100% honest review of the Sunshine.

[pirate4me2]

Did I misunderstand or did someone state that the Sunshine does NOT have a Thalassotherapy pool???

 

It doesn't have a T pool. Sorry.

[ExFed drvr]

I sailed her once out of New Orleans and will not sail her again because of those issues. I could not believe they would put the Serenity Deck in the front of that huge big screen TV and have 3 levels with only one bar on the middle level. Too bad because I love Jamie Dee and will not see her again unless she gets the CD on the Vista. Dennis

[dotheyes]

49 cruises with Carnival, and we choose the Sunshine for our Milestone 50th cruise. We have been on her 3 times and she is our favorite.

I don't get around fast any more, but if you have a cabin near the aft elevators we can get to everything we want to. The Ocean Plaza is wonderful for trivia and music. The Havana bar is great for live music in the evenings (just get on elevator and go to deck 9) same with the dining room. then can go to mid ship and get a Guys burger ummm

Jamie Dee is the absolute best CD and I could go on and on

dot & Harry

[Kristi Williamson]

It's so funny how everyone has a different opinion on this ship. This is your "honest" review and my "honest" review of her would be totally different.

 

We LOVED the Sunshine! I absolutely loved how you signed in on Deck 5 and ate on Deck 3. It kept the line to nothing for ATD. We never waited more than 2 minutes and we cruised her June of 2014, so relatively peak season.

 

We never noticed crowds or blocked hallways on Lido, but we never eat at peak times, either, so that may have had something to do with it. Best Serenity at sea and the Waterworks are great, too.

 

She's old, but we truly loved the ship.

 

In fact, we're booked on the 10 day our of Charleston in May of 2016 and can't wait.

 

I'm glad you viewed your experience as still fun, just not the ship for you. I love when people can see past the small imperfections and still find the fun!!! :)

[pickle13]

Sale Date 2-28-2015

 

 

I will start off by saying I am and still will be a Carnival cruiser.. This was my 9th cruise on Carnival, first cruise on the Sunshine. This will be just an honest review from my perspective. We had an awesome time meet some great people

 

 

Upon arriving we had F2F.. Process was smooth.. on ship in 15 minutes. While boarding we kept thinking 155 million and this ship has visable rust everywhere..and rust holes in some places... Walked onboard and the Lobby area was very nice. Walked right to our room because of the F2F dropped the bags and headed for a Funship special up on Lido.

 

 

Ship Layout - HORRIBLE you cannot get anywhere without going up and down the decks.. I mean this is a nightmare. I was able to deal with it because I am in my 30's and in shape... but its so bad for our seniors/handicapped. They have to go through this..... decks 3,4,5 to be exact. Carnival.... this needs to be rectified.

 

 

Comedy club - Better get there early or you will be watching it from a TV screen as some seats are.. GET THIS... BEHIND THE STAGE!!!!! yeah... its a joke... Then while people are waiting in the hall for the next show... if you are sitting anywhere near the back all you hear is them talking and not the comedian...

 

 

Lido Layout - The Decor is actually very nice in the eating area!!! When I walked in there I was thinking this is very modern looking. Was very impressed.... UNTILL - I got to the choaking points entering the Pool area..... Have fun with this!!!! will be a constant issue your entire cruise. You have a 4 foot walk way.... if someone in a wheelchair has to come through here I feel sorry for them.. They put the drink machines and the Ice cream machines right in the walk way!!!! so out of a 4 foot wide walkway you really only have about 3 feet because if someone stops to get a drink its over..... people backing up like crazy. Now you have this tile floor that goes into the marketplace... this becomes the slip and slide.... whoever came up with this idea... Carnival please put some water absorbing mats or just carpet the entrance area on both sides.

 

 

Guys burgers - Were Awesome... would love to have this on every ship.

 

 

 

Main Stage/ Liquid Lounge - I thought it was fine with using it for the main stage and the night club. There was always a seat avail and it was a great night spot. Only time you really need to get there early were the nights of the production shows.. 20 minutes early will get you a seat for those.

 

 

Smoking areas - I understand you will never win a war with this subject. I thought the smokers had enough space. All of Deck 3 Port side they put chairs outside with smoking canisters along the whole outside deck. Deck 10 behind the screen had nice chairs. But I really do feel bad for the runners having to deal with it because you have to run right over top of the area They could fix this easily by putting a roof over that area. Casino was always smokey but c'mon... its a Casino you cant do anything about that... Didnt ruin my time there.

 

 

Lido Deck Chairs - Worst ship ever!!! They had no problems adding more passenger cabins but they neglected the deck space.... Please get outside early and get a chair. There is more deck space on the Fantasy class ship!!!! The open air decks get so full of chairs that there is no place to walk on the ship. This is the main reason I will never sail this ship again.. As a seasoned Carnival cruiser I knew to get up early and get a chair... So we had no issues whatsoever...

 

 

Automatic hand washers - Great job on this carnival!!! these things are the bomb and please put them on every ship.

 

 

Serenity area - Awesome!!! waterfall is very nice and the pool was great! I thought there were enough chairs up there and the bar was awesome! There were no children at all up there. and the pool was always avail to take a dip in. Same with the hottub.

 

 

Main Pool/ tubs - Way to small... always filled with children. Parents... Please watch your kids in there pool is so small and ship is so packed you have to watchout for other kids jumping on yours.

 

 

Waterslides - Man were these a blast!! might have been the fastest slides I have ever been on. Our group were all in our 30's and we used the heck out of them. Well done on this one Carnival.

 

 

Anytime Dining - You must check in at deck 5 and get a pager or a slip of paper. Now.. this is a mess because you have the main Promenade deck that EVERYONE has to walk through. Taste bar is right on the other side... Massive choking point. Then you have to go down a floor to go to the dinning room. So if you are handicapped at all this will be a mess.... as you cannot take the stairs. You end up riding an elevator for 15 minutes a day.

 

 

Havana Bar Area - This area was awesome. Always seats avail to eat in the morning or lunch time. Decor was very refreshing also. Go here to eat in the morning at get a seat by the back windows. Its very nice.

 

Here is a list of things that I did not think I would have to deal with on a ship that was just refurbished.

 

 

Carpet was torn and tatterd is most places. Did see many visable water leaks. Saw buckets throught the ship on any given day. Esp by smoking area in casino. Tile floor had water coming up through it. Also had a light fixture in the buffet area leaking water from it right by a drink station. Carpet was always wet by the limelight lounge from the floor area... at the end of cruise they put up a baracade. Some kind of funky smell in the Lido buffet area right where it leads to the lido pool.... Celling tiles were down.

 

 

I kept asking myself..... this is what 155 million looks like!!! dont know where it all went but they could of done alot more... My guess with this ship it was all about adding 500 more passengers... Funny that 155 million was spent but all of the wheelchairs still said Carnival Destiny on them....

 

Food - Was great had no issues whatsoever. Our waitstaff in main dining room was awesome.

 

 

Stateroom - Was very clean no problems there. Our steward Ricky was great.

 

 

Missed a port because of high winds... Funny enough though both of the Norweigan ships were able to dock without a problem.... But for our ship it was... We were fine with the extra sea day because port stop was only 7am to 2pm. It was sunny out and temps were warm. We relaxed all day on the ship and ran the bar tab up!!

 

 

Summary - As I said before... I will still cruise Carnival everything I said above did not ruin my cruise... I was on vacation!! We had an awesome time and cannot wait to go again. This is my first review ever... The things I noticed on this ship made me write one..... All in all the ship is way to crowded. Too many people and not enough space. I will never sail this ship again because of this. Please build more Spirit class ships or bring the current ones back to the US and send this ship to Australia.... or just sell it...... Bigger is not always better.

 

If anyone has any questions they want to ask me, please feel free and I will give you and honest answer/opinion.

 

Thanks

 

I appreciate the time you took to write this review, but please don't assume people in wheelchairs will have the problems you say they will have. We were on the June 6th cruise with our 2 and a half year old son with cerebral palsy and end stage renal disease, who we took around all cruise in his wheelchair stroller. We had none of the problems you assumed we would have. We were able to get from deck to deck just fine and didn't encounter the problems around the ice cream machine, or anywhere else. In fact, our stateroom was on deck 10 and so had further to travel than most staterooms, and it was not a problem at all. I'm not real sure why you complain about going up and down decks...its a ship. So I cant speak for everyone that uses a wheelchair or has any mobility issues, but the Sunshine was not hard for us to navigate.

[AmberTeka]

We sail next week end. On the Sunshine. 8 days.

So what do I have to thank the people on this thread and others who wrote reviews or posted comments?

 

1. I have one of the Lobby Deck Insides with a big window. and a deck outside. And a mini fridge. I call it that because I keep diet cokes in there. They have helped me lose a ton of weight. As the doctor ordered.

HUGE Thank you all for that advice.

 

2. I know that in order to navigate getting to set time MDR we have to go to Fifth or looks like fourth too and walk to the AFT MDR that way.

 

3. I know that most trivia games are on Deck 5 in the Plaza area

 

4. I know to eat at times, other than dinner, when crowds are not so much HAVANA bar will definitely be checked out. As will be the Taste bar

 

5. I know to get to productions at least 30 minutes early to get a seat. Don't see comedy but if we do. Get there early too.

 

SHARING your experiences will make my cruise and that of hundreds of others who read this board.....much smoother and much happier. BLESS you all for taking the time to do it. I will write a review when we are home. I promise.

Edited June 18, 2015 by AmberTeka

[eponym]

We sail next week end. On the Sunshine. 8 days.

So what do I have to thank the people on this thread and others who wrote reviews or posted comments?

 

1. I have one of the Lobby Deck Insides with a big window. and a deck outside. And a mini fridge. I call it that because I keep diet cokes in there. They have helped me lose a ton of weight. As the doctor ordered.

HUGE Thank you all for that advice.

 

2. I know that in order to navigate getting to set time MDR we have to go to Fifth or looks like fourth too and walk to the AFT MDR that way.

 

3. I know that most trivia games are on Deck 5 in the Plaza area

 

4. I know to eat at times, other than dinner, when crowds are not so much HAVANA bar will definitely be checked out. As will be the Taste bar

 

5. I know to get to productions at least 30 minutes early to get a seat. Don't see comedy but if we do. Get there early too.

 

SHARING your experiences will make my cruise and that of hundreds of others who read this board.....much smoother and much happier. BLESS you all for taking the time to do it. I will write a review when we are home. I promise.

 

We just got off Sunshine, and I will say that all of those things (above) will help make a smoother and enjoyable trip for 8 days.

 

Cramped near Ocean Plaza during dining times as the YTD lines up through there too. Of course Lido deck on Sea days too, but that's expected.

 

We totally also enjoyed the speciality dining - Ji Ji's, Bonsai and Steakhouse.

 

Have a great cruise.

[AmberTeka]

We just got off Sunshine, and I will say that all of those things (above) will help make a smoother and enjoyable trip for 8 days.

 

Cramped near Ocean Plaza during dining times as the YTD lines up through there too. Of course Lido deck on Sea days too, but that's expected.

 

We totally also enjoyed the speciality dining - Ji Ji's, Bonsai and Steakhouse.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

 

AGAIN..thanks from TIPS on this board to reserve early as the specialty restaurants fill up fast..I have already e-mailed and have confirmations for all three.

 

Again. thanks again. First time I have e-mailed before sailing. AND thanks to the menus I knew which nights I wanted to book. And those menus were posted.....where else......right here.

 

I WOULD not book a ship unless I had checked it out on these boards ever again.

[mama_hao]

I see the Sunshine getting beat up in some reviews. That would explain the tremendous deal we were offered by our PVP for one of the Journeys sailings. Worst case scenario we will see some warm weather in Dec. Thanks for all the info and I'm glad the OP was able to have a good time despite a few issues. I like their attitude!

:D

[trixiegal]

I'm on here now and the boat looks amazing! We are very impressed and I usually stay in 4-5 star hotels and have sailed on the newer Carnival and Disney ships. I will be back to update with more details after the cruise.

[summersigh]

No Problem. We went into the trip with a positive attitude and came out with a positive attitude. This was just a review of what we saw and dealt with. What came out of this trip is how much I just want to go on another cruise!!! :D As I said we had a great time would of changed nothing but stoping in Costa Maya. I will continue to cruise Carnival... just not the Sunshine.. .....

 

You may have come out of the trip with a positive attitude ... but did not leave many reading it feeling at all positive.

I'm not saying that I don't believe you saw what you said ... but there was so much emphasis on what was bad that any good observations paled in comparison.

Just sayin' ........

[SE NC]

Sailed 9 Carnival ships. 3 of them 2 times. Sailed the Sunshine May 9th and will sail her again Sept. 19th. My bride and I both agree.....the Sunshine is our FAVORITE Carnival ship!

[cruizinisthebest]

You may have come out of the trip with a positive attitude ... but did not leave many reading it feeling at all positive.

I'm not saying that I don't believe you saw what you said ... but there was so much emphasis on what was bad that any good observations paled in comparison.

Just sayin' ........

Totally agree. How your title your review and what you comment on in the beginning is, in my opinion, what you mostly want people to know.

 

If someone loves the Sunshine with no real complaints, is that review not 100% honest? Never understood that and agree that I didn't get the impression that the OP had a positive attitude about the experience.

 

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk

Edited June 28, 2015 by cruizinisthebest

[xeroxme]

On board sunshine now and sailed her before as Destiny. The ship is great. I was on Glory last week and I personally so far like Sunshine better. Albeit I can't say i have had a chance to experience any lines for anytime dining yet.

[rdrack5]

Yes, the line for anytime dining was long at times, but it moved very quickly and by the time we got down to the dining room we were ready to be seated.

[FloridaGram]

And for all this FUN, you get to pay more! The Sunshine is always higher than the other ship in PC that goes on 7 days cruises. I have avoided it but I may concede and go because I like PC and I want to go to Half Moon Cay.

 

I have only been on Carnival ships with the galley blocking the walkway from front to back. It never made sense to me but I thought that was just the way it was. Then I went on the Legend in June, which does not block the walkways with the galley. I will never understand what genius designer did away with that design on the newer ships. I agree with what another poster said, send the Sunshine to Australia and bring the Legend back to the USA

[AmberTeka]

I am sorry your cruise was not so good.

 

We sailed a week ago and just got back.

Today, I put a deposit down for another cruise on the Sunshine.

 

Some things about the Sunshine bothered me. But then they do on all cruises. Overall, it was a great cruise. the plus is so much more than the minus.

 

Our cabin location was perfect. We had the perfect cabin attendant. We had good weather. the food was better than I can cook and an endless supply. I played trivia. saw good shows. read a lot. saw some lovely nations. no one was rude to me.

 

I wish your next cruise is just like that for you.

[pirate4me2]

I have booked another cruise on the Sunshine for next May. Yes, the decks were crowded on sea days and yes, we did see a bucket catching drops of water here and there. But like Amber said, the good far outweighs the bad.

[othersomethings]

I am sorry your cruise was not so good.

 

We sailed a week ago and just got back.

Today, I put a deposit down for another cruise on the Sunshine.

 

Some things about the Sunshine bothered me. But then they do on all cruises. Overall, it was a great cruise. the plus is so much more than the minus.

 

Our cabin location was perfect. We had the perfect cabin attendant. We had good weather. the food was better than I can cook and an endless supply. I played trivia. saw good shows. read a lot. saw some lovely nations. no one was rude to me.

 

I wish your next cruise is just like that for you.

 

You mentioned having a mini-fridge in your room - how did you go about that? Do you have to request it or email or something? We booked through a TA can I ask my agent about it?

[OrlandoGirl57]

I have read both positive and negative reviews of this ship and they are from both newer cruisers to experienced cruisers. It is all in your perspective and what you find displeasing. What's important to one is not to another. It's a vacation and it's a cruise- my way of looking at it- and I'm going to enjoy it unless there is some major catastrophe that occurs! Sit back and enjoy the ride! If you don't then change the channel!

[rdrack5]

You mentioned having a mini-fridge in your room - how did you go about that? Do you have to request it or email or something? We booked through a TA can I ask my agent about it?

 

I know you didn't ask me, but we had a mini fridge in our cabin, too. It's my understanding (and I could be wrong) that the newer cabins have them, but not the original ones.

[jimbo5544]

I know you didn't ask me, but we had a mini fridge in our cabin, too. It's my understanding (and I could be wrong) that the newer cabins have them, but not the original ones.

 

Your understanding is correct.