Almost Live - Carnival Sunshine June 6-11, 2022

[wgeddings]

Almost Live from Carnival Sunshine – June 6-11, 2022

 

We live about an hour and a half above Charleston so it is really convenient to go out of Charleston.  We have not done so because of great deals out of Port Canaveral but got a super deal to go on this one.  DW just finished up school year (she is a teacher) and wanted to go to the beach but there is no way to even rent a beach house or motel for less than $500 for 5 nights much less the extra costs for food, so here we are. 

 

First, some quick notes and addressing recent questions I saw on the board about Sunshine.

Smell – I have not noticed any smells nor heard anyone else complaining.

Maintenance – Our sink was stopped up and the shower drain was slow but we reported them and both were fixed within an hour or so.

Port – The Charleston port is not good and it is evident that locals do not like it.  The workers were snippy and rude.  They insisted on inspecting my cans of soda (I guess someone was smuggling in beer?) and confiscated a power strip that has not had a problem on my last 6 cruises in the last 8 months.  Parking and shuttling back and forth (lot to check-in then check-in to ship) is a bother but is better than the 6 hour ride to Canaveral. 

Cabin – We have a 4J cabin (outside with obstructed view that is classed as interior).  Cabin was fine in terms of size but we had a broken sink, slow drain in shower and telephone did not work nor did sound on 2 TV channels.  Cabin Steward worked hard to get the people there to fix stuff but they were a bit frustrating and slow and he kept apologizing (Thank you Henry!).  Everything was finally fixed by the time we left port.

Guest Services – continues to be a weak point!  Most details in full report later. 

Bar Service – Awful, absolutely awful.  At every bar, there are far too few bartenders and they are very slow making drinks.  They have very surly attitudes and I cannot blame them because almost everyone is mad by the time they finally get their drinks. 

Ship – Overall, the ship is older but the remodel has made it similar in most ways to my favorite Carnival ship (the Horizon).  They have an Ocean Plaza, Havana Bar, JiJi Asian, Cucino de Captino, Steakhouse, Bonzai Sushi, etc.  No dedicated theater for movies and no Guy’s Pig and Anchor but otherwise good.

Internet – Shockingly, the internet is far better than I was expecting.  I got the middle plan and I have about 5MB/5MB speeds most of the time.  I was expecting far worse and have had far worse on other ships so I was expecting this one to be bad given the ship’s age.  However, I am very pleased and impressed.  I know it varies from ship to ship but I have found the internet on THIS ship for THIS cruise to be excellent. 

Food – The food has been good.  With Cucino closed for dinner, Carnival announced some of the entrees would be on the MDR menu for no extra price.  The only ones are the Chicken Parm and a Seafood pasta though and it does not change.   Chicken Parm was okay but far from the real Cucino.   At least Mongolian Wok and Cucino pasta lunch are fine (but not as easy as on Horizon, you still have to wait in line at the Wok).  

Table Cleaning - never saw a problem and they were cleaning our tables (MDR and buffet) almost as soon as we would finish everyone on a plate).

SeaDay Brunch - Horrible experience.  Our waiter clearly did not want to be there and was almost rude.  Watched other tables getting served, getting bread, juice, etc. and never saw our waiter after he took our orders.   Beware if you get a waiter named Eka.  I had the roast beef sandwich and if there was 2 ounces of beef on it, I would be shocked.  Picture a slim jim on a hanburger bun and you would not be far wrong.  Other waiters were similarly surly to other diners and I will not waste time with "Seaday Brunch" again if even the wait staff do not want to be there.  In contrast, our MDR wait staff has been excellent.  

 

More details later.  If you have a question, let me know and glad to check on something if I can.

 

Tommy

[ninjacat123]

My mom and I were on Sunshine beginning of April.  If you happen to see in MDR Joseph, Ronnie and I Wayan please say hi from Bethany and her mom.  If you go to Alchemy and see Dusan (pronounced Doosh-an), Evan and Zoltan please tell them I miss my Fiery Tropical Martinis made with Mezcal.  I don't know where staff from Cucina would be, but if you see Gaiza tell her hi from us as well.

Just in case you don't have anything to do🤣thanks!!

Edited June 8, 2022 by ninjacat123

[Cruise, J.D.]

Thanks for the report. The staffing issues are worrisome. Outside of a few isolated experiences over the years, I've always enjoyed the friendliness of Carnival employees. 

[bingo3]

Thank you! I am living vicariously through your posts! We were supposed to sail Sunshine June 2-6, but one kid asymptomatic tested positive, so now don't go till August 6, when I am sure it will be super hot and super crowded! And was over double the fare! But, what's done is done! Enjoy your cruise!!

[mz-s]

I love the Sunshine and I am wishing you a very fun cruise, I see you are heading to Half Moon Cay tonight judging by the cruise mapper site. Enjoy!

[momin05]

Thank you so much for posting a mini review. We board on Saturday!  All 18 of our crowd of 22 who tested today all tested negative!!

 

We also love Sunshine and always love the Carnival staff. It makes me sad to know they are getting frustrated. I hope they can get this staffing issue resolved soon.  
 

Sea day brunch has always been a favorite. I was already sad about losing the filet on steak and eggs. But now to hear this…it’s too bad. That meal has always been such a nice pace, away from the bustle of lido and just a relaxing specialty. 
 

I am glad to hear of the many positives, though. 
 

Have you tried any steakhouse selections in MDR?  I am curious the quality of the filet or lobster. 
 

And is it true there is no music in Red Frog Pub and limited live music at all?

[Guest BasicSailor]

5 minutes ago, momin05 said:

 

And is it true there is no music in Red Frog Pub and limited live music at all?

None, zippo.😶

[wgeddings]

13 hours ago, momin05 said:

Thank you so much for posting a mini review. We board on Saturday!  All 18 of our crowd of 22 who tested today all tested negative!!

 

We also love Sunshine and always love the Carnival staff. It makes me sad to know they are getting frustrated. I hope they can get this staffing issue resolved soon.  
 

Sea day brunch has always been a favorite. I was already sad about losing the filet on steak and eggs. But now to hear this…it’s too bad. That meal has always been such a nice pace, away from the bustle of lido and just a relaxing specialty. 
 

I am glad to hear of the many positives, though. 
 

Have you tried any steakhouse selections in MDR?  I am curious the quality of the filet or lobster. 
 

And is it true there is no music in Red Frog Pub and limited live music at all?

Red Frog Pub has been quiet but I have not been there too often.  Have not tried the steakhouse selections on this cruise but they have been underwhelming on other ships/cruises.  Have not been to the steakhouse yet and MDR has been great so we may not go.  We’ll see.  
 

Jinxed myself!  After bragging on the internet yesterday, it went out last night all night.  Bad weather may have been part but working now so I’ll stay quiet. 😃

 

Last night in MDR I had the beef tenderloin and it was outstanding!  Some of the best meat I have had on cruises or not.  Tender and flavorful.  Also had linguini and Italian sausage and it was also fantastic.  Had both on other cruises but never this good.  I was STUFFED but managed to also eat the roasted pineapple dessert and, you guessed it, it was fantastic too.  No idea why all was so much better last night but just thankful.    
 

I have not slept as good on this cruise and realized why.  The mattresses lack the pillowtop the mattresses on other ships had.  Not uncomfortable but just not as comfortable.  No idea why these mattresses are not the same as other ships.  
 

The casino machines and slot gods have not smiled on me but I have tried.  Usual complaints about the casino (tons of cigarette smoke that makes your clothes stink and eyes burn so I wish the would have a no smoking section or just outlaw smoking. Also very few waiters who are never around when you want a drink but always there once you have one <sigh>)

[bambam]

23 hours ago, wgeddings said:

Almost Live from Carnival Sunshine – June 6-11, 2022

 

We live about an hour and a half above Charleston so it is really convenient to go out of Charleston.  We have not done so because of great deals out of Port Canaveral but got a super deal to go on this one.  DW just finished up school year (she is a teacher) and wanted to go to the beach but there is no way to even rent a beach house or motel for less than $500 for 5 nights much less the extra costs for food, so here we are. 

 

First, some quick notes and addressing recent questions I saw on the board about Sunshine.

Smell – I have not noticed any smells nor heard anyone else complaining.

Maintenance – Our sink was stopped up and the shower drain was slow but we reported them and both were fixed within an hour or so.

Port – The Charleston port is not good and it is evident that locals do not like it.  The workers were snippy and rude.  They insisted on inspecting my cans of soda (I guess someone was smuggling in beer?) and confiscated a power strip that has not had a problem on my last 6 cruises in the last 8 months.  Parking and shuttling back and forth (lot to check-in then check-in to ship) is a bother but is better than the 6 hour ride to Canaveral. 

Cabin – We have a 4J cabin (outside with obstructed view that is classed as interior).  Cabin was fine in terms of size but we had a broken sink, slow drain in shower and telephone did not work nor did sound on 2 TV channels.  Cabin Steward worked hard to get the people there to fix stuff but they were a bit frustrating and slow and he kept apologizing (Thank you Henry!).  Everything was finally fixed by the time we left port.

Guest Services – continues to be a weak point!  Most details in full report later. 

Bar Service – Awful, absolutely awful.  At every bar, there are far too few bartenders and they are very slow making drinks.  They have very surly attitudes and I cannot blame them because almost everyone is mad by the time they finally get their drinks. 

Ship – Overall, the ship is older but the remodel has made it similar in most ways to my favorite Carnival ship (the Horizon).  They have an Ocean Plaza, Havana Bar, JiJi Asian, Cucino de Captino, Steakhouse, Bonzai Sushi, etc.  No dedicated theater for movies and no Guy’s Pig and Anchor but otherwise good.

Internet – Shockingly, the internet is far better than I was expecting.  I got the middle plan and I have about 5MB/5MB speeds most of the time.  I was expecting far worse and have had far worse on other ships so I was expecting this one to be bad given the ship’s age.  However, I am very pleased and impressed.  I know it varies from ship to ship but I have found the internet on THIS ship for THIS cruise to be excellent. 

Food – The food has been good.  With Cucino closed for dinner, Carnival announced some of the entrees would be on the MDR menu for no extra price.  The only ones are the Chicken Parm and a Seafood pasta though and it does not change.   Chicken Parm was okay but far from the real Cucino.   At least Mongolian Wok and Cucino pasta lunch are fine (but not as easy as on Horizon, you still have to wait in line at the Wok).  

Table Cleaning - never saw a problem and they were cleaning our tables (MDR and buffet) almost as soon as we would finish everyone on a plate).

SeaDay Brunch - Horrible experience.  Our waiter clearly did not want to be there and was almost rude.  Watched other tables getting served, getting bread, juice, etc. and never saw our waiter after he took our orders.   Beware if you get a waiter named Eka.  I had the roast beef sandwich and if there was 2 ounces of beef on it, I would be shocked.  Picture a slim jim on a hanburger bun and you would not be far wrong.  Other waiters were similarly surly to other diners and I will not waste time with "Seaday Brunch" again if even the wait staff do not want to be there.  In contrast, our MDR wait staff has been excellent.  

 

More details later.  If you have a question, let me know and glad to check on something if I can.

 

Tommy

Great reviews Tommy. We’ll be on Sunshine in Sept. Wondering if you’ve have any tips on breakfast pastries.. where to go..  I usually bring a travel pot for coffee and like to get a plate of pastries for early AM balcony moments. Thxs!!

[mz-s]

I agree the beef tenderloin is great, definitely one of my favorite dishes. I don't remember it from before COVID so I can't say for sure if it's a new dish or I just never noticed it before.

[wgeddings]

Bambam, there are several good options.  There is the Javablue on deck 5 near Ocean Plaza with lots of pastries for a fee.  Beyond that, you have the Lido buffet or room service or, on SeaDays, the Brunch.  There were other places pre-Covid but I haven’t seen any others.  If it were me, I would probably use the room service card that you hang on the door.  

DW, DD and her friend went ashore to Half-moon Cay.  They said it was great and the water temp already wonderful. I decided to stay onboard since beaches aren’t my thrill. 
 

Ate a snack today at about 5:00 and noticed many messy tables and few servers.  However, I believe it was shift change or they were all busy elsewhere getting dinner ready.  All that was open was Guys, deli, and pizza so I do not think there were many servers on duty.  During “normal” times, I have seen lots of servers almost hovering waiting to clear plates.  
 

Had a better time in the casino but the smoke finally ran me out.  It was socially acceptable to smoke around others but I wonder how it would be if flatulence was socially acceptable for a while?  I was tempted to create my own “all natural cloud of fog” but even I could not stoop that low. 😊.  Still, I wish casinos would realize things change and public smoking is no longer as acceptable.  Of course those who want to smoke will make far more noise about a policy change than non-smokers are about requesting a policy change.  Still, I can dream.  
 

Tonight was the Latin Nights show and it was very good.  Sunshine has the new active video backdrop for the stage (like Horizon has) and it adds a lot.  The performers worked really hard!  BTW here is a link to a great page from Saint Greg that lists all Carnival shows, what ship they are on and the songs performed.  I found it really a great resource!  https://www.saintgregtravel.com/playlist-productions/  
 

 

 

 

[ninjacat123]

FYI, on my Ecstasy cruise May 28 - June 2, I called to get those breakfast room service cards.  Well, I was told to scan the QR code on the wall and call in my morning wake up breakfast with specific wake up  time.  The deliveries were always a bit earlier than my requested time but it worked out great!  Coffee was hot as well, bonus!😄

[momin05]

Are the hang tags still working?  They were supposedly doing away with them in June. We love the hang tag and it is the last thing we do at night before we turn out the light. Just a silly routine but my daughter likes to take our order and fill out the tag. It will be awesome if they still have it. 
 

and I am glad to hear about the food quality. And thanks for the tip on the beef tenderloin!

 

(I really hate to hear about the smoke though. Grrrr.  I also wish they would realize that smoking is not a thing in any public place any more.)

[ninjacat123]

9 hours ago, momin05 said:

Are the hang tags still working?  They were supposedly doing away with them in June. We love the hang tag and it is the last thing we do at night before we turn out the light. Just a silly routine but my daughter likes to take our order and fill out the tag. It will be awesome if they still have it. 
 

and I am glad to hear about the food quality. And thanks for the tip on the beef tenderloin!

 

(I really hate to hear about the smoke though. Grrrr.  I also wish they would realize that smoking is not a thing in any public place any more.)

On my recent Ecstasy cruise, my DDs and I played roulette for 3 nights and didn't notice any smokers by us or smoky air.  Maybe we were lucky that way.  Not so much with roulette🤑

[Silent Penguin]

On 6/8/2022 at 9:24 PM, bingo3 said:

Thank you! I am living vicariously through your posts! We were supposed to sail Sunshine June 2-6, but one kid asymptomatic tested positive, so now don't go till August 6, when I am sure it will be super hot and super crowded! And was over double the fare! But, what's done is done! Enjoy your cruise!!

That is a huge bummer, but I hope your postponed trip turns out to be a blessing in disguise!

[Silent Penguin]

10 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

FYI, on my Ecstasy cruise May 28 - June 2, I called to get those breakfast room service cards.  Well, I was told to scan the QR code on the wall and call in my morning wake up breakfast with specific wake up  time.  The deliveries were always a bit earlier than my requested time but it worked out great!  Coffee was hot as well, bonus!😄

I think I remember  the room service coffee tasting better than the dining room coffee (which is the worst coffee I ever tasted).  What do you think?   

[ninjacat123]

8 minutes ago, Silent Penguin said:

I think I remember  the room service coffee tasting better than the dining room coffee (which is the worst coffee I ever tasted).  What do you think?   

I agree!  Maybe because I'm sipping on it while in my jammies....

[Silent Penguin]

I appreciated your honest report about the Sunshine right now and about your experience with leaving out of Charlotte.  We've considered cruising out of Charleston because, like you mentioned, it's closer than the Florida ports if we choose to drive.  Aside from that fact, it has no other appeal.  If the price was right, we would give it a try.  

 

We just got off the Elation a few weeks ago.  We had some similar experiences with the staff but not to the point of anyone being surly.  Everyone at the port was just great, but  on the ship, you could definitely tell that the dining room and hotel staff were under a lot of strain and everyone was working extra hard to try to keep us happy.    I asked Neil at the Q & A session if the staff was sacrificing some of their down time because of the staff shortages right now, and he emphatically confirmed that to be a fact.  

 

I hope you will share more of your family's experiences on this cruise.  How much parking, btw? 

 

 

 

 

[mz-s]

The room service coffee is definitely better than Lido's coffee. I don't notice a huge difference between the dining room and room service's coffee though.

 

I wish there was a place on the ship where I could get a cup of normal light roast drip coffee.

[CruzCra-Z]

11 hours ago, momin05 said:

Are the hang tags still working?  They were supposedly doing away with them in June. We love the hang tag and it is the last thing we do at night before we turn out the light. Just a silly routine but my daughter likes to take our order and fill out the tag. It will be awesome if they still have it. 
 

and I am glad to hear about the food quality. And thanks for the tip on the beef tenderloin!

 

(I really hate to hear about the smoke though. Grrrr.  I also wish they would realize that smoking is not a thing in any public place any more.)

we were on the Magic last month and the non-smoking Casino was an absolute joy.  I spent more time there than I ever have. Also speaking to the staff they loved working there. I just can't deal with the smoke or the people who will sit right next to you with their cancer stick right under your nose.  It's just not polite... So hopefully the future is more non-smoking options.

[momin05]

@wgeddings, can I ask what time you arrived at the terminal?  We have a 930 arrival appointment, but I am surprised parking is even open that early in Charleston. Wondering about your experience. Or if anyone else has experience with arriving early to board in Charleston. Thanks!

[Drazil65]

We have a 930 arrival appointment, but I am surprised parking is even open that early in Charleston

 

We cruised on the Sunshine the last week of May and had same arrival time frame.  We got there at about 15 mins early and the line was already started and the gate open.  We were ushered in, they took our tagged luggage and lined all the cars up where a woman came down the line so we could pay for parking. 

 

They started parking us about 10 and then we walked over to bldg 324(?) with our carry ons.  The shuttles came to take us from the checkin bldg to the terminal by 1045, we walked on ship about 11:15.   

[momin05]

Thank you, @Drazil65.  That’s good to know parking is open that early. But boy, 2 hours from arrival to getting on board is a long time!  I know Charleston is different and we have cruised out of there before (but it has been several years, before they opened Bldg 324). But I was hoping with the earliest arrival appointment, we would be on board sooner. I will be sure to pack my patience!  Thank you for replying!

[Drazil65]

I was hoping with the earliest arrival appointment, we would be on board sooner. I will be sure to pack my patience! 

 

I am sure they need time to turn everything over from the last cruise (especially with staff shortages) and truthfully we thought our boarding was early.  We would consider anything close to 11 am pretty early for the 1st and 2nd group boarding on most cruises.  

[mz-s]

31 minutes ago, momin05 said:

Thank you, @Drazil65.  That’s good to know parking is open that early. But boy, 2 hours from arrival to getting on board is a long time!  I know Charleston is different and we have cruised out of there before (but it has been several years, before they opened Bldg 324). But I was hoping with the earliest arrival appointment, we would be on board sooner. I will be sure to pack my patience!  Thank you for replying!

 

Even in Miami they don't start boarding until usually around 11AM, give or take.