Overall not a perfect cruise, but a nice 4 day getaway nonetheless. I most likely will not sail on Carnival Sunshine again do to the passenger to space ratio, since public spaces were reduced to add more cabins to the ship. I will most likely not sail during peak cruise summer months again either.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
This was the first cruise I sailed from Charleston. The cruise port is poorly laid out compared to other cruise ports. You drop off your luggage in a tent, park your car, walk to the first terminal to show documentation and paperwork, then take a bus to the second terminal, then go through security, and then you board the ship. This process took roughly 30 minutes. In those 30 minutes, I was asked roughly nine times for proof of my boarding pass, which seemed a little excessive.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The food on this cruise was subpar compared to my other 9 Carnival Cruises. The food choices were repetitive and limited. The lido buffet and drink area seemed to always be packed, and seating was limited. Once I learned you could take your food plate and sit in the Havana area, it did make dinning more enjoyable. To order pizza or a sandwich from the deli took at least 15 to 20 minutes. The main dinning room was also lackluster. The staff was pleasant, but you could tell there was a staffing issue, and they seemed a little burnt out. Food was no different then the buffet. The room service sign for morning coffee was not an option on this cruise.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
This was a cruise right before the 4th of July, and the ship was at max passenger capacity. The pools and venues were packed. It was hard to find a deck chair and the pools are not big enough to accommodate the amount of passengers.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
I am usually a fan of Carnival’s main theater shows, however, the production value was lacking this time. I have seen the two shows that were offered on this sailing (Studio VIP and Epic Rock) and they were preformed much better on other ships.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
The staff was pleasant, however you could tell they were overwhelmed and overworked. There is a staff shortage.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Compared to the older Carnival ships, the decor was updated. The serenity deck is beautiful on this ship!
The layout of the ship is less then desirable. The venues were small. Navigating through ship to the different dinning rooms and decks caused confusion.
The added cabins during the conversion from Carnival Destiny to Carnival Sunshine reduced passenger to space ratio.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin was a typical inside room. It had updated decor and bedding compare to other carnival ships I’ve sailed on. There were three electrical outlets in the cabin.
Bimini is my new favorite port in The Bahamas. It’s a newer port, and has a more laid back feel compared to other ports. There was no haggling or hustle and bustle. It is a very small island. The beaches were beautiful. I did purchase an excursion to Resorts World which granted me access to the hotels pool and beach area. The beach area was amazing! The pool was in walking distance to the ocean. I bounced between the two. Clean restrooms and changing areas.
Charleston is a quiet port. Which means there is no one on the loud speaker to guide passengers though the disembarkation process. The notification was on the stateroom television, but it was just text, no audio cue. Once your deck was promoted to exit the ship, (I choose to self carry my luggage off), it took approximately 10 minutes to leave the ship and exit the terminal. Once at the terminal, there are two options on how to get back to your car, either take the bus or walk. The line for the bus was pretty long, so I decided to walk. The walk was approximately a 15 minutes and roughly a half mile walk. I did not have to go through customs once I left the ship.
Added 26 cabins and that spread out over a few decks so passenger to area ratio was changed so you couldn’t tell it. Our and a lot of folks I’ve talked to call Sunshine their favorite ship. We find the longer trips on her are the best and the journey trips the tops.
Sailed on that ship when it was Destiny. It was my favorite ship. I sailed on it right after the change to Sunshine, HATED IT! We decided to give it another try and my opinion still hasn't changed.
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