Carnival Sunshine Questions

[SSBrickNJ]

On 2/25/2019 at 2:33 PM, Andersoncd said:

I have sailed the Sunshine twice in the past 3 years. The smoke smell around the casino starts out weak in the AM, but grows quite strong by early evening. However, did not notice the smell anywhere else. As for the Limelight lounge, we experienced the over-crowding on the first cruise, but adjusted for it the second time. Just show up about 20-30 minutes early. They don't open the lounge until 20 minutes before showtime (maybe it was 30?). Anyway, go straight in a claim your seats. They are serving drinks before the show. As far as the main theater, you may also want to show up at least 15 minutes early. There are some obstructed view seats that will be the only ones available if you wait until showtime to get there. 

 

Don't know if it suits you, but the second time on the Sunshine, we switched to the late seating dinner. We found that the dining room and the theaters were all less crowded at the later shows than the earlier ones. Seems like 65%-75% of folks all opt for the early seating option at dinner, and the early shows. If you don't have a problem staying up a little later, you may want to try this.

We are just sitting here on the sidelines ......not taking any action to book the Sunshine.. I'm seemingly just not excited anymore.

Over this thread I've got the impression that:

1) The ship has a bit more passengers than it should.....hard to impossible to get a deck chair.....or a spot at a comedy show

2) The Casino is in a location that I'll want to pass thru to get to things we like.....yet our family of non smokers won't like the reportedly strong smell of cigarettes (especially as the day progresses).

3) Getting a table at the buffet at lunch time can be challenging.

These are the negatives I've come away with from this thread. There have been plenty of positive comments but for some reason the negatives have made a stronger impression on me.

Edited February 27, 2019 by SSBrickNJ

[schazzy]

12 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

We are just sitting here on the sidelines ......not taking any action to book the Sunshine.. I'm seemingly just not excited anymore.

 

These are the negatives I've come away with from this thread. There have been plenty of positive comments but for some reason the negatives have made a stronger impression on me.

 

I can't fault you in that, we recently just cancelled a cruise on RC after negatives about the whole trip in general started to outweigh in my mind the positives and lost the excitement for it. I was concerned about some of the negatives about the Sunshine as well, but there's still several positives that have kept me excited for it. But, I understand, I feel if you lose the excitement for something, it's hard to get it back sometimes.  So, no matter what you deciding to do, I hope you will find a ship that's right for you.  

Edited February 27, 2019 by schazzy

[young_ens]

2 hours ago, schazzy said:

I can't fault you in that, we recently just cancelled a cruise on RC after negatives about the whole trip in general started to outweigh in my mind the positives and lost the excitement for it.

 

Which ship (call me curious)?

[NWACruiser]

Sunshine

 

Destiny

 

 

I think there are a few improvements to the lido deck.

  

[ProgRockCruiser]

15 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

We are just sitting here on the sidelines ......not taking any action to book the Sunshine.. I'm seemingly just not excited anymore.

Over this thread I've got the impression that:

1) The ship has a bit more passengers than it should.....hard to impossible to get a deck chair.....or a spot at a comedy show

2) The Casino is in a location that I'll want to pass thru to get to things we like.....yet our family of non smokers won't like the reportedly strong smell of cigarettes (especially as the day progresses).

3) Getting a table at the buffet at lunch time can be challenging.

These are the negatives I've come away with from this thread. There have been plenty of positive comments but for some reason the negatives have made a stronger impression on me.

 

Well, we were on the Sunshine in Dec 2018, and I would say all of your concerns have an element of truth to them, but are not nearly as bad as presented:

 

1) Deck chairs were almost always available when we tried.  Maybe we just wanted to sit in the sun or shade at times when everyone was at the Fun Shops or something.  Comedy shows were very full after the first show - the trick is to get to the early show, and we could just walk in even a few minutes before the start and get an OK seat.

 

2) Casino smoke is present, but not terribly obnoxious.  I was mildly surprised it wasn't as thick as feared.  I'm not a smoker, and while I will tolerate the odor, I don't enjoy it.  It was just a case of ignore it as you walk through.

 

3) We always sat in the Havana Bar area, and there was always plenty of room there - we almost always snagged a table at the back with a nice view.  Tons of open tables away from the windows.  Yeah, the tables near the Lido buffet itself tend to fill up quickly.  Just walk another 30 seconds...

 

So I hope you don't let your concerns drive you to a sub-optimal choice.

 

I'd book Sunshine again in a heartbeat - but we're already booked on five (!) future cruises (on Carnival, but other ships), so Sunshine will have to wait a while before we return...

Edited February 27, 2019 by ProgRockCruiser

[Butterbean1000]

All casinos on all the ships are smokey.  In my opinion, one is not any worse than another.  I can see if you are extra sensative to smoke, you might be able to tell the difference.  As a non smoker, I avoid the casinos.  I wish the cruise lines would ban smoking there.  There are more non smokers than smokers. It would seem they would make more money as more non smokers would gamble.  I would.

[schazzy]

7 minutes ago, young_ens said:

 

Which ship (call me curious)?

 

Adventure OTS. But our reason to cancel was about more than just the ship.

[jcollin]

Hi, we were on there 2/15-2/23.  I'll second the casino info.  If you don;t like smoke go over that area by using deck 6.  We really like Cassidy Rae in the piano bar, she was great and a lot of fun.  Also the drinks in Alchemy bar, read of deck 5, were awesome.  You can get the frozen stuff at any bar on the ship but if you want a real cocktail visit them.  Parvis(?) was one of the bartenders and did a wonderful job making our drinks.  If you want a place to see the front of the ship all by yourself go to end of deck 7 on the left side.  There is a door there that take you outside.  We went a few times and had the place to ourselves.  Your daughter may be too old for O2 but my teenagers, 17 and 15, loved it.  They both meet lots of new friends in there.  If you want a chair in the serenity area be prepared to get up very early.  Our rooms were on deck 11 right next to serenity and by 7:30 most if not all the chairs were taken.  They did put stickers on them a few times with a 45 minutes to get back to them or loose the chair.  

[SSBrickNJ]

3 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

 

Well, we were on the Sunshine in Dec 2018, and I would say all of your concerns have an element of truth to them, but are not nearly as bad as presented:

 

1) Deck chairs were almost always available when we tried.  Maybe we just wanted to sit in the sun or shade at times when everyone was at the Fun Shops or something.  Comedy shows were very full after the first show - the trick is to get to the early show, and we could just walk in even a few minutes before the start and get an OK seat.

 

2) Casino smoke is present, but not terribly obnoxious.  I was mildly surprised it wasn't as thick as feared.  I'm not a smoker, and while I will tolerate the odor, I don't enjoy it.  It was just a case of ignore it as you walk through.

 

3) We always sat in the Havana Bar area, and there was always plenty of room there - we almost always snagged a table at the back with a nice view.  Tons of open tables away from the windows.  Yeah, the tables near the Lido buffet itself tend to fill up quickly.  Just walk another 30 seconds...

 

So I hope you don't let your concerns drive you to a sub-optimal choice.

 

I'd book Sunshine again in a heartbeat - but we're already booked on five (!) future cruises (on Carnival, but other ships), so Sunshine will have to wait a while before we return...

I really like how you took the time to include in your answer 1) blah blah  2) this and that 3) helpful as well

You took my three concerns and addressed them one by one......and in a persuasive manner as well.

Thank you! 

[ProgRockCruiser]

20 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

I really like how you took the time to include in your answer 1) blah blah  2) this and that 3) helpful as well

You took my three concerns and addressed them one by one......and in a persuasive manner as well.

Thank you! 

 

No sweat!  Just trying to communicate my personal experiences, which can (and probably do) vary from others'.

[smyemar]

Hey guys how is the wifi on the sunshine?  Was it improved with recent upgrade?

[CRocks]

On 2/24/2019 at 2:25 PM, SSBrickNJ said:

#1 We are non smokers. ONE reviewer on Cruise Critic said they were on the Sunshine as non smokers but the ventilation system (in their opinion) was not good and they could smell cigarette smoke throughout the ship (in non smoking areas). So, I'm seeking former Sunshine cruisers to either agree with that reviewer or hopefully disagree with her. 

#2 How was the Main Dining Room Food on the Sunshine?

#3 Share anything positive or negative to help me decide if this would be the good cruise for my family of three (Potential Cruise date 12/23/19 5 nights Charleston SC to Bahamas)

Myself(Steve)age 57 at sail date

Wife...younger than me(withholding age 🙂

Daughter age 18 at sail date

Thanks in advance for anyone's feedback 😉

 Sailed Destiny/Sunshine many times, love the ship. Just got off her last month, food was fabulous. JiJi's is a MUST! Casino can be a little smokey, didn't experience any problem elsewhere. Sunshine's got all/most of the amenities like Blue Iguana, Guys, etc.  Now the downside.....your destination. Sorry, not a fan of the Bahamas especially with young ladies!!!

[SSBrickNJ]

7 hours ago, CRocks said:

 Sailed Destiny/Sunshine many times, love the ship. Just got off her last month, food was fabulous. JiJi's is a MUST! Casino can be a little smokey, didn't experience any problem elsewhere. Sunshine's got all/most of the amenities like Blue Iguana, Guys, etc.  Now the downside.....your destination. Sorry, not a fan of the Bahamas especially with young ladies!!!

Thanks for your post. Would you be willing to say a bit more re. the Bahamas itself?

[young_ens]

For the folks just off the sunshine (post Feb 15):

 

How were the new cakes in the Lido?  Limited quantities?

[CRocks]

10 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

Thanks for your post. Would you be willing to say a bit more re. the Bahamas itself?

 

I really DON'T want to spoil anything for folks already booked, but this is a message board + you ARE entitled to your opinion, so that's what I'll give, "my OPINION". 

 

I've been to Freeport + Nassau many times. EVERY time I've had encounters with the locals hitting on women right in front of me. IMO, this is both rude + ignorant! Never had a problem anywhere else, just there, both places. Recently watched a youtube vid and Bahamas was ranked the #1 most dangerous cruise destination. Course, St Thomas made the top 10 also which surprised me. Finally, we cruise in the winter. Bahamas are in the N Atlantic NOT the Caribbean. I've been in the Bahamas when the high was in the 40s. Never below 70 in the Caribbean. I'm sure this soured my opinion also.

[Bostwick girl]

31 minutes ago, young_ens said:

For the folks just off the sunshine (post Feb 15):

 

How were the new cakes in the Lido?  Limited quantities?

 

I cant specifically speak for Sunshine since they didn't have new cakes in November. However, we were on Liberty in January and they had the new cakes. The ones we had were all delicious, and they were just beautifully decorated. There was no limit, they were served just the way the cakes are usually served.  A huge improvement in my opinion.

 

[Bostwick girl]

15 minutes ago, CRocks said:

 

I really DON'T want to spoil anything for folks already booked, but this is a message board + you ARE entitled to your opinion, so that's what I'll give, "my OPINION". 

 

I've been to Freeport + Nassau many times. EVERY time I've had encounters with the locals hitting on women right in front of me. IMO, this is both rude + ignorant! Never had a problem anywhere else, just there, both places. Recently watched a youtube vid and Bahamas was ranked the #1 most dangerous cruise destination. Course, St Thomas made the top 10 also which surprised me. Finally, we cruise in the winter. Bahamas are in the N Atlantic NOT the Caribbean. I've been in the Bahamas when the high was in the 40s. Never below 70 in the Caribbean. I'm sure this soured my opinion also.

 

Just saw on the news yesterday the State Department has issued a travel warning/advisory for the Bahamas, more specifically Freeport, Grand Bahamas, also to be cautious in Nassau.  We have been to Nassau many times, most recently January and are going again March 31. My advice is to stick with Carnival sponsored excursions, if you do venture out, be aware of your surroundings. We always take a taxi to either Atlantis casino or now the new BahaMar casino. I have to say it's a zoo in Nassau trying to get a taxi that will take mobility scooters, but it can be done.  

 

Just use common sense and pay attention. 

 

[Miss SeaBee]

I’m following this thread, as we are also considering a future Sunshine cruise.  A lot of the reviews I’ve read mention a foul sewer smell in the aft of the ship.  Can anyone speak to that?

[Eliot Ness]

1 hour ago, young_ens said:

For the folks just off the sunshine (post Feb 15):

 

How were the new cakes in the Lido?  Limited quantities?

 

The cakes were very good and included key lime pie one day and key lime cheesecake another.  Anytime I was there they had a good selection and it didn't take cruisers very long to find them!

 

As to a sewer smell I never noticed anything like that and we were on deck 2 aft.  I forgot to mention the Shake-Spot was another highlight on this ship with great milkshakes, floats, and special coffees.  This was the first time I've had an old fashioned ice-cream soda in years.

 

Looking at February 2020 schedules it's sad to see her only doing 4 & 5 day cruises.  We'd do a B2B on her in a heartbeat if they were 7 or 8 day cruises.

[maryhou]

On 2/27/2019 at 1:42 PM, jcollin said:

Hi, we were on there 2/15-2/23.  I'll second the casino info.  If you don;t like smoke go over that area by using deck 6.  We really like Cassidy Rae in the piano bar, she was great and a lot of fun.  Also the drinks in Alchemy bar, read of deck 5, were awesome.  You can get the frozen stuff at any bar on the ship but if you want a real cocktail visit them.  Parvis(?) was one of the bartenders and did a wonderful job making our drinks.  If you want a place to see the front of the ship all by yourself go to end of deck 7 on the left side.  There is a door there that take you outside.  We went a few times and had the place to ourselves.  Your daughter may be too old for O2 but my teenagers, 17 and 15, loved it.  They both meet lots of new friends in there.  If you want a chair in the serenity area be prepared to get up very early.  Our rooms were on deck 11 right next to serenity and by 7:30 most if not all the chairs were taken.  They did put stickers on them a few times with a 45 minutes to get back to them or loose the chair.  

so excited to hear you loved Cassidy Rae in the piano bar, I've been following her on social media and she looks fun.

[SurfCat]

43 minutes ago, Eliot Ness said:

 

  I forgot to mention the Shake-Spot was another highlight on this ship with great milkshakes, floats, and special coffees.  This was the first time I've had an old fashioned ice-cream soda in years.

 

It's my understanding that the shakes and specialty coffee from shake spot come with the Cheers program.  Can anyone verify that?

[maryhou]

3 hours ago, young_ens said:

For the folks just off the sunshine (post Feb 15):

 

How were the new cakes in the Lido?  Limited quantities?

where exactly are the new cakes?  I love key lime cheesecake

 

[maryhou]

Were there any theme nights on the Sunshine in January or February?  

[CRocks]

2 hours ago, Greensuz said:

I’m following this thread, as we are also considering a future Sunshine cruise.  A lot of the reviews I’ve read mention a foul sewer smell in the aft of the ship.  Can anyone speak to that?

 

We were on the Jan 12th Journey cruise (13 day) in cabin #1594 (deck 1 aft), not a whiff of any foul smell anywhere the entire cruise.

[jcollin]

I forgot to mention the Lido cakes.  They had just started on our cruise.  They were awesome, each day something different.  Giant cakes with 4 or 5 choices.  Also we had cheers and everything at JavaBlue / Shake Spot was covered.  I miss my daily grande mochachino.  Also never had a sewer smell.