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Review: Sunshine 8 nights May 17th,2014

zephyrhillscruisers
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zephyrhillscruisers

zephyrhillscruisers

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This was the eight day Caribbean on the Sunshine out of Port Canaveral. We booked our Cruise several months ago after receiving an offer from Carnival giving us a better price if we cruised in May, than our usual October date. They did not have to ask twice.

 

The first thing we had to remind ourselves is that this would be the smallest ship we'd ever sailed on. Our last Cruise was on the mammoth Breeze which while very nice was too crowded for our tastes, especially when having to find an elevator that wasn't packed. After all, the Family reunion of 9 simply must be on the same elevator, lest the Borg collective be separated.

 

Port Canaveral makes it easy to embark. Drop off, head for the parking garage and walk across the street. The wife is Platinum, however some confusion in that found us at the regular booth. Sincere apologies from the staff, and a quick check in of five minutes and we were on our way.

 

We boarded about 1230 and our room on deck 8 was ready. We booked a balcony, and coming off a suite on the Breeze, of course the room was substantially smaller. Despite its size, the room was comfortable with plenty of closet and drawer space for two. The bathroom too runs small, but the water pressure was great, and hot water appeared almost immediately. A nice flat screen television and a word to our Steward about a daily ice bucket, and we were all set.

 

Muster drill time.. My wife has a legit knee issue and is with cane, so we were escorted from Muster Station D, out in the heat, to the Limelight lounge, with other passengers with a hitch in their get along or of Senior age status. The demographic of this room reminded me of a nice Bingo hall in St. Petersburg. 15 minutes later, we limped, or wheeled out the door.

 

Our luggage did not arrive until much later that afternoon and it appeared that two of our bags were subject to search. No biggie. The reason for the delay may have been a rather significant amount of Coast Guard personnel on board, some of whom were engaged in a meeting with senior Carnival staff members in the Library bar. Their presence may have delayed our departure by an hour. Again, no issues, just an observation.

 

Seas were a bit rough and conditions quite windy as we headed south. Opting to remain inside for a bit we did check television availability. The Sunshine now uses DIRECTV Latin America. Men, our prayers have been answered: ESPN and ESPN2 are now in the rooms. The four major networks via Miami (including the legendary Channel 7 featuring their "if-it-bleeds-it-leads" newscasts) are in play as well as TBS,TNT and TCM. By the way TCM/LA is nothing like the US version. No Robert Osbourne and a collection of mostly third and fourth rate films, and the Pink Panther cartoon series, complete with the original opening. CNN is the International feed, which is generally devoid of hype. Their anchors deliver world news in a calm, rational manner, as opposed to the US version with it's slanted views delivered by emotional plastic princesses. CNN's HLN feed was not here. The Sunshine is one place in the World that is now Nancy Grace-free. Not that we are cruising for the tube, however signal reception was spotty in places. One of the Carnival in-house channels features the remarkable story on how the Destiny became the Sunshine. Worth watching.

 

Speaking of tv for guys, and the girls that are so inclined, the Sunshine has one thing that the Breeze opted out of: The EA Sports Bar. Huge screens, comfortable seats and truly one of the few male-centric things on board, including EA Video Games. Since we were departing from Florida, this was a popular spot for the NBA playoffs being viewed by many Heat fans, who were mainly short, chubby white guys in their LeBron James jerseys.

 

Ladies, the Fun Shops still feature enough Jewelry, perfumes, bobbles and bangles to keep you happy. Carnival has also adapted the $25 Fun Finds book idea from Royal Caribbean, incorporating coupons for not only this itinerary, but the entire Carnival Caribbean and Central American as well, allowing the gals to show their best beau every single jewelry shop in this part of the planet. The one formerly macho (tongue in cheek) event on board was the Hairy Chest contest, and even that has been neutered as the lady judges now judge the odor of the contestants. Yes, a smell test. The two finalists then undergo a make over with dresses and makeup. Pass. (I won in my only appearance on the Freedom some years back without having to succumb to the RuPaul treatment.) I half expect this contest to be replaced in the future with a Tattoo competition, as there was more ink seen than hair. The younger, inked brethren are either shaving (waxing?) their chest hair, or just can't grow it.

 

Let's talk dining. Now the wife and I are middle-class, regular people, so please don't flame at the following: Elegant nights still exist, and while we don't go the top hat and tails route, I was one of maybe half the men in the MDR on late seating that bothered to don a suit. Heck, for me, the first night it was a sport coat and tie. Many men had at best a collared shirt, and most of those looked very uncomfortable in it since wearing it at their last funeral, wedding or arraignment. At least it gave us two nights free of Bass Pro Shop shirts and My-latest-t-shirt-I-bought at the Port Of The Day. Guys, you're dropping over a grand on a cruise, another $500 on booze, you should be able to grab a $45 sport coat at the Wal-Mart. A t-shirt boasting "Good story Babe, now go make me a sammich" doesn't quite cut it.

 

Speaking of the MDR, other reviews have touched on the slow service. I'll second that, but I place the blame squarely on Passengers. Why and how? Simple. Look at Dinner as an excursion. You arrive together, leave together and return together. It's organized and there is a rhythm to it. The demand for My Time Dining and passengers tardiness for assigned seating has screwed this up. The timing is off. Some are getting dessert when others are getting entrees. Even the "Showtime" twice had to be abandoned because groups of people were sauntering in late. BTW, one of the longest lines anywhere were those taking 20 minutes or so out of their cruise time...to sign up for dinner when they wanted it. To each their own.

 

Every table had a table cloth, there was creme brûlée the first night and there was no sharing plates, "AmericanTable" or whatever other changes may have been made elsewhere. No one seemed to mind. The Short Ribs and Brisket did not need a knife to cut. The BMC (Bacon, Macaroni and Cheese and Chicken) was superb. Salads were crisp and fresh, pasta dishes were near perfect. Southern Fried Chicken was also worthy. Meals were hot and tasty. Neither of us had issues that required something be sent back. Fortunately, we witnessed no Chef Ramsey wannabes in the MDR.

 

It would appear that there was a good number of help who were new, and thats cool. You learn by performing and the newbies were being shadowed by the vets. What few delays there were didn't bother us.

 

We opted for the Steakhouse one evening. It's as great as the other ships. Given the fashion statements made in the MDR, my reservation confirmation by phone included a reminder that "Please, Gentleman cannot wear shorts." Seriously. The Cowboy 18 ounce steak is highly recommended as is the massive slice of Cheesecake which followed. Spend the extra $35 and add a gratuity. You'll pay twice that in a high end Steakhouse on land.

 

As for other foods, Guy's Burgers was as great on the Sunshine as on the Breeze. Quality meat with as many toppings as you can handle.

 

On the eighth deck we were literally around the corner and up one flight to the Lido buffet and the hybrid JiJi/Capiutano/Havana Bar. The only indication from our room that we were that close was the great smells from the kitchen. All that foot traffic, with music from the Havana Bar and not a peep in our room.

 

The Lido buffet has been brilliantly redesigned from two long areas up to two center areas with two sides. Cuts back greatly on the lines, albeit the 24/7 pizza booth almost always had one. We did three lunches there and enjoyed the food. Oh, and for breakfast, the Bacon Police have been eliminated. The downside is that we saw the return of "Ms I-gotta-search-so-I-can-have-just-the-right-piece-of-bacon-so-you'll-wait-on-me". Yes, you've seen her. On the other hand, "Mr Ok-theres-bacon-and-I'm-on-my-way" was there...and gone...too.

 

Day at Sea? SeaDay Brunch is a must. Sunrise restaurant. Great menu including Steak and Eggs. I've never been a salmon man, but the Bagel Breakfast was too good to pass up. A fresh pastry basket is also included.

 

Ok, let's go outside. The one drawback are the pools. Let's be real here. The Beach Pool is the Kids only pool. The Kids Pool rules? There are no rules. Cannonballs, toys, etc. An interesting feature is that there are three concrete placements near the front. The design appeared to be the same as the Germans used to prevent the Allies from storming Normandy beach. They were there presumably for adults to sit infants on to get them used to the water. My bad, it was for kids to jump off of. Remarkably, none of the little ones cracked their skull on them.

 

Up to the Serenity and its pool. It features a beautiful waterfall into a small four foot wading pool, with a water landing. Both pools are now open till 3 am. The Serenity is three levels high, albeit with only one hot tub. But the hammocks have returned and in the back, in the evening, it's a great place to get peace and quiet. Otherwise, the critiques about the lack of serenity due to the placement of the front decks versus the seaside theatre and its stacks of speakers are correct. The DJ's were fine, however Acoustic Guitar Guy, while very talented and very much in tune, is more suited for the indoor pub, than outdoor pool. At least the music selection was more familiar and contemporary....well if your our age. Not sure how future Acoustic guitar guys will break out unplugged to "The Wobble" or "Blurred Lines", but thats for another day. The Breeze acoustic guitar tunes reflected that of a dismal, rainy day in Seattle where you felt like Kurt Cobain just before he said "Check, please."

 

Chair hogs, "Chogs", whatever, were prevalent. We just drifted about till something opened up. Can't stop 'em.

 

Water wise, there is a nice Waterworks on the back of the ship, but thats for the kids. The Sports Square was popular and mini golf and basketball courts were open late.

 

If you plan on going to either pool, be forewarned: wear water shoes or flip flops. Carnival has opted for wood flooring which retains the caribbean heat and may necessitate skin graft surgery should you go barefoot during middays. It does beat Royal Caribbean, who last time I cruised them had lovely looking quasi-tiling which reflected the heat, but was as slick as their ice rink downstairs.

 

While we did not attend any of the shows, we heard good to great reviews about them. Even though the Orchestra is history, I'm told the vocals are spread out amongst more than just one guy and one girl, and that all the performers were energetic.

 

The Piano Bar was packed most nights. The lovely young blonde lady at the keyboard had everyones attention, and yes, it was for her playing and singing too.

 

Was thinking of hitting the Late night uncensored comedy show. Too late, already full and with a video of George Lopez saying "This show is for adults only, so if you see any kids in here, tell them to get the f*** out now". He repeated it. Of course, the club doors were open, so his supposedly humorous audio warning traveled way down the hall. Thanks for the warning, homes.

 

Whatever issues there reportedly were with leaks and foul odors were non-existent here, save for one leak from the ceiling on the 8th floor, which was reported and repaired within minutes. The issues with leaks appear to be with seals in the connections between some pipes. I did not venture to floors two and three where i've read the majority of the complaints were, as I wasn't staying on those floors. There were two ground fans operating occasionally off the Lido, yes due to people spilling drinks and/or food or failing to dry off after exiting the pool.

 

Ports: We are a simple people who in Grand Turk visited a few stores, then spent time at the pool bar at Margaritaville. Jimmy, like Warren, is making good money.

 

St. Thomas found us with more visits to DiaTanzaKayImperial Jewelers before a visit to the Big Kahuna and a reunion with my old friend Heir Jaegermeister.

 

The wife rested in Tortola, so I went into town...and came right back. Good stretch of the legs and not much else. There is more than enough acreage for something past the docks, but for whatever reason, the Government opts to leave it a cement slab. Reportedly, the Brits will re-do the dock and there is talk of exclusivity with NCL. There will always be an England, but there will never be a dock at Grand Cayman.

 

A taxi to Philipsburg, St Marten meant another round of Jewelry shops and drinks at the Kangaroo Court, a neat little tropical restaurant downtown. Next time we'll take advantage of the beaches and chairs along the city shoreline.

 

Taxi rides in St Thomas and St. Marten were $3 to $4 a person. Drivers were kind and efficient. In St Thomas there was a verbal dustup between three drivers, so a fourth came along and we piled into the back of his converted Ford F-350. Working in auto insurance, I marvel at 1) The ability of the locals to maneuver through roads as wide as some sidewalks and 2) Driving vehicles that would never be allowed in the States as they would give Ralph Nader aneurisms.

 

Debarkation as a zone 2 is what you would expect, show your card and out the door. There are lines as one would expect, but the longest line out of the port was the one for the drawbridge.

 

This was my 10th cruise, 9th with Carnival. We've pretty much gone with the best price in our choices. We've enjoyed this cruise as we have all the previous cruises.

 

The Sunshine's layout and refurbishment gave us no problems, and its aesthetically pleasing. Whatever problems previous posters alluded to, we did not find. Depending on price and itinerary, we would have no problems returning to the Sunshine.

Edited by zephyrhillscruisers
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sunkey1

sunkey1

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Was on this same sailing and have to agree with the OP that this was BY FAR the most casual cruise I've ever been on. More men wearing shorts in the dining room than pants most nights. My husband only bought a tux for the formal nights so the second one I told him to just not wear the jacket and he was still overdressed. We like dressing up at least a little for dinner every night but almost felt out of place doing so we were so far in the minority. Don't know if this is the direction all Carnival ships are heading or not. Was not nearly so laid back on the Breeze last September. I know, to each his own, but if the line is going to have guidelines to follow but not enforce them, then drop the guidelines altogether - it would make packing much easier!

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Sea Raven

Sea Raven

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I was also on this sailing, which was my first Gold VIFP cruise. I also echo the sentiments of the OP, finding the Sunshine to be above and beyond my expectations - based on the horrible comments here and elsewhere. Yes, the suites are smaller than those on Conquest class ships, but still offered comfort and a lovely balcony view. I tend to spend a lot of cruise-time on my balcony, and therefore had no issues with the stateroom.

 

The public areas are beautiful, and the multi-function areas such as Ocean Plaza and the Havana Bar / JiJi's / Cucina are really well designed. I like the more subtle decor, which my cruise partner described as "Marriott like". There was never a lack of live music in any of the venues such as the Atrium bar or the Red Frog Pub.

 

As others have said, we did not encounter any negative issues that gave us pause, or that we have not encountered on any vacation from time to time. Would we sail the Sunshine again?? Most certainly. In fact, we are now looking at itineraries for next May....

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travelerblue

travelerblue

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Thank you for the great review. We are sailing in September and it will be our first Carnival cruise. We are loyal NCL cruisers but I am looking forward to trying something new. Positive reviews like yours are very helpful and appreciated! I hope we have as good a time as you did.

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Swampbaby

Swampbaby

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Thanks for writing your review. We are going next Feb. and looking forward to a lot of fun and Sunshine. Last two were on the Freedom, so yes, this is smaller. At the same time our first was on the Fantasy and we loved the small size. We already have an active roll call group and just wish we were sailing sooner.

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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

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Well, this gal is glad to hear about ESPN in the cabin (not that I'll spend any time there) and the EA Sports Bar.

 

I'm on the 11-night Journey's sailing on 11/29 in a nice, dark inside cabin way down on Riviera.

 

Splendor is the largest ship I've been on. Personally, I prefer them a bit smaller (big fan of the Spirit class but I have absolutely no problem sailing Fantasy class, either). I never sailed Destiny but have been on both Triumph and Victory. When I'm on a ship, I don't really notice whether it's large or small. Photos of Sunshine look very nice.

 

Thanks for writing. It was informative as well as entertaining.

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Swampbaby

Swampbaby

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My husband only bought a tux for the formal nights so the second one I told him to just not wear the jacket and he was still overdressed. We like dressing up at least a little for dinner every night but almost felt out of place doing so we were so far in the minority. !

 

We were on the Sunshine in FEB with late seating in MDR. Our table was to the left where there were several tables for 2 in a row. Including us, there were 3 couples every night and all 3 dressed nicely. My hubby wore dress shirt with vest and dress pants on elegant nights and dress shirt and pants other nights while the other two men wore sports coats or a suit (hubby doesn't own a real suit). All 3 of the women dressed in either nice blouses and slacks or dresses. Elegant night all 3 women wore long dressy dresses. My picture was taken on elegant night. Believe me, we were in the minority but it didn't matter to me.

Edited by Swampbaby
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