Just back from Sensation 3/25-3/29-review and pics

[FloridaGirl1972]

Hi All,

As you can see I am new here, but read these forums constantly before our trip and got some great ideas! I decided to make an attempt at writing a review with some pics, in case some are interested for their upcoming trip, or just to keep your cruising anticipation going! I attempted to do a cruise on a budget and think I succeeded. I am a single mom and a teacher, but we could use the break and we enjoyed it thoroughly! In order to make this work, I talked to my kids everyday about spending and just being blessed with the cruise itself and they were very good about it! In fact, the only money we spent on the ship itself were gratuities and 2 tshirts/wrist bands for the Groove for St. Jude. Oh and of course extra tips for our wait staff and stewards. Ok so here we go..this trip was attended by myself, my daughter who is almost 14 and my son who is 11. To my surprise, a week before we left, I found out a friend and mentor was going with her son who is 8, so it was a double treat! We live close to the port, and my parents also live close, so transportation to and from the port as well as parking was not an issue. Here is a picture from my parents balcony and if you look in the distance you can see 2 cruise ships leaving. This was the Thursday before we left (we left Sunday), so you can imagine our excitement seeing the ships! More to come...

[USNUZULOOSE]

Cant wait to read more, Sensation was the first ship we sailed on.

[FloridaGirl1972]

We got to the port around 11:30 and were on board the ship by 11:45. As soon as we got on board, we found my friend and her son and they were ready to jump into the pool. We talked them into some lunch first and after that they soon found the ice cream :). As soon as the food was down, the pool was next. My friend and I relaxed on the chairs as the kids swam and instantly began to make friends. Around 3:00 we made our way to our room to check things out, and made sure we got to the drill. This has changed from when I went on my first cruise a few years ago, as you no longer have to wear your life jackets to the drill. They gave all kids 11 and under a bright green wrist band during the drill, in the case of an emergency, and soon after we were done. This whole drill caused some panic in my son, as he is a bit of a worrier, but I assured him it was just like doing a fire drill at school. We headed back to the room to relax a bit and unpack and got ready to check in with Camp Carnival. My son was so excited, that he failed to see the corner of the bed that comes out of the wall in his way, and gained a "battle wound." Needless to say he ended up with a nice shiner for the rest of the trip. Our steward was great, and brought him ice, and checked up on him the rest of the cruise. After checking into Camp Carnival, it was time for dinner. We did anytime dining and I would do this again. We tried to eat between 6-6:30 each night and never had a problem being seated right away and in the care of a wonderful waiter...Zeffery!

Though this is from Nassau, you can see his black on on the right, and the bright green wrist band on his right arm (among the other bracelets :)

 

All you can eat ice cream? Im there!

 

Instant friends in the pool!

[FloridaGirl1972]

Dinner time was amazing and my kids were impressed. They loved how their chair was pulled out for them and their napkins placed in their laps. I must admit, I was pretty impressed they behaved :). Of course, we read all about the Escargot, so my daughter and I decided to be brave and try them! Aside from the thought I was eating Gary from Spongebob...they were delicious! Almost tasted like stuffed mushrooms! Glad we tried them. I forgot to take a picture of what we ate that night, but I think it was flank steak and pot roast if I am not mistaken. Of course this was followed by chocolate melting cake and yes...it is as delicious as it seems! Once dinner was over, we decided to check the kids into the Sail Away party. This was really neat. The younger crew (6-11) got to decorate free tshirts and meet other kids. The tshirts are from Alvin and the Chipmunks shipwrecked, since it was filmed on Carnival. They were given fabric markers to color them and it was a great free first souvenir! Before we dropped the boys off at the Club, we looked out the window and witnessed the most amazing sunset against another ship (I think Majesty of the Seas!) Breathtaking might sum it up. After the Camp Carnival, we picked the boys up and headed to the pool. My daughter, hesitantly went to the Get to Know you party at Circle C (12-14 years old) and ended up making new friends, even though she swore she would meet noone :). They really do make it easy for kids to feel welcome right away. The rest of the night was spent swimming and relaxing on deck. When we arrived back in the room, my son was amazed by the towel animals, robes, and the fact you can order room service. He ordered cheesecake and apple juice and enjoyed it.

Getting ready to go to Camp Carnival

 

Sunset against another cruise ship

 

Escargot

 

Room service in bed with a robe!

[FloridaGirl1972]

The next morning, my daughter and I met my friend and her son for breakfast in the MDR. It was delicious. Omlettes, French Toast, Fruit, Cereals, etc. Of course we could have just gone to the buffet, but thought it would be fun to try the MDR. After this morning, we would do the buffet the rest of the trip. As we were waiting on our food, the kids were looking out the window into Freeport. They were blown away by how blue the water was, and of course so was I. (this never gets old). After breakfast, my son was ready to venture down, and we got him some breakfast on the Lido deck. Soon we were ready to hit Freeport. I must say, I was not too impressed, as we really did not venture out into the town. We decided to check out the small straw market and then just enjoy the ship for the rest of the day. We knew Nassau had more to offer and we decided to wait. My friend and her son took a cab to the beach and enjoyed their day. This day was just spent swimming, eating lunch,and having some fun with the kids club. Come 6, we were once again ready for dinner, headed to the dinning room and were seated right away. We requested Zeffery, who was our server the night before and were accommodated with no issues! My son was amazed Zeffery remembered his name.For this night, entertainment was provided. The wait staff sang That's Amore and brought people up to dance. My daughter, embarrassed as can be, was invited up and went! I was proud of her. This was also elegant dining night, which made it even better! I find it funny that Baby back ribs were on the menu, as everyone was dressed up, but that is ok! It was also lobster night, however none of us care for lobster. We had prime rib, baby back ribs, and fried chicken. Tropical fruit with mango sauce as well as white stuffed mushrooms were an appetizer. I was not a fan of the mushrooms. Warm melting cake again for dessert as well as the cheese platter. Who knew a small plate of cheese could be so delicious! Circle C had an elegant dance party for the teens, and my daughter enjoyed that, and as usual, the rest of us headed to the pool again. Somewhat of a relaxed day, but what more could you ask for on vacation, except enjoying your family while not worrying about anything else?

 

My daughter looking out at the water in Freeport

 

Breakfast overlooking the water

 

Prime Rib

 

Tropical Fruit with Mango Sauce

 

Zeffery! Our waiter!

 

Ribs

[FloridaGirl1972]

The next morning, we woke up in Nassau. We knew this was going to be our busy day! We had printed out the walking tour that was talked about here on CC and that was great! We got off the ship and could see fish already in the water. My kids couldn't get over it! There was a Bahamian Naval Ship in port and my son was excited (his dad is in the Navy), so we took a picture. Soon we were heading through the terminal and out into the world of salesman! Pretty lady, come get your hair braided. Braids for the little girl. Tons of taxis trying to sell their tour of the island. We politely declined everyone and began to walk. We ended up at the historical society museum. This is a small place filled with interesting history and it is free. Of course they do not mind donations. We then began to walk towards the Fort and Queen's Staircase. There is a lot of construction going on in the streets and my kids got their first taste of the insane traffic and horn honking. When we got to the Fort (bottom of the Queens Staircase) we were immediately met by a "tour guide." His name was Antoine but everyone calls him Tony. He was hilarious and full of knowledge of the history of the Staircase and Fort. All I can say is WOW....very much worth listening to them. He left us with a great message for the kids to stay in school, do their best, and for the boys to treat their mother's with respect. I was very impressed. We tipped him of course and we were on our way. I was not sure we would make it to the top (64 steps), but we all did! At the top there are vendors and then the Fort. There is a 1 dollar fee to go inside the Fort, which of course is tiny, but has a spectacular view and great history. We saw the Water Tower, however it is closed for renovation. You can get a great view of the harbor, the ships in port, and Atlantis. As we left, our goal was to get to Traveler's Rest, which a friend of mine told me is a great restaurant and then the beach. We talked to some of the Taxi Drivers at the top of the Fort, as I was not up to walking to the next place. He told us that all of these Taxis were contracted out to the people who paid $50 or so per person for the 2 hour guided tour, however he offered to take us to Arowalk Cay (sp) for the Fish Fry and told us there is a beach right there. He charged us $10 for all 5 of us, and we got some sight seeing in as well. We ate lunch at the Fish Fry and then went to the public beach right next to the Cay. Now....I did not realize Junkanoo Beach was a little bit farther down, however the place we stopped was great! Not many people there, the cops were patrolling, and I never felt unsafe. The water was beautiful and clear, the kids got to experience snorkeling, and we had an amazing time. Priceless when my daughter came up screaming, only to tell me she had fish staring her in the face haha! We stayed here for a few hours while my friend and her son went to see the Pirate Museum and a few other things.

 

The Navy Ship

 

Tour Guide Tony with a random local

 

Tree before Staircase

 

The Staircase

 

The Water Tower

 

View From the Fort

[FloridaGirl1972]

Here are a few more pics from Nassau...

 

Random tourist shot

 

The Fish Fry-Conch Fritters, Rice and Beans, Cracked (Fried) Grouper

 

Snorkeling in the harbor

 

You can see the ships on the right

 

A short walk we ended up at Junkanoo Beach

 

Of course there is a Hard Rock

[sparkleroxy86]

Loving your review!!!!! What cute kids! They looked like they had a blast, how awesome that you took them!

[FloridaGirl1972]

After the beach, we decided to check out The Straw Market. I have to admit, I went back when it was under the tent and felt there was much more room and it was not as "pushy." While I do want to support the locals (main reason we did not go to Atlantis, and I explained this to my kids), they were really pushy and not too friendly. Now don't get me wrong, there were a few there that were very nice and took the time to talk to the kids and show the what they had to offer, but for the most part, not our thing. The kids did spend some of their money here to buy their friends and 2 sisters a souvenir, but we got out of there quickly. After an exciting day, we made our way back to the ship for dinner. We were a bit later tonight, however, we walked right to the dinning room, asked for Zeffery and were seated immediately. I was very impressed with Anytime Dining. Tonight the entertainment was the wait staff dancing to the song Low...yes, the one with Applebottom Jeans, Boots with the Fur. Talk about entertainment! My son and my friend's son were brought up to dance I have a video but doubt I can post it, but will post a pic. Tonight we had pumpkin soup (delicious!), fried shrimp with plum sauce (melt in your mouth goodness), fried shrimp as main course, and I cannot remember what else. As usual, it was all good! Also tonight was the Rocking under the stars deck party. We had a blast dancing to all the favorites (cha cha slide, ymca, chicken dance, cupid shuffle etc). We retired to our rooms around midnight and were satisfied with our day once again. Next up, Fun Day At Sea. We are sad as we know our vacation is coming to an end, but we have loved every second of it!

 

Dancing with Zeffery

 

Shrimp Appetizer

 

Shrimp Entree

 

Oh yeah!! Grilled chicken over pasta with mushroom sauce...unbelievably delicious!!

 

Here was the Cracked Grouper from Fish Fry

 

Rockin Under the Stars Deck Party

[FloridaGirl1972]

My son decided to enjoy room service again and was thrilled one of his favorite shows..Adventure Time was on. It is our Fun Day at Sea. We made sure to wake up early to grab a chair on deck. Sadly, when we woke up it was windy and rainy, however living in Florida, this is normal for us, so we ate breakfast and soon found some chairs. Now, after reading the threads about Chair Hogs, I can assure you we only took 2 chairs (one for each of the adults) which we sat in the whole day. Many people had left towels on chairs much earlier, and I noticed other guests had no issue taking their towels and turning them into the towel hut. It was also mentioned in the schedule of the day not to save chairs, as if they were unattended longer than 30 minutes, your belongings would be taken to the Towel Hut. The kids enjoyed the slides and pool. There was an ice carving demonstration which was really cool! When lunch started, they did the Groove for St Jude. I thought this was really neat. For 10 dollars you get a tshirt and red wristband. For 20 dollars you could get a bear with a little tshirt. Great idea for a great cause. Both of my kids decided to spend some of their own money to participate, which I thought was neat. I ended up giving it back to them, just for being so thoughtful. They got to dance on stage for a few songs as well. For the lunch buffet they had the chocolate yumminess out in the Sea Bistro. Chocolate fountain, pastry swans with chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce, chocolate sushi?! Yum. We enjoyed that! As the day went on, there was lots of fun to be had. It was also bittersweet as we knew our vacation was coming to an end. We had our usual dinner around 6 and said goodbye to Zeffery. After dinner, the kids all went to their respective clubs for the farewell party. The teens got their own cool tshirts to sign (another cool free souvenir ) and the younger ones played bingo where my son won a neat Carnival Rubiks cube, got a bag and a pencil. While the kids are away, mom will play! Well not really, but I finally got to head to the Serenity Deck. It was beautiful. Comfy chairs, hot tubs not packed with kids, and quiet. I really enjoyed it. However, seas were getting a bit rough and the boat was rocking a bit. My son decided he had enough and we headed to the room earlier than normal. My daughter also was not fond of the movement and retired early as well. We talked about how blessed we were to have such a great time. The kids rested while I packed and we slept well that night. I ended up waking up as we were pulling into port. The Disney Fantasy was all lit up, ready for its maiden voyage tomorrow (Saturday). We actually saw the Fantasy out in the water as we were leaving Freeport. They did a promotional sailing for different reasons. I know this, because 2 students at my school won free cruises through the Boys and Girls club and were on that voyage. How cool was that?! In all, we had an amazing time, and I'm not gonna lie, I have been on these forums all day, reliving the fun and also looking up our next cruise. This was the trip of a lifetime and we look forward to many more. I love that people share their stories and experiences, because it helps others, like me, to prepare! Thanks for taking the time to listen and letting me share.

 

Groove for St. Jude

 

Chocolate Sushi and other stuff

 

Ice Sculpture

 

Finished Product

 

Chocolate Fountain

 

Cool watermelon flower!

[FloridaGirl1972]

Pulling into the port...Disney Fantasy lit up

 

Waiting to disembark

 

The sad ride down the glass elevator to Empress Deck to leave (he was bummed).

 

We were the second to last family off the ship :)

[FloridaGirl1972]

Here is a link to the boys dancing with the wait staff.

 

[USNUZULOOSE]

Your son has very curly hair. I am so glad you had an awesome time together. Hope you have many more cruises. Thanks for sharing and bringing back some memories!

[vivavegas]

Sounds and looks like you and your son had a great time. Thanks for sharing your trip with us...

[aggiecruiser05]

Sounds like you guys had a great trip! Thank you for sharing!

[KPfromCT]

You have beautiful children and I am SO envious of their hair!!!!;) This was a GREAT review. Thanks for doing it. She was the first ship I ever cruised on and we loved her. Thanks again for sharing!!

[paradise825]

We are going on the sensation in sept. It will be our third time on this ship. Thanks for the Gretchen review.

[sunrise2]

Thank you for sharing. May you and your family enjoy many years of cruising!:)

[bluehenfan]

Thanks for a very informative report. Your kids are so cute! I was on the Sensation last spring and your report brought back good memories. Thanks again !

[FloridaGirl1972]

Thanks all, we really did have a great time. I think they have memories to last a lifetime. We went out for dinner last night and all they kept saying was...I miss the cruise ship food and service haha.

Thank you for the compliments on my kids. They really are great kids and behaved themselves, even getting along!

I love reading trip reports, so it was fun to do one of my own. Of course I left out things, because we did SO much that I could not remember it all at the time, but it brought back all of the fun memories all over again.

Happy Sailing!