Carnival Sunshine B2B Review with Photos Jan. 8-21

[lovestocruise19]

Anyone know what these are? My Dad and I were trying to figure it out:

 

We have seen those cylindrical things outside ports in Hawaii too...we think they're concrete castings to make an artifical breakwater.

 

Oh, so it's made out of concrete? It almost looked like barrels, but of course barrels would float away! ;)

[lovestocruise19]

In Nasau did you book Atlantis through the cruise line or just go on your own. I was wondering if you can just go on your own and explore or is there a charge?

 

We booked through the cruise. Since our cabana got refunded, we used those funds to book the Discover Atlantis Tour.

[VillagerCrusin]

We were also on the 1/13/17 Sunshine cruise and had a fantastic time! Looking forward to your comments.

 

 

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[lovestocruise19]

DH and I got off the ship around 11 a.m. for about an hour to check out the shops right off the ship. DH bought me a pair of whale tail earrings. We sat in the sun for a bit listening to the music from a bar and then got back onboard.

 

We ordered room service for lunch. DH got a BLT and I got a turkey sandwich and veggies. The room service lady was really sweet. DH had given me a $5 bill to give to her as a tip and when I gave it to her she said, "oh, unexpected!"

 

After lunch, I went up to Lido for dessert and stumbled upon the chocolate extravaganza. I almost forgot it was the last day of the cruise-but not for us! We got instructions to meet in the Sunset Dining Room at 10 a.m. the next day so we could clear customs, get our new S&S card and reboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2017 by lovestocruise19

[lovestocruise19]

 

More Lido pictures I took that day:

 

 

 

 

 

[lovestocruise19]

 

 

 

 

 

[lovestocruise19]

 

 

 

 

The Carnival Ecstasy was in dry dock in Freeport while we were there:

 

[lovestocruise19]

 

 

 

I asked guest services if the self serve laundry room was available during port and she said yes because they recently dumped the gray water. I went down to Deck 2 to put a small load in. You can use your S&S card, which is great. The laudry room itself is very tight. There was a mother and daughter with a stroller in there when I went down and I had to squeeze by them.

 

 

[lovestocruise19]

Pictures from our "balcony" (aka Deck 3 off the lobby):

 

 

 

 

DH:

 

It took 30 minutes for the washer. The dryer time was 45 minutes (but of course the clothes weren't dry even though it was a small load. I ended up taking them out anyway and hanging them around the cabin). It cost $3 per wash and $3 per dry.

[lovestocruise19]

I watched a little bit of sailaway:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lovestocruise19]

 

 

 

[lovestocruise19]

I also took this picture that day of my stateroom friends!

 

 

For supper I had ricotta ravioli-my absolute favorite entree from the new menu. I remember having a ravioli dish on the Freedom repo cruise in 2014. Perhaps they were doing the switchover at that point because I hadn't seen it on the old menus at all. None of the appetizers appealed to me that night.

 

 

 

Delicous!

 

 

[lovestocruise19]

I checked Mom and Dad in for their flight using my phone right there at the table since their flight was at 7:05 p.m. the next night. Mom told me she really enjoyed the tour at the Garden of the Groves.

 

After that, Mom and Dad and I checked our S&S balances at the kiosk. On the Sunshine, you can't access your S&S card from your TV like you can on other ships. Dad had put $40 cash toward our account as a thank you for helping them plan the cruise for them, which was very sweet.

 

I got a couple t-shirts and Mom bought me a funnel Christmas ornament. We checked out some photos (all bad) and then I went to Mom and Dad's room to give Mom some copies of photos I had and they gave me a hand painted magnet from Freeport and some of there leftover water. It was then I noticed how BIG their shower was! Lol! I had never seen a shower this big on all the cruises I've been on.

 

[lovestocruise19]

I hugged my parents goodbye and told them to let me know tomorrow when they made it home safe.

 

I went up to watch The Secret Life of Pets on the Dive In Movie screen after getting my free mocha chocolate getaway at the lobby bar for being VIFP Gold. After the movie, I caught the tail end of an 80s party with Chris in the atrium. DH said he watched about an hour of it. We both agree that Chris is a really good cruise director, maybe the best we've ever had. I caught a little video of the conga line he started and will post that at the end of the review.

 

 

 

[lovestocruise19]

I had put the room service breakfast tag out the night before. They came early at 7 a.m. and they gave me tea instead of hot chocolate. :mad: I called Mom and Dad to say goodbye one more time and wish them safe travels.

 

For our B2B process, we had to meet in the Sunset Dining Room at 10 a.m. to get our new S&S cards and get escorted through customs. We went to the dining room around 9:45 a.m. They collected our old S&S cards and gave us our new ones. Then we waited and waited. We were escorted off the ship at 10:27 a.m., down the escalators and had a customs officer check our passports and collect our customs forms. It was at this time that a Carnival rep gave us back our old S&S cards if we wanted them and I did! Then back up the escalators, through the gangway and back on the ship at 10:38 a.m. We did have to get a new picture taken for security. We got mimosas and took a group B2B picture. Super easy!

 

[lovestocruise19]

DH an I went up to Lido and I took a couple of live FB videos. We ate lunch and then I got a shake at the Shake Spot in honor of my Dad because he had wanted to try one, but didn't get the chance. (Five day cruises are much too short!)

 

 

 

We napped until muster (held in the Liquid Lounge again).

 

One random pet peeve I had with this ship is that the dining rooms and lounges had names that sounded too similar. Liquid Lounge/Limelight Lounge, Sunrise Dining Room/Sunset Dining Room. This confused some people, especially when it came to the dining rooms.

 

After muster, we tried to see where our table would be this cruise, but the dining room was closed. We walked around and noticed a lot of older people on this cruise compared to the five day. We watched a little bit of sailaway on our "balcony."

 

Our table ended up being a table for two way in the aft on the first level by the windows. I should have brought my camera that night because I saw a Disney and Royal ship. Our head waitress was Ni Nyoman and the assistant team waiter, Neeraj, was quite handsome! Everytime I made googly eyes at him my husband laughed. Unfortunately, Neeraj didn't visit our table nearly enough!

 

I had strawberry bisque, grilled chicken and tiramisu.

[lovestocruise19]

After supper, we watched Central Intelligence with the Rock and Kevin Hart on the Dive In Movie screen. I got ice cream and went back to the room while DH printed our shore excursion confirmation he booked with an outside company for an ATV ride in St. Maarten (MUCH more on that later! :D). He said he also blew $20 in the casino in about five minutes. We then went to the candy shop, Cherry on Top.

 

We got a goody basket of fruit for being B2B. When DH went to eat the grapes the next day (or may two) they were moldy.

 

 

[lovestocruise19]

I slept in until 10 a.m. The ship was really rocking because we we going faster and the darn wind was whipping again. After breakfast, DH found me and finished his breakfast with me. We checked out the supper menu and I bought a ship magnet. I'm bummed they stopped making the nice ceramic ship magnets.

 

We split up and I wandered around. I noticed Sunshine doesn't have as much seating on Deck 5 as the Conquest Class ships (we have been on all five Conquest Class ships). There is no seating by the shops of on the edge of Deck 5 like Conquest Class ships. There is the Ocean Plaza, but a lot of activities go on there, so it's not really a place you can go to to relax or read.

 

 

I tried to go to the upper decks, but it was just too windy. I hung out in the room for a bit and then had lunch.

 

 

I had been having issues with the deli guy because he never made my sandwiches right. That day I asked for turkey on a country roll with American cheese and no tomato. A pretty simple request, I think. He made some lame joke about us being on water and not in America (insinuating that I can't have American cheese?), but I figured at least that meant he heard me about the cheese since last week I had no cheese on my sandwich when I requested it. I saw him putting tomato on it, but decided not to say anything since I could just pick it out. Then when he took it out of the press I notice: No FREAKING CHEESE. I asked again for cheese and he started to put Swiss on it. I stopped him and asked for American. It should not have been that difficult for him to make me the sandwich I wanted. :mad:

 

Edited January 28, 2017 by lovestocruise19

[lovestocruise19]

For dessert I had key lime pie (yummy!) and went to the Liquid Lounge to watch the Murder Mystery, which basically showed four suspects and you were supposed to ask them for clues and do puzzles at the coffee bar all cruise long to figure out "who done it."

 

 

 

We had a new cruise director on this cruise, Emma, as she was back from vacation. Her catch phrases were "Hello Lovelies" and "Lovely, Jubbly."

 

I went back to the room where DH was just finishing up a Guy's burger. I went up to get ice cream and then went back to the room to take a nap.

Edited January 28, 2017 by lovestocruise19

[lovestocruise19]

After napping, we got dressed up for elegant night. The appetizers and desserts weren't that great, but they did have spaghetti carbonara which I like. I went to the 9:30 p.m. comedy show by myself while DH watched the Patriots game in the room. The comic was good. He made fun of some people in the audience. I got back to the room and the satellite was going in and out on the TV, so DH decided to go to the sports bar to finish watching the game. I read some of my book and turned i.

 

Our table:

 

 

 

DH tried the creme brulee for the first time, but didn't really like it.

 

 

[lovestocruise19]

I forgot to add these few Lido Deck cell phone shots I took on Turnaround Day:

 

 

 

I love how in this shot my DH is just so focused on getting a Guy's burger, but the worker notices me taking a photo and does a thumbs up! Lol!

 

[wingnt68]

Love your review I am sailing on her on March 4 to Aruba I can't wait. Look forward to reading more of your review

 

 

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[mabones]

Enjoying your Review. We'll be on the Sunshine in 52 days!!!

[RTRMom]

Love your review I am sailing on her on March 4 to Aruba I can't wait. Look forward to reading more of your review

 

 

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Same here!

 

 

 

 

 

OP, I have really enjoyed your review..thank you.

[lovestocruise19]

I ate breakfast and then went back to the room. DH and I got off the ship a little after 10 a.m. and walked down the beach to Jack's Shack. It was a long walk, but worth it because we got to see Topher the dog! We were also provided with free lounge chairs. The sun was out, but there were dark clouds in the distance. I waded in the water a bit.