What’s not to like about Carnival?

By Anita Dunham-Potter

Cruise columnist

updated 11:52 a.m. ET Nov. 16, 2006

Think the "Fun Ships" are beneath you? Think again.

Certainly, Carnival Cruise Lines has a reputation for less-than-classy cruising. “Booze cruise!” laughed one friend when I said I was heading out on a four-day Carnival cruise to the Bahamas. “Trailer-park cruising,” sniffed another. Well, I hadn’t been on a Carnival ship in seven years, so I decided it was time to see for myself whether CCL’s “Animal House” reputation would withstand scrutiny.

My ship was the 2,200-passenger Sensation, a 13-year-old ship that had recently provided emergency housing in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. After its charter with the Federal Emergency Management Agency expired, the Sensation underwent a multimillion dollar refurbishment that added a nine-hole miniature golf course, expanded the kid’s Camp Carnival center, upgraded the spa and gym area, and put fantastic new bedding and flat-panel TVs in the suites.

Despite the refurbishments, the ship feels dated. Launched in 1993, at a time when Carnival was intent on changing the stuffy image of cruising, the Sensation is one of Carnival’s first big Fun Ships, and it is a floating Las Vegas of neon, neon and more neon. Purple dominates the décor, and the carpets are awash in vivid zigs and zags. I can only imagine the effect in rough seas. The ship is also showing some wear and tear in areas like the elevators, but it is clean and well maintained.

The Carnival crowd and the Carnival atmosphere
It’s clear that Carnival attracts a wide range of passengers. On my mid-September cruise from Port Canaveral, Fla., to the Bahamas, every demographic imaginable was on board — retirees, young couples, singles, families, gays and a lot of military personnel. Many were there because the price was right. In fact, one longtime Carnival cruiser I met had scored a $169 fare at the last minute. “These guys really know how to put on a great cruise,” he told me. “They offer the best value in cruising — by far.”

I heard the same thing over and over from passengers who were more than satisfied with the time they were having. Groups of family and friends seemed to have the best time of all. The only unhappy people I saw were a bunch of disappointed Steelers fans gathered in the Polo Lounge for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” I was one of them. Good thing we were on a Fun Ship, so we could scream and yell and drown our sorrows together.

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It’s true. There’s something about a Carnival cruise that brings out your inner extrovert. The choice of social activities and group attractions is endless: miniature golf, spa treatments, gym, three pools, movies, karaoke, a busy children’s program with an energetic staff — you name it, it’s on board. But it’s the passenger-participation spectacles that provide the most memorable moments. The best was the poolside “Hairy Chest Contest,” in which fur-ball rivals competed to get audience approval (and to cop a feel from the curvy, bikini-clad judge). There was more people-watching on Formal Night, when passengers trotted out fashions that ranged from elegant evening gowns to eye-popping spandex.

There are places on the ship for the occasional introvert, too, including plenty of nooks and crannies for curling up with a good book or surfing the Internet. The aft pool offered a quiet place to get some sun and to escape the thumping music heard in many of the ship’s public spaces. I really enjoyed my penthouse balcony for quiet reading, though the bistro chairs were way too small and I had to drag my room chairs out to get comfortable. Still, I counted myself lucky. The Sensation is an older ship, and balconies are scarce — only 54 of the Sensation’s 1,026 staterooms have a balcony.

Dinner and a show
Where Carnival really shines is in the dining, especially in the main dining rooms at dinner. Each night I ordered dishes designed by Carnival’s French master chef Georges Blanc, a selection that included lobster, chateaubriand and an exotic lavender soufflé — all perfectly prepared. I paired them with some excellent French and American chardonnays chosen (at extra charge) from the wine list put together by Carnival’s president and CEO, Bob Dickinson. Dickinson is a wine connoisseur, and Carnival has the largest selection of vintage wines at sea. If you like the selection, you can join Carnival’s Presidential Wine Club, and have wine sent to your home every month.

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