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Carnival Miracle

Carnival Splendor

Carnival Sunshine

Carnival Legend

Carnival Dream

Carnival Magic

Carnival Breeze

Riga

This ship is very beautiful but, they have made the balcony cabins so small, there's hardly any room to move around.  You have to back up to close the bathroom door.  They Punchliners comedy club has been cut in half and it's no longer called the punchliner. There is no longer a second upstairs dinning area.  The Liquid Theater is fabulous,

 Only thing wrong is the extra cold air spewing from the sides of the Theater. It feels like blowing refrigerator air. They removed the pool from AFT.  Love the buffet area.  Pizza is still the best in the USA. Deck 4, remodeled nice.  I still love the ship except the small cabins and the tiny bathroom.

The Epic rcclk show was EPIC.!!  I enjoyed it treamendously, costumes were awesome.  The scenery was fantastic. The quest is one of my faves and it was out of this world. The Atrium entertainment with Emma was soooo enjoyable, both nights.  I got good laughs at the comedy club, adult shows.

Size

I loved the itinerary right from the start.  The cruise director, Emma, was amazing and funny and really made us feel connected to all the exciting activities that were happening on the ship.  The crew was great and the ship itself was clean.  The diner crew were fun especially with the fun dancing and goodbye song (which made me cry).  I couldn't been happier on this vacation!!  Both of my daughters ages 17 and 12 enjoyed their experience on this family vacation immensely.  The embarkation and disembarkation was smooth and worry free.  The best shore excursion we went on was the Deluxe catamaran snorkeling adventure at Amber Cove.  It was fun from beginning to end!  Every night we would get towel animals in our room that our girls found super fun. We loved the area for the adults only -which was a nice retreat for us.  Our girls would have liked to go into the pool on the Lido deck but young kids were swimming constantly.  Only thing I would change is that instead of an inside cabin, we would splurge and get a balcony next time! I would definitely travel on Carnival cruise line again.

An Amazing Time!!

family cruise, terrible ship,pool so small, staff not friendly but 2 bartenders, dinner staff ruse always in a hurry,entertainment the worse cruise ever, ship is fill to capacity, unsafe cruise boat, should be taken and sent to bottom, please don't wast your money

dinner terrible/staff terrible/waiters terrible

not clean ship activities terrible 

excursions terrible

not organized  

pool so small 

if you are handicap  that we were not do not even attempt no access

pool dirty

nothing for young kids on this ship very boring

embarkation is so disorganized 

drink package on this ship was terrible

lines for bar for a drink long

they have beer taps in area do not try does not work all foam and you pay for it they take your money

kids did not enjoy at all and either did anyone on this cruise ship

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY YOU WORK TO HARD FOR IT

WOULD NEVER CRUISE THIS SHIP 

NEED TO SINK THIS BOAT

Do not cruise on this ship

In celebration of my sister-in-law's 50th birthday, my brother was able to rally 38 (ages 6-69) of us to go away on a cruise together. Her birthday was August 17th so we chose a cruise that would sail during her birthday week and leaving out of NY, as all of us live in the NY/NJ area. The Carnival Sunshine was my 10th cruise. I had been on Carnival 4 times previously and on RCCL 5 times. I had read the reviews on Cruise Critic prior to our sail date so my expectations weren't very high, although I did read them with a grain of salt as I generally tend to go with the flow on trips (and in life in general lol), so not much bothers me. But most unfortunately, Sunshine was my least pleasant cruising experience for a variety of reasons.

Weather/Port Issues:

Now I know Carnival has no control over mother nature. We generally know better than to sail during hurricane season, but as previously mentioned, we were celebrating a birthday in the middle of August so we crossed our fingers and booked. 90% of the days were cloudy and during at least 3-4 of our days/nights we encountered rougher seas than we like. Our first stop was supposed to be Puerto Rico but the port was cancelled all together due to multiple storms in the area. We understood avoiding the port for safety reasons but found out at a later port that other ships in the area simply diverted to different ports as opposed to forcing their passengers to a 3rd sea day. We were also told by staff that Sunshine has missed Puerto Rico multiple times which doesn't feel like coincidence. 

We were reimbursed our port taxes which were a measly $16 bucks, and were incredibly disappointed that Carnival did not make more of an effort to rectify the disappointment of a lost day. 

Ship/Cabin: 

For a good part of this year my husband and I have been house hunting so we can spot a lipstick re-do from a mile away and that's what Sunshine is. At first glance it looks sleek and clean and modern but then you start looking deeper and its a bit cringe-worthy. Our balcony was narrow and rusty. The bathroom was dingy, we had a weird black ring in the toilet which we think was cigarette ashes that couldn't be cleaned, and at one point our sink stopper popped out and looking down through the pipes was plain scary. The ship was clean, but you could tell the bones were a bit brittle. There were a lot of people on that tiny boat. The pools were super tiny. We spent more time at the Serenity pool as it was adults only so it didn't feel AS congested as the other, but it was still pretty bad. The hot tubs were always full to the brim so we never bothered.

Service:

I wasn't blown away by any of our servers on the trip. Our room steward barely serviced our room, although we were in and out a lot so its partially our fault. Our waiters got our orders wrong quite a bit. Some of the bartenders were great (Albert in the Casino, Danni in the Red Frog) but the rest were mehhhhhhh. I seriously contemplated taking back our gratuities to be honest...

Food:

I LOVE food, our whole group LOVES food and the meals on Sunshine were just "okay" for the most part.  Main Dinning Room (MDR) / Buffet / Room service were nothing special.  For breakfast, the MDR was good, but the menu never changed, so eventually we started going to the buffet instead but by our 2nd day there, I was tired of eating runny eggs, and tasteless pancakes and french toast. The omelette station was very good but the 45 minute wait kept me away (we only had omelettes once because we woke up SUPER early). Lunch was by far had the best meal options. Although the buffet and 24hr pizza weren't anything special, the deli was great (the pastrami was heaven), and the tacos/burritos at Blue Iguana Cantina were awesome. Most of our group really enjoyed Guys Burger Joint, but it made me and hubby a little sick so we only had them once. Jiji's stir fry/noodle station was really tasty too. I didn't try the Cucina Del Capitano (Italian Station) but heard the marinara was salty and the alfredo was bland. We also went to eat at Bonsai Sushi one late night and really enjoyed it. The servings are HUGE and the short ribs were delicious! For dinner in the MDR I was excited for a few of their appetizers, steak and desert options but for the most part I was underwhelmed by what I received. Two nights we ordered the $20 NY strip and Surf & Turf (from Fahrenheit 555) and we were pretty disappointed then too. Room service was also nothing special and certain items had a surcharge. There's a 24hr pizzeria upstairs and you're charging $5 to deliver it to my room? Chicken fingers are available in the buffet 70% of the day, and again you charge $5 for it? It just didn't make sense.

Entertainment:

Again, this is not really Carnival's fault, they can't predict whose traveling on their ships but leaving from NY is always a little painful. It brings a rowdier/more abrasive crowd than when you leave out of Florida. There was one small incident were one of the teens in our group was randomly shoved by a fellow passenger and most nights at the comedy club we were almost trampled by others trying to get in/out. The Quest, which I usually enjoy watching (and/or participating in) was GHETTO (which I can say, as I was born and raised in the 'hood lol). The comedy club had 3 different acts. One put most of our group to sleep, the other was good, and the last one was hilarious. I personally did not attend the shows in the Liquid Lounge but the rest of the group that did said most of them were fun. The dance parties that started in the Atrium and made their way across the ship were also pretty fun to watch. Emma, our cruise director was lovely (and called us "Lovelies" every day). The group running the trivia, beer pong, dance classes, and games were nice enough but not necessarily memorable.

Ports/Shore Excursions:

We didn't book any excursions through Carnival as they were severely over-priced. As mentioned above, PR was cancelled so that was a wash. In St. Thomas we hopped in a cab and went to Coki beach and swam/snorkeled/jet skied. In Grand Turk we had a blast on an ATV tour we booked with Zoom, Zoom ATVs for half the price Carnival was charging. 

Overall, we enjoyed being together, we loved being able to surprise my sister-in-law (she only knew about 8 of us and cried happy tears when she saw the other 30 of us in our matching t-shirts), we laughed and drank (a lot, to dull the pain lol), swam, caught SOME sun, took tons of photos and made some great memories BUT, that was in spite of the Sunshine, not really because of it.

Not so sunny, that Sunshine...

Other than the weather great first cruise.  I really don't see why people complain so much about the Sunshine.  I only stood in line twice - once for pizza after a show and once at the deli when they were changing over the lido buffet and there was no other option.  Our room stewards were awesome.  Just my husband and I celebrating our 25th and we had a great time.  The only down side was the weather which Carnival had no control over.  We did self- disembarkation and were off the boat, across the street and in an Uber by 8:45.  We were in cabin 2346 which was an Awesome and very spacious room with large shower but were a bit bothered with the rudder noise and vibration all the time.  This wasn't so bad on the days the weather was good, but next time we'd do mid ship or higher aft to avoid that noise.  The only other negative was trying to find our pictures - there's got to be a better way than the hunt and peck method!  Shows were great.  Room service was quick.  We had YTD and never waited more than 1-2 minutes to get a ticket and food and service were always excellent!  We'd definitely cruise the Sunshine again and everyone else should give her a try too!

Couldn't have asked for any more!

Boat was rocky, my daughter was nauseous and I was having a hard time getting some green apple, After several days of giving her motion sickness pills. Due to the hurricane in San Juan we weren't able to stop which was okay, however the accommodations was grossly horrible. The spa and other on board activities added for the Extra day of sea cost Extra more money. They didn't even try to stop at another island to make up for it. This was an 8 day cruise with three islands and only went to 2 islands. At St. Thomas we ran into Disney ship passengers that also missed San Juan but they did go to another island!!!!!

Carnival give you nothing in return... This was my daughter cruise to see some places before college. Horrible trip. I was reimbursed for the shore excursions and 16.99 for port fees in San Juan however the accommodations were by far NOT up to par for 2 ppl fist trip my daughter 18 and my aunt 64, I expected for them to see something Not only did we miss San Juan but our time was cut on the islands, but arrived HOME Early!!!!!!

The food in the main dinning room was always COLD and I never seen a Captain to take pictures with only elegant dining where you get dressed and take your own pictures!!! The dining staff danced but only in 1 spot so if you table wasn't over there you didn't get to see it.

Below Standards

Overall very nice trip on the Sunshine. As many mentioned in prior reviews ship itself is actually over 20 years old but received a major update in 2013. The ship does show its age such as rust around balcony edges and windows but nothing to severe. 

The additions to the ship in 2013 such as Water Works, Sports Deck, updated bars and overall updated interior make a huge difference. Inside of ship felt almost new and Water works was a blast, water slides were so much fun. Pool area is not well set up smallest pool I have ever seen on a cruise ship. 

Food was decent but the lido buffet left a lot to be desired. Very little selection and what they had was not always very good. Guy's Burgers were very good as was the deli and the WOK in the Havana Bar. I did not try the 24 hour pizza as it never looked very good to me but heard it was decent from people I traveled with. Had a very personable wait staff in the main dining room and overall they were good but at times seemed very overwhelmed. Make sure you try the Shake Spot, shakes were so so good.Food in main dining room was good to very good but never great. Tried the steak house one night and it was worth the $35 up charge.

Entertainment was very good although not as good as NCL but they are the best from my experience. Cruise Director Emma was amazing, hands down best cruise director I have ever had on a cruise. Was very upbeat as are most cruise directors but she seemed very genuine. Would always say hello if she passed by and seemed to truly love what she was doing. 

Kid's Club was very good as well. Our kid's had a blast always wanted to be there. Only negative was the space was very small. Even the staff commented that they needed more space.

Overall Very Nice Cruise

I'm only talking about the bad, not the good, since the good is expected on any cruise....and I didn't experience any extra-good.

The bathroom at my cabin was horrible, terrible smell, black dust on toilet, we even had a leakage(they fixed this in 1 hour).

DON'T waste your money buying the Premium Internet package, is not different from the social, which is also GARBAGE....you are barely able to check emails, if you are lucky.

The pizza parlor is always packed with people, plan to stand there for 30 minutes to get a dry pizza, most of the time they don't take requests (extra salsa, cheese, etc.) or they give you a bad look if you ask for something extra.

To get to Half Moon Kay, you have to go to Deck 5 to get a numbered sticker, which takes 1 hour if you are lucky, then they call your sticker number and you go to deck 0 to take the ferry....is was ridiculous.

The muster drill was a joke.

The stop at Grand Turk lasted like 4 hours.

If I hear "Hello Lovelies" one more time, I'll explode.

I remember taking my first Carnival cruise, I was treated like royalty, I know somebody will understand this, it was awesome, a great feeling.....now I feel like a passenger, I had the early entry, at 11am, I got there on time, at 10:50am.....I waited sitting on the floor for 2 hours to get to the ship. (Not Royalty anymore)

The rest was good and as expected.

Not the best...

I've been on about 15 cruises, the majority with Carnival. This one was not great, but not bad either. 

Ship

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To tight, upper decks with congested walkways

Nice 2.0 amenities, but takes up to much space on the pool deck

A bigger pool was needed before bars and burgers

Cabin

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Old and warn out looking

Clean

Dining

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Steak House was good, but not great as other ships in the fleet

Buffet, not enough choices

Dining room had the best food for dinner and breakfast

Service

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Good, but didn't have that personal experience that usually takes place

Waiters/Cabin Steward no longer address you by name

Entertainment Staff

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CD Emma - energetic, fun and sweet

Comedy Club Manager - funny, great with hosting and a riot at some of the day games

Christian - entertaining, quirky 

Overall

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I enjoy my time cruising no matter how bad or how great a ship and its crew is. I had a great time even during those times there wasn't much to do.

Thankfully the Crew was GREAT!

Just absolutely beautiful and the people are like family Clint the DJ very interactive dancing with guest and will play anything you want to hear, and the bartender Joseph is the greatest my glass is never empty. The food real local food is banging all prepared by chef HAMMER. Bring your camera so you can remember how beautiful it really is. This place is for every body singles ,couples and families lots of things for the kids to do.They also offer some very nice cabanas for a very reasonable price. And the ride out to the beach in a open air safari type truck is a real bonus you see some of the local area and keep a close look out for the wild donkeys and horses. My wife and I are retired and cruise a lot we have been there 5 times and are going back soon we have meet the manager and the owner and believe me everyone involved at Bajari Beach are welcome at our home anytime.

Almost heaven

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