Carnival's Sensation or RCCL's Sovereign of the Seas

[DisneyMad]

My friends and I are travelling to Orlando for a 2 week vacation in January, after seeing all the last minute cruise deals we are considering booking a last minute 3 or 4 night cruise from Port Canaveral for our stay.

 

We've narrowed it down to either the Sovereign of the Seas or the Sensation but can't decided between the two. Both are around the same price. I've cruised before but only with Disney & my friends have never cruised. I started leaning toward RCCL but i'm a bit concerned about the size of their std inside & oceanveiw cabins (around 120sq ft i think) & there will be three of us sharing 1 room. The Sensation's rooms look bigger but i'm not sure about Carnival's "Booze Cruise" reputation? (is this true???) We are all in our mid 20's and although we like a drink we are not serious party fans.

 

Which ships offer's better facilities, food & entertainment? Are the cabins on the SOTS very small for 3? :confused:

 

Any help you could give us would be excellent! :D

 

(Have posted this on RCCL & Carnival board, hope thats ok :) )

[Nightwind]

I've not been on the Sovereign (or the Sensation, although I've been on the Fascination, which is a sister ship of hers) but, personally, I would not try to fit three women in 120 sq ft of space. That's the equivalent of a 10x12 bedroom, and some of that space will be bathroom, not "living space". Carnival's cabins are some of the biggest (if not the biggest) at sea. The cabins have adequate room for 4, in some cases 5, people.

 

Now, Carnival's shorter cruises do tend to be a bit more "party" than the line's longer cruises, but I've not had a problem and I am DEFINITELY not a partier. I'd pick Sensation, just for the extra room. January would likely be a good time for a shorter cruise, as you won't run into the spring break crowd.

 

Just my opinion, of course. :)

[jbhcw]

We've sailed the SOS twice and the Sensation once. The OV cabins on the Sovereign are really, really small. The second cruise on the SOS we had a cabin on deck 10 and it was wonderful. If you can afford to upgrade to one of the new balcony cabins on the Sovereign I think you would love this ship, but saying that there is nothing wrong at all with the Sensation and the OV cabins are a lot bigger.

 

We are no longer big partiers but still love Carnival. Also, they have Sushi on the Carnival ships, not sure about RCCL:)

[Cotton]

DMad - I've been on both the Sensation and the Sovereign of the Seas. Sensation, hands down!:)

 

Although I enjoyed both cruises, Carnival just seems to have their act together better. No - not more partiers - (I've seen ONE obnoxious drunk in all my Carnival cruises.) Carnival has larger cabins and much, much better food, IMO, and more comp things like 24 hr. pizza, ice cream machines, comp espresso and cappuccino in the dining room. Not so on RCCL.

 

(Entertainment, activities, staff and crew - about the same.)

 

I'm usually a solo cruiser. I was really very surprised by how small my OV cabin on the Sovereign was a few months ago, as compared to my usual porthole cabins on Carnival ships.

[DisneyMad]

Thanks for the fast responces! :)

 

Think due to cash-flow limitations we would have to stick to a std OV. Think from the sound of it Carnival definatly wins in that department.

 

Is there any major difference in food quality between the lines?

 

Also I have heard that you are often pressured into buying a lot of extras on some cruise lines (e.g. Shore Excursions, Drinks etc) always "in your face", do either RCCL or Carnival tend to be bad for this or about the same. I understand that with such cheap fares they are expecting to make money off you on-board, does one line tend to be more expensive in extras than the other? (Am I making sense?!? :confused: )

 

Thanks again! :D

[DisneyMad]

Thats excellent info, Thanks Cotton!! (we must have both posted at about the same time)

 

Good to know about the extra Comp. items on Carnival. Thought free ice cream was only on Disney so thats great news!! & free cappuccino very good!

 

Seems I should be choosing Carnival...

[Nightwind]

I have never been pressured to buy anything on Carnival. I've not sailed RCCL, so I don't know about that. The only time I've felt "pressured" about anything on Carnival was to have my picture taken. Some of the photogs are pretty...insistent. :) But it doesn't cost anything to have your picture taken.

 

I love the food on Carnival, particularly in the dining room, but I'm not a real fussy person and am relatively easy to please. My housemate, however, is horrendously picky and found something that she loved every night. She especially fell in love with the banana cake, to the point that our waiter brought us a huge block of it that she enjoyed for the rest of the cruise. :)

[jbhcw]

I don't think there's a lot of difference between each cruise line in that matter, but it's been several years since we were on RCCL. On Carnival you have the 24 hour pizza, Ice Cream, Sushi, plus the grill with hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. all free. There's always bingo and the photos but all you have to do is not buy it:) :)

[DisneyMad]

Nightwind - Think the high pressure photographers must be on every line, even had those on Disney, but hey as you say doesn't cost anything to have your photo taken so I suppose it isn't really a problem.

Also I will have a fussy eater travelling with me so it's nice to know they'll probably be ok! :D

 

Thanks for the info as well jbhcw!

 

Think I was leaning towards RCCL because I have seen more advertising for them and I always thought there ships look quite cool, but i've certainly started to change my mind now. Think i'll have to do some more reading about the Sensation.

[Nightwind]

Well, I wish you luck in your research! :) Hope you're getting some good responses from the RCCLers, too. :) There seems to be a general feeling that RCCL is more "upscale" than Carnival, which has that "booze cruise" rep, as you put it. But honestly, our neighbors took a 4-day RCCL cruise with their little kids and had a bad experience with public drunkenness. Their mature-looking 10-year-old was hit on by some drunk guy! :eek I've never had such an experience on "booze cruise" Carnival, even when sailing during spring break. Of course, there's a possibility that you'll encounter somethinglike that on any cruise, but I can honestly say in my 4 (soon to be 5!) Carnival cruises, I've not had a single unpleasant encounter such as that. Just do your research, search these boards for recent reviews of both ships, and make your decision from there. I really do think you'd be better off with more room, though.

 

Food. Yeah, I live with an ultra-high-maintenance person and my greatest fear when we went on her first cruise was that she wouldn't find anything she liked to eat. Well, she did. Now she can't wait to go in February, mainly because she can't wait to try even more kinds of food that she wouldn't have thought of touching otherwise. And Carnival's expanded their menu recently, too, meaning that there are even MORE choices now!

 

I'm sure that, whichever ship you choose, you'll have a great time!

[DisneyMad]

Thank you sooo much for your help Nightwind, you've been great! :)

 

Suppose I should of expected where this discussion would have gone, All the people on the Carnival Board saying Carnival is the best & all the people on RCCL board saying that is the best, but all the comments have been very useful! I suppose it is all a question of taste, but there is no getting away from the fact of more room on Carnival, which is a definate bonus! So think i'm still leaning slightly towards Carnival.

 

Hopefully i'll get to cruise with both lines in the long time, then i'll be able to draw my own conclusions.

[cruisinggirl_7]

We have sailed on Sovereign of the Seas and it was our first RCCL experience.

I would NOT recommend this ship because of the size of the cabins and the condition they were in. We complained that our cabin smelled like vomit and they never did anything about it. Carnival seems to offer more than

RCCL, so we are sold on Carnival. I have noticed on the older Carnival ships

that they really have top notch service and food has been great too. I hope this helps you and have a wonderful time.

[mollie jo]

I have sailed on both lines, most recently in November on the Sovereign. We loved her. The public rooms are in great condition, but the rooms are very, very small. We were a family of four and got two insides. But I have travelled with four women before in a cabin, not on this ship, on the Carnival Glory, which has much bigger cabins, but still only one bathroom. I think you are going to have a great time which ever ship you choose. I really don't see much difference in the two lines. We have loved every cruise we have taken. I would choose whichever one has the best price. Many are very loyal to the line they usually choose. We pick a cruise based on price, on destinations, and port of departure. You will have a ball no matter which one you pick. Have run!!!!

[GoinCruisin]

Have been on SOS once, Sensation twice... has Sensation booked a third time but they moved us to Fantasy... Sensation is my favorite ship... here is my SOS review from February...

 

Got off the plane Friday morning at 9:45, we had round trip transfers for our group... headed to the transfers desk, very easy, no hassle (I will take this route next time, it really helped alleviate the pains of getting a taxi, dealing with luggage, etc). We boarded the bus, and were at the port by 11AM. The porters there took the luggage directly from the bus, so no fuss! There was no line, so we were on the ship by 11:45. First thing I noticed upon boarding, was everyone walking around with "blinkie" glasses, so of course I had to have one Then it was off to the pool deck bar for cocktails. It soon started to rain, so we headed into the Windjammer for lunch. They had quite a selection, but nothing that was really jumping out at me, so I just picked while others in the group ate. The one thing I noticed in here was that we were approached and asked every 2 minutes by someone trying to sell us drinks. I can understand this on the pool deck, but not while I am sitting down in the restaurant trying to eat. This would become a trend, the one area I really feel they should address. I understand the need to sell drinks, but when it borders on harassment, it's a bit much. The drinks seemed to be much higher priced than Carnival, partly because everything seemed to come in a specialty glass... $8.95 for the specialty glass, no discounts on refills like on Carnival. I never noticed a "drink of the day" or any specials.

 

We headed to our cabins and WOW... VERY small!!!! There were 3 of us in an Oceanview cabin, and I knew right away it was going to be VERY tight... I didn't know how tight until the luggage arrived! We weren't about to unpack for such a short cruise, so we just maneuvered around the luggage, and put a piece in the closet to help with space. The bathroom, you could do everything you needed to do from one spot in there. I even dressed in the shower Very small. Everyone told me they were smaller than Carnival, but I just didn't imagine they would be that small. We dealt with it, and were not in the cabin very much. Our cabin steward and assistant were great. They were very friendly and accomodating. Our bathroom was pretty dingy (a good deal of rust) but we saw other cabins where this was not the case, so it seemed to be an isolated thing. We also had a cabin that was all the way forward, NOT a good location considering the weather we were having!!! I've never really felt rocking in the cabin, but it was so pronounced in this cabin. It was also the first cabin I have had that far forward, lesson learned.

 

We headed back to the pool deck, met up with some of the group for cocktails. It was a little chilly and windy, but we managed to have a good time Once they shut the bar down, we realized it was muster time. The muster was painless, they got us in and out of there quick.

 

We dropped our vests off in the cabin, and headed up for sailaway... it was VERY windy and chilly, so we needed more cocktails!!! We had early seating, due to the size of our group and I won't do this again. We are used to late seating (I'm not even home from the office by 6 or 7 much less thinking of eating at this time!!), so we went the first night, but that was it. The food was good. I had a steak with a butter sauce, it was good. The scallops and risotto were great, as was the chocolate and pear cake. Again with the people coming around with trays of drinks, all through dinner trying to sell us drinks!! What happened to people just taking your drink order and moving on?? Our wait team was great and very attentive. The "show" in the dining room was rather quick and painless...

 

This night was very windy up on deck... there were about 60 little drink umbrellas flying all over the pool deck, which I must say, was entertaining We hit the casino for a little while (not to gamble, but someone in our group wanted a drink from every bar on the ship Friday, so this was one of the ones we were missing.. yes, we accomplished his goal!) We also went to the "name that 70's tune" game, it was okay. We were really excited about the "Disco Inferno" night in the disco, however, we heard no disco. Although that didn't keep us from dancing until the wee hours!!! Some girl came in wearing a bikini, a little tacky... but she wasn't tossed for that, she was tossed for her "activities" she was doing with one of her dance floors a little later in the evening:rolleyes: Again, this evening you could buy a shot or drink in every sort of glass you could imagine.

 

The next morning we had the first of 2 group conferences. The meeting facilities were standard, nice.. they provided coffee, juice and danishes. Considering we had just gone to be 2 hours before the meeting, I needed that coffee! It wasn't bad coffee either!!! I would have drank hemlock that morning if it would have helped though... Our meeting ended around 11, and since we were an hour or so late getting into Nassau, I got a quick nap in, in the closet that was our cabin. I slept in the top bunk, have a knot on my head to prove it!!! Then it was back to the pool deck, for a few mango tangos (yum!! yum!! yum!!!!!) and lunch. The lunch in the Windjammer seemed to be the same each day. I actually had the guy cut me some pork roast, but didn't notice until I sat down, that one slice was nothing but fat (no meat, none... and when you are hungover, this is the last thing you want to see! LOL) Nothing was looking good so we decided on pizza... the pizza really isn't good on this ship. I ate 3 bites, it tasted like it was frozen pizza, and even then, not the best frozen pizza I have had. We waited until 3 for Johnny Rockets to open and decided to have lunch there. Had lunch (which was good) and then headed off into Nassau. We were just going to walk around, and then head back to the ship for dinner and head to Senor Frogs that evening. Well, we happened upon Senor Frogs and decided to go in and see what was going on. This was 4PM. Well, after a first downs worth of yards, we were feeling better. Many from our group showed up, and the head guy at SF was the same we had met at SF in Grand Cayman, so we decided to join in on the fun. MANY conga lines later, and we were not ready to head back to the ship. We had SO much fun here!! One of the best SF's I have been to for sure!!!! What a blast! Headed back to the ship around 11'ish. I decided it should be an early night for me

 

The next morning we had our final meeting. Lots of red eyes in this one!! This meeting was interrupted by MANY announcements from the CD and Captain. The Captain informed us that we would be missing Coco Cay due to the poor weather (this ship rocked from the minute we set sail, apparently we followed some frontal system around, but it was windy and choppy the whole time). Many in our group were upset to miss CocoCay, but I actually liked having a sea day... until it started raining!!! It rained on and off a few times, the band played for about 30 minutes, but the band wasn't that great and I wasn't upset to see them go. We relaxed by the pool during the moments it wasn't raining. Then it was time for the belly flop contest...It was a lot of fun to watch, and I'll say, beats the hairy chest contest on any day!

 

We decided to skip dinner in the dining room, just can't see getting ready that early!!!! We ended up in Boleros and sat through the Quest, and Karaoke. It was entertaining, but probably not in the way it was intended to be entertaining!! Apparently, this evening, a crowd had gathered by the pursers desk, many crying, thinking we were dying. The seas were rough, and the ship was rocking pretty good, but some people were being WAY dramatic!!! Yes, there were barf bags at every turn. We tried to go to the Viking Crown lounge, but it was SO bad up there. Decided to get some packing done, and for the rest of the evening, we just relaxed, and finished it off at Johnny Rockets. This time, I really enjoyed it! But it was a little difficult to eat, as bad as we were rocking. Decided just to call it a cruise, and head off to bed.

 

We didn't get off the ship until 10:30, but enjoyed the time with friends. Found our bags very easily, and headed to the shuttle. Embarkation and debarkation on this cruise was one of the best I have experienced.

 

The service on the ship was really good, although the staff was not as "happy" as I am used to, especially the bar staff. Didn't affect me either way. I didn't care for the "tween deck" on this ship... it only served to confuse me!!! I don't know what it was about this ship that got me so lost!!! The casino on this ship does offer a non smoking section! I thought that was a very nice touch!! Ventilation in the casino seemed adequate as well.

 

I would like to try a longer cruise, newer ship on RCL before I weigh in on my final assessment. Being that this was also a business function, that might have had something to do with it. There were some things that I really missed from Carnival, but couldn't tell you if that is fleet wide, or just the result of being on a very short cruise. We all had a blast! Weather could have been better, but that is out of everyone's control. The only things I would truly give a thumbs down on would be the pushing of drinks (I truly thought this was irritating on Carnival, but NOTHING like this!!!) and the pizza (this truly wasn't good pizza, and I'm not a picky person at all!!!) I wish we could have gone to CocoCay as well, but the winds were at 40MPH, and I'm glad they didn't risk it!

 

All in all, I had a great time. Have I been converted? No... not even close. Then again, I have been on several Carnival cruises, ranging from 4-7 days, so I have alot more experience with Carnival, and sometimes it is all in what you are used to. I would try RCL again, but only on a longer cruise with a newer ship. It was not a bad cruise by any means, obviously, I had a wonderful time!! The differences, in the grand scheme of things, were not all that different.

[GoinCruisin]

And here is the review from my first Sensation cruise, which happened to be my first cruise http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=1628

[Cotton]

DMad - Hi again. About the food, thought I'd come back and add something. I'm a retired F&B director, chef, and caterer - from N.O. I'm a self-pronounced 'foodie', and pretty picky about food, but not to the point of complaining unless it's completely inedible.:rolleyes:

 

In comparing the food from the two ships you are considering - Carnival wins, again hands down! RCCL had some very good food offerings, and I was pleased with most everything I tried.

 

However, for taste, as well as presentation, I have to give kudos to Carnival. Now I'm speaking about the cuisine in the dining room. I have all three meals there each day, because I just don't care for normal buffet food - about what you can get at any buffet at home. Also, buffet food sits in warming pans and is just not as fresh as the dining room.

 

Carnival - B'fast and lunch in the dining room are so much more enjoyable than the buffet. Besides the great selections (and being served straight from the kitchen to your table), the pace is slower and nicer.

 

Anyhoo - I'm sure your friend will find something wonderful to enjoy in the dining room each evening, if that's her/his concern. On Carnival ships, if nothing seems to entice you on the menu, you can always order a steak, broiled chicken, Caesar salad, and the veggies du jour. They aim to please!:)

 

On the SOS, I had a slight problem with a steak being well done when I ordered it med. rare... Still don't know why it took them an add'l 25 minutes to get another steak to me. Little things, but they add up ... and having to pay for my espresso and capp....:rolleyes:

[Beach4me]

I'd book the Sovereign over any of the Carnival ships out of Canaveral or Jacksonville any day of the week (and, I've cruised on all of them).

 

It is true, the cabins are much smaller on the SOS. But, imo, SOS wins hands down in the food, entertainment, lounge atmospheres, and pool areas over the Sensation. I hadn't cruised RCCL in several years but got a great rate on the SOS in Oct. I was truly impressed. It has been my experience that Carnival's quality has steadily declined over the past 3 years - expecially in the food dept. Didn't realize just how much until the RCCL cruise.

 

We had 3 in a Superior Ocean View. We normally cruise in suites so this was a change for us. BUT, I'd still take the SOS over the Carnival ships. If it were a longer cruise, the smaller cabin might be more of an issue in the deciding point, for me. But, for a shorter cruise, it wasn't a problem at all.

 

I am confident that you will enjoy your cruise no matter which one you choose! Enjoy!

[Cotton]

I'd book the Sovereign over any of the Carnival ships out of Canaveral or Jacksonville any day of the week ...

 

My Sensation cruise was out of N.O. two years ago, but my SOS cruise was this year....food not so great, as I said .

[DisneyMad]

Thanks GoinCrusin for posting your trip report for the SOS and the link to your Sensation report, both were very interesting, great info!!! :D

 

Thanks again Cotton, I like the sound of going to the main restaurant for bfast & lunch, slower pace, no mad rush round the buffet, sounds good. Also it's good to know about the steak option, my picky friend could eat steak all day long so at least he can go for that!:)

 

It seems like we are moving more and more towards the Sensation. Seems to be good all round. Just one more quick question though! Have been looking at some pictures of the Sensation and some areas (especially the Atrium) seem to have some serious "Neon Overload", I know GoinCrusin you put in your review that it didn't look tacky but has anyone had any issues with this?

 

Sorry for all my questions, just loving this board, so useful! :D

[GoinCruisin]

Thanks GoinCrusin for posting your trip report for the SOS and the link to your Sensation report, both were very interesting, great info!!! :D

 

Thanks again Cotton, I like the sound of going to the main restaurant for bfast & lunch, slower pace, no mad rush round the buffet, sounds good. Also it's good to know about the steak option, my picky friend could eat steak all day long so at least he can go for that!:)

 

It seems like we are moving more and more towards the Sensation. Seems to be good all round. Just one more quick question though! Have been looking at some pictures of the Sensation and some areas (especially the Atrium) seem to have some serious "Neon Overload", I know GoinCrusin you put in your review that it didn't look tacky but has anyone had any issues with this?

 

Sorry for all my questions, just loving this board, so useful! :D

 

LOL< well here is where I bite my tongue :p That was my first cruise, and to tell you the truth, demons could have been coming from the ceilings and I wouldn't have noticed!!!! The 2nd time, i did notice it was a little more "Vegas'y" but even still, it's really not THAT bad... it works, hard to explain, but it works. It brings life to the ship, and I think adds to the atmosphere. The newer ships are a little more toned down. Now, the SOS to me, was a little too "dull"... but I'm sure some like the subdued decor... If you are having a good time, you shouldn't notice the decor!!! :D Have fun whatever you decide!!

[Beach4me]

I'd book the Sovereign over any of the Carnival ships out of Canaveral or Jacksonville any day of the week ...

 

My Sensation cruise was out of N.O. two years ago, but my SOS cruise was this year....food not so great, as I said .

 

Food is a personal choice - which is why I said "in my opinion" more than once. I was on the SOS 2 months ago. And enjoyed everything about it - especially the food (not only in the dining room but also in the buffet).

 

I thought the ambiance of the ship was more pleasing as well. And the crew more friendly and interested. Again, that was MY experience. Sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as I did. Doesn't make either of us right or wrong. We just had different experiences and left with different opinions. No need to yell at me in bold!

 

OP - again, I believe you will enjoy either cruise. Go with your gut. Things will work out fine.

[GoinCruisin]

 

Food is a personal choice - which is why I said "in my opinion" more than once. I was on the SOS 2 months ago. And enjoyed everything about it - especially the food (not only in the dining room but also in the buffet).

 

I thought the ambiance of the ship was more pleasing as well. And the crew more friendly and interested. Again, that was MY experience. Sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as I did. Doesn't make either of us right or wrong. We just had different experiences and left with different opinions. No need to yell at me in bold!

 

OP - again, I believe you will enjoy either cruise. Go with your gut. Things will work out fine.

 

FYI, that is Cotton's font... All caps is considered yelling on the internet... not bold font... some people have different fonts... she wasn't yelling at you :)

 

Glad you enjoyed the SOS... I'm hoping my experience was just an odd experience... I know many enjoy the SOS, and I enjoyed it... just not as much... but I enjoy ANY cruise :D

[Ellanora]

I have not cruised with RCCL yet, but I did cruise on Sensation this past September out of Canaveral. Previously, I had only cruised one other time, on the Fantasy in April. I had a really great time on the Fantasy, but I have to tell you, the Sensation really sold me on cruising. Maybe we just got lucky, but we had the most outstanding service possible, from our room steward to our waiters in the dining room, and the food in the dining room was just fantastic. Also, the stage show Far From Over was so great on the Sensation - they received a standing ovation at both showings. As far as the decor goes, I actually really liked it, it seemed very happy and comfortable to me, but then I do like purple and green, so...:p . The pool area does seem small in comparison to the newer ships, although I'm not sure how it matches up with the SOS. I'm sure the SOS is a great ship too, but I cannot sing the praises of the Sensation enough.

[LoraJ]

I think you will enjoy the Sensation. It's been 10 years since I have sailed her, but I had a wonderful time on this ship. I didn't mind the neon. But then again, I enjoy Vegas. ;) It really wasn't that bad.

[Casino Player]

My friends and I are travelling to Orlando for a 2 week vacation in January, after seeing all the last minute cruise deals we are considering booking a last minute 3 or 4 night cruise from Port Canaveral for our stay.

 

We've narrowed it down to either the Sovereign of the Seas or the Sensation but can't decided between the two. Both are around the same price. I've cruised before but only with Disney & my friends have never cruised. I started leaning toward RCCL but i'm a bit concerned about the size of their std inside & oceanveiw cabins (around 120sq ft i think) & there will be three of us sharing 1 room. The Sensation's rooms look bigger but i'm not sure about Carnival's "Booze Cruise" reputation? (is this true???) We are all in our mid 20's and although we like a drink we are not serious party fans.

 

Which ships offer's better facilities, food & entertainment? Are the cabins on the SOTS very small for 3? :confused:

 

Any help you could give us would be excellent! :D

 

(Have posted this on RCCL & Carnival board, hope thats ok :) )

I have sailed at least one cruise on each Carnival and RCCL. While Carnival has the reputation as being the party line the only time I saw someone so drunk they couldn't sit in their seat was on RCCL.

 

You will have a better time on Carnival. Trust me on this.