David Haskett

Age: 39
Occupation: Corrections Sergeant
Number of Cruises: First Cruise
Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Lines
Ship: Sensation
Sailing Date: May 19th, 2002
Itinerary: 7 Day Western Caribbean

This was our first cruise. It was great! We live in North Florida about 3 ½ hours from Tampa. We have two kids, a daughter 13 and a son 10. We drove down on Saturday, May 18th and stayed at the Tampa Marriott Waterside. This hotel is next door to the Channelside Terminal where the Sensation sails from. We stayed there at a rate of $65 for the one night stay. We got that rate via Priceline.com. Not bad for a 4 star hotel. There was an additional $12 a day for valet parking. When I got up on Sunday, May 19th I could see the ship was already docked at 6:15 a.m. It was pouring down rain.

Embarkation

We arrived at the port at 11:00 a.m. There were plenty of porters waiting to take your bags for $1 per bag. We each had a carry-on bag containing a change of clothes, Bathing suits, cosmetics, medications, camera, etc. After parking the car in the covered parking garage ($70) I joined the rest of my family in line. Security checked our cruise papers, picture ID and birth certificates and then let us into the terminal. We went through metal detectors and our carry-on luggage was processed through a x-ray machine. I had a small 3 ½ inch pocketknife that I carry everywhere. They took it because it had a serrated blade. They said that if it had a flat edged blade I could have kept it. They gave me a receipt and I picked it up after my trip from security. (During the cruise whenever we had steak they gave us a much larger serrated edge steak knife. I guess that if you are eating a steak you are not as likely to use it as a weapon - go figure - everyone seems to have gone way overboard on precautions since 9/11). We were then moved to another zigzagging line to be processed for our sail and sign cards. This line moved pretty fast. After this we picked up our room keys and our sail and sign cards. We were given a boarding number of "4" and told to have a seat in the waiting area until called to board. We sat down it was 11:55 a.m. So as you see this process was very quick. At 12:35 p.m. they made an announcement that the ship was not ready to board and suggested that everyone go to the aquarium or the coffee shop outside the terminal. We had planned on eating as soon as we boarded the ship so we had not brought any snacks and after this announcement the lines at the two vending machines became quite long. I would recommend a small soft-sided cooler with a couple of drinks and snacks for this type of delay. At 1:40 p.m. they began boarding the ship. We, "Group 4," began at about 1:55 p.m. As you board they take a security picture of you and match it to your sail and sign card. Then they take a group picture of your party for you to purchase later. We were on board at 2:05 p.m. We went directly to our room and changed into swimsuits and headed for the Seaview Bar and Grill on the Lido Deck. As we exited our room we were greeted by our room steward "Marantu" and he was delivering our checked luggage. After getting our luggage in our room we sat down and enjoyed a great lunch outdoors on the back of Lido Deck. The kids went for pizza and burgers and my wife and I enjoyed the buffet. After lunch we explored the ship and returned to our cabin and unpacked and awaited the lifeboat drill. This was called at 4:00 p.m. and lasted about 40 minutes. Then the ship set sail and the vacation began. About 3 hours into the trip the ship began circling awaiting a Coast Guard Helicopter to come airlift a passenger off the ship who had had a heart attack in the Fantasy Dining Room. After a couple of hours of circling the Coast Guard lifted the family off in a basket attached to a cable and we were once again on our way.

Our Cabin

We were in E162. This was an inside cabin toward the rear of the ship on the Empress Deck. The cabin was a lot bigger than what I expected. The bathroom was very large. I am 6'3" and close to 400 pounds. I was concerned that the shower would be too small. It was not. It was very roomy and I never felt cramped. Our TV was terrible as everything had a Green tint. We reported it and it was changed out but the technician said all the TV's on that deck were like that and he thought the problem was with the amplifier and he would continue to work on it. It never was fixed and we never heard from the technician again. I checked other rooms as well as the TV's in the lobby areas and they had a perfect picture. In addition to showing movies the ship has it's own closed circuit channel in which they air the various ship activities from the day before. They also broadcast shore tips for the next day's port of call in case you missed the shore talk held in the Fantasy Lounge. Our cabin had a very strong odor coming from the carpet. Apparently someone from the previous cruise had gotten really sick there. We went through a whole bottle of Fabreaze Carpet freshener and lots of air freshener but never could get the smell to leave. We even had the cabin steward try to alleviate the smell to no avail. The hallway also had a strong sour smell that never seemed to go away. When you get to your room you will find a copy of Carnival Capers and a Brochure of all the Shore Tours available. You will get a new Carnival Capers each afternoon in your cabin. Carry this with you as it has everything you want to know about what time things happen on board. I always had a highlighter and would highlight the times of various activities that I didn't want to miss. This worked really well for us.

Days at Sea

There is plenty to do on the days at sea. There were ship versions of various game shows. The Cruise Directors staff, in particular Skippy and Jose were extremely funny and talented. Be sure and see all the shows, as they were great. The Dancers were very good and all the comedians were hilarious. We went to all the Midnight "R" rated comic shows and they were also great and not too dirty. Don't miss the shore talks.

Grand Cayman - Tuesday, May 21st

When we arrived in Grand Cayman it was raining very hard with high winds. The water was not very rough though. One Shore Excursion (The Cockatoo Sailing & Stingray Tour) was cancelled. We were signed up for the Stingray Sandbar Tour at $39 each. In Grand Cayman the water is not deep enough for the ship to dock at the pier so they ferry you off on small boats called "tenders." This makes it a little slower getting on and off the ship and because of this and the short time in Grand Cayman plan on doing your shore tour and shopping in one trip. We were scheduled for a 7:00 a.m. tour but they didn't start letting anyone off the ship until after 8:00 a.m. So all tours were late starting. After we got to shore we gathered in an area marked for our tour. We then were lead down the street and around the corner to waiting buses. We took about a 20 minute ride to the cove were the Double Decker Catamaran "Sundancer" was waiting. On the way to the boat the driver kept us amused by pointing out various items of interest along the way and telling jokes. After we boarded the Sundancer we took about a 30-minute ride out to the sandbar. Don't forget your Waterproof cameras. This experience was the greatest I have ever felt. The stingrays are like giant puppy dogs. You can buy cups of squid to feed them for $4 a cup. I bought 2 cups and had plenty for the 4 of us. The Captain will take a picture of you holding one of the stingrays. You can purchase the picture on a computer disc for $10. The crew stays in the water with you making sure to help everyone have a good experience with this encounter. They worked really hard with any small children or anyone who might have been scared of the stingrays. This tour is not to be missed. After about an 1 ½ hours we returned to our waiting busses and were taken back to town. We attempted to do some shopping but the weather would not cooperate so we returned to the ship and dry clothes and went to lunch. The last tender to the ship was scheduled for 12:30 p.m. but because of the delay it was actually 1:30 p.m. Sometime after 2:00 p.m. we left Grand Cayman only to return because of a medical emergency. Someone had fallen and broken their arm on the Lido Deck. He was taken to shore for treatment and had to arrange transportation to meet up with the ship in Cozumel.

Cozumel - Wednesday, May 22nd

When I woke up at 6:00 a.m. we were already docked in Cozumel. Here you are right at the pier and you exit the ship right on the pier. This makes getting on and off the ship a breeze. We ate breakfast in the Seaview and then left the ship at 8:45 a.m. We didn't rent a Shore Excursion here as I had put together my own tour and for the money was a wise decision. We caught a Taxi at the end of the pier to take us to Chankanaab Lagoon National Park. This cost $10 total each way for the 4 of us. It cost $10 each ($40 Total) for admittance to the park. There is a lot to do at this park. There are Lifeguards, Botanical Gardens, Mayan Ruins as well as Bars and Restaurants. The sea is strewn with Coral Reefs, Ruins, Statues, Anchors, Cannons, and Boat Wrecks. Diving Plateaus or steps allow access to the water. They have a sea-lion show and a dolphin encounter. We even saw wild iguanas roaming the park. We went into the park and found a nice shady area under a palm tree over looking the beautiful crystal clear Mayan waters. My wife is not much into snorkeling so she relaxed reading and napping under the shade tree. The kids and I hit the water and spent the next 5 hours there. This was great for teaching them about snorkeling. We took underwater pictures of each other and of the fish. We had a blast. We left there and went back to the ship, showered, changed clothes, ate lunch and went back to shore for shopping. We were back from shopping at about 7:30 p.m. and the ship left port at around 10:00 p.m.

New Orleans - Friday, May 24th

At about 8:00 a.m. I went up on the Sports Deck and observed the ship cruising up the muddy Mississippi River. Great view! I didn't realize how far up river Nawlins' was. At around 11:00 a.m. we were docked. We received the clear to go ashore at around 12:00 p.m. We went and ate lunch in the Fantasy Dining Room and then left the ship at about 12:30 p.m. You have to pass through a large shopping mall to get to the outside. It is about another 30-minute walk to Jackson Square. We walked around the square and Rented a private Mule and Buggy ride through the French Quarter for $50. Well worth it. Our Driver pointed out points of interest and told us all about the history of the various buildings. He even had my son driving the buggy for a while. Don't miss out on the Beignets at Cafe' Du Monde they are great! We picked up some masks, beads and feather boas from some of the shops as we walked back to the ship for the Mardi Gras Party later on board. We had to be back by 6:15 p.m. so we could join our Tablemates celebrating their 50 Wedding Anniversary. The Ship left the port at 10:00 p.m.

Food

We never had a bad meal anywhere on the ship. Whether it was Pizza, Hamburgers or various buffets on the Lido Deck or 5 star elegance in the Formal Dinning Room. The service in the Formal Dinning Room was great. Our Waitress "Ina" and our Assistant Waiter "Juan" were great! We really enjoyed the company of our Tablemates, "Tom and Peggy." I even tried the escargot (snails) it was great!

Drinks

We had bought the kids a Fountain Card for $19.95 each and ours were $29.95 each. This was well worth the money. I never experienced a problem getting service from the various bar waiters and waitresses. In fact after a day or two they remembered what we wanted and would bring it without asking. Coffee, Iced Tea, Lemonade, and Fruit Punch were available 24 hours a day on the Lido Deck.

Camp Carnival

Both my kids were old enough to check themselves in and out of Camp Carnival and they both took part in various activities. They enjoyed it. They each met several friends on board and had a really good time. We let them have free run of the ship. We all had a FRS/GMRS Radio and I required frequent check-ins. This seemed to work well and we were never out of touch with each other.

Pictures

The ship's photographers never miss an opportunity to take your picture. Let them. There is no obligation to buy but we bought most of them and we cherish them as some of our best souvenirs. They also have areas on the ship set up for pictures with formal backdrops. Take advantage of these. Great way of getting a nice family portrait without sitting fees.

Room Service

Service was quick. Whether it was cookies, brownies and milk to sandwiches they were delivered within 10 minutes of ordering. Tip the person delivering $1 per Tray. The food delivered was fresh and good. We even had them deliver a pitcher of coffee it was great!

Debarkation

On the night before you arrive in Tampa you have to have all your bags (except carry-ons) packed and in the hall outside your cabin by 1:00 a.m. You must be out of your cabin and in your designated waiting area by 8:45 a.m. We were back in our car with all our luggage leaving Tampa at 11:00 a.m. So as you see debarkation was pretty quick.

There seemed to be a lot of "medical emergencies" on this cruise. I think there were about 5 that I was aware off. Be sure and take out the insurance when you purchase your cruise. I understand that it cost the one man $1800 dollars to get his arm set in Grand Cayman and then being transported to Cozumel to meet up with the ship. If you have the insurance at least you can get reimbursed for that expense. I hope this review helps some of you with your planning as much as the reviews helped me. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions. ( callahan@fdn.com )