The Conquest was not our favourite ship - it felt congested in several areas, but we had a great time onboard.
The only criticism I have is with Carnival. We booked this cruise while onboard the Sunshine in 2017, and our paperwork showed we would get a certain amount of OBC, signed by the booking agent Jennifer. When our documents were emailed to us, the amount of OBC was a little less. I phoned and was told it would be corrected on the ship if I took the original paperwork to show. Guest Services told me that they couldn’t help me and I needed to phone before the cruise. We had done exactly that. It was like going in a circle with no end so we didn’t Perseus it any further. Disappointing but not a deal breaker for just a few dollars.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation in Fort Lauderdale couldn’t have been easier. Our check in time was scheduled for 11:30,and our shuttle had us at the terminal about 10:30. We were immediately through the check in and seated in the FTTF boarding area. At about 11:15 we were allowed to board the ship, which was great! Our room was ready, and we met our room steward Kervin right away.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We dined with 8 friends each evening with YTD, and always asked for the same table and wait staff. Kadek and his assistants made dining so much fun. Dinners were delicious -not one single fault or complaint from any of us in the evenings.
My only complaint was on embarkation day at the deli. I had read that the sandwiches are premodern now, which was disappointing, but they don’t even have dill pickles to go along with a “grilled” Rueben any more. The sandwiches are now warmed, not frilled in an oven and not anything like the custom made grilled ones we have had previously. The fellows working in the deli co scantly spoke to each other in their own language, and were not friendly or smiling at all. They sure didn’t seem like they were on a fun ship. I didn’t go back, and neither did Mike.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Every morning I enjoy a good power walk for about 3km before breakfast, on the outdoor track. Watching the sunrise is amazing. There were a few places that the track was not in great shape, with pieces missing from the surface.
The shops on the Conquest were small and had little selection so we didn’t buy any souvenirs for our grandchildren. I had some onboard credit to use, so ended up buying some perfume and Clinique moisturizer just to use it up.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Blow our Cruise Director was fantastic! She was so full of energy, has a great sense of humour and we loved attending her parties in the lobby after the evening shows. She even made the debarkation info show a fun and informative talk.
The evening musical shows in the theatre were great. The singers and dancers were very professional, and one evening they had to change the show because of rough seas. Instead of a song nd dance show, the singers just did a cabaret style show and it was just as good.
Before dinner, we enjoyed listening to 3 lovely ladies playing string instruments each evening in the lobby.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Our room steward, and MDR wait staff were superb. As I mentioned earlier, we were disappointed with the deli staff. We found the rest of the staff and crew we met throughout the week to not be as outwardly friendly or “happy”as we’ve experienced on other ships. Often times a staff member would walk right by and not even make eye contact, and that was the same even with the crew cleaning the hallways, Lido towel bars etc. They were all pleasant when I spoke, but rarely would any of the workers smile and say good morning or hello.
The first evening I was having trouble with the Hub app, and a photographer in the Pixels area was so nice to help me with my phone and the app. I really appreciated his help.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The Conquest is an older ship, but well maintained, just like me.( I added that just to see if anyone really reads these reviews)
There were crew members always cleaning the common areas such as hallways, so the ship looked its best. The Lido buffet area and tables that guests used were kept really neat and clean, too.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had a porthole room this time, right near the boson the Riviera deck. It was perfect for us. The room was a great size, lots of storage, and away from a lot of hallway traffic. We could hear the noise sometimes from the engines, thrusters or something, it we are early risers so it didn’t bother us at all.
Our steward Kervin was the best. Our room was cleaned each morning by the time we came from breakfast, and in the evenings we had fresh towels again with a turned down bed. We tipped him at the end of the week and left a note of thanks to show our appreciation.
Ship tip
My tidbit of advice is for guests to go with an open mind. Understand that the ship will be crowded, whether you are on the Lido deck, trying to find a lounger, or even moving around the lobby area when there is entertainment plus the photographers with their backdrops taking up room. Lineups at Guest Services also cuts down on lobby space, so enjoy the crowded areas and people watch. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people too.
The cruise port is close to the airport which was great for a lot of guests. We arrived a couple of days early and enjoyed some precruise shopping at a mall right near the hotel.
Can I give HMC 10 stars? It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. The powder soft sandy beach against the various shades of blue water are breathtaking. Friends rented a cabana on the beach which they really enjoyed, but we were happier in the sun on the beach.
Although we didn’t plan to leave the ship because we’ ve been to Nassau before, and it wasn’t our favourite cruise port, we did go out and walk around the shopping area, and enjoyed our day.
As always, it’s sad to be leaving after a fun filled week cruising. With FTTF, we had debarkation luggage tags for group 2. We met in the Renoir dining room and right on time, a staff me,bed took us down to the debarkation area. Our luggage was really easy to find and we were through customs within a very few minutes.
I love HMC and was happy to be able to go back. Amber Cove, there is a beautiful port but the rest of the island is so different. Should I'm on a cruise that visit the island, I'm staying on board.
Port Everglades is easy on easy off. I highly recommend a shuttle service.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. We did enjoy the cruise, and now that we are home, we are even thinking of going back on the Conquest to repeat the itinerary after our RCL cruise next spring instead of doing a land vacation afterwards. It will be a B2B but on different cruiselines. A few unhappy crew members didn’t spoil our vacation.
I wonder what happened since January to put the crew in such a less friendly mood? I did warn you about the condition of the "running" track, sounds as if it got worse. So happy your CD & room steward made up for the "grouchiness" of the rest on the crew.
Welcome home!
Thanks for the detailed review as we will be cruising on her in May. I would hope that she(Conquest) would be like wine, getting better with time. Lol. Perhaps she is ready for a bit of dry dock refresher. But still, glad to hear all the positives on her. I know what you mean about getting off after a week, my husband is usually sad when it's time to get off at the end of a week that this year is our second back2back cruises. It's like have vacation after our vacation. We love the extra days to relax a little more throughout the two cruises. We don't feel so rushed.
Thanks for the honest and informative review BonMike. I always appreciate when folks speak honestly about their crew and ship without discouraging others.
Sorry to hear about the problems with OBC, glad to hear it didnt put a damper on the whole trip.
Oh, and of course I read the whole review...glad you are keeping up with the body maintenance...something I need to work harder at. 😀
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