Had an awesome time!

Item: Carnival Sunshine
Rating: 4.8
Author: JakeAndDawson

Carnival Sunshine Cruise Review

JakeAndDawson

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 46

Overall rating:

4.8 out of 5

5 Night Bahamas (Charleston Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 19, 2019

Ship: Carnival Sunshine

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10105

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Had a great time, rained off and on for 3 days, but we made the best of it, and enjoyed vacation! Rainy days on a cruise are better than a day at work! I do wish they could have made up for the wasted time at HMC while it stormed.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Parking and embarkation was really easy! Very easy to get checked in and get on board. We did all carry on. Rooms weren’t supposed to be ready until after 1:00, but we tipped a steward and he let us go right in.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Breakfast and lunch were phenomenal! Dinner seemed a little disappointing some nights. Some dishes were cold, and portions seemed small. Servers were awesome though and did a great job!

Java Blue Café

5 out of 5

Got a shake and chocolate covered strawberries from here... absolutely delicious!

Guy's Burger Joint

5 out of 5

Absolutely loved this place! Some of the best burgers we have had! Always fresh and always had plenty of toppings to choose from!

Sunrise Dining Room

4 out of 5

First off, our waiters were absolutely awesome! Friendly and always did a great job! Food was good, but seems like on our other cruise it was better. Some dishes were cold, and portions were small.

JiJi Asian Kitchen

5 out of 5

Only ate here during lunch, and it was probably my favorite place to eat out of the whole cruise!

Cucina Del Capitano

3 out of 5

Only ate here once for lunch, and we weren’t crazy about the food. We had chicken Alfredo and lasagna. The dinner options could be better, and they do have more variety at night.

Havana Bar

5 out of 5

The small selection of Cuban foods were nice and tasty! Always cool to try a different cultures food!

BlueIguana Cantina

5 out of 5

Loved the burritos and tacos made to order!! So good!

Bonsai Sushi

5 out of 5

Best sushi we have ever had!! We ordered the Ship for 2 and it was more sushi than we could eat! They let us sub rolls out too. Loved this place!

Lido Marketplace

5 out of 5

Huge variety of food.... only ate here twice, but what we did eat was good!

Limelight Lounge

5 out of 5

Actors, shows, games, etc. we’re all awesome!! The quality was top notch! Not disappointed at all. Just get there early to get a good seat or you may get stuck behind a pole!

Ocean Plaza

4 out of 5

This was a good place for trivia, and hanging out, but can get crowded. Needs more seating.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Cherry on Top

5 out of 5

Cute store for the kids! Watch out on the candy by the pound!! Once you bag it, you have to pay for it! Easy to spend more than you intend! 👀👀

Cloud 9 Spa

5 out of 5

Don’t think I can cruise again without using the spa! So peaceful and relaxing! We had free access to the thermal suites. I feel like the prices on the spa were high.

Carnival Waterworks

5 out of 5

Loved the slides! Adults gotta try these too!

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Liquid Lounge

5 out of 5

The shows were great!!! Get here early though, or you may get stuck sitting behind a pole!!

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Our waiters were friendly and they did such a great job! Still amazed at how they learn so many names so fast. Room stewards always kept the room clean, and always had fresh towels, wash clothes, etc. The fun crew was great!

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

The layout of the ship can be a little confusing. Didn’t take too long to figure out though. Just do some research before you get there. Everything always seemed clean and well maintained.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

We had a spa balcony room. It was wonderful!! Always kept clean, and plenty of room! Won’t cruise again without one of these rooms. HIGHLY recommend this type of room, worth every penny!

Ship tip

Take some time to research and figure out the layout of the ship. It can be a little confusing.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Nassau, Bahamas

5 out of 5

Loved this port! Do NOT listen to those that say it’s dangerous here and the people are rude and harass you, it is the exact opposite! The people were very friendly and helped us find our way around, the majority of people were listening to preaching or gospel music on the radio. People did try to sell us stuff, but a simple “no thank you” was enough. Cabbage beach was beautiful! Loved seeing Atlantis, and all the historical buildings in the town. It did rain most of the day, but cleared up that afternoon and made a beautiful beach day!

Thumbs Up 21

Charleston, South Carolina

5 out of 5

Beautiful and historic city... loved walking the streets and learning about the buildings

Thumbs Up 4

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)

5 out of 5

It rained and stormed literally all day. We were able to get off on the island though. It was still just like paradise and we loved this island!! Water was crystal clear and sand was so soft and clean! They made us leave the island early because the wind got too bad. I know they can’t control the weather, but wish they would have made up for the missed time here.

Thumbs Up 4

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Everything went smooth and fast during disembarkation. Always feel like cattle being herded off though. Wish they could let us sleep in a little later 🤣. But once again everything went good.