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gurlwithbaggage
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 01:07 am | 1st Post |
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This was my fifth cruise and I brought along my two DD's ages 12 and 5 and my mother. This was our first seven day cruise and I will admit I will be spoiled now!
We stayed at the Quality Inn and Suites on Seawall Blvd. in Galveston. This hotel is about a year old and is very nice. All of the rooms have balconies but you really see more of the parking lots next door rather than the gulf. Word of warning: If you stay here, request a room on the east side. We had a room on the west side and we kept hearing the drive-thru speaker for Popeye's. There's only so many times you can hear "Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits.":out of it: But we did meet our fellow cruisers Ken and Brenda there and we had such a blast with them on the cruise!
We arranged for Jeff's Cab and Shuttle to pick us up at the hotel and to pick some of the other S&S'ers up at the Hilton. They were supposed to be there at 10:30 but they were delayed because of a late pick up for Conquest passengers getting off. They made it about 11:00 and we went to the Hilton to get the others. The arrangement I made with Jeff's was three shuttle vans for 21 people for $115.00. But when we got to the Hilton, we were the only shuttle for all of us. After a little confusion, the other shuttles arrived and we were on our way to the pier. And it worked out in our favor: the shuttle driver only charged us $30.00 for everyone on the shuttle....which was way cheaper than what we were quoted.
We had to wait in line about 30-45 minutes and were among the first group to get onboard. We met up with some of the other S&S'ers on the Lido deck and had lunch. About 2:00, we went down to our cabin to check it out. We were on the Rivera deck cabin 1275. This was the first time I booked on a lower cabin and I did have my reservations. As far as the cabin went, it was very roomy for the four of us. There were two twin beds, one bed on the upper wall, and a sofa that made out into a bed. The two twin beds were made together and not wanting to sleep with my mom (LOL), I was going to remind the steward to make them back into twins.
The muster drill was a little different than on my previous cruises. I was used to several announcements over the PA getting people prepared for the muster drill. This time I only heard once announcement. It was a little confusing for some of the new cruisers because they were unsure what to do. Because of the confusion, it seemed like the drill took longer than it should. We were against the back wall with several people crowding us and my mom got very hot all of a sudden and told me she felt like she was going to pass out! I grabbed her and shoved my way to the front of the line to tell the crew she might get sick. We went back inside and explained to a crew member why we needed to leave and that my mom needed a place to sit down. I informed him she WAS going to sit down and I noticed a chair about 15 feet away and I started to direct her to it. He stopped me and said we could not go down there. I informed his he WAS going to go get it for her. He looked at me really funny but he did it. We were in NO WAY trying to get out of muster drill....my mom just needed to sit down and get out of the heat. I was a little miffed at the way the crewmember was acting but it was soon forgotten once my mom started feeling better.
We opted to skip the dining room because we had early seating and hit the Lido later that evening. For a buffet, it wasn't that bad. But then again, we are easy to please. Mom hit the casino most of the evening and I took the kids to the Camp Carnival family activities.
Day One: Sea Day
The girls and I opted to eat breakfast that morning at the Lido. It was OK but nothing spectacular. There were two different stations to choose from and there wasn't a long line nor did we have trouble finding a table. This was also a very rough sea day...the worst I have ever seen. People were doing their best to keep upright and there were people clinging to the walls. The wind on the outside decks, mixed with the rough waters, made for very hard walking. I also saw the infamous barf bags taped on the walls in public areas. After talking to a lot of people, I learned there were several people who were in their rooms ill because of this. My mom was one of them and I don't think she ever made it out of the cabin that day.
The kids spent most of the afternoon at Camp Carnival and I looked around the shops and took a nap. Then I went to pick up the girls and got ready for formal night. We requested a small table but ended up at a large one....not a big deal. We ended up seated with two other couples that were S&S'ers so we had a great time talking about CC and it's members! I had the shrimp cocktail and prime rib. The prime rib was wonderful and was one of the largest portions I had ever seen on a cruise was only able to finish half of it. After dinner, the kids hit Camp Carnival again and I hit the casino....and lost everything I came in with! Then I met up with some of the other S&S'ers to listen to Blood Power in the Degas Lounge.....what an excellent band! A group of us even got up on stage and jammed out with them! If you are on the Conquest, you cannot miss this band!
Day Two: Sea Day
This day started out much better. The water was very calm compared to the next day so my mom ventured out of the cabin for the first time. Because we were not too thrilled with the lido the day before, we opted to go to the dining room for breakfast. The selection was good and you got your food in a timely manner. The kids then hit Camp Carnival, Mom hit the casino, and I went on my own to explore the ship. I was amazed how easy it was to get around compared to the other ships I had been on. We had a late lunch at the aft pool and ate hamburgers....not bad at all! Because we ate such a late lunch, we opted not to go to the dining room that night and had pizza later that evening. The kids went back to Camp Carnival, Mom back to the casino, and I met up with some of the other S&S'ers to go to the Mardi Gras party on the lido deck. I am plauged with tension headaches and one decided to visit me so I ended up missing the party and went to bed early.
And I saw the Idiot of the Week that evening after dinner. My oldest DD did not get the gold S&S card like she should have so we went to the pursers desk to see if we could get it changed. When we approched the desk, there was a man in his late 60's making a big scene. He started calling the three women at the desk SOB's and told them they better be greatful they were able to come to the USA because of him and his military service! I was completely in shock because I could not imagine what would make a person say such things. But soon I found out what the problem was: apparantly in one of the shows, they played or sang a Dixie Chicks song and it offended him because of their views of George Bush! He continued to get ugly with the women, demanding to speak to the captain and demanded that he get all of his money back!! Between his cussing and rantings, he kept mentioning that he was offended and that all the Texans on board should be offended as well. A woman who was also witnessing this finally went up to him and told him to shut up, that it was his OPINION and that as a Texan herself she was not offended. She really told him off and he finally left....with a round of applause to the woman who stood up with him! Now I can say I witnessed a complete asshole on a cruise!
Day Three: Montego Bay
We really didn't have any plans on doing anything at this port. My mom is not able to walk long distances and I really wasn't in the mood to be haggled by the locals so we opted just to visit the port shops and get back on board. There's really not much to the shops so we just picked up a few trinkets and went back onboard. The girls enjoyed having the pool area to themselves so they spent most of the day between the three pools. Mom and I hung out on the lido deck with them enjoying the sun and reading. That evening we did go to the dining room and the food was great. The kids went to Camp Carnival, my mom BACK to the casino (do you see a pattern?) and I met up with some of the S&S'ers for the show.
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goincruisin
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 01:37 am | 2nd Post |
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Great review so far Kristy!! I agree about the weather that first day... that was the worst I had seen. There was actually vomit on the floors in the halls... ugh. The dr said that over 100 people had been seen that morning before 10AM!!!!!
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hstrybuf
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 01:45 am | 3rd Post |
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| Looking good Kristy! Keep it coming!
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gurlwithbaggage
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 01:55 am | 4th Post |
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Day four: Grand Caymen
Because of my younger DD and that she was afraid of stingrays, we opted to go visit the turtle farm instead. We waited until those who booked excursions to tender before we tried to get off. The tenders went smooth and we were onshore within minutes. I had read in other reviews that there would be taxi's at the pier but we only saw shuttle taxi's that didn't just drop you off at places....most would wait 30 minutes and then would leave if you were not there! We ended up taking a tour that would take us to the turtle farm, the rum cake factory, and to Hell for $20.00 per person for two hours....not bad at all so we did that. The tour guide was extremely friendly and took us on a small tour of the island and talked about it's history. I learned that gas is about $6.00 a gallon and milk is about $7.00 a gallon! The natives wait until the milk almost hits its expiration date and then it goes on sale for 1/2 price and then the buy it and have to hurry up and drink it. Most goods on GC are expensive because it has to be imported in. We went to Hell....not too impressive but at least we can always say I went there! Went to the rum cake factory and had a lot of samples of cake and rum....if it's free it's for me!LOL Then we went to the turtle farm. The girls were very impressed with the farm so that made it worth the trouble. After the tour, I took the girls to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. I had the infamous $60.00 Mac and Cheese (that cost $6.00...LOL) and the girls had hamburgers. As some of you know, I am a big Beatles fan and collecter and I was happy to look behind me to see a scarf John Lennon wore on his NYC photo shoots hanging up! There was also a gold record for the Beatles single "Hello/Goodbye" and a hunkalicious photo of Andy Gibb! We then went back to the pier and was back onboard within minutes.
We did eat in the dining room again and it was once again excellent. The kids went to Camp Carnival that evening, I don't need to tell you where my mom went, and I hung out with some of my fellow S&S'ers.
Day Five : Cozumel
This is one of my favorite ports because there are so many fun places to visit. One place I had not been before was Paradise Beach. Because of so many wonderful things I had heard about the beach, because so many of the S&S'ers were going to meet there, and because of PB Tom, that's where we decided to go. We took a cab to the beach (12.00 each way) and were among one of the first S&S'ers there. The first thing I did was introduce myself to Tom and he is such a nice guy! He set aside a section just for the S&S'ers and told us that there would be special perks for us all day long. I picked a chair under a umbrella close to the water and ordered soda's for the girls and the good stuff for me I don't know if they were always this way or as a favor to the S&S'ers, but Tom's drinks are pretty strong! After the second one, I started feeling a little happy!! And I felt guilty because I had my girls with me so I had to sober up....yeah I know, no fun whatsoever!LOL The girls had lunch and played in the water for most of the day while I had fun just visiting with everyone and relaxing out in the sun. Paradise Beach was an excellent way to spend the day in Cozumel and it will always be my favorite spot to visit from now on.....Thanks so much Tom!!
We were back onboard about 4:00 and ate a late lunch/early dinner on the lido. Once again, the humburgers were great. After we ate, we took showers and laid down until the girls could visit Camp Carnival. That evening I took the girls to the late show and pizza afterwards.
Day Six: Last Sea Day
The girls and I had breakfast in the dining room and the service was a little slow this morning, probably due to it being a sea day. No big deal....we were fed! The oldest wanted to do some Camp Carnival activities with some of her buddies and the youngest didn't want to go so I took her to the kiddie pool on deck twelve. Most people don't realize this pool is here. It is about 1 1/2 foot deep and was the perfect size for my youngest. We visited the pool three times before and only saw one other child in it. We spent most of the morning up there. Later, we met up with the oldest DD and had a late lunch on the lido. The rest of the afternoon, we explored the ship, picked out goodies in the shops, and rested.
We went to the dining room that night and I had the Prime Rib again since it was so good the first formal night. I had such a great time with my tablemates all week so we said our good-byes and took pictures. Then the kids went to Camp Carnival and I went to the casino with who else...my mom! LOL She really didn't have much luck in the casino the whole week but she came out about even. But on this night, she got lucky. She hit a jackpot on a quarter slot and won $500.00! Then she out in $10.00 in a dollar slot and came out with $250! Not too big of a win but enough to make it worth her while. We then went to the Conquest Legends show and really enjoyed seeing the pax involved in the show. We went back to the cabin and packed and put our bags outside.
Day Seven: Back in Galveston:
We woke up early in hopes that things were going smooth and we could get started home since we had a nine hour drive ahead of us. About nine, we left the cabin and went up to the casino to wait for our color to be called. According to what the CD was announcing, there was some problems with customs and those who were trying to sneek off early so there was a delay in debarkation. Finally about 10:00, they started calling colors. It seemed like it took forever between colors and finally....at 12:30 our color was called. We were the next to last color called off. Because we were on the Rivera deck, we had to be the last deck called. For that reason alone, I will never book the lowest deck again. Then we had to wait in long lines for customs and FINALLY...at 1:45, we got through customs and I was the last person in line. I was a little mad because I had never seen such confusion at this pier and this was my third time sailing from here. So I hailed a cab back to the hotel so we could get the car. Finally at 2:00, we got to start our long journey home. Debarkation sure put a cloud over the rest of the cruise at that point.
Things to mention:
All of the staff I encountered on this cruise were great! I had one of the best room stewards and dining room staff I ever encountered. They were very cheery at the pursers desk...that was a first!LOL
The ship was exceptionally clean! Staff was always about cleaning and the ship looked great!
Camp Carnival staff was wonderful! My youngest had such a great time. Something I forgot to mention was that she won third place in the kids Halloween costume contest! My oldest had a great time with her group as well. Since it was Halloween, they got to enjoy trick-or-treating and a party as well. My kids never wanted to leave.
I wish I would have had more time to enjoy S&S activities but I was so busy with the kids I missed out on so much. But I was very glad to meet everyone and had a blast spending time with them! If I can talk the DH into going on S&S 3 (which is not looking too well now) I hope to cruise with you in 2007!
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gurlwithbaggage
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 01:58 am | 5th Post |
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goincruisin wrote: Great review so far Kristy!! I agree about the weather that first day... that was the worst I had seen. There was actually vomit on the floors in the halls... ugh. The dr said that over 100 people had been seen that morning before 10AM!!!!!
Thank God I didn't see the vomit! I was shocked that I wasn't sick....I remember you looked a little green that day, though! My mom felt queasy and spent most of the day just laying around.
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Adios
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 02:08 am | 6th Post |
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| Nice review Kristy. Those seven day cruises are hard to beat. They spoil you. Thanks for sharing.
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hstrybuf
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 03:03 am | 7th Post |
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| Thanks Kristy! I have never cruised with my kids or my mother so I wondered how things might work.
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BAMA X 2
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 03:15 am | 8th Post |
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Nice review. I cant wait to get to PB net month!
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nhrich
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 12:31 pm | 9th Post |
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| Great review Kristy. Sounds like you all had a blast.
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OceanGirl
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 01:07 pm | 10th Post |
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Great review, Kristy!!!!!!!!!
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Brangwen
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 03:21 pm | 11th Post |
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| Mucho Thanks Kristy! Although I still can't stop laughing about the "Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits"... LOL! Have you ever seen "Little Nicky"? (definitely not a kids movie! LOL)
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corina
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Posted: Mon Nov 13th, 2006 08:26 pm | 12th Post |
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Great job on the review.
Your stay at the Quality Inn made me laugh.We stayed there last year before our cruise and apparently the maid had quit her job so we had to go through 4 rooms before we found one that was ready for guests..
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gurlwithbaggage
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Posted: Tue Nov 14th, 2006 02:31 pm | 13th Post |
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Brangwen wrote: Mucho Thanks Kristy! Although I still can't stop laughing about the "Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits"... LOL! Have you ever seen "Little Nicky"? (definitely not a kids movie! LOL)
I love Little Nicky! The bad part about being on that side of the hotel is that I could hear what everyone ordered in the drive-thru and it got annoying at times. Even if you had the balcony door shut you could still hear it.
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Brangwen
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Posted: Tue Nov 14th, 2006 02:44 pm | 14th Post |
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gurlwithbaggage wrote: Brangwen wrote: Mucho Thanks Kristy! Although I still can't stop laughing about the "Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits"... LOL! Have you ever seen "Little Nicky"? (definitely not a kids movie! LOL)
I love Little Nicky! The bad part about being on that side of the hotel is that I could hear what everyone ordered in the drive-thru and it got annoying at times. Even if you had the balcony door shut you could still hear it.
"Hey idiot... I got your DAMN BISCUITS up here asshole"! 
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