Cruise Ship Reviews : Carnival Cruise Lines Reviews
Elyse1 saw things this way:
Wonderful experience on our family vacation on the Conquest!, January 1, 2016
Reviewer: Elyse1
Pros: Fun cruise director, good food, excellent cabin steward and helpful desk staff!
Cons: VERY loud music on the lido deck on at-sea days...hard to talk to your family.
Date of cruise: December 20, 2015
Departure port: FORT LAUDERDALE
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 7305 & 7309
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
This was an overall fabulous vacation with our two kids ages 13 and 19...we were able to have dinner together every night and attend the shows and impromptu trivia or name that tune events in the lobby. Eric, the cruise director seemed to work 24 hours/day and was always there to make a joke or entertain the crowd. We were late every night to our 6 p.m. dinner seating but our waiter was always willing to make it work for us and bring us whatever we wanted. Guest services and our cabin steward Julio were very helpful, knowing one of our pieces of luggage was lost by the airline (not booked through Carnival) and being flown to our first port stop. Julio made sure to have our laundry done and back to us before dinner. Guest services made sure the Carnival rep was getting our bag and putting it on the ship in Jamaica. As promised, it was delivered to my cabin. The crew kept the ship clean at all times, and were always available to help. The food in the dining room was very good, not always as consistently good as on the lido deck. Line to eat brunch in the dining room on the last day at-sea was 75 people deep, which was disappointing. The comedy shows and playlist shows at night were very entertaining for all ages...it was nice to enjoy it all as a family.
ksharp saw things this way:
Great, July 4, 2014
Reviewer: ksharp
Pros: The food and atmosphere
Cons: Not having "activities" for age groups 18-20
Date of cruise: June 23, 2023
Departure port: Miami. Florida
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 2310 & 2306
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
This was our first cruise, truly enjoyed the whole thing! Only two things we were disappointed in: 1. Our boys are 18 and 20. It would have been nice to have group activities for that age group. 2. Our port in Grand Turk - VERY disappointing, two large ships arrived an hour apart. 10,000 people on a very small island didn't work. There was NO place on the beach to sit, the shopping area was very crowded and people were just very disappointed that they didn't get to enjoy the beach!!! It's still a beautiful place, but we ended up back on the ship early. It was our last port, so we would have liked to enjoy it a lot longer. Overall the trip was AWESOME!!! We are definitely hooked now!!
mbs saw things this way:
The best Carnival ship we've been on! (6 Carnival cruises), July 13, 2013
Reviewer: mbs
Pros: The staff went above and beyond to make my handicapped mother comfortable.
Cons: The shows in the large lounge were not up to par with other cruises I've been on
Date of cruise: June 23, 2013
Departure port: New Orleans
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 6465
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
This was our favorite ship of all the cruises we've been on (6). The ship is well maintained and the staff was extraordinary! We were a party of 13 with one in a wheelchair. She received the VIP treatment! Everyone went out of their way to make sure she was safe and comfortable. Check in and out in New Orleans was a breeze. The food and service in the main dining room was excellent. The entertainers (other than the large productions) were great. The large productions did not impress me at all. Nothing like the Carnival cruise shows I've have seen on previous ships. I was really disappointed in that. Two from our party did the Behind the Fun tour and loved it.
cruiser32566 saw things this way:
No entertainment in main theater!. Lounges lack bands! Poor scheduling., March 1, 2013
Reviewer: cruiser32566
Pros: Theater is beautiful, although underutilized
Cons: Lack of activities, lack of staff involvement in entertainment
Date of cruise: February 17, 2013
Departure port: New Orleans, LA
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 7353
We were terribly disappointed in the poor entertainment in the theater. There were three production shows that were shown at 7 p.m. - not a good time for either early or late seating diners. That would be understandable if the theater was being used for other purposes, but that was not the case. The shows themselves were uninspired and depended on visual gimmicks rather than live talent. And all shows began with audience members being onstage for at least 10-15 minutes with the show then taking about 15-25 minutes. A show called "The Divas" would be expected to showcase Streisand, Cher, Whitney, Lady Gaga, etc. and other recognized talents. That was NOT the case. A show called "The Brits" would be expected to be dominated by The Beatles...also not the case. The only stage prop in all productions was a metal stand for performers to get on and off of. The music was not live, which we have come to expect in our over 40 cruisess The lounges did not have bands performing, karaoke does NOT qualify as standard shipboard entertainment, lack of opportunities for cruisers to dance to musicians. Staff in the dining room and buffet areas were most accomodating; many times there were multiple beverage machines out of service. Food was delicious, menu extensive with many good choices. Room stewards were excellent and cabins very clean. Entire ship well-maintained and attractive. There were so many times with absolutely nothing going on that the program did not fill one column in the daily paper. The entire shipboard experience was one of being shuttled from one port to another with very little happening to enhance your actual voyage. To be specific, we have cruised Carnival many times and are platinum level guests - our last cruise was this past spring on the Legend out of Tampa which was wonderful, so we think the problems we encountered may be on the Conquest, and not representative of the cruise line in total. The boarding and disembarkation in New Orleans was the smoothest we have ever experienced.
galleygirlus saw things this way:
Beautiful ship!, December 14, 2012
Reviewer: galleygirlus
Pros: Easy on and easy off.
Cons: A little slow service in dining room.
Date of cruise: December 2, 2012
Departure port: New Orleans
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8350
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Lovely ship, beautiful decor, our balcony cabin was roomy, too ! Easy to get on and off the ship. Stayed the night before at the Quality Inn across the river in Gretna. They have a great Park & Cruise special. Only complaint is service in dining room is kinda slow. A couple of nights it seemed forever just to get your appettizers. I Will definitely cruise on this ship again.
keb1717 saw things this way:
Good cruise for families or groups; port stays too short; excursions overpriced, January 19, 2011
Reviewer: keb1717
Pros: Aft cabins - peaceful and out of the wind.
Cons: Port stays too short.
Date of cruise: January 2, 2011
Departure port: Galveston
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 7444
Good for children: Yes
This being my first cruise, I didn't know what to expect. I had an aft balcony cabin - highly recommend these. I never found a non-windy spot on the main decks, whereas my cabin balcony was always calm and peaceful. Plus got some amazing pics of sunsets as we sailed east! I ate in the Monet dining room for four nights. It was pleasant and I enjoyed my tablemates. The food was good - not outstanding (except for desserts which were scrumptious). I had one buffet dinner and one buffet breakfast - if a big breakfast is your thing, the buffet is definitely the way to go. The continental breakfast by room service was good - especially the pot of coffee they bring. I'd order extra OJ and store it in the fridge for cocktails in the eveining (yes, I smuggled in some vodka). The last night, I dined in the Point - the steakhouse. For $30 you get a steak, sides, starters and desert plus excellent service. The service was 3.5 to 4 stars, the food was about a 3-star meal. On board I booked a 75 minute massage - excellent, but beware! My masseuse was very good at getting me in a vulnerable post-massage stupor and I walked out of there with products that cost more than the massage! I returned part of them a couple of days later when my sticker shock just wouldn't subside. Port days were too short (except for Freeport - bad weather and had to substitute a less-than-advertised excursion for a snorkel that was canceled). Nassau - should have done an excursion or negotiated with a cab to take a tour away from the market area or done the Atlantis thing. Cabbies know the free beach access points around Atlantis. The beaches are public, but Atlantis will charge an access fee! Freeport - fascinating to watch the cargo ships being loaded. The market area is touristy. Would recommend doing a water excursion there IF the weather is good. Key West - loved. Have been there before and knew where to go to get off the beaten path. Other than a water excursion, I can't fathom paying for any others. Get off the boat and walk - plenty to see and easy to navigate the town. Only complaint was that the stay was too short. Excursions booked through the ship are over-priced, that said, the ship won't leave without you if you should encounter a delay getting back to the boat. If you purchase independently and return late you are SOL. The Ship - the Lido and Promenade were the busy spots. Lots of activity. I sampled the PokerPro table in the Casino - they need to have more of those. Many people wanted to play, but would have to wait quite a while for a seat to come open. I played one tournament (and won - yay!). Someone won over $17,000 at Let It Ride while I was in the casino. I got a little stir crazy toward the end of the week. All, in all, though, it was a nice trip.
dalenstacy saw things this way:
For the price, ability to drive to the port, it was a good cruise., August 28, 2010
Reviewer: dalenstacy
Pros: The service was excellent! Couldn't ask for more. Camp Carnival - GREAT!
Cons: The dancers and their shows were horrible! Getting onboard ridiculous!
Date of cruise: July 11, 2010
Departure port: Galveston
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8434
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Overall, this ship and cruise was good. We would definitely go again if interested in a cruise out of Galveston. he service was excellent, the ship has been well maintained, most of the entertainment was good, not great, but good. The worst part was the poor dancers and the "Broadway" style shows they put on, yuk! We have been spoiled by the likes of "So You Think You Can Dance" and "American Idol." Then, to go watch these "professionals", wow, they were really bad. In addition, it took way to long to get on this ship. I've been on eight cruises now and have never experienced anything like this as far as trying to board the ship. There were five of us traveling together and my mother requires a scooter. Rather than letting us all get on together, they informed us they could only take her plus 2 others with her?! So, we had to split up, which again in my opinion is a big "no-no" that you just don't do. You don't ask families to split up especially because we were trying to help my father carry all of her medical equipment. As my husband and I have two children, neither of us could go and leave the two kids with the other one. It was extremely unfair for them to put this burden on my dad and in my mind not at all the service they are wanting to promote. They really must figure out a way to make the embarkation process go faster, it was ridiculous to have to wait that long in the Texas heat to get onboard. We got there as soon as we were told we could board and it still tooks us over three hours to get on?! Another excellent feature of the ship is the Camp Carnival for kids. If you have kids, you can't beat what Camp Carnival offers them. Carnival is really the way to go if you have children and my kids enjoyed the cruise so much more because of this wonderful, top notch service. My few complaints about the ship above are picky and not enough that should deter anyone from going on this ship, just wanted you to know what to expect! Overall, it was still a great experience and we would go again if the ship was cruising to destinations we wanted to see.
cdhoehne saw things this way:
Fantastic service from all crew members, August 27, 2010
Reviewer: cdhoehne
Pros: Food and entertainment!
Cons: Crowded lines for buffet on Lido deck
Date of cruise: August 15, 2010
Departure port: Galveston
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 7446
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Overall - great trip! Ship was wonderful! Enjoyed Cozumel and Cayman Islands. I would not recommend Jamaica. Not a good port, and Carnival should remove it from their roster. Dangerous area, and you felt threatened while there. We were actually told to get out of the cab (in a very rough part of town) if we wouldn't pay extra for the cab ride - and the price of the cab was discussed prior to leaving. Basically, it cost us $20 to go 3 miles.
Keenantrish saw things this way:
We were first-time cruisers and throughly enjoyed our experience., July 30, 2010
Reviewer: Keenantrish
Pros: Our cabin steward and waiter were excellent.
Cons: No management of the way we embarked at the ports.
Date of cruise: July 28, 2010
Departure port: Galveston
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 1306
Good for children: Yes
The Conquest was a great ship - good food, good entertainment, and lots to do. The best part was the crew. Our cabin steward - Arisa - was the best. She knew all of our names the first day and was especially attentive to our needs. She never failed to greet us whenever she saw us, which was often. Our waiter in the Monet was Jose, again attentive and anticipated our needs before we asked. He knew our names immediately and by day 2 knew what we all liked. Our glasses were filled before we asked and all our needs were met. We were in a "quad" cabin, which was a bit tight, but you get what you pay for. Most of the time we were out and about so the cabin size didn't matter. The cruise director, Chris, kept the entertainment rolling. He also kept everyone informed. We visited the Fitness Center nearly everyday. It had the expected equipment and faced the fore part of the ship so that you could run or walk on the treadmill and watch the ship sail through the ocean. It was, however, crowded in the morning, expect to wait for the more popular machines. One big negative was the lack of management when we were in port. Literally hundreds of people crowded into the lower decks to embark. The elevators would open and entire groups of people would push their way off the elevator into a heavily congested area. We stood literally shoulder to shoulder for over half an hour. There was very little sense of order, and it easily could have become a major safely issue. Not a single Carnival crew member was in sight anywhere. This problem could have been easily solved by simply blocking the elevators from descending to Deck One and posting 3-4 crewmembers to manage the crowd.
aduran saw things this way:
We were pleased with our level of service., July 19, 2010
Reviewer: aduran
Pros: The staff, especially the dining room staff, was excellent.
Cons: The entertainment was lacking across the board.
Date of cruise: July 4, 2010
Departure port: Galveston
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Suite
Cabin number: 7267
My mother, myself, and my sister all traveled on the Carnival Conquest for the first time. While I have cruised before on another cruise line, my mother and sister were experiencing their first cruise. We all found it exciting and were overall pleased with our experience on board the ship. We spent a good majority of our time at the casino on board and even though we are not big spenders we had a good time. I only found it frustrating that the slots did not pay out at the machine and we had to use our card to receive credits. This made it somewhat difficult to control our spending. Since we were not big spenders and mostly spent out time there entertaining ourselves without hopes of winning big, the lack of control of our money was a little frustrating. We were pleased with our dining room staff, especially our headwaiter Katuit. He was the highlight of the dining room staff show and by the end of the week, the whole dining room was watching him. We were seated in the Renoir dining room for the late seating. We had a blast at dinner every night and never missed a meal there. We did notice, however, that many other tables around us were empty. I have to wonder if that is due to the other waitstaff or not. The food was good but not really five-star. We all really enjoyed lobster night, although be prepared that lobster night was on the same night as an elegant night. Liquid butter and nice clothes don't mix well. I have to say though that the lobster was the best meal. I was disappointed in the desserts, although my mother and sister would disagree with me. The food quality was about what you would get in a hotel restaurant but not quite up to what I would consider a fine dining experience. On the plus side, the staff ha no problem changing out a meal or bringing a second serving. I have, however, experienced on other cruise lines more attention to details. feel that it is part of the job of the service staff to take note of guests preferences and by night two or three of the cruise your dining room experience should be that of a regular in the your favorite restaurant at home. In my favorite restaurant at home, when I walk in the service staff already knows my name, what I want to drink, and many of my other preferences. I don't feel I quite got that level of service on my stay on the Conquest, however, the personality of our headwaiter more than made up for it. Overall, we were most displeased with the entertainment such as the Vegas-type shows. We found them to just be mediocre with the exception of the magic/illusion show midweek. In my opinion, the shows just did not measure up with competing cruise lines. I would also mention here that the cabins lack the soundproofing that other cruise ships have built in. We paid extra for a suite and bought this through a travel agent who sold me room 7267 saying it was the best suite available of the ones left at my time of booking. After our experience, I would have to disagree with the Carnival's classification of this being the best room. If it is ease of access to the elevators you want, then this is the room for you...if it is quiet you want, then choose another room. While it is true that the room was right at the forward elevators, this also meant that it was in very close proximity to the stairwell. This meant that we heard all the noise of those coming and going on the stairwell at all hours of the night. I had to pull out my teacher voice one night at 1:30am with a group of teens who had decided to congregate there. If you want quiet don't choose this room. Also, my mother really enjoyed the extended balcony, however, with smokers on both sides of us our use of our balcony was limited. I don't know if Carnival had expressed rules about smoking on the balconies but it is my suggestion that Carnival place smokers away from non-smokers so that we may all enjoy our experience. Overall, my mother and sister both had a blast on the ship and thoroughly enjoyed their virgin cruise. I was a little more skeptical as I was comparing with my previous experience. I will definitely sail Carnival again, however, if you want a more high class experience I would choose another cruise line. Carnival advertises themselves as the "Fun" cruise. With that expectation in mind, you will get just what you are expecting, a fun laid back cruise at a lower than average price. It is true that you get what you pay for.
jpartida saw things this way:
This is an impressive ship. The bar service was excellent., June 4, 2010
Reviewer: jpartida
Pros: Bar service, restaurant food, amenities, plenty to do.
Cons: Steward service and restaurant service so-so. Lido restaurant somewhat unclean.
Date of cruise: May 23, 2023
Departure port: Galveston, Texas
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Outside
Cabin number: 2483
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
I have enjoyed two cruises on this ship. Overall, the food is excellent, and the staterooms are comfortable. There is plenty to do on this ship. It can get a little noisy (this is considered a party ship, after all), but my wife and I had no trouble finding quiet places to hang out. Bar service was excellent. The restaurant service was not impressive. The waiter was very friendly, but he knew very little about the food and we had to wait a long time for the food to arrive (not unusual for a cruise). As a positive note, however, the food was excellent -- some of the best meals I have ever experienced! The Lido Deck restaurant was also not bad. Some of the plates used for the buffet were not clean, and there was an incident when a server coughed on some of the food. One could consider that a common hazard with buffets, but I personally expect better from Carnival. Service from our stateroom steward was also so-so. He was friendly with us, but we often heard him speak very loudly to his assistant when we were inside our stateroom. Not good when you want to take a nap! The stateroom was roomy, however, and very comfortable. (We had a window view stateroom at the very back of the ship.)
Carnival Conquest reviews
Average customer rating:
4.18 / 5
4.18 / 5Average Rating based on 11 Reviews:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
4.18
4.09
3.27
4.29
4.18
4.55
4.67
4.00
4.64
4.09
3.27
4.29
4.18
4.55
4.67
4.00
4.64
Elyse1 saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
5
4
5
4
4
5
5
4
5
4
4
5
5
Wonderful experience on our family vacation on the Conquest!, January 1, 2016
Reviewer: Elyse1
Pros: Fun cruise director, good food, excellent cabin steward and helpful desk staff!
Cons: VERY loud music on the lido deck on at-sea days...hard to talk to your family.
Date of cruise: December 20, 2015
Departure port: FORT LAUDERDALE
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 7305 & 7309
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
This was an overall fabulous vacation with our two kids ages 13 and 19...we were able to have dinner together every night and attend the shows and impromptu trivia or name that tune events in the lobby. Eric, the cruise director seemed to work 24 hours/day and was always there to make a joke or entertain the crowd. We were late every night to our 6 p.m. dinner seating but our waiter was always willing to make it work for us and bring us whatever we wanted. Guest services and our cabin steward Julio were very helpful, knowing one of our pieces of luggage was lost by the airline (not booked through Carnival) and being flown to our first port stop. Julio made sure to have our laundry done and back to us before dinner. Guest services made sure the Carnival rep was getting our bag and putting it on the ship in Jamaica. As promised, it was delivered to my cabin. The crew kept the ship clean at all times, and were always available to help. The food in the dining room was very good, not always as consistently good as on the lido deck. Line to eat brunch in the dining room on the last day at-sea was 75 people deep, which was disappointing. The comedy shows and playlist shows at night were very entertaining for all ages...it was nice to enjoy it all as a family.
ksharp saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Staff and Service
4
4
4
2
5
5
4
5
4
4
2
5
5
4
5
Great, July 4, 2014
Reviewer: ksharp
Pros: The food and atmosphere
Cons: Not having "activities" for age groups 18-20
Date of cruise: June 23, 2023
Departure port: Miami. Florida
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 2310 & 2306
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
This was our first cruise, truly enjoyed the whole thing! Only two things we were disappointed in: 1. Our boys are 18 and 20. It would have been nice to have group activities for that age group. 2. Our port in Grand Turk - VERY disappointing, two large ships arrived an hour apart. 10,000 people on a very small island didn't work. There was NO place on the beach to sit, the shopping area was very crowded and people were just very disappointed that they didn't get to enjoy the beach!!! It's still a beautiful place, but we ended up back on the ship early. It was our last port, so we would have liked to enjoy it a lot longer. Overall the trip was AWESOME!!! We are definitely hooked now!!
mbs saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
4
4
2
5
5
5
4
2
5
5
5
The best Carnival ship we've been on! (6 Carnival cruises), July 13, 2013
Reviewer: mbs
Pros: The staff went above and beyond to make my handicapped mother comfortable.
Cons: The shows in the large lounge were not up to par with other cruises I've been on
Date of cruise: June 23, 2013
Departure port: New Orleans
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 6465
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
This was our favorite ship of all the cruises we've been on (6). The ship is well maintained and the staff was extraordinary! We were a party of 13 with one in a wheelchair. She received the VIP treatment! Everyone went out of their way to make sure she was safe and comfortable. Check in and out in New Orleans was a breeze. The food and service in the main dining room was excellent. The entertainers (other than the large productions) were great. The large productions did not impress me at all. Nothing like the Carnival cruise shows I've have seen on previous ships. I was really disappointed in that. Two from our party did the Behind the Fun tour and loved it.
cruiser32566 saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
4
5
1
5
4
5
5
5
1
5
4
5
5
No entertainment in main theater!. Lounges lack bands! Poor scheduling., March 1, 2013
Reviewer: cruiser32566
Pros: Theater is beautiful, although underutilized
Cons: Lack of activities, lack of staff involvement in entertainment
Date of cruise: February 17, 2013
Departure port: New Orleans, LA
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 7353
We were terribly disappointed in the poor entertainment in the theater. There were three production shows that were shown at 7 p.m. - not a good time for either early or late seating diners. That would be understandable if the theater was being used for other purposes, but that was not the case. The shows themselves were uninspired and depended on visual gimmicks rather than live talent. And all shows began with audience members being onstage for at least 10-15 minutes with the show then taking about 15-25 minutes. A show called "The Divas" would be expected to showcase Streisand, Cher, Whitney, Lady Gaga, etc. and other recognized talents. That was NOT the case. A show called "The Brits" would be expected to be dominated by The Beatles...also not the case. The only stage prop in all productions was a metal stand for performers to get on and off of. The music was not live, which we have come to expect in our over 40 cruisess The lounges did not have bands performing, karaoke does NOT qualify as standard shipboard entertainment, lack of opportunities for cruisers to dance to musicians. Staff in the dining room and buffet areas were most accomodating; many times there were multiple beverage machines out of service. Food was delicious, menu extensive with many good choices. Room stewards were excellent and cabins very clean. Entire ship well-maintained and attractive. There were so many times with absolutely nothing going on that the program did not fill one column in the daily paper. The entire shipboard experience was one of being shuttled from one port to another with very little happening to enhance your actual voyage. To be specific, we have cruised Carnival many times and are platinum level guests - our last cruise was this past spring on the Legend out of Tampa which was wonderful, so we think the problems we encountered may be on the Conquest, and not representative of the cruise line in total. The boarding and disembarkation in New Orleans was the smoothest we have ever experienced.
galleygirlus saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
4
4
4
4
4
3
4
4
4
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3
Beautiful ship!, December 14, 2012
Reviewer: galleygirlus
Pros: Easy on and easy off.
Cons: A little slow service in dining room.
Date of cruise: December 2, 2012
Departure port: New Orleans
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8350
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Lovely ship, beautiful decor, our balcony cabin was roomy, too ! Easy to get on and off the ship. Stayed the night before at the Quality Inn across the river in Gretna. They have a great Park & Cruise special. Only complaint is service in dining room is kinda slow. A couple of nights it seemed forever just to get your appettizers. I Will definitely cruise on this ship again.
keb1717 saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
3
3
3
4
2
4
5
4
4
3
3
4
2
4
5
4
4
Good cruise for families or groups; port stays too short; excursions overpriced, January 19, 2011
Reviewer: keb1717
Pros: Aft cabins - peaceful and out of the wind.
Cons: Port stays too short.
Date of cruise: January 2, 2011
Departure port: Galveston
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 7444
Good for children: Yes
This being my first cruise, I didn't know what to expect. I had an aft balcony cabin - highly recommend these. I never found a non-windy spot on the main decks, whereas my cabin balcony was always calm and peaceful. Plus got some amazing pics of sunsets as we sailed east! I ate in the Monet dining room for four nights. It was pleasant and I enjoyed my tablemates. The food was good - not outstanding (except for desserts which were scrumptious). I had one buffet dinner and one buffet breakfast - if a big breakfast is your thing, the buffet is definitely the way to go. The continental breakfast by room service was good - especially the pot of coffee they bring. I'd order extra OJ and store it in the fridge for cocktails in the eveining (yes, I smuggled in some vodka). The last night, I dined in the Point - the steakhouse. For $30 you get a steak, sides, starters and desert plus excellent service. The service was 3.5 to 4 stars, the food was about a 3-star meal. On board I booked a 75 minute massage - excellent, but beware! My masseuse was very good at getting me in a vulnerable post-massage stupor and I walked out of there with products that cost more than the massage! I returned part of them a couple of days later when my sticker shock just wouldn't subside. Port days were too short (except for Freeport - bad weather and had to substitute a less-than-advertised excursion for a snorkel that was canceled). Nassau - should have done an excursion or negotiated with a cab to take a tour away from the market area or done the Atlantis thing. Cabbies know the free beach access points around Atlantis. The beaches are public, but Atlantis will charge an access fee! Freeport - fascinating to watch the cargo ships being loaded. The market area is touristy. Would recommend doing a water excursion there IF the weather is good. Key West - loved. Have been there before and knew where to go to get off the beaten path. Other than a water excursion, I can't fathom paying for any others. Get off the boat and walk - plenty to see and easy to navigate the town. Only complaint was that the stay was too short. Excursions booked through the ship are over-priced, that said, the ship won't leave without you if you should encounter a delay getting back to the boat. If you purchase independently and return late you are SOL. The Ship - the Lido and Promenade were the busy spots. Lots of activity. I sampled the PokerPro table in the Casino - they need to have more of those. Many people wanted to play, but would have to wait quite a while for a seat to come open. I played one tournament (and won - yay!). Someone won over $17,000 at Let It Ride while I was in the casino. I got a little stir crazy toward the end of the week. All, in all, though, it was a nice trip.
dalenstacy saw things this way:
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Cabin Design
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For the price, ability to drive to the port, it was a good cruise., August 28, 2010
Reviewer: dalenstacy
Pros: The service was excellent! Couldn't ask for more. Camp Carnival - GREAT!
Cons: The dancers and their shows were horrible! Getting onboard ridiculous!
Date of cruise: July 11, 2010
Departure port: Galveston
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8434
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Overall, this ship and cruise was good. We would definitely go again if interested in a cruise out of Galveston. he service was excellent, the ship has been well maintained, most of the entertainment was good, not great, but good. The worst part was the poor dancers and the "Broadway" style shows they put on, yuk! We have been spoiled by the likes of "So You Think You Can Dance" and "American Idol." Then, to go watch these "professionals", wow, they were really bad. In addition, it took way to long to get on this ship. I've been on eight cruises now and have never experienced anything like this as far as trying to board the ship. There were five of us traveling together and my mother requires a scooter. Rather than letting us all get on together, they informed us they could only take her plus 2 others with her?! So, we had to split up, which again in my opinion is a big "no-no" that you just don't do. You don't ask families to split up especially because we were trying to help my father carry all of her medical equipment. As my husband and I have two children, neither of us could go and leave the two kids with the other one. It was extremely unfair for them to put this burden on my dad and in my mind not at all the service they are wanting to promote. They really must figure out a way to make the embarkation process go faster, it was ridiculous to have to wait that long in the Texas heat to get onboard. We got there as soon as we were told we could board and it still tooks us over three hours to get on?! Another excellent feature of the ship is the Camp Carnival for kids. If you have kids, you can't beat what Camp Carnival offers them. Carnival is really the way to go if you have children and my kids enjoyed the cruise so much more because of this wonderful, top notch service. My few complaints about the ship above are picky and not enough that should deter anyone from going on this ship, just wanted you to know what to expect! Overall, it was still a great experience and we would go again if the ship was cruising to destinations we wanted to see.
cdhoehne saw things this way:
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Fantastic service from all crew members, August 27, 2010
Reviewer: cdhoehne
Pros: Food and entertainment!
Cons: Crowded lines for buffet on Lido deck
Date of cruise: August 15, 2010
Departure port: Galveston
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 7446
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Overall - great trip! Ship was wonderful! Enjoyed Cozumel and Cayman Islands. I would not recommend Jamaica. Not a good port, and Carnival should remove it from their roster. Dangerous area, and you felt threatened while there. We were actually told to get out of the cab (in a very rough part of town) if we wouldn't pay extra for the cab ride - and the price of the cab was discussed prior to leaving. Basically, it cost us $20 to go 3 miles.
Keenantrish saw things this way:
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We were first-time cruisers and throughly enjoyed our experience., July 30, 2010
Reviewer: Keenantrish
Pros: Our cabin steward and waiter were excellent.
Cons: No management of the way we embarked at the ports.
Date of cruise: July 28, 2010
Departure port: Galveston
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 1306
Good for children: Yes
The Conquest was a great ship - good food, good entertainment, and lots to do. The best part was the crew. Our cabin steward - Arisa - was the best. She knew all of our names the first day and was especially attentive to our needs. She never failed to greet us whenever she saw us, which was often. Our waiter in the Monet was Jose, again attentive and anticipated our needs before we asked. He knew our names immediately and by day 2 knew what we all liked. Our glasses were filled before we asked and all our needs were met. We were in a "quad" cabin, which was a bit tight, but you get what you pay for. Most of the time we were out and about so the cabin size didn't matter. The cruise director, Chris, kept the entertainment rolling. He also kept everyone informed. We visited the Fitness Center nearly everyday. It had the expected equipment and faced the fore part of the ship so that you could run or walk on the treadmill and watch the ship sail through the ocean. It was, however, crowded in the morning, expect to wait for the more popular machines. One big negative was the lack of management when we were in port. Literally hundreds of people crowded into the lower decks to embark. The elevators would open and entire groups of people would push their way off the elevator into a heavily congested area. We stood literally shoulder to shoulder for over half an hour. There was very little sense of order, and it easily could have become a major safely issue. Not a single Carnival crew member was in sight anywhere. This problem could have been easily solved by simply blocking the elevators from descending to Deck One and posting 3-4 crewmembers to manage the crowd.
aduran saw things this way:
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Cabin Design
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We were pleased with our level of service., July 19, 2010
Reviewer: aduran
Pros: The staff, especially the dining room staff, was excellent.
Cons: The entertainment was lacking across the board.
Date of cruise: July 4, 2010
Departure port: Galveston
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Suite
Cabin number: 7267
My mother, myself, and my sister all traveled on the Carnival Conquest for the first time. While I have cruised before on another cruise line, my mother and sister were experiencing their first cruise. We all found it exciting and were overall pleased with our experience on board the ship. We spent a good majority of our time at the casino on board and even though we are not big spenders we had a good time. I only found it frustrating that the slots did not pay out at the machine and we had to use our card to receive credits. This made it somewhat difficult to control our spending. Since we were not big spenders and mostly spent out time there entertaining ourselves without hopes of winning big, the lack of control of our money was a little frustrating. We were pleased with our dining room staff, especially our headwaiter Katuit. He was the highlight of the dining room staff show and by the end of the week, the whole dining room was watching him. We were seated in the Renoir dining room for the late seating. We had a blast at dinner every night and never missed a meal there. We did notice, however, that many other tables around us were empty. I have to wonder if that is due to the other waitstaff or not. The food was good but not really five-star. We all really enjoyed lobster night, although be prepared that lobster night was on the same night as an elegant night. Liquid butter and nice clothes don't mix well. I have to say though that the lobster was the best meal. I was disappointed in the desserts, although my mother and sister would disagree with me. The food quality was about what you would get in a hotel restaurant but not quite up to what I would consider a fine dining experience. On the plus side, the staff ha no problem changing out a meal or bringing a second serving. I have, however, experienced on other cruise lines more attention to details. feel that it is part of the job of the service staff to take note of guests preferences and by night two or three of the cruise your dining room experience should be that of a regular in the your favorite restaurant at home. In my favorite restaurant at home, when I walk in the service staff already knows my name, what I want to drink, and many of my other preferences. I don't feel I quite got that level of service on my stay on the Conquest, however, the personality of our headwaiter more than made up for it. Overall, we were most displeased with the entertainment such as the Vegas-type shows. We found them to just be mediocre with the exception of the magic/illusion show midweek. In my opinion, the shows just did not measure up with competing cruise lines. I would also mention here that the cabins lack the soundproofing that other cruise ships have built in. We paid extra for a suite and bought this through a travel agent who sold me room 7267 saying it was the best suite available of the ones left at my time of booking. After our experience, I would have to disagree with the Carnival's classification of this being the best room. If it is ease of access to the elevators you want, then this is the room for you...if it is quiet you want, then choose another room. While it is true that the room was right at the forward elevators, this also meant that it was in very close proximity to the stairwell. This meant that we heard all the noise of those coming and going on the stairwell at all hours of the night. I had to pull out my teacher voice one night at 1:30am with a group of teens who had decided to congregate there. If you want quiet don't choose this room. Also, my mother really enjoyed the extended balcony, however, with smokers on both sides of us our use of our balcony was limited. I don't know if Carnival had expressed rules about smoking on the balconies but it is my suggestion that Carnival place smokers away from non-smokers so that we may all enjoy our experience. Overall, my mother and sister both had a blast on the ship and thoroughly enjoyed their virgin cruise. I was a little more skeptical as I was comparing with my previous experience. I will definitely sail Carnival again, however, if you want a more high class experience I would choose another cruise line. Carnival advertises themselves as the "Fun" cruise. With that expectation in mind, you will get just what you are expecting, a fun laid back cruise at a lower than average price. It is true that you get what you pay for.
jpartida saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
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Cabin Design
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This is an impressive ship. The bar service was excellent., June 4, 2010
Reviewer: jpartida
Pros: Bar service, restaurant food, amenities, plenty to do.
Cons: Steward service and restaurant service so-so. Lido restaurant somewhat unclean.
Date of cruise: May 23, 2023
Departure port: Galveston, Texas
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Outside
Cabin number: 2483
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
I have enjoyed two cruises on this ship. Overall, the food is excellent, and the staterooms are comfortable. There is plenty to do on this ship. It can get a little noisy (this is considered a party ship, after all), but my wife and I had no trouble finding quiet places to hang out. Bar service was excellent. The restaurant service was not impressive. The waiter was very friendly, but he knew very little about the food and we had to wait a long time for the food to arrive (not unusual for a cruise). As a positive note, however, the food was excellent -- some of the best meals I have ever experienced! The Lido Deck restaurant was also not bad. Some of the plates used for the buffet were not clean, and there was an incident when a server coughed on some of the food. One could consider that a common hazard with buffets, but I personally expect better from Carnival. Service from our stateroom steward was also so-so. He was friendly with us, but we often heard him speak very loudly to his assistant when we were inside our stateroom. Not good when you want to take a nap! The stateroom was roomy, however, and very comfortable. (We had a window view stateroom at the very back of the ship.)
