Great choice for first time cruisers

Fantastic 6 day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Conquest left us (a married couple in our late 20s) eager to plan our next vacation! We travelled from NL, Canada to Fort Lauderdale, FL late March, 2017, swapping the snow for sun. 

We had never cruised before, and it was actually my husband's first time travelling to the US, so while expectations were non-existent, hopes were high. Known for being brutally honest, I'll get to the point and break down my review by categories.

1. Embarkation

- Coming from uncertain weather we opted to arrive at Fort Lauderdale 2 nights before the cruise ship departed and stayed at the Crowne Plaza. Proximity was perfect, and the hotel has a great pool and breakfast buffet. Would recommend hotel for the value and clean, modern style.

- Shuttle service to cruise port was $4 per person and was about an hour late due to 8 ships being in port that day. Book your shuttle early or pay a few dollars more for a taxi.

- Once at the cruise port, checking in and security lines were LONG but EFFICIENT. I was impressed with how smoothly the staff loaded thousands of anxious passengers on board.

- Embarkation was easy and exciting for us rookies!

2. The Ship

- Carrival Conquest is one of their smaller cruise ships (as far as I understand) and certainly not the newest. This shows only in the decor and slight wear or carpets etc., and is far from a deal breaker. In my opinion, the ship is still gigantic, beautiful and well maintained. No surface is plain or boring and the attention to detail is impressive.

- The layout is easy to become familiar with and even with a poor sense of direction I rarely got lost.

- Balcony room on 9th deck has fantastic view and plenty of storage for 2 people. Bathroom small but sufficient and main area was roomy and included a vanity area which was fabulous for getting ready outside of the teeny bathroom. Worth the small amount extra for a balcony especially if you like to take in scenery as ship arrives in the ports of call early in the mornings.

- I did not use the pools or waterside but others seemed to enjoy them. The hot tubs were wonderful- not too big or too small and always warm and clean. 

- Poolside lounge chairs were hard to find on Sea days, but since we didnt plan to swim, we just walked a little ways and we always managed to find two chairs together. People hog chairs. This happens on all cruise lines, resorts, beaches...that just comes with the territory!

3. Food & Drinks

- Guy's Burgers was honestly my first "fast food" or restaurant burger and it did not disappoint. Easy to customize, fast and delicious.

- Buffet was similar daily but never exactly the same. Something for everyone and fair quality food. Always well stocked and the proper temperature. We actually chose buffet for supper over the dining room on two nights.

- Dining room was decorated beautifully and servers were friendly and attentive. I am happy with our choice of anytime dining as it gave us freedom with our relaxed schedule and we were not stuck with random passengers, nor with the same table and servers, for the full week. I would have liked a larger selection on the menus, but I understand why it has to be kept small and always found 3 courses to order and enjoy. 3 more words here: CHOCOLATE MELTING CAKE. :)

- Sea day brunch was my favorite of all meals and we took advantage on both sea days. Menu was large and of course unlimited. My husband enjoyed steak cooked to order plus an omelet with all the fixings as well as sides of bacon and hashbrowns and the servers still asked if he wanted more!?! No complaints from me (and I don't even eat breakfast at home!)

- Drinks were not hard to find on the ship. A tequila bar and a rum bar found poolside with service from your lounge chair - yes please! We opted for the Cheers package and although I don't think we came close to our 15 drink limit per person on shore days, the convenience was worth it. We were able to have all expenses paid before our  vacation began, allowing us to indulge in a pirate punch or a mango Margarita (or 3) care free. All drinks were tasty and served with a smile.

4. Entertainment

- Fun times flyers delivered to the rooms daily made planning activities simple. The only problem was finding time to fit it all in! Often the Playlist shows conflicted with comedy shows or dive in movies (first world problems much?) We were never bored and were able to attend our top picks. - We aren't the type to go up on stage and participate in shows or contests, but thoroughly enjoyed being spectators at the love and marriage show hosted by charismatic Chloe the cruise director.

- Singers and dancers were also talented and a joy to watch. The variety of Playlist shows seemed to appeal to most passengers.

5. Shore excursions/ Ports

- If you like to have a plan and pre pay for your vacation I suggest booking through the cruise line. We did this for 2 of the 3 ports of call. We did not venture outside the tourist areas on any island and did not see the need to.

- Grand Turk is beautiful and the water is crystal clear. We booked a buggy excursion through carnival and the tickets were delivered to our stateroom complete with instructions on what to take and where to meet. When we arrived the tour guide announced that 1 of the 18 passengers could not take the tour because one of the ATVs broke down. A kind lady volunteered to stay back and I understand she was fully compensated by carnival. The tour was phenomenal and offered an exciting way to see the town and the countryside parts of grand turk while leaving time to spend at the beach or margaritaville (walking distance from ship) at the end.

- Amber Cove, DR, is obviously solely tourist oriented. Walking distance from the ship and at zero admission cost there is a beautiful beach and pool with water slides, lounge chairs, umbrellas and clean washrooms. For an additional fee you can use the zip line or order a drink or food.

- A 30 min bus ride took us to our catamaran and snorkel excursion booked through carnival. The boat and equipment looked modern and safe and the tour guides were hilarious yet professional. The lunch included was nothing fancy but tasty and enough. I was disappointed there was no rum punch, but plenty of beer, water, rum and soda to go around. 2 snorkeling locations were visited and the catamaran sailed to our ship- so no bus ride back! 

- Nassau, Bahamas receives mixed reviews it seems. A smaller proportion of passengers got off the ship at the port. We were undecided what to do here but at the last minute we opted to follow the signs to a taxi stand and take a $4 ride to the Atlantis hotel.

- Atlantis is HUGE. We did not see even half of this property, but what we did see was spectacular. Once there, we paid $161 per person for a full day at the Aquaventure Waterpark which features water slides, river Rapids ride, pools, beach and sea life (like turtles and sharks!). This worked out to be slightly cheaper than if we had booked anot aquaventure excursion through carnival, and we got there earlier before the rides even opened so we managed to try most slides before the big crowds from the 5 cruise ships started pouring in. Another $4 each got us a water taxi back to the ship and we were thrilled with a fun filled day. That being said, it was hella expensive to spend our day at Atlantis and I'm not sure if I would do it a 2nd time. I can't imagine the cost for a family with snacks and souvenirs on top. Ouch. Definitely something to do once activity for adrenaline junkies!

6. Saying goodbye 

- We chose to carry off our own luggage, so that we could have all our items on the last morning and also so we could get called off the ship earlier. I'm happy we did as the customs process in the cruise port was unusually slow that day apparently.

- We chose to stay in Florida one more night before heading home up north. This time we stayed at the Hyatt Regency pier 66 and I have no regrets. What a fabulous resort style hotel with pools, entertainment, games and several dining choices on site for any budget. I will stay here again before and after any future cruises out of Fort Lauderdale.

- If you are patient and follow directions, debarkation is not too awful, other than it being the end of a memorable cruise vacation!

I hope you found my post helpful! Happy cruising!