A Short Carnival Sensation Review!

[jgaudette3]

We have sailed on the Sensation several times, starting back in 1994. It seems to be one of our favorite ships. Having recently coming out of dry dock for upgrades we are looking forward to our trip in May 2018, back on the Sensation. While yes it is an older ship, the staff and services provided have always been top notch.

[robin13]

I am a seasoned cruiser having 24 cruises under my belt. I booked this ship at the last minute as I had a very cheap casino offer for a inside cabin. This was also my first solo cruise as I couldn't find anyone to go with me as my cruising friends and I just got back from the Breeze on 10/1. I knew that this ship was older and much smaller but it did go through dry dock so I knew that it had some of the upgrades that are on the newer ships. I have to agree with the poster above about the location of the Alchemy Bar. Loved it on the Breeze as it was right near where a great band would play. This location was very strange and the bartenders were very standoffish. I also didn't like that the Serenity area only had 2 hot tubs and no pool. There were lots of very nice loungers but being in the hot tub and the hot sun I really missed a pool to cool off in. Also good luck in finding it as it took me 3 days!! The food in the MDR was much better than my Breeze cruise and I did the Chefs Table which was very good.

 

I had an inside cabin and it was completely different than the newer ships. The bathroom was much smaller and there was no counter space at all! Also no fridge at all and the t-stat is on the ceiling. Funny story is that when I first got into my room it was very stuffy. I immediately looked for the t-stat on the wall as every ship I have been on that is where it is at. I looked over every wall and since I couldn't find it I called as there was no way i could stay in that room with no AC. So I laying on the bed waiting for the guy to come and I look up and see this dial and I laughed. The guy knocks on the door and he comes in and it turns out that the dial was broken so he had to change out a part. After that my cabin was ice cold which is how I like it.

 

All in all on a scale of 1-10 this cruise was a 7. Since I only paid $231 for it I did get my money's worth. If you are a new cruiser you will not notice the differences between the newer ships and the older ones. However, if you are like me and have cruised a lot I wouldn't suggest the older ships.

 

I

[kj_connections]

I am a seasoned cruiser having 24 cruises under my belt. I booked this ship at the last minute as I had a very cheap casino offer for a inside cabin. This was also my first solo cruise as I couldn't find anyone to go with me as my cruising friends and I just got back from the Breeze on 10/1. I knew that this ship was older and much smaller but it did go through dry dock so I knew that it had some of the upgrades that are on the newer ships. I have to agree with the poster above about the location of the Alchemy Bar. Loved it on the Breeze as it was right near where a great band would play. This location was very strange and the bartenders were very standoffish. I also didn't like that the Serenity area only had 2 hot tubs and no pool. There were lots of very nice loungers but being in the hot tub and the hot sun I really missed a pool to cool off in. Also good luck in finding it as it took me 3 days!! The food in the MDR was much better than my Breeze cruise and I did the Chefs Table which was very good.

 

I had an inside cabin and it was completely different than the newer ships. The bathroom was much smaller and there was no counter space at all! Also no fridge at all and the t-stat is on the ceiling. Funny story is that when I first got into my room it was very stuffy. I immediately looked for the t-stat on the wall as every ship I have been on that is where it is at. I looked over every wall and since I couldn't find it I called as there was no way i could stay in that room with no AC. So I laying on the bed waiting for the guy to come and I look up and see this dial and I laughed. The guy knocks on the door and he comes in and it turns out that the dial was broken so he had to change out a part. After that my cabin was ice cold which is how I like it.

 

All in all on a scale of 1-10 this cruise was a 7. Since I only paid $231 for it I did get my money's worth. If you are a new cruiser you will not notice the differences between the newer ships and the older ones. However, if you are like me and have cruised a lot I wouldn't suggest the older ships.

 

I

 

Thanks for the review. Where was your cabin?

[kj_connections]

Thanks ScottyZkaaayk for starting this thread with your review. Nice to hear some positive comments about this ship...I was getting a bit discouraged from reading all the negatives in the reviews section of this ship. I'm sailing Jan 20th and can't wait!

[robin13]

Thanks for the review. Where was your cabin?

 

My cabin was M140 which was deck 5. It was right near the elevators which I like but I usually do deck 7 or 8 and wish that I had done it this time. I found myself walking a lot which normally isn't a problem but I hurt my hip the day before the cruise so I was in some pain most of the time. However, I did take advantage of the Cheers package which cost more than the cruise and after a couple of glasses of wine the pain did subside.

[kj_connections]

However, I did take advantage of the Cheers package which cost more than the cruise and after a couple of glasses of wine the pain did subside.

 

hahaha :D. I'm on deck 5 as well, inside cabin, but in the aft section...guess I'll be walking around alot but good thing it's a smaller ship :)

[Virga]

Thanks ScottyZkaaayk for starting this thread with your review. Nice to hear some positive comments about this ship...I was getting a bit discouraged from reading all the negatives in the reviews section of this ship. I'm sailing Jan 20th and can't wait!

 

We love the Sensation! Actually, we love all the Fantasy class ships, despite their age. If a person is used to brand new megaships, I can see being a little underwhelmed, but they're still awesome - especially to new cruisers. I think they're pretty well maintained, and I think all ships are gaudy so Sensation is just a particularly purple flavor of gaudy =p

 

Honestly, my biggest 'complaint' about them is that there are so few balcony cabins - it's almost never worth the extra money to upgrade, even though we really, really enjoy balcony cabins when the price difference isn't so large. That's alright, we've come to love porthole rooms for pennies on quick getaways! We've had great service, good food and entertainment, and weeks (months?) of fun on these ships - I'm sure you'll have a great time as long as your expectations aren't through the roof.

[Nic6318]

Hi there

 

Read the review, very nice. Cruising seems to have hooked another household. :D

 

I just wanted to comment, while the Bahamas aren't premier destinations, ports like Freeport are definitely worth taking a shuttle to see something (especially if you have never been). If you enjoy beaches, they have beautiful beaches to enjoy. $14 return will get you to one for the day.

[KmomChicago]

My cabin was M140 which was deck 5. It was right near the elevators which I like but I usually do deck 7 or 8 and wish that I had done it this time. I found myself walking a lot which normally isn't a problem but I hurt my hip the day before the cruise so I was in some pain most of the time. However, I did take advantage of the Cheers package which cost more than the cruise and after a couple of glasses of wine the pain did subside.

 

Hi Robin. If you were close to the elevators, why were you doing a lot of walking? My parents just changed from E8 to R149 to get closer to the midship elevator (and the larger window). I had hoped this change would reduce their walking.