We are frequenters on NCL but decided to try the Carnival Conquest because of the ports of call (Amber Cove, Santo Domingo, Aruba and Curaçao). Embarkation went smoothly. We were given a boarding group and we probably waited about 20 minutes to board once we got thru the check-in lines. The overall process was probably 45 minutes to an hour until we were onboard. The first disappoint came during the muster station safety procedure. Not sure what the holdup was, but our station was outside and we had to stand there for over 30 minutes. It was hot and stuffy and there were several older people that were struggling. Then 20 minutes into it, the ship leaves port! Many people were furious, as one of the most fun parts of cruising is to be up on the top decks as the ship leaves. Not sure what the major malfunction was, but that was a really big disappoint to us and many of those around us.

The cabin was decent. We had a balcony room and shared a room with our boys, so the couch converted into a bed and the bunk lowered from the ceiling above the couch. The bathroom had several small shelves on the mirror which was helpful. However, our shower curtain was too short, so everytime we showered, our entire bathroom floor flooded with a half inch of water. At first we thought it was because our shower drain wasn't working, so our cabin stewardess had a plumber come check it out. He fixed the drain but the next day the bathroom flooded again, so we called her back. She changed the shower curtain the next day and the problem was solved.

Dining was probably the worse I've had on any cruise (this was number 8 for us). The buffet left something to be desired. It was the smallest I've seen and there weren't many choices. The main dining room for dinner was better. We had a server that was fantastic. Most of the food in the main dining room was good. On select nights the servers perform so it was fun to watch them. Read more