Questions about Sensation?

[luv2gonow]

Hi,

Sooo excited about my April Sensation cruise.

 

Is Freeport a tender port?

 

If I arrive in Freeport at 9am. Would it be possible for me to be off the ship at 9:30 for a non ship excursion?(Snorkeling with slide and rock climbing wall boat)...anyone done this??

 

Also...back in Port Canaveral...I think we arrive at 7am. What time should I have the cab pick me up to go to WDW???

 

Lastly....any recommendations for transportation for 3 From WDW to Port back to WDW???

 

OH.....any tips about Sensation would be Welcome:D

Thanks

Kerri

[Mom2Evie]

Hi,

Sooo excited about my April Sensation cruise.

 

Is Freeport a tender port?

 

If I arrive in Freeport at 9am. Would it be possible for me to be off the ship at 9:30 for a non ship excursion?(Snorkeling with slide and rock climbing wall boat)...anyone done this??

 

Also...back in Port Canaveral...I think we arrive at 7am. What time should I have the cab pick me up to go to WDW???

 

Lastly....any recommendations for transportation for 3 From WDW to Port back to WDW???

 

OH.....any tips about Sensation would be Welcome:D

Thanks

Kerri

 

Freeport is not a tender port, but there isn't really anything near the port. Plan on taking a Jitney, cab or shuttle to anywhere you want to go.

I can't remember how long it took us to get off the ship in Freeport, but I remember it was really fast. I know that we were standing on land by 10am & we weren't in any hurry at all.

 

Seriously, you're going to take a cab ALL THE WAY to Disney? That's going to cost you a fortune! Look into taking a shuttle or even a Mears shuttle or TownCar.

 

Which week in April are you going to be on the Sensation? We cruise April 3rd.

[glentally]

Hi,

Sooo excited about my April Sensation cruise.

 

Is Freeport a tender port?

 

If I arrive in Freeport at 9am. Would it be possible for me to be off the ship at 9:30 for a non ship excursion?(Snorkeling with slide and rock climbing wall boat)...anyone done this??

 

Also...back in Port Canaveral...I think we arrive at 7am. What time should I have the cab pick me up to go to WDW???

 

Lastly....any recommendations for transportation for 3 From WDW to Port back to WDW???

 

OH.....any tips about Sensation would be Welcome:D

Thanks

Kerri

 

we just got off the ship and didn't stop in Freeport.

 

ship arriving ANYWHERE and hoping to get off 30 minutes later is no a good plan if you ask me.

 

I live in orlando and if I recall most will tell yo to rent a car.

 

Carnival Sensation

My rating 8 out of 10

1-6-2011 3 day cruise

I wanted to pay back the people who wrote reviews before me. I know how much I like reading them so here we go.

It is either my 8 or 9th cruise. We live in Orlando, Florida so it was a 45 minute ride to the port. Port Canaveral has easy parking and boarding. My wife, daughter and her friend joined me.

Cabins

We had two inside cabins which I really enjoyed this time. They were so dark I never woke up without a great night sleep. Usually I feel the need to get up once I see light. Our cabin was ready by 1:30 pm, the girls had a problem with the drain in their bathroom but it was corrected, cleaned and never became an issue. Our room Steward Marco was very attentive, ice and special requests were always done.

Food

Lines were a little longer consistently on this ship. Not unbearable but it made for a 10 minute wait to get food no matter where except the pizza and deli bar. No complaints, I would avoid the lines a few times and walk up to the rotisserie and grab a few slices of what they had that day.

We did the anytime dining and enjoyed it. We happened to have the same waiter each night. You could also request that if you liked your waiter like we did. Typical cruise fare and most everything was very good. I thought the lobster was exceptionally sweet and delicious compared to tails I have had in the past. The shrimp that accompanied it seemed a little bland. Prime rib that night was also, right on!

Breakfast one morning in the dining room was so, so. Omelet and corn beef hash was dry. The person I was with also commented on the dry eggs Benedict. Fresh made to order omelets were available there and on the lido deck and I should have done that rather than take something premade off the line.

Ship

I thought it was in excellent shape and not dated in the least bit. The recent remodeling showed well. A great place to relax with two hot tubs seldom used by kids is in the aft, Promenade deck.

Port

The only port on the 3 day is Nassau. Been there probably 4 times so we walked off the ship and got a horse carriage ride. He wanted $20 for each ( $ ) and I told him we would catch him on the way back. It went down to $60 and I took it. About a 20 minute ride around town. They give a little narrative of the buildings and history but with their accent and lots of traffic noise it was hard to hear.

 

We were familiar with all the buildings so we knew what he was talking about. I suggest skipping the horse ride. We did it to try something different.

 

Google the Nassau walking tour ( Fromme? sp ) it’s a lot of fun and easy if you can walk and interesting.

 

So after the horse ride we went to the Queens staircase. It was carved out by the slaves, cool, maybe a ten minute walk. So if you don't walk the whole tour go there, you won't be disappointed.

 

Then stopped and had a beer and back to the ship.

Entertainment

We never went to the shows in the main lounge. After awhile those things are all the same and you can watch it on the television. As long as I mentioned that they have flat screen, I think plasma but unless you are lying in bed it is difficult to see the screen very well.

Both comedians were really good and had packed lounges for all the adult shows. I didn’t go to the family comedy. The karaoke was difficult to participate, watch and listen to the way the stage was facing only a few bar stools. So everything else was off to the side and not really involved. The more I think of it that has been the case on other ships.

Went to the ships disco Saturday night and had fun. It was packed and the girls said Saturday night was the same. I wasn’t impressed by the pool band. It is hard to call two guys with a lot of audio equipment a band. The band by the casino, two of the three nights was real loud. There was a Filipino band (that’s what everyone was calling it??!!). I heard one song from them by and they seemed a lot better.

[luv2gonow]

Freeport is not a tender port, but there isn't really anything near the port. Plan on taking a Jitney, cab or shuttle to anywhere you want to go.

I can't remember how long it took us to get off the ship in Freeport, but I remember it was really fast. I know that we were standing on land by 10am & we weren't in any hurry at all.

 

Seriously, you're going to take a cab ALL THE WAY to Disney? That's going to cost you a fortune! Look into taking a shuttle or even a Mears shuttle or TownCar.

 

Which week in April are you going to be on the Sensation? We cruise April 3rd.

Well not a cab per se...I was going to get a town car for the 3 way trip...WDW Port WDW. Got a quote of 250.....ouch but hey its vacation right. Happy to hear this is not a tender port.....I have to be in Port Lucaya by 1030 for the excursion...and they arrange transportation to pick up at 930....seems tight....I don't have to prepay though so..... The tour sounds awesome...Snorkeling on a boat that has a slide and rock climbing wall....and drinks....ahem....

we just got off the ship and didn't stop in Freeport.

 

ship arriving ANYWHERE and hoping to get off 30 minutes later is no a good plan if you ask me.

 

I live in orlando and if I recall most will tell yo to rent a car.

 

Carnival Sensation

My rating 8 out of 10

1-6-2011 3 day cruise

I wanted to pay back the people who wrote reviews before me. I know how much I like reading them so here we go.

It is either my 8 or 9th cruise. We live in Orlando, Florida so it was a 45 minute ride to the port. Port Canaveral has easy parking and boarding. My wife, daughter and her friend joined me.

Cabins

We had two inside cabins which I really enjoyed this time. They were so dark I never woke up without a great night sleep. Usually I feel the need to get up once I see light. Our cabin was ready by 1:30 pm, the girls had a problem with the drain in their bathroom but it was corrected, cleaned and never became an issue. Our room Steward Marco was very attentive, ice and special requests were always done.

Food

Lines were a little longer consistently on this ship. Not unbearable but it made for a 10 minute wait to get food no matter where except the pizza and deli bar. No complaints, I would avoid the lines a few times and walk up to the rotisserie and grab a few slices of what they had that day.

We did the anytime dining and enjoyed it. We happened to have the same waiter each night. You could also request that if you liked your waiter like we did. Typical cruise fare and most everything was very good. I thought the lobster was exceptionally sweet and delicious compared to tails I have had in the past. The shrimp that accompanied it seemed a little bland. Prime rib that night was also, right on!

Breakfast one morning in the dining room was so, so. Omelet and corn beef hash was dry. The person I was with also commented on the dry eggs Benedict. Fresh made to order omelets were available there and on the lido deck and I should have done that rather than take something premade off the line.

Ship

I thought it was in excellent shape and not dated in the least bit. The recent remodeling showed well. A great place to relax with two hot tubs seldom used by kids is in the aft, Promenade deck.

Port

The only port on the 3 day is Nassau. Been there probably 4 times so we walked off the ship and got a horse carriage ride. He wanted $20 for each ( $ ) and I told him we would catch him on the way back. It went down to $60 and I took it. About a 20 minute ride around town. They give a little narrative of the buildings and history but with their accent and lots of traffic noise it was hard to hear.

 

We were familiar with all the buildings so we knew what he was talking about. I suggest skipping the horse ride. We did it to try something different.

 

Google the Nassau walking tour ( Fromme? sp ) it’s a lot of fun and easy if you can walk and interesting.

 

So after the horse ride we went to the Queens staircase. It was carved out by the slaves, cool, maybe a ten minute walk. So if you don't walk the whole tour go there, you won't be disappointed.

 

Then stopped and had a beer and back to the ship.

Entertainment

We never went to the shows in the main lounge. After awhile those things are all the same and you can watch it on the television. As long as I mentioned that they have flat screen, I think plasma but unless you are lying in bed it is difficult to see the screen very well.

Both comedians were really good and had packed lounges for all the adult shows. I didn’t go to the family comedy. The karaoke was difficult to participate, watch and listen to the way the stage was facing only a few bar stools. So everything else was off to the side and not really involved. The more I think of it that has been the case on other ships.

Went to the ships disco Saturday night and had fun. It was packed and the girls said Saturday night was the same. I wasn’t impressed by the pool band. It is hard to call two guys with a lot of audio equipment a band. The band by the casino, two of the three nights was real loud. There was a Filipino band (that’s what everyone was calling it??!!). I heard one song from them by and they seemed a lot better.

 

Thanks so much for the awesome detailed review.

At first I was nervous because she is an older ship...but hey any cruise is awesome and it makes me very happy to hear she is in good shape.

 

Looking forward to a great cruise.

thanks

Kerri

[gypsygirl]

Well not a cab per se...I was going to get a town car for the 3 way trip...WDW Port WDW. Got a quote of 250.....ouch but hey its vacation right. Happy to hear this is not a tender port.....I have to be in Port Lucaya by 1030 for the excursion...and they arrange transportation to pick up at 930....seems tight....I don't have to prepay though so..... The tour sounds awesome...Snorkeling on a boat that has a slide and rock climbing wall....and drinks....ahem....

 

 

Thanks so much for the awesome detailed review.

At first I was nervous because she is an older ship...but hey any cruise is awesome and it makes me very happy to hear she is in good shape.

 

Looking forward to a great cruise.

thanks

Kerri

Just got back from a cruise on the Sensation. This was the second time in several years that we've been on her. I would never believe it was an older ship. Everything looked brand new.

[pipeye1]

myself and husband will be sailing april 24 thanks for letting us know that it is not as bad as some of the other blogs!;)

[Frank12]

myself and husband will be sailing april 24 thanks for letting us know that it is not as bad as some of the other blogs!;)

We sailed her twice in 2009. Sensation is a great ship with great crew.

[ccrburkes]

Cruising on Carnival Sensation 3/27 thru 3/31, our first Carnival Cruise, wanted something that fit into our flight schedule (had airfare already purchased). Staying in E242 Aft on this ship, we have done all cruising so far on RCI and this will be our first "short" cruise. We love our balcony rooms and have always stayed on the hump on RCI. Would love any feedback on the aft cabins, I hear the balconies are larger, which is a plus as we really enjoy our time on them.

 

If anyone has a photo of this stateroom I would love to see it.

 

Thank you!

Cindy B;)

[luvtovaca]

We sailed the Sensation in October 2009 and really enjoyed it. The 80's show and the comedy shows were great! Easy to get around, not too big or too small. Do a forum search for "sensation balcony photo" or similar. They had been added shortly before we booked that trip and I did find photos on here somewhere at that time!(We ended up getting an oceanview though) Good luck.

[jyado]

We sailed the sensation four day cruise in oct, 2010. Loved it. Was a perfect short cruise. I'm not sure how long it took to get off the boat, we slept in a little bit because we didn't have an excursion planned. But it was only a 15 min taxi ride there, so i would see where they are meeting to see if you could obtain your own transportation if you get off late. We also did the booze cruise in nassau, had an amazing time if that's your scene. Then hit the casino in atlantis. Food was good, there's always bad food and good, but we were happy with the selections. Late night comics were also good, would definately reccomend, Hope you enjoy your cruise! The biggest complaint I have about it, it's not LONG ENOUGH, LOL!

[Sargent_Schultz]

Freeport is not a tender port and I was pleasantly surprise with the port itself and later Port Lucaya.

 

Sensation was in great shape!

 

Pictures from our cruise:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/CarnivalSensation/index.htm

 

Cheapest transportation might be to rent a car.

[cawagner]

we just got off the ship and didn't stop in Freeport.

 

ship arriving ANYWHERE and hoping to get off 30 minutes later is no a good plan if you ask me.

 

I live in orlando and if I recall most will tell yo to rent a car.

 

Carnival Sensation

My rating 8 out of 10

1-6-2011 3 day cruise

I wanted to pay back the people who wrote reviews before me. I know how much I like reading them so here we go.

It is either my 8 or 9th cruise. We live in Orlando, Florida so it was a 45 minute ride to the port. Port Canaveral has easy parking and boarding. My wife, daughter and her friend joined me.

Cabins

We had two inside cabins which I really enjoyed this time. They were so dark I never woke up without a great night sleep. Usually I feel the need to get up once I see light. Our cabin was ready by 1:30 pm, the girls had a problem with the drain in their bathroom but it was corrected, cleaned and never became an issue. Our room Steward Marco was very attentive, ice and special requests were always done.

Food

Lines were a little longer consistently on this ship. Not unbearable but it made for a 10 minute wait to get food no matter where except the pizza and deli bar. No complaints, I would avoid the lines a few times and walk up to the rotisserie and grab a few slices of what they had that day.

We did the anytime dining and enjoyed it. We happened to have the same waiter each night. You could also request that if you liked your waiter like we did. Typical cruise fare and most everything was very good. I thought the lobster was exceptionally sweet and delicious compared to tails I have had in the past. The shrimp that accompanied it seemed a little bland. Prime rib that night was also, right on!

Breakfast one morning in the dining room was so, so. Omelet and corn beef hash was dry. The person I was with also commented on the dry eggs Benedict. Fresh made to order omelets were available there and on the lido deck and I should have done that rather than take something premade off the line.

Ship

I thought it was in excellent shape and not dated in the least bit. The recent remodeling showed well. A great place to relax with two hot tubs seldom used by kids is in the aft, Promenade deck.

Port

The only port on the 3 day is Nassau. Been there probably 4 times so we walked off the ship and got a horse carriage ride. He wanted $20 for each ( $ ) and I told him we would catch him on the way back. It went down to $60 and I took it. About a 20 minute ride around town. They give a little narrative of the buildings and history but with their accent and lots of traffic noise it was hard to hear.

 

We were familiar with all the buildings so we knew what he was talking about. I suggest skipping the horse ride. We did it to try something different.

 

Google the Nassau walking tour ( Fromme? sp ) it’s a lot of fun and easy if you can walk and interesting.

 

So after the horse ride we went to the Queens staircase. It was carved out by the slaves, cool, maybe a ten minute walk. So if you don't walk the whole tour go there, you won't be disappointed.

 

Then stopped and had a beer and back to the ship.

Entertainment

We never went to the shows in the main lounge. After awhile those things are all the same and you can watch it on the television. As long as I mentioned that they have flat screen, I think plasma but unless you are lying in bed it is difficult to see the screen very well.

Both comedians were really good and had packed lounges for all the adult shows. I didn’t go to the family comedy. The karaoke was difficult to participate, watch and listen to the way the stage was facing only a few bar stools. So everything else was off to the side and not really involved. The more I think of it that has been the case on other ships.

Went to the ships disco Saturday night and had fun. It was packed and the girls said Saturday night was the same. I wasn’t impressed by the pool band. It is hard to call two guys with a lot of audio equipment a band. The band by the casino, two of the three nights was real loud. There was a Filipino band (that’s what everyone was calling it??!!). I heard one song from them by and they seemed a lot better.

 

Thanks so much for the review, we are excited we cruise in 9 days :D Was the casino open while docked overnight in Nassau?