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So Much Fun on the Conquest!! (8-day Eastern Caribbean, 4/2/2016)

ericrz

By ericrz,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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ericrz

ericrz

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Hi all -- we returned on Sunday, April 10 from a fabulous trip onboard the Conquest. In the past, I’ve written day-by-day trip reports after our cruises. I don’t have the energy (or the memory!) to do that this time, so I’m going to write an overview/summary of the experience, particularly the onboard portion here in this post; I’ll then write individual posts in the appropriate “Ports of Call” section for each of our ports, and link them here when they’re done.

 

I’ll also link some pictures. (Sorry, I didn’t remember to bring the Fun Times back with me, nor did I take much food porn!)

 

Quick Details:

  • Conquest, out of Port Everglades, 8 nights
  • Four ports: St. Maarten, St. Kitts, San Juan, and Grand Turk
  • This was a family cruise, with 11 of us total:
    • Myself, my wife Raya, and our 10-year-old daughter Sophie
    • My parents
    • My middle brother, his wife, and their 2-year-old son
    • My youngest brother, his wife, and their 6-year-old son

    [*]We had four balcony cabins on deck 7, adjacent to each other: 7337, 7339, 7341, 7343

    [*]All of us (except for the 2-year-old!) were veteran cruisers

 

Transportation / Pre-Cruise Hotel / Embarkation

My immediate family and I flew down from Virginia the day before departure, as did my brother who lives in Tennessee. My parents, and my other brother and his family, drove down together to Fort Lauderdale from St. Petersburg.

 

We spent Friday night at the Hampton Inn Downtown / Las Olas Blvd in Fort Lauderdale. Close to the port, a nice pool, and lots of nearby restaurants for delivery options. Since my sister-in-law’s car was available to us, we were able to make a Publix run and a CVS run for some last-minute items.

 

Raya, Sophie and I flew into Miami airport, because the fares were much cheaper than flying into FLL. We took an Uber from the airport to the hotel, and I chose an UberXL to ensure we’d have room for our giant suitcases. Cost about $70 from MIA to Fort Lauderdale.

 

The three of us also had Faster to the Fun for this cruise, while the rest of my family did not. So the next morning, we took an early hotel shuttle, leaving at 10AM. With Uber being such a low-cost and easy option almost everywhere, I think this was the last time I’ll use a “shared shuttle.” We had to wait for everyone to get on, we had to make a stop at another hotel, and then two stops at other ships in Port Everglades before arriving at the Conquest. We weren’t getting off the shuttle until close to 11; with an Uber, we’d have been there in 10 minutes. Sure, the shuttle was free (included with hotel room) but an Uber for the three of us would have been $20 or less.

 

Still, it didn’t really matter because we had some time to wait anyway. Passport check, security, and check-in were all pretty fast, we followed the FTTF signs as we saw them. We were done with all of that in about 15 minutes. Carnival employees directed us to the FTTF waiting area, a few rows separate from the general waiting area.

 

About 25-30 minutes later, they started boarding Platinum/Diamond/VIP guests, and about 10 minutes after that it was our turn! The process went smoothly, and it was really nice to have immediate access to our room to drop off our carryons (including two 12-packs of soda). I’d pay for FTTF again just for that benefit alone.

 

We chose to smuggle booze onboard, and all arrived safely. I conceal mine fairly well with RumRunners, including a couple in the pockets of my cargo shorts as I walk onboard. My mom had some liquor (including some non-clear rum!) in plastic water bottles in her suitcase, and all arrived safely as well.

 

The Room

Our cabin (7341) was pretty standard, very similar to balcony cabins we’ve had in the past. The room was in decent shape, though the drawers under the desk were wonky and out of alignment. Other posters have mentioned that the Conquest is in need of a dry dock refurbishment, and we did notice some little things like this. But nothing major.

 

We loved the location of the room. Close to the mid-ship elevator and stairs, but not too close. Rooms were quiet at night. It was an easy walk up two flights (or a short elevator ride) to the Lido deck, and we’d come up adjacent to the main pool and Guy’s Burgers / the Blue Iguana. Our dining room (aft, Monet) was a bit further of a walk, but not bad.

 

Officially, Carnival wouldn’t connect more than two of our balconies. The way the dividers work on the Conquest, connecting more than two balconies will cause someone’s cabin door to be blocked by the divider. So we had them open the divider between our room and my parents’ room (7341/7343). Unofficially, you can unlock the divider deadbolt very easily with a square ½” bit, a wide car key, or a small pair of scissors (this is what we used). So we basically opened the other divider as needed, then relocked it when we weren’t out there.

 

The Food

We had a great table in the Monet dining room -- upper level, near the back, just one table over from the aft windows. It was also a round table, which is so much better for a group our size than a rectangular one. Easier to see everyone and have conversations with everyone.

 

At least some of our group ate in the MDR every single night; my immediate family missed it only once. Our head waitress (Winnie) and her assistant (Rafael) were great, especially with the kids. Our daughter and our 6-year-old nephew ordered from the adult menu some nights, the kids’ menu on other nights. Sometimes Sophie would mix and match, with an adult appetizer and a kids’ entree.

 

The food was about the same quality as I remember from previous Carnival cruises. No real changes or surprises. I like the “American Table” concept, and it didn’t bother me at all to not have a tablecloth on 6 of the 8 nights.

 

We did breakfast on the Lido deck almost every morning. There’s a big round table up there, adjacent to the Red Frog Bar, that became our usual hangout. On sea days, we’d have breakfast there from the buffet, let the kids go in the pool or Camp Ocean, then have lunch from the buffet or Guy’s or the Blue Iguana.

 

Speaking of….I like the 2.0 additions. Guy’s always had a long line, but it moved fast, and the burgers were great. The Blue Iguana Cantina usually had a shorter line, but the food was great there as well. I liked that the Cantina was open for breakfast, offering another option in the mornings.

 

The buffet was fine, nothing too great or too awful about it. I like the option to get a fresh omelette or eggs to order; several of us used that station during the week. The choices on the main buffet get a little boring towards the end of the week, but everything was fresh and tasted good.

 

As I mentioned, the three of us skipped the MDR one night and ate dinner in the buffet with my mom and my brother’s family (the one with the 2-year-old). Dinner choices were similar (though not identical) to what was served in the MDR each night.

 

The frozen yogurt / ice cream stations were popular with all of us, of course. I wandered upstairs to Deck 10 and the Fish & Chips place once. Was pretty good, but there was also fried fish on the main buffet. My mom and I got a couple slices of pizza once; good, but the line was incredibly slow.

 

On our last day at sea, all of us went to the Dr. Seuss Brunch. It was pretty cute (now I can say I’ve eaten green eggs & ham!) and the kids posed with some of the costumed characters that paraded in.

 

The Pool Deck

I liked the pool deck, it was very well laid out. The two bars at the pool deck (Red Frog and Blue Iguana) were fun, with daily specials and great bartenders. The music and entertainment at the pool deck was great as well. The two older kids alternated between the main pool on deck 9 and the hot tubs (on deck 9/10). Sophie also used the slide several times, and Raya and I tried it out as well. It’s not particularly fast, especially for adults!

 

One unfortunate thing on the Conquest is the lack of a kids pool / splash area. Our 2-yo nephew isn’t yet potty-trained, so he wasn’t even supposed to use the main pools. His parents took him in (with a swim diaper, of course) only for a couple minutes at a time. And, even our 6-yo nephew didn’t love the pools, as the 3’8” depth was over his head! A shame they couldn’t squeeze in a kids’ play area (possibly in place of the deck 10 “stars pool,” which was rarely used.)

 

There is, of course, an adults-only pool at the aft of deck 9; although we walked by it a couple of times, we didn’t use it.

 

We watched a couple of movies outside by the pool deck (“Minions” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) which the kids (especially the older 2) loved.

 

Bars / Entertainment

As I mentioned, the two poolside bars were great, and we spent a lot of time at or near the Red Frog, especially. We also spent lots of time in the Lobby Bar on deck 3; we won a geography trivia quiz there one afternoon and also were among the winners of the 80s “name that song” contest there one evening. (Two “ships on a stick”!). The Lobby Bar became a common place for us to hang out between dinner and later activities. It’s a gorgeous space, and the live musicians were great.

 

We spent a little time in the piano bar; on previous cruises, our group tended to spend much more time in those places. But the piano player wasn’t great, kind of low-energy on the night we were there, so we never went back. We made it into the karaoke lounge once as well, and we stopped for a drink one night in the “Alchemy Bar,” the ship’s mixology bar. Interesting cocktails.

 

We saw three of the big musical numbers -- a rock and roll show, one focused on the music of the British Invasion, and one called “Divas,” focusing on female singers. All three were good -- Carnival’s entertainers are very talented. We also saw a comedian / juggler who was very good, and watched the “Hasbro Game Show.” My youngest brother and his wife both got up on stage for that one, though they didn’t win.

 

We saw several stand-up comedy shows, two “PG” with the kids and two “adults only” shows. All were pretty good; Tony Esposito was our favorite (saw both a PG and an adult show with him).

 

My mom and I (and my mom and dad) spent some time in the casino. It’s not quite Vegas, but I always spend a little money on video poker on a cruise ship. This time, I hit four kings near the end of our time in the casino, and came back with a $20 profit!!

 

Camp Ocean

We’ve now taken three Carnival cruises with our daughter (plus one RCCL cruise). I have to say, I was really disappointed in Camp Ocean this time. The staff didn’t seem friendly (one staff person was downright rude to my wife) and the whole operation seemed chaotic and disorganized. We waited in lines like I’ve never seen at dropoff and pickup. (It was Spring Break for a lot of kids -- including our own -- and so maybe they were just overwhelmed by the numbers.)

 

We gave Sophie a little bit of freedom -- let her go on an unsupervised scavenger hunt, and check herself out after the tshirt coloring -- and that worked out OK. But in general, she didn’t love CO this time, and I don’t blame her. I think the Camp staff on the Conquest either need a bit more retraining, or possibly a new director. The whole operation seemed “off” on this ship, and they were really the only crew members I saw who didn’t seem to be having any fun.

 

Sophie went to a couple of late nights, as did our 6-yo nephew, but other times she didn’t really want to go, and we didn’t push it. She’s also caught in kind of a strange “in between” age; she’ll likely be 12 or older by the next time we cruise, and will have more of the independence she desperately wants. I think Camp Ocean feels too much like “day care” for her now.

 

Disembarkation

We had a 12:55 flight out, from Miami. This was the main reason I was so desperate to get FTTF, checking multiple times per day until I finally was able to score it. I was nervous about a flight that early, and having to get all the way to Miami.

 

A couple of days before debarkation, we got a FTTF flyer under our door with our options. We could self-debark, carrying our own luggage -- but we had way too much for that. We could pay for Luggage Express, sending our suitcases on to the airport for $20/person. I would have gladly paid for that, but it’s only available for MIA flights that leave after 2PM.

 

The third option, the one we took, was that we could tag our luggage with Zone 2 tags, gather in the Renoir restaurant at 7:30, and debark after the self-assist passengers. That worked out fairly well; after a quick breakfast on Lido and some tearful goodbyes to the rest of our family, we headed down to Renoir and were getting off the ship by 7:45. Lots of luggage was already down there (probably zones 1-8) and we found ours quickly.

 

The three of us are members of the US Customs & Border Protection “Global Entry” program. I’d read, here on CC, that Port Everglades now had a special line for GE members, but you had to bring the physical membership cards. (In airports, you can normally just scan your passport at a kiosk). We did so, and as soon as we had our suitcases I checked with a staff member. She moved part of the rope barrier aside and led us down to the last counter on the right hand side, which had a Global Entry sign above it. We basically passed by about 200 people waiting in line, and were out the doors in less than 5 minutes after claiming our luggage. Beautiful.

 

I summoned an Uber (again, an XL) and he was there within 10 minutes. Again, our ride to MIA was about $70, and we were at the airport by around 9:30, with our bags checked and through security (TSA Pre-Check!) before 10. We killed a couple of hours in the American Express lounge, which is very nice, and then boarded an uneventful flight home!

 

The Ship

In general, liked the Conquest, especially the decor, which was gorgeous. As I mentioned, we had a small issue with wonky drawers in the cabin, and saw a few other spots where the Conquest is in need of a refit. All minor issues.

 

In recent years, we’ve cruised on the Carnival Legend (smaller than the Conquest) and the RCL Freedom of the Seas (larger). I thought the Conquest was a good size, never seemed overly crowded -- but there’s one exception.

 

The Deck 5 Promenade area (“Impressionist Boulevard”) is very poorly designed, and was a constant bottleneck. If you are coming from the aft dining room (Monet) or the piano bar, or the comedy or karaoke lounges and want to get to the front of the ship, Deck 5 is the most direct way to do so. But there’s only a walkway on one side (starboard), which passes by the Alchemy Bar, the nightclub, the coffee bar, and then through the casino to the shopping area above the atrium.

 

This pathway was always, always crowded and unpleasant. It was made worse by the fact that there were a half-dozen or so photography stations set up there almost every single night. As I mentioned, in general the ship didn’t feel crowded or claustrophobic; except for Deck 5, which almost always did.

 

Camp Ocean was also fairly inconvenient to access, being all the way forward on deck 12. The single elevator that serves deck 12 forward was out of order most of the cruise, meaning we had to take a flight of stairs each time. Not a big deal, but added to our overall frustration with Camp Ocean.

 

It was really nice to visit four ports that were all gangway ports -- no tenders needed!

 

Overall Pros / Cons

Pros

  • Food was good, especially the 2.0 upgraded restaurants
  • Room comfortable, well designed, lots of storage, balcony was great (and dividers easy to open) -- and the location was perfect
  • The Lido deck pool area was very nice, with great bars
  • We had a great table in the main dining room
  • The staff was super friendly (except Camp Ocean)
  • Having an “extra” night was nice -- this was the first time we’d ever taken an 8-night cruise
  • Loved having FTFF
  • Loved having all gangway ports
  • Embarkation / debarkation were both very quick and easy

 

Cons

  • Ship showing some age -- drawers in our cabin did not close correctly
  • Camp Ocean staff were not friendly, and the program seemed very disorganized
  • Didn’t love the layout of the ship -- especially the Deck 5 bottleneck
  • No kids pool or splash zone

 

Pictures!!!

 

Cruise 2016: Onboard Fun!

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ericrz

ericrz

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Looking forward to hearing more as we were on the same cruise. We watched the 80's trivia; I bet we saw you there. :)

 

You probably did! We were in the corner of the lobby, near Guest Services, next to the S&S kiosk. We were *not* the guy in the Yankees jersey who kept getting pulled up to, um, "sing." That's not you, is it? :D

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ericrz

ericrz

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ericrz

 

Glad you had a nice cruise.

 

Do you by chance have the FunTimes and/or Entertainment Schedule. If so could you post them?

 

Thanks

 

I forgot to save either, sorry!

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CruzinScotty

CruzinScotty

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You probably did! We were in the corner of the lobby, near Guest Services, next to the S&S kiosk. We were *not* the guy in the Yankees jersey who kept getting pulled up to, um, "sing." That's not you, is it? :D

 

It wasn't me, I thought it might be you. ;) :eek: I definitely made for a fun event.

 

We were standing up on Deck 5.

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crusinpsychRN

crusinpsychRN

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I just got off Sunshine and had a newly formatted Fun Times. It's trifold with no perforation. Did you have one like that? Didn't like it, missed several things in the daily list like Tea Time. CD said this was done because a lot of people said old format was too big.

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ChristinaTravels30

ChristinaTravels30

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Would you mind sharing what you did in each port? I am particularly interested in St. Kitts. Thanks for taking the time to share your review.

 

St. Kitts was our favorite port! We did the Highlights and Brimstone Fortress tour through Carnival - we really enjoyed it. After the tour we were going to taxi to the beach - but decided to just grab a bite to eat near the port instead (the taxi cost would have been a bit pricey to spend just a short amount of time at the beach).

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l2f Great Review Rare

l2f

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I was on this cruise as well! I think I still have most of the fun times - I can try to figure out how to post them if anyone is interested.

 

I would most definitely be interested. Thanks

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evandbob

evandbob

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Thanks for the review. I've been on all the Conquest class ships and the the Conquest itself at least 22 days, with another week booked in June.

 

You wrote: "The Deck 5 Promenade area (“Impressionist Boulevard”) is very poorly designed, and was a constant bottleneck. If you are coming from the aft dining room (Monet) or the piano bar, or the comedy or karaoke lounges and want to get to the front of the ship, Deck 5 is the most direct way to do so. But there’s only a walkway on one side (starboard), which passes by the Alchemy Bar, the nightclub, the coffee bar, and then through the casino to the shopping area above the atrium."

 

If you want to avoid this bottleneck, you walk out of the aft dining room, go up one flight if you are not in the Upper MDR (4th deck) already. Proceed through "Alfreds Bar", walk towards the right, through that corridor, and there will be 2 sets of stairs. The 1st set takes you up to Deck 5 near the Taste Bar, and the 2nd set brings you to the casino bar area. Bottleneck avoided!

Edited by evandbob
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sunbird21

sunbird21

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Thank you for your review!

 

I'm leaving on the Conquest next Saturday for an 8 day, although I think it's a different itinerary.

 

Do you recall what "theme parties" the ship had during the week, i.e., white party, decades party, beach party, etc?

 

Trying to pack appropriately!

 

Thanks again!

 

Stacey

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