We just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Conquest. It was my 5th and my husband's 4 cruise on Carnival- we have done this itinerary 2 other times. We are 36 and 40. We traveled with our 4 year old son, and 7 year old daughter - also with another couple and their kids, my parents, my sister and her husband, and some family friends of my parents - a group of 17 altogether. We have always been happy with Carnival and decided to stick with it.

Embarkation: We arrived around noon, later than I had hoped for, so it already had started getting crowded. We parked the suburban with EZ Cruise - I definitely recommend them. That part went very smoothly. We waited in line for a little over an hour and then headed to the deck to get our lunch! We were on board by 1:30. Lunch in the Cezanne was good. We were starving! I have read numerous things about a place called Sur Mer. We hunted for it, finally found it, and it was closed! So that was a disappointment.

First two days at sea: We enjoyed hanging around on deck. The kids had fun (although they FROZE) in the pool. At one point, I think about 30 kids were crammed in the hot (warm) tub. I am not much of a water person, so I just enjoyed hanging around in the sun! Got sunburned the first day though. Don't let the cool breeze fool you. The sun is still out in full force. Read more