Carnival Sensation - Bless her Heart - Preview and Report

[KmomChicago]

Polynesian Village Resort.

I really did like the shirt but not that much.

 

 

 

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[KmomChicago]

After the cruise we had to head towards home. Stopped for Florida citrus at a tourist trap. The fruit was expensive and not very good. The Florida citrus industry is almost gone.

 

That $1 a bag was a bag with one or 2 crummy looking oranges.

 

 

Hyatt Regency Savannah Ga. There was snow y’all!!

River view with snow.

 

 

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[KmomChicago]

This property has that signature Hyatt Regency atrium.

Skylights

 

 

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[KmomChicago]

Found this cool terrace. Freezing actually. I bet it’s very comfortable when it’s snow free.

 

 

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[KmomChicago]

After the one night in Savannah (same day we got off the ship) we drove to Florence Kentucky and stayed overnight. Our Hyatt Place that night was right by a Meijers store which came in handy.

 

Weather was lousy the next morning so we waited for Cincinnati rush hour to pass before getting on the road one last time. It paid off as there was no traffic to speak of.

 

 

And here’s what Illinois looked like when we got home. The sub zero cold snap had just ended. We were glad to have missed it.

 

 

 

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[pacruise804]

Like shopping for Star Wars stuff? Cause we got it but it ain’t cheap here at Disney Springs.

 

How much was that Darth Vader suit case?

 

 

 

 

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:eek: I've seen similar cases at GameStop for around 75-80. We scored a couple years ago and got our son an R2-D2 case for $20 on clearance. Still holding up well and holds a surprising amount of stuff. (I'm assuming this was the carry-on size, I've never seen full size.)

[KmomChicago]

:eek: I've seen similar cases at GameStop for around 75-80. We scored a couple years ago and got our son an R2-D2 case for $20 on clearance. Still holding up well and holds a surprising amount of stuff. (I'm assuming this was the carry-on size, I've never seen full size.)

 

Yes, this was a carry on size. Way to go on the $20 case!

 

My dad hadn't been to Disney in many years and he was really horrified at the high prices for absolutely everything. Just made the cruise value look that much better!

[Chickenlover8]

Kmom, quick question...you used fttf right? Did you say you get OFF the boat earlier if you purchase this? 28 days to go for us :cool:

[KmomChicago]

Kmom, quick question...you used fttf right? Did you say you get OFF the boat earlier if you purchase this? 28 days to go for us :cool:

 

 

 

Yes on disembarkation day you can get off early. I don’t think this applies to getting off at ports during the cruise.

 

 

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[MrsT.RN8383]

Well, this is why my Triumph review never got here. I can post attachments, apparently, but embedding photos into the posts eludes me so far. If you care to see who Kmom is, go ahead and click. You'll see this picture is not taken aboard any cruise ship. Just a park, somewhere in the rural Illinois backwaters, on a random autumn day. Autumn being the prelude to winter. Winter being a good time to go on a cruise to The Bahamas.

 

I'm the cute one in the middle.

 

 

Your review is amazing and I seriously just made an account for the sole purpose of viewing your picture.:')

[KmomChicago]

Your review is amazing and I seriously just made an account for the sole purpose of viewing your picture.:')

 

Hello Mrs. T! Thanks for your kind words and it's great to have you aboard here at Cruise Critic. I posted that pic just for the 2 people who care enough to ask, "what do these weirdos actually look like? They sound nuts!" I am really glad you enjoyed the review.

[KmomChicago]

Hi, there folks. Kmom here checking back in. Here comes the sun! It feels like spring in northern Illinois this week, which is greatly appreciated as it has been a long, cold, lonely winter (R.I.P. George).

 

It's been seven weeks since we got off the Carnival Sensation and less than four weeks until we board Oasis of the Seas. I see these people here on CC who book 4 or 5 cruises a year, back to back cruises, 'round the world cruises, etc. But that ain't us, not by a long shot. I'm starting to get excited about this upcoming cruise, which was just flat out indulgence and probably some reckless foolishness (as opposed to cautious foolishness).

 

None of that is relevant to today's post, though. I have been giving a lot of thought to our experience in Nassau, bless its heart. This was, I think, my 5th visit to Nassau. I don't like to whine and moan about every little thing, and I knew where we were going when I booked the trip. My husband and I enjoyed Fort Charlotte, the pirate museum, and the thought-provoking Pompey museum, though it covers a very depressing topic.

 

What we did not enjoy was the aggressive chaos of the port area. And guess what? Neither did my not-very-well-travelled parents. Really, I knew all along that was going to happen. They did not go on our Western Caribbean cruise last year because they found Mexico off-putting somehow.

 

I never asked them to elaborate, but deep down I knew whatever they thought they would not like about Mexico would almost certainly be worse in Nassau. A place which my father has made clear he does not need to visit again. And by the way, he did elaborate, and I ain't gonna repeat all of those comments verbatim. Oh, come on, Dad! Nassau means well!

 

My first visit to Nassau was on Premier in summer 1985, and I had seen the Straw Market in about 1,000 printed cruise brochures (mom and I used to pick them up at the travel agency at the mall). I was so excited to check that place out, and I spent about three minutes there total, because, bless its heart, it sucked.

 

The experience of coming through the gates into a foreign country to be greeted by a bunch of pushy, shouting solicitors trying to get you into their cab, is frankly, just completely creepy. It feels like you are being attacked. There is nothing calm, welcoming, or beautiful about that first 5 minutes or so in Nassau.

 

I'm old and jaded and also mellowed now and I have had the unimaginable good fortune over the years to take three trips to Europe, one to Asia, and one to South America, in addition to covering much of the North American continent. This has included a wide variety of travel experiences to places where I loved the people, where I was a bit afraid of the people, and where I just wanted to get away from the people. Nassau does not bother me, but I can probably take it or leave it.

 

So the question is: WHY do they still behave this way in Nassau? I get they are trying to make a living, but you would think Atlantis has shown the population that Americans like nice, orderly, polite stuff, not all of this shouting and pushing and demanding. Has it never occurred to anyone to just cool it and back off a little? I know full well that they have been welcoming hundreds or even thousands of visitors several days a week for DECADES. Surely enough of us will be separated from our cash without all that relentless shilling.

 

Methinks that a gentler approach might actually prove MORE lucrative to the native Bahamians than this nasty gauntlet they force us through. Anybody care to weigh in on this?

Edited February 27, 2018 by KmomChicago

[missholly24]

Hello LakeLadyJ and welcome to Cruise Critic! Now that you're here I hope you won't be a stranger. Thank you for the encouragement. That kind of flattery is guaranteed to get you even more of my so-called-wisdom, and you will be glad to know more photos are coming.

 

I predict your first cruise will be a spectacular experience because:

 

1. Cruising is awesome

2. There is nothing quite like the "newness" of that first cruise, and

3. That great attitude! Going in planning to love it has a lot to do with actually loving it!

 

In spite of the occasional grumbly, "they need to scrap this old barge" type of review, the fact is most people I see on these ships are obviously having a good time. There is a bit of a learning curve and almost a guarantee that you will learn something that you would have done differently "if you had known" but those details are so unique based on all of our own preferences. I enjoy this learning process as much as the rest of any travel experience.

 

The vast majority of people never post reviews at all, but the thirst for revenge seems to be just enough motivation for a few to put their anger into words for all to see. You sometimes see a review from someone who joined Cruise Critic last week, and they say, "this was our 17th cruise and by far the worst!" Really, you never joined before to tell us about the other 16 wonderful cruises over the past 20 years, but couldn't wait to get home and start spitting this venom at us because some grubby, noisy kid splashed you at the pool?

 

I don't let a whole lot of stuff get to me, but it grates on me that those negative nellies skew the ratings for ships that provide an excellent overall value for your average low-maintenance, working class person just looking to get away for a few days without going bankrupt. Yourself, for example. So go have a ball and please tell us all about it.

 

Haha. Have to add, as I am typing this, my mom is on the phone with my dad and stepmom and guess what the 3 of them are talking about? Yup. This cruise we took. This AWESOME cruise.

 

No truer words ever spoken!

[KmomChicago]

No truer words ever spoken!

 

 

 

Thank you Miss Holly. Your name is my favorite girl’s name ever, so much that it’s the name of my only child. She loves her name too.[emoji7]

 

 

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[KmomChicago]

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

[KmomChicago]

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.

[KmomChicago]

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.

[KmomChicago]

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.

[KmomChicago]

First night, Hasbro the Game Show. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[KmomChicago]

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.

 

 

 

[KmomChicago]

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!

 

 

Edited October 30, 2022 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

Atrium.

 

 

 

[KmomChicago]

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.

Edited October 30, 2022 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KmomChicago]

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.