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My review of the carnival sensation 1/20-1/23 2011

Lightninggirl

By Lightninggirl,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Lightninggirl

Lightninggirl

Posted
Posted

This was my first time going on a cruise and I have mixed emotions.

Here's what I enjoyed about the cruise:

  • The staff was very friendly and they went out of their way to help . I saw the staff cleaning the ship constantly, they were always wiping down the handrails, sweeping the floors and cleaning up spills in the buffet line.
  • There was always something to do, the staff did a good job of keeping people entertained. The cruise director was hilarious and he put on some good shows. The 80's show was fantastic, I loved it!!
  • The room was a decent size and the housekeeping staff kept it clean.
  • During the captains celebration I got 3 whiskey sours for free!!! Which I felt made up for all the price gouging I experienced during the cruise.
  • The music was really good throughout the cruise. The bands were very talented

Now, here's what I didn't enjoy about the cruise ( Besides from the terrible motion sickness, which I can't blame carnival for):

 

  • The screening process and xray machines are a joke. I had a lunch tote full of soda cans and the guy asked if I had cans. I said yes, I have soda in there. To which he replied: Okay. Really?? I could of been lying , I could of had beer cans in there and he could of cared less.
  • The screening process and xray machines were also a joke when I got back to port canaveral at the end of the trip. While going through customs, I forgot to fill out the paper all the way. The officer brought that to my attention, asked if I had any produce or live plants in my bag. I replied no and again I got the same response: Ok. I could of smuggled a whole bahamian in my bag and they would of cared less.
  • The food of the sensation was horrible. The desserts looked pleasing to the eye but were disgusting to the stomach. I noticed alot of people left food on their plate myself included.
  • While my room was cleaned it also smelled like smoke every time I entered the room. I also had to ask at least 4 times for some hand soap when I first got into the room, only to be told I wouldn't get any until that night. That made no sense to me.
  • The show curves was a hit and a miss, mostly a miss. They sang the song Barbie Girl. The worst song ever made!!! They also had some men singing I'm so pretty with no shirts on, that kicked up my gag reflex.
  • The prices for drinks was such a ripoff. Especially since I could of brought a rum distillery in my bag and gotten away with it. 10.50 for a drink that came in a cup the size of a child's cup you get at a restaurant. But the free drinks at the captains celebration was a nice surprise.

All in all it was fun. The bahamas was beautiful, the people were very friendly ( I had been told that the people in the bahamas can be pushy when it comes to taxi rides, but I didn't find them pushy at all) and I was glad that the ship was docked all day and night so I could enjoy the view.

 

I will go on a cruise again, but it will be awhile and it won't be on the carnival.

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travelntreats

travelntreats

Posted
Posted

Well if you were not pleased with the CCL experience for some of the issues you stated.... you will find that other cruiselines may not be all that different, i.e. drink prices, xray, security and maybe even customs. Food is so subjective and what may have been poor quality to you, may be acceptable to others. Entertainment on ships/cruiselines is not that much different, but again some like it and others do not.

 

You liked the bahama's, and I personally will avoid that port of call when possible.

 

But you posted your personal review, and I am sure others will find it interesting as I have... thanks for taking the time

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afcj1

afcj1

Posted
Posted
This was my first time going on a cruise and I have mixed emotions.

 

Here's what I enjoyed about the cruise:

  • The staff was very friendly and they went out of their way to help . I saw the staff cleaning the ship constantly, they were always wiping down the handrails, sweeping the floors and cleaning up spills in the buffet line.
  • There was always something to do, the staff did a good job of keeping people entertained. The cruise director was hilarious and he put on some good shows. The 80's show was fantastic, I loved it!!
  • The room was a decent size and the housekeeping staff kept it clean.
  • During the captains celebration I got 3 whiskey sours for free!!! Which I felt made up for all the price gouging I experienced during the cruise.
  • The music was really good throughout the cruise. The bands were very talented

Now, here's what I didn't enjoy about the cruise ( Besides from the terrible motion sickness, which I can't blame carnival for):

 

  • The screening process and xray machines are a joke. I had a lunch tote full of soda cans and the guy asked if I had cans. I said yes, I have soda in there. To which he replied: Okay. Really?? I could of been lying , I could of had beer cans in there and he could of cared less. You're right...but these folks are not going to scrutinize each person, they pick & choose. In the big scheme of things, does it really matter?
  • The screening process and xray machines were also a joke when I got back to port canaveral at the end of the trip. While going through customs, I forgot to fill out the paper all the way. The officer brought that to my attention, asked if I had any produce or live plants in my bag. I replied no and again I got the same response: Ok. I could of smuggled a whole bahamian in my bag and they would of cared less. Same thing...these folks are not going to scrutinize each person, they pick & choose. Again, does it really matter?
  • The food of the sensation was horrible. The desserts looked pleasing to the eye but were disgusting to the stomach. I noticed alot of people left food on their plate myself included. When I was on in November, the food was very good. Of course it's always subjective.
  • While my room was cleaned it also smelled like smoke every time I entered the room. I also had to ask at least 4 times for some hand soap when I first got into the room, only to be told I wouldn't get any until that night. That made no sense to me. Yes, I called for a plumber and and never saw one.
  • The show curves was a hit and a miss, mostly a miss. They sang the song Barbie Girl. The worst song ever made!!! They also had some men singing I'm so pretty with no shirts on, that kicked up my gag reflex. I went to the adult comedy shows and the piano bar - lots of fun.
  • The prices for drinks was such a ripoff. Especially since I could of brought a rum distillery in my bag and gotten away with it. 10.50 for a drink that came in a cup the size of a child's cup you get at a restaurant. But the free drinks at the captains celebration was a nice surprise. Yes, the drinks are expensive, but didn't you know that going into it?

All in all it was fun. The bahamas was beautiful, the people were very friendly ( I had been told that the people in the bahamas can be pushy when it comes to taxi rides, but I didn't find them pushy at all) and I was glad that the ship was docked all day and night so I could enjoy the view.

 

I will go on a cruise again, but it will be awhile and it won't be on the carnival.

 

As I mentioned above, I was on the Sensation in November and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a shame that you didn't find Cruise Critics prior to your cruise, so you could have done a little bit of research.

 

IMO, it's also hard to judge the true aspects of a cruise when your 1st one is only 3 days long. Did you go to any of the adult shows, the disco, piano bar, etc? I'm a believer that you can have as little or as much fun as you want while on a cruise...but you're the only one that can make it happen:)

 

If you enjoyed cruising, I'd give CCL another try, since they really do have a decent product for the price.

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Lightninggirl

Lightninggirl

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Posted

I'm sure you don't mean for your remarks to come off condescending, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Of course I went to the piano bar and the disco, that's why I posted that the music was really good throughout the ship.I also said the cruise director was funny and he had really good shows. I'm very aware that this was my first cruise and it was only for 3 days. Does that mean I can't comment on my experience. I could never go on a 7 day cruise, that's way to long for me. Some people like carnival some don't. I'm sure it's the same way with every cruiseline, regardless of how long their trip was.

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SexyK

SexyK

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the review. My first cruise was three days and we went to Bahamas. I had a nice time, but it wasnt what I expected. But I made the best of it. Then I decided to try it again and now im on my ninth one in Dec. I know the drinks can be a little expensive but I find if you buy the drink coupons before its not that bad. Or like I did on my last cruise I ordered from Bon Voyage, it was a little pricey but I didnt have to worry about racking up a high tab. But again thanks for the review. But dont give up on cruising just yet try it again. Next time take either Dramamine or ginger tablets they work great.

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nchikk

nchikk

Posted
Posted

 

The screening process and xray machines are a joke. I had a lunch tote full of soda cans and the guy asked if I had cans. I said yes, I have soda in there. To which he replied: Okay. Really?? I could of been lying , I could of had beer cans in there and he could of cared less.

 

The screening process and xray machines were also a joke when I got back to port canaveral at the end of the trip. While going through customs, I forgot to fill out the paper all the way. The officer brought that to my attention, asked if I had any produce or live plants in my bag. I replied no and again I got the same response: Ok. I could of smuggled a whole bahamian in my bag and they would of cared less.

 

The prices for drinks was such a ripoff. Especially since I could of brought a rum distillery in my bag and gotten away with it. 10.50 for a drink that came in a cup the size of a child's cup you get at a restaurant. But the free drinks at the captains celebration was a nice surprise.

 

 

Screening at embark...they're also looking for things that may compromise safety and security. How many weapons made it on board? How much illegal drugs made it on board? How many powerstrips? In the grand scheme of things, your cans of soda weren't really posing a threat, were they? So why should they make a stink about it? Maybe had they taken your cans, you'd have felt better?

 

I don't recall a screening or x-ray at debark...only customs. Have you ever flown in from another country? The customs officials at the airport ask similar questions and if they like the way you look they'll let you go without any delay. Maybe you'd have preferred they go through every little thing you had in your bags? Stripsearch maybe? Also, Carnival has nothing to do with this process...it's US Customs and Border Patrol.

 

Drink prices...lets say you could get a drink for $4.00...ok, drinks are cheap...but you think the cost of the cruise would have been the same? It would have probably been about 30-50% higher, to make up for loss of alcohol revenue.

 

I certainly don't mind complaining about stuff...nothing is perfect and there is always room for mimprovement. But if you complain, I think it should be a valid complaint, and to me, these weren't.

 

But that's just me, what do I know?

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dcorp

dcorp

Posted
Posted
I have all the FunTimes and FunAshores from the 4-day prior to this one..1/16-1/20. If you'd like those, let me know!

 

I would! We're going 2/13-17 and would love to get a glimpse at them!

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SadieN

SadieN

Posted
Posted
........................

 

The food of the sensation was horrible. The desserts looked pleasing to the eye but were disgusting to the stomach. I noticed alot of people left food on their plate myself included.

 

 

While my room was cleaned it also smelled like smoke every time I entered the room. I also had to ask at least 4 times for some hand soap when I first got into the room, only to be told I wouldn't get any until that night. That made no sense to me..........

 

 

We've learnt to avoid almost all the baked desserts. The soft serve gets almost all our business. On buffets people always seem to take alot on the first go around. We take puny portions then go back for the stuff we like.

 

It's unfortunate that your room smelt of smoke. Your room steward has a 'magic potion' that eliminates the smoky smell. How much time did you spend in the Piano Bar or casino? Smoke tends to cling to certain fabrics. It's possible that it came back with you.

 

Could you have used the body soap from the shower to wash your hands until you got your handsoap?

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Rosefloater

Rosefloater

Posted
Posted

IMO, it's also hard to judge the true aspects of a cruise when your 1st one is only 3 days long. Did you go to any of the adult shows, the disco, piano bar, etc? I'm a believer that you can have as little or as much fun as you want while on a cruise...but you're the only one that can make it happen:)

 

I don't think that the OP would've enjoyed the piano bar where smoking is allowed and is very smoky if they are complaining about the smoke smell in the cabin.

 

To the OP - I too have found there was no hand soap when I 1st entered the cabin. I just used the soap in the shower. The drink prices are comparable to those on land. I have learned not to get most of the desserts (not worth the calories:D). The only desserts I truly look forward to are the mousses.

 

The agents know what to look for at the customs screening when you debarked. It is also hit or miss at how well you are searched at the scanners at embarkation. 1 time a security guard checked all of my water bottles to make sure they were sealed and I didn't have any clear liquor in them. But they did miss all of the airline bottles in my luggage.:D Another time they didn't even look at the bottles.

 

All of your concerns can happen on any ship of any cruiseline.

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Distilled1

Distilled1

Posted
Posted
PM me with email addys..I'll send em over.

 

IF I could figure out the BB software :eek:

as I would love to see them we are going in may bring a group of first timers with us and I am trying to teach them all I can prior to arriving so I can enjoy my time on the ship ! ;)

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laststop

laststop

Posted
Posted
PM me with email addys..I'll send em over.

 

Doesn't look like I'm allowed to PM? I don't see an option to PM you and when I click on private messages in user CP, it brings up a blocked page.

 

email to chaneyj at gmail dot com

 

Thanks!

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afcj1

afcj1

Posted
Posted
I don't think that the OP would've enjoyed the piano bar where smoking is allowed and is very smoky if they are complaining about the smoke smell in the cabin.

 

 

Actually, since there's no longer any smoking allowed at the bar itself, it makes going to the piano bar a little bit more enjoyable. I'll always check it out, since it's a "hit or miss" if there are a lot smokers or not.

 

The piano player was the best I've ever heard on any other ship. I'm bad at names, so I don't remember who it was.

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momonthego17

momonthego17

Posted
Posted
does anyone know if there is a formal night on the 3night sensation? Also do they serve lobster at the formal night? RCCL advised us they only do lobster on 7 day or longer wasnst sure if this was the same!

 

We were on the Sensation in September to Nassau and they had a formal night (second night) with lobster.. We all had 2 each, oink :eek:!

 

I loved our short but sweet cruise, especially since we had a balcony. I thought the food was fine and I appreciated the care that Carnival's staff took with my sister's dietary needs. We had ordered vodka and rum from Bon Voyage and that really kept our bar bill down. Also the bottle of wine/champagne that we could bring on board in our carry on helped as well. We loved our cruise so much, we booked a longer one for next Thanksgiving!

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Knights on the Beach

Knights on the Beach

Posted
Posted
I'm sure you don't mean for your remarks to come off condescending, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Of course I went to the piano bar and the disco, that's why I posted that the music was really good throughout the ship.I also said the cruise director was funny and he had really good shows. I'm very aware that this was my first cruise and it was only for 3 days. Does that mean I can't comment on my experience. I could never go on a 7 day cruise, that's way to long for me. Some people like carnival some don't. I'm sure it's the same way with every cruiseline, regardless of how long their trip was.
Since you didn't mention the piano bar and disco in your first post, there was no way for anyone to know whether you went or not. Of course you can comment on your cruise -- that's what we do here. However, you should also expect that people will reply to your post, and they may not always agree with you.

 

We've been on Sensation twice -- both times before they revamped it and added balcony cabins, Serenity Deck, etc. Loved it both times and would do it again. We've never had a problem finding food we like on any cruise (Carnival or other). Do we like everything we try? Of course not, but there's so much food available, we can always find something we like. If you had no soap in your cabin, I can see that would be an issue. Not really sure if that's what you mean or not.

 

As far as the screening process goes, Carnival doesn't have anything to do with that. They are NOT going to open and go through every person's luggage if that's what you were expecting. They only do that if they feel they have a reason to do so. It sounds like you had an easy embarkation and debarkation, but you're complaining about it? Maybe I'm misunderstanding but that's how I read it. Not being condescending, just the way I see it.

 

Our first cruise wasn't what we expected either. We thought it was going to be like the Love Boat. lol Things have changed a lot since then, and cruising is now one of our favorite ways to vacation.

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momonthego17

momonthego17

Posted
Posted
What is bon voyage? and how much were your bottles? I have been on a few trips to the bahamas but all on RCCL excited to try out Carnival.

 

I called Bon Voyage after I had made final payment on our Carnival cruise and ordered a bottle of Absolute and a bottle of Appleton Rum. When we got on board, the bottles were in our cabin with a bucket of ice. We brought 6 small cans of guava nectar and 12 small bottles of cranberry juice and a couple of cokes in our carry on. You are also allowed to bring a bottle of wine or champagne per adult in your carry on. See the list below. We didn't finish the Absolute or Appleton's and brought them home with us.

 

We have cruised on RCI before and loved it, but having Bon Voyage and carry on makes for a real savings.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Bon Voyage 800-522-7648 as of 2/22/10

__________________________________________________ __

Rums:

Capt Morgan Spiced $55, Gosling, Appleton VX, Bacardi $40.

Malibu $55

__________________________

Vodkas:

Absolute Citron, Stoli , Skye and Finlandia $40

Grey Goose, and 3 olives $60

__________________________

Gin:

Beefeater $40

Slow Gin $40

Bombay Sapphire $55

__________________________

Canadian Whiskeys:

Canadian Club and Seagram’s 7 $38

Crown Royal and Jamison $55

___________________________

Scotch:

Dewar’s $60

Chivas Regal $60

Johnny Walker/Black $70

___________________________

Bourbon:

Jack Daniels $65

Maker’s Mark $60

Jim Beam $38

___________________________

Tequila:

1800 - $55

Margaritaville $40

Salsa Hornitas (Sp) $60

Patron Silver $70

___________________________

After Dinner:

Raspberry Liquor $40

Frangelico $45

Jagermeister $60

Chambord $60

Limoncello $60

___________________________

Amaretto:

Disaronna $45

___________________________

Brandy

Courvoisier $55

Apricot, Blackberry, and Cherry $40

___________________________

 

Smirnoff Ice - Citrus $5.75

 

___________________________

Beer:

Bud/Bud Light 16 ounce $5.75

Miller/Coors Reg/Lite 12 oz bottle $4.95

Heinekin 12 oz bottle $4.95

Amstel Reg/Lite - $4.95

Michelob Ultra $5.75 16 oz

Corona – 12 oz bottle - $4.95

Fosters – Large 750ML $6.75

 

Beer is sold as singles. The prices do not differ for a case.

 

Red Bull Reg/Sugar Free $4.75 (8.3 oz)

 

Mixers (soda’s/juices) are the same price as the bar. $1.95 for a can of soda and $1.75 for juice.

 

Fresh Lemon and lime can be ordered from Room Service [/font][/color]

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