Carnival Sunshine Review - 04/15/18 through 04/23/18 - Disappointing (LONG)

[auscgguysgirl]

We chose this sailing b/c the travel dates and departure port (Canaveral/Orlando) met with the spring break travel time we wanted to take our daughter on her graduation vacation. We had a total of 13 family members cruising. We had 1 spa suite (deck 10), 3 balcony cabins (deck 8 mid) and 1 interior (deck 8 mid). Considering that the Sunshine had recently come out of dry dock and been refurbished we thought this would be a nicer experience. The ship was smaller overall than we expected and felt very crowded. Note, we have sailed another ship in this class, but this one did not feel the same. The spa suite we were in though was wonderful and our cabin stewardess was awesome.

We had early assigned dining and it was a mess. The dining room service was sub-par, the staff was unorganized and the food overall was disappointing. Having been on several other Carnival cruises, this was by far the worst experience we have had. The staff didn't put on a show 2 nights during dining that were planned. The nights that they did provide a show, it was unorganized and seemed very well unplanned. We were on the 2nd floor AFT dining room. Despite being seated every night for dinner by 6:15, several times we were not out of the dining room w/ dessert until well after 8:45 and late dining people often waited. Every night I ordered ice cream, it was melted before it even got to the table. Some meals we were even 1/2 way through the meal before we ever even got anything to drink besides water. During the morning dining breakfast the vast majority of the dining staff was unpleasant and cool. Not what you typically see of the dining room.

Entertainment was crowded and overall not very well planned. We were unable to see ANY of the comedy shows because the venue was so small and there was no seating. Several nights even an hour before the show started it was standing room only. This was disappointing. We learned after that the venue on this boat had been significantly downsized to accommodate other changes on the boat during refurbishing. Other shows though that we attended, were greatly empty. The same was said for Bingo, which both times were so crowded that people were sitting around on the tile floor in the area in which they held it. This was very odd to me. We spent a great deal of time in the casino and couldn’t even get a drink in a decent amount of time from the staff on the floor unless we went directly to the bar. On 3 separate occasions we ordered drinks while playing the slots and waited over 45 mins each time to get said drink.

Faster to the Fun purchase was a waste on this sailing. Except for early boarding, NONE of the cabins on the boat were ready and all of the doors were shut to the staterooms until after 2:00. FTTF is supposed to provide your cabin being ready on embarkation. We were on the boat by 12:15. We couldn't get in the cabin until after 3:00.

Additionally, there was no priority debarkation in any of the ports w/ the shore excursions provided. Now, I do understand that this is generally offered on tender ports. However, past experience is that they make other adjustments for excursions if you port late to ensure you meet same. As such, we almost got left by the excursion staff for our port of call in San Juan because we ported late (an hour later than scheduled) and it took us almost an hour to get off the boat. According to the customer service desk, the boat as the "option" of providing priority debarkation and the Sunshine does not provide it.

The service was mediocre in most areas. (cabin stewardess was wonderful).

We also had problems with the spa, which is a big issue for us as we spend a great deal of time and money in the spa. The massages we experienced on this boat were not worth the price we paid and paled in comparison to those we received on other ships. We pre-booked 3 couples massages. Ginger salt and lime glow, day one ($429) and 2 hot stone couples massages $379 each). The online purchase doesn’t offer this discount. We have always been given the 10/20/30 discounts for booking 3 services, but this boat did not give it. They stated again that it is an “option” and this boat didn’t offer it for online bookings. Mind you, there is a sign on the spa reception desk that says 3 or more spa services are given at 10/20/30 discounts. We purchase spa services in advance to ensure the time slot and dates we wish to have said services. Additionally, the spa jacked up our onboard expense account on the 2nd sea day by charging us again almost $1400 for spa services that had been pre-paid prior to sailing. We should have only been charged the gratuities. Thus, resulting in a 1/2 day to fix their error and our inability to be able to even purchase a drink during this period. Last, the spa suite is supposed to include priority spa reservations. We inquired about adding another massage during the sailing and were advised that unless there was a cancellation there was no place to add said service, other than during a port day for which we had an excursion booked.

We also had an issue w/ reward redemptions of our Carnival MC on this sailing. 5 months prior to sailing we did redemptions for both onboard spa credit ($200 total) and pre-paid gratuities. In the past, these have always been on our account w/in the 1st day of sailing. On this sailing, they were not added. In fact, we were charged the gratuities on day 1. It took 4 trips to customer service desk and 5 different people to look into the issue w/ the “Redemption #’s” to fix these issues.

The ports we stopped in were very nice and our shore excursions were great. However, our stop in San Juan was very short. Once we left and returned from a planned excursion on the other side of the island, we had enough time to get through the gate back to the boat. There was no time to explore the port, which was disappointing. We enjoyed the itinerary and all of the ports.

Last, despite being on the spa deck, we (as well as a few others on our floor) had to report the cabin next to us multiple times. They repeatedly continued to smoke, including cigars on their balcony, as well as play loud music on the balcony, including the wee hours of the night. This was a daily experience. We generally spend a lot of time on the balcony, but this made our cabin balcony experience much less enjoyable. I realize no one else can change the tackiness of others and this is not the cruise lines fault. It was just annoying.

We did enjoy the cruise overall, but the experience of this sailing compared to others was very disappointing.

We are scheduled to sail the Sunshine again in 02/2018, also in a spa suite. The suite was booked over 1 yr ago b/c it offered the cabin we wanted. This future sailing is just the 2 of us and may be overall different with it being just the 2 of us. But if we do not have a better experience, we will not sail this ship again.

[beachgoddess]

Sorry this cruise wasn't what you expected it to be. We've been on the Sunshine twice & going a third time, & have never had the issues you had. Hope your next cruise on her is much better!

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

[jocko4279]

Sorry you had a bad cruise :( But it is incredible, that you've discovered time travel! :)

[auscgguysgirl]

Sorry you had a bad cruise :( But it is incredible, that you've discovered time travel! :)

 

HAHA! :o I was thinking about the 02/2018 sailing date I guess! Unfortunately, it won't allow me to edit the title.

[jsglow]

Interesting. We were on the same cruise and had a great time. I will agree with you that the Aft dining room was having its 'issues' throughout the week. Not quite sure the cause. Food remained consistently good but it was quite hectic and disorganized. My gut tells me that the maitre d might not have been up to the job. Our sense was that the boat had sailed at very near max capacity with all the Easter cruisers.

[bury me at sea]

I'm so sorry you experienced multiple negatives on your cruise. Poor or disorganized service in the MDR has been described on several ships.

 

Hope your next one is better.

 

Thanks for posting.

[cruzeluver]

Sorry for so many disappointments, A lot can vary from sailing to sailing. We cruised on Sunshine twice last year and both were very good experiences. Sunshine is different from all other Carnival ships, really its own class. We love it but many do not. Surprised that even one hour out you could not get into the comedy club. While smaller than other ships, we would arrive 20 minutes or so early and get in the line and always made it in. Never heard of priority disembarkation in a non-tendered port.

[Bunkie103]

We sailed on the Sunshine in February of 2016 and had a similar experience. It appears they added venues and took away deck space that was needed. We could not find ANY place to sit on a sea day. One day we wound up sitting in the lobby! Won't cruise the Sunshine again although we did love Cucina del Capitano. Our YTD was so messed up that we were treated to a free night there and we took advantage of it, and went back a second time too. The crew was fine as usual but the amount of people seemed overwhelming.....and yes we have sailed other Carnival ships that are larger with more people.

[jewliana]

Thanks for your review. Just wanted to say we just disembarked the Sunshine this Friday (sailed the 4-23 cruise) and we absolutely loved it. I dont think the ship was at max capacity. We never waited in a line anywhere and loved the Sunshine so much it is now one of our favorites. We had a spa cabin and had no issues with the spa or gym. Did speciality dining, only did the MDR one night but thought the food and service were both very good. I was pleasantly surprised! The only thing I might agree with you on was the entertainment they put on was a complete waste of time. They should just stick to serving food :-)

[vamartha]

I sailed the Sunshine about a year and a half ago and was pleasantly surprised that I loved it.

 

When the doors are shut to the cabins and you have FTTF, you are supposed to open those doors and go right on in. That is something that you paid for and those closed doors are NOT for you.

 

There are NO FTTF benefits for the spa, not quite sure where you read that there were.

 

And Priority Debarkation does not apply to ports at all. It applies to you leaving and going home. There is Priority for FTTF when you are tendering but not at other ports.

 

Here is the link to the FTTF benefits. I am thinking you are disappointed because you thought that things were included that simply are not included.

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1374/related/1

[riclop]

That ship gets bad reviews all the time.

[shof515]

We were unable to see ANY of the comedy shows because the venue was so small and there was no seating. Several nights even an hour before the show started it was standing room only. This was disappointing. We learned after that the venue on this boat had been significantly downsized to accommodate other changes on the boat during refurbishing.

this seems to be a common theme on all of the carnival ships. I kinda wish carnival somewhat follows NCL lead and make passengers have reservations to see the shows so that everyone is guarantee a seat and not wasting time standing on lines

 

when i was on the vista in November, people where lining up by the comedy club lounge like 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes in advance and it snaked around the casino.

[easyboy]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise despite some disappointments.

[soapbxking]

Sorry about your cruise being not as good as the previous!! Correct me if I am wrong, but you said you sailed on the same class of ship, but kinda technically there is not one. The sunshine was taken into drydock and given a number of more cabins which would crowd the ship. I have read many threads which state this to be true. I have been weary of sailing her for this reason!! Hoping your next voyage is a better one!!!

[jsglow]

And to actually further the conversation, we actually LOVED the ship. My sense is that Easter week was REALLY full. And while we did have some issues with the MDR, we never found any other material issues and will likely sail her on a future Aruba trip. Sunshine is loaded with features.

 

Let me try to give everyone a sense about crowds. If you first walked out of your room at 11a on a sea day, you might have trouble finding a lounger at a location other than the sides in the back of the ship. But I would go up to Serenity around 8a and have my choice of clam shells. One day we even got one of the prime ones overlooking the pool/TV. We also noted that the staff sitckered chairs held by the obvious 'hogs'. We never waited for our YTD dinner with the exception of one night when we specifically asked for 'our' waiter. We ate two nights at the Italian restaurant and simply by making a reservation at noon we were granted a beautiful oceanside table each time.

 

We hope that gives you some peace of mind. Have fun.

[jimbo5544]

this seems to be a common theme on all of the carnival ships. I kinda wish carnival somewhat follows NCL lead and make passengers have reservations to see the shows so that everyone is guarantee a seat and not wasting time standing on lines

 

When I was on the vista in November, people where lining up by the comedy club lounge like 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes in advance and it snaked around the casino.

I have been on the Vista twice, and while there certainly was lines for the comedy show (same as Oasis I might add) nothing approached an hour and a half..... Main shows there were seats open for every one of the 7 shows one in the main lounge. Not sure what went on with your sailing......

[NYcruzzer]

this seems to be a common theme on all of the carnival ships. I kinda wish carnival somewhat follows NCL lead and make passengers have reservations to see the shows so that everyone is guarantee a seat and not wasting time standing on lines

 

when i was on the vista in November, people where lining up by the comedy club lounge like 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes in advance and it snaked around the casino.

 

 

NCL only accepts reservations on their Breakaway Class ships. All their others have same open seating as Carnival.

[Drazil65]

When the doors are shut to the cabins and you have FTTF, you are supposed to open those doors and go right on in. That is something that you paid for and those closed doors are NOT for you.

 

There are NO FTTF benefits for the spa, not quite sure where you read that there were.

 

And Priority Debarkation does not apply to ports at all. It applies to you leaving and going home. There is Priority for FTTF when you are tendering but not at other ports.

 

Here is the link to the FTTF benefits. I am thinking you are disappointed because you thought that things were included that simply are not included.

 

Thank you...this is exactly right with regards to FTTF....this stuff is regularly discussed on these boards regarding FTTF...

 

Not sure where the show in the dinning room every night came from as we have only seen the dinning staff put on a show during dinner maybe twice during the week (always last night I believe)....the Sunshine has always had complaints (many over the years) regarding the comedy club venue being too small, would suggest that people do extensive research and reading BEFORE booking a cruise (or any other vacation for that matter) to confirm that the things that are important to them are what they think they are.

 

Also, as you stated that you ported late in San Juan and then went right to excursion I would think that you knew when the ship would be leaving port that day and figured out it would shorten the days activities. Not sure why you were an hour late but are you sure you were not looking at island time (hour difference) and just got confused? Seems like you made your excursion on time so that means even without being late into port you still would not have had enough time to "look around" after excursion.

 

Researching and reading sometimes is the biggest factor in managing expectations and understanding how things work. Sorry things were not as you thought they should be and maybe it was a very crowded cruise which compounded everything but these are not things that have not been pointed out about the Sunshine in the past. It is technically the oldest ship in the fleet and with all of the dry docks and upgrades they can never increase the size of the ship overall!

[ABQrobin]

It is Spring Break that is the problem....not the ship. We were on the Magic the last week of March...same problems. A zillion kids, lines everywhere, no way to get in to the Comedy club as there was a line in the hall every single show. We had YTD and went to eat as soon as they opened, no issues at all...if you waited an hour it was a long, long line. We ate at the buffet for dinner two nights and it was insanely busy, with families with kids. Just a zoo.

I wrote a trip report that I posted last week... for those thinking about sailing during March-April, you should think about whether this is for you. Definitely not for me! I am not an old cranky person, just don't like spending a week in a daycare trying to get a meal.

 

robin

[teflonjeff]

Wife and I were on this sailing and generally gave this cruise high marks. Did YTD and the longest wait was maybe 5 minutes. Service in the MDR was inconsistent, but the food was generally cooked correctly. Used the gym and thermal suite frequently. Stayed in a interior spa room on deck 11, but didn't use spa services. Serenity deck 11 was crowded early on 2nd sea day; many who assumed they would get a prime lounger on the 1st sea day at 10:00 am got out early on day 2. We're early birds and had chairs before 8. I think we had some rain on the 2nd sea day anyway, but it was later in the am.

 

Read about the lines at the comedy shows. We arrived 25 minutes early and had great seats.

 

Sorry you didn't have a great experience. Maybe the size of your group, and you might find things different when it's just 2 of you. You'll be veterans and know exactly what to do and where to be!

 

Did you like Eden the piano player?

[Cushing985]

We were also on this cruise and have since sworn off April cruises. Just too crowded for me. Other than that we enjoyed it. I do agree with you (partially) about the MDR. I thought the food was very good/excellent but do agree with the service in certain areas. We do YTD and on the first two nights we were in the back of the dining room and the service was horrendous with two separate service teams. Long waits for the water, bread and the food. It normally took almost 2 hours to get through dinner. On the third night we requested a table in the front of the room and the difference was like night and day. Just great all the way around. Needless to say, we requested the same team every night after that. About the cabins...we planned it so we would be onboard no later than 1:30PM and we ended up walking on at around 1:25PM and went directly to our cabin. Fire doors were opened and the cabins had been cleaned. I would go on the Sunshine again (this was our second trip on her) but no way would I do it again in April.

[crusinpsychRN]

When I was on Sunshine it was really crowded. Three 3 by pool were totally packed. Good food options. I'd never pay those prices for a massage.

 

I suggest you change ships for next trip.