Folsom

My wife and I will be on Conquest in June and we have my-time-dining. Just curious in the event you had similar dining, how your servers were and any you would recommend?

 

Thanks!

 

Steve

Our head waiter was Jhunior and he was very good as was his assistant Peter. We had table 302, early dining and thought that time worked well based on our port times. This is the first time we wen other than ATD and actually liked the set time better.

Enjoy

-F-

Hi- can you please tell me if the room safes use keypads or are the kind where you swipe a card? thanks!

Our room had the card swipe safe. We would prefer keypads, but that is what they had.

-F-

$100 Per person for Port days.

$40 each to tip cabin steward and dining staff.

$25 Per travel day for tips.

$500 for casino.

-F-

Like the person above mentioned, you put cash in and cash out to your S&S card. The you can take your card to the cage and get paid.

Also be aware that they require your S&S card for table games too. This is a something that I do not recall in the past.

As far as comps. I do Cheers so don't know about free drinks, which is fine for me. A free drink in Vegas once cost me $100 while I was waiting.

I assume high rollers get something, buy I was never offered anything and I spent $500, 100 bucks at a time FWIW.

Good Luck

-F-

I am no Ships Captain, but from my missed ports, high winds seem to prevent them from docking at the pier, while high seas have canceled tenders and fog keeps you out of Tampa.

Ultimately, there is nothing you can do about it, so hope for the best and don't stress.

Good luck

-F-

The process is like boarding a plane...

They make an announcement that those passengers with a carnival excursion, should meet in the theater at such and such time.

passengers with FTTF / Diamond / Plat, can go at a slightly later time.

The eventually they tell you that anyone else (boarding group 2) can make their way to the tenders.

-F-

Ugh. I would hate to have to carry my phone around on a cruise. I know some folks are so used to them that they cannot disconnect, but for those of us that are tethered every day on land, I look forward to that things sitting in the safe for 8 days.

Give me a book, a menu and Fun Times in paper form please.

-F-

We just did that same voyage on the Conquest.

Aruba and especially Curacao were worth it. La Romana is (let me be nice) a wasted port, but they have to stop there as launce to the Southern Caribbean.

I will say the port times are odd. Grand Turk from 7:00 to 1:00, meant that the Margaritaville party just starts when it is time to go. The Curacao was from 3:00 to 11:00 or something like that. So you either had to eat in town or head back to the ship and back out. Just some thoughts.

Overall it was a good trip and we love the Conquest Class ships

-F-

Similar to what someone else said, but my favorite line when someone in customer service can't help me...

"Can you please give me the name of your supervisor?... Thanks, I would like to talk to their boss."

More times than not, the Rep's suddenly have the ability to correct the issue.

Good luck

-F-

Just an FYI, as far as the Steakhouse issue, I am not a big complainer and would not expect them to have done anything as mistakes happen. My biggest gripe was the host, did not seem to be the least bit concerned and offered no apology their error. An "I am sorry" goes a long way in my book.

But now onwards...

The highlight of our cruise was the comedy club by far. I think we hit it every night but one (we watched Star Wars on the Lido) and found the comics to be some of the best we have seen. They are certainly not for the easily offended but we did not find them to be too over the top. Also, we did not see anyone who appeared under 18 so that was not an issue for us.

We did hit the casino on a couple of nights, and had no luck this time around. We would have spent much more time there, but the smoke was terrible. You could smell it halfway down the walk way on some nights. I am fairly tolerant of smoking and understand that the smokers have been pushed to a small number of spaces, but the amount of smoke around the casino is just ridiculous, so we tried to avoid it.

We only attended one stage show and it was the hypnotist. I thought it was pretty funny, but felt bad for some of those folks. I'm not sure why you would volunteer for that, but I guess they get to tell some stories.

We enjoyed the live music on board, especially the steel drum band and the electronic string trio. My wife also enjoyed Gramm the guitarist. Tommy G in the piano bar seemed to complain a lot about the song requests, but when he did sing he was enjoyable.

As I stated we saw Star Wars on the big screen on the Lido. This was the first time we had done this, and had a good time. It was a little windy but we all had a good time with the movie.

Bars:

EA Sports Bar: Andrei was a great bartender and I hung out here a lot, despite the casino smoke. Red Frog on tap here.

Red Frog / Blue Iguana: We got the turvises which means they pour more mixer but I don't think any more booze. It is nice that they offer shade by the pool.

Alfred's: The hidden gem. Just outside of the MDR, we stopped here every night before dinner. Almost no one was ever in there and they have a good wine selection (Conundrum is great). If you want a good, fast drink. This is the spot.

Alchemy: The bar I was most looking forward to. The first time we went, the bartender (Iulia or soemthing) was rude, unpleasant and dismissive, so I did not go back until the second to last day. That is where Kat showed us what it is all about. She would ask a few questions and then just go to work and every cocktail was amazing. If I had her as a bartender from day one, I would have been there every night.

Thoughts on Cheers: For us, it payed for itself by Wednesday. The addition on the coffee, powerade and rockstars were certainly a bonus and we took advantage. I only hit the limit of 15 once and it was not a big deal, as I was just trying to do it one time one the cruise. I do wish they would do away with the limit as it seemed like it was hanging over my head especially on sea days. I was able to get drinks for my wife and I without here present, as they could look up her folio number, so that was never an issue. The most expensive thing I had was a $22 glass of sparkling wine in the steakhouse and I think $12 was the most expensive wine I saw. Most mixed drinks topped out at the $12 range as well, so I am still not sure why they landed on the $50 price limit. There is Hennesy Paradis (sp?) that goes for $60 a glass.

That's it for today, I hope you are enjoying the review

Cheers

-F-

Sure wish they would broaden their bourbon horizons. lol Both, dh and I, are bourbon drinkers, but do not like any of their offerings. They would get more moolah from us if they did. :D

There is nothing wrong with the Woodford Reserve, so I was happy with that. Avoid the Duke. I expected more, but found it to be harsh.

Cheers

-F-

I was just on the Conquest April 16-24. What were the movie titles that were shown that week?

I know they showed:

Pitch Perfect 2

Jerassic World

Star Wars (only one we watched)

The Revenant (after midnight)

Inside Out

Transylvania something.

-F-

I read some reviews from Feb that said sail away has been a "ghost ship" We you guys able to watch sail away and enjoy the party or has she been leaving late again?

Our muster drill was done in plenty of time for sailaway, so if that is what you are referring to, then no it was not a ghost ship. As usual the drill seemed to take a while to get going, but once stated, was not to bad.

Cheers

-F-

Nice review. We were on the same voyage and I am also writing a review.

I have to agree with everything you wrote. She is a great ship and the food was always top notch. I think it is funny that we probably hung out, just fee from each other at the aft pool.

Cheers,

-F-

Thanks for the review. Sorry about the road bump with the restaurant but glad to hear you had a great cruise.

 

We haven't had the American Table set up yet so I'm holding my judgment of it until my Sept cruise on the Sunshine when I'll have it for the first time. I'm anticipating I will prefer to have the table cloths but I expect I will be good with everything else just as you described it.

 

I thought the music was a little too loud on the Conquest compared to most other ships but I believe they have reduced the use of the DJ and gone to more live music since I was on her. Was the sound level ok for you?

Most of the music was live, there were:

2 guys playing caribbean music with steel drums that were excellent

An electronic string trio that was really good and different.

A guitar player who my wife really liked.

A singing trio, that I never really saw much of

and a person playing a squeeze box of some kind)

A DJ that played dance music in the lobby, nightclub and Lido

I would say they could be loud if you were right near them, but was not an issue for us. I generally liked all of them, but I am tone deaf (ask my wife) and like most live music, so I am not a good judge of quality.

Cheers

-F-

I have had an Aft balcony on Carnival Freedom (deck 6) and Conquest (deck 7), so I am your guy.

Technically when you look down you can see someone below you if they are at the railing looking over. But if they are sitting or lounging, they cannot be seen from the balconies above them. The bigger privacy issue is your neighbor as the dividers are slanted and if the wish to they can look right into your balcony, but that has never been an issue for me.

As far as "trash", it would have to come from deck 10 (one deck above the aft pool) in order to blow into your space. I have never noticed any trash on my balconies, but that is not to say it does not happen. I would hover be surprised if yo would get more than a napkin once or twice. But do not be shocked if you get a little soot out there. It is rarely an issue, but I have seen some on the table.

Be aware that the comedy club (deck 5) can be hear from deck 6 and that the aft pool (deck 9) along with it's sliding deck chairs may be heard from deck 8. That is why we went with deck 7 this time and never had any noise issues.

Finally be aware that the center 2 rooms on deck 6 are a full 12 inches narrower than any other cabin, I have seen. It is not mentioned anywhere but it is hard to move between the wall and the end of the bed on those 2 cabins. I am not sure about other floors but I had that room and it was way smaller than the one we just had.

cheers

-F-

Good day,

I thought I would share my thoughts about or recent 4/16-4/24 cruise on the Conquest. These are just my opinions and observations and as such yours may be different.

About us: There were 2 couples in out party this cruise all in late 40's to early 50's and have cruised between 3 and 8 times. This is my 4th Carnival cruise.

Embarkation: We bought faster to the fun, but ended up at a friends house in Ft. Lauderdale prior to boarding the ship so we did not get to the pier until around 1:30. The FTF line was empty and we moved through quickly and was on-board and in my room in about 15 minutes.

The Ship: While, I had read plenty of the poor condition of the Conquest, I was pleased with her overall condition. Sure you could find peeling paint and wear and tear, but they were minor compared to the style that this ship has. I had sailed on the Freedom before, so I really like this layout and the Conquest decor was more to my liking than the Freedom.

I generally like the smaller ships and this seems to be about the right size for my taste. I did think that the ship was a little crowded at times but was always manageable. This is also the first 2.0 ship that I have sailed on and love the additions that come with it. I will say that this is now my favorite Carnival vessel to date

Dining: OK, I will start with the "Tablecloth" debate, since it seems like such a hot topic on CC. Yes, they have removed the tablecloths for all non-Formal night dinners. Did I miss them for a second? No. Infact, the rest of our party and the others at our table, did not even notice that they were missing, until I pointed it out. There are holders for the water that collect the condensation, so there are no "water rings". Nothing slid across the table even when we had some rough waves and they will bring you all of the napkins you want if you don't want your soup spoon to touch the table. In my opinion, this is the biggest non-issue, issue on-board.

As far as food quality, I was very impressed with the selection and quality of the food. I never had a bad meal in the MDR and would consider the overall food to be very good. The selection was also to my taste and I do not see the issue with the American Table concept. Infact I kept thinking that I would end up eating the Flat Iron Steak every time I was unhappy with the choices, but never ordered it once. There was always something appealing and was always happy with the food.

I like Guy's burgers, but don't quite get the fascination. To hear some people talk, it is THE reason for cruising with Carnival. I think it must be appealing to folks who do not have a Smash Burger or a 5-Guys near them, as I thought they were very similar. I did enjoy the Blue Iguana almost every day for breakfast, but that was because the line for the buffet were usually quire long and slow moving. Also, I am a big fan of the fish and chips place. Never a wait and the fish was pretty good, but loved the calamari fritters and the seafood soup. Finally, we hit Pizza Pirate almost every night for a snack before bed. I thought they were very good for a thin crust pizza.

We did eat on the Lido deck one night and I was not thrilled. The lines were long and the meats well over cooked. I ended up just eating salad, which is not a bad thing I guess.

we did eat at the steakhouse one night and this ended up being my worst experience on the cruise. To make a long story (kinda) short, I checked in with the host to verify by dining time. She told me that she had no reservation for me and they were booked for the evening. I said, I know I have a reservation, but she told me there was nothing she could do for that night (my wifes B-day). So I head back to my room to pull up my confirmation e-mail, but of course it was too long ago to be on my phone, which only goes back a few weeks. I ended up paying $16 for the internet plan for a day, found the confirmation and went back to see the host. She looked at my phone and said "OK, we will see you at 6:00". I eventually got guest services to credit my $16 after explaining the problem so they were at least helpful. On to dinner...

The meal was wonderful, I ordered the Ribeye, two others had the surf and turf and one had the lobster, everyone in our group agreed that it was better than anything we have had at Mortons and for $35 we would have eaten there again except for the service. I don't know what happened, but the restaurant was only half full and we were put in a corner by ourselves. We had to ask for menu's, water was never poured and we were constantly asking for someone to take a drink order. I have no idea what the problem was but it was one of the worst experiences we have had with Carnival, but the food was amazing, hmmm.

I have gotten wordy, so I will post about ports, bars and casino later.

Cheers

-F-

I saw Cigar City on board, but never ordered one. They seemed to have 4-5 craft beers especially at the pool bars. I actually enjoyed the Red Frog especially 19oz for $6.95

-F-

Been on several cruises and know for the most part what they offer. But would anyone happen to have a list or menu of the whisky that carnival offers? This will be the first time I'm using the "enhanced" cheers package with the raised limit. Just wondering what some of the more premium choices they had. Thanks in advance

As a bourbon drinker, I can help with that aspect. Last week I saw:

Bourbons- Woodford Reserve, The Duke and Makers Mark

Rye - Templeton

American Whisky - Gentleman Jack

There were also a fair number of scotches. I am not a fan so I did not pay much attention, but remember J.W. Black, Glenfidich and Glen Morengie(sp?)

Cheers

-F-

Looking forward to reading your review, what ports did you visit?

Grand Turk, Stayed at Margaritaville.

La Romana, I did laundry on board ship, then left to get a beer before getting back on board.

Curacao, we did our own walking tour of the city.

Aruba, went to Eagle beach.

-F-

Powerades that we just bought all came with lids. There is the 5 minute wait but I don't see how they could keep you from ordering a bunch. Also we took waters with us to port every time we left the ship.

Cheers

-F-

I will do a quick review in a day or so but I always like it when other CC members open it up to questions right after the voyage.

Cheers

-F-

I've never done it, probably never will, but have nothing against it. Why do you care so much? Just an honest question, I can't figure out why this offends people. There's tons of stuff I wouldn't do on a ship, that others do that I won't do, but it doesn't get me all riled up. I just quietly say to myself "nah I wouldn't do that" Do you really think this is a critical rule??? What about adults who book themselves in a cabin with one child, and the other parent in another room with the other kid / kids, and then swap rooms? Does that bother you too?? People are thinking too much. Just relax , have a good time and don't worry about what others do, unless they threaten do beat you up in the buffet line for no reason (which happened to me). Literally no reason, still can't figure it out to this day, but that's another story.

Because it's the internet. Everyone has an opinion and feels the need to share it (as I am doing), while hiding behind a moniker (My real name is not Folsom), in a manner in which they would never do to a person in real life.

-F-

There was a thread recently similar to this, although that one was more like there are ABSOLUTELY NO DEALS on watches in the Fun Shops onboard a Carnival ship...and that may have started with Invicta watches.

 

However, myself and a few other chimed in to that thread saying we did get decent "deals" on Citizens watches, which is the case for myself and my wife as we each bought a Citzens's watch onboard a cruise on the Pride last year. I don't recall the exact savings but from ports we stopped at (probably the worst comparison) to online outlets and retail stores at home, we actually did save a decent amount for all other "sale" or deeply discounted prices we saw for the same models of watches. Others agreed that Citizens watches are not as crazily marked up as say the Invicta's are, and the %% discounts posted on the ship stores can really be off the "real" retail value of those Citizen's watches. YMMV, but we did ok purchasing Citizens brand watches.

Well said.

Also remember that you don't pay taxes. So paying the same for a watch in port or at sea, saves you the 6%-10% that you would normally spend in taxes.

-F-

I am not a watch enthusiast, but would you recommend any brands that sell on a carnival cruise line that is worth a couple of hundred bucks?

I would agree with the above poster that Invicta watches are not a luxury watch and I would put them in the same category as a casio or fossil.

If you want a quality watch to buy at sea or in port, you can look at citizen watches. They will have a regular MSRP unlike Invicta. Any citizen can be bought for 25% off at a retailer on most occasion. 40% off MSRP is a good deal and anything more that that, should make you feel good about your price point.

Good luck

-F-