Carnival Conquest

[dbreaux]

My wife and I are cruising on the Conquest in August. We were wondering what everyone thinks about the ship. This will be our second cruise, but our first was on the much smaller Carnival Holiday. We would also greatly appreciate any tips for the ship or the ports of call. Thank you.

 

[BrendaBarberee]

We are booked on Conquest in May. Will give you details when we return. We too went on the Holiday and had a horrible trip last year. Needless to say, we are expecting to have a wonderful time aboard the new Conquest.

 

[Cruzman]

Haven't sailed on the Conquest, but did the exact same itinerary in 2001 aboard the Inspiration. My advice in Jamaica is to take a cruise sponsered tour, such as the Overland Tour to Black River Safari, or the Lethe Village Tour. Avoid the downtown Mo Bay area; extremely pushy vendors as well as beggars who have devised many ways to gain your sympathy as well as your dollars. In Cozumel, I recommend taking a cab, cost $10 (for the cab, not per person), to Chankanaab National Park, $10 per person admission. The place is gorgeous, crystal clear water, wonderful snorkeling or scuba diving (equipment rental available) if you like, or simply lay under a palm tree in a lounge chair watching the waves. Restaurants are on the beach and will bring you a Corona or whatever else you desire. In Grand Cayman, Stingray City is a must see. Take the ships tour ar book it on your own. I recommend Captain Marvin's Watersports; email captmvn@candw.ky
Have a wonderful cruise!

 

[John]

Hi, I sailed on a two night cruise aboard the Conquest. You sure will be in for a treat. It is a big ship and that equals allot of options. The conquests layout will take a bit of exploring on some deck (dining room, etc). Just take the ships map along with you. This is no tug boat, it is a floating palace I'm sure you will enjoy.

Here is a link to my photo gallery:
<http://www.cruise-addicts.com/picturepost/view.php?uid=1399>

You can also find other galleries from the Conquest in our photo galleries.

Enjoy!

 

[tiadeerin]

I sailed the Conquest in December & it is absolutely wonderful. It is, however, a little hard to get around on until you get the hang of it. Only deck 5 goes from one end of the ship to the other. Entertainment and food is great. The cabins are quite roomy & hair dryers, robes, & refrigerators are in all cabins. The casino is huge. We didn't opt for the reservations dinner club, The Point, but those who did raved about it. I'll second the recommendation that you take a ship sponsored tour in Jamaica. I didn't particularly care for it as a port. Grand Cayman & Cozumel are great! You might want to swim with the sting rays in Grand Cayman & Cozumel has no end of wonderful things you can do. If you call Carnival they will mail or fax a list of optional tours in each port. The prices & activity levels are also included. Have fun!

 

[Darlene]

Another option for Montego Bay if you are a beach person is to take a taxi to Rose Hall Beach Club. It cost $8 per person to get in. Chairs, tables and floats are included. I think there were showers. Food although a little expensive was available. Place is clean but not fancy. No one can get in to bother you. Can't remember the round trip taxi price. Had to be between $30-$60.

 

[Sharkin]

My wife and I sailed the Conquest in February. If you have specific questions email me. We found the ship very pleasant. We enjoy a fine dining experience and found it nightly in the Monet Dining Room. Most all the crew we encountered were polite and attentive. We really liked the lounge entertainment as well. I concur with the Jamaica safety, uncomfortable issue and the Chankanaab National Park recommendation.

 

[sunshine]

I was just sailing on Conquest last week. She is a great ship that I am sure you will really enjoy. We did not have any trouble learning our way around the ship. The entertainment is great, the food was excellent and we really loved the Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

We highly recommend Captain MArvin's Stingray City excurusion (this was the second time we went on it), and we love both Chankanaab and Playa Sol in Cozumel. We weren't thrilled with Montego Bay. We just shopped the stores right at the cruise terminal. I wouldn't even bother getting off the ship in Montego Bay.

 

[cruiseaway]

Dear dbreaux,

We sailed on the Conquest a couple of weeks ago. The ship is just beautiful, though the staff was not as friendly as other cruise ships we have been on. Maybe it has to do with the 3000 passengers they have to take care of on this ship.

For the ports of call my husband and I went off on our own for the first time and we are glad we did. We were very nervous at first, especially in Montego Bay, but had a very pleasureable experience. As a former cruiser mentioned above, we went to Rose Hall Beach Club. It cost us $6 a person for access to the beach and all its amenities. They have chairs, umbrellas, showers, bar and restaurant. They also have jet skiing, parasailing, snorkeling, etc. from the beach. It takes about 30 minutes to get there by cab which cost us $30 (one-way). We were lucky to get a great cabbie by the name of Norman who stayed with us all day and made sure we got in some shopping, had a drink(s) at Margaritaville and then back to the ship on time. The total cost for his services all day was $90 + tip. Not cheap, but when you compare this to excursions the ship offers is equivalent for a better experience.

In Grand Cayman we did the 2-1/2 hour snorkel excursion to Stingray Beach with Captain Marvin. A great trip with only 12 other passengers, not the 50+ through the ship. Be sure to make reservations ahead of time on line as they fill up fast. Their web site is www.captainmarvin.com We had enough time before and after the snorkel trip to do some shopping. If you are interested in watches and jewelry that is not junk this is the place to shop.

In Cozumel we decided last minute to skip Chankannab Park and went down the road a bit to Playa San Francisco Beach. A great choice. The total cost was $8 for the taxi ride (one-way) and $5 a person for a beach chair and umbrella. The beach had a bar, restaurant, all water sports, fresh water pool w/volleyball, showers, etc. You can snorkel right off the beach here, but we were lazy and just decided to walk along the beach which goes on for miles, and just lay around and soak up the sun. The ship had a trip to the beach next door (Playa De Sol) which was way over priced and full of people and kids. So, if its solitude and quiet you want avoid that beach.

If you wish any other info let me know. Enjoy your trip!

Cruiseaway