Turning 16 on the Carnival Sunshine****6/27/15 Southern Caribbean Review****

[trixiegal]

I just posted this extensive review on the main site and wanted to share it on the boards. Please feel free to ask away about any questions you have about the Sunshine. I don't have many pictures because we took them on our Iphones but I can share some that may be helpful if I'm asked a question. Thanks and enjoy!

 

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I booked this 4th of July cruise to celebrate my DS' 16th birthday. I booked on the Early Saver rate back in October 2014 and thought I would get many price drops. Nope, didn't happen but I did pay what I thought was totally worth it for an 8 night Southern Caribbean cruise to ports we've never been to before. This was our 3rd Carnival cruise after cruising RCCL and Disney. We really, really liked the Sunshine. I admit I was kind of nervous after reading some extremely negative reviews. But I'm a pretty active member of the message boards and saw a lot of recent posts from cruisers who absolutely love her. I went in with an open mind and we had one of the best cruises we've ever had.

 

EMBARKATION~

 

We have family in the area, so we only had to rent a car to get to their house and then the port the next day but not worry about a hotel. We got an email from Carnival saying the Sunshine was slightly delayed due to a medical emergency and to come to the port after 2 pm. That was perfect because I had a few last-minute errands to take care of before getting on the ship for more than a week. I dropped off the fam at the port then hurried back down the road to Avis to drop off the car. Thankfully, there were no lines and there was a shuttle waiting to take a busload back to Port Canaveral. We jumped in line and were through security in no time. The most time spent was in the line before checking in at Guest Services. But it took less than 15 minutes to get up front. I give Carnival credit for moving things along efficiently and expediently. We were onboard and excitedly walking the ship in another 15-20 minutes.

 

CABIN & SHIP LAYOUT~

 

Many of the bad reviews focus on the Sunshine's weird layout but, having been on a few different cruise lines, it was pretty typical to me. We were at the aft on Deck 5 so it was no issue for us to get up to Lido or down to the Sunrise dining room via the aft elevators or the stairs. So we didn't have to walk through the casino unless we wanted to go the shops or the Liquid Lounge. And we never saw a show so we didn't go that way too often. The Sunshine is smaller than the Dream or Breeze but, IMO, makes good use of the space it has available.

 

My family spent almost every single morning in the Havana Bar at the aft of the ship on Deck 9. It's an awesome place to sit, relax and watch the wake. On both sides are Jiji's Asian Kitchen and Cucina Del Capitano. There are made-to-order omelettes, juices, coffee (including Cuban coffee for a fee) and Latin specialities like empanadas and flan (no charge). It's literally a few steps away from the Lido Marketplace buffet, which we found to be kind of on the small side yet it worked well on the Sunshine. It's probably because there are so many places to eat on the ship that the Lido area is manageable. I liked the seating in the Marketplace because it's bright and airy but it did get hot near the front where people were coming and going from the pool deck. We would eat there after getting pizza and always found a spot.

 

The Serenity 3-deck area is amazing and not as crowded and packed people may tend to assume. You have to actually walk up there beyond the clamshells facing the main Lido pool and see how wonderful and peaceful it actually is on a daily basis. I'm not an early morning pool goddess so we usually hung out up there after 1 or 2 pm on sea days and found many, many places to sit or lounge. And this was true even when Deck 12 was closed due to high winds. Just explore the area and see for yourself.

 

Same thing goes for the Limelight Lounge where they host the comedy club. It boggles my mind that people think it is so small, when I felt like it was bigger than the comedy club on the Breeze. Just get there early and wait in line. It wasn't a big deal but requires scheduling and planning. Otherwise, just go to another show. There were over 24 comedy shows during our cruise!

 

I did a cabin review, too, on our OV cabin 5335. I liked Deck 5 for convenience but I missed having a balcony. It would've been heaven to have an aft balcony. Next time! We loved our steward, Farouk, and he was very friendly, helpful and QUICK. I could tell he was impatient with us a few sea days to get out of the room around 10 am and going to dinner after 7:30 pm. I understand they have a schedule they want to keep so I tried to be mindful. I'd rather have a clean cabin than not. I swear he was in our room cleaning 3-4 times a day. That helps when you have such a small space to live in.

 

ACTIVITIES~

 

We are laidback cruisers and like to take each sea day as it comes, so I did what I felt like doing at the time. Jaimie Dee gets HIGH marks for being the super-duper bestest CD ever and she seemed okay. I'm just not too into the whole CD fan club thing, except I do like when he's a handsome guy (Matt on the Breeze). Anyway, all the standard Carnival offerings were there to enjoy- tea time, champagne art auction, trivia, karaoke, bingo and pool deck contests.

 

The Lido was jumping on sea days and everybody was having a good time. Music wasn't too loud. We can't ever seem to get to the trivia on time, so caught the tail-end of the Broadway trivia in the Ocean Plaza. We really enjoyed the Frogfest live performances in Red Frog Pub. The guy that was singing seemed to love Stevie Wonder songs almost as much as me. He was fantastic! The comedians were alright. The ones on the Breeze last year were a lot funnier. I wasn't mad that I went, though. I enjoyed the whole vibe with the host, Noonan, and I laughed a little. I even won a small chunk of change on one of the slot machines in the beginning of the week. I gave 1/2 of it back by the end of the week before I realized the scam. Other people were complaining that the slots were tight. We did not go to the shows or step foot in the Liquid Lounge. I did love sitting on deck for the movies. We watched Captain America 2 and The Fault in our Stars. Nothing compares to sitting on the Serenity deck loungers and watching a good movie in the nighttime sea breeze.

 

My DS usually hangs out all day and night in Circle C and Club O2 but he made friends the first night that he hung out with all over the ship. He was probably one of those big groups some cruisers complained about hanging out on the steps or in front of the elevators. I peeked into the Club O2 room and it was tiny compared to the ones on the Dream and the Breeze, like it was an afterthought. So I don't blame the teens for not wanting to squeeze in there. Didn't seem like it was too organized with fun activities on this ship either.

 

DINING~

 

So much food, so little time! Everything was very good on the Sunshine. Guy's Burger's and Blue Iguana's breakfast burritos were delicioso, as usual. Wasn't as impressed with the pizza like my last time on a Carnival ship. They seemed different and not as flavorful but the crust was tasty. The MDR was always busy but we got in and out for dinner within an hour or so. The WCMC was served in a smaller bowl and fudgier. Also, not as good as I remembered. All of the desserts were forgettable this time, even my son's birthday cake ordered in Cherry on Top. I loved the shrimp cocktail as my appetizer. My most memorable meal was, believe it or not, the Chateaubriand. That steak was AMAZING! Almost made up for not spending the $$$ to go to the steakhouse like we normally do. The thing is, Carnival MDR meals are like going to Olive Garden. Some meals are fantastic and some are just okay but definitely satisfying. The buffet was pretty good in the morning, decent for lunch and not good for dinner. The BLT that I had for room service was great. Wish I had remembered to get another one. We went to Jiji's on the last night and the service was surprisingly lacking. And the dishes were small even though they stressed it was family style. Yes, it's only $15 but I expected more. I really liked the spicy shrimp dish and the fried rice. Can't remember the names. I didn't like the desserts they offered. Doubt I would go again.

 

PORTS~

 

We went to Aruba, Curaçao and Grand Turk. I picked this cruise specifically for the ports and were were excited to finally get to them. We didn't get off with the early risers or the anxious folks but we did leave within an hour after docking at the ports. It was a fairly seamless process and less crowded than I thought with a sold out ship. The staff kept the lines moving and we were off the ship in minutes. I booked my shore excursions online for Aruba and Curaçao to save money and we had no issues whatsoever. In fact, I want to go back to stay at the Santa Barbara Resort where I booked for all-inclusive day passes in Curaçao. It was the highlight of our week, except for when my son got stung by stepping on a bee at the end of the day. Lesson learned to always have on flip flops!

 

Aruba was windy and cloudy but we weren't bothered because I had booked the sunset cruise on the Jolly Rogers pirate ship. I had a feeling that the 1 pm port time would mean the daylight would be gone quicker than I had imagined and didn't want to waste money on tours or day passes for 4-5 hours. We got dropped off at Eagle Beach by paying $5 each for a beach bus and lounged around at Passions Bar under their beachfront shade palapas. There were barely any people there, so it was calm and relaxing. We took a van up to Moomba Beach for another $2/person and ate at Moomba Beach Bar & Restaurant before getting on the sunset cruise.

 

Grand Turk was my DS birthday so I wanted to get him on a jet ski. Well, there were no jet skis on the beach in Grand Turk. It was extremely and obnoxiously loud at Margaritaville and the drinks were expensive but not good IMO. Only 1 or 2 of the frozen concoctions in the machines were available. We decided to walk up the beach to Jack's Shack and ended up having a blast. It really is a fun place to hang out for a few hours. So laidback and has a cool beach vibe without the pretensions of Margaritaville. My DS ran into friends and they decided to do the big inflatable couch water boat ride that pulls you fast across the ocean. Be warned, it does not have seat belts. He had to hold on for dear life or get thrown off in the middle of the ocean. All in all, we had so much fun my family was one of the last to leave to head back towards the ship.

 

DISEMBARKATION~

 

We kept our luggage with us and tried to be off the boat before 9 am. The lines were long but they were moving. It's always a zoo getting off any ship so I'm prepared to be patient. Customs was a breeze. My patience was tested by Budget in Cocoa Beach, so I'm glad I was in a good mood. It took us an hour to get picked up by the shuttle and more than an hour to rent a car once we got to the local office. It was soooooo bad. I didn't leave Cocoa Beach until noon. Budget just needs a better system to deal with all of the reservations from cruisers. They definitely need more than one shuttle picking and dropping off at the port.

 

This cruise cemented my love and loyalty for Carnival. I've been on 3 cruises and I really do like the product for the value. My kids are teenagers and we fit right in with the fun crowd on these ships. It's actually becoming like a tradition to go on a Carnival cruise in the summer. Thanks to Carnival for creating many memories for us to cherish and laugh about with each other. Yes, we have many inside jokes that reference our Carnival cruises.

[jean87510]

great review! You answered a lot of my questions re food and serenity deck. We will be on the Halloween cruise and will be staying in a spa interior. I wanted to go to the ji ji but I don't think small portions will cut it with 3 boys.:)

[cruiserNC]

Great review!

[bingo3]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review and for sharing!

debbie:)

[trixiegal]

great review! You answered a lot of my questions re food and serenity deck. We will be on the Halloween cruise and will be staying in a spa interior. I wanted to go to the ji ji but I don't think small portions will cut it with 3 boys.:)

 

Thank you! It's really nice and quiet on the Serenity side and easy access to everything via the open decks or the forward elevators. We were actually booked in a spa interior at first but changed to the OV on Deck 5 when one became available right before final payment.

[CeleBrat]

Trixiegal--

 

Thanks for the review! We are off on the Sunshine in 3 weeks, on the very-same itinerary. Can't wait!

 

What were your thoughts on the Jolly Roger Sunset Cruise Was there swimming, and rope swinging? Or just sailing? I have 2 teen/tweens so am thinking of booking this....maybe.

 

Thanks!--CeleBrat

[Dacruiseman]

Great review! What an awesome coincidence, my son too will be celebrating his 16th birthday on the sunshine in October.

[bubbles4ever]

Did this same itinerary last year on the Liberty and this year we're doing the same one on the Sunshine. Can't wait till October.

[trixiegal]

Trixiegal--

 

Thanks for the review! We are off on the Sunshine in 3 weeks, on the very-same itinerary. Can't wait!

 

What were your thoughts on the Jolly Roger Sunset Cruise Was there swimming, and rope swinging? Or just sailing? I have 2 teen/tweens so am thinking of booking this....maybe.

 

Thanks!--CeleBrat

 

 

Yes, they did the rope swinging for a short period of time before it got too dusky. It wasn't too hot out that day so I was afraid my kids were getting cold without towels but they dried off quickly in the warm breeze. Don't forget the towels like we did. [emoji15]

[trixiegal]

A photo from the sunset cruise

[Jeafl]

Loved your review--very informative! We are doing the same exact cruise in March and you answered a couple questions I had!

 

I do have a couple more, though...Do you recall if there were long lines for the Blue Iguana in the mornings? Also, did you find most people stayed in Aruba and skipped dinner on the ship? We've never been in port in the evening before. The sunset cruise sounds wonderful, and may be a good option for us.

[arubacabo]

Great review. We were on this same cruise. We also went to Santa Barbara in Curacao. That is one of the prettiest resorts we have been to. I definitely would go back for a week vacation there.

[trixiegal]

Great review! What an awesome coincidence, my son too will be celebrating his 16th birthday on the sunshine in October.

 

 

Make sure you look on Carnival's website for the package to decorate your room. It was fairly inexpensive for what you get and they do it when you specify, so you can keep him away from the room until it's done. My son loved it even though it's a little cheesy for their age. Just a small way to show that they're still special to us even as they grow into men. [emoji4]

[tandemcruzr]

Thanks for the review. How much was the Santa Barbara day pass and how do you reserve it? TIA :)

[Nannydd12]

what a great review, so glad I read it. Going on Sunshine in April, looking forward to it. We are renting a car from Budget, picking it up at MCO on Thursday and returning it in Cocoa Beach before our cruise on Saturday.After reading a few other posts about Budget and their shuttle we had already decided to return the car on Friday night and take the hotel shuttle to the port. Your review made me feel even better about my decision to return on Friday. Glad you had a good cruise. Cindy

[trixiegal]

This is the review I wrote on TripAdvisor for the Santa Barbara Resort day pass:

 

Omgosh.... Santa Barbara Resort was FANTASTIC!!!! I love Cruise Critic posters for giving me this recommendation for an excursion in Curaçao because we had the BEST time there last week. Totally, totally worth the $99!!!!!

 

It is a long ride out there, about 40-45 minutes. But they checked us in quickly and we were able to get breakfast at the buffet within a half hour. The food was really, really good. We also ate lunch in the buffet right before we left at 2:45 pm. And the service was impeccable. Bring cash to tip because you can't charge it to your bill since the code they give you isn't attached to a room on the property.

 

Make sure you ask questions about how the day pass works before you leave the front desk. Most of the staff we encountered was unable to answer those kind of questions. But they did make an effort to find out if they didn't know. Only issue was with getting a towel but the guy just gave it to us after we told him we were on the day pass.

 

It wasn't that crowded at the pool. They had big lounge beds you can rent but, once again, you have to pay with cash. There were great views of the ocean there. The bay beach area had loungers available if you walked down toward the pier with the yachts. We spent most of the day in the water. There were inflatable floats available. My kids were told they could use the paddle boards with no additional fee. After more than a hour, a nice boy came to get them and apologized that we were given the wrong info. I don't know how much they were supposed to cost but my son was given a price of $15 for the kayaks. I didn't think it was worth it because the inlet area is not that big.

 

The buffet that was open for breakfast and lunch called Medi. The pool bar was called Splash. Both were included. I didn't look for the buffet price but the waiter was confused about what to give us on a day pass, so he brought us a la carte menus at first. The prices were all over $10 for the breakfast items. It's a really nice buffet with a lavish spread.

 

Breakfast consisted of bacon, ham, eggs, eggs benedict, home fries, assorted breads and pastries, oatmeal, fruit display, etc.

 

Lunch was hot and cold items: grilled chicken, salmon, tilapia, a carving station (no one was there to serve it to me when I walked up but I think it was ham or pork), pasta, soup, sliced meats and cheese for sandwiches with premium breads, assorted desserts and a salad bar.

 

Any drink you wanted was included. The drinks were nice and strong. The bartenders were happy to make whatever we wanted. I asked for dark rum and the guy pulled out Jose Cuervo, so I don't know if they were picky about premium drinks or not. I was mostly drinking rum punches and my DD had pina coladas. The bartenders were super friendly!

 

It was such a fabulous and enjoyable day! I wish we could've stayed overnight and had more time to walk the resort. My DD said we have to go back to stay at the property for a week.

[trixiegal]

Thanks for the review. How much was the Santa Barbara day pass and how do you reserve it? TIA :)

 

http://www.resortforaday.com/Curacao-Santa-Barbara-Beach-Resort-p/cursbb.htm

 

I booked via the above website. They sent me a confirmation after I paid the $10. It was almost too easy. The only thing is it was hard to find the tour guide at the port. We asked someone to show us where the Resort for the Day shuttle was and he looked around (small port). They were outside of the terminal on a corner.

[trixiegal]

Loved your review--very informative! We are doing the same exact cruise in March and you answered a couple questions I had!

 

I do have a couple more, though...Do you recall if there were long lines for the Blue Iguana in the mornings? Also, did you find most people stayed in Aruba and skipped dinner on the ship? We've never been in port in the evening before. The sunset cruise sounds wonderful, and may be a good option for us.

 

No, the line was never too long at Blue Iguana. They take their time making each burrito but it moves along quickly in my experience.

 

We didn't plan on staying in Aruba for dinner but a few on our roll call had some recommendations on casinos and restaurants near the port. I'd ask on your roll call or on the Aruba forum. A lady named Arubalisa has lots of info on Aruba.

 

We got off the cruise around 7:30ish and got some amazing gelato from a shop across the street, then took the bus back. We were back onboard before 9 pm.