Sunshine 8/29-9/6

Just back and will try to scan fun times and post them once I get caught up at work. Overall great cruise, some of the best weather and smoothest seas (too smooth!) we've ever had. Ship looks great for being 20 years old, a few spots here and there, just like people, tend to show our age in certain areas :) We love this ship for pure relaxation, it is not a high energy and high activity ship compared to some, but for someone looking for a relaxing week it's perfect. We had a spa balcony, and while it was nice being able to literally walk 20 feet from our door and be at the Serenity Pool, we probably would not book a spa cabin again as we did not use the spa often enough to make it worth it. Serenity deck(s) are amazing, one of the big reasons we love this ship so much. While I saw another post that complained about the food, my husband and I thought it was very good and some of the best servers we've ever had. I think the entertainment team was lacking - Donkey, the cruise director was super, probably the "hippest" cruise director we've seen, but the team as a whole was not very friendly, sticking to themselves instead of conversing with passengers as I've seen on many other cruises. The house band "The In Crowd" was fantastic, especially the lead female vocalist. They could do any kind of music. Ports were great - went to Carambola Beach Club in St. Kitts, usually do the Marriott but heard they've been having issues with seaweed and the cab driver showed us from the top of the mountain the beach at the Marriott and it was indeed covered with seaweed. First time at Carambola and it was a very nice day, water was not the greatest looking but at least no seaweed. $30 for two chairs and umbrella. San Juan we did not even get off the ship, St. Maarten went to Orient and got to see where they are rebuilding. Went to Kontiki, $20 for two chairs and umbrella, no free drinks anymore. Nice day as always. Best day was Grand Turk, finally made it to Jack's Shack and honestly hated to leave. Most gorgeous sand and water of the week. $10 for umbrella, chairs free. Topher, the crab digging dog was there as was a dark brown dog that tagged along and another dog that was a ball, rock, toy fanatic. Wanted to play the entire 7 hours we were there!

If you purchase booze off the ship, be prepared for a wait on debark morning - still hoping they change this method, husband waited 45 minutes after getting there at 6:15am. Apparently if you purchase booze on the ship there is a different line and it went much faster he said.

One gripe, we've been on the Sunshine twice now and it is BY FAR the most casual ship we've ever been on! Didn't bring the tux or sequins this time after what we saw last time and a good thing. Now I have no problem, within limits, with what people wear to the dining room, but if the dress code is posted in the Fun Times, then either enforce it or take it out! We saw more men wearing shorts than pants, multiple girls wearing (barely) cut off shorts, but the biggest gripe would have to be the baseball caps in the dining room. Guess you can tell I'm not young, but I was just always told that it was not proper to wear a hat to the table. My suggestion would be to just remove the dress code and hey, have the waiters wear t-shirts, then we're all on the same level and there are no issues. Replace the cloth napkins with paper, red solo cups instead of crystal :D .... And NO FLAMERS - these are MY opinions, you are entitled to yours!

All I can think of for now, any questions, fire away!!

We sail her in 20 days! Sounds like we chose the right ship for a relaxing 5 day cruise.

Interested in the Havana Café and the Grand Plaza (Taste Bar) for breakfast.

as there a wide range of choices, or just Danish and coffee?

How about Lunch? Was it offered in these places also?

What were the shows like in the Liquid Lounge? Have heard mixed reviews.

I am very interested in hearing about the thermal suite!! I leave on Friday on the Sunshine and want to buy a pass.

How was the A/C? We will be sailing on the Sunshine on the lido deck in a few weeks. I've had warm rooms on Carnival ships before so am a little worried. We have a balcony room and I know they tend to be a little warm, but husband will not stay in inside rooms.

We sail her in 20 days! Sounds like we chose the right ship for a relaxing 5 day cruise.

 

Interested in the Havana Café and the Grand Plaza (Taste Bar) for breakfast.

as there a wide range of choices, or just Danish and coffee?

How about Lunch? Was it offered in these places also?

 

What were the shows like in the Liquid Lounge? Have heard mixed reviews.

Definitely the right choice for relaxing!!

Havana Cafe is a great spot to eat, although the secret seemed to be out as it was much more crowded than usual on my cruise. The Havana cafe has a decent variety of offerings for breakfast, including an omelet station, other option is getting you food from the Lido and then just sitting in the Havana Cafe area. They offer a variety of "finger foods" at a station on one side of the bar in the middle of the cafe. The other foods are served at the end of the cafe where the stations for Ji Ji's and the Cucina del Capitan are located. These are also the locations for the pasta buffet and mongolian wok at lunch, both delicious options! The Taste Bar has a really nice breakfast, they've expanded it from merely continental offerings to now having eggs, bacon, sausage and a few other items. Lunch I'm not sure about as we never made it there but they were setting up one day and it looked like they had a nice salad bar selection, not sure what else they were going to have.

We did not make it to the first (Motown) show, but we both enjoyed the Latin nights one, the Studio 54 was pretty good and the Epic Rock one was also really good, although too loud, even for my rock concert loving hubby. Also, one of the singers tended to scream the songs a bit more than sing them. The blonde male lead singer was really great. Some people complain about the canned music, I did not mind it and I actually think the graphics background screens were pretty cool and added a lot to what would otherwise be a pretty bland production given the small space they have to work with.

We did not make it to either of the variety showtimes and the Hasbro game show, sorry.

I am very interested in hearing about the thermal suite!! I leave on Friday on the Sunshine and want to buy a pass.

This was our first time in a spa suite and while we did enjoy trying out the amenities, I don't think we used them often enough that we would do it again. There is one room that is body temperature, to use as a warm-up and cool-down room, a regular steam room and then one with aromatherapy, which is the one I most enjoyed. Clean the pores and the sinuses at the same time! :) The room with the heated loungers and big windows to look out over the ocean is a great concept, but personally I found the loungers (tile) too hard to lay on for very long.

How was the A/C? We will be sailing on the Sunshine on the lido deck in a few weeks. I've had warm rooms on Carnival ships before so am a little worried. We have a balcony room and I know they tend to be a little warm, but husband will not stay in inside rooms.

This time I found the public rooms cooler than the last time I was on the Sunshine. We had a balcony and had no problem with keeping it cool. Helps to keep the curtains closed during the day if you are not in the room. We never cranked the air the whole way down so you should be ok. One thing I still can't figure is why they use such hot covers on Caribbean cruises!

Which deck were you on? We are in a spa balcony on deck 11 in January. Do they have sliding doors? It's our first spa room. I know my husband will use all the thermal rooms, etc. (whatever they are called [emoji1]) every day so I think we will get our money's worth during the 8 night cruise.

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We were in 11018, sliding balcony door and a mini fridge that actually kept things cold! That's a first in over 40 cruises! Again, couldn't beat the proximity to the Serenity Decks!! Enjoy!!!!

We ate leaving on the 19th. Can't wait. Doing same iten. Hope to see your fun times posted soon!!

Sounds like you had a great cruise!!

Looking forward to reading the Fun Times so I know what to expect when I sail in April!

We were on this sailing too :)

I arrived worried about the crowding but didn't feel that the ship was crowded at all, we never waited long in any food line and managed a lounger next to the pool on every sea day.I agree about the entertainment team, not much interaction with passengers at all, we didn't take to Donkey and thought he came across as slightly arrogant.

We really loved this ship and I'm currently looking to book for next year.

We were on this sailing too :)

I arrived worried about the crowding but didn't feel that the ship was crowded at all, we never waited long in any food line and managed a lounger next to the pool on every sea day.I agree about the entertainment team, not much interaction with passengers at all, we didn't take to Donkey and thought he came across as slightly arrogant.

We really loved this ship and I'm currently looking to book for next year.

I agree, have read endlessly about the crowding in this ship yet have sailed on her twice and found the ship to be quite UN-crowded both times! Best sailing ever for getting space at the Serenity Deck, yes the regular pool areas were crowded, but they are on every ship, on every cruise as that is where most people tend to congregate. We like to be out of the noise and bustle and the three tier Serenity deck on the Sunshine cannot be beat for that!

We are sailing on Thanksgiving week.. did you happen to stop by the piano bar and if so how was it?

did you spend any time in the casino? I enjoy roulette and slots so just wondering if anybody hitting?

they still have the regular menu right, not American Table?

Were there a lot of chair hogs? How early do you need to be at Serenty on Sea days to get a lounger?

Thanks and glad you had a great cruise!

How was the food?

Do you know where they played trivia?

Just back and will try to scan fun times and post them once I get caught up at work. Overall great cruise, some of the best weather and smoothest seas (too smooth!) we've ever had. Ship looks great for being 20 years old, a few spots here and there, just like people, tend to show our age in certain areas :) We love this ship for pure relaxation, it is not a high energy and high activity ship compared to some, but for someone looking for a relaxing week it's perfect. We had a spa balcony, and while it was nice being able to literally walk 20 feet from our door and be at the Serenity Pool, we probably would not book a spa cabin again as we did not use the spa often enough to make it worth it. Serenity deck(s) are amazing, one of the big reasons we love this ship so much. While I saw another post that complained about the food, my husband and I thought it was very good and some of the best servers we've ever had. I think the entertainment team was lacking - Donkey, the cruise director was super, probably the "hippest" cruise director we've seen, but the team as a whole was not very friendly, sticking to themselves instead of conversing with passengers as I've seen on many other cruises. The house band "The In Crowd" was fantastic, especially the lead female vocalist. They could do any kind of music. Ports were great - went to Carambola Beach Club in St. Kitts, usually do the Marriott but heard they've been having issues with seaweed and the cab driver showed us from the top of the mountain the beach at the Marriott and it was indeed covered with seaweed. First time at Carambola and it was a very nice day, water was not the greatest looking but at least no seaweed. $30 for two chairs and umbrella. San Juan we did not even get off the ship, St. Maarten went to Orient and got to see where they are rebuilding. Went to Kontiki, $20 for two chairs and umbrella, no free drinks anymore. Nice day as always. Best day was Grand Turk, finally made it to Jack's Shack and honestly hated to leave. Most gorgeous sand and water of the week. $10 for umbrella, chairs free. Topher, the crab digging dog was there as was a dark brown dog that tagged along and another dog that was a ball, rock, toy fanatic. Wanted to play the entire 7 hours we were there!

 

If you purchase booze off the ship, be prepared for a wait on debark morning - still hoping they change this method, husband waited 45 minutes after getting there at 6:15am. Apparently if you purchase booze on the ship there is a different line and it went much faster he said.

 

One gripe, we've been on the Sunshine twice now and it is BY FAR the most casual ship we've ever been on! Didn't bring the tux or sequins this time after what we saw last time and a good thing. Now I have no problem, within limits, with what people wear to the dining room, but if the dress code is posted in the Fun Times, then either enforce it or take it out! We saw more men wearing shorts than pants, multiple girls wearing (barely) cut off shorts, but the biggest gripe would have to be the baseball caps in the dining room. Guess you can tell I'm not young, but I was just always told that it was not proper to wear a hat to the table. My suggestion would be to just remove the dress code and hey, have the waiters wear t-shirts, then we're all on the same level and there are no issues. Replace the cloth napkins with paper, red solo cups instead of crystal :D .... And NO FLAMERS - these are MY opinions, you are entitled to yours!

 

All I can think of for now, any questions, fire away!!

Just got off the Sunshine today... I have been on several cruise line such as NCL, RCCL and Disney and this cruise has been the best one so far... The ship was very clean, cabin was freezing every night, the public areas very cold, no crowds any where and this cruise has sold out. Havana Bar excellent for breakfast and lunch, Blue Iguana tacos and burritos awesome, Guy's burger was fantastic my husband is not a burger boy, but he had one everyday... The staff were awesome my cabin Stewart, dining staff and some bartenders knew who we were on the first day that was amazing they never forgot our names during the cruise.... The food was very good I am a picky eater and I tried things that I never knew I was going to like afterwards.... We will definitely go again... And the CD "Donkey, The Voice from above" was the best CD I have ever seen.... I have not met Jaime Lee, but Donkey Was the bomb.... Thank You Carnival for a great vacation....

Do you know where they played trivia?

They have trivia everyday on Deck Five Aft, Ocean Plaza...

If you purchase booze off the ship, be prepared for a wait on debark morning - still hoping they change this method, husband waited 45 minutes after getting there at 6:15am. Apparently if you purchase booze on the ship there is a different line and it went much faster he said.

Thanks for the great review!

So if you purchased booze both on and off the ship does that mean that you have to go through two lines? Or do they combine it? If it is two lines I definitely don't think I will be buying anything at all!!

We sail her in 20 days! Sounds like we chose the right ship for a relaxing 5 day cruise.

 

Interested in the Havana Café and the Grand Plaza (Taste Bar) for breakfast.

as there a wide range of choices, or just Danish and coffee?

How about Lunch? Was it offered in these places also?

 

What were the shows like in the Liquid Lounge? Have heard mixed reviews.

Lunch is offered at the Havana Bar, very good by the way...

The staff were awesome my cabin Stewart, dining staff and some bartenders knew who we were on the first day that was amazing they never forgot our names during the cruise..

Was the name of your cabin steward actually Stewart????

:)

Just got off the Sunshine today... I have been on several cruise line such as NCL, RCCL and Disney and this cruise has been the best one so far... The ship was very clean, cabin was freezing every night, the public areas very cold, no crowds any where and this cruise has sold out. Havana Bar excellent for breakfast and lunch, Blue Iguana tacos and burritos awesome, Guy's burger was fantastic my husband is not a burger boy, but he had one everyday... The staff were awesome my cabin Stewart, dining staff and some bartenders knew who we were on the first day that was amazing they never forgot our names during the cruise.... The food was very good I am a picky eater and I tried things that I never knew I was going to like afterwards.... We will definitely go again... And the CD "Donkey, The Voice from above" was the best CD I have ever seen.... I have not met Jaime Lee, but Donkey Was the bomb.... Thank You Carnival for a great vacation....

We were on the roll call for this cruise with you. Invkevin and his son Chris and I met up at the Havana Bar for meet and greet but did not see anyone else till we headed out for muster and met one other person. We loved the cruise and thought Donkey was great. If you by chance saw a young lady around the ship that has mental disabilities and was on the dance floors and in the halls dancing, that was Amanda. We had so many people telling us how they enjoyed watching and dancing with her.

The casino is known to pay out in slots more the first couple of days. I hit the first day and the second then nothing big after that. Tables were $5. Go early in sea days for serenity no later than 7:30 if you want a spot near the pool. If I went late afternoon I could find some seats. It was hot last week so I only lasted a few hours during peak tine. Deck 5 mid aft had a light breakfast each morning I didn't find out until the cruise was almost over. Also, room service always came early for breakfast if I ordered coffee etc. one morning it came 20 min early. Enjoy your cruise everyone

We were on the roll call for this cruise with you. Invkevin and his son Chris and I met up at the Havana Bar for meet and greet but did not see anyone else till we headed out for muster and met one other person. We loved the cruise and thought Donkey was great. If you by chance saw a young lady around the ship that has mental disabilities and was on the dance floors and in the halls dancing, that was Amanda. We had so many people telling us how they enjoyed watching and dancing with her.

Hi, I did see you a couple of times and even told my husband that you were part of the roll call. We saw Amanda dancing a couple of times on deck 5 to the music on the lobby...