My Lovely Sunshine Cruise Feb 5th (yes, I loved it!)

[SewMuch]

Your take on YTD is interesting. There is another CC review from someone currently on Sunshine who says the set-up is so horrible she'll never go on Sunshine again. From looking at the deck plans it seems perfectly logical to check in on deck 5 and wait there, to avoid a logjam in the deck 3 hallway.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review.

[13cheermom]

Your take on YTD is interesting. There is another CC review from someone currently on Sunshine who says the set-up is so horrible she'll never go on Sunshine again. From looking at the deck plans it seems perfectly logical to check in on deck 5 and wait there, to avoid a logjam in the deck 3 hallway.

 

Have to agree with your opinion on the YTD setup, we have been on the Sunshine twice now and will be going again in April. So you know we must like it to continue to cruise on the same ship. But it is so easy once you understand the process as you said, and just go with the flow. We thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the ocean plaza area or red frog bar with a pre-dinner cocktail and just listened to the music or talked with others. Just got off the Breeze in December and had to stand in the long line in a narrow hallway waiting for the line to proceed. No question as to which I would prefer to do. Glad to hear someone else state on here that they liked it also! Enjoying your review!

[ladygal4.4]

I'm so glad you're writing this review! My parents, my adult daughter, and I will be on Sunshine in April. We have Your Time Dining, and 3 of us are Gluten Sensitive, 2 of us are also dairy sensitive, and I was worried that with YTD, preordering dinner would be difficult. Can you comment on that?

 

Sure! YTD actually is much easier than the Lido. The first night is the hardest because you can't preorder. For that meal, you just have to order safe foods (I did the flank steak and baked potato). You can ask your waiter to see what they can suggest, but with the language barrier it's seems best to just order what you know you can eat.

 

So for your meal, sometime during the meal you can ask your waiter to Pre-Order the meal, and they will bring you a big book that has all the menus in it. They will open it to the correct day. Now almost all foods can be prepared gluten free, but there are some exceptions. For example: The Grand Marnier Souffle can't be done, and the apple pie will be just be the apple filling. Of course the Warm Chocolate Melting cake can be done gluten free, but dairy free I'm not sure. You'll just have to tell them the allergy and see what can be done. They were able to make some of the sauces gluten free this time. I really enjoyed the Au jus with the Prime Rib -- this was already on my plate, don't get the stuff that the waiters bring around to the table

 

A few times I did have to ask for the menu and sometimes the waiter remembered; it just varied from day to day. But no matter what, make sure it is done every night!!! You can't preorder special foods on the same day. Also, if they don't bring you gluten free bread, ask for it. It takes a few extra minutes, but it's worth it to me.

 

A few other tips: If you need help on the Lido, ask someone. They will find a manager and walk you through what you can eat. I did ask about dessert one day, since there was nothing, and they made me 2 mini creme-brulee's on the spot. It took about 10 minutes to get it from the lower kitchen, but it was a sweet gesture.

 

Also, if you're craving pizza go there first. It takes 10-15 minutes for them to make it gluten free. SO I will order it, go get some other food, find a table etc. The crust is very similar to the bread served at dinner, but it is so good. It's piping hot, and very flavorful. And the guy making it, washes his hands before starting the pizza and it's cooked in a special pan. I had it 3 times and it was always delicious.

 

Snacks: I know you've paid a fortune for this cruise, but if you're munchy like me, just go ahead and bring some stuff. I brought a homemade chex mix, chips, and cookies. Sometimes I don't want meal-like food, I just want a snack and gluten free snacks are difficult to find. I had no problem bringing a ziplock bag full of stuff on board.

 

Hope this helps, if you have more questions, just ask!!!!

[ladygal4.4]

Have to agree with your opinion on the YTD setup, we have been on the Sunshine twice now and will be going again in April. So you know we must like it to continue to cruise on the same ship. But it is so easy once you understand the process as you said, and just go with the flow. We thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the ocean plaza area or red frog bar with a pre-dinner cocktail and just listened to the music or talked with others. Just got off the Breeze in December and had to stand in the long line in a narrow hallway waiting for the line to proceed. No question as to which I would prefer to do. Glad to hear someone else state on here that they liked it also! Enjoying your review!

 

Thanks. I had to stand a lot on our last cruise, and this was much better.

 

 

Your take on YTD is interesting. There is another CC review from someone currently on Sunshine who says the set-up is so horrible she'll never go on Sunshine again. From looking at the deck plans it seems perfectly logical to check in on deck 5 and wait there, to avoid a logjam in the deck 3 hallway.

 

I actually commented on that one as well with a positive response. I kinda wonder if the night that was so bad was Elegant Night. Service is so much slower, and they will pull parties of different sizes to the free tables, which will appear that there is little rhyme or reason.

 

I can sympathize. If I had waited that long, I wouldn't have been happy either. Hopefully the rest of the week will get better for them:)

[ladygal4.4]

I'm loving your review as well...I have Celiac Disease too. We are cruising April 15 out of Port Canaveral. So excited!

 

Thanks!

[ladygal4.4]

So what is my new favorite sea day activity??? Digital Scavenger Hunt!!!!

 

 

 

I did it with my oldest son, and we had a blast! We had 20 minutes to go around the ship and find all sorts of fun things and take pictures. Below are some of the pictures.

 

 

 

Ship's

tail

 

 

someone eating pizza

 

 

smiling bar waiter

 

 

 

group doing the 3 monkeys

 

 

group hug (extra points for each person)

 

 

See through stairs --- this one was super hard, all of the stairs are filled in everywhere else!

Edited February 15, 2016 by ladygal4.4

[ladygal4.4]

Someone making a monster face

 

 

 

Green Racer slide

 

 

 

Wall of Candy

 

 

 

Sunshine Sun

 

 

 

Jungle Animal (ok, I know Minecraft toys are a bit of stretch, but hey! It worked!!!)

 

 

 

 

 

Sleeping on the Lido (I did feel a bit weird taking this one, since we discovered after the shot, he really wasn't asleep but we just ran quickly away! LOL!!)

Edited February 15, 2016 by ladygal4.4

[ladygal4.4]

Picture with a European crew member

 

 

 

Waterfall

 

 

 

Glass Elevator

 

 

 

And the whole list: Obviously I didn't do the Man in a woman's swimsuit, because that is a bit inappropriate with a 11 year old, so we just skipped it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got 2nd place!!!! And made a ton of memories with my oldest son. And that is the BEST PRIZE EVER

 

Edited February 15, 2016 by ladygal4.4

[ladygal4.4]

Our first port was Aruba! We got here and were able to (slowly) debark at 1:30. Think madhouse exit. Again, Carnival was ready to deal with the crowds. I thought 30 minutes would be enough to let the worst of the crowds go down...umm NO. If I ever get to return to Aruba, I will be in line on deck 3 very early or wait at least an hour.

 

 

 

So to debark, we went down to deck 1 forward and got off the elevator. A crew member was there directing us down the hall. And down, down, down the hall we slowly walked. Once we got to midship, we then went down a set of REALLY steep stairs at deck 1 midship and were able to finally exit the boat.

 

 

 

People in front of me

 

 

 

 

People behind me

 

 

 

 

Now I thought I had planned Aruba out very well. The plan was, get off the boat, get on a city bus and go to a beach and let my oldest son ride a jet-ski as his birthday present. But there was a small problem, I was told the boat stop was right outside the port. And it was...except YOU CAN'T SEE IT with the crowds. And then there are all those people trying to get you to buy their excursion. So we started walking, and walking. Finally after 3 blocks or so, in 80 degree weather and *slightly* grumpy kids and husband, I finally broke down and asked for directions. Sure enough it was right outside the port, across the street. I did try to ask a passer-by for directions and was rudely ignored. His wife behind him was much nicer, and I realized that she was dutch/European etc, and didn't know english very well

 

 

 

 

So by the time we got all the way back, the line for bus passes was huge. But the girl who gave me directions said we could pay on the bus. So we waited for the bus and when it pulled up, it was a madhouse rush to get on the bus. We inched slowly along, pushing ahead, knowing that if we were polite, we weren't getting on that bus. SO I get on the bus and try to pay for 6 people, then the driver informs me that if I had bought the pass (remember that long line?) it would be cheaper. While I appreciated his honesty, I wasn't losing my place on the bus. Come to find out, it was cheaper for our group by 50 cents. Not a big deal.

 

 

 

So we drove down to Palm Beach, where all the reviews told me that we could do stuff. When I get there, I found the excursion hut quite easily and paid for my husband and son to ride the boat. But guess what??? They don't do jet ski's at Palm Beach. You take a quick (and free) boat ride to Eagle Beach. *sigh* Now normally this wouldn't be a big deal to me. But this was my son's birthday present, and I really would have like to take pictures of his big present. So as a momma it was important to me. And I was disappointed, but I didn't let it ruin the trip. The other three had a great time swimming in the slightly cold water...I was surprised that Aruba could have cold water, but it certainly does!!!!

 

 

 

 

I did not attempt to snorkel here, the water wasn't very clear looking and was feeling some pain from the tugging of the waves on my incision. I was able to snorkel some in Bonaire and Grand Turk though...more on that later.

 

 

 

 

After time in the ocean, we left. We are very fair skinned and didn't want to burn. We then did some shopping with the kids, then I returned everyone to the boat, showered, and went out by myself.

 

 

 

I went to Monkey Joes (go right after the port, and it's on the second road down a tiny bit. Just don't cross the road) and was able to get Free wifi with no purchase necessary! I did eventually buy a shirt and a mug and was able to talk the seller down a few dollars! (go me!!) It wasn't dark when I was out there and I felt completely safe sticking to the main shopping area. Now after dark, I don't think I would go out by myself. Oh, and Monkey Joes also gives a free bottled drink if you buy a shirt. Not a bad deal in the hot weather, I wish I had known about that sooner in the day, but since I was ready to re-board I just skipped it.

 

 

 

Another word about these ports. If you're a cheaper shopper, do it ALL in Aruba. There is very little shopping easily accessible in Bonaire, and just the traditional cruise shops in Grand Turk. Aruba has all the local shops with much better prices. I got a dress for 20 in Aruba, and Grand Turk wanted 45 for the same style. T-shirts were 10-15 depending on the fanciness. Stuffed animals were 5-10 etc.

 

 

 

On the way back I was treated to a beautiful sky *happy sigh*.

 

 

 

 

When back, we went to dinner. We were seated in the back of the dining room and were quickly served. This was the first night we got to see the "show" of waiters singing/dancing. I always enjoy this, and the Frank Sinatra rendition by the Maitr'D (spelling?) was no exception. He does so well!

 

 

 

And again tonight we ended the evening by watching Dive-In movies. There is just something special watching a movie on the big screen. My family adores these.

Edited February 16, 2016 by ladygal4.4

[ladygal4.4]

We were able to see the Super Bowl on the big screen. We decided to go ahead and eat quickly in the MDR and missed the first half of the first quarter. A real meal was worth it. The Lido was PACKED out. Worse than dealing with a beautiful sea day. People pulled chairs out from around the bars and sat wherever they could to see the screen. I finally found some lounge chairs on a far side, upper deck area. We could see the screen at a bad angle, but it was better than nothing.

 

It was a lot of fun hearing the people cheer for their favorite teams. There were special foods served, but I didn't even look at them since the menu given by John Heald didn't list anything that I could eat. Ok, the hotdogs would be the exception, but I'm picky about my hotdogs.

 

It was really windy that night, worse than I ever had seen. We didn't know that a hurricane was brewing several hundred miles north of us in the Atlantic. I'm thankful that we didn't have to deal with the storms that the Anthem had to deal with.

 

I just realized that I didn't take any pictures of this event, but know this. It was a blast!!! I wish I could do this every year! :) They did have a lot of security around, which was good considering how some football fans can get...especially with the amount of booze we saw being drunk.

[ladygal4.4]

Camp Carnival. I know, I know I probably should stick this review on the family boards, but I want to keep some continuity.

 

 

 

As you have seen, I have 4 kids. 4 fun, rambunctious, full of energy kids. SO I love Camp Carnival. They really take good care of the kids, have fun activities, and are super cautious about security. Even by the end of week when they obviously knew me and which kids were mine, they still required my SnS card EVERY TIME.

 

 

 

Below are some pictures of my kids activities.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2016 by ladygal4.4

[ladygal4.4]

We had an amazing cabin steward/housekeeping. I Gusti did an phenomenal job every day. So I dedicate this post to him; he really made my vacation a true vacation because I didn't have to fuss about my kids needing to clean their room every day.

 

 

 

This was what he traditionally had to deal with in my kids' room

 

 

 

 

And this is what he left we with...day and night after each glorious cleaning.

 

 

 

 

I really wish he could come and help me at home! I Gusti, you are loved!!!! John Heald, if you're reading this 11024 had the best steward ever!

Edited February 16, 2016 by ladygal4.4

[heatherhudson15]

We are in those exact cabins!! We booked those cabins two years ago too!! I hope we get your Gusti on our March 5th cruise!!!

 

 

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[boopsahoy]

What movie did they show? We like to watch them also:)

[ladygal4.4]

What movie did they show? We like to watch them also:)

 

 

2 almost every night. Cinderella, Spectre, Mission impossible, inside out, Avengers, mocking jay, San Andreas..and many others.

 

 

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[boopsahoy]

2 almost every night. Cinderella, Spectre, Mission impossible, inside out, Avengers, mocking jay, San Andreas..and many others.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Oh wow-all pretty new movies! Exciting!

[HokieDeb]

From reading previous Sunshine reviews, I knew overcrowding was a big issue. And honestly, embarkation is a zoo on a good day, and on every boat I've on...so I didn't let the craziness get to me.

 

Once we boarded, we went straight to the Lido deck. It was very cold that day. 40-50's and very windy, so not many people were sitting on the deck. I found a large bench/picnic table area right next to Guy's Burgers and promptly plopped all of our stuff down. I didn't even go inside to look for another table. It was warm enough there and big enough for our family. Guy's Burgers for everyone!!!! Yes, I love a good burger and they always, always, always deliver!!! I asked for the gluten free, and they said it would take about 10 minutes. I think they keep the bread in the freezer because it was a tiny bit cold in the middle of the top bun. But it was good. To me it was a standard rice blend gluten free bun (gfree people will understand).

 

Now a note about gluten free...everyone's level of sensitivity is different. Mine is about medium-strong. My family isn't gluten free, so I have an occasional bread crumb in the toaster or on the counter etc. So if you're really strong on your sensitivity levels, just be aware Guy's Burgers do cross-contaminate a bit. They tried, but I could see some issues. I did not have any symptoms of a flare-up, so I was grateful.

 

Ok, back to the review. After the burger, I got my first ice-cream. Yes it was super cold outside, but my pre-cruise diet was OVER and I'm on vacation!!!!

 

From one celiac cruiser to another...THANK YOU for making my night! I was screaming with joy to read that Guy's have gluten free buns! We are so excited for our Sunshine cruise in June. Carnival has always gone the extra mile to ensure that mine and my son's meals are gluten free. Thank you for sharing your experience on the Sunshine.

[cincicruisers]

Really enjoying your review. Looking forward to the rest.

[nol4am]

Was on same cruise and loved it. Been on it 4 times. Thank you for writing review.

[Codeman1]

Love the review. Thanks so much. We are on the sunshine March 18th. Looking forward to it!!!

[ladygal4.4]

From one celiac cruiser to another...THANK YOU for making my night! I was screaming with joy to read that Guy's have gluten free buns! We are so excited for our Sunshine cruise in June. Carnival has always gone the extra mile to ensure that mine and my son's meals are gluten free. Thank you for sharing your experience on the Sunshine.

 

I totally understand your excitement. I almost NEVER have bread on my sandwich and end up with a lettuce wrap or eating my sandwich with a fork/knife at restaurants. So a real burger was definitely something special! :D:D

[ladygal4.4]

Hmm..what to say about Bonaire. Honestly, this was not my favorite port (actually least favorite ever). I came to the conclusion, this is an excursion only port.

 

 

 

 

 

The original plan was to go snorkeling with a local tour company, but since I just had surgery I didn't trust my swimming/out in open water/snorkeling skills. And I don't really like to pay money to just go see another island in a taxi; Plus when you have 4 children, you might need to sacrifice the oldest to pay for the taxi for 6 people. Long story short, it's just too expensive.

 

 

 

Then there was the issue of rocks. I read review after review that said you need water shoes since it's rocky. Ya'll, believe it. Don't be like me, and think little pebbles HA HA. Ummm, nooooooooo . We're talking real rocks. Like trying to walk barefoot on a brand new gravel driveway. It really hurt

 

 

 

 

I did find a small, very tiny, teesny place to go swimming/snorkeling beside the main dock port. The water was about 5 ft deep there, there were some cute fish, and I enjoyed paddling around for about 30 minutes.

 

 

 

On the plus side, Bonaire has some beautiful looking water and views of the boat. This was a great place to get that picture to post on instagram and make all of your friends (who are suffering with 20 degree weather and 2 inches of ice and snow) jealous!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

They do have the large lizards which my kids enjoyed seeing

 

One note: the port shops are VERY FEW. I think that there was 3. One of which was a Wine/coffee shop, which did offer free wifi...you just have to connect through your face account to get access.

Edited February 16, 2016 by ladygal4.4

[ladygal4.4]

After the disappointment in Bonaire, I was looking forward to Grand Turk. This port was SO much better, and perfect for families.

 

 

 

 

As most people know, the swimming area and shopping area is right next to the boat. I went out in the morning and shopped with the kids and let them spend their final amount of spending money. Amongst all the ports, we ended up with 2 stuffed animals, 2 (adorable) puppy purses, and 2 keychains (yes, I know 6 doesn't divide by 4, but one child had a bit extra money from chores/work).

 

 

 

I attemped to give a short history lesson at the space shuttle area, but I could tell the kids were too tired and too hot to really pay attention

 

.

 

 

So the mandatory pics were taken, and off we went back to the boat to get ready to swimming.

 

 

 

The surf was pretty high that day and the water was surprisingly cloudy, but overall we had a good time. I did again go snorkeling in the roped off area. It was "ok" The cloudiness was bad for the first 15 or so feet out, then it cleared up a little bit and I was able to see a few fish. What was really annoying was the music BLARING from the entrance. It was so loud that even 200 feet away (and my ears being underwater) it was like I was carrying my own personal stereo system. It detracted from the snorkeling because at times it sounded like someone was talking to me, so I would look up and no one would be there, lose suction on my mask and almost get water in my snorkel. *sigh*

 

 

 

 

 

I did go to Margaritaville and looked around. I attempted to get a virgin strawberry drink, but after standing at the bar for 10 minutes and being completely ignored (and no they weren't that busy) I just left.

 

 

 

We did not go to the pool, it looked very pretty. We just preferred the ocean swimming. The temperature was not was I expected either. The wind was blowing pretty hard, and the water was cold till you got used to it. Then when you got out, it was cold as well until the wind dried you off. Maybe Grand Turk is not the best place to visit in February.

 

 

 

As a final note on GT, I would definitely return. Maybe just a warmer month!

 

 

 

Oh. Free wifi, no cost/connection required at the smoothie place (near the restrooms!).

 

 

 

Margaritaville also had free wifi, but you need to get the password. Currently it is "ville2015" -- no caps. I expect it to change soon obviously, but as of last week that was it. And they really have worked on the borders of their wifi. 30 feet away from Margaritaville, and it won't work. You can even pick up the signal on the boat....but it really won't work.

Edited February 16, 2016 by ladygal4.4

[ladygal4.4]

Here is another one of GT's dock

 

 

 

Also: a word of caution. Don't be like the drunken idiot that we saw. Don't decide you want to go swimming and just jump off the side of the dock. It will cause a port worker to start running towards you with the life-ring. Then you will have difficulty climbing onto the ladder on the port (it doesn't go as low as you are in the water). Then when you get out, don't try to jump back in. Your family will have to grab you from being an idiot a second time. By this time the port worker will have reached you, and will grab you firmly by the arm, and "escort" you to the boat. Once you get to the gangway, you will be strongly questioned by security for at least 5 minutes, of which your parents will fuss at you and make wild arm movements (that seriously look like your Momma is going to "have your hide") and even though you're an adult, you know when your momma is really mad. Then you will be very grateful they let you back onto the boat.

 

And yes, the above REALLY HAPPENED. I'm kicking myself that I didn't take a picture or a video of this. We were just sitting on our balcony watching people return when we heard this loud "CLAP" and we were like, "Did someone just fall in the water" Then we stood up and saw the above ALL happen. It was quite hilarious.

 

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Edited February 16, 2016 by ladygal4.4