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Carnival Conquest - Southern Caribbean

Parking
Used Park N Go near the Ft. Lauderdale airport and port.  We prepaid this time, and it was $69.77 for our 8-day cruise.  Again, super convenient, quick and friendly service.

Ship
Food - Delicious!  Everything was prepared correctly, and the food was great on this boat.  Loved the ceviche available at Fish N Chips.  My favorite breakfast was the huevos rancheros from the Blue Iguana grill.  Guy's Burgers were a little hit or miss, and we missed the Tandoor.  The chefs working the Taste Bar in the evenings were entertaining, and the food quite tasty.

Service - Amazing!  Service was quick and friendly throughout the entire cruise - vastly different than our experience on Splendor last November.

Entertainment and Things to Do - OK, not great.  Good variety of Dive In Movies, and the stage shows were alright.  If you are looking for a more vibrant atmosphere with more things to keep you busy, the Carnival Breeze is your best bet.  If you're looking for relaxed socializing or reading a book, the Conquest will give you that.

Ports of Call
St. Kitts - A member of our group booked a private catamaran tour with Blue Water Safaris. The snorkeling at the cove was a pointless stop as there was nothing of note to see, but the rest of the excursion was really quite relaxing.  Our group of 36 enjoyed the lunch, open bar, and beach stop at Nevis.  I think next time I would explore the mainland.

St. Maarten - We took a taxi to Orient Beach on the French side for $7pp each way ($28 total per couple).  A member of our group had visited the Aloha Beach Bar on a previous trip, so that's where we went.  $16 got us two lounge chairs, an umbrella, and 2 free rum punches/beer.  The place is very welcoming and clean, and the owner, Nat, is a hoot.  We split the chicken wrap for lunch - yummy!  Others in our group had the calamari and shrimp app and really enjoyed that, too.  The water is beautiful there, and it makes for quite a relaxing day.  There are a lot of beach bars to choose from, so I wouldn't be adverse to trying out another one next time.

San Juan, PR - We had a short port day and decided to stay in town for sight seeing and wandering.  We took our small group to Casa Cortes since I loved it so much the first visit.  This is a great place to eat fantastic chocolate creations and get out of the heat for a bit.  Highly recommend a visit!

Grand Turk -  We love GT for its very chilled out, relaxed vibe.  If you want to walk off the ship and grab a lounger, that's easy!  If you want to visit Margaritaville, you can do that, too, but be prepared for high prices on everything there.

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