Carnival Conquest

The 2002-built Carnival Conquest cruise ship is the first vessel in Carnival's Conquest-class, with sisterships Freedom, Glory, Valor, and Liberty.

The vessel (IMO number 9198355) is currently Panama-flagged (MMSI 357657000) and registered in Colon.

History - Construction and Ownership

Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) is a US-based shipping company, a trademarked brand, and a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation (the shipowner). CCL was founded in 1972 by Ted Arison (1924–1999), co-founder of Norwegian Cruise Line.

CCL operates the Corporation’s largest fleet by both number of vessels and gross tonnage (GT). In 2023, Carnival Cruise Line held approximately 9% of the global cruise industry’s revenue and 19% of its passenger volume. In 2024, Carnival Corporation had an estimated 51% share of the US$64+ billion cruise market.

The 3,000-passenger Carnival Conquest and her sisterships rank among the largest vessels in the Carnival fleet. These ships are essentially enlarged and more feature-rich versions of the earlier Destiny-class, offering additional decks, more bars and lounges, an upscale steakhouse, and spacious public areas.

Decks and Cabins

Carnival Conquest staterooms (1,492 total, across 27 categories) include 54 Suites, 521 Balcony, 330 Oceanview, and 587 Inside cabins. This includes 25 wheelchair-accessible cabins available in all categories. The ship does not have designated "family cabins" but offers connecting staterooms in various categories. Most cabins range from 170–185 ft² (16–17 m²), with balconies measuring 35–75 ft² (3–7 m²). There are three suite types—Captain’s, Grand, and Ocean. The largest are the Captain’s Suites, measuring 500 ft² (46 m²) plus a 150 ft² (14 m²) terrace.

The vessel has 13 passenger decks, 8 of which contain cabins. Over 50% of all staterooms are outside cabins, and 60% of those have private balconies.

Shipboard Dining Options – Food and Drinks

The ship has two main dining rooms offering open-seating breakfast and lunch. Dinner is available in either open seating or assigned time slots. The casual Lido buffet features a variety of stations including salad bar, deli, dessert station, and rotating regional cuisines. The ship also has an upscale steakhouse (reservations required, cover charge applies), outdoor poolside grills, a specialty coffee bar, complimentary sushi bar, pizzeria, and 24-hour room service with a limited selection.

Here is the full list of Carnival Conquest restaurants and food bars:

• Renoir Restaurant – 744-seat forward Dining Room with two fixed dinner seatings; introduced themed “Seuss At Sea” breakfasts in 2015 ($5 per person)
• Monet Restaurant – 1,122-seat aft Dining Room with two fixed dinner seatings and open-seating breakfast and lunch
• Sushi Japonaise – complimentary sushi bar
• Sushi at Sea – Lido Deck venue offering à la carte sushi, sashimi, and rolls (USD 1.50–7.50)
• Guy’s Burger Joint – complimentary burger bar by Guy Fieri
• BlueIguana Tequila Bar – serves Mexican beers, tequila, and margaritas
• RedFrog Rum Bar – Caribbean-style bar offering ThirstyFrog Red draft beer, rum drinks, burgers, and fries
• BlueIguana Cantina – complimentary Mexican eatery serving burritos and tacos
• Cezanne Lido Buffet Restaurant – 1,396-seat self-service venue with multiple food stations
• The Point Steakhouse – 108-seat specialty dining venue for steaks and seafood; features a dance floor and live music

Shipboard Entertainment Options – Fun and Sport

In 2012, Conquest-class ships were updated with newly branded Carnival bars and a comedy club. Deck parties feature live musical performances and poolside fun. A signature feature of Carnival Conquest is a mural collage with works by Monet, Degas, and Gauguin, adorned with backlit Murano glass flowers. The ship offers 22 bars and lounges, a jungle-themed disco with lotus-shaped stools, a piano bar, a wood-paneled lounge with a smoking section, and a three-level theater hosting Vegas-style productions with live orchestras.

There are four swimming pools onboard, including the main pool with two large hot tubs, a live music stage, and a giant LED movie screen. A three-deck-high Twister waterslide offers 214 ft of thrills. The 4,200 ft² Children’s World playroom includes a computer lab, video wall, PlayStation games, arts and crafts, and toys. Tweens and teens each have their own dedicated lounges—teens enjoy a soda bar, dance floor, arcade, and air hockey tables. The oceanview gym features modern fitness equipment, while Cloud 9 Spa spans 21,000 ft² and includes 17 treatment rooms, a thalassotherapy pool, and a thermal suite.

Here is the full list of Carnival Conquest lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults:

• Toulouse-Lautrec Theatre – 1,400-seat main show lounge also used for bingo, game shows, and movies
• Conquest Atrium Artists Lobby – 9-deck high open space featuring Seven Seas Lobby Bar with live music
• Tahiti Casino (gambling bar lounge with gaming tables and slot machines, upgraded in 2026 with a Non-Smoking Casino section)
• Circle C – complimentary kids’ club for younger guests
• Internet Café – 24-hour access to computer stations
• Blues Bar (100-seat piano bar); Vincent’s Bar (88-seat jazz bar); Taste Bar (complimentary appetizers); Alchemy Bar (custom cocktails)
• Henri’s Disco and Nightclub – 211-seat venue
• Degas Lounge and Bar – 425-seat venue with bar, dance floor, and stage; hosts Punchliner Comedy Club, seminars, and art auctions
• Sun Pool – features two whirlpools, poolside bars, and a performance stage
• Sky Pool – with two whirlpools, served by Sky Bar, Pizzeria, and Grille
• Aqua Park – Stars Pool area with one whirlpool, splash pools, and access to the Twister Waterslide
• Carnival Seaside Theatre – outdoor LED screen for movies and shows
• Spa Carnival – wellness complex; Sports Deck with multi-sports court, table tennis, and shuffleboard; 9-hole mini-golf course
• Serenity – adults-only sundeck with Serenity Bar, two whirlpools, and padded loungers
• Camp Ocean – complimentary kids' club with supervised activities and an outdoor playground; note: Camp Carnival’s kids’ wading pool is no longer available.

In 2026, the SkyBox Sports Bar (deck 5) was replaced with the Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge. The signature CCL venue is dedicated to US military personnel, featuring logos of the five armed forces, memorabilia, and specialty cocktails. A portion of drink sales benefits Operation Homefront. Custom pint glasses are also available for purchase.

Itineraries

Carnival Conquest’s itinerary program is based on roundtrip departures from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, offering cruises to the Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean. Featured ports of call include Cozumel (Mexico), Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Aruba, the Bahamas, Curaçao, Nassau, and Grand Cayman.

(Fun Ship 2.0 upgrade was completed in 2012. Although extensively refurbished in late October that year, Carnival Conquest did not receive the full "Fun Ship 2.0" package due to limited deck space for all new facilities. Conquest is part of Carnival's Conquest-class, along with her sister ships Freedom, Glory, Liberty, and Valor.

The first of Carnival Cruise Line's Conquest-class vessels, Carnival Conquest was built by Fincantieri Monfalcone and began her maiden voyage on November 12, 2002. The ship features French Impressionist-style interior décor that pays tribute to the city of New Orleans. Approximately 60% of all staterooms are Oceanview, and 37% feature private balconies, making the ship a popular choice for families with children.

Carnival Conquest refurbishments review

Drydock 2026

The ship's last drydock refurbishment was in 2026 (February 6-19), at Grand Bahama Shipyard (Freeport).

The project introduced the Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge (Deck 5, replacing the SkyBox Sports Bar), the enlargement and redesign of Tahiti Casino (Deck 5; the gaming floor was rearranged to accommodate a wider variety of games and to create a designated non-smoking section), updates of the youth facilities (Club O2 was fitted with additional gaming zones and refreshed decor) and the WAREHOUSE (video arcade venue was redesigned to support more interactive play experiences).

Retail venues were also renewed. The brand shops (Effy, Pandora, and Swarovski) were fully refurbished.

The drydocking was also for regular maintenance work, classification and safety inspections, machinery overhaul, and hull cleaning/repainting.

Drydock 2022

The most recent drydock was in September 2022 at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, for scheduled maintenance and class works. This included hull cleaning and repainting with CCL's new red-white-blue livery.

During the 2022 drydock, Carnival Conquest became the first ship in the fleet to feature a Pickleball Court, installed on the top deck. The court is part of the SportSquare complex, which also includes a mini-golf course and a full-size sports court for basketball and volleyball.

Drydocks 2017-2012-2009

The drydocking in 2017 was for routine maintenance.

The October 2012 "Fun Ship 2.0" upgrade introduced several signature Carnival venues, including new bars, a burrito bar, sushi bar, burger joint, and a new comedy club presented by George Lopez.

The 2009 drydock refurbishment added new cabin balconies, a large LED screen for the Seaside Theater (overlooking the main pool area), and the "Circle C" kids' club.

CarnaBrazil Cruise 2025

In June 2024, CCL opened bookings for Carnival Conquest's "CarnaBrazil Cruise."

This Brazilian carnival-themed voyage was organized in partnership with Rose Tours (a Pennsylvania-based entertainment travel agency specializing in music-themed cruises) and Brazilian Nites (a Los Angeles-based event organizer focused on Brazilian cultural events).

Next table shows the 3-day themed cruise roundtrip from the USA to The Bahamas.

CarnaBrazil Cruise featured vibrant onboard parades and live performances inspired by the Rio Carnival. Scheduled performers include Brazilian celebrities Zeca Pagodinho (1959-born as Jesse Gomes da Silva Filho, also known as the King of Samba), Roberta Varela de Sá (1980-born singer), Diogo Nogueira (1981-born singer-songwriter), and Pretinho da Serrinha (1978-born as Angelo Vitor Simplicio da Silva, a singer, arranger, music producer, composer, and instrumentalist), along with Monobloco, a Rio de Janeiro-based samba band known for their energetic carnival performances.

In addition to live shows, CarnaBrazil offered unique entertainment, including pool deck parties, samba classes, percussion workshops, meet-and-greets with artists, late-night jam sessions, and DJ sets.