Info on the Sensation please

My neighbours are going on their very first cruise and will be on the Carnival Sensation. They have asked me some questions but because we have primarily sailed with Princess, can't help them but I know that someone here will give me the answers to pass on. They have cabin E126 booked. I believe that this cabin just has port holes. Am I correct? Are the walls metal so magnets can be used? Is the shower quite small? Is there a frig in the room? How about a hair dryer and shampoo/soap? Anything about the ship of which they should be aware? Of course, I always tell people to sign up on Cruise Critic but I think they want to see if they enjoy cruising first. Usually they veg out at a resort and the wife is not sure she will enjoy being on the water. I have been trying for quite a while to give cruising a try. :D:DThanks a bunch.

Sandy :)

My neighbours are going on their very first cruise and will be on the Carnival Sensation. They have asked me some questions but because we have primarily sailed with Princess, can't help them but I know that someone here will give me the answers to pass on. They have cabin E126 booked. I believe that this cabin just has port holes. Am I correct? Are the walls metal so magnets can be used? Is the shower quite small? Is there a frig in the room? How about a hair dryer and shampoo/soap? Anything about the ship of which they should be aware? Of course, I always tell people to sign up on Cruise Critic but I think they want to see if they enjoy cruising first. Usually they veg out at a resort and the wife is not sure she will enjoy being on the water. I have been trying for quite a while to give cruising a try. :D:DThanks a bunch.

 

Sandy :)

E126 will have a larger picture window. It's midship right next to the elevators. The porthole cabins are only in the far forward part of the ship. They will probably not have a refrigerator or a hair dryer. There are wall mounted pumps for shampoo and soap but no conditioner. The shower is about big enough to turn around - maybe about 30x30 inches or so? It's not big but the shower head was surprisingly high so fairly tall people would still be able to get under it, and the hot water was fabulous - like instant when I turned on the faucet, no running cold for a while waiting.

I did not try the magnet thing so I really don't know. The Sensation has a rather wild and colorful, some would say tacky and outdated, décor. I liked it. It looks exactly like the photos posted on the Carnival and Cruise Critic websites. Carnival is a cruise line where everybody is welcome and comfortable - there are not a lot of people dressing up and trying to be fancier than everybody else.

A lot of the activities are goofy and light hearted, but fun and funny - things like the hairy chest contest where passengers sign up to strut around the pool and the crowd hoots and hollers. A lot of the guys are old, chubby, scrawny, and then you get somebody young and buff. It's silly but harmless and everybody giggles and laughs a lot. There is a lot of entertainment scheduled almost constantly - get to the evening shows early in the Comedy Lounge and in the main showroom for good seating.

Since it's their first time they should be aware of both Guy's Burger Joint - open noon-6 daily and the BlueIguana Cantina - open breakfast and lunch. These are walk up counters by the midship pool. Many people who cruise Carnival say this is the best food on the ship. There is nothing wrong with the buffet or the dining room either, but these two places churn out tasty burgers with a topping bar so you can customize how you want, and breakfast and lunch burritos where you can also customize at a salsa bar. They are often crowded but move the lines through quickly. There is no upcharge for this - included in the fare. My daughter also loved going to get soft serve ice cream in the buffet area 24/7, and also she really liked ordering herself a tuna sandwich from the deli which is not 24 hours but open most of the day until something like midnight. The only optional upcharge for food is 4 upgraded entrees in the main dining room like surf and turf.

There are definitely lots of shopping opportunities and "reminders" - tables set up outside activities for you to peruse on your way in. I never buy anything extra and the crew really does not care and they are not pushy. They are simply available to sell stuff all the time, apparently because so many people are actually looking to buy things.

If they like to game the system, you can get small amounts of free alcoholic beverages at various times - they have mimosas at one of the jewelry shops for a short time as posted in the daily schedule, there might be a free liquor tasting, there is free champagne during the art auctions where you don't have to buy anything, but of course they are good at making you want to buy all of their products so be careful!

The casino area is located off Sensation Boulevard, the main inside walkway in the center of the ship connecting a lot of public rooms. It is smoky and that lovely aroma travels a way in both directions - this does not bother me but it might be good to know ahead.

I would say this is a really excellent entry level cruise, as this is one of the oldest ships serving the U.S. mass market, but it covers all the basics of both a traditional and modern cruise. Plenty of decent food served almost nonstop (of course some picky eaters might not call it decent, but we think it's excellent food), plenty of entertainment. It's a working class clientele and there is nothing about it that I would call "elegant." It's also a really good value with discount rates, so they should feel like they got their money's worth. The ship is large enough to offer a lot of public spaces but not too overwhelming. They will learn a lot about what they do and don't like about cruising and probably will decide to do some things different next time.

You should go too! :)

If they have any specific questions feel free to ask. And you're right, they should join CC!

E126 will have a larger picture window. It's midship right next to the elevators. The porthole cabins are only in the far forward part of the ship. They will probably not have a refrigerator or a hair dryer. There are wall mounted pumps for shampoo and soap but no conditioner. The shower is about big enough to turn around - maybe about 30x30 inches or so? It's not big but the shower head was surprisingly high so fairly tall people would still be able to get under it, and the hot water was fabulous - like instant when I turned on the faucet, no running cold for a while waiting.

 

I did not try the magnet thing so I really don't know. The Sensation has a rather wild and colorful, some would say tacky and outdated, décor. I liked it. It looks exactly like the photos posted on the Carnival and Cruise Critic websites. Carnival is a cruise line where everybody is welcome and comfortable - there are not a lot of people dressing up and trying to be fancier than everybody else.

 

A lot of the activities are goofy and light hearted, but fun and funny - things like the hairy chest contest where passengers sign up to strut around the pool and the crowd hoots and hollers. A lot of the guys are old, chubby, scrawny, and then you get somebody young and buff. It's silly but harmless and everybody giggles and laughs a lot. There is a lot of entertainment scheduled almost constantly - get to the evening shows early in the Comedy Lounge and in the main showroom for good seating.

 

Since it's their first time they should be aware of both Guy's Burger Joint - open noon-6 daily and the BlueIguana Cantina - open breakfast and lunch. These are walk up counters by the midship pool. Many people who cruise Carnival say this is the best food on the ship. There is nothing wrong with the buffet or the dining room either, but these two places churn out tasty burgers with a topping bar so you can customize how you want, and breakfast and lunch burritos where you can also customize at a salsa bar. They are often crowded but move the lines through quickly. There is no upcharge for this - included in the fare. My daughter also loved going to get soft serve ice cream in the buffet area 24/7, and also she really liked ordering herself a tuna sandwich from the deli which is not 24 hours but open most of the day until something like midnight. The only optional upcharge for food is 4 upgraded entrees in the main dining room like surf and turf.

 

There are definitely lots of shopping opportunities and "reminders" - tables set up outside activities for you to peruse on your way in. I never buy anything extra and the crew really does not care and they are not pushy. They are simply available to sell stuff all the time, apparently because so many people are actually looking to buy things.

 

If they like to game the system, you can get small amounts of free alcoholic beverages at various times - they have mimosas at one of the jewelry shops for a short time as posted in the daily schedule, there might be a free liquor tasting, there is free champagne during the art auctions where you don't have to buy anything, but of course they are good at making you want to buy all of their products so be careful!

 

The casino area is located off Sensation Boulevard, the main inside walkway in the center of the ship connecting a lot of public rooms. It is smoky and that lovely aroma travels a way in both directions - this does not bother me but it might be good to know ahead.

 

I would say this is a really excellent entry level cruise, as this is one of the oldest ships serving the U.S. mass market, but it covers all the basics of both a traditional and modern cruise. Plenty of decent food served almost nonstop (of course some picky eaters might not call it decent, but we think it's excellent food), plenty of entertainment. It's a working class clientele and there is nothing about it that I would call "elegant." It's also a really good value with discount rates, so they should feel like they got their money's worth. The ship is large enough to offer a lot of public spaces but not too overwhelming. They will learn a lot about what they do and don't like about cruising and probably will decide to do some things different next time.

 

You should go too! :)

 

If they have any specific questions feel free to ask. And you're right, they should join CC!

Thank you very much, KMom, for taking the time to provide a wonderfully detailed response. I will be happy to pass on your comments. Neighbours are going with two other couples....friends who have never cruised either. It would be fabulous to go as well but life has other plans for us at the moment. Thanks again.

Sandy :)

Thank you very much, KMom, for taking the time to provide a wonderfully detailed response. I will be happy to pass on your comments. Neighbours are going with two other couples....friends who have never cruised either. It would be fabulous to go as well but life has other plans for us at the moment. Thanks again.

 

Sandy :)

You're welcome Sandy. I realize a few omissions in my details about food. They do have an optional Chef's Table dining experience. I think they do it once per night, and the cost is around $100 pp which to me is far too much, but every review I have seen says it is worth it.

Also there is a little Barista-type coffeehouse counter along Sensation Boulevard with pastries and fancy coffee drinks for sale. Since there is always free black coffee with sugar and cream in the buffet (even when no food is being served), I don't bother with this either. They have a candy shop but here again I don't see the point of buying candy when so much food is included.

We do typically buy a 12 pack of water from the online shop before the cruise - it's only $4. However, it's hard to get ice for it and the tap water in your room faucet is okay to drink for free.

Room service is available for free with limited hours and a limited sandwich menu and continental breakfast. We tried to do the breakfast on a prior Carnival cruise on a port day and they were apparently slammed with orders and we never got it (no big deal, we are not the types of people to get upset at such things), so we did not even try on Sensation. However it was easy for one of us to just run up to the buffet and bring a couple of plates down to our room. It's not posted but this is a very common practice on Carnival ships, a sort of self-serve room service. People do it all hours of the day and night and you occasionally see plates outside rooms which the stewards will clear away eventually.

If they want to have coffee in the room first thing when they wake up in the morning, bring an insulated, fully sealable bottle and fill it up at the buffet the night before. The bottle can also double for water refills or if you like the lemonade and juice cocktail they provide free at the buffet you can fill it up with that during the day. I recommend the aluminum bottles that are commonly available nowadays with a tight screw on lid in case of ship movement, to avoid the possibility of a spill overnight.

You're welcome Sandy. I realize a few omissions in my details about food. They do have an optional Chef's Table dining experience. I think they do it once per night, and the cost is around $100 pp which to me is far too much, but every review I have seen says it is worth it.

 

Also there is a little Barista-type coffeehouse counter along Sensation Boulevard with pastries and fancy coffee drinks for sale. Since there is always free black coffee with sugar and cream in the buffet (even when no food is being served), I don't bother with this either. They have a candy shop but here again I don't see the point of buying candy when so much food is included.

 

We do typically buy a 12 pack of water from the online shop before the cruise - it's only $4. However, it's hard to get ice for it and the tap water in your room faucet is okay to drink for free.

 

Room service is available for free with limited hours and a limited sandwich menu and continental breakfast. We tried to do the breakfast on a prior Carnival cruise on a port day and they were apparently slammed with orders and we never got it (no big deal, we are not the types of people to get upset at such things), so we did not even try on Sensation. However it was easy for one of us to just run up to the buffet and bring a couple of plates down to our room. It's not posted but this is a very common practice on Carnival ships, a sort of self-serve room service. People do it all hours of the day and night and you occasionally see plates outside rooms which the stewards will clear away eventually.

 

If they want to have coffee in the room first thing when they wake up in the morning, bring an insulated, fully sealable bottle and fill it up at the buffet the night before. The bottle can also double for water refills or if you like the lemonade and juice cocktail they provide free at the buffet you can fill it up with that during the day. I recommend the aluminum bottles that are commonly available nowadays with a tight screw on lid in case of ship movement, to avoid the possibility of a spill overnight.

More helpful info that I will pass on. Since the Sensation is an older ship, do lights in the cabin turn on in the usual way or have they been reconfigured to use one's cruise card to turn them on and off. On Princess, I take an old hotel card for this purpose. I also get my cruise card punched at Passenger Services to put them on a lanyard. Does Carnival use cruise cards or some other system? Is muster held in different locations according to deck/cabin and do you need to take your life jackets with you. Thanks again, KMom, for your help.

Sandy :)

Lights turned on with a regular switch-card not needed. In fact you can leave all the lights on when you leave the room, not that I recommend it. Yes everyone has a Sign and Sail card that is used as a room door key and for incidentals and most people either have it punched to hook on a lanyard or in a clear plastic pouch style lanyard. Muster stations are all over the ship based on stateroom locations. You do have to report to your assigned station for the drill but do not need to bring life jackets. Our station was a lounge area with plenty of seating, as was my Dad’s who had a cabin in a completely different area of the ship. Muster was held around 3pm and it’s a good idea to go a bit early if you want to ensure a seat.

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We are just getting off the sensation, a couple additions, there is a serenity adult only area sort of tricky to find but if relaxing is what you want I s great place we always found two chairs...at night hardly anyone in the area to enjoy the hot tub and bottle wine or just sit on the deck. This ship gets an occasional bad review and for us we found non of this. Embarkation was a breeze, the crew wonderful, food good cruise food. Oh remember you can bring a 12 pack of soda on by and buy you must carry it on board. We take advantage of the cheers package as it covers all drinks at no charge. We had a suite so we did have a frig . Any questions just let me know. We had a great time.

Thank you all for your wonderful comments - yes, I am the subject of the thread. A special thank you to Sandy for initiating this. I'm sure I'll have several more questions in the near future...Sue:cool::cool::cool::cool:

Thank you all for your wonderful comments - yes, I am the subject of the thread. A special thank you to Sandy for initiating this. I'm sure I'll have several more questions in the near future...Sue:cool::cool::cool::cool:

Welcome to CC and have fun researching and then experiencing your cruise!!

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Chiming in on the cost of the Chef's Table... I just made a reservation for May, and can confirm it's $75 plus 15% autotip, so $86.25.

Went to the chef's table on the victory it was wonderful. We got to go back in the kitchen tasted different food after dinner we received a group photo and a cookbook signed by the chef. Well worth the money

Went to the chef's table on the victory it was wonderful. We got to go back in the kitchen tasted different food after dinner we received a group photo and a cookbook signed by the chef. Well worth the money

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. :*<3

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. :*<3

Yes thank you so my beautiful niece:*

It's an old clunker.

The casino area is located off Sensation Boulevard, the main inside walkway in the center of the ship connecting a lot of public rooms. It is smoky and that lovely aroma travels a way in both directions - this does not bother me but it might be good to know ahead.

Greetings, brand new here, cruising on Sensation in a year.

Thanks for posting this. I was assuming there were designated smoking areas outside only. Now I've looked at where smoking IS allowed. Suppose I won't spend too much time in the casino then!

Greetings, brand new here, cruising on Sensation in a year.

 

Thanks for posting this. I was assuming there were designated smoking areas outside only. Now I've looked at where smoking IS allowed. Suppose I won't spend too much time in the casino then!

This is standard practice; Sensation certainly does not have the market cornered on smoky cruise ship casinos. :)

Have a great time on your cruise; come back and tell us how you like it!

This is standard practice; Sensation certainly does not have the market cornered on smoky cruise ship casinos. :)

 

 

You will smell the smoke down the stairwell near the casino and down some of the hallways. Was not something I enjoyed while I was on the ship. Yes the walls are magnetic. Tell them the A/c control is the box right above the bed on the ceiling. (I froze the first night, didn't know how to turn it warmer) If they are vegetarian, Guys' has a veggie burger, you just have to ask for it, It is not on the menu. Tell them to go all the way through the buffet dining room to the doors at the end and down a level to get to the adult only area. :)

This is standard practice; Sensation certainly does not have the market cornered on smoky cruise ship casinos. :)

 

 

You will smell the smoke down the stairwell near the casino and down some of the hallways. Was not something I enjoyed while I was on the ship. Yes the walls are magnetic. Tell them the A/c control is the box right above the bed on the ceiling. (I froze the first night, didn't know how to turn it warmer) If they are vegetarian, Guys' has a veggie burger, you just have to ask for it, It is not on the menu. Tell them to go all the way through the buffet dining room to the doors at the end and down a level to get to the adult only area. :)

Im sorry but Carnival Sensation ship is a gross outdated ship....I cruise on Carnival but this ship is the worst..I tried to get off the ship but it already pulled out to sea.....We stayed in our rooms....The passengers where rude screaming in halls ways all hours of the night etc,crew did nothing......Food area flies, sandwich place filthy...When cruise was over I felt dirty....I would never go on this ship even if it was free....I would rethink before anyone goes on this ship....

Does anyone know or remember if there are hair dryers in the room or should we bring one?

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I don't recall seeing one but then I don't use them so didn't look for one.

Regarding the person complaining about how awful the ship was. It was very clean when I was on it in January. You would see the staff cleaning all the time.

I did not hear people yelling in the halls etc, he may have been on a drunker crowd or "shudder" during spring break.

Does anyone know or remember if there are hair dryers in the room or should we bring one?

 

 

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There are not, but many prior threads say you can ask your cabin steward to borrow one. Some have reported that they then may take them back out when they make your bed the next day and you need to ask again when you need one.

We also did not have the bad experience mentioned by the prior poster. The ship is fine for a bargain cruise. If you want something fancier there are many more expensive and luxurious lines and Carnival has newer ships than the old Fantasy class ships, which Sensation belongs to, usually also at a higher price.

You do in fact get what you pay for and we felt we got excellent value for our money on this ship.

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