This was my first Carnival cruise in 21 years. For the price and because the port is so close to me (4 hour drive) I would sail on the Sunshine again, out of convenience. It was a good cruise, but nothing stood out to make me want to sail on this ship specific ship again other than it’s super convenient for a quick getaway for a good price.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was quicker than I thought it would be after reading the reviews about parking and having to shuttle in.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Portions were small in the MDR which was fine for the adults in my group, but the teenagers in my group went out to eat at other venues every night after dinner in the MDR.😂 Food in the MDR was decent, but nothing great. Our service in the MDR was very good. The kids raved about Guys Burgers and we loved Blue Iguana taco bar the most. The fresh tortillas are to die for! The pizza and the deli were also really good. The Asian noodle bar and Italian pasta bar were both very good as well. Honestly, we enjoyed our lunches at these restaurants more than we enjoyed breakfast and dinner in the MDR.
There was always a wait to get drinks and there were several bars closed at weird times IMO. Staffing issues were definitely noticed at the bars. Drinks were good. I had the drink package so I tried a lot of different things and the drinks were enjoyable.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Pools were small, but we never had a problem finding a prime chair. (We were on the pool deck by 10am)
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The only show on my cruise was a comedy/musician. Other shows were cancelled, as they were the week before, due to technical issues. We enjoyed the piano bar the most.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
MDR staff was the most pleasant of all the staff we encountered on the cruise.
We only saw our room steward on the first day. He kept our room clean, but didn’t do anything above and beyond.
The servers at the pool deck were pleasant as were the servers at the beach at HMC. The bar staff is just going through the motions. You can tell they are overworked and short staffed.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The last time I was on this ship was on my honeymoon 21 years ago when she was the Destiny. She’s old, but well kept and clean for her age. Her age shows in the design.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The cabin was clean, but her age is noticeable especially in the bathroom. We traveled with two teens so that may have made the cabin seem smaller than it actually was 😂 The mini fridge is essentially worthless. It only kept drinks at slightly cooler than room temperature.
The water is absolutely beautiful. The beach is narrow and they cram in three rows of chairs which makes it feel cramped, but I spent all of my time floating in the water anyway because it was so beautiful
I’m glad you mostly enjoyed your cruise. Half Moon Cay is our favorite place but we go further down the beach to get away from the crowds and enjoy the private island feel.
Thank you for sharing your review.
😎🚢☀️🩴🏝🪸🐠🌺
Glad you mostly enjoyed your cruise. It’s very convenient that you could have a grownup dinner with the teenagers and they could go “chow down” afterwards at no additional cost. 😉
Congratulations on 21 years. We have never sailed out of your home port. Always have to fly or Drive, (a long distance). Maybe you could consider trying a new port. So many options out there.
Thank you for the review. We prefer smaller portions as this gives us the opportunity to try multiple appetizers, entries and/ or desserts. People often are not aware of this option.
*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.
