Carnival Sunshine Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,418 reviews

A Cloud-Filled Cruise on the Carnival Sunshine

Review for the Bahamas Cruise on Carnival Sunshine
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Dkeill
First Time Cruiser • Age 50s

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Sail Date: May 2016
Cabin: Ocean View

This was our first cruise, but since my folks are avid cruisers, we had a good idea of what to expect. This was a journey that went from terrible to mediocre on the best days. We were told to arrive at the port in Charleston at 11:30 AM at the earliest. We got there around 11:45 AM and were told we couldn't get into the port, and to go away for one hour. After walking around Charleston for an hour, we finally got in. From there, we spent two hours in a hot car, waiting to be processed. Finally, we parked. The worst was over, right? Hardly. We got out of the car only to find ourselves joined by about 200 other people, all waiting for a bus to take them the half mile to the ship. We were next to an abandoned factory that smelled like a dumpster. Finally a shuttle pulled up. It took 20 people away. That left 180. You get the drift. About 45 minutes later, we were taken out of the hot sun and to the port. The worst was over, right? Hardly. We then stood on line in the port for another half hour.

We finally made it to the boat at 4 PM and I was able to find some food. We then were told that the delay was because there were hundreds of Australians on the previous cruise who had to be photographed by Customs. Apparently, in five days, no one at Carnival figured out that this might be a problem. Once everyone was aboard Carnival basically just pretended that the whole fiasco never happened. You would think they would make *some* gesture - a free drink or two or a small discount, but not a word from the folks at FUN. People talked for five days about the boarding disaster and many went to Guest Services to demand a discount or a refund. I don't know if they got it.

The Sunshine is a pretty nice boat, but it is heavily ironic. Here is what I mean: there is plenty of food, but the boat is so overcrowded that you have to dodge other passengers and get bumped and jostled to get it. Once you have your meal on your tray comes the next challenge: finding a place to sit down. That often took a while, just to find two seats together for my wife and me. There is a very good burrito stand and hamburger stand....if you don't mind standing online behind 15 people at peak hours. (At 2 PM the wait is usually a mere 5 or 6). If you have ever dined at Golden Corral, this is what you should expect when dining on the Carnival Sunshine. There are just too many people on the Carnival Sunshine.

Cabin Review

Ocean View

Cabin 6A

Best part of the experience. Comparable to a smallish room at the Hampton Inn. Surprisingly good.

Port Reviews

Nassau

Interesting city. We found a water taxi for $8.00 to Paradise Island that threw in a tour. Lots of fun.

Charleston

Horrible, horrible experience in Charleston. The people there do not like the cruise ships and Carnival was so disorganized that we left the port 5 hours late after spending hours in the hot sun in the parking lot! When we got on the boat Carnival never even acknowledged the mess!

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