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Off Sensation Today: The Good and The Great!

MomofBoyz

By MomofBoyz,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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MomofBoyz

MomofBoyz

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I promised my review so I will start tonight but finish later. We are exhausted! I can certainly say before getting started that it was a WONDERFUL TRIP.

 

Basic stats: This was my 10th cruise overall, 6th with Carnival, 3rd trip on Sensation and another one is planned for September on Sensation. This trip was myself and my sister (in our late 40's) and 4 teenaged boys (19,18,16,15).

 

THE ROOM: We were lucky enough to be offered the Owner's Suite option. It was truly, truly amazing. There are no words to describe this experience. We are not wealthy so parting with another $1000 was not easy (spa treatments went, a second day room at Sheraton Nassau went, some gaming money went) BUT this was an excellent investment. The location alone made it worthwhile but having a place to all sit and play cards, dice, talk and so forth was great. We had lots of good family time. We also had a Verandah interior for 2 of the boys so they just ran the one set of stairs with no problem. Service in the Verandah room was excellent. The room was spotless and towel animals were cute, dressed up with headphones, sunglasses, etc. Our steward in the Owners Suite was fine. We only saw him a couple of times. We certainly had adequate service but I do think he was stretched a bit. That being said, he did his job and we were happy. PLenty of ice, etc.

 

Concerns before going:

1) Noise from the Lido and Sports decks: No problem. There were some runners up early but it was minimal and the pool was never a problem noise wise. In fact, we could spy on our boys out there at night, which was nice!

2) The room would be hot from the windows: OMG, the room was freezing! Carnival must have read the comments about the suite being unable to cool because we actually turned on the heat...in July. Eventually, it seemed to regulate but heat was certainly NOT a problem.

3) Balcony not private enough. I am now laughing because this almost kept us from getting the Suite. It is so off the radar that privacy isn't even the word. My 15 year old son kept trying to get people to notice him in his "crib" but he could n't even get anyone's attenetion. Yes, the balcony is over a lifeboat but the horizon is totally at your eye level...big, blue and beautiful.

 

 

If you MADE me come up with something negative, the only thing I can say is that there was a "squeek" every 5 minutes or so. We think it was some kind of flag or radar or something. I didn't even report it because it was minor but I know folks like details.

 

Embarkation was great. We were escorted past the group, up the elevators and to the room first. Our kids felt like rock stars. For those who have teen males: "It was sick and BA".

 

 

DINING: I have lots to say here. As I've said, I've been on Sensation 2 times before. Both times, food was among the BEST I've had, service, too. Seriously, that includes some of the upper cat ships and RCCL. This time, food was plenty good. I have to say, though, that I think everyone is adjusting to Anytime Dining. First night we had 8:15 seating. Table was lovely, sweet waitress. However, it was obvious that the group was "in the weeds". Things took a while and food temps were not perfect. Water refills, bread service, etc.....it was tough. We changed to Anytime for nights two and three for a bit more flexibility and to try it out. It was actually a bit slower. The middle of the DR was regular dining with the perimeter tables reserved for Anytime. Listen, I'm on a cruise with my family and someone is bringing me food at will, I am happy. The maitre D's assistant said that Anytime was difficult. I am thinking that the kitchen not yet fully trained for it, etc. For September, I will stick with regular. It just suits my personality better. I am a total nerd and LIKE all of the shows from the waiters and I like to know my waitstaff by name, etc. I do regret changing to Anytime but I wanted to give it a try. For me, the experience now that Anytime has been added, is really different. Normally, with 2 seatings, it is more community building. Everyone is together each night, saying hello, talking, eating together, then recognizing one another on the ship throughout the cruise. With the new setup, regardless of which you choose, people are coming and going all meal long, walking in and out. It is just less polished to me. The waitstaff REALLY, REALLY worked hard to pull it off. All of our servers were so friendly and nice to our boys. I definitely wish that Anytime had not been added but I think I am in the minority on that so I'll go with the flow. I just really enjoy being a part of a group for the cruise, even if it's only once a day.

 

if you MADE me say something negative: We had one bad lunch in the DR, food good but service so slow we left before dessert arrived. It had been about one hour and the kids really wanted to roam the ship so we bailed.

 

We took all meals in teh DR except embarkation lunch in the Seaview which is the only option on the day.

 

 

I have lots more to write but am experiencing the Cruise hangover....unfortunately not from drinking but from being sad about NOT being on my cruise. SO, off to unpack and regroup.

 

More coming and yes, I brought all Capers to post.

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Breucklin

Breucklin

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I cant wait to read more of your review...ill be going on her October 4...for 4 days

 

question??

 

1. Is it true that the omelet station was moved outside by the pool area??

 

2. Is there a seperate room for V,I.P. boarding?? how does it work?? this will be my first time...

 

i would like the capers...my email is breucklin@prodigy.net

 

thank you sooo much for sharing....im happy you had a great time... =)

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DGP1111

DGP1111

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Embarkation was great. We were escorted past the group, up the elevators and to the room first. Our kids felt like rock stars. For those who have teen males: "It was sick and BA".

 

Really enjoyed reading your comments of the recent Carnival Sensation sailing. Nicely done! :)

 

But, to be honest, wasn't your overall impression of the vacation set with your comment above?? I'm betting you would put your own feelings on a back burner to have your young loved ones be that excited from the get-go. And who wouldn't be? Congrats on making the (very) right decision to do the upgrade. You all deserved it.

 

I, also, agree that of all the ships I've done on CCL . . . for those without supper clubs, Carnival Sensation was the most consistent on dining room excellence. I'm glad to read from you that it still seems to be the case, as I've got two more on that ship planned before end of year.

 

Thanks for posting!! :)

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mr jailerman

mr jailerman

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Great to hear about the Suite up-sell :).. I will be on the Sensation with some family in about 3 1/2 weeks and we have 3 Balcony GTY cabins booked with no cabin assignment yet. Last I checked their are still 24 Cat 11 and 12's still open so perhaps they will want our Balcony cabins for others;) ? I will have to start watching the telephone a bit closer now for the upgrade-upsell call..:D

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iluv2travl

iluv2travl

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Thanks for the review so far! My family will be sailing on her August 16th.

 

Capers would be great so we can plan our days. Are you posting them here? If not chaskell4@stny.rr.com if you can.

 

Oh and I'm with you on the dining. I love having my same seat and meeting my new table mates for the trip! We had anytime (not given a choice) on NCL and I didn't like it at all. I'm really sorry to see the cruiselines trying it or switching to it. I know some like the freedom of being able to come and go when time allows but it does take the organizational feel out it. Just my opinion.

 

Sorry your suffering from the post cruise blues! :(

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MomofBoyz

MomofBoyz

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1. Is it true that the omelet station was moved outside by the pool area??

 

Yes, this is true. It might not have been the best decision since the waits were really long and HOT in that area. My son and his friend did it but not us :).

 

2. Is there a seperate room for V,I.P. boarding?? how does it work?? this will be my first time...

 

Yes, there is a small...really small lounge that you wait in and CCL reps escort you there. There is a separate line for getting to the baggage screening area, then up the escalator then to a separate desk and then to the VIP lounge. I am not sure if we got the escort directly to the room because of the owner's suite or just a suite but it was great to bypass those lines!

 

I will take a minute to post on the next topic or review.

 

POOLS: Out of the park on the renovation. We arrived early so pools were not crowded and there were no lines for the slides. Pool is deeper and cleaner than before. It still has the bench across the middle and there are now shade huts around the area. There are shade huts over the hot tubs. The pool area looks exactly like the virtual tour on the website. The water park is outstanding. The long slide is fast and fun! The hike up there is not easy when you are 45 but it is when you are young. We did a lot of that. We NEVER had trouble finding a chair or a drink server. Music was decent. They've replaced the full band with 2 musicians and more synthesized versions but the music was good and loud and constant so we were happy. On the At Sea Day, the pools were a bit crowded but we only spent a little time there. Water in the pool was salt water, of course and very refreshing. We were going to use the Serenity Deck, which is really pretty but we hung out with the kids so since they could not go, we stayed in the main area. Can't comment on it, sorry. I did see it and it is very nice, classier than the main pool part...teal loungers, wooden floor, amazing view of the wake. When I cruise Sensation in September, I'll be with 7 women in our 40's so that's where you will find me!

 

If you MADE me say something negative: Hot tubs were not super hot, just warm and my son had his Rainbows stolen from under his towel while in it. Can't control other people so a quick trip to the gift shop replaced the shoes and I am sure the hot tubs temps fluctuate. In retrospect, I could have reported that to maintenance.

 

 

CLUB O2: This was a much anticipated thing as we had two teens old enough for teh casino and 2 teens not so we were counting on O2 for them. They were excited. It turned out to be a little different than expected. They went to several events but there were kids of all ages, younger than 15 so they rarely stayed. The video games were not open at night, which was a shame because lots of boys wanted to lounge in there and play Guitar Hero. In fact, when they did open the games up OLDER kids came in and played and there were limited controllers. The hostess said that they only opened up the gaming systems during the day. Anyway, they did participate in the GH3 tourney and went to the Blackjack thing at midnight but only 3 people were there so they hung out with them. Otherwise, they made their own way and did just fine. I will say the O2 facility was really neat and comfy.

 

GOLF PRO: This guy was GREAT. He was from California and very knowledgeable. He gave me a wonderful rate for my two Juniors (one hour for both @ $60). He was also flexible. Their original lesson time was 4:00 but he was able to change it to 6:00 at the last minute. The boys said he gave them great advice and of course, how cool is it to be on top of a boat, blue seas surrounding and golfing? Obviously, they were happy and so, I was too.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: We only went to two shows. We went to Curves and to the Adult Comedy, TC Tahoe. TC was funny and it was not that offensive. Boys laughed lots of course, because there was profanity and sex jokes. He also did some magic slight of hand. Since it was in the Plaza lounge, it was crowded which made it a little more fun...lots of laughter, etc.

 

Curves....what can i say? The dancing and costumes were fabulous. Sets always amaze me....where do they put all that stuff. BUT, the lead male vocal was pretty rough. Seriously, people were walking out but I would not let our group do that. After a while, we focused on the group numbers and dancing. The female lead was decent. I wouldn't go to that particular show again. What we really wanted to see was the juggler but we were at Atlantis. I wish the Juggler had been the last night.

 

More later. SO much to write!

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MomofBoyz

MomofBoyz

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To answer some of your other questions:

 

I just have to ask, any free drinks at the captain party?? Was there a farewell party?? On a three day cruise, these would be mighty close together!!

 

Yes, drinks were free at the Captain's Party. We didn't go because we were having a little family celebration in the Suite but I did hear the announcement that drinks were complimentary.

 

There was not a farewell party that I knew of. Sorry!

 

More Review:

 

ROOM SERVICE: We ordered lots and lots of snacks and tide-me-over room service and each time it was fine. All orders were corret except for two, which were fixed immediately. This was big for the kids. When we travel, we NEVER allow them to get room service so they took full advantage of it. We also go tea and coffee each morning. Love that morning hot tea on the blacony!

 

if you MADE me say something negative: All I can come up with is the two incorrect orders but, again, they fixed it.

 

 

LIDO DINING: We ate only one meal here - lunch on day one. Lines were long, but moved quickly. You have to go with the right attitude to those buffets. Food was hot and cold when it was supposed to be. Salad bar great.

 

If you MADE me say something negative: Desserts at Sea View are usually medium-ish. I was not blown away by the sweets but the ice cream is a safe stand-by.

 

 

RUM RUNNER KITS: I ordered and used the Rum Runners that I've read about. I filled them, put them in ziplocks and packed in the bottom of my checked kuggage. Worked like a charm.

 

If you MADE me say something negative: My sister doesn't drink enough! I took home more than 1/2 of what I brought.

 

 

CASINO: I spent many hours in the casino with my older son, nephew and my sister. We had a great time! I played blackjack, 3-card poker, craps and slots. Won and lot, up and down the whole cruise....typical action. I never had to wait for a spot at the $5 tables, minimums were low and cards, felts, dice, etc in good shape. Drink service (you have to pay) was speedy and consistent.

 

If you MADE me say something negative: Of the entire 3-day cruise, I had one unfriendly dealer. She was having a bad day but I got good cards so who cares?!

 

 

More later.

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ms simba

ms simba

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I had never thought about the fact that we would not have the same group at our table each night. I will miss that a lot. However, I had to book Anytime Dining to be assured that we would be in the Fantasy Dining room. We are handicapped and find it difficult to walk long distances. Occasionally, we can put up with the long walks but for everyday dining and the lounge, we need to be as close to these as possible to minimize the "ows!" that happen after a long walk. We will be staying in Cabin E56 so wanted to dine and view the shows nearest to this cabin.

 

Any chance that once I am onboard that I could talk to someone and get my Anytime Dining changed to Early Seating (in the Fantasy Dining room of course).

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rmwilbo

rmwilbo

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I had never thought about the fact that we would not have the same group at our table each night. I will miss that a lot. However, I had to book Anytime Dining to be assured that we would be in the Fantasy Dining room. We are handicapped and find it difficult to walk long distances. Occasionally, we can put up with the long walks but for everyday dining and the lounge, we need to be as close to these as possible to minimize the "ows!" that happen after a long walk. We will be staying in Cabin E56 so wanted to dine and view the shows nearest to this cabin.

 

Any chance that once I am onboard that I could talk to someone and get my Anytime Dining changed to Early Seating (in the Fantasy Dining room of course).

If you call Carnival now you might be able to get it changed. I wanted the opposite. I had early dining and changed it the anytime dining. The rep will tell you that it is not guaranteed but it shows confirmed now on my edocs.

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MomofBoyz

MomofBoyz

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I was on the 3 day cruise.

 

I was able to change my dining after the first night.

 

I have always found the maitre d to go out of his way to accommodate. I would try to change over the phone to early seating and then, if it's not in your preferred DR, you can change once on board....explaining that you are handicapped and the long walk is too much. They said that they look at cabin location so maybe if your cabin is up front, you'll automatically get Fantasy!

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MomofBoyz

MomofBoyz

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A little more review... I will scan and post the Capers this week!

 

NASSAU: We had a great day in Nassau. It was Bahamian Independance Day so stores were closed, which was nice because we are not shoppers. We did stop at the market for my nephew to look around. It was so, so hot in there and we did not stay. It was not for us.

 

We followed our plan to head to Cable Beach. We took the #10 bus to the Sheraton where we rented a day room for $99 total. The room opened up straight onto the pool areas. There were very few people, not crowded at all. The price included chairs, umbrellas, towels, floats, snorkle gear and such.

 

We got drinks at the swim up bar and the kids ate at the Dolphin Grill. For Independance Day, the Wyndham next door had a police band and Junkanoo Celebration....all very cool.

 

Kids snorkled for a long time. Even though it was not like an excursion, it was included and there were rocks and sea grass that provided plenty to see. There were tons of fish and a barracuda. We had a hard time getting them in. We stayed about 5 hours, it was very, very relaxing and the beach was white and sandy.

 

We took the #10 back to the market. Our driver was enjoying a cold beer while he drove us and the streets were packed with people for the Fish Fry so it was slow going but we all settled in for the wild and I mean wild ride. The bus was packed. A Bahamian boy, about 15, got on beside me and both he and my own 15 year old son fell asleep. It was obvious that both had been on the beach playing all day and they both conked out. Giving thanks for a great day, I remembered how similar we all really are.

 

After dinner we left the boat again and took a cab to Atlantis. It was amazing as always. Since we arrived after 10:00, the DIG was free so we spent lots of time there. The kids had never seen Atlantis and we are big Dale Chihuly fans (love his ceiling at Bellagio Vegas) and he has 3 huge glass pieces at Atlantis. I won twice on slots and boys got to order drinks and gamble in a "legit" casino (the 19 and 18 year olds) so they thought it was great.

 

A cab ride back around 12:00 midnight and then kids to the deck party and mom and sis to bed.

 

If you MADE me say something negative: Food at the Dolphin Grill at Sheraton Nassau was expensive and not the greatest. Also, as I said, the market was hot and difficult. I have a friend who spends hours in there and she loves it so I know some do enjoy it.

 

More soon.

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