Carnival Sunshine should be put out to sea

[chengkp75]

Just now, DrSea said:

Any other tips on the odor? It is an issue with many bathrooms, even when they use bleach. 

Using bleach only disinfects the surfaces.  The odor comes from down the drain.  If you've ever had a summer house, and you come back after several months, the funky odor is the sink drain trap has dried out.  The water in the trap acts like a valve to keep the odors from coming back up the drain pipe.  I would say that 100% of the time I responded to a complaint of a cabin bathroom odor, within 1 minute after pouring water down the drain, the problem is solved.

[Indytraveler83]

4 minutes ago, DrSea said:

Any other tips on the odor? It is an issue with many bathrooms, even when they use bleach. 

We took his advice long ago and pour water down this drain at the beginning of every cruise whether we smell it or not.

 

We also usually get two of those 99¢ scent cone room deodorizers and put one in the room, one in the bathroom.  Even on the old ships that typically overpowers anything else.

[DrSea]

3 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Using bleach only disinfects the surfaces.  The odor comes from down the drain.  If you've ever had a summer house, and you come back after several months, the funky odor is the sink drain trap has dried out.  The water in the trap acts like a valve to keep the odors from coming back up the drain pipe.  I would say that 100% of the time I responded to a complaint of a cabin bathroom odor, within 1 minute after pouring water down the drain, the problem is solved.

Thanks. I will pour water down that drain. 

[DrSea]

2 minutes ago, Indytraveler83 said:

We took his advice long ago and pour water down this drain at the beginning of every cruise whether we smell it or not.

 

We also usually get two of those 99¢ scent cone room deodorizers and put one in the room, one in the bathroom.  Even on the old ships that typically overpowers anything else.

Thanks. I will bring it up to my guest. One of them is frequently sensitive to those deodorants. So we will see what they think. Worth a try. 

[firefly333]

57 minutes ago, basktchic said:

This one was my 27th cruise. I have cruised NCL, RCCL, Carnival (this was my 6th on them), Princess and Celebrity.

We cruised NCL in Decenber and had no issues with rust in the room, railings missing varnish, poor food or cat litter box smells. 

I know ships of all ages have some level of rust but the issues on this one were beyond what is expected, even on an oldie.

 

I know the sunshine has her fans,  I'm just not one of them after this cruise.

 

I can relate to much of what you say. I think the cake icing tastes like it was made with lard, so I ate chocolate chip cookies. Not a big dessert person but dont like their cakes. I also was around when triumph had its issues and got stuck at sea with urine running thru the halls. I avoid the shine shined ships. Just no wish to be on them. I did vista and breeze since restart and didnt have cabin issues. But didnt like their dinners in Mdr, though I like their pay restaurants and guys burgers and white pizza. I actually paid pre covid prices for vista which didnt feel good  but I'd switched to cheers included and thought I'd like to try it then the rate dropped by hundreds which left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

I do think going forward cruise prices can only go up or they cant turn a profit. Oil prices, cost to hire help, food, all these prices are going up. Little grandeur and one liberty are all I have that arent in the $100 to $200 a day price range. Some special cabins but not all. Unless you are only booking close in cruises, most of us have  noticed prices are going up. I'm not overly picky but the bargains just are drying up later this year, 2023 and 2024 imo. Pick what pleases you.

 

I'd love jubilee but even it starts over 1k for cheapest insides. It's a choice, do older ships or pay the piper for a nicer looking ship. Food and activities are also a factor. I finally decided no on a msc cruise that was much cheaper than vision. I think food was a big factor. I also get enough free drinks and wifi on rcl it tilts the decision. 

 

I personally wouldnt have booked this ship. The name of triumph was so badly tainted they sunshine the two ships in this class .. so I wouldnt have picked either. Beating up the op for not loving this cruise defeats the purpose. Being able to give a honest opinion. No one loves 100% of every cruise. Let people talk. 

[cruisingguy007]

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Beating up the op for not loving this cruise defeats the purpose. Being able to give a honest opinion. No one loves 100% of every cruise. Let people talk. 

 

^^^^This! 

[KmomChicago]

6 hours ago, Indytraveler83 said:

As far as allowing folks to give a fair assessment:

 

I really would like to know what the condition of each Carnival ship is.  I think that would be extremely helpful and may help reduce shocked folks like the OP. Honest assessments with pictures and no emotion attached could go a long way toward helping some folks in this community.

 

Is it possible to get people to post something like a "Ship condition report" or does someone want to start that type of thread?

 

 

In general you can just go by age. Carnival is not great at keeping their ships looking brand new. My personal experience is pretty simple. The old ships look, feel, and sometimes smell old.  The only reason I’m interested in sailing old Carnival ships is: I’m cheap and so are the cruises. 
 

Mardi Gras is new and in great condition. Vista class is almost new and I have not seen a single  review mentioning condition issues.

 

All of Fantasy class, Spirit class, and Conquest class have many reviews mentioning age and deteriorating condition as well as tacky dated decor. These also have many reviews either overlooking condition entirely because it wasn’t noticed or bothersome or mentioning the poor condition but saying they didn’t particularly mind because the cruise was still a bargain. There are plenty of people who like the ships just fine, but they are simply not the nicest boats on the water.

 

The rest of the fleet (Sunshine class, Splendor, Dream class) seems to fall in between these extremes, not new but not too worn out yet. Sunshine itself seems particularly polarizing between the lovers and haters.

 

This is mostly based on reading lots of reviews but my own experience so far is the same. Mardi Gras was brand new and of course looked great. Triumph was in bad shape but we didn’t mind and now it’s been completely renovated and renamed Sunrise, Sensation was in bad shape but we didn’t mind and now it’s retired. Legend a few weeks ago is not going to appeal to everyone either and it’s crazy kinda ugly decor and not in great condition but again we didn’t really mind. 
 

The reviews on the regular Cruise Critic pages - not the boards - will give you enough opinions to get a realistic consensus about which ships are nice and which are on the junky side. From there either you tolerate the quality that comes with bargain prices, or you don’t and then you need to spend more to get up to a standard that suits you. I have to agree that it’s easy to research this in advance and avoid unpleasant surprises in almost every case.

Edited March 2, 2022 by KmomChicago

[ray98]

I realized long ago that my standards can be drastically different from others.  No point in arguing with someone, you are not going to convince them to like it anymore than their opinion will convince me I shouldn't like something.  I have been on every class of Carnival ship from the oldest to the Mardi Gras.  I was awestruck by the MG but still can have a great time a month later on an older ship.  I set my expectation accordingly and I am never disappointed.  I can always find a way to enjoy things especially when the financials are so in my favor.

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

I have been on sunshine and would have to disagree completely, Ship and crew are both fantastic. The best Serenity area in the fleet. 

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

16 hours ago, basktchic said:

I would agree that older ships do have some rust here and there and sitting for 2 years probably didn't help. 

 

I was just surprised at the level of rust, railings not being varnished (this is a big problem as everyone is touching outdoor railings since we are on moving vessels and this can cause nasty splinters). In addition, when you first walk on the ship, the decking is old, not treated, with a lot of paint splatter, stains and holes. Doesnt make a good first impression. Even the windows in the dining room and our balcony were covered with sea spray so thick you couldn't really see out well. Our balcony door had a lot of crusty salt around the door seals and dividers.

 

Hopefully on newer ships these easy fixes are addressed as everyone deserves a good cruise on a well maintained ship.

 

Even on this ship there were folks who had been on the Mardi Gras indicating bad experiences with food and maintenance and that is a brand new ship.

 

That last bit about MG simply is not true. 

[icft]

12 minutes ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

I have been on sunshine and would have to disagree completely, Ship and crew are both fantastic. The best Serenity area in the fleet. 

The Serenity area might be great, but that picture of the rusted door frame and the sloppy caulking sure yells no-tell-motel.

[Pellaz]

2 hours ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

I have been on sunshine and would have to disagree completely, Ship and crew are both fantastic. The best Serenity area in the fleet. 

 

Ehh.  Gotta say, the Serenity area on Mardi Gras was pretty darned awesome.  

Although it WAS a bit windy.  Those poor bartenders at the Serenity Bar need clipboards badly...and a windbreak for Fresh Creations (free salad bar) would be awesome too.  🙂  

[BlerkOne]

17 hours ago, basktchic said:

Our cabins bathroom smelling like a cat litter box is not something easily ignored. 

It's something that can be treated.

[jsglow]

Here's another take on all of this.  I'll personally take a little rust rather than a 45 minute line waiting for something on one of the overcrowded new builds. That said, we will certainly give the Exel Class a try once prices come down some.

[cruisingguy007]

15 minutes ago, jsglow said:

Here's another take on all of this.  I'll personally take a little rust rather than a 45 minute line waiting for something on one of the overcrowded new builds. That said, we will certainly give the Exel Class a try once prices come down some.

 

Like the great scholar E-40 Fonzarelli once sang "everybody got choices". Choices are a good thing and opinions can never really be wrong (even if others find the inverse to be true for them) since they are assessed on a individual basis and value scale. Different strokes for different folks. Differing opinions makes the world more colorful.     

[sparks1093]

1 minute ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Like the great scholar E-40 Fonzarelli once sang "everybody got choices". Choices are a good thing and opinions can never really be wrong (even if others find the inverse to be true for them) since they are assessed on a individual basis and value scale. Different strokes for different folks. Differing opinions makes the world more colorful.     

Opinions can be wrong if they are based on incorrect or incomplete facts. Preferences on the other hand are a different matter.🙂

[cruisingguy007]

1 minute ago, sparks1093 said:

Opinions can be wrong if they are based on incorrect or incomplete facts. Preferences on the other hand are a different matter.🙂

 

Beg to differ, your mistake is conflating opinion with facts, opinion is much more closely aligned with preference. Facts are indisputable and quantifiable and are unaffected by thought/conjecture/feelings. Though, you may have a point these days lol, some do believe facts are whatever they believe so you do bring up a good point. 😁  

[jsglow]

46 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Like the great scholar E-40 Fonzarelli once sang "everybody got choices". Choices are a good thing and opinions can never really be wrong (even if others find the inverse to be true for them) since they are assessed on a individual basis and value scale. Different strokes for different folks. Differing opinions makes the world more colorful.     

So just to follow-up c-guy as I completely agree with you.  We sailed Horizon last Fall.  I really liked it at 50% capacity.  But I could easily see how the line would form for the Piano Bar with a full pax count, disliked the closed-in atrium and absolutely hated the main theater, all partially offset by the cool Brewhouse.  There is no doubt that the cruise industry is adding 'toys' while sacrificing common space all over the ship. There's been many threads about it as you know. 

 

Back to your opinion thing.  We personally go to sea to 'go to sea' while visiting interesting destinations so I'm sure you can see why our preference is for a more traditional ship. I totally get the new builds for the one week vacation taken by the typical Carnival cruiser.  As I said..... Pride in Europe for a total of 31 days in '22 & '23.  Perfect! 

[F27TW]

On 3/1/2022 at 9:45 AM, jsglow said:

I've personally NEVER witnessed an unsafe condition on any ship; Carnival or any other line. And from your history you last sailed Carnival in 2009, more than a dozen years ago. My sense.... you went looking to be disappointed and convinced yourself that you were.

 

Enjoy Norwegian.  They are clearly your go to. No reason to hang around here any longer.

 

And apparently you have a pretty low standard set for yourself is the things the OP mentioned are OK with you.   Clearly a Carnival fan-boy/girl who can't bear to listen to facts or admit that "their line" could be in the wrong here.  Sad. 

[KmomChicago]

7 hours ago, Pellaz said:

 

Ehh.  Gotta say, the Serenity area on Mardi Gras was pretty darned awesome.  

Although it WAS a bit windy.  Those poor bartenders at the Serenity Bar need clipboards badly...and a windbreak for Fresh Creations (free salad bar) would be awesome too.  🙂  

Getting my salad in the wind tunnel on MG was perhaps the most I have ever laughed on a cruise. Lettuce blowing out of the bowl towards the pool.

[jsglow]

1 hour ago, F27TW said:

 

And apparently you have a pretty low standard set for yourself is the things the OP mentioned are OK with you.   Clearly a Carnival fan-boy/girl who can't bear to listen to facts or admit that "their line" could be in the wrong here.  Sad. 

Not at all dude.  They just wouldn't ruin my cruise.  Have an awesome day.

[staceyglow]

1 hour ago, KmomChicago said:

Getting my salad in the wind tunnel on MG was perhaps the most I have ever laughed on a cruise. Lettuce blowing out of the bowl towards the pool.

Did you get any OBC for the windy conditions?  

[KmomChicago]

16 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

Did you get any OBC for the windy conditions?  

No I think I tipped extra for the unique salad hurricane afternoon dance show.

[Top_of_the_Cube]

Throwing out your opinion on these forums is not for the faint of heart.  I cringe at the attitude some people show when responding, but, frankly, they are also just expressing an opinion.  I know when I have had enough, and can easily exit the thread.

 

When folks say OP is wrong and then give their thoughts, it might be uncivil but still just the nature of these boards.  If the claim is that the OP is wrong, and her pets dress her funny, that is crossing a line that I hope we can all rally against.

 

By the way, the "opinion" is not whether there are signs of age, it is more on how it affects your cruise experience.

 

I appreciate the report of conditions on board and the opinion of food quality.  But, as was previously suggested, if there were a thread dedicated to sharing this kind of information, it will just end up full of combative posts.  But that is just my opinion  ; )

[markkw07]

4 hours ago, Top_of_the_Cube said:

Throwing out your opinion on these forums is not for the faint of heart.  I cringe at the attitude some people show when responding, but, frankly, they are also just expressing an opinion.  I know when I have had enough, and can easily exit the thread.

 

When folks say OP is wrong and then give their thoughts, it might be uncivil but still just the nature of these boards.  If the claim is that the OP is wrong, and her pets dress her funny, that is crossing a line that I hope we can all rally against.

 

By the way, the "opinion" is not whether there are signs of age, it is more on how it affects your cruise experience.

 

I appreciate the report of conditions on board and the opinion of food quality.  But, as was previously suggested, if there were a thread dedicated to sharing this kind of information, it will just end up full of combative posts.  But that is just my opinion  ; )

I would have to agree with you, if there was a thread that would be just 100% observations, no personal comments/opinions/critiques or “when I was on X, there was none of X or X didn't bother me, then it would be indeed a great tool to use for those who are thinking/planning to go on any particular ship on any cruse line. 

 

Unfortunately, we know this would not be possible, just because people take these harsh critiques too personal and feel they need to either defend or belittle someone, just based on what someone said about ship X or cruise line X...but alas, this is cruise critic, and it definitely holds up to the name of "critic" lol...