We sailed the Carnival Conquest from July 23-30, 2006 out of Galveston to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico. My husband, kids, and I have previously sailed the RCCL Rhapsody and Norwegian Star, and my husband and I have sailed the Radisson Diamond. I was a bit wary of booking Carnival, but the Conquest was a beautiful ship and the cruise was great!

Parking, Embarkation: We live in Houston and drove to Galveston the morning of the cruise. I had made an online reservation to park at EZCruise parking, $50/week, and only 2 blocks from the terminal. There was about a 20 minute wait in line to get into the lot, but staff there helped unload our bags. We waited under a tent for a few minutes before they put our bags onto a shuttle and took all four of us to the terminal. A porter took our bags (except carry ons), which werent delivered to our cabin until 6 pm. The check-in lines in the terminal were very long (there were some unusual problems that day and people were still getting off the ship between 12-1 pm). We arrived at the terminal about 12:45 pm and didnt get onto the ship until 2 pm. After dropping off our carry ons and checking out our cabin, we headed to the Cezanne restaurant (buffet) on the Lido deck (deck 9). The food was disappointing, but from then on we were very pleased with almost everything we were served. Because of the embarkation delays, we didnt have the lifeboat drill until 5:00, and left Galveston about 5:30.

Stateroom: This was our first inside cabin, and we actually ended up liking it as it was quiet and dark for daytime resting. The location was great  between two sets of elevators and not too long a walk to get anywhere on the ship. If you book an inside, DO bring a night light and/or flashlight! We had two adults in the lower twin beds, with a 16 y/o and 20 y/o in the pull down bunks. The twin beds were comfortable and the pillows and comforters were great, though the kids complained that they only got a sheet and thin blanket on the bunks (didnt think to ask if they could get comforters, too). We only got in each others way when dressing in the morning and for dinner. There was plenty of closet and drawer space. The restroom was comfortable, and the shower large enough for someone like me who is queen size. I appreciated the containers of Dove shampoo and shower gel in the shower stall. Razors, powder, and a few other toiletries were provided in a basket. Our room was cleaned and made up twice a day, and in the evening, the room steward always left a cute towel animal, chocolates, and the Capers listing the next days activities. Read more