Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Conquest Cruise Review
Western Caribbean

Miranda Hunt
Age: 30
Occupation: Registered Nurse
Number of Cruises: 7
Sailing Date: September 3rd, 2006

This is my 7th cruise. I sailed with my husband, parents, and two other couples. We had a good time. I’d like to share the experience…

We boarded in Galveston, which isn’t a pretty port by far, but is very convenient for us Texans (which most of the ship was full of). I was ecstatic about our cabin. I did my research for the perfect bang for my buck and got it in #7440. There are only 8 cabins like it on the ship and if you like to lie on your private deck, its well worth it. Our deck was larger than the presidential suite my parents had. Speaking of, they were disappointed, not only in their cabin but also the VIP service it is suppose to buy. Other than getting through the embarkation line fast, there was no other quality feature. They have been on 14 cruises and report that you should be aware when buying a high-priced cabin on Carnival. It pales in comparison to other lines.

That being said, we skipped out on muster (oops) and started our vacation. The days at sea were nice and the spa prices are noticeable lower than competitor cruise lines.

My favorite day was Montego Bay, where I again, had done research and thanks to other reviewers found a fabulous resort called Sunset Beach Resort and Spa. For only $40pp you get use of all their amenities, unlimited drinks, and food. They had 3 gorgeous beaches, 4 fabulous pools, and plenty of layout seating. They have an area for kids as well. And… a nude beach. I was impressed. It was less than 5min from dock. Great find!

The other two ports were Grand Cayman and Cozumel. We had been to them both before and did not do much on them. I went shopping for a specific perfume in Cozumel just to find the ship had it for a lower price.

Back on the ship, I did notice that service (waiter, room steward, etc.) was not up to par with other lines. We were consistently the last table leaving the dining room (Monet). And found that most severs seemed ‘to want to be somewhere else’. That said, I found the casino staff wonderful. The only problem was that we noted this ship to have the tightest slot machines of any other. We weren’t getting a dime out of them. However, I will say that the highlight of the cruise was karaoke…and the Legends show. WOW! Yes, I auditioned and got to be a part of the show as Gloria Estefan. My family and I are all singers and we had the best time hanging out with the “fellow music lovers” each night. The karaoke host and dancers were all very sweet and accommodating.

Suggestions: Do not try to bring DVDs (we tried that and the TVs’ are archaic and will not be compatible w/ DVD player), Bring your own drinks (b/c we saved much and my parents saved more…$1000 more), eat at Pointe Restaurant at least once, and if you do a massage, hold them to the entire time b/c they spend 15-20min trying to sell you more products/services under the guise of an “evaluation”.

Overall, this is a reasonable ‘budget cruise’. Good for the price, but you will pay in service quality. I’m not sure if we will cruise Carnival anytime real soon, however the experience was not so bad that we will avoid it altogether. I hope you enjoy your next voyage. Safe sail’en!


 

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