Carnival Sunshine Review (2024)

Richard Simms

Carnival Sunshine

Itinerary: A 9-night Southern Caribbean Journeys sailing out of Port Canaveral with stops in St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Maarten
Reviewer: Walter
Traveling With: His wife and their 5 children, ages 9-17 years old
Stateroom Type: One balcony and one inside stateroom

Embarkation:“It went really quick,” he reports. “Maybe a half hour?”

First Impressions of the Ship:

Having done quite a bit of research, Walter explained that he “knew what to expect.” He added that the first day or so, as people were getting to know the ship, there was some congestion, with some areas feeling tight. “But,” he added, “that cleared out after a while when people figured out where they were headed.”

Carnival Sunshine Review (3)

Thoughts on the Staterooms:

Walter and his family were toward the front of the ship on deck 7. While he felt that, this being an older ship, the staterooms “seemed a little tighter” than those he’d experienced in the past, the bathrooms earned a rave. “I never had a shower this large on a Carnival ship before.” The balcony room – in which he stayed with his wife and their youngest child – had plenty of storage space. He added that the four children staying in the inside room “would have had enough room… they just needed to be neater about it!”

The Marketplace Buffet and Lido Deck food offerings:

Walter reported that they “really liked” the Marketplace, especially the various stations. “My sons,” he added, “loved the deli and 24/7 pizza. We could always find them there, if we couldn’t find them anywhere else!” While they all enjoyed JiJi’s Asian Kitchen at lunch time, they “never got around to” experiencing the for-fee dinner menu. However, he and his son went to Bonsai Sushi, declaring it a “top-notch experience” that was “reasonably priced.” As for his favorite breakfast spot? The BlueIguana Cantina! While they opted to skip the Steakhouse on this trip, his family found Guy’s Burger Joint to be “excellent.”

The Main Dining Room:

Walter’s family went with the “Your Time” dining option (meaning they could opt to eat anytime between 5:45 and 9:30 p.m.). And while he had “heard horror stories,” their experience was great. “The service was fantastic,” he said, “food was great” and they averaged about 90 minutes, overall, from start to finish. While the American Table menus “had less to choose from,” he liked them, and especially enjoyed having items offered each night that were influenced by that day’s port of call.

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Entertainment Options:

While Walter didn’t particularly love the Sunshine Theater, declaring it “functional” if a bit small, he enjoyed the Studio 54 show. He also mentioned that while the Limelight Theater hosted several fun comedians, the space was so small that it felt “ridiculously packed” even during the Meet & Greet hosted by a Facebook group that was attended by around 300 people. Although on past trips he and his wife had spent “a lot of time” in the piano bar, they didn’t particularly enjoy it as much on this trip. Why? “After 11 p.m.,” he reports, “it became more like a very dark comedy show than a piano bar sing-along” atmosphere.

Sea Day Activities:

Because this was a Carnival Journeys voyage, it was more port intensive and featured fewer sea days. However, Walter and his family enjoyed taking part in several of the Academy of Fun programs offered during Journeys sailings, including several on photography.

The Cheers Package:

Walter thought the package was well worth the price, “especially with the changes they’ve made to it” in recent months. “We spent a lot of time in the Alchemy Bar, and when you look at those drinks and how much they are, it [adds] up pretty quickly!”

Carnival Sunshine Review (5)

Staying Connected:

While Walter’s family bought the social media package, he found the connection to be rather slow. He did, however, like the Carnival Hub app, saying it was helpful to be able to communicate with other passengers on the ship.

Ports of Call:

While he found all the visited ports to be beautiful, his favorite was St. Lucia. And while in St. Maarten, his clan visited Airport Beach (also known as Maho Beach). “That’s quite an experience,” he admitted. “I never would have thought that was so cool… until you go on and actually stand there!”

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The Overall Highlight:

“For me,” reports Walter, “it was the ports,” none of which he’d done before. Better still, he says that they “had beautiful weather… and sunshine every day. That is really what set this cruise over the top!”

Final Thoughts:

“I have heard a lot of positive and a lot of negative comments on the ship,” he concludes. “I really didn’t have any major negative thoughts on the inside of the ship!”

Want to hear Walter’s entire review, include his expanded thoughts on the Cheers program and the mistake that Carnival made that definitely played out in his favor? Click the media player below!

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Carnival Sunshine Review (2024)

FAQs

Where does Carnival Sunshine rank? ›

A ship's traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com , which manages one of the largest databases of cruise reviews and ratings by travelers. A total of 2787 guests have reviewed Carnival Sunshine, giving it a rating of 4 on a scale of 1-5.

Is Carnival Sunshine an old ship? ›

Carnival Sunshine (formerly Carnival Destiny) is a cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line. She debuted in 1996 as the first passenger ship ever built to exceed 100,000 gross tons, and was the world's largest passenger vessel, holding it until 1998.

Has the Carnival Sunshine been refurbished? ›

The Carnival Sunshine conversion is marking its tenth anniversary this month. One of Carnival Cruise Line's biggest and most ambitious refits ever, the $155 million makeover was carried out during a 49-day drydock that took place from February to April 2013.

How many levels does Carnival Sunshine have? ›

The boat has 13 passenger decks (11 with cabins), 22 lounges and bars, 3 swimming pools (one with retractable glass roof), 7 outdoor Jacuzzis (large whirlpool hot tubs), 10 elevators.

Which deck is best on Carnival? ›

Aft: Consider staying in the aft part of the ship where you'll be nearest to casual dining. Lower deck: The lower deck is the best deck on a cruise ship if you want to be one of the first off the ship, exploring all the fun at each port of call.

Which Carnival ship has the highest rating? ›

U.S. News ranks 24 Best Carnival Cruises based on an analysis of reviews and health ratings. Carnival Radiance is the top-ranked ship overall.

Is there a formal night on Carnival Sunshine? ›

On most of the evenings, the dress code will be casual (Cruise Casual). But there will be one or two evenings during your Carnival cruise, where you´ll have the opportunity to present your elegant apparel (Cruise Elegant).

What class is Carnival Sunshine? ›

The Sunshine class is a class of cruise ships owned by Carnival Cruise Line. The class was formerly known as the Destiny class until 2013 when Carnival Destiny was renamed Carnival Sunshine.

Where will Carnival Sunshine go in 2024? ›

The Bahamas Charleston SC

What happened on the Carnival Sunshine? ›

26 May 2023Structural and Technical Issues

Most heavily damaged were the crew areas on lower decks (0 to 4), as result of a significant flooding (crew cabins and corridors), while Crew Bar Lounge's walls and ceilings were destroyed.

Are Carnival Cruises low end? ›

Carnival is known for ultra-cheap cruises.

Why is Carnival so cheap? ›

In summary, the affordability of Carnival Cruises is due to a combination of economies of scale, pricing strategies, onboard spending, itinerary choices, and passenger accommodation options. This makes cruising with Carnival an accessible vacation choice for many travelers.

How many pools are on the Carnival Sunshine ship? ›

About Carnival Sunshine

Family-friendly amenities include four pools (one with a retractable roof), seven hot tubs that are the perfect stress-buster and a 214-foot, three-deck-high twister waterslide, complete with a fun drenching bucket.

Is there a movie theater on Carnival Sunshine? ›

Carnival Sunshine Seaside Theater is located on Deck 10 (deck). We have provided the deck plan image for your reference.

Does Carnival Sunshine have a washer and dryer? ›

Self-service launderettes are located on staterooms decks. There are 2 or 3 washers, 2 or 3 dryers, and 1 iron and ironing board in each launderette. The cost is $3.50 USD per washer load and $3.50 USD per dryer load.

Where does Carnival Cruise Line rank? ›

Royal Caribbean International comes in at No. 2, thanks to its onboard amenities and wide array of dining options that cater to guests of all ages, while Carnival Cruise Line ranks No. 3, offering family-friendly features such as water parks, basketball courts and a wide range of activities.

What class is the Carnival Sunshine in? ›

The Sunshine class is a class of cruise ships owned by Carnival Cruise Line. The class was formerly known as the Destiny class until 2013 when Carnival Destiny was renamed Carnival Sunshine.

Where does Carnival Cruises rank in the Fortune 500? ›

In 2019, Carnival Corporation's record full-year revenue totaled $20.8 billion (U.S. dollars), which would put the company in the top 160 on the Fortune 500 list. Carnival Corporation is No. 312 on the Forbes Global 2000 list of the world's largest public companies, and ranked No.

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