Carnival Sensation

Doublehippy

New Member
Hello everyone!

I'd love some feedback on the 4 day cruise out of Port Canaveral to the Bahamas on the Carnival Sensation. I decided on this short jaunt because it will be my first time cruising. That said, I've read some horrible reviews and would love some input. Since I have nothing to compare it to, I'm thinking I would love it! Too, any advice about excursions in Freeport/Nassau...ones to do and others to avoid? I will be reserving a balcony stateroom and wondered if anyone could suggest which deck/area is best?
Thanks so much for reading......
Linda in Pittsburgh:thankyou:
 

mgrimes

3rd Officer
Linda,

I have not taken the cruise you mentioned, but felt warranted to make a comment. When reading horrible reviews, please take those with a grain of salt. I have read more negative reviews than good ones. I currently have my 4th booked and loved each of the first 3 cruises. You will come some minor issues, but it will not ruin a cruise.

Your cruise is what you make of it. Enyoy your cruise.
 

Goguinness

Ordinary Seaman
The above is so true. I have been on cruises, than read some reviews afterwards and wondered how those people could have been on the same ship I was on. Sure there have been a few things that could have been better, but the main determining factor is your attitude. Have fun, enjoy just watching that water flow by. It's great.
 

Cruizer

Staff Captain
Hello everyone!

I'd love some feedback on the 4 day cruise out of Port Canaveral to the Bahamas on the Carnival Sensation. I decided on this short jaunt because it will be my first time cruising. That said, I've read some horrible reviews and would love some input. Since I have nothing to compare it to, I'm thinking I would love it! Too, any advice about excursions in Freeport/Nassau...ones to do and others to avoid? I will be reserving a balcony stateroom and wondered if anyone could suggest which deck/area is best?
Thanks so much for reading......
Linda in Pittsburgh:thankyou:

First of all, people are more likely to write to complain than to praise. This is true of anything, be it airlines, hotels, restaurants, the neighborhood dry cleaners ...

I'll give you a real world example. In October 2005 I took a cruise to the Mexican Riviera on the NCL Star. Why? Because my boss likes NCL and I had never (at that time) tried NCL. The cruise was close to home (no flying) and it would give me a chance to see if I liked NCL, as there was another cruise (no longer offered :( ) that I wanted to try.

Most of the reviews of NCL were negative. However, I approached it with a positive attitude. Now, even though I am not a fan of Freestyle Dining, I still enjoyed the cruise. In fact, I enjoyed it enough to book a $6,000 suite for two weeks in February 2008 on the NCL Jade. That cruise is one of my two favorite cruises of all time (I have taken 16 cruises). And, I am still not a fan of Freestyle cruising.

For the most part it is all in the attitude. Go with a positive attitude and you will have a good time. Go looking for problems and you will find them. Again, a real world example. I wrote a review of my cruise on the NCL Jade. Someone commented that I did not mention several of the problems that she found. After going over her list, it turned out that I had mentioned all but one. In short, she found several "oversights" with my review that in fact had been covered. And what was the one I missed? She said the tables in the buffet were not being cleaned up fast enough. How did she know? Was she sitting there with a stop watch and timing them? Or did she simply see a dirty table and assume the dishes had been there for several minutes? The only thing I did in the buffet was eat. I'm not going to spend my vacation time timing the waitstaff.

Here is something else you will notice if you read enough reviews, two people on the same cruise will give completely different reviews, to the point that if they didn't list the dates and the ship, you would assume they were on different cruises? So, which one is right?

I've seen people give negative reviews because they found dirt under the bed. The only time I look under the bed is when I can't find the remote (and that is where it had fallen).

Have I been on the Carnival Sensation? No. But I have been on the Carnival Paradise. Both are of the same class (the Fantasy class). The Fantasy class ships are excellent ships for the shorter three, four and five night cruises. Fifteen years ago these ships were Carnival's top of the line. As to Carnival itself, I've been on six Carnival cruises and have two more booked, one of which is less than thirty days away.

I think you have made an excellent choice for your first cruise. Go, have fun and explore the ship. If you like it, book a one week cruise. You will find the atmosphere on a one week cruise to be much different than the atmosphere on a four night cruise.
 

Jeff & Susana

Environmental Compliance Officer
Our first Carnival cruise was on the Sensation.
We liked it so much we booked another Carnival cruise on the Triumph.
Liked it also and now we will be heading out on the Ecstasy later this year.


Forget what you read, enjoy your cruise.
I'm sure it will be great!
 

zydecocruiser

Lecturer

dotshub

New Member
We were on the Sensation 4 times in 2011 and plan on another cruise soon. We love this ship and the crew. We almost always have a balcony cabin but the last cruise was a last minute (cheap) cruise and took a ocean view and loved it. Go you won't be sorry.
 

Jeanie

Staff Captain
One our best cruises was a last minute cruise out of Port Canaveral on the Monarch for four days. We did not expect much but it turn out we had a wonderful time. I do not pay attention to a lot of reviews, some folks just like to complain.
 

bob

Community Manager Part Time Dinosaur
Staff member
Any cruise is what you make it and what you want to get out of it. Every ship that sails will have complaints about it and will have raves about it. You will be no different, you will find things you like, you will find things you don't like, enjoy the first, learn from the second, somewhere around your 7-10th cruise you will settle in and nothing will get in the way of you enjoying yourself, even if some things go wrong you will adjust. This is the best vacation bang for the buck that ever existed, well maybe except for 7 days at Cruizer's bed and breakfast with all drinks included.
 

Goguinness

Ordinary Seaman
Bob sums it up well!!
 

tiffy0428

New Member
Carnival Sensation was actually my first cruise last year. The food on the boat was great the staff amazing bed comfortable. I had an OV room and the view was great. Carnival did there thing I just didn't like Bahamas, it was quiet boreing to me. Try to get something with Atlantis while you are there. They charge for chairs and umbrellas I believe $10 each. Like I said the boat is amazing, I loved it so much I booked the Miracle for this August.
 
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