AmberTeka

We have had some fantastic offers ( casino) from Princess and HAL. ( owned by Carnival) But we have Never had a good casino deal from Carnival. ( and we appreciate what we get, but not the freebies or close to it) and we never got a Freebie VIP cruise. We have 18 cruises on Carnival. we like sailing on Carnival more as it is close to our home, with Fort Lauderdale a 6 hour drive.

I feel unloved by Carnival. And nothing is ever really free. We were on the Sunshine over the Fourth of July and I donated more to the slots than I usually do, and my husband was at the roulette table a lot. We never go to land based casinos ( Thank Goodness). I lost He won. I did have the sense to stay out of the casino after losing. I managed to have a good time doing other things. We both had a good time. As did my daughter and her family who came with us.

But if the freebie was Casino...…..it was paid for...count on that. It does sound silly for a grown woman to say this, but when Carnival was doing the really free thing with the VIP numbers, it did hurt my feelings. Why not me? I laugh about it now, but at the time it was a hot issue. People would argue about it on this site, & I still think it was not good promotion technique. We sailed Princess and Hal after that until this summer.

Is there a lot of Trivia on Norwegian?

I enjoyed your review very much. But the bit about Mexico helping us in the Philippines was not correct.

What a good review! thank you for posting it. We were on the Sunshine right before you. ( Aruba cruise. )

My "foodie" daughter was on a diet, so she stayed vegetarian, and at night would eat cheese and fruit. One Night she ate some of my chocolate Melting cake, and then ordered it every other night of the cruise.. we teased her some, but it was all in good fun.

We had a great time, too.

I checked yesterday for FTTF for our March Breeze cruise and it wasn't available yet. I checked this morning and it was available but already sold out :-(

Don't give up. I checked every day for 2 months. It seemed they come out early in the Morning, or that was when I was able to buy one for daughter's family. One Morning, ..there it was. I called Carnival direct because I had lost one trying to buy it on line.

Thanks for the review. we were on that Aruba cruise, and I saw two of the Shows..."Motor City' and "Epic Rock". I liked them both very much. I did note that they only had six dancers. I miss the full group they used to have, They did a song by Queen in "Epic Rock" that sent chills up my spine. My daughter and grandchild saw them all. My grandchild liked "Studio VIP" because apparently one dancer "showed" his underwear. She thought that was hilarious. She is 7.

SO glad to hear that St. Martin's is back in business after the storm. I love to go to the Mall of the West Indies and buy French fragrances and soaps there. Hope it reopened.

I suppose you don't travel on any planes or trains that offer separate business and first class categories ? What about staying at hotels that offer separate concierge floors only accessible to the upper crust of society ?

Have not flown since 9/11. Now that seats are so cramped, it would take an emergency. We are Hampton Inn fans. Always clean. Good Coffee. Sports Resort or French Quarter at Disney.

My father was an International ( Organizer) for the I.B.E.W.

Never longed to be around the Upper Crust, except for Warren Buffett and Bill Gates who really are two of the best Bridge payers in the USA. Maybe the World. Admire them. The people we meet cruising with Carnival, Princess Hal, playing Trivia with...are interesting , pleasant people. I will stick with them. AND the People on NCL were very nice. As they are on NCI and Celebrity. Just like those three ships the best.

We are fortunate. from our home, it is 30 minutes to Jacksonville. 3 hours to Port Canaveral. Ditto for Tampa. And six hours to fort Lauderdale. Seven hours to Mobile. 5 Hours to Charlestown.

4J's are one of my favorite cabin categories, if you do a search on this site they are mentioned a lot :) None of the ones I have stayed in have sofas.......

The ones on The Sunshine, which are also newer cabins...…..on the 3rd. Deck have sofas.

4J's are one of my favorite cabin categories, if you do a search on this site they are mentioned a lot :) None of the ones I have stayed in have sofas.......

Beware if you are prone to sea sickness. I ENVY people who are immune. You have so many more options in choosing cabins.

Our last cruise, we had an Oceanview on Deck Two, middle of deck. We received an upsell call from Carnival, ..for $285, a spa balcony on Deck 10. We had to turn it down. It hurt.

The last time I was on NCL, which was in 2007, I got into an elevator. When it stopped, I did not know where I was. A crew member rushed over and told me I was not supposed to be there. Something about the ship set to certain decks, someone had forgotten to set the switch..something. I Apologized , and we chatted for a bit, he asked me is I would like to see more. So we did. A pool.,.lovely as I remember it. A few people around it. One cabin which was not one of the big ones, but it was nice. Then he went on the elevator with me and I wound up in the food area, where I had been headed. I loved the item's on the children's buffet they had then for lunch. Cookies. Mac and Cheese. Saw a few adults over on that side too.

We had a good cruise, We did pack our documents in our luggage. But we had a mini Suite and had access to a "planner" and she had them in our hands very quickly.

We have never sailed on NCL to this day. Have Nothing against them. But I am Scotch Irish and they never forgot the days of penal deportations to the New World ( Real Criminals were hung then, these were prisoners of war, political prisoners, Catholics, a few Jewish People fleeing the Spanish Inquisition which still raged in Europe at that time, and lots and lots of Scotch People who supported the Stuarts And Irish Political enemies)

Just don't like class separations of that degree. Suites and such.,.with perks., .are still in the common community. Entire parts of the ship with no access to other passengers is creepy to me. BUT JUST ME. Not screaming on anyone else.

How old are those stories ) My family in Alabama still eats Chocolate Pudding. Which is pudding, layered with wafers, then topped with whipped cream, or meringue That is a Trifle in Scotland and England. Still cook biscuits almost every day. ( My Mother did.) They are scones in Scotland or close enough to not make a difference.

On and On. The USA has a great heritage. We come from people who were survivors. And in my opinion, Americans are a good and decent people who have done much good in this world and have not been recognized for being so and doing so. .

Are children, like 7 year old excellent swimmer, well mannered, children allowed in the pool in the daytime if your family has a Havana Cabin.?

It is confusing g to me. Should like sort of a copy of The Haven that NCL has had for some time. We quit sailing on NCL because it was going to difference classes for passengers… First.., second Class and Steerage. I would rather pay more and not have elite areas, and we don't even use the pool. Grandchild does when she is with us.

Like you have been on RCI, NCL and Celebrity....31 so far, 18 of which have been on Carnival and the Breeze is at the top of the Carnival list.

You have me for one more cruise. We have 30, with 18 on Carnival. We did not care for RCI, Liked NCL and Hal and Princess. ( Platinum there).

We cruised The Breeze in. 2013. Now that she is coming to Port Canaveral, I am looking at booking soon. Still trying to find out good cabins, bad cabins. stuff like that. Do not want to be over a late night Music area. Other than that.....not an issue.

Thanks, for the review!! We sail on her August 18. We normally like the cold our daughter figure skates, but i'll make sure to bring a sweater. Did your grand-kid use the kids club? Our eight your old is very excited to get away from us apparently:')

No, she did not go to Club Carnival. She is seven now, and attached to her parents at the Hip. she was registered. She stayed with us a few times so they could have some alone time. They walked around Cureso after their scuba diving with her that day. She watched some movies with me. We made several trips to Cherries on Top. We are talking about a five day cruise in the spring for the entire family. She has two cousins she is close too, and if they go, she will go. If we could just ever get her there, I think she would love it. love it.

I enjoyed every review I read about the Sunshine before we left. I said I would do one when I got home, and I hope some small part might lead to something Fun.

Last 2 Seadays. ( Wednesday and Friday).

It was a formal Night. I had told my husband not to pack his suit. He is a bit deaf ( happily, it seems) so he did not pack any long pants at all. . I called the Ship desk and told them what happened. They said. No long pants. No dinner in MDR. And I respect them for doing something that means a lot to many guests. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...I begged and pleaded for him to try on a pair of my baggy leggings. They were new. They were black. And when he buttoned his black sweater up to conceal the waistband, they just looked like skinny jeans or ski pants. Our table was near the door. He got in and out quick. He did it two formal nights. Mainly to spend time with his only child and only grand child. We thought it was a hoot. He did not, but he was gracious.

Food was good both nights. I thought the Flat Iron Steak was better than the choice steak they served that night. Friday was a sea Day and they served Baked Alaska. I enjoyed the last 2 sea days more than the first. Our cabin steward had brought a blanket to our cabin, and I took a long nap both days. The Sunshine is seriously cold. Even my daughter, whose idea of a good time is to hike the Rocky Mountains. ( Her Honeymoon. First time she ever saw snow.) Her husband has an office in Canada and she loves it there. Even she started wearing a wrap. I know it kills germs or keeps them from breeding, so not complaining, just be prepared.

The last two Sea Days were Trivial Pursuit ( lot of fun) and other trivia's. Dr, Seuss Breakfast on Friday I think. The chocolate extravaganza was at lunch on the Lido deck on the last Seaday.

I FORGOT about it.

The Other two Shows were VIP Studio ( or vice versa) My grand child's favorite. Latin Nights and then Epic Rock which was awesome. They did a song by Queen that was fabulous.

_____________________________________________

Never smelled any sewer smell at all,

Getting on and getting off was very easy and organized.

free vanilla ice cream on Lido was very good. Chocolate not so much.

The drinks and shakes at the Java Blue Coffee stop

were very good.

The Candies at Cherries on Top were delicious. The toys, backpacks, etc. were overpriced but my grand child was so delighted.....worth it.

Staff was pleasant.

All in all, an excellent cruise except for:

Too Cold

Seat savers in the Liquid Lounge were on steroids I think, Saving entire rows of seats. Nasty about it too, The late night ( 9:30) performance is not as crowded or the people are just nicer. Never failed to find a seat then.

Didn't get my luggage until after dinner. Late unpacking ( and yes we are platinum. 18 cruises on Carnival and quite a few on Princess and Hal. Maybe the have changed the policy'

People who let their kids run wild in the Lido Deck. Dropping food, which is so easy to slip on ( I had a bad fall. spent five days in the hospital, so I was extra careful. But someone not noticing...….)

Not a lot wrong

Thi nk everyone who sails her will have a great time.

Thank you for the awesome review! My dh and I will be sailing on the Sunshine for our 25th wedding anniversary in August/2018. We are enjoying reading about your experiences, as we have never been on the Sunshine.

Since this is a wonderful moment for you, you might think about going to the Italian restaurant One night. It is the Cuchina del Capitlo. NOT spelled correctly but close.

Cost is $15pp, It is a a part of the Havana Bar ( Aft Lido Deck) that becomes a restaurant at night. The ambiance is nice. Candles. Drapes drawn. Usually Ocean view table. very romantic.

The food was great.

We had Italian Bread, baked with spices first. Then a board of appetizers. My husband ate all of the stuffed olives. Dinner was grilled shrimp for him, spaghetti with meatballs for me and macaroni and cheese for the grandchild. That macaroni and cheese may have been the best I have ever eaten. Desserts were Italian, and I don't know their names, but we ate every crump.

I felt like I Had swallowed a watermelon when we were through. It was just outstanding food. I am not usually such an eater. It was that good!

Thanks for the review! Good to know the ship was clean, food was good and staff was nice and accommodating! We leave on the Sunshine on 7/20 and can't wait. What was your cabin number? We're staying in an Ocean Suite on Deck 7 and wondered if your room steward may be ours as well! Thanks in advance!

 

TF

7237. Right smack by the mid ship elevators. We got some knocks but not many. Phillip was thoughtful and efficient. We truly appreciated him!

Just got off of the Sunshine. Heard nothing about bed bugs.

they show up as little dots on your sheets. Not hard to spot and eradicate.

Someone told me when we were first on the Sunshine that the Fifth deck is always your friend. That is true. You can go aft to bow and vice versa with no barriers. The Alchemy Bar is there, the Ocean Plaza where you play trivia. have Dr. Seuss stories read, bands playing, then a very nice Taste Bar which serves breakfast and lunch and it is Never crowded. Smoking is allowed in the casino. It was seldom crowed, other than on Sail Away Night. Personnel there were very nice Even if I did not do well.

The Java Blue Coffee shop, a small computer niche, the Casino and the fun shops are all on the Fifth Deck. We spent some time in Cherries on Top, and I recommend it. ( Candy and children's items).

Aruba is beautiful. We have been there many times. This time, I did not get off. Usually when we do we take the Carnival tour that goes to the Lighthouse, The baby Bridge ( I always think of Natalie Holloway) where you might see wild donkeys and hear the story of how the circus came to town eons ago, and ate a lot of the donkeys. Always sad, then it goes to a big lake, where you will see Iguanas, ( which are eaten on the Island), then some neighborhoods. Homes are lovely. Brightly painted and very well upkept.

My daughter and her family went to a public beach, and went snorkeling. My grandchild, who is seven was going five feet deep. I think kids born in Florida are part fish. they amaze me. They saw a lot of fish and had a great time.

Curacao ….we always take the trolley ride. A narrator tells the story of Curacao. It was settled in the 1600's. The old Jewish section has mostly been resorted. It is a UN Historical site. The Homes are lovely. The Wedding Cake House, The old Synagogue is just eyepopping. You also see some sand gardens. There is a stop for an old Catholic Church. When you finish the tour, you can stay and shop or go back to the ship.

Curacao and Aruba are very clean and very safe.

My daughter and family sent snorkeling again at a public beach. They loved it.

Grand Turk.....My daughter and family had an excursion here. Snorkeling. Lunch. Drinks. they felt like they got their money's worth. Grand Turk has a big pool at Margaritaville, and a very nice shopping area,

Day 2 and day 3 were sea days. Usual places to eat. Lido, continental at 6, & then full breakfast starting at 6:30. Sea day Brunch in MDR (Sunrise), but only on sea days. There was a taste bar on Deck Five. They served breakfast and Lunch. It was never crowded.

The Lido deck had a lot of kids running around, not looking where they were going. Also some food on floor which is easy to slip on. The entire ship is very clean, and the drops were cleaned as soon as they could. Most parents watched their kids. The few who did not were annoying. If you have the slightest mobility problem. keep your eyes on the floor. And it is summer. School is out. You are going to have a lot of kids. We had our grandchild and was the only time we could sail. But when just my husband me....no more summers.

The Havana Bar ( aft) is still quiet and uncrowded. You can sit behind the curtains that block off the restaurants in the day. Window seats. I thought they did a good job of keeping everyone fed.

The Pool was packed. And then some. My son in law said he found a chair every day and grandchild was able to swim ( sort 0f). They did the water works and enjoyed that. Did not go to Serenity.

Trivia on first Sea Day was

general knowledge, Trivial Pursuit ( lot of fun), Sports. They had a Dr. Seuss Parade and read stories. Two hosts were excellent. Young lady from Australia and a young man with a bit of an accent. They made it fun to come and play Trivia.

Show was Motor City. It was excellent.

Movies on TV. They showed a schedule. Gave the times when the Movie would start for each Day. I remember "Murder on the Orient Express". "The Commuter". The Midnight sun", Gnome Movie, "Ferdinand" I watched "The Commuter" and liked it. Did not see the others. Daughter saw "Murder on the Orient Express" and liked it.

Movies under the Stars were "The Greatest Showman" and Wonder". "The Black Panther" was shown one night there.

Dinner was formal night. Lobster Tail. Grilled Shrimps. The food was really good on the Sunshine.

Second Sea Day was like the first but the Harry Potter Trivia, which had a huge turn out,& was so picky and asked for such minute details that people fussed a little about that. Trivial Pursuit Not so good that day Unorganized. But it was fun every day after that,

Show was "Latin Nights" or something like that. My daughter saw it and loved it.

I thought almost everyone I saw was thoughtful and friendly. A very nice group of people.

Next...Aruba, Curacao and Grand Turk.

There was one about Heidi in the forest.

Could anyone that has recently been on the Sunshine and played the slots in the Casio please tell me if the machine Enchanted Forest was there?

NO.

and the slots were super tight for me. .

My husband did well at roulette. Got off the Sunshine yesterday.

We were on the Aruba, Curacao, Grand Turk Sailing. I will post more tomorrow as we just got in today.

First I want to thank Nikolay, Bagryan, and Winarni for being so efficient and so nice every night at dinner. They made every night a pleasure. And I would like to thank our cabin steward, Phillip, who is on deck 7, for keeping our cabin so nice, and being so helpful.

We ( husband and daughter and family in separate car)drove to Port Canaveral. From out home, it is about a 3 hour drive. Our time to board was 12:00-12:30. We were a little early, but the crowd was not big. We are platinum & they had FFTF, so we boarded first and them right behind us.

This is the third time we have been on Sunshine, but the first time in an older cabin. Previously we were in the 4J's on the 3rd deck, but could not book one this time as we were only 2 people. Our daughter and family did get one and they loved it. We had a midship Balcony on Deck Seven. Everything worked well, but the balcony did look old and it was small. The space in the Rest room is tight. It was very convenient to everything. The air conditioner worked super well. It was flat cold most of the time. We slept like logs so I can say the bed was fine.

We did not get our luggage until after dinner. That has never happened before, and I wondered if they were shorthanded. It was not a huge problem. We wore what we had on to dinner, and few people on seven had their luggage, so not a biggie. My daughter did get hers very quickly.

Muster was in the Limelight lounge for me. ( had a bad fall. Walk slowly, etc.) It was for those with special needs. Some passengers were confused and came in, and they had to sort them out by Muster station, and send them away, but it was handled very nicely. Mothers with little babies stayed. They had our names, went over the procedures, and it was done before 4:30.

Dinner was good every night. It was the American Table. We had tablecloths every night but the last. My daughter and husband had seafood or fish every night and liked it. I had the fried shrimp the first night, one of their cold fruit soups and crème Brule for dessert. ( think it was that night). It was all good, and I am a picky eater. I was impressed with their food every night.

Then we went to the casino for a little. The slots were tight, tight. but my husband did well at roulette. We were in early, turned on TV, CNN is all there is for news, but the Movies were good. They had schedules of when they would be shown.

Then we went to bed. Our first day on the Sunshine was over.

David Baldacci ….best plotter in the mystery/thriller market. Dean Koontz Like his Jane Hawk books. but some of his stuff is horror. Don't read that.

Mike Lawson ( His detective is Joe Demarco. Works for the Speaker of the House as a fixer.) I read all of them They are fast paced, likable characters, witty.

C. J. Box and his mystery/thriller/fiction books about a Wyoming game keeper. Beautiful writing

At age 71..the entire Harry Poller series. LOVED them

Best books written imho? The Number One Ladies Detective Series. Written by Alexander McCall Smith,

They are funny. Sad. beautifully written. Makes you want to go to Botswana, and have bush tea with Precious on the veranda of the Hotel. Watch the fly away birds in the thorn trees. Those books had an HBO series filmed about the. And they have won every award imaginable,

And..some "Kid's" books are Good. "A Wrinkle in Time" " Up a Road slowly"

Science Fiction? S.M Sterling's Ember verse series. First book is "Dies the Fire" Warning they are highly addictive. And if you have never read the Lord of the Rings series, this would be a good time to start.

We've done it. We have driven from Jacksonville to Miami or Fort Lauderdale UNTIL the day we decided to get off of the Interstate in Port St. Lucie. We went to a Bank of America.

On the way out, and I was driving I heard a big THUD.

A car had driven past as I backed up. Luckily for us...no damage to the other car. Not much to ours/ Bank policeman said to call our insurance and report it. We did. Our agent, who once taught school in the same school as we did... said.go on your cruise and call us when you get back.

Since then, we always drive down the day before. We do drive direct to Port Canaveral as that is only 3 hours, ditto Tampa and the Elation is in JAX.

I do. Only spa service I buy. I find the cost reasonable and I have always loved the hair style r And I am picky, picky about my hair. Nothing else, outside of being clean and decent......but they make me happy, and they do, so I recommend giving it a try,

Sometimes taking a cut or style you like clipped from a magazine ….lets them know more. I don't.