Don BucoloHere’s a fun fact: my first cruise as an adult was a spring break sailing with friends back in 2002 on the then-called Carnival Triumph. So when we were invited to sail on Carnival Sunrise for a press event to RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, it felt like a reunion of sorts for me. Of course, a lot has changed on the ship and with me over the course of the last 24 years.
With regard to the ship, Carnival Cruise Line invested nearly $200 million into a complete transformation of the vessel. New name, new venues, but still lots of FUN. And for me, well, a few extra pounds, some gray hairs, and a wife.
Boarding this 5-day cruise on Carnival Sunrise, this time with Heidi, we set out to explore the ship and two of Carnival’s newest private destinations. Does a multi-million dollar makeover actually make an older ship feel like a newer one again?
Upgrades to the Casual Dining on Carnival Sunrise
If there’s one area where Carnival Sunrise surprised us, it’s the food.
The casual dining lineup on Carnival Sunrise is impressive, with the same variety you find on Carnival’s largest ships and even some completely new-to-us options. On a 5-day cruise with only one sea day, we honestly ran out of time before we ran out of options. In fact, there were a few things we wanted to try and never got the chance.
Trying to think back to my first cruise on this ship, the only daytime eateries I can recall are the buffet and a pizzeria (maybe there was a poolside grill, too?).
Now, there is Guy’s Burger Joint, which remains one of the best complimentary burger joints at sea. Carnival Sunrise is even testing out breakfast burgers at Guy’s. BlueIguana Cantina serves Mexican food, and I am not sure which is better, the shrimp burritos for lunch or the hearty breakfast burritos. Both of these eateries are found on the lido deck.
When it comes to the Lido Marketplace, it’s your typical cruise ship buffet serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is also home to Carnival Deli (portside) that makes sandwiches to order, like a buffalo chicken sandwich. Unique to Carnival Sunrise is Lucky Bowl located on the starboard side of the buffet. Serving Asian takeout flavors like orange chicken and noodle dishes, this reminded us of the noodle bar at JiJi Asian Kitchen on select Carnival ships.
Like other vessels in the fleet, Cucina del Capitano is open every day and offers a complimentary pasta bar at lunch.
Pizza is available throughout the day near the Tides pool. In the morning, Pizzeria del Capitano serves as a bagel bar. This new offering, Bagels @ Sea, is set to debut fleetwide. It features a variety of bagels with different spreads, as well as breakfast sandwiches. It was a great alternative to the often busy buffet for breakfast.
Finally, there is also a Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse, which is only open for lunch on embarkation day and sea days.
Were there lines everywhere during peak times? Yes. But we never waited long enough for it to be a real issue with so many options spread across the ship.
Carnival Sunrise Outdoor Decks
I honestly can’t remember what the pool deck on Carnival Triumph looked like 24 years ago. Although, I do remember there was one little waterslide that I actually got stuck on and had to scoot myself the rest of the way down.
That isn’t an issue anymore, as Carnival Sunrise has a complete WaterWorks park for the kids. With multiple slides, a kiddie area, and a drench bucket, it is certainly an upgrade.
This June cruise had many families on board, including large parties of graduates. So the two main family pools were often rather busy.
The main pool in the middle of the ship on Deck 9, as well as the Tides Pool aft on the same deck, were adequate for a ship of this size. With sun loungers on multiple decks near the pools, you could find a spot to relax with a little planning.
During the day, the main pool hosted typical Fun Squad events, a DJ, and movies on the big screen. Carnival also offers Dive-In Movies at night, in between the deck parties.
Traveling with just the two of us, Heidi and I prefer the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat, which is forward on Deck 12. While it only featured one whirlpool, it did offer plenty of loungers and daybeds to escape the rest of the crowds (and kids) a few decks below.
While we didn’t have time this sailing, the Serenity Retreat is conveniently located near the Cloud9 Spa thermal suite.
Aft on Decks 11 and 12 are the Sports Deck facilities. This includes a sports court, a small ropes course, a jogging track, and some tabletop games. There is also a mini golf course.
This area feels pretty compact, but for families with little kids or those looking for some more active onboard fun, it gets the job done. I had plans to test out some of the activities, but with the 90-degree heat, I never did.
The Nightlife and Entertainment on Carnival Sunrise
Carnival Sunrise has a complete lineup of nightlife and entertainment.
All I can remember from my last trip was the packed piano bar and the multi-deck nightclub. According to John Heald, who was apparently the cruise director when I sailed in 2002, those venues have been completely reconfigured.
Grabbing a Drink
Aft on Deck 5 is Piano Bar 88, a tight venue hosting live piano music that features karaoke sets along with sing-along classics. Adjacent is the RedFrog Pub, with live music and the cruise line’s signature brews.
These venues are located nearby to our favorite spot, the Alchemy Bar. This Carnival staple shakes up signature cocktails, like Heidi’s favorites: Forty is the New Twenty or Cucumber Sunrise. Vlad and the rest of the expert mixologists always had a remedy to cure our ailments. We even took part in an up-charge mixology class here.
The Heroes Tribute Bar next to the casino is the sports bar, serving signature cocktails. There’s also the Sunrise Bar serving as the central hub in the atrium.
On the outdoor decks, you can use your Cheers beverage package for signature drinks at BlueIguana Tequila Bar or sip a Caribbean-inspired cocktail from the RedFrog Rum Bar. There’s also a bar near the Tides Pool and one in the adults-only Serenity.
But perhaps our favorite spot to grab a drink on Carnival Sunrise was the Java Blue Cafe on Deck 5. We made twice-daily stops for our favorite espresso-based beverages. If you’re a java lover like us, make sure to ask for a punch card and you will get a free coffee after purchasing 6 drinks.
Catching a Show
Comedy shows for all ages were held essentially every day at the Limelight Lounge. It does take a little work to find this venue. You need to use the mid-ship (or aft) stairwell to find it. At night, this venue often turned into the nightclub.
The Liquid Lounge is the ship’s main theater. The setup is less than stellar, as the sightlines are not ideal when compared to more traditional theater layouts on newer ships. We did not make it to all the performances in the main theater, but we did manage to catch most of them.
Soulbound is Carnival’s Motown-infused musical. This Playlist Productions show brings supernatural themes to life with a digital backdrop, costumes, and stage props. We’ve seen this production before and think it’s better than your typical cruise revue show.
The main theater was also home to a personal favorite, Deal or No Deal, as well as the always comical Love and Marriage Game Show and a few late-night comedy shows.
Most nights, the pool deck came alive with a themed party. From the White Hot Night Party to the 80s Rock-N-Glow Party, Cruise Director Dean and the rest of the FUN Squad donned their themed attire and got everyone involved in the line dancing. Well, everyone but Heidi and I who watched from the sidelines.
The Main Dining Room
Given we had a few specialty restaurant reservations, we only ate in the main dining room twice during our 5-day sailing. And the experience was exactly what we expected.
The Radiance Restaurant is the two-story main dining room midship on Decks 3 and 4. If you opt for traditional dining, with a set dining time and table assignment, this is your spot each evening. During our sailing, the early seating was 5:30 PM and the late seating was 7:45 PM.
We had Your Time Dining in the Sunshine Restaurant, which is located aft on Decks 3 and 4. Using the Carnival Hub app, we checked in and never waited long for a table.
There’s also an Express Dining option with a more limited menu that’s designed to get guests in and out of dinner in under an hour.
Even though we had two different service teams during our meals, they were both friendly and attentive.
Interestingly enough, I could have sworn that one night we sat at the exact same table in the Sunshine Restaurant on Deck 4, where I dined with my college buddies 20+ years ago.
Some of our dining highlights included the Night 1 menu’s Szechuan shrimp, which was crispy fried shrimp in a tangy sauce with white rice. Heidi enjoyed her spaghetti carbonara and Girod Street salad from the Night 3 menu as well.
Some of our other selections were not as memorable. But there is one constant on every Carnival ship and that’s the chocolate melting cake. It always delivers!
For a ship that features so many casual options, the main dining room holds its own. It is a solid choice for those who want a slower, more personalized dining experience in the evening.
Before you ask, yes, Carnival is rolling out new fleetwide MDR menus. However, Carnival Sunrise does not have the new menus yet, nor has the cruise line indicated when they will make their way to this ship.
Specialty Restaurants
During this sailing, we dined at three of the up-charge restaurants on Carnival Sunrise: Cucina del Capitano, The Chef’s Table, and Fahrenheit 555. There’s also the more casual Seafood Shack serving classic favorites like fried shrimp, lobster rolls, fish & chips, and steamed lobster, as well as Bonsai Sushi featuring several sushi and sashimi selections, as well as noodle bowls and Japanese small plates.
Cucina del Capitano is Carnival Cruise Line’s traditional Italian restaurant. The price to dine here is $24 per person (+20% gratuity) or $11 for kids under 11 years old. The menu features favorites like Nonna’s meatball, burrata, calamari, various pasta dishes, chicken parm, and mile-high gelato pie in a rustic-themed venue. While still a solid dining option, the entire experience wasn’t as memorable as our sailing on Carnival Vista last year.
The Chef’s Table is an exclusive dinner hosted by the executive chef. This experience includes an elegant, multi-course meal with selections not found anywhere else on the ship, and exquisite service. This intimate meal is priced at $124 per person +20% gratuity. The meal starts with four small plates from the Chef’s Reception then progresses with seven additional courses including lobster, sole, venison, and wagyu. While it’s a very filling meal, be sure to save some room for the Chocolate Forest dessert.
Fahrenheit 555 is Carnival Cruise Line’s signature steakhouse. The cover charge at this venue is $52 per person (+20% gratuity) or $15 for kids 11 and under. The menu at Fahrenheit 555 features upscale offerings like shrimp cocktail, oysters, and premium cuts of beef. I’m glad I ordered the filet mignon; it was a generous portion and perfectly seared to my requested medium-rare temperature. For those who don’t eat beef, other entree selections include chicken, lobster tail, and dover sole. And you can’t skip the dessert here either!
Our Carnival Sunrise Stateroom
I would be lying if I said I remember the oceanview cabin I had on Carnival Triumph 24 years ago. But, it probably wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the stateroom was pretty similar to the balcony cabin Heidi and I had during our recent sailing on Carnival Sunrise.
We stayed in cabin 6281. This starboard side stateroom was right next to the forward elevators, which was one of the biggest flaws (but more on this in a minute). This category 8B balcony room has a typical setup. Immediately entering the room, the bathroom was on the midship wall (to the right), and the closet on the forward-facing wall (to the left).
Stepping further into the room, the sleeper sofa was immediately following the bathroom, across from the desk. The queen bed was positioned closest to the balcony. Similar to other classes of Carnival cruise ships, there was a hinged door out to the balcony, not a slider.
The closet had three doors, one with a full clothes bar; one with an overhead shelf, the safe, and a lower clothes bar; and the third with shelves (also housing the life jackets). While not an ideal setup, there was adequate storage for our clothing.
The sofa wasn’t the most comfortable and didn’t feature any toss pillows. The desk was pretty typical with two storage shelves off to one side and some lower drawers and cabinets off to the other side where we stored some of our packing cubes.
For a cruise ship stateroom, the bathroom was a typical size. However, it was pretty dated and still had a dreaded shower curtain.
For a 5-night Bahamas cruise, the stateroom was functional. It was clean and pretty well maintained, but it lacked the modern amenities we appreciate on newer cruise ships — like outlets. There were only two USB and two 120V outlets on the desk. Halfway through the cruise, we actually discovered a USB outlet tucked behind the pillows on the bed.
Overall, the biggest issue we had with the stateroom was the noise. Given it’s location right off the atrium, it often sounded like we were in the middle of the atrium party. Perhaps this would have been fine for my college-aged self but it certainly wasn’t ideal this trip when I was trying to sleep at 11 PM.
Visiting the Bahamas on Carnival Sunrise
While it was fun to get back on the ship I first sailed 24 years ago and reminisce, this trip was all about Carnival’s Paradise Collection of exclusive destinations. It included three stops in the Bahamas: Nassau, Relax Away Half Moon Cay, and Celebration Key.
Among the First to Visit RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay
The highlight of this trip was the cruise line’s first stop at the updated RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay. This private island is home to 2.5 miles of beautiful beach. Both Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line call at this destination. Although, Holland America Line won’t return to the island until October. By then, renovations to the south side should be complete.
Now, Carnival ships will call at the north side of the island, offering a new dedicated experience. This expansion is beyond the former Half Moon Cay and includes a new pier, over 4,700 umbrellas (now free), and close to 10,000 sun loungers. Having been to every cruise line’s private island, RelaxAway Half Moon Cay has always been one of the best. And it still is! The destination boasts crystal clear water and white powdery sand. Plus, the crescent-shaped cove means the waters are reasonably calm year-round.
The new pier offers two berths and can accommodate Carnival’s largest ships. But for the first few months, the cruise line is limiting calls to one ship per day.
We spent the entire day exploring the new updates. The tram system offers two routes with six different stops. This made getting around a breeze. Of course, guests can also take the Payapa Pathway and walk from the Welcome Plaza to the different stops along the beach.
The Hibiscus Beach Grill & Bar is a massive buffet with an open layout and ample covered, shaded seating. It has a pretty typical island barbecue; although, we did like the addition of a nacho bar. There is a second buffet, Orchid Beach Grill & Bar, but it wasn’t open during our visit.
Each of the island’s six sections (Avocado, Guava, Pineapple, Lime, Mango, and Arrival Plaza) also offers a bar. Each bar features a similar menu, with at least one signature drink. Unfortunately, the Cheers drink package does not work on Half Moon Cay.
As with any cruise line private island, there are beach rentals and upgrades, too, like clam shells, day beds, and cabanas. There are shore excursions available to book as well, like snorkeling and horseback riding. And Carnival even added additional horses to ensure more guests can trot along the beach during this bucket list adventure.
This new stretch of Relax Away, Half Moon Cay is just that — the perfect relaxing beach day! This is in contrast to Carnival’s other exclusive destination, Celebration Key, which offers a more fun and lively atmosphere.
A Cloudy Day at Celebration Key
Celebration Key, on Grand Bahama Island, opened just under a year ago. We were also on the first cruise to stop at that brand-new destination. So, we were happy to get back and see what had changed since that visit.
While we had a bright, sunny day at Half Moon Cay, the weather did not cooperate at Celebration Key. Battling the elements, we debarked shortly after the ship was cleared.
Since our last visit, the cruise line has added additional berths. Now, up to 4 ships can call at this massive resort. During this stop, we shared Celebration Key with only Carnival Freedom.
We love the destination’s easy-to-navigate layout. The largest freshwater lagoon pool in the Caribbean is surrounded by loungers, cabanas, and a variety of bars and restaurants. If you prefer the beach, there’s plenty of sand too at both the family-friendly Starfish Beach and the more adult-focused Calypso Beach.
The Island Eats meal credit system is still in effect as well. This means each guest gets one complimentary meal throughout the day. We did notice a couple new food trucks in both Starfish Lagoon and Calypso Lagoon and a new dining stall in the Captain’s Galley Food Hall serving Chicken & More. Plus, Island Eats was upgraded to offer guests a 40% discount off an entree at sit-down restaurants vs. the previous 25% off. There’s also new zero-proof slushies at Lagoon Bar East, near Guppy Grotto.
Another noticeable change is the quiet re-zoning of the adults-only section of Calypso Lagoon. The space now claims to be 13+ instead of 18+. But, much like our first visit, we saw no enforcement of the posted age restriction.
The up-charge Pearl Cove Beach Club still remains 18+ though. This adults-only area offers an infinity pool with a swim-up bar and great views. Plus, there are different access packages, some that include a drink package and food credit.
While cloudy and rainy most of the day, the weather didn’t stop everyone from enjoying the destination’s amenities. Junkanoo parades, water slides, the Lokono Cove shopping area, and the various swim-up bars saw more patrons as the weather improved later in the day.
Having visited both, we can confidently say that Celebration Key and RelaxAway Half Moon Cay are distinctly different experiences. So, finding an itinerary that stops at both is a great option!
A Welcome Returned to Carnival Sunrise
This takes us back to the original question: does a multi-million-dollar makeover actually make an older ship feel like a newer one? After five days onboard, our answer is mostly yes.
The casual dining lineup surprised us the most. Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Lucky Bowl, and the new Bagels @ Sea gave us more options than we could finish in five days. For food alone, Carnival Sunrise punches well above its age. The main dining room and specialty restaurants held their own, too.
Even if the hardware showed its age in some places, the outdoor decks delivered. WaterWorks, Serenity Retreat, the Sports Deck, and the two pool areas gave families, couples, and everyone in between a space to enjoy.
Unlike newer ships in the fleet, there were fewer signature bars which did mean more lines and crowds at the more popular ones like Alchemy Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar. The Liquid Lounge main theater design also fell short when compared to newer ships. Not to mention, our balcony stateroom lacked the modern touches and upgrades we now expect at sea.
Additionally, the ship’s layout was a bit confusing, which is typical of older ships, and many of the venues felt small and crowded. But that didn’t stop Cruise Director Dean and the rest of the FUN Squad from delivering all the energy and activities that Carnival guests have come to know and love.
So, who is Carnival Sunrise for?
If you want a fun, food-forward cruise at a great price, this transformed ship delivers. If you are chasing the newest bars, latest staterooms, onboard thrills, and elaborate production shows, you will notice the gaps on this 27-year-old ship.
Carnival Sunrise is not the Triumph I remember from 2002, and that is a very good thing!
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