Surprising Experience on Carnival Sunshine - brilliantseas August 2022 Bahamas Review / Photos

[brilliantseas]

19 hours ago, Ralphinsc said:

 

The thing that is so tough for Charleston is that the terminal is right in the middle of one of the priciest historic districts in the country. That is part of the reason why that terminal space is going away. The real estate is just so valuable that the city would rather sell it. It's almost impossible to find a hotel down there within any kind of distance from the terminal for a good price. 

 

Agreed regarding the hotel prices. They were all over $300/night in the historic district, or around $120 for a Hilton Garden Inn out by the airport. I run into the same challenges when trying to book a hotel in Savannah. 

[brilliantseas]

After our day in Nassau, we watched one of the comedy shows in the Limelight Lounge and then stopped at Bonsai Sushi for dinner. We were fortunate to get in when we did as the Bonsai location on Sunshine is hidden in the hallway across from the steakhouse on deck 4 and only has around eight tables. We arrived when they had two tables available and another group immediately followed us in. They actually turned away a few parties exiting the comedy show, which I've never seen at a Bonsai Sushi before. My only complaint was that we were at the table next to the hallway and the line for the next show quickly filled in that space, creating for a very noisy dining experience. 

 

 

We ordered a total of three rolls to split, as well as the ginger salad, which is a must-have every time I dine at Bonsai Sushi. 

 

After dinner, we headed to the Liquid Lounge for the late showing of Latin Nights. This was my least favorite of the three Playlist Productions shows on Sunshine, although there is one segment that utilizes the platforms pictured in front of the large booths to the left and right of the stage. If you happen to sit in one of these booths, or in the chairs immediately next to them, you're in for a special surprise! 

 

 

We wrapped up our night watching the Sunshine Band in Ocean Plaza. 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

On our last sea day, we started with early morning trivia before the WAVE morning show.

 

 

We followed trivia with an early Sea Day Brunch in the MDR. I'm incredibly sad to say that this may have been my last chia seed pudding as I understand Carnival has removed this treasure from the menu.

 

 

I also had an omelet, while GF had the yogurt parfait, skillet cake, sausage, and hash browns. 

 

 

 

After brunch, it was time to get some sun. I spent the late morning finishing Shut Up and Listen! By Tillman Fertitta, CEO of Landry's Restaurants and the Golden Nugget casino chain, and starting Work in Progress by Michael Eisner before an early afternoon conference call. Can I tell you how wonderful it is to take work calls while sitting on the deck of a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic!? It also speaks highly of Carnival's Premium WiFi package that I was able to participate in a video call without any challenges. 

 

[brilliantseas]

After the call, I grabbed a few "top deck" photos of the busy Lido Deck area and Serenity Pool.

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

Reasonable crowd for Big Bang Theory Trivia. 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

Smooth sailing as we get ready for dinner and showtime! We opted for the early showing of Epic Rock!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

Our final dinner in the MDR. It takes on a totally different look and feel once the sun goes down and the focus shifts from the panoramic views to the beautiful chandeliers. 

 

 

We both opted for shrimp cocktail appetizers. For entrees, GF had the jerk pork loin, while I ordered the enchiladas. The enchiladas are normally one of my favorite Carnival entrees, but these were missing enchilada sauce and were very dry. GF's jerk pork had a nice flavor. 

 

 

 

 

For dessert, GF had one last "Mickey-style" WCMC, while I had the Baked Alaska. 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

The artwork in one of the elevator lobbies captured our eye. 

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

We spent most of our last evening onboard kind of where we started, in the piano bar with arguably the best entertainer onboard, Zach Daniels. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[brilliantseas]

Wrapping up the night with our last drinks of the cruise, a Caribbean Tea and a Rye & Ginger. 

 

 

 

Final tunes with the Sunshine Rock Band at Ocean Plaza. 

 

[brilliantseas]

Time to say goodnight. In the morning, it is time to disembark in Charleston and head back to reality. 

 

[brilliantseas]

Our small zoo of towel animals will be remaining onboard. 

 

 

We have to say goodbye to our double length balcony. 

 

 

Charleston welcomed us back with a great view of the Custom House. 

 

 

Debarkation was efficient. Given the early arrival time into Charleston at 7am, they offer "silent debarkation," a first for me on a Carnival ship. Rather than forcing everyone into lounges or onto the Lido Deck to await a call over the PA, this debarkation was done almost entirely via the stateroom TVs displaying which decks and zones were eligible to disembark. As  Platinum self-assist, we were able to get off at any time of our choosing. We headed down to the lobby and found a short line to disembark, but were off the ship shortly after 8:00 AM, just about 10 minutes after leaving our stateroom. 

 

Interestingly, guests who are disembarking have the option to walk back to the parking lot rather than riding the shuttles, which makes sense given that everyone now has luggage in hand and the logistics of loading all of that baggage into the shuttles would prove to be a nightmare. They were prepared with additional luggage trailers for those who opted for the shuttles, but the process appeared to be very slow moving and had a line. We opted to walk. Google Maps shows it as 0.7 miles, or 10-15 minutes, depending upon your walking space. It is quite a haul if you have multiple bags in hand. Even with one bag a piece, we were quite sweaty by the time we reached our car. 

[brilliantseas]

Overall, our cruise onboard the Carnival Sunshine was a mix of surprises, both positive and negative. Here are some of the highlights:

 

Positives

 

We were pleasantly surprised by the condition of the public areas of the ship. The lounges and deck furniture were in great shape. 

 

Zach Daniels in Piano Bar 88 was a highlight of the cruise, and one of the top two piano bar entertainers I've encountered. 

 

Loved the three story Serenity area, even if the pool was almost always too busy to use. 

 

Dinner at JiJi Asian Kitchen was the highlight meal of the cruise. 

 

This is the first Carnival ship I've found with an automated roulette wheel with $3 minimums. I'd love to see these expand fleet-wide as they feel less cramped than the traditional roulette tables, and the $3 minimum bets are a bonus for those who don't want to meet $5 or $10 minimums. 

 

Although the ship was busy, the crowd levels weren't quite as bad as I expected given other reviews. In fact, I found it to be less crowded than the Sunrise. 

 

Negatives

 

Unfortunately the condition of our balcony didn't match the condition of the public areas. Rotting wood railings, peeling tint film on the glass, dirty floors, and broken lounge chairs limited our enjoyment of this space. 

 

MDR food quality and service were both hit-or-miss. 

 

Frozen rather than fresh cut fries at Guy's Burgers. 

 

Cruise Director TJ's abrasive personality. He was a great host for activities once he got past his intros and outros, but he really needs to tone down the PA announcements. 

 

Limelight Lounge's small size and faulty design makes it hard to get a good seat for the comedy shows, even if you are in line 30 minutes prior to showtime. 

 

RedFrog Pub was disappointing not only due to lack of entertainment, but also the elimination of the embarkation day happy hour specials. Without live entertainment, the Pub was nearly always empty and seemed like a waste of space. 

 

Ports

 

Although the embarkation process and parking situation in Charleston are less than ideal, I'd still consider sailing out of Charleston again before the city re-develops the cruise port at the end of 2024. Access from the highway was easy enough.

 

Half Moon Cay remains one of my top beach destinations, along with Harvest Caye and Roatan. No need for a shore excursion, just enjoy the white sand beach and shallow, rock-free waters. 

 

We also had an enjoyable time in Nassau, although it still isn't high on my list to repeat if it can be avoided. The Margaritaville Beach Resort looks nice, and I might consider the Fins Up Waterpark for a relaxing pool/lazy river day. Just beware that the water park is pricey for the amenities. 

 

[ninjacat123]

Great review!!  DH and I were on Sunshine Sept 3 - 8 and had lots of fun as well!  Thanks for taking the time to put this review and pics together.😃

[Wild and Crazy Nana]

Great review! We’re sailing on the Sunshine for the second time October 15. Previously did a New Years Eve cruise on her out of Canaveral.

[NYHartChapp]

On 9/26/2022 at 1:10 AM, brilliantseas said:

Overall, our cruise onboard the Carnival Sunshine was a mix of surprises, both positive and negative. Here are some of the highlights:

 

Positives

 

We were pleasantly surprised by the condition of the public areas of the ship. The lounges and deck furniture were in great shape. 

 

Zach Daniels in Piano Bar 88 was a highlight of the cruise, and one of the top two piano bar entertainers I've encountered. 

 

Loved the three story Serenity area, even if the pool was almost always too busy to use. 

 

Dinner at JiJi Asian Kitchen was the highlight meal of the cruise. 

 

This is the first Carnival ship I've found with an automated roulette wheel with $3 minimums. I'd love to see these expand fleet-wide as they feel less cramped than the traditional roulette tables, and the $3 minimum bets are a bonus for those who don't want to meet $5 or $10 minimums. 

 

Although the ship was busy, the crowd levels weren't quite as bad as I expected given other reviews. In fact, I found it to be less crowded than the Sunrise. 

 

Negatives

 

Unfortunately the condition of our balcony didn't match the condition of the public areas. Rotting wood railings, peeling tint film on the glass, dirty floors, and broken lounge chairs limited our enjoyment of this space. 

 

MDR food quality and service were both hit-or-miss. 

 

Frozen rather than fresh cut fries at Guy's Burgers. 

 

Cruise Director TJ's abrasive personality. He was a great host for activities once he got past his intros and outros, but he really needs to tone down the PA announcements. 

 

Limelight Lounge's small size and faulty design makes it hard to get a good seat for the comedy shows, even if you are in line 30 minutes prior to showtime. 

 

RedFrog Pub was disappointing not only due to lack of entertainment, but also the elimination of the embarkation day happy hour specials. Without live entertainment, the Pub was nearly always empty and seemed like a waste of space. 

 

Ports

 

Although the embarkation process and parking situation in Charleston are less than ideal, I'd still consider sailing out of Charleston again before the city re-develops the cruise port at the end of 2024. Access from the highway was easy enough.

 

Half Moon Cay remains one of my top beach destinations, along with Harvest Caye and Roatan. No need for a shore excursion, just enjoy the white sand beach and shallow, rock-free waters. 

 

We also had an enjoyable time in Nassau, although it still isn't high on my list to repeat if it can be avoided. The Margaritaville Beach Resort looks nice, and I might consider the Fins Up Waterpark for a relaxing pool/lazy river day. Just beware that the water park is pricey for the amenities. 

 

Great review, and agree with your final assessments (we were aboard in May and will be again in December).  Will be sad to lose our 15-minute Uber ride to port in 2024. 

Edited September 27, 2022 by NYHartChapp

[brilliantseas]

9 hours ago, NYHartChapp said:

Great review, and agree with your final assessments (we were aboard in May and will be again in December).  Will be sad to lose our 15-minute Uber ride to port in 2024. 

 

With the loss of Charleston as an option, I'm hoping they base a ship in Norfolk year-round. Baltimore is a high-yield city limited by the capacity of the port facility and the bridge. Jacksonville also holds its own with a Fantasy-class ship, although time will tell if it can retain service once Elation and Paradise are retired. Without Charleston, the only suitable cruise port in between is Norfolk. I'm sorry that it won't be a 15-minute ride for you, but at least it is an option that isn't a 15+ hour drive for us in the Midwest.