Cruising Sensation 2/14/2016 tell me everything suite U103

[timdeb7581]

My family will be on the Sensation 2/14/2016 for the first time. If you would please tell me everything about the ship, dining, anything and everything.

Thanks in advance of all the info!!!

[Drose716]

We're sailing her for the first time on the 17th ao I'm interested too! If nothing else I can come back with some info after we return!

[cruiseguys2009]

My family will be on the Sensation 2/14/2016 for the first time. If you would please tell me everything about the ship, dining, anything and everything.

Thanks in advance of all the info!!!

 

 

The Carnival Sensation is one of our most favorite ships in the Carnival Fleet.

 

I will say, fondly, if you love the color PURPLE, you will absolutely love The Carnival Sensation.

 

She's an older ship. Very easy to navigate. Not quite as crowded as on other larger vessels. Sensation has an intimate feel to it, we always make friends on her, it's that kind of ship.

 

The Piano Bar is amazing I love the "Hand" motif. There usually is a great pianist/vocalist on board and the nightly shows are fun and rowdy. We really become part of the show. If you go on the first night, then you will be expected the rest of the nights, as it won't be the same without you, it's that much fun and full of camaraderie.

 

My favorite spot, the Casino, though small, is very up to date with current table games and lots of slots.

 

The Comedy Lounge located aft is also fabulous as all the seats are good seats to see the shows. A word of Caution: The Adult-Only Comedy shows are a total "Laugh Your Pants Off and Tinkle" Funny and a riotous hoot. HOWEVER, if you have an aversion to hearing the "F" bomb multiple times or hearing about various male and female intimate body parts or about frolicking adult bedroom acts and even alternate lifestyles, I would not recommend attending. It's all this and more! Very, Very Naughty.

 

One of the most beautiful night clubs on any ship sailing today is the Sensation's Michelangelo Lounge. This is where, in the Sensation's heyday years ago, they would have live Jazz and Cover Bands or special musical guests when the ship did longer itineraries. Now, on these short cruises, it's a Karaoke Bar. The statuary (Think Roman columns and statues of naked David and his sister in full blossom everywhere) just seem odd paired with Karaoke. But nonetheless, the bar is beautiful.

 

The Kaleidoscope Disco located next door to the Michelangelo is also kind of cool, though dated, it still resonates DISCO and is a whole lot of fun each night (Especially because they have security stand at the door keeping the young-ins out!) I think it's called Retro now!

 

The Serenity Deck was the first one we were ever on, it's small and intimate and kids definitely are kept out of here and chair hogs are virtually non existent because of the Deck Stewards. One word of advice, if you stay on the ship while it's in port, it gets very hot back there at Serenity at times, especially if there is no breeze or the ship is stuck between two Royal Caribbean "Something of the Seas" behemoths. When in port, we hung out up on the Sports deck by the funnel where there was a wonderful cross wind.

 

The water slide is so much fun that I, being 56 years old, still have the time of my life going down it, over and over, and thanks to Carnival, get to be a kid again. Somehow I always seem to swallow water when I get to the bottom because I have my mouth open screaming or laughing. It never fails, I know I am coming down to the bottom of the slide and you would think I know better by now, but nope, there I am, with an open mouth ready to insert a gallon of chlorinated water automatically.

 

The balcony cabins are an add-on feature off the side of the ship, except in the suites where they are original construction. Any suite is fun because of the size of the room and the extra space on the balcony. As this is an older ship, at the time of it's inception, no one knew how much balconies would become in demand, as they were still only considered a premium extra. The regular cabins, (oceanview and inside) are pretty much the same (a Carnival Standard) and are very comfortable. The Junior Suites on the Veranda Deck all have original balconies and they are actually what a "Standard" balcony cabin is today, on the larger, newer ships.

 

I love Joe's coffee bar. Great Cappuccino with a shot of Baileys. Daily Breakfast of Champions, I say. (After my Bloody Mary, of course)

 

Speaking of breakfast. The main dining room has the standard sit-down breakfast menu and the Sea-Day Brunch. And Room Service has smoked salmon with bagels on the door hanger. We do both every day.

 

The Lido Buffet is actually pretty darn nice and we like it better than on the Carnival Breeze (which we just returned from this past Thanksgiving). I like the pizza, deli and bar located all together, kinda like one-stop-shopping. There are plenty of seats outside to sit enjoying the ocean or port view as well, kind of like eating alfresco.

 

The buffet lines flow smoothly and I love the salad bar in the center which is always fresh, along with the 24 hour ice cream (yummy) located there too.

 

My favorite is that we make sure our cabin is always on Empress Deck, just about 40 feet from the Atrium Bar, so literally I can roll right out of bed in my PJ's and get a Bloody Mary and go back to the room to get ready for the day. My kinda cruising.

 

We have found that the staff is, well, Sensational, pardon the pun. It seems to me that customer service is different on the smaller ships. More genuine, more active, more participatory. The staff wanting to go out of their way to please the Guest rather than just go thru the motions.

 

If you love Martini's then you will love the Polo Lounge, located aft, just before the Aft Lounge (Comedy Club). We have always loved the skill, conversation and experience of the bartenders here. Great to also watch sports during the day if that all important game is on.

 

For Dinner, the Main Dining rooms have always offered us top notch service and the food has never disappointed. It's like going to a wedding every night. Also, don't be shy, talk to the folks around you. It is very intimate seating. There is no Steakhouse or alternate dining restaurant, however the "Steakhouse" selections on the main dining room menu ($20 upcharge) are all wonderful options. In addition, one special treat is the "Chef's Table". For $75 pp/adults only, we got a magnificent back stage tour of the kitchen during dinner preparation, a 5 course meal prepared in the kitchen by the Head Chef along with all the wine and champagne I could enjoy all included and served to us at a private table for 12 in what they call The Library (adjacent to the main dining room). Plus, when we got back to our cabin there was a Carnival Cookbook, a commemorative photo of us with the Head Chef, a signed thank you note and some heavenly hand made chocolates. Fabulous!

 

On formal (Carnival calls them "Elegant") nights, because of the short cruises, we have found it not to be as "Formal" as on other ships. As we are two guys and when we are on longer cruises, we still travel with and wear our Tuxedos. On the Sensation, we don't much see any Dark Suits and Tuxes anymore, but, we also don't see shorts and jeans. We do see lots of dress shirts and ties with nice pants. For our upcoming cruise in February, we will be wearing Evening Shirts with ties and dress pants. Not bringing a jacket.

 

For $2.99 per case, we always order from Carnival's Bon Voyage a case of water to be delivered to the cabin on embarkation. We also order a few six packs of sodas and some beers to have on hand in the cabin.

 

Play Bingo! This is an old fashioned throwback from the by-gone era of cruising and it's a lot of fun, plus someone is going to win, it might as well be me (or You). The pull-tabs that accompany the bingo package are exciting and we won $500 on our last cruise.

 

We chose the 5 day February 29th, what we call The "Sun", sailing. It's all Sun-Days of Relaxation and no ports, just ship and sea and beach. Sea Day-Grand Turk-Half Moon Cay-Nassau(stay on ship) itinerary.

 

Whatever you choose to do, remember YOU ARE ON A CRUISE! YAY! Have a blast and enjoy the Sensation. We know we have and we will again!

 

Edited January 5, 2016 by cruiseguys2009

[jimdalva]

We sailed in Dec. loved the ship BUT the smoke from the casino travels thru the entire deck, we couldn't enjoy anything that was anywhere near the casino. Strangely the Taste Bar is right there in the smoke!:eek:

[jennraycruise]

wow cruiseguys2009 really covered it. I loved the Sensation. I was on it January 2015 and had a blast. Met so many nice people. They had a great little band outside the Casino.

[alymb03]

The Carnival Sensation is one of our most favorite ships in the Carnival Fleet.

 

I will say, fondly, if you love the color PURPLE, you will absolutely love The Carnival Sensation.

 

She's an older ship. Very easy to navigate. Not quite as crowded as on other larger vessels. Sensation has an intimate feel to it, we always make friends on her, it's that kind of ship.

 

The Piano Bar is amazing I love the "Hand" motif. There usually is a great pianist/vocalist on board and the nightly shows are fun and rowdy. We really become part of the show. If you go on the first night, then you will be expected the rest of the nights, as it won't be the same without you, it's that much fun and full of camaraderie.

 

My favorite spot, the Casino, though small, is very up to date with current table games and lots of slots.

 

The Comedy Lounge located aft is also fabulous as all the seats are good seats to see the shows. A word of Caution: The Adult-Only Comedy shows are a total "Laugh Your Pants Off and Tinkle" Funny and a riotous hoot. HOWEVER, if you have an aversion to hearing the "F" bomb multiple times or hearing about various male and female intimate body parts or about frolicking adult bedroom acts and even alternate lifestyles, I would not recommend attending. It's all this and more! Very, Very Naughty.

 

One of the most beautiful night clubs on any ship sailing today is the Sensation's Michelangelo Lounge. This is where, in the Sensation's heyday years ago, they would have live Jazz and Cover Bands or special musical guests when the ship did longer itineraries. Now, on these short cruises, it's a Karaoke Bar. The statuary (Think Roman columns and statues of naked David and his sister in full blossom everywhere) just seem odd paired with Karaoke. But nonetheless, the bar is beautiful.

 

The Kaleidoscope Disco located next door to the Michelangelo is also kind of cool, though dated, it still resonates DISCO and is a whole lot of fun each night (Especially because they have security stand at the door keeping the young-ins out!) I think it's called Retro now!

 

The Serenity Deck was the first one we were ever on, it's small and intimate and kids definitely are kept out of here and chair hogs are virtually non existent because of the Deck Stewards. One word of advice, if you stay on the ship while it's in port, it gets very hot back there at Serenity at times, especially if there is no breeze or the ship is stuck between two Royal Caribbean "Something of the Seas" behemoths. When in port, we hung out up on the Sports deck by the funnel where there was a wonderful cross wind.

 

The water slide is so much fun that I, being 56 years old, still have the time of my life going down it, over and over, and thanks to Carnival, get to be a kid again. Somehow I always seem to swallow water when I get to the bottom because I have my mouth open screaming or laughing. It never fails, I know I am coming down to the bottom of the slide and you would think I know better by now, but nope, there I am, with an open mouth ready to insert a gallon of chlorinated water automatically.

 

The balcony cabins are an add-on feature off the side of the ship, except in the suites where they are original construction. Any suite is fun because of the size of the room and the extra space on the balcony. As this is an older ship, at the time of it's inception, no one knew how much balconies would become in demand, as they were still only considered a premium extra. The regular cabins, (oceanview and inside) are pretty much the same (a Carnival Standard) and are very comfortable. The Junior Suites on the Veranda Deck all have original balconies and they are actually what a "Standard" balcony cabin is today, on the larger, newer ships.

 

I love Joe's coffee bar. Great Cappuccino with a shot of Baileys. Daily Breakfast of Champions, I say. (After my Bloody Mary, of course)

 

Speaking of breakfast. The main dining room has the standard sit-down breakfast menu and the Sea-Day Brunch. And Room Service has smoked salmon with bagels on the door hanger. We do both every day.

 

The Lido Buffet is actually pretty darn nice and we like it better than on the Carnival Breeze (which we just returned from this past Thanksgiving). I like the pizza, deli and bar located all together, kinda like one-stop-shopping. There are plenty of seats outside to sit enjoying the ocean or port view as well, kind of like eating alfresco.

 

The buffet lines flow smoothly and I love the salad bar in the center which is always fresh, along with the 24 hour ice cream (yummy) located there too.

 

My favorite is that we make sure our cabin is always on Empress Deck, just about 40 feet from the Atrium Bar, so literally I can roll right out of bed in my PJ's and get a Bloody Mary and go back to the room to get ready for the day. My kinda cruising.

 

We have found that the staff is, well, Sensational, pardon the pun. It seems to me that customer service is different on the smaller ships. More genuine, more active, more participatory. The staff wanting to go out of their way to please the Guest rather than just go thru the motions.

 

If you love Martini's then you will love the Polo Lounge, located aft, just before the Aft Lounge (Comedy Club). We have always loved the skill, conversation and experience of the bartenders here. Great to also watch sports during the day if that all important game is on.

 

For Dinner, the Main Dining rooms have always offered us top notch service and the food has never disappointed. It's like going to a wedding every night. Also, don't be shy, talk to the folks around you. It is very intimate seating. There is no Steakhouse or alternate dining restaurant, however the "Steakhouse" selections on the main dining room menu ($20 upcharge) are all wonderful options. In addition, one special treat is the "Chef's Table". For $75 pp/adults only, we got a magnificent back stage tour of the kitchen during dinner preparation, a 5 course meal prepared in the kitchen by the Head Chef along with all the wine and champagne I could enjoy all included and served to us at a private table for 12 in what they call The Library (adjacent to the main dining room). Plus, when we got back to our cabin there was a Carnival Cookbook, a commemorative photo of us with the Head Chef, a signed thank you note and some heavenly hand made chocolates. Fabulous!

 

On formal (Carnival calls them "Elegant") nights, because of the short cruises, we have found it not to be as "Formal" as on other ships. As we are two guys and when we are on longer cruises, we still travel with and wear our Tuxedos. On the Sensation, we don't much see any Dark Suits and Tuxes anymore, but, we also don't see shorts and jeans. We do see lots of dress shirts and ties with nice pants. For our upcoming cruise in February, we will be wearing Evening Shirts with ties and dress pants. Not bringing a jacket.

 

For $2.99 per case, we always order from Carnival's Bon Voyage a case of water to be delivered to the cabin on embarkation. We also order a few six packs of sodas and some beers to have on hand in the cabin.

 

Play Bingo! This is an old fashioned throwback from the by-gone era of cruising and it's a lot of fun, plus someone is going to win, it might as well be me (or You). The pull-tabs that accompany the bingo package are exciting and we won $500 on our last cruise.

 

We chose the 5 day February 29th, what we call The "Sun", sailing. It's all Sun-Days of Relaxation and no ports, just ship and sea and beach. Sea Day-Grand Turk-Half Moon Cay-Nassau(stay on ship) itinerary.

 

Whatever you choose to do, remember YOU ARE ON A CRUISE! YAY! Have a blast and enjoy the Sensation. We know we have and we will again!

 

 

Wow, thank you for this great summary of the ship! I can't wait to experience it for myself!

[vacay40]

Oh my gosh after reading your review I CAN NOT WAIT for our cruise on the Sensation this spring!!!! Thanks!

[cruiseguys2009]

Oh my gosh after reading your review I CAN NOT WAIT for our cruise on the Sensation this spring!!!! Thanks!

 

 

You are going to really enjoy it. Whether it be for three, four or five days, it's a great ocean voyage and a wonderful vacation. It will definitely whet your appetite for more and more and more.

 

We have returned to the Sensation many times for a return to our beginnings.

 

We hope you have a Sensational trip! Play Bingo! Listen to your Auntie JW. He says so!

[esdoorn]

Thanks for the info, we sail on the Sensation in late March.