Sensation Review 7/30-8/4/05

[ohyes!]

Probably have no business writing this up without organizing my thoughts first, but I know how much I loved reading the reviews. This was our first cruise ever, out of NO, to Costa Maya and Cozumel. It was for our 25th anniversary (7/29). Cost was a big factor, so although it may not be the best & neatest cruise, we LOVED it.

 

Arrived in NOLA Friday afternoon. First major headache was the Cruise and Park deal with the Holiday Inn Select Convention Center. My husband came back from parking the car in the Fulton Garage pretty perplexed because the girl on duty told him that we owed the garage $58.00 and he was to have it there first thing in the morning. The hotel public relations person went back over with us. The garage employee said she never, ever said that. On the way back to the hotel, the employee said this was not the first time this had happened, but that it doesn't happen very often. (a scam? She thought it might be) Anyway, the hotel employees were very nice and made sure it was straightened out.

 

So, then we stayed with the crowd (as everyone advises) and walked to the French Quarter. Ate at Jimmy Buffet's Marguerittaville (sp is wrong, I can tell!) on the balcony and had fun watching the crowds. Walked down Burbon Street. This was between 8-9PM, when things were bound to be relatively calm, but it was wild for us!:rolleyes: Saw the girls raising their shirts, etc. One girl held up her shirt for some guys on the street. The guys refused to throw her beads (she was pretty flat), so she threw them beads. I had a lot of empathy for her.:o

 

The next morning about 10AM we made our way to the port and saw "our ship". Loads of supplies were being loaded on. Unbelievable what they do in those few hours between cruises. About noon we boarded the shuttle. Do not listen to any porters who tell you to take suitcases with liquor on as carry-ons. I knew better from reading this board, but the porter advised it and we listened. Big embarrassing mistake after the bags went through the scan, an employee searched our bags and we lost a bottle of rum and a 6-pack. The few other beers packed in the regular suitcases all made it on fine.

 

Then there were just days full of fun. Pez Quadros in Costa Maya and Paradise Beach in Cozumel. The shows with the Sensation dancers were wonderful. Kenny Miller was hilarious (too many jokes about Arkansas, though!:p We loved adult kareoke (wish this had spell check!)--really laughed hard. Kalidescope bar was where the action was, but we were more suited for Michaelangelos (with "Dirt Poets". My only gripe with that was that their breaks were as long as their sets and they quit playing around 10:30 or so). We did enjoy singing along in the Touch of Class bar for an hour one evening.

 

We elected to self-assist yesterday morning. Headed down about an hour after last call. Worked out great, because we walked right through to the shuttle for the Fulton garage. However, it wasn't 5 minutes before the regular folks started pouring out. A few minutes later and we have had to contend with the huge crowd.

 

We ate too much, drank too much, sunned too much, and loved it all.

 

One note to women: If this is your first cruise, do NOT worry about what you wear. You will fit in just fine. You see everything all the time--even formal night.

 

So, I am certainly no cruise expert, but I did love this one! If you have any specific questions, ask quickly while I can remember!:o

[Magic City Cruiser]

Thanks for the great review, we're heading out on that ship this Saturday. I was even considering the Holiday Inn so that was very good to know about the parking snafu!

My family just does not attend formal affairs and I am stressing a little about formal night. I hope I can get DS to get a sport coat and tie and khakis.....I know that's not "formal" but do you think it will do??

As far as dining in the dining room on casual nights...again...I hope I can get DS to wear khakis as no shorts are allowed? This boy wears shorts in the winter!

And, are capris with nice shirts, sandals and accessories okay for the dining room? I feel like such a hick but I really do hate dressing up! BUT...I will if it's a great big fat hairy deal so as not to upset those that do like to dress up! :D

Donna

[ohyes!]

will do. I promise! The khakis and a shirt will do fine--only about half of the guys had ties on formal night--at least at the early seating in the Fantasy Dining Room.

 

Honestly, anything but shorts will do for females and males. We don't dress up either. I purchased a just below the knee black dress from Cato's ($19.99), a pair of $9.00 gold sandals and a new pair of earrings that had gold and black in them for formal night. Was the most dressed up at our table! You will see beautiful sparkly formals that night and you will see women in pantsuits and everything in between. I cannot believe I spent one nano-second worried about what to wear. Same thing goes for the deck. People in all sorts of casual things. Little bitty bikinis to pants and shirts.

 

My husband wore khakis/Dockers every night to dinner. On formal night he did add a sportjacket and tie and he fit in great. The other nights he wore Hawaiian style shirts, etc.

 

You are going to have so much fun; that's another promise I can make.

 

Glad someone finally replied to the review. I had accidentally mispelled Bourbon (Burbon) and figured everybody thought I was just some dumb hick from Arkansas. Well, I am....:p

[JudyKa]

Ohyes, I enjoyed your review. We went out on the Sensation on the infamous 5 day 7/16 cruise to "nowhere"....LOL!.....and had a great time.....loved the ship! We want to use our "50% off cruise letter" next February and look forward to visiting the ports this time.

 

Which stateroom category did y'all have? We were in a Cat. 12 suite last time; but figured we would save even more pennies by getting an oceanview this time. We used the oceanview on the Conquest June, 2004, and enjoyed the big window just fine. Hubby was just wondering what the Sensation oceanview rooms were like and wanting a first-hand opinion.

[pacerzfan]

Thanks for the nice review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Magic City Cruiser]

Being an Alabama hick, far be it for me to critisize! I also hate that I can't find the spell check here..lol!

Our roll call has decided to accesorize with boas on formal night so I will be wearing my little black dress with my silver and black boa. It sheds a little but I'm gonna shake it real good before I go:D !

We can't wait!

Donna

[sa7776]

We will be sailing next Saturday along with Magic City. DS was happy to hear that Dirt Poets are on board. He really enjoyed them on the Elation two years ago. I know what you mean about the comedians picking on one particular state. On one of our cruises, Mississippi was the butt of all the jokes.

 

 

Thanks for the review.

[20thanniv]

Thanks for the review! We set sail in Oct on the Sensation. I can't wait. A comment for formal night. My DSs wore khakis and a white button down with a tie, no coat, and they were just fine. They were 15 and 12 at the time. My DH wore a sport coat for formal night, but the other nights just wore khakis and a golf shirt, so did my DSs. Just relax and enjoy the service at meal time!!!!

[Cahira]

Thanks for the review! We are booked 12/12, my sister and nephew booked yesterday! So far:

 

Myself, hubby, dd, my parents, sister and nephew

 

We are still working on our brother and his wife, can't imagine going without them. First cruise for all.

 

 

Which port did you enjoy most and why?

[ohyes!]

The night after hearing Kenny Miller's show, I saw him smoking a cigar, sitting with the Cruise Director, Greg Hutson and Jolene, who was hosting the adult kareoke. I tapped Kevin on the shoulder and said "Hi, I'm from Arkansas." He started laughing and said "uhoh, uhoh, uhoh." Anyway, he told me that he usually picks on Mississippi, but that MS was just a little too close for comfort this cruise. I visited his website yesterday. One of the guest comments (from 2003!!!) mentioned some of the jokes we heard--and how there is always a Screech and Mr. Nothing, etc. Since it was our first time, we thought it was all hilarious. Oh, and did I mention the magic show? That was fun, also! It was ALL fun!

 

As I mentioned before, we tried to go as cheaply as possible when we booked. We booked an Inside Guarantee. We were upgraded to an oceanview - on the Riveria deck. We loved the big window. The little time we spent in our room, we usually sat on the bed and looked out the window. Loved it! Of course, I kept expecting big marlins to jump out of the ocean or something. Never saw that. Only saw one ship the entire time...except on the night we were on the way back to NO, we saw another cruise ship turning and going in our direction.

 

We enjoyed the Dirt Poets, too! Just wish they would play more and take fewer breaks!!!:D When they would take a break, the bar would just clear out!

 

The boa will be just divine!:) You can shake it walking in the dining room and get extra attention!

 

Between Costa Maya and Cozumel...probably Cozumel was my favorite, but DH preferred Costa Maya, I think. We did not go into the town on Cozumel....where all the action is, apparently. Next time we will. Just outside the port where we landed there was a rundown pink building that advertises Chinese food and has a big banner that says "Welcome Center." We needed to call our kids and this place advertised Internet service and phone calls. I was a little apprehensive...pretty sure we would be murdered. We climbed some little skinny steps and went into a room with lots of computers. The guys working in there were very nice. They call the # for you; it's 75 cents/min. and the connection was great. You can get on the Internet for $3.00/hour but we didn't figure that was a good way to spend vacation time in Cozumel.

 

At the bottom of the steps, while waiting on DH, there were 4 youngish guys (early 20's). One of them was saying "She cheated on you?! That is not right. She's my sister so it's my place to take care of this and I will." I was really ready to get out of there!:eek:

[Honeybear]

Great review!!! Thank you!

Please... tell me about the Red, White, & Blue game. Did they play this?

[Honeybear]

I hope I can get DS to get a sport coat and tie and khakis.....I know that's not "formal" but do you think it will do??

Donna

 

Hi! Imagine meeting you on this thread. My DGS won't even be wearing a tie, just black pants, a shirt and jacket. We even told him he only had to wear the jacket until he sat down at the table, then he could take it off!

It's exactly as ohyes said ... you are going to be having to much fun to notice clothing. ;)

[ohyes!]

The only thing they had going was the Fantasy Dining Room was blue (seems like we were blue) and the Ectasy (that spelling can't be correct) Dining Room was red. There was a contest going for the most points. If you were a member of the blue team and won some contest, that meant the blue team got points. I never even heard which team won. I was one of the judges for the "Hairy Chest Contest", but didn't earn any points for that.:eek: Still cannot believe I volunteered for that. Shows you what having TOO MUCH FUN on a cruise can do. Be careful!:p

 

I'm jealous you guys have your cruise ahead of you! The memories are lots of fun, but living it is better!!!

[sa7776]

I think we must be talking about the same comic. When he did his late night "R" show, I was sitting on the balcony and DS, who was 18 at the time, was sitting on the first or second row. Needless to say, the comic signaled him out as Screech and sang the Barney song to him.....does that sound familiar?

[ohyes!]

If you get a chance, go to http://www.kennymiller.com. Big photo of him on the first page.

[CaliCarol]

My husband and I are also celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and will sail on the Sensation at the end of this month....same itinerary as yours. I'm so relieved to read your info on dress, etc. Thank you for all the great info.

 

By chance would you know or others reading this if it's permitted to bring bottles of wine on board for drinking in the stateroom only and what the limit is for a five day cruise? I've read for some ships it's permitted while others it's not.

 

Are there places you would recommend for just hanging out beachside or maybe some words of caution? I've read conflicting info on various sites regarding being charged to access and lay out on the beach especially in Cozumel and that the prices are ridiculously high for beer and wine and especially the food. I'd just like to be prepared......What was your experience?

 

Thanks again. Sure look forward to your reply and especially the cruise after reading your review.

[ohyes!]

I am jealous. Wish ours was still ahead of us. You are going to have so much fun!

 

Since you asked. A bottle of wine is fine for sure. I had one because the Holiday Inn Select gives you a bottle as part of the Cruise and Park special. It was in my carry on. They did inspect my bag because the bottle showed up in the scan and the attendant just waved me on. It was a totally DIFFERENT story with my husband and his bottle of rum.:( Oh well, we knew. I have enjoyed the posts where people talk about how some cruisers (that would be my husband and self) try to get away with things. I bet the two of you could get away with a bottle of champagne and a bottle of wine (one for each of you). If you try to get away with more, DO NOT put it in your carry-on's. Even though the hundreds of people walking past us during our humliating luggage search were probably too excited to take much notice, it was still not an experience I ever want to go through again!!!

 

The cab ride costs us $8.00 (for both) to and fro to Paradise Beach. We did not eat there. We did have a couple buckets of beer (4 beers for the price of 3 or was it 5 for the price of 4?) We did have a late lunch at Pancho's Backyard near the pier -- nachos and bottled water for about $12.00 or something. Now I wish we had taken a cab into the main part of Cozumel where all the shops and craziness are. Seems like everybody we had met on the ship had gone there. We were on a pretty tight budget...I'll save more $$ for the trip next time!!! And, also, this being my first cruise, I was almost paranoid about missing the ship! We were back on the ship 2-2 1/2 hours before the deadline both days.

 

To the fishing village at Costa Maya it was $3.00 each on the way to the village and $2 each for the way back. That surprised me; I figured it'd be more on the way back! But, there were several cabs lined up waiting on customers so that probably figured in.

 

Let me know if you have more questions. Did I mention that you are going to have SO MUCH FUN?????:D

[CarribbeanTina271]

Thanks Ohyes for the review and info!!! Getting ready for my 7th cruise but the first for the other 3 ladies with going with me! Can't wait to get them addicted like me, haha :D

[melizard]

My husband and I are also celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and will sail on the Sensation at the end of this month....same itinerary as yours. I'm so relieved to read your info on dress, etc. Thank you for all the great info.

 

By chance would you know or others reading this if it's permitted to bring bottles of wine on board for drinking in the stateroom only and what the limit is for a five day cruise? I've read for some ships it's permitted while others it's not.

 

Are there places you would recommend for just hanging out beachside or maybe some words of caution? I've read conflicting info on various sites regarding being charged to access and lay out on the beach especially in Cozumel and that the prices are ridiculously high for beer and wine and especially the food. I'd just like to be prepared......What was your experience?

 

Thanks again. Sure look forward to your reply and especially the cruise after reading your review.

 

 

CaliCarol,

Me and my husband will be celebrating our 1 yr anniversary on the Sensation. We sail on August 27th. What is your sailing date? About your question on bringing wine aboard...you CAN bring wine and champagne on board with you. Its liquior and other alcoholic beverages that they don't allow. I'm not sure the limit. We plan on bringing 2 bottles but I'm sure you could bring a bit more if you wanted. I've only been to cozumel once so I don't think I could help you much with that question. We did the catameran sail, snorkel and beach party. I think it was $55 per person and it included free margaritas and beer after you snorkel. It was a lot of fun but that may not be your cup of tea. We plan on doing it again though. Hope some of this helps.

[MelBCroozer]

Was the band Four Unplugged on the Sensation? They are a local band from our town and I know a bunch of people who were going on that cruise. If we hadn't just gone on the Glory in June, we would have booked on the Sensation.

[Stella_Illuminata]

Great review! Glad you had such a fantastic time!

 

Thanks for the great review, we're heading out on that ship this Saturday. I was even considering the Holiday Inn so that was very good to know about the parking snafu!

My family just does not attend formal affairs and I am stressing a little about formal night. I hope I can get DS to get a sport coat and tie and khakis.....I know that's not "formal" but do you think it will do??

As far as dining in the dining room on casual nights...again...I hope I can get DS to wear khakis as no shorts are allowed? This boy wears shorts in the winter!

And, are capris with nice shirts, sandals and accessories okay for the dining room? I feel like such a hick but I really do hate dressing up! BUT...I will if it's a great big fat hairy deal so as not to upset those that do like to dress up! :D

Donna

 

 

Donna - I think you're leaving tomarrow, but if you happen to see this before you leave, I hope it helps! I completely agree with ohyes! - you should be fine! For men, khakis are fine with a nice shirt. For women, on nights other than Formal, what you mentioned will be fine. On the Fromal Night, people don't always get that dressed up, so you don't have to be in a ball gown :D Personally, I like to dress up most of the time for dinner, but if someone else doesn't, it certainly isn't going to ruin my cruise! And sometimes I just want to wear a nice capri set, as well :) It's great that you care about the others there, though, too. :)

 

I hope you have a fabulous time on your cruise! Be sure to post a review when you get back :D