This was the most disappointing cruise for me. There was nothing for me to recommend for another adult to enjoy on this cruise. It was a cruise to celebrate a special birthday and it just did not do it for me. While the activities for the kids was great, I was extremely disappointed. I would absolutely not recommend the Carnival Sunshine for an enjoyable cruise experience.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
There is no indication that you should check your bags when you first arrive at the port. We had to manage our bags until we were able to enter our room. This was not an enjoyable experience. It was very disappointing and not welcomed by my mother who is older but able.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
I enjoyed my dining experiences. I wish that there were more signage or at least direction about food options. None of this is clear in any received paperwork or online. It would be helpful if you could check in on the same floor as which you eat. It does not make sense to have diners register on the 5th floor and then have to travel to the 3rd floor to eat. There were a couple of days in which waiting for dinner was excessively long.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
I was expecting a bigger pool. Pool was too small. Shopping experiences were poor. The gift shop had mostly souvenirs for other islands than we were traveling which was Bermuda. The first information session for the jewelry was disorganized when it was time to obtain the VIP passes. Again to have to travel to another location from the meeting place did not make sense.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The movies at night were a nice touch but they should have been earlier especially since they were mostly kid friendly.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
I think that this was the BEST part of the cruise. My niece and nephew had a ball with camp, Build A Bear, Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast, etc.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Generally I have experienced staff who are very bubbly and seem to be very happy at work. Some of the staff were mediocre and lackluster. When we first arrived, our bathroom was not good. The toilet seat was WET and there was a glass which was dirty in the room. I am accustomed to receiving some toiletries during my travel and was disappointed to find basically none. I asked for some lotion but I was advised that the Gift Shop sold it. Poor customer service!!!
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
The cabin was small. The bathroom needs some safety railing especially when there is turbulence. There were times when the ship was extremely rocky and showering during that time could be dangerous. The toilet paper was awkwardly positioned in that it was in an area which was difficult to access.
Ship tip
I would suggest another ship. I don't know if it was because it was only a 4 night cruise but it definitely felt like it was a low budget cruise. I would NOT recommend this ship. You should really consider renovating the ship. It did not meet the mark for me, a seasoned cruiser.
There was an extremely long delay in which we were able to disembark from the ship. Of course at that time, we no longer had access to our room. We were the LAST to obtain our checked luggage. Customs was disorganized. They should have had additional officers in which to deal with people that had to have additional checking/assistance. We had to wait until the officer accompanied the passenger to another place for additional screening.
I have been on other cruises but this time I decided to just chill. Only show I attended was karaoke, ate, slept, walked around and did absolutely nothing and it was still wonderful!!
"There is no indication that you should check your bags when you first arrive at the port."? You say you have cruised before, and you were unaware that you needed to check your bags?
Sunshine isnt really that big of a ship... Not compared to other Carnival, (or especially NCL or RC) ships. I personally love walking the ships. I typically do 4-5 miles on the track after an early breakfast, just to enjoy the morning sun and ocean breeze! ☺ I typically walk 10 miles a day going all over the ship!!
I'm expecting WAY more on the NCL Getaway and RC Oasis of the Seas and Symphony of the Sea in my next 3 cruises... Now those are BIG ships! lol
@sunshine!9ver, I really think it's her family that she is disappointed with and not the cruise line or the ship. It seems they chose to put baby in a corner and forgot all about her special birthday.
Yes @thepeaches44, this happened to me on the Breeze, so I just either enjoyed where I was or ate my way to the other side, and even though I've been big since birth vacation calories don't count.
The only thing I didn't like about Sunshine is that no matter where I was, where I wanted to be was at the other end of the ship! And it's a freakin' BIG ship. On the plus side you can eat your head off and not gain an ounce!
Nothing to do??? Bars, Resteraunts, night club, casino, live music all over the ship, bingo, Dive in Movies each night, swimming pools, gym, sauna, hottubs, running track, shuffle board, HUGE chess set, water slides, lounge chairs and relaxing staring at the ocean, library, game room, RELAXING WATCHING THE OCEAN... Ummm ... why did you take a cruise in the first place???
Cruising is like life... You can have fun anyway and anywhere... You just have to open your eyes and heart to it!! 😁
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