Just back - first sunshine cruise

[Thebosn1]

My wife and I just finished a 9 day Eastern Caribbean "Journeys" cruise on the Sunshine. We really enjoy every cruise we have taken, we like Carnival and I can't imagine a cruise being "ruined" unless something really catastrophic happened. Our cruise on the Sunshine was no exception, so please don't take anything negative that I have to say as complaining, just observation.

 

We went the night before and stayed in Cocoa Beach, by the pier. We thought it was a perfect spot, right on the beach and the pier to enjoy a few drinks and some food by the sea before we sailed. Turns out we were right. It was a decent hotel (Best Western) and the pier was a perfect "warm up" spot for a little pre-cruise celebration.

 

The next morning we had a great free breakfast (including a really cool pancake machine), and I was able to take my coffee and walk on the beach before catching the shuttle ($12 pp) to the cruise port.

 

This was our first time sailing out of Canaveral. Pretty standard, and I think they did a really good job of managing the crowd, moving people from one area to another at the right time to avoid any lengthy pile ups.

 

It turns out the Coast Guard was on board that morning, and there was a slight delay once boarding actually started, so we sat in the terminal for a little while longer than normal but no big deal. When they started calling priority, FTTF, platinum, diamond, I was a bit shocked at the number of people that were included. I think about a quarter of the terminal cleared out before they started calling zones so that us lowly gold folks could get on the ship. Still, we were on there within an hour of getting to the terminal, and if you think of the sheer number of people getting on and off, that is pretty amazing.

 

I have never taken a cruise where our cabin was not ready when we boarded, and this was no exception. Our luggage showed up about an hour after we did. Again, pretty amazing.

 

We headed up for the sail away party and to our astonishment, the first person to show up and ask if we wanted anything was Putu, a server that was with us two YEARS ago on the Legend from LA to Sydney. He remembered us, what we drink, and even some of the things we talked about on our last trip. Remarkable. He even noticed I had a new tattoo. This is not the first time this has happened with crew members, and is one of the reasons I like to stick with Carnival.

 

I'm not going to do one of those long day by day reviews, but here are a few highlights:

 

The Cruise Director "Donkey" was really good, at least as far as what I look for in a CD. He passed timely information, but not constantly. He was involved in making sure there were fun things planned, but he was not always in our face. When he was up on deck or at an activity he was hilarious. In other words, he added to the experience, he didn't take it over.

 

The Serenity Area, actually three decks, was amazing. However, you had to get up there at six AM if you wanted to be anywhere near a pool or hot tub. This is not an exaggeration. Two separate days my wife and I were up there at seven in the morning with no place close to a pool to sit. I'm not even talking about chair hogs. I did notice a couple of time stickers on some towels up there but for the most part the spots were all taken by people.

 

The Lido, by the main pool had plenty of chairs, and we had one right by the pool whenever we wanted. By mid Afternoon on most sea days though, if you climbed up to a top deck and looked down into the pool area, it looked more like a football stadium during a sold out game than a cruise ship.

 

I heard a lot prior to this trip about overcrowding on the ship. Unfortunately, I have to agree with this. But I don't think it is just the number of people on board. The LAYOUT of certain public areas is just a bit off as well, and it adds to the problem. A couple examples of this are that the tables in the buffet areas seemed slightly closer together. If several tables near each other were full, and all the chairs were out, the people's legs were almost touching those of the people at the other table. It just seemed cramped. The other reason I think the tables were moved was that the hanging lights don't match up with the tables. There are plenty of broken lights (including one created by my own head) in between tables because they should not be there and people hit them with their heads.

 

Another is the spaces near Guy's Burgers and the Taco Bar areas on each side of the ship. These areas act as a physical funnel for people moving back and forth from the pool areas. Directly adjacent to these areas is a barricade that separates an area of tables from the walkway. The problem is that the space left to walk past is not wide enough for two people to pass without turning slightly sideways. Add the VOLUME of people trying to get through, the occasional scooter, running kids, and the fact that the SAME AREA is used to line up to get food, and it's a mess. ALSO in this space are drink stations and in ice cream machine. It's just a mess. So yes, more people on board, but I think the ship could handle it if they had put more thought into it.

 

We had a balcony cabin, and it was smaller. Too small for the two of us to move about at the same time, and we are not big people. Basically one had to sit on the couch or the bed, or go on the balcony if the other had to move around. In the head, again this is not an exaggeration, if you sit on the toilet, your feet are in the shower.

 

OK food. I am NOT picky. I have always been able to find plenty of good food on the ships. Normally more items than I need. Now keep in mind, I DO NOT eat in the MDR, I eat on lido. But for the first time ever, the food there just was not good. I did not have a single meal there, with one exception (the dinner buffet was comprised of food from the Chinese restaurant) that was warm or tasted good. When I say not warm, I mean cold. As if the steam line was not working and the stuff had been cooked hours before. Cold. And only a few items actually tasted good, and that was a first for me.

 

Breakfast was the worst I have ever had. I only ate there twice. When I tried to grab some scrambled eggs (I know they are powdered, doesn't matter to me), and came away with an ice cold block of stuff that look and had the consistency of tofu, I was done. The "sausage" was chopped up hotdogs from the afternoon before mixed with cold onions.

 

Thankfully, the breakfast burritos at the Blue Iguana were as fantastic as ever, and there was always Guy's Burgers and pizza, which were both very good.

 

That's my rants about crowds and food. It's the most negative stuff I have ever written about a cruise. Sorry Sunshine Lovers, maybe I just caught them at a bad time. I know they were going into the yard right after our cruise.

 

The rest of the trip was normal, and as much fun as always. The only "excursion" we did was a great catamaran ride in St. Lucia that we got through Carnival. It was a blast. We stopped to swim, then continued on to the Pitons for pictures. Great day. There was also a fun Cinco de Mayo party as we left port that absolutely cracked me up.

 

One unexpected positive was the main show "Epic Rock". It was, IMO, fantastic. If you like music from the 80's and 90's it is a real treat, and very well done by a very talented cast. After the second show the cast came out to the atrium for photos.

 

The trip was, overall, as enjoyable as ever. They would need to reconfigure some areas to accommodate the additional people, and I don't know what was up with the food, but we thought the crew was as amazing as ever, and would do another Journeys cruise anytime.

 

Anyone has any specific questions while it's fresh in my mind, fire away.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Thebosn1

[summersigh]

Sorry the food seemed so poor. We were on the Sunshine in January and in the Lido it was hot and pretty good for buffet food. The MDR food was hot/warm as well.

 

I'll be aboard soon after dry dock and will report back :)

[erby2283]

Thanks for taking the time to post!

[satbeachbill]

We were on the same cruise. Everybody has their opinion. We loved our trip. Ate in the MDR every nite. Food was usually hot and well presented. If you were hungry, there was always something to choose from. We preferred the old menu, but is what it is.

 

Ate breakfast in the Lido. Eggs were Carnival eggs. Lots to choose from other than "eggs". Lots of places to eat breakfast other than the Lido. The omelet station was always there. The sausage presentation was a mix of hotdogs. sausage and onions. Just pick through the hotdogs and presto - there's the sausage. Bacon was much better than previous cruises.

 

There where some congested areas. NEVER a huge problem. One GREAT thing.... The Promenade was "mostly" devoid of photographers. They were spread out more in other areas of the ship. We did miss the settees along the Promenade.

 

Service was outstanding. Everyone was so friendly - everyone.

Donkey was a riot. Even the Captain was great.

 

Already bugging the wife about another cruise!

[crusinpsychRN]

I was on the 4/8/16 trip. Buffet food is mush (not just on this ship). Cuban sandwiches were horrible! Cucina was good. Had several good meals in MDR but got a lukewarm baked potato one night. I was given the worst seat in the DR--as I was instructed by hostess. All the way against a wall with a bench on one side and 2 chairs. Only a small child could sit on the bench as the table was way too close. Got great service from a waiter who recognized me from other trips. Delicious prime rib. Fair steak in steakhouse, hard to ID the piece of meat...

 

Deck 2 cabins had no mailboxes. That was new. Serenity packed on 2 levels by 730 am. Liked Motown show and Donkey's Motown sing a long--best time on the ship!

 

Got home 4/16 and have been sick ever since as did many in our group from facebook. Some in hospital with flu or pneumonia. I just had no energy or appetite for 16 days THEN a full blown horrible cold with sore throat.

[mcarney]

We were on the sunshine in October and it was great ... There are always some sort of issues when you have 2000+ people, but I make the best of it.

 

The reason why there was so many platinum guests is because the May 30th Journeys cruise was overbooked (I'm on that cruise) and carnival gave 50 cabins a free trip (balcony rooms) and temporary platinum status ... So, that's at least an additional 100 platinum guests right there.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

We were on the same cruise. Never had dinner on the Lido tho. Either the MDR which was decent or the specialty restaurants. Which were great. Breakfast was fine for us. We always get cooked to order omelet a or over easy eggs. Always fresh. Had breakfast in MDR twice. We thought the shows were all pretty lame. Hypnotist was boring. Magician was so so and production shows were pretty lame. Carnival needs help in the main showroom. Everything else was great service etc...Donkey was the best CD we have ever had. He was great. 80's day was fun too.

[brepri_h]

I am reluctant to go on the Sunshine due to no aft pool. The aft pool is my family's favorite hang out spot.

[cruzeluver]

Thanks OP for your report. And sorry the lido food did not live up to expectations.

 

Personally, I have never experienced anything better than mediocre at the buffet of any ship on any cruise line. We avoid buffets whenever possible, using them only for a quick bite when we need to be off the ship quickly in port. Much prefer fresh-cooked food served to me and not having to go find somewhere to sit.

[brepri_h]

Thanks OP for your report. And sorry the lido food did not live up to expectations.

 

Personally, I have never experienced anything better than mediocre at the buffet of any ship on any cruise line. We avoid buffets whenever possible, using them only for a quick bite when we need to be off the ship quickly in port. Much prefer fresh-cooked food served to me and not having to go find somewhere to sit.

 

Agreed, I am not impressed with the buffets at all!! Unfortunately the variety on the American Dining menu has also left me without anything to eat in the MDR some nights as well. Many other options though so I never go hungry.

[KatieCharlotte]

We loved our Sunshine cruise -- and I totally agree with you about the crowded feeling in certain areas. I think it's important to post your opinion, so people can be prepared. When eating lunch, we found that it was best to always take our food into the Havana area. I can't comment about the buffet because I rarely eat any cooked foods from the buffet, but what we really liked about the Sunshine was the number of other choices for lunch, and that individual members of our family could choose a different option, including made-to-order pasta, and then meet up to eat.

[JaniceB]

Thank you for your report and observations.

[tandemcruzr]

Thanks for your report. We too, were on this cruise as the second leg of a B2B.

 

We have also sailed the Sunshine before and had the same Cabin Steward team this time as we did in January. Can't thank them enough for the great service. Shout out to Edy.

 

Yes, Serenity was a challenge if you wanted a chair by the pool or in the sun. We are shade people and were usually able to get a spot on deck 12 behind the water fall.

 

We too were on the catamaran to the Pitons. What a great experience! Great photo ops and the crew was friendly and entertaining -- good snacks, rum punch and $2 Piton beer. :)

 

For breakfast, we usually got fruit and cereal and took it to the Havana Bar area or got something at the omelet stations in the Havana Bar area. Didn't do the breakfast buffet.

 

Only negative we expereinced was debarkation in Port Canaveral. Very unorganized both on the ship and in the baggage claim area.

 

Still enjoyed our 2 weeks on board.

[Beth]

We were also on this cruise. Our complaint was the food in the dining room. Not up to Carnival's usual good food. Our servers & waters were fantastic tho.

[CruiseCrazyCouple0611]

Thanks for the review. We will sail her right after dry dock. With only two weeks in the yard, we aren't expecting too much to be done. Basically a carpet replacement and some other minor sprucing and cleaning. Sorry to hear the food wasn't that great. I generally hit up the omelet station for breakfast and get made to order eggs. DH's palate is a little more forgiving than mine, so I'm sure he will partake in the buffet on Lido often. One thing I cant stand is cold food! Hopefully, your experience was isolated. Time will tell. We will go into it with an open mind, hope for the best and let everyone know how it turns out.

[reerun25]

Thanks for posting the review and observations.. I have read reviews and opinions on both sides about the Sunshine, and I am looking forward to checking her out myself in about 9 days!

[pirate4me2]

I am on the Sunshine in 2 weeks, and it will be my second trip on her. I can't wait! I loved Epic Rock (my favorite show on any Carnival ship!) and the first time I sailed on her the food was the best of any Carnival ship I have sailed on. But we always eat in the MDR or specialty restaurants, and breakfast for me is always Blue Iguana.

[Micahs Grandad]

Thanks OP for your report. And sorry the lido food did not live up to expectations.

 

Personally, I have never experienced anything better than mediocre at the buffet of any ship on any cruise line. We avoid buffets whenever possible, using them only for a quick bite when we need to be off the ship quickly in port. Much prefer fresh-cooked food served to me and not having to go find somewhere to sit.

 

Try Princess for their buffet. Carnival should take lessons.

[leedm]

We were on this Sunshine cruise, it was our 29th on Carnival. Wife turn Diamond and we enjoyed the extra diamond benefits. As others have said there are good and bad things about the Sunshine. This can be said for all cruises. On a scale 1 - 10 my Sunshine rating would be an 7.5 - 8 overall. This was our 3rd Sunshine cruise over 3 years, winter and summer so we have seen crowds and not. Our cabin was on the 8th deck, 8140 and our cabin steward Lito was one of the best we have had. YTD aft dinning room table team leader each night was Earl, one of the best we have had with all of the pressures they have each night. Weather was OK - great, ports were great, tours were great, food was OK - Next Cruise 197 days

[Dive Master]

We did a eight night cruise on the Sunshine in February.The Sunshine is the most crowded ship I ever sailed on.Chair Hogging was totally out of control both on deck and in the showrooms. We did manage to get a clamshell on deck 14 of Setenity by being out there by 7 AM. Everything on decks 11-12 was hogged at 7. To see a show in the Liquid Lounge required being in line 45 minutes early. Same for comedy. Never could get in the Piano bar !

 

I asked my wife about cruising on the Pride in January out of Tampa--- really like the itinerary and the Spirit class ships. She told me to have fun--- said no more Carnival for her after eight nights of Sunshine.

[Micahs Grandad]

We did a eight night cruise on the Sunshine in February.The Sunshine is the most crowded ship I ever sailed on.Chair Hogging was totally out of control both on deck and in the showrooms. We did manage to get a clamshell on deck 14 of Setenity by being out there by 7 AM. Everything on decks 11-12 was hogged at 7. To see a show in the Liquid Lounge required being in line 45 minutes early. Same for comedy. Never could get in the Piano bar !

 

I asked my wife about cruising on the Pride in January out of Tampa--- really like the itinerary and the Spirit class ships. She told me to have fun--- said no more Carnival for her after eight nights of Sunshine.

 

Favorite parts of entertainment for us is comedy club and piano bar so sunshine is not a ship for us. My concern with Vista is they seem to have done the same thing with her.

[Thebosn1]

We did a eight night cruise on the Sunshine in February.The Sunshine is the most crowded ship I ever sailed on.Chair Hogging was totally out of control both on deck and in the showrooms. We did manage to get a clamshell on deck 14 of Setenity by being out there by 7 AM. Everything on decks 11-12 was hogged at 7. To see a show in the Liquid Lounge required being in line 45 minutes early. Same for comedy. Never could get in the Piano bar !

 

I asked my wife about cruising on the Pride in January out of Tampa--- really like the itinerary and the Spirit class ships. She told me to have fun--- said no more Carnival for her after eight nights of Sunshine.

 

I didn't mean to make it sound as if the crowds were awful, but they were just worse than other ships. And I realize the buffet is not the top of the line food on any ship, but Sunshine was below normal for being cold, and the quality.

 

Any cruise for my wife and I, we can make the best of it and we ALWAYS enjoy ourselves. I usually have nothing negative to say, which is why Sunshine probably seemed a little below normal for us.

[Jamman54]

Thanks for your report! We are looking forward to our first cruise on the Sunshine in September.

Edited May 14, 2016 by Jamman54

[Rock712]

We were also on this cruise. I'd have to say for the most part agree with your observations , especially when it comes to the " crowding " issues and funnel points in and out of Lido buffet area.

 

Embarkation was a pain due to the Coast Guard situation , but once they started boarding people thought they did a good job of moving everything along. I do agree that the excuse about extra time to load provisions doesn't hold water. You know what you have to do, plan for it.

 

Our room was ready when we boarded. Spa suite 10107. Great room. Steward did a good job the entire cruise keeping it clean and everything stocked up

 

We ate in both the Steakhouse and Cucina and enjoyed both meals , especially the Steakhouse. Well worth the upcharge in both places.

 

We ate one night in the MDR. It was ok , not great , but just ok. Standard food , standard service.

 

The rest of the evenings we ate in the Lido buffet. We were both able to find something there every night that was to our liking and never a problem finding seats.

 

Ate every breakfast in Lido. Started out picking a few side items off buffet , then went back to Havana area , had an omelet made to order , and never a problem finding seat in Havana area , even on the four sea days.

 

Agree with you about Donkey. Definitely in the top three we have ever sailed with, the other two being John Heald and Butch B. Thought he was extremely entertaining , was out there and around the ship, kept the announcements short, but fun and entertaining. Would look forward to sailing with him as CD again. Also, if you ever had a minute or two with him, he would actually stand there and talk to you. It's a small thing, but very important.

 

Did not go to every show, but not really all that impressed with what we did see. I usually love both magicians and hypnotists, but not so much with either on this cruise. Thought the hypnotist was ok , but his nonstop running dialogue almost became too much. The magician imo was just plain boring. We did go to Epic rock , I know that 99% of the people seem to love it, but I think I fall into that 1% . Grew up in the 70's and 80's, this is my music, but this show just didn't do it for me for whatever reason.

 

One shoe we did enjoy was the comedy club. The comedian we saw was extremely funny. The comedy club on the Sunshine gets panned quite a bit for being too small, but I thought it was ok. We got in line approx. 15 mins before show and had fine seats.

 

Enjoyed all four ports. Ranking them in order would be St Lucia, St Maarten, Barbados, St Kitts. We did tours on all four. Even though I ranked St Lucia ahead of St Maarten because of the beauty of the island , by far the best tour we took was Bernards tour on St. Maarten. It was a tour arranged by one of the ladies in our FB group , and what made the tour stand out was the guide/bus driver , The " Mailman " He may have been the best guide we have ever had anywhere. Entertaining, funny, knowledgeable , he was the total package and made it an extremely enjoyable day.

 

All in all we had a great trip. Was the Sunshine my favorite ship - no. But, I would not hesitate to sail on her again.

[Clarea]

Thanks for the reports.