This was our sixth cruise and our
fourth on Carnival (Festivale in‘89, Tropicale in ‘93, and
Imagination in ‘96). We have also sailed on the Norwegian Dream in
2000, and the Celebrity Zenith in 2003.
Home Port: We
arrived in Tampa on Thursday night at 11:15 pm. Our reservations
were at the Howard Johnson’s on Dale Marbry Drive near Raymond
James Stadium. The complimentary hotel shuttle runs (to the
airport, downtown, and cruise port) until midnight (not 10 pm as
stated on Orbitz), so we called upon our arrival and were picked up
promptly. The hotel is nothing fancy, but the room was clean, the
bed was comfortable, and the location was good. Plenty of
restaurants (McDonalds, Wendy‘s, Taco Bell, Longhorn Steakhouse,
Chili‘s) and shopping (Wal Mart, Eckerd Drugs, K Mart) within
walking distance. (Just a Warning: There were also several Strip
Clubs in the neighborhood, if those things bother you). All in all,
I think for the price ($56.00/night) it was a good choice for not
too fussy cruisers who are just looking for a clean, inexpensive
place to stay (with a free shuttle) for a night or two while waiting
for the ship.
Embarkation: The
easiest we’ve ever had! We signed up at the hotel for the 11:00 am
shuttle (you should reserve the shuttle when you check-in) and
arrived at the port by 11:30 am. We were signed in and processed by
11:45am. We couldn’t board the ship until 12:30 pm, but they had
seats in the terminal building. A good time to unwind, meet new
people, and feel the anticipation!
Ship:
The Sensation is a Fantasy Class Ship, and having been on the sister
ship Imagination helped us in finding our way around. The multi-deck
Atrium is the center of activity, and using that as a guide will
help in locating yourself on the ship. The sculpture in the center
of the atrium on Imagination has been replaced by a piano bar on
Sensation, and after the initial commotion of check-in day calmed
down, it was a popular spot for a quiet drink. The casino was large,
and the staff was friendly. We ate in the Fantasy Dining room one of
two dining rooms on Sensation. We were in a booth for six, open on
both sides. We would have preferred a round table, but the service
was fine. The bars and lounges were plentiful and well kept. The
shops were well stocked (maybe a bit over-stocked as maneuvering in
a crowded shop was sometimes a challenge. The Fantasia Lounge was
two-decks high and had plenty of good seats for the shows. (Notes:
Don’t arrive five minutes before show time and expect a good seat,
also the view from the front row seats on the upper deck is
obstructed by a Plexiglas shield - for a six foot person, the
railing is right in the center of the stage)
Cabin: We
were in cabin R62, our first time in an Upper/Lower cabin. It was
NOT tiny! The square footage was the same as other standard Carnival
Cabins. Don’t really know why Carnival didn’t put a queen bed in
there, there was enough room. It had it’s advantages and
disadvantages. The plusses were: Layout - The “L” shaped design
was good - you didn’t have to close the closet door to go in and
out of the cabin. Location - Being in the very center of the ship,
on the lowest deck, we felt the least motion of any cabin we’ve
ever stayed in! Minuses: Outside of the obvious having to sleep
apart, the lack of a window in any inside cabin creates a problem of
knowing the time of day. On Norwegian we had a TV channel which
showed a bow camera 24 hours a day. Leaving the TV on was like
having an electronic porthole, but that doesn’t exist on Sensation
(it maybe something for Carnival to think about).
Entertainment: Cruise
director Jorge Solano was a hoot all week! The two big production
shows: Party Time! and Hey Mambo! were very well produced! The
dancers and singers were talented and enthusiastic! The comedy shows
featuring Mike Sisco and Peter Fogel were ok, not great. The Magic
and Comedy of Stephen Webb was a good show spoiled by bad seats at
the extreme side of the Lounge. The bright lights at each side of
the stage were right in our eyes, making the magician a silhouette.
Food: Food
was well prepared and plentiful! Entrees were broken down into
groups (Fish, Chicken, Beef every night) There was a plain grilled
steak or chicken breast option every night, in case you don’t like
the entrees. Desserts were varied and wonderful! The burgers and
hotdogs on the Lido deck were very good. Breakfast Buffet was great
each morning with omlettes to order. The sandwich deli bar next
to the pizza counter was a favorite of mine! Great Corned Beef! The
24 hour Pizza was a big hit with most, and having the self serve ice
cream machine on all the time was downright dangerous to the diet!
Ports:
Grand Cayman: We
went on the Stingray Sandbar Tour ($47.00/pp) and enjoyed it
a lot! (Tip: If you can get yourself out of bed, go to the early
tour at 7:15am. You’ll have time to shop in the afternoon, and
being early, before a lot of other tours show up, there will be more
stingrays for you to see). There is plenty of shopping and food
available near the Tender Port. (Note: If you are not taking a tour,
don’t rush to be the first off the ship on the tender boats. The
paid tours get off first, and the shops don’t open until 9:00 or
10:00 am anyway).
Cozumel: Carnival doesn’t
dock at the downtown pier, so a cab ride to the “city” costs $ 6
US. We went on our own to the beautiful Chankanaab National Marine
Park ($6 US for the Cab, $10 US/pp to enter the park). Saw the
dolphins (from a distance - you pay for a closer look or a swim with
them), sat on the beach, walked through the park with (mostly
re-created) ancient Mayan artifacts, saw lots of iguanas, drank Pina
Coladas from a pineapple, and had a quiet relaxing day. The pier
where Carnival docks has a large Duty-free shop. (Warning: Set your
watch to Ship’s Time - The clocks in town might be an hour
different! 73 people, mostly spring breakers at Carlos ‘n
Charlie's and Senor Frogs missed the ship!)
All in All: We had a great
time on Sensation! We reminded ourselves over and over about how
quiet it was on the Celebrity Zenith last year, and how much we
enjoyed seeing some activity on the ship after 9:00 pm. Even though
Sensation was full of College Spring Breakers, the crowds on board
were boisterous, not out of control. There were deck chairs and
quiet areas to be found even on sea days. My one complaint is the
new Carnival tipping policy. Although our cabin was cleaned and
set-up promptly each day, we only saw our cabin steward three times
all week, and would never have known she was our steward except we
stopped her and asked. Our waiter was good, but just a waiter. We
remembered fondly the jokes and tricks played by waiters and busboys
on other cruises, and found ourselves missing them. The spark of
interpersonal communication between staff and guest was pretty much
gone, and I attribute that to removal of the “envelope tipping”
system between service and passenger. I know you can adjust the
amount on your Sail and Sign account, but unless the service one
receives is really bad, I can’t see a lot of people doing that.
The incentive for the staff to “give that little bit extra” is
non-existent.
I guess that’s just another part
of Cruising in the 2000’s.
Carnival
Sensation