Carnival Sensation has taken the wraps off a new set of renovations, becoming the latest Carnival Cruise Line ship to update its food and beverage concepts.
The two-week-long dry dock, which took place in Freeport, the Bahamas, added a number of new dining options and a new nautical-themed children’s play area to the ship.
The new spaces include Guy’s Burger Joint, a complimentary poolside venue developed in partnership with Food Network star Guy Fieri that serves burgers and fries. Other new poolside areas include the RedFrog Rum Bar, the BlueIguana Cantina, which serves burritos, tacos and a salsa bar, and the BlueIguana Tequila Bar. The “cocktail pharmacy”-themed Alchemy Bar is another new beverage option and, for dessert, there’s Cherry On Top, which offers bins of bulk candy, gifts, novelties and custom apparel.
The new Camp Ocean children’s area is for young travelers ages 2-11 and hosts more than 200 ocean-themed activities, including arts and crafts, science-oriented programming, and more.
The new dining venues were introduced to the Carnival fleet as part of the line’s Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades, which originally took place between 2011 and 2015 and added many of the new venues that were set to debut aboard the then-new Carnival Magic, which launched in 2012. The new venues spotlighted the line’s partnership with Food Network star Guy Fieri, emphasizing the chef’s California roots and love of car culture in the Burger Joint, as well as significantly expanded the line’s beverage offerings with new options for tequila, rum and cocktail lovers. Our cruise editor Susan J. Young had the chance to check out what guests thought of the enhancements firsthand onboard a Carnival Liberty cruise with regular guests shortly after the new venues debuted. The Burger Joint received the highest marks, although guests also enjoyed the BlueIguana- and RedFrog-themed areas.
Carnival Sensation joins Carnival Dream as the most recently-renovated ship in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet. Following the drydock, Carnival Sensation will now sail a year-round schedule of four-day cruises to Cozumel out of Miami. Itineraries depart Thursdays and also visit Nassau and the private islands of Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays in the Bahamas, or Cozumel and Key West. Also available are five-day voyages departing Mondays and Saturdays calling at Grand Turk, Nassau and Half Moon Cay or Grand Turk and Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.
Visit goccl.com