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.

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.