The review with photos, a daily program and a sample dinner menu is available at Ship Parade. Have "fun"!

But this ship is already giving me a headache by looking at the pictures.
Can't Carnival keep this kind of trash on their own side of the Atlantic? Costa is bad enough as it is.

We were docked next to her in Naples beginning of September. I was with a friend who knows absolutely nothing about ships. When I mentioned she was brand new, he replied rather surprised as he though the design was looked so bad....bearing
mind he is an architect :-)

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Originally posted by oslo dutch:

Can't Carnival keep this kind of trash on their own side of the Atlantic? Costa is bad enough as it is.

Reint

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Bart, another great addition to your site!! How do you take photos with so few passengers/crew in them?

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Originally posted by oslo dutch:
Can't Carnival keep this kind of trash on their own side of the Atlantic? Costa is bad enough as it is.

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It would seem that Europe is getting a taste for 'trash'.

Another nice job as always, Bart.

[ 11-07-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

I sailed on CARNIVAL CONQUEST during a mid-Summer sailing at 110% capacity. I felt it was one of the worst designed ships I've ever sailed, and vowed never to sail on another Conquest/Destiny Class ship again (well, I never say never!). There were long lines for everything (especially buffets), a severe lack of deck space, extremely small pools for 3000+ "guests", insulation issues with cabin doors (you could hear every word spoken in the corridor), and a really poor Promenade Deck which only had one access point on each side of the ship. Besides these issues, I felt the layout was awkward for a new ship and there were many bottlenecks. It was a week of constant people EVERYWHERE and no place to escape but the cabin ... and even then I could never sleep in as every person speaking in the corridor felt like they were right over my bed.

I think Carnival has an excellent product for what it is, and in most cases I feel they are under appreciated by those who have never sailed them. In general I've found the food, service, and entertainment to be a notch above rival lines like Princess, NCL, and Royal Caribbean ... and even better than HAL, Celebrity, and Cunard in some respects. This being said, I was very disappointed with the Conquest Class. I'll take the Spirit Class any day ... I feel those ships truly represent Carnival at it's finest.

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Originally posted by eroller:
I sailed on CARNIVAL CONQUEST during a mid-Summer sailing at 110% capacity. There were long lines for everything (especially buffets), a severe lack of deck space...

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I sailed on 'Explorer of the Seas' in August and I must say, although you were never ever alone wherever you went, this 'class' of vessel handled the crowds well.

RCI seem to be some of the best designed big mass-market ships.

[ 11-08-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

I sailed on 'Explorer of the Seas' in August and I must say, although you were never ever alone wherever you went, this 'class' of vessel handled the crowds well.

RCI seem to be some of the best designed big mass-market ships.

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I admit I've never sailed a Voyager Class ship during the Summer months (and don't want to) so I can't speak to their crowd control regarding children. I can say the design of the Voyager Class is superb and light years ahead of the Destiny/Conquest Class. I have sailed VOYAGER OF THE SEAS at 100% capacity, and the ship never felt crowded. I could find a place to sit at the pool, I could swim without hitting 10 kids, and I didn't have to wait in a line 30+ people long (no exaggeration) for a burger and fries.

A huge fault in the design of the Conquest Class IMO are the kids/teen facilities. They are located right in the middle of the adult Promenade. Do you think the kids hang out in their club? Of course not. They loiter in front of it (in the Promenade) 24/7 and try to get in the adult disco and drink out of cans that look like beer. Getting past this gang of kids was difficult at best during the wee hours. There was an alleged rape of an underage girl on my CONQUEST cruise, and I truly have to wonder if putting the teen disco directly next to the adult disco didn't somehow contribute to this?

Give me a Voyager class anyday. As a matter of fact I will be back on the Navigator three weeks from Saturday. Looking forward to it.

As usual, excellent photos. Many thanks for your efforts!

I have to admit, I'm jaded when it comes to Farcus' interiors. After so many ships that look the same (the same, this is, as far as 'over-the-top-ness' is concerned), I look at this latest entry and think, so what? I mean how many times can he re-hash the same formula? Repetative motifs, twinkly lights, contrasting colors, and kitschy themes can only go so far.

And I do agree with Ernie,....the lay out is terrible. Having been on both the DESTINY and CONQUEST, I've concluded that, after the DESTINY entered service, they should have shredded the blue prints and started over.....

Please don't take my comments as being directed in anyway towards you Bart,....your review as well and the fantastic photos are most appreciated; it's the, 'you've seen one and you've seen 'em all' feeling I get about Farcus' interiors.

Thanks,

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Originally posted by eroller:

I sailed on CARNIVAL CONQUEST during a mid-Summer sailing at 110% capacity. I felt it was one of the worst designed ships I've ever sailed, and vowed never to sail on another Conquest/Destiny Class ship again (well, I never say never!).

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Hi Ernie,

You are absolutely right in saying that with less passengers on board and this being a special sailing, Carnival Liberty probably felt less crowded than it would do on a Spring Break cruise to the Caribbean...

Still, I do remember sailing on Explorer of the Seas with a group of 2,000 -how shall I put this- elderly people on board, which created an atmosphere that was unlike anything I have ever experienced on a ship. Or sailing on Grand Princess where an army of Britney Spears lookalikes occupied all pools 24/7, making it impossible to swim or even get your toes wet. Or see people fighting for deck chairs on Grandeur of the Seas.

What I'm trying to say is that a cruise is only as good as your fellow guests...

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Originally posted by linerguy:
I have to admit, I'm jaded when it comes to Farcus' interiors. After so many ships that look the same ..

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I enjoy exploring ship and experiencing the various themed rooms onboard - you know; maritime bars, traditional pubs, themed dining rooms etc. However, Carnival only have one theme, 'Madness'.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Carnival’s new ‘Pinnacle’ project sounds exciting until one remembers that all of the interior decor will be probably exactly the same as all their other ships. Externally it will probably look very similar to.

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Malcolm,
I don't think Carnival's Project Pinnacle will look like any cruise ship we have seen before. It's supposed to be revolutionary, not evolutionary. In fact it's so different than what is considered "typical" for today, that even Carnival is not quite sure the market is ready for it. I would like to see Pinnacle ordered soon, but it may not happen for a few years. Time will tell and the market will dictate.

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Originally posted by Bart:

What I'm trying to say is that a cruise is only as good as your fellow guests...

Take care
Bart

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Hey Bart,
I absolutely agree that your fellow passengers can make or break a cruise. This being said, I also think the design of the ship plays an important role. With ships getting larger and larger, and even so-called "luxury" ships carrying 2600 passengers (QM2) these days, the overall design becomes paramount to the enjoyment of the cruise. How well the ship handles 3000+ passengers relates directly to how long you will have to wait in lines, how the passengers flow from one room to the next, and *if* you will be able to secure that prime chair up on deck.

Some ships are just designed better than others. My experience has led to my conclusion that the Destiny/Conquest are a poor design. Of course this hasn't stopped them from becoming the cash cows of Carnival Cruise Lines or quite popular in the eyes of many passengers. So in the end I guess you could say they are very successful, but not from my personal standpoint.

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Originally posted by eroller:
It's supposed to be revolutionary, not evolutionary. In fact it's so different than what is considered "typical" for today, that even Carnival is not quite sure the market is ready for it.

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Ernie, that may be all 'sales' talk? In the same way that FOS is 'innovative' or in my opinion just a stretched 'Voyager' class.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Ernie, that may be all 'sales' talk? In the same way that FOS is 'innovative' or in my opinion just a stretched 'Voyager' class.

However, I'd love to see some real innovation from Carnival.

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Actually, there is no "sales talk" as Carnival has been VERY quiet about Pinnacle and has released no details. My information is from insider sources at Carnival and comments I've read from the shipyard in Italy.

I can assure you that Pinnacle is not a Conquest Class ship on steroids, or any other ship for that matter. Pinnacle is will something new and never seen before.

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Originally posted by BigUFan:
Hey Malcolm, your idea about the floating amusement park might not be far off. What else can Carnival do? RCI beat them to punch on the surfing pool, so maybe a ferris wheel and bumper cars will follow? Wait, maybe a skateboarding halfpipe....

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