Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Sensation questions

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Sensation questions

Is the Sensation changing itineraries in the fall and if so, to what and why? Does it prvide a fun cruising experience (not yet seniors)? Do they do a Mardi Gras stop in that season? Thanks!

Yes, the Sensation is changing ports and schedule. I'm not exactly why and I don't know the new information I was just on the sensation in march and I had a ball. I posted a trip report on this site, so look that up -it has all of the details that i could offer. It DEFINITELY was fun and I'm sure you would have a great time on the ship! Regarding Madri Gras, currently it stops in NOLA and that night they had a madri gras party and buffet on the lido deck. good luck! becca

Hi Jesse, Yes the Sensation itinerary is being replaced by the Inspiration in August. The Sensation will be sailing 4 and 5 day cruises out of Tampa (standard western itinerary). As with Sensation the Inspiration will continue to port in New Orleans even during lent of 2003. I imagine there will again be a majority of seniors due to the Tampa area. It will continue to be a value packed fun experience. As to answer Jesse there may be a couple of reasons for the change. One is that the Tampa area is getting to be a popular cruise port. The Sensation is replacing the Jubilee (smaller ship) which is going to Galveston. Another is that the Sensation has received the lowest rating of any of the Carnival ships and the crew does not know why (neither do I. The camaraderie is fabulous). I beleive it is due to the known fact that the seniors take a small inconvenience and blow it out of proportion. They fill in their comment cards with quite a bit of negative input. This does result in a menial dollars-off coupon for another sailing. They would never change ships (just a peek into the past-passenger party will attest to that fact) they love that ship. So do I. I believe Carnival gives them that coupon as a marketing ploy to get them to sail again. The ship always sails full. The price is less than other Carnival ships and as a matter of fact, lower than all other cruise lines except for some that are distressed. The Inspiration will warrant higher prices. Have a great cruise. Paul

Thank you all for the information. One more question please-with the change in itinerary, would the crew change or stay the same? I firmly believe it is the crew that makes a difference in a good trip even more so than the ship.

Oops, thought of more questions. What opinions do you all have of the Inspiration? And (I know this sounds mean)is there a better time of year to cruise out of Tampa to avoid huge masses of the retired generation? Paul, I for one,appreciate your comments!

Hi Jesse, The crew does stay with the ship when it changes itineraries. There is some change of crew since after their 9 month contract is up, some leave the line entirely, some get the option to request a change to another ship and some are just moved to another ship by the cruise line. I found the majority stay with their friends. I sailed the ship three times. The camaraderie of the crew is what makes the Sensaton special. Now when I stated that the majority are seniors I do not mean they overrun the ship. It is not similar to Holland America. You will find many families and those in their 30' and 40's. Also more children during school vacations. There is not much difference in any Carnival ship as to the overall experience. There is more activities on the mega-ships with more lounges and more musicians. The staging for the production shows are more elaborate there are more entertainers. If you wish me to make a comparison of the Inspiration and it's two sister ships I would say the Inspiration and the Imagination carry a theme in the decor throughout the ship. The Fascination is very strange. A mismash of themes and colors. In any event, if you enjoy cruising and do not wish to have any dull moments, sail any Carnival ship. It is not the trash line of the past. Paul