Carnival Conquest Review
Stepping onto Carnival Conquest is a bit like stepping into a 19th-century French Impressionist's dreamscape. Illuminated Murano-glass flower sculptures adorn the ceilings, and hand-painted replicas of Degas' ballet studios and Toulouse-Lautrec's Parisian theaters accent the lounges and theaters, while the main restaurants tip their caps to Renoir's "Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise" and Monet's "Water Lilies" paintings.
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It's a surreal juxtaposition, the high-brow art referenced in every nook and cranny of the ship contrasting with the leave-your-pretensions-at-the-door atmosphere that comes with every Carnival cruise. Passengers on Conquest are ready to shake off the concerns of their everyday lives and just let go, relax and have fun. To have the best cruise experience, you've got to do the same.
Carnival cruisers are onboard to for fun and have few worries about being judged. How could they when some of the biggest belly laughs come from watching a somewhat oversized man shake his groove thing while whipping his shirt over his head in order to win a bottle of Champagne and a "ship on a stick" (literally a plastic trophy featuring a gold replica of the ship)?
Carnival Conquest is also for cruisers who want to soak up the sun while listening to popular radio hits (loudly) and chatting it up with their deck chair neighbors. It's not at all unusual for large numbers of passengers to grab lounge chairs early and stay poolside until it's time for dinner.
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This leaves cruisers not entirely into baking in the sun a bit out of the loop, as a typical sea day will offer few indoor activities, and the ones that are scheduled often centered on trying to sell you something (spa treatments, shoe inserts, paintings by little known artists). Just bring enough reading material, and you'll always find a quiet lounge to curl up in for a few hours of literary escapism. You'll also find sports broadcasts playing in the Deck 5 sports bar and movies on the TV in your room all day long. The beds in the cabins, by the way, are super comfortable for afternoon naps.
Inclusions
Included with your cruise fare:
- Meals in the two main dining rooms and buffet, and at Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina; also select room service items
- All shows in the main theater, as well as Punchliner Comedy Club performances
- Use of the sports court, mini-golf and water slides
- Use of the Serenity adults-only area
- Activities onboard except where noted
- Fitness center (not including most classes)
- Carnival kids club programs, until 10 p.m., for children aged 2 to 17
Not included with your cruise fare:
- Daily gratuities of $13.99 per person, per day for standard staterooms and $15.99 per person, per day for suites
- Drinks except water (not incuding bottled water), tea, basic coffee and select juices
- Specialty dining
- Automatic gratuities of 18 percent added to all beverage purchases, spa and salon services and specialty dining reservations
- Specialty coffees and any tea beyond the basic choices
- Services and treatments in the spa and salon
- Most fitness classes and all personal training sessions
- Select activities like Build-a-Bear workshops, alcohol tastings, bingo and arcade play
- Evening events in Carnival’s kids club after 10 p.m.
- Shore excursions
- Photos and artwork sold in onboard shops or at the photo gallery
Fellow Passengers
Carnival Conquest draws families, couples and groups of friends in all age groups and from all across the United States and Canada, with a handful of passengers from outside of North America. Large groups, such as family reunions and wedding parties, are common, especially in the summer.
Carnival Conquest Dress Code
Daytime: As on all Carnival ships, the dress code for daytime is casual.
Evening: Evening is casual as well, but there are two "cruise elegant" nights on cruises of six days or longer (one formal night on shorter sailings), during which long pants and collared shirts for men are requested. Suits, sport jackets and ties are not required, but you will see plenty of men decked out in suits. On cruise elegant nights, women may dine in sundresses, cocktail dresses, pantsuits, and skirt and blouse combinations. Similar attire is required every night in the Point Steakhouse.
Not permitted: Cutoff jeans, basketball shorts and swimwear are never permitted in the main dining rooms.
For more information, visit Cruise Line Dress Codes: Carnival Cruise Line.
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Is Carnival Conquest a good ship to cruise on?
10+ Cruises
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Age 30s
6-10 Cruises
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Age 50s
Very good experience, well kept ship and enjoyable
6-10 Cruises
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Age 20s
Surprisingly Good
10+ Cruises
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Age 70s