CRUISE ADDICT JUNKIE: Carnival Sunshine (Nov 2015)

Carnival Sunshine

7-Night Eastern Caribbean
11/21/2015: Port Canaveral, Florida
11/22/2015: Sea Day
11/23/2015: Sea Day
11/24/2015: Phillipsburg, St Maarten

11/25/2015: San Juan, Puerto Rico

11/26/2015: Grand Turk

11/27/2015: Sea Day
11/28/2015: Port Canaveral, Florida

"We're walking on Sunshine...wooha...and don't it feel good!!!!

Finally we went on the Carnival Sunshine! Originally we were on way back when she was the Carnival Destiny. Fast forward 4 years and a multi-million dollar renovation inside and out then you come out with the beautiful Carnival Sunshine.

Getting to the terminal at Port Canaveral we drove up from Ft Lauderdale which wasn't too bad, a short 3 hour drive. Once at the terminal we went straight through security and check-in and right into the cattle pit and sat there and waited. In the process of trying to sit down and wait I got yelled at by a Carnival agent because I had my backpack on the seat and she told me to get it off and put it on the floor. So I guess having a backpack on your seat and trying to take out something is a crime now. Luckily we did not wait for too long, we were on the ship in no time. Something that took about 8 hours was our luggage, we arrived at the port around 10:30am and did not receive the luggage until close to 7pm. Word of advise, if you plan to go to the dining room or any of the specialty restaurants on the ship (any ship) make sure to either wear on the appropriate clothes or bring a pair in your walk-on luggage. We started doing this a while back because the sooner you get to port the longer you wait for your luggage. Which did kind of suck since we really wanted the steakhouse on the first night.

The ship since Destiny is overall amazing, so much nicer and more modern compared to other ships in the fleet. One complaint we saw was that the ship did get very crowded in some areas. With the addition of new staterooms you did see it at times. Also with small walkways here and there you did feel it more times than others. Honestly it never got too bad in our opinion.

Our cruise director this time was Jaime, for those of you who sailed with her before know she is an energetic and very nice person. One thing we did notice was she was around everywhere! Small events up to the big ones! Never had a CD before that had the personality and energy that she has, along with her amazing team they truly made the cruise so much more fun. We really loved Darnell who started back on Sunshine that week. He was just such a funny person who lite up every room he walked into. For the most part everyone was very friendly on the cruise and the vibe of everyone was very happy. From crew to guests.

One major downfall of the cruise was the rockiness of the ship. For the last few days it was just insane, worst we have ever had. We literary were close to rolling out of our bed. One morning we were up at 3:30am and could not sleep so we wandered around the ship. The Casino was open still and we walked past the screen near the JavaCafe and saw the winds had been up near 70mph. So we headed up to Lido and just watched the howling wind and rain, almost like a scene out of Twister. Actually really cool in a small, small way. Most of the last days we tried to sleep and take in as much as we can. Several events throughout the cruise had to be rearranged and canceled but the amazing entertainment team did everything possible to make sure everyone was having a great time, and we sure did!

The Carnival Sunshine currently is the only ship in the fleet with the most dining options available. We took advantage of a lot of them throughout our cruise. Food overall was good, selections not so much. Lido Marketplace (Buffet) was just about the same thing everyday with changes here and there but never anything to write about. We found a lot of our lunch choices behind the Lido Marketplace at the Havana Bar which serves small bites in the morning and afternoon as well as Ji Ji Asian Kitchen and Cucina del Captaino. The Havana Bar is open for breakfast and lunch with small bites and the Asian Kitchen is an omelet station in the morning and a wok in the afternoon, both free followed by a fee restaurant at night. Similar to Cucina del Captaino which was a made to order pasta station during the day and a restaurant (fee) at night. Downstairs on deck 5 you could find the Taste Bar to be a hotspot to grab a bite in the morning and at night (select nights). Dining rooms did serve, brunch and breakfast along with dinner. We only had dinner here in the Sunrise Restaurant which was the normal. Some overcooked steaks and missing dishes but typical cruise food.

Disembarkation was not too bad, self-assist met in the Liquid Lounge at 7:15am and we all got off at 7:45am after Platinum and Diamond members along with Faster to the Fun guests.

Overall we did enjoy our trip as much as possible. Did more than we normally would and Jaime along with her team made every event so much more fun. Sunshine has been drastically improved and our opinion one of the best in the fleet. Hands down best Serenity deck. Would have love to see the outside deck like Breeze has but understandably we know that is not possible. Either way she is an amazing ship that we highly recommend to anyone not looking to go on a large ship but still have a ton of options. Want to also recommend seeing Epic Rock, if you're going to do one show this is the one. Absolutely amazing!!

Pros
- Unlimited selections in the steakhouse for starters, salads and desserts. Entrees are one per person.
- Beds were comfy, except for when it was too rocky.
- Loved being able to go to the Live Morning Show with Jaime. Went to every episode. Be sure to tune in to channel 13 and check it out!
- The Carnival app is something you must download. Only charge is if you want to chat with others and it's only $5. The app is free and it includes your daily activities around the ship that you can mark and a notification will popup about 10 minutes prior. Make sure you are connected to the Carnival wifi and on airplane mode. Any questions, just ask someone and they will help you out.
- Plenty of outlets/plugs in the room.
- This was the first time we had the new Fun-Times. It still has the tear off section and is super easy to look at. Still like the bigger ones, but I will convert.
- Atrium is very nice, plenty of sitting areas.
- Speaking of the atrium, it was cleaned just about every day on the ship.
- Crew was some of the friendliest and happiest we have had on any cruise.
- Jaime is very energetic and always around the ship.
- Love what was done to the ship, does not look like some of the others in the fleet. More updated and modern style.
- Epic Rock is a MUST see show. We saw it twice.
- Loved how we were able to take pictures and videos during the shows. Just no flash.
- Our shower in the cabin was closer to a normal size that we would have at home. No getting tangled up in the shower curtain.
- Studio VIP (Production Show) was good. The singers/dancers used the entire floor in their routine.
- Some shows had guest participation which is always a plus in our book.
- Secret movie area on deck 12 in the middle of the waterfall of the Serenity area. Great for movie night, plus to get out of the bad weather. We tried to get them to turn off the waterfall but no luck. Still could hear the movie.
- Another secret area was on deck ten behind the movie screen behind the DJ booth. Couple of seats and a great view of the Beach Pool and bars.
- Havana Bar for lunch was a surprise winner.
- First sea day the Liquid Lounge had a ton of presentations, lots of giveaways.
- Love hanging out in the RedFrog Pub.
- Loves the Destiny/Sunshine comparison pictures that are on deck 9 before going outside from the atrium to the pool deck.
- Our stateroom was a really good size. Plenty of storage. Need extra hangers just ask. No fridge in our room.
- RedFrog Pub has a beer sampler of any of the five beers on tap including the Thirsty Frog Red.
- Toilet was more of a normal size, only down fall was the door position. Stick a towel under the door if it's too rocky.
- The ship was very easy to navigate around.
- Jaime was everywhere on the ship at all the different events. Always a smile on her face and see did anything to put a smile on yours. Her parties were amazing, her team is also amazing!!
- Darnell was awesome, he got the crowds going at all the events.
- Room Steward was very nice. He was late doing our room, but a very nice guy. So we didn't mind.
- Loved the empanadas at the Havana Bar, try them with it's sauce. So good!

Cons
- Grand Turk we got into port a little late and docked with Carnival Valor and everyone was released off their ships at the same exact time and everyone headed to the beach and Margaritaville. We got in around the afternoon and did not have much time here at all, maybe 5 hours or so. Mostly a wasted day here, still beautiful and want to come back.

- Breakfast started everyday around 7:30am for the omelet and buffet items, before hand you can still get cereal and oatmeal. Not sure why it was so late.

- The dining room could not cook a baked potato at all, just hard as a rock!
-We went to book the steakhouse and were told that it was all booked up. Went that night and not even a quarter of the restaurant was full. Seen this on several cruises.
- Food at the steakhouse was fair. Some things better than others.
- Loud people as always in the hallways day and night. Rooms by the elevators suck. Also people running up and down the halls.
- At Guy's Burger Joint the fries were very salty.
- Got to Port Canaveral at 10:30am and didn't get luggage until 6:30pm. Bring or wear on attire appropriate for the dining venues.
- Had to go to the Taste Bar to check in for anytime dining. We got right in but felt the process was pointless when we went to the dining room and still had to wait.
- Dinner service was good to bad. Some food overcooked and some dishes never made it to our table.
- Nightclub was a joke. Song selection was horrible, everything from the 70s to today's music and barely anything dance worthy. Only time we saw people dancing was to wedding dance songs.
- The Liquid Lounge fills up quickly and early. Especially when Bingo is before hand. People are there all the way through. Still the lounge does have good seating and up close.
- Not much variety of food at the Lido Marketplace.
- Ship was very, very creaky and noisy. Could have been because most of it was an addition to what was already there.
- Chair hogs all over, some morning before 6:30am. Karma did come in the form of sudden downpours and winds. As we call it here, typical Florida weather!
- Crew members did not do anything with the chair hogs.
- Breakfast started at 7:30am for the most part every morning, they had a small selection of options before that but mostly around that time.
- Even at night we found a ton of chair hogs. People seemed not to care on this ship.
- Main pool was always swamped with kids.
- Buffet was not that large and got a little cramped at times.
- Sometimes the live music in the atrium got too loud. This was not the parties just normal music. Mostly from the speakers.
- Not too many regular chairs on the Lido Deck and some of the other decks surrounding the Seaside Theater. Only a handful, mostly lounge chairs. We did find a good seating area on deck 12 on Serenity.
- During the shows in the Liquid Lounge at night the bar was very bright making it a distraction (depending on where you sit) when trying to watch the shows.
- Smell of cleaning products in some parts of the got bad at times where we had to leave. Much like the casino and the smoke smell.
- No fridge in our stateroom. Word of mouth, many people seemed not to have one in their rooms either.
- Some areas and walkways felt too crowded with people trying to walk. Some people as usual would just stop or just stand around a tight area.
- First day the Serenity pool was closed and none was around to kick out the kids.
- The last few days the ship was super rocky. So rocky that we almost rolled out of the bed. Up at 3:30am on the last day because we could not sleep. Had winds near 70 mph.
- Weather was hit or miss during the cruise. Mostly a miss at sea and mainly a hit during port days. The miss at times was very brutal.

Off to the tour and review of the Carnival Sunshine. Now we mixed it up a bit and added some of our photos from our Carnival Destiny album to this tour just to compare a few of the areas around the ship.

Alchemy Bar
One of these days we will have a drink here. They do have some really awesome light-up menus. The Alchemy Bar is located right next to Ocean Plaza which you can hang out at and check out what's going on there, also grab a small bite at the Taste Bar.

(Light up menus!)

(Formally Cheers Wine Bar)

Beach Pool

The one and only main pool on the ship is on the Lido Deck, you have a smaller pool at the Serenity Deck. The Lido Pool is of normal size, just always overrun with kids. The parties here that we attended were all amazing, Jaime and her team did an amazing job getting the crowd pumped!

(The Towel Station is right as you walk out of the mid-ship elevators right near Guy's Burger Joint and the BlueIguana Cantina.)

(Deck party with Darnell!)

BlueIguana Cantina

The BlueIguana Cantina is the burrito bar, open for breakfast and lunch. Make sure to check out the breakfast, pretty good stuff!

BlueIguana Tequila Bar

Across from the Cantina is the Tequila Bar, which was nightly for popcorn under the stars. Also during the day for a bar. Not sure why it was closed during the night for the movies. RedFrog was always open.

Bonsai Sushi

Small little restaurant on deck four, always seemed to have a few people here no matter the time of day. Also available for takeout.

Cape Canaveral, Florida (Port Canaveral)

We parked in the garage, since the area where we were for Sensation was now under construction. We did manage to find a nice spot away from everyone where we could fit our Camaro and she was left alone and not in danger from everyone else. We love the drive here, well the drive from I95 to the port, the drive up still sucks. The views are picture perfect. Embarkation was pretty smooth other than being shuttled around like cattle when sitting down waiting, which annoyed us. Didn't even have a chance to open my backpack and take out something before the agent comes over yelling to take it off the seat. These people need to chill out and not get me off to the wrong foot. We did fortunately get on board pretty quick and to our room after lunchtime. Disembarkation was not too bad, pretty smooth. Not too many complaints there.

Carnival Waterworks

This is the area with all of the slides and water toys. If you're wanting an amazing view come here and head up the stairs to the slides and look over, pretty amazing. We did not try any of the slides, also it was closed a lot due to the weather.

(Actually 3 slides at the top. Also for amazing views head up to the overlook areas.)

(Formally the Sun & Sea Pool and Bar)

Cherry on Top

Yum! Yum! Yum in my tum! This place has everything for your sweet tooth! So many different options, also holiday options are available. You can also get bags to go of many different things.

(Pricing is for the candy on the wall.)

Cloud 9 Spa
Here are some photos of the gym on board the Carnival Sunshine.

Cucina del Capitano

Lunch you can come here and get a custom pasta dish to your liking along with maybe a lasagna. Around here you can also go to the Havana Bar and Ji Ji Asian Kitchen which serves as the wok for lunch. Great options in this area. The pasta for lunch we did try out and enjoy very much. Dinner it was open as well for a fee.

(Made to order pasta during the lunch time.)

EA Sports Bar

This was one of the busiest places we saw on board. Loved that they had a schedule of what games were playing for each day. Also you were able to play XBOX 360 when the bar is open. Located on deck five off the atrium shops and casino.

(Outside schedule for the upcoming games, really great addition!)

(Formally the All-Star Sports Bar)

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse
We had dinner here one night of our cruise, before I go any further a few things. On our particular cruise, not sure if this is every cruise or not but one the first two nights if you booked you were able to get a bottle wine for free. Normally the first night the bottle is free, they did say it was free for formal night. This time around we skipped the demo, the steakhouse is larger so seating would be available in a better capacity verses the other ships where the steakhouse is broken up into different areas. The decor was very nice here. We tried booking for one night of the cruise and were told that they were already full and could not accommodate any more people. We decided to do a day later, which sucks because the night we wanted was the mushroom cappuccino night. So the night that they said was "booked" we walked by and not even a quarter of the restaurant was filled up, we got a little annoyed at that. Makes no sense to us, and it's not the first time this has happened. So on to our dinner, Christine ordered the Surf and Turf and I ordered the Lobster Tail, both were pretty good. The sides were nothing great, on the small side. Overall the food was alright, nothing amazing. The steakhouse also has a less-formal more casual night available.

(Lobster Bisque with Vintage Cognac with Fleuron and Fresh Cream)

(Baked Onion Soup)

(Grilled Portobello Mushroom marinated with Virgin Olive Oil and Aged Balsamic Vinegar)

(New England Crab Cake on Roasted Pepper Remoulade)

(A few sides and sauces, again not large on sides but you can order multiple ones as well as salads, starters and desserts.)

(Maine Lobster Tail and Grilled Filet Mignon "Surf & Turf")

(Broiled Lobster Tail with Drawn Butter)

(Chocolate Sampler)

(Bittersweet Chocolate Cake, Banana Pannacotta, Tiramisu & Chocolate Marquise)

(Cheesecake with Hazelnut Biscuit)

Fun Hub
Throughout the ship you will find the Fun Hub computers. The atrium lobby and by the Taste Bar just to name a few locations. Also make sure before you leave port to download the Carnival App on your phone and use it throughout your cruise. You will be able to see your account balance and check out whats going on around the ship and even check what you want to do and they will send you a reminder about 10 minutes prior. It is free to download and use but to chat it is a $5 fee to use. Still download it and use it, really great app. It is currently only available on the Carnival Sunshine, Breeze and Freedom.

Grand Turk

Kind of felt like this was a wasted port. We didn't arrive until 30 minutes after we were supposed to arrive and Carnival Valor who was at port at least 30 minutes prior waited until we got to port and started to unload and they started letting people get off. So many people going to Margaritaville and the beach. Not sure about Carnival Valor, but Carnival Sunshine had several excursions that had to be cancelled. So we got off the ship and the beach was way too packed, couldn't even find a chair, the other beach to the right of the pier was empty but no chairs are on that side. We ended up at Margaritaville and swam around for a bit. There were a good amount of people but the pool was not too packed. Water was quite cool but once you were in it was fine. Loved the beach walk-in pool feature that they have.

(We found a way to get the entire sign in one picture with out people blocking it!)

(Our first ship, Valor alongside our second ever ship, former Carnival Destiny.)

(Beach to the left of the pier near Margaritaville.)

(Margaritaville Flowrider)

(Walk-in pool at Margaritaville)

(Swim-up bar at Margaritaville)

Guy's Burger Joint

We went here several times throughout the cruise and got the Plain Jane burger and just put a little BBQ sauce on it and yum. Fries we felt were way too salty. Burgers were good. Never a long line.

(You can customize any burger.)

Havana Bar

Shockingly the surprise hit for food on this ship. They also had breakfast in addition to their lunch. They options rarely changed from day-to-day but it was perfect. Don't expect a huge buffet bar, just a small section with a couple different options. It is located to the left of the bar (facing the back of the ship). Also plenty of seating. Located on deck 9 all the way in the back next to Ji Ji Asian Kitchen and Cucina del Captaino

(Some snacks for lunch.)

(Empanadas with the sauce were great!)

(Sauces for each, they enhance the flavors to much!)

JavaBlue Cafe

Coffee lovers will be here all day long. Great coffees and don't forget to get your card because the 6th is free. Also shares a home with the Fun Hub and Shake Spot. Located on deck five between the Casino and Ocean Plaza.

(Formally the Cafe on the Way)

Ji Ji Asian Kitchen

Dinner time is a charge, however for lunch this is the wok. Breakfast you can get your omelets here along with at Cucina del Captaino. Never too long of a line for breakfast or lunch. Enjoyed the wok a lot, stopped with the sauces they just became too hot after a while. The omelet station in the morning was just a nightmare for me personally. I just wanted half a scoop of egg and some toppings, the first time the guy was rushing me to tell him what I wanted and it became scrambled eggs and then the second time he just messed it up and I ended up just throwing it away. I told him both days extra well done, and the bottom wasn't even brown yet. Also a little annoyed that when we were waiting for the station to open, not one cook said anything that their were two lines, so what became two people a head of you just became ten. So future reference you have two lines here for breakfast and sometimes lunch and also one line for breakfast at Cucina del Captaino.

(Wok setup for lunch.)

Lido Marketplace

Was not impressed with the food selections here for the buffet. Seemed like the same things everyday of the cruise. Found ourselves more in the back by the Havana Bar having breakfast and lunch verses having anything here. Also in this location you have the pizzeria and deli along with beer stations where you can get a glass of Thirsty Frog Red and Bud Light available on tap, self-serve.

Limelight Lounge

Formally the cigar lounge the newly renovated Limelight Lounge is the nightly hotspot for comedy. We had four different comedians, we saw one comedian with two shows. He was pretty funny, really good time. Also the way comedy here works, you walk to the lounge before the show (from the front of the ship) and the doors will be shut, you will have to wait until they open a few minutes prior. Now if people are inside or if you are inside, when the show is over you will exit through the back doors. Once the show is close to starting or in process you can go in and out. However you can not just sit and wait, you will be asked to leave and comeback. We did not see it to be too crowded, still plenty of spots and no one standing up. So it is a good size location for comedy. Personally we would have liked to see the wall behind the stage knocked out to push it back and have more seating but that's just our opinion.

Liquid Lounge

After seeing the pictures and videos we were scratching our heads on how they could pull this off. First off it is now only two decks, spanning from deck 4 to 5. Also no more set seating, now you have chairs that move, one reason because of the shows that the singers/dancers use for some shows and the other reason is the nightclub. The nightclub was a joke for us. Had maybe a dozen people and not one person on the dance floor. DJ did not do anything to get anyone dancing, finally after 30 minutes the DJ played a wedding song so I decided to get up and dance, soon after others joined me. So nightclub was a fail for us. One unique thing done here was the morning show with Jaime, we attended every show. Loved how it was a live audience, which we are seeing more and more on the different lines. Off to the shows, by far Epic Rock was the show that surpassed any show we have ever seen on any line. Beats all of the shows on MSC Divina. The name speaks for itself. If you're going to see at least one show make it to this one. We saw it twice because it was that good, also all the videos I shot didn't have sound. Either way we would have went back to see the show. The singers/dancers were amazing, the song selection was great. Before the show a performer from one of the live bands was out entertaining the crowd on his guitar, he was great. Now seating, each show has a different seating sections, depending on the show. The upper sections you still have a great view, the lower levels were also great. One downfall to some areas during the show is the light from the bar, which does not turn off or dim during the show. Another show here was Hasbro, I got selected and won the first round, didn't have enough on my card for the machine so I was sent home with a small game, which still comes in handy when we travel.

(Our cruise director Jaime!)

(Live morning show with Jaime, Darnell and Courtney!)

(Liquid Lounge at night for the nightclub.)

(Epic Rock! The best show at sea! Below are several pictures from the show.)

(Live guitarist from the onboard band prior to the show, he was awesome!)

(The performances were stunning!)

(The Carnival Sunshine Playlist Production Cast!! Also make sure to check them out on Facebook!)

(Formally the Palladium Lounge)

Ocean Plaza

Loved how the ship has Ocean Plaza, it was a HUGE hit for us on Breeze. Most of the daily activities were held here. We went to one trivia which was Disney Trivia, hosted by Darnell who was amazing at it. Also we had a surprise visit by one mermaid under the sea. Too bad Jaime stepped out the moment Ariel came. Also this was a great place to sit and relax in the mornings. You have the Taste Bar open for breakfast so you can hit up the JaveBlue Cafe for coffee then walk next door over to the Taste Bar and grab a croissant and sit down in Ocean Plaza and relax and enjoy your morning on the beautiful Carnival Sunshine.

(Darnell at Disney Trivia singing "Let it go!".)

(Formally the Point After Dance Club)

Phillipsburg, St Maarten

We took the boat over to the first stop and just walked along the strip and took the boat back from the other stop to the ship. Next time though we will take the boat over and rent a beach chair and hang out in the beach area. We did look at some shops near the port area but nothing too impressive. Again if you're looking for a nice relaxing beach day head over on the water taxi which was $7pp and grab a chair and a drink and enjoy the breathtaking views of the area. If you're not a beach person we would recommend taking a tour around the island. We will do one of the two next time.

(This is the first stop on the boat ride, you can see the beach along the coast, several people will be trying to sell you chairs. Also several bars and restaurants along the entire coast. Behind all the buildings is the town, very nice people everywhere.)

(Another shot of the sun loungers you can rent.)

(Walking down the coast.)

(One of the many bars in the area.)

(You sure will! Next time boat and beach loungers.)

Piano Bar 88

Lot's of private functions here. Decided to hang out here one night and give it a try. Was not a fan of the piano player though. Stayed for about 5 songs and headed out.

(Formally the Apollo Bar)

RedFrog Pub

Didn't see the food offered on this ship. Not sure if they had stopped it or it's only on certain ships. We came here several times and relaxed. They do have large TV's which played most of the sporting events available. We did have some drinks, we actually got hooked on getting a paddle with 4 beers. You can mix and match any beer on tap, which is only five beers. It's the cost for about one beer but you get maybe a little bit more, so if you're in the mood to try a little of this and a little of that than this is perfect for you or you can share, it was enough for my wife and I. We did get to see a beer pong tournament here, they had a few throughout the week.

(Great place to hangout and relax or play games!)

(Here is the beer sampler)

(Beer Pong Tournament)

RedFrog Rum Bar

Outside on the Lido Deck near the pool is the RedFrog Rum Bar.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

This is really a nice port that we don't give a chance to. We docked alongside Carnival Valor and nearby was the beautiful Diva of the Seas MSC Divina. I was a kid in a candy store when I saw Divina, I love taking pictures of ships and she was just an elegant, beautiful ship that I was surprised to see! So we did not take an excursion, we just walked around the area and checked out some shops and headed back on board. We did not stay off too long, it got a little cloudy and looked to storm, but never did. Next time we will do a tour, the city does seem really nice.

(Carnival Sunshine)

(Carnival Valor)

(The diva of the seas...MSC Divina! We, well I was so excited to see her in port. I love seeing all the different ships wherever we go, one of my most favorite things to do on a cruise.)

(Holland America Nieuw Amstersam joined us later in the day.)

(Area to the right of the terminal.)

(Center-point of the local area, tons of people around and only a few short blocks from the cruise terminal.)

(A beautiful ending to our day here in San Juan.)

Serenity

This was one of the best places on the ship, not really the top decks but the pool deck and mostly the middle (in between the waterfall). Let's start at the bottom, on deck 11. You will have the amazing waterfall that cascades down from deck 14. The pool isn't too small, actually a decent size. The steps into it were a bit wobbly. They also have a ton of chairs, but one a handful of clamshell chairs which we had once and the rest of the time they were either filled with people or filled with people's stuff, which we saw a lot of people just leaving their stuff on those chairs along with the regular sun loungers, but funny thing was it did rain, hard on most of the chair hogs stuff, karma is a....Also quickly, on deck 11 at Serenity you can get a good seating area for the Movies, we did find another area after leaving this one because of the heavy winds. So deck 11 for the clamshell chairs for the movies. A sort-of secret deck above on deck 12, where we found to be an almost perfect spot to see the big screen. Only downfall was the glass barrier which was tolerable and the waterfall which was loud but you could still here the movies or anything on the big screen. Never had too many people here and you could get a great seat away from the wind and rain and relax on the couch-style seats. On to the deck above, no not 13, we don't have a deck 13 on this ship, nor many others. We are now on the top of the Serenity Deck on deck number 14. Above the waterfall is the hottub and the bar. Also around you will find chairs, clamshells and hammocks. Now we did not try this but for the movies if the clamshell chairs are open go try them out and see if it's worth it and let us know. Overall we did enjoy the middle deck of this area a lot, had fun here! Only annoyance was the kids/teens that were at times coming in and out and sometimes in the pool. The ship did not enforce the 21 and over. Also the chair hogs were not being enforced anywhere on the ship that we saw. It's okay, mother nature took care of some of those issues for us.

(Serenity Bar at the top of the Serenity on deck 14.)

(Our secret hideout on deck 12, behind the waterfall. Perfect place if you can not find a seat for the movies or if the weather is not too good.)

(Hot tub on deck 14 facing the rest of Serenity below along with the Beach Pool area and local bars.)

(Clamshell chairs, not like the other ones where the tops folded back. I like these better.)

(Deck 14, never seemed to be too crowded. Also didn't go on the sea days.)

(If you want to take a power nap in paradise.)

(Or just sit and relax with friends.)

(Our secret area at night, while we watched a movie.)

(Formally the Waterslide)

Shake Spot

Next to the JavaBlue Cafe is the Shake Spot, your traditional shakes along with some spiked ones. I want to say they have their own card for shakes and floats just like the coffee does. I had the Black and White shake which as always was good.

(The Shake Spot, JavaBlue Cafe and Fun Hub are all located in this location. The Shake Spot and JavaBlue Cafe usually only has one person making the drinks, lines move pretty fast.)

SportSquare

Great spot for everyone. Tons to do here, it did rain here and there along with very windy times so the Ropes Course was closed a good portion of the trip. The half court was built nicely along with the outside Twister and other things to do.

(Half-court for basketball.)

(Part of the Ropes Course.)

(Jumbo)

(Normal Sized)

(Never saw this stand open at all. Hot dogs are available on deck 9 at the deli.)

(Another area not open too much due to the weather.)

(Mini golf area around the funnel.)

(She is so big and beautiful! Always give her a hug!)

(She has a little baby with her!)

(Running track around the deck.)

Stateroom 2168 (Oceanview)

Our oceanview stateroom was very nice. Great in size and plenty of space for storage. Bathroom door I wish I could have ripped off the hinges. The shower was one of the biggest we ever had, actually close to a normal size. Bed was comfy, pillows not so much. Our room steward was very nice, late more days and nights with cleaning the room which was a downside. Our location was in the front next to the atrium elevators. We did hear from our room what was going on in the lobby which wasn't too bad. We had very easy access to the atrium, Liquid Lounge and Serenity. Also to get off the ship.

(Not sure if the couch was a pullout or not.)

(Plenty of space, well for a cruise ship cabin.)

(Thank you John Heald for the gifts!)

(Also a thank you to our amazing cruise director Jaime! As you can tell our little Snickerdoodle was ready for his treats! That little giraffe has been on a lot of cruises and to many countries!)

(Formally the Oceanview Stateroom)

Sunrise Dining Room (Aft)

We had anytime dining, so the way this works is you head up to deck five to the Taste Bar (actually a table across from it) and give them your cabin number and if you have any preference of a table or area you can let them know and they will try to accommodate. The line will start at the table and go back towards the casino. The line starts to go around 5:10pm and from the table once you get your ticket you head down two decks to deck 3 and go into the dining room. We did see buzzers but never got those, did see people with them. Service went from okay to bad, just depends. We had several different people. Some food was overcooked and some we never got. It was all over the place. The dining room itself was very beautiful and bright. Our biggest peeve is having to do to deck 5 to get a ticket from a table then down two decks to go to the front desk and wait for someone to seat us. Made no sense to us. Only other reason thinking about it now was that the Limelight Lounge was not in the spot of the Cigar Lounge so it could have been not wanting an overflow of people waiting by the elevators and pouring into the lounge.

(Formally the Universe Dining Room)

Sunset Dining Room (Forward)
We originally though we would be in this dining room, however luckily we were not. It's not a bad one but just smaller and only one level now. So more people, less dining space.

Sunshine Atrium

As soon as you walk onto the ship you go right into the atrium which was really nice. Several large events were held here. On Tuesday the Carnival Sunshine celebrates Fat Tuesdays. Darnell started the event and Jaime followed shortly after, she was dancing all around the bar and throwing beads into the crowd. Loved this party so much. We were going to do the 80s trivia but were so exhausted and skipped it, it did sound like they were having a ton of fun. When the atrium isn't busy you can grab a drink and relax. Around here also is Guest Services and Shore Excursions desks.

(Tuesday is not just another day of the week of the Carnival Sunshine it is Fat Tuesday! Here is Jaime celebrating and with her team throwing beads! All you have to do to get them is to flash them! With your smile as Jaime says! It was so much fun seeing her dancing around on the bar and making sure everyone had a smile on their faces!)

(I did not get his name, but this gentleman was one of the nicest people on the ship. Saw him a few times and always a smile on his face and so happy to help us in any way possible.)

(Formally the Flagship Hall Atrium)

Sunshine Casino

So we did spend a small amount of money and lost it all. Welcome to the donation center, always open. Well not sure about the other ports but in Grand Turk the casino was open while in port. It was funny walking around and looking around and seeing people then stopping to look outside and see port and looking around to see the casino open. They were open very late, that same night at 3:30 in the morning people were still at the tables playing, maybe the same people. Want to mention that the ship does not have a promenade that you can walk around to go from the atrium towards the back you now walk right through the middle of the casino to get from point A to point B. Also you can smell the smoke for the most part the entire way.

(Walk-through from the atrium to the Ocean Plaza section of the ship on deck five.)

(Formally the Millionaire's Club Casino)

(Formally the Millionaire's Club Casino)

The Library Bar

Love the new bar, hate everything is locked up. The other ships you can come and go and play whenever, here you have to wait for the bartenders to come and open up the case for you. Makes sense though. The Library Bar is a large area also has a self-serve wine dispenser in addition to the bar.

The Taste Bar

During the morning you can swing by and grab some breakfast, a great selection of options. The Taste Bar is on deck 5, where you also will check in for dinner for anytime dining. They are also open on select nights for their normal taste bar options which include items from the different specialty restaurants throughout the fleet. We never had a chance to try out breakfast or the regular options.