Carnival Sunshine - April 16th - Diary and Review

Well, Hello!

This will be my yearly diary/review of our annual family Carnival Vacation. I have been writing these diaries for a few years now, and although they may be long and drawn out for some, we love going back a few years later and re-living our vacations. I have been reading and posting on Cruise Critic for many years, and have always appreciated reading reviews. I hope you enjoy this review of a very laid back family. If you are interested in reading my other reviews from years past, please see the links below!!

PRE CRUISE - Choosing, Planning and Packing!

Let me introduce our family. I am Cathy, fourty something... ok, very late fourty something. My husband is Steve, a young 50 something. We are from Rhode Island. We have three kids, the oldest is in college so once again, he doesn't get to join us. He promises payback someday.. and will never let us forget that we have once again gone off without him! Our other kids, Matt, 17 and Allison, 11 and my Mom, Valerie have joined us!

This is our 17th cruise... ALL on Carnival. It was Matt's 13th Cruise, Allison's 11th and my Mom's 5th.

We last cruised last April on the Conquest. When choosing this cruise, we had a few things in mind... wanted to find somewhere we had not been, wanted a new ship, and .. yes, this is silly... but we looked for an 8 day, as Allison needed 8 days to hit her 75!! Once we saw the Sunshine offered an 8 day during April School Vacation, including St. Kitts, an Island we have never visited, we knew this was it. Steve and I had been on the Destiny in 1999, but we knew that the upgrades on the Sunshine made it feel like a different ship. I admit I wasn't as thrilled and held some reservation, due to some negative reviews here about the lack of public spaces, etc... but we decided to book anyway! We booked Early Saver, and checked the prices daily. They did come down once, and we received a small adjustment. But after that first adjustment, prices never shifted again.

Because my Mom was coming, there were five of us. Because of this, the best thing that works for us is two Ocean View cabins with connecting rooms. We have stayed in this type of room several times before - it works out great for us. While we miss the balcony staying like this, you cannot beat the convenience of the feel of a large room for the five of us. We booked two rooms - 2289 and 2293, right near the aft elevators. Knowing that the dining room was one floor up, Camp Carnival just an elevator up and the Lido Deck straight up, it was a good location.

Travel to Port Canaveral is always a challenge... and we knew looking for flights during school vacation week would be close to impossible. Last year, CT schools were on vacation the week prior to RI, so we flew out of Hartford. This year, however, forget it!! Flights from RI, Mass, CT were out of the question... up to $700 per person. We had Carnival book us flights from JFK originally, for $389pp. Then we made the decision to suck it up and drive to Islip in Long Island for about $250pp. Because of Steve's work schedule, we booked a flight for first thing Saturday Morning.

Packing and Planning!!

This cruise, like so many recent ones, have been extremely laid back. Gone are the days where we wanted to DO IT ALL.. now we want to do NOTHING!! We discussed excursions, but decided we were just going to have a very low key week. So we did not book anything prior to the cruise.

Packing however, is a different story. I bring an entire CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens combined with me! Mesh Laundry Hamper, Tervis Tumbler, Sunscreen, Hats, etc etc. And TOO MANY CLOTHES. Once again, I totally overpacked. You think I will learn!! Gone are the days of having a different dress outfit for dinner each night - two different formal outfits and 5 different dressy dinner outfits that arent formal. Casual on Carnival is NOW CASUAL. I could have gotten away with half my clothes. Will I learn the next time? Probably not!!

Our goals this cruise...

Cathy - Read a book, swim in the pools, play trivia, just hang out.

Steve - Try the Ropes Course, Drink a few beers, relax.

Matt - find all the free internet, eat endless pasta

Allison - take advantage of all Camp Carnival has to offer, Ropes Course, and Guys french fries

Valerie - Play some slots, go shopping and try a few new fruity drinks!

COMING UP... TRAVEL and DAY ONE!!

Thanks for coming for the ride!

Catrin

Friday April 15th - Travel Day

Vacation has begun! I took Friday off and Steve took a half day and picked up Allison from school early!! Mom met us at our house and we loaded the car and we were off!!

Because we were flying from Islip and we did not know what time Steve would be able to leave work, we planned on driving Friday night, staying over and flying out first thing Saturday. We decided that morning to take the Cross Sound Ferry from New London CT to Orient Point NY. The cost was about $120 for the car and the five of us. For those who have not done this, I could not get over how easy it was. We did arrive at the Ferry very early, we needed to wait almost an hour to leave. We could have left home 30 minutes later. The ferry ride was about 80 minutes. We were able to have snacks on the Ferry and sat in a booth. This was the way to go!!

Once we arrived in NY, there was NO traffic and we were able to drive about 75 minutes to our hotel. We arrived at the Hampton Inn near Islip at about 7pm - Total Travel Time 4.5 hours.

The Hampton Inn at Islip is your basic Hampton. Clean, Simple, Free parking. Worked for us!! They did not, however, offer any kind of Airport Parking package. We had a corporate rate, so the low rate made up for the parking we needed to pay at the Airport. After dinner next door at TGIFRidays, we settled in and set the alarms for a VERY EARLY Wake Up Call!!

While at dinner, I read on Facebook that the Sunshine had been diverted to Nassau for a medical emergency. I did not think anything of it, as I knew there was still plenty of time for the ship to get to port. We went to bed thinking things were going to be normal for embarkation.... mmm maybe not.

SATURDAY April 16th - DAY ONE!!

After our early wake up call, we gathered our stuff and ventured out for our 10 minute drive to ISLIP. Ok, this airport is TINY!!! There was NO ONE THERE. Parking is right at the Airport, and although expensive, there is no off site parking available. We parked, checked luggage at the curb, went through security in 10 minutes!!!! Easiest Airport ever. I think about that compared to Logan Airport, or even Orlando. So So easy. Southwest really does provide a good experience. Sure, you have to play the computer game 24 hours prior to your flight, but they are rarely late and the free luggage makes it all worth it.

The kids plugged in and it was time to wait for our flight and before we knew it we were on the plane heading to Orlando.

Before our flight took off, I had read that the Sunshine had not arrived in Pt. Canaveral. Although they were diverted, they experienced bad weather the during the night, and there was going to be a delay. When we landed, we realized embarkation had been delayed until 2PM. It made us relax a bit at the airport, as we realized there was no need to rush through.

Transportation from MCO to Port Canaveral is a pain. Carnival charges $35pp for transfers. So, as we had done in the past, we rented a car. I used a discount code and rented a MiniVan from Budget for about $70 with all the fees. We had signed up for the quick service, so after retrieving our luggage and dragging it through the airport, we found the car and made our way out. Getting through the airport was relatively quick. Because of the delay, we had plenty of time to stop at Publix in Cocoa Beach for some snacks, soda, Wine for Mom, and something to eat for the kids. I am glad we did stop, as it would be a while before we were on the Sunshine.

After dropping the car off, there was a short wait for a Shuttle Bus. Be ready for a madhouse at the Rental Agency!! We arrived at the Sunshine around 12:30. What a ZOO!! We knew it would be a madhouse, as we could see people were still getting off the ship from the late arrival. Tons of people outside lined up to get on. And the longest line? The Platinum, Diamond, VIFP, FTTF Line!! Out the door, around the corner and NOT MOVING. Luckily, it was not raining. Luckily, there were some good cool people with us to talk to. Luckily, everyone was as patient as possible, although it wasnt fun just to stand there. Oh... and our luggage? Just thrown in a pile when we arrived. We told the porter we were platinum, but we knew immediately it would be a while before we saw our suitcases again. When a ship arrives so late, most of the order and organization go out the window!!!

After waiting for about an hour, we started to move. Luckily for us, they DID take the Platinum line first. After everyone inside was processed and admitted, they started taking folks outside one party at a time for check in. Check-in was painless and I could see they were offering snacks and drinks inside to those waiting. We did not get to enjoy the lounge, but we knew we wouldn't anyway.

Finally! After a long travel morning and a longer than usual wait, we took our embarkation picture and we were on our way!!! YEAH>>> its Sunshine Time!!

The Best thing about checking in for an 11 year old??

PLATINUM!!

We made our way to our rooms... they were still getting some ready, but most were ready with doors open.

Our Ocean View rooms were perfect - connecting doors, new decor for us, big showers, plenty of cabinet and closet space. Mom and Allison shared the room next door. Steve, Matt and I shared our room, with Matt on the very comfortable sofa.

What do you do the minute you arrive? After waiting outside in the heat? Thats right... LUNCH!!!

We checked out the very different buffet set up and split up for lunch. Salads for Steve and Mom, Tacos and Burritos for the kids. We had no problem finding a seat, since we were on the ship well before most of the passengers. That would soon change!!

Coming Up.... Pool Time, Muster Drill and Dinner... and coming up later... the FLOODS begin!!!

Be back tomorrow!

Catrin

Great start, looking forward to reading more!

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

I'm excited to see a new Sunshine review, it's been a while since I seen one posted on here.

I love your pics so far, keep them coming! :D

Enjoying your review!

Good review! Thanks.

Nice photos, following.:)

Great start! I am definitely following this one.

We are just over four weeks from boarding Sunshine and photo reviews keep the excitement going!! :p

Great review so far and look forward to reading more.:)

On the Sunshine this July so really glad to see your review.:D

Great start, following along.

Really enjoying the review so far, and looking forward to reading more!! I will be sailing on her at the end of May for the first time..

I am enjoying your review.

Keith

Following your review. Nice pictures. We got off the ship before you boarded. The lateness arriving in port was due to a crew member (waiter) in critical condition from either a heart attack or stoke and we had to divert to Nassau drop him off at a hospital in Nassau. From there he was flown to a Miami hospital where he unfortunately died, then running into a bad storm where the ship was rocking and rolling all night. We arrived in port back home around 930.

A lot of people in our group that got off the sailing I was on ended up very sick with flu like symptoms and some were even hospitalized upon returning so just curious if anyone on your sailing got sick. Some say due to mold or fumes. I don't know.

Hope you all stayed healthy.

following along as I was on this cruise with you. I guess I was lucky as we got inside into the Lounge. Water & chips were the snack.

Following your review. Nice pictures. We got off the ship before you boarded. The lateness arriving in port was due to a crew member (waiter) in critical condition from either a heart attack or stoke and we had to divert to Nassau drop him off at a hospital in Nassau. From there he was flown to a Miami hospital where he unfortunately died, then running into a bad storm where the ship was rocking and rolling all night. We arrived in port back home around 930.

 

A lot of people in our group that got off the sailing I was on ended up very sick with flu like symptoms and some were even hospitalized upon returning so just curious if anyone on your sailing got sick. Some say due to mold or fumes. I don't know.

 

Hope you all stayed healthy.

I was very sad to hear that crew member died. It must be awful for his family and the crew on board to hear that.

I did hear that the night before our cruise was rough - we heard that from several crew members. Our first night was quite rocky, but nothing like your last night. We stayed healthy the entire cruise, and remained healthy at home... I hope you are better now!

thanks all for reading so far... this will take a while, as I am back to work and can do a page or two until this weekend, when I will be able to write most of it!!

Day one continued...

A few notes before I move on with our day...

I had previously ordered bottled water to be delivered to our room. We ordered two 12 packs for the five of us. They were waiting as we arrived. These, plus the five bottles provided for being past guests were perfect. We used them to take medicine, in port, and just to have in the room. When I went to the gym and throughout the day, I filled my water bottle.

Matt ventured to the Guest Services Desk with our Sail and Sign Cards.... so they could be punched for our Lanyards. When he came back, however, his key wasn't working in the door! This would be the first of our cabin issues. I checked my key, and Steve's key.. no luck. So I ventured down to Guest Services, where they made us new Sail and Sign Cards. But... guess what? those did not work either. So we had to wait for someone from maintenance to fix our door. Come to find out, the batteries in the lock mechanism had died. All that was required was new batteries. Lock problem fixed. It is too bad our luggage had not arrived, we could have kept busy while waiting!!

After lunch, Allison always has a tradition... Pool with Daddy!! So Steve and Allison put their bathing suits on (glad we had them in our carry ons) and ventured to the pool. Steve settled in with a beer and his favorite first day spot.

Mom and I explored a bit, as I wanted to see the changes on our ship. We met the crew from the Facebook page and we eventually met up with Steve and Allison and Mom ordered her first drink!!

Allison was so happy in the pool. That first day, however, was one of the few times she could enjoy it. As the only pool for families on the ship, it was often packed. She was all smiles, however, as it really is one of the best parts about cruising for her!!

Following your review. Nice pictures. We got off the ship before you boarded. The lateness arriving in port was due to a crew member (waiter) in critical condition from either a heart attack or stoke and we had to divert to Nassau drop him off at a hospital in Nassau. From there he was flown to a Miami hospital where he unfortunately died, then running into a bad storm where the ship was rocking and rolling all night. We arrived in port back home around 930.

 

A lot of people in our group that got off the sailing I was on ended up very sick with flu like symptoms and some were even hospitalized upon returning so just curious if anyone on your sailing got sick. Some say due to mold or fumes. I don't know.

 

Hope you all stayed healthy.

We were on the same cruise as you. Crazy storm Friday nite. Woke me up at 3:45am & could not get back to sleep! Too much rocking of the ship, along with the thunderstorm!

I wondered about that crew member. We were told he took a nasty fall from a high place on the ship. I was not aware he had died. That's awful.

BTW none of us have gotten sick yet either.

I'm enjoying your review!

By the time we hit the slides, they were closed. Allie knew she had eight days ahead of her, however, and hopefully there would be time to enjoy these! (come to find out, it would be days before they would open again).

We also got a preview of the ropes course on the Sunshine. VERY DIFFERENT than the Ropes Course on the Magic. It did not have upper guides, and looked more difficult! Hmmm... maybe I will pass this year!!

Before we knew it, because of our late arrival, it was Muster Drill time. No pics... it seemed to last forever.. but the worst part of the week was over. NOW its time to PARTY!!!! We went back on the Lido Deck for the Sail Away party with Cruise Director DONKEY and his team!!

following along as I was on this cruise with you. I guess I was lucky as we got inside into the Lounge. Water & chips were the snack.

Once we got to the lounge, they offered the kids some chips and water... they were grateful to get those!! We were only in the lounge for five minutes, as they processed us right away and we walked on. I have to say that even though there was a delay, Port Canaveral remains the most organized friendly port we have been to.

Thanks for following and I hope you had a good cruise!

Catrin

GREAT start to your review!! Can't wait for our first cruise on the Sunshine in September.

We hung out at the Red Frog Rum Bar on the Lido Deck while we watched the Entertainment Staff and the crazy passengers do the WOBBLE... once we hear that song, we know the cruise has begun!!

But... wait.... its the CHA CHA SLIDE!! After 17 cruises, we know this one by heart.. so Allison and I went out there and stomped, slid, Charlie Browned with the rest of them!!

The party itself was VERY SHORT. We walked around a little more and realized the Lido was starting to empty. Why? It was already 5:45pm and people were getting ready for DINNER!

Here, we took the first look at the 3 Deck Serenity Area!

For the second cruise in a row, we chose Any Time Dining. In the past, we have always been EARLY Seating family. But last year, we decided to try Any Time Dining. After last year, we were not completely sold on it. We missed having the same staff and missed the overall interaction in the Dining room. BUT>> we did love the flexibility in dining. So, we decided the benefits of flexibility outweighed the costs, and we decided to try it again.

We took our time getting ready - and eventually made it up to Deck 5, where we signed in. This process was strange. We had to go to Deck five each night, sign in, and they gave us a ticket. We never had to wait for a table. We would then go back down to Deck 3 aft and we would be seated.

Being a family of five, we were ALWAYS seated against the windows behind a wall. On the port and starboard side actually. This wasn't that big of a deal, but we did miss being near the entertainment. This was our first experience with American Table, and I have to say, I am not that impressed. I am not a dining snob at all.. very simple tastes. And I never worried about no table clothes either. But, experiencing it is a different story. The ship was ROCKING... and the glasses were sliding. There was water available on the table and Steve went to pick up the carafe and pour water... and he was yelled at by our head waiter! We thought that was very odd, indeed.

Dinner the first night was pretty good. We were happy to see bread on teh table, and loved the new Cranberry Bread.. but the kids just wanted plain ole rolls. Allison loved her tomato soup. Steve had the Mahi Mahi and I Mom and I had the Pork Tenderloin. While the pork tasted great, it was really tough to cut. We were surprised we were not provided Steak Knives. Matt wanted Bacon Mac and Cheese, but it was only offered as an appetiser. Our head waiter kept telling him that, and he knew it.. so finally he said, can I just have four of them please? That worked out fine. What more can a 17 year old want... Mac and Cheese with Bacon it is!!

One thing about food. Steve and I have been on Weight Watchers for over a year now. Cruising is really not about food for us. One thing we did love at dinner, however was Fresh Fruit. We often ordered fruit cocktail for appetiser (kids menu) or Tropical Fruit Plate for dessert. We did go to dinner every night in the dining room, but as we go on, I will let you know that the food was not the best on this cruise. Often times, we had a hard time finding something appealing on the menu. Was it awful? No. But certainly a difference from our previous cruises.

After dinner.. we were quite boring. The ship was ROCKING... and we were tired. After our very long day of travel, we decided to walk around a bit.. check out the Red Frog Pub, Piano Bar... but eventually retired early. Our favorite day (Sea Day #1) was coming up next!!