Conquest review 9/23 - 9/30

[CruiserVette]

We're waiting......

[nchikk]

9/29, last sea day and a look Behind the Fun...

 

I've spoken a lot about food over the last few days. I have covered the food and service in the MDR, from room service and my one experience with a deli sandwich, albeit from room service, but I don't think I have covered the buffet. First of all, if you go to the buffet expecting a 5-star experience, you're nuts. That being said, the food we had from the buffet was pretty good. We ate at the buffet most mornings and I think a couple of lunches. It certainly wouldn't get the highest of my ratings, but it wouldn't get the lowest either. All in all, I'd rate the buffet food a solid 3 - 3.5 burps.

 

We did, though, have breakfast in the MDR this morning. Two reasons mainly we did this. One was that Hunny had still never eaten breakfast in the MDR. The other was a coupon left for each of us in the cabin for a complimentary cocktail which had to be used in the MDR during breakfast or brunch. We both had eggs benedict with bacon and hash browns. The benedict had been sitting...sitting long enough for the hollandaise to set and almost become gelatinous. The two half-dollar sized hash brown pieces each of us got were cold. The bacon was actually better than the bacon at the buffet. Do they use a different bacon in the MDR than at the buffet? Anyway, our one visit to the MDR for breakfast earned (only because of the free drink, better bacon and the coffee) a whopping 2 burps.

 

Ok, after breakfast we headed to the library. The first thing we did when we boarded was to go to the shore excursion desk and book the Behind the Fun tour. The cost was $95/pp. Space is very limited, so if you wish to do this, I recommend you do the same. It only takes a couple of minutes and you can still have a DoD in hand within 5 minutes of boarding.

 

There were actually two tours on this morning. Normally, a tour is limited to 16, but ours had 17. Our guide was Tisha, an HR person onboard the ship. They had a spread laid out for us with coffee, juice, water, fruits and pastries. After collecting our tickets, we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. She gave us a pre-talk about what to expect and lanyards signifying we were on the tour and asked about cameras. Just hand them over to her now, even if they're in your pocket. A member of the security staff was present to wand everyone. The guide will give back the camera after the tour.

 

We headed out of the library and to the very front of the ship on one of the crew-only decks. A group photo was taken and we continued on. We never saw crew quarters, but did see pictures. I don't remember the exact order of where we went but we went first (I think) to the showroom and the backstage area. We saw the ladies dressing room and were handed off to the costume person who answered a bunch of questions we had. Then it was onto the stage where we met the girl who runs the sound board for the showroom. Again, questions were cheerfully answered.

 

Another stop (remember this is in no particular order because I don't remember the order) was the main galley where we met one of the main chefs who told us about how they prepare food for that many people. Seriously, it really makes you appreciate what goes into serving everyone. While there, we saw a fruit and soap carving demonstration and were treated to some chocolate-covered strawberries and chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. Again, questions were happily answered...like "is the bread made from scratch?" It isn't...the dough is brought on and just baked as needed.

 

When leaving the galley, we took an escalator ride, not knowing where we were going...we came out in the upper level of the Renoir dining room. So this is how the waiters get the food from the galley. I did think they either had to use stairs or a dumbwaiter. There were refreshments waiting for us...more coffee, juice, tea, water and cookies. We also had a chance to sit and rest a few minutes. After all, there is a lot of walking involved.

 

We also saw where the morgue and brig are...didn't see inside them, but saw the doors. We were told no one was in either at the time. This made me ask Tisha about the "Bright Star" I heard on Monday. Nothing to be concerned about, she said...it was only a drill for the crew. Glad to know they train on that kind of thing.

 

About Tisha, she was great. Turns out, our cabin steward, Dave, and her are friends. When he heard we were taking this tour, he told us to make sure we told Tisha to take us by his cabin because he has drinks there. So the running gag the whole tour was me saying "but Dave said..." If you are ever on this tour and she is your guide, say "Dave said ___ (fill in the blank)" and you will endear yourself to her.

 

I-95. We did a bit of walking along I-95. For those who do not know, I-95 is what they refer to as the centre of Deck 0. It's the only deck where one can go from front to back and where supplies and luggage are loaded and unloaded and other events are staged.

 

Another stop was the engine control room. This room was pretty much all white and looked like something out of Star Trek. One of the officers was explaining about everything there and really, this was probably one part of the tour w felt lasted too long. I think most of the group did too. The guy talking was taking questions and telling us all about what they did there, but it seemed very boring and too long.

We were also taken to the storeroom where provisions are kept. There is a very large cooler for beer and sodas and another one across the hall for meats. Liquor, being flammable, is stored elsewhere. We were shown a little bar where the crew hangs out...it's actually just above water level and they have a dance floor, darts and tv's. One thing I noticed while leaving their bar was a thing right by the door with free condoms for the crew.

 

The tour also included a visit to the bridge where the ship's Master posed with the group for a picture and briefly told us about the operation of the ship from his area. He also took a few questions and we were on our way again.

 

Our final stop on the tour was the Steakhouse. The chef there showed us the different meats offered there and gave a little advice on how to best grill meats. Also pointed out how to tell the inside temp of a steak by touch. Remember the guy doing the fruit and soap carvings? He showed up with some swans he had carved from Ivory soap...all of us got one. Then we went to a couple of tables in the restaurant where the chairs had nylon backpacks on them and surveys were on the tables. We were asked to fill them out...oh, more refreshments were offered...orange juice, champagne or mimosas. And confiscated cameras were returned at this point.

 

When we got back to our cabin, there was a surprise waiting for us...snacks from the galley. They had sent a plate of chocolate covered strawberries and cookies. At dinner that night, Tisha hand-delivered the two group photos to our table. The tour was quite informative and fun. We gained an appreciation for all that goes into a week-long cruise...things that you never know go on. The cost was $95, and I am glad we did it. I do recommend this to anyone who wants to know what goes on behind the scenes. The tour lasted about 3 1/2 to 4 hours and there was a good bit of walking involved, so wear shoes you can walk in. Also, closed-toe shoes, such as sneakers, are required. Don't let the walking and climbing scare you. There are times where an elevator was an option, but for the times it wasn't, the most strenuous thing we did was go up two decks by stairs...and that wasn't so bad for me (I have two knees of a questionable nature and a previous back condition).

 

To be continued...

[firefly333]

I didnt know they now banned cameras on the behind the scenes tour. I know someone took some pictures of a list years back in the crew quarters, so Im not entirely surprised. Good to know.

 

I did a behind the scenes theater tour this past spring .. it does give you more understanding.

[trubadur]

I didnt know they now banned cameras on the behind the scenes tour. I know someone took some pictures of a list years back in the crew quarters, so Im not entirely surprised. Good to know.

 

I did a behind the scenes theater tour this past spring .. it does give you more understanding.

 

They do. Can't take pictures during the Carnival shows either even if no flash is used (copyright policy is being cited).

 

Anyway, honest and comprehensive review by the OP! Aditionally, for those that want to view some photos from this sailing, a former cruiser started a pictorial review of the same sailing:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1720699

[nchikk]

They do. Can't take pictures during the Carnival shows either even if no flash is used (copyright policy is being cited).

 

 

Anyway, honest and comprehensive review by the OP! Aditionally, for those that want to view some photos from this sailing, a former cruiser started a pictorial review of the same sailing:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1720699

 

 

Nice pics in that thread!

[nchikk]

9/29, last sea day continued...

 

After the Behind the Fun tour we were ready for lunch. As the buffet had quite a line, we opted for the deli, which did not. Both of us got a Reuben and added some potato salad and fruit from the buffet area. I really like the Reubens they offer. I'm no expert on them, but I liked it...now and for breakfast on Cayman morning. With the potato salad and fruit, it made for a very nice lunch...a solid 4 burps.

 

Knowing that at some point we'd have to pack, we chose to go ahead and do it sooner rather than later...not that we started right after lunch. Hunny wanted to do some last minute shopping. We also hung out in the casino for a while and helped Carnival pay for their next ship. We did pack before dinner, though.

 

One last dinner in the MDR and we headed aft for one thing I've been wanting to do ever since I heard they were offering it...Superstar Live Karaoke. It only lasted an hour, but I got to sing "Walking in Memphis" with the band. The applause may have been just out of courtesy, but people seemed to enjoy it...I am no professional, but I didn't butcher the song either. They offered 155 songs and that was the only one I wanted to sing. I was a bit disappointed there were no Elton John songs listed...but available were "Ice Ice Baby" and "Baby Got Back"?

 

To the room for a bit, to finish packing and set our luggage out for the night. Dave had removed our little menagerie but had left us with one last animal...a monkey, George. I don't know why, but those little towel critters are kinda special to us.

 

After this, we headed to the opposite end of the ship for the Legends show. Guests were chosen, I don't know how, I think from karaoke, to perform in this show, play the parts of music legends and sing abbreviated versions of their hits. The show couldn't have lasted more than about 45 minutes. Really? That was the problem with the big shows on this ship. It seemed they were too short. Oh, the Legends show...it was entertaining. Squishy and one girl from the entertainment staff did a funny Sonny & Cher. Gary, the CD, came out in the Dolly Parton outfit. The guests were good. 4 claps.

 

And we pretty much decided to call it a night.

 

We had zone 18. I know we had to be out of the room by about 8:30 but we weren't necessarily in a hurry to debark. We didn't have an early flight or, for that matter, anywhere else to be. We woke leisurely and headed up for breakfast at the buffet. We waited in the showroom and were off the ship about 10:00.

 

Yeah, we had a good cruise. Were there things that would have made it better? Of course there were. But all in all, we had a good cruise.

[firefly333]

9/29, last sea day continued...

 

After the Behind the Fun tour we were ready for lunch. As the buffet had quite a line, we opted for the deli, which did not. Both of us got a Reuben and added some potato salad and fruit from the buffet area. I really like the Reubens they offer. I'm no expert on them, but I liked it...now and for breakfast on Cayman morning. With the potato salad and fruit, it made for a very nice lunch...a solid 4 burps.

 

Knowing that at some point we'd have to pack, we chose to go ahead and do it sooner rather than later...not that we started right after lunch. Hunny wanted to do some last minute shopping. We also hung out in the casino for a while and helped Carnival pay for their next ship. We did pack before dinner, though.

 

One last dinner in the MDR and we headed aft for one thing I've been wanting to do ever since I heard they were offering it...Superstar Live Karaoke. It only lasted an hour, but I got to sing "Walking in Memphis" with the band. The applause may have been just out of courtesy, but people seemed to enjoy it...I am no professional, but I didn't butcher the song either. They offered 155 songs and that was the only one I wanted to sing. I was a bit disappointed there were no Elton John songs listed...but available were "Ice Ice Baby" and "Baby Got Back"?

 

To the room for a bit, to finish packing and set our luggage out for the night. Dave had removed our little menagerie but had left us with one last animal...a monkey, George. I don't know why, but those little towel critters are kinda special to us.

 

After this, we headed to the opposite end of the ship for the Legends show. Guests were chosen, I don't know how, I think from karaoke, to perform in this show, play the parts of music legends and sing abbreviated versions of their hits. The show couldn't have lasted more than about 45 minutes. Really? That was the problem with the big shows on this ship. It seemed they were too short. Oh, the Legends show...it was entertaining. Squishy and one girl from the entertainment staff did a funny Sonny & Cher. Gary, the CD, came out in the Dolly Parton outfit. The guests were good. 4 claps.

 

And we pretty much decided to call it a night.

 

We had zone 18. I know we had to be out of the room by about 8:30 but we weren't necessarily in a hurry to debark. We didn't have an early flight or, for that matter, anywhere else to be. We woke leisurely and headed up for breakfast at the buffet. We waited in the showroom and were off the ship about 10:00.

 

Yeah, we had a good cruise. Were there things that would have made it better? Of course there were. But all in all, we had a good cruise.

 

did you know the last sea day at the lunch buffet the entire front was the chocolate buffet?? It was awesome if I do say so myself.

[iluvdoxies]

Nice review, but I could do with the burps ---gross !

[nchikk]

And to conclude, some random thoughts I may or may not have covered previously...

 

Food...all in all was good...not James Beard worthy, but good.

 

CD...heh.

 

Asst. CD...much better than CD.

 

CD's staff...did ok, but seemed like they were going through the motions.

 

Cabin...comfortable. The bed was too, as many of you can attest. No maintenance issues. No problems of any other kind.

 

Cabin Steward...Dave. He was great.

 

MDR servers...Roberto, Ketut & Rasmudi. They were great too. By the way, I never knew how to pronounce it, so I asked him. I had always said "KEE-tut". He told me he pronounces it "kay-TOOT".

 

Had some laundry done, 1 bag for $15 (each of us). With a 7-day cruise and 3 nights in New Orleans, we certainly didn't want to bring THAT many clothes. It worked out fine for us. I had brought some detergent and dryer sheets in case I chose to get industrious and do laundry myself. That didn't happen.

 

Let it Ride...why does this game hate me?

 

MDR singing and dancing...we like it. From what we could tell, so do the servers.

 

Show band...good, even though they were playing along with some pre-recorded music.

 

Other music...what I heard I was just a bit disappointed with.

 

Cleanliness...yes.

 

Ship condition...very good, no obvious issues that I could tell.

 

Internet room...in an out of the way place, but ok.

 

TV...who cares? We didn't go on a cruise to watch the tube.

 

Lido...didn't care as much for the tiered Lido. We preferred the Lido of Fantasy class ships, seemed more open and roomy.

 

Main showroom...cold, take a jacket.

 

Fish & Chips...did not get to it this time.

 

Superstar Live Karaoke...like it but wish there more variety of songs to pick from.

 

Embark/Debark, PoNO...Embark was fine, a comfortable waiting area. Debark involved much more walking (while carrying luggage) than Jaxport did. Not sure if anything can be done, but it is what it is.

 

Thank you all for reading. If you wish to know about anything I may not have covered, or more about something I did cover, please ask.

[JackNJillCruz]

We were on this sailing and the one after... I enjoyed your review! I agree with everything you said about Jamaica. I haven't gotten off the ship in Jamaica since our 1995 cruise and don't plan to! I was extremely offended by people pulling and tugging on me asking me to go see their stores and hearing "braid your hair pretty lady?" about a billion times. :(

 

We just booked today for a post dry-dock cruise next month... excited to see the changes! :)

 

Jill

[nchikk]

did you know the last sea day at the lunch buffet the entire front was the chocolate buffet?? It was awesome if I do say so myself.

 

We saw that and though I'm not THAT much into sweets, Hunny is...especially chocolate. I'm actually surprised she didn't hit it up. What all was on it and how was it?

[KCMarie]

9/23, still more embark day...

 

About our cabin...

We were booked into 6268, Main deck forward, just off the forward elevator lobby. In fact, coming out of the elevator lobby and into the hallway, you did not even need to turn...our cabin was right there.

 

Our cabin steward was Dave and he kept it completely ship-shape. Dave was also available whenever we needed anything and made sure we never waited long for it.

 

 

We were on the cruise right after you and Hunny. Our cabin was 6264, and also had Dave as our steward. The best steward I've had after 6 cruises. He was a life saver when a bottle of Wrinkle Release broke in my suitcase and leaked out of the zipper lock bag! We got our suitcases delivered super early, while still in New Orleans. Opened mine up and noticed my clothes and shoes were wet. Huh? Biggest problem was from a red silk shirt that had stained everything touching it. Groan...I called Dave and he came, picked up the clothing and had them all returned to me by 9am next day! (he told me the laundry would not be open and running until the next day when he picked them up, but said he had a friend that could help, don't worry. He must have GREAT contacts and friends)!

This was also the first cruise when I asked that my little cooler I bring along be kept with ice it actually was, every time. What a guy!

 

Thanks for your review, seems spot on with what we experienced.

Definitely going back on the Conquest, she is my favorite ship now.

[firefly333]

We saw that and though I'm not THAT much into sweets, Hunny is...especially chocolate. I'm actually surprised she didn't hit it up. What all was on it and how was it?

 

They had a list of about 10 cakes with chocolate, I had two of them.. couldnt tell you their names.. one had stawberry on top of mousse that wasnt great, but I liked the other one. I had 4 of the teensy milk shakes, 2 each in chocolate and stawberry and I had the sugar coated almonds and the biscotti and the cookies.

 

I love it :D .. lol especially the milk shakes.

[oldmedic]

thanks for the review!!