Overall Score

BERLITZ'S RATING
	Possible	Achieved
Ship	500	318
Accommodation	200	138
Food	400	213
Service	400	262
Entertainment	100	73
Cruise	400	243

How this score is created

Carnival Sensation, whose bows are extremely short, has a distinctive, large, swept-back wing-tipped funnel, the trademark of Carnival Cruise Lines. The ship, which is almost vibration-free, has expansive open deck areas (sadly, there is no walk-around open promenade deck), but they quickly become inadequate when it is full and everyone wants to be out on deck.

After a six-month charter to the US government as emergency housing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the ship was extensively refurbished in 2007, which provided a facelift for the ship’s tired interiors. A new nine-hole miniature golf course was added, as was a 1,600-sq-ft (148-sq-meter) Children’s World play area, a new “art” gallery, photo gallery, and a 1,200-sq-ft (111-sq-meter) conference room. Additionally, all cabins were completely refurbished and given flat-screen TVs (the bathrooms were also updated). A new New York-style deli counter was added to the Lido Café; a patisserie was added, and the internet café was redesigned.

Inside, the general passenger flow is good, and the interior design is clever, functional, and extremely colorful. A dramatic six-deck-high atrium, with cool marble and hot neon, is topped by a large colored glass dome.

The library is a lovely room, but there are few books. The Michel­angelo Lounge is a creative thinker’s delight, while Fingers Lounge is sheer sensory stimulation. The casino has plenty of gaming tables and slot machines.

Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2008