Departing Charleston

Item: Carnival Sunshine
Rating: 4.6
Author: ThaOne

Carnival Sunshine Cruise Review

ThaOne

Contributor Level: Second Mate

1 Day Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 21

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5

5 Night Bahamas (Charleston Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 09, 2024

Ship: Carnival Sunshine

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 10107

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 4 days ago

Review summary

Overall vibe throughout the cruise - energetic & festive. Just like my group of 25 .. everyone was there to celebrate something & have fun. Despite encountering some choppy waters sailing to & from the Bahamas, everyone had a great time. To all the Veterans aboard the Sunshine for this sailing & not onboard …. “Thank You For Your Service!”

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Not a bad experience but definitely not lean. 30 - 45 minute wait to park for those with an early embarkation time (10:30 am - priority check in). After parking, a short walk to a warehouse/ terminal to check in & a wait for a shuttle bus to the ship. Security check in conducted upon arrival within the terminal adjacent to the ship. All in all the longest wait was associated with the parking.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Lido Marketplace

5 out of 5

Per the people in my group … thumbs up! I didn’t indulge in this area (no specific reason.. I just didn’t) but they all had positive things to say about the quality, taste & options available.

Main Lounge Bar

5 out of 5

Center Stage with live entertainment. Great bartenders & excellent drinks.

The Carnival Deli

4 out of 5

A variety of sandwich options. I only had the fries but there was always a line.

JiJi Asian Kitchen

5 out of 5

Complimentary for lunch; @ a cost for dinner.I enjoyed the lo mein & rice noodle bowls served @ lunch (option to mix & match rice bowl dishes available upon request).

Swirls

4 out of 5

Frozen Yogurt.Chocolate & strawberry options on one side, chocolate & vanilla options on the other.

Havana Bar

4 out of 5

Specialty coffee options available for breakfast @ a cost.Cuban snack bites available @ the bar (the set up is literally on the bar with 2 - 3, small snack size options to select from .. ex - empanadas). Best when fresh.

Java Blue Café

5 out of 5

Excellent milkshakes.

Guy's Burger Joint

5 out of 5

It’s Guy’s! The fries weren’t the best but they weren’t the worst either. I just preferred the fries served @ the deli. The deli fries were similar to the fries served @ Guy’s on the Celebration. All in all, if you eat burgers go get you a Guy’s burger.

Pizzeria del Capitano

5 out of 5

Open until 4 am daily. Always fresh.

Sunrise Dining Room

5 out of 5

Accommodating My Time” dining guests. Check in on the app & you are notified when your table is ready. Excellent option for breakfast, sea-day brunch & dinnerDinner menu included complimentary appetizer & main entree dishes by Emeril’s. Emeril’s options available @ brunch for a cost.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Beach Pool

4 out of 5

Crowded but a good time.

Sportsquare

5 out of 5

Walking track, pool & basketball to name a few.

Pixels Gallery

3 out of 5

Awesome pictures but you have to search for them.

The Fun Shops

5 out of 5

Loved the Effy Store events!

Fitness Studio

5 out of 5

Located at the back of the Cloud 9 Spa (Deck 10) - clean, spacious & a number of machines available for use.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

The staff was EVERYTHING. Friendly, fun & energetic. It’s been some time since I sailed with ship personnel that knew me by name. Always professional, ready to help & down to Earth. Everyone was cool!

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Appreciated the space, the semi private location in the cut, double closets (didn’t have to share hangers😛), and the larger bathroom with the bathtub sliding doors (Sunshine is older so her other staterooms still have the shower curtain). Also loved the fact that the Cloud 9 Spa & Fitness Center were on the same floor (right around the corner), the Thermal Suite perks, and the fact that we were 1 floor up from the Lido deck (Deck 9). Note - This cabin is located in the Fwd section of the ship, so if you suffer from motion/sea sickness you may want to bypass this stateroom. We did experience some inclement weather that included choppy waters and it was very noticeable in the cabin but it just made me sleepy & I felt myself being rocked to sleep when I remained in the cabin during that period. 4 stars because of minor plumbing issues that the stateroom steward addressed on their own. 5th star goes to the steward!

Ship tip

Temper your expectations. The Sunshine (originally the Destiny) is not a Dream-class ship but with the right attitude you ‘can’ have a great time. Additionally - Portable speakers were not allowed. Guests left them with Carnival security @ the terminal adjacent to the ship & picked them up upon disembarking. (Portable speakers were available for purchase in the Pixels Photo Gallery).

Thumbs up

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Shuttle buses to the terminal were waiting outside to transport guests back to the warehouse/terminal area near the parking lot. Note - Those in my group who disembarked early experienced the quick shuttle service. Those who left later experienced a 30 minute wait for shuttles.

Traveler Photos

5 Comments

Gwbigdog 4 days ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us

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javawoody 4 days ago

Glad you enjoyed your cruise

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cruising2004 4 days ago

Glad everyone had a wonderful cruise! Thank you for your review.

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ThaOne 4 days ago

Thank You! A portable speaker is a speaker you can connect to your phone, tablet, laptop .. basically any Bluetooth device. Some people watch movies on board in their cabins from their personal devices or play music.

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enjoyurdaysmile 4 days ago

What are portable speakers? Is that for a radio? Glad you had a good cruise.

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