Mother/Daughters Sunshine Cruise to St. Martin, St. Kitts, San Juan, Grand Turk

[blessedwith12]

The next day was that horrible day when they kick you off of the ship!! It's always so sad watching everyone sit around with their luggage. The crew getting everything ready for the next cruise.

 

Jaime did a great job of keeping everyone informed about what was going on with the debarkation process. We were in the last group scheduled to leave but everything went so smoothly that we left ahead of the schedule they had given us.

 

Our debarkation was very easy and we had to wait a few minutes to get through customs. The customs official was very friendly and courteous - dare I even say - funny. Once again, the personnel in Port Canaveral have to be some of the friendliest and most efficient that I've come across.

 

We went outside, where it was pretty chaotic, and looked for our transport. It took us a few minutes to find the desk where you check in. Once they had our names, it was probably less than 10 minutes before our transport came and picked us up.

 

I would book a package with GoPortCanaveral. Including tax, the 5 of us had accommodations and transport to and from the port for $168. I think that's a pretty good deal!!

 

 

Look how far we traveled!

 

 

To the far left of the screen is the desk where you check in for your transport

 

[blessedwith12]

Things I didn't post elsewhere - Towel Animals!!

Yes, our room steward was great to leave us a towel animal in our overcrowded room. We appreciated them - but honestly had NOWHERE in that room to display them. I hope he didn't think we didn't appreciate his efforts because we couldn't keep the whole collection displayed!

 

 

 

 

[blessedwith12]

So, I know many of you read this review hoping it would help you decide whether or not the Sunshine is the ship for you or perhaps to learn more about the ports. I don't know of any other ship that has had such mixed reviews - where people either love it or hate it - more than the Sunshine. I know I cringed whenever people posted new reviews - almost afraid to see how bad they thought it was.

 

Well, if you hadn't picked up on it by now, I am the type that will pretty much have a good time on any cruise as long as the ship doesn't sink. So, I knew I would have a good time. But, I am still capable of honestly critiquing some of the issues with the Sunshine.

 

Crowding on the Lido: Yes, I had read that it was crowded. I don't think I honestly believed crowding could get to me but to be honest, it did at times. The area around the Lido pool was so jammed full of loungers, I really didn't want to be in that area. Will this be an issue for you? For us, we were happy to find loungers up by Waterworks and mostly avoided that area. If you want to be in the thick of things - I hope you like people and rubbing elbows with them :)

 

Crowding on the Serenity: Hannah and I checked on the Serenity hot tub several times. It was usually completely full. You could stand there with your towel, obviously wanting to get in, and no one made an effort to say, "Hey, I've been in here for awhile, come take my place." On the day we finally made it in, it was pretty obvious from the conversations taking place that these people had been there for a long time and often. So, how aggressive are you? If you are aggressive enough to find an employee to remove towels that have been enjoying the Serenity for hours, you might have a chance on getting a good seat. Are you an early riser? Will you be up on the Serenity before 8 to snag a good seat? Are you a chair hog? Will you be on the Serenity before 8 to reserve your seat for the day? If not, then resign yourself before you go that you will probably not be enjoying the Serenity Deck.

[blessedwith12]

Service: I thought the overall service on this cruise was very good. Our waitstaff was awesome. But there almost seemed to be a sense of fatigue among the crew members at a level I don't recall on other cruises. The crew was polite and efficient, but there seemed to be an overall lack of energy. And is it just me, or does it seem like the employee who mans the towel booth is always borderline rude?

 

Crowding at the MarketPlace: Not bad at all. The crew did a great job of keeping tables cleared off. There are plenty of wide open places surrounding food stations. Lines were generally short. There seemed to be plenty of drink stations to accommodate everyone quickly.

 

Food Choices: If you can't find something here you want for breakfast or lunch, you really need to stay home! Honestly, something for everyone. Laid out in a way that everyone can get their own favorite and still meet up at a table.

 

Food Quality: When I hear people starting to complain about food on a cruise, my natural tendency is to roll my eyes. I've always found the food to be amazing and I'm definitely not a food snob. But...there are a few areas I felt the quality of food had diminished, just a little bit.

The food at the regular buffet was okay. Not bad, but then again nothing impressed me enough to stay in my memory. My daughters are big fans of Olive Garden and they thought the food ordered from the Pasta Bar was wonderful. I thought the shrimp alfredo was okay. I'm an okay cook, and I felt that I could make it better. Mongolian Wok - fresh and healthy. I thought it was very good. The daughters also love Chipotle and the BlueIguana Cantina met their expectations and became a favorite for them. Guys Burgers met my expectations. I had heard so much about them and they didn't fail to please!

In the main dining room, I felt some of the dishes fell just a little short. My daughters enjoyed all their meals so much, I didn't want to be a spoil sport and be negative, so I kept any little disappointment to myself. But for the sake of an honest review, I'll try to describe a few disappointments.

Beef: I love red meat!! Beef seems to be one area that is really hit and miss with Carnival. On the Holiday, I had my first Chateaubriand. It was the most amazing beef dish I had ever had. On several other cruises, the Chateaubriand did not measure up to the first time I had it. This cruise - it did. It was tender and flavorful. I loved it!! The prime rib was very good too. The New York Strip Steak was okay. It wasn't bad but I can get a better steak at Long Horn. My Filet Mignon was not recognizable as Filet Mignon. It was thin and not shaped like Filet Mignon at all. It tasted fine - but not like Filet Mignon.

Some of the desserts did not seem as good as I remembered, either. The Bittler n Blanc has always been one of my favorites and it seemed rather bland as did the Grand Marnier Souffle.

Am I complaining about the food? NO!! I didn't have to plan it or cook it. I didn't have one meal I didn't want to eat. I'm just saying the quality seemed a little sub-par to some of the cruises I have been on.

The bread was delicious, though!!!

[blessedwith12]

Karaoke: Something needs to be done about karaoke. I am now up on my soapbox!! We love to watch karaoke but this cruise, it was hijacked by 4 older adults and a 7.5 year old with a stage mom. Let's call the adults Joe, Bob, Tim and Sally. Joe would sing a song, Tim would sing, Joe and Tim would sing, Tim would sing with Sally and Bob. A couple of them could sing okay but some had trouble with the concept of rhythm and melody. And then there was Cindy Lou - the child wonder. The first time she sang it was cute. The next time was about her lovers. The next was about being left alone after a heartbreak. And her mother would be catching it all on camera. You would see Cindy Lou handing in 3 songs at a time, along with Joe, Bob, Tim and Sally. I almost forgot the 1 year old and 2 year old fighting over a microphone while the mother tried to get them to sing, Let It Go. It was painful to watch. The second night of this, every time anyone besides the above group sang, we went wild!! Our karaoke host would give the lineup for the next half hour and it would be combinations of the above group! Sadly, the individuals who could really sing seemed to understand the concept that you don't hog the format for an entire evening and they would only sing one song. There were 2 guys who had a great version of I'm Yours. They did parts and harmony. They had stage presence. But they usually only sang once a night. Hannah sang The Climb one night and I thought she did a great job. People were clapping by the end of the first verse and some gave her a standing ovation. As a proud mom, I thought she did a good job. But I think part of the great response was that people were so excited it wasn't a depressing song and she could sing on tune.

So, if I were running the show :) children would do a talent show night in the kid's club. Anyone wanting to watch young children sing about their lovers or fight over a microphone would be free to go watch. I don't hate kids - I had 12 myself!! But some things really only a mother or grandmother will enjoy!

And, put a limit on how many times someone can sing in one hour. End of rant!

[blessedwith12]

Entertainment: I think one of Carnival's weaknesses is not having options for those of us who don't gamble or want to go to 18+ comedy in the late evenings. I enjoy going to late dinner, but when we came out, there was never a comedy show available that wasn't 18+. The disco was 18+ and sometimes the karaoke was. On my first cruises, they had the main show after late dining. I liked that better than having to go before dinner and then nothing to do after dinner.

 

Deck Parties: It seemed like the Sunshine had more deck parties than other ships I've been on. They had good participation and Jaime did an excellent job of hosting them. She had a very wholesome, girl next door, way about her and kept you from feeling self conscious about being up there dancing. My only complaint about the deck parties - they didn't last long enough!!

 

Playlist Productions: I thought these were the best set of shows I've seen on Carnival. The singing and dancing was entertaining and I liked the costumes better than some of the other shows I've seen. The shows exceeded my expectations.

 

The ports: I loved this combination of ports. It gave us a variety of things to do and the scenery was spectacular. If I had to repeat an itinerary I'd already been on - I would be thrilled to repeat this one!

[blessedwith12]

Well, thank you for coming along with me on this retelling of our trip. I hope I added to your excitement if you have a cruise planned. If you have any question, be sure to let me know.

 

If you'd like to take another trip with me, check out this link. Starting at the middle of page 3, I tell about an adventure my husband and I had in Belize - a story that is funny now but wasn't at the time!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1092851

 

God bless and happy cruising!!

[*Cassie*]

Love your review! How fun to do a cruise with some of your girls. I'd love to do a girls cruise with my mom, sister, sister-in-law and my daughter one day. Looks like tons of great memories were made. Thanks for sharing!

[mbrownferrier]

Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review. I enjoyed it! Great pictures as well!!

[kindatravelsavy19]

Fantastic job! Thank you for your awesome insight and wealth of information. Our family of 5 will be aboard in 5 days! As it snows in Ohio I will drink a frozen drink to all my ex buckeyes! :)

[carolinagalcruise2011]

I love Sunshine and cannot wait to cruise on her again in May! You have a beautiful family and I enjoyed reading your review. :)

[blessedwith12]

Love your review! How fun to do a cruise with some of your girls. I'd love to do a girls cruise with my mom, sister, sister-in-law and my daughter one day. Looks like tons of great memories were made. Thanks for sharing!

 

I hope you get the chance to do that. I did not get a chance to cruise with my mother - who is now 96 - but I have had 3 cruises with one of my sisters and some of my daughters. Girl cruises are so much fun!!

 

Kindatravelsavy19: Yes, we do have snow in Ohio this morning. I hope you and your family have a fantastic cruise!

 

mbrownferrier and carolinagalcruise2011: Thanks for the kind words!

[Jeafl]

I really enjoyed your review! I appreciate your honest assessment of the Sunshine, too. We are on the Sunshine in 3 weeks, and hope we have as good a time as you did. 😀

[blessedwith12]

I did have a couple of requests about what our crowded room looked like. Unfortunately, I can't find any pictures where we aren't being very silly or in bath robes. So....shhhh, just don't tell the girls I posted these. They were being pretty silly. We tend to get slap happy when cruising.

 

In this video, Hannah is sitting on the 2 beds pushed together. The trundle is to the right of her. Mercy is on the floor - she'd had a collision with Abby - in the little hallway to the bathroom. I am trying to take off my heels and I'm standing in the space that's about 1 person wide between the bed and the counter. As you can see, it is wall to wall beds with a small runway.

https://youtu.be/YCk7gPnRWdg

 

In this video, at the very end you can seen how little room there is between the end of the bed and the wall. Once again, it's a silly little video with some bad quality, but it may show a little about the room. https://youtu.be/f1cDXuCNves

 

 

 

If I don't identify which girl this is, it's not embarrassing, right? This is the little runway at the end of the beds, next to where the mirror is.

 

 

 

Here is the mirror we fought over, and 2 people with front row privileges.

 

 

Here you can see how the upper bunks overlapped the bed.

 

Here you can see the trundle bed, right next to the bed and being used as 2nd tier standing room only at the mirror.

 

[blessedwith12]

I really enjoyed your review! I appreciate your honest assessment of the Sunshine, too. We are on the Sunshine in 3 weeks, and hope we have as good a time as you did. 😀

 

 

Thank you! I had a great cruise and I would go on the Sunshine again. But, I did try to represent accurately any areas I thought others might like to know about. I'm sure you'll have a great time. There are plenty of positives about this ship.

[TLC535]

Thank you so much for the awesome review...you & your daughters are just beautiful and it looks like you all have such a special relationship :D makes me look forward even more to my first mother/daughter cruise on the Sunshine in May :D:D

 

Blessings to your family !

Edited February 9, 2016 by TLC535

[blessedwith12]

Thank you so much for the awesome review...you & your daughters are just beautiful and it looks like you all have such a special relationship :D makes me look forward even more to my first mother/daughter cruise on the Sunshine in May :D:D

 

Blessings to your family !

 

 

I'm so glad you can do a mother/daughter cruise. They are definitely special! I'm glad our relationship shone through the review. It's one of the reasons I shared some of our silly stories. We really do enjoy being together and the cruise was a special blessings.

God bless you and have a wonderful cruise!!

[logan25]

If you'd like to take another trip with me, check out this link. Starting at the middle of page 3, I tell about an adventure my husband and I had in Belize - a story that is funny now but wasn't at the time!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1092851

 

God bless and happy cruising!!

 

Loved reading your Belize adventure!

 

But not laughing at your misfortune. There, but for the Grace of God, go I.

[blessedwith12]

Loved reading your Belize adventure!

 

But not laughing at your misfortune. There, but for the Grace of God, go I.

 

 

Oh, it's fine with me if you laugh - I still laugh when I think about it! There are so many snap shot images stuck in my brain from that day. My kids give me such a hard time about it because they know how obsessive I am about leaving enough margin and being back to the ship in time.

[dacsmom]

Thanks for your wonderful review. I was one of the ones on the fence about booking the Sunshine, and you have convinced me to try her when she comes to Charleston.

[blessedwith12]

Thanks for your wonderful review. I was one of the ones on the fence about booking the Sunshine, and you have convinced me to try her when she comes to Charleston.

 

 

Great! I'm glad the review helped. Let me know if you have any questions!

[sjn911]

This was truly a fantastic review. I am so glad you shared and you are a wonderful close family..every one of your kids will be so well rounded and have so much to give the world..so glad you work on keeping balance with all you juggle...God bless you..this was a real gift and prooved that the right people can save a little money and do more excursions and really make the trip count and be wonderful in an inside situation...the right people.....you all are JUST FANTASTIC. What a gift you shared...your happiness and love just really special..God bless. People have so much more to go on now for this ship and cruise...you sure made a wonderful set of memories and you all are just beautiful...inside and out. Thank you so much..so happy and so blessed we all are in your gift of sharing the trip....these are so much fun and all the work so appreciated...Sarah

 

Loved your port plans, that you found the best out of the food and were honest about the quality, and you found ship options you truly enjoyed on your moving from "crowded" room to sometimes more crowded places on the ship..you found the good places and made it to so much to share pros and cons and enjoyed way more pros honestly reporting based on your preferences.....just terrific...thank you so much. When you are really close and that much love...sometimes since you are a little better than a tent LOL you know..more amenities and a bath but almost as small..I bet and hope there was some time just being so busy you all slept like logs..on clean sheets and just being so close...I am oldest of 4 girls and my mom left a few years back at 76..we all have different abilities in getting together and how well all are...you guys are such an inspiration..and will never forget...you all looked so nice in pack able things etc...congrats.

Edited February 9, 2016 by sjn911

[blessedwith12]

This was truly a fantastic review. I am so glad you shared and you are a wonderful close family..every one of your kids will be so well rounded and have so much to give the world..so glad you work on keeping balance with all you juggle...God bless you..this was a real gift and prooved that the right people can save a little money and do more excursions and really make the trip count and be wonderful in an inside situation...the right people.....you all are JUST FANTASTIC. What a gift you shared...your happiness and love just really special..God bless. People have so much more to go on now for this ship and cruise...you sure made a wonderful set of memories and you all are just beautiful...inside and out. Thank you so much..so happy and so blessed we all are in your gift of sharing the trip....these are so much fun and all the work so appreciated...Sarah

 

Loved your port plans, that you found the best out of the food and were honest about the quality, and you found ship options you truly enjoyed on your moving from "crowded" room to sometimes more crowded places on the ship..you found the good places and made it to so much to share pros and cons and enjoyed way more pros honestly reporting based on your preferences.....just terrific...thank you so much. When you are really close and that much love...sometimes since you are a little better than a tent LOL you know..more amenities and a bath but almost as small..I bet and hope there was some time just being so busy you all slept like logs..on clean sheets and just being so close...I am oldest of 4 girls and my mom left a few years back at 76..we all have different abilities in getting together and how well all are...you guys are such an inspiration..and will never forget...you all looked so nice in pack able things etc...congrats.

 

 

Wow!! You just made my day! I'm so glad you liked the review and you picked up on what's important to us! Your kind words really mean so much.

I thought you might like to see a photo of the whole family. (One grandchild born since then and 2 more on the way) God bless you too! You have a gift of encouraging others!

 

[sjn911]

I just loved seeing the family....thanks so much for your compliment...I try. It and you just shine. I am an aunt..a real aunt and great aunt. The nieces and nephews are 7 from 3 of original 4 girls and this 2015 we had number 4 and number 5 comes in January of the greats... both grandmas lived to be 97 of the original 4 girls...we girls are 56 to 45...dad is 81. Sincerely thanks for that...this was so very nice...and so great that with all the work and all the love, with as many as you are Carnival has a nice enough product for these experiences..just brings me to tears..so happy and thanks for your validation..it helps...much love ..what a great family picture. The gift of the great nieces and nephews..even without mom..brings an an incredible gift in a family that is good but not as advanced as yours in the 'getting along' quite as well...the best family that thought my folks had 6 kids...12 would have been all that better for the healthy ones..and I know life is not perfect and we always work on it..but the healthy ones...OMG...AND MY LITTLE great nephew baby was Christmas for all this year..pure peace and joy playing with a easy happy 7 month old.

 

I still am gong on something with some group...plenty to figure a doable deal..LOL..hugs this cruise review is a major huge help on how it can be done...Sarah from Montana...

Edited February 9, 2016 by sjn911

[AnnaBeth]

Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! You have a beautiful family!

 

I will be on the Sunshine in March visiting Aruba, Curaçao and Grand Turk. If you don't mind my asking what was the cost of the horseback ride in Grand Turk? It looked close to the ship, is it easy to find? I will be traveling with my husband and two daughters age 11 and 13 and we really wanted to find a place to go horseback riding. We considered Aruba but if it is close and doesn't require booking in advance we may do this in Grand Turk instead! Was it difficult at all? None of us have experience riding! And about how long did it last?

 

Sorry for so many questions! And again thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!