Quick Sensation Review

[Relayer]

Down and Dirty....no pictures!

 

Sailed on October 19 for 4 night Bahamas cruise. Freeport, Nassau and Sea Day. Platinum embarkation was smooth. They do a really nice job in PC. Escorted to PH1 at 11:15. Cabin is "sensational" to say the least! A one-time must do! Dining on the Lido by 11:45 then pool side till muster.

 

We enjoyed this cruise and this was our second time around on the Sensation since July. The ship is impeccably clean but showing wear and tear in a number of areas. Kind a looking beat down a bit. No worries however.

 

The Lido food was good but not awe inspiring. Neither better nor worse as compared to CCL cruises over the last few years. Main dining service and food were excellent. Room service breakfast was great as always.

 

In Freeport we ventured to Paradise Cove/Deadman’s Reef. Booked online. $28/person for roundtrip, beach chairs and two drinks. Snorkel gear available to rent for like $5. The snorkeling reports were great for those that ventured a bit further out. Rays, eels and turtles. Service was prompt and on point.

 

Nassau was a trip to Atlantis almost solely for the "lazy river". If you've been you know what I mean and if not you just got to do it! The water park in general is nice, clean and lot's to do. Admission can be pricey but be sure you investigate all options that are out there.

 

Self-assist disembark and we're on our way back to Georgia by 7:15.

 

We really enjoy these short cruises and they always feel much longer. A very nice get-a-way. Would do it again in a second!

[SMSACE6]

Thanks for your review. I have a soft spot for the Sensation. She was my first Carnival ship/carnival cruise way back in 2000.:)

[camper49]

Same soft spot here...our first cruise in 2001..have sailed her 5 times...once more coming up in Feb.!

[getupgo]

We're going on 11/17 and we paid $35 each for deadman's reef online but included snorkel gear. Your price was better. Where did you find it?

[Relayer]

We're going on 11/17 and we paid $35 each for deadman's reef online but included snorkel gear. Your price was better. Where did you find it?

 

Deadmans reef web site. Very limited participation. Only ship in port. Maybe 15 total Sensation guests all day. Perhaps that drove price down a bit?

[IslandBound79]

We loved deadmans reef!!! We caught a cab at the port and went there by ourselves. It was super easy and like mentioned above there is snorkelling gear rentals and a cute little restaurant!

 

You guys will have a great time!!!

[cruizinisthebest]

Nice review. Sensation is a favorite of mine!

[beshears]

Great to read your review. We are doing the Sensation for the first time this Sunday.

 

I have never been on a short cruise, and my friend has never cruised before, so it will be an experience for both of us in different ways.:)

 

I'm glad to read that your review was not as bad as some I have read recently. Maybe that is because..........you don't "nit/pick" like a lot of people do.

 

Since this is a short cruise, I thought I would ask. Do they have any shows like love and marriage, etc.?

 

Also, I believe they have a formal night, and if so, what night is it? Do many people dress up for this, or just do casual like their normal dress at the dinner table?

 

Did you do MDR, or the anytime dining? I have always been able to choose the table size I wanted, but I understand either because it is a short cruise or the Sensation, they pick out the size of table for us? We would prefer a large table. How do we go about getting one?

 

Anything that you can suggest that we see/do that does not cost much in Freeport?

 

Sorry about all these questions, but I'm trying to make notes before leaving this Sunday.

[bayoubabe516]

I was just on the Sensation Oct 16th. Had such a good time I think we are going back for Thanksgiving. I agree MDR had really good food...actually some of the best I've had cruising. We really enjoyed the grill....the Mongolian wok was yummy. The band outside the casino is called Music Degree...they are excellent. Great crew on the ship.

[beshears]

Oh thanks for letting me know you just got off the Sensation, and had a great time. We will be on this ship Sunday.

 

You mentioned about the music right out of the casino. What kind of music did Music Degree play? I love "groups" who play/sing music, especially if it is the kind of music I like.:)

 

If you think of anything pro/con you would like to tell me about the Sensation, I would love to know.

 

Our money is limited, so were not into snorkling, etc. but do like the beach. Anything close we could walk to at Freeport or Nassau that wouldn't cost to much?

[bayoubabe516]

They play everything... The guitar player is amazing. I just booked Nov 23rd with the Halloween sale. Told you we had a good time!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[beshears]

Well we will look forward to seeing/hearing Music Degree.

 

I'm on a pretty high right now as our KC Royals almost;) won the World Series, and it is just 3 days until cruise time. :)

[RuthlessBoss]

Great to read your review. We are doing the Sensation for the first time this Sunday.

 

I have never been on a short cruise, and my friend has never cruised before, so it will be an experience for both of us in different ways.:)

 

I'm glad to read that your review was not as bad as some I have read recently. Maybe that is because..........you don't "nit/pick" like a lot of people do.

 

Since this is a short cruise, I thought I would ask. Do they have any shows like love and marriage, etc.?

 

Also, I believe they have a formal night, and if so, what night is it? Do many people dress up for this, or just do casual like their normal dress at the dinner table?

 

Did you do MDR, or the anytime dining? I have always been able to choose the table size I wanted, but I understand either because it is a short cruise or the Sensation, they pick out the size of table for us? We would prefer a large table. How do we go about getting one?

 

Anything that you can suggest that we see/do that does not cost much in Freeport?

 

Sorry about all these questions, but I'm trying to make notes before leaving this Sunday.

 

I just got off Sensation this morning. It was the leann Rimes concert cruise, so don't know if the schedule was usual. We had 1st elegant night on Monday because Freeport was a short day. Tuesday was our concert. On Monday the stage show was Curves (but I missed it), on Wednesday night the show was called Far From Over. It was quite a production. The talent has greatly improved from what it used to be, and yes, the music was live.

Music by the casino is subjective.

I was in ATD, table was or 8. Another night got a table for 2, but it made no difference because there were 4 tables for 2 each directly next to each other in a line.

I found Nassau to be a mess due to construction, but I didn't do any tour.

My cabin was M57, it was immaculate. I know, because I went over most everything with a Lysol wipe. I was quite impressed.

[Bowlman67]

Glad to see all the positive reviews on this ship. This sensation was our first cruise back in 2000 and we loved it then. I am looking forward to see how much it has changed since then.:)

[Relayer]

Great to read your review. We are doing the Sensation for the first time this Sunday.

 

I have never been on a short cruise, and my friend has never cruised before, so it will be an experience for both of us in different ways.:)

 

I'm glad to read that your review was not as bad as some I have read recently. Maybe that is because..........you don't "nit/pick" like a lot of people do.

 

Since this is a short cruise, I thought I would ask. Do they have any shows like love and marriage, etc.?

 

Also, I believe they have a formal night, and if so, what night is it? Do many people dress up for this, or just do casual like their normal dress at the dinner table?

 

Did you do MDR, or the anytime dining? I have always been able to choose the table size I wanted, but I understand either because it is a short cruise or the Sensation, they pick out the size of table for us? We would prefer a large table. How do we go about getting one?

 

Anything that you can suggest that we see/do that does not cost much in Freeport?

 

Sorry about all these questions, but I'm trying to make notes before leaving this Sunday.

 

All of the usual shows and activities. From Love and Marriage to the Hairy Chest contest. Cruise Elegant Night was Monday, first full day. Mixed bag on dress. Tux to T and all in between. This was the only night we went to the MDR and we were on Anytime Dining. Just the two of us so no trouble with selecting a duece for dinner.

 

Freeport - IMO not much at the port. We initialy were just going to stay on the ship but decided on a beach day. Glad we did as it was a beautiful beach.

 

Again we really enjoyed the short cruise. Being primarily used to 7 and 8 dayers it was perfect and refreshing.

 

Have fun!

[beshears]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I am just finishing up work here to go home and pack, so we can leave early Sunday morning.

 

Someone mentioned that elegant night was Monday night, because it was short at Freeport. We are to be at Freeport from 8:00 - 5:00 on Monday, and I don't think that is a short day, but maybe it is. :confused:

[phillipslate]

This was our first cruise so I really dont have a lot of information about other ships to compare with other than what I've read on here. I will just give a heads up as to our experience. it was GREAT!! First off if you are doing this on a budget and need to figure out transportation from MCO to the port/hotel.. I recommend Cocoa Beach Suites or 4 points Sheridan. They are sister hotels we stayed at CBS on the night after our cruise and they offered a free shuttle and parking for my rental car during the cruise. $84 for a King size suite that had the seperate bedroom, kitchenette , living room etc.. not the Ritz but it was nice for the price. on that same note Carnival charges $35 per person per trip for their shuttle, for us that would have been $140 and not letting us get to hotel etc. Rental car at Advantage was $85 + 14 in gas.. We drove down A1A , Kennedy Space Center , the mall, all at half the price almost of the shuttle..

 

OK NOW ON TO THE CRUISE AND SHIP ITSELF

 

This ship is a little smaller than the others we saw in port but make no mistake it is a monster of a ship still. Yes it is purple but you get used to it pretty quick. The counter was quick and easy - I honestly do NOT recommend First to the Fun. I wanted to get it but after getting there was glad my wife talked me out of it. We were curbside to poolside in 20 mins or so.. got there around 1145-1200... My room was ready by 1, luggage by 3. There was constantly workers cleaning the ship so no worries of garbage laying around.

 

THE FOOD:

 

The food was really good. My wife tried and LOVED Mongolian Wok.. I tried a few of the grill offerings, the ice cream machine was ehh.. pizza was good, didnt try the deli... Room Service - my wife liked the Reuben , the steakloin on french was ok.. but the Grilled cheese was great... MAIN DINING ROOM -ECSTASY When you arrive, check your table.. if you see a worker in there ask if your table is one that Ide Burgas will be taking care of, if not, ask to switch to his!!! I can not stress this enough . This guy is the highlight of the whole ship.. he has a charm and personality that is unmatchable. He joked with us, pranked us, kept our glasses and plates full ( I had multiple starters and/or entrees every night) . I will attempt to upload a video of him dancing on the last night and share a link here later... The food was good as I said , multiples each time.. Seaday Brunch, Eggs Benedict is the way to go.. like lil yolky egg Mcmuffins. if you order cheesy grits ask for it minus the jalapeno as it was SUPER hot.

 

STEWARD

 

short and sweet.. We had the Upper 1.. porthole at the very front of ship. our steward ( pronounced Again) was on top of his game. kept our room clean, had awesome towel animals every night, great for info, I even left my keys in the room once and he saw me in the hallway , I explained what happened , he said ' no worries Mr. Phillip, I'm here.'

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

I am 37 years old and married so didn't check out Kaleidoscope or any of the 'clubs'.. we went to the adult comedy shows and while cursing was plentiful, I've never seen my wife laugh so hard.. We watched Curves , which was a lil risque.. (guys sit up front or on the aisle on bottom floor lol ) We caught part of the love and marriage which was a newlywed type show with fellow cruisers, it was ok. Far From Over was pretty good , the purple rain segment was the best. Be sure to check out Tsurita in the main lobby ( also youtube rapping with Tsurita) . Music Degree is the bar band by the Casino. They are kind of in the hallway , but these guys are Impressive. they are all from the Philippines but sound just like Pink Floyd, Def Lepard , 3 Doors Down and many of the other rock bands they are covering.. Jason Jase Apps was our Director. HE IS AN IDIOT!! not that bad kind of idiot, like the outgoing , anything for a laugh, pretty funny guy idiot.. He is on the tv stations a lot and hosts the shows..

 

NASSAU / MELIA/ JITNEY #10

 

We got off the ship and I will tell you , nothing on this site can prepare you for the complete overload of Vendors that will approach you before Bay street.. offering taxi rides, hair braids, bracelets, water, etc.. it was a lil overwhelming.. to get the jitney just head into town, we went down the back street along the ships to go by the Harley shop, then at the Straw Market ( you will know it as it will have steps all around the building and tons of women yelling for you to come check their shops) . then turn right on bay street about 2 corners to George, buses are parked on the corner.. hop on tell the driver you destination (MELIA) and off you go. Rate is 1.25 , we paid 2 just to give a tip. He dropped us right in front of the Melia and we went to the Daq Shaq. Gotta say, we were disappointed. Good maybe just hyped too much on here. Took our drinks into Melia with no problems. bought our day passes. If you do this resort, on your way to the beach be sure to stop at the towel tent across from the bar as they have a waiver you have to sign before you can do any of the activities.. snorkeling is very fun.. I'm a novice swimmer, but you get a life vest from them and just float with it over their reefs. I swam over and photo'd a stingray on one of the reefs.. The Jitney back was a bit longer at 3 oclock with all the school kids etc.. shops were nice. We tried the conch fritters. and then waded thru the vendors again on the way back to ship..

 

EXPERIENCE

 

We had a good time. As soon as you get on the Lido deck , waiters will offer you drinks left and right..

On the first night they advertise the Fun Shops having Liquor sales.. this is a great price .. we got 4 bottles of flavored Bicardi rum/ Captain Morgan for $29. this gave us raffle tickets for a prize pack later that night. WE WON! got another Bicardi bottle, Crown Royal and Amarulla... Now what they dont tell you right off is that it is not delivered till 8-10 pm saturday night (last night of your cruise) so DO NOT PLAN TO DRINK IT ON SHIP... you also are not advised till last night of Customs form to claim any purchases in Nassau or onboard and the limits you have (one bottle of liquor per person). Luckily the customs guy didnt bat an eye when we told him about them and winning them.. BTW I have an awesome way that worked to take a case of bud light or whatever onboard ( I did Twisted Tea) I will share if you message me on it. dont want to put it right out there in case these boards are watched any.. The last day at sea was a lil rocky due to a storm coming in.

 

If you are going on this cruise and have questions feel free to ask I will help.

[beshears]

This was a great review, and I have not read all the postings from everyone on here.

 

I just went to CC and did a review on the Sensation also under the Bahama section. We just got off the ship on November 6th.

 

It was a great cruise for us also. We had two port holes (I have had the inner/window/balcony before), so this was very nice. :)

 

It is possible that we found something "different" that we liked that you did not mention in your review, so if anyone sees my posting, I'll be glad to answer questions also.

[getupgo]

We just got off and the crew on this ship is amazing. I accidentally left my paperwork for my excursion at home and guest services volunteered to make a free phone call at sea for me. The food was wonderful and dining services for my time dining was amazing. I am ready to ditch NCL for Carnival after this cruise. I am impressed!!!

Edited November 20, 2014 by getupgo

[bayoubabe516]

Going back on Sunday... Had such a good time mid October. Great crew and pretty good food. Can't go wrong... Oh and a great price😀

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[figdu]

Leave the light on for me. I will be getting on as you get off.

[getupgo]

Forgot to mention the magician in the Fantasy Dining room. Ask for him. He is great.

[madzmom05]

I sailed for the first time on the Sensation in January with my then boyfriend now fiance who had never cruised before. We absolutely loved it. The food was great. We highly recommend going to the main dining room for breakfast. Our servers at night were impeccable. We went to Paradise Cove/Deadman's Reef in Freeport. By far one of the best excursions I've ever been on. The staff are knowledgeable & friendly. Be prepared for a workout because its quite a swim to get out to the reef, but more than worth it. The food there, conch fritters & grouper sandwich, were divine. I think I could've eaten that same meal 3x a day for the entire cruise & been 100% satisfied. We just walked around Nassau & did a little free shopping for our daughters. With all the vouchers available on the cruise ship, its easy to get free/cheap souvenirs for family back home. I would highly recommend this ship to anyone. We loved it so much that we're going back with our friends & family for a wedding cruise in Jan 2016. It seemed fitting since its where we got engaged!

[scrapperv]

This was our first cruise so I really dont have a lot of information about other ships to compare with other than what I've read on here. I will just give a heads up as to our experience. it was GREAT!! First off if you are doing this on a budget and need to figure out transportation from MCO to the port/hotel.. I recommend Cocoa Beach Suites or 4 points Sheridan. They are sister hotels we stayed at CBS on the night after our cruise and they offered a free shuttle and parking for my rental car during the cruise. $84 for a King size suite that had the seperate bedroom, kitchenette , living room etc.. not the Ritz but it was nice for the price. on that same note Carnival charges $35 per person per trip for their shuttle, for us that would have been $140 and not letting us get to hotel etc. Rental car at Advantage was $85 + 14 in gas.. We drove down A1A , Kennedy Space Center , the mall, all at half the price almost of the shuttle..

 

OK NOW ON TO THE CRUISE AND SHIP ITSELF

 

This ship is a little smaller than the others we saw in port but make no mistake it is a monster of a ship still. Yes it is purple but you get used to it pretty quick. The counter was quick and easy - I honestly do NOT recommend First to the Fun. I wanted to get it but after getting there was glad my wife talked me out of it. We were curbside to poolside in 20 mins or so.. got there around 1145-1200... My room was ready by 1, luggage by 3. There was constantly workers cleaning the ship so no worries of garbage laying around.

 

THE FOOD:

 

The food was really good. My wife tried and LOVED Mongolian Wok.. I tried a few of the grill offerings, the ice cream machine was ehh.. pizza was good, didnt try the deli... Room Service - my wife liked the Reuben , the steakloin on french was ok.. but the Grilled cheese was great... MAIN DINING ROOM -ECSTASY When you arrive, check your table.. if you see a worker in there ask if your table is one that Ide Burgas will be taking care of, if not, ask to switch to his!!! I can not stress this enough . This guy is the highlight of the whole ship.. he has a charm and personality that is unmatchable. He joked with us, pranked us, kept our glasses and plates full ( I had multiple starters and/or entrees every night) . I will attempt to upload a video of him dancing on the last night and share a link here later... The food was good as I said , multiples each time.. Seaday Brunch, Eggs Benedict is the way to go.. like lil yolky egg Mcmuffins. if you order cheesy grits ask for it minus the jalapeno as it was SUPER hot.

 

STEWARD

 

short and sweet.. We had the Upper 1.. porthole at the very front of ship. our steward ( pronounced Again) was on top of his game. kept our room clean, had awesome towel animals every night, great for info, I even left my keys in the room once and he saw me in the hallway , I explained what happened , he said ' no worries Mr. Phillip, I'm here.'

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

I am 37 years old and married so didn't check out Kaleidoscope or any of the 'clubs'.. we went to the adult comedy shows and while cursing was plentiful, I've never seen my wife laugh so hard.. We watched Curves , which was a lil risque.. (guys sit up front or on the aisle on bottom floor lol ) We caught part of the love and marriage which was a newlywed type show with fellow cruisers, it was ok. Far From Over was pretty good , the purple rain segment was the best. Be sure to check out Tsurita in the main lobby ( also youtube rapping with Tsurita) . Music Degree is the bar band by the Casino. They are kind of in the hallway , but these guys are Impressive. they are all from the Philippines but sound just like Pink Floyd, Def Lepard , 3 Doors Down and many of the other rock bands they are covering.. Jason Jase Apps was our Director. HE IS AN IDIOT!! not that bad kind of idiot, like the outgoing , anything for a laugh, pretty funny guy idiot.. He is on the tv stations a lot and hosts the shows..

 

NASSAU / MELIA/ JITNEY #10

 

We got off the ship and I will tell you , nothing on this site can prepare you for the complete overload of Vendors that will approach you before Bay street.. offering taxi rides, hair braids, bracelets, water, etc.. it was a lil overwhelming.. to get the jitney just head into town, we went down the back street along the ships to go by the Harley shop, then at the Straw Market ( you will know it as it will have steps all around the building and tons of women yelling for you to come check their shops) . then turn right on bay street about 2 corners to George, buses are parked on the corner.. hop on tell the driver you destination (MELIA) and off you go. Rate is 1.25 , we paid 2 just to give a tip. He dropped us right in front of the Melia and we went to the Daq Shaq. Gotta say, we were disappointed. Good maybe just hyped too much on here. Took our drinks into Melia with no problems. bought our day passes. If you do this resort, on your way to the beach be sure to stop at the towel tent across from the bar as they have a waiver you have to sign before you can do any of the activities.. snorkeling is very fun.. I'm a novice swimmer, but you get a life vest from them and just float with it over their reefs. I swam over and photo'd a stingray on one of the reefs.. The Jitney back was a bit longer at 3 oclock with all the school kids etc.. shops were nice. We tried the conch fritters. and then waded thru the vendors again on the way back to ship..

 

EXPERIENCE

 

We had a good time. As soon as you get on the Lido deck , waiters will offer you drinks left and right..

On the first night they advertise the Fun Shops having Liquor sales.. this is a great price .. we got 4 bottles of flavored Bicardi rum/ Captain Morgan for $29. this gave us raffle tickets for a prize pack later that night. WE WON! got another Bicardi bottle, Crown Royal and Amarulla... Now what they dont tell you right off is that it is not delivered till 8-10 pm saturday night (last night of your cruise) so DO NOT PLAN TO DRINK IT ON SHIP... you also are not advised till last night of Customs form to claim any purchases in Nassau or onboard and the limits you have (one bottle of liquor per person). Luckily the customs guy didnt bat an eye when we told him about them and winning them.. BTW I have an awesome way that worked to take a case of bud light or whatever onboard ( I did Twisted Tea) I will share if you message me on it. dont want to put it right out there in case these boards are watched any.. The last day at sea was a lil rocky due to a storm coming in.

 

If you are going on this cruise and have questions feel free to ask I will help.

Sounds like you had a great time! Thanks for sharing your review

[beshears]

Just want to say that my friend who had never cruised before, and went with me on the Sensation, dropped by my office yesterday.

 

We started talking about our experience, and how much we ENJOYED the Sensation, and especially how nice ALL their personnel were.

 

I have cruised for 25 years, and had never had a port hole. This time they gave us "two" port holes, and really enjoyed it.

 

If anyone reads this, and wants opinions, pros/cons,I'll be glad to advise too.