Carnival Sunshine Bahamas Cruise
Last weekend we we’re invited to be a part of Carnival’s Sunshine’s first cruise from Port Canaveral after it’s massive $155 million renovation. They added many outdoor spaces and lots of new dining options that were a part of the company’s groundbreaking Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancement program.
The cruise was just two days to Freeport and back, making a wonderful long weekend for us. After this first short cruise, the Carnival Sunshine began year-round five- to eight-day Caribbean cruises on April 19th. The schedule includes seven-day cruises to the eastern and western Caribbean, along with a number of eight-day Caribbean cruises and five-day departures featuring Florida, Caribbean and Bahamian ports.
Two of the main enhancements on this ship were the addition of the WaterWorks aqua park and the SportsSpquare recreation complex. WaterWorks consists of 3 big slides and two smaller ones for the little kids. Two of the bigger slides are for racing, and it even shows your time as you splash at the end of the slide. The slides are 235 feet of fun! The third slide is mostly dark and twisting, and is a ton of fun when you hurl yourself down as fast as you can go. It’s 334 feet of crazy fun!
We went up and down these slides for hours and had a blast! The water park also features 40 other different water features, including one of those huge drenching buckets that splashes 150 gallons every few minutes. You know, just when you least expect it, then drench!
After we were too dizzy to go on another water slide, we ventured over to SportsSquare, an outdoor recreation highlighted by SkyCourse, which is a fun ropes obstacle course. My husband and son strapped themselves into harnesses and braved this course while I watched nervously below as my little guy dared to cross tight ropes with not much to hold onto but Daddy. I really wanted to brave the course myself, but I had a feeling I should sit this one out, and I’m so glad I did because my little guy gave up about 3/4 of the way through. So Daddy just threw him on his back and kept going. I knew I couldn’t have done that.
The SportsSquare also had a basketball court, a two-level nine-hole mini-golf course, a jogging track, foosball, ping pong, pool tables and more. We had so much fun on the ship, especially those fun waterslides, we didn’t even venture off the ship when we made it to Freeport.
Right around the corner from all this fun was the ships youth programs – Camp Carnival (ages 2-11), Circle “C” (12-14) and Club O2 (15-17). These areas offer age appropriate fun things to do for all the younger travelers. Arts and crafts and various age-appropriate toys and games are available for 2-5 year-olds.
For 6-8 year-olds, video game consoles linked to plasma-screen TVs, sand art machines, spin art and themed activities are offered. For the 9-11 year-olds there are video game consoles, swimming under the stars, scavenger hunts, sport challenges and an array of other fun activities.
For teens, Circle “C” lounge gives them a place to call their own, with a dance floor, video jukebox, music, video gaming consoles and Fun Hub stations. Adjacent to Circle “C” is Club O2, a teen club where older kids can make new friends and dance to the latest hits cranked out from the DJ booth. Designed as the ultimate “chill” space, this expansive room also includes a soda bar, video gaming consoles, Fun Hub work stations and a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system.
And I’ll have to admit I was a little jealous of the teen’s room. It looked like so much fun! My son only got to stay at Camp Carnival for a few hours, and we literally had to tear him away from the fun. He can’t wait to go back!
Next on the main deck is the main pool area and hot tubs. There’s a huge big screen where they play family friendly movies at night, and they even pop fresh popcorn. It’s so relaxing. Just a few steps up from this deck is the adult only deck, Serenity, it’s easy to spot because all the chairs are turquoise.
The ship also has a full spa called “Cloud 9 Spa” located on the the forward section of the ship with panoramic views of the sea. It’s a very relaxing, beautiful spa that features a full range of spa amenities rivaling top land-based facilities.
The spa also includes the fitness center with the latest equipment. There are even instructor led excercise classes. And don’t forget the salon offering the latest hair and nail services.
Tomorrow I’ll share with you the many dining options and new entertainment on the Carnival Sunshine.
To be continued…
For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.
Carnival can also be found on:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/carnivalcruise
Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/carnival
YouTube: www.youtube.com/carnival
Thanks to Carnival for having us for the weekend! The cruise tickets were complimentary, but we picked up the tab for all the extras. All opinions 100% mine.
