Best Cruise so far!!!!

Item: Carnival Sunshine
Rating: 4.9
Author: DnSThompson

Carnival Sunshine Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

DnSThompson

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 107

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5

5 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 26, 2018

Ship: Carnival Sunshine

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 6144

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

I loved this Ship and its itenary. We will definitely be doing this one again once we make all of the rounds to the destinations on our list. This is a Cruise that's worth doing twice. Carnival Sunshine you shined brightly!!!! Thank you to all the crew and staff for a job well done making our Vacation one that we will always remember.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Faster to the Fun was well worth thr price however even without it they were getting people onboard the Sunshine very fast and efficiently. We were on board in under 30 minutes!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Havana Bar

5 out of 5

Absolutely the best bar on the ship Go see Flor she makes the absolute BEST Tequila Sunrise on the ship!

Alchemy Bar

5 out of 5

Interesting menu here of the drinks I tried a "perfect storm" it was good but the best one was the one that he made for me without a name. We never named it I just asked for a drink to make me feel better about the next day being disembarkation day. I did forget while I was drinking it It was delicious!!

Guy's Burger Joint

5 out of 5

Absolutely a great burger! And the toppings bar was very useful for those burgers and other food also like my baked potato from the buffet line

Sunrise Dining Room

5 out of 5

Very nice but they seemed to have cut down on the choices in all the MDR on Carnival ships But it was still very well prepared and delicious.

Bonsai Sushi

5 out of 5

Good Fresh Sushi

Java Blue Café

5 out of 5

Moly thank you for my Hazelnut coffee every morning it was the best.

Main Lounge Bar

5 out of 5

Good strong drinks and good Bartenders

Skybox Sports Bar

5 out of 5

The husband loved it even if they didn't have the sports pkg.

RedFrog Pub

5 out of 5

Great drinks but stays crowded

Piano Bar 88

5 out of 5

Nice place to chill and sing along

Limelight Lounge

5 out of 5

Great DJ & Great shows.

Lido Marketplace

5 out of 5

It was good for buffet food. Always adding fresh and always clean despite the crowds.

JiJi Asian Kitchen

5 out of 5

OMG this food was INSANE. The Pork Belly was to DIE. So nice we did it twice!

BlueIguana Tequila Bar

4 out of 5

Great bar but it closed early and we didn't understand that'.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Beach Pool

5 out of 5

Very nice stayed open late and even though there were a lot of kids in it it was nice. Crowded on Sea days as expected.

Carnival Waterworks

5 out of 5

The climb for me was a lot but well worth it FUN FUN FUN

Pixels Gallery

3 out of 5

They really need to go digital because trying to find your pictures was insane. But the prices are great. Much better than RC if I do say so. And the Pixels Pkg that you buy before you embark is the best bargain my Canvas is BEAUTIFUL.

Cherry on Top

3 out of 5

For me they didn't have enough chocolate to offer and the candy by the pound was way way too expensive. Just my humble opinion.

Serenity Pool

5 out of 5

Under the waterfall is the perfect spot on the hot sea days. Plus you still get to interact with the DJ and all the action on the Lido deck, while in the pool.

Serenity

5 out of 5

Love the ADULT ONLY atmosphere

Sunshine Casino

5 out of 5

Smoky at the bar but not overwhelming good ventilation

The Fun Shops

4 out of 5

Sales were not as good as in the past

Guest Services and Excursions Desk

5 out of 5

Love that FTTF line and private number it was very useful.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

The cruise director Chris was EXCELLENT! He made this Cruise soooo much fun for young and old alike. And the DJ was on FIRE he played all types of music and made everyone get up and dance there was never a dead moment. And as I read the reviews of those who said that they didnt enjoy the shows and entertainment aboard the Sunshine well all I can say is that they are just the type of people who are never satisfied with anything and they should stop writing reviews because there was something for everyone on this ship there was only 1 duo that i found to be slow but it was bar music so it was ok too.

Carnival Seaside Theater

5 out of 5

OMG this was great especially the nights when theyhad double features there was night for the adults and then a night for the children which I loved because most of the time they only cater to those with kids but it was nice of them to think of the adults and show movies they could really get into it even rained a little but no one left because the movies were that good they showed the Avengers and Black Panther. They also showed other movies but that was just the double feature night.

Sunshine Atrium

5 out of 5

Always a fun place to be

Liquid Lounge

5 out of 5

Great DJ Lot of fun

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

All the staff earned their gratuity on this ship they never stopped working for us I had to double tip a few of them... The bartender in the Havana Bar- Flor, Our room stuart- Alton, and the Coffee clerk at the Java Bar-Moly. These went above and beyond.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

This ship was done over beautifully. There was one deck of the ship in the back that smelled wet and moldy but they fixed that rather quickly as I passed that area twice and the second time the smell was gone as was the wet spot on the carpet. So once again kodos to the staff.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

with FTTF we were able to gain entry into our cabin as soon as we got onboard at 11:55am and it was very clean and comfortable. We like the inside cabins because of the dark that allows us to sleep in peace.

Ship tip

Spend some time in the Adult only SERENITY pool area, it is the best place to take in all of the happenings on the LIDO deck and still be a part of the action. Also go on a Cruise,.... any and all Cruises with an open mind and a willingness to have a good time Leave all the personal and emotional Baggage at home. Go 1 day early and get into VaCay mode 1 day before you embark. That is the way to have a positive experience on a Cruise and not give these people who leave their homes, children and families and work so very hard on this ship for YOU a hard time over some BS that really is NOT important.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Port Canaveral, Florida

5 out of 5

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

5 out of 5

This mountainous Island was B E A U T I F U L !!!! And the people were all very friendly. We did the Discover Puerto Plata Excursion and I thought that it would seem very slow and long because it was a 5.5 hour tour but we actually needed a little more time. This was a fantastic way of seeing the Dominican Republic and our guide" Joseline" who said to call him "Chukey" was very knowledgeable and really gave us a great understanding of the island. We got to see where the Rum was farmed and made , where the chocolate was made there and my husband even got to roll his own cigar. We ate an authentic D.R. meal which I could not even begin to tell you what the name of it was but it was a sort of chicken and veggie stew over rice, with yucca and chicken and veggies all sourced from the ranch where the rum is made. Even the chicken came from this Ranch. It was delicious ! I highly recommend taking this discovery excursion and dont be ashamed to dance with the dancers it was a very good time. Plus the bus was comfortable and air conditioned. This was by far the best tour I have ever taken it was just as described and did not disappoint.

Thumbs Up 13

Grand Turk Island

4 out of 5

I have been to Grand Turk before and I love this Island. It is great for getting souvenirs and also little trinkets for yourself and I love the fact that the chairs umbrellas and clam shells are plentiful and free. That being said I had never been over to the short side of the pier which is the rocky side before. When they say its rocky they mean its R O C K Y !!! You definitely need swim shoes just to get out in the ocean past the rocky part and be careful because if you fall on them you could cut yourself very badly on these coral rocks. Also since the storms the seaweed is massive but after you get past that you are out in the beautiful clear water and it is heavenly. We didn't do any excursion here we just enjoyed the beach did some shopping and then went back aboard and took a nap. It was lovely.

Thumbs Up 12