Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Conquest Cruise Review
Western Caribbean
Michael
Age: 55
Occupation: Teacher
Number of Cruises: 1
Sailing Date: October 15th, 2005
This cruise was originally booked to leave from New Orleans. With the Hurricane
season pummeling the Gulf Coast and flooding the city, Galveston became the
alternate port.
Unfortunately, Hurricane Wilma chased the Conquest during our cruise and also
affected our course making this an all Mexican port vacation. (Costa Maya,
Cozmel, and Progresso)
The Conquest is a wonderful ship. The staff friendly and service immediate.
The food was usually very good in the
Monet dining room. Service was excellent there as well. Make a point to go to
your assigned dining room. It's a wonderful experience.
The buffets were just okay. Food occasionally seemed bland. Pizza station was
usually under staffed and almost always required a 5-10 minute wait for one
slice during peak hours.
The rooms were quite surprising in comfort. We reserved a balcony and I must
tell you, this is the only way to enjoy the full experience. It's your own ocean
view, and you have it 24 hours a day. We ordered room service daily and enjoyed
our breakfast on the balcony while the sun came up. Leaving and entering ports
was also nice to enjoy from you room. Spend the extra money. You deserve it, and
you will not regret it. After all, you are on vacation.
The shows and entertainment vary for all different age groups. There is always
something to do and see on this ship! The hard part is choosing between them
all. My advice, remember you are on vacation and slow down. You can easily wear
yourself out trying to do it all.
Some shows, like the Vegas style musicals don't impress the younger crowds.
However the adult comedy show with Phat Kat doesn't always work with seniors and
retirees due to the profanity. Keep in mind, they provide a variety for everyone
to enjoy something. Like the seasonal weather in Springfield, MO...if you don't
like it, just wait a day and it will change completely. There is something for
everyone.
With things like Camp Carnival for kids, the full service spa for adults, and
wonderful night spots for younger people, it's no wonder why Carnival is called
the "Fun Ship".
The only thing I could complain about is the city of Galveston and the
embarkation/disembarkation process. It was a horrible experience trying to get
on and especially off that ship. Sometimes taking people over 8hrs to get to
their cars.
It is a free for all to find your luggage amongst hundreds of suitcases and
people and you will lose any relaxed feeling you may had before leaving
Galveston.
This is an unfortunate way to end or begin a vacation. Hopefully they will
improve their capacity in this process in the near future.
If you are thinking about this cruise, and live in the Midwest, I would highly
recommend it. It was an addictive experience and one we will enjoy again.