CFhoneybee

Cruising on the Sensation out of Miami (May 30 - June 3).  We're renting a car after we get off of the ship so that we can sightsee around Miami and drive back up to Pompano Beach where we're staying before we fly out of FLL the next day. 

It's been a couple of years since we last cruised, and we have never rented a car right after debarking the cruise.  Since the Sensation is a smaller ship, debarking all passengers shouldn't take THAT long, but I can't remember what time we were off the ship when we sailed her back in 2015.  What is a good time to set our rental pickup time? 

1 hour ago, c-leg5 said:

 

I have only “looked at” CnC so can't really give an opinion on what it is like for children. However, It is right next door to Paradise so I would think the beach must be similar. I would take into consideration the pool at Paradise just in case ocean conditions are not favorable on the day (seaweed etc). 

 

Of course since they are next door to each other you could try CnC first and if not suitable walk round to Paradise, and check them both out. No need to buy water sport package if you don’t want it.

Thanks, c-leg5.  That's what we'll probably end up doing since they're next door to each other.  Good call on the pool - ocean/seaweed conditions will be a huge consideration!

For those who have been to Carlos n Charlie's, are kids going to have a good time there?  The day we're there on June 1st (arriving at noon, leaving at 10pm), there will only be 3 ships in port, with the other 2 ships leaving at 4:30p & 6p, so it's not going to be a crowded day.

There are 4 adults & 2 kids (12 yo & 2 yo) in our group, and none of us are big drinkers, so we're not interested in AI.  We really just want to get on the beach to get some sun & ocean time, and let the kids play in the sand & water (we're bringing a couple of sand toys for the 2yo). All of those water toys & inflatables is a nice-to-have, but I don't think we'll really end up playing on them much. PAYG is totally fine, but having to pay an entrance fee is a little ridiculous.  We've looked at Paradise & Palancar, and would like some feedback on CnC.

Hi CheersPkg4Us! I'll definitely post a review & pictures after our cruise, and I'll also do a comparison of 2015 vs. 2019.  Yep, Sensation had the Serenity deck back in 2015. I remember coming back to the ship after our excursion in Freeport, and saw that the Serenity deck was mostly empty so my hubby & I both grabbed a couple of loungers. We both ended up taking naps, and I woke up only because of the ship's movement pulling out of the dock. I guess I had been napping for almost 2 hours by then, and Serenity was PACKED with people. The Bahamian heat & humidity really drained my energy, that I didn't hear or notice any of them until after I woke!

My first cruise was on the Sensation back in August 2015, with my then-fiance (now husband) & a group of friends.  It was a Bahamas 4-day to Freeport & Nassau with one sea day, and it was so much fun!  We had such an incredible time, that my husband & I knew that we wanted to keep cruising.  We went on our second cruise at the end of October 2016 on the Miracle (a Mexico 7-day to Cabo San Lucas & Puerto Vallarta with 3 sea days), and we're now gearing up for our 3rd cruise at the end of May!

I know I had written a review of that first cruise & posted a ton of pictures here on Cruise Critic a few months after the cruise, but when I went to look for it to read it again, I couldn't find it 🤨  In any case, I remember that we had such a wonderful time at the ports, on the ship, and with our friends. (Good reason to pull up the digital photo album of that cruise, so that I can reminisce...!)   I'm glad my introduction to cruising was on the Sensation, as my experience wasn't full of distractions that all of the mega-ships have today.  While the Sensation is an older ship, it has a charm about it that I don't think you can feel or see on the mega-ships. Definitely a good way to "get your feet wet"!

We're gearing up for our 3rd cruise at the end of this coming May (only 77 days, as of this posting, til we set sail!), and it happens to be on the Sensation once again.  We're going to celebrate my hubby's 40th birthday, and his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew are coming (this will be their first cruise).  When we booked it, we selected the cruise based on dates (nephew is out of school for the summer) & ports (we wanted to visit new places), and we didn't bother looking at the ship.  Lo and behold, we noticed it was the Sensation!  I think this will be a good cruising intro for my in-laws, don't you?

I'm excited to see the changes & updates that were made during Sensation's dry dock (hello Blue Iguana & Guy's Burgers!), and compare all of it to when we sailed her back in 2015.  I've started looking up recent reviews (from the past 1-2 years), and really appreciate those who post their experiences (good & bad), as well as pictures.  The biggest change for us, is that we have our daughter (who will be 2 at the time of sailing) coming with us, so she'll be a first-time cruiser too!  (What better time to start building her cruising status, huh? 😊👍 )

Now begins my search for tips on cruising with a toddler, as well as the best things to do in port (Key West & Cozumel) with a toddler!

Happy cruising!

Hi cheezfrys - our (my hubs & me) first cruise was on the Sensation back in 2015.  We had so much fun, and knew that we wanted to keep cruising.  Since we had nothing else to compare it to, despite all of the research I did prior to the cruise (on Cruise Critic, and other sites online), we went into the cruise with completely unbiased and fresh eyes.  While the decor was definitely dated, that didn't matter one bit to us.  We were on VACATION!  We did as much and as little as we wanted, and truly made it our vacation.  There really is something for everyone, and you'll have no problem meeting other people.  Definitely join the roll call for your cruise so that you can start conversing with others beforehand.

We've been on one other cruise since then (on the Miracle), and we're booked on another cruise this May on the Sensation.  When we booked it, we were looking at dates & ports, and didn't see which ship until after.  We're sailing May 30th.  When are you sailing?