CARNIVAL SUNSHINE REVIEW - CRUISE DATES: 10-15 JUNE 2016

Carnival Sunshine Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 47

Overall rating:

3 out of 5
Verified Review
Carnival Sunshine

5 Night Bahamas (Norfolk Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 10, 2016

Ship: Carnival Sunshine

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 7327

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

THIS WAS OUR FIRST EVER CRUISE.  EVENING DINING WAS ENJOYABLE.  FOOD COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.  STAFF WAS EXCELLENT (AMITH, EMMANUEL OSORIO, EDUARDO, RYAN BAISAS, KETRA AND MELISSA).  COULDN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THESE FOLKS.  CRUISE DIRECTOR, EMMA NIXON WAS SPECTACULAR.  PLENTY OF FOOD ON LIDO DECK, HOWEVER, WE NOTICED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS CHILDREN AND ADULTS WOULD ENTER DINING AREA WITH NO SHIRTS OR SHOES TO EAT AND NO STAFF WOULD CONFRONT THEM.  ALSO NOTICED SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS "SAGGING" (PANTS BELOW THEIR BUTTOCKS) IN THE LIDO DINING AREA & AROUND THE SHIP.  BOTH OF THESE HABITS ARE DISGUSTING IN OUR WORLD.  WE EXPECTED CRAB LEGS AND WAS DISAPPOINTED THERE WEREN'T ANY.  LOBSTER TAIL "UP CHARGE" AT EVENING DINING WAS A TURN-OFF.  GETTING ON THE SHIP AND GETTING OFF THE SHIP WAS QUITE THE EXPERIENCE.  LONG LINES.  LOTS OF CONFUSION AT THE TERMINAL IN NORFOLK WITH THE CARNIVAL STAFF.  SEEMED VERY DISORGANIZED.  THE SHOWS WERE GREAT.  THE TRIBUTE TO VETERANS WITH EMMA NIXON WAS EXCEPTIONAL.  THE HOST FOR THE JEWELRY SHOW WAS A LITTLE "OVER THE TOP".  WE FELT LIKE WE WERE SITTING IN AN AUDITORIUM LISTENING TO A "HIGH PITCH" SALE FOR A TIMESHARE.  THE EVENING WAIT STAFF GETS A 5-STAR RATING AS DOES EMMA NIXON, THE CRUISE DIRECTOR.  CARNIVAL REALLY NEEDS TO DO A BETTER JOB OF HAVING PEOPLE EATING IN THE VENUES TO WEAR A SHIRT AND SHOES AND TO KEEP THEIR PANTS ABOVE THEIR BUTTOCKS (I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO EVEN MENTION THIS.  SELF-RESPECT COMES NATURAL TO US).  OVERALL WE WOULD RATE OUR 1ST EVER CRUISE 2.5 STARS.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
NO CRAB LEGS. A REAL TURN-OFF.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
POOLS & HOT TUBS WERE "ALWAYS" FULL OF KIDS. NO REAL PLACE FOR JUST ADULTS TO ENJOY.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
EXCELLENT SHOWS. VERY ENJOYABLE.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
EMMA NIXON (CRUISE DIRECTOR), AMITH, MELISSA, RYAN BAISAS, EMMANUEL OSORIO, SPITZ & KETRA. EXCELLENT SERVICE. REALLY ENJOYED THE SERVICE THESE FOLKS PROVIDED.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
WILLIAM DID AN EXCELLENT JOB KEEPING OUR CABIN CLEAN. VERY FRIENDLY AND POLITE.

Ship tip

IF YOU'RE AN ADULT, DON'T EXPECT TO SWIM OR GO INTO THE JACUZZI WITHOUT A BUNCH OF YELLING, SCREAMING KIDS SURROUNDING YOU. :-(

Ports of call

Norfolk, Virginia

3 out of 5

Nassau, Bahamas

3 out of 5

Freeport, Grand Bahama Island

5 out of 5
Was this review helpful? 47

19 Comments

chvygrl10    8 years ago

The restaurants outside are fine with just your swimsuit but people were wearing swimsuits & no shoes into the marketplace where the buffet is. No one enforced these rules at all. They did on the last Carnival cruise I went on.

Deniseg    8 years ago

You won't get the midnight buffet on an 8 day, sorry :( It's only on "Journeys" cruises and they are 9 days or longer.

bN1viyXMzR1nVoqVvomGAc2yb    8 years ago

Thanks I really want to do a longer cruise we will be doing an 8 days in October

alliboo    8 years ago

It was on a sea day--we had 4 sea days -and it was on the 3rd sea day We had 2 sea days 5 port days and 2 sea days

bN1viyXMzR1nVoqVvomGAc2yb    8 years ago

So when is the midnight buffet is it on a sea day and if you have more than one sea day which one is it

alliboo    8 years ago

We had midnight buffet on sunshine 3 weeks ago on the 10 day journeys cruise

Deniseg    8 years ago

I've been on 8 carnival cruises and I have never seen crab legs.

Deniseg    8 years ago

The midnight buffets are only on journeys cruises. They are nine days or longer. We just went on a 14 day in March and we had it. We also had the captains ball white glove affair with free hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.

bN1viyXMzR1nVoqVvomGAc2yb    8 years ago

I for one don't feel like you can compare Carnival to a Walmart now if you would say this the cruise line where the FUN PEOPLE want to CRUISE with that would be a better comparison I love CARNIVAL

cajun204    8 years ago

Walmart of the cruise lines starspangled? Real original

gellmore    8 years ago

Way to go scrim!!!

blu2knite    8 years ago

meghad23 Carnival has an adult area on most ships. It's called Serenity.

rogerellenborland    8 years ago

We have been on 20 carnival cruises, I have never seen crab legs on any of them. I guess we must have been asleep.

LinnJay2012    8 years ago

Pants sagging buttocks not exposed, women walking around in bikinis a... cheeks hanging out...No issues noted!

scmom    8 years ago

Cruising isn't for everyone! I was on the cruise right before yours and thought that the terminal in Norfolk was very easy to get in and out of...it was very clean, and large compared to my home part of Charleston. And fortunately I found so much to do on the Sunshine that I didn't have time to notice how other people were dressed ;)

meghad23    8 years ago

I was unaware of a port in VA. If you have the ability to explore other lines, try RC. They have an adult only pool/hot tub area that you may like. I know there are cruises out of Baltimore that may be close. 

bN1viyXMzR1nVoqVvomGAc2yb    8 years ago

I wonder when the midnight buffet will return I think that would be nice like one night out of a six night cruise or longer

rdbrn    8 years ago

Our cruise director said the midnight buffets are supposed to be returning

starspangled    8 years ago

Carnival is the Walmart of the cruise lines. The menu never changes.

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