So we did the Conquest for a 3 night cruise. Can I be honest?

[CaribbeanJen]

I already submitted a review and I'm waiting for it to be published.  We have been on more than 10 cruises but never on carnival and never for just a weekend.  Our cruise "style" is to spend a lot of time on our balcony, enjoy some good food, and find quiet spots on the deck to read.  

 

The good: 

• Our bed was comfortable 
• The cabin was very clean 
• Our room steward was a sweetheart 

 

The Hmmmm.....

• Food was just ok.  Not great
• Service in the dining room was hit or miss
• We went to a comedian and he was simply not funny. This is obviously subjective but black comedians making jokes about racism don't land with me. It's not funny. 

The bad:

• This ship is old and it shows
• So...much...rust
• I'd like a word with the person who designed the Piano Bar.  Was it an acid trip?  Piano bars are usually classy- no?  

 

 

The biggest disappointment: 

 

My husband booked this as a surprise and it was a very sweet idea. (Don't want to talk much about this but we were getting away because 2/22 is the two year anniversary of losing our son.)   He paid extra for the AFT balcony because we love those.  We spend a LOT of time on our balcony eating, drinking wine/coffee, sunning, playing games, etc.  

The balcony on this cruise was simply awful   It was worn, rusty, damaged.  The glass panels on the railing appear dirty but they are actually damaged.  You can barely see through them.  The room is pictured on the website with two loungers.  There's plenty of room to have them.  We asked for them and were told they wouldn't fit.  That is simply not true.  

 

At the same time, the space feels like an abandoned hotel.  It wasn't that pleasant and we might not have bothered using loungers anyway.  

 

We made the best of it and enjoyed being together.  Carnival appears to be getting every nickel they can out of this ship before they retire it.  Seeing how old and unkempt it was felt a little depressing.  

 

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by CaribbeanJen

[nwcruiselover]

I’m sorry to hear that your first Carnival cruise experience was such  a disappointment.  Hopefully you’ll give Carnival another try on one of the newer ships, and for longer than a 3 day cruise.

[dallasdan]

On our Dream cruise in December, we had an aft balcony cabin.  The lounger was missing.  Our cabin steward tried to get us one, but was told they no longer put them on the Aft balcony because of safety reasons.

[csm5986142]

1 hour ago, CaribbeanJen said:

At the same time, the space feels like an abandoned hotel.

 

First, I want to say I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

In regard to your description of your aft balcony space - It is so funny you say this, because we saw this ship sitting in port (I think it was late last year) and it had some areas on the back boarded up (and like you said, looked like an abandoned hotel).  I commented at the time, wondering how much they would put into improving it.  

Most of the Carnival ships are not like that (as with everything the pandemic really took a toll on some of them) and I hope you will give Carnival another chance - many of the ships are very nice.

[CaribbeanJen]

45 minutes ago, dallasdan said:

On our Dream cruise in December, we had an aft balcony cabin.  The lounger was missing.  Our cabin steward tried to get us one, but was told they no longer put them on the Aft balcony because of safety reasons.

 Safety reasons?  I'm sorry but they are lying.  The suite next to us had loungers.  Also- we have had MANY Aft balconies including a 9 day cruise this past December.  Always had loungers on them.  

[CaribbeanJen]

1 minute ago, csm5986142 said:

 

First, I want to say I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

In regard to your description of your aft balcony space - It is so funny you say this, because we saw this ship sitting in port (I think it was late last year) and it had some areas on the back boarded up (and like you said, looked like an abandoned hotel).  I commented at the time, wondering how much they would put into improving it.  

Most of the Carnival ships are not like that (as with everything the pandemic really took a toll on some of them) and I hope you will give Carnival another chance - many of the ships are very nice.

Thank you.  

 

I truly believe there are much better Carnival ships and I won't write off the whole line based on this experience. I do feel they should not be charging a lot more for these damaged old balconies.  I'm curious about whether the side balconies might be in better shape.  They are smaller but if they won't place the loungers on them then it makes no difference to us.  

[dallasdan]

This is what we were told.  No loungers on the AFT balconies or L shape balcony on the side that my friends were in.  They were told the same thing when they requested a lounger.

[CruiserLucas]

Sad to hear your first Carnival cruise was not up to higher standards 😞 That's a bummer, especially when meant to be a nice surprise gift from your husband. Conquest was my first cruise in 2017, and she was starting to show age then, but still serviceable and enjoyable. I'm guessing you're right in that they're just sucking every last penny they can and not focusing on restoring/maintaining her after the pandemic. 

In regards to the Piano Bar, I didn't go in when on Conquest, but walked by a couple times, and it seemed comparable to the one we went into on Horizon, which was sort of classy but a bit eclectic, based on memories of it. Maybe they changed something to it? What made you think it was not classy if you don't mind us asking, and we could help you know if other Carnival ships will be similar?

[CaribbeanJen]

17 hours ago, CruiserLucas said:

Sad to hear your first Carnival cruise was not up to higher standards 😞 That's a bummer, especially when meant to be a nice surprise gift from your husband. Conquest was my first cruise in 2017, and she was starting to show age then, but still serviceable and enjoyable. I'm guessing you're right in that they're just sucking every last penny they can and not focusing on restoring/maintaining her after the pandemic. 

In regards to the Piano Bar, I didn't go in when on Conquest, but walked by a couple times, and it seemed comparable to the one we went into on Horizon, which was sort of classy but a bit eclectic, based on memories of it. Maybe they changed something to it? What made you think it was not classy if you don't mind us asking, and we could help you know if other Carnival ships will be similar?

I’m usually a Princess or Norwegian cruiser.  I was expecting something similar to the piano bar on one of those ships.  They usually feature dark, rich wood and have almost the feel of an elegant library.  Hard to describe.  
 

This one looked like a preschool.  

[CaribbeanJen]

17 hours ago, dallasdan said:

This is what we were told.  No loungers on the AFT balconies or L shape balcony on the side that my friends were in.  They were told the same thing when they requested a lounger.

That’s so strange. We were on an NCL cruise in January. It was an Aft balcony and identical in size.  We had two loungers on it.   We’ve also been on Princess cruises with loungers on an aft.  

[Indytraveler83]

My 2 cents:

 

Carnival has been pushing an aggressive drydock schedule, however most of the ships took a lot of damage during 2020 when they were being manned by only skeleton crews.

 

Those ships that haven't seen a drydock, especially the older ones like Conquest are likely in the worst shape at the moment.  Carnival has also admitted the paint they were previously using was not very good (part of the reason they are undergoing the new paint scheme) so those older all white ships are suffering.

 

Try Madri Gras, Vista, Horizon or Panorama as those ships will have a much more updated experience.

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, CaribbeanJen said:

That’s so strange. We were on an NCL cruise in January. It was an Aft balcony and identical in size.  We had two loungers on it.   We’ve also been on Princess cruises with loungers on an aft.  

Sad to say, but it could be that there are less shenanigans on NCL or Princess.   

[travelplus]

Call Carnival Post Cruise customer care and let them know what happened, show them photos of the shoddy  balcony with no loungers. Also emphasize you were sailing on the 2nd anniversary of loosing your son.

 

Furthermore also reach out to John Heald via his FB page.

 

I am sure you can get Future Cruise Credits or a partial refund or both. I think asking for a 30-40 percent refund back to your credit card is reasonable.

 

I am so sorry for your loss and poor experience 

[Virga]

We are also fresh off the Conquest, and are suddenly very, very glad we had rather low expectations.  Most of our Carnival history has been on Fantasy class ships, so we're used to older ships with garish decor.  (Boy, that piano bar is something else, though!)

 

Because of our appropriately low expectations (and the correspondingly low price) we had a great trip.  I'd have been similarly unhappy about not having loungers (and being given a bogus reason why you can't have them) but I handle worn and functional just fine.  The service was uniformly excellent, and we didn't have any food complaints.  It was no Mardi Gras, but I really only ask for better than Golden Corral on a cheap cruise.  I definitely think I'd have found the value lacking if I'd paid full price for a premium balcony cabin.

[LakeWobegon]

Yeah, we love Carnival, but for a long time avoided the line. One of the reasons was we saw some of the older ships in not great cosmetic shape on our first couple of cruises about 20 years ago. Rusty and worn down. Now, we really like the Vista class of ships (Vista, Horizon and Panorama) and can't wait to try the Mardis Gras in a few months. 

 

I guess it's a matter of taste and expectations. I know people that would love the cruise you described, knowing the cons. Not me, though. I do like how Carnival, as my wife described it, seems to have "something for everyone" in their different ships/experiences. 

 

I'll also add I was very impressed with the way NCL kept the Escape on some of the sailings we took on her first two seasons. It was impressive to see the team go to work when in port, hosing down the salt off the ship, repainting, and one guy always hanging over the side of the ship touching up the colorful mural. Kept it looking sharp. Carnival seems to do that too with its newer ships.

 

 

[groundloop]

On 2/25/2022 at 12:07 PM, CaribbeanJen said:

 

 

• We went to a comedian and he was simply not funny. This is obviously subjective but black comedians making jokes about racism don't land with me. It's not funny. 

 

 

 

According to the comedy club schedules I can find it looks like Spike Davis was recently on Conquest.  If indeed he's the comedian you saw I must disagree and say that I think he's great.  I've seen him several times and was always impressed with his ability to improvise and interact with the audience.  His subject matter may on occasion make a few people uncomfortable, but that's what comedians do.

[Guest BasicSailor]

2 hours ago, travelplus said:

Call Carnival Post Cruise customer care and let them know what happened, show them photos of the shoddy  balcony with no loungers. Also emphasize you were sailing on the 2nd anniversary of loosing your son.

 

Furthermore also reach out to John Heald via his FB page🤣.

 

 I think asking for a 30-40 percent refund back to your credit card is reasonable.

 

I am so sorry for your loss and poor experience 

Your post just made my day LOL!.  All of which are a waste of time. But you had honest thoughts for sure 🤣

[CaribbeanJen]

3 hours ago, travelplus said:

Call Carnival Post Cruise customer care and let them know what happened, show them photos of the shoddy  balcony with no loungers. Also emphasize you were sailing on the 2nd anniversary of loosing your son.

 

Furthermore also reach out to John Heald via his FB page.

 

I am sure you can get Future Cruise Credits or a partial refund or both. I think asking for a 30-40 percent refund back to your credit card is reasonable.

 

I am so sorry for your loss and poor experience 

Thank you for this suggestion.  We are going to do this.  My husband paid extra for the balcony and it. Definitely wasn’t as advertised. Honestly- for us this is the highlight of every cruise. 

 

I really appreciate this idea.  

[kelkel2]

What style cabin did you stay in? I’ve stayed in aft facing balconies and an L shaped balcony on the Liberty and both of those had loungers, but that was pre-covid. So maybe something changed? 
as far as the rust goes, I usually take an eh whatever approach, but that glass looks awful. I would say most people book balconies for the view and that’s pretty disappointing. I’m so sorry that was your experience. I’d say a dry dock is definitely in order. 

[CaribbeanJen]

2 minutes ago, kelkel2 said:

What style cabin did you stay in? I’ve stayed in aft facing balconies and an L shaped balcony on the Liberty and both of those had loungers, but that was pre-covid. So maybe something changed? 
as far as the rust goes, I usually take an eh whatever approach, but that glass looks awful. I would say most people book balconies for the view and that’s pretty disappointing. I’m so sorry that was your experience. I’d say a dry dock is definitely in order. 

It was called an extended Aft balcony and not L shaped. 
 

This ship is 20 yrs old.  It was refurbed 10 years ago. Honestly- I think they won’t do it again. It feels like they just gave up.  

[kelkel2]

Just now, CaribbeanJen said:

It was called an extended Aft balcony and not L shaped. 
 

This ship is 20 yrs old.  It was refurbed 10 years ago. Honestly- I think they won’t do it again. It feels like they just gave up.  

That’s really too bad. I don’t blame you and I would have been extremely disappointed with my balcony being in that shape. 

[Tapi]

I’ll start by saying that I’ve had a wonderful time on many, many Carnival cruises, including the shorter ones. But many of the things that you mention are true.

 

I’ll start with your comment about rust and overall appearance. I don’t know what it is about Carnival, but they just don’t seem as diligent as other cruise lines about taking care of rust, or about keeping their ships in top shape. And before someone says that it’s due to covid, I’ve noticed this for years, long before covid happened.
 

And for those who say that rust happens on any ship, specially older ones, I’ll say that I’ve sailed on really old ships on other cruise lines, and you need to look really heard to find significant rust issues on them.
 

The “acid trip” decor that you mention is simply part of Carnival’s Joe Farcus era ships. For many years, Carnival had this gentleman as interior designer, who was hell bent on making Carnival ships look as over the top as possible. While these neon filled, colorful, and wild designs were somewhat innovative 20-30 years ago, they simply did not age well. With that said, some people love them, some people hate them. If you want to sail on a Carnival ship that’s more toned down and more pleasing to the eyes, look for ships that were built after 2010 (I think that Magic was the last Joe Farcus designed ship). 
 

If you choose to sail on Carnival again, you just need to go in the correct state of mind to fully enjoy the experience. It won’t be Princess. It won’t be Norwegian. It will be Carnival. It’s fun, unpretentious, casual, and budget minded.
 

Thanks for sharing your experience. Always great to read comments from first time Carnival cruisers. 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Tapi

[seaman11]

Probably the worst ship I've ever been on.  Due to scheduling of a friendsl webt on that small ship with a bathtub for a pool.  However Carnival has some much better ships and iv had some better experiences on then then norwegian.  

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

Three day cruises aren’t really a good measure of anything. 

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

3 hours ago, Tapi said:

I’ll start by saying that I’ve had a wonderful time on many, many Carnival cruises, including the shorter ones. But many of the things that you mention are true.

 

I’ll start with your comment about rust and overall appearance. I don’t know what it is about Carnival, but they just don’t seem as diligent as other cruise lines about taking care of rust, or about keeping their ships in top shape. And before someone says that it’s due to covid, I’ve noticed this for years, long before covid happened.
 

And for those who say that rust happens on any ship, specially older ones, I’ll say that I’ve sailed on really old ships on other cruise lines, and you need to look really heard to find significant rust issues on them.
 

The “acid trip” decor that you mention is simply part of Carnival’s Joe Farcus era ships. For many years, Carnival had this gentleman as interior designer, who was hell bent on making Carnival ships look as over the top as possible. While these neon filled, colorful, and wild designs were somewhat innovative 20-30 years ago, they simply did not age well. With that said, some people love them, some people hate them. If you want to sail on a Carnival ship that’s more toned down and more pleasing to the eyes, look for ships that were built after 2010 (I think that Magic was the last Joe Farcus designed ship). 
 

If you choose to sail on Carnival again, you just need to go in the correct state of mind to fully enjoy the experience. It won’t be Princess. It won’t be Norwegian. It will be Carnival. It’s fun, unpretentious, casual, and budget minded.
 

Thanks for sharing your experience. Always great to read comments from first time Carnival cruisers. 

And what’s funny is the Magic isn’t even that gaudy as some of the other designs lol. 
 

But if you want to try the more modern carnival you need to sail Breeze or the Vista class or MG