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Carnival Sunshine - March 9th Review

XCruiseMe17

By XCruiseMe17,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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XCaliGurl

XCaliGurl

Posted
Posted
. I mean people would go in there if it was open.

 

Carnival should be looking at this like an individual business not as part of the whole. The club should have regular business hours regardless of how many people are in there. If there isn't enough people in the club then offer to do a give away to get people in there. I imagine the club being closed is lost revenue. More then likely the truth has to do with the noise to the rooms above or below. Agreed they should have a party room category and book these rooms like an obstructed view.

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XCruiseMe17

XCruiseMe17

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First off thanks Pamela for the review...second off from talking to the DJ's and seeing your posts it does seem it is week to week. But I have ALWAYS heard 6 night cruises are more wild than 8...so we will probably do the Breeze with Pam next March instead of the Sunshine (even tho the itinerary for March 7 is absolutely amazing) we did that this year...and even though I love SEA days....4 to 2....there are things she has posted and then you tell me if you were in the 21-40 range how would it sway you?

this is my opinion and you can edit on your own

 

MIA before cruise > Orlando before cruise

MIA/FLL after cruise > Orlando after cruise

6 nights cheaper = Breeze than > 8 nights more expensive=Sunshine

Breeze > Sunshine....or so I think...but I will know more after April 17th... The breeze is bigger and I have experienced it before..

 

however for Sunshine

 

Redone > than new?

8 nights > 6

4 sea days > 2

 

 

and then there is the wash

Breeze goes to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel...all very fun

Sunshine goes to Aruba, Curacao, Grand Turk...all very fun (but we did those this year)

 

Stephen, we've cruised together before, you know I love to party, but if you choose the Sunshine as next year's trip and this club business hasn't changed, I won't be joining you. You know I am a huge fan of the Breeze I've sailed her 3 times. We all have a good time no matter what our ports are. Hopefully things are good on the Sunshine when you go next month, but how much can they mess it up on a cruise to nowhere?!?!?

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thebsinmiss

thebsinmiss

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We are on the Sunshine April 19 cruise. Our second cruise (Carnival Dream 2012 - loved it) and my in-laws first cruise.

 

I thought your review was excellent and we will definitely use your dining information.

 

My concern when we booked the sunshine is that we had such an outstanding experience on the Dream that the next cruise would be a bit of a let down due to constant comparisons. Guess that's a danger on any vacation.

 

We loved the comedians on the Dream and it sounds like Carnival is blowing it on the Sunshine with the location/size for them on the Sunshine. If its that big a draw (it was on the Dream) how about putting a late or even late/late show in the main theater. Sure it would not have the "club" atmosphere but if you have to line up 45 minutes early to get a seat and then can't get a drink it might be a better trade off.

 

Hopefully the Serenity area isn't full of chair hogs or they actually police it but there are lots of other chairs on the ship and I know we will find somewhere to sit back and relax.

 

Everyone is getting excited about the cruise and in the end it will be as fun as "we" make it.

Edited by thebsinmiss
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XCruiseMe17

XCruiseMe17

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We are on the Sunshine April 19 cruise. Our second cruise (Carnival Dream 2012 - loved it) and my in-laws first cruise.

 

I thought your review was excellent and we will definitely use your dining information.

 

My concern when we booked the sunshine is that we had such an outstanding experience on the Dream that the next cruise would be a bit of a let down due to constant comparisons. Guess that's a danger on any vacation.

 

We loved the comedians on the Dream and it sounds like Carnival is blowing it on the Sunshine with the location/size for them on the Sunshine. If its that big a draw (it was on the Dream) how about putting a late or even late/late show in the main theater. Sure it would not have the "club" atmosphere but if you have to line up 45 minutes early to get a seat and then can't get a drink it might be a better trade off.

 

Hopefully the Serenity area isn't full of chair hogs or they actually police it but there are lots of other chairs on the ship and I know we will find somewhere to sit back and relax.

 

Everyone is getting excited about the cruise and in the end it will be as fun as "we" make it.

 

I also think that the nights they close liquid, they should have their comedy shows in the show lounge. It would seat a lot more people. The comedians are still really great, it just sucks that not everyone gets to enjoy their show due to the lack of seating. I think that the more people are informed of things the better their trip will be. Definitely try the specialty restaurants, so worth it. Thanks for reading my review!!

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XCruiseMe17

XCruiseMe17

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Let me clarify my statement about no shelves in the closet. I should have been more clear. We are used to one closet just having shelves. That is what is missing now. The closet does have two smaller shelves at the top of each closet. but its pretty high up and not convenient. I apologize for my misleading statement. But still no full length mirror.

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sjcruiser

sjcruiser

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I haven't seen anyone else mention this stuff about the club, that's why I was so shocked. My own friend keeps questioning me about it, like I am lying or something. I'm hoping someone else will chime in and share their liquid lounge experience. I will post on JH's FB page to see what he says. I am sure it won't be a straight forward answer, but what is the harm in trying. Thanks for the good idea!

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

I think they are a few posts around about the club closing early, but yours is very specific. I told "my crew" about the nightly closings, and they weren't happy, but we'll make the most of it with checking out the other venues, if any are open late at night, or use those nights for family time, catching up, games (cards and board games), along with meeting new friends over drinks and late night pizza.

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XCruiseMe17

XCruiseMe17

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I think they are a few posts around about the club closing early, but yours is very specific. I told "my crew" about the nightly closings, and they weren't happy, but we'll make the most of it with checking out the other venues, if any are open late at night, or use those nights for family time, catching up, games (cards and board games), along with meeting new friends over drinks and late night pizza.

 

You and I might have been on the Breeze at the same time this past August.

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lara_lox

lara_lox

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Lara, When are you sailing? I'm on April 27th......

 

I'm on the sailing after you, May 2nd. So technically not cruising next month but because I leave the UK April 29th to begin my trip that's when my holiday starts!

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maureencruiser

maureencruiser

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I'm on the sailing after you, May 2nd. So technically not cruising next month but because I leave the UK April 29th to begin my trip that's when my holiday starts!

 

 

Oh, OK! Have a great cruise! I'll try to leave the ship in good shape for you!

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  • 8 months later...
cowgirlsrock

cowgirlsrock

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I had the same experience with the music on the Sunshine . Everything closed by midnight . It was horrible . I'm hoping this is not the trend on CCL . I have never experienced this on a CCL ship . Any input would be appreciated Jen

 

danceboots2@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o brought the food were always friendly and we enjoyed talking with them.

 

Cucina Del Capitano – They do lunch a little different that the Magic or the Breeze. The hostess lady was kinda rude, but I didn’t see again after the first day. The pasta at lunch tasted great! Dinner in Cucina is such an awesome experience no matter which ship you are on. The staff was absolutely amazing. The food was incredible, but you have to go hungry since the portions are huge. So worth the $12 per person charge, I highly recommend anyone to have dinner here. It’s quiet, beautiful and you get a very homey feeling there.

 

Fahrenheit 555 - We had dinner there to celebrate my 30th birthday. We chose to eat there on the second formal night. Although we were seated next to a very rude couple, we enjoyed our time. The staff was amazing there as well. You aren't just served by one or two people, it's as if everyone in the restaurant comes and helps you in one way or another before the dinner is over. We both had the Surf and Turf, PERFECTION! I would have had pictures, but the people seated next to us were offended that we were taking pictures. Rather than say something to us, they just talked about us, loud enough for us to hear. I wouldn't go to the steakhouse every time I cruise, but this was a welcomed treat! I like that the dining area isn’t over done in regards to interior design, it’s very classy and upscale.

 

Ji Ji's Asian Kitchen - I really wish that every ship had this as a dining option. It was a totally different experience than I have ever had. It is family style dining. Pending on how many people you have, you will be able to pick a certain amount of appetizers, main courses, sides and deserts. The food was excellent. The atmosphere is very chill. The hostess was so friendly and easy going. We really enjoyed talking to her. Everyone that came to our table brought something new to the experience. We didn't try any Sake, but they had some different options. The Rose Crème Brule Desert was amazing. The menu shows which region each food selection is from. They explain everything to you. They have little traditional things they teach you. Very happy with Ji Ji's Asian Kitchen.

 

Guy’s Burgers – Either you love it, or you hate it. We personally LOVE it. The lines never seemed long on the Sunshine considering how many people were on the ship. The servers always had smiles on their faces and were very pleasant.

 

Blue Iguana Cantina – We also liked this dining option and again the lines never were long. I just wish they had tortilla chips to go with the Salsa bar area.

 

Brunch in the Dining Room – That was a good time. We were seated right away. It wasn’t rushed or hectic. We had an awesome server, her name was ANA. We totally wish we would have had her in the main dining room as our wait staff. We might have gone to dinner more often.

 

Lido Dining- LIDO never seemed like they had long lines or anything, but finding a place to sit was an issue, the lido food was the usual. Everything was clean and it looked appealing. The little stations are cute.

 

Pizza – I think the pizza has totally been improved. It tasted way better than it ever has before. They only have one person working late at night and I felt bad for him. All everyone did was yell at him. This was after after spot!

 

Serenity – Serenity on the Sunshine is awesome, IF you can find a spot to sit. You really have to wake up early to reserve your spot or you will just walk around and stalk the area. The waterfall pool is sooo relaxing. It had a little too much chlorine, but we were just so excited it wasn’t salt water. The pool itself never seemed full or crowded. It was kinda sweet to see all the couples by the waterfall. Any spot by Serenity is a good spot. They actually have tons of waiters in this area taking drink orders. The bar itself is pretty big. We spent a lot of time there.

 

Waterworks- Slides never went down them, but they were awesome! The lines never looked long and everyone looked like they were having a great time.

 

Overall Bar Service – HORRIBLE. In all 11 of my cruises this was by far the worst service I have ever received. They seem extremely short staffed in the bar tender/waiter area. We had the Cheers program, but that has never affected our service before.

 

Liquid - So as most of you know the show lounge converts to the Club at night. Well that is all fine and dandy, but apparently Carnival didn’t take into consideration the rooms above and below the lounge. The lounge itself is very beautiful. Once they change it into the “Club” it is a nice atmosphere. I wish the bar itself was bigger, or that they had two. Good luck finding a waiter in the club; I practically had to harass one of em to make sure he came to us often. Once we got past the harassment we became great friends. (Shout out to Bogdan) ;) My biggest issue with Liquid was that it closed early due to the noise complaints. I am used to the clubs on Carnival to stay open as late as 4:30am. Not the case on the Sunshine it was closed before 2:00am every time it was open. AND it is not open every night of the cruise. On the nights that liquid is closed they have the DJs transition over to Havana Bar – more on that later. Not only were we celebrating my birthday, but we wanted to party, so to have the club close so early was pretty crappy in our opinion. It was almost like well what am I supposed to do now. You can only gamble so much. Did I mention this ship had the BEST DJs. DJ Fever and DJ JBLENZ were the best DJs I have ever seen on a cruise or in general for that matter. They were killin’ it and then they have to close. Carnival is definitely not utilizing there talent on the Sunshine. They need to be on the bigger ships like the Breeze. Also the Club is NOT open on the last night, I repeat NOT open! All passengers retreat to Havana Bar.

 

Casino – Most people ended up hanging at the Casino bar after liquid closed because besides Pizza that was the only thing open. The Casino bar wasn’t so bad. Great bartender (MADE). He was super friendly. The Casino itself was pretty nice. Not as busy as I’ve seen on other ships, but people seemed to be enjoying themselves. We didn’t do so badly on the machines. We don’t play the tables, but they were full, lots of emotions flowing. The casino never seemed to be busy past 3am.

 

Havana Bar – Havana Bar is an awesome concept. I just don’t think the location of the bar on the Sunshine did it any justice. In the daytime when you are eating on LIDO, it is a great spot to go and sit, it is never full, and it’s clean and pretty quiet. The nights the DJ was there, they were only scheduled again till about 1:30am. They played awesome music, American and Latin. The problem is, there wasn’t anyone there! They need to come up with a new plan for this place, because it is a FAILURE right now. At least for our sailing it was. I felt bad for the DJs and Bartenders, the music is bumpin’ the bartenders are ready to serve drinks, the atmosphere is chill, the place is gorgeous, it is like they are wasting their time. It should be closer to the middle of ocean plaza.

 

Piano Bar – We never went and enjoyed the Piano Bar, BUT the night we wanted to go, it was NOT open. Again I have never seen the Piano Bar not open at night on a cruise. It too was in an awkward spot on the ship, but I hope that it had good traffic when it as open. It looked nice.

 

Limelight – Now that is in a weird location, and can NOT accommodate the amount of people that want to enjoy a comedy show. Once one show finishes there is already a line outside the door for the next one and more than likely not all those people will get a seat so no point in getting in line for another show.

 

Red Frog Pub – So sad that this one does not have a kitchen. We were looking forward to the little snacks they had. It too is in a weird position on the ship, if you didn’t know the ship had one, you might not notice it. It was always packed and the singer his name was Andy he was pretty great.

 

Alchemy Bar – The Bartenders name that I don’t know was probably one of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen anywhere. Reason enough to go there!

 

ESPN Bar – The bartender Daniel was super nice. They didn’t have a lot of business in there either. But it was a nice place to relax and get away from the masses.

 

Spa – I never went to the Spa, but we hung out with the Spa girls in Liquid they were super nice and lots of fun. Also they were very beautiful; hopefully they are good at their jobs

 

The Fun Shops – They had the usual stuff, their staff was not friendly or engaging at all, they might as well have not even been there. The Cherry On Top is smaller than on the ships, but totally cute, they always had a lot of people in there. Also the stuff that is online to purchase that says online only, they have the stuff in Cherry On Top!

 

Excursions – SOLD OUT! We had to get the ones that didn’t sell from the Carnival Liberty to sell on the Sunshine. People were looking for stuff to do.

 

Cruise Director – We had Butch. He is wonderful at his job. People love him. He is great with everyone. He entertains and does it well.

 

Photographers – Normally in my previous experience we are like harassed each time we pass a photographer to take a picture. Not one single time were we asked to have our picture taken. The photographers stood around talked with each other. They seemed bored and disinterested in the people. They did have some nice backgrounds though.

 

Favorite Things – DJ Fever and DJ JBLENDZ Loved Them! I would cruise on a ship, just because they were there! Serenity Pool/waterfall, loved the chlorine. Cucina and Ji Ji’s were a good addition to our trip. The Alchemy bartender and the really buff security guard were good additions to the trip.

 

Least favorite things – Service – It lacked in a lot of areas on this ship. The Liquid Lounge, they really should have thought about that some more. Our stateroom needed shelves and a mirror, no lie.

 

Overall – We had a good time. I don’t think either of us would choose the Sunshine again. We are night people. This ship did nothing for us. Don’t get me wrong it is beautiful and clean. The concept is there, they just fell short on a lot of things. We felt there was nothing really for us to do and left a lot to be desired. I came back from vacation feeling like I still needed one, and not in a good way.

 

Okay so this was way longer than I wanted it to be. I am sorry. I stated in the beginning I am not really good at this review stuff. I know it was all over the place, but if you are still reading, thank you!

 

If you have any questions, let me know and I will try to answer them. Again this was all based on my own preferences and style. I`ll try to add some pics, we didn’t take very many.

 

I’m ending this with, I really miss DJ FEVER!

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