Conquest - Just got back - not too thrilled

[shannonwood]

Thank you Disney Gang and cathyoo for the nice comments and for the appreciation of our honest opinions. It is exactly for this reason that I enjoy reading these posts...to hear objective opinions from "real" people! So thank you...

[Happy ks]

Our first cruise was on Disney Magic in its innaugural year. The ship was absolutely awesome and I don't feel there is any way to compare it to any other ship out there. The Magic and Wonder are unique and no one else could come close to what they have done for family cruising.

 

I've only been on one Carnival cruise and while the food was better, that was it. We appreciate beauty and elegance and Disney has captured that on their ships. We would go back on them even without children.

[makeda]

i am supposed to bus my own table? maybe someone owes me a slight paycheck...i've never encountered tables left dirty for exensive periods, the staff always seemed to be right there to get dirty dishes rather i was finished or not...

 

i would have complained about the state of the room, and adjusted tips accordingly, although i have never encountered major problems...when i have observed a health or safety hazard, calling its attention to staff usually gets it cleared up rather quickly

 

guess i have just been lucky!

 

by the by....we loved the conquest!

[PinandGiz]

I was also on that cruise on 7/17 and I noticed the same things around the ship like the other passengers. There was even another dirty diaper in the lounge area when we were disembarking - and, I too, watched several staff members walk right past it! This was my 4th cruise - 2nd with Carnival so I did know what to expect. However, I was very unhappy with many of the same things the other people have stated in their posts. My room steward had to be asked 3 times to unlock the cabinet that had the mini-bar and he never restocked it. He also never really cleaned the room - just made the bed and gave us new towels. We waited over an hour for room service and I had to call twice (I also complained and I still waited an hour for room service the second time). As far as the ports of call, I noticed that Royal changed their itinerary in light of the hurricane...so why couldn't Carnival do the same. Why would we go to Cozumel when almost all the shore excursions were cancelled and some parts didn't even have electricity? A big disappointment for us was that our luggage was lost and we didn't get it until Thursday, and in the mean time I had to purchase clothes in the gift shop - but unfortunately everything had Carnival's logo on it and they didn't carry women's bathing suits - bummer:( . It was our anniversary and the waiter asked us if he should do anything for us which I thought was kind of weird - instead of just doing it. All in all, the cruise was OK but not the best mostly because of our lost luggage and the weather. However, I will still cruise with Carnival again.

 

Miliket ~

 

I'm curious! Where did they eventually find your luggage at? We felt so bad every morning that we would see the notice to "be on the lookout for it"! I'm glad that you finally got it ~ and belated Happy Anniversary.:)

[VentureMan_2000]

Doesn't sound like the Carnival I've been on. Last fall on the Pride, it appeared that when the help had idol hands, they were scrubbing floors by hand with brushes, dusting the stairwells, cleaning the glass, ect.

 

I'd do the Pride again in a second. :)

[lil nemo]

Cool how they "introduced" each family as they boarded! But---seems like that would slow embarkation BIG TIME???

We have looked into Disney but it is quite a bit more...not just a little, but almost DOUBLE! I have never heard of anyone that did NOT like it...but just not sure I can rationalize that $$$$....

 

 

could it really take much longer than stopping to have ypur picture taken??

[linkee40]

I'm not going to flame you, and I am sorry you were disappointed... but you sound as if the ports are actually included in the cruise price. The ONLY thing you pay as far as ports go is port charges, in with the taxes, and these are minimal. Carnival doesn't guarantee ports and they were not included in your $2500... the $2500 paid for your cabin, your meals, entertainment, etc... NOT ports... They would not reimburse 1/3 of your cruise fare due to missing ports... the charges for port fees probably amounted to about $25... you still had what was to be included in your cruise fare... The cruise contract states that they don't have to give you anything, so even a small compensation is better than what they had to do... I know, that is not what you want to hear, but cruising during hurricane season could lead to missed ports, shortened, lengthened cruises, bad weather, etc... Now, if the price included visiting ports, that would be different... Again, I am sorry you were disappointed :(

 

 

I too was on the 7/17/05 cruise and am totally dissappointed. I believe when I booked my cruise, the itinery was jamaica, grand cayman, cozumel.... I would not have booked and paid $2500.00 for only two ports. I had several complaints about my trip on the conquest. #1 I packed for a tropical vacation and the ship was so cold I had to spend most of my time on deck instead of enjoying what was going on inside the ship. #2. THe food was horrible. Wed they served Roast beef so raw even my husband couldn't look at it. The soups were horrible... How the heck can you screw up tomato soup???? #3 On Lido deck I had asked for 2 cokes in a bottle, The Barmaid started to pour them in a cup of Ice. I told her I didn't need the cups or the Ice and she gave me a look like I was the biggest B--ch on the boat. I was just trying to save her work. #4 Grand Cayman, Stingray tour......They wanted to put us on a boat going to the middle of the ocean in a storm that looked like a hurricane. WE REFUSED to get off the bus so they finally cancelled it. The only good thing I can say about my trip was the cruise director was awesome and my steward attended to my every need. I doubt I will cruise carnival again. I have tried to E-mail customer service to let them know my complaints and to no avail..... Still haven't heard back from them.

[timmywad]

Why do people wait until after their cruise to discover this site only whine, b****, and complain?

 

I, for one, discovered this site long BEFORE I posted on this site.

Unfortunately, "REVIEW" means:

1. To look over, study, or examine again.
   
2. To consider retrospectively; look back on.
   
3. To examine with an eye to criticism or correction: reviewed the research findings.
   
4. To write or give a critical report on (a new work or performance, for example).
   
5. Law. To reexamine (an action or determination) judicially, especially in a higher court, in order to correct possible errors.
   
6. To subject to a formal inspection, especially a military inspection.
   

Nowhere in there did I read "7. To join in a Carnival love-fest, ignoring all negative aspects".

 

Things on this cruise that I did NOT mention? The food was ATROCIOUS. I saw MANY adults eating pizza (as I and my wife were subjected to do on most days). Ths Carnival Fantasy food was outstanding last year. I was a professional pastry chef for 18 years and KNOW good food. I wasn't expecting 5 star quality, but I certainly didn't deserve literally-dripping blood-soaked roast beef and un-consumable soups. The only good entree in the Lido deck buffet was day one's mahi-mahi.

The shut-down of the jaccuzzis onboard was mentioned ONCE in the Carnival Capers. NEVER ONCE was I told ANYTHING of an outbreak of a communicable disease. I would certainly have liked to known that considering the poor housekeeping of the main areas; when drinks and food are left in the elevators and ignored by the ship's cleaning staff, I KNOW the door handles and elevator buttons couldn't have been sanitized. (And before you flame me on THAT point, the people who left the items there were PIGS and I understand where the blame lays for that. However if I were a DANCER on that ship and saw that in the floor, I would have picked it up and disposed of it properly.)

The bar staff on the Lido deck, with a few notable exceptions, were extremely RUDE. Asking one of them for a soft drink (with a drink card that my wife and I BOTH purchased seperately) got you a glare and an attitude from the staff.....especially the female bartenders.

In my original post, I stated that Todd the CD and his staff were awesome. I still stand by that statement. They (and particularly, HE) made the cruise enjoyable despite the circumstances. I WILL be writing Carnival about him and his staff!

I also stated "it's true that Carnival does not control the weather"; "it is just as true that they DO control the pricing and compensatory measures"; and "The fact that it rained in the other 2 ports was not their fault at all".

Jeesh....some of you flamers really need to get a life! Carnival is NOT third-person omniscient (that means god-like to the flamers:D ).

As I stated in my first post, "We tried making lemonade with the lemons that nature had given us"....notice I said "NATURE", NOT Canival!

I had nothing but positives after my first cruise on the Fantasy. I wasn't even that negative in my original post about the Conquest!

I stand by my original post that Carnival's prime emphasis should be on keeping their guests HAPPY. Yeah, I know I travelled during hurricane season. My workplace shuts down that week and it's when I MUST book my vacations. I knew going in that this might happen. But that doesn't excuse the staff OR Carnival from making their guests HAPPY.

As I staated before, I spoke to SEVERAL cruisers on that ship and ALL were in agreement that $25 is a BAD POLICY.....whether it's a policy or not!

Look.....Carnival made a LOT of money off of people on that extra day at sea. We were buying an extra days' worth in the gift shops, buying an extra days' worth of alcohol, playing more casino games, etc.. They MORE than made their chintzy $25 back.

I am merely stating that this is a BAD policy. They made a TON of extra money that extra day at sea. They can certainly afford more than $25 in the pursuance of CUSTOMER RELATIONS.

OK......Flame Away if it makes you feel more important :rolleyes: .

P.S.....we DID make lemonade out of the lemons nature gave us and had a fairly good time. ;)

[timmywad]

And Timmywad ~ you were a hoot!!!:p

 

:D

Thanks.....but more of a HAM than a hoot!

;)

[timmywad]

Whoops....sorry for the double post :o

[SunFunCruiser]

I am also a Disney fan. We cruise CCL a lot as well. Just got off the Valor Sunday.

I saw the Conquest in dock with us in Cozumel Friday. I couldn't believe the line to get back on the ship. Just rediculous.

I like certain thngs about DCL & about CCL. Kids club is #1 on Disney, as it should be. CCL really has a long way to go with the kids club to even come close.

I can say this about CCL or any other line. I will never cruise a mega ship again. I just don't see the advantage. I felt like we were in a cattle call all the time.

[bevo]

SunFunCruiser-Sorry,off topic...but how did you get your timeline to show up at the bottom of your post? All I can get is the link to post, not the actual picture....

BTW, I am computer challenged, in case you haven't noticed, so speak very, very

S L O W L Y. ;)

[Disney Gang]

Speaking of bartenders on Lido - that reminds me, I also had a problem.

 

I ordered a Margarita and when bartender gave it to me it was on the rocks and not frozen. I said, "I didn't say frozen," and with a serious attitude, he said, "NO" and looked at me like I was nuts. Now, it was my fault, but how hard would it have been for him to say that's okay and put it in a blender. I just walked away with the Margarita on the rocks and went to the bar on the opposite side for the remainder of the cruise.

[SunFunCruiser]

SunFunCruiser-Sorry,off topic...but how did you get your timeline to show up at the bottom of your post? All I can get is the link to post, not the actual picture....

BTW, I am computer challenged, in case you haven't noticed, so speak very, very

S L O W L Y. ;)

 

 

For the longest time mine only showed up as a link as well. When I updated it to include another cruise, I copied and pasted the new one from the ticker factory site and it showed up.

Try it again and see if it shows up this time.

[SunFunCruiser]

Beva,

 

You know what? I changed to Daisy Path, maybe that's why. Try Daisypath.com

[SunFunCruiser]

I will never understand why people cruise during hurricane season!???!

:confused: :confused: :confused:

 

Not everyone has the flexibility to cruise whenever they want to.

[Miliket]

To PinandGiz and Shannonwood:

 

They never did tell us where they found our luggage...and thanks for anniversary wishes.;) And to timmywad...thanks for making my vacation more enjoyable during the talent show - you were great!!:D

[atlcple2]

We have been on 3 Carnival Ships in the last 4 years...the Fantacy '01, Pride '02 & Sprit '04. We were on the 3rd voyage of the Pride and both the Pride and Spirit were wonderful! Everything about them was great...the food, the rooms, the staff, the service, the specialty restaurant, everything. I would highly recommend those ships to anyone cruising. We are booked on the Caribbean Princess ship for 9/3 as we wanted to have another line to compare to and I just booked the Holiday for 2/18/06 for the kids' winter break at school. Definitely try another ship...All ships are different. Good luck on your next cruise!