Sunshine Take 2 - March 28 - April 2

[MizMoon]

Thanks, again --- this is on Spirit from Seattle to Alaska on May 3rd.  I've got a non-stop flight from Reno, Carnival transfers (gonna try the SeaTac Valet luggage thing on return) and can handle my small backpack (cpap!).  Booked it Feb 2021 after my Panarama was cancelled - four years since my last cruise and I'm ready to go.  BTW, I have Sunshine booked for this December...  Haven't been to Bonaire!

[Thenagers]

On 4/4/2022 at 8:28 PM, ninjacat123 said:

Sunshine Take 2: March 28 – April 2

 

Embarkation:  This time I had my 83 year old mom who needs assistance at times so I was hoping Charleston would accommodate.  I was very happy with the porters who grabbed our bags, the pushers for the wheelchairs and the shuttle between building 324 and the terminal.  We were expedited through till we were on the ship.  Verifly made it very easy to negotiate the check in points.  All in all, a win-win!

 

Our stateroom: We had a spa interior on 12.  Not as small as our interior on Mardi Gras but it was chilly.  I mentioned this to our room attendant Merta and he said it would be okay when we were in hotter climates.  I have to say it was chilly the whole cruise.  Merta kept our room tidy and was personable and professional.  His assistant Daniel did great as well. Great location on 12, close to Serenity and the Spa.

 

Food:  Mom and I were so happy with our food choices!  Started off with burgers at Guys (fries were tasty) then Steakhouse. Steakhouse was elegant and yummy. We decided to buy 2 bottles of wine at 50% off instead of getting the free bottle of wine.  Worked great!  Our wine was kept for us and we could access it in any restaurant on the ship.  Dinner at JiJi’s was delish!  Wish I could have eaten more.  One lunch was Blue Iguana where we had tacos.  So good!  Dinner at Cucina del Capitano was probably my mom’s favorite.  Gaiza took great care of us and we had a window table with a picture perfect sunset.  Only two meals at MDR but they were great!  Our Team Lead Server Joseph with Team Server Ronnie and Asst Team Server I Wayan took wonderful care of us and the food was really good!  I was surprised because the last three cruises MDR was not up to snuff.  We were very happy!  Sea Day Brunch was tasty.

 

Alchemy:  I was pleasantly surprised to find Dusan (pronounced Dushan) and Evan at Alchemy again.  Zoltan was a great addition to the team. Mom and I split a Fiery Tropical Martini (Mezcal and spicy mango, Zoltan’s way) and enjoyed the showy bartender moves of this talented team.

 

Casino:  I had Drinks On Us while I played in the casino.  Mom would sit at the casino bar and people watched while I made my millions.  Ok, I came out $38 ahead which I think is a win.  Waiters would bring me drinks and I had a really fun time at the roulette table for 30 minutes then I would get mom and we would head to dinner.

 

Serenity:  Quite busy but since I worked out early in the morning I was able to score a clamshell for me and mom.  We were comfortable out of the direct sun and relaxing.

 

Spa:  I took advantage of the two free exercise classes that came with our spa room.  First morning I tried Mat Pilates and second  morning I tried yoga.  Our Instructor Barry was knowledgeable and ran a great class. On our last Sea Day it was raining like crazy so Mom and I settled into the heated tile chairs with a view of the ocean.  Very relaxing!

 

Bimini: We took the tram to 360 Beach and were able to grab a clamshell up near the restaurant.  I knew thatbein on the deck would be easier for Mom to hang out in.  We split a chicken quesadilla and it was sizable and yummy!

 

Nassau:  We got a cab to John Watling’s Distillery ($10) and Mom grabbed a table outside in the shade while I procured two Pina Coladas.  We enjoyed the breeze as it rustled through the palm trees overhead as we sipped our awesome drinks.  One of our favorite places to go!

 

Platinum party:  I had never attended this event although I have been Platinum for the past four cruises.  It was a lot of fun, had a great duo entertaining and drinks were liberally being handed out by the passing waiters.

 

Comedy:  We laughed our proverbial butts off when we attended the PG show of Kojo Prince.  He had audience participation and it was a gas.  Unfortunately we didn’t see the other comedian.

 

Main Shows:  Very well done!  The cast puts it all out there and it was a seamless show from start to finish.  Love and Marriage was fun as usual. Jake the CD was “Jake-tastic”!

 

Debarkation: Once again we were taken care of very well with wheelchair service, porters and shuttles.  The only glitch was trying to remember where I parked my car.  Mom found it!

 

The whole time Mom and I felt comfortable, taken care of and safe.  We didn’t wear masks onboard and no one required us to except for embarkation and debarkation.  Overall a wonderful time with my Mom and a great cruise!  If I can, I will answer questions and if I don't know the answer, I bet another CC member will chime in.  Thanks for reading!

Curious how the A/C was in your cabin? Heard they have issues on Sunshine? Really worried as it gets warmer.

[ninjacat123]

On 4/11/2022 at 3:07 PM, Thenagers said:

Curious how the A/C was in your cabin? Heard they have issues on Sunshine? Really worried as it gets warmer.

It was very cold which I would rather have too cold than too hot.  Hope your cruise is great!

[CelticSpirit89]

Do I have to take my carry-on up into the shuttle? I have an older Samantha Brown, wheeled carry-on and it's heavy for me to lift. Did you notice if the shuttle driver put anyone's carry-ons in the luggage bin up under the bus?

[audcc77]

2 hours ago, CelticSpirit89 said:

Do I have to take my carry-on up into the shuttle? I have an older Samantha Brown, wheeled carry-on and it's heavy for me to lift. Did you notice if the shuttle driver put anyone's carry-ons in the luggage bin up under the bus?

Embarkation: Hopefully the driver will help you lift it onto the shuttle. You can just roll it to your seat and slide it into the seat next to you so that it “occupies” a seat but on the floor.  Otherwise the shuttle driver keeps it up front with him. Third option is wheel it back to the second exit door and park it there.  The driver  will help you figure it out but you must ask if you need help. Of course a tip is appropriate especially if they haul it for you. 
 

Disembarkation:  All luggage is usually put in the trailer which is hauled by the shuttle. You normally don’t carry on anything onto the shuttle unless it’s a backpack or something for your lap because it’s very crowded.  In fact, one driver made me put all my luggage on the  OTHER shuttle which I wasn’t thrilled about because it left before our shuttle was even loaded.  Luckily my luggage was fine and I was able to grab it once they dropped us at the pole barn by the parking lot.  
 

Charleston has a hokey way of doing things.  I’ve come to expect it here.  

[bobbismith]

We board 5/5, we just got an email that says suites will be available when we board. Carnival is doing a great job managing this pandemic. 

[Mrs f.]

Very interesting to read.  Thinking of booking a cruise on the Sunshine  just to get away. We are in Myrtle Beach and it's just under a 2 hour drive. We are in our 70s..  Last time we were on a Carnival  ship was in the '80s. At that time it was a horrible line. Food was awful. Rooms bad. I am assuming things have gotten better over the years. I want to try a 1 week cruise.  Any tips I should know? Any absolute  Sunshine dog's and Sony's.  

[ninjacat123]

5 hours ago, Mrs f. said:

Very interesting to read.  Thinking of booking a cruise on the Sunshine  just to get away. We are in Myrtle Beach and it's just under a 2 hour drive. We are in our 70s..  Last time we were on a Carnival  ship was in the '80s. At that time it was a horrible line. Food was awful. Rooms bad. I am assuming things have gotten better over the years. I want to try a 1 week cruise.  Any tips I should know? Any absolute  Sunshine dog's and Sony's.  

The Port of Charleston is different from other ports.  Going from one building to another, taking shuttles, a bit tiring. That's for me the only real downer about Sunshine.

I love Sunshine for it's specialty restaurants, JiJi's (do not miss unless you don't care for delicious Asian cusine) Cucina del Capitano (tasty Italian), Steakhouse (usual great upscale restaurant fare) and Bonsai Sushi Express (Mom and I didn't go there but my DH and I really enjoyed it on our January cruise) and for the Serenity area (21 and over) which has three levels.

Please let me know if you have more questions and I'll try to answer or someone on CC will chime in.  Go book that cruise😃

[mz-s]

The best way I can describe the Sunshine is to think of a nice beach resort built in the 90's that was renovated about a decade ago and not really touched since. It's kept clean, but nobody's going around fixing what's worn or making further upgrades. 

 

I'd love to see Carnival put a newer/better ship in Charleston, but that takes give/take from the city/state and so far the NIMBYs in Charleston have made it clear they do not want it. They can afford to keep the issue locked up in courts until kingdom come.

[bguppies]

10 hours ago, mz-s said:

The best way I can describe the Sunshine is to think of a nice beach resort built in the 90's that was renovated about a decade ago and not really touched since. It's kept clean, but nobody's going around fixing what's worn or making further upgrades. 

 

I'd love to see Carnival put a newer/better ship in Charleston, but that takes give/take from the city/state and so far the NIMBYs in Charleston have made it clear they do not want it. They can afford to keep the issue locked up in courts until kingdom come.

I think  they'll fight a little less now that the entire area around the pier is popping up 6-7 story condos on all sides. (eyesore on the downtown area. Probably hurting the property values of the S.N.O.B.s [slightly North of Broad St.], but eventually the new tenants will more their kind of people)

 

Charleston would be an amazing cruise stop, if the S.N.O.B.s would quit fighting it. As 70% of historical buildings downtown are a short walk from the pier and the Historical Plantations and beaches are all within a 30-45 minute drive of the pier.

Always called the Holy City because there were no tall buildings, taller than the church steeples.Used to take a cruise in the harbor or out to Fort Sumter and all you could see was 100 steeples. Now the construction of condos from the entrance to the bridge to south of the pier, blocks the historic views of the city. Its a shame.

 

Be a great boon to the economy for those of us who don't own a multi-million dollar house, south of Broad St. near the Battery.

[ninjacat123]

Just got off of another great Sunshine cruise over Labor Day weekend!  I hope the powers that be in Charleston change their minds over Carnival being able to embark passengers.