Help me choose!

[ChristinaN]

Family of five, 3 boys ages 12,10 and 9.

 

8 Nights on the Sunshine in an interior cabin.

 

Or

 

5 Nights on the Fascination in a grand suite.

 

Extra info...

Price is a little cheaper for the 8 Nighter and it has a more exotic itinerary with all ports being first time ports for us. 5 Nighter has a stop at HMC which we love.

 

 

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[etwright]

I would go with the 8 night

[Liverpoollovely]

Family of five, 3 boys ages 12,10 and 9.

 

8 Nights on the Sunshine in an interior cabin.

 

Or

 

5 Nights on the Fascination in a grand suite.

 

Extra info...

Price is a little cheaper for the 8 Nighter and it has a more exotic itinerary with all ports being first time ports for us. 5 Nighter has a stop at HMC which we love.

 

 

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I have not been on the Fascination but I would go with the Sunshine (not because I like the Sunshine, because I am mixed about it) BUT because you are going to first time ports :) Ports always beat it for me haha

[LilMissScareAll]

More cruise days are always a win for me

 

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[JohnSpo]

The Sunshine looks like the good choice. 8 days at a better price and a better itinerary is the way to go even for an inside cabin that you probably won't spend too much time in.

 

The Sunshine is a renovated ship that offers more.

 

I'd go with Sunshine for sure.:cool:

Edited February 6, 2016 by JohnSpo

[Hoosierpop]

Sunshine and it's not close for me. Not for the ship, but for the length and itinerary. Having said that, I do like the Sunshine.

[summersigh]

I would think your kids are the right age to really enjoy both the water park and the ropes courses on the Sunshine.

 

Also, Sunshine has a lot of "free" places to eat besides the main dining room ... like Guy's Burgers and the taco/burrito bar.

[Tapi]

Suites on Carnival are a waste of money. Yes, they are bigger rooms with a balcony, but they come with basically zero perks normally associated with true suites.

 

With that said, you may want to at least look at oceanview staterooms on the Sunshine. At 220 sq ft, they are larger than inside staterooms and they have a sitting area with a sofa, as well as a picture window. With 5 people stuffed in one stateroom, it may be something to really consider.

[heatherhudson15]

We have 3 daughters..2nd time on Sunshine. They love it. First time on Sunshine they were 10, 13, and 15. Now they are 12, 15, and 17. I say SUNSHINE all the way!!

 

 

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[cruisinqt]

Without hesitation I would book the Sunshine. The Fascination is a much older smaller ship with a lot less stuff for the kids. The Sunshine is newer, much bigger, it has a nice waterpark, the ropes course, mini golf, and a bigger nicer arcade. I think the kids will be much more entertained on the Sunshine. The grand suite sounds appealing but how much time will you really be spending in your room? And it's always exciting trying out new ports. :)

[nwo4life]

8 > 5

[Tapi]

The Sunshine is newer...

 

 

And by newer, it means that the Fascination was built in 1994 and the Sunshine was built in 1996.

[cruisinqt]

And by newer, it means that the Fascination was built in 1994 and the Sunshine was built in 1996.

 

The year each ship was built is misleading. The fascination (built in 1994) has had numerous 2-3 week dry dock upgrades like most cruise ships. But in 2013 the Destiny was completely gutted and overhauled. When they finished one of the biggest cruise ship overhauls in cruising history, spending $155 million dollars and 2 months of work, they renamed it the Sunshine. It was a completely different ship with all the bells and whistles that many of the newer ships have. So even though it was technically "built" in 1996, it was completely gutted and rebuilt in 2013. It was such a dramatic change that they even renamed it. And it looks very much like a new ship. Which is the point I was trying to make. There was not even a Carnival Sunshine cruise ship until 2013. The Sunshine had its maiden voyage in 2013 and for me that made it a new ship. But "technically" you correct that the Destiny was built in 1996. And while the Fascination is slightly over 70,000 gross tons, the Sunshine is over 100,000 gross tons. Some cruisers prefer the smaller ships that are less crowded and easier to navigate. Others, like myself, prefer the larger newer ships with more choices in dining and entertainment. Hopefully this clarifies things and will give the OP enough info to make the decision that is best for them.

[momonthego17]

My family will be cruising next Thanksgiving on Sunshine but we loved our time in a Grand Suite on Fascination. Spacious, had a jacuzzi bathtub, big balcony. I agree that 8 days is better than 5 but it also depends on what works best with your schedule.

Have a great cruise whatever you choose!

[Tapi]

So even though it was technically "built" in 1996, it was completely gutted and rebuilt in 2013...

 

...The Sunshine had its maiden voyage in 2013 and for me that made it a new ship.

 

 

I pretty much agree with your entire post. [emoji106]🏼 The reason why I brought the years up is because Carnival attempted to market and launch Sunshine as a brand new ship at a time when they didn't have any newbuilds and the competition was launching truly brand new ships. It was deceiving and to this day, a lot of new cruisers don't realize that. Yes, the ship looks brand new in many areas, but the hardware is not.

 

With all of that said, this wouldn't stop me from sailing on Sunshine. I've sailed on considerably older ships and had an excellent time. One of my all time favorite Carnival cruises was aboard the Holiday before she retired.

 

In this case, I would choose Sunshine over Fascination for many of the reasons already mentioned above.

[RuthlessBoss]

Family of five, 3 boys ages 12,10 and 9.

 

8 Nights on the Sunshine in an interior cabin.

 

Or

 

5 Nights on the Fascination in a grand suite.

 

Extra info...

Price is a little cheaper for the 8 Nighter and it has a more exotic itinerary with all ports being first time ports for us. 5 Nighter has a stop at HMC which we love.

 

 

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I would think Sunshine because of the extras and the boys are an age to appreciate them. The drawback is more spending both on and off the ship as well as 3 more days of tips for 5 people.

[ChristinaN]

Thank you everyone. We booked the Sunshine. It is going to be an experience having five of us in one tiny inside cabin as we are used to connecting balconies or suites but for the price and itinerary we'll give this a shot!

[momonthego17]

Thank you everyone. We booked the Sunshine. It is going to be an experience having five of us in one tiny inside cabin as we are used to connecting balconies or suites but for the price and itinerary we'll give this a shot!

 

Write a review, I want to hear all about Sunshine since we will be sailing on Sunshine Nov 2016. Have a great cruise!

[Mrskkanderson]

I would go for the 8 days over 5 without hesitation!

[SMSACE6]

Thank you everyone. We booked the Sunshine. It is going to be an experience having five of us in one tiny inside cabin as we are used to connecting balconies or suites but for the price and itinerary we'll give this a shot!

 

Some inside cabins are quite large. But I was going to say, go for the Sunshine, mostly because of the ports, and 8 days, as well as some of the dining venues on Sunshine. I recently did my first 5 day cruise (have always done 7 or 8 day cruises before), and it was over wayyyyyyy toooo fast!

 

Hope you all enjoy.:)