On the whole a very nice first-time cruise experience on the Carnival Conquest.
Note: We did not assess things like the bars or the casino because we did not use them.
EMBARKING / DISEMBARKING. We had read stories about standing out in the heat waiting to get aboard. That was not our experience. We arrived, waited in the shade or indoors in relatively short lines, and were on board within 30 minutes.
The cabin was small, as expected, but livable since the room arrangement made good use of the space. Good use of mirrors to make the room feel more spacious. Comfortable bed, no strange smells, clean bedding, good lighting, and mostly quiet (only one night did noise from an event on the deck below intrude).Our excellent cabin steward Pandita kept the room very clean, had a great and ready smile, was always polite, always knew our names, and was always timely in his work.Opportunities for improvement in the cabin include:1) There was only a single electrical outlet in the entire room. Even with the extension cord we brought, it was difficult to cover two cell phones and a laptop on one end of the room, and the medical CPAP machine on the other.2) It would have been nice to have a clock somewhere in the room3) The TV monitor was too dark and the controls were not evident. We probably should have asked for help on that one.4) The ship-wide announcements were very difficult to hear when the door was closed ... should have speakers in the room with an on-off switch so guests have the choice as to whether to hear the announcements.