From the Carnival Vista to the Sunshine. Will I be disappointed?

My last cruise was in January 2017 on the Vista. It was an absolutely amazing cruise. My next one will be a New Years cruise on the Sunshine to the Western Caribbean. I'm not hearing good things about the Sunshine. Is it really a "downgrade" from the Vista?

Depends on what you liked about the Vista. If you're looking for the SkyRide or Thrill Theatre, or some of the things that Vista has and Sunshine doesn't, then yes.

I haven't been on the Sunshine yet, but have been on the Glory 8 times (9 in Oct), the Conquest twice, Valor, and Liberty and can tell you that I much prefer Conquest Class ships.

Don't go strictly on reviews. If you pay attention to those on Vista, you will see plenty of people that don't like it. But you thought it was great. People have different opinions and certain things hold various amount of weight in determining what someone likes and their experience.

I have never had a bad cruise. While I do read what others think, it's more for guidance. Like watch out for this, or make sure you do that, or here's a shortcut, things of that nature. We all have different opinions. Go with an open mind and draw your own conclusions. If you're looking to be disappointed before you step foot on her, then you will be.

:p You will love the Sunshine. I have done the Vista and it is great. But the Sunshine has many things that work just right.... the lido buffet among them. It is just the right size !:cool:

;p LOVE LOVE LOVE the Sunshine. We did the Vista for New Years Eve and it was the best NYE ever. How ever the Sunshine is a stand alone ship. We have sailed it 4 times already and have 4 more cruises booked on it. It has some of the best food on all of the Carnival ships IMHO and the staff is all at the top of the list. The CD was Dr. D the last time we were on the Sunshine. One of the best CDs. Don't believe the complaints about the crowds. There are more places to eat on that ship then most. The pool does get crowded but we never use it so it dose not effect us. I'm sure you will enjoy your cruise ion the Sunshine.:cool:

Is it really a "downgrade" from the Vista?

Of course, every Carnival ship is a downgrade from the Vista. But that doesn't mean you won't like the Sunshine. Sunshine for us would be the #2 Carnival ship behind the Vista (haven't been on Breeze or Magic).

I sailed the "Sunshine" when it was the Destiny. It's been remodeled with more cabins and less public space. After the Vista, I would consider the Sunshine a serious "downgrade", but I doubt I will ever book that ship again. I won't have that issue when I sail the Horizon.

Of course, YMMV.

a few less bells and whistles on the Sunshine but they are both sardine class ships so the amount of PSR should be pretty close.

I think you'd be fine on the Sunshine.:)

Bill

We sailed the Sunshine in 2014 out of NOLA shortly after it was refurbished. My favorite ship. Never been on the Vista but the Sunshine will not let you down. Great Serenity deck - 3 stories with its own pool. Most specialty restaurants as the vista. Havana Bar at the aft. Only negative I remember is the comedy club is small. Just show up 15 minutes early and your ok..love the Sunshine.

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We sailed the Sunshine in 2014 out of NOLA shortly after it was refurbished. My favorite ship. Never been on the Vista but the Sunshine will not let you down. Great Serenity deck - 3 stories with its own pool. Most specialty restaurants as the vista. Havana Bar at the aft. Only negative I remember is the comedy club is small. Just show up 15 minutes early and your ok..love the Sunshine.

 

 

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I like the sunshine also. Love the Havana bar area. But the comedy club is small so get there earlier as suggested.

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Probably not. I resisted and resisted cruising on the Sunshine. Sailed the Breeze (still my most favorite ship) and the Dream but then got a Casino offer on the Sunshine that I couldn't pass up about a year and a half ago. Sailed and I'd sail her again. She has enough bells and whistles that I was satisfied.

We love both the Vista and Sunshine. Our favorite cruises have been on the Sunshine. Even though personnel change all the time on all ships, we have had the best on our Sunshine cruises.

It depends on your expectations whether any ship is a downgrade or not. We never think of it that way. Each cruise and each ship is a different and new experience.

I am now reading a thread by Nicole who was on the Sunshine for New Years in 2017. She does a great review talking about all the different areas and the pros and cons. I think her review would really help you and answer many of your questions.

I read the bad reviews about Sunshine.

Bought them

Then wound up going on Sunshine for Christmas Cruise. Port Canaveral is a 3 hour drive from my home.

Loved it . Loved it. Food Good. Shows Good. Staff Good. Did not like the Activities Director too much for the way she did Trivia, but she worked her butt off. Something was going on all the Time, I have a photo of my staid, non drinking husband with a Santa Hat on, a beer in his hands, having a heck of a time in the Lobby....with hundreds of other people.

POOLS in Summer. Way too small. But as we don't swim or sun.......living in Florida, we are careful of Sun. And I don't mean to sound smug. While the folks in Michigan and Nova Scotia are cool and happy.....it is an inferno here in summer. But 8 months of the year are Perfect Weather.

Give the Sunshine a chance is my advice.

I am now reading a thread by Nicole who was on the Sunshine for New Years in 2017. She does a great review talking about all the different areas and the pros and cons. I think her review would really help you and answer many of your questions.

I would love to read that thread! Can you put the link here please

I would love to read that thread! Can you put the link here please

There is a review of the Sunshine on these boards now.

If you click on The Sunshine on the list of ships that runs on the Left side of comment page, that has all of the recent posts regarding that Ship.

I Always read them before I book, and before I sail. Hidden gems of information are in many of them. You get a feel for the ship.

The thing I did not like about the Sunshine was the lack of outdoor spaces (or indoor with a window) to sit and read. If you are not a reader and don't want to sit and look at the ocean you probably won't notice. Other than that the ship was very nice. The Breeze has many more relaxing spaces where you can see the ocean as do the smaller ships (lounges not in use during the day, etc.). We didn't find many of those kinds of areas on the Sunshine.

a few less bells and whistles on the Sunshine but they are both sardine class ships so the amount of PSR should be pretty close.

 

 

 

I think you'd be fine on the Sunshine.:)

 

 

 

Bill

PSR was and still is a meaningless number, which ranks slightly below the sardine class statement

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The Sunshine was an amazing ship with lots to do. Of course she won't have the brand new features of the Vista-class but she still holds her own in her own category.

With that being said, we have a small cruise booked on the Horizon which will be a big tease in my opinion but excited never the less, she will be the newest ship we sail on since the Regal Princess.

As firemanbobswife said, it depends on what you liked about the Vista. The Sunshine is a cruise ship and will have many of the same features but it is smaller, and for sure will be different than the Vista. We went on it and the Conquest after being on the Breeze, we had a great time on both, but they were a smaller and different. I wouldn't say we were disappointed, but there were things missing, things that were smaller, and it seemed more crowded in spots (comedy club and adult pool for instance). I'm sure you will see a difference, but can't tell you how you'll feel about it. Remember, it's still a cruise.

FYI, I think this is the thread about the New Years cruise

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2496442

My last cruise was in January 2017 on the Vista. It was an absolutely amazing cruise. My next one will be a New Years cruise on the Sunshine to the Western Caribbean. I'm not hearing good things about the Sunshine. Is it really a "downgrade" from the Vista?

Just got off the Sunshine today. Loved it, though I've never done the Vista. I thought crowds were handled well. Got steakhouse and Jiji's reservations; just had to be a half hour flexible on time. Never waited for a table for buffet. Guy's Burger and Blue Iguana were terrific! Ocean view room was spacious. Always found a beach chair- we weren't picky about location. Big casino - plenty of space to lose my money Lol (my husband won:) Don't know if my time dining was changed fleet-wide or not, but having a check in station by two bars (one of them the impressive Alchemy; the other by the relaxed and fun Red Frog Pub) and complementary tapas (on at-sea days) was genius!

Note: they announced that Punchliners was going to be scrapped and redesigned...I thought in January...

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Just got off the Sunshine today. Loved it, though I've never done the Vista. I thought crowds were handled well. Got steakhouse and Jiji's reservations; just had to be a half hour flexible on time. Never waited for a table for buffet. Guy's Burger and Blue Iguana were terrific! Ocean view room was spacious. Always found a beach chair- we weren't picky about location. Big casino - plenty of space to lose my money Lol (my husband won:) Don't know if my time dining was changed fleet-wide or not, but having a check in station by two bars (one of them the impressive Alchemy; the other by the relaxed and fun Red Frog Pub) and complementary tapas (on at-sea days) was genius!

Note: they announced that Punchliners was going to be scrapped and redesigned...I thought in January...

 

 

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I have not seen nor heard they were scrapping the punch liners (they did break with George Lopez sometime ago). Can you pot a reference ? I would be shocked, it is extremely popular.

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My last cruise was in January 2017 on the Vista. It was an absolutely amazing cruise. My next one will be a New Years cruise on the Sunshine to the Western Caribbean. I'm not hearing good things about the Sunshine. Is it really a "downgrade" from the Vista?

We have done both multiple times and done reviews on both multiple times. It certainly is true that the Sunshine (in the major overhaul she got) had many of the things out on her that would later be deployed on the Vista (and following ships) as well as some unique ones, serenity as an example. She certainly is smaller than the Vista but much of the same charm.

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Really depends on what you like... to me many ships are an upgrade from the vista

 

I don't like how the vista is a much larger ship but yyy ok have less room wherever you go

 

Everything is cramped everywhere a d it is ... in my opinion.. just too much

 

You don't walk I to the atrium and say wow.. because you have one huge seascape cutting the atrium in half... I could go on forever.. and I prefer big ships... just not the vista

 

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I was on the first sailing out of the US and I thought the exact same thing. Don't get me wrong, I had fun but I remember thinking the exact same thing.

Our first cruise was the Destiny and we liked it. Our last cruise was the Vista our next one is he Sunshine and then back on the Vista so we'll see lol!

wow my typing was terrible! The most exciting thing for me was watching it arrive into Trieste Italy for the inaugural.

 

We stayed in the family Harbour area which is amazing.. loved that.. but the ship itself as i was trying to say... almost seems to commercial. example.. you can swipe your card almost anywhere and purchase beer on tap.. yes on the Lido deck, in the pubs, in the dining wait area... in the Library

 

the sports Deck is very nice.. trying to be fair here.. i mentioned the bad but not the good.. there are some very nice aspects like the Skyride etc.. but overall..

 

I would never book the Vista because its the Vista.. I have however sailed on it 4 times... the Inaugural as well as the next sailing (B2B) then did the transitioning from New York to Miami and the next sailing ( B2B). Would seem like i love it, i book for many reasons but the ship isnt one of them.. there are couple of ships i been on 6 times

 

The Sunshine has the only 3 level Serenity area, beautiful. You dont feel like a number on the Sunshine if that makes sense... and for 100 other reasons i would take the sunshine over the Vista..

 

In closing, even though the Horizon is a sister ship, there are several things changed already in the design AND... they have made several changes to the Vista since only last year... removed walls from the casino... added Guys Pig n Anchor.. few other things

Yeah we were the first cruise with the pig n anchor...that was one of the best things about the ship. Did they expand the casino?? Cause that was a complaint I kept hearing...it seems like they tried to put to much stuff in a really narrow area. It seemed to me in general that they added like 700-800 more ppl than normal ships but only really added maybe one deck. It felt like it was just as wide as say the Splendor or Conquest.