Short review/opinion of our frist cruise on the Conquest 7-25 through 8-1

[Jamdug73]

We have sailed once on Conquest and going again this September. We never had problems like that on our first cruise. Matter of fact, many of the staff went out of their way to help us. I remember one day my wife and I were at the buffet and she had loaded her plate down with food. Next thing I know one of the staff was asking her if he could take her plate to a table for her so she wouldn't have to carry it. I thought that was very nice. Certainly not something you would see elsewhere. Our room steward was very friendly and the wait staff was out of this world. The shows and food are pretty much what I go on a cruise for and they are the two things that keep me coming back. It could be the time of year that you cruised as well. We went in September last time as well as this time. Ship never seemed croweded and if you wanted to get away from everyone the front of the ship was deserted so it was always peaceful.

 

Sorry your first time had some problems. Hopefully your next cruise will be everything you hope for.

[alreadypacked]

Tried the buffet for breakfast and lunch once. It brought back horrid memories of high school lunch line and food quality. In 1980 I had better C-Rations than what was served in the buffet. The food in the main dining room was good, not great, more along the lines of Golden Corral or Black Eyed Pea.

 

The shows at night were from OK to downright ridiculous ( and not the comedy shows). The only show I saw from start to finish was Lady Hellevi. Her illusions were good, but the choreography was down right horrible. After dinner we would stop in the show lounge for a few minutes and watch the shows. Most of the productions are on par with most middle school shows.

 

 

I'm sorry your cruise fell short of your expectations, but aren't you are exaggerating a bit in your characterization of the food and shows? Food appeal is subjective, but Golden Corral...really? Something tells me the choreography, costumes, and sets of Carnival shows is better than the average middle school show.

[divingmedic]

I'm sorry your cruise fell short of your expectations, but aren't you are exaggerating a bit in your characterization of the food and shows? Food appeal is subjective, but Golden Corral...really? Something tells me the choreography, costumes, and sets of Carnival shows is better than the average middle school show.

 

No, the food was as the food was. I do not where a lot of you people eat, but after all the raving people on here have done about the food it was not as people on here put it. If your a male and love the costumes and choreography maybe your man card needs to be checked? :D If they had more than one poker table and it did not take hours of waiting to get a seat to play I would have never even went to any of the shows.

[divingmedic]

We have sailed once on Conquest and going again this September. We never had problems like that on our first cruise. Matter of fact, many of the staff went out of their way to help us. I remember one day my wife and I were at the buffet and she had loaded her plate down with food. Next thing I know one of the staff was asking her if he could take her plate to a table for her so she wouldn't have to carry it. I thought that was very nice. Certainly not something you would see elsewhere. Our room steward was very friendly and the wait staff was out of this world. The shows and food are pretty much what I go on a cruise for and they are the two things that keep me coming back. It could be the time of year that you cruised as well. We went in September last time as well as this time. Ship never seemed croweded and if you wanted to get away from everyone the front of the ship was deserted so it was always peaceful.

 

Sorry your first time had some problems. Hopefully your next cruise will be everything you hope for.

 

The only staff that I had any problem with was the CD, I found him to obnoxious and boring. The rest of the staff was great, friendly, polite, warm and welcoming. The embarkation and debarkation staff was rude, the passengers on the ship were rude.

[divingmedic]

We will be taking our 5th. cruise on the Conquest in November. Not every minute of every cruise was perfect but we've not had the problems you are talking about. We have been on several cruises on different cruise lines and different ships & bar none, Carnival has the best service and food we have had on any of our cruises.

I guess cruising just isn't for some folks, maybe you should just stick with the all inclusives, maybe someone will teach you how to empty your own ashtrays.

 

Doug

 

Hey genius, I did not want the room to smell like an ashtray, hence that is why it was on the balcony.

[jimbo5544]

I was not a bad experience, was not a great experience either. I love British accents, just Chris Jefferson's accent grates like fingernails on a chalkboard and at one single volume,loud. Camp Carnival needs to rethink the activities for the "tweeners" and seriously upgrade their food in the buffet. And we are planning another cruise as soon as we can find an itinerary to our liking. Seems most itineraries close to us either go to Mexico or the Bahama's. Been to the Bahama's several times, we go to Cozumel every two years anyway. We are now adding Roatan to our mix for our dive vacations. Sorry I did not give glowing and rah rah Carnival review and opinion. Not everyone thinks that cruising is the end all be all vacation and their every thought to crusing. It is a nice change of pace, it just not what some people make it to be. Sorry if that upsets your world.

We would never accuse you of being rah rah....;)

[crewsweeper]

Divingmedic...you'll like Roatan for diving vacations. For longer stays they have some great places they take you. I'm sure other divers on these boards can recommend good charters and places to stay.

 

Sorry your embarkation/debarkation and filled ashtrays clouded your cruise experience. Sounds like they had issues and delays in the cruisers before debarking. Maybe they enjoyed the cruise so much they were trying to be stoleaways on your cruise:D And obviously the slow custom offical wasn't the fault of Carnival.

 

Next time try the MDR for breakfast versuus the buffet. DW and SIL enjoy their breakfasts and lunches there. I do the buffet. I can be selective on the hot stuff if I want it, plus they have Cheerios in the cereal selection. Unless there is a must have item in the lunch buffets--deli, grill, pizza, tandoori, etc are always better choices.

 

Can't speak on Camp Carnival except that tweeners seem to always be in that awkward stage where things they like a year ago are too lame and they can't quite do activities teens get to do--but you know that.

 

Hope you give Carnival a try again. Maybe wait until the Magic and the Triumph sail out of Galveston and get a different experience.

[jfeathe]

We were on the 7/25-8/1 Conquest cruise as well, and we had a great time. Probably the worst thing about the entire cruise was the buffet food. Fortunately, we only had to eat there 4 times since on sea days the MDR was open.

 

The MDR exceeded my expectations. With the exception of 2 or 3 individual food items, everything was wonderful. Our waitress, Bernadette, was one of the most efficient and kind staff members we have ever had the pleasure to know.

 

About the crowds. Well, I agree to an extent. The problem is that the promanade is already too narrow to begin with and the photo stations at night made it worse.

 

But those are minor complaints. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to cruise Carnival again. In fact, we purchased a future cruise certificate for a $100 stateroom credit.

[Upandadam]

Why would I joke about that? I did not smoke in the room, only on the balcony. Twice they did not empty it.

 

Sorry, I truly was hoping (thinking) you may be making a joke. Personally, I'd never ask a steward to come back for something that trivial.

 

I'd either leave it for next time or wrap it up in some tissue to avoid stinking up the room and put it in the garbage myself if it bothered me that it wasn't emptied.

 

But thanks for your review.

[happy cruzer]

I'm sorry your cruise fell short of your expectations, but aren't you are exaggerating a bit in your characterization of the food and shows? Food appeal is subjective, but Golden Corral...really? Something tells me the choreography, costumes, and sets of Carnival shows is better than the average middle school show.

 

MDR menus are set across all CCL ships. So if you don't like the selectins on one ship, then you won't on another. If escargot, prime rib, shrimp about 10 different ways, 5 or 6 kinds of differents fish, lobster, etc. aren't good enough in the MDR for the price per day that CCL charges then yep better move on.

 

Show comment was very "funny" too.

 

Oh well, I'm guessing that the cruise was a bit off because it may have been loaded with many families during the school break which can make for crowded conditions and extra work for the staff. But the MDR and the shows are set and don't change much.

 

Here's hoping that the reveiws turn back to the normal excellent ones.

[smd1234]

[quote name=TEXASMUNK;25454276#2 Food' date=' we have found the food on Conquest less than acceptable, so we choose to dine in the Steak house. No complaints to Carnival, they are cutting back with this lousy economy. Roll with the punches.

[/quote]

 

I'm kind of glad to hear that I'm not the only one who doesn't LOVE Carnival's food. Fortunately, I can usually find something to eat and since I'm not cruising for the food, I will continue to cruise.

 

I've always heard that the food is AWESOME. That hasn't been my experience, but on the plus side, I don't have to diet when I get home. :)

[Peddler&Tass]

We have been on Conquest 3 previous times and are booked again in Oct.

 

I guess that a mass market cruise line doesn't hold the torch to 5 star dinning in somes opinion. I have never really recieved bad food in the buffett, (maybe not what one wants or is used to) but mostly well prepared and served even it's like a Luby's or some other buffet resturant.

 

People being rude is what you make of it ... if you expect everyone (passengers as well as staff) jump to then one would be on the wrong venture and one need to return to the military life.

 

We've been on eight cruises with two lines and on 4 different ships and have never had a bad cruise ... It's all what you make of it.

[rednecksgirl]

OK, are you saying you can smoke in the staterooms or just on the balconeys?

[Katty891]

Hey genius, I did not want the room to smell like an ashtray, hence that is why it was on the balcony.

 

You don't want your cabin to smell like an ashtray but you don't mind smoking out other people who are on thier balconies? Btw if your smoking you probably smell like smoke so would it really matter if your cabin did??

 

Your comment to a PP about males who like the shows costumes and cheorography needing to "get their man card checked" REALLY pissed me off for some reason. From what I've seen quiet a few of the female dancers outfits are revealing most straight men would find that attractive...if it bothers you maybe your the one who needs to "check ur man card".....or is the smoking and poker playing just a manly faciad your trying to build???

[big_schots]

Only one low cost tournament the others were for a buy on the Destiny next year. Cost was $150 and the payout was not worth the cost. They did have another poorly schedule tournament right before dinner on elegant night.

 

 

Could you please tell me which day the "normal" poker tournament was on and what was the entry fee ? Did they allow rebuys for this tournament ? Was there much trouble getting up a regular game during the week ?

 

Thanks,

 

Eric

[Dallas Bengal]

WOW!!!! I was also on this cruise with my wife and ou two girls. It was the girls first cruise..We had a great cruise.. I did find myself saying to my Lovley wife that we were pretty lucky because the ship didn't seem that crowded to me. Never had a problem finding a seat at lunch or to catch some rays on. Deck 5 got a little crowded in the evening but no big deal.. Granted the last time we sailed was about 8 years ago but i remember it being alot more crowded. We are already looking to sail again out of Galveston. I did see alot of people getting upset about the kids doing their scavenger hunt, but heck roll with it they were on Vacation as well and were having their own fun. I really hope everyone really did enjoy their vacation..we did

 

We did Sunset Beach in Jamaica it was great untill the skys opened up..

 

I would suggest using Moby Dick Tours in GC it was the highlight of our trip and only $40 PP you get to go snorkling and do the sting rays.. We will do that again.

 

GO BENGALS!!!!

[cacti4ever]

My mom and I were probably the "2 strays" waiting for the get together. We were looking forward to meeting others on cruise critic. We were disappointed no one else showed, other than 1 other gentleman who was very nice. We were there about 15 minutes before it was supposed to start, and waited about 20 minutes.

 

Hey Medic, sorry I missed the get together, forgot in reveling with my old troop. Saw something in the paper about a get together in one of the bars on the 5th floor, I know that was wrong, stopped by anyways and only say some strays there (2 people).

No problem. Yes it was only me, my wife, my daughter and one other person for the meet and greet. but you enjoyed time with your friends, which is the most important. I agree, so many rude people on this ship. Line cutting was horrible, worse than most very large amusement parks. Sorry we missed each other, maybe another time, another place.

[douglinc@msn.com]

Hey genius, most adults are smart enough to know how to empty an ashtry with out making the room smell bad. If you smoke, you probably don't have a clue what smells bad anyway. You're probably not in the medical profession eisther or you wouldn't smoke. I think you are just pretty childish. I have no problem with legitimate criticism, but your complaints are pretty petty. Except for one, I didn't care for the cruise director either.

 

Doug

[Dallas Bengal]

Cacti4ever,

Sorry i missed the get together on the ship..To be honest Time got away from me. I do wish i could have met my fellow CC members. Maybe next trip.

[divingmedic]

Could you please tell me which day the "normal" poker tournament was on and what was the entry fee ? Did they allow rebuys for this tournament ? Was there much trouble getting up a regular game during the week ?

 

Thanks,

 

Eric

 

There was a $40 buy in on Monday, two $150 buy in for the Poker Pro Challenge and one $60 buy in that they schedule right before dinner on the second elegant night.

[cacti4ever]

Me too Dallas. My mom and I have been lurkers on here for a while. She reads everything about Carnival, and I get on as often as I can. Finally brave enough to start posting :D

Cacti4ever,

Sorry i missed the get together on the ship..To be honest Time got away from me. I do wish i could have met my fellow CC members. Maybe next trip.