Picture Review of SUNSHINE and Western Caribbean Ports of Call

[mpcaruth]

One more question about your cabin - could you not hear the nightclub music? Rolling carts I can handle but loud music especially with a lot of bass might be a bit much.

 

No, we did not hear any noise from the night club.

[mpcaruth]

I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to write and post this review. We will be sailing on The Sunshine in three months, and have a cabin booked that is very close to where your cabin was located. It was a 4J also.

 

Seeing the photos of your cabin was wonderful

 

Looking at the FunTimes, at the other things you posted..........so nice of you to do that.

 

I will always read anything I see your title attached from now on.

 

Again..............Thank you.

 

Awww, THANKS! Have a great cruise!

[FuturzMinion]

What camera do you use to take these pictures?

[mpcaruth]

I used a Compact 20x zoom Panasonic Lumix (DMC-ZD19) point and shoot inside of a waterproof Aquapac bag. Most of photos were taken with the Panasonic, and I occasionally lugged out the bulky Canon Rebel DSLR.

From an earlier post.

[Club Disney Chandler]

Wow, what an amazing review, thank you so much for taking the time to write it. We haven't sailed Carnival yet but are booked on the new Vista for June 2016. We've only sailed Disney so far so I've been a little nervous about trying a different cruise line [emoji16]. However, after reading your review, I'm do excited to try Carnival. I just can't justify the DCL prices anymore.

 

Also, thanks for including the Fun Times in your review. The one thing I love about DCL is all the family activities, but it looks like CCL has just as many.

 

Thanks again and you have no idea how much more excited I am to try CCL.

 

Take care,

 

Jack

[lilobelle]

I have been thinking of changing my cabin from an interior deck 7 to a 4 J deck 3 for some time now. After seeing your pics and review of cabin I just made the switc to your exact cabin! Very excited! Cost me $10 less!

[mpcaruth]

I have been thinking of changing my cabin from an interior deck 7 to a 4 J deck 3 for some time now. After seeing your pics and review of cabin I just made the switc to your exact cabin! Very excited! Cost me $10 less!

 

Trading in an 180 sq interior with no window for a 220 sf 4J with window seems like a win to me! Plus, you will get a mini fridge too.

[mpcaruth]

Wow, what an amazing review, thank you so much for taking the time to write it. We haven't sailed Carnival yet but are booked on the new Vista for June 2016. We've only sailed Disney so far so I've been a little nervous about trying a different cruise line [emoji16]. However, after reading your review, I'm do excited to try Carnival. I just can't justify the DCL prices anymore.

 

Also, thanks for including the Fun Times in your review. The one thing I love about DCL is all the family activities, but it looks like CCL has just as many.

 

Thanks again and you have no idea how much more excited I am to try CCL.

 

Take care,

 

Jack

 

I would not expect Carnival to be quite as nice as Disney, but at 1/2 the price it should definitely be close enough! And yes, Carnival has lots of activities for families. My kids are still quoting lines from the comedians from the family-friendly shows. Enjoy your Vista cruise!

[FuturzMinion]

From an earlier post.

 

Thank you. What kind of Rebel was it?

[mpcaruth]

Thank you. What kind of Rebel was it?

The Canon Rebel t1i. There are newer models available, but this one works just fine. I only have 3 lens, but they seem to cover most of my needs.

[mpcaruth]

MISCELLANEOUS:

 

 

Casino:

I used my free OBC credit to upload money to the slot machine. I always have a limit and allow myself $30 for the slots for the week (yep, that's why I have never got a free cruise offer from the casino). Every time I walked through the casino (which is along the main path on Deck 5) I would say that I wanted to play that Michael Jackson machine. Well, on the last sea day, the machine was empty. I uploaded $10 and hit a $0.50 bet. I immediately won $47, and put my earnings back on my Sail & Sign card. Yippee! That would offset the $50 I wasted on FTTF! Except one problem... I forgot to cash out my money that night. I had always wondered what would happen if you forgot, well, I found out. I went the final morning to Guest Services to ask, and they said I would get a check in the mail in about 6 weeks. It has been 4 weeks and I have not seen it yet. But when I get it, I will put the money in my kitty for our next cruise.

 

 

 

 

Remember I had said that I forgot to cash out my casino winnings from my Sign & Sail account on the last night... Well, I got it in the mail today, 11 weeks later. Lesson learned.

[kvickers]

Thanks for your great review! I am considering the Sunshine for March 2016 for my family (we have 2 sons ages 6 and 9). Do you think the Sunshine would be a good pick? I can also get the Independence of the Seas for approximately the same price. Would love your input as we have only ever cruised once before and that was with Disney Cruise Line. Also, did you get any noise from the lobby bar in this room 3127?

[getupgo]

Our cabin, 3127, was a 4J, Interior with Picture Window (obstructed views), located on the Lobby Deck. I chose this cabin for a few reasons: 1) interior cabin price with a window, 2) cabin is 220 s.f. compared to the 185 s.f. interior and balcony cabins, 3) it was a newly added cabin and therefore had a mini fridge, 4) ability to place deck chairs outside of cabin window for a simulated "balcony", and 5) convenient location off the lobby. This cabin would have been perfect had we not heard occasional footsteps/rolling above. It wasn't really loud and we sleep with a fan running, so this was not a big deal for us. I would book this cabin area again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a small, unstocked, refrigerator in the lower cabinet:

 

 

 

Thermostat in cabin (by the way, we never had an issue with being either hot or cold on the ship).

 

 

Did the cabin forward of you also look out under a small tender boat? There is a cruise in February that is allowing ,2 people in those cabins, but 3127 is taken. We were going in March in a 4j walkway view on deck 6 but it us a very small cabin. I'm seriously considering switching to get the larger cabin since it will be an 8 day cruise. I am a little concerned about the noise though. Thank you for your excellent review.

[anewmac]

Really enjoyed your review, and your pics. Were debating cruising the Sunshine next year,so I appreciate you sharing your time with us. Btw what type of waterproof camera do you have, ours is for the birds. So I am looking to get a new one. Yours takes great pics.

[miamilady305]

Thanks for the wealth of information. I will be sailing on the Sunshine in 11 short (but too long) days.

[mpcaruth]

Thanks for your great review! I am considering the Sunshine for March 2016 for my family (we have 2 sons ages 6 and 9). Do you think the Sunshine would be a good pick? I can also get the Independence of the Seas for approximately the same price. Would love your input as we have only ever cruised once before and that was with Disney Cruise Line. Also, did you get any noise from the lobby bar in this room 3127?

 

 

Both the Sunshine and the Independence of the Seas would be good choices for those ages. The Independence is a Freedom Class ship and offers a Flowrider, rock climbing wall, smaller water "park", and ice skating rink. Honestly, if the prices were comparable and the same itineraries, I would sail the Independence of the Seas. However, the Independence of the Seas was in the running for us, but it was only a 6 day cruise, the cabins would have been much smaller and we would have had to go with 2 interiors, which would have made the Independence more expensive with one less day of cruising.

 

Also, if a Disney cruise is your baseline, you may come in with too high of expectations for the Sunshine. Think of Disneyland compared to Kings Dominion/Six Flags. One costs $100 per day while the other is $60. I love both, but I expect more from Disneyland. The Sunshine is Six Flags, while the Independence is inbetween Six Flags and Disneyland (but much closer to Six Flags).

 

 

There was absolutely no lobby noise heard in our cabin.

[mpcaruth]

Did the cabin forward of you also look out under a small tender boat? There is a cruise in February that is allowing ,2 people in those cabins, but 3127 is taken. We were going in March in a 4j walkway view on deck 6 but it us a very small cabin. I'm seriously considering switching to get the larger cabin since it will be an 8 day cruise. I am a little concerned about the noise though. Thank you for your excellent review.

 

 

Yes, there were at least two (if not 3) additional cabins forward of ours that had windows looking out onto the deck/tenders. If you are really concerned about the noise and absolutely cannot handle any, then you may not want this cabin. It was not real loud, and it was brief and sporadic. I thought the cabin price, location, convenience, and refrigerator trumped the slight noise issue. And maybe, the cabin just forward or behind does not have the rolling noise overhead.

[mpcaruth]

Really enjoyed your review, and your pics. Were debating cruising the Sunshine next year,so I appreciate you sharing your time with us. Btw what type of waterproof camera do you have, ours is for the birds. So I am looking to get a new one. Yours takes great pics.

 

Thanks!

 

I use an Aquapac waterproof camera bag over my super-zoom point and shoot camera. I inserted a link to a YouTube video of the waterproof bag in a previous post. I have been using an Aquapac successfully for over 6 years. For $50 or less, you can turn any camera into an underwater camera. My point and shoot camera has a built in setting for underwater. The manufacturer sells a underwater hard case for $250. The Aquapac can be a little awkward to use at times, but it works and is much cheaper.

[mpcaruth]

Thanks for the wealth of information. I will be sailing on the Sunshine in 11 short (but too long) days.

 

 

I am jealous. Have a great trip!!!!

[tropicaledrink]

I really loved the view from our not-so-obstructed view, and having the outside deck to lounge on while the family was getting ready for dinner. I would pull a couple of lounge chairs right up to our window and relax on my "balcony". Usually there was no one else out on the deck at this end. When everyone was ready for dinner, they would tap on the window to get my attention. As I said earlier, I am frugal, and this is the closest I have been to having a balcony cabin.

 

Our view in Roatan:

 

 

The deck outside our cabin. There is an uncomfortable bench, however, a lounge chair is preferable and can be had. Notice the smaller tender boats are hanging above and do not obstruct the view.

 

 

Outside on Deck 3 (Lobby). The 4J cabins are all the way down to the end.

 

 

We are seriously considering the 10 day from Charleston, and I had been debating what cabin to go with. Balconies are a little high priced at the moment, but I am thinking this may have just sold me on this type of cabin. I like the idea of being able to walk to a public deck so easily. :)

 

Glad to hear the noise wasn't terrible either! I was concerned that the lobby may have added some noise.

 

AND THAT VIEW. That's infinitely better than the ones on Decks 6 and 7!

[getupgo]

Even though those 4j cabins came up when I searched online for 2 people, when I called, she said it was restricted to 4 so I'll stick to the one I have.

[mpcaruth]

Even though those 4j cabins came up when I searched online for 2 people, when I called, she said it was restricted to 4 so I'll stick to the one I have.

Don't give up. I noticed they were restricted to 4 in a cabin until about 2 months prior to sailing. Then they opened up for double occupancy.

[Singer4Him]

We sleep with a fan, so the ocassional noise did not really bother our sleeping.

 

Do you bring a small fan with you or do you request one from the cabin steward?

[AmberTeka]

This wonderful review has been helpful to so many people either sailing on the Sunshine or seriously thinking about it . We sail in June.

 

The noise. I looked at deck plans. Our cabin is under part of the balcony for the Liquid lounge. That means people would be coming and leaving...but if that was the cause of the noise.....it would end at 11 or so when the shows are over.

 

And I have no clue if that was the noise heard. It just made me wonder if we would hear noise when the late show started and ended. But then......knowing it would end when the show was over.........Not so much worry.

 

My husband is hard of hearing and could sleep through a nuclear war I think.

I read and stay up a little later. so the show would be over by the time I went to sleep.

 

The reviews on all of those cabins.......Cruise Critic Cabin Reviews. Was as good as this excellent reviewer has noted. NOT a bad comment in all of them. That is saying something.

 

I am tickled pink we were lucky enough to get one. AND without this board...and the people who answered my questions. I would never have had a clue.

LOOK at the Deck above. Below is all cabins. I think.

 

Did not know it turned into a night club. I think some ear plugs, easily obtained at Walgreens might be in my bag of necessary things. I doubt it could be loud enough for us to worry. We once had a cabin ..balcony next to a couple that fought like cats and dogs. I worried. Husband slept through fights that I wanted to call security too. But didn't want to be a busy body. And it was yelling. Not body blows. they calmed down after a few days. Only noise issue we had and DH........who , as I said, could sleep in the middle of the stadium where our beloved Jaguars lose almost every game they play there.

Edited April 28, 2015 by AmberTeka

[AmberTeka]

Don't give up. I noticed they were restricted to 4 in a cabin until about 2 months prior to sailing. Then they opened up for double occupancy.

 

We booked at the end of March. We are two in a 4J on Deck Three.

 

TODAY..two cabins were open on the Carnival Site on Deck three. the type with picture windows overlooking the Walkway. Promenade. not connecting. You might want to check the web site. and there was a price drop too.

Edited April 28, 2015 by AmberTeka