Earlier this year, I sailed on Carnival Conquest for an amazing 14-day Journeys cruise. The Conquest is one of Carnival’s oldest ships in operation and I was curious: How will a ship from 2002 compete with all of the new megaships we’ve been on over the past year? As always, I recorded my complete thoughts on YouTube. I shared what I loved, didn’t love, and hated about the Carnival Conquest.
Before we look at my review, I want to share a little bit about of the history you may not know about the Carnival Conquest and Conquest-class of ships.
Conquest Class of Ships
Carnival Conquest is the namesake of the Conquest-class of ships for Carnival Cruise Lines. Carnival touted the fact that her design was based on both the Destiny- and Spirit-class of ships. Mickey Arison, then CEO of Carnival Corporation, had this to say:
“The Carnival Conquest is simply stunning. Joe Farcus has done an outstanding job designing the ship’s elegant Impressionist-inspired interiors and there is no question in my mind that we have successfully taken the very best of Carnival’s ‘Spirit-‘ and ‘Destiny-class’ to create a new class of vessel that will set a new standard in cruise vacations… We’re so confident in the success of these ships that we have committed a $2 billion investment in ‘Conquest-class’ alone.”
That $2 billion dollar investment saw the launch of Carnival Conquest and four sisters: Carnival Glory, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty, and Carnival Freedom.
This class of ships holds a particularly special spot in my heart as my first-ever cruise was on sister Carnival Glory. I fell in love with the ship so much that, on the way home, we booked our next cruise – this time, on Carnival Conquest!
Carnival Conquest History
Carnival Conquest officially launched in 2002. It’s fascinating to read about her inaugural features – several that we’ve only read about or seen leftover on “dotty board” signage. Some of those spaces that are long-gone include a rotisserie that served broiled chicken and steak, wine and caviar bars, and even a cigar bar!
In 2012, Carnival Conquest received her “Fun Ship 2.0” enhancements giving her all of the Carnival favorites we’ve come to know and love. She received Blue Iguana Cantina, Guy’s Burger Joint, RedFrog Rum Bar, Blue Iguana Tequila Bar, Punchliner Comedy Club, Playlist Productions shows, along with the now defunct EA Sports Bar and Hasbro the Game Show entertainment options.
In late 2017, Carnival Conquest went back in to dry dock for cosmetic enhancements and hotel updates. At this time, she was also outfitted with the line’s popular Adults-only Serenity area.
In her most recent drydock in 2022, she received the new Carnival livery along with the line’s first-ever dedicated pickleball court.
Her next slated dry dock is scheduled for 8/22/2025 – 9/30/2025. Carnival has not yet released details of what will occur during this time.
Carnival Conquest in 2024
So how does a 20+ year old ship hold up and compare to all of the newer ships out there? Check out my full review of Carnival Conquest in 2024 to find out. I share a bunch of cruise tips throughout the video to help you make the most out of your time on this classic Carnival ship.
Further Reading
If you’d like an even deeper dive into the Carnival Conquest, you can check out this fantastic Carnival Conquest PDF that Carnival Cruise Line published. It features all of the ship’s specs, dining venues, bars and lounges, entertainment offerings, and more.
Have you sailed on Carnival Conquest? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or over on YouTube!