Carnival Sensation Review

3.5 / 5.0
958 reviews

AMAZING Ports on an "OK" Ship

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Sensation
User Avatar
tarheeltraveler623
2-5 Cruises • Age 20s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Mar 2018
Cabin: Porthole

Overall, this was the best cruise I have taken so far with Carnival (my 3rd one). This has mostly to do with the amazing ports that this sailing visited. I had an amazing time in the Dominican Republic and Grand Turk was by far the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life.

As far as the ship, believe the majority of the reviews, the ship IS older and definitely shows some signs of wear and tear. There were no areas or spaces that were down-right decrepit, but from the staterooms to the common areas, you can definitely tell that this is an older, smaller ship that lacks a lot of the luxury of the newer, larger ships. The only pro to this was that areas were less-crowded which resulted in better, faster service (most of the time), however it was still a fight to find a beach chair on days at sea.

Overall, if it involved being able to travel to such amazing destinations for a somewhat reasonable price, I definitely would hop on the sensation again, however in the future, I will definitely be on the lookout for larger newer ships.

Cabin Review

Porthole

Cabin PT

When we arrived, the cabin was in good condition although nothing to write home about. Due to a crazy and prolonged embarkation, our cabin was not all the way ready when we arrived at our room. This resulted in us not receiving luggage mats on the bed or fresh towels right away. The decor of the cabin is as pictured in the photos, however I was hoping that those photos were outdated. They unfortunately are not. But the cabin was clean. During our stay, however is when service became a bit lax. Our beds were made everyday, however I could tell that the sheets were not changed one time while we were on our 5 day cruise. I could tell because I often fell asleep in makeup and when I returned, sheets with the same smudges were on the bed. I never could get in contact with housekeeping to resolve this problem. The rooms are also extremely cold, even once the air is turned off, so bring an extra blanket. Our bathroom was always cleaned very thoroughly which I appreciated. Because this is an older ship, I could tell that the carpets had not been cleaned thoroughly in awhile which triggered my allergies at night. I loved the porthole room (even better than the oceanviews I've stayed in before) because you still get a beautiful view, however the nook where the portholes are provided extra space for luggage! Lastly, this is the first time that I have stayed in a cabin that was so close to the front of the ship and I could definitely feel the rocking and rolling A LOT more! I don't get sea-sick easily, so it wasn't a major problem for me, but definitely could have been for someone else.

Port Reviews

Miami

Miami is one of my favorite cities, so I always enjoy leaving for cruises from this port. My only real comments are about the embarkation. There has been a different protocol each time I have traveled through the Miami port and this time definitely took the longest. Then after getting on the ship, our rooms were not ready and we did not have sail and sign cards which was an annoying (v. relaxing) way to start the cruise.

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata)

The Dominican Republic is absolutely beautiful. Of course Amber Cove is a manmade cruise port versus and actual residential area, but the port had a nice shopping area. We were the only ship in Amber Cove at the time and we were some of the first travelers to get off of the ship, so we were able to get a picture in front of the "Amber Cove" sign with no trouble at all. There is a place conveniently located right in the port to get your passport stamped which was nice. The rest of the time in this port was spent with the excursion group Iguana Mama, which was absolutely fabulous! We took a 20 minute bus ride (with A/C) to the Damajagua Waterfalls where we hiked and slid or jumped down waterfalls. It was one of the most challenging and fun things I've done in my life and the tour guides were super helpful!

previous reviewnext review

Find a cruise

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.