Aft or Balcony on the Sunshine?

[bmckim]

So we are about to book on the Sunshine next year, I am looking for some advice/opinions. We can either book a Balcony on Deck 8 below the Lido, or and Aft Balcony on Deck 5. What would you choose?

[Wendylet]

It is really a matter of preference especially with how high up on the ship you want to be. On all my cruises I have selected upwards of deck 8 and loved them all.I prefer to be higher up, away from things like lifeboats and stuff, but that is just my choice. No matter what you choose you will certainly love it. The view will be great!!

[bmckim]

I am leaning towards the higher deck. As long as I can get a room with rooms above us...

[cruisernh]

I picked deck 6 since they added rooms on deck 5

[bmckim]

So I just checked the placement again, and all the regular balcony rooms are under the public areas of lido. Debating now with paying a bit more for a spa balcony. (At least my wife will be happy).

[ch27088]

So we are about to book on the Sunshine next year, I am looking for some advice/opinions. We can either book a Balcony on Deck 8 below the Lido, or and Aft Balcony on Deck 5. What would you choose?

 

I'm actually booking a cruise on the Sunshine next year with DH. We are leaving on March 30th out of New Orleans. Personally I think that I would choose Deck 5 balcony, just my opinion. My reasoning would be the noise form the Lido Deck would probably be too much. Again just my opinion, but hopefully others will weigh in on this and give you other suggestions.

[mazimmer]

So we are about to book on the Sunshine next year, I am looking for some advice/opinions. We can either book a Balcony on Deck 8 below the Lido, or and Aft Balcony on Deck 5. What would you choose?

 

We have booked on deck 5 far 3/23/2014 in what was a aft wrap balcony room. The plans have changed for our room and it is now an Ocean Suite. We booked this room because we wanted a wrap and the ones on deck 5 where the only ones that would hold 4 people. Not sure what happened to make them change the plans for this room but it looks like they might take some of the wrap balcony and make a larger room.

[serene56]

So I just checked the placement again, and all the regular balcony rooms are under the public areas of lido. Debating now with paying a bit more for a spa balcony. (At least my wife will be happy).

 

 

with the areas under the Lido deck-- there are areas that will not have sound. but avoid at all cost being put under the pizza kitchen which is opened 24 hours.

 

being under the pool decks-- especially midship because that is the area that will host the midnight deck parties.

 

any area that is carpeted will not get noise issues.

Edited March 20, 2013 by serene56

[Colorado Kat]

If read correctly, it was regular balcony on 8, or aft on deck 5? Take the aft balcony!

[bmckim]

We ended up getting Aft on 6. And we took it. Booked!

[HOUMA GIRL]

We just returned from our cruise on Sunshine (Barcelona - 12 days) in aft cabin 6379. The cruise and ports were wonderful. It was our first cruise. The cabin was fine. The back of the ship definitely had more motion and engine noise/vibration than mid ship, but we got used to it and slept quite well. The size of the balcony was good. The plexi-glass looked dirty and old. I suppose it wasn't changed out in the renovation. We commented about the dirty deck (black smudges) and glass when we checked in and were assured that it would be cleaned. Our first four days were port days and apparently decks/balconies can only be cleaned while at sea. The night before each sea day (we had three) a letter arrived with our 'Fun Times' asking us to clear the balcony of personal belongings and requesting that we inform them if we intended to be in our cabins from 9:30 am to 1 pm so that cleaning could be re-scheduled. Since we wanted our balcony cleaned, we stayed away from our cabin during these times on all three sea days. We received this letter before each sea day, but our balcony was never cleaned. Friends on deck seven, starboard had their balcony cleaned twice. Our final day at sea, while trying to enjoy one last sunset, soot and greasy brown pellets began to fall on us, so we went inside. Soon the chairs and deck were covered and you couldn't walk out on the deck at all. I contacted guest services, someone came and took pictures and the deck was swept, but you still could not go out there without getting your feet dirty. Not a very pleasant end to a really good cruise, but I would prefer to focus on the good, plus I had lots of packing to do! We also had some type of back-up with our shower drain the morning of our first sea day- we awoke to a wet bathroom floor with black 'sludge'. This happened to at least one other cabin on deck 6 that we noticed. It was promptly cleaned, but I was leary of walking around the cabin in my bare feet after that. I definitely would not go for the aft cabin again after this experience. The Sunshine and crew were great, but still a few wrinkles yet to be ironed out, though I have no idea how the soot problem can be fixed. Fortunately, we chose this cruise for the port days and not the sea days.

[teaach]

I have read that Carnival does it's best job of taking care of passengers on Deck 7 where the majority of suites are. I always book Empress. However, I want to book an ext aft, Deck 7, for our upcoming Sunshine cruise, but I need to know if the 2 middle ext afts are smaller due to the renovation. I learned the hard way when I booked an aft next to the wrap on the Breeze. The 2 afts next to the wraps have annoyingly smaller cabins, no sofa area, so a little claustrophobic.

[mayabean]

I stayed in an extended aft on deck 5 in feb and loved it....it was one of the newly added rooms, it was also the first time I had a sliding balcony door vs a reg door......there was more motion than my previous aft balcony on the magic, but it was a very rough sailing and my parents and kids who were on 8 forward attested to as well......the 5th floor room was mere steps from check in for any time dining, the coffee shop for my morning fix, the casino, and shops....loved the location!

[Giggity]

If you're looking at deck 5 on the Sunshine, check out 5340 and 5341, which are on either corner of the ship. They are Ocean Suites, I was just in 5341 on the April 11 sailing..

 

I'm actually surprised they don't classify this suite as a Grand Suite since it felt MUCH larger than the Ocean Suite I stayed in on the Splendor. We wish it had the wrap balcony, but the balcony was big enough and the room was huge!

 

Here's pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lurkyloo]

I have read that Carnival does it's best job of taking care of passengers on Deck 7 where the majority of suites are. I always book Empress. However, I want to book an ext aft, Deck 7, for our upcoming Sunshine cruise, but I need to know if the 2 middle ext afts are smaller due to the renovation. I learned the hard way when I booked an aft next to the wrap on the Breeze. The 2 afts next to the wraps have annoyingly smaller cabins, no sofa area, so a little claustrophobic.

 

 

Does anyone know if this is the case on the Legend? (Spirit class ship) I booked an aft next to the wrap and the cabin type showed a couch - I am going to be majorly pissed paying more money than a regular balcony if the cabin is annoyingly smaller with no couch! :mad: