Our very 1st Cruise and Vacation - Miami/Conquest/Orlando with pics

[boaterette]

I too am enjoying your review. I am been fascinated with Suriname ever since I learned of it. What would be a good time to visit your country?

[TrqoisWtrs]

Bummer, your review is so popular :), can't see your pics anymore. :(

[Orpheo]

Thanks for the info ...

 

Your welcome!

Edited January 13, 2014 by Orpheo

[Orpheo]

Great review so far! You were so brave going to Walmart on Black Friday. :eek: Also you have me googling Suriname to learn more about your country. Looking forward to reading about the rest of your first cruise. :)

 

Thank you so much! I always enjoy reading your reviews also. And thanks, yes, Suriname is a very beautiful country!

 

I just found your review and am really enjoying reading and your beautiful pictures. I don't know when will get an opportunity to cruise again so I'm getting my "cruise fix" by reading reviews. I love reading reviews of all itineraries so I can get ideas of possible future cruises I'd like to go on. Believe it or not I've heard of Suriname and actually know where it is! :) I'm looking forward to the rest of your review and thank you for taking the time to do it.

 

Your welcome! It's always great to hear that Suriname is known. It's a small and not so very popular country in South-America. It's the only Dutch speaking country in S-A. Keep on reading, that's how I got all the info I needed.

[Orpheo]

Hello, thank you for the review. I also like reading all reviews, but especially Conquest, as I am booked in October 2014. You appear to be having a lot of fun up to this point! Hope the rest of your trip was a blast. Am looking forward to reading all about it.

 

I also am a very curious type of person and am going to google Suriname to learn more. Maybe someday I will visit there! :)

 

Your welcome! We are a very 'touristy' type of country, lots and lots to do here! We loved the Conquest for a first ship. Lets see when our next cruise will be now....mmmm ;)

 

Marrie, I love the New Years picture. I'm from New York....you have a small scale version if what goes on in Times Square!

 

I'm waiting to eat dinner and your pics were making me starved.

 

What construction were they doing on the water slide? That had better be open when I go Sunday. Hubby will not be happy if it is closed!

 

H, Bragstarr....I think you already are on the Conquest. I didn't really know what kind of construction they were doing. Maybe it was said, but we didn't hear that. And yes, as I heard from some people on the ship, it would be open on the day we disembarked, that was on the 8th of Dec '13.

[Orpheo]

I too am enjoying your review. I am been fascinated with Suriname ever since I learned of it. What would be a good time to visit your country?

 

Thank you!

December!!! Believe me, a lot of people, mostly from the Caribbean and Holland, especially come to Suriname just for spending 31st december here. It's a blast!

 

Bummer, your review is so popular :), can't see your pics anymore. :(

 

Yes, I saw that too...:(. I don't know what happened. I've been checking it everyday since. But yesterday I could see the pictures again. I'm just a member on photobucket and I will have to upgrade, so I've already did that.

[Orpheo]

Internet

 

 

 

 

Lido pool

 

 

I think that this is a picture of our first Sea Day...hmmm. They were playing a game where the players would have to get car keys and find a bald man...it was very funny. The first player who 'brought' the keys and ....bald man first, was the winner...

 

 

We went to the Fun Shops and bought 2 t-shirts "Keep Calm and Cruise on'

 

 

Next: Day 2 Sea Day ; Continued

[Orpheo]

 

 

We had something to eat from the Comfort Kitchen...sorry forgot to snap any pictures.

That we went to our room to iron some of our clothes. Tonight was 'Elegenat Night', and all of our stuff were mixed in our luggage.

 

After ironing we went to the Basketball/Golf section

Around 2.30 or something we saw a big black cloud of smoke coming out of the whale tale. It seemed that the ship was slowing down or something, I don't really know. It felt like that to me. And then the announcement came from Gary, saying that they were having some technical problems. Some lights went out and some of the elevators weren't working also.

 

 

 

 

We were both kind of tired and a little hungry to, so we ate something and went to our room.

 

Next : First Elegant Night

[Orpheo]

December 2nd - Cruise Elegant

 

Before heading to dinner I couldn't help my self to snap this one....so gorgeous

 

 

Okey now, tonight we were putting on extra parfume..some extra lipstick...a lot more bodylotion and powder, it's 'Cruise Elegant'. Sorry sorry sorry, I got carried away a little :D

 

This dinner was very special for me and Tino. At home we don't get too much time to dress up and go eat in a fancy restaurant or something. Mostly we bring something home and prepare that and that's just it. So, tonight was very special (actually, every night we ate at the MDR was special!).

 

Sorry, I have no picture of us....the pictures we made of us are so blurry...not worth the post...

 

For starter I had the Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls.

These were so delicious! So worth the try...

 

 

Tino had the Escargots - he ate some of it before taking the picture

 

 

For the main we both had the Broiled Lobster Tail and Black Tiger Shrimp

 

 

We both don't eat a lot. But I think the assistant waiter Arnel isn't used to this, so he just brought one more plate of lobster for Tino! hahaha

 

Next : First Elegant Night : Continued

[Orpheo]

Tonight we both had dessert

 

I took the...yes: Warm melting chocolate cake - no icecream (no Mickey!)

I'm not crazy about icecream...

 

 

Tino had the Fruit Plate

 

 

Ofcourse we also bought a glass of white wine.

 

After dessert the MDR staff had something very special for us. They all sang 'Amore' for us. The lights went out and all the staff were holding a small lighter or so in their hand. It was very beautiful...

 

Here's a blurry pic

 

 

After dinner we went to the Punchliner Comedy Club. There we stood a little bit and listened to Derrick Eason. Very funny!!

 

After that we went to our room and changed in some more comfortable clothes (shoes too!) and went to the 70's Disco that started at 10.00 p.m.

Oh my God!! That was amazing....me and Tino danced like for almost 3 hours. We really enjoyed a lot! I'm sorry that we didn't take any pictures of that night, but we just forgot to take the camera along. But man, we danced and danced...

There was this 'Micheal Jackson' mimic and I thought that he was really good...

 

Next : Cozumel, Mexico

[sjn911]

I love folks stories on their first cruise and first big vacations...you are giving us such a nice review..so glad you had a good trip here and on your cruise and that ii was so special...thanks for sharing and doing the work..take your time..sarah

[Orpheo]

I forgot to post our friend from Sea Day 1

 

 

At around 6 - 6.30 we woke up. We had breakfast at Comfort Kitchen.

I think that the ship docked a around 7.45 a.m. or so

 

What I had for breakfast...yeah yeah I know...am I a pigeon or something?? Sorry, I really can't eat much at one time...

 

 

Tino's breakfast

 

 

At around 8.45-9 we were off the ship.

 

 

 

As we walked off the pier there were a lot of guides offering trips to activities around Cozumel. Tino met a young couple (Conquest too) from Columbia and the guy (can't remember his name) asked Tino if he wanted to take an island tour together with his wife. He seemed to know these things, because the way he talked to the guides was great. As he was talking to a lady guide, she said that for $ 25,- per person she could show us a lot of Mexico. A couple, late 50's (from Portugal) maby heared that and came to listen. She lady guide then said, if you are with 6 people the price is $ 20,- per person. An AC vehicle where you can sit comfortable and a guide who speaks English.

The Columbian guy said that it was a good deal, so we took it.

In my opinion it was worth the $ 40,- for both of us. I don't what the local prices are for such tours, but we had a great time.

 

In my next post you can see all the pictures where we went to.

 

Next : Cozumel, Mexico - Continued

[Orpheo]

 

The van was very comfortable and the AC was working very well. The guide was very nice and talked in good English. He explained a lot to us during the drive and would stop any where we wanted to, to snap some pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

I really liked this sealing. So funny...

 

 

Next : Cozomel, Mexico : Continued

[Orpheo]

Tequila Tour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next : Cozumel, Mexico : Continued

[BenjiRodney]

Loving your review, Can't wait to do this cruise in November.

[Orpheo]

 

Yeah, here come some tasting the Tequila!

 

 

Easy on it Tino! Oops...we're not driving...so, oh well

 

 

We learned a lot about Tequila. How it is brewed and all. What I really liked the most about this tour is when the guide gave us a little bit of the Tequila to rub in our hands and then to smell them. Wow! I was very amazed. You didn't smell any liqour or strong ethanol or I don't know what...but that strong smell of liqour, nope, none there.

 

We then went further...

 

 

Okey now, this is funny. I forgot where we were above in this picture...yah yeah...

But this elderly local man comes at us with a iguana. He says to Tino : 'hold this'. Okey, so Tino holds the iguana and yayyy I'm snapping pictures and all. The man moves the iguana from his hand to his shoulders to his head. Okey, after snapping all those pictures the man says to Tino, give big tip! The iguana must eat. At that time I was looking around so I didn't heared them talking...Tino had 3 dollars I think in his pocket at that moment and he gave that to the man. The man was like no, no, big tip, $ 5,-

Tino, no man, I just have 3 dollars. When Tino told me this, I was like : you're almost a Biologist now and you came all the way to Mexico to pay $ 5,- to hold a iguana. Hahaha

But I think that a lot of people live on these kind of things...so...

 

 

By that time we were getting hot and asked for a beach...

 

 

Next : Cozumel, Mexico : Continued

[Orpheo]

The water was really good. Please, do forgive me, I forgot which beach it was. But it was amazing beach. If someone recognizes this beach, please do fill in...

 

 

We were getting hungry, so we had 2 plates of this delicious meal, a corona beer for Tino and coke for me. It totally came up to $ 18,-

 

 

We enjoyed here for almost 2.00 p.m. and then headed back to the ship. Conquest was scheduled to set sail at 5.00 p.m.

We did some shopping at the Pier and took some pictures.

 

 

 

 

Not really a line...

 

 

Next : Cozumel, Mexico : Continued

[Orpheo]

Back on the ship we went to the Lido deck and I had my "Green Iguana" Blow Fish souvenir cup.

 

 

We went to Guest Services to get some change for laundry.

 

After that we headed to our room. We were so tired, expecially Tino. He was a lot more in the water then me. We didn't go to dinner that night, but instead we watched Pitch Perfect at the Seaside Theater.

After the movie we went to bed early that night

 

 

Next : Belize : dec 4th

[Orpheo]

For Belize we did the Xunantunich tour with luch through Carnival. I know that this is expensive if you book through Carnival. But as you know, this was our first cruise, so we were kind of afraid to miss the ship.

 

We woke up around 6.30 and went for breakfast.

At breakfast we saw her sailing by....

 

 

 

After that went to the Toulouse and got group no. 27 Red. We were the frist group to go out. Yayy

 

 

Hello Captain!

 

 

 

In the bus. Heading to the ruins.

 

 

Next : Belize : Continued

[Orpheo]

Man! It was like...2 hours going and ....2 hours coming back!

I think that it was 1 hour exactly thatwe stayed at the ruins. Tino didn't like this tour very much. He had expected a lot more that just the climb and all. For me, it was fun! I liked the pyramids and all the histroy behind it too.

Our guide was ....oops! I just had his name in my head and now it's gone! Grrrrr,

 

 

On the ferry

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next : Belize : Continued

Edited January 13, 2014 by Orpheo

[Orpheo]

 

 

Amazing view

 

 

Man it was high

 

 

 

Luch time

 

 

Next : Belize : Continued

[Orpheo]

Lunch, but not before I posed with our guide

 

 

Hmmm, Tino, I really have to tech you how to snap those pictures! Hope you all can manage with this

 

 

In my country we also have a rice special similar to this. It is also a creole recipe that has been passed on from generation to generation. We call it "Moksi Alesi'. Freely translated "Mixed rice". It also containes beans and some smoked chicken and black eye peas, but only you can taste the coconut milk a lot stronger. The rice served at this place was also prepared with coconut milk, but we couldn't taste it. Oh well, maybe it was my imagination, because I'm used to the mixed rice in my country.

But we liked it! Especially the hot sause!

 

After luch, back to the ship it was!

 

 

The she is

 

 

 

And again, we didn't went to dinner this night! yes I know we are boring, but Tino didn't wanted to go. We again watched a movie at the seaside theatre: Real Steel. And went to bed early

 

Did already post this one?? hmmm

 

 

Next : Mahogany Bay, Roatan

[Orpheo]

We woke up around 5.30. Enjoyed the view from our balcony and then went for breakfast.

 

 

 

Today we did some laundry. After we did some laundry we just walked around a bit. Conquest arrived 7.00 a.m. at Mahogany Bay.

 

Around 10.45-11 we got off the ship

 

 

 

 

 

Next : Mahogany Bay, Roatan : Continued

[CarribbeanTina271]

Really enjoying your review. I am trying to decide if the Conquest will be our next cruise in March, I do think you are helping me to decide!:p

[Orpheo]

I love folks stories on their first cruise and first big vacations...you are giving us such a nice review..so glad you had a good trip here and on your cruise and that ii was so special...thanks for sharing and doing the work..take your time..sarah

 

Hi sarah, thank you!

 

Loving your review, Can't wait to do this cruise in November.

 

Thanks! Enjoy your cruise, you'll love it!