Honestly we wouldn't book this again. I can definitely see why Charleston cruise port is ending this year. The Sunshine is falling apart. I was shocked by the amount of caution signs over rusted floor areas raised up and broken. This ship needs scrapped. It's unbelievable tiny lido, pool area and lacking any real Carnival features. The fantasy class ships are 100% better than this ship by far.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarking even though very disorganized compared to other cruise ports was okay.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food was okay for the most part ~ we ate at the pasta bar which was the best part of the cruise food.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
The ship is older and not much activities. Honestly the worst carnival ship we ever been on.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The ship was really rocky , so the shows were stationary for the most part. The singers are very talented
Children's Programs
1 out of 5
Worst camp ocean ever ~ they treated the kids poorly. There was no choice and had then sitting more in circle time than letting them play. The kids asked to play games and was told no they had certain things out or they could do nothing. Sharks 9-11.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Staff was amazing per usual
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
This ship is falling apart. When you see floor rusting and falling apart constantly, there's an issue. The ship is rusty and not kept up very well, Carnival scrapped better ships this this one by far!
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Our room steward was amazing "Sue" the room was always clean.
Ship tip
Skip this ship, Carnival has way better ships by far. (No sunshine class)
I lived in the Charleston area, and the locals hated the cruise ship being there .
I'm sure the city was not going to update the port knowing once the Sunshine was gone, that was it for cruise ships.
I'll be one her for her final Charleston cruise on New Years this year and my 5th time out of Charleston on her. Always enjoy it. Great serenity deck, decent thermal spas, great crew. I'll miss her and the Charleston port. Chill compared to Miami or Canaveral.
Dkantouth~ it's very disorganized. Prior to parking you pass a luggage area to offload your checked bags. Then park to get shuttled to another area where you stand in line to get on another shuttle or bus that takes you to customs. ~ reverse for disembarking. Problem with disembark the porters are rough with everyone's luggage. The entire process is odd and not very seemless from embark to disembark. I've never seen any other port work the way Charleston does.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
