CammieO

I have never had a problem arriving early.

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that.

This gets asked alot. Unless they say there is a clear reason to arrive late, like a recent cruise had to perform a drill that delayed boarding for a few hours, show up when you want. The calls and letters are to try to space boarding out better so you wait in line less. They actually have no way right now to restrict your arrival. They don't even know who you are until you arrive at the check-in desk, much less what time that email said to arrive. Make sure you are aware that once on board, they may restrict your access to your room until 1:30, but that's for everyone without priority boarding. Most people head to the Lido and eat lunch until the rooms are opened.

Thanks for your response! I had read a similar question before and thought it wouldn't be a problem, but the wording of Carnival's email was enough to start me second guessing myself and worrying about it. Thanks for putting my worries to rest!

Just be prepared to sit in a large waiting room (like an airport). They board by zones, after priority/diamond/fttf etc. last time we had zone 12 and it took approximately 30-40 minutes to get our zone called once they started.

 

 

 

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Yeah, I'm okay with a wait as long as it's not until 2:00 when I'm planning on getting there around 11 haha. I wonder if the zones correspond with the time frame they gave you in your email. Like all the people who were told to arrive between 1 and 2 are in one zone and all the people who were told to arrive between 2 and 3 are in another, etc. Or do you think it's based on cabin number?

Hi everyone,

I'm sailing on the 18th out of Port Canaveral on the Sunshine. A few days ago, I received an email asking me to arrive between 2:00 and 3:00 for check in. It stated "guests arriving outside of their assigned window may be asked to come back later or experience a longer wait time.". Today I got a phone call stating the same information. I was planning on arriving around 11:00, or at the latest, noon, to give my mom and sister (first time cruisers) ample time to get used to the motion of the ship (since it still moves a but while docked) before we sail. Now I'm concerned that if we do arrive early we will be made to wait until 2:00. Is that the case? This will be my first time sailing with Carnival so I'm not sure how they do things. I thought after priority guest boarded it was first come basis, but if that's not how it works then I'll adjust my plans. Please let me know what your experience has been with this. Thank you!

Thank you for this wonderful review! I'm leaving for a five day on the Sunshine very soon and even though I won't be going to all of these awesome ports I love reading about them!

I plan in getting it for a day just to check in with my husband, but I like to unplug on my cruises so just that one day.

You are wonderful! Thank you! I don't know how I missed that.

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had the emergency contact number that I can give to my family members to reach me if something dire happens while I'm away? I haven't been able to find it on Carnival's website or in any of my cruise documents. Thanks for any help you can offer!

This is a great review! I love all the pictures and how detailed you've been. Sailing in just a few weeks and reviews like this just make me more excited. :) Thanks for taking the time to do this!

I sent you an email just now. I'm a little late in asking but if you still have the files I'd love to have them. Sailing in 30 days with my mom and sister who are first time cruisers and I want everything to be perfect for them. :) Thanks for offering to send the fun times out to everyone!

Awesome! Thank you so much for posting these great photos! I would also be interested in photos of the Spa interior cabins. I'll be sure to take pictures of mine when I go in October.

goccl, carnivals website for travel agents, describes cabins 11001, 11002. and 11003 as Category 4S (interior spa cabins) and states that they have no window. So these cabins do exist, evidently. And they are not the obstructed view interior cabins found across the front of some decks on some ships. They are just interior cabins.

 

https://www.goccl.com/~/media/Files/Irman/bookccl/the_fleet/Sunshine/sunshine.ashx

Thanks for the link! In the official deck plan they have those rooms also but they are in a different configuration in both pictures. In the strange one there is a room 11000 but on the official one there isn't. So weird.

The first one is correct. I was thinking maybe the second one was before the Sunshine was refurbished and was the Destiny but that isn't it.

I though that too at first but then I remembered that 11 is new to the ship. I wish that was the explanation.

Thank you both for your replies! What I'm most interested in are the interior staterooms, particularly the ones that are different between the two photos. Has anyone stayed in that area (especially in 11002, 11000, or 11003)? If you look in the strange photo there is a staircase behind these rooms (or really it's in front of them since this is the forward part of the ship). On Carnival's official deck plan for deck 10 they show a staircase in the gym but do not show where it goes on deck 11 (it's not on deck 9 either), but the strange deck plan has it so it makes me wonder if they aren't correct at least about that. Attached is a picture of Carnival's official deck plan for 10 in the Gym area so you can see the staircase and the official deck plan for 11 is next to it in the photo so you can see how the staircase is missing.

I couldn't get the second picture to upload with the original post, but here it is. This is the unofficial one.

I hope someone can help me. I just saw a deck plan that looks fairly different than the official Carnival one. The difference I found is on deck 11. Can anyone tell me which is more accurate? The Carnival one is the first photo and the strange one is the second photo. Thank you!

You wear your bathing suit down to the thermal suite and steam rooms. We often just wore our robes from our rooms right over the bathing suit!

 

I did not see an interior Spa, I don't think they have them on the 12th but I am sure they are nice!

Awesome, that makes things easy. Thank you for your response!

I just took a cruise on the Sunshine with my mom and sister...3 people in a spa interior cabin. I really worried about the reported smaller sized cabins on this ship ..especially with 3 people in it. It WAS PERFECT!! This was onlt the 2nd time (out of 10 cruises) that i had booked an interior, and like you..we did it in a money saving effort. We loved being able to just walk out the door and be on the Serenity deck. It rained one day suddenly and while everyone else scrambled..we just stepped inside the door and we were home! I highly recommend it!!

 

I know you didn't ask for this but the other things we loved on this ship... Sitting out under the stars snuggled under a blanket and watching movies on the giant screen. We actually had 2 nights where we just grabbed pizza and a dessert (or 3) and ate while we enjoyed the movie!! SOOOO awesome and relaxing! And.of course the three story Serenity with the refreshing waterfall. It was nice to be able to go to the back of the ship for a little quiet time and not have to listen to the blaring music. Cannot go wrong with the Serenity deck!! :D Have a great sail!!!!

You just made my day! I am sailing with my mom and sister in October and have an interior spa room booked and I was worried about all three of us fitting comfortably. Thank you for putting my mind at ease. What stateroom did you have if you remember? Did your third person purchase the pass for the thermal suite? That is what we are planning on doing so my sister can join me and my mom. Seriously, you made me so much less worried. You win. :)

Sure they will ask you. If not, you can ask them if you would like to be seated with others. They have several large tables, which seat 8 to 10 people. If you have breakfast in the dining room, they will also ask if you want a table for the three of you or if you would like to be seated with others. Hope you all have a great time.

Awesome. :) Thank you again! It looks like you have a few cruises coming up too. I hope you have a great time in those also!

You check in at the desk on deck 5 near the Alchemy Bar when you are ready to eat. You will give them your cabin number and how many in your party. If you are a party of two, they will ask if you want to share a table with others. If that is what you want you will probably be seated right away. If you want a table for two they will give you a pager and you may have to wait 15 minutes or you may get a slip of paper and be seated right away. If your table is ready you walk down two decks or take elevator and you are right there. I think its a great system. Instead of having everyone wait outside the dining room in the hallway, you can wait at the bar or in the lounge right there. The lounge has many tables and always a live band playing. I have been on many Sunshine cruises and never waited more than 20 minutes and only a few times have we waited. I always request a table for two. If we like the wait staff we ask for them each evening and usually get them. I think they like to keep you with the same wait staff if possible, that way at the end of the cruise you can give them something extra, besides the included gratuities, which we do when we get great service. We love anytime dining and are late diners, usually around 8pm.

Thank you so much for your quick and detailed reply! I really appreciate it. :) I will be traveling with my mom and sister who are first time cruisers. With three of us I don't imagine we will have an option to sit with other people, or do you think that would still be something they'd ask us.

We had a great time on the Sunshine

My Time Dining--you get in line-pick up a pager and then they page you when a table is ready (peak times)

Otherwise you go by the table--they had you a number and you go straight to MDR for your table.

Easy peasy

Quick question, though based on your post I'm pretty sure I understand but I want to clarify just in case. With YTD you can eat anytime from 5:30 (or 5:45 I can't remember) to 9:30 so I can stop by the table on deck 5 at anytime between those times and they'll either give me a ticket or a pager. I don't have to check in right at the beginning of the dining time period right? I was pretty sure I could go to eat anytime but then a lot of people were saying to check in with the staff at 5:30 so now I'm confused. Thank you!

We love the Cloud 9 spas, have been on the Dream, Breeze and Sunshine. Breeze without a doubt has the largest and most amazing areas. The huge forward waiting area is over the top IMHO- love to sit there and have a tea or lemon water before or after using the spas.

The Dream has a smaller corner room that is nice and intimate, but the Breeze really allows for more space and huge views. Yes, the t-pools are nice.

The Sunshine Cloud 9 spa is definitely smaller, and the waiting area is tiny, but there is still iced lemon or orange water and teas, and a small view outside. What we liked about this spa is the scrubs left out for us to use freely before going into the steam room. Also, there is a hot tub up a couple levels on the outside deck that is kind of tucked away that you can reach easily from the spa. We did not have a spa room on the Breeze or Sunshine; on embarkation day we purchased a week pass directly from the spa desk. We did have spa cabins on the Dream twice, and the close proximity to the spa is nice, but we are used to wearing our bathrobes now to the spa and don't require a spa cabin. 13 days is a long time for an interior. I'd go OV and buy the package as soon as you board, or do a regular OV if you are really budget -minded.

Quick question, you say you bought a pass on embarkation day and I will need to do that for my sister as she is the third guest in our Spa room. I was wondering is that something we should hurry to do as soon as we get on the ship? Or can we go to our room and get some lunch first? We are sailing in October.

Thank you for your review! I am sailing in October with my mom and my sister and we have booked a spa room as well (my mom doesn't know yet. It's going to be a surprise.) I'm am very excited about the thermal suite. This is a silly question, but what did people wear in the sauna/the rest of the thermal suite area? Thank you again and congratulations on your anniversary!

First time sailing with Carnival. Taking my mom and sister on their first cruise on the Sunshine in October! Can't wait!