Carnival Conquest Cruise Review
Having first debuted in 2002, Carnival Conquest is the pre-cursor to the Carnival Conquest line of ships that includes the Carnival Liberty, Valor, Freedom and Glory. Weighing 110,000 tons this ship is pretty much a city at sea. With so much space there is no shortage of options for passengers, including the immense Seaside Theatre – a massive LED screen overlooking the pool.
The boarding process is relatively painless. Lines can be an issue with every cruise and if boarding at peak time you can expect waits of over an hour. However, considering the ship’s size things seem to move along pretty nicely. Security is vigilant without being overbearing. The only time the deck gets uncomfortably full is during formal night. One night of the cruise jostling with other passengers isn’t so bad considering there are more than 3,000 other people traveling with you.
The ship itself is tastefully, if colorfully decorated, with replicas of famous artists like Van Gogh and Monet on display throughout the vessel.
Dining Aboard the Carnival Conquest
One of the main draws of cruise travel is, of course, the food, and Carnival Conquest really shines in this regard. The sheer number of options will seem overwhelming at first. Monet and Renoir – each double-tiered rooms – are available for cruisers looking for a formal dinner atmosphere, and passengers have the option of sitting down for a specific time setting or taking advantage of Carnival’s Your Time Dining, which allows more flexibility. Breakfast and lunch are both open seating affairs and take place in the Monet Dining Room.
The food itself is surprisingly good. I say surprisingly because Carnival has previously not been known for their stellar cuisine. Meat is prepared to your specification and dishes range from fare like quail to lobster.
Restaurant options abound on the pool deck if you want more casual fare and don’t want to go back to your room and get “decked out” for lunch. Restaurant Cezanne has an excellent buffet with a myriad of stations where passengers can enjoy anything from Asian cuisine to a good old fashioned American hamburger. There is also a 24 hour pizza station, so if you are up in the middle of the night with a craving you can find satisfaction here.
One of the highlights is the complimentary Japanese Sushi bar that opens up on the Promenade Deck in the evening. If you are a fan of sushi definitely make a point of stopping by here once or twice during your voyage.
Entertainment on the Carnival Conquest
One thing that can be said for the activities on this ship – there is definitely something for everyone. Of course there is the aforementioned Seaside Theatre where you can take in everything from contemporary films to live sporting events. Of course, this is more of a distraction than anything. If you came on a cruise to get away from the TV and want some entertainment of the live, in person variety then you have several options to choose from.
The Lobby Bar has a classical pianist tickling the ivory for your pleasure, and is a good spot to stop and have a drink to get the evening started. If you are a partier then the Carnival Conquest is definitely for you. Though the night might begin with a mellow drink in the piano bar you can quickly rev things up. The casino awaits, you can take in a raunchy comedy act, and once you’ve got a few drinks in you and your inhibitions have all but vanished you can hit the dance floor in Henri’s Disco.
These are just a few of the activities that await you. Midnight buffets, ballroom dancing, bingo, karaoke and art auctions are just a few of the other ongoing things to entertain you while onboard.
Family and Children on Carnival Conquest
Though many cruisers will be couples looking for romance or seniors looking to escape winter’s icy grip for a week or two, this ship also sees plenty of families book passage, and they’ve done their best to ensure there are plenty of family-friendly activities as well.
Teens can make their way to Club 02, where they can socialize with others in their age group, dance, watch music videos and play the latest video games.
For younger children Camp Carnival is just the ticket. Young kids can while away the day sculpting sand art pictures, making delicious sundaes and participating in talent shows. Adult involvement is encourage so if you want to spend some quality time with your young kids this is a great place to do so.
If you and your partner want to escape the kids for a little while then you can take advantage of the babysitting service the ship offers. You can leave the tykes from 10-3 so you can go off and enjoy a drink by the pool. Note that there is a charge for this service, so it might not be in the budget every day.
Carnival Conquest Dress Code
For formal evenings Carnival adheres to a relatively strict dress code. Jackets and ties are required, and tuxedos certainly aren’t out of place. More casual attire is okay for the remainder of the evenings.
Related posts:
Filed under: Cruise Reviews