B2B2B2B on the Conquest and Ecstasy: Jan 30-Feb 21

[WendyJo]

I took extensive notes for these four back to back cruises because I knew I would forget most of the details if I didn’t. This is a story of how cruising can snowball into a mountain. To celebrate our 40th anniversary, we booked the February 6 cruise on the Conquest. Then I noticed that the week before had a different itinerary so we booked that week. Then while onboard the second cruise, we visited the Future Cruise desk one too many times and booked back to back cruises on the Ecstasy out of Galveston. (we had to spend one night at Gaido’s before boarding the Ecstasy).

 

Although I took a few pictures I will not be posting them right now because I am piled up with things to do after being away three weeks and I can’t take the time right now. Hopefully a thorough review will suffice for now.

 

As you will read later, we WERE on the ill-fated Ecstasy cruise (Feb 19-24) which was plagued by fog problems. We were offered a deal from Carnival and left the ship after two days of going nowhere. More details about this are coming.

 

We are 60ish and retired and our goal is to reach Platinum status before our back to back Med cruise on the Magic (Oct 16) and our transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Galveston (October 28).

 

January 30-February 6 on the Conquest

We left our home in South Texas on Saturday morning, January 29. I had previously made a reservation at Gaido’s Seaside Inn in Galveston based on CC recommendations and on the fact that their room prices are great and free parking is offered during the cruise.

 

Sunday, January 30: We checked in with no problems. We also received a $10 restaurant certificate to use at Gaido’s or Casey’s restaurant. We had a great meal at Casey’s. Gaido’s motel rooms are very basic but they are clean and convenient. The next morning after enjoying the free continental breakfast (basic but adequate) the front desk called a taxi for us and we arrived at the terminal at 9:15. We had to wait outside for 30 minutes to get into the terminal but we were first in line. They said we’d have to wait until 10:30 to be processed but there were plenty of chairs for waiting. The only ones ahead of us was a wedding party and VIP guests. At 10:35 we had our Sail and Sign cards and were placed in Zone 5. They said we wouldn’t be able to board until about 12:30 but the wedding and VIP guests began boarding at 11:15 and we were onboard at 11:30! I got in line at the Mongolian Grill and DH went to Sur Mer for a seafood fix. The medium hot sauce was too much for me so I ordered the mildest the next time and it was perfect.

 

We had a very informal CC meet and greet in the aft part of the lido deck but only two other couples came. Lol, we never saw them again the entire cruise. Sail-a-way was cold, rainy and damp.

 

Our stateroom was an aft ocean view on the 2nd deck and was larger than the average room. It was a first ever cabin with a view and we loved it.

 

We relaxed until it was time to dress for dinner. I had an iceberg salad, Indian vegetarian dinner (didn’t eat much--too hot but bread was good), BBQ ribs and Vanilla Crème Brule for dessert. This was our first experience with "Your Time Dining. DH didn't think he'd like it but we both were convinced that it's the best way to go for us.

 

Our steward, Santolino, was great and we left him an additional tip at the end of the week. After a long day, we skipped the Welcome show and were asleep by 10:30. More coming!

[WendyJo]

Day Two, Jan 31: Did I mention that the Conquest is huge? I think I almost learned my way around by the end of the first week.

 

I had a late breakfast at the lido buffet. (I say "I" because my eating schedule and dh's usually don't match until dinner). Topped it off with key lime pie which was great! We went by the Future Cruise desk (Sundeep and his wife do a great job!) and appliced for the Carnival credit card. We were quickly approved and Sundeep was able to transfer the new card to our Sail and Sign account. I think this card is a great deal. You earn points for every dollar spent and there is no annual fee and any Carnival purchases earn double points. We always pay our balance off in full every month anyway so this will be a win-win for us to put the points toward future cruises. Oh--you also get 5,000 points for applying so this will be $50 toward a future cruise.

 

I had always heard about the "hairy-chest" contest to I watched it on the lido deck. It's amazing the lengths that older men will go to win a contest like this. Silly--but fun.

 

I went to a Cruise Critic "Meet and Greet" at 2:00 (it was in the FunTimes). I know I didn't arrange it with Carnival so this must be something that Carnival is doing on the 7 day cruises. It was not moderated by anyone so I had fun meeting a couple of additional families who showed up. One of the couples (Gerry and Dennis) will be on our fall B2B in the Med.

 

We then went to afternoon tea in the Monet dining room (great pianist playing). We did some stair climbing and walked a few laps and then got ready for dinner and were seated with some interesting people--one a travel writer about Galveston. I had a great pumpkin soup, Greek salad, prime rib, steamed veggies and chocolate melting cake. By the way, I had known for weeks what I was going to order each evening thanks to the menus that "Sargeant Schultz" posted on CC.

 

Things we liked so far: cleanliness of the ship and it's good repair, our steward Santolino,, the waiters, and guest services. Things we didn't like so well: too much smoke everywhere (in almost all of the bars, smoking is allowed) and constant solicitation for drinks and photos. Oh--and at times we encountered loud and obnoxious guests. Probably having a little too much fun with the drink of the day.

[spencercoop]

I am so jealous of you. Almost a month on 2 ships!!!

[WendyJo]

I am so jealous of you. Almost a month on 2 ships!!!

 

Because we bailed out on the Ecstasy "foggy" cruise this morning, it was only 3 weeks of cruising but despite not having anyone to wait on me hand and foot here at home, there's no place like home.....

[Sargent_Schultz]

that's a whole lotta b's!

[WendyJo]

Day Three, Feb 1:

 

We ordered room service this morning. It had been several years since we had cruised and it was a bit disappointing to see that only a continental breakfast can be ordered for room service. They offer fruit, juices, pastries, toast, cereal, coffee, etc.

 

We explored the ship and I made one of my few purchases in the gift ship buying a $10 necklace and a $10 watch. I went to the marriage show (dh declined--spoilsport! The last response of the husband who won was the funniest but I think I might be censored if I repeated it here, lol.

 

Had lunch in the Monet dining room. I really tried to eat lunch in the main dining room whenever possible. Many times it wasn't an option (such as port days) but it is so much more relaxing than having to go elbow to elbow in the buffet lines on the lido deck. I had Spinach soup, a salad, a cheeseburger, and a pina colada dessert--all very good. I went to the past guest party and had a non-alcoholic drink and some canapes. We dressed for the evening and went to the family comedy show. I can't remember his name but he was funny if you don't mind some bathroom humor. We went to dinner and I had French onion soup, spinach corn timbal (this was off the spa menu and I didn't enjoy it), Jerk pork and a sugar free lemon dessert. The waiters surprised us and brought out another lemon dessert with a candle on it and sang happy anniversary to us. I give the waiters an A for enthusiasm and an E for effort for the singing abilities, lol. We danced one round of the conga with the waiters.

 

One note about the waiters singing and dancing every night. I think they mostly enjoy it--it gives them a chance to kick up their heels and relax a little. They really work so hard for the guests.

 

We then made the mistake (for us anyway) of going to the adult version of the comedy show (same guy). Not funny--very offensive and almost everyone I watched had the same embarassment that I experienced. Never again! We went back to our cabin and prepared for our shore trip to Nassau the next morning.

[WendyJo]

that's a whole lotta b's! :(

 

Yep--it sure was a lotta B's! Thanks for previously posting all the menus--it was of enormous help to me.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Yep--it sure was a lotta B's! Thanks for previously posting all the menus--it was of enormous help to me.

 

Don't know where the frown came from in my post? I'll try to change.

 

Anyway, I did not know - always good to get feedback!

 

Thank you!

[WendyJo]

Day Four, Feb 2 Nassau

 

We at in the Monet restaurant and weren't in any hurry to disembark. My combination omelet was very good as was the chicken sausage.

 

Thanks to all the great people who post on CC, I knew exactly what we were going to do ahead of time and had fun planning our own excursion.

 

We went ashore and walked past Senor Frog and then turned left (and then left again). We took the #10 jitney which went past all the nice hotels (including the Sheraton) and came back to where we started. We had struck up conversations with the locals on board (there were no other tourists besides ourselves), and they were all very helpful in answering our questions. One lady recommended we next take the #23 jitney and she even walked us down a couple blocks to where that bus stops and stayed there until we boarded.

 

The cost of each ticket is $1.25 (US--you apparently need exact change) BUT we found out that if you are a senior, it only costs $1.00. This bus went past the biggest mall in the Bahamas. We got off at Salomon's grocery (I have a penchant for exploring foreign grocery stores) and then jumped back on it again when we were done. All of the grocery prices were significantly higher than those in the US. This bus took us into areas which we enjoyed seeing but wouldn't have wanted to walk in.

 

When we got off in the downtown area near the ship, we paid $10 for a taxi ride for the two of us to go to the Atlantis complex. I think the taxi prices are a bit negotiable because another guy asked for $12 to go over there. We walked around in the huge hotel complex and casino and as much of the grounds as we could without paying admission. We asked directions to get to the water taxi back over to the mainland and it was only about 4 blocks away. To get there took us through a nice shopping area called the Marina. We got the last two seats. Otherwise we probably would have had to wait almost an hour I'm guessing. Comments on CC prepared us for the fact that there would be a guy (a bit obnoxious really) who gave an unsolicited commentary on what we were passing by and then he asked for a tip at the end. Fortunately, we were too far away to hear much of what he said so I didn't feel guilty at declining to give him the requested tip. This boat seemed to be a bit overcrowded and there didn't seem to be enough life vests so I was glad that I'm a strong swimmer in case it didn't make it to shore. Still, it was a fun bit of local color. Our total cost for our DIY shore excursion was $23.50 for the two of us and it was all transportation costs.

 

We were back on ship by 2:00, took a nap, and then got dressed for the show and dinner. The performer was Lady Hellvetica and she was awesome! The cruise director Chris Jefferson said this was the number one rated magic show in the fleet and I can understand why. This was the only show we saw again the next week. At dinner I had the lamb and the bitter & blanc dessert. Everyone on CC had raved so much about this dessert but it wasn't as good as I thought it would be--it was too dry. I'm glad I tried it later on the Ecstasy though because it was much improved.

[WendyJo]

Day Five: Freeport, Bahamas

 

We had room service for breakfast and then took the local shuttle (really a van) to My Lucaya. There is a little shopping near the ship but nothing else of interest and so almost everyone either does an excursion or goes to My Lucaya. My goal was to go snorkeling and I almost paid the guy the money but then I tested the water and realized that I didn't want to be in that cold water. The cost would have been $35 and you go right from the beach. I took a short snooze under a nice palm tree while dh took a walk. We probably stayed a couple of hours and went back to the ship for lunch and then took a nap. Our total cost was $20 for the two shuttle trips ($5 pp).

 

We watched sail-away and then tried to go to a program about the new ship Magic but the announcement in the Fun Times was a missprint and so were were disappointed.

 

We went to the early show "Point and Click". It was ok but not great. I had previously made a reservation at "The Point" and we dressed up and went there at 8:00. I made a mistake in not requesting another table from the very beginning because right next to us was a large party with a very loud-mouthed man holding court. Ugh!

 

I had the portabello mushroom and spinach salad (very good) the 18 oz prime rib chop (this was truly prime, quality beef), creamed spinach, wasabi mashed potatoes, and cheesecake for dessert. They also served bricoche and focaccia with dinner. Everything was yummy but the creamed spinach and the cheesecake were just OK. I thought the cheesecake would be more of a New York style (very firm) but it was jiggly enough that I suspect it had some type of gelatin in it.

 

My husband had a good shrimp cocktail (far nicer than the one served each night in the MDR), spinach salad, the same beef I had, sauteed mushrooms, and the chocolate sampler. He was reluctant to share his dessert with me--and he's not a big dessert eater.

 

The presentation of all the dishes was fabulous and the service impeccable. Curiously enough though, the chair in which I was seated was very uncomfortable with a noticeable bar of some sort under the thin cushion. We were glad we did this once but canceled our reservation for The Point for the following week on the Conquest. The restaurant was probably about 1/4 full so I'm guessing they'd like to improve that percentage.

[WendyJo]

Day Six: Key West

 

We were so full from eating at The Point the night before that we didn't eat breakfast. Our plans were to just walk around town but as soon as we walked off the ship I saw a place that rented bicycles and so we rented bikes for two hours (we got back 20 minutes late but he was nice enough to throw that in). After getting a map and directions, we rode completely around the island (the guy estimated it was 10-12 miles). It was a wonderful experience and was a beautiful day! I didn't make a note of the exact price but I think it cost us about $36 total. The car traffic was a little bit hairy in town but once we got in the coastal area, it was a breeze.

 

We got back to the ship in time for lunch and I ate Indian food in the "Taste of the Nations" on the lido deck. I took a nap and dh went to the Future Cruise desk to ask questions. Guest Services called and asked if we were going ashore or staying on board the ship when we arrived in Galveston. I have to say that I thought the Conquest crew was much more on top of things in regard to how our back to back would be done than the Ecstasy was later on.

 

We then talked to our steward and he said we could stay in our cabin until 9:00 a.m. and leave our packed bags on the couch and our clothes in the closet and he would move everything for us. Very convenient!

 

In late afternoon we went back to the Future Cruise desk and Sundeep worked with us to book the back to back cruises on the Ecstasy when we finished the second week on the Conquest. The advantage in booking on the ship is that guests receive $50 OBC for 5 day cruises ($100 for 7 day, etc.).

 

At dinner I had Cream of Wild mushroom soup, Spring Greens, Mahi Mahi with steamed veggies and the Diet Pumpkin Pie. DH had the Red Snapper which he enjoyed.

[WendyJo]

Day Seven--Day at Sea

 

It was very cloudy with high winds and seas today. We ate in the Monet for breakfast and then went to Guest services to try to work out some of our B2B issues with the new credit card. I expressed my frustration with needing to print out boarding passes and luggage tags for the Ecstasy cruises when I learned that guests can use the Carnival.com website free of charge. This was a big help.

 

Part of the buffet in the lido deck was a Chocolate Buffet. There were lots and lots of yummy looking (and fabulously decorated) chocolate desserts including chocolate sushi. Later on, the Ecstasy also had a Chocolate Buffet on the last sea day but it was not nearly as elaborate as the one on the Conquest.

 

In the evening I had portabello mushroom and fatoushi salad for starters and prime rib with a creamed spinach side that was much better than the one in the Point. I had the Grand Marnier for dessert. This is my favorite dessert of all the desserts offered in the MDR. They pour a lucious vanilla sauce on top as well.

 

We then went to the Legends show (the best of the karoke auditions) but we left after 3-4 songs. It this was the best, I'm glad I didn't watch the auditions!

[WendyJo]

We were all packed the night before so it didn't take us very long to vacate our room. We had breakfast in the Monet and I had my usual omelet plus French Toast and a baked apple. (I love their baked apples for breakfast). We then just lounged around the lido deck drinking coffee while everyone else waited for their number to be called. We were asked to meet in the Deck 3 Lobby and there was only one other Back to Back couple. A crew member started to walk us into the terminal to go through customs. From comments on CC I knew this wasn't necessary because we had already had to clear customs when we were in Key West and sure enough she got a phone call saying we didn't have to do it so we turned around and got back on the ship. We sat talking to the other couple for awhile and then went to our new room at 11:30. Because I didn't book the two Conquest cruises at the same time, we had to change rooms. It was nice being able to get into our room two hours before all the other guests. Our new steward was expecting us and our luggage and hanging clothes were waiting for us in the room. We quickly unpacked and went to the Lido for lunch. When we got back to our room a basket of fruit and a bottle of champagne were waiting. I never did figure out exactly why--unless it is a back to back thing.

 

Our new room was a big thrill to us because this was our first every balcony room (8275). We enjoyed sailaway on our balcony but it quickly became apparent that our neighbors on one side were not the nicest. They were throwing food to the seagulls from their balcony. I told them to quit doing that and they did fortunately. We had been told in our orientation that this was a no-no. And--they were heavy and frequent smokers. When they were smoking on their balcony I had to close the balcony door and go inside as it bothers my asthma.

 

This was also Super Bowl Sunday. It was shown on the big screen on the lido deck and I heard in the theatre and most of the bars. DH chose to watch it in the room.

 

Dinner was Cream of tomato soup (only slightly better than Campbells, lol), a fruit medley, and Skirt Steak (came with mac and cheese which I loved), and Black Forest Cake for dessert. This became a common issue for me--so many of their desserts looked great but had a so-so taste.

 

Day One of second week coming soon (sea day)

 

I and several others on our 2/6 Conquest rollcall had planned to meet in Sur Mer at 2:00 and it was nice to see that several came. We ending up spending time with several of the CC group several times during this cruise.

[seabrookcruiser]

WendyJo,

 

Enjoyed reading your review. Wow...4 B's that is a lot!!! Sorry about the fog and your last B...but is sounds like you guys had a great time on the rest of your trip.

 

We were just finishing up our B2B on the Conquest when you were boarding on January 30th. We were also in one of the aft cabins on the Conquest. We were able to book one of the aft ocean views with two windows...the room was huge! We loved it! Santolino was our room steward also. He was the best and so sweet!

 

You must be really looking forward to your month long cruise on the Magic. That will be fabulous. Looking forward to your review on the Magic. We did a B2B2B on the Dream back in May. We just booked a b2b2b on the Magic for January 2012. After doing back to backs it is always hard for me to do just one week!!! We are going to try to book one more week on the Conquest before she leaves Galveston.

[WestTxCruiser]

Looking forward to the rest. :)

[JaniceB]

Enjoying your review, looking forward to the rest.

[WendyJo]

Day One (Monday Feb 7):

 

One of my goals for our first balcony cabin was to eat just a few of our meals on the balcony. And so on this morning, I went up two decks to the lido and brought back breakfast from the buffet. Not something I'd want to go to the trouble of doing very often but it was nice. I also ordered room service for lunch. I really enjoyed the Rare Roast Beef sandwich with the brie cheese.

 

Dh went to the Shore Excursions desk to get two Beginning snorkel tickets for Cozumel. We rarely buy their excursions but the price wasn't bad at $25 each.

 

We received a letter from the captain last night telling us of the death (Mexican police said a crime was probably involved) a murder) of a female crew member from RCI in Cozumel. He assured us that she was in a non-touristy area and that Cozumel was still safe. I haven't had the chance to google it yet but my guess is that partying and alcohol could have been involved.

 

Carnival had another Cruise Critic Mix and Mingle (unmoderated). I met a few of the people on our rollcall as well as a few curious people who probably were looking for a free drink, lol.

 

I didn't take notes what I did the rest of the day but I imagine it involved enjoying the balcony as much as possible.

 

It was elegant night and had dinner with fellow CC'ers Val/Ron/Chelsea and Nancy and Joe. It was great getting to know them after "talking" to them on the boards for so long. I had strawberry bisque, prime rib and warm chocolate melting cake.

 

Day Two,, Tuesday, Feb 8: We did room service for breakfast on the balcony and then I went to a Trivia contest in Alfred's bar. I'm not really into trivia contests but I especially didn't like all the stale smoke (it's a cigar bar too) as well as the people who were smoking while we were doing the contest.

 

Got to see part of Chris Jefferson's (cruise director) seminar on how to be a better public speaker. He is English so right away I thought listening to him was charming. But he really is a good speaker. He said that just after he became CD, his dad was onboard. Chris said that he thought he was "the man" and really flying high. He asked his dad how he just did on some kind of presentation. His dad said he did terrible and told how he could improve. I think he took his dad's advice to heart.

 

By the way, in the one and only time I got to meet Chris firsthand, he told me that he is leaving Carnival in a few weeks to take another position. His wife is a few weeks pregnant and he wants a more stable job where he can spend time with his family. I can't blame him a bit. I know that all the cruise miss their families.

 

Had dinner in the Renoir (that's where YTD guests go) and enjoyed short ribs (tasted like pot roast) with polenta and diet lemon something for dessert. They acknowledged our 40th anniversary again only this time they made us kiss the whole time they were singing to us.

 

Day Three, Wednesday Feb 9: We arrived later in Montego Bay, Jamaica than we were supposed to because we had to drop off an ill passenger in Cozumel the day before. I had arranged to go ziplining with Great Mountain River Tours and was a little unsure if our tour was still on since we were late but it was no problem. We took a 45 minute taxi ride through some very bad roads (with sharp drop offs) but we arrived safely and were securely fastened into our harnesses. I had never ziplined before so they pretty much had to push me off the first platform but once I learned I could trust the equipment I relaxed and all the rest of the ziplines were lots of fun. At one of the stops they gave us water, fresh coconut water, and sugar cane to chew on. The cost was $85 per person (one of the people paid $80 per person but maybe they paid less because they made an advance deposit and I didn't). A tip for the guys was also expected and given. Our driver would have taken us for an additional tour through Mo Bay for another $10 pp but we were tired and hungry and wanted to go back to the ship. Lots of people warn about getting off in Mo Bay because of local violence/problems but we felt safe with our driver and with the young guys who handled the ziplines. However, I doubt if I would have walked around in town on my own.

 

We saw Lady Hellevi again this evening. She is amazing and the show was entertaining from the beginning to the end.

 

Day Four, Thursday, Feb 10:

 

Grand Cayman Islands. We had never been to Grand Cayman and were very pleased. This is a tender port but Carnival handled the tendering very quickly and efficiently. It probably helped that we weren't trying to be the first off the ship but went off when we finished breakfast in the MDR.

 

Because of CC posts, I had decided that we would walk off the ship a short distance away to Eden Rock to snorkel. I'd guess the walk was about 1/4 mile. We found it easily and since we had our own snorkel equipment we didn't need to rent theirs. They did make me rent a vest to snorkel (I didn't inflate it at all). I LOVE to snorkel but DH just doesn't like it. He's tried a few times and doesn't enjoy it at all. But I make up for the both of us--I stayed in the water until I physically couldn't handle the swimming any more. To see the best fish, you need to swim a few yards out and you can see a really cool reef with little caves in it. The whole time, you see the Conquest right in front of you so it feels like you've just jumped in off the ship almost. DH was able to have use of a chair on the very, very small beach because I had rented a vest. This is not a beautiful spot to snorkel but the beauty is underneath the water. One of the darned little black and yellow striped fish nipped at my arm. He was probably mad because I wasn't feeding them like other snorkelers sometimes do. The most exciting part was I was pretty sure I saw a small shark (probably a young one). He wasn't interested in me in the least and then he was gone. They have a little cafe there but the food prices were really expensive. I've heard that most places in GC are expensive to eat in.

[WendyJo]

Day Five, Friday 2/11: Got to Cozumel and we almost immediately regretted booking an excursion with Carnival. We had to wait in the rain for well over an hour (well we were under the overhang of a shop) for the rest of the tour members to disembark the Conquest. It wasn't really the passengers's fault as the port closed our exit way into the main plaza because another ship was disembarking. But if we had been going somewhere on our own, we wouldn't have had to wait.

 

They took us to Sunset beach (it was very close because we could see the ship). If I go back, I'll just go on my own instead of booking through Carnival. I didn't need the lessons for beginners in the least but it was helpful for my husband. I saw quite a few fish but I think I saw more in Grand Cayman.

 

I enjoyed watching the scuba divers below me on their beginning lessons. Scuba is something I'd love to try sometime. I think this place has snuba diving as well. I overdid it and paid the price for the rest of the day with pain. They took a picture of my dh and I in our snorkels and this was the only picture I purchased of the whole trip (it was good of us both).

 

After returning to the ship and having lunch, I took a nap and we started our evening activities. After we ate, we heard someone singing Frank Sinitra music so we went looking and it turned out to be Ken Byre, "the singing Maitre 'd" in the other dining room. He sang three songs and is fabulous! DH talked to him later and it turns out he will be joining the Magic in May and since we will be on the Magic for the Oct 16 and 28 sailings, he told us if we emailed him he would ensure that we had seats in his dining room. We'll probably do it even though it means going to a scheduled seating rather than Your Time dining.

 

We then went to the Ron Joseph show (Motown). It was OK and fairly entertaining--certainly a blast from the past.

 

CC friend Val and her husband and daughter had recommended we catch one of Barman's shows and we weren't disappoined--he is amazing and I don't have a clue how he does the things he does.

 

I remember it was very rocky and rolling this particular evening and this was the only time I felt a little seasick but a dramamine before going to bed took care of the problem.

 

Day Six, Saturday 2/12: Fun Day at Sea

 

Seas were still rough and we didn't get to enjoy the balcony on our last day as much as I wanted because the weather turned windy and cool. We just took our time packing throughout the day and had dinner with CC friends Val, Ron, and Chelsea.

 

Day Seven, Sunday Feb 13: Disembarcation Day:

 

We ate breakfast in the Monet (so much better than fighting the crowds in the lido buffet) and since we were zone 10 we were off about 9:15 a.m. Picking up our bags in the terminal and going through customs was very easily accomplished in about 15-20 minutes. We had to wait about 15 minutes for a cab but no problems. We went back to Gaido's where our car was parked. The car started--but slowly--uh oh--problems ahead? Yep!

 

We began running a few errands and the car refused to start again. Two kind locals tried to give us a jump but it just wouldn't start. Time to call our auto service and they were there within 30 minutes. They took us to a local repair place that did car repairs on Sunday and worked us into to their busy schedule. A few hours and a few hundred dollars later, we had a new starter.

 

After checking in at Gaido's for the night (again got the cruise special but this time the rate was only $45 including tax. They must charge more for a Saturday night). We enjoyed a another meal at Casey Gaido's with the $10 off coupon they gave us and after lightening our bags considerably, we called it a night.

 

Next post: Boarding the Ecstasy for the 2/14 sailing

[WendyJo]

Embarkation/Turnaround Day, Day One

 

After a light continental breakfast at Gaido's we called a taxi about 9:30 a.m. and a porter was unloading our bags at 9:45. I was a little nervous because we didn't have a boarding pass in hand (booked this cruise onboard the Conquest) but when we showed our confirmation, it was no problem. Because we had applied and been approved for our Carnival cc onboard the Conquest, there was an issue when the check in person asked to see our credit card. We couldn't produce it because it had been sent to our home while we were cruising. But it was no problem said the supervisor--just board as a cash paying customer and see Guest Relations to get the cc from the previous switched over. Guest Services didn't know what we were talking about but we got it straightened out later in the day when we talked to Owen at the Future Cruise desk. He had received an email from Sundeep and all was okay.

 

We got onboard at 11:45 and in fact where in the second row to board just after the wedding party and VIP guests. Went to Lido and ate a light lunch and got to our room right at 1:30 (no bags yet).

 

Just a word about comparisons between the Conquest and the Ecstasy. I have no complaints about the Conquest but it is SOOOO BIG! It was a delight to find it easier and quicker to get around the ship on the Ecstasy. Everything revolves around the atrium and nothing is too far away. However, our stateroom (just a regular inside cabin) was quite a bit smaller than those on the Conquest. And there were a few less amenities on the Ecstasy--no frig, no hair dryer, no ability to check your folio on the TV, and less storage room. But to me, those were small prices to pay.

 

We took a short (free) tour with the Assistant Cruise director and that was all we needed to get ourselves orientated. There was a smell in the air in some of the rooms we went to and he commented on it. He said it was a ozone smell and was used to clear the air of cigarette smoke. It worked! There was far less smoky smells on the Ecstasy than the Conquest.

 

I also made a quick visit to the head maitre 'd to see if we could change our late dining to anytime. When you book a cruise just days before as we did, you are sometimes stuck with what you get. It was no problem and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinners in the Wind Star dining room.

 

We got a little unpacking done (much easier than before because we cut it down to two large bags and left the rest in the car). Then it was time for Muster drill. Our station was in the Sapphire Lounge (where most of the shows take place). Then we all had to go up several flights of stairs to the area where the lifeboats are kept. Sailaway begain just before we were finished but we went up one more deck and watched us leave the harbor for the third time in a couple of weeks. I should have paid more attention to the area where commercial pier 10 is (near the Delmonte area) because that is where we would end of docking in five days.

 

This time we decided to go to the Welcome show at 7:00 p.m. and it was interesting and fun. For dinner I ordered lasagna bologna as a starter and was shocked to see how big a portion it was. It seemed like it was a full portion. But it was very, very tasty and I ate all of it and then couldn't eat much of the BBQ ribs that I ordered as an entree. I also ordered gazpacho, a cold soup but I didn't like it at all.

[WendyJo]

Day Two, Feb 15 (Fun day at sea)

 

I didn't take very many notes (easy to do when you having fun!) but I did record that we got a book from the library (usually the books are only available one hour a day on sea days) and when had a light breakfast and lunch in the lido deck. In the evening, we went to the early "Extreme Country" show. We couldn't believe how well our cruise director (already forgot his name) plays the fiddle.

 

A word about our CD. After coming off from two weeks on the Conquest with our very English Chris Jefferson, this guy was very different. He's a little bit older than the typical cd (40"s? 50's?) and at first his personality seemed a little bit irritating but we grew to like him very much and he was always very involved in giving announcements. I'll bet the cd's don't really enjoy the part of their job that has to hawk all the spa products, photos, etc. because we did find that part of his announcements irritating.

 

I had excellent pumpkin soup, stuffed mushrooms, and prime rib for dinner. This time I enjoyed the bitter and blanc dessert much better than on the Conquest--it wasn't as dry.

 

Day Three, Wed Feb 16: Progresso/Merida

 

We had no idea what we were going to do when we disembarked other than we were going to take the free shuttlebus offered into Progresso. They say the dock from the ship area into town is the longest in the world--over 4 miles. When we arrived, a guy named Elias jumped on the bus and gave us an introduction to Progresso and also said he would be guiding a bus tour into Merida for $25 a person. So we signed up for that (and only one other guy). Well--we waited and waited and no one else joined the tour so Elias and the bus driver took us in a huge, nice bus to Merida (just the three of us!). We felt bad as probably the gas expense would have eaten up much of what we paid for the tour. But they gave us a good tour and then gave us 1 1/2 hours to walk around the zoccolo in Merida on our own. We enjoyed a nice light lunch and then went back to the ship. If you ever have the chance to enjoy a fruity aqua fresca in Mexico--take the opportunity--so refreshing and delicious!

 

After more than two weeks of eating in the MDR for dinner every evening (and starting to get bored with the menus) we took an evening off and ate in the Lido deck. No attentive service from waiters but it was a nice change. We went to hear some jazz from 7:15-8:15 in the Rolls Royce bar area and this was one of the highlights of all our cruising for me. The combo included a fabulous jazz pianist and I was in heaven! I told him afterward that I would give my right arm to be able to play jazz piano like he does--but then I would not be able to play like he does with only one hand!

 

Then Jimmy took over the piano and at our request played lots of classical piano for us. He is from Poland and has an unpronounceable first name on his name tag so everyone calls him Jimmy. We ended up hearing him play lots and lots--mostly in the lower level of the atrium. Speaking of the atrium--here is another difference between the Conquest and the Ecstasy. The lower level of the atrium on the CQ has lots of seating and a dancing area so people were always gathered there enjoying the music. On the Ecstasy there are just a few seats and no room for dancing so I did notice that difference and wished there had been more seating.

 

We walked the decks for awhile and then went pack to prepare for our excursion to Chankanaab in Cozumel the next day.

[will773]

Dang! That's a lot of cruising! :D

[luvmysox1]

Dang! That's a lot of cruising! :D

 

It's fun, if you have the time to it. I like B2b on different ship though. We did that in November and was outstanding. I wasn't as crazy about the one I did in Jan. The show are the same and so on.

[WendyJo]

Day Four, Thurs Feb 17: Cozumel

 

We had trouble deciding if we would hire a taxi or rent a car to see the "wild" side of the island or to go to Chankanaab. Chankanaab won!

 

It was a very easy process to get a taxi for Chankanaab and the cost was $10 total. It's not terribly far away but would be too far for most people to walk.

 

I had printed a coupon from the internet so this got us $2 off the regular ticket price of $21 pp. Felipe grabbed us immediately and took us on a tour of the historical reproductions they have in the park regarding the Mayans. We didn't know any better--we just went for the flow. Their was no charge but a tip was expected at the end.

 

After changing clothes, I put on the required vest (included in the price of admission) and went snorkeling. I saw some good fish but I still think Eden Rock in Grand Cayman had better snorkeling. We had lunch in their outdoor palapa restaurant. A Mexican platter, a nice shrimp cocktail, and two Cokes were about $30.

 

We then did one of my favorite parts of Chankanaab--swinging in hammocks loooking at the gulf and snoozing until it was time to return to the ship. I really, really didn't want to leave!

 

For dinner I had the lamb again and the grand marnier souffle--very yummy!

 

Day Five, Friday Feb 18: Fun Day at Sea

 

We had previously purchased tickets for the "Behind the Fun" tour on the ship ($55 pp) and started that tour at 9:00 in the library where they had refreshments set out for us. This tour took a solid three hours and was very interesting. We toured the galleys (even the cold rooms where all the different meats are kept), the laundry, the engine room computer control room (they said the room where the actual engines are would have been too dangerous), and the bridge. We had our picture taken with the captain (included in the price) and had some nice chit chat with him. In some areas, including the bridge, security was with us. We also toured the crew's galley and dining room and their fun area where they can play games. Our guide, Manuella, was the crew trainer and she took us to her training room where all the crew has to take various classes. In this area she had more refreshments waiting for us including chocolate chip cookies. We also got to go backstage and see what that looks like. It was interesting to hear how they do their costume changes so quickly. When we were finished, we each got some Carnival branded items included a ballcap, bracelet, and a lanyard. Later on in the day, our pictures with the captain and a plate of goodies including chocolate covered strawberries were waiting for us. We were also given the recipe for Warm Chocolate Melting Cake if anyone wants me to post it.

 

We hurried over to catch Owen's talk about the Magic and then had lunch in the MDR. I had chilled curried apple soup, BBQ ribs, and a sugar free lemon mousse. I took a little nap then walked on deck with dh to watch the sunset. We dressed for dinner and went to the internet cafe and decided to book some more cruises with Owen before we ate. They're offering OBC with each cruise booked on board so we booked three B2B2B (and booked the 4th one today to make it another B2B2B2B. These cruises will be out of Tampa on the Inspiration in September. We're doing our best to be platinum by the fall!

 

For dinner I had Asparagus Vichoisse, Salad with fruit, baked chicken and baked Alaska. We found a waiter we really liked: Janelle and decided we would request him for the rest of this cruise and the next.

 

Went back to our room to prepare for turnaround day. Even though we were keeping the same room, we had a few things to do. They told us to meet in the lobby at 10:30 a.m. I had a terrible tossing and turning night which didn't bode well for all the stress we were to be having in the next two days. All the other guests had their suitcases in the hallways which was taken down to Deck three (or some passengers kept their luggage in their room for self assist the next day).

 

Last Day: Turnaround day

We woke up at 6:30 a.m. to the sound of an announcement by the captain. When just the Cruise Director talks, you don't hear it very well in your cabin and have to open your door to hear. When the captain speaks, it comes directly into the cabin, lol. He said that no ships were able to go into the port of Galveston due to heavy fog and that he would keep us updated. I believe must have been just a few miles offshore and sure enough, it was like pea soup out there.

 

I was keeping notes of what was happening and wondered if the ship would have to feed the passengers who were scheduled to disembark lunch. Little did I know.......So everyone is milling about in the public areas of the ship waiting to get the message that we were cleared to go into port. It looked like a typical disembarcation day with luggage all over the place but this time it went on and on and on......

 

I went down to Guest Services at 10:30 as asked but I knew that our back to back plans were much different now.

 

Meanwhile, all of the guests had vacated their rooms and I think the stewards may have began the process of cleaning them but there came a point when they stopped because I think it became clear to the crew that the passengers might have to spend another night onboard.

 

There were a few glimmers of hope in the afternoon when the captain said that there was a possibility that the port would open but as the day went on, his voice became heavier and heavier.

 

During all this everyone was wondering what was going on with the passengers at the terminal who were scheduled to come onboard. I felt really sorry for them and for all the crew.

 

So, lunch was served to everyone and as the afternoon wore on it became apparent that dinner would be served as well. The ship decided to go a little farther out (beyond the 12 mile limit) so the stores would open and guests could use the casino).

 

We ate in the MDR and I had Beef Barley soup, fruit, and a vegetarian sweet potato potpie dish which I loved! Had diet orange cake for dessert.

 

I forget the exact timing but it was announced that all the guests luggage would be delivered back to their rooms. I really felt sorry for the crew then. (And for the poor people who were still waiting to get on).

 

Day One, Sunday Feb 20: We should have been having a Fun Day at Sea and heading for Merida but we were still stuck 12 miles out. We heard the Ectasy blowing their horn repeatedly at 4:30 a.m. and went up to the lido deck but the fog was as thick as ever. I wondered if they would run out of fresh produce and the like as well.

 

In my notes I was worrying about the logistical nightmare that Carnival had on their hands. The Conquest arrived this morning (but couldn't go into port either). 2000 on the Ecstasy needed to get off (some had missed their plane) and 2000 more were waiting to get on. I thought about the main terminal where 3000 Conquest guests (don't know exact number) were waiting to disembark while 3000 were waiting to embark. Also 2000 Ecstasy guests wanted to get off while 2000 wanted to get on. I just couldn't imagine how all that would work. At about 10:00 a.m. the captain announced that the port was opening but that we would be docking at Pier 10 (remember the dock I mentioned earlier that is near DelMonte?). Keep in mind that while we got regular announcements from the captain and the CD, we didn't have any idea what was going on behind the scenes. So we all tried to wrap our minds around how it was going to work for the passengers to disembark at Pier 10 when their cars were down at the other terminal. And would the incoming passengers come to pier 10?

 

When the captain gave the announcement that we were cleared to go into port he ended it with a "Yipee"! It was really funny and you could hear the relief in his voice.

 

We had lunch in the MDR and I had avocado soup, Mongolian Beef Salad and Creme Caramel for dessert. Little did I know that they wouldn't be serving us a meal again until after 9:00 p.m. (They did have a few snacks on the lido deck but it wasn't even close to being a meal).

 

They started calling us all by deck to the Blue Sapphire Lounge as soon as we arrived. We were to meet with US Customs Officers with our passports and for the majority who were going to leave, they had to go back to the rooms when they were finished and pick up their luggage. EVERYONE had to do self-assist but they said that crew would help those who weren't able to handle all their luggage. They announced that shuttle buses would take passengers from Terminal 10 to the main terminal.

 

BUT, there was one major snafu--there weren't enough shuttle busses and if you looked outside you could see hundreds of guests with their luggage waiting for buses. Finally, I noticed that they brought out some chairs for people to sit in but many were out in the hot sun for hours. Before they got too far along (and just before we were to go into to see the customs officers), they stopped calling people to go through customs because of the bottleneck outside. Fortunately for us, Manuella saw us and knew that we were back to back and let us go into customs before our deck was called since we weren't going to get off the ship anyway.

 

This process of going to customs, going back to the room and picking up luggage and then going outside to wait on shuttle buses took about 7 hours. We could only shake our head in sympathy for all who had to wait so long for the buses.

 

There turned out to be 7 of us back-to backers and we wandered around the empty ship for a long time. The crew was disoriented about it as well because usually as soon as the ship empties, it fills up again.

 

So it was apparent that the new passengers would not arrive in time for dinner. However, I think the ship forgot about us four back to backers. Finally at 8:00 pm I asked an officer what plans they had to feed us. She checked and got right back to me and told us they would have dinner in the Main Dining Room at 9:00. They got on the phone and called us all. So--we dressed for dinner and went to the MDR for what turned out to be a most unusual dinner. Six of the seven showed up and although it was the normal menu that would have been been presented, we were treated like royalty. The top maitre'd apologized to us and we had 4-5 waiters at our beck and call. And they called the magician in who did magic tricks for us. Fortunately we had our camera with us and one of the waiters took a picture of just the six of us in that huge dining room having a leisurely dinner. I had a great chicken noodle soup, a fruit plate (they apologized they couldn't serve it with berries since they had not received new provisions), and Chile Rellenos. The waiter said they didn't have anymore chiles so they made me some kind of a substitute dish. Under the circumstances, I was not going to complain a bit. I had apple pie with ice cream for dessert.

 

Everyone expected that as soon as the Conquest got all loaded back up with cargo and passengers they would leave and we could take their spot so the new guests could embark. It wasn't to be. We ran into the captain and asked him some questions. He said that before the Conquest could leave, they had a minor collision with an oil tanker (have no idea whose fault it was). The Coast Guard wouldn't let the Conquest leave until they checked to see if oil was leaking into the water. When he said that I knew that it would probably be morning before the Conquest could leave since it was dark. I felt so sorry for the Captain because he looked so burdened down with all these problems.

 

During this time we heard that the Ectasy passengers waiting to come on would be shuttled over to us from the main terminal since it was not going to be possible for the Conquest to depart because of the minor accident. We wandered around the lido deck for awhile which really felt strange and empty.

 

We went back to the room and just before I fell asleep I heard the first of the new passengers coming down the hallway at 11:36 pm.

 

Coming soon--the end of my part of the story

[WendyJo]

Day Two, Monday Feb 21 (and our last day onboard this cruise)

 

I think we woke up again to an announcement from the captain. He said that we would all be receiving a letter in our rooms with our options.

 

I think he said that the Conquest would be sailing about 9:00 this morning.

 

We quickly received the letter and our primary options were to remain on board and receive 50% of the money we paid back plus a 50% discount on a future cruise. Because they were so late in starting, it was going to be three fun days at sea with no ports of call.

 

OR

 

We could disembark no later than 12:00 noon, receive 100% reimbursement of what we paid and a 25% discount on a future cruise.

 

Since I had woken up with a cold the day before and we had just finished three cruises plus two days of the ill fated "foggy" cruise, we decided to accept their offer to disembark. So we hurriedly packed, had breakfast and were off the ship by around 10:30 am. They shuttled us to the other terminal where guests could get their cars (or in our case get a cab).

 

It wasn't the ending we expected but sometimes nature gets in the way of plans. We have no complaints about Carnival at all and we felt they treated us more than fairly. In fact, I booked another cruise today and have already used the 25% discount that was offered.

 

I have no idea how many guests did disembark since we were out well before the 12:00 deadline. I sure hope that passengers that stayed enjoy their days at sea and I hope someone posts a review since I don't know very much about their horrible two days. I do know that they were offered $45 a day per person for their food expenses which of course we didn't receive since we had all our meals onboard the ship.

 

If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

[WendyJo]

It's fun, if you have the time to it. I like B2b on different ship though. We did that in November and was outstanding. I wasn't as crazy about the one I did in Jan. The show are the same and so on.

 

The good part about repeating on the Conquest was that the itinerary was different. Also, except for Lady Helvetica's show, we didn't repeat any shows. No need especially since we only marginally enjoyed most of them the first time. We did found out when we did the Behind the Fun tour though, that the shows cost millions of dollars to produce from choreographing, to costumes, special effects and lighting, etc. so they only change shows about every 6 years.