As I sit here, I can actually hear the bad reviews coming in from our sailing. I feel like the Sunshine was set up for what I would call the "perfect storm." First and foremost, there was a medical emergency with one of our fellow guests, and the Captain chose to turn around and head back to Nassau for treatment for the passenger. There were passengers aboard that I overheard grumbling and complaining about the decision, as it caused a delay in reaching ports and the cancellation of another. If it were my family member, I would want the same compassion and quick thinking of the captain and crew. As they stated, the safety of each and every guest is of their utmost priority. Second, it seems like Sunshine is not being received as highly as Carnival's staff/passengers thought she would be. Several reviews report smells, low quality food, value and bad service to name a few. And, lastly, the seas were choppy. Not enough to cancel things, but enough that you definitely felt the ship moving. The swells and the waves were, well ... noticeable.

I feel like "some" of the reviews coming from the Sunshine are partially true, but that some were just too harsh. The bottom line, for us, is this: we have been on many Carnival and other line Cruises. If we take them all collectively and look at the staff/service, there were more mediocre tempered staff members on board the Sunshine than any other ship. That doesn't mean they weren't doing their job, it simply means we are used to super friendly, quick to wait on you, making you feel at home kind of crew members. The excursion desk was the worst for us, followed closely by select bar staff. They waited on you, but it was in "their time," and it seemed bothersome and was hurried and mechanical. Food quality was never an issue for us. Everywhere we ate, the food was fantastic. We did the dining room, Cucina del Capitano, room service, Guy's burgers, the buffet and BlueIguana Cantina. All the food was amazing. There was always variety, and I could live the rest of my days eating Guy's burgers! I really felt like the ship hit a home run with variety. The ship was always neat. The housekeeping staff was always busy keeping rooms, corridors and public areas tidy. We never encountered the mystery smells that other guests made mention of, and actually watched the staff make quick work of messes.

The "value" of the cruise did leave me scratching my head a little. I feel a little lackluster over the whole 2.0 business. We excitedly chose the Sunshine because of a video we had seen on our Spring Break Carnival cruise, and couldn't wait to sign up and set sail. However, I am not sure the ship as a whole is living up to the hype. If you mix the lack of a true toddler friendly area in the pool area, the service, and the actual “grand total” cost (transportation, trip, souvenirs, tips, etc) when you leave ... It leaves us ... well, scratching our head a little. We like Carnival, we are Carnival junkies, but (for us) if you look at the bigger picture, I would have chosen a different Carnival ship to head to the same (or close to the same) ports for far less money and probably have the same (if not better) experience. BUT, please don’t take it as we were displeased. Let’s be honest., we didn't have to work for a week, the weather was great, we didn't have to cook or clean and we got see many beautiful things and places. For us, just those few missing pieces made it good... and it could have been great. Read more