New Here and Overwhelmed

[oceanlover82]

I'm new to cruise critic and new to the whole cruise experience.

 

I'm looking at an 8-Day Eastern Caribbean cruise on Carnival Conquest in September 2016.

 

I'm seeing conflicting reviews about the Conquest ship. We are laid back and very easy going. Our only requirements are a comfy bed, a clean room and decent food. I have a couple questions about the ship...

-Would you sail on this ship again? Why or why not?

-Is it really as bad as some of the reviews make it seem? Or is it possibly just that the bad reviews come from those who have higher expectations?

 

I have considered spending a little extra and opting for an Ocean Suite. I just thought the extra splurge would be nice as we will be celebrating our anniversary.

-Is the cabin worth the extra money?

-Are there any perks to booking a suite?

 

In regard to shore excursions, is it better to pick things in each port well before hand? Wait until we board? We want to relax and don't have to be doing something in every port, but I also don't want us to miss out on something and have regrets. Also, is viator.com a safe alternative for booking excursions?

 

We have opted for Carnival because it seems like the best value overall. We also really like the itinerary. The rooms also seem just a little bigger on Carnival.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice! It is greatly appreciated!

 

~Spring

[Shmoo here]

I'm new to cruise critic and new to the whole cruise experience.

 

I'm looking at an 8-Day Eastern Caribbean cruise on Carnival Conquest in September 2016.

 

I'm seeing conflicting reviews about the Conquest ship. We are laid back and very easy going. Our only requirements are a comfy bed, a clean room and decent food. I have a couple questions about the ship...

-Would you sail on this ship again? Why or why not?

-Is it really as bad as some of the reviews make it seem? Or is it possibly just that the bad reviews come from those who have higher expectations?

 

I have considered spending a little extra and opting for an Ocean Suite. I just thought the extra splurge would be nice as we will be celebrating our anniversary.

-Is the cabin worth the extra money?

-Are there any perks to booking a suite?

 

In regard to shore excursions, is it better to pick things in each port well before hand? Wait until we board? We want to relax and don't have to be doing something in every port, but I also don't want us to miss out on something and have regrets. Also, is viator.com a safe alternative for booking excursions?

 

We have opted for Carnival because it seems like the best value overall. We also really like the itinerary. The rooms also seem just a little bigger on Carnival.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice! It is greatly appreciated!

 

~Spring

 

I would suggest heading over to the Carnival Board and posting your questions there. You're likely to get more specific answers there.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=215

[cruiserking]

Welcome to Cruise Critic Oceanlover82.

 

The Carnival Conquest gets a 78% positive rating here Cruise Critic which is pretty good for an older ship. You can't always tell by bad reviews. People enjoy complaining and will let two-bit things like cold steak or a squeaky door ruing their vacations.

 

The ship was refurbished in 2009 and features the typical Joe Farcus gaudy, glitzy Los Vegas style glitzy design.

 

The Conquest looks like a pretty nice ship. But, for not much more than you're paying for Carnival you could book a cruise with Royal Caribbean on one of their brand new ships.

 

Royal Caribbean is very easy going, on a 7 or 8-day cruise you'll have one formal night, where a suit or black dress is fine. If you're not up for formal have dinner at the Windjammer (Buffet Restaurant).

 

RCCL Oasis of the Seas sails from Fort Laurderdale September 17 on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean with balcony cabins running $979 per person. This is one of the biggest ships in the world with an infinite amount of things to do on board.

 

RCCL Adventure of the Seas does a very nice 7-day Southern Caribbean with many similar stops to your Conquest on September 10 - balcony cabins running $974 for a balcony and $1,238 for a Junior Suite.

 

Royal Caribbean is a terrific cruise line with a lot to offer. The ships are really gorgeous inside, elegant with terrific crew and very friendly fellow passengers.

 

Do some research and look around the boards.

 

Excursions.

 

Since this is your first cruise it's a good idea to book your excursions with the cruise line. The best part is you know the excursion will be half decent and if they are late returning to port, the ship will wait for you.

 

If you do book a port or two on your own, do the research on http://www.tripadvisor.com and contact the vendor directly. I think you always much better off booking directly with the vendor then some third party. This way the particular excursion company knows who you are and you're not just another number.

 

Happy Anniversary and Happy Cruising.

 

Jonathan

[cb at sea]

Suites on Carnival get you nothing but extra space. Carnival has the worst "suite perks" at sea.

 

It seems you're interested in the ports. The ship will give you a good sleeping space and good enough food..

[Treven]

Yes, welcome to Cruise Critic, and the (I think) wonderful world of cruising.

I can't comment on your choice of ship as I've not been on it. However I highly recommend going with ship sponsored excursions as this is your first cruise. As been posted, if your excursion is late returning to the ship, mechanical problem or traffic, the ship will be waiting for you. If you're on an excursion you set up personally, and you have the same issue, you can wave by,by,as the ship sails off without you. Not something you want to experience on your first cruise - or on any cruise for that matter.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Treven

[Cruisin' Chick]

What I do is go to the library and find some guide books on the area. I also will google each port and will find many tourism sites. Between these sources, I'll find some ideas for my family to consider.

 

Most of the time we just go out on our own. We always will bring the ship's newsletter (which has the time to be back on board) as well as more than one reliable watch set to ship's time (I don't use the cell phone for the time). and then we plan to be back on board long before the on board time (the security line is shorter).

 

Beaches are very doable on your own. If you need to use a taxi, see if the driver will give you a business card. I do try to get phone numbers of taxi companies (yelp, local yahoo, googling) to program into my cell.

 

Of the times we've booked an excursion, we usually go through the ship. The ones we've chosen are usually not a lot more expensive or more crowded than ones offered by independent operators. Maybe it's the ones we've chosen. The one time we've booked at the pier, my hubby said let's never do that again.

[kelkel2]

I'm new to cruise critic and new to the whole cruise experience.

 

I'm looking at an 8-Day Eastern Caribbean cruise on Carnival Conquest in September 2016.

 

I'm seeing conflicting reviews about the Conquest ship. We are laid back and very easy going. Our only requirements are a comfy bed, a clean room and decent food. I have a couple questions about the ship...

-Would you sail on this ship again? Why or why not?

-Is it really as bad as some of the reviews make it seem? Or is it possibly just that the bad reviews come from those who have higher expectations?

 

I have considered spending a little extra and opting for an Ocean Suite. I just thought the extra splurge would be nice as we will be celebrating our anniversary.

-Is the cabin worth the extra money?

-Are there any perks to booking a suite?

 

In regard to shore excursions, is it better to pick things in each port well before hand? Wait until we board? We want to relax and don't have to be doing something in every port, but I also don't want us to miss out on something and have regrets. Also, is viator.com a safe alternative for booking excursions?

 

We have opted for Carnival because it seems like the best value overall. We also really like the itinerary. The rooms also seem just a little bigger on Carnival.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice! It is greatly appreciated!

 

~Spring

 

Don't be overwhelmed!! There's plenty of time to get answers to all your questions.

I have sailed Carnival, but not specifically the Conquest. Although we did sail the Liberty which is a sister ship. It's a nice ship, not too large and not too small. We would sail it again if we had the opportunity.

If you are more laid back, I would suggest doing anytime dining with Carnival vs. set time dining. We are more laid back as well and we like choosing what time to go to dinner vs. having to go to dinner at 6pm or 8pm every night. We also like the food in the dining room, but of course it's subjective.

 

As far as the ocean suite goes, I think it's a nice upgrade for your cruise and if it's something you can afford then do it! The only perk it comes with is priority boarding. Unfortunately nothing else.

 

Shore Excursions-I'm not sure when they open up for your cruise date. We sail in January 2016 and ours are already able to be viewed. But I would book them in advance. Some people wait until they are on the ship, but I wouldn't suggest this. I have seen many times that there are excursions sold out. If you see one that is interesting to you, just book it. You can get a refund up until (I think) 48 hours before. Plus, if you would happen to have to cancel your cruise, those are refundable too!

 

We like Carnival for the simple fact that it just works for us. It's in our budget, the balcony rooms we have had on Carnival are larger than we had on Princess and we always have a great time.

I hope this helps..If you have more questions feel free to ask away!

[JimAOk1945]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. You will find a wonderful source of information here. Don't let the negative reviews discourage you. Carnival is a great value.

 

We have sailed on four Carnival cruises, two of which were on the Conquest. The Conquest is a beautiful ship.

 

May I suggest that you go over to the Carnival board at the following link where you will find even more information.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215

 

Have a wonderful cruise.

Edited August 4, 2015 by JimAOk1945

[OCruisers]

Hi and Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

 

You might want to consider using a good Travel Agent to help you book your first cruise and helping you decide which ship/cruise line would be best for you.

 

Also, keep in mind that September prices are good ... but it's the worst time for hurricanes/tropical storms in the Caribbean.

 

LuLu

Edited August 4, 2015 by OCruisers

[widallas]

We just booked our second cruise on RCCL for next June. I must admit I am doing some binge-surfing on the boards -- so much good information! -- and it does get a little overwhelming. But it's hard not to get excited!

 

We did a cruise out of Galveston for Thanksgiving 2011. Although the ship was crowded with LOTS of kids, we really never felt overly packed in and were happy with the room, service and excursions. We were looking for a more relaxing trip, and this was perfect. (For this year however, we found a deal at Costco and got a balcony for ourselves and an interior for the boys. Woo hoo!)

 

Our friend and their family were on the Carnival ship that week...they felt like it was a bit more crowded with kids and a more lively (read: rambunctious) group of adults, but they LOVED it. The kids had plenty to do, and they weren't bored! (Pretty sure they enjoyed every sip of their drink package, too... :o)

 

Depends on your personal cruising style AND budget. Good luck with your decision!

[SadieN]

Suites on Carnival get you nothing but extra space. Carnival has the worst "suite perks" at sea.

 

It seems you're interested in the ports. The ship will give you a good sleeping space and good enough food..

 

 

Suites also get Priority Boarding. :D Suite grats are the same also.

Carnival treats almost all passengers the same once they're in the public areas. No blocked off areas. The fee exceptions are due to age.

We sailed the Conquest in 2013. We would sail on her again but for the fact that she's on the east coast.

[Sixtytwo]

Welcome to CC, oceanlover! As you can already see, there are lots of opinions and good information to be found on CC!

 

IMHO, Conquest is a very nice ship. We are booked on her in 7 weeks for our third time and have enjoyed both previous cruises. Yes, there are newer, prettier ships, but she is not bad and has a great crew. I think you will enjoy her for your inaugural cruise experience.

 

As for excursions, I may differ a little from others in that we have, since our very first cruise, done more self guided excursions than ship sponsored ones. If you have any experience traveling, it can be done and done cheaper than the cruise line prices. I, too, suggest doing your research on each port and determining what is there you might want to do. Also, join your roll call and see what others who have been to each port have to say about what is available. A lot of roll calls have folks who are booking a private tour and looking for others to join them and share the costs. At the very least, you will quickly find out what to stay away from! For what it's worth, most private tour operators in the ports make their living doing tours for ship passengers. They know when the ship arrives and when it departs and will schedule around those times. Granted, should a private tour have a mechanical or other issue that delays your arrival back at port, you may see the ship on the horizon happily sailing toward its next port...without you!! Be sensible and give yourself time to get back well before last call and you should be fine.

 

Speaking of departure time, set your watch, not a cell phone, to ship time and be sure you know whether or not the ship time changes at a port. Most, Conquest included, will stay on the time in the home port and not change. Just be sure before disembarking at a port.

 

Don't worry about being overwhelmed, we all get that way! You will suffer from information overload but it is not fatal! Relax, do your due diligence and you'll have a great experience on your first cruise!

Edited August 4, 2015 by cdavid46

[Hawaiifrank]

My family and I (14 of us) were on the Conquest in 2008. It was everyone's first cruise. Fond memories. It has been refit since then, someone said 2009.

 

We enjoyed the traditional dining, 6 pm every night, same 2 tables. It was best for a large group like that because they can't really accommodate large groups for My Time Dining. The show schedule usually fits the 6 or 8 pm dining times best as well.

 

Read a variety of subjects here at Cruise Critic forums, particularly on the Carnival boards if you choose Carnival. Do browse the various cruise company sites. Look at pictures, deck plans, dining venues and, especially, prices. You chose a good time, after school is back in session. Another good time, price wise, is between Thanksgiving and Christmas, NOT including the holidays themselves.

 

Another post was trying to persuade you to Royal Caribbean. I like them too. I'm just about even point-wise with both lines. Prices are usually competitive between the 2 lines, but Carnival Easy Saver on a low season cruise sometimes makes for some hard to beat deals. NCL too, but there's a reason I only have 2 cruises on NCL. :rolleyes:

[Honolulu Blue]

I'm new to cruise critic and new to the whole cruise experience.

 

I'm looking at an 8-Day Eastern Caribbean cruise on Carnival Conquest in September 2016.

 

I'm seeing conflicting reviews about the Conquest ship. We are laid back and very easy going. Our only requirements are a comfy bed, a clean room and decent food. I have a couple questions about the ship...

-Would you sail on this ship again? Why or why not?

-Is it really as bad as some of the reviews make it seem? Or is it possibly just that the bad reviews come from those who have higher expectations?

 

I have considered spending a little extra and opting for an Ocean Suite. I just thought the extra splurge would be nice as we will be celebrating our anniversary.

-Is the cabin worth the extra money?

-Are there any perks to booking a suite?

 

In regard to shore excursions, is it better to pick things in each port well before hand? Wait until we board? We want to relax and don't have to be doing something in every port, but I also don't want us to miss out on something and have regrets. Also, is viator.com a safe alternative for booking excursions?

 

We have opted for Carnival because it seems like the best value overall. We also really like the itinerary. The rooms also seem just a little bigger on Carnival.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice! It is greatly appreciated!

 

~Spring

 

Welcome aboard and welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

I sailed on the Conquest about a year ago and have booked another cruise to sail on her in about four months. So yes, I'm fine with sailing her again. She's a good ship and should suit your needs well. I think the bad reviews are coming from people that wanted or expected something different.

 

As mentioned elsewhere, Carnival doesn't have many perks for its suite passengers, so splurging on it is probably not worth it unless you really want a slightly nicer cabin.

 

I should note that it was mentioned that the Conquest had a refurb in 2009. True enough, but its last refurb was in 2012.

 

Excursions... it can't hurt to look at them early; it will give you an idea of what's available in a port. I also suggest looking in the Caribbean ports of call sub-board at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587 . If there's something you absolutely must do somewhere, then go ahead and book. Otherwise I'll leave it up to you when and how you want to book.

 

I've found Carnival to be a good value. Nice, spacious cabins, friendly and helpful crew, food that's both tasty and plentiful, lots of activity and activities... what more could you want? OK, I'm not going to step on that landmine. :p

 

My advice is to go and have a good time.

[ocholoco]

Just on the ship/Conquest front:

 

It was our first cruise ship and it continues to be a fond revisit each time we end up there again. The decor is splashy but, especially if it's your first time around, that just becomes the vibe. Fun, bright, Caribbean sailing. Make sure you make your way up to the second level of the rear lido buffet, the Fish and Chips station. Great bouillabaisse! Also has several other tasty options and it is never crowded up there. The smaller size makes it easier to find your travelmates and it is always our meetup spot for lunch and breakfast when we are traveling with friends and/or family.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Hi and Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

 

 

 

You might want to consider using a good Travel Agent to help you book your first cruise and helping you decide which ship/cruise line would be best for you.

 

 

 

Also, keep in mind that September prices are good ... but it's the worst time for hurricanes/tropical storms in the Caribbean.

 

 

 

LuLu

 

 

Plus 1 on the above.

 

Also, don't base your choice of a cruise on cabin price alone. Because of add-ons like airfare, beverage costs, gratuities, alcohol, internet, specialty restaurants, excursions, etc. you need to do some research/decision making to project your total trip cost and then divide it by the number of days to get a "daily rate." Trust me, you will be very surprised by the results of that comparison.

 

For example, look at a Celebrity or HAL or Princess cruise to somewhere in the Pacific or the Med for more than 10 days in summer 2016. Add the cost of international airfare, gratuities, unlimited internet, specialty restaurants, all non-alcoholic beverages, and excursions (your original cabin price will become a distant memory). Divide that total by the number of cruise days to find your daily rate.

 

Then do the same calculation for a similar itinerary on a premium line like Oceania where, although the cabin price is higher, everything mentioned above is included (even that pesky well-over-$1,000 airfare) in their "O Life Advantage." Now figure that daily rate.

 

One last step, the qualitative one: talk to your TA, Read reviews, including professional ones (like Conde Nast Traveler).

What's the passenger load (e.g., O's R ships have less than 700)? How's the food? Are the cabin amenities sufficient so that you don't have to pack like you're going to camp? Will you be nickel/dimed to death? Are there "prom nights," balcony smokers, etc.

 

Yes, a lot of work. But, worth it in the final analysis.

[marshhawk]

Most first posters are asking about cruise lines, so you already knew what line, what ship, and what ports. Go on the Carnival site and look up what excursions are offered in those ports, and see if there are any you want to do. If not, then ask on the Ports of Call section of CC, per port, what did you do, and what would you recommend. I took my first cruise on a liner as an uninformed adult. I was attending a friends wedding, and we were more into the wedding, than the cruise. And of course we didn't spend the whole time with the wedding couple, so imagine our astonishment when we learned at dinner one night in the MDR, that we could order seconds:D:D

 

And that there was a web site called Cruise Critic:D:D

 

Others suggest that you do choose your own time dining, but on a first cruise, I disagree- try the assigned time and see what it was like, when cruising was a form of transportation, and not a vacation spot. It certainly made life a bit more interesting.;)

[oceanlover82]

Thank you all for the input! It is welcomed information and I will get busy doing some research! :)

 

~Spring

[cantwaitt]

If you are that overwhelmed, use the ship's excursions. Once you do it you realize quickly they are a big ripoff and you come to the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet boards to hook up with other cruisers to book outside vendors. I have saved 50-100% with these vendors and had better times with smaller groups than the ship's busload of people.

 

The biggest myth out there and pushed by the cruise lines is that people who take outside tours are the ones who miss the ships. NOT TRUE. Those firms know very well once they miss the ship once, they will be put out of business by word of mouth on the internet.

 

The people who miss ships venture on their own and get too ambitious and aren't good at gauging time.

[cruiseapril]

What is the itinerary?

 

We usually book ship's excursions our first time in a port. We have enjoyed some good mid-priced ones.

 

Then, if we are comfortable at a port, we organize our own excursion the next time.

[maywell]

This website was recommend for basic research and vague inkling of what to expect; from couple of CC posters when I was researching both my trips last year - beyondships2.com .

 

I like Carnival, the stuff it has going for it looks good on paper BUT like all cruise lines, you either going to love it right away when seeing it in person; take couple of years down the road to like it, have board a completely different ship/class to appreciate it or pretty much never. Will I ever board a Carnival ship again? Maybe not for a couple of years if I'm traveling by myself; perfect for couples and families, just not for me who likes doing a mad dash for entertainment shows in the evening time after 9pm (Couldn't do that last year on the Splendor - only thing good was the Punchliner for most evenings at 10pm). That doesn't mean you're not going to like the cruise line, just be aware that there's no one perfect line out there - each cruise line has their plus and minus to each person; some are dealbreakers, some makes it completely wonderful for you.

 

So go in with a open mind, pick what think makes you feel comfortable and worth it, research while also looking at pictures of your cruise line and port stops but above all else - enjoy your trip!

 

 

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

[weltek]

I know it can be overwhelming!

 

I think it's fine that you have your ship picked out. Take the reviews with a grain of salt. Spend time, instead, or getting your expectations aligned. Chatting about the ship and experience on the Carnival board would be good.

 

We book 90% of our excursions on our own (not thru ship), but on our first cruise, we only booked through the ship. We overpayed and didn't get to do things in every port because of that. We were young and didn't have much money. When you book privately you often get cooler options than the ship offers and a more personalized experience. Our first cruise was before the internet was such a common thing, so we had to trust the hawkers in port and had done NO research. It was stressful. But now? It's so easy with the internet, and if you are a planner (bring all your paperwork along, make sure you have contact info, clear instructions once you get into port, etc.), it will very likely go off without any stress.

 

Once you lose your privately-book virginity, it's easy! So, use the port of call board here and maybe try ONE booked independently this time, and use the ship for others. That will help you decide how you prefer to do it on your next cruise. I highly recommend spending time on the ports of call boards and doing research.

[pris993]

Never been on Carnival lines so can't speak to the ship.

 

Today there is lots of info available, maybe too much.

 

Went on our first cruise on RCCL, Song of America in l982 I think... way before the internet... so all we had was a brochure and a TA.

 

Was it our best cruise no, by comparison to over 50+ since, but it was a wonderful experience, I can still remember leaving St Thomas a top the ship and wishing the cruise was not coming to an end. Never dreamed we cruise 50+ times, but we got addicted to the cruise experience.

 

My point is don't worry about having everything perfect or the best, just go, get your feet wet and you will figure out what is best or better you as you go along. The Eastern Carribbean is the best iItinerary by the way.

 

Happy cruising.

[wampuscat7]

I've only been on three cruises, but each was on a sister ship to Conquest. I would love to sail on her 8-day itineraries.

[Nic6318]

I'm new to cruise critic and new to the whole cruise experience.

 

I'm looking at an 8-Day Eastern Caribbean cruise on Carnival Conquest in September 2016.

 

I'm seeing conflicting reviews about the Conquest ship. We are laid back and very easy going. Our only requirements are a comfy bed, a clean room and decent food. I have a couple questions about the ship...

-Would you sail on this ship again? Why or why not?

-Is it really as bad as some of the reviews make it seem? Or is it possibly just that the bad reviews come from those who have higher expectations?

 

I have considered spending a little extra and opting for an Ocean Suite. I just thought the extra splurge would be nice as we will be celebrating our anniversary.

-Is the cabin worth the extra money?

-Are there any perks to booking a suite?

 

In regard to shore excursions, is it better to pick things in each port well before hand? Wait until we board? We want to relax and don't have to be doing something in every port, but I also don't want us to miss out on something and have regrets. Also, is viator.com a safe alternative for booking excursions?

 

We have opted for Carnival because it seems like the best value overall. We also really like the itinerary. The rooms also seem just a little bigger on Carnival.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice! It is greatly appreciated!

 

~Spring

 

 

Hi

 

I will repeat some of what others have already said

 

We have been on the Conquest before and will be going on her again soon enough. It is not a fancy new ship but it will get us where we are going in sufficient comfort.

 

The main benefit of the suite cabins is the extra space. As was said Carnival doesn't give many perks, I believe (could be wrong) you would get preferred embarkation and debarkation. Since the price rises significantly when you opt for a balcony or higher category, determining whether it is worth it or not really depends on your preferences and your budget.

 

As others have said go to the ports of call threads to research your stops.

 

One other suggestion to consider is to go to your sailing date roll call. There you would find other people who might be on your ship when you are sailing. They frequently talk about what they plan to do and the cost of various activities. For all I know you may be sailing with me. I have already been to all our ports of call but I always seem to get more information and ideas from others on our roll call.

 

have a great cruise