Carnival Sunshine Review
Rating by category
Additional details
First, this is not my first Carnival Cruise; so, I am not comparing Carnival to another line or Carnival to some fantasy of what a Cruise should be.
Second, the Memorial Day cruise seems to be a popular graduation gift. There were a lot more families, and a lot more 18-20 year-olds than usual. There were very few of the 20s-30s dating/newly wed passengers. In short, the cruise had a very different personality than a usual Carnival Cruise.
The Bad: The internet was atrocious. Paid nearly $100.00 for the middle plan. Facebook could take up to 5 minutes to load. I never could access Messenger or Notifications. Often the body of an email would never load. It wasn't any faster to use their computers. Kept getting messages to upgrade to the most expensive plan for an additional $44.00. I really felt this was a bait-and-switch.
Cabin Review
Balcony
The cabin was nice. The decor was pleasant. Apparently, if you have a queen bed, there is no room for a nightstand, which makes coffee in bed difficult.
Port Reviews
Grand Turk
This is you basic "Disneyland" version fake port. There are the same shops selling jewelry and watches and the same shops selling made-in-China crap masquerading as local crafts.
San Juan
This is a real port. It also is the USA, so there is a Walgreens and Burger King within walking distance. The fort is within walking distance and is worth seeing. There is a film that plays every 15 minutes, alternating English and Spanish. The shopping is nothing special. More of the same crap.
St. Kitts (Port Zante)
Caribelle Batik sells quality items made locally. They aren't cheap. A man's shirt is $50.00, but the fabrics are beautiful. If you know a quilter, you can by a scrap bag for $9.00. They sell yardage as well. The craft market has a lot of the usual fake "local crafts". There is a local woman who paints flowers on T shirts and as paintings. Her work is inconsistent, but when she is good, it is quite nice. There is another artist who paints the local monkeys in against a sunset. She also paints Christmas Ornaments made of coconut shell with the images.
St. Maarten
This is the most authentic of the ports. You have to take a water taxi to the town. Note that the first stop is the far end of town and the second is on the center. As this is the most authentic, you will meet some aggressive street vendors. They really are not that bad. There is a very nice gelato shop with a beautiful garden. The table cloth store sells mostly crap fro China.