First Cruise Tips for Couples on the Carnival Conquest

My husband and I have had a long year since our last vacation as a couple. We have travelled as a family within the year but as most know, that is anything but a relaxing vacation. I absolutely love taking along our children but there are times where mom and dad need to reconnect. I’ve never been on a cruise but when my eyes laid upon the Carnival Cruise Line’s Conquest port line-up, I knew hubs and I needed to hit the sea and here are our first cruise tips.

We travel often; luxury resorts, camping or weekend getaways are at the top of our list but we have never considered a cruise until now. Once we stepped onto this beautiful ship we realized what we’ve been missing.

The Carnival Conquest Cruise Ship

Arriving into the lobby of a ship with a the capacity to accommodate 2,980 guests struck us with it’s grandness. Between farm, family and jobs, my husband and I are always so busy that we never really have time to spend on each other. The Conquest was loaded with everything we could imagine, a resort floating at sea for us to reconnect in a Carnival playground.

First Cruise Tips

1.) Explore the amenities of the ship.

As soon as we dropped our bags in our room, we were off to explore the ships various amenities. We were invited onto an 8 day cruise through the Southern Caribbean, stopping in Grand Turk, Dominican Republic, Curacao and Aruba, with fellow bloggers Sober Julie and Tammilee Tips  for a couples experience. Being our first cruise, it was nice to meet friends who had been on a cruise before.

It wasn’t long before we found the spa. Cory and I don’t often spoil ourselves but when we vacation together as a couple, we do like to spend time pampering ourselves. We met the lovely ladies at the spa where we received a couples bamboo massage and let me tell you, it was bliss. It was the best massage I have had and left us feeling spoiled; what a great way to start a cruise!

2.) Have fun and take advantage of extra events or features on the ship.

Previous to our cruise we knew we’d be boarding on Halloween. Cory insisted we bring costumes, ghost pirates to be exact, and after our massages, dressing up was the last thing I felt like doing but I’m glad we did. We enjoyed the atmosphere of the ship with laughs, good drinks and live entertainment in the main lobby. Later we made our way to the nightclub where we entered into a costume contest.

The costumes were entertaining, it was impressive to see what some guests came up with and how elaborate they were. Although we only made it to the final round, we enjoyed the cheers and dancing the night away.

Tip: If you are cruising on a holiday, bring along some fun costumes. We only brought one costume for Halloween night but several guests dressed up almost every night of the cruise.

3.) Relax and enjoy the atmosphere. 

After a fun evening out filled with costumes, dancing , it was lovely to step out onto the balcony to watch the water and sunrises (or sunsets) and breath in the ocean air. One morning as we were getting close to port, we saw 6 dolphins play in the waves of the ship right below or balcony. What a perfect start to the day with my wonderful husband.

Prior to our first cruise, I was concerned I may get motion sickness. I didn’t notice it until I was laying in bed and the ship was rocking on the first night. To be clear, the rocking was hardly noticeable; the ship picked up speed at night and slowed during the day so naturally at night you would notice it more. I took an anti-nauseant and I was fine; I wasn’t motion sick for the rest of the cruise.

Tip: For those of you who might be worried about motion sickness, bring along an anti-nauseant. We were located at the end of the ship were the movement was more noticeable; you may want to choose a room located in the middle where it’s less likely to notice.

My friend, Tammilee, came down with pneumonia on our trip and she was worried about seeking medical help aboard the ship for fear of cost but she found out that fear was unfounded and received exceptional care in the infirmary.

4.) Make friends and reconnect with each other.

We spent the days enjoying the sun, pool, food and afternoon naps. When we ventured to the top of the ship, there were basketball and volleyball courts my teens would have loved and a mini golf course. Golfing with friends, a frosty beverage in hand, and a hole-in-one off the coast of Haiti at sunset is note-worthy.

It was nice to be cruising with friends; spending dinner together, laughing over the many birthday’s Julie had and venturing off at each port together was a lot of fun. Cory and I don’t often spend time with friends at home because our lives our jammed so this time together as friends was cherished. There were times Cory and I spent alone as a couple that was just as momentous. We truly had time to reconnect, love each other and enjoy each others company again without interruption. Uninterrupted couples times in itself is a big deal.

Tip: If you’re travelling with kids, you can still experience couples time with the security of knowing your children are safe on board with the qualified staff of the kids club. We have teens and toddlers who have very different needs and interests but we felt satisfied that all needs and interests would be met. If you want to leave the ship for an excursion, you can leave you little ones safe on the ship where they will have a blast in kids club.

5.) Try something new together.

I can’t come back from a cruise and not talk about the food. Cory and I find eating food an experience and the Carnival Conquest had more than enough options to satisfy our foodie tastebuds, all day long. We knew our wait staff by name, and they knew ours. In fact, with over 2,900 guests, it was impressive how most staff did know our names.

I’m not much of a burger and fry gal but had to try Guy’s Burger Joint; there is only one word to describe this, delicious! If I could recommend a burger, it would have to be the Ringer. I am not embarrassed to say Cory and I ate there more than a few times, and snacked in between.

Cory and I enjoyed our first cruise immensely; we left renewed and with a new appreciation for our relationship. We’re already planning our next cruise but this time with our children. We explored the ship to find out if it would be a good fit and found safety, security and programs to suit the needs of all ages of our children with the ability to still spend quality time as a couple. If this is your first time considering a cruise, either as a couple or as a family, let these first cruise tips set your mind at ease and don’t let the unknown hold you back.

If you liked this post, check out 9 Reasons for a First Family Cruise on the Carnival Magic and my other travel posts, pin it on Pinterest or follow along for other travel posts on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.

Disclosure: We were on a press trip with Carnival Cruise Line; all opinions are our own.