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Held in the main dining room, it kicks off with the lively Seuss-a-palooza Parade led by The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2. You get to nosh on "green eggs and ham," pancakes, French toast, "Moose Juice" and other whimsical dishes inspired by Seuss' books. The main dining room menu featured fresh seafood, varied pasta dishes (spaghetti carbonara, linguini with Italian sausage), steak and tempting desserts (the creme brulee and Carnival melting chocolate cake are a must). Carnival Sunshine also acquired new food and beverage venues like the line's signature steakhouse, Fahrenheit 555; its signature Italian eatery, Cucina Del Capitano; and an express Bonsai Sushi. The line also added 182 cabins, bumping its capacity at double occupancy from 2,642 to 3,002 passengers, a 14% increase.
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I've sailed with Carnival on several occasions, and the food has always been great. I was able to sample most included and added-fee restaurants — including Asian favorites at JiJi's and Bonsai Sushi, and the poolside Guy's Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina (more below on each of these). Couples, solo cruisers, families and friends could be found throughout the ship.
Carnival Celebration
The big additions in 2012 were the much talked-about Green Thunder water slide, billed as the steepest and fastest at sea, along with the Serenity adults-only area and a water park of mini-slides and drenching buckets for the little ones. Entertainment is low-key but popular, especially the Music Manila band, whose members have rock-star status among the regulars. Passengers can also sing with a live band at Carnival's next-level karaoke, see two comedians perform every night, attend music productions and game shows onstage or just soak up the buzz of the main pool deck. The optional theme nights are also a lot of fun, lasting until late at night, with everyone dressed in 80s, Mexican or Caribbean costumes. Cruising is a popular way of traveling for many people, offering a unique experience that combines the convenience of a floating hotel with the excitement of visiting multiple destinations in one trip.
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Carnival is a line that harmoniously brings people from all walks of life together. In elevators, when returning to the ship from port visits, in the eateries and at shows, by the pools — you name it — most guests, despite such varied backgrounds and identities, were happy to converse and share in the fun. Throughout the week, wherever we went – from the main dining rooms to the buffet to grab-and-go options like Guy’s Burger Joint and Shaq’s Big Chicken – we were met with service that was, at best indifferent and, at worst, downright cold. These spaces are certainly unique, but almost all are under-sized for a vessel carrying this many passengers.
If you're a U.S. citizen on a cruise that begins and ends in a U.S. port, you must have a current passport or an official copy of your birth certificate and a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification to sail. As previously mentioned, beginning in 2025, the vessel will move to its new home port of Norfolk, Virginia. From there, it will offer six-night Bahamas and Bermuda sailings, as well as eight-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries. You can also buy Thermal Suite passes for a day or the entire length of your cruise. You'll have access to the heated tile loungers, rain showers, an aroma steam room and a sauna. The Alchemy Bar is a cocktail bar designed to resemble an apothecary, offering "elixirs" and "remedies." It's one of the venues I look forward to the most when cruising with Carnival.
Carnival Radiance Deck Plans Are Welcomingly Familiar and Decor is Updated
Be aware that tips for bartenders, poolside servers, and professional services provided in the spa or elsewhere are not included in the daily suggested gratuity and may be charged automatically at the time of service. Launched in 1996 as Carnival Destiny, the ship received an overhaul and a new name in 2013. The glow-up brought added attractions and venues found on newer Carnival vessels. On my second sailing on Sunshine, a four-night Bahamas cruise out of Charleston, I found myself surrounded by a diverse group, though most passengers hailed from South Carolina. My shipmates included lots of families, couples traveling together and multigenerational reunion groups.
At least 200 people came out for the show, and the audience was enthusiastic and supportive. Spa Cloud 9 rooms are located at the forward of the ship, on Deck 10 (Panorama Deck) and Deck 11 (Spa Deck), giving guests close access to the gym, spa and thermal suites. One downside to the otherwise clutch location of these rooms is that port side Cloud 9 Spa rooms on Deck 11 are located directly below the ship's Camp Ocean kids club.
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These formerly complimentary venues – a combination of Mexican and Asian and the Italian-themed Cucina – are now free for the first visit, and $8 per person for all repeat reservations. Design challenges aside, there’s no denying that Carnival Celebration is a total win for multigenerational families from all walks of life looking to cruise together. Families and diversity have always been part of Carnival’s DNA, and Carnival Celebration takes that to the next level. However, we found ourselves missing the generous size of Carnival’s bathrooms of the past. Standard stateroom bathrooms aboard Carnival Celebration are noticeably smaller, and seemed cramped and difficult to even turn around in and could present challenges for larger passengers. You can also opt for extra-charge valet laundry and dry-cleaning service, which your cabin steward will handle for you.
The Carnival website lists the Piano Bar as a 21-plus venue, but no one challenged the family. The small buffet area by the bar often features Latin-inspired bites like empanadas and Cuban sandwiches. Since it's located just beyond the main pool on Deck 9 and beside the Lido Marketplace buffet area, I found it to be an ideal spot to retreat to when buffet area seating was limited. Guy's Burger Joint is a walk-up counter restaurant at the back of the pool area on the Lido Deck.
There have been several incidents involving Carnival ships, including fires, power outages, and mechanical failures. The highest-profile issue was back in 2013, when the Carnival Triumph was stranded at sea for several days. People even referred to it as the "poop cruise" because of how a fire aboard knocked out the power and left cruisers without AC, lights, water, food, and working toilets. With its two-story ceilings and LED panels that can project any image at any time, it’s a fun and whimsical take on the traditional bar and lounge concept. It is anchored at the forward end by the Latitudes Bar, with its train station-style clackerboard and bar seating that is decorated with faux passport stamps. (It also happened to consistently have some of the best drinks, and service, on our sailing).
Carnival Sunshine has been based in Charleston, South Carolina, since 2019, but 2024 will be the last year the ship will depart from the Holy City. It's moving a bit farther up the East Coast to Norfolk, Virginia, beginning in February 2025. Sure, you'll spot signs of wear and tear befitting an older ship, but the dings in my cabin furnishings were easy to overlook.
Play at over 200 different gaming machines or at one of 22 gaming tables, and take part in massive tournaments on board. Now, we'll probably incur the wrath of devoted Carnival VIFP Club members, who wouldn't dream of sailing on any other cruise line. Even if a super-big bargain is your deciding factor, with the right promotions you can probably get a great deal with a higher-performing cruise line. Whether you're a first-time cruiser or you've sailed with Carnival before, we really encourage you to see if you can make the numbers work with a different company before settling for Carnival. Passengers aboard the ship are mostly Americans and are evenly distributed across families with kids, seniors, couples and small groups (think family reunions, social clubs and the like) traveling together.
Even when the kids were in the club, the counselors seemed to phone it in most of the time and often didn't do the activities that had been planned - instead leaving the kids to play video games or have open time in the club. There weren't as many all-ages entertainment options either, so the kids in our travel party wound up in the stateroom watching TV because "there wasn't anything else to do" . If exclusive stateroom enclaves are what you seek, you'll want to book one of the ship's Havana Cabana cabins.
P.S. If you’re interested in other cruise lines too, then check out the guides that I also have for the Best and Worst Royal Caribbean Ships and also the Best and Worst NCL Ships. If you’re interested in a wedding cruise, or a Carnival honeymoon cruise, consider going for older ships rather than those where there are busy crowds everywhere. The Havana pool is only for guests who have a Havana Cabana stateroom, while the Loft 19 pool is exclusive for Mardi Gras suite guests.
This includes casual venues like Guy’s Burger Joint and Shaq’s Big Chicken, along with the Mexican-themed BlueIguana Cantina, with its tacos and burritos made-to-order. And, on Carnival Celebration, passengers can enjoy dinner at Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse and Brewhouse gratis, save for the drinks and a few select menu items that are provided at an additional cost. Carnival’s accessible price-point and high-quality entertainment also works in favor of multigenerational travel.
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