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Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise — Our Carnival Cruise Review

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Last fall I took an 8-day Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Sunshine. The ship was fun and super family-friendly, the ports we stopped at were gorgeous, and the food was amazing! Most cruises are better known for their quantity of food rather than quality, which is why I was super surprised to have some of the best food I have ever eaten on the Carnival Sunshine — not just the best food I’ve ever had on a cruise, but the best food ever! I would totally do another Carnival Sunshine Caribbean cruise just for the food!

If you’re looking for a Caribbean cruise with the best food, take a look below at the fabulous food and restaurants we found aboard the Carnival Sunshine:

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Guy’s Burger Joint

Carnival has teamed up with Food Network personality Guy Fieri to create an authentic roadside burger shack on board the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean cruise. Guy developed these burgers exclusively for Carnival. Guy’s Burger Joint is the poolside spot for fresh-off-the-grill burgers and hand-cut fries. Be sure to stop by the toppings bar to fully customize your burger with all the fixings, and try all the dipping sauces for the fries!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

And you’ve got to try the “Piggy Burger” — topped with a bacon patty!! Best of all, Guys’s Burger Joint is included with the cost of your cruise, so you can eat all the burgers and fries you want! :)

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Ji Ji Asian Kitchen

Ji Ji Asian Kitchen was one of my favorite restaurants on the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean cruise. Everything here was SO good. We got to try a little bit of everything. I am still dreaming about the pot stickers and the Kung Pao chicken!! The menu is huge and there’s a ton to choose from. Honestly you can’t go wrong here!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Pizzeria del Capitano

Get fresh, hot, made-to-order pizza 24 hours a day on the Carnival Sunshine! These hand-tossed pizzas are made with fresh mozzarella, homemade sauces, and a number of toppings to choose from. We ate here several times!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

And who can resist the all-you-can-eat soft serve ice cream?? :) Loved this chocolate and strawberry swirl. I had way too many of these this week! :)

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Cucina del Capitano

Cucina del Capitano was another one of my favorite restaurants on the Carnival Sunshine. The ship’s captains and officers are Italian, and Cucina del Capitano serves Italian-American dishes inspired by their favorite recipes from their childhood.

What to order:

For an appetizer, the arancini is a must. For an entree, the carbonara and the chicken parmesan are amazing!!! And for dessert, I LOVED the lemon sorbet and the tiramisu!

Wish I could go back here right now!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Shake Spot

Artisan, handcrafted milkshakes and indulgent floats galore! Loved this fun sweet shop!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Seaday Brunch

Brunch is my favorite meal of the day! And I like to sleep in, so I love that the Seaday Brunch on the Carnival Sunshine is served late! :) But it’s also open early for you early riser weirdos. I’m talking to you, Kevin. ;)  xoxo

The Seaday Brunch has a fabulous menu with a wide variety of breakfast and lunch options.

How seriously fun is this Froot Loop French Toast?? :)

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

And if lunch is your thing, how decadent is this mac and cheese?? :)

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast

On the last day at sea, celebrate with a fun Dr. Seuss character breakfast on the Carnival Sunshine!! The dining room and tables are decorated in bright colors and patterns with fun and unique menus. All the food is fun and funky!! You can even order green eggs and ham!

Plus the stars of Dr. Seuss and the Cat in the Hat are around for special photo opportunities and fun interactions. Definitely a meal to remember!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

How fun are these Cat in the Hat pancakes?! :)

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse is perfect for a special occasion. Enjoy premium cuts of beef cooked to your exact specifications, as well as a fantastic selection of seafood, entrées, gourmet appetizers and an extensive wine list.

I got the Lobster Ravioli with shrimp scampi, lobster bisque, a baked potato, and for dessert, this heavenly cheesecake. So good!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

The Chef’s Table

Dining at The Chef’s Table was an amazing experience. If you are a foodie, you have to do this! You’ll be treated like a VIP with a multi-course dinner hosted by one of the ship’s master chefs. The full-service dinner includes unique appetizers, entrees and desserts not found on the regular dining menus. You even get to take a tour of the ships galleys and kitchens!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Alchemy Bar

The mixology specialists at Alchemy Bar will create a signature cocktail just for you! Choose from both nonalcoholic and alcoholic elixirs. You can even create your own custom concoction from a variety of unique ingredients! Definitely a fun experience!


Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise Islands & Excursions

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

St. Martin

Now let’s talk about the beaches! We went to 4 different islands on our Carnival Sunshine Caribbean cruise. The first one was St. Martin.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

My favorite part of St. Martin was sitting on the beach and watching the planes come in at Maho Beach.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

I loved the beaches in St. Martin. Such beautiful, warm, clear water!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

This is Maho Beach, where the planes were landing.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

I could’ve sat out here all day and listened to the waves crashing against the rocks.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Coming in for landing!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

We sailed away at sunset, just as the sun dipped below the ocean.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

St. Kitts

Next up was St. Kitts!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

We booked a snorkeling excursion in St. Kitts. We got to take a catamaran ride out to a secluded bay and explore an abandoned ship wreck!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Watching the sunset from the ship every night was one of the highlights of the day.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

San Juan

Our next stop was Puerto Rico. We spent the day exploring Old Town San Juan.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

When I saw this gourmet popsicle shop I knew we had to stop!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Grand Turk

Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos) was one of my favorite beaches.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

We took a cab out to Pillory Beach and spent the day lounging in the sun. It honestly looked straight out of a postcard.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

The water was amazing!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Such a fun day in the Caribbean!

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

The sunsets on the ship were incredible.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

Always my favorite part of a cruise.

Review of the ship, ports, excursions, food, and restaurants aboard the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean Cruise.

If you’ve been considering a Caribbean cruise, and want to go on one with fabulous food, I highly recommend the Carnival Sunshine Caribbean cruise! The food is amazing and the beaches are gorgeous. You can’t go wrong with that combo!

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23 Responses
  1. Lisa Absher

    Going on cruise in 8 days Feb 3 2019 can’t wait first time on sunshine 2nd time with carnival hope it will be awesome I will let you know when I return can’t wait!!!

  2. Jodi Holden

    We just returned a few days ago from an 8 day cruise on the Sunshine and to be very honest we weren’t at all impressed. We found the ship to be very dirty and the staff not very friendly. We’ve cruised with Carnival many of times on their different ships and this was the worst one. We weren’t impressed!!

  3. Mike James

    My daughter ,son in law and I are going in April 2018. It is our first cruise so I am reviewing a lot of comments. You made that food look amazing and making me want April to get here sooner!! LOL! Thx!

  4. Diane

    My Husband and I are going on the Sunshine in May. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the heads up. We have been on other Carnival Cruises and the food seems to all be the same. Looking forward.

  5. Stefanie

    What beautiful photos! You should try the Norwegian Getaway next. They have amazing specialty restaurants and all the food is amazing too

  6. Leigha

    Oh wow! I have never cruised with Carnival before but we might have to book one to try out those food! They look absolutely delicious.

    1. Gloria Carlisle

      Went on the Sunshine, it’s the best ship ever,best food and the best entertainment, going again on the Sunshine next year in October . I have been on 7 different Ships, hands down the Sunshine is the best ship i’ve been on

  7. Charley

    WOW! This is the best food I have ever seen on a cruise. We have 26 under our belts (literally). We are going on Celebrity Summit out of San Juan soon. As usual, can’t wait!

  8. Sheila MacLeod

    Amanda, Great photos you took! It’s looks beautiful there. You certainly have me interested in booking that cruise in the future. One thing I’d love to know….with all of the fabulous photos of food you post, how in the world do you stay slender??? Do you eat the whole item or just a couple nibbles? Love seeing all of your adventures~

  9. Anupriya Basu

    Wow! The pictures look so delicious! I am going to book with them soon, just for the food! Although I can’t explain how much I loved those pristine beaches.

  10. Kara @ K&R Adventures

    I LOVE to sleep in too, but my husband is also one of those early-riser weirdos!!
    We enjoy a good cruise too, but being foodies tend to travel on ships that are known for their cuisine – I’m looking at you Disney – so it’s good to know there are new foodie cruise options out there now. We have loved cruising with Disney though. Makes you feel like a big kid again! :)

    1. Judy Snow

      You will have a blast. Mikey, the cruise director, is so much fun!! Also, our dinner host/waiter, Rotel, was awesome!  Best cruise ever! 

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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