The Carnival Sensation was ok. I traveled with my two daughters (both 13 at the time) on this cruise going to Calica, Mexico and Cozumel, Mexico.
Embarkation was a complete NIGHTMARE! This was not how I imagined to begin a (what I thought would be stress free) vacation. Our ship was late due to the nasty hurricanes, not to mention the New Orleans cruise terminal isn't very nice. We had to sit in a large, warehouse-like room along with 900 other people which had terrible ventilation. There is a mall on top of this terminal, but if you went up there to shop around, you would lose your place in line to board the ship. After waiting 6 hours in that terrible room, we finally began to board. The 50 dollar on-board credit Carnival gave us as a "sorry" present did not do it for me. The boarding after that was quick; the photographers only took a mere 10 minutes to get through.
The food on Carnival is mediocre in my opinion. Casual dining was a wreck. The banana bread at breakfast is inedible, the cheesecakes are just gross. The best thing I ate was the pizza. The food in the dining rooms were ok, although I've been on many Carnival cruises before and they still have the same exact menu. The "chateaubriand" was tough as leather. The desserts were tasty, though.