Carnival Sunshine - Not so sunny...

[tlbutler33]

I rarely write bad reviews. My wife and I are avid cruisers, and have loved Carnival for years. I just cant hold my tongue about this ship. We went the 1st week in January, and it was the worst cruise we have ever had. That being said, it was still a cruise and we made the best of it. This ship is just "wonky". Every area seems so jammed up that no matter where we went, it felt overcrowded. We have done almost every fantasy class ship, and we love them. Have also done the Pride and Vista, and never felt crowded. It's that crowded feeling that comes from to tight, not from to many people. Everything on that ship seems so close together. Example, we had an ocean suite, and in the bathroom the commode was angled and the front of it was literally 2 inches from the tub. You basically had to sit on it sideways... The atrium is terribly tight. The bar, the guest services, the computers, and the shore excursions were literally on top on each. The casino was super cramped. It was also the smokiest one I have ever been to. Even worse than Fremont in Vegas. The nicest area was the Red Frog Bar in the back of the ship. It was comfortable and spread out.(and great bartenders). Now the worst part of all, the ship was dirty. I mean everywhere we went. Public areas, public bathrooms were un-usable, sticky tables, and we never say a single worker cleaning. Usually you see them everywhere, constantly wiping and cleaning. We saw no one in 5 days. Also in our suite, lots of little things broken. Literal duct tape hold the corner of the bathroom mirror on. The closet door was rigged with a folded up funtimes and tape so it would hit the switch to turn the light off inside the cloet when door closed. Just a really bad experience. 

[Happicruzrr]

Had literally the opposite experience in November,  with two exceptions.  The bad...casino too cramped so although it was an Ultra I just didn't play...saved lots of money and left with all my fun play and gift money. Also the comedy club is insanely small and poorly designed.  However, absolutely no problem with cleanliness, our cabin, or crowds. Serenity deck always had wonderful seats available.  The thermal spa was almost always empty. The MDR had absolutely no wait, empty tables, and great service for dinner, brunch and breakfast.  Going back on the Sunshine in 48 hours and I'll be curious to see if things took a sudden change for the worse. We have a spa balcony this time and have had them on other Carnival ships (12 different Carnival ships) so we know what to compare it to. 

[audcc77]

Agree with you OP.  We went last fall and our room (empress deck) was completely worn. 

 

Nonetheless, I've decided to give the Sunshine another chance in a few weeks.  This time on the Lido deck.   I'll be posting photos if the cabin is not up to snuff.

 

It seems maintenance is lacking on this ship.   The door into the library sounded like a haunted house.  

 

I think the newer remodeled areas are nice, but I'm in agreement with you about the fact that it's crowded.  I waited in line for Mongolian Wok for about 30 minutes last time.  

 

8 minutes ago, Happicruzrr said:

The MDR had absolutely no wait, empty tables, and great service for dinner, brunch and breakfast. 

 

Hmmm.... then perhaps I'll try the MDR and hopefully get quick service.  

 

[Cb1977]

21 minutes ago, tlbutler33 said:

I rarely write bad reviews. My wife and I are avid cruisers, and have loved Carnival for years. I just cant hold my tongue about this ship. We went the 1st week in January, and it was the worst cruise we have ever had. That being said, it was still a cruise and we made the best of it. This ship is just "wonky". Every area seems so jammed up that no matter where we went, it felt overcrowded. We have done almost every fantasy class ship, and we love them. Have also done the Pride and Vista, and never felt crowded. It's that crowded feeling that comes from to tight, not from to many people. Everything on that ship seems so close together. Example, we had an ocean suite, and in the bathroom the commode was angled and the front of it was literally 2 inches from the tub. You basically had to sit on it sideways... The atrium is terribly tight. The bar, the guest services, the computers, and the shore excursions were literally on top on each. The casino was super cramped. It was also the smokiest one I have ever been to. Even worse than Fremont in Vegas. The nicest area was the Red Frog Bar in the back of the ship. It was comfortable and spread out.(and great bartenders). Now the worst part of all, the ship was dirty. I mean everywhere we went. Public areas, public bathrooms were un-usable, sticky tables, and we never say a single worker cleaning. Usually you see them everywhere, constantly wiping and cleaning. We saw no one in 5 days. Also in our suite, lots of little things broken. Literal duct tape hold the corner of the bathroom mirror on. The closet door was rigged with a folded up funtimes and tape so it would hit the switch to turn the light off inside the cloet when door closed. Just a really bad experience. 

Couldn't agree more. Was on Sunshine last April and everything felt small and overcrowded. Our stateroom was literally falling apart. Trim falling down and rust around the bathroom door. We enjoyed the cruise but we won't set foot on Sunshine again  

[Stick93]

Thanks for the review - I was on the Sunshine twice and the second time I commented to my wife that we never saw anyone clean and it seemed to be just left for a different day.

The class of ships is a bit congested for whatever reason (can look up reviews and see what people say).

The advise is stay away from that class and it should be better.

[Happicruzrr]

Well I'll give an update in a week when I get off her again. Maybe it's just because I swim in a different lane than the crowds. We usually have to wait at least one night to get seated on a window in the MDR and didn't at all have to wait for all 7 days, and we have had to settle for inferior seats in Serenity and this time we had our choice of great clam shells or hanging beds whenever we went. Our cabin had zero issues, but perhaps it had been more recently remodeled.  I'll brace for the worst. 

[PhillyFan33579]

Sunshine is my least favorite Carnival ship, but I never noticed/experienced any of the cleanliness issues the OP experienced.  However, l completely agree with the OP that the ship always was crowded no matter where you went and the comedy club design is terrible.
 

The reason for the ship being crowded is pretty simple in my opinion. When you increase the number of cabins and reduce the public space areas like they did when she changed from Destiny to Sunshine, you are going to feel more crowded in the ship. Sort of strange thinking she was once the largest cruise ship in the world. 

Edited February 6, 2020 by PhillyFan33579

[Joebucks]

17 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

The reason for the ship being crowded is pretty simple in my opinion. When you increase the number of cabins and reduce the public space areas like they did when she changed from Destiny to Sunshine, you are going to feel more crowded in the ship. Sort of strange thinking she was once the largest cruise ship in the world. 

 

A change in the way it used to be isn't necessarily the reason why things are crowded. Sure it's usually a solid indicator. A poorly designed comedy club is still poorly designed whether or not you add  less than 10% additional capacity to a ship.

[volfan22701]

we leave in 10 days for our 6th cruise on this ship. Our favorite of 8 ships we  have been on.

the first time we were not so sure we liked it, but gave it another try and loved it since.

[biomedbob]

I'm running scared.  Be on her the middle of March.

[quickrate]

I will be on her in April. I knew my 21 year old granddaughter and I were cruisng during Easter week so I booked us a Spa Balcony to avoid the mass of children I knew would be cruising. We will be spending most of our time at the Serenity during the day.

Pat

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, biomedbob said:

I'm running scared.  Be on her the middle of March.

Nothing to be scared about. I am not a fan of Sunshine but we still had a great time when we cruised on her. There were just certain things we usually do on cruises that we didn’t do on Sunshine due to excessive crowds, like at the comedy club and Serenity area.  Sunshine is definitely one of Carnival’s most polarizing ships, with lots of people having very strong positive or negative opinions about this ship. 

Edited February 7, 2020 by PhillyFan33579

[bobsfamily]

In little over a month we will be on her for our 4th time. The only time I ever felt crowded was in the buffet area but if you go aft to the Havana club area it changes big time. Not sure why it takes almost the entire cruise for people to find the area but I am OK with it. We go there first and have no problem.  There is someone on her now with video/pics that all look clean.

 

Sure hope our cabin is what we remembered from last cruise... although with the port 20 minutes away from home I might overlook a lot!

[scpirate]

6 hours ago, biomedbob said:

I'm running scared.  Be on her the middle of March.

I'm on it next year this time.im seriously thinking of rebooking something else.this was supposed to be a replacement for the Cuba cruise that fell through.

[Travelling2Some]

Have to agree with a lot of what the OP said.  Husband and I agreed it was the worst cruise we've ever been on.  (Actually the only clunker out of 10+ cruises.)  I've never felt so crowded on a ship.  Rivers of people squeezing by each other in lots of areas that are ridiculously small for the traffic. The entertainment was shockingly bad.  Lots of juvenile game show type things and endless bingo.  Some of the singers were so bad I thought they were doing karaoke.  One night there wasn't even a main show in the theatre, just 3 game shows in a row.  We did like the comedians and the crew was lovely. 

 

The buffet was very limited at lunch and dinner and the salad bar really basic (like 5 things to put on your lettuce - not even any cheese or bacon bits or croutons).  No Indian food at all, which is standard on other cruise lines' buffets.  Fellow cruisers were very friendly but also very loud and the sea of baseball caps at dinner (even in the MDR on formal night) was something I've never seen anywhere else. 

 

Our room was actually quite nice.  None of the issues others have mentioned.  We did have a major problem (first time ever) with a constant repetitive noise that was bad enough to prevent sleeping at times.  Three of the staff observed it and admitted it was severe but the ship was full and they couldn't move us.  We got a last minute bargain on this cruise and jumped on it since we were going to be in Charleston for something else anyway.  Any cruise is okay to a certain extent but this was the one that confirmed that Carnival is just not our cup of tea.   

[pe4all]

We docked next to Sunshine last week while we were on CCL Magic.  I had sailed on Destiny before she was "Sunshined" and as I looked over at her I was wondering where all the people could go to sit on deck, as there did not seem to be a lot of open deck space, as I compared Magic to Sunshine.  I was about to book Sunshine out of NY in June for a cruise, but I am now thinking 2x, as there would be 4 sea days, and I don't want to be jammed in for those days at sea, even with a balcony cabin to escape to.  We have never had a bad cruise on CCL and I would hate for this potential Diamond cruise to be the first.

[Lem_On_Ade]

Of the 6 Carnival ships I have been on, Sunshine was my least favorite. Our biggest issue with the ship was our room. We got 8 sleepless nights due to the popping, cracking and what sounded like a marble rolling around our ceiling ALL NIGHT LONG. Our tv quit working and we also had a window leak. This trip was the only time I have ever had to visit guest services to make a complaint. With that being said, I did love the updated look of Sunshine and appreciated the specialty dining and serenity area. Some people love her, some not so much. Would I sail her again? Sure, if the price and itinerary were right, but I'd never book room 2161 again!

Edited February 7, 2020 by Lem_On_Ade
typo

[Qchell]

We sailed on her a couple of years back, and I have to agree that it felt crowded everywhere.  All the new amenities are great fun, but they crammed so many in, that it really reduced the space available to just sit back and chill.  We ran into plumbing issues during our cruise.  Two nights in a row the toilet would not stop running and nearly overflowed.  The second night there were so many people calling in to report issues that I ended up having to literally run down to CS to report the problem.  Thankfully the two ladies that were being waited upon discussing an issue with their bill were exceptionally nice and let the gentleman deal with my issue first before resuming assisting them.  🙂 The repair guys were very prompt and were already in my room fixing it before I was able to get back to the room (to my husband's surprise as he thought the knock on the door was me returning and answered it in nothing but his underwear 😄 ).  There were buckets up and down the hallways the entire cruise catching drips and we heard from another couple that their cabin had flooded and the entire carpet had to be replaced while we were in port.  

That said, I have heard that the spa rooms, as they are the newer rooms, are all very nice.  We will be sailing on her again in a couple of weeks and have booked a spa room.  The bartenders we had at the Alchemy Bar that cruise were incredible and I am hoping we run into one of them there again this cruise.  The bands and comedians were wonderful when we were on her and despite the ship having its issues, we still have a lovely time.  So while my least favorite of the ones we have sailed on, I am looking forward to seeing her again and being a bit more prepared for her quirks this go round.  

[Travelling2Some]

3 hours ago, Lem_On_Ade said:

 Our biggest issue with the ship was our room. We got 8 sleepless nights due to the popping, cracking and what sounded like a marble rolling around our ceiling ALL NIGHT LONG.

Very interesting.  We had an OV too (1573) with something loose and rolling around overhead.  Very loud - more like an oil drum than a marble for us, lol.  You could feel the vibration when it hit in one of the cabin walls too.  Very odd since the deck plans showed only cabins above us and to either side.  Everyone could hear it loud and clear but nobody could explain what it was or fix it.  It would have been impossible to sleep but we were lucky in that I had grabbed an old bottle of Ambien I had lying around "just in case"  before we left home.  I don't normally ever think to bring such a thing but it ended up being a life saver!

Edited February 7, 2020 by Travelling2Some
punctuation

[clearwatergirl]

Sunshine was our least favorite ship.  We've sailed on almost every class ship.  The flow is all chopped up.  The comedy club was a joke.  Felt crowded in most public areas.  Not planning on sailing on her again. 

 

[biomedbob]

We have to.  Grandson's graduation present.  Close port to drive to, no air fare!  Port of Charleston is a nightmare.  Can't get into the parking area until the current passengers get out of there.  Check into one building and get driven to a second building.

[pcvtmom]

Different strokes for different folks, I guess!  We'll be on the Sunshine for our 4th time next week (and we sailed her as the Destiny twice!).  It's one of my favorite ships.  I don't have a problem with the overcrowding, but neither do I go to breakfast or lunch during peak times.  I also don't go to the comedy shows, so that doesn't affect my cruise.  We enjoy the HUGE Serenity area, the Havana area, the Ocean Plaza, Red Frog Pub, and the Alchemy Bar.  Everyone's perspective is unique to their preferences and experience, I guess.

[south-carolinagirl]

We love her too!  Sailing in two weeks!

[glrounds]

This is what happens when you put lipstick on a pig. 🙂

[jolyroger]

We cruised on the Sunshine Jan 2nd of this year . This was not our first cruise with Carnival or Sunshine. Our previous cruise on the Sunshine was in 2015 after her refurb. Prior cruises Were on the Dream, Breeze , MIracle, Magic and Freedom. So going in we knew what to expect, we read many reviews as we do here on CC. Some good many bad , but we all have an opinion. We always go in with an open mind, its vacay. I'm not cooking, cleaning , I'm away on vacay time. It is what it is. To me if you look for all the negative you read into thats all you'll find. Needless to say we had a great time on The Sunshine in 2015 that we cruised on her again this year ! Had such a great time that we're booked again at the end of this year ! Yes there were parts of the ship that needed possible a little paint, the main atrium i agree was a bit cramped when it was stuffed with people during certain events such as 80"s night . But we still had a great time ! Did we compare it to our favorite ship which is the Breeze, yes we did, but we've also been on the Breeze quite a few times ,lol. But seriously overall, we enjoyed our cruise. We've been in inside cabins, ocean view , balcony and spa cabins. Enjoyed them all. Go have a great time, all what you make of it!