Sensationally Long Review - Part Deaux

[sandsand]

Food and Service

Food in the dining room was pretty good, not great. RCCL has the slight edge here. On deck, the hamburgers were absolutely delicious. I’m still craving them. We must have gotten a new waiter. We were one of the last to get our food each evening and a couple of times he seemed a little peeved at us. When we wanted to order a cheese tray (which is on the desert menu) he gave excuses about having to go back and forth and that it would have to be later. We weren’t expecting him to stop what he was doing and run – just next time he was back there to grab us one. I had ordered two lobster tails. Before I finished the first I wasn’t feeling well and told him I didn’t need the second one. He gave me a look that really wasn’t appropriate. He was friendly and interacted with us most of the time so I didn’t say anything. Our room attendant was good but not overly great. I had tipped him extra the first night when I asked him to keep my ice chest full of ice.

 

Activities

Carnival does a great job in the nightlife department but lacks in daytime organized activities. When checking out the daily capers there wasn’t much to highlight. On RCCL I usually have a hard time choosing between multiple things I want to do. The welcome aboard show was the worst I’ve seen. The CD basically bantered with the band leader and audience for about 20 minutes then did an audience participation skit (the passing of the spoons) followed by a very so-so comedian. Usually you’ll have the dancers do a couple numbers as a sign of the things to come. The show did not encourage you to return the next night. I did catch one production show which was good.

 

Cozumel

In Cozumel we rented two jeeps from Executive and headed to the other side. They wanted $65 but I brought a printout from Avis for $50 and they matched it. We first stopped at Chen Rio. It was only 10:30 and we found they wouldn’t open until 11 so we set up some chairs and relaxed. They arrived around 11:15. We were going to order the seafood platter but decided to leave enough time for our other stops. Next was Coconuts for drinks and lunch. Last stop, Carlos’n Charlies. The young girls with the bachelorette party captured a lot of attention! We returned the jeeps and shopped on the way back to ship. That is when my friend noticed she didn’t have her little blue bag in hand. She went back to the jeep and searched to no avail. At 4:20 Executive drove her back to Carlos’n Charlies to look (we were to be back on the ship at 4:30 for 5:00 sailing!) At 4:50 I’m standing next to the ship watching the last of the long line board and half expecting to have to lay down on the gangway and make them wait. She made it back but without the bag. What could be so important in the bag you ask? Just her sail and sign card, driver’s license, passport, 2 credit cards, $300 cash and her camera! Carnival let her board and let her use their phone to place calls to the credit card companies. They were very nice about helping her out. It put a damper on the rest of the evening but being the trooper she is, the next day she was upbeat and ready to continue having fun.

 

Departure

We chose to do the self assist. This was new to me. We knew it might be difficult to handle all our luggage ourselves but I didn’t think about everyone trying to fit in elevators with their luggage. It was a slow process just to get to the right deck to depart. When we made it outside we found a long line to board the shuttle to the garage. Your luggage travels separate to the garage on trucks. Once again, we decided to walk back to the garage and come pick everyone up. I could only imagine how much fun it would have been to collect your luggage off of big trucks at the garage. Can’t wait till the new terminal and parking are built!

 

Reading back this review may sound a little negative. Bottom line is we had a great time and I would sail the Sensation again. Any questions, just ask!

[phinfan63]

Thanks for the review. I will be sailing on the Sensation in September and love to hear when people have enjoyed the cruise.