Monday, April 1, 2024

Carnival Sunshine cruise ship review: What to expect on board

carnival cruise line review

Within those categories, Carnival Jubilee offers three types of special cabins. First is Family Harbor, which offers nautically themed cabins that sleep up to five people and rooms that can be connected via an interior door. Families booked in Family Harbor cabins have access to a dedicated Family Harbor Lounge, which offers daily breakfast, snacks and drinks, as well as board games and TVs with a selection of movies and video games. They also receive a free night of babysitting in the kids club so parents can enjoy some alone time.

Carnival Celebration’s Deck Plan Includes Unique Spaces, But Is Confusing to Navigate

The Carnival Breeze seems to sum up everything that’s great about cruising with Carnival, and yet at the same time highlights some of the major drawbacks of the cruise line too. In fact on average scores, the worst ship on the list scored a 3.2 out of 5 – that’s still pretty good. Then for any tie-break scores, I’ve then looked at other factors which either make the ship more appealing or more unique – anything which can settle which one is better. In Cozumel, we did Tabasco’s Chef Maestro, Cooking & Tasting excursion booked through Carnival Cruise Line. During our cruise, we enjoyed a Sea Day Brunch, and I ordered the House Special Skillet Cake.

Unsanitary, horrible food, smells of sewage on ship

In fact, Carnival is so dedicated to keeping the ship in the Lone Star State that it had a Texas star painted on the ship's hull. The ship shares Carnival's "zone" concept with its two older sisters, meaning it has dedicated areas for dining, drinking, entertainment and outdoor fun, including Bolt, a top-deck roller coaster. Dining might feel more like fast food than you’d find on other cruise lines, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious. In fact, I think other cruise lines can take note of Carnival’s approach to dining with fantastic eateries serving quick, poolside grub. This keeps the atmosphere feeling very casual, which aligns perfectly with Carnival’s branding.

Dining/Food

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However, it was disappointing to see that many menus weren't marked with specific options for vegetarians, vegans and people who can't eat gluten. Dislikes for me include a shower door that opens toward you instead of into the shower, making the already tiny bathroom even tighter. I also didn't like the "SNOOZIN'" door hangers, which often got caught in my door when I closed it; I would've rathered a "do not disturb" button like many other new ships have. On the wall above Dr. Inks, window-shaped screens provide a show for anyone passing through the length of the Currents promenade area. Programming rotates between underwater adventures, nature scenes and even artwork produced by passengers and kids from St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

I’ve seen people wear anything and everything in the evenings onboard Carnival’s ships, so don’t stress too much about the dress codes. Sea days in warm climates mean that most guests will be dressed as if they are hitting the pool or beach. Shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, dresses, and swimsuits are common during sea days. Like all cruise lines, Carnival has a strict smoking policy to ensure the safety of all passengers. Fire is the biggest threat to cruise ships, so these rules are enforced. Those wanting to stay active can enjoy the walking path around Carnival’s top deck, although I’ve found these to always be busy with kids and families walking to the onboard thrills.

Carnival Cruises Review

The menu has several types of meat — including steak, of course, as well as lamb chops and chicken — and seafood items like fish and lobster tail. I went with a 9-ounce filet mignon, which was cooked to perfection. It came alongside several sauces and sides of broccoli and crinkle-cut fries for $49 ($15 for kids). Another excellent dinner during my voyage occurred at Rudi's Seagrill (Deck 8), an upscale seafood restaurant named for chef and pop artist Rudi Sodamin. The lobster macaroni and cheese was the perfect indulgence to start my meal, and I followed it up with a delicious crab cake.

carnival cruise line review

These vessels are designed structurally to visit smaller ports, yet still offer plenty of versatile amenities. When looking at the biggest cruise ships in the world, only the Excel Class makes the top 50 list. These massive vessels clock in around 180,000 tons - notably bigger than any other ship class in its fleet. While Carnival is vastly popular in the cruising industry, you won’t find the same massive cruise ships as rivals Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Carnival Jubilee bars

Carnival Celebration launched a little late in 2022 to be ranked in last year’s list, but for 2023 she has snuck into the top 10. Sister ship to Mardi Gras, she is one of the flagships of the fleet, and is absolutely packed with amazing features, which many guests love. Carnival Glory is another ship that has been a stalwart for Carnival for a long time, and as a result, it’s showing its age – reviews do comment on some parts of the ship looking a little worn. She’s one of the best Carnival ships if you want to relax on board. So remember, this is still subjective but it’s based on cruise passenger experiences, and all of the ships are at least “good”. Most of them are complimentary and exceptionally good from fan favorites like Guy’s Burger Joint and new options like Big Chicken and Street Eats.

Celebrity Cruises

I have sailed numerous times aboard many classes of Carnival Cruise ships, so I was excited to have the opportunity to experience this incredible ship firsthand. While better than the main dining room, both restaurants had rather simple menus and lackluster food preparation, especially when compared to other cruise lines. While the meals here were better than the main dining room, neither of them were at the caliber of a specialty restaurant on other cruise lines. Combine that with short, affordable voyages from Miami, and you can sail to the Bahamas or Caribbean for four or five nights from as little as $104 per night if you're solo. Short sailings also tend to draw a more fun-loving, social crowd. So, if your goal is to mingle and potentially meet other solo cruisers, you stand a good chance on Carnival Sunrise.

We had never eaten here before on any of the other Carnival ships, so we wanted to try some things. The stateroom features USB ports on both sides of the bed and LED reading lamps. Overall, we enjoyed this stateroom during our cruise, and I am always impressed by the many details Carnival integrates into its stateroom design.

It had about 10 channels of news, movies and children's programming, and several Carnival-sponsored channels. My room had two twin beds pushed together into a queen-size bed that was flanked by bedside lamps and two one-drawer, one-shelf nightstands. The living area had a long sofa that could transform into a bed or the bottom half of bunk beds. In place of a traditional shorter coffee table, there was a taller wooden table that could double as a makeshift working desk. Carnival Sunshine offers a nice variety of cuisine, so all palates will be satisfied. You could enjoy a spicy chickpea curry dish or jambalaya, freshly prepared artisan deli sandwiches and wraps, or load up on salad fixings and fresh fruit.

If you pre-purchase the drink package before your sailing, you will save 10% versus waiting to purchase onboard. Instead of the onboard price of $65.95 per day, you will pay $59.95 per person per day. If you plan to drink frequently on your Carnival cruise, you might want to consider booking Carnival’s CHEERS!

Speaking of amenities, make sure you understand what you'll get as part of your fare and which extras will come with an additional cost. For example, most cruises offer drink packages for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, but a few have drink stations where you can get complimentary lemonade, coffee and tea. Other amenities that might be important to you are Wi-Fi, spa services, babysitting, fitness classes, and upgraded dining experiences.

The TV also allows you to watch select live channels and shipboard programming and to check your onboard bill. It was completely different — different color, different taste and different presentation — from what I received when I ordered the same drink on a sailing two months prior. However, the old ingredients were listed on the menu, meaning passengers weren't getting what they thought they ordered. One afternoon later in the sailing, two different crew members approached me a total of six times in less than half an hour while I was having lunch on the Lido deck. The first five times, I simply said, "No, thanks." After the sixth time, I had enough and told them nicely but firmly to stop asking me. I found the high-pressure sales tactics excessive and irritating when all I wanted to do was eat my meal in peace.

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