought of you as one of the Crazies?? That is the way it is.

 

There's my "Crazies Indoctrination Coordinator!":D Hi Teri!

[barbevrn]

It was time… there was no avoiding it. We were being forced to have fun, yet once again. We had a pretty good bunch for the cocktail party, 82 or so if I recall correctly. Stitch and I had a few things to do getting set up so we went to Vincent’s bit early. When we arrived folks were inside sashaying about. There was a wonderful group of dance enthusiasts on board and they had used Vincent’s the previous day for practice and were there today, this time without having the lounge reserved. I wasn’t going to bother them until the hour of the party drew closer but Charlieanne, the Events Coordinator, arrived and politely shooed them away.

 

There were folks setting up in the bar area, dragging out pretty much any variety of liquor that one could imagine, setting up glassware, filling little crystal bowls with Chex Mix like snacks and generally being more organized that I’ve been in thirty years.

 

Approximately ten minutes before three the folks began showing up with their REQUIRED wrist bands in place. As I mentioned earlier, using the wrist strap thingy is a fantastic way to make sure your party isn’t invaded, especially if there’s a bunch of folks attending.

 

The bartenders (three of ‘em…) and the drink waiters wasted not a second. Trays of cocktails, red and white wine, champagne and such were being offered… and the offers were being taken advantage of.

 

Shortly everyone had arrived and the drinks were flowing freely. Once again, I hopped up on the stage to thank everyone for coming and for the great time we had been having together. There was a lot of joking around, of course, and just a ton of fun. Plenty of good natured ribbing and a few somber moments as we remembered one of our group who had passed on since our last voyage together.

 

 

I don’t recall who it was but one of the group came up with the idea of passing around a snifter to collect tips for our great crew of waiters and bartenders. We did pretty good considering that not many folks carry cash on board. We had $70 for those folks to share how ever they saw fit. Not bad, not bad at all.

 

Everyone laughed and carried on until I gave what I thought was going to be last call. Charlieanne told me that we could have a bit more time… enough time for everyone to grab another cocktail. What excellent treatment. The Carnival people were absolutely wonderful to us.

 

Mach, I saw a few people hand money directly to the staff including us. I never saw the hat going around......but, hummmm things were a little fuzzy by then.

 

In case anyone was wondering, we were able to order what we wanted from the bar. There were very few limitations. I couldn't get a mojito....but I can tell ya the mudslides and colorado bulldogs were fantastic!

[barbevrn]

I wonder how you would have described that patch kit had it been from Target or Academy... :D

 

ROFLMBO.........I was offended by his use of robust and Walmart in the same sentence. I shop at Walmart.....was he infering that everything at Walmart is robust.