KmomChicago

Depends what all they added on, like insurance, Cheers, what room type.

@PistolPete13, I really, really enjoyed this review. I shall enumerate the ways. 1. Because you are a relatively new cruiser, you do not take for granted certain details that others might not notice or mention. Your perspective and way of speaking to us are both very pleasant and enjoyable. 2. You are not jaded by too much cruising or too many fond memories against which you critically compare each voyage. Often I read a review from someone claiming extra credibility (i.e. I am Grand Poobah level on Line A and Top Dawg on Line B and Big Kahuna on Line C and this was the WORST CRUISE EVER). Maybe if they have 800 days at sea they are getting sick of it, there is zero novelty, the misery of long flights/drives to port is killing the joy before they get to the terminal, and it's time to rejuvenate with some new experiences. Just maybe. You, Pete, are free of this bias. 3. The photos. YESSSSSSSSSS. 4. I am a slightly experienced cruiser (no hifalutin' loyalty levels) but have never tried NCL, just circumstances have not worked out yet. But I recently brought it up to serious contention for something maybe a couple years out. Your timing is very convenient for me as I begin my research. 5. THIS IS A NEW SHIP AND THE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW! Always a winner to be one of the first reviews! 6. Just thanks. Well done. See you next time.

Right there with you! Big 3! Big 3!

Right, and in any case, they can't start until the ship is cleared. . . whereas self carry can also start around the same time, when the ship is cleared.

Your bags are in the process of being taken off the ship by porters or crew while the self carriers are on their way. You would just be waiting in the baggage area where there’s hardly anywhere to sit instead of waiting comfortably somewhere in a lounge onboard.

This is why I always break the rules about filling up on the bread!

Somebody likes this ship.

We walked around Nassau briefly that afternoon. My husband liked the police uniforms. Returning to the pier, Enchantment had sailed away giving us a view of Carnival Pride which headed out soon after.

Land, Ho! Approaching Nassau for 3pm arrival/overnight in port after Princess Cays was canceled due to rough seas making tendering unsafe. Look at those other ships welcoming us in! They were all leaving that afternoon and some of their passengers enjoyed watching the unexpected arrival of another neighboring vessel before their departure. This is fancy pants Oceania Riviera. And over here RCI Enchantment of the Seas. Like Sensation at the time, one of the older ships of her fleet, now 3rd oldest as of October 2022.

Nearing Nassau we finally had some sunshine but it was chilly as seen by the people in Serenity all bundled up, exactly what we were trying to avoid going south for the winter. Hot tubs were well used but pools were not.

Kmom here and the now teen are short people so it’s not always easy for us to see anything unless we get front row seats at various shows. Carnival’s aft theaters often have limited sight lines. Second night we started with front row to the side on the floor, then tried a few bepoled or beglassed balcony options before realizing we were better off where we started , crook in neck notwithstanding.

Various interiors highlighting Sensation’s well-known purple tone. You had, let’s be honest, clashing hues of magenta and deep indigo with additional splashes of yellowish. It was a lot for the eye to take in but at least it wasn’t sterile or beigeified.

Atrium.

Our inside cabin. With the trundle bed out the whole cruise it was our most cramped feeling room ever on any ship. Should have found one with an upper berth and will try to do that if we ever sail the remaining Fantasy class ships. shower stall size was pretty good but the dreaded curtain!

I don’t know if this video will work. It shows our main show lounge table wobbling at showtime first night due to rough seas as well as being an old slightly wobbly table in the first place. IMG_4298.MOV

First night, Hasbro the Game Show.

We went straight to Guy’s burgers for our first meal. While eating a hostess - the lady at the left in the dark ponytail - offered us the opportunity to do a kitchen tour at dinner sampling all the night’s menu options. We agreed! Photo op right after boarding. It was rainy so they were under cover. We were given a private walking your of the ship which was very helpful to get our bearings. We were the only ones to show up at a posted activity on Lido so the intern was happy to show us around.

First look at Carnival Sensation, January 2, 2018 Parking at Port of Miami right across the street from the terminal. Easy for our oversized dual cab pickup truck. Line outside terminal. Nasty overcast weather was a harbinger of the experience ahead. Ship from the checkin desks. FTTF waiting area. We were among the first passengers to arrive. Jean jacketed lady is my stepmom. Blue T-shirt guy is DH. The rest of the Miami terminal.

I'm going to repost a ton of photos from this cruise here. . . I don't understand why they all disappeared over time, though obviously the ship is gone now, RIP old gal. I do remember having a lot of trouble posting. At the time I was new to the boards and it was a real challenge to get photos up at all. Still, they were there at some point and now they are a bunch of dead links. I guess I am posting the photos as an archive for myself of my old cruise, and also for all posterity to the memory of once-great and very flashy looking megaship.

I am re-reading this ancient review of mine (which is like reading your old diary as I have not read it in probably 4 years now) and I went back today and looked up more details on what happened to Norwegian Breakaway as a result of the same storm system that caused our rough seas and cancellation of tender port Princess Cays on this sailing as well as the chilly weather in Nassau that had the locals grumbling as it was about as cold as anyone had ever experienced there. Norwegian Breakaway had really seriously dangerous conditions sailing north through the worst of this storm, leading to a nightmare situation for passengers and a legal mess for NCL, though the ship was back in service after a one day delay. By comparison we had it easy on Carnival Sensation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_2018_North_American_blizzard https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/passengers-sue-after-ncls-norwegian-breakaway-sailed-into-bomb-cyclone-11047882 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/norwegian-cruise-line-passengers-recall-trip-atlantic-ocean-winter-storm-2018/ https://mashable.com/article/norwegian-cruise-line-sailed-into-bomb-cyclone-firsthand-account-lawsuit

Fun going back and reading this now. . . I am re-reading my own review of Sensation just a couple of weeks after your cruise. First time I have read it beginning to end in years. Overall still very glad to have had the opportunity to try out this old ship and the iconic Fantasy class back in the Before (Covid), but it's no surprise five of the eight ships were put out of its misery during that time and now Ecstasy became the sixth to go. More recent reviews are not all that kind to Spirit class ships either - while they have a nice layout and plenty of balcony cabins, they are due for something like the major overhaul of the Sunshine treatment which was done really well on Radiance, making it look like a nearly brand new, modern floating resort. Not that Carnival can keep spending against its massive debt load to do so. With the exception of Mardi Gras (better food, so many options) honestly at this point we have really barely been able to tell a difference in the food on any of the ships. We now have 6 Carnival cruises since 2017, 4 of them since August 2021. Same MDR menus (more or less), similar quality buffet food, Deli, PIzza, Guy's burger, and Blue Iguana. Big Chicken is a nice addition, not sure if/when the rest of the fleet will get that.

I'm no Jamman or Saint Greg or Willdra, but you asked. My first review, on the main site pages, defunct Carnival Triumph March 2017 https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=588711 My first boards review, Carnival Sensation, January 2018 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2473679-carnival-sensation-bless-her-heart-preview-and-report/ RCI Adventure of the Seas to Canada August 2019 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2690612-adventure-of-the-seas-august-3-9-2019-the-oddball-musings-of-kmom/ Second sailing of Carnival Mardi Gras August 2021 Live https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2795422-live-from-steerage-onboard-mardi-gras-now-ask-us-anything/ Last Christmas 2021 Carnival Legend https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2818491-live-from-the-legend-december-19-26-2021-with-kmom/ Carnival Vista without the kiddo April 2022 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2847448-kmom-live-ish-from-carnival-vista-april-23-30-2022/ Shorty on Carnival Radiance June 2022 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2850681-kmom-on-carnival-radiance-semi-live-may-30-june-3-2022-fourth-time-on-carnival-since-resumption-of-cruising/

I agree with this, and I can't understand why they haven't done it yet. Seems like missed business.

I agree with you but this kind of talk gets people branded all sorts of not very nice names. Which I don't understand. It's still a huge bargain.

It's as you are entering the Lido buffet on the port (left when facing forward) side of the ship.