*** PHOTO Trip Journal aboard Carnival's CONQUEST (Sept. 2012, Caribbean) ***

LAST MAN STANDING (the contest started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

HULA HOOP Challenge continues!

(members of each team tried to manuever a hula hoop around the circle without letting go of each other)

VIDEO (summarizing the challenges of the "Last Man Standing" competition):

LAST MAN STANDING (the contest started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

Quickly forming NUMBERS - a new challenge

(members of each team were assigned a number from 1 to 5 and they had to "form a 5 digits number" as fast as possible

when challenged by the Activities Manager, a funny fella from UK)

VIDEO (summarizing the challenges of the "Last Man Standing" competition):

LAST MAN STANDING (the contest started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

Quickly forming NUMBERS - the challenge continues!

(members of each team were assigned a number from 1 to 5 and they had to "form a 5 digits number" as fast as possible

when challenged by the Activities Manager, a funny fella from UK)

VIDEO (summarizing the challenges of the "Last Man Standing" competition):

Getting ready for the funniest challenge of the day!

LAST MAN STANDING (the contest started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

SMALL BALL Challenge (members of each team tried to pass on a small/ tennis ball to each other without using their hands.

If the ball dropped at any point or hands were used, the ball had to be returned to the beginning of the line, so that team had to start all over again)

This was the funniest challenge of the day!

One lady behind us was having so much fun, she said out loud that she had to leave to change because she peed herself laughing!!! (no joke!)

VIDEO (this challenge is featured briefly starting with minute 2'29''):

LAST MAN STANDING (the contest started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

The Scavenger Hunt challenge determined the final two (2) teams, each one having six (6) members.

To make the final teams, competitors had to run and bring back specific items according to individual lists

distributed by the Activities Manager, UK's Squishy!

This game was more about strategy and getting the audience/family/friends involved as time was a key factor too!

LAST MAN STANDING (the contest started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

The final two teams (6 members each) moved to the Pool area getting ready to face each other for yet another challenge:

VIDEO (summarizing the challenges of the "Last Man Standing" competition):

LAST MAN STANDING (the contest started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

VIDEO (summarizing the challenges of the "Last Man Standing" competition):

The final two (2) team faced each other on yet another challenge - this time by the Pool

(trying to fill-up a bucket with water from the swimming pool, using one glass and a beach towel basically)

VIDEO (this challenge is featured briefly starting with minute 4'45''):

GREAT pictures!!

LAST MAN STANDING (the competition started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

The final two (2) team continued their face-off with one more challenge - this time inside the Pool

(swimming 2 laps wearing a t-shirt passed on to each other quickly;

the last two teammates had to swim wearing 3 baloons under the t-shirt!)

VIDEO (this challenge is featured briefly starting with minute 7'22'''):

LAST MAN STANDING (the competition started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

The final two (2) team continued their face-off with one more challenge - this time inside the Pool

(swimming 2 laps wearing a t-shirt passed on to each other quickly;

the last two teammates had to swim wearing 3 baloons under the t-shirt!)

VIDEO (this challenge is featured briefly starting with minute 7'22'''):

LAST MAN STANDING (the competition started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

Probably the BEST part of this activity/ competition was the last individual challenge.

The top three (3) competitors had to DANCE inside the swimming pool!

The music choice was often times unexpected (i.e. Sesame Street or Titanic?!) but

all three (3) finalists proved to be talented, creative and most importantly, entertaining!

VIDEO (this final challenge is featured starting with minute 8'52'''):

And the audience voted (by applause) and decided THE WINNER - well deserved prize for JD ("Last Man Standing"):

LAST MAN STANDING (the competition started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

The audience voted, deciding THE WINNER: JD = the Last Man Standing (Monday, September 24th 2012)!

One last SPLASH and another round of applause as the WINNER TAKES IT ALL aboard Carnival's CONQUEST cruise ship!

VIDEO (summarizing the challenges of the "Last Man Standing" competition):

LAST MAN STANDING (the competition started around 1:30PM CST - Lido Pool deck)

VIDEO (summarizing the challenges of the "Last Man Standing" competition):

Some final thoughts regarding this entertaining activity that took place aboard Carnival's CONQUEST cruise ship on

Monday (September 24, 2012) - out first Fun Day at Sea:

1). UK's Squishy, the CD Assistant/ Activities Manager proved to be a funny MC during this event. Nicely done, sir!

2). All of the final competitors proved to be team players and the well deserved winner,

JD, was funny, cordial and down to Earth, appealing to a very diverse audience:

3). The runner up lady - a joy to watch, especially during her balletic performance inside the pool!

4). The winner takes it all (usually)! However, we were trully impressed by JD's generosity and altruism.

We heard from a trustworthy source aboard the ship that the young man gave his bottle of champagne

to one of the ladies (who apparently helped during the "Scavenger hunt" challenge).

Now that's a CLASS ACT and deserves a special note!

5). Finally, what a great audience that Monday afternoon: very supportive and fair-play too!

A special recognition to the winner's sister, a young lady that followed her brother all the way, taking pictures, constantly encouraging him...

And who can forget her elated face when JD was announced as the big WINNER of this competition!

Hats off to you, pretty lady!

It seems that contest was the highlight of the cruise (so many photos and videos). Otherwise, for the most part, it seems like a good commercial for Nutrisystem! :D

wow! great pics!!

It seems that contest was the highlight of the cruise (so many photos and videos).

 

Otherwise, for the most part, it seems like a good commercial for Nutrisystem! :D

: - ))

Now that's a pretty fair statement - for us, one of the day's highlights for sure!

With so many other activities to choose from (see "schedule" below), it's hard to pick and choose sometimes,

especially with scheduling conflict(s) and personal interest(s).

Now with respect to the "good commercial" comment... That's true too and I have to add it to another comment

made my a fellow cruiser, as part of his CC review:

"My only real negative observance (other than Jamaica) was the quality of passengers on board. It was like a floating trailer park.

We were wondering if head to feet tattoos were required for this particular cruise.

Some people...I just dont get it.

But whatever, everyone was there to have a good time, and that's exactly what we had! Already booking our next Carnival cruise!"

Loving this thread and the pics... oh, and thanks for the plug!!!

Thank you, sir, for stopping by this thread and taking the time to comment.

A great review of our sailing (to try another "plug"): http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1718256

Now we enjoyed your review very much and personally, as we're on Monday's topic, would like to quote you

on one of that evening's events that we missed (the Captain's Celebration):

"We kinda noticed the Master seemed a ladies' man as he seemed to be noticing the women in the vicinity. I can't blame him. "

The only time that I did notice the Captain was while briefly in the cabin (the TV was 'rolling' during Embarkation and

the Master of the ship was talking about ensuring an exceptional cruise for us all... or something within those lines as I vaguely recall !).

This brings us to an observation that's not meant to be generalized: comparing to RCI or Celebrity, for this particular sailing,

we rarely seen any Carnival officer on the common areas (again, not mentioning the Captain's Celebration formal event)...

Maybe one officer during the "Last Man Standing" competition and few others by the specialty Coffee shop area...

Again, not a complaint but merely a personal observation (based on previous cruises experience and comparison).

I am enjoying your review. Love the pictures.

Thank you all for visiting this thread and please know that we appreciate your feedback!

As reflected by the activities schedule posted earlier, Monday evening (our first Fun Day at Sea) offered couple of different options

in terms of entertainment and other events taking place aboard the ship.

With the SPA being usually packed for the "elegant nights," had to skip the Captain's Celebration...

As part of the CruiseMiles Party group aboard Carnival's Conquest cruise ship (remember, won this Caribbean cruise for free basically!),

all 160-170 of us were assigned to late seating dinner in the Monet Restaurant.

As the lighting inside the restaurant was dim, let's use again the visuals of Dave Wilson's outstanding photography

to showcase the space for this "elegant night"/ formal dinner:

Monet Restaurant

Monday's dinner wasn't a memorable one, but it was enjoyable and everyone was looking beautifully and the waiters were all smiles!

Couple of shots from the formal dinner enjoyed inside the Monet Restaurant that Monday evening (starting 8:15PM CST):

Few more decent shots from the formal dinner enjoyed inside the Monet Restaurant that Monday evening -

an "elegant night" aboard Carnival's Conquest cruise ship:

Starters

Starters

Main dish

Additional images from the formal dinner enjoyed inside the Monet Restaurant on Monday evening -

an "elegant night" aboard Carnival's Conquest cruise ship:

Limoncello shots

Dessert options

The formal dinner enjoyed inside the Monet Restaurant on Monday evening ("elegant night" aboard Carnival's Conquest cruise ship)

included a Tarantella and the guests were encouraged to sing along (under the dim lights):

VIDEO ("That's Amore"):

When the moon hits your eye

Like a big-a pizza pie

That's amore!

When the world seems to shine

Like you've had too much wine

That's amore!

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and more fun followed aboard the ship after this dinner

(i.e. "Voila Paris" show, disco dancing and Adult comedy shows).

~ To be continued ~

Monday night (September 24th), after the formal dinner in the Monet Restaurant, we went to see the evening's show, "Viva Paris."

By midnight, we found ourselves in Henri's Night Club where plenty of people let their hair down and had fun.

It's time for... DISCO dancing!

VIDEO (dancing):

DISCO dancing in Henri's Night Club (aboard Carnival's Conquest cruise ship - Monday night):

VIDEO (dancing):

DISCO dancing in Henri's Night Club (aboard Carnival's Conquest cruise ship - Monday night):

VIDEO (dancing):