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A Short Carnival Sensation Review!


ScottyZkaaayk
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Hey everyone, my name is Scotty and here is a short review of our cruise (and trip) on board the Carnival Sensation.

 

I traveled with my boyfriend, FabJay94. Yes, we are a gay couple (please refrain from any negative comments.) He is 23, I am 26 and we both live in Arkansas. We are both college-educated and we work in nursing.

 

We sailed on the Carnival Sensation on September 16th through the 21st. We went to Nassau, Half Moon Cay, and Freeport; all in the Bahamas. We chose this cruise specifically because of the ports (I know you shouldn't do that since your ports aren't guaranteed but we really, really wanted to see the Bahamas). We were originally scheduled to stop in Grand Turk but Hurricane Maria (which came through just a week before) had other ideas so that port was switched to Freeport.

 

We absolutely LOVE road trips so it was decided very easily that we would drive down to Miami from where live before the cruise. We left home at about 9:30 PM Thursday the 14th and just took our time driving while stopping every few hours to switch drivers, potty, and stretch our legs. We had already booked a hotel in Melbourne, Florida for Friday night since we thought it would be best to stop there, sleep, and be well rested for when we finally arrived at the port as opposed to driving the whole way and sleeping the first day away on the ship (I learned very quickly that it is, in fact, a "ship" and not a "boat", eek!).

 

I am probably the most impatient person in the world and I absolutely hate standing/waiting in lines so we decided that Faster To The Fun was a must! We were lucky enough to have been able to snag it at the time of booking. It sure was worth it. When we got to the port around 1130ish, we parked, quickly located a porter (is that what they're called? I forgot) for our luggage, found the FTTF line, went through security, and was on board by noon so it was a very quick process. I was extremely impressed since I did prior research and thought the boarding process would be much more complicated.

 

I've read that the Sensation is one of Carnival's older ships and extremely outdated but it did not seem that way to us. Of course, with this being our first cruise, we haven't been any newer/fancier ships to compare it to. Sure, the décor seemed to have an 80's Las Vegas thing going on and it was VERY purple but it was nice and I enjoyed it. I didn't run into any problems with something being broken or not working except for the PYOB kiosks on Lido; they always seemed to be "out of beer". Oh well. I didn't have any problems with the smell of smoke in the casino or anywhere on the ship that others have complained of. The ship always seemed clean and fresh.

 

We had a balcony room, M229, to be exact. We absolutely loved having a balcony. Although we didn't use it as often as we would have liked, it was still a well-worth price to pay. I found myself sitting out there often, just enjoying the sounds and staring at the stars. Also, there's nothing quite like waking up and going straight out on the balcony to see where you're at. Surprise when you find yourself already in the Bahamas! Our cabin was nice and had plenty of storage. Our cabin steward was very nice, as well. He did everything we asked without hesitation. The bathroom was nice and also offered enough storage for us. (FabJay94 is a high maintenance person and I swear he has a whole luggage just to "get pretty" so plentiful bathroom storage was a must.) We had no complaints about our room or balcony. The only thing that bothered me was our neighbor kept their balcony light on literally all night long and it would have been nice to have complete darkness out there but it wasn't really too much of a bother.

 

We liked everything we ate for all meals. We used the Main Dining Room every night for dinner except for one, which we used the lido buffet. For lunch, we used the Lido buffet, Guy's Burgers, and the Blue Iguana Cantina. Loved absolutely every single one with the Blue Iguana being my personal favorite. We also tried the 24 hour pizza place but we weren't impressed with it at all. We never got around to trying the deli but the menu had a lot of options for cold and hot sandwiches which I probably would have tried on a longer cruise. We also ordered sandwiches and cake through room service most night after we got back to our room (usually around 1AM to 2AM). They delivered extremely quickly and the food was always fresh and no complaints on the taste either.

 

On the final day of the tour, we participated in the Behind The Fun tour (which you have to book at the shore excursions desk AFTER you board the ship). It was very neat seeing where all the crew worked, hung out, and lived while on board. The engine room and bridge were off limits due to a "medical emergency" that was taking place so we were compensated for part of the cost of the tour but it was still neat. We didn't get to meet the captain or see the bridge (which is what I was looking forward to the most) but Carnival took care of us and I was still impressed.

 

We went to the Broadway-type shows in the main lounge as well as a few of the 18+ comedy shows; unfortunately, we weren't able to make it to the family-friendly comedy shows but I later hear that the adult only shows are funnier, eh. We also went to several activities around the ship such as Bingo, the art auction, and the Love and Marriage show. We loved every single show that we saw.

 

We didn't have an excursions planned. We decided we would just walk around and experience the culture as we explore the ports and just enjoy the beach in HMC.

 

Nassau was the first port we stopped at. It isn't exactly the cleanest place in the world. There was trash on the streets and a bunch of buildings were old and seemed abandoned. We walked to Junkanoo beach. It was probably about a 10 or 15 minute walk from the ship. There was a lot of people there but it still seemed as if there was plenty of room for more people. We each purchased a coconut to drink (where they take an actual coconut, chop it open, and literally stick a straw in it).... it was gross. I thought it was the most disgusting thing in the world. Oh well, it was only $3 and now I can say I tried it. From there, we went to the straw market which I will probably avoid in the future. Once they see you and know that you are a tourist, they become like hawks and hunt you down. My boyfriend has a hard time saying, "no" so that place was a nightmare for us but we did end up with some really cool souvenirs so I can't complain too much. We walked down Bay Street which is the main shopping district of the town. Found a bunch of really cool deals and ended up with some Bahamian rum. We walked around some more, found a place to try some fresh conch fritters (we weren't really impressed with them either), found the place to get our passport stamped, and got back on board. I would probably go back if I wanted to enjoy Junkanoo beach or walk down Bay street again but I would definitely stay away from the straw market.

 

Our next port was Half Moon Cay and it was ABSOLUTLY AMAZING! Whenever you think of paradise or ask someone to describe paradise, Half Moon Cay is what they describe. Soft white sand, clear blue water, It was just nice. We enjoyed the free buffet on the island as well. The food wasn't the best but it wasn't bad. We started out on the beach but ended up in the shade on the top floor of the pirate ship bar due to the heat. We mainly just relaxed and enjoyed the beach and water here. We had bought some snorkel gear prior to the cruise and attempted to try it out here but didn't see much.

 

Our final port was Freeport. It was a VERY industrialized port. We walked around mainly and did a little shopping but we were back on board probably around noon. We found some good deals here but, for the most part, there really isn't much to do in Freeport unless you were willing to take a taxi to a different part of the island or book an excursion.

 

We loved our cruise so much that we already have a second one booked on the Dream out of New Orleans. This time, my mother will be with us and this will be her first cruise so I'm really looking forward to it!

 

I really can't think of anything else to comment on so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I do have some pictures and I'll get them posted whenever I can.

 

Thanks for reading.

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Thanks for the review! Now, you're HOOKED, like the rest of us...:D

Just wait until you get to some of the Caribbean islands, as opposed to the Bahamas! Although, I do agree with your comments about Half Moon Cay, which is pure paradise for me!

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I loved your review!! Your mentioning of FabJay94 and the bathroom storage almost made me spit my coffee out laughing. All I could do is think of my good friend, and how he would review it. I've passed over some good deals on this ship, but it sounds like maybe we should give it a try.

 

Thanks,

Cynthia

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Great review! We were recently on the Sensation, too. It was our first ship in 2008 and we decided to take another quick trip on her this year. She's old but great.

 

And I am so glad I'm not the only one who hate the coconut! My husband, dad and kids all thought it was the greatest thing in the world, especially with rum. Did you use the machete to crack it open and try the meat inside? My hubby was like a little kid and wanted a video of himself cracking open the coconut!

 

Glad you had a great trip!

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Great review. I would say try Nassau and Freeport again. We were able to find two beaches at each one that were beautiful and we enjoyed. One was cabbage beach , we took a taxi there after viewing Atlantis. It was very pretty water and we did water sports there like banana boat. The taxi picked us up at the designated time and took us back to port. It was about 20.00 per person . This was in June 2017, we cruised the freedom out of Galveston.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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I loved your review!! Your mentioning of FabJay94 and the bathroom storage almost made me spit my coffee out laughing. All I could do is think of my good friend, and how he would review it. I've passed over some good deals on this ship, but it sounds like maybe we should give it a try.

 

Thanks,

Cynthia

 

I know it's so cliché but I always think, "Don't knock it till you try it." We were a little weary about going on the Sensation due to the fact that it is an older and smaller ship but I definitely don't regret it one bit. I would love to sail on her again in the future.

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Great review! We were recently on the Sensation, too. It was our first ship in 2008 and we decided to take another quick trip on her this year. She's old but great.

 

And I am so glad I'm not the only one who hate the coconut! My husband, dad and kids all thought it was the greatest thing in the world, especially with rum. Did you use the machete to crack it open and try the meat inside? My hubby was like a little kid and wanted a video of himself cracking open the coconut!

 

Glad you had a great trip!

 

I didn't! Although I would have been afraid I'd chop my own hand off trying to crack open the coconut. I'm not really a fan of the coconut meat either so I doubt I would have even tried it, however, it would have been a neat experience if they were to offer it to us.

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Thanks for the review and I hope you'll review your Dream cruise as well. We are booked for the Dream in February of 2019 and eager to go.

 

Aaaah, so far away! Our countdown is at 354 today and I feel like it's torture.. I can't even begin to imagine how you must be feeling. I'm sure the wait will be well worth it, though.

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How did you locate where to get your passport stamped? I’ve asked on here a few times but didn’t get a good reply .

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I've asked on here a few times too but never got a clear answer. We just asked around in the port till we found someone who knew what we were talking about, haha.

 

In Nassau, you go through the big building with security and a "Tourist Information" desk (you have to go through this building anyway when you get off the ship), then you turn right and see a big orange building; that's where you go. You have to go to the guard shack and tell them you're getting your passport stamped and they'll let you through. Just go in the door of the building then down the hallway to the right. It'll be the last door on the right.

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Thanks for your review and glad you enjoyed your first cruise. Sound like you are now hooked. We have become a fan of Junkanoo Beach.There is a man who cooks jerk chicken over an open fire. Really tasty and the beer and frozen margaritas are super cold. :D

 

Perhaps next time we go to Nassau, we may actually just spend the day at Junkanoo beach and take advantage of one of the packages there. We were approached by a local offering two chairs, an umbrella, some food, and unlimited drinks. We said no because we wanted to actually explore the town but maybe next time! I may even try to find this jerk chicken man you speak of. :D

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Thanks for your review! We will be on the Sensation for our first cruise in January, 2018. Your review was the first I was able to find . Thanks!

 

I understand, completely! It isn't as widely reviewed as some of the bigger ships so just thought I'd try to help out (:

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If you would enjoy an excursion next time in Freeport, we always (repeatedly) book the excursion to Gibbs Gardens and Lucaya. The gardens are beautiful and shady, and Lucaya has fun little funky shops and a great little restaurant serving (good!) conch fritters and icy cold Kalik local beer.

 

Thanks for the upbeat review - it’s fun to see again through fresh eyes! We experienced the same first-timer joys 36 cruises ago; glad you’re hooked! Stay excited, each time is a new experience.

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If you would enjoy an excursion next time in Freeport, we always (repeatedly) book the excursion to Gibbs Gardens and Lucaya. The gardens are beautiful and shady, and Lucaya has fun little funky shops and a great little restaurant serving (good!) conch fritters and icy cold Kalik local beer.

 

Thanks for the upbeat review - it’s fun to see again through fresh eyes! We experienced the same first-timer joys 36 cruises ago; glad you’re hooked! Stay excited, each time is a new experience.

 

Thank you; I'll be sure to check it out next time we're there! I'm a biiiig relaxer and FabJay likes to be constantly on the go and doing something so we try to find a middle ground that we're both happy with.

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