3rd annual Renaissance Festival

Item: Carnival Conquest
Rating: 4.1
Author: AuntPinkie

Carnival Conquest Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

AuntPinkie

Contributor Level: Captain

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 15

Helpful Votes: 309

Overall rating:

4.1 out of 5

8 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 20, 2018

Ship: Carnival Conquest

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 7250

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 3 years ago

Review summary

The group of 11 friends enjoyed our cruise. We were disappointed in the condition of the ship and pleased with all of the upgrades.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Embarkation: We arrived about 12:30, and all numbers had been called so there was no waiting. We were on the ship within minutes of our arrival.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

We had very slow service in the MDR. Our table was always on time, but we were often served last. Our salads sat on the serving tables while neighboring tables got their main course. Soups were sometimes cool because of this. The wait staff was friendly but inefficient. Just a note, we are not fans of the “American Table”. The buffet on Lido (deck 9 aft) had a nice array of choices for breakfast and lunch. Deck 10 aft has a BBQ (instead of the traditional fish and chips) that is nice for lunch. While it doesn’t serve breakfast it is a good place to take your breakfast plate, because it is not crowded and there is a coffee/juice station available. The Deli has a good lunch selection and makes omelets for breakfast. We did not try the Seafood Shack or the Sushi Bar that are both for an additional cost. Guys Burgers and the Blue Iguana Café were always busy, but not long lines and moved smoothly. I only went to Tea the last sea day and found the wait staff in a hurry to get us out of there. It was scheduled for an hour, but after 25 minutes they started picking up plates and cups. It was not the relaxing event I’ve come to expect.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

I spent some time in the Casino. We also played mini golf whenever the weather allowed.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

We had already seen all the Playlist Shows, so did not attend any of them. Others from our group enjoyed them and said they were quite good.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Chloe, our CD was a bundle of energy. Our first two sea days were cold, drizzly, and windy. Chloe brought activities indoors so passengers still had fun things to do. Trivia, bocce ball and bean bag toss in the Atrium to name a few. She was all over the ship meeting passengers and getting to know people; even keeping a positive attitude when we missed Grand Turk. Our room steward, Alfred, was wonderful. He deduced that we might want ice since we ordered a bottle of rum and some cokes to be delivered to our room. He also gave me some towel animal folding lessons upon request.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

The conquest recently returned from dry dock and we were looking forward to seeing it looking refreshed. It seems all the attention was given to the upgrades to include: Guys Burgers, Blue Iguana Cantina, Seafood Shack, digital photos, etc. Leaving the decking on the weather decks unfinished, holes in the walking path, bricks missing on the walls of the mini golf and parts of some of the mini golf obstacles broken, giving parts of the ship a worn and shabby feel. The ship was clean with housekeeping working in all the public areas continuously. The carpets were in good condition. The décor was interesting as most of the interesting designs were on the ceilings. The Promenade deck had multi colored flower lights, giving it a whimsical look. The old “taste bar” was not used at all. As with all of the ships in this class, one must go past the casino on the Promenade deck to get from front to back of the ship. It was very smoky and I found no non-smoking slot machines in the casino.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Every once in a while we treat ourselves to a suite. We like the space and the souble sinks.

Ship tip

If you enjoy the buffet for breakfast and/or lunch, eat on deck 10 aft for more seating options ans less people.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

4 out of 5

St. Maarten: the damage is still quite apparent and the reconstruction is impressive. We were pleased to see work being done while we were there. It will take time but you can see the progress. We were told, by locals, that each time a cruise ship comes into port more income is generated and more provisions are available to repair the damage.

Thumbs Up 26

Basseterre, St. Kitts

4 out of 5

St. Kitts: was missed by the hurricanes. It was nice to visit an island that is still lush and green. The people are friendly and it is a beautiful place to visit. A caution however, there are folks with monkeys that will want you to take a picture with the monkeys for $10. These little guys are quick and will be on your head, shoulder, and/or arm in a flash.

Thumbs Up 12

San Juan, Puerto Rico

4 out of 5

San Juan: much like St. Maarten the old city is a work in progress. We got the same story from the locals about the need for more tourist dollars. Having withstood the test of time, the forts are still is good condition. If you plan to visit, you might want to bring you National Parks Pass (for USA passengers).

Thumbs Up 13

Grand Turk Island

1 out of 5

Grand Turk: the wind prevented us from docking here. The captain tried, but he could not hold the ship in a steady position away from the pier and felt it unsafe to dock. He took every opportunity to apologize to the passengers. Our port fees and port taxes were automatically added to our accounts, as well as any ship purchased tours. This gave us an extra sea day, which turned out to be the best sun bathing day of the cruise.

Thumbs Up 13

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

Debarkation: was as expected long lines, grouchy passengers (lack of sleep) and minimal customs agents. The good news is that if you are within your allotted customs allowance you do not need to fill out a form. The agents will ask you verbally if you have more than your allowance. There may be a random person they ask to fill one out. This made the process go more quickly than in the past.