Cruising over New Year's on the Sunshine was such a fun experience, there was a wonderful energy in the air for the whole cruise. I would certainly recommend cruising for longer than five days, as this ship has so much to offer and experience!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was smooth, as I have found to be consistent with each cruise I have been on. There were issues with guests from outside of the US having to check in again, even after doing it online, but everyone was helpful, quick and accommodating. We had FTTF so we were able to go straight through the the ship without having to wait, so that was fantastic!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Overall, the food was very enjoyable, Guys Burgers were fantastic, we also went to Ji Ji's Asian Kitchen on New Year's Eve, it was relatively easy to make a reservation on the ship and the food, service, and overall experience was absolutely spectacular, and well worth the price, the more peaceful and quiet atmosphere made conversation much easier as well. We didn't spend as much time in the main dining room as we usually do because we were with two separate bookings and they were unable to get us a table together, so we opted to only eat in the dining room for two of the nights. The food was good, our server went above and beyond, remembering specifics that we had asked for the night before. The buffet was okay, probably my least favourite of the ships I've been on, I get thrown off by a lot of the food looking so similar, loved the salad bar though!
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
This ship is so chalk full of things to do that I was never bored, despite not spending much time at the pools or waterslides, they looked immensely enjoyable and plentiful. I found myself going to many of the trivia and game events that were held by our Cruise Director, Mikey, and the Fun Squad, all of these were very enjoyable and were a great way to meet some new people on the ship. We also traveled over New Year's and the party that they threw on the ship was so fun, the entire day was filled with so much fun, and also SO MUCH free champagne.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The shows are one of my very favourite part of cruising, I attended every nighttime show in the main lounge, all of them spectacular. Playlist Productions performed Motor City, Studio VIP, and Epic Rock, all three of them incredible shows, Epic Rock easily my favourite, definitely arrive early and aim for seating on the bottom level, either right in the center, or at the round tables and chairs to the sides, both provided good seating. We also attended the Love and Marriage Show as well as the Late Night Comedy Show in the Liquid Lounge, both of these hilarious, the Love and Marriage Show was the funniest one I have ever seen on Carnival. The other on board musicians were very good, never too loud during the day and certainly a party at night.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I can't complain about the service on any ship I have been on thus far, and the Sunshine is no different, everyone is so kind and personable, and most people love to chat, which is spectacular. Our room steward, The Fun Squad, and the bar staff were all standouts.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
This ship has quite a different layout from the ships that I have sailed on before, I enjoyed the outdoor area on the atrium level (3), as well as the tiered seating on Lido, and the Havana Bar on the back of the ship. I did find that the ship seemed to be lacking room for more casual lounging, all of it seeming incredibly packed on sea days, something that I have not encountered on a cruise before. I also really missed the accessibility of the back of the ship that is lost to the Havana Bar.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This is my favourite cabin that I have ever stayed in, this is entirely due to the fact that it is one of the spa cabins, we upgraded from regular balcony cabins and it was so worth it. The full window and sliding door allow so much light into the room, and we found ourselves lounging on our beds with the door open, the sea breeze blowing in, it was lovely. The beds were extremely comfortable, I always look forward to sleeping well on a Carnival cruise. The bathroom was a bit outdated, but everything was very clean and functioned well. This room is right at the end of the hall, but is also a super quick walk right out to the Lido and Serenity areas.
Ship tip
A quick piece of advice would be to utilize the Havana Bar area of the ship for buffet dining and drinks, it was never busy, had great views during the day, and fun music at night.
Port Canaveral is a cool port to leave from, so many people are out and about on the shore, so it was really fun to wave and cheer as we left. Nothing particularly spectacular, it is a bit of a downfall how far away the airports are from the port, we chose to stay at a hotel close to the port, which I would highly recommend.
Grand Turk was a lot of fun, we spent our time at Margaritaville, which was definitely worth it, and surprisingly un-busy, if you are debating getting a souvenir drink cup, do it, it is a much better deal if you are going to be drinking. The DJ was a lot of fun, and you can head right out to the beach from the one side and to the shopping from the other. The main square is very clean and well organized, and the little history section was interesting as well. This port also provides a stunning view of the ship from the beach, so definitely take some photos.
This was the smoothest disembarkation ever, we left our rooms, the buffet wasn't too crowded for breakfast, and then we waited by the ocean plaza for our number to be called, and we got right off, our luggage was all together and easy to find and everyone in the terminal was so friendly.
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