Carnival Conquest Cruise Ship Review

When you arrive at the cruise terminal in Galveston, you can't help but marvel at how the huge Carnival Conquest dominates the waterfront area in front of the historic Strand District.

For those who have sailed on a Destiny-class Carnival ship, the layout of the Conquest will be virtually identical, with the addition of an extra sun deck and an alternative extra-cost gourmet restaurant having been added.

As you walk onboard the ship, you enter the Artist's Lobby (1), ground floor of an eight-deck high atrium appropriately called the Studio (2) with glass-enclosed elevators, where huge murals of art covers the atrium's walls. The decor theme of the Carnival Conquest is French Impressionists, which is reflected in the names of the major public rooms and in the reproductions of art that is everywhere you look.

Sky Deck 14 - The entrance to the three-deck high waterslide (3*) that twists and turns down to the Stars Pool on Deck 10 (there is no Deck 13 for the superstitious). There is also ample deck space for sun-bathing. (*The picture shown is the Carnival Destiny, whose deck layout is identical on the Carnival Conquest.)

Sun Deck 12 - Children's World is a huge area dedicated to keeping kids involved, with arts & crafts, movies & cartoons on big-screen monitors, computer stations, play areas indoors and outdoor, and a wading pool, all of which are properly supervised by children's counselors. Camp Carnival divides the kids into age groups (2-5, 6-8, 9-12, 13-15), each with their own separate activities geared to their age group. There is also ample deck space for sun-bathing.

Spa Deck 11 - You'll find the Spa and Gymnasium (4) on the forward part of this deck, offering saunas, steam rooms, massage rooms, beauty salon, indoor spa pool, and a large gym with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the forward part of the ship. There is also 18 category 6E oceanview cabins, and ample deck space for sun-bathing. This is also the Sports Deck, with a basketball court, volleyball court, jogging track, and where golf driving lessons are taught.

Panorama Deck 10* - (*The link shown is for the Carnival Triumph, which is identical to the Conquest.) The forward deck area is cabin space, with category 8E balcony cabins, category 6B oceanview cabins, and category 4G inside cabins. The rest of the deck is outdoor space, with the middle part terraced down to the deck below, offering great views of everything happening on the Lido Deck.

The middle part of the deck is where you will find the Point Supper Club (3), an alternative additional-cost, totally-upscale dining experience (scroll down to "Dining" for more information).

The back part of the deck is the Sur Mer Restaurant, the balcony of the casual Restaurant Cezanne. Sur Mer features a seafood menu, from Fish & Chips to Cajun Octopus.

Lido Deck 9 - The forward area has two category 11 suites, category 8E balcony cabins, category 6B oceanview cabins, and category 4F inside cabins. The middle part of the deck has the main pool, two hot tubs, and the Sun Stage, where a calypso band performed throughout the cruise.

Between the middle and rear elevator/stairwell lobbies, you will find the Restaurant Cezanne, the ship's casual buffet dining, boasting a nice variety of dining options, such as the Grand Buffet and salad bar, oriental fare at P.C.'s Wok, fresh sandwiches as Paul's Deli, a sushi bar, and burgers & hot dogs at the pool-side Grille. Multiple buffet lines keep the wait short. In the far back, you'll find the Sky Pool, which is protected by a retractable glass dome. In addition to the pool, there are two hot tubs, and the 24-hour pizzeria.

Promenade Deck 5 - This is the main major activity deck. At the front is the balcony of the Toulouise-Latrec Lounge (5), a three deck high showroom where all the biggest shows are held.

Strolling past the gift shops, you enter the Impressionist Boulevard (6), where you can stroll past an array of bars, lounges, cafes, discos, and the casino. The Tahiti Casino (7) is one of the largest afloat, offering a wonderful variety of table games (craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud Poker, Let It Ride, and several variations of Blackjack), slot machines, and video machines. Next door is Gauguin's Bar (8), a sports bar sharing the casino's Tahiti theme, with a wall of monitors behind the bar and monitors in the corners. This was a popular place for the weekend sporting events. Next to the casino is the Impressions Bar (9), a great place to people watch, and where live music is offered in the evening. Further down the Impressionist Blvd., if you are dying for a cappuccino, stop at Cafe Fans (10), a coffeehouse that also serves delicious desserts.

Next door is the teen hideout called Montmartre Cafe (11), which features a video and game arcade (10) and a teen-disco at night. Right after the Sushi Bar, the Impressionist Boulevard winds into the entertainment district, starting with Henri's Disco (12). Walls of video monitors inside the disco and outside on the boulevard create an ever-changing scene that accentuates the excitement of the evening. Behind a champagne & wine bar is Blues (14), a great piano bar where everyone participates in sing-alongs. Across the Sunflower Atrium is Vincent's (15), where a talented duo entertains with soft pop hits. Finally, the Degas Lounge (16) is the perfect spot for dancing, as a Phillipino group rocks the house with good-time rock and roll. This is also the location for late-night adult comedy shows.

Atlantic Deck 4 - Here is where you will find the quiet areas, such as Painter's Library (17) where you can check out great books or play board games, meeting rooms, the photo gallery, and Alfred's Bar (18), a well-appointed lounge where you can find refuge from the hustle & bustle of noisy passengers and loud music on the Promenade Deck. Tucked away behind the left side of Alfred's Bar is the Internet Cafe. Online time ran $0.75 per minute, but you could purchase blocks of time for $55.00 for 100 minutes, 250 minutes for $100.00 (rates as of Mar. 2003).

Lobby Deck 3 - This is the ground floor for the atrium, the main showroom, and the Monet (19) and Renoir (20) Restaurants. In front of the Renoir Restaurant are two meeting rooms, which can also be private dining rooms for large groups.

Main Deck 2 - This deck is all cabins: category 6B oceanview cabins, category 4B inside cabins, as well as two category 5A oceanview cabins with portholes and category 1A bunkbed cabins.

Riviera Deck 1 - This deck is all cabins: category 6A oceanview cabins, category 4A inside cabins, as well as four category 5A oceanview cabins with portholes and category 1A bunkbed cabins.

DINING - The trend by cruiselines when building ships this big is to offer a variety of different dining areas and menus, so you're bound to find something that appeals to you.

The main dining room menus always features 3-4 appetizers, at least 2 soups and salads, entrees of pasta, beef, chicken, seafood (including lobster tail on one evening!), vegetarian, and several dessert selections in addition to cheese or ice cream. There are also healthy "Spa" selections for those guests who must watch what they eat, and of course, Carnival will accommodate any special meal requirements when advised in advance. For those who want to skip dinner in the main dining rooms, guests can dine at the casual buffet at the Restaurant Cezanne.

For those with discriminating tastes, try the Point Supper Club at least once. For a $30 per person service charge charged to your cabin account, you will savor fabulous gourmet cuisine, served in perfect white-glove service that is attentive but not obtrusive, while a talented duo provides soft background music. Everything we tried was amazingly delicious and the presentation was superb. This is the perfect place for any special occasion, or if you just want to indulge in exceptional 5-star dining without having to shell out the $100-150 per person you would expect to pay at a top-rated restaurant back home. The charge does not include wine or bar beverages, but does include gratuity. Jackets are required for the gentlemen, so expect to dress up a little. While the menu does not change, it is extensive enough that you could dine there several times during the week.

ACTIVITIES - With a ship this size, it will be virtually impossible not to find something to do. Sports enthusiasts can play volleyball, basketball, jog/run/walk on the jogging track, or watch sports in the sports bar. There is a long list of activities outlined in each day's "Carnival Capers", a lot of places to dance or listen to music, and plenty of entertainment at night.

Evening entertainment ranged from spectacular Broadway-style shows to magic & comedy revues in the main showroom. Several nights in the Degas Lounge featured adult-rated comedy at midnight, and there was a late-night, pool deck party with live music, food, and good times under the stars.

The casino offers all kinds of table games: Craps, Roulette, Caribbean Stud Poker, Blackjack, Let It Ride, as well as slots, and video games. Tournaments and gaming lessons are also offered.

Like almost all new ships, the Conquest offers additional cost activities such as an Internet Cafe, spa & health treatments, and golf lessons.

COMMENTS - Once again, design architect Joe Farcus' imagination leaves guests astounded, blinded, annoyed or delighted. Like most Carnival ships, the colorful decor on the Conquest elicits a wide range of comments, from "beautiful" to "way overdone", but you will never find it boring. At the Restaurant Cezanne, for example, we counted six patterns on the walls, floors, and furnishings that co-existed (clashed?) with each other (imagine a golfer dressed in a striped shirt, polka dot tie, trousers with a swirl pattern, plaid socks, checkerboard patterned shoes, and ... well, you get the idea). After a few days, you don't really notice it anymore.

Carnival automatically charges the gratuities for your waiter, busboy, and cabin steward to your cabin account. Should you wish to complain about the lack of service and to change the amount of the gratuity, visit the Information (Purser's) Desk on Lobby Deck 3. Knowing that ship service staff (who work incredibly long days, 7 days a week, for 4-6 months) depend on gratuities as their primary source of income, plus knowing that some guests knowingly fail to pay gratuities, this solution ensures the staff that they will be taken care of, and eliminates the confusion of guests personally offering the gratuities at the end of the cruise. This is something most cruise lines offer.

Most cabins have mini-refrigerators and in-cabin safes, and Carnival offers terry-cloth bathrobes for guests booked in oceanview, balcony, and suite categories.

The ship's facilities are wonderful, the "Fun-Ship" atmosphere upbeat and energetic, and the staff seemed really happy to have us aboard.

Overall, the Conquest is a wonderful one week vacation, sailing year-round from Galveston.

For Reservations & Information on the CARNIVAL CONQUEST or other ships and cruise lines, contact:

INTERIOR STATEROOM

Category 4A-4G interior stateroom (also called inside cabin) are 185 sq. ft. in size, featuring two lower beds that convert to a king bed, closet, and private bathroom
(with shower, sink & toilet).

Category 1A cabins (not shown) are 170 sq. ft. and have one upper berth and one lower berth (bunkbeds).

OCEAN VIEW STATEROOM

Category 5A, 6A-6E ocean view stateroom (also called outside cabin) are 220 sq. ft. in size, featuring two lower beds that convert to a king bed, closet, bathrobes, and private bathroom (with shower, sink & toilet).
Categories 6A, 6B, 6E have a picture window as shown, category 5A cabins (not shown) only have twin portholes.

BALCONY STATEROOM

Category 8A-8E balcony stateroom are 220 sq. ft. in size, featuring a private balcony, two lower beds that convert to a king bed, closet, bathrobes, and private bathroom (with shower, sink & toilet).

Category 9A staterooms (not shown) are 230-300 sq. ft., size varies by cabin number, with extra large balconies.

WILDLIFE ALERT!

On several evenings, towel animals (like this cute monkey hanging from the ceiling) greet guests when they returned to their cabin after dinner.

SUITE WITH BALCONY

Category 11 balcony suites are 340 sq. ft. in size, featuring a large private balcony, two lower beds that convert to a king bed, large closet, bathrobes, and private bathroom (with whirlpool bathtub, sink & toilet).

PENTHOUSE SUITE

Category 12 penthouse suite are 430 sq. ft. in size, featuring a large private balcony, two lower beds that convert to a king bed, walk-in closet, and private bathroom (with whirlpool bathtub, sink & toilet).

(1) Artists' Lobby	(2) Studio Atrium	*(3) Waterslide**	(4) Spa & Gym

(5) Toulouise-Latrec Lounge	(6) Impressionist Blvd.	(7) Tahiti Casino	(8) Gauguin's Bar	(9) Impressions Bar	(10) Cafe Fans

(11) Montmartre	(12) Arcade	(13) Henri's Disco	(14) Blues Piano Bar	(15) Vincent's	(16) Degas Lounge

(17) Painter's Library	(18) Alfred's Bar	(19) Monet	(20) Renoir