kruise66

Thanks for the info kruise66. That is the itinerary we have starting April 6. Do you happen to have the Fun Times? Also, do you remember whether the adult pool deck area was really crowded? Just wondering how early I'm going to need to get up.

I didn't keep the Fun Times, but there were lots of activities!

The Serenity deck was busy but not over-packed until the sea day. The morning we were going to be in Cozumel, we got out on deck by 9 am and got our pick of chairs. There are two hot tubs out there, and one was not heating most of the time, but the tubs were not over crowded.

Hello,

We just returned from our cruise on the Sensation; we did the Key West/Cozumel trip. I thought I'd share some thoughts.

The ship looks amazing for its age, despite some bright colors and odd decor. But it was clean everywhere (a few carpet stains here and there), and had new carpeting in some of the passenger hallways. The staterooms were small but very nice. The new pool bars and kids water park are great! Very tropical.

We had rough seas one night, leaving Key West and going across the Gulf of Mexico. Even the crew seemed to say it was rougher than normal.

The activities were pretty good--lots of Bingo, some free food and liquor tastings, deck parties, games, etc. The comedians were good, but they do family-friendly shows earlier, and the adult shows don't start until 11:00 or later.

There is not enough time in Key West, especially when many shops and restaurants aren't even open until 9:00 or 10:00. We took a cab to the southernmost point, then walked back up to the cruise dock, stopping at Blue Heaven for breakfast (AMAZING eggs benedict with choices of toppings), and several bars. Great time, just not enough of it!

Cozumel was gorgeous as usual. The pier (Puerta Maya) has so many shops and restaurants that you can just spend your day there, but for "real" Cozumel, you have to take a cab or excursion. We did the Deluxe Beach, Catamaran Sail & Snorkel trip through Carnival which was a great time. We didn't have to be on board the catamaran until 3:00, so that gave us time for lunch onboard the ship, then some shopping time. The snorkeling on the excursion was good, but they made us stay with the guide so it was more for beginners. The beach, however, was AMAZING and tons of fun. Wish we had more time there. And if you were drinking (beer and margaritas) on board the catamaran, the crew just kept bringing you more! There is also a bar on the beach serving drinks non stop.

Negatives:

• The crew on the Sensation did not seem as friendly as we've seen in the past. With the exception of a few (amazing room stewards, excellent room service, and some of the dining room staff and entertainment staff), most of the staff seemed bored, and even rude at times.
  
• Beware: any "free" offers come with a sales pitch or sales session. The free spa drawing the first day required us to sit and listen to their sales pitch for 20 minutes while they drew a few names. The promotion said they would give free spa services, but the winners just got $50 coupons. Still nice, but not what we expected and it was a little hectic after the muster drill.
  
• The food in the dining room was OK to good, but not exceptional except for the chocolate melting cake, of course, and some seafood dishes. We did like how they had steak, pork chops and chicken as a standard every night, if you didn't like that day's options.
  
• The new Guy's Burger Joint and Blue Iguana (tacos/burritos) are great! They are open in the late morning to afternoon and are almost self-service, and very quick.
  
• The buffet was standard buffet, and was fine.
  
• A tip on food--there is an omelet bar on deck every morning, near Guy's Burger Joint and the Blue Iguana. Good option instead of the breakfast buffet.
  
• Bar service seemed slow everywhere, but the new Alchemy Bar is amazing! A bit more expensive, but worth it.
  
• It was very smoky on Deck 9 by the casino area, which was a bummer because there is a nice bar there.
  

Let me know if you want to know anything else!

:ship:

We just returned yesterday from our trip on the sensation, I have all fun times that I'll get posted as soon as I can. :)

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We are going on the ship soon. Can you tell me if there was a deck party any night? Thanks.

Hello All,

 

Just returned home to NJ after our Cruise on the Sensation. We went for my brother's 50th birthday. It was my brother, my family of 4 (me, wife, 2 teenagers 16,14), and my sister and her two kids ages 9&7.

 

A few quick thoughts on the ship. Even though the ship is on the older side, who cares. Its still a great ship, and looks good. While it may not have the technology and all the activities of the newer ships, there is nothing wrong with the ship itself. They keep you very busy. There are activities scheduled all day everyday. Pick a few and go. You won't be disappointed. We only went to one nighttime show, and it was typical cruiseship style show. It was fine, not great. Good for some laughs with your group.

 

The Key West stop is not long enough. Need to be back on board by 1pm. Not enough time to really do anything in KW. We had fun there though. Irish Kevins at 11am was a great stop for us! We had a nice day in Cozumel. Did a day trip on our own to Playa Mia Beach Club, kids and adults had a great time, not crowded at all!

 

Now one downside to the ship... The food was very underwhelming. I am not a foodie by any means, and I was even disappointed. This was my brothers 26th cruise, and he even said that the food was the worst he's had on any cruise. By no means did it ruin our trip, but it is something that you should be aware of going in. Also, a word of caution in the Main Diining Room. The bar server was awful. Bring a drink to dinner if you are going to want one. Late night, they put a few things out only. It was a bit of a disappointment.

 

The upgrades they made on the pool deck during the dry dock were good. The new bar, and Guys Burgers were a great addition. The burger place is open only during the day.

 

There are two great places to hang out at night. The first place is the bar on deck 9 outside the casino. The band, Barracuda Snakes is great. We sat there and danced for parts of every night. Make sure you see them. The bar at the main lobby is fun too. Lots of people hang out there and they have fun activities there.

 

The bottom line is that the cruises are all about who you are with and what you make of it. Don't let the food options ruin your cruise.

 

I'd be happy to answer any additional questions in more detail..

Thanks, Gary. Were there any deck parties? We were on a similar cruise a few years ago and they did a party on deck after Cozumel.

Thanks everyone!

Yes, there are the standard super low powered hair dryers on the Sensation, if you hair is long or thick I'd suggest still taking your own. Laundry room is standard also so you'll be able to touch up whatever needed with the irons.

Hi. I am confused about the hair dryers. Everything I've read, even the Carnival FAQ site (https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2741/~/hair-dryers) says there are NO hair dryers on Sensation??

I will!

So the Sensation is going into dry dock in February? We are looking at a late March sailing. I hope it will be done on time! The upgrades look great.

This is a GREAT review--so detailed.

How were the tender lines, off the ship and back on, in Grand Cayman and Belize?

This is SUCH a great review! I can't wait to read and see more!