Better to know now!

[savdblt]

Hi ,

I am new to this and my first cruise is 8/26/04 on Carnival Sensation. I work in the hotel industry so I am due a vacation myself and sure hope this is fun. Problem is everything I have read about the Sensation sounds horrible. From old ship to dirty carpet and poor food quality. Due to the nature of my job this was my only choice this year for a quick getaway. Leaving Tampa from Cozumel and need all of your advice from start to finish. Please hook me up!!!!

Many Thanks!

Working hard in Savannah Ga.

[serene56]

Just remember that different strokes for differnt folks. No one is going to see the same cruise the same way.

Do you care that the ship is old? its clean. so what if carpets have stains. People are sometimes messy. The carpets are not worn out.

 

I remember before I cruised someone came on and wrote a review about the ship- talking about how one of the lights were burned out on the outside (the lights that run the lenght of the ship) who cares. its not like the ship was plunged into darkness. But that ruined the persons cruise.

 

A cruise is what you make it. That is true with any vacation. My first cruise was on the Sensation. I had the best most relaxing time once I got onboard. THat sailing gave me a lifelong addiction. I cant see taking any other kind of vacation.

[WazAnOkie]

Just like a land based vacation (hotel), if you go in thinking and expecting it to be bad, guess what.......

 

But, if you get there expecting to leave all your cares and troubles behind and have a wonderful time...... Your'e on your way to a great trip, and possibly the first of many.

 

Like serene56 said, "A cruise is what you make it.", so go and have a great time!!!

[barbados]

We’ve been working in the Caribbean for 13 years. The early days we actually slept on the beach and ate whatever we could barter from the locals. Tough times, but fun.

 

As things got better, we were able to afford a cruise to get us closer to our destinations.

 

What a treat! A clean bed, all the food you wanted, someone did the dishes and they left a chocolate on your pillow every night!

 

Now, thirteen years later and as many cruses, we never are disappointed with any cruise.

 

You know, when the carpets are stained, the food is undercooked, the service is poor, it’s still 1000 times better than sleeping on the beach. It’s a 1000 times better than being at home and working every day.

 

We are now able to cruise high-end lines, so there are few problems. When they arise, it is minor. It doesn’t matter…

 

…Because the complete package is miles ahead of what we remember when we got started.

 

Go, don’t judge, do the stuff that you like and disregard the petty stuff.

 

A cruise, no matter how good, or bad, is a much better vacation than most land-based vacations.

 

Put on your happy-face and enjoy….and be thankful that you are one of few that can afford to experience this wonderful holiday.

[CaptData]

You state you work in the Hotel Industry. Question is your place perfect, with absolutly no complaints? I don't think so.

 

Yes, you may find something you do not like but it will be far outweighted by things you LOVE. Go a day ahead, relax and enjoy your trip. You will discover that for you the water was to your liking, the room was cleaned every day and you did not do it. Someone brought you a menu and asked you what you wanted. You got to lie down by the pool and not answer the phone today. You did not have to deal with an upset customer either. :) :D

[cruisinqt]

I was so excited about my first cruise. Then I heard that Progresso was a terrible port and I wouldn't have any fun there. All of my ports were in Mexico and all I heard about the Mexican ports was how bad it was and how unsafe you were. I was convinced that this would be a bad cruise and I would be sorely disappointed. But it ended up being one of my all time favorite cruises.:D I don't know if it was because I went into it with such low expectations or what. But I had a blast! It has led to a cruise addiction and I just can't seem to get enough. So don't be surprised if you have a great time and get hooked on cruising!:D

[Loves_Dogs]

I cuise in 8 days on Inspiration. An older, smaller ship. I have read some good and bad reviews, and, everyone will have their own opinion. Some people, no matter how hard you try, just can't be pleased. They are always going to find SOMETHING to complain about. I, personally, am going to have a WONDERFUL time. As long as the ship is clean and safe and the food is fresh, you will hear no complaints from me.

[eyern]

I was on the Sensation about a month after serene56 and heard the same things they did, but had a great time except for the hurricane we couldn't control. You may find stains here or there but they aren't dirty. Think about how many people use these ships. We love cruising.

[savdblt]

You are a definite happy camper! Sounds like I need to sit back and relaxe.

Thanks.

[savdblt]

:rolleyes: Sounds like I need to relaxe and will. Thanks for the replies from some pretty dedicated cruisers;)

[yankfan]

I agree w/the other posters - your vacation is what you make of it. Some people are very harsh reviewers and others say everything is perfect, the truth is usually in the middle..enjoy your trip!

[Shelli]

Choose to see the glass as half full, rather than half empty, and you can't help but have a wonderful time! And here's an observation I've made: on the 10 cruises I've gone on, the folks who seemed to have the best time of all were those who took part in as many activities as possible. Your ship's daily newsletter will have lots and lots of things in there-- join in! You'll see-- it'll make your cruise uniquely *yours* and you'll have a blast. :)

[FishyTrishy]

You mentioned sailing on the Sensation during a hurricane in 2000. We're scheduled to sail out of Tampa on Thursday and there is a small storm out there that is supposed to get a bit bigger. What or how did the crew handle the storm, and did they change your schedule?

 

Thanks,

Trish

[cruisinggrandma]

look at it this way, the worse cruise we were ever on was WONDERFUL!

[mrsfuzzmo]

I've been on 12 cruises to date and the most fun I've had was on the older smaller ships that people warned me about, maybe because I went in expecting nothing good, and it was GREAT! Now, our last cruise was on the Disney Magic, supposedly a very nice ship, and it was, but it wasn't near as much fun as some of the others I went on. So, I agree with everyone above, it's what you make of it. Heck, it's a cruise. AND it's your first correct??? Nothing to compare it to. I can almost gaurantee that it won't be you last!!

Enjoy. With the storms, if the storm is severe enough, the captain will steer around is as much as possible. Which is another thing to think about. Many times when you cruise during hurricane season, you will have to expect that you may not make all of the scheduled ports, or you may hit one you didn't expect. The key here is ......go with the flow!!! Have a great time, and if I can give one word of advice, participate in everything you can.

 

Mrsfuzzmo