I think we've created a monster! - Conquest Review Feb (Pic Heavy)

[mississauga]

Fabulous review! It would still have been great without the pictures of your DD but having them as part of your review just put it over the top! Brilliant!

 

Thanks for sharing.

[idreaminpink]

Your DD is so cute! When I go on my first cruise in August I too will be going "gaga" over fruit soup! I'm looking forward to them! :cool:

 

What ports did you go to?

 

Aww thanks! I think I'll get to that in the next part of my review lol, but it was the West Carib one that went to Montego Bay (Jamaica), Cayman Islands and Cozumel.

 

Do you have them for the 2-5 age group? If so can you email them, sburleigh@lusfiber.net.

 

I am hoping to get all my Fun Times scanned in, I believe I kept the kids one too. If I do I'll let you know :)

[courtneymd9]

Your daughter might be the most adorable kid I have ever seen!

[idreaminpink]

Ports of call:

 

After 2 fun days at sea we got to Montego Bay (Jamaica). This is the first time I ever visited a port of call with a cruise terminal. So I was pleasantly surprised when we got off the boat onto land, with no pier or tender boat at the end of the gangway lol. We docked a little late due to the detour to Cozumel to drop off a passenger so they made sure all the people with tours got off first. We were doing Dunn's River Falls and Dolphin Cove and had a long drive ahead of us so I was a bit worried about the time. But it all went smoothly and we were off the boat in 5-10 minutes. My daughter was awe struck by being in another country lol. She kept asking, "Are we REALLY not in America anymore or are you kidding??" It was much warmer in MoBay than in Galveston, a gorgeous 80 degrees, though a bit humid. We were lead into the terminal which got hot pretty quickly. People were crowding fast, shoulder to shoulder in the tour lines that were set up, and there was no A/C in there, just a few open doors. I know I know, spoiled American lol. But I tend to feel a little claustrophobic in crowds and I think that was part of it. I was happy when we were finally taken outside to board the bus that would take us on our hour and a half journey to Ocho Rios. It was a decent tour bus in great shape with cold A/C, what more could you want? lol We met our tour guide Roslyn who was very nice and interesting, she gave us lots of info on Jamaica on our way up to Ocho Rios. She told us we were running behind due to the ship docking late and she apologized for having to rush us at our stops. She also said we would be reversing the order of the tours so we could get lunch at a decent hour.

 

As soon as we got to Dolphin Cove she lead us down to the beach where we got our buffet lunch. They were grilling up burgers and they were DELICIOUS! I might have just been starving but I swear they were so good, even my daughter who never eats burgers scarfed it down and raved about it. We waded in the ocean for a few minutes and then those that had dolphin encounters were lead to the dolphin area. Unfortunately Carnival wouldn't let us book the touch encounter because they said it was for ages 6+ only. However I knew from researching online before the cruise that the actual company of Dolphin Cove not only lets kids 4-6 do the touch program but they let them do it for free lol. So I was determined to at least try to get someone to let my daughter touch a dolphin, I was willing to pay and figured the worst they could say was no. So I went to the entry and told them our predicament. The nice lady behind the counter said there wasn't any way they could get us into the touch program (the one where you're partly submersed in the water), however she said they were running a special for $25 where we could sit on the pier and they would bring up a dolphin onto the pier with us and let us pet and kiss it while they took pictures, and then they would give us the entire CD of pictures included in the price! I made her say it twice because it seemed too good to be true lol, I mean I didn't care if I was standing in the water when I touched the dolphin, and we got way more time "personal time" with the dolphin than the people doing the program and still got to watch the show. It was quite a deal!! My daughter was absolutely THRILLED and still talks about kissing the dolphin 2 weeks later. Best $25 we spent on the cruise hands down lol. We didn't have much time left after that so we hurried through the jungle trail and DH and DD touched a sting ray while I got the CD of pictures. We didn't get to see the shark show because of the late docking but no biggie, stuff happens. We HAD to be at the falls at a certain time or else they locked the gate so that took precedent. The falls are literally across the street from the cove thank goodness. My overall impression of Dolphin Cove was very positive. The place is absolutely beautiful and clean, everyone we talked to was very nice and they seemed knowledgeable about the creatures in their possession. The person who helped us meet the dolphin told us that they bred dolphins there and showed us 2 babies in the distance. The dolphins looked well taken care of. I know there is a huge controversy about places like this, and there is no way to know how they got the original dolphins, but they genuinely seemed happy. Some of the dolphins that weren't being played with would jump up on to the piers and then roll off into the water and swim around and jump up out of the water, it was really cute! Was it Sea World? No, but I thought it was worth the drive and if we'd had more time there it would have been a little more relaxing I think. If we docked in Ocho Rios I would absolutely go back, I probably wouldn't make the drive from MoBay again just cause we've already done it, but would definitely recommend it to others.

 

So after we left the cove we got to the falls JUST in time. They had just shut the front gate and the bus snuck in the back gate before they closed it lol. They told us to strip down to our bathing suits and leave everything in the bus because we didn't have time to use the lockers. I was a little uncomfortable with this but didn't have much of a choice. We walked quickly down to the bottom of the falls, were given a quick narrative and got in the water (it was so cold!!). The part I didn't know before getting there is that climbing the falls is a guided tour, not a free climb. I had somehow missed that part, I thought we'd have more time to play around and stuff. But it was also way more dangerous/strenuous than I had imagined so I was grateful for the guide! lol I'm not the most athletic person you've ever met so climbing the falls was pretty daunting to me. But I had a 5 year old to look out for so I couldn't show any fear lol. She was the only kid in our group but there were several other groups with small children and that made me feel better somehow. I was thinking at first maybe I had make a mistake heh. I wouldn't take any kids younger than 5 though, and a better age would have been like 7 or 8, but we did fine. She is good at climbing those rock wall things she really wasn't that scared. Climbing the falls was exhilarating, and my heart pounded the whole time until we reached the top. I was actually kind of proud of myself for the accomplishment, especially with DD in tow. The rocks are slippery and there is no way you could do it without water shoes. You don't have to be a big athlete to do this but if you had any kind of medical issue that would impair your mobility you probably shouldn't tackle it. There is a set of stairs that you can walk up while your party climbs the falls but they give you a hard time about using them. "You've come all this way and you're not going to climb?!" Almost everyone in our group was over 50, some over 60, so really if you are in decent health you can probably do it. If you want a good challenge than I highly recommend it, it's an unforgettable experience!

 

My only complaint is that for the drive home, we were the last to get on the bus and people moved our stuff and sat in our seats. No big deal except nobody left us even 2 seats together, and nobody would move when asked. So the 3 of us had to sit in 3 single seats apart from each other for an hour and a half on the way home. *****? Not one person could move so that I could sit with my 5 year old daughter?? My husband sat in the seat in front of her and she fell asleep in the chair, several times almost spilling out into the aisle. I was kind of upset about this but what can you do? I asked and everyone just stared at me. I can't believe I was penalized for taking my kid to the bathroom and being last on the bus, silly me lol. But aside from that it was a great day, and we made it back to the ship with half an hour to spare!

 

 

 

(Look down by her feet and you'll see a shark in the water!)

 

 

 

A lady who didn't climb the falls took this for us. (This wasn't even the steepest part of the falls lol)

[idreaminpink]

Your daughter might be the most adorable kid I have ever seen!

 

Aww that is so sweet, thank you so much! Don't tell her that though, it'll go right to her head! ;)

[douglinc@msn.com]

Popey was something like an assistant cruise director. He was everywhere helping with the games etc.

 

Doug

[Riley's Mom]

I can't believe no one would move so you could sit with your daughter.. I'm sorry... That is so sad and disturbing....

What selfish people....

 

 

Your daughter is such a little doll... Your a lovely family.. Glad you had fun. And thank you for sharing your cruise with us...

[KaylaRenee17]

Ports of call:

 

After 2 fun days at sea we got to Montego Bay (Jamaica). This is the first time I ever visited a port of call with a cruise terminal. So I was pleasantly surprised when we got off the boat onto land, with no pier or tender boat at the end of the gangway lol. We docked a little late due to the detour to Cozumel to drop off a passenger so they made sure all the people with tours got off first. We were doing Dunn's River Falls and Dolphin Cove and had a long drive ahead of us so I was a bit worried about the time. But it all went smoothly and we were off the boat in 5-10 minutes. My daughter was awe struck by being in another country lol. She kept asking, "Are we REALLY not in America anymore or are you kidding??" It was much warmer in MoBay than in Galveston, a gorgeous 80 degrees, though a bit humid. We were lead into the terminal which got hot pretty quickly. People were crowding fast, shoulder to shoulder in the tour lines that were set up, and there was no A/C in there, just a few open doors. I know I know, spoiled American lol. But I tend to feel a little claustrophobic in crowds and I think that was part of it. I was happy when we were finally taken outside to board the bus that would take us on our hour and a half journey to Ocho Rios. It was a decent tour bus in great shape with cold A/C, what more could you want? lol We met our tour guide Roslyn who was very nice and interesting, she gave us lots of info on Jamaica on our way up to Ocho Rios. She told us we were running behind due to the ship docking late and she apologized for having to rush us at our stops. She also said we would be reversing the order of the tours so we could get lunch at a decent hour.

 

As soon as we got to Dolphin Cove she lead us down to the beach where we got our buffet lunch. They were grilling up burgers and they were DELICIOUS! I might have just been starving but I swear they were so good, even my daughter who never eats burgers scarfed it down and raved about it. We waded in the ocean for a few minutes and then those that had dolphin encounters were lead to the dolphin area. Unfortunately Carnival wouldn't let us book the touch encounter because they said it was for ages 6+ only. However I knew from researching online before the cruise that the actual company of Dolphin Cove not only lets kids 4-6 do the touch program but they let them do it for free lol. So I was determined to at least try to get someone to let my daughter touch a dolphin, I was willing to pay and figured the worst they could say was no. So I went to the entry and told them our predicament. The nice lady behind the counter said there wasn't any way they could get us into the touch program (the one where you're partly submersed in the water), however she said they were running a special for $25 where we could sit on the pier and they would bring up a dolphin onto the pier with us and let us pet and kiss it while they took pictures, and then they would give us the entire CD of pictures included in the price! I made her say it twice because it seemed too good to be true lol, I mean I didn't care if I was standing in the water when I touched the dolphin, and we got way more time "personal time" with the dolphin than the people doing the program and still got to watch the show. It was quite a deal!! My daughter was absolutely THRILLED and still talks about kissing the dolphin 2 weeks later. Best $25 we spent on the cruise hands down lol. We didn't have much time left after that so we hurried through the jungle trail and DH and DD touched a sting ray while I got the CD of pictures. We didn't get to see the shark show because of the late docking but no biggie, stuff happens. We HAD to be at the falls at a certain time or else they locked the gate so that took precedent. The falls are literally across the street from the cove thank goodness. My overall impression of Dolphin Cove was very positive. The place is absolutely beautiful and clean, everyone we talked to was very nice and they seemed knowledgeable about the creatures in their possession. The person who helped us meet the dolphin told us that they bred dolphins there and showed us 2 babies in the distance. The dolphins looked well taken care of. I know there is a huge controversy about places like this, and there is no way to know how they got the original dolphins, but they genuinely seemed happy. Some of the dolphins that weren't being played with would jump up on to the piers and then roll off into the water and swim around and jump up out of the water, it was really cute! Was it Sea World? No, but I thought it was worth the drive and if we'd had more time there it would have been a little more relaxing I think. If we docked in Ocho Rios I would absolutely go back, I probably wouldn't make the drive from MoBay again just cause we've already done it, but would definitely recommend it to others.

 

So after we left the cove we got to the falls JUST in time. They had just shut the front gate and the bus snuck in the back gate before they closed it lol. They told us to strip down to our bathing suits and leave everything in the bus because we didn't have time to use the lockers. I was a little uncomfortable with this but didn't have much of a choice. We walked quickly down to the bottom of the falls, were given a quick narrative and got in the water (it was so cold!!). The part I didn't know before getting there is that climbing the falls is a guided tour, not a free climb. I had somehow missed that part, I thought we'd have more time to play around and stuff. But it was also way more dangerous/strenuous than I had imagined so I was grateful for the guide! lol I'm not the most athletic person you've ever met so climbing the falls was pretty daunting to me. But I had a 5 year old to look out for so I couldn't show any fear lol. She was the only kid in our group but there were several other groups with small children and that made me feel better somehow. I was thinking at first maybe I had make a mistake heh. I wouldn't take any kids younger than 5 though, and a better age would have been like 7 or 8, but we did fine. She is good at climbing those rock wall things she really wasn't that scared. Climbing the falls was exhilarating, and my heart pounded the whole time until we reached the top. I was actually kind of proud of myself for the accomplishment, especially with DD in tow. The rocks are slippery and there is no way you could do it without water shoes. You don't have to be a big athlete to do this but if you had any kind of medical issue that would impair your mobility you probably shouldn't tackle it. There is a set of stairs that you can walk up while your party climbs the falls but they give you a hard time about using them. "You've come all this way and you're not going to climb?!" Almost everyone in our group was over 50, some over 60, so really if you are in decent health you can probably do it. If you want a good challenge than I highly recommend it, it's an unforgettable experience!

 

My only complaint is that for the drive home, we were the last to get on the bus and people moved our stuff and sat in our seats. No big deal except nobody left us even 2 seats together, and nobody would move when asked. So the 3 of us had to sit in 3 single seats apart from each other for an hour and a half on the way home. *****? Not one person could move so that I could sit with my 5 year old daughter?? My husband sat in the seat in front of her and she fell asleep in the chair, several times almost spilling out into the aisle. I was kind of upset about this but what can you do? I asked and everyone just stared at me. I can't believe I was penalized for taking my kid to the bathroom and being last on the bus, silly me lol. But aside from that it was a great day, and we made it back to the ship with half an hour to spare!

 

 

 

(Look down by her feet and you'll see a shark in the water!)

 

 

 

A lady who didn't climb the falls took this for us. (This wasn't even the steepest part of the falls lol)

 

That really sucks that no one would move! Being that DD is so young, even I a picky teenager that prefers to sit alone on a bus ride would move so you could sit with your DD.

 

Seems like you got a great shore excursion for Jamica, maybe the best I have heard of.

[idreaminpink]

The next stop was our favorite Caribbean port (thus far in our novice cruise career anyways lol)... the Cayman Islands! We stopped there on our honeymoon cruise and absolutely fell in love, we would both move there in a heartbeat. The first time we went was right after Ivan hit, and there were literally no trees left lol. They were all blown down, and there were parking lots full of destroyed cars that needed to be taken off the island. So it was nice to see palm trees standing upright and that things have been rebuilt, even though yet another hurricane ripped through there a few years ago. On our first visit there we did the stingrays/hell/turtle farm tour. Unfortunately due to weather the stingrays were canceled and we got extra time at the turtle farm, which back in 2004 was nothing more than a few large tanks and a gift shop. Since our 5 year old LOVES sea animals so much we decided to just do the turtle farm this time, so we booked a tour called Turtles, Turtles, Turtles. We had heard that the turtle farm had been damaged in one of the hurricanes and had rebuilt a much bigger site across the street, and boy was that true! I couldn't believe my eyes, there is nice shopping here now, a restaurant, ice cream, snorkeling with the turtles, a huge pool, a predator tank, tons of breeding tanks, and an expansive lagoon for the older turtles to swim in. The property is absolutely gorgeous now. Oh and there is also a center for kids to learn more about sea turtles and conservation. Now the funny thing about this place is that they make money to fund their conservation efforts through tourists and through selling some of their turtles to market. Unfortunately the national dish is turtle soup and they are very upfront about this. I guess it's better that they breed turtles specifically for this instead of taking more out of the wild, and they are helping to repopulate those as well, it was just kind of a sad awakening for the kiddos lol. The first part was a guided tour and the rest of the time we were free to do what we wanted until the bus left. Our tour guide "Turtle Tim" was wonderful and informative. We were able to touch and hold the turtles and DD just loved that. She went back to touch the baby ones (one of the guides carried around a bucket of them) about 4 times lol. We had lunch there, it was adequate but not wonderful. Overall it was a fabulous day except one thing... when DH reached in to one of the tanks to get a turtle he dropped our DSLR into the tank by accident... whoops! lol We dried it in the sun but the tank was saltwater and I don't think it's salvageable. We're going go take it to a camera store and see but I'm not holding my breath. Not sure if we can save the pics off it or not. But even with that it was still a great excursion and afterwards we shopped in town for a bit before heading back to the ship. If you are going to Cayman for the first time you might want to do the multi-stop tour so you can see more of the island, it is so beautiful. Next time I go I'm picking out my new condo heh :D

 

 

(those turtles are all between 300-600 lbs)

 

 

(hard to tell but that's us swimming lol)

 

[TXHillbillyGirl]

Love your review. Can't wait to read more.:D

[idreaminpink]

Finally coming to an end for my review, sorry this is taking so long :o Our last port of call was Cozumel. We have been there several other times so we did not book a tour. We figured we'd just step off the boat and do a little shopping and then go back and enjoy the ship. This all turned out to be a good thing as apparently there some issues getting off the ship that morning, plus it was raining. We didn't get "out and about" until about 9am that day and heard stories about how Carnival had closed the gangways during the disembarkation due to a Holland American ship that needed to dock. The reports we overheard said it was closed for like 20-30 minutes, and the biggest complaints were from some people who were outside the ship and were trying to get back on board. Apparently they weren't allowed on because the gangways were closed and it was starting to rain pretty heavily. This is all hearsay, I wasn't present for any of this, but there was quite a commotion about it. Anyway by the time we were getting off the ship (10:30ish) it was all fine. The rain had stopped, though still cloudy, and we basically just walked off.

 

The last time we were in Cozumel (Feb 2007) they were still rebuilding the piers after hurricane Wilma (I believe). It was sad because we had been there in 2004 and remembered the nice pier and shopping area, and were so surprised we had to tender in and then saw scenes like this...

 

(I THINK this is where Three Amigos is now but not entirely sure.)

 

Anyway I was so happy that we were actually docked at the rebuilt pier and that the shopping area was back to its "former glory" lol. I hope one day to see the duty free shopping strip on the pier finished as well.

 

 

My daughter was really excited to be in Mexico since it was the only port we visited that she had actually heard of before the trip lol. We literally only shopped there and took funny pictures. We aren't huge shoppers but we did all the touristy stuff like Del Sol (DD thought that stuff was just awesome) and that big white shopping place (by Pancho's I think) with all the "chachkies" at the end of the shopping district. I wanted to do the beginner shore snorkel, but DD didn't take too well to the snorkeling in Grand Cayman so I thought we'd wait till she was a bit older to try again. We got back on the ship between 1-2pm, can't remember exactly, and grabbed lunch. (With 4 ships docked that day all the restaurants in Cozumel were really busy.) It was at this point that I realized there wasn't too much to do on board during port days lol. I think I mentioned this earlier in the review but I remember there being more to do on board on previous non-Carnival cruises. On our Princess cruise there was so much to do on port days we actually felt bad about getting off the ship! lol And unfortunately it wasn't even a good day to hang out on deck because it was cool, overcast and misty. So we decided to do the totally lame thing and take a nap before sail away haha. We had been going and going and going all week and were pretty exhausted, even my daughter thought it was a good idea! That's pretty much it for that port, but here are a few more of our Cozumel pics!

 

 

 

[idreaminpink]

We finally recovered the pictures from the DSLR that got ruined in the turtle tank so here are some pics of our cabin :) To recap we were on deck 10, panorama, in a balcony with a convertible sofa. They left the sofa as a bed at all times, which I was not expecting but was fine as my daughter liked to hang out on it and listen to her music from time to time. We found the room to be of perfectly adequate size for the three of us and am glad we chose to do this cruise instead of the Ecstasy based on the room size alone lol. We love the Ecstasy but I don't think the 3 of us would have been as comfortable in those tiny rooms.

 

 

 

 

[idreaminpink]

A few parting thoughts...

 

We did the self-assist disembarkation and it was a breeze. We docked, had some breakfast, and waited in our stateroom for our deck to be called. We were the third group. Once off the ship we got in a long customs line. We had a ton of luggage so when a porter offered to help us we happily accepted, even though we were running out of cash lol. What we didn't know is that there is apparently a separate customs line just for the porters?? So he said, "follow me," and proceeded to wheel our bags right past the huge line of people and straight to an open customs agent. Just for future reference, is this typical?? If so I feel dumb for not doing it the first 2 times we sailed out of Galveston lol. Anyway he got a great tip cause he probably saved us at least half an hour. DH walked over to Harbor House and grabbed our car and came to pick us up! We were on the road before 9:30am and home about 1pm.

 

 

 

 

(Yey the coffee bar was open!!)

 

Thanks for getting through my horribly slow and disjointed review, I want to wrap up by saying that though there were a few issues (aren't there always?) we had a fabulous time and our daughter is itching to take another cruise! So we just put down a deposit for a Disney cruise for next year, a 5 day on their new "Dream" ship. I swore we would never pay the extra for a Disney cruise but I really got sucked in when I read about their new ship lol. But we bought the FCC while on board so we'll definitely book another Carnival cruise before Feb of 2013, likely out of Galveston on the Magic. My parents are booked on the Conquest in a few weeks and I made up this list of tips for them, I figured I'd also post it here as well in case it would help someone else. Keep in mind these were kind of geared towards them and stuff I knew would interest them. This is also their first time on Carnival, though they are experienced on RCCL and NCL. I will also make a separate post with some additional pics.

 

Have fun in your travels and keep on cruisin', ya'll!!

 

My Conquest tips:

 

* There are actually 10 elevators in the forward bank by the glass elevators (just remember to press the separate button for the glass ones) and 4 in the other 2 banks. We never waited over a minute for an elevator in the foward bank.

 

* Remember that deck 5 is pretty much your "jumping off point" for most things and is the one that goes forward to aft. Decks 3 and 4 are split up so I just always went to 5 first and took the staircase if needed.

 

* There are 2 coffee bars, the obvious one on deck 5, and a kind of hidden one in the back of the buffet area by a corridor. It's not on the deck plan that I could see. The "hidden" one seemed to always be open, even when the main one wasn't, including the last morning and port days. Ask about the coffee punch card.

 

* If you do anytime dining and get there at 5:45pm there isn't much of a line. However the 2 person tables that got there early seemed to get served rather quickly, and I noticed a lot of those tables missed the waiters' "show" that happens between 7-7:30pm, so eat slowly and make sure to stick around for that.

 

* The last evening make sure to go to the "Fun Farewell" party before dinner, in the Degas lounge on deck 5. It's not advertised extensively but there's free booze! lol

 

* A good time to buy "fun" drinks is on port days as you're sailing away. They will have one drink that day on sale for about $5 and bartenders walking around the Lido deck (9) with trays of them.

 

* A good time to play in the casino is between 9-11pm. On some days they did this thing during that time where they picked random guests that had their cards in the machine to spin a prize wheel. There was always live music during that time as well.

 

* There are 2 evenings that they offer half price internet time called internet happy hour. It was from 7-9pm and on our cruise it was the second full sea day and the second to last. Only the first one was advertised in the Fun Times so ask in the internet cafe about the others. If you want a time plan buy it on the first day to get the extra minutes, but also make use of the happy hour and they will only bill you for half the minutes.

 

* The second to last day they had "2 for $20" mix and match tees and hats. Then the last day they were $10 each without having to buy 2. We also learned that ALL the kids shirts counted as the 2 for $20 even though they weren't marked as such.

 

* If you buy any of those 6X9 size photos make sure to get a frame at the same time, they were only $3 instead of $6 if they were on the same receipt. There were 2 to choose from at this price.

 

* The Super Duper Trivia is really fun, but it's a 3 day commitment and in the cigar lounge on our cruise, so keep that in mind.

 

* There are some decent spa deals during the last few days. On the Cozumel port day they offered a "pick 3 for $99" special that seemed good, you could pick 3 mini treatments like massage, mani, pedi, facial, etc. But the next day they lowered the price another $10 so it was 3 for $89. (I still didn't jump on it but it was tempting!)

 

* On a port day, or other not-too-windy day, check out the "hidden" decks on levels 9 and 10 above the bridge. To find it go all the way forward (through the cabin area). On deck 9 the door to the deck is along the forward wall between cabins, on deck 10 it is on the starboard side, all the way forward past the last cabin. Great view and there is rarely anyone out there. It can get really window though if you're sailing.

 

* If you like mud slides, try the "mocha chocolate getaway," yummy!

 

* Check the fun times for a wine tasting/pairing event in the steak house. It happened on sea days, early afternoon I want to say. I think it was like $10 or $15 but you got to sample food and wine from the steakhouse without doing a huge dinner.

[idreaminpink]

 

 

 

 

Waiter dancing to "Low"

 

Tea time in the Monet

[idreaminpink]

 

 

Sooo full lol

 

 

 

[idreaminpink]

Oh I forgot the best "tip" of all - Check the "Fun Times" and find whomever is doing the "late night magic" in the wine bar, usually about 11pm. We had Barman and he was amazing, as mentioned earlier. :D

 

 

 

[law638]

Thank you for the wonderful review. Your daughter is quite adorable. Your really lucky she picked you. I'm so happy that it was a enjoyable experience. It took me back when my parents would take us on vacation & I'm in my 50's.

[MicksMom]

Thanks so much for the awesome review! Beautiful family!:D

 

Happy Cruising!!

[MrSnarkyPants]

A few parting thoughts...

 

What we didn't know is that there is apparently a separate customs line just for the porters?? So he said, "follow me," and proceeded to wheel our bags right past the huge line of people and straight to an open customs agent. Just for future reference, is this typical??

 

Yes, that's how Galveston works. There sometimes is a short wait for a customs agent with a porter, but nothing like the wait for those who don't use one. Totally worth it!

[Noreno]

What type of SLR did you use or Camera?

[yst347]

* The Super Duper Trivia is really fun, but it's a 3 day commitment and in the cigar lounge on our cruise, so keep that in mind.

 

All I can say is Bulgaria. ;)

 

Great review, thanks for posting. :)

[Meyer2]

Wonderful review!!! Brought back lots of memories! Glad you had such a great time. Your DD is so cute!

[nlt46]

I really did appreciate your review and I liked your tips. I've been on the Conquest before, but you reminded me of things I had forgotten. Enjoy your next cruises.

Nancy

[soulsistah007]

Wonderful review!! I really enjoyed your description and pics! Glad you and your family had a wonderful vacation :)

[t1adams]

Wonderful pictures!!! Beautiful family too! What kind of camera did you use on this cruise? It takes amazing pictures!