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SUNSHINE: A bad day on a ship is still better than a good day at work!


shelkate1
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Just got home yesterday from a 7 day Western on the Carnival Sunshine. Let me start by saying I do not allow things to interfere with my great vacation. These observations are just my opinion and I don't expect to change any minds one way or another. I just hope to assist folks with a short, honest, assessment of this particular boat.

 

1. There were ALOT of children. It's not a typical "kid's" time of year. I have children so NO I am not a kid hater. I do, however, cruise without my kids at least once a year and try to plan it during less kid friendly times for this reason. I think because of all the super kid things to do, there were more children than normal. This ship has the Dr. Suess kids program, an amazing waterworks area, the sports course, and some really cool childrens activities. So there were alot more children than I am comfortable with for this particular trip I take. However, if you have children and want a GREAT family vacation, this is probably the boat for you.

 

2. They added staterooms on this boat that were not there when the ship was originally designed and built. This took away public space and added bodies. Not a great combination. It was crowded everywhere and the rooms were a bit smaller than any other ship I have been on. Did it ruin my vacation? HECK NO! Did I think the particular experience was amazing? Not so much.

 

3. The Liquid Lounge, the showroom/nightclub is not a great space. They use it as a showroom by day and a nightclub by night. There are chairs rather than benches on the main floor and no kidney tables for your drink while you watch the show, play bingo, etc. The bar service left alot to be desired and truly they missed alcohol sales because of it. The room was crowded and noone wanted to weave through the crowd to go to the bar. Again, ruin my vacation? NOPE!

 

4. Jamie Dee was a great cruise director. She was energetic and fun. Great for the large number of little people and genuinely good at what she does.

 

5. Wait staff was fine but not particularly friendly. We ate in main dining 4 times, the Steakhouse, Cucina del Capitano, and JiJi's. So we ran the gamut. The meals for charge had better service than the main dining room but none were horrible. Just not as friendly as I am used to. The food in the main dining room was ok not spectacular, thus the other restaurants. Alot of what we got was "over" done but I like my stuff that way. However, most folks don't. Could I ALWAYS find something to eat? HECK YEAH! Anything inedible? NOPE!

 

So to sum it all up, it was a GREAT vacation. It always is. The ship wasn't a great fit for us so we probably wouldn't sail her again. However, if you have a family and wish to do something awesome with your kids, its' probably a great fit for you.

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Just got home yesterday from a 7 day Western on the Carnival Sunshine. Let me start by saying I do not allow things to interfere with my great vacation. These observations are just my opinion and I don't expect to change any minds one way or another. I just hope to assist folks with a short, honest, assessment of this particular boat.

 

1. There were ALOT of children. It's not a typical "kid's" time of year. I have children so NO I am not a kid hater. I do, however, cruise without my kids at least once a year and try to plan it during less kid friendly times for this reason. I think because of all the super kid things to do, there were more children than normal. This ship has the Dr. Suess kids program, an amazing waterworks area, the sports course, and some really cool childrens activities. So there were alot more children than I am comfortable with for this particular trip I take. However, if you have children and want a GREAT family vacation, this is probably the boat for you.

 

2. They added staterooms on this boat that were not there when the ship was originally designed and built. This took away public space and added bodies. Not a great combination. It was crowded everywhere and the rooms were a bit smaller than any other ship I have been on. Did it ruin my vacation? HECK NO! Did I think the particular experience was amazing? Not so much.

 

3. The Liquid Lounge, the showroom/nightclub is not a great space. They use it as a showroom by day and a nightclub by night. There are chairs rather than benches on the main floor and no kidney tables for your drink while you watch the show, play bingo, etc. The bar service left alot to be desired and truly they missed alcohol sales because of it. The room was crowded and noone wanted to weave through the crowd to go to the bar. Again, ruin my vacation? NOPE!

 

4. Jamie Dee was a great cruise director. She was energetic and fun. Great for the large number of little people and genuinely good at what she does.

 

5. Wait staff was fine but not particularly friendly. We ate in main dining 4 times, the Steakhouse, Cucina del Capitano, and JiJi's. So we ran the gamut. The meals for charge had better service than the main dining room but none were horrible. Just not as friendly as I am used to. The food in the main dining room was ok not spectacular, thus the other restaurants. Alot of what we got was "over" done but I like my stuff that way. However, most folks don't. Could I ALWAYS find something to eat? HECK YEAH! Anything inedible? NOPE!

 

So to sum it all up, it was a GREAT vacation. It always is. The ship wasn't a great fit for us so we probably wouldn't sail her again. However, if you have a family and wish to do something awesome with your kids, its' probably a great fit for you.

 

Thank you for your review and clarifying that the Sunshine will be a great ship for my kids' first cruise and family vacation in May.

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...Thank you for taking the time to post. Appreciate your honest point of view.

 

...While I think the idea of using the showroom as a "dual" space is a good one, it appears that it is now a lounge first and a showroom second. I like the idea of the showroom with comfortable seating and a "kidney" table to place my drink. I still think I'd like to try the Sunshine in the near future.

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