maynovmom

Did the menu change??? Looking at the menu for Cucina Del Capitano on Carnival's website for the Sunshine, there is a steak listed, Bistecca Alla Griglia, and both tiramisu and cannoli. Here is the link: https://www.carnival.com/~/media/Images/explore/dining/menus/cucina-del-capitano-menu.pdf

I was at Cucina for dinner last week on the Sunshine. I know for a fact the tiramisu and cannoli were not desert choices. I didn’t pay attention to the steak so not sure about that. I enjoyed the food but did miss my cannolis.

We ate at the Cucina on the Sunshine last week and still enjoyed it. I do miss the cannolis. I can’t understand why they’ve been removed from the menu really. They seem like a staple desert. If you have to choose between there and JiJis I would try that. The food was excellent and so many interesting choices.

If you only need for the one day I would consider purchasing one of the higher plans at the day rate. I think the middle plan for one day is cheaper than the base plan for the whole week.

 

Best wishes to your son for the Marathon!

Thanks for your kind wishes! I will check out the middle plan for Marathon Monday. 😄

If you "need" the texts then you purchase the Value plan where iMessages is supported. With the Social plan, it may work or may not work. If it is an actual need, spend the extra money to support that need.

Yes I “need” the texts to be sure my son is safe. My point in asking this question was based on that. The year of the 2013 bombing my daughter was standing right between the two bombs that went off. I’m happy to pay for supporting that “need”. I just didn’t know which would be the best choice and came here for help with that. It’s not about the cost. It is that I don’t plan to be online or use social media for any other reason.

Ideally, you can use iMessages using the Social plan, but reports vary on how reliable it works on that plan. Carnival technically doesn't support iMessages under Social. Also, keep in mind that the Social plan has to be bought for the entire cruise, it can't be purchased on a 24-hour basis like the other two. You could try it and if it doesn't work well, speak to Guest Services. Some have said they've been given refunds for unreliable wifi usage. You could use an alternative messaging app, like fb messenger or whatsapp, both of which are supported on the Social plan. Or you could upgrade to the Value plan where iMessages should work reliably.

Thanks. I understand about fb messenger but I really need the texts because those are automatically sent from the Marathon to show his progress in the race. So I’m trying to figure out the best option. I have free texting on the islands with my own provider. Unfortunately the Marathon is on a sea day....

My son is running in the Boston Marathon while we are cruising. I was told while on the Sunshine I could buy the $5/day plan to receive automated iMessages on my iPhone from the Marathon as he gets to certain points of the race. I can always call his girlfriend from our cabin at a cost but was hoping this would work. Hoping someone out there can give me some info.

Thanks everyone. I will definitely wait until I come home. I only did it on the ship for the onboard credit. If I can get a deal on that when I’m home I’d prefer that. One less hassle while I’m on vacation!

In the past I’ve booked cruises for the following year while onboard. By doing so I would receive an onboard credit for the new booking. I know that this practice was going to end. Is anyone on the Sunshine currently that can let me know? I will be cruising in two weeks and know what cruise I’d like to book for next year. I’ve received a casino offer which goes til the end of this month and of course there’s my usual go-to early saver but I don’t want to miss the onboard credit opportunity as well if I can grab it while sailing on the Sunshine. Thanks!

I have purchased two different EFFY items in port and have had no problems with either. One was a multi colored blue sapphire necklace from a western port in 2013 (info is filed away somewhere) and the other is a pair of tanzanite trillion and diamond studs from 2016 in Grand Turk. I believe the posters’ stories but have to say my pieces are all in perfect condition. EFFY is now a big part of Macy’s fine jewelry collection and is headquartered in the USA. These posts will make me ask more questions and be a more careful shopper however I can say my past experiences have been positive and I receive many compliments on the Effy jewelry I have.

I have booked my first aft wrap on the Sunshine for next April. I can't wait. I had the same concerns as you so I went with deck 7. It has cabins above and below. I understand that the configuration of the rooms are different but want to enjoy the balcony and decided to stick to my plan of always having cabins above and below me.

I'm booked on the Sunshine that same week. I've sailed her before and not only is the eight days what I like love, but the specialty restaurants are terrific. Jijis Cucina Del Capitano and the Havana Bar are places I love. I've never been to Bonaire so am excited to go somewhere new. Aruba and Grand Turk are great and you're there for both a nice long time. That's my vote! Hope I helped.

I happen to love Effy. I have purchased Effy jewelry in three ports. The jewelry is top quality and I've had zero issues with pendants and earrings I've purchased.

First of all I wouldn't buy jewelry on the ship because you "can't deal". There has always been better pricing on the islands. Even if you look on line (and I get their emails) the prices for some items I've seen on the islands cost more on line.

Secondly no jeweler is going to price match with a different jeweler. That isn't price matching. It has to be the exact same item and that's not going to be the case from different jewelers. You can't compare an item that looks the same. It has to be identical in make and quality.

Finally jewelry is a hard thing to really be absolutely sure of the best price. I happen to love nice jewelry and buy a piece annually when cruising. I have certain jewelry stores on the islands that I frequent and trust more than others. That being said I buy what I like and can afford, but I do shop around. I did buy a beautiful ring on the ship once and am not sorry I did. It was a very different blue and white diamond ring than I'd seen anywhere. I felt comfortable with the price and did get it appraised when I got home. I did well according to the jeweler here and had a 30 day return guarantee if it wasn't actually the stone weight and clarity stated on the paperwork.

You should enjoy what you bought and if there is a "next time" compare Effy in the ship to Effy on the islands. If you do buy on the ship I'd wait til you've gone to all the ports. As I said before I think there are more choices there and sometimes it's easier to get a little more for your money.

I read a post somewhere on CC that said you were no longer allowed to bring shells back on the ship from GT. We have been there twice over the years and found some conchs right on the beach. Of course, they were just empty shells...no occupants. Has anyone brought back any shells from GT?

Hi. We were on the Carnival Conquest last month. They were selling beautiful shells on the beach. I bought one once in Belize without any problem so was surprised that a lady getting on the ship right in front of me had it taken away. They said it wasn't allowed any longer.

Hi. Just got one last week on the Conquest. My photo is not the right size according to my upload attempt. It was a whole pineapple cut in half and full of creamy pina colada type drink.

We were on this cruise also and also had a great time. In the Dominican Republic we took the Catalina Island excursion and missed the rain you wrote about. It was a nice beach and partly cloudy but still plenty of sun for us. I loved all the ports and I agree the ship is the perfect size. I have been on the Conquest before and I do miss the specialty restaurants-Cucina and JiJis and also the serenity deck/pool area so will be back on the Sunshine next spring. Happy 30th!

We were in 8328 this past year, Aft wrap. There was a little bit of noise from the Havana bar, but not enough to bother me and I'm a light sleeper. Mostly the idiots screaming down the hall were the problem, not the Havana bar ;). We're booked on the 7th deck, aft wrap this year on the Sunshine - not for anything other than a change of scenery. I'd book 8328 again in a heartbeat. Regarding sun: Yes. I laid on that balcony all day and read. It was my quiet place. It gets quite hot, and there's plenty of sun. The balconies on deck 8 are right below the Havana bar which is glass from ceiling to floor. I suppose someone could see you if you were hanging on the railings and they were specifically looking...so be careful ;)

Hi in 2018 we are booked in Sunshine aft wrap cabin 7322. Let me know how you liked it. I thought getting an aft with cabins above, below, and around would help with noise.

Thank you!

I have booked my first aft wrap balcony in 2018 on the Sunshine. Usually we are on deck 8 mid ship with cabins above, below, across, and on either side. For the aft wrap I went with deck 7 to have cabins above and below me. I didn't want to be right below Havana but I haven't read anything bad. I'm pretty excited to try out the aft wrap and if it doesn't work out will go back to the regular mid ship balconies in the future.

In 2013 I was on a Carnival ship during the Boston Marathon bombing. We are from MA and found out about it around 4pm when we were in our cabin watching the tv after a beautiful day outside. Our college age daughter was at the marathon and we were stunned and very worried about her safety. Carnival allowed us to contact her then to be sure she was fine and a few more times during the week as she was incredibly shaken up. As it turned out she was standing between the two bombs and miraculously she was not injured physically. For a few days there was also a lot of fear while the bombers were being hunted down. Carnival went above and beyond that week for many of the MA guests who needed to call home. I was not told of the incident but every customer representative made sure that I was able to contact my family as needed. I just wanted to say something positive about the company's response to my needs.

On the news I just saw the video of the gunman walking normally among the other travelers. He slips his hand down toward his pants/pocket area and nonchalantly draws the gun to begin shooting. What is so terrifying is how even with all the talk about being aware of your surroundings this couldn't be seen. There was nothing odd at that moment. He looked like any other traveler and it was so scary to see how normal everything appears as he draws the gun up. My God guns just don't belong in public areas! Watch the news people. It's frightening to know nothing looks out of the ordinary until that very second. Bless those families and all that were there harmed physically and mentally. It could be any one of us heading to our cruise or other destinations.

We are booked on deck 7 for the Sunshine in April 2018. Very excited as we always get a regular balcony. I am looking forward to the view and extra balcony space!

Someone whose done it, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the OBC they give you was for your NEXT cruise not the current one you on? Would love to know. I plan to book onboard for our next cruise.

Correct. That's what I've been doing for many years. That's why I didn't understand the post about it being credited for the current cruise. That makes no sense to me.

I agree , and now you have to take the credit on the cruise you are already on ?????

 

 

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I book on the ship annually. Are you saying that they allow you to have the onboard credit immediately applied to your current booking? That seems like still a win for the customer. If you do cancel you'd lose $100 for two people on early saver but you'd already have used your onboard credit perk. So it's still a wash.

Everything is fine now. They must have been making website updates. My booking is back and I didn't have to add it in again. I only worried because people are talking about ships changing ports. I love this ship and I have booked a premium aft wrap. I didn't want to lose it. Thanks everyone!

I'm booked on Sunshine for 4/14/2018. I have been making payments monthly and tonight it says I don't have a booking on line. When I try to book the ship it won't let me either. What does this mean? I plan to call tomorrow but am concerned they've changed the ship?

I could kick myself because I forgot to take any photos the entire week. However, you will love the aft balcony. It is hugh. I think about 75 feet. We had breakfast out there ordering room service. BLT's, coffee, bagels and fruit trays. It was wonderful. The room is configured differently, but I think I liked it better than regular rooms. It's no bigger in size, but the bed is at a different angle. King size bed. On the balcony we had 4 chairs, 2 tables and a chaise lounge with still plenty of room to walk around.

Thank you. We can't wait. Was there additional noises being in the back of the ship? I chose deck seven because there were cabins above and below us and on each side. I'm so used to mid ship that I was a little concerned being at the aft but that wrap deck seemed so wonderful I took a chance :)