US Male: I was on the Conquest New Year's Eve, the Fantasy in March and the Holiday in July (and booked again on the Holiday in October). This will be my 9th family cruise on Carnival. Since you have been on the Holiday, you know what the formal dinners are like. Carnival is pretty consistant ship to ship with their formal dinners. I am a beef eater. I eat the same thing on every ship. The sirloin steak will be dry and tough. The prime rib, beef wellington, Chateau have always been fine on all ships. My husband is a seafood eater and has always enjoyed the seafood entrees. The pizza and ice cream will be the same as on the Holiday. Now is where the difference comes in. The Conquest has an expanded buffet in Lido. One side will be Italian while the other side is Mexican. Plus they offer a sushi bar, a deli and a Chinese entrees every day in addition to the daily buffets. The salad bar, desserts etc are also "expanded" from what you were served on the Holiday. Also, the Conquest has The Point which costs $25 a person for the extra she she foo foo dining. I am a pretty picky eater, but I have never been able to find anything I did not enjoy. I have not eaten at The Point, but I have only heard raves about the food. Remember that if you are at dinner and you don't like the entree you ordered...ask for something else. my husband is not a salad eater, so he orders two (sometimes three) appetizers and soups. When they have lobster, he always orders two right off the bat and they serve them one at a time. Never a problem.
As for the service and other aspects of cruising Carnival...that will depend on the dining staff and cabin steward you get. But you can get a bad server on any cruise line. In our years of cruising with Carnival.....we have never had a bad cruise. Some were better than others....but we have always gotten our money's worth. I think what people want to do sometimes is compare Carnival with a Silver Sea cruise. I have heard the RCCL vs Carnival comparison ad nauseum and it is all about what a person likes. Every person is different. Not any better or any worse...just different. The only real guarantee that you will have a great cruise is don't forget to pack the best attitude possible. If you look for faults, you will find them. If you go to enjoy your vacation, short of the ship sinking, you will have a great one!!!!!!!!
