SENSATION Trip Report and Review 4/23/05

[GoforaCruise]

SENSATION TRIP REPORT and Review of Cruise 4/23/05 - 04/28/05

 

First of all, some background. I am 34, my wife is 32, and my son is 4 years old. This is our first cruise. My wife and I really had no interest in cruising before, didn't think we would even enjoy being stuck on a "Boat" since we are land lovers. Also, a week or two before our cruise, we heard about the Norweigin Cruise Lines 70 foot wave incident, and the Royal Caribbean Costa Maya Pier damage incident. Also, one month before our cruise, my friend went on the Spring Break cruise on this same ship and itiniary, and mentioned the pool deck was closed for 1 day due to rain, and high winds. So we were kinda nervous about our trip to say the least.

 

I must say, we were pleasantly surprised. I dont believe if I ever cruise again, and even on any newer ships, would I have such a wonderful, perfect time like this. The weather was great which really helped. Not an ounce of rain. The SHIP was pretty clean, had a wonderful hilarious Cruise Director, and had some of the nicest workers and staff on board and seemed to go out of their way to make it more enjoyable to everyone. The food was above average, where some things were just downright excellent, and some just so so. The activities were numerous.

 

The first two days written about below are lengthy, since that is when you start to notice the ship the most and I went ahead and talked about various aspects. I apologize for the lengthy trip report/review, just trying to help others on the forum, as I was helped.

 

 

GETTING TO NEW ORLEANS:

 

We live in Arkansas, and we left early from work on Friday around 3:00pm. We drove to McComb, MS, about 2 hours north of New Orleans. We spent the night here because the rooms were cheaper (New Orleans was packed thanks to Jazzfest, and rooms were very pricy). Here in this nice little town, it was 1/2 the price of New Orleans. Also, we had no desire to see New orleans again, since we been there 3 months before. Not that I dont love New Orleans, but just didn't need to see anything there this time since the cruise is what we came for. I would recommend McComb, Mississippi to crash for the night.

 

 

ARRIVAL TO NEW ORLEANS AND PARKING.

 

We left McComb, MS on Saturday at 9:00am. I hear there is no use getting to the pier that early since the previous cruising people are still trying to dis-embark. We got to New Orleans at around 11:00am. Got a little lost trying to find Fulton Garage, but mainly my fault. A few turns here and there (whoops, that was a one-way road wasn't it?), I made it to Fulton garage. Carnival people were loading up the bags onto U-haul type of trucks. I pulled my car up and they took my bags. DEFINITELY have your luggage tagged with the tags Carnival sends you, BEFORE you get to this parking garage. The place was very busy, lots happening, and somewhat overwhelming at first. You dont want to fill out that type of thing there since they are trying to move people along quickly. Well, the man gave me this little speech about what he is doing with my bags, and where to park my car, and it seemed he was really waiting for a tip. I gave him $2 and parked my car. I came back down, and paid my $60 ($12 a day) at the office below. Do NOT lose that receipt, you will need it to get out of the garage after your cruise is over. Got on the Fulton Garage bus, and it took us to the Pier. It really wasn't that busy as I thought and heard it would be. Pretty easy come to think of it. It may have had to do with the Royal caribbean boat being stuck still down in Costa Maya for two more days hitting that Pier. Sensation was the only boat in New Orleans at this time.

 

 

EMBARKATION

 

Got to the Pier about 11:30am, and saw the first real glimpse of our SHIP. Beautiful, and it seemed very LARGE. To walk into the building, you must show your Carnival tickets. Keep it handy. We stood into a somewhat long line. Amazing, it took us only 10-15 minutes to get through it. Very fast, and efficient process. After you check in, you are to sit in this waiting area and they move you onto the boat rows by rows. I kept hearing they dont let you on the boat till 12:30pm, so we decided to take some pictures of this ship outside alongside riverwalk since it was still before noon. We got back down to loading area at 12:30pm, and sat down in chairs to wait to be called to go onto the ship. At this time, we notice no lines in the check-in area where we were standing in a long fast moving line. And we found out that people must have been boarding the boat at 11:30am or so and we could have also if we didnt go back out and take pictures. Oh well. Please note, you are not allowed to use your cell phone in this building. Make your call before or after you get on the ship.

 

 

FINALLY ON THE SHIP:

 

We boarded the ship after the normal picture taking process, and got our first glimpse of the lovely PURPLE atrium with soft violin and piano music playing as we entered. My 4 year old boy's response was "WOW, COOL" (or was that mine?). I love purple, and I thought this color scheme was wonderful. I have read other reviews complaining of it, but I loved it. Went to our room to drop off our handbags and then went to Lido deck and the Seaview Restaurant to eat around 1:00pm. Yes, grab stuff from both. They are somewhat similar, but few things were different. Had a delicious veggie burger (if you want these, just ask, and they will make you one). Went back to our room, and 2 of our tagged bags showed up, but not the third. But they say it can take up to 8:00pm to get your bags. Our final one showed up around 3:00pm.

 

OUR ROOM:

 

Our room was an oceanview room, U160, on the UPPER DECK. Room seemed small at first, but got used to it quickly. Not bad for a ship room. Lots of storage space. Luggage fits right under the bed. Nice amenity basket was there (toothpaste, herbal essense shampoo, mouthwash, etc). It had 1 UPPER bed. The window was much larger than I thought it would be. Wife and child can easily sit on the window sill. Only thing dissappointing was the window was not that clean from the outside. Seemed streaks were there, that impared visibility a tad bit. Could not even tell there was smoking ever in this room, and I am sure there had been. There were 2 Bath robes and a very handy safebox that is locked and unlocked with your sail and sign card. Two plug outlets were there. One next to the bed, and one in the bathroom attached to the tube light. I didn't bring a surge plug outlet as some people recommended, and these two did fine for me to charge my batteries on the digital camera and video camera. The room seemed very cold always, and couldn't figure out how to turn down the AC until 3 days later. A little vent can be adjusted, but it could never be turned off.

 

REST OF THE DAY 1:

 

Muster Drill at 3:45, easy and organized. Also, went to see the Camp Carnival area. Pretty small area toward the back of the ship, a little hard to find at first, but dont let the size of the rooms fool you. The activities on their CAPER was packed full of activities everyday, as were ours. I can see where some kids ages would not quite fit in their category, but I had no problem with my sons. Went to the Camp Carnival talk also later on explaining themselves to us. Saw Funship Freddy for the first of many times. Goofy character, but kids seem to like him, as did adults.

 

Had a Mardi Gras/Sail Away party on the top deck at 4:00 or so. Fun. Beads being thrown, music, drinking and eating. Went to our 5:45 fine dining room (Ecsctasy Dining Room) as we were still sailing down the Mississipi. Very classy dining room. We were in the area where the waiters were Marc, Avito, Savio, Gusti, and Aysu. Wonderful people, and I still miss them. They took a liking to my son very quickly, and throughout the cruise, they were so friendly. The lady, Aysu, the whole trip was always hugging and kissing on my boy. They became great friends. During the meal, the Maitre-D mentioned the BLUE versus RED game. If you ate in this dining room you were BLUE team, and if you ate in the other dining ROOM, you were RED team. I thought this whole BLUE versus RED team was weird at first really didn't understand what it was all about at first, but it grown on you throughout the cruise, and it was fun. Throughout the whole cruise, all the activities and contests were being kept up with and points awarded to the BLUE or RED team.

 

The food was always great in this fine dining room. No problems with multiple appetizers, salads, or entrees. Dont like something on the menu, or too scared to try it because you cant pronounce it, they always have grilled chicken and steak you can order. Service was EXCELLENT always.

 

It was getting dark and we were still rolling down the Mississippi. I kept wondering when we will finally get out to the WILD BLUE YONDER where you see no land and nothing but BLUE water, instead of the yucky brown water. Well, I wasn't going to see it tonight.

 

At 8:45pm, went to see the comedian show. Marvin Bell was his name. Before he came out, the Cruise Director came on first, Greg Hutson was his name. Explained the BLUE versus RED game a little, and did one contest, the SPOON GAME. Absolutely hilarious. I wont spoil what happens, but everyone was laughing so hard. Lets just say something happens to the spoon. Not sure if it was set up, or not, but didn't care. It was SO FUNNY. Anyone on this cruise remember that? Marvin Bell came out afterwards, and he was great. Laughed so hard. Back to the room at 10:00pm or so. Beautiful view of the moon that night glistening over the water. Folks the Oceanview room was worth the money just for this.

 

 

Day 2 (Sunday):

 

Breakfast in Seaview. If long lines, I always found you can go outdoors to LIDO Deck and get same thing. Sometimes lines would be shorter there, and sometimes in Seaview would be shorter. Never can tell. There were 4 lines total. Breakfast everyday was the same. Only differece I saw was Pancakes one day, and French Toast the other, REPEAT. They always had the Omelette guys cooking omelettes how you wanted it, eggs (wished they were cooked a little longer), hash browns (EXCELLENT), bacon, and sausage, and some other stuff. Of course, cereals, fruits, and other things too. And if you didn't want this, you can always eat the Fine Dining room for breakfast too. We never did that. Found plenty of good stuff on this breakfast buffet to satisfy us.

 

Camp Carnival opens today so dropped my son there for a few hours. You do have to pick your kids up during lunch and dinner times, but I can understand that. Few words about Camp Carnival. We dropped our son there three times total for 2 or 3 hours each time. He seemed to have fun everytime. One day I even noticed a parade of Camp Carnival kids singing down Sensation Blvd, just having a great time. Very cute I thought.

 

Wife and I went to play bingo for a chance to win $500. $10 for 1 card or a sheet of 3 cards for $20. Some guy was also selling some scratch off Lotto type of card as well for $1 each. When they say the Bingo starts at a certain time, come about 15-20 minutes later. They spent 30 minutes selling the cards. The game we were playing was 1 diagonal. So think about it, only 4 numbers were needed to win (N column was free space). Well, on the fifth number, someone yelled BINGO, and it was over. Less than 3 minutes of a game, and waited thirty minutes for it. Well, because of this, we didn't play any more Bingo the rest of the trip, and there were so many opportunities. Various prizes including Cruise for Two was one day, $1000 COVERALL was another day, many more $500 opportunities, etc. I did win $1 on the Lotto...pretty much just got my money back on that lotto ticket.

 

For lunch, ate in the Fantasy dining room (the Ecstasy room is only open for dinner), and it is relaxed clothes, and open seating. Shorts were allowed at lunch it seems, many people were wearing it. After this, we then noticed a Indian Buffet in the Seaview (Taste of Countries theme for today). Someone hold me back. Decided to eat more for lunch here. Son getting tired of seeing daddy eat... "MOMMY, DADDY IS EATING AGAIN..HE GOING TO GET FAT". Excellent stuff. So full now. Not sure how I am going to eat again at 5:45 for the fine dining formal night, and at 5:00pm was the captain's pre-formal party, where snacks and free alcoholic drinks were served.

 

Starting to realize that there is just way too much food being served everyday. Oh yea, we also had some of the cookie buffet from 3:00-4:00pm too. Opportunity to get my son back.. "MOMMY, SON IS EATING AGAIN". If you haven't guessed already, there is always something to eat on this boat. If you didn't enjoy the food, then you didn't look hard enough. Way too much to eat. Matter of fact, I probably missed a buffet or two while writing notes about this cruise for you all. Oh, don't thank me.. I should THANK YOU.

 

Let me go ahead and mention. There is also salad bar most of the day in Seaview, 24 hour pizza bar, and 24 hour ice cream machines, sandwich deli bar most of the day, and room service 24 hours. The pizza was decent. Some of the flavors I remembered were goat cheese, regular cheese, pepperoni, supreme, and veggie. The turkey melts at the sandwich bar are awesome, and the Chicken Caesar Salad from room service and the pizza bar are about the best I have ever had anywhere. Excellent.

 

We three then roamed the ship a little. I started getting used to the layout. Let me go ahead and mention, what was neat is that there are so many places you can go and be alone. As the days passed, we start to notice new places on the ship to be alone. On the sides of the ships on various levels, you can be there ALL ALONE. Kinda spooky sometimes, especially at night. Hard to believe that there are 2800 people on this ship including the crew, and you are there ALONE. Also, try, toward the front of the ship, near the captians bridge. So if you want to do any "I AM THE KING OF THE WORLD" Titanic movie yells, go ahead.

 

We three, then spent some time on the deck during the day. The slide was OPEN. It wasn't that fast though, and some people would even stopped fully on the way down. You have to be I believe 42 inches to ride on it. The two hot tubs on the deck were not hot enough, and many kids were in there, includinig mine today. This is the ONLY day we used the pool or the hot tubs, so dont chew me or my kid out. I always noticed many kids in there on other days. There is another hot spa close to the Spa area where no kids are allowed, but never used it.

 

A Jamaiican Group were on the deck during the day too, and I must say, they were excellent. Good music, and ended up liking their versions of popular songs, better than the real singer's versions. They received applause and praise from the people on the deck after each song. Pretty popular they seemed. Pretty much everyday, there would be some kind of music on the deck at certain times.

 

Formal night time was beautiful. Everyone looked great, and yes, including me. I hate wearing formal stuff, and didn't think I would participate, but did. For those that are concerned on what to wear, I noticed most people had at least a TIE on that night, but did see some without. Not everyone had a sports coat. I only had a dress shirt, tie, and nice slacks. I did not seem under or overdressed. Women, if you dont want to look like most of the other women, do not bring a black cocktail dress. Some other color would be better. My wife wore a beautiful dress from India.

 

There were so many stations for photographs set up all night. So many backdrops. Just walk down Sensation BLVD and stop on each one and take some nice pictures this night for sure. No obligation to buy, but be warned. You will BUY. They look so lovely, and they did a great job. Went back to the room to change out of these uncomfortable formal cloths.

 

Hmm, so THAT is what a Towel Animal is! Today was a little puppy. Cute. Also, my son got a big smily face cookie. Not sure if all this was because I gave our wonderful attentive, room steward Ariel, a $2 tip this morning. It was worth it, since we got towel animals every night from today, and excellent service.

 

That night, we all saw one of the Vegas style song and dance show. Pretty long, and if you like that kind of thing, you would like this. It was decent and energetic. Went to the room for a nap since I heard there was some GALA BUFFET at midnight that had all kinds of sculptures and carvings. Wife and son were going to go ahead and turn in for the night. I set my alarm so I can see it and the R-rated Marvin Bell comedian show at midnight. Huge lines at 11:30pm to see the Gala buffet carvings BEFORE eating time at 12:30am. Absolutely amazing stuff here. Then went to see the Comedian. Hilarious R-rated stuff, must be 18 to get in, but didn't see anyone checking ages.

 

Afterwards went back to Gala Buffet since they were starting to eat it now. I went through the line again and saw things I didn't notice before. Oddly, didn't feel like eating any of it since it looked so beautiful (and recall, I ate so so much today all over the ship), and didn't know what half of it was and was scared to try it. Oh well, it was worth looking at again. Did get a dessert, and a turkey slice.

 

Afterwards, went to check out the Kaleidoscope Club. Seems on some nights, 11:00pm is when it starts, and other nights, midnight was when it starts. Great music I thought. Everyday, it seemed to be was HIP HOP/RAP, many songs repeated night after night. Liked it though. If you are trying to book a room away from the dance club, do not get a room 1 floor below. You will hear it. Two floors below, you might be okay.

 

 

Day 3: (Monday, Costa Maya)

 

Wow, starting to see land to the right of the boat. Must be Mexico. Son and I got some breakfast in Seaview while wife had some Spa work done before landing at Costa Maya at Noon. "YOU SPENT HOW MUCH?".

 

Left the boat at around 1:00pm after lunch in Seaview. Long pier, and they had a little free shuttle going back and forth the whole time we were there. Pier area had some shoppping, bars, some shows going on, and a nice pool. Here we let our boy play in the pool. Then we rented a Golf Cart to head over to Majahaul. No trouble getting one, even though there were none visible. They kept coming around bringing more. Also, it helps when you are the only ship in port I suppose. Cost for golf cart is $15 first hour, and $10 each additional hour. We stopped first at Tequila Beach on the way to Majahual and let the son play. Chips, salsa and guacamole were awesome. Wasn't spicy at all, so a little dissappointed in that regard. And what a beautiful view of our Sensation ship from a distance.

 

We then continued to Majahual (another 5 minutes down the road). Pretty nice little village, but just wasn't busy at all. My son wanted to play on the beach and sand some more, and after repeated attempts at the many beach massagers trying to reel me in, it finally worked. Signs said $1 per minute or $20 for 30 minutes. They might as well had a footnote for people with Golf Carts. "$25 for 30 minutes", since remember I am paying $10 per hour on that golf cart. Oh well, WOW! Great massage, highly recommend it.

 

Returned my golf cart 3 hours later and went back to the Pier area. Only thing I was dissappointed about the road to Majahual was seeing various garbage and litter along the road sides. Coke bottles, water bottles, etc. Come on folks, this is us cruisers doing this to this beautiful little place. STOP THAT and dont litter. Wait till you get home to litter.

 

Back at the pier, wife shopped while son and I went on the ship to drop off some odds and ends. Very easy to get on and back off the ship I thought. I recommend if you have too much, to go ahead and unload some belongings on the ship, as in beach towels, and sandy wet clothes, etc. Met up with wife again and shopped. Ship finally left port at 8:00pm. Towel animal for tonight, ELEPHANT.

 

That midnight, they had a tasty mexican buffet in Seaview. I set my alarm for it. You know, you are definitely eating too much when you have to set a alarm to go eat. Wife and son never would participate in this activity..oh well, more for me.

 

 

Day 4: (Tuesday, Cozumel).

 

Woke up, looked out the window to see where we were. All I saw was this HUGE WHITE structure. it was CARNIVAL VICTORY docked right beside us. What a site. Two huge boats right next to each other. Breakfast at Seaview/Lido deck as usual, and got off the boat at 10:30. Hold on to your hats if you walking between two ships on the pier. Very windy, like a wind tunnel. Many people's hats were blowing off, some off the pier into the water. The pier has a walk through Mall. Lots of shopping here compared to Costa Maya.

 

In Cozumel, we decided to do Paradise Beach, based on many recommendations from other cruisers and this board. It was $12 cab ride one way. At Paradise Beach, bought two $5 wrist bands so we can use the life rafts, and life vests, maybe the floating iceberg, and maybe the floating trampoline. Wife didn't want to mess with anything and just wanted to relax. Folks make sure you bring plenty of cash if you doing something like this. I wanted 2 life vest, it was $20 deposit for each. Sure the beach is free, but to use anything, you have to pay.

 

Oh yea, tip for the people with young children, if your kids need some sand toys to play with here, like a shovel and pail, dont buy it from the pier. It was $12-$15. Paradise beach has some for only a $5 Deposit, so pretty much free as long as you already purchased a $5 band earlier. There are no signs for this, but I asked our waiter, and he said they have some.

 

The only problem I have with Paradise Beach is that the water gets very deep very fast as you go in the water. Also, walking in the water hurts, since so much coral, and small stones present. Water just didn't seem clear with so much debris including some seaweed in the water. It was clear out there where people were snorkeling, but too far for me to attempt to swim. Never did make it to the iceberg or the trampoline either. And be careful on that iceberg. Do not climb on it with people above you climbing. If that person falls, you will be wiped out in the process.

 

Then, I decided to go Jet Ski-ing with my son. They had no rules on age, and my son is only 4, so there we go. It was $55 for 30 Minutes. Pretty windy day. If you went one direction on the Jet Ski, it was fine, but going the other direction it was very splashy, and that salt water burns your eyes. My son had enough of the Jet Ski after 10 minutes, so I dropped him back on shore and went back out. Saw plenty of people wipe out on the jet ski, and had trouble getting back on. The jet ski folks working there would quickly come out and help. Had a great time. If you do Jet Skiing, I recommend goggles.

 

Left Paradise Beach, and went back to the Pier (another $12). No problem with finding a taxi. Plenty are waiting for you. Wife shopped while my son and I went back on board the ship to drop some stuff in the room and we would meet up later out there in the shopping area. HUGE lines getting back on board, but glad to see that was for the other ship, VICTORY. They are not leaving Cozumel until midnight, why are they getting back on the ship for? Anyway, our "back on" ship and "back off" ship was easy and fast again just as it was at Costa Maya. Did notice someone having hard time getting on the ship thanks to drinking too much. That person even fell on the stairs three times. People were carrying her on. She couldn't even walk a YARD, but she most definitely has been drinking one or two of them.

 

Ship left Cozumel at 6:00pm. Okay, so THAT is what they meant by the Sensation is ROCKING. Out of Cozumel, going against the current, and it being somewhat windy, the mighty Sensation ship was rocking. Before this day, I never even felt any rocking, just slight movement, and it was pretty smooth up until now. Well, this "rocking" really wasn't that bad to get me sick, but a few times you would have to work to keep balance. I did pop a dramamine pill just in case. By the way, the rocking lasted for about 5 more hours from when we left Cozumel.

 

Decided to do some laundry. $2 for washers, and $2 for dryers was the price. We brought our own fabric softner, and detergent, but I believe those were $1 each.

 

That night we saw the balancing act show, and the ventriloquist. Balancing act show was a little cheesy, but we enjoyed it. He did some neat tricks, and considering the rocking of the ship, even more impressive. Ventriloquist was hilarious, and he even did a midnight R-Rated show that night, equally hilarious. Oh yea, Towel animal for tonight was an aardvark.

 

 

Day 5 (Wednesday, last day at Sea)

 

Highlights were the Embarkation talk and thanks to our Cruise Director, this was a hilarious event too. Throughout the day, I caught many BLUE versus RED games like Hairy Man contest, biggest splash contest, etc. Went to the Towel folding class to learn how to make those crazy animals. They have a book for sale too for $12.95 I believe. Later, saw Sea Feud, a version of Family Feud. Kinda entertaining actually. Played Ping Pong a little later.

 

That night, ate in the fine dining again. They announced that the Blue team won by the biggest margin they have seen, 2000+ points. The waiters all did their singing and dancing routine, and had us join them. Matter of fact, they were doing this singing and dancing every night, except the first one. Very fun. Said our goodbyes to our wonderful ecstasy dining staff. They all wanted photographs of my child since they really took a liking to him. We will miss them all.

 

Tonight, they want your big bags to be placed outside your room from anywhere 6:00pm to midnight. We did so at around 10:00pm, and quickly they were taken away 30 minutes later. Noticed many people throughout the day doing laundry, so I recommend not waiting till the last day or night. There seem to be lines and I can hear people asking for directions to other laundry rooms on the ship. We did ours the night before, so no problem.

 

Last towel animal... FROG. Really going to miss these towel animals.

 

 

Thursday: (back at New Orleans)

 

Woke up at 6:30am. Hey, where is my lovely blue water? Looked out the window and saw New Orleans. Tried not to look at that brown yucky water. Yep, we are back home. We were not in a hurry at all to get off the boat since we drove and didn't have flights, so I really cant comment on how crazy dis-embarkation was. It was very easy for us. We were in the Seaview restaurant till around 10:00am eating breakfast, and easily made our way off the boat afterwards. On the gang plank walking off, I can see below the goods that were going to be put on this ship for the next cruise that leaves that night on this wonderful ship. A bomb/drug sniffing dog was checking everything out.

 

We easily found our bags, and headed outdoors to wait in line for the Fulton Garage buses. It was 50 minutes later when we finally got to the Fulton Garage. The getting back to the garage experience was kinda overwhelming, but not terribly bad considering so many people and them loading your bags onto the buses. Got to talk to many people while in line, and just about everyone had the same view of this cruise.. SENSATIONAL. What a wonderful trip. Not an ounce of rain, great people, great food, great activities and shows. What more can you ask for?

 

Back at the garage, I noticed a disturbing site. They were loading people and bags for the next cruise on the Sensation. The bags were CHUNKED onto the trucks, so do not pack anything that can break in your bags. So glad I gave a $2 tip to the bag handler when I first got there for the cruise. They didn't CHUNK my bags onto the truck, but neatly and carefully stacked mine ..... right?

 

"OKAY SO WHAT FLOOR AND WHERE DID WE PARK AGAIN, AND WHERE IS THAT DARN PARKING RECEIPT".

 

After the cruise, we decided to stay in the lovely Gulfport/Biloxi area for two more days before we went back home to Arkansas. Didn't even feel like entering the beach in that area....greenish brown water. No thanks.

 

 

 

BAD POINTS ABOUT THE SENSATION:

 

I wished they would have cleaned the windows more. They seemed to be streaks on any windows that they couldn't reach. Not sure it was from the condensation of being hot outside, and cold inside. But noticed it in my oceanview room, and in the Ecstasy Dining room and along Sensation Blvd. Pretty much any window where someone could not stand outside and clean easily. Otherwise, the ship everywhere else was very clean, and people were always cleaning it seems. Tables in dining rooms were cleared quickly, sometimes too quickly. "Hey, I was going to eat that". Oh well, maybe they trying to tell me to quit eating so much.

 

The Fantasia Lounge, where most shows are held, is designed poorly. If you dont get there 30 minutes early, you will be left trying to find a seat without an obstructed view (poles, railings, other seats etc). The upstairs seating is the worst. I dont think there is any good seats up there that offer unobstructed views. But we still enjoyed the shows.

 

The UPPER bed we had that was attached to the wall, has a very small side rail. It definitely is not child safe. Needs to be longer, and taller for sure. Felt scared letting my child sleep up there fearing he might fall 5 feet below.

 

Breakfast cereals options had Corn Flakes, Raisin Bran, Corn Pops, and Honey Smacks. None that my son liked too much. They should have Fruit loops and Lucky Charms added. Sounds petty, but my little boy wanted me to add this. Also, we seemed to not be able to find much spicy food, except maybe one of the days.

 

Final bad point, I gained 4 pounds.

 

 

 

The single best advice we can give is to go with the mindset of "have fun". Don't complain about small things and let it ruin your trip. Participate in activies, go to shows, and the games, even though they might seem cheesy. Some of the funniest jokes, and hilarious things happen at those shows.

 

If you have any questions, please ask, and I will try to help.

[phinfan63]

Excellent review, thanks! I will be on the Sensation in September and love to hear that folks are having a great time.

[basketlover]

Thank you so much for this review. I will be on her in September and I can't wait. We are also first time cruisers and I had a hard time getting my husband to agree to this vacation. I hope are time is as great as yours.

 

 

Thank you:D

[ohyes!]

for posting the Sensation review. I love reading anything I can find on that ship. My husband and I are from Conway, AR and going on our first cruise July 30th on the Sensation out of New Orleans, so your review was even more interesting.:)

 

Thanks again!

[SallyMay]

Great review GoforaCruise. As you know we sailed with you and we had the best time. Glad you enjoyed your first cruise.

[furst tyme 2 cruze]

thanks for the informative review. will be on the Sensation in June

[GoforaCruise]

OHYES, small world huh. We live in Maumelle, AR, 12 miles south of you.

 

Hopefully your experience on that cruise is as SENSATIONAL as ours was.

[SabrinaBree]

:) My husband and I took the Sensation last summer and it was wonderful!!! We celebrated our 20th anniversary and my Mom came down to take care of the kids. That was when the Sensation was docked here in Tampa. It was great and we had a wonderful time!!!!:D

[loomdust]

We leave this Monday on the Sensation. Glad you enjoyed your cruise and hope ours is just as good as yours. BTW Great Review.

[vital1]

Thanks for the great review! My 5 year old son and I are going in July. This will be his 2nd cruise and he is so excited. Glad to hear that you had a young child and still had fun. Is it mandatory to go to the Camp Carnival meeting the first night? Also, what did your son wear in the dining room at night. I really don't want to pack too much and thought about just eating at the seaview every night since it's casual.

 

About Costa Maya, were you glad you went further than the port pool thing? I want to go to Tapas but hesitant since it will only be son and I. I'm very adventerous but since son will be with me, I need to be safe also.

 

I bet our beach in Mississippi looked like an old fish tank that hadn't been cleaned in a while compared to the ones you just went to!:eek: LOL!

 

One last thing, I may have someone drop us off and pick us up from the pier, did you see any of that going on? If so, what time do you recommend to go and to be picked up?

[birdshell]

Thanks so much for the great review!! We will be on the Sensation in September and any info. is greatly appreciated!

[CherieB]

We were on the Sensation to Cozumel / PDC 5/05........ be sure to take sea sick meds, we had alot of rocking, take one every morn just because :D We did not enjoy the buffet foods, dress for the dining room. I think gofoacruise will eat anything LOL but there were some goooood cakes:D The pools were empty the first night, they filled them the next morn at sea. The last night they emptied the pools at 4 pm. The slot machines ate all my money, I did see some win a couple hundred $$$. For over 2k people on a ship, made you wonder where everyone was, appeared empty at times. Didn't see alot of 'chair hogs', were plenty of chairs everywhere. Yes, the windows were hard to see out of by the time we got back to NO. We were mid Riveria deck, loved it down on the water. Sit at night with the lights out and watch the waves break outside the window. We did take some alcohol & couple 2 liters of soda in our checked bags, helped cut down on bar tabs. Was a nice cruise. Have a safe trip

[soon2cruise2005]

Excellent information for 1st timers. I'll be sailing out of NO along with Loomdust next Monday. Thanks for all the tips and info!

[L_T]

I must say, we were pleasantly surprised. I dont believe if I ever cruise again, and even on any newer ships, would I have such a wonderful, perfect time like this.

Great trip report! We were also pleasantly surprised on our first cruise, and had to go again. Thanks for such an upbeat, detailed report.

[iluvdoxies]

Vital1. we were in Majahul (sp) in Feb and it seemed very safe!

It was just me and my husband, but a lot of people were there from the ship and some were single women.

The staff at Tapas are so friendly and nice

the water is beautiful.

It's about a 10 min bus ride there and then a taxi will bring you back.

[GoforaCruise]

VITAL1, It is not mandatory that you go to Camp Carnival meeing the first day, but I thought the information was somewhat helpful. Also, we found out if you took your picture with Funship Freddy here, and you end up buying it in the photo shop, you supposedly get a free Funship Freddy Doll ($9.95). That is what they told us in the photo shop. We didn't get a picture taken, and so we paid $9.95 for that.

 

What kids should wear in fine dining at night, my son wore a khaki type of pant and a decent shirt. He only wore those pants for as long as we were in there, so you can wear it multiple times. We ate in Fine dining 4 nights of the 5. We took I believe only 3 of these fine dining type of pants (one being the slacks for formal night).

 

But definitely go to it, as your young one just might make some great friends with other cruisers, and the wonderful waiters and workers there. Mine did, and he still misses them. Also, the waiters and waitresses every night except the first were doing the singing and dancing show, and they would even grab adults and kids to join in. My son had a blast.

 

Definitely go out further than the pier area at Costa Maya. No problem with feeling safe. I felt more safe there than New Orleans..hehe. Also, they are happy you are there as many of them make a living from cruisers. If you dont want to go too far, I suggest as many others, go to Majahaul. We rented that golf cart, and my son loved it, as I am sure your son will. I let mine drive while sitting him on my lap. Taxi is cheaper, but I am sure that golfcart is funner.

 

I did notice people dropping off and picking up at the pier. I suggest not to get there during embarkation earlier than 10:30am, and if you are not in a hurry to dis-embark when you get back, I suggest 10:30am for pick up time. We were still finishing up breakfast at 10:00am on the ship that last day.

 

As for the buffet foods, we enjoyed some things and not enjoyed others. This is the case with any buffets, not just the ones on the ship. Obviously eat the items you like. It is all in one big room, so I would grab something I liked from the buffet, and maybe then go get a slice of pizza or a sandwich from the deli to go with it, then some icecream there. Very easy to do that since it is all in one big room, in the Seaview restaurant/lido deck area.

 

Thanks everyone for their kind comments of my review. I loved the cruise so much, and had to share my experience and tips with everyone.

[Cotton]

Wow. Enjoyed reading your very upbeat and lighthearted review of the Sensation. I rarely read entire reviews, but I enjoyed yours very much. Gave me a few chuckles.:) You obviously have a great outlook on life. The Sensation wasn't my very favorite ship, but I enjoyed my cruise on her. Glad to hear your first cruise was so memorable.

 

Booked the next cruise yet???:D

[dancer006]

Great Review! We will be on the Sensation in July. Looking forward to cruising on this ship! ;)

[vital1]

Thanks for the info! I am so excited I can't stand myself. I'm looking forward to signing him in the camp on the first day and relaxing at the pool for a while! He seems to be as excited as I am. He's really looking forward to the Dolphin Encounter in Cozumel. My oh my, I can't wait!

[GoforaCruise]

Cotton, no I have not booked my next cruise yet.

We booked this cruise in April since the prices really start to climb in May, even higher in June, higher in July. Also, my little boy is going to Kindergarten this fall, so going in September when the prices start to fall again wont be an option.

 

Maybe next summer on the Conquest.

 

Oh, and thanks for your kind words on my review. I used to take it for granted when others did their reviews and trip reports. I really appreciate their efforts and realized it is not as easy as it seems. It really takes a while to type it all up. And I even had to take notes during the cruise or else you forget things, especially if it is a rather long review as mine seems to be.

[jerrygar]

We are going on a Sensation Cruise Aug. 8. Do we need to bring beach towels?

[mexicobob]

Good review. Enjoyed reading your words. I share your love of the blue water.

 

You only gained four pounds???? Could have been worse. My boss gained eleven on a recent cruise.

 

MexicoBob

[GoforaCruise]

Jerrygar asked about Beach Towels.

 

Save your luggage space. Dont pack any. Carnival will give you free Beach Towels to use. But do NOT lose them You will get charged if you dont return them to the room.

 

Also, on the Deck area of the boat, they have a towel station that you can use and return.

 

I even toook them off the boat to use on the beaches in Costa Maya and Cozumel. Not sure if you allowed to do this or not, but many people did the same. Just bring them back, that is all.

[mamiled]

Question: Any general feelings of how a 3 year old would be at Camp Carnival. We just got off the Conquest and already want to plan another cruise, this time with our son! But we don't want to make this attempt on a 7 day cruise! So we are looking at the Sensation. I just haven't heard many comments about the younger kids at Camp Carnival. Thanks!

[Robert and Sandy]

Hey thanks for the great info I have never been on a cruise and you have helped me out alot If anyone has any tips just let me know

Thanks

Robert