Three days of open bar bacchanalia on Sensation: A semi-complete report with pics!

[DarthGrady]

Special thanks to Hunter Thompson, my inspiration for this trip and subsequent report.

When a friend of mine first told me about a 3 night cruise on the Sensation with open bar I was skeptical. The $500 price tag seemed high for September 23rd, even though it included all fees, gratuities and open bar. I just wasn’t sure that I could imbibe $200 of hooch over a three night cruise. The line of thought was that a three-nighter for that time of year should be no more than $300.

That apprehension turned out to be unwarranted. The alcohol intake of our small group would be impressive to Bacchus himself. Every waking moment involved drinking, laughing and tap dancing on the line between merry making and total social disorder.

For those that are used to my usual sober and methodical pictorials, this is going to be a little different. I have a general recollection of how things went, but the finer points are a slightly blurred. Planning for rowdy times, I left my usual camera at home. My ancient point-and-shoot was on hand to document the happenings; hopefully you all will forgive the photos not being up to normal standards.

[pe4all]

I'm fastening my seatbelt for this review. Love all of yours - this one is sure to be wild and crazy!:D

[DarthGrady]

Day 1, The wonderful world of open bar:

We left home base at around 9 am. The drive to Port Canaveral is just a long high speed run down Interstate 75 and the Turnpike, followed by a brief malaise in the traffic riddled tourist Mecca that is Orlando. After Orlando there was nothing between us and the Promised Land. Our driver burned down the Bee Line Expressway at mostly illegal speeds. We slowed only for the occasional out of state interloper who felt that 55 was an appropriate speed in the left lane. As Lonely Island played loudly in the car, I pondered T-Pain’s words of wisdom:

“Yeah, never thought I'd be on a boat

It's a big blue watery road,

Poseidon look at me, oh

 

Never thought I'd see the day

When a big boat coming my way

Believe me when I say

I f’d a mermaid!”

Arrival at the port was easy enough. Being only 11 AM there was precious little traffic. We found our way into the terminal and up to the VIP Lounge. We picked up our room keys and (more importantly) our open bar cards. Everything went buttery smooth. The terminal was still in pretty good shape. This same building was where I embarked on my very first cruise. That was the “Star Ship” Majestic of the now defunct Premier Cruise Line. At 17,000 tons she was the biggest thing I had ever seen. Nearly twenty years later the cruise hardware has changed a bit, but the looming excitement remained the same. Also in the nostalgia category, the Sensation was my first Carnival ship back in 1999. Strange that I’m just now doing a full pictorial; better late than never I suppose.

Hello old friend

The keys to the Kingdom

 

 

 

[DarthGrady]

Of course the lobby bar was the first stop; we had to be sure the cards worked. Waves of elation washed over me when I realized that for the next 60+ hours I would have uninterrupted access to any and all beverages Carnival had to offer.

The Lobby Bar and Grand Atrium

The glass elevators were both out of service

 

Guest Relations

 

Internet cafe area

 

[DarthGrady]

To be on the safe side, we made sure the cards worked at several other bars as well while making our way up to the Sea View Bar and Grill. Later we found ourselves again at the Lobby bar. Someone handed me a shot called “The Four Horsemen”. Since it came from the bar I assumed the ingredients were intended for human consumption. It tasted like pure kerosene. This was too harsh a drink for the lighthearted buzz that I was trying to build.

This is a new era! Fossil fuels are a thing of the past! I’ll have no more of that stuff. That will only land me on a bathroom floor or worse!

 

Seaview Bar and Grill

 

 

 

Pizzeria

 

[DarthGrady]

For the next few hours I had some appropriately mellow White Russians. Most of which were had in the refreshingly low key Polo Lounge, the ship’s cigar bar. It was somewhere around 4 PM that we left the Polo Lounge. We were all completely smashed at this point, and the ship wasn’t even moving yet. I remember being up on the former aft pool deck when I heard the alarms going off. The sound was familiar, but I kept getting distracted.

The Polo Lounge

 

[DarthGrady]

Why did they get rid of the old pool? I liked the old pool! Couldn’t the slides and the pool have lived together in harmony?

No one else would know what this meant, so I kept it to myself.

I heard someone jabbering over the intercom about muster stations. We were indeed missing the muster drill. I followed the rest of the group down to the Lido Deck. It was a muster station after all; there was a fair chance that it was ours. I assumed that if I showed up there as the ship sank they would probably let me on a life boat.

No splitting hairs over where my Sail and Sign card says that I should be. This is an emergency man!

 

The Water Works area

 

 

 

 

 

[Hogladyrider]

Grady........I am so jealous! It already sounds like you had a smashing time.

 

Doesn't sound like you to be speeding down the highway:D!

 

Susan

[KruznKel]

Great review!!! I only wish my group would do this open bar card...I am so jealous:p

[DarthGrady]

Grady........I am so jealous! It already sounds like you had a smashing time.

 

Doesn't sound like you to be speeding down the highway:D!

 

Susan

 

Don't worry Susan, I was just along for the ride!

[DarthGrady]

The time between the muster drill and dinner is pretty hazy. I recall being at the Promenade Bar enjoying some delicious Blue Moon wheat beers. I also used this time to get my usual pictures of the ship’s interiors. Thankfully I still had the presence of mind to take multiple shots as many were totally worthless.

I noticed that along with all of her cabins, the Kaleidoscope disco had also been renovated. The layout remained the same, but the 1980’s neon and Technicolor nightmare had given way to modern light fixtures, fancy color changing wall sculptures and new furniture. Other parts of the ship were still blissfully unaware that nearly two decades and a new millennium had come to pass since their creation. The giant hands (with hooker red nail polish) still inhabit the Touch of Class piano bar, and the walls in most public areas are still clad in purple corrugated metal. Overall the old girl is still a looker, Prince inspired decorations aside. She actually seemed in better condition than the Destiny, a ship three years her junior.

 

The Promenade Bar

 

The most important part of the Promenade Bar

 

The Promenade

 

 

 

 

Entrance to the Polo Lounge and Plaza Cabaret Lounge

[DarthGrady]

The Plaza Cabaret Lounge, now home to the Carnival Comedy Club

 

 

Michaelangelo Lounge

 

 

 

[DarthGrady]

The Kaleidoscope Disco

 

 

 

[DarthGrady]

Some other interior shots:

 

Elevator lobby and stairwells

 

 

The ship's library

 

 

[DarthGrady]

Thats all for today, I'll be back on tomorrow with more.

[DDFla]

No "Fear and loathing" so far, great job as usual.

[afcj1]

How in the world did you keep track of your camera? Surely, you must have had it locked to your person, so you wouldn't lose it;)

 

Well, the first few hours sounds like you're not going to sleep much. Glad to read that you had a GREAT time.

[Ally22]

What an awesome cruise we had!! I am reading your review with excitement and dread (oh dear God! What if we were photographed!?!)... We were a group of 9 women and we had more fun than should ever be allowed...

[poptart]

oh boy this is gonna be fun :eek:

[reeree313]

I CANNOT wait to read this one....it sounds like it was so much fun!

[Sargent_Schultz]

The Four Horsemen is a cocktail containing four hard liquors and named after the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The name of the drink is derived from the fact that the most common brand names of each ingredient are also male given names and the drinks have a high alcohol content (and therefore tend to have a very strong effect on human physiology). Additionally, the four brand names usually all begin with the letter "J" (see sidebar), giving further unity to the concept of the "Four Horsemen".

 

 

For the true Four Horseman recipe, You will need Jack Daniels Whiskey, Jim Beam bourbon, Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey, and Jose Cuervo.

[DarthGrady]

How in the world did you keep track of your camera? Surely, you must have had it locked to your person, so you wouldn't lose it;)

 

Well, the first few hours sounds like you're not going to sleep much. Glad to read that you had a GREAT time.

 

Cargo shorts. But it was still a miracle that I never left it sitting somewhere.

 

No "Fear and loathing" so far, great job as usual.

 

There was some in Nassau, but I get that even when I'm sober. ;)

[dear23]

The Four Horsemen is a cocktail containing four hard liquors and named after the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The name of the drink is derived from the fact that the most common brand names of each ingredient are also male given names and the drinks have a high alcohol content (and therefore tend to have a very strong effect on human physiology). Additionally, the four brand names usually all begin with the letter "J" (see sidebar), giving further unity to the concept of the "Four Horsemen".

 

 

For the true Four Horseman recipe, You will need Jack Daniels Whiskey, Jim Beam bourbon, Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey, and Jose Cuervo.

 

Oh lord, that sounds like a vomit comet just waiting to happen....

[halos]

Oh lord, that sounds like a vomit comet just waiting to happen....

 

:eek: agree!

[All4fun&fun4all]

Ooooo! I like your style! Hunter S. Thompson is pure genius!

 

"We cant stop here this is bat country."