Just off Conquest...might be time to go to Royal

So this cruise we took the kids for their first ever, it was a Christmas present for them and they were very excited. Hubby and I were on this ship almost two years ago to the day and things have changed!

 

Dry dock did it some good, carpeted areas looked fresh, serenity, new look for the fun shops, new pixels gallery, and a couple new food options. One thing we noticed on this cruise was the stench of smoke wafted through the entire ship from the casino. It was really bad in some places, including the Lido on a couple of occasions. Also, people were smoking both regular smokes and e-cigs/vaping in places not allowed with crew walking right by these people and not saying a word. Also, zero enforcement of the chair savers on the Lido.

 

The crowd this cruise was also very rude, LOTS of blue cards, which I know this means they may new to carnival not necessarily cruising, but with some of these folks it was very evident they had zero cruise etiquette. Very few golds and I didn’t see any diamond or platinums.

 

Service was also pretty slow in lots of areas, especially red frog and blue iguana. Also, we had FTTF and when we tendered in HMC we were not given priority tender service as promised by the FTTF package.

 

And the cruise director, TJ, was terrible, last time we sailed her Big Sexy, aka Josh Waitzman, was our CD and he was fabulous but family life has him working on shore now. TJ seemed very immature at times and extremely disinterested in his job, only doing the bare minimum and not interactive at all.

 

The new scanning of the sail and sign cards vs the ding was different but overall seemed quicker. Also, sail and sign cards were left in our stateroom mailbox to be picked up instead of given at the terminal seems like a terrible idea especially when you can’t get to your rooms until later if you’re not FTTF, diamond, or platinum. Lots of non-priority people were on the ship fairly early and unable to get to their sail and sign cards or were fighting their way through the halls to get to them.

 

Hubby and I may try Royal Caribbean for our next cruise. While we had fun the crowd and lack of interest from the staff on board has us wanting to try elsewhere.

You can find the exact problems on Royal depending on which ship you pick. They also put your cards in the mailbox on certain ships and I’ve found the passengers very similar on Royal, NCL and Carnival. The differences IMO are found within the ships themselves not the mainstream cruise companies. Pick a new ship on any of the lines with a longer itinerary and you’ll get a better vibe. And just a warning if you don’t like the smell of smoke and smoking all over the place stay off of NCL Breakaway.

You can find the exact problems on Royal depending on which ship you pick. They also put your cards in the mailbox on certain ships and I’ve found the passengers very similar on Royal, NCL and Carnival. The differences IMO are found within the ships themselves not the mainstream cruise companies. Pick a new ship on any of the lines with a longer itinerary and you’ll get a better vibe. And just a warning if you don’t like the smell of smoke and smoking all over the place stay off of NCL Breakaway.

I will say without hesitation that Carnival has the biggest low-lives of any of the major lines. Will it deter me from sailing Carnival? No. I agree with Jersey Girl. Pick the newer ships with longer itineraries. It weeds out a lot of the undesirables. Simply try another line .......... If your kids a young take them on the NCL Escape or the brand new MSC Seaside which is phenomenal for kids. I've done both of the above and they great for kids. MSC Seaside has the best waterpark and kids pool at sea in my opinion. The crowd is the complete opposite of Carnival and kids sail free under 12. Can't beat that!

Hubby and I may try Royal Caribbean for our next cruise. While we had fun the crowd and lack of interest from the staff on board has us wanting to try elsewhere.

 

You should do that. But not for any of the reasons in your review. Do it for the variety.

 

You can find rude people, longer than expected pool bar lines, chair hogs, a non interactive lackluster Cruise Director as well as a fun time on any given week on any given on any given ship on any given cruise line.

Sorry to hear your vacation was disappointing. Hopefully your next cruise experience, regardless of cruise line, will be better.

Oh, those dreaded blue cards and non priorities. How dare they all gang up on your ship. ;)

There is absolutely no reason for anyone to need to get to their cabin early to pick up their card. You can purchase anything you want with your boarding pass.

I don't understand how people can be that unhappy on a cruise? Maybe you should find another hobby and let the rest of the people enjoy their vacation!!! Sorry....lol

I don't understand how people can be that unhappy on a cruise? Maybe you should find another hobby and let the rest of the people enjoy their vacation!!! Sorry....lol

 

 

 

Unless you go for the mega ships I think RC and Carnival are pretty similar, I think buffet is better on Royal but Guys and Blue iguana make the difference

 

bars are definitely better on Carnival, we cruise a lot on the 3/4 nights from Port Canaveral and it really is your attitude and other passengers that make or break the trip

 

 

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We were on the Conquest for an 8 day Southern cruise in May 2018. It was our 14th cruise and I must say we enjoyed the

Conquest very much. Staff was great and so was the CD who was different then yours. The smoke issue is just one you learn to live with on cruise ships if you're near the casino. If you walk swiftly it only lasts a minute or so......And people are people.

You'll find those you have more things in common then others but attitude, is something you get on board with from wherever

you came from. We're Platinum and have met other Platinums and Diamonds with bad attitudes as well. A cruise ship is like a box of chocolates; quoting the infamous Forrest Gump.

To the OP on S&S cards in your mail box, you can buy drinks with your boarding pass. No reason for anyone to be fighting their way down the halls. We thought boarding the Conquest in April was super fast and easy.

So this cruise we took the kids for their first ever, it was a Christmas present for them and they were very excited. Hubby and I were on this ship almost two years ago to the day and things have changed!

 

Dry dock did it some good, carpeted areas looked fresh, serenity, new look for the fun shops, new pixels gallery, and a couple new food options. One thing we noticed on this cruise was the stench of smoke wafted through the entire ship from the casino. It was really bad in some places, including the Lido on a couple of occasions. Also, people were smoking both regular smokes and e-cigs/vaping in places not allowed with crew walking right by these people and not saying a word. Also, zero enforcement of the chair savers on the Lido.

 

The crowd this cruise was also very rude, LOTS of blue cards, which I know this means they may new to carnival not necessarily cruising, but with some of these folks it was very evident they had zero cruise etiquette. Very few golds and I didn’t see any diamond or platinums.

 

Service was also pretty slow in lots of areas, especially red frog and blue iguana. Also, we had FTTF and when we tendered in HMC we were not given priority tender service as promised by the FTTF package.

 

And the cruise director, TJ, was terrible, last time we sailed her Big Sexy, aka Josh Waitzman, was our CD and he was fabulous but family life has him working on shore now. TJ seemed very immature at times and extremely disinterested in his job, only doing the bare minimum and not interactive at all.

 

The new scanning of the sail and sign cards vs the ding was different but overall seemed quicker. Also, sail and sign cards were left in our stateroom mailbox to be picked up instead of given at the terminal seems like a terrible idea especially when you can’t get to your rooms until later if you’re not FTTF, diamond, or platinum. Lots of non-priority people were on the ship fairly early and unable to get to their sail and sign cards or were fighting their way through the halls to get to them.

 

Hubby and I may try Royal Caribbean for our next cruise. While we had fun the crowd and lack of interest from the staff on board has us wanting to try elsewhere.

Can I ask what the duration of your cruise was? We had smoke in many areas far away form the casino or smoking bars on a 3 day on the Liberty, but I learned the hard away to avoid the short "booze cruises".

Service was also pretty slow in lots of areas, especially red frog and blue iguana. Also, we had FTTF and when we tendered in HMC we were not given priority tender service as promised by the FTTF package.

 

What happened when you went to the FTTF assembly area for tendering? (FTTF passengers are told where to meet for priority tendering, on the first or second tender over.)

 

The new scanning of the sail and sign cards vs the ding was different but overall seemed quicker. Also, sail and sign cards were left in our stateroom mailbox to be picked up instead of given at the terminal seems like a terrible idea especially when you can’t get to your rooms until later if you’re not FTTF, diamond, or platinum.

For this new procedure, that's not a bug, it's a feature. People should not be crowding the hallways trying to get to their staterooms until they are ready...with Ds, Ps and FTTF folks being the only exceptions.

Lots of non-priority people were on the ship fairly early and unable to get to their sail and sign cards or were fighting their way through the halls to get to them.

People not following the instructions they were clearly given? That can -- and will -- happen on any cruise line.

Hubby and I may try Royal Caribbean for our next cruise. While we had fun the crowd and lack of interest from the staff on board has us wanting to try elsewhere.

Good luck with whichever cruise line you choose. Give MSC a try; they are really trying to break into the US/Caribbean cruise market.

Thanks for your thoughts.

It can always be a mixed bag of customer service and passenger interactions, regardless of which cruise line you patron. We were on the Conquest for an 8 day itinerary a couple of months ago. The rudest person, by far, was a platinum guest who felt the need to make a HUGE scene at customer service over a delayed baked potato....oh, the horror. That aside, most of the guests were very friendly and polite. Interactions with the staff was definitely a toss of the coin. What we discovered when we talked to many was that there was a large percentage of the crew on the tail end of their contract which may have had an impact on the attitude of some.

 

Would I sail the Conquest again? Perhaps...but would 1st check other ships unless the itinerary was the appeal. Not because the experience was so bad but more so I could experience some variety.

Overall it was a great vacation, Port Everglades is very organized and there were zero issues with the boarding. We did a lot of things this cruise we didn't do two years ago which made it really fun. Another thing I really like is the new Pixels gallery, it's awesome having them pop up in the hub app and you can purchase from there. One other thing that was odd to us was the ship was very rocky compared to last cruise, and it was a rhythmic rocky, almost like a propeller was off balance because you definitely noticed it more in the back of the ship. We were in a lounge in the far back (Degas for all the Conquesters) and it was rolling so much the curtains on stage were swaying heavily and the water was calm as could be. Many people felt the same way, it was just too regular to be the water.

 

I ... If your kids a young take them on the NCL Escape or the brand new MSC Seaside which is phenomenal for kids. I've done both of the above and they great for kids. MSC Seaside has the best waterpark and kids pool at sea in my opinion. The crowd is the complete opposite of Carnival and kids sail free under 12. Can't beat that!

 

This is good to know!

 

People not following the instructions they were clearly given? That can -- and will -- happen on any cruise line.

 

 

This cruise it just seemed like the crew didn't give a damn about enforcing the rules. Saw it last cruise just not this one.

To the OP on S&S cards in your mail box, you can buy drinks with your boarding pass. No reason for anyone to be fighting their way down the halls. We thought boarding the Conquest in April was super fast and easy.

 

 

This information was not made available. I didn't know this until just now. With the FTTF the room was ready and things were good there but we definitely did not have the FTTF experience that we did last time.

 

 

The smoke issue is just one you learn to live with on cruise ships if you're near the casino.

 

 

It was almost as if there was a leak in the filtering and ventilation system because we smelled it in areas you wouldn't expect like the forward dining room, theater, and places far from the casino. Didn't smell it like that on the last cruise which is why I commented about it, you'd just get random whiffs of casino :')

 

Sorry to hear your vacation was disappointing. Hopefully your next cruise experience, regardless of cruise line, will be better.

 

 

Wasn't disappointing at all! We got to see our kids enjoy their first cruise and see their faces light up when they told us about their day and what they did. Even though it was their Christmas gift we were also celebrating surviving my husbands deployment. We have some amazing memories and we were able to make the best of it, we found the best bars to patronize and did things we didn't get to do last time.

Would I sail the Conquest again? Perhaps...but would 1st check other ships unless the itinerary was the appeal. Not because the experience was so bad but more so I could experience some variety.

 

 

We won't sail on her again any time soon simply because it's been twice in two years, we want to see other ships! We were looking for a different ship for this cruise but it's what fit our schedules with school letting out, work, and amongst other things. Also, we chose a short cruise because we weren't sure our kids would like cruising as much as we now know they do so we didn't want to be stuck on a boat with them if they were miserable. Now that they're addicts too the next one will be longer!

What happened when you went to the FTTF assembly area for tendering? (FTTF passengers are told where to meet for priority tendering, on the first or second tender over.)

 

 

We asked and were told there was none of that since we were the only ship there.

For this new procedure, that's not a bug, it's a feature. People should not be crowding the hallways trying to get to their staterooms until they are ready...with Ds, Ps and FTTF folks being the only exceptions.

 

 

They failed to mention to guests that were priority or FTTF that they could use their boarding passes for purchases, I didn't even know that until a PP mentioned it here. There was a lack of communication all around this cruise which made for some chaos.

I don't understand how people can be that unhappy on a cruise? Maybe you should find another hobby and let the rest of the people enjoy their vacation!!! Sorry....lol

 

 

We weren't unhappy at all! Just some of the things we noticed that were different from our last cruise on this ship. We still had a great time and made sure to do things we didn't get to last time. We didn't get annoyed, just made some observations.

Overall, we had a great time, it was a blast seeing our kids enjoy their first cruise. We would love to do the Vista or Horizon but that's for a later date. My in-laws, me and the hubby were discussing doing a RCL on the Oasis class just because it seems to offer more variety than Carnival in several ways.

There is absolutely no reason for anyone to need to get to their cabin early to pick up their card. You can purchase anything you want with your boarding pass.

This....

In addition to using their boarding passes before they get the S&S cards, you cannot even go get them if you are not FTTF or priority passengers until 1:30 when the other cards are put into the mail boxes.

good review Glad to see you supported the line enjoy royal

By all means sample other lines. Familiarity breeds contempt. And you miss out on so much variety by sailing the same line over and over and over again.

There is absolutely no reason for anyone to need to get to their cabin early to pick up their card. You can purchase anything you want with your boarding pass.

 

This....

In addition to using their boarding passes before they get the S&S cards, you cannot even go get them if you are not FTTF or priority passengers until 1:30 when the other cards are put into the mail boxes.

 

Why do you need to get to your card so bad? I haven't experienced this on Carnival, but on Royal, they use your boarding document as your card until you can go to your room. For the 1 or 2 drinks, it was not a big deal at all. Show paper, smile, and enjoy your drink. Then when cabins opened up, we went to our room and our cards were there.

I will say without hesitation that Carnival has the biggest low-lives of any of the major lines. Will it deter me from sailing Carnival? No. I agree with Jersey Girl. Pick the newer ships with longer itineraries. It weeds out a lot of the undesirables. Simply try another line .......... If your kids a young take them on the NCL Escape or the brand new MSC Seaside which is phenomenal for kids. I've done both of the above and they great for kids. MSC Seaside has the best waterpark and kids pool at sea in my opinion. The crowd is the complete opposite of Carnival and kids sail free under 12. Can't beat that!

 

many would find sailing on a ship filled with kids because of the 'kids sail free' you mentioned, the same or worse!

we won't sail any cruise line anymore in the 'school's out' summer!

We felt the same way after our cruise on the Conquest 2 years ago. However, we've since gone on the Vista, Glory (her sister ship) and have the Pride booked. Don't let one cruise ruin everything for you. It took a lot for us to stick with it, but we're glad we didn't "jump ship" after one not so great experience.

Every line has it's up and downs. Had my share of rudeness out of Royal & Carnival. My son upped the anti with Escape a couple weeks ago. People were actually put off the ship. So it all depends on the hand your dealt with.

I will say without hesitation that Carnival has the biggest low-lives of any of the major lines. Will it deter me from sailing Carnival? No. I agree with Jersey Girl. Pick the newer ships with longer itineraries. It weeds out a lot of the undesirables. Simply try another line .......... If your kids a young take them on the NCL Escape or the brand new MSC Seaside which is phenomenal for kids. I've done both of the above and they great for kids. MSC Seaside has the best waterpark and kids pool at sea in my opinion. The crowd is the complete opposite of Carnival and kids sail free under 12. Can't beat that!

Never sailed with MSC...Would like to try but not sure which ship or time of year would be best to sail ...with less kids....

I will say without hesitation that Carnival has the biggest low-lives of any of the major lines. Will it deter me from sailing Carnival? No. I agree with Jersey Girl. Pick the newer ships with longer itineraries. It weeds out a lot of the undesirables.

 

lol. you say that often here. I think it says more about you than the other guests.

I agree with another poster.. try Royal because of variety, but not for the things you mentioned, because they are the same on Royal.