Just back-Carnival Sunshine cruising the NE

[ginal]

Just my observations on the Sunshine. (I have cruised 4 cruise lines, have done over 12 cruises from 5-26 days, family, friends, or couples-so I try to just state the facts.)

 

1. Ship is easy to navigate.

2. All staff was friendly and helpful.

3. Getting on and off ship at ports was easy, though walk was long at some of them.

4. 2 comedians were the best I have ever heard, 2 were just downright mean to the audience.

5. The one production show we watched was NOT a Latin show, but a very BAD burlesque show. We were a little taken back by the content of the show. Did not go back after this one.

6. More food than we could possibly eat. As normal on a cruise: some food we fell in love with, some was okay, seldom didn't like what was served.

7. We had anytime dining and learned we could ask for our same waiter every night. We had to wait 15 minutes some nights for one of his tables to open up-but it was worth it. Thanks, Jose! They did do some dances and singing some nights.

8. We ate a Guys Burgers, always a hit. The Wok, no sweet sauce, so this was a little bland or too spicy for us. Pizza late at night was good.

9. Cruise director, Emma, was not where we ever were. She seemed to stay close to the Atrium and 'on show' doing karaoke on the bar most of the time.

10. We had an ocean suite 7163. Perfect location, close to main set of elevators. Could walk down 7 hall to whatever set of elevators that took you where you wanted to go. Two closets , 2 sets of drawers, large vanity area, bathroom is little funky layout. Nice balcony to watch the Statue of Liberty going and coming into port.

11. Okay, the worst thing about this Cruise is that it was foggy everyday. The Captain said it stayed foggy on the NE coast. Yuck.

12. Second worst thing was that there were very few activities on the ship. One of the activities listed was "lounging on the Lido Deck". Not sure lounging is an activity. Lots of sells in the shops, art auctions, and spa times, They did have some of the usual, but we just felt it was lacking. Some nights after supper it was no show, and horrible comedian as your two choices.

13. Watching the tug boats push us into our berth at NYC port was neat. We were on right side of ship if faced forward. I think it is starboard.

[Keith1010]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Keith

[erewhon]

Thank you for posting your observations about your cruise.

[Crusin Karen]

We were also on this cruise (9/23-9/30) LOVED the Sunshine and crew and staff were top notch. Seemed every time we turned around we bumped into Emma! And she was ALWAYS dancing! We were on Lido on Sunday in the fog, and boy, is that fog horn LOUD and CONSTANT! :eek: We had YTD and had the same table, same wait staff also, but we went in between 5:15-5:30 and never saw any of the dancing which we missed :(Food was exceptional. Loved the Lido Marketplace and omelettes in the back. Only thing I didn't like was the way there were 2 lines around the buffet "square" and everyone merged at the back end and it was kind of a bottleneck and people cutting other people off. We are not really into "entertainment" which is good because every time we went to the lounge it was packed with no seating. Ginal , we had planned to go to the Latin show but missed it and now I'm glad we didn't I guess! We did see the magician in the Ocean Plaza one afternoon of a sea day. He did I think 3 tricks for a total of about 10 minutes and left. :confused::confused: Ship was very clean and loved the décor.

[WMQueenie]

Thanks for your comments! We leave on Saturday!

 

Did you do any excursions? We haven't booked anything. I was kind of waiting on the weather...

[easyboy]

Thank you for the objective feedback!

 

 

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[JaniceB]

Thanks for the report!

[Crusin Karen]

Thanks for your comments! We leave on Saturday!

 

Did you do any excursions? We haven't booked anything. I was kind of waiting on the weather...

We did not book anything either, for just this reason. I'm glad we didn't as Halifax was foggy with heavy rain. Felt sorry for the pax who booked expensive tours. We took the Old Town Trolley HOHO bus in Boston and loved it. We bought tix at their website. We just stayed on the bus and did a tour of Boston. Very good decision as every time the bus stopped it was too full to allow anyone to board and some people had been waiting an hour. Portland we just walked around. St. John we stayed on the boat and Halifax just went to the marketplace by shuttle bus. There were a number of excursions you could book at the port in Portland so if it's a nice day, that's an option. HAVE FUN! Sunshine is a great ship with a great crew.

[figdu]

We were on the 9-9 sailing and were much luckier with the weather. Couple of hours of fog one night but the port days were all clear with highs in the 70's to low 80's.

[Crusin Karen]

We were on the 9-9 sailing and were much luckier with the weather. Couple of hours of fog one night but the port days were all clear with highs in the 70's to low 80's.

Yea, I went on your roll call during the week between your cruise and ours and heard about your great weather! It's a roll of the dice, esp. for Canada and I knew when booking that it could be foggy/rainy, so I was prepared. We had brilliant blue sky in Boston and Portland and warm temps, so that was a plus. Last day was nice too. We sat on those comfy chairs in Serenity area in St. John and it's amazing how fast the fog goes in and out. They were handing out ponchos at the gangway in Halifax which was a nice idea/thought. We were prepared with raincoats tho! ;) Still got SOAKED thru! I should have put a poncho OVER my rain coat lol.

[jewliana]

Thanks for your review! We loved the Sunshine and miss her! Hope she will be back in Florida soon!

[Crusin Karen]

Thanks for your review! We loved the Sunshine and miss her! Hope she will be back in Florida soon!

I wish she would stay in NY!!! We live 20 minutes from the port! But I loved Liberty too. I'll swap Liberty for the Sunshine with you! ;):confused:

[jewliana]

I wish she would stay in NY!!! We live 20 minutes from the port! But I loved Liberty too. I'll swap Liberty for the Sunshine with you! ;):confused:

 

Oh sorry..no can do... I need The Liberty for short cruises and The Sunshine for longer ones..;-)

Leaving on Liberty tomorrow!

You could always move to Florida! We dont mind driving to Miami for the Vista ever!

[kristykathy]

We also just got back from Sunshine on the 9/23 New England. Loved every minute of it - our 27th or 28th cruise and little to complain. Minor that the comedy club is too small and can never accommodate all people - you have to go so early - that is the same on every ship and Cruise Critic meet and group was less than I expected. Others said it was more organized on other ships, had drinks, prizes, etc. Ours was not good. Liked it though and last minute I decided to join the post card exchange group - with over 3,000 passengers we exchanged with only 2 participants one was the room right next to ours - they were so much fun and we got to finally meet them the last day after exchanging postcards all week - between NY and Florida. Leaving at night and seeing NY lit up was the best. I would totally do this again next year. Totally one of the best ever. 2nd time on the Sunshine and really love it. I thought food, shows activities and shows were great. Staff was great. I totally think it could not have been better - even with the rainy Nova Scotia day - our whale watching was cancelled last minute but they gave our money back and a free hop on and off - I am not picky but a lot of cruising to compare - for us - they went above and beyond and exceeded my expectations. More Cruise critic participants could have worn their beads.

[Cyber Kat]

We were also on this cruise (9/23-9/30) LOVED the Sunshine and crew and staff were top notch. Seemed every time we turned around we bumped into Emma! And she was ALWAYS dancing! We were on Lido on Sunday in the fog, and boy, is that fog horn LOUD and CONSTANT! :eek: We had YTD and had the same table, same wait staff also, but we went in between 5:15-5:30 and never saw any of the dancing which we missed :(Food was exceptional. Loved the Lido Marketplace and omelettes in the back. Only thing I didn't like was the way there were 2 lines around the buffet "square" and everyone merged at the back end and it was kind of a bottleneck and people cutting other people off. We are not really into "entertainment" which is good because every time we went to the lounge it was packed with no seating. Ginal , we had planned to go to the Latin show but missed it and now I'm glad we didn't I guess! We did see the magician in the Ocean Plaza one afternoon of a sea day. He did I think 3 tricks for a total of about 10 minutes and left. :confused::confused: Ship was very clean and loved the décor.

 

 

Hey Karen! So glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise! We loved ours too! Liked the ship a lot more than I thought I would. Our sailing was sold out but not to capacity so it never really felt crowded. We had late seating and had THE best table - by the railing on the upper level overlooking the lower floor. Our waitstaff was fantastic and we thought the food was really good, too.

 

We never went to the shows either but we prefer the live bands on the Ocean Plaza. We spent a lot of time there.

 

We really enjoyed every port - just a really great cruise all around!

 

Also loved the decor and thought they kept the ship very clean, but it does need some TLC on the decks and balconies. Our balcony windows weren’t so much dirty as etched by salt water, and we had plumbing issues.

 

I keep meaning to do a write up, but I got a cold day after we got back

(Wonder where I picked that up [emoji15]) and then I went to CA for 5 days. I’m just a travelin’ fool [emoji12]

 

 

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[Cyber Kat]

Thanks for your comments! We leave on Saturday!

 

Did you do any excursions? We haven't booked anything. I was kind of waiting on the weather...

 

 

 

We were on the 9/9 sailing and had fabulous weather! Could not have been more perfect!

 

We did Boston on our own. There is a shuttle bus you can take to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market. It was $18 pp round trip or $10 one way. We’re walkers so we walked to the Constitution with a stop at the Old North Church, then we stopped at the Paul Revere house on the way back. Stopped for some beers and a lobster roll at the Black Rose Pub near Quincy Market before heading back on the shuttle.

 

In Portland we did Portland by Land and Sea through the ship. We enjoyed it a lot. Nice bus tour with a stop at Portland Head Lighthouse, followed by a lovely sail on a schooner.

 

In Saint John we did the Coastal Photography excursion though the ship. This was great especially if you like interesting places to photograph. We visited the Reversing Falls at the best possible time (it’s a crap shoot), an actual waterfall, an interesting working fishing pier, a beach with the tide way out and lots of bouys, lobster traps, an old wooden pier. Good things for photos. The photographer tour guide gave us lots of pointers and even took photos of us at the sites. Small group 12-15 people.

 

In Halifax we took a cab up to the Citadel - $10. It’s a steep climb! We got there in time to watch them set off the noon cannon and see the Pipers. Then we walked down the hill to the Maritime Museum to see the Titanic exhibit and the one for the Halifax Explosion. After that we walked the waterfront boardwalk with stops for a lobster roll, the Farmer’s Market and a few beers at Garrison’s, a micro brewery across from Pier 22.

 

Hope that helps - enjoy!

[Crusin Karen]

Hey, Kath! Yea, I really loved the ship! But I can understand complaints about pool if you cruised during warm weather and/or to Caribbean. That is one small pool for all those pax! We met a husband and wife, a man with his mid 30's son and 2 couples the lst night at YTD sitting next to us and we all got along fabulously so we all sat at the same tables at the same time each night and it was nice to be "separate" yet together. We were all the way back by the aft facing windows. Did not experience the crowding and long lines I have heard about. I would say the only area that was a bit bad was just aft of the taco place where people are getting drinks and coming in and out of the Marketplace. I would book the ship again in a NY minute! We became friends with a couple who were doing a B2B and are in Bermuda now (eat your heart out lol) We met up with the Captain a few times as we are Diamond and we had a few cocktail parties and he is wonderful. Every single crew member had a smile or an offer to do something for you or just a cheery hello. It was a wonderful week, weather aside. (y)(y) Oh, yea, we had delayed sailing in NY. Never found out why, but it was maybe 8pm (?) when we left, a gorgeous night with a crescent moon and all the buildings and the Lady lit up. It was totally amazing!

[Crusin Karen]

Kath, would have loved to have done your excursions in Canada, but glad we didn't book anything with the weather. Had actually looked at the land/sea excursion but it was sold out. Funny-we were in an OV on deck 1. When we docked the pier was about on level with our room's floor. A bit later I came back to room and all I could see out the window was a concrete wall!!!! Tide was out lol!!! Came back a while later and we were right back where we started. And didn't even feel a thing lol. :eek:

[Crusin Karen]

Oh sorry..no can do... I need The Liberty for short cruises and The Sunshine for longer ones..;-)

Leaving on Liberty tomorrow!

You could always move to Florida! We dont mind driving to Miami for the Vista ever!

^^ I just might have to do that with CCL pulling out of Manhattan. :mad: At least we still have Baltimore which is just a 4 hour drive. Our DS picked us up at 10:30 and we were finishing our lst meal on the ship at 11:15! BON VOYAGE! Liberty is such a beautiful ship with the color changing lights.

[Jamman54]

Karen and Kath. Enjoying your posts. Just like a review!

[WMQueenie]

Loving all your posts! Looked at the 10 day forecast and it looks like showers most of the week.

 

Guess we'll continue to wait on excursions. Was the hop on/hop off bus within walking distance of the ship? I read somewhere that we can buy tickets there, right?

[meatloafsfan]

We were also on this cruise (9/23-9/30) LOVED the Sunshine and crew and staff were top notch. Seemed every time we turned around we bumped into Emma! And she was ALWAYS dancing! We were on Lido on Sunday in the fog, and boy, is that fog horn LOUD and CONSTANT! :eek: We had YTD and had the same table, same wait staff also, but we went in between 5:15-5:30 and never saw any of the dancing which we missed :(Food was exceptional. Loved the Lido Marketplace and omelettes in the back. Only thing I didn't like was the way there were 2 lines around the buffet "square" and everyone merged at the back end and it was kind of a bottleneck and people cutting other people off. We are not really into "entertainment" which is good because every time we went to the lounge it was packed with no seating. Ginal , we had planned to go to the Latin show but missed it and now I'm glad we didn't I guess! We did see the magician in the Ocean Plaza one afternoon of a sea day. He did I think 3 tricks for a total of about 10 minutes and left. :confused::confused: Ship was very clean and loved the décor.

Sounds like a great cruise. My burning question is what did you think of JiJi's?

 

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[sfaaa]

. Seemed every time we turned around we bumped into Emma! And she was ALWAYS dancing! .

 

Emma wants to say " Hello Lovelies' to all Sunshine cruisers. And yes, she loves to dance. You can tell she has some professional dance training.

[Crusin Karen]

Sounds like a great cruise. My burning question is what did you think of JiJi's?

 

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Oh, Tricia, I feel so guilty because I picked everyone's brain about JiJi's and actually took an entire page of suggestions and we never got there Just enjoyed the company of the people who were seated around us in the MDR too much and our waitstaff and the food.....did do Cucinas twice for lunch and I am still craving penne with Bolognese and linguine with white clam sauce!!! And yea, the rolls are awesome and FLUFFY just like you said!!!

[meatloafsfan]

Oh, Tricia, I feel so guilty because I picked everyone's brain about JiJi's and actually took an entire page of suggestions and we never got there Just enjoyed the company of the people who were seated around us in the MDR too much and our waitstaff and the food.....did do Cucinas twice for lunch and I am still craving penne with Bolognese and linguine with white clam sauce!!! And yea, the rolls are awesome and FLUFFY just like you said!!!

Glad you enjoyed Cucina for lunch. I loved those rolls. I really wish that the Pride had Cucina, JiJi's, and the BBQ. Oh well, I'll have to enjoy more Chopsticks, deli, Guys and Blue Iguana!

 

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