Carnival Sensation

The 1993-built / 2022-scrapped Carnival Sensation cruise ship was the third of Carnival Cruise Line’s eight Fantasy-class liners. Her sisterships included Fantasy, Elation, Imagination, Inspiration, Paradise, and the "balcony ships" Fascination and Ecstasy.

The vessel (IMO number 8711356) was Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 309697000) and registered in Nassau.

On February 3, 2022, Carnival announced that two vessels would leave the fleet in 2022—Carnival Sensation (1993-built / 29 years old) and Carnival Ecstasy (1991-built / 31 years old). This announcement triggered the following deployment changes:

• In Jacksonville, Ecstasy was replaced by Carnival Spirit starting April 23. Ecstasy was repositioned to Mobile for sailings from March 5 through October 10. Carnival Sensation's Mobile schedule (Oct 15, 2022, through April 27, 2024) was canceled.
• In Australia, the schedules of Carnival Splendor (June 10–Sept 26, 2022) and Carnival Spirit (June 5, 2022–October 5, 2023) were canceled.
• Following the COVID-related operational pause, Sensation never resumed service. Ecstasy’s final voyage for Carnival was scheduled for October 10, 2022, from Mobile, AL.

A total of 166 Carnival Sensation cruises from Mobile, Alabama (scheduled from March 5, 2022, to April 27, 2024) were canceled. These included:

• 4-day and 5-day Western Caribbean (Cozumel)
• 5-day Western Caribbean (Cozumel and Progreso)
• 6-day Western Caribbean (Roatan, Cozumel) – Nov 21, 2022
• 10-day Eastern Caribbean (Key West, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Grand Cayman, Cozumel) – Sept 12, 2022
• 10-day Panama Canal (Colon, Puerto Limon, Roatan, Cozumel) – Sept 11, 2023
• 10-day Eastern Caribbean (Bimini, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Grand Cayman, Cozumel) – Jan 29, 2024

History – Construction and Ownership

Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) is a US-based cruise brand and a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. CCL was founded in 1972 by Ted Arison (1924–1999), co-founder of Norwegian Cruise Line.

CCL operates the Corporation’s largest fleet in terms of number of ships and GT-tonnage (volume and passenger capacity). As of 2023, Carnival Cruise Line held approximately 9% of global cruise industry revenue and 19% of its passenger share. In 2024, Carnival Corporation controlled about 51% of the estimated US$64+ billion industry.

The 2,056-passenger Carnival Sensation arrived and was beached at Turkey’s Aliaga Shipbreaking Yard on April 5, 2022, at 09:11 UTC. Her final voyage—a transatlantic crossing—departed PortMiami on March 18 at 18:37 UTC. The vessel’s AIS last transmitted on April 7 at 16:18 UTC.

Decks and Cabins

Carnival Sensation staterooms (1028 total, in 26 categories) included 54 Suites, 98 Balcony, 466 Oceanview, and 408 Inside cabins. Most balconies measured 35 ft² (3 m²), while standard staterooms were approximately 185 ft² (17 m²). The ship featured 25 wheelchair-accessible cabins (ADA compliant). The largest accommodations—Grand Suites—measured 330 ft² (31 m²) with an additional 115 ft² (11 m²) terrace and could sleep up to 5 guests. These suites included sitting areas and spacious bathrooms with whirlpool tubs, separate showers, and VIP amenities.

The vessel had 13 decks, including 10 passenger-accessible decks and 5 cabin decks.

Shipboard Dining Options – Food and Drinks

Carnival Sensation featured two main dining rooms—Ecstasy and Fantasy—serving all guests during two seatings (6:00 p.m. early, 8:15 p.m. late) or via the "Your Choice Dining" program (5:45–9:30 p.m.). The Sea View Bar & Grill on Lido Deck offered ample seating and high guest flow, featuring Star Wars-inspired décor. The 24-hour pizzeria and round-the-clock frozen yogurt and ice cream counters were guest favorites.

Unlike other Carnival vessels, Carnival Sensation had no specialty restaurants or Supper Club. However, guests could enjoy the Chef's Table experience—an intimate multicourse dinner for a dozen guests, featuring a private cocktail reception, galley tour, and hosted by a master chef. This experience was held in unique venues such as the library or galley and could be booked onboard for US$75 per person.

Dining venues included:

• Fantasy Dining Room (658-seat forward MDR; fixed seatings and Your Time Dining; themed breakfasts like “Seuss At Sea” with $5 cover)
• Ecstasy Dining Room (650-seat aft MDR; fixed dinner seatings)
• Seaview Lido Buffet Restaurant (722-seat self-service buffet; bistro-style in the evening)
• Sushi Bar (complimentary)

Shipboard Entertainment – Fun and Sports

Despite her age, Carnival Sensation remained a great value for families and first-time cruisers. She featured Camp Carnival for children aged 2–17, a friendly crew, and well-loved outdoor features like waterslides and the adults-only Serenity sundeck.

The Fantasia Lounge hosted popular Vegas-style productions, complete with high-energy choreography and lighting effects. Plaza Lounge presented late-night comedy for adults. Classical music was frequently performed in the atrium, and live music and dance venues were available nightly.

The Touch of Class piano bar had unique hand-shaped bar stools and was popular for sing-alongs. Though its crowd leaned younger, its music selection also appealed to fans of George Gershwin and Irving Berlin.

Entertainment venues included:

• Grand Atrium Plaza (7-deck-high, midship; served by Grand Plaza Lobby Bar)
• Internet Café (24-hour computer lounge)
• Fantasia Theatre (1300-seat, 2-deck main show lounge)
• Sensation Boulevard Promenade (230-seat)
• Joe’s Café (58-seat specialty coffee bar)
• Michelangelo Lounge (109-seat, with karaoke and dance floor)
• Kaleidoscope Disco (230-seat nightclub)
• Polo Bar (92-seat cigar lounge with piano)
• Plaza Lounge (540-seat; Punchliner Comedy Club)
• Art Gallery, Photo Gallery, Formalities Shop (tux rentals, gifts), The Fun Shops (duty-free and souvenirs)
• Circle C (kids’ lounge with movies, games, activities)
• Video Games Arcade (24-hour); Club O2 (teen lounge with movies, karaoke, parties)
• Vegas Casino (450-seat; served by Mirage Bar)
• Serenity (adults-only sundeck with padded loungers, hammocks, two whirlpools)
• Lido Pool Area; Carnival WaterWorks Aquapark (Twister slide, racing slides, splash pool)
• Camp Carnival (kids’ club with supervised activities)
• Spa Carnival (spa and fitness complex with relaxation rooms, sauna, steam rooms, massage rooms, beauty salon, gym)
• Sports Court, Jogging Track, Ping-Pong tables, Mini-Golf (9-hole), Shuffleboard

The ship’s 2017 refurbishment added all Fun Ship 2.0 features, including Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Alchemy Bar, BlueIguana Tequila Bar, Cherry on Top candy shop, and Camp Ocean.

Itineraries

Carnival Sensation’s itinerary program was based on 4- and 5-day Western Caribbean roundtrips from Mobile, Alabama to Cozumel and either Progreso or Costa Maya, Mexico.

In 2019, the ship operated 17 new 5-day cruises to Cuba from Miami, each with a full-day stay in Havana. Other ports included Grand Turk, Grand Cayman, and various Bahamian destinations (Nassau, Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays). These cruises expanded Carnival’s Florida-to-Cuba program alongside Carnival Paradise from Tampa.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carnival Sensation was out of service from March 2020 to 2022. Although a restart was scheduled for March 5, 2022 (Mobile to Western Caribbean), Carnival later reassigned Carnival Spirit to her planned Caribbean sailings from Jacksonville. Shortly after, Sensation’s permanent retirement was announced, and her Mobile sailings (Oct 15, 2022–Sept 30, 2023) were officially canceled.