Just off the Sensation this morning - questions?

[sns101]

Hi,

 

We cruised on Sensation from 8/2 - 8/5, the three-day Nassau itinerary. Other cruisers have done better reviews recently than I surely would, so I'll just post a few observations. I do have the daily capers, the capers for Camp Carnival ages 9-11 group and Club O2. I'll try to get them scanned and posted if anyone's interested.

 

Some observations:

 

Yes, it really is that purple and neon. Pictures don't do it justice. It's so very Las-Vegas-on-the-water. That was okay by us, but it really gave the whole cruise a vibe, you know?

 

Embarkation was easy. We only needed either a passport (expired less than 10 years is still accepted right now) or a certified birth certificate and official photo ID. In Nassau, we just needed our S&S card and a photo ID to get on/off the ship.

 

The food was somewhat disappointing. I only have the Pride to compare it to, and I thought the Pride much better. The things that were very well done, such as the chateaubriand and pan-seared grouper, were on a par with the best restaurants, but lots of things were only so-so. The whipped potatoes that came with the chateaubriand, for example, had a hard crust like they had sat under the heat lamp too long. I'm sure our waiter (great service) would have replaced anything I didn't like, but it didn't seem worth the effort. I wasn't going hungry, and there were things I liked about every dinner. We didn't go to formal night, since we were enjoying Nassau.

 

The food in the Seaview grill was only so-so. I know everyone raves about the pizza and the reuben sandwiches, so I tried both. The pizza was doughy and not thin and crispy, like New York-style pizza should be. The reuben had the thinnest smear of dressing and a half-slice of cheese, and the rye was toasted dry, not with butter, resulting in a really ho-hum sandwich. The sushi, on the other hand, was excellent. Breakfasts in both the dining room and the buffet were sub-par, with mealy watery eggs on the buffet and overcooked eggs in the dining room.

 

The cruise director, Matt Ross, was good. We don't do/watch things like the newlywed game, bingo or the hairy chest contest, but when we did see him he was personable and funny.

 

DH and I are not fans of Vegas-style shows, but we really enjoyed the 80's show. Definitely worth seeing. We didn't go to the Curves show or the comedy shows, so I don't know if all the shows are that good or not.

 

We saw Captain Leotta more times in three days than I'd seen the captain on a 7-day cruise. He definitely gets out there and walks around. I was impressed. In fact, ALL the staff were efficient, friendly and quick to respond to any request. We really liked our room steward, Levi.

 

Both my 11yo and my 15yo enjoyed Camp Carnival and Club O2, respectively. We barely saw the 11yo because we couldn't drag her out of there. Even my 15yo boy, who is not much of a "joiner," said the Club O2 counselors made him feel comfortable and welcome in the club. The staff in both places were very professional, and I would feel comfortable leaving a child of any age in their care.

 

If you have any specific questions, I'll do my best to answer them. Just keep in mind we're really boring cruisers; we find the quietest deck chair and chill!

[ata1976]

Hi! What did y'all do in Nassau? Please post when you scan in the capers. I have an 11 year old sister so I know she would be interested to.

 

thanks,

[sns101]

Hi! What did y'all do in Nassau? Please post when you scan in the capers. I have an 11 year old sister so I know she would be interested to.

 

thanks,

 

We did the 1/2 day snorkel trip with Stuart Cove. It was fantastic and definitely the highlight of the cruise. Then we had dinner at the Bahamian Kitchen. I posted a review of that in the Ports of Call forum.

 

I'll definitely let everyone know when I get the capers scanned.

[lupee13]

What were the age groups your son saw in club O2 and what was there to do there? i'm a 16 year old girl and just sondering what its like :) and what kind of rooms did you have?

[sns101]

What were the age groups your son saw in club O2 and what was there to do there? i'm a 16 year old girl and just sondering what its like :) and what kind of rooms did you have?

Hi Lupee13,

 

Most of the kids seemed to be 16 and 17. He said he thinks he was the only 15 year old. They did things like have deck parties, late night movies, games like Shout About Music and Battle of the Sexes trivia, some sports tournaments, Texas Hold'em and black jack tournaments, and lots of video game tournaments like Dance Revolution and Guitar Heroes. They had a teen formal and dance party on formal night. He said the counselors were really laid-back but kept things going at the same time. The kids who hung out there seemed to be pretty friendly. There were no charges for any of the activities.

 

We had an inside room across the hall for the kids and an oceanview for us adults. :) The cabins were pretty basic as far as amenities but had more than enough room. It cost the same for two rooms as it did for one balcony room for four, so we decided to spread out. I can't imagine having more than two people in either cabin, as it would get really cramped.

[needtocruisenow]

we are leaving on the sensation this thursday. can't wait. what time did you board the ship. we will be staying near the orlando airport wo we have an hour drive. how was the weather

[debberannne]

Hear anything about the Sensation possibly replacing the Holiday in Mobile at the end of the year?

[silverwolf]

Would the Sensation be a good first cruise? A co-worker of mine is sailing on this ship in October and doesn't want to go. I keep telling him to relax and enjoy. I can't think of a bad ship or a bad time to cruise but he is determined not to enjoy the vacation. His wife booked the cruise for their anniversary and is excited about the cruise.

I am tempted to tell his wife to cancel the cruise. I wouldn't want to be on a ship with anyone so negative.

[lupee13]

Cool! sounds like club O2 is going to be right up my alley!!

 

what did you guys do while in nassau? and your ocean view room(thats what we are in too!) did it have like shampoo and body soap in it? my mom said she heard that they do which means less to pack! lol And how many outlets were in your room?

 

i'm so excited! sunday can't come soon enough!

[firsttimecruiser83]

lupee13...I am sailing with you!!

[truecruiser]

did they debark by deck or by number?

[lupee13]

awesome firsttimecruiser!! how many people are you going with and what age groups?

[HereIam]

Thank you for the review. We will be doing this cruise in January, 1/3, before the kids go back to school. I have a 16 YO and he will be thrilled to know that they have a Guitar Hero tournament.

[firsttimecruiser83]

I am 24 and my cousin is 25...we are a bit older then you!! I am SOOO excited!! Who are you going with?

[sns101]

we are leaving on the sensation this thursday. can't wait. what time did you board the ship. we will be staying near the orlando airport wo we have an hour drive. how was the weather

 

The weather was great over the weekend; I haven't seen the forecast for this weekend. It was very typical Florida weather - in the 90s, sunny and humid.

 

We were planning on boarding between 11-noon, but with the traffic delays we encountered we didn't get there until 1:00. Our cabins were ready when we got there, so I would guess 11:00 is about when they start letting people onboard. Have fun!

[sns101]

Would the Sensation be a good first cruise? A co-worker of mine is sailing on this ship in October and doesn't want to go. I keep telling him to relax and enjoy. I can't think of a bad ship or a bad time to cruise but he is determined not to enjoy the vacation. His wife booked the cruise for their anniversary and is excited about the cruise.

I am tempted to tell his wife to cancel the cruise. I wouldn't want to be on a ship with anyone so negative.

 

If someone is *really* determined not to enjoy it, then I would say no. Compared to the other cruise I was on, it was not as enjoyable. The food was not as good, the decor was a little tacky (just my opinion! and I didn't care one way or the other really), and the cabins aren't as comfortable. I think he would enjoy a larger, newer ship, if he would enjoy cruising at all. If the Sensation was my first cruise, I would be a little disappointed after seeing all those fancy commercials.

[sns101]

Cool! sounds like club O2 is going to be right up my alley!!

 

what did you guys do while in nassau? and your ocean view room(thats what we are in too!) did it have like shampoo and body soap in it? my mom said she heard that they do which means less to pack! lol And how many outlets were in your room?

 

i'm so excited! sunday can't come soon enough!

 

In Nassau we snorkeled with Stuart Cove (an EXCELLENT choice!) and ate dinner at Bahamian Kitchen. If you want to shop downtown Nassau, do that before 5 pm because shops don't stay open late.

 

The cabin did have a dispenser with liquid soap and shampoo. I'm not sure how good it is, but if you don't mind it that's one less thing to pack! There was only one outlet over the vanity; I think there was an outlet in the bathroom but someone told me that one is only "on" when the bathroom light is on. Therefore, you can't plug anything in to recharge there.

[Caliber1]

Did you happen to notice how busy the piano bar was? Or if the piano player was good?

[sns101]

did they debark by deck or by number?

 

Debarkation was by luggage tag color, which corresponds to decks. They also seemed to alternate between upper and lower decks. For example, they called Verandah deck first, then Rivera forward, then Empress, then Riviera aft, etc.

[sns101]

Did you happen to notice how busy the piano bar was? Or if the piano player was good?

 

Hi Jess,

 

The piano bar never seemed too crowded to me, usually up until midnight or so. The piano bar has the oddest decor, though. Black, red and white with hands everywhere. Very 70s. The piano player was good; in fact all the music was good. The only entertainment that didn't impress me was the DJ. He played decent music but he had NO personality.

[sns101]

Hear anything about the Sensation possibly replacing the Holiday in Mobile at the end of the year?

 

No, I didn't. Isn't Carnival still taking reservations for the Sensation out of Canaveral well into 2008?

[divetrash]

Hi Jess,

 

The piano bar never seemed too crowded to me, usually up until midnight or so. The piano bar has the oddest decor, though. Black, red and white with hands everywhere. Very 70s. The piano player was good; in fact all the music was good. The only entertainment that didn't impress me was the DJ. He played decent music but he had NO personality.

 

Do you recall his name? Or can you check your capers?

 

thanks!

[sns101]

Do you recall his name? Or can you check your capers?

 

thanks!

 

 

His name was Carl.

[beccadoby]

I have a 16 YO and he will be thrilled to know that they have a Guitar Hero tournament.

 

Oh no, I never see my oldest during a cruise anyway - HE would at least come back to his cabin by 2-3am.

 

Guitar Hero? Im sure he will just sleep in the teen club now!:eek:

[Knights on the Beach]

No, I didn't. Isn't Carnival still taking reservations for the Sensation out of Canaveral well into 2008?

Yes, but that doesn't stop the rumor mill from working overtime. ;)