Nicole721 Takes on the Carnival Sunshine (...Again)

[Nicole721]

Great review so far. I used to be a huge Disneyfile and we went 2 to 3 times a year. On year my brother decided in November that he should take his family for Christmas holiday. I had to talk him out of it. Christmas to New Years is the busiest time at WDW. Anytime anyone tells me they are thinking about it, I look for the worst crowd pictures I can find and information about park closures due to capacity.

 

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Yeah, we won't be visiting with the Mouse in the week between Christmas and New Years again any time soon -- that's for sure!

 

 

I am along for the ride because I will be sailing on the Sunshine in September. Cruised on the Destiny a few times and since Sunshine will still be in our homeport of NY thru September, we decided to jump on her for old time's sake! I am super excited as we tend to do the same ships one cruise after another, so this will be a new adventure! We did WDW a LONG time ago when our DS'es were young. I imagine it is so much more remarkable now, but I am not into long lines and waiting. You are very patient and very upbeat, and I look forward to the rest or your journey.. Tricia, we keep crossing paths on threads lol. We will be crossing paths in person on the Pride in January! ;)

 

Love cruising from New York! We haven't done it in a few years, but what a gorgeous sailaway!

 

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise on the Sunshine!

 

 

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[Nicole721]

I always enjoy your reviews, and your blog! :)

 

Thank you!! :D

 

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[Nicole721]

Embarkation days are always a little stressful.

 

I’m not sure why we can’t seem to get a better grasp on them, but just like packing, going on more cruises hasn’t helped us get any better at making it less stressful.

 

I think it’s, in part, because we have so much excitement laying on these trips that we want to get them started on the best foot that we can, and the highest margin for something to go wrong is at embarkation.

 

We had our morning planned out as best we could plan it – out of the hotel by 9:00 am, on the road by 9:30 am, drop Mom and the luggage at the port by 10:30 am and return the car for embarkation by 11:30 am. And we almost got there: we were out of the hotel around 9:00, we stopped at McDonald’s for some caffeine and Publix for some bubbly and were on the road around 9:30 am.

 

 

The ride from Disney World to Port Canaveral is just over an hour (if you take the toll roads) to an hour and a half (two in traffic) if you don’t. We made good time, but opted to skip dropping Mom and the luggage off at the port before we returned the rental car. We figured by dropping off Mom (and the luggage), it would be easier for us to get a shuttle back since the rental car shuttles fill up fast and run slow, but by the time we were nearing Cape Canaveral, we figured that the traffic into and out of the port would cancel out any time we saved waiting for a shuttle.

 

Cape Canaveral is a pretty quiet area. A few stores and restaurants, a couple of hotels, but it’s generally quiet – probably why many cruisers opt not to stay near the port and stay closer to Disney, Orlando or even Tampa. All of the major rental car agencies have locations near the port, and most of them run free shuttles to and from the pier.

 

 

Aside from the Sunshine, the Oasis of the Seas, the Carnival Magic and the Disney Fantasy were also in port, so it was a busy day at the car rental agencies. We figured we were lucky when we went outside to catch the shuttle at the Dollar/Thrifty rental center and only found one other group out there, but less lucky when a group of cruisers bound for the Oasis tried to cut ahead by forming a new line. The shuttle was running slow (they only run every 30 minutes to begin with) and was slow to leave when the shuttle was full, so it took us nearly 45 minutes to get a mile from the car rental drop off to the terminal.

 

The Sunshine was the second stop, after the Oasis, and the driver helped us with our luggage, wished us a happy new year and passed us off to a porter, who put priority stickers on our luggage and pointed out the direction we needed to head in.

 

It all went quicker from there – our Platinum status on Carnival gives us priority boarding, which got us quickly into the building, through passport control and would have gotten us through security quicker if they hadn’t thought Mom’s luggage scale was a taser and hand-searched her bag. We walked through the Priority check in line, had our Sail and Sign cards in hand within minutes and walked straight onto the ship. So while we didn’t get to board as quickly as I would have liked us to, being able to walk right on without a wait was kind of nice, too.

 

[Nicole721]

The first matter of business was to head to our room to drop off our bags. That Platinum status also permits us to head straight for our room at embarkation instead of waiting for the general announcement at 1:30 pm. Our room (2152 – a standard oceanview cabin) was ready for us, with our pre-ordered water bottles stacked on the desk, our pins and drink vouchers laid out in front of the mirror with a fresh, new Fun Times. We took the Fun Times with us and headed upstairs to the Lido deck for lunch.

 

 

 

 

First day lunch always means tacos from the Blue Iguana Cantina. I get at ‘em early because, well, I’ll be their best customer for breakfast and lunch for the rest of the cruise. In my opinion, the Blue Iguana Cantina is one of the best eateries at sea. They’re usually pretty amenable to special orders, they make their tortillas from scratch and throughout the day and, you guys, those breakfast arepas. But before I could dig into a plate of steak tacos, we had to find a table. The Lido Marketplace was packed. The outdoor seating was filled. It was impossible to find a table, and if this was what we were in for for the next eight days, I wasn’t going to be amused. We gave up on dining in the Marketplace and took our plates as far aft as we could get to the Havana Bar.

 

 

The Havana Bar shares the space formerly occupied by a second pool when the Sunshine was the Destiny with JiJi’s Asian Kitchen and Cucina del Capitano. It’s a lively space at night, but a quiet area during the day where you can almost always find a table (and some fresh empanadas and Cubanos from the Havana Bar!).

 

 

[Nicole721]

After lunch, we headed back to the room to check for our luggage, but nothing had appeared yet, so we headed out to explore the ship. Our last trip on the Sunshine was exactly 54 weeks prior, so it should have still been fresh in our minds, but for some reason, the ship felt foreign to us. Maybe it was because the Vista was so different or because the slight updates made to the Sunshine felt so much bigger than they were, but the familiarity we usually sense of coming home (especially on ships we have traveled on before) just wasn’t there. But that was okay – it also meant we could rediscover everything as if it were new to us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

Stephanie headed back to the room to nap while Mom and I went for a walk along deck ten. The weather was beyond perfect – sunny and mid-70s with a nice breeze coming up off the water. I couldn’t get in enough time outside to soak it in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muster drill was scheduled for 3:30 pm and our bags are usually delivered an hour or so beforehand. But as the handlers began delivering luggage down the hallway, ours hadn’t shown up on our doorstep yet. We hoped to be able to unpack a little before muster drill, but we headed off with empty drawers and closets.

[Nicole721]

The safety briefing was a mess. While many of Carnival’s ships have adapted to the process of gathering guests in common areas and doing the muster drill in the comfort of personal space and air conditioning, the Sunshine still does it the old fashioned way – gathered outside, lined up in rows so close to the person in front of you that you’ve basically got your nose in their hair. Stephanie wanted to leave early so we could get upstairs before the rush, but I knew that the first ones in are often the last ones out. So we went upstairs and there was a stampede of people trying to get outside for muster drill. Like an actual stampede. Every person on the ship had to be on deck 4 trying to get outside four doors. We held back towards the elevators until everyone was outside, a tactic that worked in our favor: there was no room for us with everyone else, so we were led to a quiet little area in between two of the muster stations.

 

The Cruise Director, Chris, excused two stations at a time, and while everyone headed upstairs to the Lido deck, we ducked downstairs to our favorite little quiet area on the ship: the deck 3 promenade. On both sides of the lobby, there are doors that lead out to a long deck. Most people will never go out there – it’s not all that obvious. But there are some chairs out there, some shade from the sun and plenty of room to enjoy the views. We settled in as the Carnival Magic pulled out to sea ahead of us before the captain steered us out of Port Canaveral, past the Oasis of the Seas and out to open waters.

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

Once there was nothing below the horizon but blue waters, we ran back to the room in the hopes our luggage would be there and as our luck would have it, three of our four bags had been delivered. It was later than on our previous cruises, but we were just glad we wouldn’t be stuck in our current attire for the New Year’s Eve party!

 

 

We unpacked what we could, but we only had 15 minutes before we had to head upstairs for the lighting of the menorah. Carnival had organized a gathering for Hanukkah and we already found a crowd waiting when we got upstairs. A member of the entertainment staff explained that there were no members of the Jewish faith on the staff but that he volunteered to lead the event. A few of our fellow passengers led the group in prayer and song and then, after the menorah was lit, a latke station was opened up, a basket of chocolate gelt was placed on the table and best of all, they passed around glasses of Manischewitz!

 

 

 

 

The dinner menu was posted out in the lobby and the offerings looked fantastic, but we had reservations at the supper club, so we cut out of the Hanukkah party to head back to the room, where our final bag had been delivered, so we could finish unpacking and get ready for all of the New Year’s fun.

[Nicole721]

I made an online reservation for Fahrenheit 555 a few weeks before we left, figuring it would be a hot reservation for New Year’s and requesting an 8:00 pm seating. They were quick to email us back that, while they were booked through our 8:00 pm request, they could accommodate a reservation for 8:30 pm. The later dinner time gave us just enough time to unpack, get ready and get in some time to browse the shop and hang out on Ocean Plaza with some live music and bites at the Taste Bar.

 

 

 

We headed to the restaurant promptly at 8:30 pm and were immediately led to a waiting table. Fahrenheit 555 is smaller on the Sunshine than it is on many of the other ships, making the space more intimate. We had two attentive servers who walked us through the menu, the various cuts of meat and offered us a complimentary bottle of wine (the promotion for dining on the first evening or the first formal night).

 

 

[Nicole721]

The meal, itself, takes just over two hours, consisting of an amuse bouche, a starter, a salad, the entrée course and dessert and coffee. Everything we tried was delicious and cooked perfectly to order, but the standout for me is the sides – the mashed potatoes with wasabi are consistently out of this world.

 

Tuna Amuse Bouche

 

Tomato Amuse Bouche

 

Baked Onion Soup

 

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail

 

Baby Leaf Spinach and Fresh Mushrooms

 

Sliced, Sun-Ripened Beef Steak Tomato

[Nicole721]

Broiled New York Strip Loin Steak

 

Broiled Filet Mignon

 

Baked Potato with Trimmings

 

Yukon Gold Mash with Wasabi Horseradish + Béarnaise Sauce

 

Cheesecake with Hazelnut Biscuit

 

Caramelized Washington Apples

[Nicole721]

Our meal concluded just in time for us to head to the atrium lobby, where hundreds of people were already gathered for the 11:00 pm balloon drop. Cruise Director Chris was dancing on the bar in his kilt and led us in a countdown. Hundreds of balloons dropped from the ceilings, each one with a wish inside (an activity from earlier in the afternoon). Two winners whose wishes were in Chris’ balloons received a bottle of Moet Chandon (the sponsor of this evening’s activities) and some fun New Year’s gear.

 

 

 

After the balloon drop, we stopped back at our room to change our shoes before the deck party and found party hats, blowers and our Platinum gifts waiting for us in the room. We took a few minutes to put our feet up and then headed upstairs to the very windy Lido deck for the New Year’s Eve party.

 

[Nicole721]

We’ve traveled for Halloween and Christmas and Carnival has always put together some really fun holiday experiences, but they really went all out for New Year’s. The party was sponsored by Moet Chandon, so champagne was flowing and servers were making constant rounds. Light up 2017 glasses and foam wands were passed out at the entrance and everyone sang and danced until Chris came on to count us down to 2017. The Playlist Productions cast led a rousing rendition of Auld Lange Syne and it was probably the most fun celebration we’ve ever had at sea.

 

 

 

 

 

The party continued in the Liquid Lounge. Mom headed off to bed and Stephanie and I made a fashionably late entrance downstairs, but we drank so much wine at dinner and champagne upstairs that we didn’t last long at the dance party.

 

 

We staggered back to our room and the ship might have been rocking, but it also might have been the celebration and the wine but either way, we couldn’t have came up with a better way to welcome in 2017.

 

[cainlr]

Great review. Following along on this fun ride.

[jewals]

LOVE your reviews!!!

 

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[h3yitsvictoria]

Looks like so much fun!

 

 

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[watermelonqueen99]

Great review! We love Disney too. We usually go every summer, and 2 hour waits are standard in the afternoons. We use Ridemax to give us a touring plan, get there at rope drop, ride and see everything we want, then head back to our resort early afternoon to swim and then return to the park later in the evening. We're going again next April, right before we cruise out of Port Canaveral, so I'm loving this review!

[hockeyluver]

I always enjoy your review, looking forward to more !!

[Nicole721]

Great review. Following along on this fun ride.

 

 

Woo! The more the merrier! :)

 

LOVE your reviews!!!

 

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Thank you!! :D

[Nicole721]

Looks like so much fun!

 

 

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Any day on a cruise is better than a day at work, that's for sure!

 

 

Great review! We love Disney too. We usually go every summer, and 2 hour waits are standard in the afternoons. We use Ridemax to give us a touring plan, get there at rope drop, ride and see everything we want, then head back to our resort early afternoon to swim and then return to the park later in the evening. We're going again next April, right before we cruise out of Port Canaveral, so I'm loving this review!

 

I've never done Disney in June/July, but we've gone many times in August and it was never too bad. We've learned our lesson though -- stick to off peak months!

[Nicole721]

I always enjoy your review, looking forward to more !!

 

So glad you're enjoying it!

[Nicole721]

After the late night fun ringing in the new year and with the two and a half sea days ahead of us on our way to Aruba, we didn’t exactly rush out of bed when the alarm went off.

 

In fact, Stephanie hit snooze for a solid 45 minutes. So we were up later for us, but we were still up relatively early by conventional standards. When we headed upstairs for breakfast around 9:00 am, I was hoping most of the ship would still be sleeping.

 

I guess we were the late risers because the Lido deck was bustling by the time we got outside.

 

We opted for a quick breakfast from the Blue Iguana Cantina, where the arepa man took one look at me, pronounced Arepas! and started plating my breakfast before I could wish him a good morning. He was on our last Sunshine cruise, and it was nice to see a familiar and friendly face.

 

 

Satiated on arepas (me) and breakfast burritos (rest of the fam), we headed up to the Serenity deck in search of loungers. When the Destiny transitioned into the Sunshine, it lost a pool (the aft pool became the Havana Bar, Cucina del Capitano and JiJi Asian Kitchen). With only one main pool and a very full ship, the Lido pool was the last place we wanted to be, and the Sunshine has a beautiful three-level Serenity area – an adult-only oasis featuring plush loungers, a waterfall pool, hot tubs and no splashing kids.

 

 

Unfortunately, the only thing it didn’t seem to have was many free loungers – all three stories were packed before 9:15 am and the chairs that didn’t have bodies in them had towels on them. Luckily, we found a couple of loungers on the third level and settled in for a few hours of sun time.

 

 

We bathed in the warm sun for a good three hours and I marveled to myself over how difficult I generally find it to be in one place doing nothing for more than a few minutes, but how peaceful it was to lay back and zone out. Time passed by so slowly, ticking away to the Throwback Thursday playlist I’d downloaded off Spotify. It was every bit the relaxation I’ve needed, and as fun as I’m sure a New Year’s cruise on the Oasis would have been, I surely would have been running around the ship ziplining and walking through Central Park and wave riding (…okay, just maybe on the last one) and I wouldn’t have sat still long enough to relax and let the sun just wash over me.

 

 

[Nicole721]

Before we headed back to the room, we grabbed a quick lunch from Cucina del Capitano, which transforms into a complimentary pasta bar during lunch hours. You fill out a paper slip with hundreds of possible combinations of pastas, sauces and toppings and a chef will prepare your pasta dish fresh to order and a server will bring it to your table within minutes.

 

 

 

After lunch, we headed back to the room to rest up, shower and get ready for the rest of the afternoon. The seas were starting to swell, so we moved a little slower, rested a little longer.

 

We skipped the one hit wonder trivia to finish a movie in the room, heading out when it was time for tea time. Tea time has been one of our favorite cruise-time activities for years now, a relaxing time to enjoy some tea and sweets and reflect on our day, the things we learn, the people we meet. The past few years, there have been lines to get in for tea time, it’s popularity growing from the first few years when it was a hidden gem of a secret. This time, we walked right in and had our choice of tables.

 

 

We chose a table next to the windows, and the winds were causing high waves and heavy motion, forcing a noticeable vibration in the aft dining room. A server quickly came over to offer us our choice of teas from a chest and then asked for our Sail and Sign cards. As quickly as I was marveling over the new choices in exotic teas, I realized we’d be charged for these selections. I didn’t say anything because it was $1.95 and I would have opted for the fee-oriented selections over the free options of Lipton Green or Black anyways, but the server really should have explained that these options were not complimentary and we had a choice between the complimentary options or the for cost ones.

 

 

A server yielding a platter of smoked salmon and cucumber finger sandwiches appeared, offering us our choice as another came around to pass out tea pots filled with hot water. The cart of cakes, scones and other sweet treats came next, along with another server bringing around milk and cream, and the service was quite nice. The missing piece was the music – live or otherwise. Tea Time used to have a live string quartet, and then music over the sound system. Now, it seems there’s no music, which leaves more room for conversation, but was missed nonetheless.

 

 

[Nicole721]

By the time we’d finished off a few pots of tea, I couldn’t sit upright anymore. I don’t get seasick – a trait I inherited from my sea-loving grandma, I’m convinced – but choppy seas make me very sleepy. And these seas were nearly as bad as the ones we’d sailed through in similar waters the year before and those were the worst we’d ever sailed through. I went back to the room, drew the blackout curtain on the window and put myself to sleep for a few hours. I woke up when Stephanie was trying to get a patch on and find the upset stomach meds – the seas were causing her severe nausea. Mom put a seasickness patch on before we boarded and couldn’t even feel the motion.

 

Stephanie couldn’t get out of bed without feeling like the room was spinning, so Mom and I headed off to dinner alone. The waves started to subside while we were dining on a meal of strawberry bisque and steak (for me) and an iceberg wedge salad and brisket (for Mom), a small blessing for all of us.

 

Bread Basket

 

Orange and Grapefruit Fillets

 

Strawberry Bisque

 

Heart of Lettuce

[Nicole721]

Beef Brisket

 

Flat Iron Steak with Garlic Fries

 

Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake

 

Cheese Plate