Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Lines
Ship: Carnival Sensation
Date of Cruise: April 4 - April 11, 2003

Western Caribbean on the Carnival Sensation
By: Linda Sparrow
LlindaC@aol.com

This was my 6th cruise, second on Carnival. It was a Spring Break treat for my girls, ages 9 and 13.

Embarking
We got to the ship at 11:30, waited in line for 15 minutes and were told to wait in holding area until #4 group was called. We followed couple in front of us, gave the fellow our info and he pointed us toward sail and sign machine, where we got pics and cards. Then, the lady asked , "which wedding party are you with?" OOPS! We were in the wrong area, LOL. She told us to sit tight and they'd call us- very nice people here! After wedding party got on board, general boarding was started at 12:30 and guess who got on first?? LOL! The new LINDA method for early boarding! Still laughing.

Riviera deck inside cabin. It was fine. Leonardo kept it clean, complete with towel animals nightly. Carnival supplies toothpaste, shampoo, razors, Tums gratis. Nice touch!

Ship
This is the ugliest ship, alas. Purple walls, halls decorated in various shades of purple, fuchsia, mauve, orange and green. Orange cabins. There is a sewage smell in rooms and in halls. Later, we find that that smell is masked by cigarette smoke in the halls, in front of elevators and all through Sensation Boulevard. I could barely use the internet cafe because it was surrounded by smoky bars. People even smoked in the non-smoking sections of this ship. I had lung problems by the second day which still are present the second day home. It was an older ship, showing the wear, but it was kept clean constantly.

The exercise room had 7 treadmills and signs disallowing running on them. What's a runner to do? NEVER have seen this. There was a "jogging track" above that, but unless you're a hamster would go crazy doing some 22 laps to a mile. There were free weights, but we were crowded together trying to use them. Machines were Keiser resistance-types and I didn't like them.

Pool area was busy first day at sea, and we never got a chair. Second sea day was better. The 2 bars couldn't handle drink orders- only 2 bartenders and it took 25 minutes to get a vodka/tonic. I went to inside bar and took my drink to pool. We loved the ice carving display and enjoyed the "Hairy Chest" contest, because of some good-natured types who took the fun ship attitude to heart. The staff was wonderful in getting people to participate. We enjoyed the reggae band around the pool- no great musicians, but good entertainers with lots of energy.

Dining
We were assigned late seating, but had it changed on second day. George "The Greek" was the most enjoyable Maitre'D I've seen! We shared a table with a couple from GA with a 5 yr old son, her mother and aunt. Lovely people. We all compared dishes and honest opinions. Our waiters were Vigor from Philippines and the lovely Laura from Latvia. They were excellent! Food was disappointing. Lobster was done very well, but other fish dishes were overcooked. I rarely eat meat, but had beef twice as it was the best-prepared meat. The Beef Wellington was a bit tough, but the sliced sirloin was tasty. Kids had Tom Turkey which was quite good. Soups were good- especially the Minestrone and Gumbo. A little different than the originals, but at least had some flavor. The food overall was very bland. The singing waiters were fun for the kids. The dining room has a metallic ceiling with neon bulbs and colored background lights. It seemed quite garish to me.

The Seaview Bar and Grill (buffet) was also metal walls, ceilings and metal chairs which at times were COLD. I didn't like the atmosphere at all. We ate outside one morning, but people were smoking on non-smoking side and it was blowing in our faces and nobody would stop them. The food here was standard- pizza 24 hrs, ice cream plus a salad bar and 2 buffet lines. Hamburgers , hot dogs and french fries by pool. The salad bar had only one lo-fat dressing all week. No variety per se- salads mayonnaise-based. Vegetarian dish one day was Pasta Alfredo- NOT a healthy choice. Only one day did they have a vegetable curry, which was good. Omelets were available at breakfast, but no salsa for eggs or cottage cheese or stewed prunes as they offer on RCCL. They need to add at least one bean/grain dish for vegetarians. I thought the Jubilee had better food, surprisingly.

Entertainment
I can't review this thoroughly, as my kids were with me and I didn't club it much. They used a lot of "midi" (pre-recorded tracks) in piano bar and in one show room. The piano bar was filled with college kids; I had no desire to go in anyway. We enjoyed the swing band at Captain's party- this is where Carnival does it right! They walked around with drinks and hors d'oeuvres and we enjoyed hearing from the Captain and Cruise director- who did splendid jobs.

We went to both shows in the Fantasia Lounge;" Hey Mambo" and the "Party" show. We enjoyed both very much. I'm a musician, so I tend to be critical. One thing, I heard a male solo voice, but never saw him. Was it pre-recorded? It was difficult to see from almost anywhere in the balcony. Very poorly designed. The lead female was very good- she covered a variety of songs.

We went to the "Feud Game" and the game shows and enjoyed them. Jen, one of the entertainment directors, was darling. My kids insisted on Bingo, and though I'd rather spend money elsewhere, I obliged. It was a bit of fun! We enjoyed the magician and the comedians as well.

Ports
Grand Cayman. We went to Coral Gardens and Stingray City on 2-hr 8:30 am tour with Capt. Marvin's (my second time). We barely made it , as the ship was late running tenders. Get down there early! Once again, they were superb. Only 14 people on the boat- much better than ship's "sardine-boat" excursion. Kids loved the rays; especially loved snorkeling where they saw eels, mantas, barracuda and assorted fish and coral. I made them wear a life vest, and am glad I did. . .they didn't get tired and I didn't have to watch them constantly, which is tough while snorkeling.

Cozumel. We took the ferry to Playa del Carmen and taxi to XCaret on our own. What a great time we had! Spent over 8 hours here and wanted more! We swam in the underground river, which wasn't nearly as cold as reported. I'm a swimmer and I can tell you temperatures within 2-3 degrees accuracy! They said 62 degrees, but it was at least 70. My kids loved it. Try not to follow a group, but get in by yourselves for a relaxing float. The butterfly farm, the aviary, and all the other attractions were so entertaining for my little nature lovers. The paths are quite shady and tropical-we didn't get overheated, though we walked at least 5 miles. We enjoyed the cove for swimming and playing in tubes. Very calm water- good for any age. I managed a good swim here. The snorkeling isn't much- some rocks, not much reef. A few fish. We saw a few "ruins" and enjoyed seeing the village where they displayed folk arts and crafts and wove fabrics, ground corn, etc. I really enjoyed the buffet lunch ($19) at their largest restaurant...it was tasty and spicy! Delicious . . . I was craving some flavor. We didn't get back to the ship till 8 o'clock- glad I had a big lunch because I couldn't find one thing on the buffet that was good.

Debarking
We had brown tags, and were called at around 9:30. We filed down steps from Lido Deck with LOTS of people smoking at every level- literally blowing it in our faces. The man behind me said, "this is worse than a bowling alley!" I coughed for 15 minutes. Sped through luggage area and customs and headed back to lovely Tampa airport, the most efficient place in the USA. Wish more ships could cruise from here.

Summary
We knew there would be lots of kids and expected good and bad. Many of them were running wild through the halls screaming at 2, 4 am. It disrupted my sleep. Parents? Security? There were quite a few mullets, tattoos, Nascar shirts and beer bellies. Not quite your ballet and opera crowd, LOL. However, we met lots of nice people on the ship. Except for some kids and some very rude smokers, most people were polite and well-mannered. Most observed the dress code, but there were some in shorts in dining room nightly.

The staff and crew on the ship were excellent. Our weather was perfect- we only felt movement on last night, and it wasn't bad. If I ever cruise with Carnival again, it will be on the smoke-free Paradise or maybe one of the brand new ships. My experience with Royal Caribbean has been better- but I admit, I'm spoiled by the mega ships. I would hesitate to recommend this ship to some people, yet I had a good time. I have been as honest and thorough in this review as possible. If anyone has questions, feel free to write me at LLindaC@aol.com.

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