Liberty or Sunshine?!?

[jgallow]

Hey all. I haven't been on either ship, so help me decide between the liberty and the sunshine for our new year's 2014/2015 cruise. They both leave from Port Canaveral on 12/27 and both are 7 days long. Sunshine is doing the eastern and liberty is doing the western. Thanks in advance!

[golfadj]

Been on Dream several times and really liked her. From all that I have read Sunshine will be a very crowded ship with public areas way too small to accomodate her passengers.

[Topo Gigio]

Will be boarding Sunshine this Sunday. Looking at the date you want to travel I think that BOTH ships will be very crowded!!

[fuddrules]

Been on Dream several times and really liked her. From all that I have read Sunshine will be a very crowded ship with public areas way too small to accomodate her passengers.

 

Only a few first hand reports of this in limited areas.

 

What you are reading are the Monas spectulating w/o any first hand knowledge.

[Tapi]

Did you already make up your mind? Your signature says Sunshine

[golfadj]

Only a few first hand reports of this in limited areas.

 

What you are reading are the Monas spectulating w/o any first hand knowledge.

 

Good friends of ours who did the TA told us about their experience. Have cruised with them twice and totally believe whast they said.

 

Hard to get into lounge for comedy club as it is way to small, also main show lounge is also very small.

[fuddrules]

Good friends of ours who did the TA told us about their experience. Have cruised with them twice and totally believe whast they said.

 

Hard to get into lounge for comedy club as it is way to small, also main show lounge is also very small.

 

Exactly, as I said, limited areas. Worse when you're ship bound on a TA. The NYE cruise, while a very busy time for all ships, has 4 port days. That'll break things up somewhat.

 

To the OP, if you're sailing for the comedy club and don't like to wait in line to get a good seat. Don't sail the Sunshine.

[jgallow]

Thanks everybody . Currently booked on the sunshine but considering switching.

 

 

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[golfadj]

Exactly, as I said, limited areas. Worse when you're ship bound on a TA. The NYE cruise, while a very busy time for all ships, has 4 port days. That'll break things up somewhat.

 

To the OP, if you're sailing for the comedy club and don't like to wait in line to get a good seat. Don't sail the Sunshine.

 

Wait till the ship sales in the Caribbean during the summer with a bunch of sea days. That will tell the tale very quickly.

 

Bet if you caluclate seating in main lounge to sailing capacity for Sunshine and compare say with the Dream my point gets made very quickly.

[fuddrules]

Wait till the ship sales in the Caribbean during the summer with a bunch of sea days. That will tell the tale very quickly.

 

Bet if you caluclate seating in main lounge to sailing capacity for Sunshine and compare say with the Dream my point gets made very quickly.

 

"Just wait" - you sound like EZ4, Pine Bluff, Phlybice, et. al. hyperventilating over every little issue. If a few cruises in the summer get crowded, we'll all live, it's a busy time. Plus, if this ship is so bad, how will it ever get crowded, sounds like the perfect ship to sail in busy season.

 

If the Lounge is small you don't like the entertainment anyway so what do you care?

Edited January 24, 2014 by fuddrules

[Tapi]

While I haven't sailed on the Sunshine, it does make me wonder why, after Carnival had announced that other ships would also get "Sunshined" (and even new ship names had been copyrighted), they abruptly announced that no other ships would go through the process just a few months after the Sunshine started sailing.

 

If the concept had proven to be successful, I believe they would've moved forward with the other ships, but the fact that they backpedaled and decided against it so abruptly tells me more about the Sunshine than any Cruise Critic review.

[gregg204]

Plus, if this ship is so bad, how will it ever get crowded, sounds like the perfect ship to sail in busy season

 

Excellent statement! I just wish I would have thought of it first.:D

[fuddrules]

While I haven't sailed on the Sunshine, it does make me wonder why, after Carnival had announced that other ships would also get "Sunshined" (and even new ship names had been copyrighted), they abruptly announced that no other ships would go through the process just a few months after the Sunshine started sailing.

 

If the concept had proven to be successful, I believe they would've moved forward with the other ships, but the fact that they backpedaled and decided against it so abruptly tells me more about the Sunshine than any Cruise Critic review.

 

 

Let me ask, where would Carnival "Sunshine" a ship? Just wondering what options they have?

 

You can't go back to that disaster of an Italian port. That crew is what caused the the bulk of the problems to begin with.

 

Bahamas I would think is booked with other Carnival ships.

 

I have to say I was disappointed when they said no more Sunshining. You can do that to 7 to 8 ships vs. building new. That would give me 7 to 8 more ships to sail at a better price than an overpriced new ship.

 

If I wanted "brand spakin new" with all the bells and whistles, I'd sail RCCI.

 

Regardless of Carnivals financial decision to not Sunshine, the overwhelming majority of people posting that have been actually ON the ship, have been positive.

Edited January 24, 2014 by fuddrules

[golfadj]

"Just wait" - you sound like EZ4, Pine Bluff, Phlybice, et. al. hyperventilating over every little issue. If a few cruises in the summer get crowded, we'll all live, it's a busy time. Plus, if this ship is so bad, how will it ever get crowded, sounds like the perfect ship to sail in busy season.

 

If the Lounge is small you don't like the entertainment anyway so what do you care?

 

Our favorite part of Carnival entertainment is the comedy club. Based on what our friends have said it is much to small for the number of people on the ship and unless you get there way early you will not get in.

 

That would seriously bother me and as a result will not book a cruise on the Sunshine. That is my opinion and will stick to it.

 

We were on the Dream last month and it is capable of handling the crowd. Going on the Glory in two weeks and that is also capable ot handling the crowds.

 

We have been going on Carnival ships 2-3x a year and think I am entitled to my opinion. Sorry if you dont like that opinion.

[fuddrules]

Our favorite part of Carnival entertainment is the comedy club. Based on what our friends have said it is much to small for the number of people on the ship and unless you get there way early you will not get in.

 

We have been going on Carnival ships 2-3x a year and think I am entitled to my opinion. Sorry if you dont like that opinion.

 

No reason to be sorry and you're certainly entitled to your opinion. However what you stated above is different than some nebulous statement like this below.

 

From all that I have read Sunshine will be a very crowded ship with public areas way too small to accomodate her passengers.

[golfadj]

No reason to be sorry and you're certainly entitled to your opinion. However what you stated above is different than some nebulous statement like this below.

 

You do realize I was not really saying I am sorry.

 

We have also been told many of the common areas such as promenade will be seen to be overcrowded but just made my point about the lounges.

 

From what we have heard Conquest and Dream class will better serve us on our cruises.

 

If sunshining was so great they would be doing it on more ships.

[Tapi]

Let me ask, where would Carnival "Sunshine" a ship? Just wondering what options they have?

 

 

 

You can't go back to that disaster of an Italian port. That crew is what caused the the bulk of the problems to begin with.

 

 

Fincantieri? Carnival must not think that they are doing that poor of a job when they are trusting it to build the new Vista. The long list of Carnival Corp ships built at Fincantieri over the decades points to a very solid relation between these two companies. Trying to point fingers at Fincantieri now for the Sunshine's woes seems like an attempt at passing the blame. Carnival has nobody to blame but themselves for coming up with this retrofit designed to stuff more people in an already crowded ship.

 

 

 

 

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[fuddrules]

You do realize I was not really saying I am sorry.

 

We have also been told many of the common areas such as promenade will be seen to be overcrowded but just made my point about the lounges.

 

From what we have heard Conquest and Dream class will better serve us on our cruises.

 

If sunshining was so great they would be doing it on more ships.

 

We've also been told we're going to have a zombie apocalypse, but like the massive Sunshine overcrowding problem, I'm still waiting. First hand reports, numerous I might add, are far more reflective of reality, at least to me. But if you want to follow the Monas, go right ahead.

 

I'm also still waiting for the Sunshine to list:rolleyes:. I'm surprised the Monas haven't predicted a propulsion problem. Lord help us all if it ever has that, they'll start posting like a swarm of locusts.

 

The comedy club area is too small. Check. Got it.

 

Some areas of the ship weren't rehabbed. Check. Got it.

 

Short of that it's one of the better ships in the fleet. I had far more crowding issues on the Ecstacy (which weren't bad) than I did on the Sunshine.

[golfadj]

Fincantieri? Carnival must not think that they are doing that poor of a job when they are trusting it to build the new Vista. The long list of Carnival Corp ships built at Fincantieri over the decades points to a very solid relation between these two companies. Trying to point fingers at Fincantieri now for the Sunshine's woes seems like an attempt at passing the blame. Carnival has nobody to blame but themselves for coming up with this retrofit designed to stuff more people in an already crowded ship.

 

 

 

 

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I do think the entire Sunshine retrofit was poorly thought out by Carnival but the shipyard from the reports read on here did a horrendus job.

 

Rather surprised that didnt end the relationship.

[frugalKansan]

I've been on both. There was never an issue with overcrowding on the Liberty. It was an awesome boat with a great crew and great passengers. I sailed the Sunshine when it was the Destiny. The shortage of deck chairs was extremely annoying. Not nearly as annoying as the vibrating and snail pace, but hopefully that is no longer a problem (Though I've read they have had continued propulsion issues) I escaped the crowding by spending my time on the balconies outside the main deck. You won't get sun there, but the closeness to the water is relaxing. The Sunshine does have an eastern Caribbean itinerary though.

 

 

Carnival Destiny jan 2010

Carnival Liberty 9/28/13

Carnival Victory 10/5/13

Carnival Sensation 3/9/14

Carnival Sensation 3/13/14

Carnival Splendor 11/1/14