We sailed the Carnival Sensation on a 5 day cruise to Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk in April 2019.
The Sensation is 855 feet in length and part of Carnival's Fantasy-class of cruise ships. She was put into service in 1993 and holds a total of 2,056 guests along with a crew of 920.
We booked the Sensation 3 weeks prior to the sail date as a last-minute *very* much needed getaway. Having sailed her sister ship, the #Ecstasy, I had very little expectations of the Sensation. I chose the ship purely based on the itinerary and the dates... When we boarded I was pleasantly surprised that the Sensation had been upgraded in 2017!
The interior of the ship has a classy feel to it, especially with the addition of Cherry On Top in the Boulevard Promenade and the Alchemy Bar outside of the Plaza Aft Lounge (Deck 9 - Promenade) with stairs leading down to the Ecstasy dining room (Early/Late Dining times).
Up on Lido (Deck 10) is a resort style pool, stage, RedFrog Rum Bar, BlueIguana Tequila Bar, Guy's Burger Joint, and BlueIguana Cantina. Inside you'll find the Marketplace with plenty of indoor seating, and some outdoor seating overlooking Serenity (adult only area)*. Up a deck from there you'll find the small water park and LOTS of sun lounging chairs!
*Looks identical to the Ecstasy. Check out that review to see pictures!
Our Stateroom V34 - Obstructed View Junior Suite
Being 3 weeks prior to the sail date, our options were quite limited and the only staterooms left with a balcony were Obstructed View Junior Suites. I checked the deck map and selected V34 in hopes that maybe we would have a partial ocean view as we were at the last obstruction.... and I was right! As an added bonus, our view of a partial life boat actually made for some pretty cool pictures.
The bathroom doesn't have granite or a bath tub like suites typically do, but I really liked how the toilet was straight and to the side of the sink, instead of in the usual corner position at an angle taking up most of the bathroom space.
There were three nightstand type lamps and each one had 2 USB chargers built in! My only complaint was the lack of storage space. There were only 3 drawers and 3 closets, one of which had 2 shelves on the top half and a hanging bar for the bottom half. Unless you intend to hand all your clothes, your storage options are a bit limited.
The location was very convenient to getting to the Spa, Lido Deck, the Atrium and our dining room (at the Atrium).
My Opinion of the Sensation
I was impressed with the upgrades done to the Sensation. If you've read my review of the #Ecstasy, you already know that I'm not a huge fan of the Fantasy-class ships. I find them to be too small for our liking. Just like the Ecstasy, I think the Sensation would be great for a first-time cruiser who isn't sure if cruising is for them. There isn't much to do on board therefore it won't overwhelm a first-timer or someone who hasn't sailed on the larger ships yet.
As to why I'm not a fan of this class of ships:
The pool is extremely crowded (only pool on board) and the buffet lines are always way too long (only one buffet area on board). Plus many people have forgotten their manners and are incapable of waiting in lines. Instead they barge in, take what they want and leave. *cough cough* ice cream station.... It really sucks when you've stood in line for 15 minutes, finally make it to the front and boom! You get cut off by someone who decided they're too good to wait in a line.
I'm not a huge fan of the location of the shops. They seemed as if they were hidden and you'd accidentally stumble into them. Not to mention, the selection is scarce.
I really liked the Boulevard Promenade however felt the location of the stage to be in an awkward spot. Unless you have a seat at the bar with your back turned to the stage, the only seating options available are to the side and away from the stage. Just odd.
As for negative experiences we experienced this cruise:
The staff at Camp Ocean seemed incompetent, and often would make parents wait 15+ minutes to check their children into camp. Why? Also, this is the first time that my son went to camp once and never wanted to go back. Normally he's begging to go every day.
This being my 17th Carnival cruise, I've had most items on the dinner menu and have never had a complaint aside from when I was pregnant; and that's nobody's fault but my hormones... However, this cruise, despite having all the same dishes I've had many times before, the food was honestly awful! I don't know if it was a quality issue or chef issue, but it got to the point where all I would was a salad and baked potato for dinner as I couldn't stomach anything else on the menu. This truly shocked me.
Clothing sent into laundry came back completely wrinkled up and folded oddly. We've never experienced that on other ships where we sent our laundry in.
When it was muster drill time, it was complete ciaos! Normally you have crew members at each stairwell to direct you. Not this time. If you followed the signs for your muster station, you were in the wrong place. We had to ask 3 different crew members to finally figure out where to go. Apparently we were supposed to hang out on Lido Deck? Most disorganized muster drill ever!
If you're not a first-time cruiser, I would only recommend the Sensation on a short 3, 4 or 5 day cruise. If on a 5 day cruise, make sure you visit several ports and only have 1 full sea day; unless you're perfectly fine with not doing much other than sunbathe and eat/drink. Also, the theater shows are still the same old Broadway/musical concert shows, so if you're over seeing those, your only other entertainment options are the comedy club (some nights) or live music in the atrium. It simply does not have the same feel or experience of a 6+ day Carnival cruise.
Have you sailed on the Sensation? What did you think of her? Comment below!
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