In April, my daughter and I took a four-night Carnival Conquest cruise out of Miami with stops in Key West and Cozumel, Mexico. We booked the trip as a graduation getaway. This review focuses on the overall cruise experience, including the room, food, ports, and excursions, and what I would want to know before sailing on Carnival Conquest again.
We have taken several Carnival cruises over the years, so I already had a general idea of what to expect from Carnival. This trip gave me a closer look at the Carnival Conquest specifically, including what worked well, what felt dated, and what I would do differently next time.
About the Carnival Conquest
The Carnival Conquest is one of Carnival’s older ships, and it has that classic Carnival feel. You will find familiar dining and entertainment options on the Carnival Conquest, including Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, the dining room, Punchliner Comedy Club, Dive-In Movies, and other onboard activities.
Carnival is known for being a more budget-friendly cruise line, which can make it a practical choice for quick getaways, families, and casual travelers. Once you are on board, your room, meals, activities, and entertainment are all part of an easy vacation experience.
That said, expectations matter. Carnival Conquest is not a luxury cruise ship, and parts of the ship do feel dated. If you are looking for a polished, modern, high-end cruise experience, this may not be the best fit. If you are looking for an affordable cruise from Miami with plenty to do, it can still be a practical option.
A Budget-Friendly Carnival Cruise
Carnival can be a good choice for families, quick getaways, and casual travelers who want a budget-friendly cruise with a relaxed atmosphere and plenty happening onboard.
The tradeoff is that many Carnival ships can feel similar. Dining venues, activities, shows, and room layouts often have the same general feel from ship to ship. That can be helpful if you like the familiar Carnival style, but it can also make one ship blend into another.
For this cruise, the price made sense for a short getaway. I would not call it our favorite Carnival cruise, but it gave us time away together at a price that felt reasonable for a four-night sailing.
Our Carnival Conquest Ocean-View Room
We stayed in an ocean-view room on Deck 1, mid-ship. I chose the location because lower, mid-ship rooms are often recommended for people who want to feel less movement from the ship. In that sense, the location worked well. The room felt fairly stable, and I did not notice much rocking.
The room had a few positives:
- comfortable size for two people
- enough space for our belongings
- ocean-view window that made the cabin feel more open
- convenient mid-ship location
However, I would not book Deck 1 again. During the part of our cruise between Key West and Cozumel, we heard a consistent banging sound below us. I do not know if something was loose or not secured properly, but the sound continued throughout the day and night.
My other complaint was the décor. The room was functional and comfortable enough for a short cruise, but the colors and finishes felt outdated.
Food on the Carnival Conquest
Food is one area where I usually do not have many complaints about Carnival. The Carnival Conquest had enough dining options that most people could find something they liked.
We had access to Carnival favorites like Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, buffet options, pizza, and the dining room. The buffet changed themes throughout the cruise, and the pizza was available late into the night, which is always nice after evening activities.
Our favorite spot was BlueIguana Cantina. We visited each day for tacos or burritos. It was quick, fresh, and easy, which made it one of our most-visited food stops on the ship.
The dining room experience was also good. Carnival may be casual, but we have usually enjoyed the dining room meals, and this cruise was no different. For us, the food was one of the better parts of the Carnival Conquest experience.
Things to Do on Carnival Conquest
Carnival Conquest had plenty of onboard activities, but I would describe the entertainment as mixed. Some things were fun and easy to enjoy, while others were not as memorable as the entertainment we have experienced on other Carnival cruises.
We played bingo, watched a Dive-In Movie by the pool, attended a comedy act, and spent some time in the casino. I also went to one of the evening shows, but it was not one of my favorite Carnival productions.
Because the entertainment deserves its own breakdown, I kept the details in a separate post about Carnival Conquest onboard entertainment, including the shows, comedy, bingo, Dive-In Movie, and casino.
Our Key West Port Day
We did not book an excursion in Key West. Since we live in South Florida, there was not a lot we felt we needed to see through a formal tour. Instead, we walked around, browsed shops, and enjoyed the port at our own pace.
For us, that was the right choice. Key West is easy to explore casually, especially if you are comfortable walking and do not feel the need to schedule every hour.
If Key West is new to you, you may want to plan something more structured. For this trip, a relaxed port day worked better.
Our Cozumel Excursion
For Cozumel, we booked an excursion to Island’s Beach Club. Unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing parts of our trip.
The excursion sounded better in the description than it felt once we arrived. Thankfully, we only paid $34.99 per person for transportation, but I use the word resort loosely. The private beach area was small and sectioned off, the sand was shelly, and there were large rocks under the sand that made walking uncomfortable. Getting into the water was also difficult because it hurt our feet.
Everything listed in the excursion description seemed to be packed into one small area:
- paddleboarding
- snorkeling
- jet skis
- zip lining
- beach access
- sunbathing
- pool
- restaurant
I could see almost all of it from one spot, so it did not feel like the larger beach club experience I expected. The Mexican market was also much smaller than I had pictured. It felt more like a small outdoor store with a few items rather than an area where you could spend time shopping.
The most frustrating part was the spa staff repeatedly trying to sell services. It felt like someone approached us about spa treatments every 15 minutes, which made it hard to relax. The best part of the excursion was the food. We had lunch while we were there, and we enjoyed the Mexican flavor. It was probably overpriced, but that is not unusual while on vacation.
I would not recommend this particular Cozumel excursion. If I visited Cozumel again by cruise ship, I would choose something different.
What I Liked About Our Carnival Conquest Cruise
The best part of this cruise was the time with my daughter. At 18 years old, she still wanted to spend four days with just her mother in the middle of the ocean, and that made the trip meaningful even though the cruise itself was not perfect.
There were also parts of the Carnival Conquest experience that worked well for us. Sailing from Miami was convenient since we live in South Florida, the food was consistently good, and BlueIguana Cantina quickly became our favorite spot for tacos and burritos. For a short getaway, the cruise gave us time away together without requiring a big travel commitment.
What I Did Not Love
The parts I did not love were mostly tied to the ship’s age, our cabin location, and the excursion we chose in Cozumel. The ship felt dated in some areas, especially the room décor, and while our lower mid-ship room helped with stability, I would not book Deck 1 again because of the noise below us.
The Cozumel excursion was the biggest disappointment because it did not match the impression I had from the description, and I would have rather spent that port day doing something else. The entertainment was mixed as well. Some activities were fun, but it was not the strongest Carnival entertainment we have experienced.
Is Carnival Conquest Good for a Short Cruise?
I think Carnival Conquest can be a good choice for a short cruise if you go in with realistic expectations. It is not the newest or most modern ship, but it can still be an affordable way to enjoy a few days away. For a quick getaway, family trip, or budget-friendly cruise from Miami, it may be worth considering. I would just be selective about the room location and spend more time researching excursions before booking.
If you are comparing Carnival ships, you may also want to read about our Carnival Breeze cruise experience and our Carnival Imagination cruise.
Would I Sail Carnival Conquest Again?
Overall, I would give our Carnival Conquest cruise a 3 out of 5. The price felt reasonable for a four-night sailing out of Miami, the food was good, and I loved having that time away with my daughter. The ship itself felt dated in some areas, the entertainment was mixed, and our Cozumel excursion was disappointing, so it is not a cruise I would rank as one of our favorites.
I do not regret taking the trip, but I would make a few different choices next time. If I booked Carnival Conquest again, I would compare cabin locations more carefully, avoid Deck 1, and spend more time researching excursions before choosing one.