100% honest review of the Sunshine.

[Strmwatch]

I have sailed on the Sunshine and loved it! Like another poster mentioned, as a habit I do not try to show up to things at peak times....on any ship. So I never observed crowds.

 

The choke points complaint is something I see on many ships. Triumph, Victory, etc. It's the ships original design. Not much can be done at this point. But again, this is not specifically a Sunshine problem.

 

Too bad many people refuse to sail her. It just makes it all that more pleasurable for me when carnival drops the prices due to lack of bookings.

 

I agree with you about "rushing to judgment", however when the majority of reviews are negative about something...that tends to raise the red flag.

 

Carnival has already stated they will never do this type of "refurb" again. In their eyes it was an experiment and it failed.

 

I think they should have a Dream class ship stationed in all of the "major" ports and add additional Spirit class ships to the fleet.

[Strmwatch]

 

Numbers 1,2 and 3 are the main reason we loved her so much. The Vista is haping up to be my second favorite ship...possibly? I will probably still like Sunshine better because I prefer aft-balconies and the Vista's are leaving a bad taste in my mouth with the pool area below.

 

 

If you're that concerned about the aft balcony cabins on the Dream class ships...why don't you give one a try instead of waiting until the end of 2016 when the Vista will be in the U.S?

 

As you said in a previous post..."Don't knock it until you try it".

 

:-)

[gone_cruisin]

If you're that concerned about the aft balcony cabins on the Dream class ships...why don't you give one a try instead of waiting until the end of 2016 when the Vista will be in the U.S?

 

 

 

As you said in a previous post..."Don't knock it until you try it".

 

 

 

:-)

 

 

If the itinerary is right, I probably would. But I won't go out of my way to spend a lot of money for them.

[Lace]

I agree with you about "rushing to judgment", however when the majority of reviews are negative about something...that tends to raise the red flag.

 

Carnival has already stated they will never do this type of "refurb" again. In their eyes it was an experiment and it failed.

 

I think they should have a Dream class ship stationed in all of the "major" ports and add additional Spirit class ships to the fleet.

 

Plus they are moving her I see. Another red flag.

[mishka422]

Moving a ship isn't a red flag. They move ships all the time to refresh ports in order to draw in more customers.

[beverland]

So, the Serenity area is actually serene? Doesn't it face the big TV? I've found that the noise pollution from those blaring screens finds it's way forward on Conquest-class ships and the last thing I want in the Serenity area is that sort of noise.

 

I was on the Sunshine in January. I ABSOLUTELY HATE those big screen TV's. We had a Cloud 9 Spa cabin and when we walked out on the deck, the TV was always blasting in the morning and I was up EARLY. A section of serenity area faces the screen and that area isn't serene. I nice steel drum band would have been great.

 

I liked the Sunshine. Food was good, service was excellent. However, there is quite a bit of congestion on the Lido, in the serving areas and few sun loungers. And....yes, the decks 3, 4, 5 are from the older designed ship and you have to go up (or down) and around to find the dining room, etc.

 

All that being said....I don't hate it. I'm doing a Carnival Journeys sailing in February 2016.

[Crusin Karen]

Plus they are moving her I see. Another red flag.

Where are they moving her? Maybe I missed something. :confused: I know she's in PC next winter because I've been researching a B2B on her for January/February 2016. :confused:

[cruizinisthebest]

A frequent poster on here (Tapi) says he has it on good word that they are moving her to NY for seasonal summer sailings. Nothing official has been released though.

 

A ship relocating is certainly NOT a red flag or a negative indicator at all. Cruiselines do it all of the time. Several Carnival ships have already announced rotations, so please.

 

I find the continued nastiness and mean-spirited tone on this board completely unnecessary. You're talking about vacations for goodness sake. Something alot of people don't get a chance to do. You can dislike a ship or an entire cruiseline and comment on it without getting in the gutter name calling and making false statements that a vessel simply repositioning is a bad thing.

 

Having read so much commentary about the Sunshine - especially from posters I've come to respect who aren't on here for the sole purpose of being negative - I think it's safe to say Carnival made some mistakes when they did her over. Hopefully they have learned from those mistakes and won't repeat them. Meantime, the Sunshine continues to make thousands of cruisers happy with their vacation choice weekly. Many of them seasoned cruisers. There's NO reason for anyone who reads this board to not be aware of Sunshine's short comings. If you book her, then you have no excuse. There are tons of other choices. And that's a good thing.

Edited March 13, 2015 by cruizinisthebest

[jimbo5544]

A frequent poster on here (Tapi) says he has it on good word that they are moving her to NY for seasonal summer sailings. Nothing official has been released though.

 

A ship relocating is certainly NOT a red flag or a negative indicator at all. Cruiselines do it all of the time. Several Carnival ships have already announced rotations, so please.

 

I find the continued nastiness and mean-spirited tone on this board completely unnecessary. You're talking about vacations for goodness sake. Something alot of people don't get a chance to do. You can dislike a ship or an entire cruiseline and comment on it without getting in the gutter name calling and making false statements that a vessel simply repositioning is a bad thing.

 

Having read so much commentary about the Sunshine - especially from posters I've come to respect who aren't on here for the sole purpose of being negative - I think it's safe to say Carnival made some mistakes when they did her over. Hopefully they have learned from those mistakes and won't repeat them. Meantime, the Sunshine continues to make thousands of cruisers happy with their vacation choice weekly. Many of them seasoned cruisers. There's NO reason for anyone who reads this board to not be aware of Sunshine's short comings. If you book her, then you have no excuse. There are tons of other choices. And that's a good thing.

 

There are people here that only express negative views in regards to Carnival. Posting negative, and sometimes crude over the top comments are all they do.

 

While the changes that Carnival made to the Destiny when she became the Sunshine may not be repeated to to other ships (Victory and Triumph were rumored to be the next two), it does not make it the Sunshine a failure. Having been on her, for the naming ceremony last November for a sleepover in New Orleans (we are sailing her in August and again in February) I can tell you that she FAR exceeded my expectations. Carnival ships are what they are (in terms of number of people on them and the way you get to and from dining rooms and such), the Sunshine is no different.

 

Where the Serenity area is (by the way, it is a very nice area) had to be that way because it was an alteration to an already made ship. Serenity on the Breeze is not much further away.

Edited March 13, 2015 by jimbo5544

[cruizinisthebest]

There are people here that only express negative views in regards to Carnival. Posting negative, and sometimes crude over the top comments are all they do.

 

While the changes that Carnival made to the Destiny when she became the Sunshine may not be repeated to to other ships (Victory and Triumph were rumored to be the next two), it does not make it the Sunshine a failure. Having been on her, for the naming ceremony last November for a sleepover in New Orleans (we are sailing her in August and again in February) I can tell you that she FAR exceeded my expectations. Carnival ships are what they are (in terms of number of people on them and the way you get to and from dining rooms and such), the Sunshine is no different.

 

Where the Serenity area is (by the way, it is a very nice area) had to be that way because it was an alteration to an already made ship. Serenity on the Breeze is not much further away.

 

Looking forward to sailing her in August!

[gone_cruisin]

Carnival has already stated they will never do this type of "refurb" again. In their eyes it was an experiment and it failed.

 

.

 

 

Just curious, where was this publicly stated? Links?

 

I do not think the refurbishment was a flop. I'd love to see them do this to all their fantasy class ships. Those ships are so tired and have no extras!

[EZ4]

Just curious, where was this publicly stated? Links?

 

I do not think the refurbishment was a flop. I'd love to see them do this to all their fantasy class ships. Those ships are so tired and have no extras!

 

The Fantasy class will begin leaving the fleet soon. Don't look for major upgrades to that class.

[gone_cruisin]

The Fantasy class will begin leaving the fleet soon. Don't look for major upgrades to that class.

 

 

That would be fine too, as long as they are replacing them with new ships.

[Strmwatch]

Just curious, where was this publicly stated? Links?

 

I do not think the refurbishment was a flop. I'd love to see them do this to all their fantasy class ships. Those ships are so tired and have no extras!

 

I remember reading about it on John Healds FB page.

 

He said the "Beards" were the ones that admitted it was a mistake.

[fun2bwith_me2]

I just got off the Sunshine March 7th. I was skeptical after I booked the Sunshine and read all the reviews. Thank goodness I am an open minded person. I think she is one of my favorite ships even over the dream. I will admit that the chair hogs are ridiculous ( I seen a lot of people have a hammock & lounger at the same time & others who just abandon the chair for hours) this seemed to be a problem on sea days. The food was awesome, so many endless possibilities, that I didn't get to try everything even though I tried real hard. So many bars with endless drink possibilities. Alchemy...all I can say is WOW!!! The bar staff is incredible, it is like I work of art. the live entertainment was great, I always made a point to see Brian...the others were great too, (Brian was my favorite). I enjoyed the other entertainers as well, the juggler, the shows, the comedians. The dance club was different in the fact it was in the lounge where the shows were held (a little too big, even though they didn't use the upstairs). Our balcony room was spacious, def enough room, it stayed cool, the trick being the air conditioning cuts off when you open the balcony door. I wish there was a fridge. The workers were exceptionally nice, eager to always help. The water slides were fun. Due to rough seas the rope course wasn't open much. I loved how the lido marketplace was split up, so I never witnesses any lines. The serenity deck was great, just wished there were more hot tubs & bigger pool. I hope the rumor is true that the Sunshine is coming to Charleston, I would sail her again in a heartbeat.

[JennyD1]

Everyone has their opinion. I was skeptical to try the Sunshine, due to the bad reviews, but I am glad we did. We have cruised her three times since October. Will be cruising her next week. And have two more cruises booked on the Sunshine for later this year. We have enjoyed every cruise.

[framboesa]

Sunshine was our second Carnival Ship/Cruise.First was Breeze.To be honest we dont know if we would like the older ships, when we see the images there are lots os lights and sparkling :o ...We love the 2.0 upgrades because are similar to Breeze...and we were so surprised that we never had problems to get a table to lunch or breakfast in the lido (on other trips/ships sometimes we had to wait 10 minutes walking around).

We liked the sunshine...a small ship, with a modern and classy touch.We prefer Breeze because we are used to big ships with lots of things going on, but Sunshine was perfect for what we wanted.

[Maraprince]

Sunshine will be coming to NYC to replace the Splendor which has made a niche for itself.

 

Hopefully, some of the negative things (rust, worn rugs, etc.,) will be gone before it makes its new home in NY. NYers are a tough group to please and Sunshine has a lot to live up to following the Splendor.:eek:

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[asalligo]

I cannot speak to the Sunshine directly as I have never been aboard, but I discounted the Sunshine as a ship I wanted to sail on early. I have found that the single most important factor that appears to contribute to me enjoying my cruise is square footage per passenger.

 

I would rather be on the oldest ship in the fleet with more room per person than the newest. This is not important to everyone of course, but it really adds to my enjoyment.

[lcpagejr]

I sailed on Destiny 2x before the upgrades and when at full capacity ...it already felt crowded. Can't imagine what its like now with the 2.0 upgrades, less common space due to refurbishing, and more cabins = more passengers!!

 

What amuses me even more is how people tell others to choose this ship over the Breeze.....Seriously?? The Breeze is a Dream class ship which was built with all the 2.0 upgrades and offers so much more.... and while at times we still had some clogging on the Promenade deck....especially on the elegant nights...the additional size of ship and more efficient layout eliminated any type of crowded feeling and still allowed everyone to benefit from new additions such as Water park , outside promenade seating off of Ocean Plaza.... and still having the Aft pool. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion but sometimes I feel its uneducated (especially if not having cruised the other ship)

[Avril]

Thank you for the very fair review on of the Breeze. These are points that have been brought up over and over again by many different cruisers that have gone into their cruise with a positive attitude not looking to complain. I think honestly, it's a bit of a disappointment that Carnival put all those extra staterooms on the ship but did not leave room to accommodate the extra passengers in public spaces.

Between all the reviews of crowded spaces, very long lines, issues with ATD, a lack of an aft pool, I am glad I decided to switch my cruise to the Breeze. I mean I'm sure we would have had a wonderful time on the Sunshine, but I think it was a better decision for us.

 

She's talking about the Sunshine (formerly the Destiny), not the Breeze!! The Breeze is a beautiful ship with none of these problems. Breeze is my favourite ship. :D The Breeze was built brand new as the Breeze, Sunshine was not. Don't worry, you'll be fine on the Breeze and have a blast!!

[eponym]

Sunshine will be coming to NYC to replace the Splendor which has made a niche for itself.

 

Hopefully, some of the negative things (rust, worn rugs, etc.,) will be gone before it makes its new home in NY. NYers are a tough group to please and Sunshine has a lot to live up to following the Splendor.:eek:

 

 

MARAPRINCE

 

NYC is very crowded and from I have heard so is Sunshine = match made in heaven!

 

I will judge for myself in May!

[near the beach]

We enjoyed the Sunshine very much and hope to sail on her again. The service and food were great. It is obvious that some people don’t like the Sunshine and some do. There are many ships to choose from.

We didn’t care much for the Liberty when we did that cruise. It was the most crowded ship we have sailed on.

The Sunshine and the Breeze are our favorite ships.

[edpeeks]

It's very hard to believe that you were on the same ship as I.

 

Saw no water buckets, no tattered carpet, no significant lines (because I know not to travel at rush hour).

 

I agree that unless you get there early, the comedy club view is lousy.

 

It just goes to show how opinions vary, that's why we all have one.

 

We have read (several) very bad reviews of the Sunshine. We are going to be on her in January. Since we are seasoned cruisers (45) and are platinum on Carnival (just to give anyone a point of reference as to our opinion) my wife and I have discussed the reviews quite a bit and we are still going on her in January.

Why? We are aft balcony cruisers. My wife read a book a day on cruises and any more rarely leaves the ship in port. (That is when she ventures out onto the decks). So many of the deck crowding issues don't worry us. Also we have learned a long time ago to eat just a little bit earlier than the masses to avoid them at lunch.

Having said all of that I respect all of the reviewers; they have a right and this is the forum to use. And it very well turn out that we will never, ever sail the Sunshine again. But we have never been on a "bad" cruise and we look forward to the cruising life every three months.

I think it is magnificent that one sees the tatters and another does not; that one hates the food and another enjoys the fare; that we can all go on the same cruise and come away with a different perspective. That's humanity! But a note to newer cruisers -- yeas, read the reviews; but if the cruise you choose fits your budget, time frame and lifestyle, go on it with a positive attitude and more than likely, you will have a great cruise!

My wife and have drank the cruise kool-aid and enjoy every one of them. Cruising is a great break for me. I'm 65 and still working (with no plans to retire) and cruising gives us a much needed break from my Chiropractic practice (didn't need the regular breaks 10 years ago; I wonder what happened?)

Just go knowing you are going to have some challenges, some surprises and some magnificent experiences...that's cruising!

[Out to sea!]

Why do so many folks take it personal when someone posts that they don't like the Sunshine? It's almost like you told them they have an ugly baby.

 

I can't speak for others but it seems so many people when writing reviews go so over the top to try and make some point that the review isn't even close to accurate anymore. I just got off the Sunshine 3 days ago and half of what the OP mentioned was either untrue (such as decks 3,4,5.....4 & 5 can be walked pretty much bow to stern so the only issue is deck 3 which is not fully passable on most Carnival ships) or so blown out of proportion that it was ridiculous (such as carpet being torn and tattered in most places......never saw it and I walked almost every inch of the ship over 8 days). Then others not knowing better read this and think it's actually true. These over the top reviews are such a disservice to CC and it's members.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Out to sea!