Carnival Sensation questions

[nflp1999]

First off, thanks for all the replies to my first question. HUGE help! Thanks to all who replied
I was wondering some questions about the Carnival ship, Sensation, is it a nice ship? I've read how some older ships show their age, is this one of them? Second, with room placement. I am debating on where to stay on the ship. Should I go for a cheaper interior room or is Ocean view worth it? What about decks (Riviera, Upper ect.) is the money I would pay for the higher decks worth it? I don't want to be stuck in the cellar next to the engines or anything but I also don't want to pay more just to stay higher up when the lower decks are just fine. Any posts from people who have been on the ship and the decks they would recommend would be great! Thanks again.
Oh, one other thing, how soon (or how late) should I book the trip? I'm looking for late Aug-early Sept. right now. Should I be booking that now or can I wait until early summer (like april-may)? Thanks.

[Cruise Specialist]

Sensation falls into the Fantasy class ships, she is laid out just like Fantasy, Fascination, Imagination and Inspiration. There will be plenty to do on the ship. Carnival has been re-furbishing alot of her older ships, Fantasy just went through a refurbishment about a year ago and its like getting on a brand new ship. YOu should be very happy on her.

As far as the placement of your cabin, you have to ask yourself how much time are you planning on spending in your cabin? Most people, unless they are in a balcony or suite, are in their cabins to sleep, bathe and dress, thats about it. If you are prone to seasickness, then you will want to pick a cabin out that is midship, preferrably lower decks. If seasickness is not an issue than the most economical way of booking a cruise is to choose the guarantee cabin. This means you would book the lowest catagory in either inside or oceanview as a guarantee and will not get your cabin assignment until closer to sailing or at the port. You will be guaranteed to have at least the catagory you paid for but have a great chance of getting an upgrade. Every client I have booked on guarantee gets at least a 2 catagory upgrade by the time they get to the port. That means on Carnival if you book a 4A guarantee, you will be guaranteed to have an inside cabin on Riviera deck, but a great chance of upgrading decks. Same with 6A you would have at least an oceanview on Rivera and a great chance to up grade to a higher deck. I took a group of 58 on the Fantasy all booked at 6A guarantee..entire group was upgraded to a 6D.

As far as when to book, the sooner the better. Those days of getting last minute deals are just about gone. Cruising has made a great comeback and people are finding that to get the best deals it is best to book as early as possible. Some people are even booking their 2006 cruises to get the best deals.