Conquest Premier Cruise Nov 3

[winddawn]

I just got back from cruising on Conquest yesterday. I believe this was Conquest's last roundtrip New Orleans cruise before repositioning. I think she is now sailing to San Juan before ending up in Miami for 7 day cruises. My cruise was a 6 night that called in Grand Cayman and Cozumel with 3 sea days. This was my first Premier casino cruise, and I was cruising solo on my 21st Carnival cruise. I was already planning to cruise at New Year's, and made the decision to book this cruise after receiving the Premier cruise offer in the mail. It was a fairly last minute decision due to the great Premier casino deal I was offered.

 

I flew into New Orleans direct on Southwest the day of the cruise. The flight was smooth and I had 3 seats to myself. :-) Nice start to my vacation. I arrived in New Orleans at 9:10 AM. I took a Carnival transfer to the port. If I had it to do over, I would not have booked the Carnival transfer. They left us sitting and waiting for over an hour for the bus to pick us up. It was a beautiful, warm sunny day in New Orleans and I didn't want to spend it sitting inside waiting on a bus. The Carnival rep told us that the bus driver was up on the next level letting off passengers. She didn't explain why it took him over an hour to do so. She also told us that there was a computer problem on the ship and that Carnival was running a free shuttle from the port to downtown for anyone that wanted to kill the time. Once the bus finally arrived, we started our transfer to the port. As we were driving down the interstate, we heard a loud bang and one of the side windows on the bus shattered completely. Luckily there was no one sitting in those seats, and no one was injured. The bus driver just kept on driving. He simply hollered back and asked the passengers if anyone was in that seat. The passengers just took it in stride and made jokes about the free air conditioning.

 

Once we arrived at the port there was confusion as some bus passengers complained their bags were missing. It turned out that the bus driver failed to empty one of the luggage compartments on the bus, so the bags were there all along. We finally made our way into the terminal. It was already very crowded. I went to the VIP lounge which was also very crowded. I was seated in a school-type chair and told to wait until they called my name to check me in. About half of the ceiling tiles were missing and the lounge was downright ugly with old cheap looking furniture and wires hanging from the ceiling. Once I was checked in, I was told that embarkation had already begun and I could get on the ship and was pointed in the direction to do that. After I made it across the terminal area, I was stopped and told that they were not boarding. I was told to sit down again and wait in the main terminal area. So much for Platinum priority embarkation. Passengers were told that they were doing some kind of test on the ship. I finally embarked about 12:45 PM. I never did hear what the real problem was for the late embarkation. I also never heard another word about the shuttle that was supposed to be running to downtown in the interim. So it ended up being a 3 and 1/2 hour wait after my plane arrived before I got onto the ship. By that time, I was pretty hungry and feeling a little stressed over all the delays and snafus. I had gotten up at 4:30 AM and had no breakfast.

 

Once on the ship, I found Guy's burgers and had lunch. The burger was excellent and the toppings bar was great for customizing. There were grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, and all of the typical burger toppings. I especially liked the chipotle sauce. They also had potato sticks (marked vegetarian). I had a Guy's burger two other times during the cruise, and discovered that the quality varies. The last one I got was dry and overcooked--much different than the first one I ate. The fries were also cold the last time.

 

After my Guy's burger lunch, my cabin was ready, so I dropped off my carry-on. My cabin steward introduced himself. He was cheerful and eager to please. I could immediately tell that I wouldn't have any steward issues this cruise. He was wonderful. I changed into my swim suit and cover up and headed up on deck to enjoy the sunshine. I was back in my happy place and ready to put all the transfer and embarkation problems behind me.

 

I booked a category 1A since I was cruising solo and had to pay the single supplement. It was on Riviera deck starboard aft. The cabin had plenty of room for one person. The only downside to my cabin was that it was next to the cabin steward's storage room and I could hear banging from there from time to time. It was an occasional nuisance, but not enough to interfere with my sleep. There was a refrigerator, and it cooled well. The cabin temperature was often too warm for my comfort. I compensated by sleeping in the buff under only a sheet. The cabin only got cool on the last night of my 6 night cruise. I would estimate that the temperature was in the upper 70's in my cabin the rest of the week.

 

I visited the information desk on embarkation afternoon and requested a fan and to have my cabin safe unlocked. The safe had been left locked from the last cruise, and the cabin steward told me he had turned it in earlier in the day, but it was still locked. The person at the information desk told me the safe person was on their way. When I asked about the fan which she failed to mention, she told me she would have one sent to my cabin. She seemed to be evasive about the fan, so I asked her specifically if it would be there by tonight, and she said it would. I never saw the fan or received any explanation about why it wasn't delivered. I made a mental note not to forget to take my fan next cruise. My instinct about why the info desk rep was being evasive was correct. She was lying to me to get rid of me.

 

The food:

 

I tried the sea day brunch and the food was excellent. The service was friendly but very slow. It took about an hour and half from start to finish and I didn't order an appetizer or dessert. Luckily I was seated with some very nice passengers who told fun travel stories. The time passed quickly and I enjoyed their company. I had steak and eggs. The food was hot and the eggs cooked like I had requested. The steak appeared to be a sirloin. Others at our large table ordered eggs, blueberry pancakes, pastas, and other dishes and desserts. Everyone said their food was great, but complained about the slow service.

 

I had anytime dining and went to the dining room only on the two formal nights. I had the lobster one night and the chateaubriand the second formal night. Again, the food was excellent, but the service was very slow and not at all friendly. The waiter brought the wrong food to several others around my table. It was a comedy of errors. The menu stated that the lobster was served with broccoli and potatoes, so I didn't order a salad. My lobster plate was served with one small piece of broccoli (yes-one small piece), so I regretted not ordering a Caesar salad.

 

I also visited the fish and chips place for lunch three times and each time the food was good. The last time my fries were cold though. The fish and chips place isn't a hidden gem any more. There was a long line each time I went.

 

I tried the Blue Iguana Cantina for breakfast one morning. The burrito guy served mine with a smile and made it exactly as I requested. There were regular scrambled eggs and Mexican scrambled eggs to choose from. I also chose chicken sausage, jack cheese, and their homemade pico de gallo. It was excellent but more than I could eat in one meal. There were several choices of sauces on the help-yourself toppings bar.

 

Some of my favorite foods on Carnival are their homemade soups. On this cruise, I had the broccoli, the bean, the potato, and my favorite, the mushroom soup. None of them disappointed. They were good both in the dining room and at the buffet.

 

The Pizza Pirate seemed to stay pretty busy on this cruise. I tried the pepperoni and the quatto. The quatto has garlic and four cheeses. As a garlic lover, this quickly became my favorite. The pizza crust reminds me more of a flat bread than pizza crust. I thought the pizza was good and an improvement over the old Carnival pizza place.

 

The Premier casino perks:

 

I found a letter in my cabin upon embarkation inviting me to attend the premier embarkation party at 2 PM. We were served free drinks and hors d'oeuvres, and they explained the events that would take place over the week. Basically that was a drawing for cash at 10:30 PM each night, a slot tournament the last sea day for those that earned at least 2,000 points during the week, and they had the first drawing during the embarkation party. It was a really nice reception. The hors d'oeuvres and margaritas were delicious. We were in one of the larger lounges, and the wait staff came around to each table with trays of drinks and snacks to pick from. I was also given a red lanyard with a card on it for free drinks while playing in the casino.

 

Each day in my cabin I received various gifts from the casino. Twice I received a plate of sweet treats. I also got 4 cookies, and a bottle of sparkling Italian wine. The premier gift was a set of 2 Carnival Player's Club wine glasses. Before my cruise, I was also given a certificate for casino cash which I claimed at the cashier's.

 

The down side to the premier events was that the casino was very crowded, especially during peak times. You couldn't even find a slot machine to play at times. The cigarette smoke was the worst I've ever seen it in the casino. Players were not paying any attention to the no smoking signs on certain machines. I found myself wheezing when I went to bed at night from the smoke, which is unusual for me. A premier advantage was that they kept the casino open 24 hours during sea days. The casino was very warm, especially when it got crowded. The back third of the casino probably stayed around 85 degrees back around the sports bar area during busy times. The warm temperatures coupled with the smoke was more than I could take at times, and I had to leave. I tried to visit during the early morning hours instead. I didn't attend any of the 10:30 PM premier drawings due to the heat and smoke.

 

I enjoyed the premier casino overall though.

 

My platinum gift on this cruise was the red Tervis tumbler. I was excited to get the red one since I already have a blue one. I also bought one of the Blue Iguana and one of the Red Frog Tervis tumblers at the bars. So I have 4 different ones now. I was thrilled to get the tumbler instead of the baseball cap for the platinum gift. I hope they have the tote bag on my next cruise.

 

I met a lot of really nice people during my cruise. One couple that I met during the brunch told me that their cabin flooded that day which was day 5 of the cruise. She said at least 4 cabins were flooded and the hallway. She said Carnival offered to move them, but they declined since it was the last day, and staff told them it should be dried out within about 4 hours.

 

We had a mixed bag of weather during the week. From warm sunshine and low humidity in NOLA to light showers, clouds, and very humid sunshine in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. The last day was a sea day, and it was very windy and mostly cloudy, so not too many people were out on the decks.

 

Priority debarkation was as crowded as I've ever seen it. We waited in one of the large dining rooms, and it was packed. They let us off the ship around 7:30 AM. I had prebooked the Carnival bus transfer back to the airport, and we waited in the bus for about a half hour before leaving for the airport with 6 people on the bus.

 

I enjoyed my cruise on the Conquest and was glad to get to cruise this ship before she repositions to Miami. The ship is beautiful and for the most part, the staff are warm and friendly. I'm already looking forward to sailing on the Sunshine out of NOLA in a few weeks for New Year's.

Edited November 10, 2013 by winddawn

[kcwingwalker]

Glad you had a great cruise and thanks for a fair and balanced reveiw:)

Edited November 10, 2013 by kcwingwalker

[NCTribeFan]

I'll be boarding her Saturday in San Juan. I've sailed Glory twice and liked her more than I expected (I'm really a fan of smaller ships), but I'm looking forward to this cruise with the great ports and some new-to-me dining options. And looking forward to some Fish & Chips again!

 

Got a baseball cap in September on Fantasy. Really hoping I get another Tervis tumbler or the new cooler next week!!

 

Hope the casino isn't quite so busy. I do like to play the slots, but the smoke often triggers my asthma, too. :(

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[Georgiagolfer]

Thanks for your review and thoughts on the Premier Cruise. I do however wonder if you would book another Premier Cruise?

[winddawn]

Thanks for your review and thoughts on the Premier Cruise. I do however wonder if you would book another Premier Cruise?

Hi, Mike. Yes, I would book another premier cruise. The great rate, casino cash, and free drinks card make it worthwhile. Now that I have experienced the premier and know what to expect, I can try to plan my trips to the casino during non-peak times since they keep the casino open 24 hours on sea days. And I can just skip the drawings again. The welcome aboard cocktail party was really enjoyable too.

[winddawn]

I'll be boarding her Saturday in San Juan. I've sailed Glory twice and liked her more than I expected (I'm really a fan of smaller ships), but I'm looking forward to this cruise with the great ports and some new-to-me dining options. And looking forward to some Fish & Chips again!

 

Got a baseball cap in September on Fantasy. Really hoping I get another Tervis tumbler or the new cooler next week!!

 

Hope the casino isn't quite so busy. I do like to play the slots, but the smoke often triggers my asthma, too. :(

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I hope you have a really enjoyable cruise on Conquest. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get a Tervis tumbler or tote bag for your platinum gift. :-)

[Georgiagolfer]

Hi, Mike. Yes, I would book another premier cruise. The great rate, casino cash, and free drinks card make it worthwhile. Now that I have experienced the premier and know what to expect, I can try to plan my trips to the casino during non-peak times since they keep the casino open 24 hours on sea days. And I can just skip the drawings again. The welcome aboard cocktail party was really enjoyable too.

 

Thanks. Seems like I have been receiving these offers quarterly. DW and I usually book 1-2 months prior to sailing, so seems this may be the way to go.

[winddawn]

Thanks. Seems like I have been receiving these offers quarterly. DW and I usually book 1-2 months prior to sailing, so seems this may be the way to go.

I see another offer for premier cruises in my VIFP offerings on Carnival's website too. It looks to me like they are using these to fill cabins last minute because all of the sailings I see offered are only going about 2 month out and are only for certain ships/sail dates. I'm wondering if the premier offers will disappear once busy season rolls around again. I hope it works it for you and your DW.

[bankofdad]

Thanks for the review! I don't see too many Conquest trip summaries out there like I do for many of the other ships, so it's nice to get current and first hand details!:D

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I just got back from cruising on Conquest yesterday. I believe this was Conquest's last roundtrip New Orleans cruise before repositioning. I think she is now sailing to San Juan before ending up in Miami for 7 day cruises. My cruise was a 6 night that called in Grand Cayman and Cozumel with 3 sea days. This was my first Premier casino cruise, and I was cruising solo on my 21st Carnival cruise. ...

 

The Premier casino perks:

 

I found a letter in my cabin upon embarkation inviting me to attend the premier embarkation party at 2 PM. We were served free drinks and hors d'oeuvres, and they explained the events that would take place over the week. Basically that was a drawing for cash at 10:30 PM each night, a slot tournament the last sea day for those that earned at least 2,000 points during the week, and they had the first drawing during the embarkation party. It was a really nice reception. The hors d'oeuvres and margaritas were delicious. We were in one of the larger lounges, and the wait staff came around to each table with trays of drinks and snacks to pick from. I was also given a red lanyard with a card on it for free drinks while playing in the casino.

 

Each day in my cabin I received various gifts from the casino. Twice I received a plate of sweet treats. I also got 4 cookies, and a bottle of sparkling Italian wine. The premier gift was a set of 2 Carnival Player's Club wine glasses. Before my cruise, I was also given a certificate for casino cash which I claimed at the cashier's.

 

The down side to the premier events was that the casino was very crowded, especially during peak times. You couldn't even find a slot machine to play at times. The cigarette smoke was the worst I've ever seen it in the casino. Players were not paying any attention to the no smoking signs on certain machines. I found myself wheezing when I went to bed at night from the smoke, which is unusual for me. A premier advantage was that they kept the casino open 24 hours during sea days. The casino was very warm, especially when it got crowded. The back third of the casino probably stayed around 85 degrees back around the sports bar area during busy times. The warm temperatures coupled with the smoke was more than I could take at times, and I had to leave. I tried to visit during the early morning hours instead. I didn't attend any of the 10:30 PM premier drawings due to the heat and smoke.

 

I enjoyed the premier casino overall though.

 

...

 

Glad you had a good time.... BUT DID YOU WIN ANY $$ ??? :D

 

Sorry about your issues with the (promised) fan. I've stopped trying to take our own, as it's be confiscated more than once. :( We now just take our sound machine and have had no problems getting a loaner fan onboard.

 

Heading out on our second Premier Casino Cruise this Saturday. Same ship/itinerary as our last one (Freedom in August - 8 night). Managed a free GS cabin this time, but no cage cash. On that cruise I won tens of thousands at blackjack the first half of the cruise. I just wish it had been a 4-nighter! :eek:

 

Tom

[winddawn]

Glad you had a good time.... BUT DID YOU WIN ANY $$ ??? :D

 

Sorry about your issues with the (promised) fan. I've stopped trying to take our own, as it's be confiscated more than once. :( We now just take our sound machine and have had no problems getting a loaner fan onboard.

 

Heading out on our second Premier Casino Cruise this Saturday. Same ship/itinerary as our last one (Freedom in August - 8 night). Managed a free GS cabin this time, but no cage cash. On that cruise I won tens of thousands at blackjack the first half of the cruise. I just wish it had been a 4-nighter! :eek:

 

Tom

Thanks, Tom! Nice to see you back on the Carnival board. We miss you over here! :-)

 

I didn't win anything worth talking about. I'll settle for having a good time though. LOL!

 

Congratulations on your upcoming GS on Freedom. Be sure and come back and tell us how it goes. If you repeat your winnings, make sure Cheryl drags you out of there in time!! It's all good as long as you have fun though. That's my philosophy. I never take my chicken money in the casino. :D

 

Hope you have a great time and lots of luck.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Thanks, Tom! Nice to see you back on the Carnival board. We miss you over here! :-)

 

I didn't win anything worth talking about. I'll settle for having a good time though. LOL!

 

Congratulations on your upcoming GS on Freedom. Be sure and come back and tell us how it goes. If you repeat your winnings, make sure Cheryl drags you out of there in time!! It's all good as long as you have fun though. That's my philosophy. I never take my chicken money in the casino. :D

 

Hope you have a great time and lots of luck.

 

Thanks! Fingers crossed!

 

Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2

[winddawn]

Thanks! Fingers crossed!

 

Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2

I've crossed my fingers for you too.

 

How are Celebrity and NCL treating you comp-wise? Better than Carnival?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

...

 

How are Celebrity and NCL treating you comp-wise? Better than Carnival?

 

It seems to vary with the phase of the moon... NCL Breakaway was a full comp two months ago (aft corner penthouse), though the Getaway in May is a partial comp (~$2,500 off). The Celebrity Constellation next month is a balcony comp, though I paid the difference to upgrade to a suite. It's a casino sailing with an entry into a $15k BJ tournament.

 

The offers do seem to fluctuate. We can always get a comp in Vegas for a nice room, shows, dining - but the airfare is on us. Guess we're spoiled living in Florida and being able to just drive to our vacation (cruise)!

 

Tom

[winddawn]

It seems to vary with the phase of the moon... NCL Breakaway was a full comp two months ago (aft corner penthouse), though the Getaway in May is a partial comp (~$2,500 off). The Celebrity Constellation next month is a balcony comp, though I paid the difference to upgrade to a suite. It's a casino sailing with an entry into a $15k BJ tournament.

 

The offers do seem to fluctuate. We can always get a comp in Vegas for a nice room, shows, dining - but the airfare is on us. Guess we're spoiled living in Florida and being able to just drive to our vacation (cruise)!

 

Tom

I hope you are enjoying your Freedom cruise and are winning.

 

Isn't it odd how the comps vary seemingly with the way the wind blows?? I've been getting offers from land-based Total Rewards that include air, room, and meals. The only catch is that the Total Rewards air is only for certain dates according to their charter schedule.

 

I already have a New Year's cruise booked on Sunshine, but I'm considering Celebrity for next year simply because their casinos are non-smoking. I've never sailed on Celebrity. What do you think about Celebrity, both their ships and their casinos?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I hope you are enjoying your Freedom cruise and are winning.

 

Isn't it odd how the comps vary seemingly with the way the wind blows?? I've been getting offers from land-based Total Rewards that include air, room, and meals. The only catch is that the Total Rewards air is only for certain dates according to their charter schedule.

 

I already have a New Year's cruise booked on Sunshine, but I'm considering Celebrity for next year simply because their casinos are non-smoking. I've never sailed on Celebrity. What do you think about Celebrity, both their ships and their casinos?

 

Technically not winning, but "only" down $500... so, I look at that as not doing too bad, lol ! :eek:

 

Getting ready for elegant night -- prime rib here I come !!

 

Celebrity is a nice line - particularly on their Solstice class ships. If your cruise is not complete without a belly flop or hairy chest contest, then Celebrity might not be for you. Having said that, I can't say we've really encountered any real stuck up people... no more than one encounters anywhere else! They have some nice dining options - though I'll still admit that Carnival's steakhouse is among our favorites!

 

With Celebrity, keep a lookout for their booking promotions where they include their (classic) beverage package. It can be upgraded to the premium package for something like $10/day -- a great value.

 

Tom

[winddawn]

Technically not winning, but "only" down $500... so, I look at that as not doing too bad, lol ! :eek:

 

Getting ready for elegant night -- prime rib here I come !!

 

Celebrity is a nice line - particularly on their Solstice class ships. If your cruise is not complete without a belly flop or hairy chest contest, then Celebrity might not be for you. Having said that, I can't say we've really encountered any real stuck up people... no more than one encounters anywhere else! They have some nice dining options - though I'll still admit that Carnival's steakhouse is among our favorites!

 

With Celebrity, keep a lookout for their booking promotions where they include their (classic) beverage package. It can be upgraded to the premium package for something like $10/day -- a great value.

 

Tom

Thanks, Tom. I hope you enjoy your prime rib tonight. Yum!

 

I'm not a big fan of hairy chest contests or belly flops. Lol. I can't say that I've ever attended either one in all my Carnival cruises, but I don't judge others if that floats their boat. Far be it from me to stand in the way of someone else's fun. :-)

 

I appreciate the tip about the Celebrity beverage packages. About how often do they do that promotion? That would be nice to have. I got spoiled with the free drinks card from day one on my premier cruise. I was also reading on the Celebrity board to watch for the "Tuesday" specials. Do you know if they ever combine the beverage package incentive with the Tuesday specials?

 

Good luck! Have a great time! Thanks for the info.