NYHartChapp

16 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

We brought Divina back from Europe just 5 months ago for our first transatlantic crossing. We had a great time. As far as I know right now, there are only a few YC staff who won't be on for your cruise -- Hubert in TSL and Susmita, Assistant Server in Le Muse. If I find out about any others, I can let you know. We definitely recommend Glenn and Ryan for your server team in Le Muse. We had them for the crossing and for this cruise and they will take great care of you. Of course, there are many other teams that work just as well. You'll get to know most of the servers since they rotate around for breakfast and lunch.

Thanks.  We were also on back in January.  Ryan took care of us most nights in Le Muse.  Dwi was our butler.  Was sorry to see that Pepe has left, though. 

We’re boarding Divina for the sixth time next week for our first transatlantic crossing.  Can’t wait!

38 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

So happy you are posting your week. Enjoying following along very much.

Ditto. 

8 hours ago, NYHartChapp said:

Mahmet is the Maitre’d, and I think his last cruise before his contract ends is the transatlantic in 10 days.  I don’t believe there’s a sommelier.

My apologies to Mehmet for misspelling his name.  

2 hours ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Looking forward to following. Have heard good things about the Divina. Can you post who the Maitre'd and Sommelier are. And your butler. Enjoy!

Mahmet is the Maitre’d, and I think his last cruise before his contract ends is the transatlantic in 10 days.  I don’t believe there’s a sommelier.

44 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 We are sailing on Divina tomorrow and have been told that Guiseppe "Pepe" is the YC Director by someone who was just on Divina a week or so ago. 

 

Yes, Pepe is YC Director.  Mehmet is Maitre d’ in Le Muse.  

Looking forward to following.  We were on Divina YC in January and will enjoy reading updates on the crew.  

1 hour ago, mscdivina2016 said:

During daylight hours. After 2am it's almost useless.

Kinda wondering what one needs a butler for at 2 am…asking for a friend.  

2 hours ago, shof515 said:

other cruise lines have deck 13

Most cruise lines do not have a deck 13…the notable exception being MSC.  MSC ships have a 13th deck but not a 17th.  

Thanks for the LIVE review!   Keeps anticipation level high for our 10-day on Sunshine in 10 days.  

16 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

Wasn't expecting this review. I'm along for the ride! 😁

Ditto.  

16 hours ago, MeganGC1983 said:

It’s time! Come join me! 

Just finished your great Dream review…heading over now.

29 minutes ago, skrufy said:

Both the MDR breakfast and sea day brunch have omeletts. 

So you can get omelettes at three locations?

Great review.  Thanks for posting.  We're on Sunshine in December.  Look forward to your Vista review.

Just now, MeganGC1983 said:

I think this has to do with booking a room to party so a fee is charged to not trash the place. I think. 

Okay…makes sense.   Carry on, looking forward to your cruise adventures 😎.  

3 hours ago, MeganGC1983 said:

Checking in and Clairon Pointe Seawall lobby, bar and what not. 

Following and loving your review, but am a bit confused about the pic that seems to be addressed to non-Galveston guests, but then goes on to say that Galveston residents who are “approved” to stay at the hotel will be assessed a $250 deposit.  Is this a Texas thing (I know you’re from Oklahoma)?  Do residents of a Texas county need approval to stay at a hotel in their own county and then put down a deposit for the privilege?

4 hours ago, ObstructedView2 said:

 

Hi 🙂

 

Not old school at all. Just remember, it wasn't that long ago Cruise Critic had Countdown Clocks available to add to our signatures that counted down the days & hours.

 

I personally enjoy your excitement & enthusiasm.

 

Enjoy your single digit dance! Have a wonderful sailing!

 

🕺 💃 🕺 💃 🤗 🕺 💃 🕺 💃

Yeah, that’s right.  What happened to the countdown clocks?

On 9/26/2022 at 1:10 AM, brilliantseas said:

Overall, our cruise onboard the Carnival Sunshine was a mix of surprises, both positive and negative. Here are some of the highlights:

 

Positives

 

We were pleasantly surprised by the condition of the public areas of the ship. The lounges and deck furniture were in great shape. 

 

Zach Daniels in Piano Bar 88 was a highlight of the cruise, and one of the top two piano bar entertainers I've encountered. 

 

Loved the three story Serenity area, even if the pool was almost always too busy to use. 

 

Dinner at JiJi Asian Kitchen was the highlight meal of the cruise. 

 

This is the first Carnival ship I've found with an automated roulette wheel with $3 minimums. I'd love to see these expand fleet-wide as they feel less cramped than the traditional roulette tables, and the $3 minimum bets are a bonus for those who don't want to meet $5 or $10 minimums. 

 

Although the ship was busy, the crowd levels weren't quite as bad as I expected given other reviews. In fact, I found it to be less crowded than the Sunrise. 

 

Negatives

 

Unfortunately the condition of our balcony didn't match the condition of the public areas. Rotting wood railings, peeling tint film on the glass, dirty floors, and broken lounge chairs limited our enjoyment of this space. 

 

MDR food quality and service were both hit-or-miss. 

 

Frozen rather than fresh cut fries at Guy's Burgers. 

 

Cruise Director TJ's abrasive personality. He was a great host for activities once he got past his intros and outros, but he really needs to tone down the PA announcements. 

 

Limelight Lounge's small size and faulty design makes it hard to get a good seat for the comedy shows, even if you are in line 30 minutes prior to showtime. 

 

RedFrog Pub was disappointing not only due to lack of entertainment, but also the elimination of the embarkation day happy hour specials. Without live entertainment, the Pub was nearly always empty and seemed like a waste of space. 

 

Ports

 

Although the embarkation process and parking situation in Charleston are less than ideal, I'd still consider sailing out of Charleston again before the city re-develops the cruise port at the end of 2024. Access from the highway was easy enough.

 

Half Moon Cay remains one of my top beach destinations, along with Harvest Caye and Roatan. No need for a shore excursion, just enjoy the white sand beach and shallow, rock-free waters. 

 

We also had an enjoyable time in Nassau, although it still isn't high on my list to repeat if it can be avoided. The Margaritaville Beach Resort looks nice, and I might consider the Fins Up Waterpark for a relaxing pool/lazy river day. Just beware that the water park is pricey for the amenities. 

 

Great review, and agree with your final assessments (we were aboard in May and will be again in December).  Will be sad to lose our 15-minute Uber ride to port in 2024. 

Following again!  Love your reviews and Patti’s pics.  Just finished Greg’s 86 page review…phew!   That took a while but well worth it.   Looking forward to the rest of yours.   Sailing out of Charleston in December on a 10-day aboard the Sunshine.  

4 hours ago, shof515 said:

sailing out of charleston in January, it looks this terminal is very confusing. with the state it is in, it makes sense that carnival did not renew their contract with the port

Quite the opposite…City of Charleston did not renew with Carnival.

Thanks for the review...always love reading them and Patti's pics.  Boarding Sunshine tomorrow for a quick 4-day to Half Moon Cay and back.  Love being a 15 minute Uber from the port!

21 hours ago, Sundiego said:

Arthur Javier for sure!! Everyone loves him. Such an awesome person and terrific no matter which ship or which position he's assigned. 

Ditto.  

Hoping to see MDR menus for the rest of the cruise.  Thanks.  

1 hour ago, Saint Greg said:

I haven’t met Stewart yet. You know usually you see them in the hallways and whatnot. Not at all yet. I did hear her knock on the neighbors door yesterday.

 

Your steward's name is Stewart?  That's a coinky-dinky 😉.  Loving your posts.  We're about ready to head to Port of Charleston to board Sunshine for the Sailabration 😃.

15 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

Especially on the first few days of the cruise before word gets out they're back there, and included!

SSHHH…😉