My family of four (me-44, wife-34, two daughters 4 & 2) took the inaugural sailing of the Carnival Sunshine from New Orleans. This was our first cruise on Carnival; we have cruised with Disney a couple of other times. We weren't exactly sure what to expect on Carnival. It seems the reviews online and with TA's are all over the map. We went into this cruise with an open mind just looking forward to a nice trip away together for the family. We were all very pleased with our cruise and with our experience on the Sunshine.

If I had to sum it all up, where Carnival really excels is in the Value we received for the money. We stayed in an Extended Balcony cabin but still saved some $1000 to $2000 from what we would have paid on Disney or RC. I am still amazed how much we enjoyed our vacation on the Sunshine, especially considering the money we saved. Plus, I was apprehensive considering how much others have banged on this ship on CC. Maybe since it was my first cruise on Carnival, my expectations were not the same as others who have sailed with them before???

Our cabin was very comfortable for the four of us. Storage space is plentiful. The aft-view balcony was a great location. I will plan to book this type cabin exclusively in the future. The Sunshine restaurant was good; the food was hot with a nice selection, even though the service was a little clunky. We ate at each of the specialty restaurants as well. All were very good; the Asian restaurant JiJi was exceptional! The Italian restaurant was good, but the whole singing and 'show' there was kind-of strange. It didn't seem to have a point, and the servers were clearly not into doing it. Still, that didn't take away from the good food. Read more