We went on this cruise with another couple. We enjoy cruising and we wanted to see Aruba and Curaçao. We were impressed with the efficiency of embarking, but the disembarking was very chaotic. The food was very good in the dining room and on the lido deck. (except the desserts were much better in the dining room than the lido deck) All of the staff were very friendly, and were always working very hard. We had a port side balcony stateroom which was very nice, with lots of storage for our belongings. The bed was very comfortable for me, but a little too soft for my husband. The shows were great, and the music all over the ship was very good. The cruise director, Matt, was very energetic and a lot of fun. There were a few things I think Carnival could improve. There is not a lot of shaded areas for relaxing on a chase lounge. I have to protect my skin, and it was hard to find chase lounges in the shade. I usually sat in a chair to stay out of the sun. Lots of people saved seats, and never used them. One day I saw a worker putting stickers on unattended chairs, but passengers pulled off the stickers. I am not sure they can enforce people to share the chairs. We were excited to get 2 $10 free cards to use in the casino, but the days they were valid for were days we were in different ports. Our last 2 sea days it would have been nice to use those in the casino. Carnival should give passengers the whole week to use them. We had breakfast in the dining room several times, and noticed they had a “quick” 25 minutes in and out on the last day. We wanted a good breakfast on our last day,but we were in a hurry to get off at 7:30. We made a mistake going to the dining room, because we were there from 6:30-7:10 and our food had not been served. We had to leave and run up to the lido deck to grab juice and a pastry so that we could get down to level 3 by 7:30. We had kept our bags to self assist, so that we could get to the airport for our early flight. (11:50 am) There were so many people waiting in the elevator area on 3, that we couldn’t even get off the elevator. All 6 elevators were stopped on 3 trying to get off to go to the auditorium. After holding up all the elevators for 15 minutes, we finally were able to get off the ship and go through the very long line to go through customs. This was the worse disembarking we have ever seen. (This was our 10th cruise, 2nd on Carnival.) There were a few problems, but we still had a fun 8 days at sea. Read Less

Staff and service: The true highlight of our experience. Chloe the Cruise Director, our room steward Erwin and everyone else we encountered was positively lovely and wonderful. Cabin (balcony spa deck 1108): see below Dining: We had the flexible "your time" dining but was only able to enjoy the main dining room two nights because the wait on the other nights were SO long - anywhere from 30-60 minutes, which wasn't worth the wait. We ate at the buffet most often and the food was plentiful but simply not satisfying. Also sometimes long lines at the buffet when they'd only have one side open. Blue Iguana and Guys were the best options. Entertainment: We went to the 80s and Hollywood theatre shows and really enjoyed them, as well as one comedy show (with the male comedian) which was hilarious. Shows are short, only 30 mins, so we wish they'd been longer. Also went to the Q&A with Chloe which was fun. Overall Experience: Just felt like we were in a constant "herd" - waiting in lines to embard/debark, waiting for the tender boats, waiting for the buffet, waiting for the main dining room (I did try to book FTTF but it was unfortunately sold out), no availability of lounge chairs, etc. I don't remember it to be this way from past cruises I've taken, though admittedly this was my first time cruising with kids so I'm sure that added to the frustration. The entire week was absolutely a practice in patience which didn't feel relaxing or like a vacation. Enrichment Activities: I'm not sure what they mean by this, but there were people everywhere trying to sell you stuff, felt really weird. They weren't overly aggressive, but it still felt like we were dodging "special offers" on every deck. Fitness & Recreation: Unfortunately did not end up using even though we specifically booked a spa deck room for close access to the gym (alas, kids....) Shore Excursions: We booked our own and not through the cruise to avoid the crowds which we were SUPER happy we did -- the cruise excursions looked packed and like more waiting around. Kids Club: My almost 6 year old son LOVED it, but my 3 year old daughter unfortunately did not, so we still had a pint-sized sidekick with us for all but one evening. She loved the shows too though =) We really wanted to love this cruise but unfortunately would not do it again in hindsight. Read Less

To be honest, I had a preconceived notion about cruising that I wasn't going to like it. I was talked into it and agreed to go. Boy was I surprised! I absolutely loved cruising and I loved the Conquest. I didn't have anything else to compare it to but I loved it! The ship was nice, the crew was fantastic, the ports were a lot of fun. We didn't do any excursions, just explored the areas on our own and we had a blast. The food in the main dining room was mediocre at best but the rest of the food on the ship was really good. There was plenty to do on the ship. If you wanted an activity, you could find it. If you didn't want an activity, you could find that too. I liked to find the adult sections of the ship and just chill in the sun with a few drinks. I would make a few changes to the Cheers package but that's a Carnival issue, not a Conquest issue. It was work to get a nice buzz on! Anyway, I have already booked my next cruise and am thinking about a third! Read Less

Well we had yet another great Carnival Cruise. This was our 7th voyage. We always have family members with us. This year we had only 8 stretched out over 4 rooms. We have next years already booked and looking like there will be 13 traveling with us. This was our first time on Conquest. We all were very happy with our choice. The ship was in very good shape, the crew were excellent to us. After talking to all of our group there were no complaints. It's hard to really complain when your floating around in the Caribbean in 80 degree weather in March, when at home here in Maine it was 10 degrees and snowing. We were on the Lido deck with our balcony room, we absolutely love being on that deck because its close to all the action yet its quiet when we go to our rooms and rest. The only issue that 3 of our rooms had was at night, the deck crew were moving the lounge chairs above us. They would occasionally drag them. Only reason I bring that up is in case someone is wondering about being on that part of the ship. It really wasn't a big deal. Our MDR experience was very good. We had a great wait staff. The 8 of us sat there every night and Marcos kept everything coming to us and was smiling as he did. Those people really do a lot to keep everyone happy. They have so many to wait on in a short amount of time. I have read many reviews over the years, I know that we are lucky to have had 7 very good cruises. Of course some things happen that are not expected. My only advice to those that looking to go on a cruise either for their very first time or if they are a seasoned cruiser, Just go with the flow. Be happy that you are able to go on a wonderful vacation. Sometimes the weather isn't perfect, or the ship needs a little attention. Or even crew member didn't act like your his or her long lost cousin. As long as overall you had a great time on a very comfortable ship in areas of the world that are considered paradise, not everything has to be exactly as you planned. I know not all vacations are exactly as you had envisioned them, but its how you react to that is what makes the difference of a great vacation versus a poor vacation. Read Less

Highly recommend Carnival Conquest. The staff are so friendly and try so hard to please you! The comedians and shows were very enjoyable, the food was very good and there was plenty of variety. The one disappointing addition on this ship was the additional charges for some of the food stations on the lido deck. I get the extra charges for the speciality restaurants and for the speciality coffee station but now they removed 2 stations of food on the lido deck and added a sushi station for money and a seafood shack again for money. I thought that was very ugly and disappointing. They still offer a deli station, although the lines are very long and slow but the food is good. They have a taco and burrito bar, which is very good but closes way too early everyday, would be nice if this could also stay open throughout the afternoons for everyone to enjoy. At port days when you get back on the ship, there are limited choices available, pizza, burger and deli. It would be nice to have the burrito/taco bar open as well. All in all, this was a wonderful cruise. Our room stewards were so quick and efficient. Our dining staff were also friendly, quick and efficient and we got out with plenty of time to catch the shows or the comedians. We really enjoyed the comedians and the entertainers were excellent. The big productions were great! Deck chairs on sea days were hard to come by, but that is on every ship. I know they say you cannot reserve chairs but they do not enforce it. They showed movies at night on the big outdoor television, 2 movies a night but good luck finding a deck chair! So many had towels on them and no one ever showed. It would have been nice if the staff honored the rule that after 20 mins the chair would be vacated. I even asked a staff on deck about all the reserved, empty chairs and they just shrugged their shoulders. Many people standing around watching a movie, frustrating for all! Read Less

I'll give Conquest 4 out 5 stars, ship is showing its age. Best embarkation in any Carnival ship ever. Dining room, Lido deck and overall staff very friendly, except for our cabin guy who was or looked unhappy most of the time. Did his job but was not "happy". Ship is showing its age, needs a little bit of TLC. Food was good but not as good as the other Carnival ships we have been on. Music and entertainment was pretty good, the comedian were all really good, we enjoyed them a lot. Getting off the ship was average, a bit slow, but the lines kept moving at a very good pace. Overall, Conquest gets 4 out of 5 stars from me, my wife on the other hand will go for a 4.5 stars, she was quite happy with it. Will we go back on Conquest, maybe not, but yes to any other Carnival ship. Read Less

Having been on one Carnival cruise 6 years ago we vowed we would never do it again as we were very disappointed after a terrific experience on Royal Caribbean. Our daughter was doing this one and we decided to give them one more chance as we wanted to surprise her for her birthday and just show up. It was a great surprise but again we were greatly disappointed with the food, service, quality of the ship and sad to say even the coffee bar left a lot to be desired. We sailed on the Carnival Conquest and it was not a good experience. We walked into our room and there was enough dust on the dresser ledge that there were little piles of dust as ran a finger along it. The walking track had small chips out of it and was laid on top of the regular decking causing a ledge for people to trip over if they caught it just right or turn an ankle on again if caught just right. There were no instructions or lane markers designating running or walking areas and the runners were dodging in and out of the walkers. The food with the exception of Guy's Burger Joint was mediocre and not what I would call plentiful. At the breakfast buffet you had to wait for someone to serve you bacon as they kept it in the back of the buffet and it was so hot under there that you did not want to put your hands under the lights. The deck chairs were shabby and in need of replacement. There were not enough bar tenders around the bars and therefore the lines were long. The entertainment was ok. We had massages done in the spa and they pushed products on you that you really did not necessarily need or want without telling you the price until the bill was brought to you for your signature. Having been to all but one of the ports in the past we did not do many excursions but several of the ones they offered we had done before and they were great. We had purchased the Cheers package and when we were departing the ship for an island they had bottled water and when I asked for one to take off the ship with me they wanted to charge me for it. Another hidden charge, we got smart after that and made sure we got them from the bar the night before from then on. The cabin steward only came in your room once a day unless you called them as opposed to other cruise lines when they were there several times a day checking on the room. Lunch on the day of departure was a real cluster, everyone was required to congregate on the Lido deck and it was wall to wall people, much too crowded and not nearly enough seatingl Read Less

Port variety was excellent. Take the water taxi for $7 (all day pass) to downtown St. Martin for shopping and free beach day. Walk off boat at Grand Turk and go through the Duty Free and turn left. Free pool and Free Beach. Went kayaking and snorkeling in St Kitts. Good experience but not sure it is worth the price charged by the ship. At each port there were local taxi and companies selling the same excursions as the ship but for less money. Ship was clean and well laid out. Lots of dining options. We never ate the buffets so cannot speak to their quality. The Deli sandwich shop was awesome. Also loved the Guy's burgers and Blue Iguana. Seafood shack had a great lobster roll (we ordered butter version). If you like slow steady dining (we do), then eat in the dining room for full service experience. The dining room food was much better than our previous Carnival cruise. Only thing we ordered but didn't like was the fried calamari and the short rib. The rest of the food was spot on. Skip the casino if you don't smoke cigarettes. Very strong odor. Bars will attempt to steer you to a set drink menu of mostly fruity low alcohol drinks that are either $8.50, $9.50 or $11.50 each; however, you can order "normal" drinks from the bar and the prices will vary. Draft beer was $5.75 to $6.75 each. If you are not on the drink plan (cheers), order a double shot for $3 more to avoid paying for two separate drinks at full price. Not a fan of having to walk through the spa to the fitness area. They had the predictable stuff like dance parties, contests and bingo but also added new Hasbro inspired games that added something extra to do. This was the first time in a long time that we actually enjoyed the live dance shows. There were at least 3 full productions that I recall. Epic Rock is a must see. We had such a great time that we have already re-booked the same trip. Read Less

my husband and I have never been on Carnival Conquest. Did not realize that it was spacious to walk around the area with so many passengers. I must say the kindness of staff near the pool, inside Lido always there to help. Amazing the hostess of Monet Analyn was always smiling very sweet, we enjoyed seeing her every night for dinner how she greeted us. Also, the sever: Ronnie was a soft spoken gentleman and always there to help you at any time, we enjoyed him. Kanya was the joyful girl always laughing and joking with us, yet so professional in every way. James was also a gentleman and helpful, Can't say enough of the fabulous staff also when we were undecided for dinner what to choose, etc.. Love them all. The variety was great, and the singing with everyone at dinner every 2nd night was enjoyable. always smiling. I must say, great staff and we thank you for a super 8 night cruise. Chole entertainment director.. I don't where she gets her energy, this lady is something else. God Bless Her. Read Less

We booked this cruise to coincide with Spring Break. It was awesome-3 fun days at sea, St. Maarten (we did the Flying Dutchman and the views were spectacular!), St. Kitts (Brimstone and Batik Tour-very nice, but kinda rushed at the Batik/Gardens), San Juan, and Grand Turk (son did Flowrider-lots of laughs-I did Margaritaville-yummy!). The embarkation went very smoothly, the debarkation was more crowded (but constantly moving). This was our 2nd time on the ship. Our cabin was deck 2 aft (2474), and it was wedge shaped and spacious. We had a window with a huge ledge, so got to keep our towel animals in our own zoo. It even had a motion sensor night light under the fridge cabinet, which was helpful. We did anytime dining in Renoir and loved the choices. My son is 16 and spend most of his time in Club O2, hanging with other teens. I did not go to any of the comedy or entertainment shows, but did enjoy movies on deck and bingo-but people loved all the music on board. The cabin steward was very attentive, and the dining room staff friendly and competent. We really enjoyed this and can't wait to go again. We also attended our first "Cruise Critic Party" and that was enjoyable, too! Read Less