Sell me some Sunshine!

Hi all, a long time RCI cruiser here; we are diamond on RCI and have never tried Carnival. We have many friends who cruise with Carnival and have heard no complaints (other than the stuff we all complain about). We are looking for a cruise that we can drive to and found the Sunshine in Charleston and Norfolk, both of which are within fairly easy driving range. I have done some research on the ship and, frankly, think it looks fantastic. We are a bit old school in that we started back when the RCI Sovereign class was the biggest thing out there and the Fantasy was new. We cruise for the experience of being at sea and like ships that have lots of outside views, especially in the public areas. RCI over the last decade has become more "inward facing" with the promenades and inward balconies, etc. It seems that on most of the ship you cannot even see the ocean. They are also really big into gimmicks on the newer ships (bumper cars???). We still enjoy the cruises but we are looking around for something different. We like everything we see about the Sunshine. The serenity area looks awesome. All of the public areas and the layout of the ship looks really great. I looked on the Carnival boards and was a little surprised to see some mixed reviews of the ship. Based on some in depth you tube video reviews we think it is going to be perfect for us.

I would love to hear some feedback from Sunshine cruisers on what you like, don't like, and what we should do and try in our limited 5 day span. We are also open to general tips on cruising Carnival from the experts. We know the drill with RCI and assume that Carnival has the same things, just packaged up a little differently.

Finally, I have to say that as one who keeps up with the CC board for Royal Caribbean regularly I see that same sort of comments and complaints about new policies and pricing on the Carnival board. It seems that there is a lot more in common than different. The cruise industry is changing in that they are struggling with keeping all the new, big ships full without pricing the cabins out of the mass market. The results lead to higher onboard prices, more onboard charges, and general cutbacks. I still think cruising is a bargain and we hope to expand our horizons with this next cruise on Sunshine.

Thanks in advance for any input.

No input as my Sunshine cruise is not until October, but following since I am in a similar situation...Long time Royal cruiser sailing the Sunshine because of the short drive to Charleston! I have been on Carnival once, just this January on the Conquest and I really enjoyed it. It is different than Royal, some parts better, some parts worse, but overall it was still a great cruise. As you can tell since I now have two more Carnival cruises booked in addition to my four more Royal cruises.

Thanks for asking this question, I am looking at the Sunshine too and not sure about the ship. I have found too many people stating it seem crowded and since I am looking at spring break cruise I am worried.

Just my opinion, I would choose another ship to give Carnival a try. I have been on 12 or 13 CC cruises and enjoyed everyone, EXCEPT the Sunshine...it was my least favorite ship and I have no desire to ever board her again. Ship is crowded, poorly designed, IMO dirty, and did I say crowded. Not the be completely negative the food and staff are good.

Personally I have never sailed on the sunshine because a good friend of mine has sailed her several times and calls her the Frankenstein ship. They added more rooms and sacrificed common areas during a dry dock so I hear she's very crowded and slightly awkward on the layout.

That being said, if you think the ship will work for YOU, book it! Everyone is looking for something different when it comes to cruising, so if the Sunshine looks like it will meet your needs I say go for it.

If you're looking for a fun experience and ocean views, Carnival can provide that for sure! And if you want to expand your driving radius (by a lot!) the Dream was so great. Starting the cruise by going down the Mississippi was incredible.

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Thanks all. We are booked on the 6/4 sailing from Norfolk. I am hearing the crowding concerns. We have a balcony so worst case we will just sit out there and watch the sea. We are not big into shows and activities; we just relax and chill mostly so maybe we will not be too put out by the crowds. Hopefully we can get a nice spot in the serenity area which looks to be much larger than the RCI ships we usually go on.

Question: How diligent is Carnival (and this ship in particular) in enforcing the "over 21" rule? We have been in the RCI Liberty class solarium and there were people with their kids in the "over 21" hot tubs on many occasions. We are not anti-family by any means but we do enjoy having a place to relax without young ones running and jumping, especially since there are so many areas for them other than the adult areas.

did the SH last year a loved her. great size. great lay out and we had Emma Nixon! cruise couldnt have been better Citi was a great steward. she was a hard worker. 8228.

the colors are nice and bright. really better than the pride and splendor ive been on.

serenity is to die for! went in august and a great day to sail outside all day. never had a problem with seats

Thanks all. We are booked on the 6/4 sailing from Norfolk. I am hearing the crowding concerns. We have a balcony so worst case we will just sit out there and watch the sea. We are not big into shows and activities; we just relax and chill mostly so maybe we will not be too put out by the crowds. Hopefully we can get a nice spot in the serenity area which looks to be much larger than the RCI ships we usually go on.

 

Question: How diligent is Carnival (and this ship in particular) in enforcing the "over 21" rule? We have been in the RCI Liberty class solarium and there were people with their kids in the "over 21" hot tubs on many occasions. We are not anti-family by any means but we do enjoy having a place to relax without young ones running and jumping, especially since there are so many areas for them other than the adult areas.

They are usually pretty good about it. I have seen people asked nicely to leave, that were not over 21.

As to your ship, I have been on her and it was a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the waterfall serenity pool, but the I did find that she was a bit more crowded than I prefer. We are looking at doing a 8 day Bermuda cruise on her late next year, so it was not all bad.

Thanks for the comments. What areas seem crowded? Is it the main pool, serenity, the show venues, dining? We have watched a lot of videos and the ship looks fantastic to us. My wife seems to be more excited about this than our upcoming Royal cruises. I have to say that I am pumped as well.

Just got off the Sunshine a few weeks ago and loved it! My husband and I just were talking about it this morning that we wouldnt hesitate to book it again. We didnt feel it was crowded at all! We went to JiJi's and Cucina Capitano and The Steakhouse. We loved them all! Fantastic food and service. Its also a welcom break from the MDR.. very special ambiance and quiet...Wish we were back! LOVE Guy Fieri's Burgers and Fries and the Pizza is very good too! Will try to think if I have any special tips to add. You will have a wonderful time!!

Our Background: Just to give you more confidence in the Carnvial Product :-) We usually cruise NCL in the Haven, Celebrity Suite Class and MSC in the Yacht Club. We were hesitant to cruise Carnival but I wanted to try the Vista. That was so wonderful we decided to try the Sunshine next. We now feel confident that Carnival is an enjoyable laid back product! The only thing missing is the private area for your pool and sunbathing that you get on MSC and NCL but I dont spend that much time in the sun anymore.

Keep in mind that Sunshine is still one of the oldest ships in the fleet, dating back to its days as the Destiny.

"Putting lipstick on a pig" or "rolling a turd in powdered sugar and calling it a jelly donut" apply here.

Keep in mind that Sunshine is still one of the oldest ships in the fleet, dating back to its days as the Destiny.

 

"Putting lipstick on a pig" or "rolling a turd in powdered sugar and calling it a jelly donut" apply here.

Well, being build in 1996 it is still newer than the Fantasy class but to your point it is not new by any means and we know that. Our favorite ship in the Royal fleet is still the Majesty of the seas from 1992. We like the older style ships over the brand new ones which seem to be more like floating malls or amusement parks than ships. We understand that this appeals to a lot of people but we are prepared for the older design. Hopefully we will not be disappointed.

As a long time Royal cruiser, ANY Carnival ship is going to feel more crowded.

We are not loyal to any line and have sailed a few times on Carnival, but Sunshine is the only Carnival ship we liked enough to book a second time (two cruises in 2016 about 5 months apart). Did not experience crowding any worse when compared to Magic, Fantasy, Spirit or Glory. Things are a bit tight walking from Blue Iguana back to the buffet area (you have to walk single file for maybe ten feet). The comedy club is smaller when compared to other Carnival ships, however we had no problem getting good seats by arriving 15-20 minutes early. The main show lounge is a different layout when compared to most ships and is smaller in comparison, but as it never filled getting good seats was never a problem.

One of my favorite aspects of Sunshine is the shear number of included food options from Blue Iguana, to Guy's Burgers, the Italian place (free for lunch, $15 for dinner), Mongolian Wok, cuban snacks at Havana Bar, Taste Bar, the buffet and the main dining room. Very good steakhouse for a charge and Jiji's Asian Kitchen is awesome and a steal at only $15.00.

Sunshine is the only Carnival ship where the adults-only Serenity area has its own pool (with waterfall-very cool!).

I know what you mean regarding lack of ocean views on the larger Royal ships. Sunshine has plenty of places to take in ocean views.

Ocean Plaza is a great spot for pre-dinner drinks from Alchemy Bar while listening to live music.

In short, no other Carnival ship left much of an impression on us but Sunshine did and would sail her again.

Thanks all. We are booked on the 6/4 sailing from Norfolk. I am hearing the crowding concerns. We have a balcony so worst case we will just sit out there and watch the sea. We are not big into shows and activities; we just relax and chill mostly so maybe we will not be too put out by the crowds. Hopefully we can get a nice spot in the serenity area which looks to be much larger than the RCI ships we usually go on.

 

Question: How diligent is Carnival (and this ship in particular) in enforcing the "over 21" rule? We have been in the RCI Liberty class solarium and there were people with their kids in the "over 21" hot tubs on many occasions. We are not anti-family by any means but we do enjoy having a place to relax without young ones running and jumping, especially since there are so many areas for them other than the adult areas.

Your cruising style sounds a lot like ours and Sunshine has been our favorite ship so far. No matter what ship we are on, we don't care for the pools (way to small and have one at home), and the hot tubs (except on Princess are not hot!). You are more likely to find the adult areas quiet in the evenings after the daytime fun is over.

We usually get the L shaped balcony, 2 decks up from Alchemy and 2 decks down from Lido. We spend a lot of time at Alchemy in the evenings; it is very spacious on this ship and perfectly positioned to people watch. The ship is a little confusing with the placement of the comedy club (it is kinda down a back hallway past the piano bar) so study the plans before you go and you will have zero issue navigating.

People complain about the lines at comedy; we almost always go about 15 minutes early; they will open the doors anywhere between 10-20 minutes before showtime (once the lounge is clean from prior shows). We have had zero problem getting in; and nor do I mind waiting as I have waited for other shows and movies. It always blows my mind that people somehow think a cruise should have different rules! ;p The only time we didn't get in was after being at another show and seeing a big line about 10 minutes prior.

The other thing we love about Sunshine is the food options. Oh where to begin! First, the Havana bar - great little Cuban breakfast snacks both morning and afternoon and great drinks. Giant windows overlooking the wake is a lovely spot for an early cup of coffee. JiJi's - unique to Sunshine and a fantastic Asian restaurant. Bonsai sushi - wonderful for a little afternoon bite (watch the hours as they aren't open all the time). And of course the steakhouse and Cucinia. Plus they have all the standard upgrades like Guys and Blue Iguana.

As for kids, Sunshine has so much for kids to do up on Sports Square that many are drawn up to that area. You are also cruising before school is out (except private) so "should" have fewer children than say summer or spring break. And I have never seen young kids or teens in the Serenity area; my 17 yo was up there by mistake reading a book quietly but you never would have known he wasn't 21. And I do like this pool/hot tub as it is huge.

She is our favorite Carnival ship so far. And having recently done Magic (thinking it would be better) we would still pick Sunshine every time.

Did I miss when you are going? We were on the Sunshine for NYE 2016.Booked again for March 2018.From what I hear you either love her or hate her.It was crowded with kids over NY but we also had a balcony and escaped there and the serenity to get away from the crowds.The anytime dining was great we requested the same dining staff every night we went. We had only 2 sea days on a 7 day cruise so we were in ports a lot. In March we have a extended balcony and only 3 port days with a 8 day cruise. We plan on using our balcony and the serenity on sea days. We loved the comedy club and went several times in one night if we liked the comedian. But get there early as stated to get a good seat. Eating options are great and lunch has the Italian and Asian food free but it cost for dinner. I suggest you go give her a try and see if you love her or hate her. DIFFERENT BOAT FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS!

We've spent approximately 36 days on 3 cruise on Sunshine, including 16 days on her TA after her time in drydock....One of our favorite ships. As some have mentioned, up until Vista was released, Sunshine had the most paid and non-paid meal options of any Carnival ship to date...we really like that...and we're not even foodies, but found the options desireable and worth the extra charges when we decided to pay.

I've seen some of the obligatory negative comments that come with many posts regarding Sunshine...too old...lipstick on pig...too crowded...added rooms took away space...rust bucket...yadda yadda...blah blah....been reading this same tired rhetoric since before Sunshine came out of drydock. While in drydock I read some of the most bizzare things I've read here about any ship or cruise, was truly amazing...and completely false. Seems some have made of hobby of criticizing this ship...go figure.

But, as some have said...serenity area with pool/waterfowl...nice...ship layout is mostly good..couple quirky "routes" to get around..but thats what makes her unique...not unmanageable as some think ....one negative I do agree with is the "bottle neck" next to Guys and Blue Iguana heading into or out of the Lido Marketplace...but its just that..a bottleneck...last seconds, not years as some portray it. To me this gross overcrowding is grossly over stated. Other than the bottle neck, ship does not feel any more crowded than others we've been on. We've hit all the food spots..have enjoyed them all....not every meal the best...but most were enjoyable. I could go on and on....but I have pasta to make....but we'd sail Sunshine again in a heartbeat.

I sailed on the Sunshine Apr 23 to Apr 28/17..I did enjoy the cruise overall,, but not really a fan of the ship. I have sailed on 10 different Carnival ships as well as NCL and Princess. I found the service on the Sunshine on the decks very bad. Long lines to get a drink at the rum bar due to the fact that there were very few servers. I was NEVER offered a day of the day on the first day at sail away. We went up to serenity deck.. never was served.. had to go back down and stand in line at the rum bar,,then carry it back up. The main pool was full of kids,,morning to night, the adult pool was so small and very crowed. The atrium bar..usually always my favorite..one server..10-15 mins to get a drink. The theater has temp chairs that are moved for when the night club opens ..when you order a drink to watch the show there is no where to put it. The food and service was good in the main dining room, and the room was made up once a day in the morning, which was fine. We got FTTF which was great!! Priority lines, tenders.. etc. Just overall I thought it was far to crowed on the open decks and around Guys Burgers. Loved eating at the back of the ship in the Havana bar, and the pasta for lunch was the best.

:cool: We have sailed the Sunshine 3 times now and have 3 more booked out of Port Canaveral. One of our favorite ships in

the Carnival fleet. My next pick would be the Vista. On the Sunshine you will find some of the new innovations found on the Vista. The crew is fantastic, the Officers are friendly and all are very helpful. There are so many places to eat and food choices we never have a problem find a good meal. As for the crowds we did not take notice but yes there are more people on the ship then say the Glory. Never so overwhelming as to make us wish for another ship. The theater is the one draw back. The way it is put together makes no sense at all. But the shows are good and it Dr. E ( it may be DR. D) the the CD when you cruise you will more the enjoy him and his staff. For me the Sunshine is one of the best and good choice for your start as a Carnival fan. Happy cruising and enjoy the Sunshine on teh Sunshine.

We were on the Sunshine a year ago and really enjoyed it.

We had heard a lot of comments on how crowded it felt, etc... but were were pleasantly surprised.

I do have a full review in my links below.... with tons of pictures if that helps.

Thanks,

Catrin

We have been on the Sunshine twice now with the last one in April. Too many kids! My mistake booking for April. Anyway, I've encountered more crowds on the Dream than on the Sunshine. We found the ship clean, staff is fantastic (as always) and the food options plentiful.

We've spent approximately 36 days on 3 cruise on Sunshine, including 16 days on her TA after her time in drydock....One of our favorite ships. As some have mentioned, up until Vista was released, Sunshine had the most paid and non-paid meal options of any Carnival ship to date...we really like that...and we're not even foodies, but found the options desireable and worth the extra charges when we decided to pay.

 

I've seen some of the obligatory negative comments that come with many posts regarding Sunshine...too old...lipstick on pig...too crowded...added rooms took away space...rust bucket...yadda yadda...blah blah....been reading this same tired rhetoric since before Sunshine came out of drydock. While in drydock I read some of the most bizzare things I've read here about any ship or cruise, was truly amazing...and completely false. Seems some have made of hobby of criticizing this ship...go figure.

 

But, as some have said...serenity area with pool/waterfowl...nice...ship layout is mostly good..couple quirky "routes" to get around..but thats what makes her unique...not unmanageable as some think ....one negative I do agree with is the "bottle neck" next to Guys and Blue Iguana heading into or out of the Lido Marketplace...but its just that..a bottleneck...last seconds, not years as some portray it. To me this gross overcrowding is grossly over stated. Other than the bottle neck, ship does not feel any more crowded than others we've been on. We've hit all the food spots..have enjoyed them all....not every meal the best...but most were enjoyable. I could go on and on....but I have pasta to make....but we'd sail Sunshine again in a heartbeat.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I sailed on the Sunshine last October, as well as Christmas week and I never felt that the ship was overcrowded. Perhaps the lido deck pool area is what seems smaller, but I stay away from that area because the music is not my type and always a bit too loud for me. I agree with the bottleneck at Guys and Blue iguana, but that just takes a little bit of patience.

I never had a problem getting a seat in the serenity area, and I did not have to set out earlier than 8:00 -8:30 am to find one.

I also enjoyed the Havana Bar, I could always find a seat there, sampling of food was good and bar service excellent.

I wouldn't hesitate to sail the Sunshine again.

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Most crowded ship I ever sailed on. Chairhogs were out of control on deck and in the showroom. She was just not for me.

In my opinion...take the negative reviews with a grain of salt. I just got off the Sunshine and loved everything about it! I also like cruising to be connected to the ocean (which is why I don't plan on trying the newer RC ships anytime soon) and the Sunshine is perfect! The only thing that I would say was a negative about the ship is the fact that there is only 1 main pool and it's overrun with kids all the time. It didn't bother us though, we don't go cruising to swim in a pool. We jump in to cool off and that's about it. I recently did a review on my thoughts about the Sunshine and addressed a lot of the issues that are usually brought up about the ship.

Don't worry too much about it, she's a great ship and we loved every second we were on her.

Wow, thanks for all the great information from all points of view. You guys are great. We are really excited about this one. After 21 cruises on Royal C. and 1 on the Big Red Boat we are ready for something new. I can't remember us having this level of anticipation in years. All for a 5 day Bahamas! My wife thinks she will like this ship better than the RC Freedom class. We have watched about 2 dozen YouTube videos. We feel like first timers again. I think we are going to be sorry we did not branch out sooner. I promise that we will post our thoughts when we get back.

One more question. We are on the Sunshine out of Norfolk (first embarkation from there) Sunday, June 4. The planner says barding begins at 1:30 PM. Is that actually the case? RC used to say 1 PM but they actually started as early as 10:00 AM if the ship was cleared. This will make a difference since we are driving in. No need to get a super early start if we will be stuck in the terminal until the afternoon. On the other hand, the sooner we can start this party the happier we will be. ;p