This was our 13th Carnival cruise. We are trying to sail on most of the ships out of Eastern U.S. ports. After reading numerous reviews about the awkward layout of the Sunshine and how crowded it would feel, I can honestly say that this did not seem true to us. It was spring break, and still did not feel any more crowded than most Carnival ships!

Embarkation: We arrived at the port by car around 11:00 am, which was our check-in time. No problems with parking or dropping off luggage. Check-in went smoothly. We waited until Zone 9 was called and we were on the ship by 12 or 12:15.

Cabin: Our cabin was not ready until after 1:30 for some reason. I think we heard that the crew had some kind of meeting or safety drill which put everything behind. We had two inside cabins. Standard Carnival insides that were fairly clean. My only complaint was that our room always smelled like smoke when we first came in. Maybe someone was smoking on their balcony nearby? We were on the 7th deck mid-ship. Read more