Tour the Carnival Sensation

I recently had the chance to board the Carnival Sensation in Miami. While I was touring the vessel, I took the opportunity to photograph the ship for a comprehensive tour. This review will cover the public areas and staterooms.

All Carnival ships have a theme and some are more subtle than others. The Sensation theme is the senses. It’s also predominantly royal purple all over.

The ship is a Fantasy-class vessel. It was delivered from Kvaerner Masa-Yards (now Hietalahti shipyard or Helsinki New Shipyard) in 1993. Her latest refurb was just last year when she had the latest FunShip 2.0 ammenities added to her.

Let’s start the tour with our noted obligatory photos:

Obligatory hallway photo

Obligatory random carpet photo

DECK PLAN

The bottom-most deck normally accessed by the public contains only cabins. There’s both inside and outside cabins with windows and portholes on this deck.

DECK PLAN

This deck also contains only cabins. Both inside, outside and balconies are on this deck. During her FunShip 1.0 drydock, cabins amidships and aft all received balconies.

DECK PLAN

This deck also contains only cabins. Inside, outside, balconies and suites are on this deck. This is another deck that got the additional balconies. The 8 Grand Suite Extended Balconies are on this deck, the largest on the ship.

DECK PLAN

Deck 7, Empress deck, is where the public areas start. The deck is mostly cabins, and it’s the last of the cabins, except for a few tucked away on deck 11. A little bit forward of the center of Empress deck is the bottom of the Grand Atrium and atrium bar.

On the starboard section is the internet café.

Just past the atrium is the art gallery.

DECK PLAN

At the very front of the deck, on the forcastle, is the crew sun deck and hot tubs. Just past that is the bottom level of the Fantasia Main Lounge.

Exiting the lounge there are shops on either side.

Past the shops is the Circle “C” teen lounge for 12-14 year olds.

Walking around the atrium there’s the Touch of Class piano bar on the port side.

And on Starboard side there’s the Oak Room Library.

Walking through there you pass the second floor of the atrium.

At the end of that you enter the first of the main dining rooms. The one midships is called the Fantasy Dining room. Named after the sister Carnival Fantasy.

This is one of those split decks where on most carnival ships, you cannot walk the full length of the deck as the galley sits in between the two dining rooms. To reach the aft dining room you need to either, go a deck down and walk through the cabin hallways, or go one deck above and stroll down the Sensation Boulevard promenade.

When you reach the end there’s the Ecstasy dining room. Also named for another sister, Carnival Ecstasy.

DECK PLAN

At the very front there is the second floor of the Fantasia main lounge.

Exiting that you are at the atrium.
On the port side is the video arcade which leads into the Club O2 teen lounge.

On the starboard side is the photo gallery.

Walking past the atrium, you are at the start of the Sensation Boulevard promenade.

Tucked in the corner as you enter is the Taste bar.

There’s also a large seating area here. On the port side is the Club Vegas casino.

This part of the ship sticks out over the side by about a meter, maybe a meter-and-a-half.

Also in this area is the Cherry on Top candy store.

Past that is the casino/promenade bar, the Mirage.

Past that down the promenade a bit is another large seating area.

On the port side is the Michelangelo Lounge and next to it is the Kaleidoscope Dance Club.

In between them is Joe’s Café coffee bar.

Towards the end is a small shop.

At the end of the promenade is a large open area.

At the opposite side of the end of the promenade is the conference room. It was down this hall but was closed. I didn’t want to go barging through a closed conference room door.

Past that is my favorite lounge on the ship, the Alchemy Bar. The stairs here go down into the Ecstasy dining room.

Past the bar is the Plaza aft lounge.

At the very back of the deck is the adults only area, the Serenity.