5 Day Sunshine Review 12/26-12/31

[jam19872016]

Umm by the time I was far enough to get the whole sign in the shot, you can't really see my mom. I am going to have to hire a professional photographer lol.

 

 

I wasn't going to say anything (expect to you guys) but my mother pointed it out - the water is not very clear here. I have never noticed that before anywhere else in the Caribbean.

 

 

 

 

Sunshine on the walk back.

 

 

Hey! Nice aft!

 

 

Not the best day in port, which is okay for me as I don't really cruise for the ports. I think there are some things worth checking out upon a future visit. The fact this port gets such great reviews really highlights to me how different my expectations are than the general cruising market. I want to experience local culture and I wonder how many people even make it out of the "carefully designed to keep you trapped" cruise center?

 

Probably not a great day for my mother either, again I really dropped the ball picking good destinations that would be interesting to her.

[jam19872016]

Today for lunch we decided to try out the pasta bar. The food was good but not very appetizing and we had to make a trip to the buffet for a little nibble to fill us up. I would like to try it at dinner on my trip with M, but there are so many other wonderful options at lunch that were more satisfying for a lunch time meal.

 

The extra lunch put us over the top and that coupled with not enough sleep meant I was now due for a nap. I had a good little nap until someone delivered a plate of cookies from the casino.

 

I was well rested so I was not annoyed by the disruption, but it was weird that they were in and out so fast that I do not think they were even aware we were in the room. Also, it seems I did not take a picture of my cookies but they at least did not go to waste this time as my mother ate most of them. I am always appreciative of the treats the casino sends me, but please can I have the strawberries they are just amazing :P

 

Once I got up I made my way to the casino. I had abandoned the idea of coming out ahead and charged some more money to my account. I played for a while without losing much money so I ended up cashing out most of what I charged. This would have been such a great trip for gambling as it was a slow burn on my account. True, the house always wins, but the house won slowly allowing me to play longer with less loss and that is all I ever hope for but the last two cruises have eaten my money fast not allowing for as much playing time.

 

I walked away for the day around 4:30 and did not return after this except for the slot tournament. All in all, I did not have a very big loss in the casino although when you factor in that I usually walk away with a free cruise offer, I probably came out about the same in the end.

 

While I was doing this, my mother went to the ladies pamper party which was being held at 4 in the Piano Bar. Except it had been moved to 5 in the spa. This is how it was advertised in the fun times:

 

"Join us for a fun, interactive & informative gathering! Complimentary makeovers to all ladies who attend and complimentary applications of collagen skin and eye treatments."

 

Sure, it is obviously a sales pitch for something, probably a years supply of the complimentary collagen skin treatment cream and to lure you in they offer you a makeover and make you feel all pretty and ready to buy something. What it actually was, was no makeover whatsoever, a dab of some cream to rub on your face, then a sales pitch for shoe insoles.

 

Most likely the same presentation given at the activity I see listed every cruise called "Seminar: Improve Walking and Posture" but with a bait and switch twist of a promised pamper party that does not exist. Shady sales tactic aside the product was working. Oh yea, she bought a pair that came with a $200 price tag. She was walking comfortably, she was taking the stairs both down and up, and was not experiencing any pain.

 

They also came with a money back guarantee. We may see if that guarantee is honored, because after being back home for a few days, they no longer provided relief from pain. I am not really sure what I can do here they are not affiliated with Carnival, and Carnival no doubt is aware they use high pressure sales tactics and low/no quality products. Best I could hope for is ruin his chance of making a sale when I go back in February, but really at that price tag how many does he sell? Maybe if I show up at all his seminars and accuse him of being a fraud? That is a lot of work for someone on a vacation.

 

Hopefully this will resolve itself, either they will work again and the pain is temporary, or he honors his money back guarantee.

[jam19872016]

Tonight we went to dinner the latest we went all week. It was between 6:30 and 6:45 and I was worried about having to wait. Even though we were almost in prime dinner time, there was still no wait at all to be seated.

 

There was no cranberry bread in the bread basket tonight. That is the kind of little thing most of us just shrug off, but is the kind of thing that if my mother had more cruises, she would be writing to John Heald about how this ruined her whole evening. Yes, cruising is not for my mother. Icing on the cake, right as my mother was complaining about the poor service, the waitress informs her the chef is able to accommodate her request (no calamari in her penne mariscos). Still she was fuming all night about the lack of cranberry bread. Sad.

 

Tonight for my starter I had the escargots and the shrimp cocktail. Both were very good.

 

 

 

For my main I had the salmon fillet. Always a favorite

 

 

M and my mom both HATE when I take food porn shots. But for some reason tonight, my mom actually said "take a picture of mine". So here it is, my mother's penne mariscos sans calamari. She couldn't finish it so she gave some to me, I have always been curious but unwilling to try this after reading bad reviews of it but it was very good and I will definitely order this next time

 

 

For dessert I had the cheesecake and the buttered popcorn pot de crème.

 

 

 

Huge fan of anything cheesecake.

 

The popcorn thing? Well I relearned a valuable lesson tonight. Food is subjective. I love penne mariscos but read many reviews saying Carnival's version of it was bad so I never tried it. Turned out it was awesome. The buttered popcorn bla bla mouthful de too many words did not sound like something I would like but kept reading great reviews about how outstanding it was and well, I thought it was terrible. Always remember food reviews are highly subjective and go in with an open mind about items.

[jam19872016]

Between courses we were treated to another dinner show. We had a great seat for it tonight too! Like the night before, the pictures did not come out. I am not very good with my camera, and with all the movement it came out blurry. But I did get a couple shots that show just how beautifully decorated the dining room is.

 

 

 

After dinner we made our way back to the room. I took this picture of a towel snowman we both thought was cute that was on our steward's cart all week.

 

 

We walked into our room, and were a little disappointed to see that there was no cute towel animal tonight. Then we rounded the corner and saw this.

 

 

Haha, too cute up there on the pillow. My mom's favorite of the week.

[jam19872016]

I watched a little TV then made my way out for the night. I spent a little time on Lido enjoying the nighttime sea air. I headed to the comedy show at 9 for a 9:30 show. I have, like you, read you have to be early to get a seat. This was true, but to be fair that has been the case every ship I have been on except the Sensation and honestly that comedian was not very good and it wasn't just not crowded, but actually almost completely empty.

 

I am in favor of keeping the comedy in a small venue, I used to frequent comedy clubs on land and they were always held in intimate venues. I know what I have to do if I want a seat. I don't like waiting so I just don't go very often but try at least once.

 

Tonight's comedian was Ronnie Bullard. If you are ever on a cruise with him, make sure you see his show no matter how early you have to line up. He was the best comedian I have seen on Carnival yet. Truly laugh out loud funny and yes he was vulgar, but it was done in a smart and funny way. Very highly recommended. He also seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

 

On a side note, as you may remember I thought I spotted David Schwimmer at a Friends trivia the day before. Today I saw the same person but up close. He walked right in front of me as I was sitting waiting for the show to begin. I am almost positive after seeing him that close, that this in fact WAS REALLY David Schwimmer. I cannot be certain, but does TMZ know where he was the week after Christmas, because I am pretty sure he was on a cruise on the Carnival Sunshine.

 

After the show I walked around a little and finally turned in a little after 11. Another fun day on the Carnival Sunshine, at least for one of us. :)

[jam19872016]

Thanks for reading. I'll be back to finish up the review next week.

[micro yaya]

Could you let me know if there was a rock band and a Latin band onboard?? Do you have a fun times? If so could you post a photo

[momin05]

It is very easy when playing slots to track your progress as your points are always on display on your machine. For tables it is much more complicated.

 

I have seen it published that they use a formula of Average Bet * Hours Played and when that number equals 200 you will be awarded the DOU. So if you are wagering $10 a hand for 20 hours, you will earn the DOU card.

 

However on a recent cruise, my usual travel companion M was told by a pit boss that if she wagered $25 a hand for 12 hours she would qualify. 25 * 12 = 300 not the 200 that was posted on JH's page a while back. We kept track of her time played and sure enough it was about 12 hours of play before she was awarded her card.

 

Whether it is 200, 300, or some other mystery formula it is very open to human error. On the tables the pit boss records your play instead of a machine like on slots. I think in general, if you are not playing $20-25 a hand, they are not doing a good job of tracking you accurately because they have so many other things they are responsible for. A gentle and friendly occasional reminder may be in order. After a day or two once you have built a relationship with the pit boss, casually ask how close you are and they will tell you and this will also help them remember to track you accurately. Don't be a jerk about it or constantly ask, but just let them be aware you want to be rated properly

 

One thing I don't recommend is bumping your bet up out of your comfort zone to try and earn comps. M used to wager around $10 a hand but she now does $25. She earns her DOU on the second day now and gets treats in her room (that she does not eat) and gets free cruises but I see her way too stressed out about her losses. It should be about enjoying the game, not losing more than you can afford so that you get better treatment.

 

Thank you for the information. I definitely do not spend that kind of time or money in the casino, so I guess I will keep buying my drinks!

[jam19872016]

Could you let me know if there was a rock band and a Latin band onboard?? Do you have a fun times? If so could you post a photo

 

I have the fun times for four out of five nights. I cannot get my camera to take a decent photo without zooming in so far that I would need to take about 10 pictures to get one set of fun times. I will try to get them scanned at the library next week. Last time it did not work though, so I can't guarantee it.

 

Upon reviewing the fun times, there was a Latin band "Duo Murano" that performed every night in the Havana bar from 9:30PM-12:45PM.

 

I am not sure about a rock band. There is not anything in the descriptions that would indicate the other acts are rock bands, but I cannot be sure.

 

He is no longer on the Sunshine, but if you ever find yourself on a ship with Chris the Flying Scotsman, check out his show in the main theatre. Best rock show you will ever see without paying to go to a concert.

[jam19872016]

Thank you for the information. I definitely do not spend that kind of time or money in the casino, so I guess I will keep buying my drinks!

 

You will definitely be better off buying your drinks than playing for them! I understand why they cannot offer free drinks like at a land based casino, it would be too easy for people to take advantage. But I do feel like they could lower the threshold needed so that you don't have to be a hard core gambler to get free drinks.

[tandemcruzr]

Between courses we were treated to another dinner show. We had a great seat for it tonight too! Like the night before, the pictures did not come out. I am not very good with my camera, and with all the movement it came out blurry. But I did get a couple shots that show just how beautifully decorated the dining room is.

 

Thanks for your review. We have sailed the Sunshine and have had a great time.

 

Curiosity question. What is your camera?

[Mommabear2Five]

Great review! We sailed her last may and it looks like we will be sailing together on the 19th!

[jam19872016]

Thanks for your review. We have sailed the Sunshine and have had a great time.

 

Curiosity question. What is your camera?

 

It is a Vivitar ViviCam S126. Just an el cheapo camera from Wal-Mart. It does well for what I paid the price tag on a real camera is way out of my budget lol.

 

Great review! We sailed her last may and it looks like we will be sailing together on the 19th!

 

Only one week left! Can't wait to be back on board. Have a great cruise and perhaps I will run into you (especially if you find yourself in the casino :))

[Mommabear2Five]

Only one week left! Can't wait to be back on board. Have a great cruise and perhaps I will run into you (especially if you find yourself in the casino :))

 

We will definitely be spending time there!

[tandemcruzr]

It is a Vivitar ViviCam S126. Just an el cheapo camera from Wal-Mart. It does well for what I paid the price tag on a real camera is way out of my budget lol.

 

I really enjoyed your photos of the 2 ships at Grand Turk.:)

[jam19872016]

I really enjoyed your photos of the 2 ships at Grand Turk.:)

 

Thank you :)

[jam19872016]

Day 5:

Farewell Day At Sea

 

I was allowed to sleep in a little this morning as my mom went to the library but of course I was still up pretty early. The ship was rocking harder today than it did while we were still in the Caribbean, but I was prepared with my motion sickness pills.

 

The most noticeable change was the weather. It was very windy and cold. Cold by Caribbean standards, not really cold but it did put a damper on outdoor activities, and it got even cooler once the sun went down.

 

It was a pretty lazy morning and we didn't really do much until it was time to go to brunch, my favorite meal on board carnival. We got a wonderful seat near the back of the ship overlooking the wake.

 

 

 

For my starter I got a jerk bacon ceaser salad.

 

 

I had been really building up how good this salad was and I dunno, it just sorta fell a little short compared to how good I was describing it.

 

For my main I got the grilled salmon fillet.

 

 

I tried this for the first time on my Sensation cruise and it was instantly one of my favorite dishes. But this was not good - like at all.

 

For dessert I had the caramelized cheesecake and the double chocolate brownie.

 

 

 

Both were good but not enough to save the lackluster meal. Brunch has been an on again off again love affair for me. It was redeemed on the Sensation but now I am disappointed again. I know the foods can be good, so I am not sure why some ships prepare the same dishes with such different results. Typically I can gauge how the food will be based on dinner, if they do a good job at dinner, brunch is good. This one threw me a curveball, because dinner had been wonderfully prepared all week. Also throwing me for a curveball was the service. No matter how good the food is, service has always been downright bad at brunch. This time we had a wonderful and pleasant server who was very friendly and attentive to our needs.

 

I would still be sad to see brunch be replaced like JH keeps hinting at, but I am warming up to the idea of something different.

[jam19872016]

Today was the second slot tournament of the cruise. I bought in and did okay but failed to qualify. I bought in again but did even worse so I walked away. I did chat with the casino hosts for a little while and found out they will both be on board still for my next cruise in February. I did not get to know them much this week but Bunny seemed really nice and I look forward to seeing her again when I cruise with M. Euvelynn (pronounced Evelynn but spelled funny, I may still be spelling it wrong) was nice too, but Bunny was more visible.

 

Like this morning, the afternoon was a pretty lazy day. We went to the chocolate extravaganza they hold on the last day of the cruise. It was good (not great) but entirely way too chocolate. I lack self-control :D

 

I think my mom was bored at this point because she did not want to start another book and not finish before the end of the cruise. She just watched some TV. I made a trip for the only time this cruise to the secret deck.

 

 

Of course I entered anyway. I might be more inclined to follow directions if I didn't see these signs posted literally every time I have ever come up here. Anyway, if it was dangerous you are right in front of the bridge and they would send security to ask you to come back inside. I never stay long but it is just such a peaceful place to visit.

 

 

[jam19872016]

Dinner tonight is where things took a nasty turn for my mother. I was afraid of this, and it happened. She is one of those people who look for a problem, and then find it. We have all seen them and yes, my mother is one of those people.

 

My mother really enjoyed the dinner shows each night and tonight when asking for our table she asked to be seated in a spot where she would have a better view of the entertainment. The hostess said there would be a short wait for that would she rather be seated immediately. My mother said yes that was fine. Perhaps the hostess could have been more clear, but I understood it to mean exactly what it meant, if you want a table up front you will have to wait, if you want to be seated right away you will have to take whatever we have open. Only she worded it more professionally.

 

She was up in arms when she realized we were sat in a not so prime location. I tried to explain to her that this was what she agreed to but she was furious that she was not given the location she specifically requested. Umm okay, you can't win an argument with someone who has a different set of facts than what really happened so I just dropped it. I wish this was the end of it.

 

For my starter I had the steamed mussels.

 

 

They were pretty good.

 

For my main I had the ricotta ravioli and tiger shrimp creole.

 

 

 

The ravioli was good and the shrimp creole was fantastic with just the perfect amount of seasoning.

 

Tonight's show from our sub-prime location.

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

For desert I had the WCMC with two ice creams and the banana white chocolate bread pudding.

 

 

 

The WCMC was good but they never really got the consistancy right. I don't remember the bread pudding so it must not have been good or bad. Or maybe it got lost in desert overload...

 

So we had the same waiter tonight that we had the first night. The one who would not let my mom take her lasagna to go. She was already pouting about where we were sat and this just added insult to injury. Then she saw the table next to us being given a topper to take their desert with them. I tried to explain it was a little different to order desert to go and taking your leftover supper (although I really am not sure why he wouldn't do it) but she was convinced she did not like him and was out to "get" her.

 

So for dessert they had three ice cream flavors available. Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. She asked for chocolate and strawberry. Or maybe chocolate and vanilla I don't even remember I just remember her saying she hated the other flavor. Guess what he brings her? Yep, the other flavor that she does not like probably vanilla but maybe strawberry. We have all been there, the waiter brings you something you did not order. A normal rational person says excuse me but this is not what I ordered. My mother storms out of her chair screams "that's it I've had enough of this treatment" and leaves.

 

Embarrassing.

 

The waiter had walked away by this point, but I know what happens next. He notices her gone and asks if everything is okay. How do I explain a grown woman having a temper tantrum? So I ate her ice cream to avoid that conversation.

 

Later she smiled and asked what did the waiter say about me not eating my ice cream. Seriously? I told her I ate it before he knew and she was mad that I "did not stick up for her". I am not sure what there was to stick up for, he made a mistake and she stormed out of the room like a pissed off teenager. She to this day insists that he did it on purpose and we had to have this conversation again when the survey came in and I refused to complain about the spiteful waiter who would not let her take her food with her and purposely served her something he knew she did not like.

 

After eating all that dessert I made my way back to the room in a near sugar coma. I saw this on the railings overlooking the atrium and wondered what it was all about.

 

 

 

In her huff she moved her towel animal before I got back to the room to take a picture. She was even more pissed now because this towel animal sucked (it was a poor perfomance tbh) and he had left the seat wet when he cleaned it. I guess that would make me mad too, and in her upset state it was all just too much and she was officially pissed at everything now.

 

Mediocre towel animal.

 

 

But wait, it does not end here. She was still hungry so she wanted me to order room service. Uh oh. Okay I can say that in the dozen or more times I have ordered from room service, it has literally never once been correct. I tried to lower her expectations as much as I could and got her down to the only special request was that it be on whole wheat bread. She is diabetic and white bread is not good for her. Guess what, they still screwed it up. I can't blame her for being mad because the room service is just a joke. I did mention this one on the survey because it is a fleet wide problem and seriously, never had my order correct, ever.

[jam19872016]

I tried to make the best of the rest of my night but this does put a dark cloud over things. Again I tried to move on because I know that she brought a lot of this on herself with the way she handled the situation. But then I had some service issues as well.

 

I still had my gold VIFP drink coupon that I had not used so I made my way down to the 80's trivia party in the atrium to cash it in.

 

Chris the Flying Scotsman dancing and singing on the bar.

 

 

 

 

 

There was a lot going on, and there were a lot of people there. But I could not get any of the bartenders to serve me. I tried everything short of begging but there was just no way I was being served. I hate to think it was because they saw my coupon and figured they were not going to be tipped, but that is really how it felt. After literally about 10 minutes I gave up and settled back to enjoy the show. But it was really not my thing, I didn't know the music and it was crazy crowded so I ducked out.

 

I ended up on Lido where it was now pretty cold. Secret Life of Pets was on the big screen and honestly the movie was pretty bad, even for a kids movie. It was nice to just sit back and watch though.

 

I was going to use my coupon at the Alchemy for another yummy cucumber sunrise but then I remembered hearing about a Ting Mojito and wanted to try it out so I headed over to the Red Frog Rum Bar. I was instantly met with the same resistance. There was nobody else there but I still had to wait to be served. The bartender never acknowledged me or made eye contact. Someone else walked up and he walked over and talked to them while making my drink. Then he gave me my drink and the bill and again never said a word to me other than "yes" when he finally was ready to serve me. A very unusual and rare bad customer service experience. I have never been treated differently when using my coupon before and I hope that this was only a coincidence. I still tipped him, but I seriously question my judgement.

 

The drink itself - meh. I don't recommend it. He was more generous with the alchol than he was with the ting. The price was inflated and I assume because it is a unique drink solely because it uses ting. Except there was really not any ting in it but a tiny splash and the mint flavor was so powerful that really it just tasted like a regular mojito.

 

I spent the remainder of my evening with my drink listening to some live music at the ocean plaza. It sounds like a lot of negativity here, but the experience is all what you make of it, and to me this was a perfect end to a great cruise. There are few things more relaxing than sitting back with a drink listening to great live music on a cruise.

 

Oh and the net? It was now filled with balloons.

 

 

I thought maybe they were getting ready for the New Year balloon drop, but now I think this was for the 80's party in the atrium.

 

I wrapped up and went to bed a little after 11. I forgot to take a picture of my final points total in the casino, and to get a final copy of my S&S. I was really off my normal routine sailing with my mom instead of M. They did still deliver a copy to the room, although I keep hearing they do not do that anymore.

[jam19872016]

Disembarkation.

 

This is always a really bad day for me. Not just because the cruise is over, but I am also super cranky having to get up so early. Mother had purchased some souvenir mini-liquors in Amber Cove and had to retrieve them. Because this was a shorter cruise, you still had to line up and get them that morning instead of them being delivered to your room the night before. We had it worked out where she would go and get them while I went to breakfast and then we would meet in the liquid lounge with the rest of the FTTF people.

 

That is not at all how it went, and she seemed to have no idea that we agreed to any plans. It ended up with me missing breakfast (because i wanted to sleep a little longer since she woke me up way earlier than she needed to) then in a rush to get ready while she went to get her liquor, I somehow forgot my S&S. She was already waiting in the lounge, so pickup must have been a breeze but I did not ask. I was hoping she had my card but she didn't. I went back to the room and finally found it under the bed.

 

I am not sure how it ended up there, but while searching for it I found something I didn't even know was missing. My wallet! I cannot imagine how bad that would have sucked and I am not sure how I even did not notice it missing. I really need more sleep to be able to function in society lol.

 

Right as I was getting back they had released everybody from the lounge. Which meant I could not get in. When the crowd finally died down I made my way in and found her waiting for me and then we were on our way. Other than my own mishap, debarkation was smooth from start to finish.

 

There were six ships in port today, including the largest ship in the world (Oasis - which is technically the 2nd largest I believe) so the shuttles were in a hurry to get us back before the masses started pouring in. We had a very short wait and we were on our way with only a few people on the shuttle. So quick in fact, they did not check our parking voucher which was good because I believe we were on the wrong shuttle. We were on the hotel shuttle, but we merely parked at the hotel and was using a different company to park there and provide transportation. I don't think they cared because they were about to be slammed.

 

I tried to get a shot of the Magic which was also in port today but I just couldn't get a good angle. I managed a so-so shot of the Sunshine and waved goodbye to my home for the past 5 days.

 

 

 

This is not goodbye, this is see you later.

 

On the drive home I hit the 1000 mile mark on my new car. My old one was totaled when a tree fell on it thanks to Hurricane Matthew.

 

I love how close I live to Pt.Canaveral. I was back home, ate, and in my bed taking a nap before the next cruise had started taking passengers on. I love it!

[jam19872016]

Summary:

 

Dining:

 

The Sunshine has a very large variety of dining options, more than any ship other than Vista. The buffet was not good which is normal and I was not impressed with the snacks at the Havana Bar. Other than that the food was great at every venue I ate at. Dinner service was quick, the food was served hot and pretty much everything I ate I loved. Sunshine has American Table but I really am not sure what all the fuss is about, it tastes fine to me. I did not eat at any of the specialty restaurants except for lunch when JiJi's is Mongolian Wok and Cucina is The Pasta Bar. Both were good.

 

On a side note in the interest of sharing opinions that differ from mine. When I cruise with M, she hates the dining room. Does not care for most of the food and just finds the overall dining experience bad. She goes for me. I can understand M's point of view knowing the way she eats. She is a great cook and whips up fancy dishes all the time (and actually enjoys cooking!) and when she is not cooking she eats out at fancy restaurants all the time. For her, this is a step down from how she normally eats.

 

My mom on the other hand - well she has a pretty standard routine of what she eats with a handful of staple items that she prepares and she never eats out. I expected her to really fall in love with the dining room because it is so much better than her normal routine (just like it is mine) but she was not impressed either. Maybe I am just easily pleased because I found the food excellent and this does make me question it. Table cloth, no I couldn't care less about that though.

 

Public Spaces and Cabin:

 

The Sunshine is a beautiful ship. I hate to use the word "modern" because what does that even mean? It is the best way I can describe it though. The ship did indeed look very modern. If you are used to the bright spaces and tacky artwork, this ship may seem bland and I do prefer the Farcus look but this ship was very gorgeous none the less. I was specifically looking for wear and tear and falling apart walls because of the bad reviews. I saw none. Everything was well maintained and there were no leaking ceilings.

 

Except one issue. I am not even sure what it was. I had my dirty cloths in the little paper bag Carnival gives you sitting in the corner of the room. I picked it up and noticed the bag was damp and at first I thought maybe I left wet clothes in there but I did not have any wet clothes this trip. Then I noticed the wall in the corner was wet. I am not sure what was causing it and I don't think I would have noticed it if my bag had not been there, but this could be a problem.

 

My room location was not ideal but that was my own fault for picking it. I had 8109 which was very far forward on Deck 8 and just too far away from everything. There was nothing really wrong with it so don't worry if you end up being assigned that room, but I wouldn't recommend picking it.

 

Entertainment:

 

The entertainment on Sunshine was fantastic. There was never a shortage of things to do if you are willing to do them. The show lounges are not ideal and this is one thing I have to agree with the negative reviews. Plan to be there early or not have a good seat or perhaps no seat at all.

 

Chris the Flying Scotsman was a fantastic cruise director. I want to call him the best CD I have ever had but I am going to call it a tie with Wee Jimmy. I wish he was still active so I could compare the two. Chris will be on the Dream from February until June 4. No matter what else is going on, do not miss his Flying Scotsman show. What a great performer. He is going to be one of Carnvial's top CDs!

 

Service:

 

I felt the service was top notch throughout most of the ship. I had some issues with drink service, including a couple I did not write about it but I am going to reserve judgement for now because I do not have a very large sample as I did not do much drinking this trip (even less since twice I could not get service).

 

The steward was different. He was good and always smiling and greeting us by name. But he was very quiet. Like maybe he had a sore throat but he acted like he was just being shy. Maybe he was new and not used to so many people? Or maybe he did have a sore throat? He still did a great job and I left him an additional tip.

 

Other:

 

They now have life jackets for children near the pool on the Lido deck. I see now from JH's videos this is on other ships but at the time I had not heard of this yet. I think this is a wonderful addition toward keeping children safe in the pool while being more practical than adding lifeguards.

 

Overall:

 

I had a great time on the Carnival Sunshine. I would say after the Breeze this is the best ship I have been on. The negative reviews are truly unfounded. The show lounges are tiny that is a fair statement. It is also crowded - I guess. I say I guess because I don't use the upper decks much so I did not notice. The pool is a joke, but really I have never been on a ship with adequate pool space, this one is just a little less adequate lol.

 

I never had a problem being seated with YTD, never had a problem with crowding at the buffets, or crowding in general anywhere I went. Honestly this ship is going to have crowding issues due to the addition of rooms and subtraction of public space, but I felt like the staff went above and beyond to control crowding. Anywhere crowding appeared to about to be a problem, I saw staff helping direct traffic flow. Whatever they are doing to control crowds, they need to implement on their XL ships being built in 2020. I felt like this crew just worked really really well together and everything just sorta "clicked".

 

I also saw how two people could be on the same cruise and have two different experiences. My mom did not really enjoy herself and to hear her side of it, the dining room service was terrible and there was nothing to do. If you bring a bad attitude, plan on seeing nothing but negative. That is just her and is not a reflection of the ship imho.

 

I was hoping cruising could be something we could do together, but it is not. I am sorta bummed because she wants to travel together but I just do not enjoy her negativity. Plus it is a working vacation because I am the "chauefer" and have to take her everywhere. I will not write off the idea of cruising with her again, but I will not push the idea.

 

I would highly recommend the Sunshine to anyone and to ignore the negative reviews. I would recommend bringing some sort of motion sickness pill though, just in case.

 

Looking ahead:

 

My next cruise will see me back on the Sunshine for five days. I will be sailing with my good friend and cruise buddy M on 2/19 to the Bahamas. I can't wait to experience this ship again this time with a peer instead of family. I plan to write a review of this trip and I hope that you will join me then!

[momof4girls]

Excellent review! I'm sorry your mom didn't enjoy it. :( My mom has never been on a cruise but expresses the desire to do so since I speak highly of it. I wonder though, especially after your review, if her idea and my idea of cruising is not the same. :p

 

We were on the Dream last fall and also had Chris as our CD. He was MOST excellent! My girls absolutely loved him, and his Flying Scotsman show was A+++

 

The Sunshine is on my bucket list if only for the Serenity area:)

[jam19872016]

Excellent review! I'm sorry your mom didn't enjoy it. :( My mom has never been on a cruise but expresses the desire to do so since I speak highly of it. I wonder though, especially after your review, if her idea and my idea of cruising is not the same. :p

 

We were on the Dream last fall and also had Chris as our CD. He was MOST excellent! My girls absolutely loved him, and his Flying Scotsman show was A+++

 

The Sunshine is on my bucket list if only for the Serenity area:)

 

I had a feeling going in that she would not like it. My mom does not really enjoy many things. It is sad. I think if your mom expresses an interest and enjoys doing things in general, she will have a blast. My mom is just a glass 3/4 empty kinda person, even when the glass is completely full. I just wanted to find something for her that she would like, and if it was something I enjoyed too, even better.

 

Cannot agree more about Chris. His show was really good and that kind of music is not even my style. He is just a really good entertainer.