2 weeks til 1st cruise - a few questions. (Conquest)

[aggie182]

I will attempt to ask things that haven't been beat to death here already. I know about jeans on formal nights, etc.

 

I am getting married on April 15th in Galveston, and leaving the 16th on the Conquest. We books an oceanview cabin, my mom and dad (who have been on probably 20 cruises) upgraded us to a balcony - about 300 more if I remember right. This room was on the Lido deck. Then our TA at AAA called and said carnival upgraded us to a suite. Yeehaw. I think she called it a demi-suite. This room is on the Empress deck (7). Opinions or experiences with these rooms??

 

This is my 1st cruise - also the 1st for my wife-to-be. We're doing Rose Hall Beach Resort in Jamaica; Turtle farm, Hell, Stingrays in Grand Cayman; and MAyan Ruins in Tulum for the Cozumel stop. We want to do carnival Excursions because it's our 1st cruise and feel better about it, even if it's a little more. Any thoughts/experiences on the excursions??

 

Now for a few questions. I will post a trip report w/ some pics a few days after I return. Kind of a way to pay it forward.

 

 

What is the attire like on the other (non-formal) nights in the dining room? Is it khakis and a collared thirt? Jeans and a collared shirt? Shorts?

 

What should we expect to pay for on the ship? I know souveneirs, alcohol and cokes if we want them. We plan to smuggle some booze. Are we allowed to bring on cokes (legally)?

 

What are the typical casino hours and mins on table games? Do they have Pai Gow? What about poker? Is it 2/4? 3/6? No-Limit? Do they change with demand? Just 1 table on the Conquest? Do they have poker tourneys?

 

What on board activities/shows do you consider a must-do? Which do you consider 'if you have free time', you'll go? What about shows/activities you don't waste your time on? I do know that opinions differ on such things, But I am trying to get some ideas at least.

 

How much do you feel the movement of the ship? I grew up fishing, surfing, etc. I am not too concerned about it, but the wife-to-be is a little concerned.

 

What are some things that you suggest packing that aren't obvious to a 1st timer? What are some things I should leave behind that'd I'd probably want to pack?

 

What time should we get to the ship? My parents live in Galveston, so they'll drop us off and pick us up as needed. What do I need to make sure I have with me for the lines before we board? I'll print out my fun pass papers, etc, but is there anything else?

 

Is there a 'do not disturb' door hanger in there? Hey, it's our honeymoon. Don't want the room keeper guy to come in at a bad time.

 

What time do activities get going in the mornings? I don't sleep too late usually, even if I stay up half the night. But I don't want to be walking around aimlessly with nothing going on.

 

OK, I think I will stop bugging yall with my 1st timer questions. Thanks in advance.

[aggie182]

Oh yeah, I think I read they juices are free. What kind of juices, etc do they have for free. This info will be useful for the type of booze I try to smuggle on.

[redskin80]

First Congratulations on the upcoming wedding.

 

Yes you can get Apple Juice, lemonaide, tea and punch, from the machins pretty much most of the day.

 

Not sure on the Coke question. We just drink the above duringthe day.

 

Casino is different every day, read the CAPERS and it will give you the Casino hours for each day.

 

Shorts are pretty much frowned on during dinner hours. Better off with the Dockers and a nice shirt.

 

we also did the Carnival excursions for our first cruise and we still do it. Tulum, is good, just a long bus ride. They do charge to use the resterroom when you get there, they will accept american money. The TP is limited, your wife might want to carry some tissues with her. We did not do the Rays in Grand Caymen and we were very sorry that we missed it.

[justsea]

we did the turtle farm /Hell and stingray with carnival. WE loved it when you are loading the boat ask if you can sit on the front of the boat.The back was getting full and they told us to go up front.It was great the kids hung their feet over the rail a could see everything in the water.It was also nice when we got back on our stuff didn't get wet when every one got back on.:) Watch when you feed the rays that you don't wipe the squid on and part of you.I learned the hard way.The rays will give you a painful suck.One lady wipe the sqid on her breast and had to get out of the water because the rays were going after her chest.:(

[aggie182]

One lady wipe the sqid on her breast and had to get out of the water because the rays were going after her chest.:(

 

 

Horny stingrays, huh?

[theos on the go]

Aggie,

 

First of all congrats on the upcoming nuptials.

 

Second, we were on the Empress deck on the Conquest. It is great no noise. Very little movement felt. We would walk the stairs up to the Lido deck it was not a long walk at all. We would definitely book again on the Empress deck. You'll love it!

 

I am very prone to sea sickness (I wear a patch) and I hardly felt any movement on the ship with the exception of 1 time we sat in back of the theater and a few times at dinner (we were in the aft dining room). And that was when it sailed from New Orleans and we were coming into the river channel.

 

Have fun you'll love the Conquest!

 

theos

[suzy1212]

I am getting married on April 15th in Galveston, and leaving the 16th on the Conquest.

Congratulations. :)

This is my 1st cruise - also the 1st for my wife-to-be. We're doing Rose Hall Beach Resort in Jamaica; Turtle farm, Hell, Stingrays in Grand Cayman; and MAyan Ruins in Tulum for the Cozumel stop. We want to do carnival Excursions because it's our 1st cruise and feel better about it, even if it's a little more. Any thoughts/experiences on the excursions??

We did Tulum through Carnival. It was excellent. We did the stingray/snorkel tour with Soto's in Grand Cayman. It was a lot cheaper and less crowded than the Carnival tour, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it and you'll have that added peace of mind. :)

What is the attire like on the other (non-formal) nights in the dining room? Is it khakis and a collared thirt? Jeans and a collared shirt? Shorts?

No shorts in the dining room at dinner.

What should we expect to pay for on the ship? I know souveneirs, alcohol and cokes if we want them. We plan to smuggle some booze. Are we allowed to bring on cokes (legally)?

Yes, you can bring some Cokes.

What are the typical casino hours and mins on table games? Do they have Pai Gow? What about poker? Is it 2/4? 3/6? No-Limit? Do they change with demand? Just 1 table on the Conquest? Do they have poker tourneys?

I didn't like the Texas Holdem because it was limit poker. I like no limit. I don't remember what the blinds were.

What on board activities/shows do you consider a must-do? Which do you consider 'if you have free time', you'll go? What about shows/activities you don't waste your time on? I do know that opinions differ on such things, But I am trying to get some ideas at least.

Only saw the magician, which was OK. I'm not a big show person.

How much do you feel the movement of the ship? I grew up fishing, surfing, etc. I am not too concerned about it, but the wife-to-be is a little concerned.

My mother's room was near the front and she said it was pretty noticeable on the day it was rough. She gets motion sick very easy, but she took ginger pills and felt fine all week. The two friends in the room with her were sick that day.

What are some things that you suggest packing that aren't obvious to a 1st timer? What are some things I should leave behind that'd I'd probably want to pack?

Can't remember specifically, but we did over pack.

I'll print out my fun pass papers, etc, but is there anything else?

You don't have to actullay print the fun pass. They will have it in their computer that you have filled it out.

Is there a 'do not disturb' door hanger in there? Hey, it's our honeymoon. Don't want the room keeper guy to come in at a bad time.

Yep.

Have a great honeymoon! :D

[cardinalfan]

You are going to have so much fun. We were on the Conquest two weeks ago and wish we were going back again.

 

Have you thought about buying a soda card as soon as you get onboard? If you drink alot of Cokes it is probably the best thing to do but just be sure to get it as soon as you get on board.

 

We did the same tour--stingray city etc. It was so exciting. We are still talking about it.

 

My son plays poker and they have one Texas Hold 'em table. There is also a waiting list to play and get on the list early if you want to play. There are lots of other tables about other poker games. I think he played until 2am some nights. It starts about 10am on days when you are at sea.

 

We saw all the shows and enjoyed all of them except the magician.

 

Also we had very bad luck with room service. It took over 2 hours to get a turkey sandwich which was all they said they had. I have read other posts that comment the same thing but have also read some where people had good luck with room service.

 

You will enjoy the whole trip. There is just things going on all the time.

 

have fun.

[perkyblue]

I did the Turtle Farm, Hell, and Stingray City (through RCCL) and loved it--especially the stingrays.

 

One thing I would suggest you bring is a highlighter to mark the events in the Capers (the schedule of activities) that you don't want to miss. I actually bring two highlighters--one color for events I definitely want to attend, and another color for events I might do.

 

I always end up packing too many clothes, so whatever clothes you're thinking of bringing, you can probably leave a few of them at home. If you or your wife-to-be are anything like me, you'll pick up a couple new clothing items during the trip anyway!

 

Congratulations, and have a great time!

[aggie182]

Thanks all. I really appreciate your help.

[jpmaximus]

What is the attire like on the other (non-formal) nights in the dining room? Is it khakis and a collared thirt? Jeans and a collared shirt? Shorts? I DIDNT READ THE DRESS CODE PRIOR TO BOARDING MY 1ST CRUISE. I THINK I WORE SHORTS TO DINNER ONCE OR TWICE. I WOULDNT THINK ANYONE IS GOING TO SAY ANYTHING. CARNIVAL UNDERSTANDS YOU ARE ON VACATION AND THEY ARENT GOING TO BE RUDE AND CALL YOU OUT.

 

What should we expect to pay for on the ship? I know souveneirs, alcohol and cokes if we want them. We plan to smuggle some booze. Are we allowed to bring on cokes (legally)? CARNIVAL WILL WANT YOU TO BUY THEIR STUFF. IF YOU PACK IT RIGHT YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH IT, BUT THEY WILL SEE IT IN YOUR GARBAGE. DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF SOUVENEIRS AND DRINKS YOU BUY YOU COULD SPEND ALOT OR VERY LITTLE

 

What are the typical casino hours and mins on table games? Do they have Pai Gow? What about poker? Is it 2/4? 3/6? No-Limit? Do they change with demand? Just 1 table on the Conquest? Do they have poker tourneys?

NOT SURE ON THIS

 

What on board activities/shows do you consider a must-do? Which do you consider 'if you have free time', you'll go? What about shows/activities you don't waste your time on? I do know that opinions differ on such things, But I am trying to get some ideas at least. THE CRUISE CAPERS NEWSPAPER SLID UNDER YOUR DOOR EVERY MORNING WILL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE DAYS ACTIVITIES. THE MUSICAL SHOWS ARE USUALLY VERY GOOD.

 

 

How much do you feel the movement of the ship? I grew up fishing, surfing, etc. I am not too concerned about it, but the wife-to-be is a little concerned. I FOUND IT TO BE SLIGHTLY NOTICEABLE BUT NOT BAD, AND NOT TO THE POINT OF SICKNESS. TAKE SOME DRAMAMINE TABLETS WITH YOU AND USE IF NECESSARY.

 

What are some things that you suggest packing that aren't obvious to a 1st timer? What are some things I should leave behind that'd I'd probably want to pack? I FORGOT MY BATHING SUIT...OUCH

 

What time should we get to the ship? My parents live in Galveston, so they'll drop us off and pick us up as needed. What do I need to make sure I have with me for the lines before we board? I'll print out my fun pass papers, etc, but is there anything else? OUR SHIP DEPARTED AT 4PM AND WE ARRIVED ABOUT 12:30 TO THE PORT AND WE BREEZED THROUGH THE CHECK-IN BUT HAD TO WAIT ABOUT 30 MINUTES UNTIL THEY LET US BOARD

 

Is there a 'do not disturb' door hanger in there? Hey, it's our honeymoon. Don't want the room keeper guy to come in at a bad time. I WOULD THINK SO, I DONT REMEMBER SEEING IT. MOST HOUSEKEEPING SEEMS TO BE DONE IN THE MORNING AFTER MOST PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN UP.

 

What time do activities get going in the mornings? I don't sleep too late usually, even if I stay up half the night. But I don't want to be walking around aimlessly with nothing going on. THE CRUISE DIRECTOR MADE HIS DAILY WAKE-UP/ANNOUNCEMENT CALLS ABOUT 8:30 I THINK. IT SEEMS EARLY IF YOU HAVE TO MANY DRINKS THE NITE BEFORE.

 

Hope you have a great honeymoon!

[Cornbread375]

I just got back from the Conquest!!!!!! This past week --LOVED IT!

My family and I were first-time cruisers also!

 

I will attempt to ask things that haven't been beat to death here already. I know about jeans on formal nights, etc.

 

I am getting married on April 15th in Galveston, and leaving the 16th on the Conquest. We books an oceanview cabin, my mom and dad (who have been on probably 20 cruises) upgraded us to a balcony - about 300 more if I remember right. This room was on the Lido deck. Then our TA at AAA called and said carnival upgraded us to a suite. Yeehaw. I think she called it a demi-suite. This room is on the Empress deck (7). Opinions or experiences with these rooms??

We stayed on the Verandah deck (8). One balcony and one inside. Loved the balcony!!!!! I bet your suite will be awesome!! Deck 7 should be fine. We loved deck 8!

This is my 1st cruise - also the 1st for my wife-to-be. We're doing Rose Hall Beach Resort in Jamaica; Turtle farm, Hell, Stingrays in Grand Cayman; and MAyan Ruins in Tulum for the Cozumel stop. We want to do carnival Excursions because it's our 1st cruise and feel better about it, even if it's a little more. Any thoughts/experiences on the excursions??

Jamaica - Sunset Beach Resort - $40 pp adult/ $20 pp kids -We loved Sunset Beach. One of the highlights of our trip!

Our table mates went to Rose Hall----they said it cost more, had similar features (pools and waterpark), but they did say the scenery and estate were beautiful!!!!!

Cayman Islands - Captain Marvins / Stingray City & Snorkeling trip. We loved Capt. Marvins. The other boat had 50 to 150 people per boat. Our boat only had around 30 people. Seemed to be a whole lot more one on one time with the guide. Make sure you take an underwater disposable camera!!!!!!!! You should be able to get some awesome pitures.

Now for a few questions. I will post a trip report w/ some pics a few days after I return. Kind of a way to pay it forward.

 

 

What is the attire like on the other (non-formal) nights in the dining room? Is it khakis and a collared thirt? Jeans and a collared shirt? Shorts? We saw people with nice shorts and shirt. No blue jeans. Most were in khakis and button up or polo shirt! Capri pants, sun dresses, etc.

What should we expect to pay for on the ship? I know souveneirs, alcohol and cokes if we want them. We plan to smuggle some booze. Are we allowed to bring on cokes (legally)? Bingo games, raffles, more bingo games.....if you like bingo..my wife took a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper...no problems.......don't forget $$$ for pictures!!!!!! You will take several pictures while on board.........you don't HAVE to buy any of them....but, if your like my wife.........she just had to buy 6 of them---- 6 x $20 = $120!!!

 

What are the typical casino hours and mins on table games? Do they have Pai Gow? What about poker? Is it 2/4? 3/6? No-Limit? Do they change with demand? Just 1 table on the Conquest? Do they have poker tourneys?

don't know we just played slots

What on board activities/shows do you consider a must-do? Which do you consider 'if you have free time', you'll go? What about shows/activities you don't waste your time on? I do know that opinions differ on such things, But I am trying to get some ideas at least.

We enjoyed most of the shows........Like I said we were first-time cruisers, so the shows were something new and different for us to enjoy!

How much do you feel the movement of the ship? I grew up fishing, surfing, etc. I am not too concerned about it, but the wife-to-be is a little concerned.

My wife was scared to death that she would get sick.......took all kinds of medicine........but, she NEVER had a problem....the only time she felt sick is when she ate too much!!! You could FEEL the ship swaying, but it was never enough to really cause any problems..... although, if you happen over do it at the bar------I bet that little movement will GET ya!

What are some things that you suggest packing that aren't obvious to a 1st timer? What are some things I should leave behind that'd I'd probably want to pack?

We took an over the door shoe hangar.......hangs on the bathroom door and has all those little pockets to put everything..........my wife thought that i was crazy when i bought it, but it came in very handy!!!! you may not need it in a sweet though. Make sure you take a multi-plug or an extension cord a multi- plugin. Only one plug-in in room! Also take an alarm clock.........no clock in room!!

You can leave behind about half of the clothes you plan to pack!!! We overpacked ..........BIG TIME....!

What time should we get to the ship? My parents live in Galveston, so they'll drop us off and pick us up as needed. What do I need to make sure I have with me for the lines before we board? I'll print out my fun pass papers, etc, but is there anything else?

We got to the dock at about 1130 AM - we were on the ship by 1230PM! Make sure you have your passports or certified birth certificate w/ your I.D. They never looked at our Fun Passes! You do need to a least complete them, so your info will be i their computers!

About the time.........depends on when the ship arrives at port. We arrived back to Galveston late today!!!!! We didn't get off the ship until 1230PM.........so there is really no safe time to tell you get to the port.

Is there a 'do not disturb' door hanger in there? Hey, it's our honeymoon. Don't want the room keeper guy to come in at a bad time.

Yes

What time do activities get going in the mornings? I don't sleep too late usually, even if I stay up half the night. But I don't want to be walking around aimlessly with nothing going on.

I have all my capers.........but there still packed in the car.......we haven't unloaded it yet. If I remember correctly.....I think most things started around 900 AM......then you would have different events...all day and all night until about midnight to 300 AM

OK, I think I will stop bugging yall with my 1st timer questions. Thanks in advance.

 

Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful cruise. I read these boards for about two months straight before we left. I learned a lot of good things. The thing that I would stress the most, is don't worry about it! I stressed myself out worrying about the cruise.........for NO reason!!! Everything was smooth as silk!!!! I hope it is for yall too! Wish I was sailing with you! Have Fun!

[TennisLover]

We were on this cruise two years ago, when it went out of New Orleans.

 

We loved Rose Hall Beach - we didn't do it through an excursion, just via a cab -- and had a great time.

 

When we went to Grand Cayman, our stingray city tour was cancelled due to the rough water, but we went to the turtle farm and hell (we had to do that, but wasn't so exciting -- great photos at the turtle farm though).

 

We did get to swim with the stingrays on a subsequent cruise, and that was awesome -- we didn't do that through Carnival --just picked a tour company to take us when we got off the ship and it worked out perfectly.

 

We went to the ruins in Tulum through Carnival (I'm a beach person but DH couldn't go to Mexico without going to the ruins). It was a good excursion -- very very hot at the ruins (kids would have rather been at the beach).

 

Loved the Conquest -- if Joe is in the piano bar, don't miss it. He was tons of fun.

 

I'm a morning person and always get up early and go to the gym on the ship.

[tammyenewton]

Hi, Congratulations! We just got back from OUR first cruise on the Liberty and I read alot of what was on this message board before going and let me tell you......there are alot of little things people didnt mention, nothing major just little things. So I'll tell you about them. They have what the call a soda card for I believe $30. They had a table set up to register for this on the lido. You pay $30 and get unlimited sodas from the bar. We decided not too mainly because they had free water, ice tea, fruit punch, apple juice, lemonade, coffee & tea. Which worked out fine for us. Not sure about smuggling in the booze but it was really cheap on the ship to buy. Say for example my husband bought 2 liters of crown royal for $36. Also if you smoke cigarettes are fairly cheap, two cartons for $36. Catch with the cigarettes is that on your last night they put a notice in your cabin that customs only allows 1 carton of cigs per person into the US & only 1 liter of booze, but apparently nobody listens to that and smuggle it anyway, cause we returned two cartons before we left (having read the fine print later) and the store clerk kinda laughed that we were paranoid about smuggling too many cigarettes. But we werent taking any chances...ended up customs was a breeze, walked right thru they barely looked at anything....did have a drug sniffing dog and LOTS of cops around though! Another thing is a $60 gratuity per person....WHETHER or not you op'd to prepay your tips (which we didnt) they charged this almost instantly to our sail n sign. When we asked the pursers desk about it they explained that it was for our cabin stewart etc etc.....they talk fast...and they talk foreign....so be ready for some slick talkers.....if you can understand them....all different nationalities work on these ships.....40 different countries on ours. We were glad we didnt prepay the tips in the end, for the most part people left us alone about that. My husband did get a massage and the lady tried to talk him into buying a whole lot of expensive stuff and asked for a tip. I had my nails done and the lady that did them never asked for a tip or tried to sell me anything, so I gave her a nice tip just for not bugging me! Items in the store were pretty reasonable but dont expect a whole lot of gifts. I was surprised they didnt have more to offer in the way of carnival items? The Carnival book they leave in your room you can actually keep if you ask your cabin stewart, alot of advertising in it but a nice keepsake. Be ready for pictures. Their picture happy. I got bruises (really) where as SOON as you walk off that boat they litterally grab you take your picture....have a nice day, move on! So get ready....they do it so fast that most of our pictures came out looking like a deer caught in headlights! If you do have a balcony (or a suite) the best laugh we got was watching the people returning late from the islands. We were 30 minutes late in mexico waiting for some drunk college kid, they had to send like this little golf cart to get him and when he got to the ship everyone was hanging off the balconies boo-ing him....course he thought this was funny and wouldnt get on the ship and they litterally had to drag him on. The shows were pretty good, especially the ones done by the cruise director. Other stuff was kinda goofy, hairy chest contest those kinds of things. Make sure you have some $1's and $5's on you, most of the tipping comes on the islands and in the ship terminals. We were suppose to go to cozumel, but it was so damaged by a hurricane that we couldnt go and went to costa maya instead, but it was really nice too! Swim up bar and everything. People who didnt take carnival were very envious of those that did! We were on the 9th deck, lido. I was afraid I'd get sick, but the only time I thought I was going to hurl was when we first left (I took my own dramamine) but I didnt and I was perfectly fine after that. Rougher coming back than going, mainly cause your fighting the surf going back, but not too bad. It was cold until we got to Freeport, might want to take a light jacket, saw lots of people bundling up in their room towels. That's all I can think of right now. Hope it helps! Have fun!

[June Bug]

You will LOVE the Conquest. She has been by far one of our most favorite cruises of all time so far. We did the same Itinerary you are doing and we loved Grand Cayman....We loved everything so much we have done this SAME cruise twice!:D Stingray City was AWESOME! I think you will love that. In Jamaica, we have always gone on our own to Doctors Cave beach. It is a BEAUTIFUL small beach with facilities/snorkle equip, restaurants, umbrellas....the area in the water is roped off way out to keep unwanted critters from coming in the swimming area. Snorkling is GREAT there! In fact we were snorkling on one side of the roped off area and Carnival's snorkling excursions were on the other side!! And we didn't pay that high price for the excursion!!! And the best part is Margaritaville with waterslides, etc is right down the street...we walked over there for lunch after our day at the beach! AWESOME!

As far as clothing goes....daytime...pretty much anything goes except in the dining room...at night...other than formal night, dockers, slack, capris (for her) dresses....just casual wear is fine...you will fit right in..don't worry and have a WONDERFUL cruise!!

June

[jckvpa0]

Congrats. on your up coming wedding!

 

You'll love the Conquest, If you want a little taste of her go to this web site they have great video of just about every room on the Conquest.

 

http://www.virtualtoursusa.com/carnivalconquest.htm

[Darkkskyzz]

I had the same question about being able to bring soda onboard. Carnival's site says "a reasonable amount".

I emailed them and asked what they consider to be a reasonable amount...and the rep that got back to me said a 6 pack per person.

Hope this helps someone...

[texas greeneyes]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Your suite entitles you to "Skipper's Club" priority boarding. Tell a Carnival rep this when you arrive at the terminal.

We were in a suite on the Empress Deck on the Conquest last November...she is a beautiful ship...you will love her! The suites are lovely. I am so happy to hear they upgraded you to a suite for your honeymoon. ;)

If you have any more questions, fire away! Have a wonderful cruise. :)

[moonvine]

I don't typically take Carnival excursions. They cost more and are more crowded. I am booked on the Conquest in October and am planning to do a YS falls/hummingbird tour with Barrett Adventures in Jamaica, either a discover SCUBA or reef/rays/rum point with Nativeways in GC, and haven't decided on Cozumel, perhaps snorkeling, perhaps just a massage and shopping.

 

Please don't wear shorts to the dining room at dinner. They may or may not ask you to leave but it is against the rules.

 

I have liked the magicians on other ships. I hear the one on the Conquest is not so good. I hate the adult comedians, but some people love them. I think this is something you will have to check out for yourself:)

 

The movement of the ship varies according to the weather. We had a couple of rough days on the Triumph this last time. I would advise her getting the patch or some other seasick remedy in advance just in case.

[aggie182]

Thanks again for all the answers.

[cruznmoma]

Hi guys...I just returned from the Liberty cruise on April 1st...

 

It was a blast...Loved it!!!I just want to throw in my 2 cents worth...

First of all...Please don't complain about the automatic tipping...We found the staff to be absolutely wonderful...They aren't paid much I am sure and they are on the ship months at a time without seeing family...I think they deserve tips...

 

Now...In Freeport...It was chilly last week so unless you are from Canada, I wouldn't plan on snorkeling here...Also...Don't parasail here...It is 65$ per person...Wait til you get to Costa Maya ---2 of us did it and the owner gave us a break...40$ per person for like 15-20 minutes...Just go to Lucaya beach and have drinks...Be aware that the bartenders on the beach have included their tip into your bill so don't tip them again...THEY WON"T TELL YOU THIS..

 

Grand Cayman was lovely BUT drinks are pricey there...We booked a stingray/snorkel excursion independently...BIG MISTAKE...I am not normally for booking through the ship BUT in this case it may be best. We left the dock later than the ship booked tour and by the time we got to stingray city, they rays had full belllies and were not wanting to be bothered. Our guide had to literally chase "ONE" (only one) down and drag her to us against her will...I figured someone would get stung because it kept trying to get away...Big disappointment as we did this through the ship last year and had literally dozens swimming around us.

Be sure to buy atleast one Tortuga Rum cake and a bottle of Rum...Made there on the island...Can't get the rum anywhere else in the world...Only here...

 

Costa Maya...OMG!!! Beautiful beaches!!! Go to Mahahual beach...It is WONDERFUL...stiff drinks and 2$ beers...by the way...this is where they film the newest Corona commercials...Parasail here for sure...Cheap and my hubby and daughter saw a huge turtle swimming through the water while they were up!!! ALSO...don't waste your $ on the ship getting a massage...You can get one on the beach here under a palapa for 20$ for 40 MINUTES!!! And no sales pressure...Lots of people doing the massages...This was our favorite port...

 

Ship is great and the cruise director is awesome!!! Hilarious!!!

Food is good...Be sure to find fish and chips...When you are in Emile's (the buffet on Lido) take the stairs up to the top and it is right there...we never saw it til the last day...

 

Have fun:D

[DisneyMommy]

We just returned from the Conquest last week. Great cruise and a beautiful ship!!! To answer your casino questions:

 

We spent much of our casino time playing Texas Hold 'Em. There is a sign-up sheet - try to get on the list early as there is not a lot of turn-over at the table. You could wait for hours to get a seat. There is a minimum $50 buy-in. The blinds are $2 & $5. First round of betting is $5, 2nd and 3rd rounds of betting are $10. We met some very fun people while playing hold 'em and had a great time. I don't recall there being a Pai-Gow table. They have several different Blackjack tables including Fun 21 & Face-up Blackjack (dealer plays with cards face-up). They also have Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, and Let It Ride. We won over $400 the last night of the cruise playing Let It Ride - fun game!!! Of course they also have roulette & craps. Most of the table minimums were $5. Most nights the casino closed between 2:30-3:00am, depending on how busy they were. Also, on most nights the Hold 'Em game did not get started until about 9:30pm. There was only one day where they had the Hold 'Em table open during the day and that was our last sea day. Other than that, the Hold 'Em table was only open during the evenings. There were no poker tournaments, only Blackjack & Slots tournaments.

 

The one thing I would advise you to pack, especially if you plan on spending time in the casino is a sweater or light jacket. That casino was freezing!!! Many nights the dealers were joking about how they couldn't feel their fingers because their hands were so cold! :D

 

Enjoy your cruise - you'll have a wonderful time!

[aggie182]

Thanks for the casino info. I appreciate it. The wife-to-be and I enjoy Vegas, but we're low rollers. We enjoy 5 dollar BJ and 3 dollar BJ downtown in Vegas. Paigow is also a game we enjoy because of the speed of the game and how slowly your money goes bye bye in that game. I enjoy Let-it-Ride quite a bit as well. Thanks again!