Sue Knudsen

Age: 49
Occupation: Homemaker
Number of Cruises: 2
Cruise Line: Carnival
Ship: Sensation
Sailing Date: March 25th, 2004
Itinerary: Western Caribbean (Cozumel)

The ship was a pleasant surprise -- cleaner, roomier, and more up-to-date than we had anticipated based on what we’d heard about Carnival and other reviews we’d read. Our cabin was excellent. Shows were outstanding. Food was good but not excellent. Shore excursions we did on our own and were wonderful. Ship staff were very eager to please. Overall, we found this cruise to be better than we were expecting and an excellent value for the price paid.

Embarkation procedures took long even though we were there early (12:30), but went smoothly. It pays to fill out all your paperwork ahead of time, especially the Funpass you can complete online ahead of time. We had an outside cabin--same size as an inside cabin but with a large window that was worth the price. There was enough room to push the two twin beds together to form a king, which made sleeping more comfortable. There was enough closet space to actually unpack all our clothes. Although they provide hangers, we had read that it's helpful to bring extras, and we're glad we did. We made a point to meet and tip the room steward at the beginning of the trip, which probably helped insure that we found our cabin tidied and with a fresh supply of towels every time we returned to it.

We took all our daytime meals except one in the Seaview Buffet since it was so convenient, fast, and offered lots of variety. You could eat in the dining area, poolside, or at open-air tables looking out the back or sides of the ship. We had read in a prior review that the outdoor buffet line offers the same items as the indoor but without the long lines. How true that was and what a helpful suggestion. (Still not sure why more people didn't figure this out during the cruise.) Dinners in the Ecstacy dining room were good, not quite as gourmet as we've had on Royal. But the wait staff is terrific and eager to please. The 24-hour pizza and deli bar at the back of the Seaview was great for snacking.

What impressed us most were the shows. The comedians were great and the Las Vegas type shows were amazing -- great dancing, singing, and costumes. We wondered how the dancers could keep their balance with the rocking motion of the ship.

We had high winds and some rough seas during the trip. Weather alternated between clouds and sun, with a few sprinkles and short downpours thrown in. But we still managed to get some sun on deck each day. I experienced some queasiness and bought some pressure-point wristbands in the gift shop which helped some but had to be worn constantly and caused my hands to swell a little. Staying outside on deck helped a lot. Next time I'll try one of the patches that I saw quite a few people wearing behind the ear.

The spa staff were delightful, but prices were expensive. They do have specials and sales each day. The indian scalp massage was a bargain.

The cruise offers an informative seminar on shopping in Cozumel with maps and info on what's a bargain and what isn't. We found it worthwhile.

For our day in Cozumel, we took a cab to Mr. Sancho's Beach ($14 cab each way so find someone to share the ride if possible). There's no cover charge so you can just park yourself at a table under a palapa (thatch umbrella) as long as you order food and/or drinks there. They have great food, (especially the fish), great tropical drinks (especially mango margaritas) that you can opt to have served in a decorated pineapple or coconut, a free drink coupon you can print off their website, buckets of beer, snorkel equipment rental for $5, snorkle tours available, a pool, gift shops, restrooms and showers, and sand volleyball. We loved it. After heading back to the ship to freshen up, we went shopping in the town (San Miguel) - $6 cab each way - and had dinner at La Choza Restaurant (good, reasonable Mexican fare). It took a little extra research to decide what to do in Cozumel, but we enjoyed being on our own time instead of a tour.

Ship debarkation took long (ours was the last group called so we had to wait 2 hours) but the process went smoothly and we got off the ship about 10:45 am.

For the cost of the cruise, we feel it was an excellent value.