Pre-Trip Blog and Review: Carnival Conquest 5/22/16 – Eastern Caribbean

[EllaDuChien]

I am so looking forward to this!! I love all the detail! I am taking my first Carnival cruise on the Conquest in January after six Royal Caribbean cruises so I am really looking forward to pics inside the ship! Safe travels!

[UTVolsFan4Life]

I'm looking forward to the rest of your review and your go pro photos. We are thinking about picking one up for our upcoming cruises!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Thanks for following! I've not had time to play around with the GoPro. Hopefully, tonight or in the morning I will get the chance. I hope the photos won't disappoint.

I am so looking forward to this!! I love all the detail! I am taking my first Carnival cruise on the Conquest in January after six Royal Caribbean cruises so I am really looking forward to pics inside the ship! Safe travels!

Thanks for following! We had an OK experience on Royal Caribbean a few years back, but we are willing to give them another shot. I think it will be better on one of the newer ships. I'll be taking lots of pictures of the ship. I like for my readers to feel like they are walking with me. It will be fun for sure!

[UTVolsFan4Life]

I woke up this morning at about 4:00 AM to use the bathroom and I was wide awake. I was determined that I was not going to get up so, I just laid in the bed with my eyes closed. I fell into one of those sleeps where you’re asleep, but your brain does not shut off and you don’t feel rested. Finally, I did get some rest just as my first alarm was going off. Cynthia got up a little early as she had some stuff she needed to complete from last night that did not get finished. I laid in the bed until almost 7 AM and then it was time to get up and start my last workday routine of the week. I grabbed some water, got my treadmill time in for the day, and then breakfast. It’s garbage day so, I needed to handle the trash. I then spent a little time on CC and then it was time to get to work on my final working day before the cruise. :) I’ve got one big meeting this morning and then some loose ends to tie up before I take off. I’m going to try and stay busy and not focus on the clock. The morning went by quickly thanks to the help of three meeting and a severity 1 outage it was 1 PM before I knew what happened. The rest of the afternoon was fairly busy, but it went by very slowly. I was able to take a quick break and print our boarding passes and luggage tags. I set my out of office up in advance and when it hit 5 PM, I was done. I spent some time on CC and fb while Cynthia was on the way home. I’ve got to get started as we have a lot to do in a short period of time. Once Cynthia arrived home we were ready to make dinner and relax for a bit. We took the time to get our game plan down for tomorrow and talk about random stuff. Now, it’s time we better get going on finalizing the packing. I came into the office and started with the Carnival craft project aka luggage tags. I like to fold them and then use some clear shipping tape to laminate them in a way. Also, I like to put two on each bag, just in case on rips off. I started confirming the contents of my suitcase and carry on. I then started with my overnight bag. Since we drive, we like to not pull all our luggage out for a one or two night stay. We bring an overnight bag that has everything we need in it for pre-cruise. On the morning of the cruise we switch over what’s needed for the cruise to our luggage or carryon. All I need to do now, is shower in the morning, take my medication and then pack those items in the overnight bag. Next, I moved to documentation. I have a big envelope that has our passports and Julie’s temp license and birth certificate. Also, we have a copy of her father’s death certificate just in case it’s required. I have a consent to travel and medical form filled out that I just need my MIL to sign. The plan for tomorrow is for us to meet at my BIL’s business. One of his employees has a Public Notary so, my MIL can sign it and then it can get notarized all at the same time I pick up Julie. I have my new wallet in order and gotten all my cash and cards ready. I still need to set the travel alerts up, but I will work on that a little later. All the electronics are on the charge and I have setup the GoPro and I think I know how to work it. We will see! It’s close to 11 PM and I’m getting sleepy. Tomorrow, is going to be a busy day. It’s going to be much busier than I first realized. I want to get up early in the morning to get some last minute stuff done so, hopefully I can relax a bit tomorrow afternoon before we get on the road.

 

I’ll try to update you as best as possible tomorrow, but I will have the full day in detail when I start the trip review.

[JaneAustenite]

Enjoying your review.

[UTVolsFan4Life]

Enjoying your review.

 

 

Thanks for following!

[UTVolsFan4Life]

Just a quick update. We made it to Ft. Lauderdale a little after 12:30 AM this morning and have had some ups and downs that I cannot wait to share with you when I return. We are relaxing at the hotel and prepping for tomorrow.

[siestakeys04]

Loved your pre-trip...have a great time this week

[momonthego17]

Just a quick update. We made it to Ft. Lauderdale a little after 12:30 AM this morning and have had some ups and downs that I cannot wait to share with you when I return. We are relaxing at the hotel and prepping for tomorrow.

 

We are here in FLL too! See u tomorrow!

[UTVolsFan4Life]

We made it home a little after 7:00 PM EST this evening. We're resting a bit while we try to tackle that dreaded thing called unpacking. I'll be sorting and looking at all the pictures and videos from all three devices to start the two days before the trip and the review as soon as possible. I have lots of information and things to talk about so, I cannot wait to get started. :D

[momonthego17]

We made it home a little after 7:00 PM EST this evening. We're resting a bit while we try to tackle that dreaded thing called unpacking. I'll be sorting and looking at all the pictures and videos from all three devices to start the two days before the trip and the review as soon as possible. I have lots of information and things to talk about so, I cannot wait to get started. :D

 

Looking forward to your review!!

[IndyDenise]

Me too! Can't wait to hear the details!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[UTVolsFan4Life]

Looking forward to your review!!

It was so nice meeting you and your husband.

Me too! Can't wait to hear the details!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks for following!

[UTVolsFan4Life]

Thanks for the review.

You're welcome, I hope you enjoy.

[UTVolsFan4Life]

I had bit of technical difficulty this morning getting my photos off my camera, but I got them off in another manner. It took me a bit longer but getting them on my computer is all that mattered. I've just got all my GoPro stuff imported and items from my iPhone over to the computer. I've started writing on the two pre-cruise days and I hope to have them posted later today.

[JaneAustenite]

Looking forward to it!

[UTVolsFan4Life]

Looking forward to it!

Thanks for joining in.

[UTVolsFan4Life]

Pre-Cruise Day 1: Leaving for Fort Lauderdale (2 Days Before Sailing)

Last night, I did not quite get to bed at 11 PM. I decided to wait until midnight to see if my Hilton Honors app would let me check in. It did not so off to bed I went. I woke up at 4:30 AM to use the bathroom and it took me just about an hour to finally get back to sleep. I was then awoken from my weather app about a thunderstorm warning. I went back to sleep soon, but our 6:30 AM alarm came too quickly. Cynthia and I jumped up and she started getting ready for work and getting her last items up while I checked the Hilton Honors app and I could check in. I was able to get us a room on the 12th floor facing the port. I then hit the treadmill. Cynthia left for work and I had a lot of things to do so we could leave as soon as possible when she returned home from work. I got ready for the day and headed out to run errands. Cynthia needed me to run her glasses by to have them checked as one of the lenses is damaged. New lenses are on order and should be ready when we get back from the cruise. Next, a run into Publix. I needed 3 items for our sandwiches for dinner. When I arrived, I noticed the sales paper that the Gas Card sale was back. Of course, the week we don't need much. I knew it would be helpful for the trip so, I bought some stuff on sale that we use regularly and will not spoil. $50 Shell Gas Card for $40.

 



 

Next, I ran to the bank to make sure all was well and to get some change for the trip. Next, to CVS to find some Ginger Root Capsules. We have some but we won't have enough for the whole trip. Of course they were out of the brand that was buy one get one free and I had to buy the $9 bottle. Now, I'm off to the house, bring the stuff inside and continue to get ready. I made sure that I finished packing and printed everything. Julie is out of school and now I'm trying to coordinate when to meet. I asked my MIL about the permanent permit and she said that it came in yesterday and that she had accidentally left it at home. She would finish at the store and then run home and grab it and call me when she was on the way back towards town. About 11:45 PM, my yard man called to see if I was going to be home and if he could come and cut the grass. He was finishing up a job close by and should be done in 15 minutes. About 12:20 PM, Julie sent me a message that they were one the way. I ran out the door and just as I was about to hide the money for my lawn guy, he pulled up. Perfect timing! I was on the way a few minutes later. It's about a 20 minute drive to my BIL's business on the other side of town. I arrived and we were there close to an hour. We got Julie loaded up, into the office to have my MIL sign the consent paper and for Ms. Dean to notarize it, and then to say our see you laters. My MIL loves to talk so, it takes double or triple the time. Julie and I were hungry so, we stopped by Taco Bell on the way to get gas and add air to the tires. We got home and Julie needed some stuff washed so, we got that going then she started packing her luggage set while I worked on other stuff around the house. Before we knew it Cynthia was calling to say that she was on the way home. Cynthia arrived home around 3:30 PM and we were not quite ready to leave so she started helping out. Now we have a bit of a challenge. Packing all the luggage in the car. We made it, just barely.

 



 

We just did have enough room to sit. We were on the road at 4:30 PM, just 30 minutes later than we expected. Here is our expected route:

 



 

After less than 10 minutes on the road, the ladies were screaming to the point it scared me and I had to make sure that we did not wreak on the by-pass. I pulled off the side of the road and found that there was a spider in the car. We got the spider out and we were on our way. After we were on the road an hour and the ladies needed a bio break. We stopped in Tifton, GA for a quick break. We hit I-75 and we were southbound and down. About 45 minutes later, we had reached the FL Welcome Center.

 



 

I needed a bio break. The Welcome Center closes at 5 PM so, we missed it. It's great to stop as they normally have coupons for a free shutterfly picture book. Back at the car, we were hungry so, we ate the sandwiches that we made at home.

 



 

Once my sandwich was down, we hit the road again. I snacked on some chips while cruising down the road. We made it to the Florida Turnpike and we made our next bio break at the second service plaza. I forget the name. We have stopped using the first one as the restrooms are always so nasty. This one was nice and the restrooms were clean. We were hungry again so we ate our other sandwiches. I know you’re thinking that's a lot of sandwiches, but we were eating the Rudi's Gluten Free bread and the loaves are really small compared to regular bread. We continued down the Turnpike until we came to the Ft. Pierce Service Plaza. I decided it would be a good time to fill up with gas. Julie and I used it for a bio break as well.

 

[UTVolsFan4Life]

Pre-Cruise Day 2: Day in Fort Lauderdale (1 Day Before Sailing)

 

We made it to our hotel, the Days Inn Fort Lauderdale - Oakland Park Airport North at just a few minutes after 12:30 AM. The trip was just a few minutes over 8 hours drive since we took a bit of a, “scenic tour”. As we pull into the parking lot we cannot help to see some of Broward County’s finest Sherriff Deputies with lights flashing in front of the registration building. I parked and we asked ourselves if this was a safe place to stay. I decided to get out and go check in and see if I could figure out what was going on. As I was walking up, I noticed the night window, but it looked like it was not in use so, I started to walk in the lobby as an officer was coming out and she told me that I might want to use the night window. I walked over to the night window and one of the people (I later found out was the hotel owner) told me they were closed and had no more rooms for the night in a very rude tone and manner. I told him that I had a reservation and that I had called in advance to let them know that we would be late. The other person behind the counter came to assist me. While he was assisting me, the owner was still talking with deputies and was very agitated. From what I could figure out he and another person got into an altercation and the police was called. It made me feel really good when I was standing there and I heard him tell the deputies that he had been arrested by the previously. We were all checked in and I went back to the car and moved us closer to our room. We grabbed our overnight bag and off to the elevator we went. We pressed the up button and we waited and waited and waited before we decided to take the stairs. We made it to the third floor and then it took us a few minutes to find our room after a few wrong turns. We were happy to get to the room as we all needed to use the restroom. I try and open the door all sorts of ways and it will not open. Back down to the registration desk I go to find out that some of the doors are put on backwards and the person told me how to open the door. The elevator still is not working so back up the stairs and to the room. After a couple of tries it opened. When we walked in the room, there was a smell. It was not a smoking smell. I looked up at the ceiling and saw this:

 



 



 

There was more in the bathroom and the shower mat was not clean. Also, the light fixture was broken and not working, the luggage rack was broken, and the clock was not set to the correct time.

 



 



 



 

We were all so tired, we decided not to complain. We used the bathroom and got ready for bed as quickly as possible. The bed was fairly comfortable, but were in a room that faces the road and you could hear every vehicle on the road. It was so noisy! To top it all off, the hotel was next to the train tracks and it seemed like a train horn was heard every 30 minutes. I think I got about 2 hours of sleep and the train horn woke me up. I could not help but wonder if our car was going to be there in the morning or if our stuff would be gone. I just could not sleep. To make matters worse, my sinuses starting flaring up. About 5:00 AM, I decided to get up to use the restroom and to take a hot shower to see if that would relax me and help my sinuses drain. It helped a little bit, but I still did not get any more sleep. The ladies slept got some sleep off and on all night. We decided that we wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible. Around 8 AM, I got ready and then when to the lobby to get on the computer so, that I could purchase and print our Water Taxi tickets while the ladies finished getting ready. Once I returned to the room, the ladies were ready and we loaded up. I drove over to the lobby and checked out of the room. I made my complaints and they were going to check it out.

 

We needed to get a few last minute items from Walmart. I found the closest one I found was 3 miles away in Lauderdale Lakes. I took us about 10 minutes in traffic.

 



 

We pulled up and it just looked a little sketchy. Julie and I ran in while Cynthia stayed in the car to watch our stuff. This Walmart had a completely different layout then the ones at home so, it took us longer to find everything. I picked up our last item in electronics and we waited at the register as several employees walked past us. Finally, one of the employees told us that the registers in electronics are not open yet and to just use one of the registers up front. As we are walking up front. We realized that we forgot one item for Julie. She went over and found what she was looking for and needed to try it on. Over to the changing rooms and after a few minutes she made her selections and we were off to the register. On the way, Julie realized that one of the items does not have a tag. Back we went to get one with a tag. Now, back to the registers where in typical Walmart fashion there are 30 registers and 5 of them are open. We picked the shortest line and waited. The lady in front of us was so slow. She actually wrote a check to Walmart. I have not seen that in years. Even if you use a check, Walmart can print out the check. Just as we were walking out, Cynthia was calling to ask us to hurry as she was getting hot in the car with just the windows cracked.

[UTVolsFan4Life]

I wanted to make it up to the ladies for the horrible hotel selection by taking them to a nice breakfast. Cynthia and I had found a place that she really wanted to try, but it the time we did not think that we would be in the area. When I realized that it would not be too far out of the way, I decided that I would surprise her for breakfast. We left Walmart and headed to Weezies Gluten Free Kitchen (

http://www.weeziesgfkitchen.com/). Here was our route:

 



 

It took us about 15 minutes to get to the restaurant and we arrived around 10:30 AM. It was not as big as a surprise as she guessed it on the way. This restaurant is 100% Gluten Free. The story behind the owner and store was very interesting and really gave the place character. Somebody was super happy!

 



 

We started by trying the Cheddar Cheese Biscuit and a Cinnamon Roll. They were both excellent choices.

 



 

Cynthia decided on the Chocolate Chip Pancakes.

 



 

Julie decided on the Chicken and Waffle.

 



 

I decided on the Pancakes and Eggs.

 



 

We all decided to share a little bit of each with each other so that we could taste more than one dish. They were all excellent. I paid for our meal and then we were ready to head over to the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina where we would spend our last pre-cruise night. Here is our route:

[UTVolsFan4Life]

 

It took me one additional time to figure out where the access road was, but that was fine as we enjoyed riding over the 17th Street Bridge. There is something about seeing a cruise ship that just gets you excited. We used the self-parking for $25 per day and easily found a parking spot where we did not have to walk very far to the hotel. We arrived around 11:30 AM and I went inside as the Hilton Honors App told me I needed to check with the front desk. I checked with the gentlemen and he said that everything was fine. The people checking out had a late checkout so the room would not be ready until 4 PM and that the app would tell me when the room was ready and we could use the digital key to access the room. If we wanted a different room, he had one available now for an additional $25. We were headed to the water taxi anyway so, we decided to wait. We went back out to the car to get our stuff before heading to the Water Taxi. The nice thing is that there is a stop at the hotel so it was not far at all to walk. You come out of the hotel main entrance to the sidewalk the make a left and go under the bridge and you cannot miss it.

 



 



 



 

Before I go any further, let me give you some information on the Water Taxi (http://watertaxi.com/). It’s $26 per person for unlimited rides all day long. It’s cheaper for kids 5-11 years of age and kids under 5 are free. If you purchase you ticket online, you get $1 off each adult ticket and you can board the boat before the people that need to buy tickets. If you buy them online, they are only valid for the day you buy them so, don’t pre-purchase them before you leave home. Just go to your hotel’s business center and buy them and print them off before you go to your closest stop.

 

We met the Water Taxi employee and he was very nice and friendly. He was telling us about the area and some of the yachts in the area. One of the ones that stuck out to me what this one.

 



 

As tech guy, it was really easy to remember the information on this yacht. The owner is a gentlemen that invented and sold to Microsoft what we call today Microsoft Office. Now, you may notice that this looks like a military vessel. The reason for this is that the owner likes to sail around Africa and this helps defend against pirate attacks.

 

[UTVolsFan4Life]

We waited for about 15 minutes and our boat arrived.

 



 

What I loved about this taxi service was that they give you a tour while you are on the boat. Meet Phil, he was our first tour guide.

 



 



 

Here are a few pictures along the way. I don’t remember all the details but we went by some expensive houses and yachts. One of the homes was owned by the Bell family, you know Taco Bell. Also, 7 homes belonging to the Huizenga family. Mr. Huizenga owned well-known companies like Blockbuster Video, AutoNation, and Swisher Hyguene.

 



 



 



 

[UTVolsFan4Life]

Here is one for sale if you're in the market.

 



 



 



 

Here is a GoPro Video that I created using 3 of the videos that I took on the Water Taxi.

 

 

We went to Stop 4: The Shops & Restaurants at Las Olas and decided to switch to a smaller boat so, that we could see more of the downtown area. For some reason my GoPro video did not turn out on this portion of the trip. I think something on one the lens.

 



 

After coming back to Stop four, we hoped off the small boat and waiting for about 10-15 minutes for the one of the larger double decker boats.

 



 

Edited May 29, 2016 by UTVolsFan4Life
YouTube link not working

[UTVolsFan4Life]

We decided that we had enough sun so we sat in the covered back on the lower deck. I was nice and for most of the trip we were the only people back there. It was our private part of the boat.

 



 



 



 



 



 

[UTVolsFan4Life]

 

 

 

 

 

The other double decker Water Taxi.