This cruise was my husbands first and my second on Carnival. This cruise was a Welcome Home gift because he had just gotten home from the desert. I would like to first commend Carnival on doing such a great job of keeping us updated on the goings on of our cruise. It was originally out of New Orleans, which is why we chose it, however, as we all know the hurricane screwed that up. We ended up sailing out of Galveston, which is where the Conquest is ported from now on. Beware of cruising this time of year, there can be itinerary changes because of hurricanes so be prepared for that. If you have changes Carnival is good about doing what they can to help. We got $100 shipboard credit for the port change. That came in handy when it was time to pay the Sail and Sign account.
The Ship: All I can say about the ship is that it is HUGE!!! It has Carnivals usual vibrant dEcor. There are several pools and hot tubs. The waterslide is fun even for adults. There are hot tubs at the back of the boat for adults only, if that is what you are looking for. The only draw back to the ship is that it is so big that you take the first couple of days to figure it all out.
The Rooms: We had a balcony room on the Upper Deck (Deck 6). Definitely pay the extra for the balcony. It was wonderful. We would order room service (which is free, but remember to tip them they arent included in prepaid tips) and sit out there and just relax. We saw dolphins and flying fish as we were cruising by. The only bad part about the room was the location. If you chose a balcony, definitely upgrade to Deck 7. Deck 7 is located with rooms above and below you. We were right above the Degas Lounge and could here Karaoke every night.