Has anyone traveled on the Carnival Conquest from Galveston to the Western Caribbean?

Question

It's our first time on a cruise. Not sure what to expect. Any tips on what to bring, shore excursions, what to expect, etc.

Answer 1

Do not overload on clothes, travel lightly but definately take a sweater as the evenings may occasstionally cool with a nice breeze. Sandals a must and a wide brimmed hat.

Also rememember to take you passport as this is a new requirement in the Caribbean and has taken quite a few travellers by surprise.

I highly recommend Jost Van Dkye...a really cute island with a lovely bay and a fun bar on the beach.

As a matter of interest, why did you decide on a big cruise line? One option to consider in the future is taking a sailing vacation onboard a catamaran or crewed multihull. You get to experience the Caribbean in a much more natural way and you get all the comforts and exclusive service from the crew.

There are a number of vendors besides Carnival etc including Catamarans.com, Sunsail.com, Moorings.com and other operators who are growing this segment.

Answer 2

Its a nice ship, and quite big so take comfortable walking shoes. Depending on when you go as nights get cool if you go during the winter months, otherwise summer is warm at nights. If you booked it thru a travel agent, they can answer all your questions plus give you some general info on cruising, what to expect, wear and do. You can go to their website and check out their shore excursions for prices. Have your travel agent do it if you used one; otherwise do it yourself.....book your excursions a head of time to avoid waiting in line aboard the ship to sign up for them. Some sell out right away. When you get your documents, there will be a brochure included that will give you all the general info you need. There are afew other things you need to know about that a travel agent can tell you, but you will have to find that out yourself if you havent used one. Like doing an express sign up before you go on cruise, parking facilities, emigrations, etc.
You should have used a good agent to find out all this stuff, especially if you are a first time cruiser. One more tip....get there about 12-1 pm to avoid the rush 1-3 pm. The buffet is open for lunch so don't stop for lunch enroute. Parking lot will drop off your luggage for you so you dont have to go to cruise terminal fiasco.