Carnival Conquest - April 18 - Trip Review and Daily Diary

[DeanDeeDee]

Really enjoying your review - great pictures! We will be sailing on the Conquest in December.

[ReggaeRoy]

Excellent review. Thanks. Go Patriots!!!

[tawaik]

Seriously considering the Conquest. Thanks for the review, can't wait to read the rest :)

[NoDayButToday]

So excited to read the rest, we won't be doing this itinerary, but will be on the other 8 day itinerary on her early next year. Your pictures are great and I'm enjoying your style!

[Catrin]

We went back to our cabin after our sporting adventures… to find a nice plate of Strawberries and chocolate treats as part of our Platinum Benefits. While we are happy to be Platinum, the benefits have certainly been reduced over the last few years. We devoured these treats, and I was then delegated to find the laundry room to iron two shirts, two pairs of pants and a dress for elegant night. WORD OF ADVICE (and you think I would know this!!) – DO NOT wait until 5PM on the day of elegant night to iron!! There were four people in line in front of me… all men!! And one nasty lady behind me who was upset I had so many garments to iron. I do not why people have to be so rude sometimes!!

 

Elegant Night – this night we waited in line for Anytime Dining. There were about 10 parties ahead of us and the line went by relatively quickly. We were seated at another section (and this continued all week, we only repeated wait staffs twice). We loved our seats this night, as we were at a table in the center of the dining room. The menu this night is some of our favorites – Spaghetti Carbonara for Matthew, and usually Prime Rib for me. But this year, I decided to order the Lobster! Being from RI, Lobster is nothing new, as we can just drive 7 miles down the road and buy fresh Lobsters off the fishing boats. But having Lobster Tail on a cruise is a special thing. It was very GOOD, not great! Steve enjoyed it as well, and was able to order a second entre. Dessert was one of my favorites – Caramel Apple on a pastry. We had very good service this evening as well, and the waiters entertained us by singing.

 

After Dinner, Allison went to Camp Carnival for her first “Night Owls” party! While she did the normal evening activities, from 10pm – Midnight they host a special party for a fee of $13.00. Allison loved this party and was given a gift of a string backpack, stuffed animal Owl and flashlight.

 

Steve, Matt and I had a plan – or… let me rephrase… I had a PLAN and Matt and Steve tagged along! I wanted to play 80’s music trivia!! I am a music trivia NUT – and always enjoy playing on each cruise. In the fun times, 80’s Music Trivia PARTY was listed – located in the main lobby near the elevators. We got there quite early, and we were able to find a spot on one of the couches. Asst Cruise Director Stephanie and CD Mike arrived at 9 to host this event – we knew it would be FUN – but we had NO CLUE about HOW FUN it would be – and it would really capture our nights all week!!

The Trivia was a basic 20 question music clip trivia. A few seconds of a song was played and you had to guess title and artist. But what made it hysterical was the audience interactions – from folks dancing on the elevators to our CD Mike’s commentary and dancing. Picking people out of the audience on decks 3, 4 and 5 was hysterical. If you were standing there with a sour look on your face – you were going to get picked on!! Well, after 20 questions – and laughing for an hour…. They needed a winner. And yes, being the music nut I am… I knew all the answers pretty easily. So, our team (me, Matt and Steve) got 40 points, as did another team on the other side of the room. IT’S A TIE!! Mike then asked for a volunteer from each group – and Steve and I proudly threw Matthew up there! Then Mike explained the tiebreaker. A song was going to play…. And each person was to participate in an AIR GUITAR challenge! So there is our 16 year old… who has played more Guitar Hero than any kid in history… playing air guitar vs. a young woman in her 20’s. Once the song started… Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing… and I saw Matt slowly lose his shyness… I knew this was going to be hysterical. All of a sudden, as the song’s famous guitar riff started to build up.. there is my kid… hysterically getting into his air guitar… and he starts running and does a guitar slide across the center of the dance floor… perfect timing and the crowd goes wild!! Steve and I were laughing so hard… this is my shy kid… in the spotlight and he loved it!! So, while Matt was the clear winner.. both teams were awarded the coveted Ship On A Stick – 80’s Music Champions!!

 

After Trivia, we ventured into the main showroom for a show called EPIC ROCK. There was a pre-show with the terrific guitar soloist playing songs like Stairway to Heaven, ACDC, etc. The show itself was pretty good. Gone are the days of a dozen dancers and singers. This show featured a LED screen and 8 singers and dancers singing rock songs from Queen, Led Zeppelin, Heart, etc. I loved the music and enjoyed this show. What amazed me, however.. was how EMPTY the showroom was. These big production numbers seem to be a thing of the past.

After the show, we went to the Lido Deck for a late night snack of Pizza and Ice Cream. I met another couple in line who were complaining about the food choices on the ship. REALLY???? It seems this couple was assigned Early Dinner and “Could Not Get there” – and by the time they wanted dinner, the Lido Buffet was closed. So all they had for dinner the first two nights was Pizza. It amazes me that people still think that there is a full buffet 24/7 on cruise ships.

 

We picked up a very happy Allison around 11:45 – met our new towel animal friend…. and went to bed. What a great AT SEA day!! This is why we love cruising.

 

Coming Up Next – GRAND TURK and the FLOWRIDER!

[RenoNanaOz]

Thinking about doing this next April. We were on The Conquest in 2010, looking forward to your review!

[MicheinMA]

Thanks for sharing. We are looking at the Conquest for our next cruise!

[SailingRNC]

Looking forward to more[emoji568]

[Catrin]

Thanks for all the nice comments everyone.

I promise to get a few days completed this weekend!!

 

Some random thoughts that only Cruise Critic readers would appreciate!!

 

• There was not an amenity basket in the bathroom. No free toothpaste, lotion, razors or breathe right strips.
  
• Our first cruise that we did not meet the Captain. Times were limited two a 90 minute meet and greet during our dinner time.
  
• There were two shows a night - One show played at 8pm one night, then 10pm the next night.
  
• No Chocolate on the pillows. (who cares?)
  
• I take a combination of Bonine and Ginger Root each day for potential seasickness. I start the morning of our first flight through the last day - including port days.
  

 

Be back tomorrow!

Catrin

[Soleil's Mom]

Good morning from your neighbor in CT! My next cruise will be on the Conquest, but not this itinerary. We actually did your itinerary on the Miracle years ago! I'm enjoying your review so far, and I just had to say that I found it funny that you flew out of Hartford cheaper than TF Green. We live pretty much center of the 2, and always price shop between them. The last several flights have all been out of Green because of the huge difference. I was shocked when you said Bradley was cheaper.

 

Keep up the great review. You're giving me something to do during this interminable wait!

[Catrin]

Good morning from your neighbor in CT! My next cruise will be on the Conquest' date=' but not this itinerary. We actually did your itinerary on the Miracle years ago! I'm enjoying your review so far, and I just had to say that I found it funny that you flew out of Hartford cheaper than TF Green. We live pretty much center of the 2, and always price shop between them. The last several flights have all been out of Green because of the huge difference. I was shocked when you said Bradley was cheaper.

 

Keep up the great review. You're giving me something to do during this interminable wait![/quote']

 

Thanks for reading! The only reason why it was cheaper, was that only RI and MASS kids were on school vacation week. CT schools had vacation the week prior. I really think that supply and demand factor figured into the pricing. Usually we are lucky flying out of TF Green - but we do shop between Green, Logan and now Hartford.

 

Catrin

[Catrin]

MONDAY - APRIL 20 - GRAND TURK

 

This was our 3rd visit to Grand Turk. Steve and I visited on our 2012 Liberty Cruise, and then we revisited a year later on the Splendor in 2013. This year, the time at Grand Turk was quite limited.. as we arrived at 8am – with a return to ship time at a very early 1:30PM. Because of this short time, we decided to be quite predictable and boring here… just going to our favorite Margaritaville for pool fun and relaxation. In 2013, Matthew went on the Flowrider and had a blast – but at that time Allison BEGGED to do it too.. but it was sold out. When she heard we were going back to Grand Turk, that is all we heard – FLOWRIDER FLOWRIDER FLOWRIDER!! So, a few weeks before we left, I purchased two “excursion” tickets for both Allison and Matthew.

 

We arrived at Grand Turk bright and early with a promise of a gorgeous sunny day. We took advantage of the room service breakfast card the night before – and bright and early had cereal, fruit, and muffins brought directly to our room. We love room service breakfast on port days!! Because the kids had 9am FlowRider tickets, we were off the ship very early – around 8:15am.

The port area in Grand Turk is a destination itself – created by the Cruiselines with the typical cruise sponsored shops – Diamonds International, EFFY, Ron Jon, etc. After walking thru the Duty Free shops, it is a wide open area where folks gather to pick up tours, etc. We walked all the way to the left, where Margaritaville is located. This is where we were going to hang out!!

Let me get this out of my system – Margaritaville is a Rip Off. There, I said it. But it is one of those places where you just go to forget about life – awesome pool, plenty of frozen concoctions, fun music and DJ and overpriced food. They did offer something new this year – a ONE PRICE “All Inclusive” Day pass – all you can drink plus One Entrée meal for lunch. If we were there longer – and later in the day, this may have been a good deal.

 

[Catrin]

 

Before we knew it, it was almost 9am, and it was time for the kid to go on the Flowrider. After signing in, the kids lined up with about 10 other kids. I had to fill out some release forms, and they were all given basic instructions. Then they were divided in half – each group had 6 kids, who then took turns for about 45 minutes. Matt and Allison each had about 10 turns total – progressing each time to do more tricks, turns, etc. At one point, they had Matt get rid of the boogie board and body surf instead!! Allison was awesome – loving every minute of it and even doing a flip!! The cost is $30 for the hour – a bit much, but the smiles on their faces the whole time was worth it!!

 

After the Flowrider, we hung out in the pool, enjoyed the Free Wifi, people watched. Allison found her friends that she had made at Camp Carnival and enjoyed pool time with them! The kids decided they wanted a snack… and we looked at the menu. They had NACHOS – built high with chicken, guac, sourcream etc. My kids just wanted basic CHIPS and CHEESE. So that is what I asked for. Plain Chips, Cheese and Salsa. And that is what we got – but guess what?? They do not offer that on their menu, so I was charged for the entire DELUXE NACHO dish for $19.00!! Most expensive nachos EVER!! Did I say RIP OFF???? And By the way? Those frozen drinks in the cute little mixer cups I saw a lot of people carrying? $20!! Crazy Stuff!!

I did make a huge mistake in Grand Turk.. And to be honest with you, I have no idea what I was thinking (or not thinking). We put sunscreen on in the morning but I never re-applied – and we all GOT FRIED. Please, everyone. Stop. Think. Sunscreen. Having a sunburn for two days on a cruise is NOT FUN.

 

After a few hours, we decided to head back to the ship. We knew that by 1pm the lines would grow…. And another ship had arrived, making Margaritaville quite crowded. We were able to get back on the ship and rested a bit. I decided then to go to the Gym – it was me, and three Carnival staff members in the gym! Little by little more people came in, and we sailed away as I was on the elliptical. What a view!!!

 

Allison went to Camp Carnival for a scavenger hunt and Steve hung out at the pool. After the gym, I found myself on deck 5 – with my book, relaxing and reading. I love those afternoons out of the sun just reading. I have no idea what Matthew did – he was probably eating Taco’s and playing Guitar Hero in Club O2!

 

Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for dinner. This night, we remember service being very slow. But – we had no plans, no rush, no time table.. we actually enjoyed just sitting there having a nice time. After dinner – we knew we wanted to go to the Best of the Brits Trivia Party at 9PM – so we decided just to hang out in the Lobby, listening to the band play and enjoying the company of other cruisers.

 

The Best of the Brits Trivia party was another blast! Mike Pack is a great entertainer. Full of endless energy and really knows how to get a crowd going!!! The best part was when he even got some of the photo staff involved and some of the older guys to pretend they were a boy band!! It was so fun to see hundreds of people on three decks singing and dancing and laughing with each other. And guess what? Yes, I got every question right AGAIN. Steve had to go up on the stage and lead everyone to singing the final song – Hey Jude! After that contest, I was no longer allowed to “Play” trivia again!!!

 

After the Trivia party, we picked Allison up from Camp Carnival and had an early night. We knew that the next day would be a long day, as we had an excursion planned in LaRomana.

 

COMING UP – SEAVIS TOUR in LaRomana and CRAZY TAXIS!!

[Catrin]

 

One more picture of Grand Turk. Here is the beach at the Cruise Center. We always plan on going here, but we never tend to make it!! Next time.. we need MORE TIME IN GRAND TURK!!! 8-1 just isnt enough time to enjoy the fun atmosphere of Margaritaville and the relaxing beach here.

 

Cannot wait to go back!

 

I will be back later today for another installment!

 

Catrin

[PurdueChefAmber]

Great review!! Thanks for putting in the time! Was the giant towel elephant as dirty as the picture makes him look? haha

[AnsJMc]

Did you book the Flo rider thru carnival or direct thru margaritaville?

[babys mom]

Enjoying your review and pictures . Could you tell me what Dining room you were in? Thank you !!!

[Catrin]

Did you book the Flo rider thru carnival or direct thru margaritaville?

 

Hello,

We booked it directly through Carnival as a Shore Excursion several weeks before our cruise. There are two packages... $29.99 and $39.99. That day, they were available to purchase right at Margaritaville as well, but when we visited two years ago, they were sold out. That is why I wanted to pre-purchase.

 

Catrin

[Catrin]

Enjoying your review and pictures . Could you tell me what Dining room you were in? Thank you !!!

 

Anytime dining was in the Renoir Dining room... which was the mid-ship dining room. We were all on Deck 3, lower level.

 

Catrin

[Catrin]

Great review!! Thanks for putting in the time! Was the giant towel elephant as dirty as the picture makes him look? haha

 

Haha!! It was!! All the photos taken by the Carnival Photographers showed this dingy looking towel animal.

We sure miss Funship Freddy. As creepy as he was, he really represented Carnival!!

 

Catrin

[Catrin]

TUESDAY APRIL 21st – LaRomana, Dominican Republic

We had never been to LaRomana before during our previous 15 cruises. We were looking forward to seeing another country – but we heard and read many warnings about making sure we went on an organized tour, as the port area was nonexistent.

 

After doing a lot of research, and listening to the opinions of many, we finally found SEAVIS Tours online and decided to book an excursion online through them.

 

The morning proved to be very hectic and crazy. We had a hard time waking up, we rushed through breakfast, finally getting off ship for 9am – to hurry to find the assigned taxi stand to find a taxi to Bayahibe Beach – where the Seavis tour was located. Well.. WHAT A CLUSTER!!!!!! The confusion, yelling, craziness at the taxi depot area was crazy. We were so glad we had a “Code” for a pre-arranged price. There were people negotiating all over the place. Once we said we were from Seavis, they partnered us with another family and then a third couple. The nine of us felt safe together as a team – I am not sure I would have wanted to go in a taxi alone!! Taxis were very comfortable white mini vans – and we made our way to the beach in a 30 minute drive. As we left the port, we realized that everything we had read was true. There is NOTHING there. NOTHING. So, if you are going to LaRomana soon, PLAN PLAN PLAN!!!

 

The SEAVIS TOUR - http://www.seavisbayahibe.com/

We went on the Sanoa Island Carnival Special. The cost was $70.00 Per Adult and $45 For Allison. NOT Included was the Taxi Ride ($15 Adult, $8 Child), that we paid to the taxi driver at the end of the round trip. We were able to get a 10% discount code, as others on our Facebook Group booked this trip. Total Cost - $230 plus $53 Taxi - $283 – Plus Tip. A similar Carnival Excursion – That did NOT include lunch – was offered for $115 per adult.

 

Once we arrived at Bayahibe beach, we found the Seavis building and paid our fee. We were then assigned Boat #2, as there were two boats going out that day. We needed to wait around 15 minutes before departing, and at that time we were very aggressively approached by vendors trying to sell his hats, jewelry, mangos, and cigars. VERY Aggressive. Like Jamaica Aggressive. The hardest part is when they approach the kids – it took some pretty heavy instructions to Allison to try to ignore the sellers. A simple NO THANK YOU usually works.

 

The Tour - The tour consisted of a Speedboat tour for about 30 minutes – with scenic stops to see some rock formations and the Mangroves – which are a protected natural habitat in the middle of the sea. Then we stopped at Sanoa Island for a 90 minute beach stop and lunch. Then we went back by Speedboat to the Natural Swimming Pool and met some starfish. Then a FAST FUN Speedboat Ride back to Bayahibe.

 

We met our tour guide Jose – and liked him immediately. Our boat had 19 passengers – the kids and Steve went in the front, and I was happy in back, under the canopy. They suggested that folks who may be prone to motion sickness sit in the back. I had taken a Bonine, but I was happy with my decision to stay in the rear. The boat ride to Sonoa Island was so much fun. We hugged the coastline, seeing hotels, houses, beaches, then slowly to deserted coastline and amazing rock formations. The boat stopped for us to take some amazing pictures along the way. One particular picture spot was this piece of wood with birds. The colors were amazing. The Mangroves were interesting, but we did not see any birds as we had hoped.

[Catrin]

We approached Sonoa Island for our beach stop. When we got there, there was a huge military type boat there, with construction vehicles on the deck. They were using that beach area to store the equipment for some major construction. Because of that boat, most of the beach area on the left was taken. We were shown the restrooms, covered table areas, and bar. At the beach, there was an open bar of Rum and Coke, Sprite and Water. The kids were able to get snorkeling equipment and ventured out into the rocky waters. The beach itself was Not that Good. Too rocky, and real no place to just sit in the water and relax. After an hour or so, lunch was served to the 40 people on our tour. It was an amazing lunch of grilled chicken, pork chops, rice and beans, garlic pasta, salad, bread, fresh Fruit. We all loved this lunch – especially the kids who loved the garlic pasta. It was fun to have lunch and just talk to our new friends.

 

[Catrin]

After the beach, we all loaded back into the Speedboat, for what we felt was the highlight of the trip… a 45 minute stay at the Natural Swimming Pool. This sand bar is in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. The water is only knee-deep. We all got out of the boat – and the driver and Jose gathered several starfish that are populated in this area. He took the time to teach us all about the starfish – how they breathe, eat, and feel. Matthew and Allison loved this part, as it was relaxing and fun. While at the swimming pool, the guides had a Gallon of PUNCH and a Bottle of Rum, and little Dixie cups. Rum Punch for ALL!!!

 

After 45 minutes – FAST AND FUN speedboat ride back to the beach. At the end, the one thing we did not care for, was the pressure to tip. We had planned on tipping anyway, but they actually passed around a baseball hat for you to put your tips into. Once at the beach, about 6 or 7 people once again aggressively approached the group with hats, cigars, towels, mangos, etc. It was much worse than the morning. Right in your face, and when you said no, the results were not as nice. I particular felt for the very young boy who came into our taxi putting mangos on a gentleman’s lap. It is so hard to say no, sometimes. We were given our taxi number as we arrived, and we found our taxi for our trip home. The taxi and driver were different, but the nine people on board were the same.

We made it back to the ship with plenty of time – around 3PM – and the ship sailed away at 3:30.

Overall, I would recommend this excursion. While it was a lot of fun, the beach was rocky and we did not like the tipping pressure. Compared to the cruise excursion prices, this tour was a value. The kids really liked it (although I think Matt liked it the most because he had some rum in his punch!)

COMING UP…. A quiet night on board and Curacao!

[Catrin]

That night, we went to dinner a little later than usual.... I knew we were all exhausted. There is something about being out in the sun all day that certainly can take a toll!!

 

Although that night was the Red Frog Deck Party, that we all wanted to attend... it ended up being a very early night of reading quietly in the cabin and early lights out. It was just a sign of the next day to come......

 

WEDNESDAY APRIL 22nd .. Curacao

 

You know you have one of those days.. when things are just not right??? Well, this was our day. We woke up after our day in LaRamona with a few problems. First, Allison, Matthew and I were significantly sunburn. I know I know I know... I should know better. Secondly, Steve's leg was swollen so much that he was in pain and could hardly walk. To explain, 17 years ago, he had Melanoma (ok, speaking of sunburns).. which traveled to his lymph nodes in his left leg. Those were removed.. and still to this day, the hot humid weather causes his leg to swell. Some cruises have been better than others.. but this day, it was the worst it has been in years.

 

We had no specific plans in Curacao. The 1pm -10pm timeframe enabled us to have a leisurely morning at sea. I went to the gym as usual, first thing.. and then eventually went to breakfast with the family, who slept in. Matt and Allie played Disney Trivia, while Steve and I hung out at the Promenade near the coffee shop - I read my book while Steve just elevated his leg and relaxed. We had lunch before we arrived in Curacao.

 

We were still deciding if we should take a taxi to a beach for a few hours.....but then we all decided that we needed a day away from the sun. As we pulled up to Curacao, however, I was amazed by the beauty of the buildings around the port area. I knew that I wanted to go explore, and then we decided that it would be ok, to go for a short walk to check out the floating bridge and shops. We would have to walk slow.... but it would be good to explore. We left the ship around 2PM. One thing, in Curacao, there is free internet service. Matt happily agreed to go for a walk, because he knew he would have better service outside the ship!!

 

Picture from our cabin window

 

 

It was a hot day, in the 80's, but not unbearably hot. The water provided a cool breeze and it was a bit windy. The walk to town is lovely. A path from the ship, through shops, cafes, benches to sit. There are the normal shops we are used to .. Del Sol, Diamonds International, Columbian Emeralds, etc. Plenty of Freebies and Deals to be had. We approached the floating bridge and walked across to town. The town had tons of souveneir shops, as well as more of the known jewelry stores, clothing, shoes (foot locker), etc. People were friendly and welcoming. It really reminded me of a European town with tiny streets, alleys, dead ends, etc.

 

After walking around, we went back on the floating bridge... which started to move!!! I was amazed that it was making room for a few boats to get through with no warning that it was going to move. Just a few whistles and then it started to move. We were able to get off in time to watch the boats go by. We walked back, stopping at a few craft shops right outside the port.

[Catrin]

While I am glad we did take the time to walk around, I know we really missed out here. We cannot wait to return to further explore this beautiful country.

 

 

The late afternoon and early evening were pretty uneventful. Steve had to relax in the room and elevate his leg.. so it was a good time for down time for all of us.

 

 

We once again had a wonderful dinner.... and then got ready for yet another TRIVIA PARTY at the main lounge. This night it was 70's and Motown!! Although we were in port, the Trivia Party was packed as we heard songs from Motown, BeeGees, 70's Rock, etc. I cannot tell you how much fun these events were. Full of high energy and so much fun from audience participation. Each night the crowds got bigger... as the 8PM show finished.. people arrived... and it usually ended right before the next show started.

 

At 10pm, I went outside on Deck 3 - to take advantage of FREE WIFI - texting my oldest son, who is in college. And as a bonus, we were able to FACETIME as the ship was leaving. Very very cool!

 

Steve's leg was still quite swollen, so it was early to bed for all of us that night, as we knew we wanted to be 100% for our upcoming adventure in Aruba.

 

COMING SOON - ARUBA