CARNIVAL CONQUEST

Posted 11/26/02

Carnival's biggest ship yet takes the Destiny-class to the next level

  It's that time of the year! Not for presents, holiday lights or turkeys, but for new cruise ships. First was Brilliance of the Seas, then Carnival Legend, and now Carnival Conquest. Navigator of the Seas, Zuiderdam, Norwegian Dawn and Coral Princess are all slated to debut in the next few weeks as well. It's hard to keep track without a scorecard, let alone distinguish between the features of each new ship. Last week, I was aboard one of Carnival Conquest's preview cruises out of New Orleans and wanted to give you my impressions of Carnival's biggest "Fun Ship" yet.

  Measuring 110,000 tons with capacity for 2,974 guests double occupancy (more than 3,500 with all berths filled), she is the first of four ships in the "new" Conquest-class. However, one of your major selling points is that Carnival Conquest isn't really a new class of ship at all - it's a stretched version of the ground-breaking and incredibly popular Destiny-class which debuted in 1996 with Carnival Destiny. Two more ships were built, Carnival Victory and Carnival Triumph, before the design was lengthened by 59 feet to create the 10% larger Conquest-class.

  If you and are familiar with and enjoy the Destiny-class, then you'll love Carnival Conquest. Designer Joe Farcus has worked his fanciful magic once again, given the public rooms an "artistic" slant with names such as The Renoir Restaurant, Toulouse-Lautrec Showroom (three decks high), Painters' Library, Degas Lounge and the Monet Restaurant. The atrium is called "the Studio" just to reinforce the point. The décor is typical New Millennium Carnival: bright, vibrant, creative and composed of high quality components such as rich woods, marble and sculpted glass.

  Like the Destiny-class, Carnival Conquest has an array of public rooms, all of which are located in similar spots as on the shorter class of ships that preceded it. While there are a number of small changes, the most notable are that the disco, Henri's, no longer is directly connected to a lounge below which makes that second lounge much quieter in the evenings. The longer length has increased the size of the library, photo area and some shops. A sushi bar has been added to Impressionist Boulevard, the double-width promenade that is the heart of the ship.
 

  The best news is that Carnival's newest addition carries on the features that have made Carnival not just a force to reckon with, but a company that has adapted effortlessly to changing demographics and more sophisticated travelers. This isn't the neon-soaked Carnival of the 1980s. What amazed me was how well the Carnival product stacks up against its competitors. Some lines are eliminating bathroom amenities such as soap, lotions and shampoos. Conversely, Carnival has added these items in the past few years. While other companies trim menus to remove expensive items, Carnival has added lobster to every cruise, no matter how brief the voyage. The quality of Carnival's entertainment has increased in quantity and quality. Some of sister company Holland America has rubbed off as well: the Captain's Cocktail party features hot hors d'oeuvres.

  One of the highlights of a Carnival cruise is the food: it's both plentiful and interesting as well as among the tastiest at sea in the mass market. Many years ago, a travel agent friend of mine referred to Carnival's dining rooms as "Sizzlers of the Sea." Since I always enjoyed eating at the local Sizzler, I didn't object to the description. But let me say that Carnival's onboard product now bears no resemblance whatsoever to a sub-par steakhouse. Sophisticated dishes now populate the menus in addition to standard favorites. And the friendly dining room staff is eager to please and more than willing to bring additional dishes if requested.

  The best feature, however, was the Restaurant Cézanne, the casual dining area high atop the ship. The standard buffet lines had a wider selection than other mass-market contemporary ships and there was always a carving station. But the variety is what sets Carnival apart. One area was dedicated to numerous Asian-influenced dishes each day, another features food from a specific region of the world (Italy was my favorite), a deli has delectable sandwiches such as Roast Beef and Brie on a Croissant, and the 24-hour Pizzeria has standard pizza selections along with more daring items like mushroom and goat cheese pizza as well as a selection of Caesar salads (with or without chicken) and calzones. The grill offered hot dogs, hamburgers, steak sandwiches and grilled chicken sandwiches as well.

  On a ship so large, there weren't the long lines one might have experienced on other vessels. Food service lines are divided and replicated so that, for example, there are eight separate buffet lines&ldots;not counting the dessert area. With a multitude of public rooms, there were seldom lines at the bars.

  While still extensive, the gym and spa area does not contain the little-used juice bar and lounge seen on the Destiny-class. Instead, that space has been used to create an entire deck of children's facilities. I think there's no greater testament to Carnival's universal appeal to old and young, singles and families, than this simple fact.