Stacey's Semi-Solo Caribbean Conquest!!!

[Buckeyes22]

Wait wait wait.... I am dying here. So you are Stacey who made the drink AND Stacey who left in the middle of the juggling guy show??? I was at the show too hahahaha that guy was... interesting. He told the audience that when you came back that we were supposed to give you a round of applause, so you were smart to stay far away!!!

[carncruiser1964]

I am thrilled that I found your review. Really enjoying it. We are doing this ship and itinerary August 20th. Thanks for posting the Fun Times ;). Can't wait for the rest!!

[sunbird21]

I am thrilled that I found your review. Really enjoying it. We are doing this ship and itinerary August 20th. Thanks for posting the Fun Times ;). Can't wait for the rest!!

 

 

Thank you!!!! I'm glad it helps. I was desperate for recent Funtimes and AT menus for the 8 day, so enjoy!!!

 

 

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[sunbird21]

Wait wait wait.... I am dying here. So you are Stacey who made the drink AND Stacey who left in the middle of the juggling guy show??? I was at the show too hahahaha that guy was... interesting. He told the audience that when you came back that we were supposed to give you a round of applause, so you were smart to stay far away!!!

 

 

 

I'm simultaneously hanging my head with embarrassment and cheering that someone is validating my stories LOL. Yes, both were me. I was very much in the spotlight on this cruise!!!

 

V and M told me about the applause thing, said that they told him I was "purple rain Stacey".Please let me know if they said anything inappropriate lol!!! J/K

 

Did you make it to the Quest show on Curaçao night?? If so, you may recognize more stories...

 

 

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[Keylovers]

Girl, I am loving your cruise report. Keep it up..good work! And boy are you going to love Alaska!

[Buckeyes22]

I'm simultaneously hanging my head with embarrassment and cheering that someone is validating my stories LOL. Yes, both were me. I was very much in the spotlight on this cruise!!!

 

V and M told me about the applause thing, said that they told him I was "purple rain Stacey".Please let me know if they said anything inappropriate lol!!! J/K

 

Did you make it to the Quest show on Curaçao night?? If so, you may recognize more stories...

 

 

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We didn't... we got back on pretty late in Curacao and crashed after watching the ship pull away - too many martinis at Rife Fort hehe

 

You were totally the star of the cruise!! You need a ship on a stick or something. ;)

[Jenny in TX]

I am enjoying your review! We have sailed the Conquest a couple of times when she was docked in Galveston. We will be on her again in November for an 8 day to GT, St. Maarten, San Juan and St. Kitts. Very much looking forward to the rest of your review!

[sunbird21]

What an ass that "comedian" was. I've seen shows like that before. If you have to keep your audience in their seats by heckling them for leaving, you might want to rethink your show. Your friends should have made a big production of standing up and leaving as he continued to (very innappropriately) heckle you. Hey, it wasn't your fault he sucked so bad you had to leave so you wouldn't fall asleep :D

 

 

 

Congrats on your casino win! I'm the opposite..I find myself there way too much on cruises.

 

 

Yes he was... It reinforces my choice to forgo variety shows in the future.

 

Thanks for congrats!!! It's the only time I've ever won anything in there!!

 

 

 

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[pghsteelerfan]

I have to laugh at this comment as my poor DH can relate. He does not like to be in the spotlight/center of attention or anywhere near it. On our last cruise in September on Liberty, he got "volunteered" for the "Men's Hairy Chest Contest". :eek: One of our friends we met on "that other" roll call entered and was down there with 5 others already. They needed one more. DH and I were on Deck 10 overlooking the area where the action is, but he was in a lounger against the outside railing where the other guys were and us gals were standing at the railing (all from "that other" roll call). Just as a joke for our little group up there, I pointed at DH (he does have a "nice sweater") and we laughed. I didn't know at the time, but one of the other gals was pointing to him too. The assistant CD looked right at where we were, pointed, and said we have our 7th volunteer. :eek: Poor DH. I told him he didn't have to do it but he said he'd be even more embarrassed if he didn't because everyone was watching. I laughed my butt off at the same time thinking I'd have h*ll to pay later, he was ticked! He did it, was a good sport, & even came in 3rd. His first words to me when he got back were "I'm going to kill you". I'm still alive. LOL!!! We found out that our friend, the other contestant, saw us gals jokingly pointing at him and HE told the assistant CD. I even got that in the picture and noticed when I saw them enlarged on the computer screen when we got home. He looked like the proverbial cat that swallowed a bird and others around him were pointing right at us. DH was recognized around the ship a few times and each time he'd glare at me afterward. It came up again yesterday...almost a year later, on that "site I cannot mention" from one of our friends we met through "that other" roll call. He saw it, another glare. :D Nothing to be ashamed about on your end, that comedian was an ***hole. The Grand Turk "incident"? Done with dignity. That almost happened to me too on our last day. :o I am really enjoying your review and looking forward to the rest.

 

 

EDIT:

 

I tried to quote one of your comments and it didn't (Comment #104). This is what you said that I tried to quote:

 

"I'm simultaneously hanging my head with embarrassment and cheering that someone is validating my stories LOL. Yes, both were me. I was very much in the spotlight on this cruise!!!"

Edited June 14, 2016 by pghsteelerfan

[riclop]

Thanks for posting.

[DenaInWyo]

Excitedly and not so patiently waiting for the next installment :)

 

Cruise reviews are like a good book for me while I wait for my own adventures. Keep telling me a story!

 

PGSteelerfan..your poor hubby :D He'd better hope we don't all end up on a cruise together. I think you and I would get into heaps of trouble that would make him want to turn into real live feet sticking out from under the bed..hiding!

Edited June 16, 2016 by DenaInWyo

[HeavyMetalDeacon]

Hey carncruiser1964 , my wife and I will be on that same cruise. Let's say hello !

Edited June 16, 2016 by HeavyMetalDeacon

[KateLovesCruising]

I am loving your review so far! Can't wait to hear more. What a jerk that comedian was! On another note, that special drink you asked the bartender to make (with baileys, cream of coconut, etc) sounds DELICIOUS!! What is it called?!

[Zeta3]

I am loving your review so far! Can't wait to hear more. What a jerk that comedian was! On another note, that special drink you asked the bartender to make (with baileys, cream of coconut, etc) sounds DELICIOUS!! What is it called?!

 

 

Sounds like a Bushwhacker

[pghsteelerfan]

Excitedly and not so patiently waiting for the next installment :)

 

Cruise reviews are like a good book for me while I wait for my own adventures. Keep telling me a story!

 

PGSteelerfan..your poor hubby :D He'd better hope we don't all end up on a cruise together. I think you and I would get into heaps of trouble that would make him want to turn into real live feet sticking out from under the bed..hiding!

 

Hi DenaINWyo!

 

That would be SO MUCH FUN!!! I am game for fun, anytime (well, within reason, of course) and am known among our friends as the one with the ornery streak. Firecrackers at a wedding reception after several beers...um yeah, that was me and the groom's sister. :eek: I'd never do that on a cruise, wouldn't even consider anything that would cause me the "walk of shame" down the the gangway, with luggage in hand, at the next port or downgrade to a cage in the brig until debarkation. :D Just good, innocent fun. And OMG, the feet under the bed...LOL!!!

 

Sunbird...sorry if this is considered a "hi-jack", just saw this comment from a CC friend. :o Looking forward to the rest of your review but take your time. I know you're a nurse and really appreciate what you do and realize the crazy shifts and long hours you put in. We had a family emergency (all is well, got a good outcome) in April and from that, I have a much, much, much better appreciation for nurses. So thank you. :)

Edited June 20, 2016 by pghsteelerfan

[marcia014]

Hi Stacey,

Really enjoying your review. Considering the Conquest in November on a different itinerary and having a great time with you. Can't wait for more!!!

[sunbird21]

Hi guys-

Sorry for the delay- crazy week at work and last wknd was all about my team winning the NBA!!! I'll be back momentarily with Curaçao...

 

 

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[sunbird21]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[sunbird21]

Wednesday May 4-Curacao

 

 

 

 

I woke up at my usual time, but wasn't in a hurry to get ready,since we had half a sea day before arriving into Curacao. The dining room wasn't open just yet, so I went upstairs to get some ship pictures and coffee before it opened.

 

 

 

 

I had thought that with it being a partial sea day the dining room would be crowded, but it was pretty empty when I arrived. Then again, it WAS pretty early-most normal people were probably sleeping. I had another peaceful breakfast.

 

 

 

 

After breakfast, I headed out to Lido, found an empty chair on my now favorite section-2nd tier up on the RedFrog side. It was growing warmer and humid, much like the day before. I decided to start light with a Caribbean Colada-refreshing but mild on alcohol.

 

 

 

 

It seemed to be a relaxing morning- they had a few events going on in the morning, Bingo, trivia,etc. Big Sexy came on the jumbotron with his morning show and announced it would be a "nice half sea day."

 

 

 

 

Around 11ish, I hit up Guys Burgers for an early lunch in hopes of not needing to eat on the island. I also started checking on the status of my group, whom it seemed were taking advantage of the morning to snooze, as were most of the ship.

 

 

 

 

I watched us approach Curacao, and right around 12:30 we seemed to dock. I started to look a little harder for everyone, but it seemed like M,V and I were playing ship tag-we left various messages on the whiteboards and called each other's cabins but kept missing each other. C was starting to get everyone ready and fed.

 

 

 

At 1pm, the announcement went out that we were free to disembark. I was still in the midst of ship tag with everyone. This is where I SHOULD have put the "solo" part into act, but we had all talked about just going to a beach together, so I waited.

 

 

 

In the meantime, I'll insert my Curacao research.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a lot to do here, and it was definitely a beach island… the main beach was Seaquarium beach- closest to port, with several beach bars here that rent chairs/umbrellas, admission to beach is $3.50pp. They have all of the water activities, bars, massages, food, etc . It's right next door to the seaquarium has all facilities, palm trees and beautiful white sand. During the day it's the perfect place for children to play in the shallow water. There are shops, several bars like Mambo, Cabana, Wet & Wild, Aloha and Blue Oceans. There are facilities for all watersports. The beach is popular with families and young people. At night, specially in the weekend it can be a very crowded hotspot. There are concerts and even movies on the beach.

 

 

 

Jan Thiel Beach and Blue Bay Beach also had good recommendations,looked pretty,less amenities than Seaquarium and further from port, but probably less crowded. Not sure of prices of cabs to here.

 

 

 

For animal activities, there was an ostrich farm, which C was initially interested in. It was $17/adult, $14/child, about $20 cab ride from port. Sea Aquarium- $21/adult, $11/child, at the Seaquarium beach. Sea Lion Encounter-can't find a price. Dolphin encounters(pet and cradle the dolphin, 15-20 minutes) $99 adult, $50 child up to 4. Dolphin swim-$174,swim with dolphins for 30 min.

 

 

 

 

For snorkeling, there was a speedboat snorkel tour-2.5 hrs, $58pp,boat tour and snorkel plus a little bit of time at the beach (Adrenaline Tours), and a 2.2.5 hrs snorkel trip to the Blue Room(semi underwater cave) $44pp (Go West).

 

 

 

 

Island tours were also popular here, and both Carnival and private companies offered a lot. The best value that I found was Irie Tours, where you get a 3 hr tour of the city and the Curacao liquor distillery, and a stop at the Seaquarium beach for an hour. Price was $25pp,included nonalcoholic drinks and rum punch/beer plus entrance fee to the beach.

 

 

 

 

So, once again, I didn't pre book here-I was really playing minute to minute on this cruise, as I wanted to relax and not feel bound to anything (except my Aruba excursion). I was leaning heavily towards Irie tours, as it seemed like a good deal, plus Curacao itself was intriguing. However, part of me also wanted just to relax on a beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the time that we docked, I still had the option to book Irie on the spot(though they do sell out at times, I read). I could see the various tour vans/shuttles lined up in a parking lot, including the green school bus with the Irie logo. The high temperature and humidity made the decision for me-I did NOT want to spend the hottest part of the day inside a school bus. Beach it was!

[sunbird21]

I finally ran into V and M, who were hydrating at Redfrog. C and her family still had to eat, so it didn't seem like anyone was in a hurry to get off the ship.

 

 

 

 

I wasn't necessarily in a hurry, but I didn't want to feel rushed once I got on the island. My general philosophy is to get out,beat the crowds, and get back to the ship with plenty of time to spare, and watch the pier runners.

 

 

 

 

So, I decided to go ahead, and told M and V which beach I was headed to (Seaquarium). I went off the ship and started walking up a small incline to the Curacao sign, where everyone was taking pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After taking a selfie, I found a crowd around a tourist booth just past the sign. It was here that they gave out maps, tour advice,directions,etc. I stood by long enough to find out where the nearest ATM was, which was not close-you had to walk around the little port area towards the right,where the Radisson hotel and resort area was. There was a little strip mall to the side, and I was directed down this path towards a Starbucks(where other cruisers discovered free wifi), and the ATM was right next door. It was about a ten minute walk-a HOT walk.

 

 

 

 

Lesson? Have extra money before arriving at this port if you want to avoid said walk. of course, you can pay the $6 or so fee to withdraw cash from ATM Carnival.

 

 

 

 

 

Upon returning to the port area, I found the taxi stand, where they have a list of flat fares to various areas. I think it was $20 to Seaquarium. As I got in the line, who do I see haggling with a driver, but my group? Of course the one day it took me a few extra minutes to leave port that they would be right behind me!!!

 

 

 

 

I caught up to them and we managed to secure our own van for about $7 a piece, I think-they didn't charge for O.

 

 

It was about a 15 minute ride over a bridge and through the town filled with multicolored pastel homes. C and I both noticed how similar to Bermuda in style this island was.

[sunbird21]

We arrived at the beach complex to find a boardwalk area full of shops, restaurants, fast food and a little play area for the little guys. Sadly, O was sleeping and missed his opportunity to sit in a replica train.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wandered in a few shops and sampled some free curaçao.

 

 

 

 

 

The cement walk curled around above the beach, where each beach bar owned various stretches, as designated by different colored lounge chairs. We wandered by one of them with hammocks and iguanas sunning themselves.

 

 

 

L decided that this guy looked hungry, so he shared a Dorito with him.

 

 

 

 

 

I knew the entrance fee was $3.50pp, but didn't know the various prices for chairs at each beach. V was content to just lay her towel in the sand, so we found a space by the hammock bar, and I walked down to ask about prices. It was here that we were told that no towels on the sand were permitted ANYWHERE on the beach.

 

 

 

 

She ended up offering us a deal for six chairs for the price of 5(kids were free). I ended up covering this, and think it was about $25-I know it wasn't $30. I did check on prices at the Cabana beach section(next section over), with the pink chairs, and they wanted $7 a chair, so I figured that the hammock bar was a better deal.

 

 

 

With that, we secured six randomly placed loungers and moved them in a row by a palm tree-partial shade.Then it was time to hit the water!

 

 

 

 

 

The water in this area wasn't the clearest, and parts were rocky, but it was nice because there was sort of a rock wall about 20 feet out,making it feel like it was a little cove. We could see the ship in the distance. At the Cabana beach area , we could see the usual inflatable water toys, but never did check them out, so I couldn't tell you any prices.

 

 

 

We spent some time swimming and playing with the kids in the sand. The bar had free wifi, and I was trying to download some of my most used apps onto the 4s,but the connection was turtle slow.

 

 

 

After a bit, V,C and I decided to walk down the beach and explore. We headed in the other direction from the Cabana beach. There was a sidewalk path and plenty of iguanas securing their spot.

 

 

 

We stopped at the next beach bar, Hemingway, and had a drink, chatting with the bartenders, who were both there on a work exchange program from Amsterdam.

 

 

 

This was the last beach bar on the strip-the Aquarium was next. Upon investigating,we found that it closed at 4pm(it was almost 5 at this point), so if anyone wants to do an animal activity or explore-make this your first stop!

[sunbird21]

Other pics of the beach, since, you know...6 pic limit

 

 

 

 

This was our section of the beach...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sunbird21]

More pics of the boardwalk/mall area....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sunbird21]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we got back to our section of the beach, we lounged for a bit longer, then tried out our bar for a snack and drink. I made the mistake of trying to climb into one of the hammocks…they were very floppy and my drink ended up in the sand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As it was getting later, we were getting ready to wind down our beach day. C and P went off to the mall area to find better food choices, and M and V stayed put at the bar. After losing my drink, and landing on my bottom in the sand (oops, forgot to mention that part), i was ready for a nice beach massage, so I wandered down and found them in a lovely white cabana on the other side of Cabana beach(in the middle of the pink and yellow chair sections).

 

 

 

 

 

I ended up splurging on a 45 minute massage and I have to say it was one of the better massages I've had. With the sound of the waves combined with the shade of the cabana, and the seashell wind chimes, it was very peaceful. And, the masseur was totally hot LOL, but that was a side note. He was pretty good,too-definitely try it out!!

 

 

 

 

Once I was done, I met up with the others upstairs on the mall boardwalk and we headed out.

 

 

 

There were a few vans lined up for taxi service at the entrance, and we actually negotiated a combo transfer and mini tour of the town for $12pp(kids free). The driver took us up a mountain with a view of the industrial port on one side, where we stopped to take some photos. he offered to walk with us further uphill to get better photos, but we declined.

 

 

[sunbird21]

 

 

 

Our next stop was a famous well, where he gave us a brief history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were all asking questions about the culture of Curacao, and at some point M asked what the "local" dish was. The driver informed him that goat was the delicacy enjoyed by Curacaoans( I made that word up).

 

 

 

 

We then circled around to the downtown area, where we stopped for pictures of the floating bridge, which was now lit up. The driver was going to take us to an older church for the final stop, and then back to port, but seeing how lively the downtown area was, we decided to conclude the tour here. He told us that we were about a 20 minute walk from the port, and since it was only a little after 7, we figured we had plenty of time to explore this area and head back to port with time to spare.