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Monaco (Monte Carlo)

This was the first cruise I have been on but I loved it. The only negatives that I had were it left port an hour late and a lot of noise children other than that it was extremely fun and the food was better than I expected not saying it was the best in the world but it was far above what I had expected and the fruit was very fresh. My favorite  restaurant was the blue iguana it’s  burritos were awesome but they only served them from like 12 to 2:30. There  was plenty of activities and things to do on the ship so much that I couldn’t go to everything I wanted because they overlapped times. Everyone was extremely friendly and the  Cruise director Nicky was amazing so much energy and so fun she was probably one of best parts of the cruise. There was an adults only pool that was nice. The room was spacious and had a large balcony. They had a 24hour pizza delivery it was $5 a delivery and usually took 10 min. Overalls I had a great time and would definitely go again

 Very enjoyable experience 

The redeeming feature of this cruise was the places of destination. The Carnival Sunshine ship was the worst of my cruising experiences out of 5 different cruise company's. The ship is poorly layed out causing the feeling of being overly crowded and some what chaotic. I appreciate the need for the safety drill before setting sail but the Sunshine procedure for this is APPALLING ! Stood in long lines of people 6 rows deep was stiffling, extremely uncomfortable and claustrophobic. No consideration was taken for age, health conditions, mobility ect and the whole point of learning about  safety was totally a waist of time as at no point was many of us ( including myself and my daughter)  stuck in the oppressive lines of so many people able to even see the demonstration of the life jacket and how to use it.  Most of the staff although efficient in their duties were pretty misrable and at times even blatantly rude esspecially in the self service resturant. The layout and organisation of how the food is set out is not good at all. The ship was not clean in some area's and over all felt like being at a Butlins cheap holiday camp, tacky and tired in need of a face lift even though its claimed the ship has been refurbished.  In balance there was some friendly pleasent staff who smiled and gave cheerful greetings, Mikey the entertainments directer is outstanding at his job and has the uniqueness of making you feel acknowledged and part of whatever he was doing even if you were only observing, without Mikey lifting the mood of pretty much all passengers at some point throughout his daily shenanigans the Carnival Sunshine in my opinion is a grim ship to be on. The destinations are great but the Sunshine ship its self and the way it is run, is i think very much in need of some changes being made to improve the overall experience for it's passengers. Esspecially the safty drill before departure, a shocking waste of time and extreamly stressful, with the objective of making passengers  aware of the safety evacuation and the appropreat use of life jackets serverly lacking and a big fail in its purpose.

Disorganised and stress inducing!

Filthy ship, now have a horrible cold.  food sucked, kids ran rampant, young drunks everywhere.  1st and last time on a carnival cruise.

Had to wait in a line for anytime dining just to get a table assigned and then go downstairs to the dining room to request seating. What????? How stupid. Cabin service was offered only once a day either am or pm.  so once you go to the crowded pools with a bunch of drunks and yelling kids you have to wait until the next day to get a dry towel.  food was horrible, dry, cold, no flavor etc. Pool areas were occupied by tons of young fall down loud drunks. Having taken cruises on celebrity, royal caribbean and holland, this was the most disappointing experience and a total waste of money. I will never again go on a carnival cruise even if it was free. NEVER AGAIN

NEVER AGAIN ON CARNIVAL

We spent a week in Walt Disney World prior to our cruise.  This time of year Florida has outbreaks of Love-bugs.  Some years bugs are worse than others this year is kind of bad. This is not our first time in the Orlando area, but our first time out of Port Canaveral and the Carnival Sunshine. Embarkation went smoothly, we showed up at our scheduled time and walked right on to the ship. The first impression of the atrium was it was dark and old casino' ish looking. The ship was not ugly, just older style appearance. We went out on deck only to notice many lovebugs have infested the ship.  We just figured the bugs would go away once we were at sea. Our biggest disappointment was the condition of our room.  Although the room was clean the decor is well worn and in need of replacement.  The countertops appeared to be cleaned with a brillo pad.  Another unsightly area was the balcony.  There was paint splatter all over the chairs and floor. I love Blue Iguana and Guys Burger Joint, but the quality has gone down tremendously.  Every Breakfast burrito I had the sausage was cold and every Guy's Burger I had was way overcooked.  We really enjoyed most of the staff, especially our room steward and the folks at the Shake and Coffee bar.  We ate at JiJi's Asian Kitchen, Bonsai sushi, Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, Cucina Del Capitano, and the Pizza place.  All were great and enjoyed very much!  The buffet on the Sunshine is extremely limited and is not that good, at least the attempt we made to have a good meal. Comedy shows were all funny and very entertaining as was the 70's show.  Mikey the cruise director did his job very well, but Schwartz is still our favorite.

Sunshine not so bright

We've learned from past travels.  If you're looking for imperfection you'll find it wth the result being a vacation investment /experience being diminished in part to unrealistic expectations.  Regardless of who, when, what or where.. This was the 3rd cruise for wife and I.  All on Carnival.  Group included brother and sister in law. All of us are in our mid 50's.  Port Canaveral embarkation.  Flew into Sanford day prior. One way rental with National.  Stayed overnight in New Smyrna Beach, one of our favorite destinations just over an hour drive North of the port.  Waited about 30 minutes for shuttle from rental car lot to cruise terminal. Embarkation was easy less than an hour.  Condition of ship is good, cleaner than those on prior cruises. Service of Crew overall was good. Granted not perfect. But honestly,  the only deficiencies I noticed  were very minor.  Ping pong tables not having a ball to use.  The occasional cup(s) or plate(s) left out of place by fellow guests which remained uncollected for extended periods.  I attribute both more to undesired guest behavior than failure of service.  We've had balcony cabins prior cruises.  1st time for an interior cabin which was available a little before 1:30.  No regrets doing the interior.  Floor plan is the same with the exception being no refrigerator in the interior.  It should be noted the showers are much larger on Sunshine.  Having now done both balcony and interior cabins.  My opinion is selection should be based upon importance of view and outside access/privacy against budget constraints.  With that stated, have since booked an Alaskan cruise with interior obstructed view cabin as a compromise. MDR early dining was excellent in both first and foremost service of wait staff  followed by the food. Both, much better than expected.  Food may have been better than on other ships. due to the early dining this time versus any time dining selected on others. Entertainment overall was average.  Impressed with the fun squad assisting guest in finding seating at the bigger shows. Cruise director "Mikey"  is very a personable and talented entertainer.      Disembarkation went well, our cabins were on deck 2.  Obtained another one way rental from National with about a 10 minute wait for shuttle from cruise terminal to rental lot.  Was on the road about  09:30.    Overall this cruise was a great experience and a great value. Would like to revisit both Grand Turk and St. Martin for  extended stays.

Great cruise with picturesque destinations and memorable hosts 

Chose this cruise because it was offered to me as an Ultra by the Players Club.  This was my 24th Carnival cruise and I am Platinum soon to be Diamond.  I cruised with my sister who uses oxygen.  We drove down from Tallahassee the same day and the drive was uneventful.  Embarkation was as easy as ever.  Walked right on the ship.  Our cabin was ready and we were able to drop our carry-ons and head up to have lunch.  The elevators were busy but crew members were at the elevators to direct traffic and man the elevators to the Lido.  I've been on Sunshine before and it's not my favorite ship.  We were in an inside cabin when usually I have a balcony but booked this offer late and got the last inside cabin offered.  The cabin was quiet, cool and comfortable.  Our room steward Macklin was exceptional.  We were all the way to the front and did feel the rocking a little bit more than usual.  Actually I love this because it makes me sleep like a baby.  We ate in the Marketplace and the food was ok.  It was ok the entire cruise.  Same old menu in the dining room.  No escargot.  I have been on seven Carnival cruises in the last year and every time I go I notice little changes.  The coffee was better this time and I'm not sure why but the food just wasn't as good this time.  Talked to marketplace management about the fried oysters.  Told him that if someone ate those oysters and had never had them before they would never try them again.  There was a time when the oysters and shrimp were fresh and they breaded them but no more.  They were heavily breaded and fishy.  I have to say that there was a good assortment of food but it was just not good only mediocre.  Cakes were very nice looking but didn't have the flavor that I would expect.  Never tasted vanilla in anything.  Enough about food.  As far as activities there was lots of trivia and the usual activities.  Love the arts and crafts but the last three cruises the only craft offered was card making.   Seems like another cut back to me.  Tea was offered on Sea days but it's not like it used to be.  The only tea that is offered without cost was regular Lipton and green tea.  If you wanted earl gray it was $1.95 extra.  The desserts were limited as well.  They were pretty much what is offered for dessert on the Lido.  Didn't go to the shows as I've seen them all the last year.  The musical ensembles were good but not over the top good.  Service was excellent.  Crew members went over and above to help.  Didn't have much time to chat in the dining room because they have cut down number of servers and this has lead to inaccuracies in the orders, not getting juice, no bread at breakfast unless you ask for it, etc.   Got off in every port but have been to all of them so didn't do any excursions. It was also a little difficult with my sister.  We did a lot of walking but it was hard for her.  Going to the beach is difficult with oxygen as well.  That pretty much left the bus tours which we've done.  I tried to spend some time in the casino but it was impossible.  This Ultra was so overbooked that there were no machines available and people waiting to use them.  Some people waited hours before the casino opened to get a particular machine.  I finally gave up.  Will never do an Ultra cruise again.  Just not worth it.

Time for a change

We chose this ship because of the departure port, the itinerary and the size.  We are regular cruisers and although we have cruised NCL and Royal, we are usually loyal to Carnival.  We are also not picky and not big complainers. Most of this review is negative but if it is not in this review, it was probably great.  I offer these things because I think they are all fixable.  I don’t want anyone to get impression it was a bad cruise, it was not. It just wasn’t great.

This is an older ship.  Old is okay but when a ship is old, it is imperative that no small detail be left to chance in the cleanliness department.  Sadly, this was not the case.  Was it clean?  Yes.  Could it have been cleaner?  Yes.  The main issue was that help did not take care of things quickly enough to keep it from being noticed.  There was always the feeling of being understaffed or staffed with lazy people in the common areas.  One day the ice machine was empty on lido, The next day, the drink machine was empty.  These are the little things that are no big deal one time but when a pattern starts to develop, it’s an issue. 

We stayed in a balcony cabin 6190.  Our cabin was a typical Carnival cabin and we had no complaints.  Our steward was one of the best we have had on multiple cruises and the best thing about our cruise. Our steward probably saved this review.  If Carnival  could clone him, the ship would have less problems.  The cabin was spotless and he was attentive to everything!   Plus, he smiled!  A smile goes a long way.

Entertainment was hit and miss on this ship.  Unfortunately, the main miss was featured the most in the atrium. Sunshine needs to move these guys around.  Don’t put your weakest entertainer in a prime location.  Jordan is an excellent guitar play but he lacks in the singing department. Pair him up with someone who can sing and let him play guitar and problem solved.  Jeff, in the piano bar, was quite talented and entertained the crowd.   A couple other groups were good but there was no “Wow” in the everyday entertainment.   The comedians we saw were terrific.  However, the comedy club is too small for the ship.  It is not right that people stand in a long line for long periods of time and still not get a seat.  Even some of the seats, do not see the stage but watch on a screen.  Sunshine has to fix this!  It is a sore point and a big loser for the ship.  It is also not friendly to those with mobility issues who cannot stand for long or run to locate seat.  This could be easily fixed by having a podium where you pick up a token much lime you pick up a pager for anytime dining and when the tokens are all gone, the show is full.  Then, at least you could give people a token to the next show instead of letting the same few people see all the shows and everyone else be mad about it.  

Dining room was good, food was as expected and some dishes were outstanding.  The Steakhouse and JiJi’s were both worth the extra cost.  Guy’s Burgers still the best lunch item.  The Lido buffet was pretty lame. This is one area that could use a reboot.  The buffet needs more selections and more staff and you definitely are losing when you have two omelette stations and one cook at each. Yeah, that just about guarantees 99% are not getting an omelette. Add some more grills!!

Could be so much more.

Having cruised on another Carnival ship and it being OK ( not over the top but OK), we decided to book this cruise specifically because my sister wanted to go to Grand Turk. We cruise about 1 x every 2 years. This ship and staff does not need to be in service. The only good thing was Mikey the cruise director. The ship was really dirty ( dust everywhere, smelled like feces on many floors including one with a dining room. Very few sanitizer stations. Same napkin laid in a hallway for 7 days. Sheets were stained. Buffet was way less exciting than Shoney’s or Big Boy for northerners. Sister was hospitalized with community acquired pneumonia day after we got back and I have been on meds ever since. Met another family on the cruise that 2 of them caught lice. NEVER AGAIN. Please do yourself a favor and do not book this disaster.

Floating Germ Pit. Poor Service. Terrible food

After booking our cruise, I was shocked to read so many negative reviews and began to dread my cruise (which, of course, you never want to do!). I've come to the conclusion that some people just need something to complain about. Was this cruise equivalent to staying in a five-star hotel in a major city? No, of course not, but if I wanted to do that I would have stayed in a five-star hotel in a major city. I wanted to cruise with my family, relax, and have fun, and I was able to do all of that and more on the Carnival Sunshine!

My family of three (my husband, myself and our 8-year-old daughter) cruised in April 2019 from Port Caneveral and cruised to Aruba, Curacao and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. We stayed in a balcony room, which was the perfect amount of space for us, although we weren't in the room all that often. I wish that our neighbor wasn't smoking a lot of the time, and I could have complained to guest services but didn't - that was on me. Otherwise, the room was great. Our housekeeper, Ari, was super friendly and did an excellent job. Of course, we all loved the towel animals!

I saw so many complaints about the food on this cruise and I sincerely do not understand. The buffet was lacking, but I'm not a buffet eater so I just ... didn't eat there. The main dining room service was slow, but that's standard on all cruises I've been on. The food itself was very good in the dining room, and we loved the options for lunch! The fish tacos at Blue Iguana were AMAZING, and I ate them many times. I tried a bite of a burger from Guy's and it was delicious. JiJi's wok bowls for lunch were excellent, and my daughter loved being able to get pasta. I can honestly say I have no complaints about the food.

Drinks were cold and plentiful. My husband and I are drinkers and so we purchased and made good use of the Cheers! package. We felt we used it enough that it was worth the money, but you'll have to decide that based on your own personal preferences.

This was my fourth cruise and I couldn't tell you anything about any of the previous cruise directors, but MIKEY made our experience on this boat. He was EVERYWHERE, and so upbeat and friendly. Definitely don't miss events that Mikey is running. We particularly enjoyed 80s and 90s music trivia!

CAMP OCEAN was an incredible experience for our daughter! She had a great time with the counselors and the other kids. I really enjoyed the many ways that this cruise catered to families - but I also noted and appreciated the many ways it catered to the adult experience, too. We were able to enjoy both sides of the experience. 

Embarkation was quick and easy. Debarkation was somewhat of a mess, but I've yet to experience a cruise where it wasn't. 

In closing, we booked our next Carnival cruise within a week of coming home. We had an amazing time. There is something on this boat for everyone, whether you are traveling with or without kids. You just have to find it, and the Carnival Sunshine made that very easy. I would definitely recommend this ship to others!

Excellent family vacation on an excellent ship!

First of all, I must say that our cabin steward was an absolute sweetheart.  Many of the ship crew were also great.  The downfall is that the ship is old and small.  The metal around the decks is painted over eaten away steel.  We found holes throughout the railings.  The carpets throughout are old and many sofa/restaurant bench upholstery have stains. There is a peculiar smell about the ship.  Many times there are sewage and/or grey water smells.  The buffet was subpar.  Desserts were great the first night then thereafter were dry and flavorless.  The sit-down dining was better but not outstanding.  The ship lacked entertainment.  There was a comedy show that was good.  Many of the shows in the liquid lounge revolved around what to buy on the islands and promoted their sales in their ship stores.  The ship was small and if you are planning a long cruise you might want to choose one with many stops so you are not bored to death multiple days at seas.  We were in a cabin with a window.  The room was clean the bathroom was dirty in corners with caked on dirt.  I suppose they don't have time for deep cleaning since a steward told me when we were leaving the ship that they were boarding again in one day.  This ship does not compare to Royal Carribean or MSC.  We were disappointed and felt it was a major waste of money.

Friendly Staff-Horrible Ship

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