Just off the Conquest for a Thanksgiving Cruise

[lynnber]

There were seven of us, ranging from my 7 year old granddaughter, to my 18 year old son and his friend, my other two 'kids' (27 & 30) and my husband and I. We had four cabins, with only my husband and I having a balcony. I won't do a complete review but here's a couple observations:

 

We haven't done a Carnival cruise for several years - have done many others since. We took this one based mostly on price. I have to say, based on this trip, Carnival has improved EVERYTHING 100% since we last sailed her. Be sure to download the Carnival Hub app. It was incredibly handy to have it to text each other and find out who was where. The $5 per cruise for 'chatting' capability was worth every penny.

 

The food was excellent most of the time, with a great variety, and our main dining room waiter was very congenial about giving us extra portions when we couldn't make up our minds. The 'entertainment' provided by the waiters most evenings was corny, but somehow made us leave smiling. We were truly surprised at how the good the quality of the food in the main dining room was.

 

My crew devoured the Guy Fiere burgers like there was no tomorrow. Between that and the taco bar, it definitely made up for the pizza, which was lackluster, but certainly not something that would prevent me from cruising with them again. The buffet for breakfast and lunch was as expected, and the lines were long but went fairly quick - the cruise was PACKED for the holiday cruise, with lots of large families. We never had trouble finding a table. We did the main dining room for breakfast some days, and it was more relaxing. I loved the "Tasting Bar' - it was the perfect little snack to hold us over till dinner.

 

My granddaughter spent almost every night in the Kids Club, which was full of children. She left there each evening with all kinds of souvenirs, and great stories about the fun they had. We paid the extra $15 for her to attend the after hours parties, and she loved them. Well worth the money.

 

The entertainment was very varied. The lobby bar always had a great duo, or this incredible violin group, or this really versatile band. There seemed to be music everywhere we passed through and it was all pretty good....... except - the singers in the main show weren't good at all. The shows themselves were fun, and the special effects they used were fascinating - but the singers couldn't sing very well. The comedy shows were great - both comedians did different shows each night so there was quite a variety, and they were hilarious!

 

Somehow we lucked into a mid-ship cabin on the Lido deck. I am FOREVER sold on the location of this cabin. I never thought much of it before, and didn't care if I was down in steerage as long as I was on a cruise, but this was just a fantastic location, with elevators and all the pool deck action only steps away.

 

We've done a lot of cruises and have been to all the locations before, so destination wasn't that important, but we did do two excursions - unusual for us. The first was in Jamaica, and it was the River Tubing Safari. It was excellent for everyone in our party - just the right mixture of fun and relaxation. We had a ball. The second was in Cozumel, and it was the Everyone Loves Rays, a swim with the stingrays and snorkel excursion that was just the right length and well worth the money.

 

The boat's decor was okay - not elegant, but not cringe-worthy. It was a very comfortable ship, with lots of different areas to hang out, plenty of lounge chairs, and never a long wait for an elevator. The layout was very straightforward, so we didn't have much of a learning curve to figure out what was where. The casino was very big, and my husband and I left with more money than we came with, which is always a plus.

 

The tiny little things that we didn't like:

• Only having one outlet in the cabin - with everyone having electronic devices these days, there needs to be more room for chargers.

• They needed extra help in the Coffee Bar. We had at least one specialty coffee per day, and there was always a line.

• We had the late dining, and wound up missing some shows because they happened only once, during our dinner. Most other lines have one show before the late dinner, so that we don't have to pick and choose between the production or the comedy.

• Debarkation sucked. I know it always does, on every cruise we've ever been on, but it was really horrible and disorganized.

• And this one is really me whining - the 'Black Friday' sales were terrible. I didn't expect to get all my shopping done, but I certainly thought I would be able to make a dent in it - and there wasn't anything at all worthwhile (to me, anyway).

 

All in all, we had a spectacular time; everyone got along and we had the right amount of mandatory family time, as well as time to do our own things.

I would DEFINITELY book this cruise again.

 

Happy to answer any questions!

[johnlcruise]

Nice Review. Thanks for taking the time to report On Your Most Excellent Adventure..

[ILCruzr]

There were seven of us, ranging from my 7 year old granddaughter, to my 18 year old son and his friend, my other two 'kids' (27 & 30) and my husband and I. We had four cabins, with only my husband and I having a balcony. I won't do a complete review but here's a couple observations:

 

We haven't done a Carnival cruise for several years - have done many others since. We took this one based mostly on price. I have to say, based on this trip, Carnival has improved EVERYTHING 100% since we last sailed her. Be sure to download the Carnival Hub app. It was incredibly handy to have it to text each other and find out who was where. The $5 per cruise for 'chatting' capability was worth every penny.

 

The food was excellent most of the time, with a great variety, and our main dining room waiter was very congenial about giving us extra portions when we couldn't make up our minds. The 'entertainment' provided by the waiters most evenings was corny, but somehow made us leave smiling. We were truly surprised at how the good the quality of the food in the main dining room was.

 

My crew devoured the Guy Fiere burgers like there was no tomorrow. Between that and the taco bar, it definitely made up for the pizza, which was lackluster, but certainly not something that would prevent me from cruising with them again. The buffet for breakfast and lunch was as expected, and the lines were long but went fairly quick - the cruise was PACKED for the holiday cruise, with lots of large families. We never had trouble finding a table. We did the main dining room for breakfast some days, and it was more relaxing. I loved the "Tasting Bar' - it was the perfect little snack to hold us over till dinner.

 

My granddaughter spent almost every night in the Kids Club, which was full of children. She left there each evening with all kinds of souvenirs, and great stories about the fun they had. We paid the extra $15 for her to attend the after hours parties, and she loved them. Well worth the money.

 

The entertainment was very varied. The lobby bar always had a great duo, or this incredible violin group, or this really versatile band. There seemed to be music everywhere we passed through and it was all pretty good....... except - the singers in the main show weren't good at all. The shows themselves were fun, and the special effects they used were fascinating - but the singers couldn't sing very well. The comedy shows were great - both comedians did different shows each night so there was quite a variety, and they were hilarious!

 

Somehow we lucked into a mid-ship cabin on the Lido deck. I am FOREVER sold on the location of this cabin. I never thought much of it before, and didn't care if I was down in steerage as long as I was on a cruise, but this was just a fantastic location, with elevators and all the pool deck action only steps away.

 

We've done a lot of cruises and have been to all the locations before, so destination wasn't that important, but we did do two excursions - unusual for us. The first was in Jamaica, and it was the River Tubing Safari. It was excellent for everyone in our party - just the right mixture of fun and relaxation. We had a ball. The second was in Cozumel, and it was the Everyone Loves Rays, a swim with the stingrays and snorkel excursion that was just the right length and well worth the money.

 

The boat's decor was okay - not elegant, but not cringe-worthy. It was a very comfortable ship, with lots of different areas to hang out, plenty of lounge chairs, and never a long wait for an elevator. The layout was very straightforward, so we didn't have much of a learning curve to figure out what was where. The casino was very big, and my husband and I left with more money than we came with, which is always a plus.

 

The tiny little things that we didn't like:

• Only having one outlet in the cabin - with everyone having electronic devices these days, there needs to be more room for chargers.

• They needed extra help in the Coffee Bar. We had at least one specialty coffee per day, and there was always a line.

• We had the late dining, and wound up missing some shows because they happened only once, during our dinner. Most other lines have one show before the late dinner, so that we don't have to pick and choose between the production or the comedy.

• Debarkation sucked. I know it always does, on every cruise we've ever been on, but it was really horrible and disorganized.

• And this one is really me whining - the 'Black Friday' sales were terrible. I didn't expect to get all my shopping done, but I certainly thought I would be able to make a dent in it - and there wasn't anything at all worthwhile (to me, anyway).

 

All in all, we had a spectacular time; everyone got along and we had the right amount of mandatory family time, as well as time to do our own things.

I would DEFINITELY book this cruise again.

 

Happy to answer any questions!

 

 

Awesome you had a great time on your cruise. I noticed you sailed on the Divinia last year-we have been looking at this ship. What did you think of it??? I am starting to divert from CCL and try other lines...going on my first Princess Cruise in 2 weeks :)

[FloridaMommyof3]

I was on this cruise too and pretty much agree with everything you said. I have never left out of Ft. Lauderdale before and will avoid it like the plague! It was very confusing and congested arriving and debarking too was crazy. There were only two customs lines open and for that many passengers, not good.

[easyboy]

Glad to know you enjoyed your cruise. Thanks for the review.

[lynnber]

We did the Divinia twice - once was a Moody Blues cruise, and we didn't think much of the service at all, but figured it was because it was a charter. When we went last year, we agreed that we would never do it again. It's just a different level of service - indifferent at its best. The food was okay, but I believe Carnival's was better - except they did have great pizza. The ship is GORGEOUS, but that only goes so far.

I shouldn't ever say ever, because that new MSC ship looks pretty neat, but I'd have to read a lot more reviews before ever considering it again.

[mrpayroll]

We were on Conquest earlier in the month. We really enjoyed listening to the trio playing the violins.

[lvetocruise2012]

We were on this cruise also and I was very pleased with the condition and overall look of the ship.

I too am disappointed with the "Black Friday" sale. Nothing worth buying.

 

We also had a lido balcony and it was very convenient to the pools/ buffets and the elevators. Will definitely book again.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[winddawn]

I was on this cruise too and pretty much agree with everything you said. I have never left out of Ft. Lauderdale before and will avoid it like the plague! It was very confusing and congested arriving and debarking too was crazy. There were only two customs lines open and for that many passengers, not good.

I agree about cruising out of Fort Lauderdale. I love cruising Carnival, but my last 2 cruises that left from Fort Lauderdale were not good. Fort Lauderdale in general has become so crowded, it's not much fun to spend a night pre-cruise, and getting into and out of the port before and after the cruise has become a nightmare due to congestion. I won't choose Fort Lauderdale again anytime soon. And Fort Lauderdale airport is so crowded, you can't even find a place to sit waiting for your flight. FLL airport is way behind in keeping up with growth.

Edited November 27, 2016 by winddawn

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[lizzyplague]

Thanks for the review! Glad you enjoyed it. :)

 

Conquest is one of my favorite ships.

[thesawch]

There were seven of us, ranging from my 7 year old granddaughter, to my 18 year old son and his friend, my other two 'kids' (27 & 30) and my husband and I. We had four cabins, with only my husband and I having a balcony. I won't do a complete review but here's a couple observations:

 

We haven't done a Carnival cruise for several years - have done many others since. We took this one based mostly on price. I have to say, based on this trip, Carnival has improved EVERYTHING 100% since we last sailed her. Be sure to download the Carnival Hub app. It was incredibly handy to have it to text each other and find out who was where. The $5 per cruise for 'chatting' capability was worth every penny.

 

The food was excellent most of the time, with a great variety, and our main dining room waiter was very congenial about giving us extra portions when we couldn't make up our minds. The 'entertainment' provided by the waiters most evenings was corny, but somehow made us leave smiling. We were truly surprised at how the good the quality of the food in the main dining room was.

 

My crew devoured the Guy Fiere burgers like there was no tomorrow. Between that and the taco bar, it definitely made up for the pizza, which was lackluster, but certainly not something that would prevent me from cruising with them again. The buffet for breakfast and lunch was as expected, and the lines were long but went fairly quick - the cruise was PACKED for the holiday cruise, with lots of large families. We never had trouble finding a table. We did the main dining room for breakfast some days, and it was more relaxing. I loved the "Tasting Bar' - it was the perfect little snack to hold us over till dinner.

 

My granddaughter spent almost every night in the Kids Club, which was full of children. She left there each evening with all kinds of souvenirs, and great stories about the fun they had. We paid the extra $15 for her to attend the after hours parties, and she loved them. Well worth the money.

 

The entertainment was very varied. The lobby bar always had a great duo, or this incredible violin group, or this really versatile band. There seemed to be music everywhere we passed through and it was all pretty good....... except - the singers in the main show weren't good at all. The shows themselves were fun, and the special effects they used were fascinating - but the singers couldn't sing very well. The comedy shows were great - both comedians did different shows each night so there was quite a variety, and they were hilarious!

 

Somehow we lucked into a mid-ship cabin on the Lido deck. I am FOREVER sold on the location of this cabin. I never thought much of it before, and didn't care if I was down in steerage as long as I was on a cruise, but this was just a fantastic location, with elevators and all the pool deck action only steps away.

 

We've done a lot of cruises and have been to all the locations before, so destination wasn't that important, but we did do two excursions - unusual for us. The first was in Jamaica, and it was the River Tubing Safari. It was excellent for everyone in our party - just the right mixture of fun and relaxation. We had a ball. The second was in Cozumel, and it was the Everyone Loves Rays, a swim with the stingrays and snorkel excursion that was just the right length and well worth the money.

 

The boat's decor was okay - not elegant, but not cringe-worthy. It was a very comfortable ship, with lots of different areas to hang out, plenty of lounge chairs, and never a long wait for an elevator. The layout was very straightforward, so we didn't have much of a learning curve to figure out what was where. The casino was very big, and my husband and I left with more money than we came with, which is always a plus.

 

The tiny little things that we didn't like:

• Only having one outlet in the cabin - with everyone having electronic devices these days, there needs to be more room for chargers.

• They needed extra help in the Coffee Bar. We had at least one specialty coffee per day, and there was always a line.

• We had the late dining, and wound up missing some shows because they happened only once, during our dinner. Most other lines have one show before the late dinner, so that we don't have to pick and choose between the production or the comedy.

• Debarkation sucked. I know it always does, on every cruise we've ever been on, but it was really horrible and disorganized.

• And this one is really me whining - the 'Black Friday' sales were terrible. I didn't expect to get all my shopping done, but I certainly thought I would be able to make a dent in it - and there wasn't anything at all worthwhile (to me, anyway).

 

All in all, we had a spectacular time; everyone got along and we had the right amount of mandatory family time, as well as time to do our own things.

I would DEFINITELY book this cruise again.

 

Happy to answer any questions!

You said you were on Libo deck, we are in room 9228 on the Conquest did you stay close to that area ??

[ILCruzr]

We did the Divinia twice - once was a Moody Blues cruise, and we didn't think much of the service at all, but figured it was because it was a charter. When we went last year, we agreed that we would never do it again. It's just a different level of service - indifferent at its best. The food was okay, but I believe Carnival's was better - except they did have great pizza. The ship is GORGEOUS, but that only goes so far.

I shouldn't ever say ever, because that new MSC ship looks pretty neat, but I'd have to read a lot more reviews before ever considering it again.

 

Thanks for letting me know. I have been so curious about MSC. I have seen the ship in port and have wanted to sail on it. But I might wait for the Seaside to try them.

[ksy8384]

We did a b2b on the Conquest over Halloween and the week after. We were in lido balcony 9289 which was steps from the door that let you out to the lido pool area. LOVED the location. We also LOVED the violin trio on the ship. I wrote to John Heald about them and also told the entertainment director how much we enjoyed them. I hope they add more to other ships.

[michiganredrose]

I'm with you on cabin location. A few years ago on our Valor cruise we upgraded to deck 9 so the teenage boys could be near the food, now I don't know if I could go back. We are going on the Conquest in February and I upgraded us to deck 8 because it's just so convenient to everything. I take the stairs way more than the elevator because it's only one of two flights to everything.

 

Thanks for the review!