New Orleans Welcome for Carnival Sunshine

Naming Ceremony

Back in May, the Carnival Sunshine emerged from dry-dock after the $155m refurbishment of the Carnival Destiny which brought new features, such as the new dining options and waterpark to what is now known as Carnival Sunshine.

The ship was sailing in Europe until this past weekend when it arrived in New Orleans which will be its new home through May 2014.

Farewell Destiny Hello Sunshine

On Sunday, Lin Arison, wife of the late Ted Arison, Founder of Carnival Cruise Line, named the ship following an event that paid homage to the arts.   About 600 people were in attendance for the
performance by YoungArts, which included jazz classics, tap-dancing and modern dance.  

On stage in the Liquid Lounge theater, Arison, along with Sunshine Captain Giuseppe Giusa, pulled a ribbon attached to an oversized replica of a Champagne bottle -- the crowd then watched on video monitors as the real thing smashed on the hull of the ship as is the nautical tradition.
 
Carnival's Senior Cruise Director John Heald recaps the Carnival Sunshine's naming ceremony in this video:
   

Senior Cruise Director 

John Heald Tours 

Carnival Sunshine

How do you breath new life into a 17 year old cruise ship?  

 

Watch these videos as Senior Cruise Directory John Heald takes you on a guided tour of the changes made to what was previously known as Carnival Destiny.  You will be amazed at the transformation.  It's just as good as having a brand new ship introduced to the fleet and it becomes more cost effective.

 

 

Carnvial in Middle of Venice Controversy

Carnival Sunshine

Too Close to Shore?

According to reports in the Italian press, an alleged incident involving Carnival Sunshine has triggered cries from Andrea Marcucci, head of Italy's Senate committee on art and culture, to ban cruise ships from sailing in the Venice lagoon.

This is not a new controversy.  We reported news about this shortly after the Costa Concordia shipwreck in our article Concordia Disaster Rekindles Venice Restrictions.  Even before then, there had been concerns raised about the harm done by cruise ships in Venice.

Claims Unfounded

British tabloids "The Telegraph" and "The Daily Mail"  broke the news citing information contained in the Italian news agency ANSA's article from July 29th.  Carnival Cruise Lines, The Italian Coast Guard and others contend that the alleged "sail by" did not occur.   

The interesting thing is that cruise line captains are not under the control of their vessels when they enter the Venice lagoon.   A pilot boards the vessel and takes control.  So, even if the news were true, it would not be the fault of the captain, but rather that of the pilot who should know the waters.

In addition, the ship is guided by two tugs, one in front and one in the rear of the ship.   Therefore, it is highly unlikely that all these local operators would steer the vessel too close to port.

Sailing into Venice in the early morning is a magnificent event.  It would be a shame if some hidden agendas prevented ships from seeing this perspective of Venice.

View our photo album on our Facebook Fan Page:

Arriving in Venice by Cruise Ship

 

Farewell Destiny Hello Sunshine

Destiny Went In and Sunshine has Emerged

Serenity Deck on Carnival Sunshine   Courtesy CCL

The long awaited transformation of Carnival Destiny into the Carnival Sunshine is now complete as the ship sailed it's inaugural voyage out of Venice with some work remaining to be completed.

This is amongst the largest re-makes in the cruise industry and certainly the largest undertaking for a Carnival cruise ship.   See what you think...

  Watch the Transformation of Carnival Destiny into Carnival Sunshine   
Inaugural Voyage Not All Sunshine

When the revitalized Carnival Sunshine set sail from Venice on its inaugural 12-Night Mediterranean voyage on May 5th, there still was some work to be done to totally complete the transformation. It wasn't until 3 days before the cruise ended that the new WaterWorks Aqua Park was opened to the public. The Rope Course was another feature that was unavailable until near the end of the voyage.

Since Mediterranean cruises are so sightseeing intensive, there might not have been a lot of time to enjoy the facilities on board the ship anyway, but Carnival did the right thing and compensated passengers with a $150 on board credit.

Was It Worth the Wait?

The $155M transformation had originally been slated to be completed by April, but the Carnival Triumph fire that left that ship stranded had a cascading effect on the entire Carnival fleet.   President and CEO Gerry Cahill promised to increase operating redundancies, emergency power and fire prevention, detection and suppression systems fleetwide, so the dry-dock was extended to complete that work on the new Carnival Sunshine.

Read more about the delays: Carnival Triumph & Sunshine Returns Delayed

Carnival Sunshine becomes the first ship in the Carnival fleet to have all of the Fun Ship 2.0 features as well as the first ship to deploy the new safety improvements making it an ideal ship for your next vacation at sea.

Want to Learn more about Fun Ship 2.0? TOUCH this Image and then move your mouse over the various interactive buttons.  Watch Videos, View Menus, Get More Facts.   Enjoy !!

 

 Highlights:

• A fleet first: Carnival Sunshine's WaterWorks area introduces Speedway Splash, featuring two lanes of long-distance waterslide racing action.
• With a brand-new Cloud 9 Spa, plus 95 brand-new Cloud 9 Spa Staterooms, Carnival Sunshine practically floats on air!
• Carnival Sunshine's Serenity Adults-Only Retreat spans three decks, which means relaxation on a whole new level... or two, actually.
• Hungry for something new? Carnival Sunshine will feature 10 dining venues that are either brand-new or completely redesigned.
• Even with all the added decks, staterooms and fun features, Carnival Sunshine's weight will only grow by about 1% (from 101,353 to 102,853 tons).
• 3,006 passenger capacity, 1,150 onboard crew, 893 length in feet

Learn more about the changes:  Destiny Goes In Sunshine Comes Out

Click for Carnival Sunshine Sailings

Carnival Triumph & Sunshine Returns Delayed

Carnival Triumph & 

Carnival Sunshine 

Mechanical Improvements

Carnival Cruise Lines' President and CEO Gerry Cahill announced that Carnival Destiny and Carnival Sunshine will extend their time in drydock in order to complete some extensive mechanical improvements in the wake of the Carnival Triumph fire and subsequent operational review.

The ships will remain out of service longer than expected so the line can increase operating redundancies, emergency power and fire prevention, detection and suppression systems. Cahill had announced the fleetwide operational review at announced during last week's Cruise Shipping Miami tradeshow and this announcement comes right on its heels and the mechanical problem on Carnival Liberty which caused the ship to limp back to port.

Carnival Triumph - 10 Additional Cruises Cancelled
Return to Service now June 3rd

Carnival Triumph now will return to service on June 3, with 10 additional cruises being canceled.

The changes they are implementing are focused primarily on improvements to better support continued power and hotel services should unexpected issues arise. In addition, we are applying new learnings and making enhancements in the area of fire suppression and extinguishing.

For more information about the Carnival Triumph fire and subsequent cancellations, see the following article:
Carnival Triumph Additional Cancellations & Compensation

Carnival Sunshine - 2 Cruises Cancelled Return to Service now May 5th

Carnival Sunshine will now complete the full-ship makeover from the former Carnival Destiny, and will enter service May 5, following the cancellation of two European cruises. For more information about the makeover, see Destiny + 49 Days = Sunshine.

In a news release, Cahill apologized for the additional cancellations but said the line is "fully committed to applying the recommendations stemming from our fleetwide review and to make whatever investments are needed despite the difficult position to impact people's vacations."

“Our team of experts has worked virtually around the clock to determine the best set of solutions and rapidly develop an effective implementation plan for both of these ships,” he continued. “Moving forward, we will have the ability to source materials and schedule improvements much more expediently, thus minimizing the scheduling impact on other vessels. I would like to provide continued assurances that all of our vessels have fully effective safety systems, equipment and training in place. Additionally, our ships receive regular inspections from the U.S. Coast Guard and other regulatory authorities.

Compensation Plan

Guests on the canceled voyages will receive a full refund, reimbursement of non-refundable travel costs, and a 25 percent discount on a future cruise.

“Going forward, the review will focus on the balance of our fleet. While this process will take time, it is our highest priority and has the full support and resources of Carnival Cruise Lines and Carnival Corporation,” Cahill said.

Destiny + 49 Days = Sunshine

What happens if you take Carnival Destiny out of service for 49 days?

Destiny Goes In Sunshine Comes Out

Update:  Return to Service now May 5th, 2 European Cruises Cancelled

Carnival Triumph & Sunshine Returns Delayed

Last March we wrote the article above about the $155M project that Carnival Cruise Lines announced which will transform Carnival Destiny into the new Carnival Sunshine. The makeover incorporates all of the line’s “Fun Ship 2.0” dining, bar and entertainment features, as well as a variety of exciting innovations unique to this vessel. (Click on the title above to learn more about the specific changes.)

Highlights:

• A fleet first: Carnival Sunshine's WaterWorks area introduces Speedway Splash, featuring two lanes of long-distance waterslide racing action.
• With a brand-new Cloud 9 Spa, plus 95 brand-new Cloud 9 Spa Staterooms, Carnival Sunshine practically floats on air!
• Carnival Sunshine's Serenity Adults-Only Retreat spans three decks, which means relaxation on a whole new level... or two, actually.
• Hungry for something new? Carnival Sunshine will feature 10 dining venues that are either brand-new or completely redesigned.
• Even with all the added decks, staterooms and fun features, Carnival Sunshine's weight will only grow by about 1% (from 101,353 to 102,853 tons).
• 3,006 passenger capacity, 1,150 onboard crew, 893 length in feet

Click for Carnival Sunshine Sailings

Destiny Goes In Sunshine Comes Out

49 Days + $155m = Sunshine

Carnival Destiny will undergo a $155 million makeover next year that will incorporate all of the line’s “Fun Ship 2.0” dining, bar and entertainment features, as well as a variety of exciting innovations unique to this vessel.

Next February, Carnival Destiny will go into a 49-day dry dock at Fincantieri shipyards. This project represents the most ambitious refit and transformation that Carnival Cruise Line has ever done.

 

During the dry dock, Carnival Destiny will be transformed into Carnival Sunshine, which will emerge from the shipyard with a reconfigured layout, the addition of a partial deck, and the expansion of two other decks within the forward section of the ship.  This transformation  provides the opportunity to incorporate a number of new and exciting on-board spaces. 182 cabins will be added, as well.

Update:  Return to Service now May 5th 2013, 2 European Cruises Cancelled

Carnival Triumph & Sunshine Returns Delayed

Following the dry dock, Carnival Sunshine will embark on a schedule of nine- and 12-day Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona and Venice from April to October 2013 then launch year-round seven-day Caribbean departures from New Orleans beginning November 2013.

“This is our most ambitious ship conversion project to date and it will radically transform the Carnival Destiny into essentially an entirely new ship offering a variety of exciting dining and beverage choices, spectacular outdoor spaces and entertainment options, and on-board innovations not available anywhere else" said Gerry Cahill, Carnival President and CEO.

Fun Ship 2.0 + New Features

• A full-service Asian restaurant inspired by the line’s popular Mongolian wok casual eateries , with no charge for lunch, but a nominal fee for dinner.
• The Comfort Kitchen: Located in the Lido Marketplace, it will offer a tempting array of American-style “comfort food” entrees and side dishes.
• Havana Bar, a tropical-inspired nightspot located aft within Lido Marketplace featuring a panoramic ocean view from its floor to ceiling windows and offering a unique and memorable venue for cocktails, live Latin music and dancing.
• New Sunshine Bar, an elegant lounge with sun-splashed interiors located at the lobby level of the ship’s towering atrium.
• A new cigar bar concept offering fine cigars and a variety of brandies, cognacs and liqueurs, ideal for pre- or post-dinner drinks and conversation.


• Carnival’s first three-deck-high Serenity adults-only retreat, with plush chaise lounges and chairs, a whirlpool, a cascading waterfall, teak-planked decks, a pool and complimentary dining area.
• SportSquare, Carnival Sunshine’s new open-air recreation complex that includes a ropes course, mini-golf course, a lighted half court for basketball and volleyball among other sporting amenities.  

Mediterranean Cruises

• 14-day Venice to Barcelona (Apr 6-23, 2013)
• 9 and 12-day R/T Barcelona or Between Barcelona and Venice (18 voyages)
• Ports include: Marseilles, France; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Livorno (Pisa/Florence) and Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; and Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Transatlantic Cruise

•  16-day departing Barcelona Nov1 arriving New Orleans Nov 17, 2013

Year-round Deployment - New Orleans

• 6-day from New Orleans (Nov 18-24, 2013)
• 7-day schedule begins Nov 24, 2013 (3 different itineraries)
• western Caribbean route to Belize City, Belize; Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, and Cozumel, Mexico
• Bahamas/Florida schedule to Key West, Fla., Freeport and Nassau, The Bahamas
• western Caribbean departures to Montego Bay, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel

Carnival Sunshine will replace Carnival Conquest, which is currently based in New Orleans. Additional details on the Carnival Conquest deployment will be announced in the near future.