Sunshine? Any updates, hints or advice before our upcoming sailing? ?

[pb19]

Our time is nearing to sail on our Sunshine Med cruise.

Any thoughts, suggestions, helpful hints or advice before we board?

Never cruised before, what do we need to know that we might not have seen on the CC boards yet? Especially relating to The Sunshine? Any advice is welcome!

[Dead-metal]

The Havana Bar is a good place to sit for breakfast as the omelette station is there.

 

If you want a sunbed on a sea day get one by 9.30am.

 

Room service breakfast arrives 5 minutes before the time you ask for it.

[heatherbelle]

Free lemonade in the buffet area all day. Until 12 there is also fresh juice, but only in one of the machines.

 

Not sure which deck you are on but we used deck 8 to get from one end of the ship to the other, rather than go through the pool area.

 

Make sure if you are MTD you go early before 6.45 especially on formal night, unless those issues with major waiting times have been resolved.

 

I also stayed on the aft deck whilst sunbathing, so I could go down the back stairs to get my iced water.

 

Get to the playlist shows early to get a seat and watch out for the columns that block your view.

 

Punch line brunch is good, held on Sea days and shows under breakfast dining options on your room card. I missed this the first sea day, as I was looking under lunch doh!!!

 

Don't do ship tour do your own and save a ton of money. Cheaper taxis can be found outside the ports gates. In Izmir they wanted €10, I managed to haggle down to €5 once we were outside the gates. For tips on how to do your own thing search on here for cupcakes legend med cruise.

 

To get your hands on any OBC on your account, open an account at the Casino, load you account into a slot machine. Then cash out. You then hand your room key to the cashier and ask to cash out. They will give you any money that you loaded from your onboard account onto your casino account less spent in the Casino in cash. You might be better searching on here for a fully explanation. We did this and got our mits on all of our Non refundable OBC of $300 plus refundable another $360. I also asked for all tips for the wait staff in the restaurant and stateroom host to be removed and paid them directly instead, over and above recommended amount. We had the same waiters our entire cruise. I left the "other" on the account to go into the pot to be distributed by Carnival. I wanted to be sure the staff who looked after us got the money directly.

 

Above all enjoy it and try not to have the blues when you return. Cruising is very addictive. The prices in the Med next year are horrendous:D. I've been looking.

[pb19]

Fantastic info so far...hope there will be even more to follow!

:-)

[Goldwolf]

If you are brave the trains in Italy are incredibly cheap, we used them to get to Pisa, Pompeii and Taormina. The hour trip from Messina to Taormina for 2 adults and 2 children was just 11.90 Euros. Even factoring in the 15 euro taxi from the station up to the town and the 12 euro cable car ride back down to the beach, we saved a ton of money compared to the Taormina and Beach getaway that Carnival offered. Plus Taormina station has a beautiful view!

 

The taste bar does breakfasts too, ideal if you are heading off the ship early and just want a quick meal.

[pb19]

Awesome information. I'd forgotten about the taste bar as an option for breakfast. Will any of the places let you do take out? It would be great if I could send the hubby out for him to pick up breakfast to bring back to me while I'm getting ready in the mornings. (I'd like a little more of a variety than room service offers.) I don't see why they would care but I'm not sure he's going to be thrilled carrying around a plate full of food.

:-)

[fuddrules]

Awesome information. I'd forgotten about the taste bar as an option for breakfast. Will any of the places let you do take out? It would be great if I could send the hubby out for him to pick up breakfast to bring back to me while I'm getting ready in the mornings. (I'd like a little more of a variety than room service offers.) I don't see why they would care but I'm not sure he's going to be thrilled carrying around a plate full of food.

:-)

 

Sure, he can be your personal breakfast boy. Just tell him what you want, give him 5 minutes (far shorter wait time than room service) and he'll return with a plate full of food as ordered.

[pb19]

That's a fantastic idea...and maybe I'll even have a few minutes to sit on the balcony to drink a cup of coffee. Yeah right, who I am kidding? Having to get off the ship before 8AM every morning during VACATION. I'm going to be in so much trouble. I'm sure it will be worth it. Oh boy!!!!

[Goldwolf]

As others have mentioned, we bought a bottle of wine back on board in our hand luggage from both Livorno and Dubrovnik (not smuggled in any way, the bottle was just in our ruck sack that went through the scanner) and no-one said a word. I think as long as you don't take the mick, they are fine with it.