Carnival Conquest: Some Hits, Some Misses, and One Big "Yuck!"…read more
Let me start by saying the room itself was great. However, the balcony was DARK and, for me, not worth the extra money. The walls were also a little thin, so you could hear more than you probably wanted to hear.
Now, let's talk food. Renoir had the best chicken parmigiana! It was so good that I wanted it again on another night. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let me request it again. Apparently, once it's off the menu, that's it.
The tipping situation also rubbed me the wrong way. Tips were added to my account before I even really had a chance to experience the service, and those tips are for everyone. Meanwhile, many of the employees I encountered were mean, dismissive, or simply not very welcoming. And when I wanted to address some of my concerns, the Guest Services line was longer than a line for free government cheese. So...yeah. I decided to keep it moving.
Speaking of lines--the Sail & Sign kiosks! There are only two on the ship. The one I went to on the fifth floor was BROKEN, leaving the other one on the third floor with a ridiculously long line. And yes, I'm going to mention this again because the prepaid tips were actually more than what I spent onboard. I wanted to be able to deal with that, but standing in that line? Chile. I digress.
The Drinks
The drinks were...up to par.
I did NOT buy the drink package, so I ordered my first double Hennessy with three rocks.
BABYYYYY!!!
That drink was $20 and POTENT. I sipped on that one drink for two days.
Out of fear for my life, I eventually moved over to Sauvignon Blanc.
One glass?
Same $20.
Ummm...whoever runs the alcohol department must've been drunk.
Not only was the wine nasty, but it was expensive. And what made it worse was that that same night I purchased a bottle of Santa Margherita for $46.
Now THAT made more sense to me.
But Carnival, keep doing what you're doing with your top-shelf alcohol process. Because that Hennessy? Honey, you weren't playing around.
Now, Celebration Key's bar prices?
RIDICULOUS.
And they sure didn't match the quality either.
But hey...
That Key is my drunk uncle.
I love him no matter his flaws.
The Wi-Fi Situation
The Wi-Fi package was terrible. In and out constantly. It had me seriously frustrated.
I ended up paying both Verizon and Carnival because I couldn't rely on Carnival's Wi-Fi. I also paid for the buddy package so my cousin and I could communicate, and messages were sometimes arriving the next day. The next day!
At that point, I would have asked for a refund, but...remember that Guest Services line I mentioned? Yeah. No ma'am.
Princess Cays
Princess Cays? You mean Shrek Cays.
Listen. That beach was one big rock with gaps all throughout it. My feet kept getting caught in the spaces between the rocks. It was not the relaxing beach experience I had envisioned.
And the waitstaff? Someone came by one time to take our drink order. They brought the drink and never came back. Then other people started walking around selling beer.
Yuck.
I eventually got on the water shuttle and headed back to the ship expeditiously.
I was in a terrible mood for the rest of that day.
Celebration Key
Then came the next day...
OH. MY. GOD.
Celebration Key GAVE. From start to finish.
I mean, drown Princess Cays and let Celebration Key keep all the joy and glory, because baby, it was like THAT.
The difference between the two experiences was night and day.
And Then There Was My Stomach...
The food was great for the most part, but honey...I had the runs the whole time.
Was it the water?
We didn't drink bottled water because we were told the ship's water was filtered. So I'm not sure what caused it, but this was the first time I didn't stick with bottled water on a cruise, and let's just say...my digestive system had opinions.
One More Thing About Port of Miami
If you're traveling out of the Port of Miami, I strongly suggest having a passport if you have one.
Yes, they still accept birth certificates for eligible travelers, but be prepared to stand in the customs line.
We had passports and zipped right through in about five minutes. Meanwhile, the birth-certificate line was a completely different experience.
Final Thoughts
Would I cruise Carnival again? Carnival:
Would I choose Princess Cays again? Princess Cays:
There were definitely things I enjoyed about the cruise--the room was great, the food had some real standouts, the drinks had some serious power, and Celebration Key was EVERYTHING.
But the Wi-Fi, the kiosk situation, the Guest Services lines, the tipping experience, the service from some employees, and especially Princess Cays definitely took away from the overall experience.
Carnival Conquest, you had your moments. Some were fabulous. Some had me looking for the next water shuttle.
Till next time...
LA VIDA ES UN CARNAVAL... ES PARA GOZAR!