Conquest Feb 19 Review (Long)

[Jerry101]

Embarkation: Arrived a little later than I intended due to the ruff weather leaving DFW (ICE RINK!!) :eek: . Upon arrival in Galveston it was overcast in the 50’s with a brisk wind. Got started about 1:30 and was on board by 2:30. Had dropped of the bags earlier before parking at EZ cruise parking so some were already at my room when I arrived. The rest arrived within 30 minutes.

 

My Room: I had cabin 8455, which is the top starboard aft wrap. I would book this room again in a heartbeat. Just loved the large balcony and the views were spectacular to say the least. You could see up the side forward or across the stern to the other side. This provided great photo opportunities for coming into and leaving all the ports. There was some noise to contend with from the Lido deck (sliding chairs), but it was never a bother for me. You are also on one of the corners of the box so you get a little more ship motion. Here again it felt like someone was gently rocking you to sleep. In fact if you had a big meal with a couple of drinks this room can put you into an instant coma. I know several of my fellow critics believe you save money on you room because you are never there. I, on the other hand feel on a ship of 4500 passengers and crew, a secluded spot to get away is WONDERFUL thing. If you book an inside box, nobody wants to spend time there. This was a room you wanted to spend time in. The sun vs. shade on the balcony was a perfect 50-50 mix. You could also easily find an area where the wind wasn’t pounding you. I could stand by that rail for hours looking at that beautiful blue water. It was a rather long stroll to the forward lounges. The view from the forward elevators down the hall to this room requires binoculars. You are readily accessible to the Burger/Pizza stands and the Lido breakfast buffet.

 

Sail Days: We woke up the first day to warm 76-degree temperatures but the wind was rather sporty on the jogging track. The warm temperatures stayed with us throughout the cruise excluding Leaving/Arriving in Galveston. Malcolm was our CD and did a fine job. The shows were okay, the usual suspects here. Welcome Aboard, Comedians (Phat Kat), Ventriloquist, Juggler, Las Vegas Dancers, Newlywed, hairy chest, karaoke, I think that covers most. The food for the whole trip was really good especially when you consider they are cooking for 3000. Great service and friendly attitudes were quite apparent and on display for the duration also.

 

Jamaica; Temperatures in the 90’s. I did the Canopy Adventure Tour and we all seemed to have a lot of fun with this one. The course was built on the outskirts of a huge Orange Grove located on the far side of the mountain facing Montego Bay. Our bus driver (Winston) really livened things up with a hair-raising drive through the mountains to get there. Winston also apparently had a Botany Minor because he had an excellent knowledge of the Native Flora. He showed us a Cashew tree, Tree Leaves ‘Old Spice’ is made from, Castor Beans and ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ Breadfruit. The only gripe I heard from anyone on this tour was it ended too soon. The guides were very good and maintained proper safety standards at all times. Did have some climbing so be prepared for a little exercise. There was one child in our group around 10. He was a little nervous at first but was having a ball by the end. Once the tour was over the Bus driver took us back to the ship first. Then offered to drive everyone to Margaritaville or City Center shopping district and pick us up in time for departure. Yes, we were hounded out on the streets but I would just say ‘No Mon’ and keep smiling and walking. Worked fairly well especially once I was carrying a store shopping bag from a previous purchase. Jamaica is a beautiful island, approximately 150 x 50 miles and 80% mountainous lush Jungle. Beautiful blue water and supposedly exports clean water to the other islands (G. Cayman). Oh, did I say Winston had a geography minor also? I guess what I am trying to say is it seems Jamaica gets a bad rap when I feel it’s more a matter of ‘prior planning’ and attitude. I know it may seem cruel but ‘don’t feel sorry for them’ and move on. There are some wonderful people there to meet and get to know.

 

Grand Cayman; Ah yes, the land of creative accounting and ‘Offshore’ Bank Accounts. This is another gorgeous island and one that will give you that ‘at-home’ feeling the most. I went with “Nativeway’s Rays, Reef and Rum Point Tour”. I can’t say enough about how great this tour is. The Sting Rays are a must for everyone at least once. This was followed by snorkeling along the Barrier Reef an finally lunch and relaxing at Rum Point. If you have a dream of a house on the beach in the Caribbean, Rum Point would be it. This has a great swimming area with dock and a beautiful beach with trees close by. The food served was wonderful and not your typical sandwich. They had a great selection from ‘Mondo’ Cheese or Jerk Burgers to Chicken strips or fish and chips. They called in the order before we left the Barrier Reef, so it was ready when we arrived at Rum Point. The food portions were huge and nobody left hungry. The cost for this Nativeway tour was VERY hard to beat, 60 USD. Their first question was when does the last tender leave? They made sure we were there 30 minutes before the last, which actually allowed some last minute shopping as there are several shops very close to the Tender Pier. It starts at 8:45 and is a full day of sun; so don’t forget the Sun Block. Oh, for those that are interested, passed a home for sale on the canal out from the docks. It appeared to be about 1800' on a small lot located on the canal. The starting price was 4.5 million so start saving those nickles and dimes.

 

Cozumel: One of the worlds top Scuba/Snorkel site in existence. Cozumel has some of the most spectacular reefs to dive, with 150 –200 foot visibility and a water temp of 78 degrees. If you ever considered Scuba/Snorkeling there is no better place then Cozumel, Mexico. You will NOT be disappointed. Cozumel also offers beautiful beaches, mopeds, historic Mayan ruins and great Restaurants/Grills/Bars. I made this my shop stop, as Cozumel has some of the best in the Western Caribbean. It is in rapid recovery after the Hurricanes and more shops are reopening everyday now. All the main shops are open, Diamonds International, Los Cincos, Pancho’s Backdoor, Senor Frogs, Carlos & Charlies. The tenders here are 250-300 capacities, so they will take a while to load/unload. The photo staff stopping everyone as they get of to take their picture of course does not help this situation either.

 

Final Sail Day: Pretty much a re-run of the first two. The weather turned cooler and more overcast the closer we got to Galveston. This was a nice day to relax and slow things down.

 

Debarkation: I did the self-assist and it went smooth as glass. I was off the ship by 7:10 am and on the road out of Galveston by 7:30. It could NOT have been easier. If you can manage your luggage, this is the way to go. I was packed like a mule but made it with no problems. The alcohol quota has recently changed for Texas Ports. They now allow 4 bottles of alcohol per adult. 1 is duty free and you pay duties on the other three. Any more than 4 bottles will be confiscated. Don’t really know what to think about Customs. Here again they just reviewed the forms, scanned the Passport and said ‘Thank you, goodbye’. No questions, No Dogs, and didn’t say or look at another thing. Didn't ask for duties on the 3 bottles of alcohol either.

 

Overall Critique: This was a wonderful cruise from start to finish. I congratulate Carnival on a job well done. The things Carnival has control of were well run and maintained and the staff was very friendly and helpful.

 

Conquest Reminders: I have heard some critics complain about long lines, availability of deck chairs, waiting for tenders, etc. Conquest is an extremely large beautiful ship. Due to the size and number of passengers you will have to contend with these problems. These issues are just inherent with large ships and I don’t think there is an economically feasible way for a cruise line to correct them.

 

Carnival Suggestions: It would be great to be able to stay in ports a little later. Maybe Carnival might consider a ‘Nightlife’ tour. Maybe arrive in port around 1:00 or 2:00 pm and leave around midnight. This trip made you wish you could stay and observe/participate in the nightlife of Margaritaville, Senor Frogs, and Carlos and Charlies.

I believe once you are through the metal detectors during embarkation its a pretty sure bet you are on this cruise. Complimentary drinks/sacks would ease the process a little. (Non—alcoholic of course.)

 

Well that about wraps it up. Sorry for the book, I hope this helps to ease some minds and answer some questions. I will check back to answer question ASAP…

[lsp]

Which canopy tour did you take? Was it Carnival or someone else?

 

Linda

 

Conquest 5/7/06

Liberty 9/18/05

Glory 6/04

Conquest 6/03

[Stircrzy]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review!

 

I'm looking forward to sailing on the Conquest while she's still in Galveston.

[Caine789]

Great review!! Thanks for putting my mind to rest about the weather. Was a little worried with all the colds fronts coming through, although I would have a great time anyway.

 

Totally agree with you on the nightlife cruise theme.

[Jerry101]

I did the Canopy Adventure Tour through Carnival. I would not hesitate to book it with them again. The most important thing here to consider is be safe!!

 

Yes, a 'Nitelife' tour...endless possibilities!

 

Oh, and for those who were on the Conquest this week. If you looked off the stern and saw a "University of Texas National Champs" flag mounted to the bannister, that would be me. :p

[teepee]

Jerry-

It sounds like your trip was great! I'm so glad you posted, as my family is planning on this excursion. We sail on the Coquest March 12. My concern is not arriving on time because of tedering since this is not a ship excursion and

we will not have priority tendering. Can you give me some pointers or reassure my worries? Thanks for your help.

Teepee

[LUCY55]

In grand cayman you did Nativeways RRR tour. Conquest got in at about 7:00 a.m. We are on the Liberty getting in at about 8:00 am. Do you think we could get off the ship in time to meet them at 8:45 am?

[I Luv Crusin]

Jerry,

Thank you for a very readable review! I was thinking of doing Nativeway (again) have done Sting Ray City before. Was your group large? Did they try to charge you extra? I was disappointed to read in another review that they tried to increase the price on a booked tour.

 

And your review wasn't too long at all! A lot of people worry that they are typing too much. For readers it's not bad at all!!! thanks again!

[boatsmate]

I know Carnival used to have a night life tour of Cozumel, but that was when the ships where tied to the dock and they left at 10pm or later. I was on one cruise that left at 1100pm. carlos and Chariles used to alert everyone that it was time to leave for the ship. This was when we docked at the old dock before the new docks where built.

 

Ahh that was the days.....

 

capt Bill

[GayleR]

Oh, and for those who were on the Conquest this week. If you looked off the stern and saw a "University of Texas National Champs" flag mounted to the bannister, that would be me. :p

 

 

Hook'em Horns!!!!

Thanks for the great review. I'll be on the same cruise as Teepee. How was the tendering process for GC?

 

Gayle

[Jerry101]

teepee, Lucy55

 

Tendering: I was sure in G. Cayman to get to the Lounge early. I got there in time for a little shopping prior to departing with Native Way Watersports. For your concerns about arrival times and would strongly suggest you contact them via Internet. They were very good about answering any timing questions you might have and NO they did not try to raise the price.

 

Native Way Watersports

P O Box 30340

SMB, Grand Cayman, B.W.I.

 

 

www.nativewaywatersports.com website

native@candw.ky E-mail

(345)-916-5027 Phone

 

 

Now the tendering procedures are a little strange. The CD (Malcolm) said during the tendering lecture that no priorities are given for Carnival excursions, but I’m still not sure if this is true. You will go to the Tolouse (sp?) Lounge to get a tender ticket. Now if you are on a Carnival tour the say just sit down and we will call for you by your tour name. If you are NOT on a Carnival tour they give a number sticker for each person in your group. Then call you for tender by number. Example; “All those on the Dolphin Tour and Tender sticker number three proceed to the gangway or follow this person to the gangway…” Actually in Cozumel I thought the tender ticket process really slowed down the operation. They should have just had you line up at the gangway. The tenders were so big wait time would have been minimal.

 

Boatsmate

 

Yes, when Cancun was in operation there were several cruises that would go to Cancun during the daytime, then cruise over to Cozumel for the evening. I agree wholeheartedly that Carlos & Charlie’s must be experienced at night. Wow, what a fun place to party!!!

[jckvpa0]

Thanks, excellent review!!!

Any chance you could share some pics or your room?

[cruisenk]

You posted a great, easy to read review. We're on the Liberty in a couple of weeks and I am already thinking about our next cruise. I love reading all the reviews so I can figure out the next trip. Thanks for all the info!

[denisey]

Hey Jerry!

 

You were in "my" cabin! We will be in the same cabin on Sunday March 3rd! We had a cabin on the floor below on the Glory and I agree they are great rooms!

 

Thanks for the review!

 

Denise

[notez22]

Thanks for a great review!

I'm on the Conquest next month. Can you tell me what days of the week were formal?

[cruise.freak]

We are doing the Nativeway RRR tour in April. How deep is the water at the reef? Also do you know if you are able to snorkle at all at Rum Point?

[JoeTx]

If I remember right, formal nights were Monday Night and Thursday Night, I maybe off on the Thursday, but I was surprized that it wasn't on a "Sea Day" like the first formal night.

 

One thing that struck me about the Conquest is how well they separate those 3,000 passengers. With the split level pool area, main lounge and dining, it never felt like you had a large number of people corralled into small spaces. Other than on Formal nights on the Promenade deck near the casino, it didn't feel like you where sharing the boat with 3,000 other people, amazing!

 

JoeTx (Conquest Golf Putting Champion - 2/20/2006)

[Jerry101]

Yes the Formal Dinner nights were Monday and Thursday. I agree the second should be moved to the last sea day. I had a full day at G. Cayman and a Formal Night was unexpected.

The Depth of the Barrier Reef varies from 1 foot to around 25 feet. I will have some pictures posted shortly…

[Jerry101]

Here are some of the photos I took on this cruise. The G. Cayman pictures will have to be developed first, so check back later for those.

 

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=548081224&security=hOfXlg

[teepee]

Jerry

Thanks for responding quickly to RR&R. Hopefully Sharon will grant our request for this trip. My DH has no problem not attending the 2nd formal night, but I will definitely attend. That's OK. We respect each others wishes after all these years.

[Cruise Cat]

Thanks for the review Jerry. I am looking forward to it. 179 more days to go! Oh, and thanks for reminding me that I have pictures of Coz to develop from last year that are still in the waterproof film camera.

Chuck

[Jerry101]

Well, Sharon sure took care of me so I would expect the same for you. She will get you the information you need in a timely manor.

 

Rum Point is great for lunch, sun bathing, swimming and snorkeling. It had crystal clear water and a very gentle slope out to deeper water. There were little to no waves due beach location and the Barrier Reef.

 

Yeah, this is the first attempt with the cheap underwater camera. Am a little nervous about how they will turn out. Have you ever used them prior to Cozumel? How did they turn out?

[Donna n Francis]

Here are some of the photos I took on this cruise. The G. Cayman pictures will have to be developed first, so check back later for those.

 

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=548081224&security=hOfXlg

 

 

Hi Jerry,

 

Thank You so much for your great report and photos. I am working hard at booking my next cruise ;) and was so happy to see that you were in 8455. I am planning on the Carnival Valor for April 2007. Of the 6 'wrap around' staterooms I had narrowed it down to either 6483, 7445 or 8455. Now thanks to all your comments and photos I think that I will go for 8455. Can you please let me know if this stateroom have a sofa and how is the room laided out? I want to surprise my DH because he works so hard and he didn't go on my last cruise (sister's only cruise on the Carnival Victory...BTW my sisters had never cruised before...now I have them addicted:eek: ). Now we are going again with all our family and friends. I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

 

Donna

[Jerry101]

Hey Donna,

 

There are two pictures that show the room layout. The first picture is taken from the hall door, across the beds to the towel animal. You can see one of the table chairs on the left and the start of the balcony door to the right of the TV. Entering the room from the hall the right side wall (not pictured) starts with three closets (Two Hanger and 1 of shelves) a small open space (stack your empty luggage) and then the bathroom. The other picture of the room is taken from the door to the balcony. There is no couch, just a small table with two chairs down the right side of the picture. Hope this helps…

[jckvpa0]

Here are some of the photos I took on this cruise. The G. Cayman pictures will have to be developed first, so check back later for those.i

 

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=548081224&security=hOfXlg

 

 

Thanks for sharing the pictures!

In looking at picture # 7 it looks as though the aft part of the balcony is not as big as I have seen in other wrap pics. Is this because it is the top deck? Is this the way all wraps are on the Conquest class? Are the lower wrap afts larger?

 

Sorry for so many questions but I really would like my next cruise to be in one of these rooms, & from what I getting from reading on here is that you have to book years in advance to get one of these rooms. I really don't care what ship I go on, I'm more concerned with having the right aft wrap around balcony.