Carnival Conquest March 8-15, 2009

[tkportersat]

I am sure I missed something, so if anyone has specific questions please let me know and I will do my best to check back and answer them....here goes:

Cruising this trip was me-Female 37 (11th cruise), BF 28 (2nd cruise, 1st on Carnival), Son 16 (6th cruise) and Daughter 14 (6th cruise). We drove up from San Antonio the Saturday before the cruise.

Pre-Cruise: We stayed at the Super 8 in La Marque for one night for about $71. I was impressed that reserving the room almost a year ago that they had taken note of my request to have a bottom floor room. It is a clean hotel (nothing fancy) and they have a continental breakfast. This was our third time staying here. We ate dinner at the Mexican restaurant (formerly Acapulco) which was in a shopping center across the street. Food was good and Margaritas were excellent. Great way to get in the mood for vacation!!

Day of Embarkation: We left our hotel around 10 am and arrived at EZ cruise parking at about 10:30 and they let us park right away. Waited about 20 minutes and they had us on our way to the ship. Once we got into the terminal there were decent size lines, but they moved very quickly. We were on the Lido deck by about 11:30am and went and grabbed lunch. Rooms were not ready until 1:30, so we just spent some time walking about the ship and getting the rooms set up at Guest Services (to have the kids in one/bf and I in the other). Once we got to our rooms they were ready to go and both gifts I had ordered were already there (bottle of wine and cooler w/ Budweiser-hat-mug). That was the biggest surprise, when I have ordered alcohol on previous trips I was always told I wouldn’t receive until after embarkation due to some crazy Texas law. Maybe the rule has changed?? Not sure……

Our Cabin: Two inside cabins on the Verandah deck 8 (8303 & 8307). We were originally booked on Riviera deck 1 (1341 & 1345) but were upgraded by Carnival about 3 days prior to sailing. Really loved our location on Deck 8, it was centrally located and we were pretty much able to walk the stairs any where we went. Best thing was being a deck below the Lido deck which is where we spent most of our time either going to the buffet or hanging out by the pool. The room was VERY quiet despite some worry of being below the very active Lido deck. The only time we heard noise was the night of the Mardi Gras party when we heard crowds jumping around midnight but it was brief. The room was decent size for two people, with the exception of being by the closets and someone trying to come out of the bathroom at the same time. Strangely enough my kids had a different Room Steward in 8307 than my bf and I in 8303. Mine was Franciso and he came and introduced himself right away, we saw him often all week in the hallways and he always greeted us. He did a great job of keeping the room clean and after leaving a note the first date always filled our cooler and other container with tons of ice. He made some great towel animals, some of which I had never gotten before. One thing I really appreciated after being on Royal Caribbean last year is having clean beach towels left in our room EVERY day. RC no longer does this at all and requires you check them out by the pool now, so I appreciate that Carnival still does this. While I understand it isn’t the end of the world, it’s just a nice touch in my opinion. Despite being one of the first group of folks on board we got our luggage later than usual, we got them just before Muster at 3:30. Either way we were still able to come back to the room after the drill and unpack everything before our dinner at 6:00. I will say this was the first time in 3 years I have had an inside cabin and I very much missed seeing what was going on outside, but it was nice for days we wanted to sleep in as it is DARK.

Dining Room: We were at table number 206, 6:00pm in the Renoir dining room. Loved our table as it was a comfy booth for 4 and while we weren’t seated right next to the window still had a great view of the ocean. Our Head Waiter was Michael from the Phillipines; don’t remember the name of the asst. Both were good at their jobs, we only had to remind them of items a few times. Sara the bar waitress was so sweet, she always remembered the kind of soda my kids and bf wanted each night and greeted us with a smile even though we didn’t order liquor at dinner. I was a little disappointed in the food this time as I have always loved Carnival’s food. We certainly didn’t go hungry but the quality was just not as consistent as what I have experienced in the past. The two steaks I got during the week were both very dry (I ordered medium) and the chicken dish ordered on lobster night was *blech*. Of course there were some great things; some favorites were the Chocolate melting cake, Bitter & Blanc, broccoli and cheese soup, cheese sticks, fried shrimp and navy bean soup. The breakfast food at the buffet was iffy as well, biscuits were like hockey pucks and the food wasn’t always hot….sometimes barely warm. Buffet foods that were very good were the burgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, French fries, nachos, salad items, pizza, and the made to order omelets. Also good was the Chinese food at PC Wok and the sandwiches at the Deli. Didn’t make it to Sur Mer again or make reservations at the Point so I can’t comment on that.

Activities and Entertainment: Had fun in the casino, mostly playing roulette – winning some and losing some. My winnings one night funded our day in Cozumel the next day, so that was nice. Can I just say we HATE HATE HATED the Pokerpro electronic Poker table, please Carnival bring back live poker!!! I won’t go into great detail here because not everyone understands poker or it’s terminology but these tables just outright encourage and seem to reward crappy poker playing, so just forget it if you know how to play “real” poker. Overall the activities are pretty standard: Bingo, pool activities, trivia, etc. Felt like there wasn’t a great selection at times or they had popular events scheduled at the same time. After day two most of our time was spent at the adult pool at the back of the ship, no music and very serene and relaxing. I like being by the main pool as well, but being that it was Spring Break it was nice to get away to the quieter areas. The Big Screen didn’t really bother me, I mostly saw them playing music videos, showing pictures of scenic beach views or showing pool events so everyone could see. Never noticed news being broadcast as others mentioned. My only wish is they would have had more movies shown on it, usually just seemed to repeat the same ones over and over. As far as shows we really only went to see the comedians and to the Legends show. Both comedians we saw were very funny and the Legends show made up of our fellow cruisers was great, some very talented folks on board!! We tried to sit in for the Point and Click show but walked out about 10 minutes into it, just a little on the cheesy side for me. Wanted to go to Formidable but I ended up going to bed early that night, the other show options Magicians and Juggling just don’t appeal to me but I am sure are fun for some and the kiddos.

 

Ports of Call: Jamaica: Did the Dreamers Catamaran excursion. This including a trip to a snorkeling sight, ride to Margaritaville and sailing back to the dock with music and dancing. There was also open bar as well as non alcoholic drinks for the kids. The price of $69pp was reasonable. Snorkeling was decent and lasted about 30 minutes, only given about 20 minutes at Margaritaville which really isn’t much time to do anything We did run off really quick and took a ride on their slide that dumps you in the ocean. Hold on to your clothes, as it shoots you out like a rocket!! They also had a couple of water trampolines that we jumped on for a bit.

Grand Cayman: Did the Pirate ship for about $39pp. I really didn’t want to get off the boat in GC as I really just wanted a nice relaxing day on the ship but my 14yr old daughter has always wanted to try this so I obliged. The excursion itself was fun. You board a pirate ship that includes rum punch and regular punch for the kids and bottled water. There is also a bathroom on board as well. They make the kids do some “work” on the ship as punishment and then at some point on the journey they drop the anchor and people can make their family members “walk the plank”….as my daughter had me do. People are free to swim around for about 30-40 minutes and they do supply life vests. If you want to snorkel bring your own equipment. My only complaint is we got stuck with this family and the wife was absolutely awful. She found it impossible to talk in a normal voice and yelled at her kids and husband the entire excursion. She let her kids jump over us and our feet repeatedly and then changed her one year old son’s diaper right on the deck. Needless to say this put a damper on our day because they were right next to us the whole time, this was not a large boat and we could not get away from her. The only reason I even mention this is to let people know, PLEASE be courteous of others.

Cozumel: Went to Paradise Beach for the 4th time and it didn't disappoint. We had originally planned on going to Mr. Sanchos to do a tequila tasting but my kids weren’t sold on going there and after a long week my bf and I weren’t really in the mood for tequila anymore. At Paradise Beach you can by a $10 bracelet to climb the “glacier” in the water (which is not easy by the way, but I made it to the top!!!), use the water trampoline, lay on the inflatable beds, kayak, snorkel, etc. Otherwise the beach itself is free and they just ask that you make at least a $10 drink or food purchase for using their facilities. $16 each way for taxis and they have lockers and clean bathrooms/showers on the premises. Food is good as well, especially the guacamole!!

Debarkation was very smooth this time around, off the boat by about 10:45 – we were home in San Antonio about 3pm after one food stop and one bathroom stop.

OVERALL: -Beautiful ship, but as I have felt previously I think I am a smaller ship fan. Unfortunately those will probably be a thing of the past before too long so I will have to adjust. I think that it is up to individual preference and you have to see for yourself if the bigger ships are for you. The bonus to that is that there is very little movement and less room for sea sickness, a lot of times you don't feel like you are on a ship. I like that on the smaller ships it is easier to get around and that you see the same people in passing a lot, which makes it easier to meet people. I like that Carnival still uses food trays at the buffet as it makes it easier to grab an entrée/salad/dessert. I didn’t like it last year when RC had done away with food trays on the Voyager as it means more trips back and forth, line after line. Service was really good, many greetings from crew members in passing that would just say hi or smile when we would walk by was very nice.

We really had a wonderful time. Please don’t take some of my less appealing comments as “complaints” necessarily, just more as a comparison with my previous Carnival trips. I realize every little thing can’t be perfect, especially when there are so many people to please. Happy cruising!!

[LorrieB]

I enjoyed your review very much. We have only been on the Conquest so far and are going on her again in November. We will then be going on the Ecstacy in February 2010. Our first cruise with our adult children. Having been on the Ecstacy, what were your favorite things about her?

 

We are planning on the Stingrays in Grand Cayman as the last Conquest cruise we had to skip GC due to rough seas. We aren't sure what we will do in Jamaica or Cozumel but shopping in Cozumel will definitely be a part of the day.

 

I look forward to any pictures you might want to post.

[tkportersat]

Thanks :) I think I like the size of the Ecstasy better and the food has always been great, but there are less people to cook for. Some folks complain that the Ecstasy is gaudy, but I like neon lights and it just feels more lively to me in a Vegas kind of way. It's not like there are neon lights in your room or something :) My only complaint about the Ecstasy is the theatre....if you want to see a show get there early. There are terrible pillars in the theatre and if you get stuck behind one there isn't much point in being there.

 

The Stingray excursion is a lot of fun. I wouldn't recommend the Hell, Turtle, Stingray excursion we did. The turtles were ok, but Hell is just a rock formation. I would go straight to the Stingrays.

 

I enjoyed your review very much. We have only been on the Conquest so far and are going on her again in November. We will then be going on the Ecstacy in February 2010. Our first cruise with our adult children. Having been on the Ecstacy, what were your favorite things about her?

 

We are planning on the Stingrays in Grand Cayman as the last Conquest cruise we had to skip GC due to rough seas. We aren't sure what we will do in Jamaica or Cozumel but shopping in Cozumel will definitely be a part of the day.

 

I look forward to any pictures you might want to post.

[TransplantedOkies]

We too were on the Conquest. DH(53), myself(39) and our 2 daughters ages 17 and 11 for our very first cruise.

 

We flew down Friday March 6th, stayed at Days Inn in Webster, TX. Yes it was a ways from the port,had to pay for Carnival Transfers, but live and learn. We didn't have any problems getting to/from the port.

 

The lines to embark were long but they did move quickly.

 

We went to our cabins, although I don't remember what time we there, and they were ready. As we were dropping off our luggage our room steward came and introduced himself. His name was Dewa, and he was terrific. We always had clean rooms(Main Deck #'s 2292 & 2296-connecting staterooms)and the towel animals were a LOT of fun to come back too after dinner every night. Dewa always greeted us and was always VERY polite. We didn't need anything extra like ice or towels but I'm sure if we would have asked it would have been taken care of right away. We very much enjoyed the location of our room and we didn't have any problems with its size. We were not far from an elevator, and the constant low hum made it very easy to fall asleep.

 

Dining room, were were in the Renior, late seating(8:15) table # 629. Our waiters were great! We had fun being silly doing the dances with them.

Don't know if anyone else noticed or not but one of the songs playing throughout dinner every evening was the theme song to the Titanic. We had a good laugh about it(and getting our family pictures taken in front of the Titanic grand staircase background.)

DH and I did go to the supper club-The Point. We aren't used to eating in very fancy restaurants, so we felt out of place. We had trouble understanding what our server was bringing us because of her accent. We ordered the 24 oz porterhouse steak. It was bland, and tough. The service was VERY GOOD though.

 

My husband played in the casino the very last night-he lost a whopping $1.25.

The legends show was good-my husband and youngest DD went to that.

The singer that played Britanny Spears in the Legends show sat behind us at dinner every night and she sang so beautiful-her name was Georgia. She will be big someday. I wanted to go see the comedians, but we just were exhausted by that time.

There were several CC members wondering whether or not CNN was playing on the big screen-if it was there I never saw it. They did play the same videos over and over but that didn't bother me because I wasn't there to watch tv.

 

Montego Bay: We decided to take the Carnival excursion(shopping and tour) for $35 per person. We did enjoy it! Only downside was that the tour was not long enough-it seemed like time just flew by.

 

Grand Cayman: I reserved Moby Dick Stingray city tour before we left. Cost was $40 per person. Very easy to find after getting off the ship. That was the absolute highlight of our trip. Can't wait to go swimming with the stingrays again. Water was a bit rough for snorkeling, but we still had a wonderful time and can't wait to do it again!!

 

Cozumel: We went to Paradise Beach. It was a place I could spend days just laying in the sun, playing in the sand! We shopped after we left the beach, and had lunch at Pancho's Backyard(I think that's the name of it) food was good, but it was expensive.

 

We were sad to leave, now we are planning and saving a LOT more $$ for our next cruise.

 

Our only real complaint- the non-alcoholic drinks. Bartenders would serve someone a half can of coke, leave the can out and then serve the rest to the next person who got a soda. Result was flat coke. I did see people with full cans of coke, but I guess they brought them on board. Next time I'll do the same. The tea-I didn't care for it but my husband and daughter both liked it. The coffee- I'll just say I like my coffee at home a lot better.

[buckanear]

Sounds like you had a lot of fun! At least you didn't get an eye infection this time. :p

[tkportersat]

Ha :) Nope....my only problem this time was drinking too much wine the last evening. Made for a longgggggggg ride home!!

 

Sounds like you had a lot of fun! At least you didn't get an eye infection this time. :p

[tkportersat]

It was nice meeting you, glad you had a good time!! Sorry I missed you at Paradise Beach, we spent the day there too.

 

We too were on the Conquest. DH(53), myself(39) and our 2 daughters ages 17 and 11 for our very first cruise.

 

We flew down Friday March 6th, stayed at Days Inn in Webster, TX. Yes it was a ways from the port,had to pay for Carnival Transfers, but live and learn. We didn't have any problems getting to/from the port.

 

The lines to embark were long but they did move quickly.

 

We went to our cabins, although I don't remember what time we there, and they were ready. As we were dropping off our luggage our room steward came and introduced himself. His name was Dewa, and he was terrific. We always had clean rooms(Main Deck #'s 2292 & 2296-connecting staterooms)and the towel animals were a LOT of fun to come back too after dinner every night. Dewa always greeted us and was always VERY polite. We didn't need anything extra like ice or towels but I'm sure if we would have asked it would have been taken care of right away. We very much enjoyed the location of our room and we didn't have any problems with its size. We were not far from an elevator, and the constant low hum made it very easy to fall asleep.

 

Dining room, were were in the Renior, late seating(8:15) table # 629. Our waiters were great! We had fun being silly doing the dances with them.

Don't know if anyone else noticed or not but one of the songs playing throughout dinner every evening was the theme song to the Titanic. We had a good laugh about it(and getting our family pictures taken in front of the Titanic grand staircase background.)

DH and I did go to the supper club-The Point. We aren't used to eating in very fancy restaurants, so we felt out of place. We had trouble understanding what our server was bringing us because of her accent. We ordered the 24 oz porterhouse steak. It was bland, and tough. The service was VERY GOOD though.

 

My husband played in the casino the very last night-he lost a whopping $1.25.

The legends show was good-my husband and youngest DD went to that.

The singer that played Britanny Spears in the Legends show sat behind us at dinner every night and she sang so beautiful-her name was Georgia. She will be big someday. I wanted to go see the comedians, but we just were exhausted by that time.

There were several CC members wondering whether or not CNN was playing on the big screen-if it was there I never saw it. They did play the same videos over and over but that didn't bother me because I wasn't there to watch tv.

 

Montego Bay: We decided to take the Carnival excursion(shopping and tour) for $35 per person. We did enjoy it! Only downside was that the tour was not long enough-it seemed like time just flew by.

 

Grand Cayman: I reserved Moby Dick Stingray city tour before we left. Cost was $40 per person. Very easy to find after getting off the ship. That was the absolute highlight of our trip. Can't wait to go swimming with the stingrays again. Water was a bit rough for snorkeling, but we still had a wonderful time and can't wait to do it again!!

 

Cozumel: We went to Paradise Beach. It was a place I could spend days just laying in the sun, playing in the sand! We shopped after we left the beach, and had lunch at Pancho's Backyard(I think that's the name of it) food was good, but it was expensive.

 

We were sad to leave, now we are planning and saving a LOT more $$ for our next cruise.

 

Our only real complaint- the non-alcoholic drinks. Bartenders would serve someone a half can of coke, leave the can out and then serve the rest to the next person who got a soda. Result was flat coke. I did see people with full cans of coke, but I guess they brought them on board. Next time I'll do the same. The tea-I didn't care for it but my husband and daughter both liked it. The coffee- I'll just say I like my coffee at home a lot better.

[Shorty1007]

Did they have the Circle C club for 12 to 14 year olds? We will be going on the Conquest on the 29th with my 14 year old DD and was just wondering. If there was, did very many kids attend?

[TxMaggie]

Every time I read about the Conquest I get more and more excited about our cruise in November!! Question about the stingray excursion (love the picture btw, how neat!) Did you book through carnival or through a private company? Being a first timer I feel nervous about going through someone private.

[tkportersat]

Yeah, I saw that it was open. My daughter is 14 but attended the Club O2 group with my 16 year old son. There were kids everywhere since it was Spring Break, I hope there are plenty on board when ya'll go. My kids met some really nice people and they have all been texting and chatting on the phone since we returned. In fact on Sunday my kids are going to church with one of the guys they met.

 

Did they have the Circle C club for 12 to 14 year olds? We will be going on the Conquest on the 29th with my 14 year old DD and was just wondering. If there was, did very many kids attend?

[tkportersat]

Thanks :) We had a great time swimming w/ the Stingrays!! We booked the Hell/Turtle/Stingray excursion through Carnival. I personally wouldn't pick that one and would just go with a Stingray only tour, the turtles ok but the other stuff was a waste of time......Since it is your first cruise it might not be a bad idea to stick with a ship tour, after 11 cruises I still only book Carnival tours unless I am planning a day at the beach. But it is a personal preference and you have to do what makes you feel comfortable. Good luck!!

 

Every time I read about the Conquest I get more and more excited about our cruise in November!! Question about the stingray excursion (love the picture btw, how neat!) Did you book through carnival or through a private company? Being a first timer I feel nervous about going through someone private.

[Catfishhhh@aol.com]

We booked the last two times thru Capt. Marvin's. Think it was 35.00 and u can book on-line. When you get to Grand Cayman, you walk out the gate and to the left across the street are several stores. His office's are the first ones to your left. They pick you up in an air conditioned bus and give you a wonderful tour on the way to the really nice dive boat. We only had about 10 people both times we went no crowding like the ship excursions, and you get to swim with the rays about an hour, then they move off and you get to Snorkel along the reef. They supply everything. Great pictures and the best money we spent. Have fun

[Shorty1007]

Yeah, I saw that it was open. My daughter is 14 but attended the Club O2 group with my 16 year old son. There were kids everywhere since it was Spring Break, I hope there are plenty on board when ya'll go. My kids met some really nice people and they have all been texting and chatting on the phone since we returned. In fact on Sunday my kids are going to church with one of the guys they met.

 

 

Thanks for your reply. I have not heard anyone say for sure since the Conquest got our of drydock. I hope she makes some friends. Sometimes she is a little slow to talk to people she doesn't know, and is quick to label people as preps. I'm sure she will have a blast though.

[LHARTWICK]

We leave on the Conquest Sunday 3/22 - what was the weather like on sea days? From my past experience this time of year tends to be a little cool on board but tropical in port. does that apply to this one?? We're in cabin 8309, right across from where you guys were!

[tkportersat]

Yeah, it looked like a decent size group. I will tell you that my daughter doesn't like preppy people - she is on the individual side and does her own thing. She always manages to make friends throughout the week though so I am sure your daughter will find someone she has something in common with.

 

Thanks for your reply. I have not heard anyone say for sure since the Conquest got our of drydock. I hope she makes some friends. Sometimes she is a little slow to talk to people she doesn't know, and is quick to label people as preps. I'm sure she will have a blast though.

[TxMaggie]

Thanks for the info! I am definitely looking forward to it :) You said you got spend about 20 minutes at Margaritaville, would it be worth it to spend the day there?

[tkportersat]

I think so, it seemed like a fun place.....I kinda wish would could have hung out there longer. The slide and water trampolines are quite fun!! It was crowded though, but we went SB week. Didn't have to wait in line for the slide, we were able to walk right up.

 

Thanks for the info! I am definitely looking forward to it :) You said you got spend about 20 minutes at Margaritaville, would it be worth it to spend the day there?

[tkportersat]

bump

[soon to cruise]

I enjoyed your review. We have been on the conquest in 2007 and absolutely had a blast! We went on the Fantasy out of NOLA last summer. Instead of a cruise this summer we're going to go to....ready.....SAN ANTONIO!! I noticed you were from there. Any tips you would like to give me on that trip?? We're planning on staying at the Drury Plaza on the riverwalk. Do you think that will be good? Thanks for any advice.

[TxMaggie]

I actually live in San Antonio. I worked for the Marriott Rivercenter and I absolutely recommend it if you can afford to stay there. It's a central location connected to the riverwalk, rivercenter mall, 2 blocks from the alamo and the tower of the Americas. It's also right next to the river boat tour start point. If you have any other questions, let me know!

[soon to cruise]

Thanks for the info! I will check them out. We're trying to stay around 200.00 a night or less.

[tkportersat]

Thanks :)

I hope you have a good time in San Antonio while you are here, I am sure it will be HOT just like the Caribbean - ha. Any place on the Riverwalk should be good, you can just walk up and down the Riverwalk and there are all kinds of places to eat, shop, party, etc. I have never stayed at the Drury there so I can't say any specifics on that. I have customers that run the Comfort Inn on Cameron street which is within walking distance to the Riverwalk and runs right by the trolley system. Not fancy but lower in price probably. Clean and comfortable - and it used to be an old jail :)

 

If you have any specific questions let me know, you can email me at kporter25atsbcglobaldotcom.

 

I enjoyed your review. We have been on the conquest in 2007 and absolutely had a blast! We went on the Fantasy out of NOLA last summer. Instead of a cruise this summer we're going to go to....ready.....SAN ANTONIO!! I noticed you were from there. Any tips you would like to give me on that trip?? We're planning on staying at the Drury Plaza on the riverwalk. Do you think that will be good? Thanks for any advice.

[soon to cruise]

Thank you so much. I have jotted down your email addy and as the time draws closer I may give you a shout. I'm sure I'll have some questions.

[TxMaggie]

Hey TKPorter, are you originally from San Antonio?? It's always nice to meet others from your city. :)

[tkportersat]

Feel free, I will be happy to help if I can!!

 

Thank you so much. I have jotted down your email addy and as the time draws closer I may give you a shout. I'm sure I'll have some questions.