Carnival Sunshine Dry Dock 2018

[Sugar Skull]

I find this thread very interesting since we will also be on the Sunshine post dry dock. I am curious now as to what will actually be added. I've never been on the Sunshine, but according to an article I read the BBQ restaurant would need to be outdoors:

 

"As for the barbecue, the meat is smoked outdoors on the promenade in a pair of smokers that chef Soumen Banerjee says do all the heavy work. The machines self-contain the hickory chips, fire and smoke. Electricity is involved and so are gas starters – to meet strict ship safety rules there were modifications including the addition of sensors that automatically shut off if there’s a gas leak."

Are these areas that are in question outdoors and big enough to hold the Pig and Anchor? I'm just wondering if this is a real possibility as the post that states its going in doesn't refer to where that info came from.

[tidecat]

That makes it sound like it would be on Deck 10, similar to where it will be on the Sunrise.

 

 

Sent from my eye phone using a three legged yak FFS

[Sevencruiser]

Way too small a space...that’s just an alcove.

 

 

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But this is where the deli is on other ships. And they would have to give up 20 tabletops.

 

 

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[jsglow]

Folks, Sunshine already has more dining options than any ship her size in the Carnival fleet. I'd be very surprised if any were added in any drydock.

[HappySailor48]

My hope that they upgrade some of the staterooms to include FAC (Fully Accessible) cabins for folks who are disabled. Our church group cruises every year, previously on the Fantasy. For next year, we wanted something bigger and better, and chose the Sunshine. But we have one member who won't be able to go unless they add a FAC cabin.

[HappySailor48]

Folks, Sunshine already has more dining options than any ship her size in the Carnival fleet. I'd be very surprised if any were added in any drydock.

v

But unfortunately, no fully accessible cabins (FAC) for those who are confined to a wheelchair for mobility.

[jsglow]

v

But unfortunately, no fully accessible cabins (FAC) for those who are confined to a wheelchair for mobility.

 

So that's an interesting observation. Does that make Sunshine unusual in the Carnival fleet? If so a reasonable upgrade for a few cabins.

[HappySailor48]

So that's an interesting observation. Does that make Sunshine unusual in the Carnival fleet? If so a reasonable upgrade for a few cabins.

 

 

 

 

I have reviewed the ADA deck plan, and the only rooms shown are AAC, or Ambulatory Accessible cabins, all with a door width of 22", which is too small for electric chairs. And so I called Carnival, and spoke with them, they confirmed it and I was told to "hope" that during dry dock between now and next year, she gets some cabins upgraded to Fully Accessable.

[NJreality]

We are also sailing on the October 21st cruise and hopefully leave on time.

[crazycruzer68]

What are the dates of dry dock?

[mouche]

What are the dates of dry dock?

 

 

 

 

Carnival Sunshine – October 7-20, 2018

[mouche]

I also found these dry dock schedules

 

Carnival Sunshine – October 7-20, 2018

Carnival Inspiration – November 2-15, 2018

Carnival Fantasy – January 7-20, 2019

Carnival Pride – February 3-16, 2019

Carnival Freedom – February 13 through March 3, 2019

Carnival Triumph – March 1 through April 28, 2019

Carnival Ecstasy – October 5-16, 2019

Carnival Splendor – November 2019

[TyBaby]

Same here! So glad to have her in Charleston!:cool:

 

We are on that cruise as well....:cool:

[Mojobaby7]

I just got off the sunshine September 2018, I was talking to one of the higher ups on the ship and he said that one of the big projects was that a lot of the pipes were going to be replaced, I presume plumbing as that one of the problems that I've heard about, although we were pretty lucky and experienced nothing more than a slow drain which was cleared once we told our room steward know about it, in addition to the pipes I heard just the basics like paint and carpet and most likely mattresses etc. but he didn't mention anything about the seafood shack, but that doesn't mean it's not going to happen, but I agree with many of the others there's not a lot of room to put it.

[little_cruiselover]

Just got off the Sunshine yesterday (9/16/18) and I am sad to say I am a bit disappointed. This was my 9th cruise and having sailed on the Dream and Breeze recently the Sunshine leaves a lot to be desired. We had a Spa Balcony room on Deck 11 and a lot of things in our room were falling apart. The whole ship is literally falling apart. The feeling I got was that since they are going into dry dock they kinda just let non-important things repairs go by until they reach the dry dock date. There was so much rust everywhere (bathroom hinges, floors), leaky roofs (its not fun when you are in the spa and the roof starts leaking), the hot tubs were discolored and the list can go on and on. I did enjoy the Serenity area BUT there is nothing serene about it. From the fact that it faces the lido deck/ dive-in theater to the cannonballing adults, to the fact that the pool has a capacity of 17 but in reality you find about 50+ people in it or around it you will not find peace and quiet unless you go to the 14th deck where most of the loungers are not padded and if they are, the padding is so old that you might as well be laying on a towel. The ship is overall very very outdated and cramped. I know it has most of the bells and whistles of the 2.0 Fun Ships but the reality is that it just doesn't have the space for it. It like they added all this cool stuff but had no space so they just adjusted by making each place smaller ( the limelight lounge is tiny and most nights you cant get in to see a comedy show) and the liquid lounge really needs to be bigger and get a makeover. Overall, I wanted to love it and I did enjoy my time there but I really hope they are doing some major cosmetic renovations to it but the reality is that the bones of this ship were not designed to fit close to 4000 passengers + crew.

[little_cruiselover]

That spot is actually a small nook with seating. Theres a few bar style table tops and chairs. The sunshine needs more seating so hopefully they dont take some of it away.

 

 

 

 

They could possibly use this space for another dining option (seafood/BBQ)?

 

 

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[little_cruiselover]

Totally agree with you on everything (except the salesman, I didn't encounter him). Just got off the Sunshine yesterday and while there was sewage smell it was sporadic (mostly in the lower decks) and nothing to cry over. Our bathroom smelled like urine from day one, it was unbearable but we figured out pretty quickly that it wasn't urine, it was the shower curtain that smelled, our steward tried cleaning and spraying febreze and it didn't work and he quickly changed the curtain out and problem solved. On the last day, the smell was back so I think it happens because the shower curtain gets wet and it dries without sunlight so its always damp.

 

Regarding the motion on the ship, this was by far the worst. Yes, there was a hurricane and storm around us but the captain kept saying it was far away and we were safe. The second night I was not able to sleep as I felt we for sure weren't going to make it to morning without something happening to the ship. It rocked side to side and jumped up and down, it was the first time I ever experienced that. The aft, especially in the Sunrise DR was terrible, it would shake, literally shake and rumble.

 

We just got off the Sunshine last Sunday and there were hints of sewage while walking around some parts of the ship, but nothing dramatic. Our bathroom progressively smelled more-and-more like urine throughout the week. And on the last two days, an apparent water pressure issue left flushing to be a mere suggestion. However this was my first cruise and I really didn't know what to expect. Maybe I was too laid back about it, but it was vacation.

 

Something that does require attention in dry dock is her stabilizers. In a forum on a different site, a cruiser reported that months ago during a very harsh ride, the captain told him that they were experiencing stabilizer malfunctions. And during our entire 8 day cruise, regardless of wind speed, wind direction, or waves (usually smooth to slight, sometimes moderate) she was rocking constantly. My wife and I asked quite a few experienced cruisers if the ship motion was considered normal and ALL of them, at least 30 people (most platinum), said that it was the worst they had ever felt.

 

Hopefully while in dry dock they can get rid of that arrogant sales guy who sells watches. His stupid hat and fake accent did NOT make me want to buy a watch.

[PhillyFan33579]

Just got off the Sunshine yesterday (9/16/18) and I am sad to say I am a bit disappointed. This was my 9th cruise and having sailed on the Dream and Breeze recently the Sunshine leaves a lot to be desired. We had a Spa Balcony room on Deck 11 and a lot of things in our room were falling apart. The whole ship is literally falling apart. The feeling I got was that since they are going into dry dock they kinda just let non-important things repairs go by until they reach the dry dock date. There was so much rust everywhere (bathroom hinges, floors), leaky roofs (its not fun when you are in the spa and the roof starts leaking), the hot tubs were discolored and the list can go on and on. I did enjoy the Serenity area BUT there is nothing serene about it. From the fact that it faces the lido deck/ dive-in theater to the cannonballing adults, to the fact that the pool has a capacity of 17 but in reality you find about 50+ people in it or around it you will not find peace and quiet unless you go to the 14th deck where most of the loungers are not padded and if they are, the padding is so old that you might as well be laying on a towel. The ship is overall very very outdated and cramped. I know it has most of the bells and whistles of the 2.0 Fun Ships but the reality is that it just doesn't have the space for it. It like they added all this cool stuff but had no space so they just adjusted by making each place smaller ( the limelight lounge is tiny and most nights you cant get in to see a comedy show) and the liquid lounge really needs to be bigger and get a makeover. Overall, I wanted to love it and I did enjoy my time there but I really hope they are doing some major cosmetic renovations to it but the reality is that the bones of this ship were not designed to fit close to 4000 passengers + crew.

 

I don't disagree with a lot of your points, but I don't think it is fair to expect an older ship to be as nice as a larger, newer ship like Dream class ships. In my opinion, your mistake was booking a cruise on an older ship and expecting it to be like a newer ship.

[soupy174]

Be nice if they would put Guy's Pig & Anchor on Board

[krispi]

Totally agree with you on everything (except the salesman, I didn't encounter him). Just got off the Sunshine yesterday and while there was sewage smell it was sporadic (mostly in the lower decks) and nothing to cry over. Our bathroom smelled like urine from day one, it was unbearable but we figured out pretty quickly that it wasn't urine, it was the shower curtain that smelled, our steward tried cleaning and spraying febreze and it didn't work and he quickly changed the curtain out and problem solved. On the last day, the smell was back so I think it happens because the shower curtain gets wet and it dries without sunlight so its always damp.

 

Regarding the motion on the ship, this was by far the worst. Yes, there was a hurricane and storm around us but the captain kept saying it was far away and we were safe. The second night I was not able to sleep as I felt we for sure weren't going to make it to morning without something happening to the ship. It rocked side to side and jumped up and down, it was the first time I ever experienced that. The aft, especially in the Sunrise DR was terrible, it would shake, literally shake and rumble.

 

We were on the next sailing, and there was lots of motion for the first day and a half or so. It was definitely hard to sleep at first, and it felt to me like most of the motion was front to back. Luckily we were well armed with motion sickness medicine! But by the end of the cruise, the water was so smooth, I could barely feel any movement at all. I think it must have something to do with the time of the year and the hurricanes. My September, 2008 cruise 10 years ago on the Majesty of the Seas was similar - rough water the first night with a hurricane out at sea, but then very calm afterward. Majesty is an older ship too, so perhaps that also has something to do with it.

 

We didn't have any issues with urine or sewage smells. We did notice areas in need of general maintenance, though - lots of rust, dirty carpets in the stairwells, holes in the bedroom curtains, and so forth. My sister-in-law talked to a guy onboard who own a company that Carnival contracts out for maintanance. It seems he was there to do an inventory before the ship goes into drydock.

Edited September 28, 2018 by krispi
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[avenger71]

Totally agree with you on everything (except the salesman, I didn't encounter him). Just got off the Sunshine yesterday and while there was sewage smell it was sporadic (mostly in the lower decks) and nothing to cry over. Our bathroom smelled like urine from day one, it was unbearable but we figured out pretty quickly that it wasn't urine, it was the shower curtain that smelled, our steward tried cleaning and spraying febreze and it didn't work and he quickly changed the curtain out and problem solved. On the last day, the smell was back so I think it happens because the shower curtain gets wet and it dries without sunlight so its always damp.

 

Regarding the motion on the ship, this was by far the worst. Yes, there was a hurricane and storm around us but the captain kept saying it was far away and we were safe. The second night I was not able to sleep as I felt we for sure weren't going to make it to morning without something happening to the ship. It rocked side to side and jumped up and down, it was the first time I ever experienced that. The aft, especially in the Sunrise DR was terrible, it would shake, literally shake and rumble.

 

Really? I was on that same cruise and did not experience any of that. Where was your cabin located?

[LACEYS1122]

So I know Sunshine is having a dry dock in Oct of this year. I was just wondering if anyone knows whats being done to her ? I'm booked in December and just wanting to know if there are going to be any major changes.

Thanks!

 

 

We just got off her. The last cruise before dry dock. No major changes. All the crew said she was just getting a few areas new carpet, painting the hull, fixing the stabilizer, fixing the A/C, and a few other cosmetic fixes

[2talltim]

any updates to this thread?

[BlerkOne]

Completed during dry dock: 10/07/18-10/2018

• Routine hotel maintenance
• Cosmetic enhancements such as new carpeting, tile work and reupholstering in public areas
• Expanded retail space

[Angiebeth33]

Me and My husband are leaving out of Charleston on the Sunshine May 18th for its first Voyage out of Charleston and I am looking forward to it. This is our second cruise, our first Cruise was also out of Charleston in May 2018 on the Ecstasy and that was a cute little ship. It was a really Rocky ride though so I don't see how the sunshine could be much worse but I am planning to take plenty of sea sickness medication. As for the reviews I have read yes, I have seen a lot of people saying bad things about the sunshine but I have also read a lot of really good ones and we all have different opinions on different things but it's a vacation so I don't plan on nitpicking about all the little things because no one ever said that it was a new ship.