This was my second time using Carnival and both experiences were so poor that I will never use Carnival again. My group is 65+ and most of the stuff to do and enjoy is for younger people so we missed out of lots of fun.
Food for dinner was not very good and I learned to make sure that I had a good breakfast and lunch.
Main entertainment was in an area that didn't handle older or handicapped people well. Other entertainment was in smaller rooms and if you didn't wait on line for over an hour to get into the shows then don't bother!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Getting on the ship was very easy and handled well.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
We tried to only use the main dining room to be able to give a fair review on the standard cruise inclusions without having to pay for the upgrade for the specialist dining. We had a group of 19 people and had 2 tables. The table that I was sitting at was always behind courses even though we had different wait staff - this caused a problem as after dinner plans were always delayed by at least an half hour. The food for dinner was "hit and miss" - sometimes it was okay but we had to ask for replacements way too many times. The morning dining experience was excellent, lunch was half/half good.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I enjoyed Bingo and the dance lessons.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The shows were very good but seating arrangements were poor. I had to arrive an hour before the show so my group would be able to sit together. The seating on the sides had very narrow area for your legs - I have knee issues (most of my friends also have knee problems) and there wasn't any room to stretch out my legs. If you went to the 2nd level where wheelchairs/scooters were there was a glass partition that made it difficult to see the show.
The seating for the other shows such as the comedy show had long lines that you had to wait on for over an hour - again with bad knees I am not able to stand that long!
Every area for entertainment was too small to handle the amount of people on the show.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Our room steward was excellent, the breakfast dining room waiters were excellent, but then you rated very poor for the wait at the bar to get a drink - sometimes I got 2 drinks at once because I didn't want to wait on the long lines - forget about getting a waiter to take your order because you would die of thirst first.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
I didn't encounter any issues with the public restrooms which I was amazed because of the amount of people vs the amount of restrooms - maybe the people went back to their room to use the restroom?
The pool areas were clean but the hot tubs were not hot and always filled with children without parents. I did go up to the adults area but there was only one hot tub and it was always full!
The pool was very small and only had access from side railings - with bad knees I would have like a walk in access pool because I can't climb the side railings - most of my group have knee, hip, and shoulder problems and couldn't climb the side railings of the pool.
Yes, most of my group's age is over 65 so have health issues that this ship couldn't provide access for.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our room steward was excellent and always kept the room clean. The room was surprising roomy and the shower was excellent and HUGE. Very happy with our room.
Ship tip
If you are over 65 and/or have health issues this ship is NOT for you.
Very cold the day we were there. The tour guide was just ok but wished he gave more history about the island. The beach was so cold and windy that I went back to the bus to keep warm.
Other cruise lines let the people walking off with their luggage to go off first but we had to wait until our deck number was called to disembark. Walking off with our luggage was great and would never have to deal with having to search for my luggage and deal with it or trying to get a porter.
I'm almost 67 and looking forward to cruising on the Carnival Sunshine in May. My first cruise was on the Carnival Liberty, then Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas, then Norwegian Star, and last year the Carnival Magic. Looking forward to relaxing for 8 amazing days on the Sunshine.
Everyone will have different experiences like my first time on the victory was super amazing but the second time not so much others experience won’t be your experience I do hope my experience on sunshine be great
I am in my mid 60’s and I had a great time. It was my first time on Carnival and I would do it again! I have been on the Norwegian and Princess Ships and we had just as much fun. Maybe cruising is not for you.
If you have never tried them you should try sailing with Holland America. ...it's the only one that I have been on. Went with my mom, brother and sister in law. ...I affectionately refer to it as "the old lady cruise line"!
I've been on the Sunshine twice now and booked to go again. I have back and knee issues but encountered none of the complaints you mentioned. I'm sorry you had a bad trip. Maybe a smaller ship would work better for you. Like the Fantasy or the Ecstacy. I hope next time is better for you.
Maybe Carnival Cruise Lines isn't the cruise line for you and maybe you should try Royal Caribbean or Princess Cruise Lines. Both of these cruise lines cater more towards your age group
*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.
