We originally were supposed to sale on the Glory to Central America; however Hurricane Matthew scuttled our plans that had been in the works for 5 months. Instead, we chose a last minute sailing on Carnival Pride, a ship we adore, to the Bahamas and Grand Turk- a sailing that was also impacted by a hurricane. Choosing to abandon Pride's 7 night sailing to Halifax and St. John, we skipped over to the Sunshine's identical sailing (less two sea days). While we extremely disheartened that we would not be visiting the idyllic beaches of Roatan, Cozumel, Belize, and Grand Cayman, Carnival Sunshine offered a reputable alternative.

Sunshine was the first "modern" ship we have sailed on. I say that as Sunshine is a marked departure from the traditional, splashy cruise ships of the mid-2000s. Instead, Sunshine offered a mild air of sophistication, compared to other Carnival vessels. Clean lines, muted colors, and modern decor certainly were an upgrade from the pink and blue pastels of other, more dated ships.

Embarkation in NYC was a nightmare, through no fault of Carnival. Cruisers disembarking the Norwegian Gem (another favorite ship of ours), Sunshine, and to Aida ships led to incomprehensible congestion along the drop off area. Port of NYC workers were also directing disembarking Sunshine passengers through the same entrance embarking passengers were directed. Read more