Cruise ships · Carnival
Carnival Sunshine
Carnival · Sunshine Class
What it's like
- A big ship: steadier than most smaller ships, though you may feel some movement in rough water.
- Less room per guest than most ships, so expect busier pool decks and more lines at peak times.
- Built 1996, refurbished 2013.
- A kids' club for families, plus adults-only space for a quieter escape.
Highlights: Three-deck high Serenity area (with custom waterfall), massive WaterWorks setup, ropes course
At a glance
- Size
- 102,853 gross tons (Large)
- Guests (two per cabin)
- 3,002
- Space per guest
- 34.3 gross tons per guest (the middle half of ships: 37–42)
- Built
- 1996
- Last major refurbishment
- 2013
- Cabins
- 1,501 (565 interior, 320 ocean view, 562 balcony, 54 suites)
- Included restaurants
- 6
- Specialty restaurants (extra charge)
- 5
- Bars and lounges
- 10
- Casino
- Yes
- Kids' club
- Yes
- Adults-only area
- Yes
- Spa
- Yes
Where it sails
- From Barcelona · Mediterranean (route varies) · May–Sep · 7–12 nights
- From Norfolk · Bahamas · Bermuda · Apr–Oct · 5–8 nights
- From Port Canaveral · Bahamas · Caribbean (route varies) · Nov–Mar · 4–5 nights
Routes and seasons, not live availability. We look up real sailings and prices for you.
Where to book your cabin
What's above and around the cabins on the decks where location matters most, read by our team from Carnival's official deck plan. Look up your cabin number.
Already booked Carnival Sunshine? Check your cabin and get a free report.
Deck 1: the lowest cabin deck
| Cabins | Where | What's above, below and beside | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1401–1459 | Forward | Cabins above | Quiet; forward, so some pitching in rough seas |
| 1460–1463 | Forward | Beside the forward elevators | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 1464–1547 | Forward-midship | Cabins above | Quiet, low in the ship |
| 1548–1557 | Midship | Beside the middle elevators | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 1558–1597 | Midship | Cabins above | Quiet, low and central: the steadiest kind of cabin |
| 1598–1609 | Aft-midship | Beside the aft elevators | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 1610–1641 | Aft | Cabins above | Quiet; some engine vibration this far aft and this low |
Deck 2: under the Lobby deck (cabins forward, atrium, dining rooms, galley)
| Cabins | Where | What's above, below and beside | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2101–2163 | Forward | Cabins (deck 3, 3101–3143) above | Quiet; forward, so some pitching |
| 2164–2165 | Forward | Beside the forward elevators; cabins (deck 3, 3101–3143) above | Hallway traffic by the elevators; quiet; forward, so some pitching |
| 2166–2171 | Forward | Beside the forward elevators | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 2172–2181 | Forward-midship | The Sunshine Atrium bar above | Music above in the evening |
| 2182–2249 | Midship | Sunset Dining Room above | Meal-time noise above |
| 2250–2257 | Midship | Beside the middle elevators | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 2258–2296 | Aft-midship | The galley (main kitchen) above | Early-morning and late-evening kitchen work above |
| 2297 | Aft-midship | Beside the aft elevators; the galley (main kitchen) above | Hallway traffic by the elevators; early-morning and late-evening kitchen work above |
| 2298–2305 | Aft | Beside the aft elevators; galley above | Hallway traffic; kitchen work above |
| 2306–2341 | Aft | Sunrise Dining Room above | Meal-time noise above; some vibration |
| 2342–2353 | Very aft | Sunrise Dining Room above; the aft-facing cabins look over the wake | Wake views; meal-time noise above; vibration |
Deck 3 (Lobby): forward cabins
| Cabins | Where | What's above, below and beside | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3101–3143 | Forward | The lower level of the Liquid Lounge (theater) above on deck 4 | Show sound above into the late evening |
Deck 5 (Promenade): aft cabins
| Cabins | Where | What's above, below and beside | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5301–5306 | Aft | Ocean Plaza, RedFrog Pub and Alchemy Bar just forward on this deck | Live music next door into the night |
| 5307–5347 | Aft | The Sunrise Dining Room below on deck 4; cabins above | Meal-time noise below; some vibration |
Deck 6: over deck 5 (Liquid Lounge, casino, Ocean Plaza, bars)
| Cabins | Where | What's below (deck 5) and around | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6101–6106 | Very forward | Non-public areas | Quiet below; the most pitching |
| 6107–6169 (all rows) | Forward | Liquid Lounge (main theater) | Show noise in the evenings |
| 6170–6185 | Forward-midship | Forward elevators and the Sunshine Atrium | Atrium music below; convenient |
| 6186–6202 (even), 6209–6227 (odd) | Midship | The Fun Shops, Skybox Sports Bar, Cherry on Top, Warehouse Arcade | Sports-bar and arcade noise below |
| 6202–6256 (even), 6227–6281 (odd) and inside 6187–6207 (odd) | Midship | Sunshine Casino and Casino Bar | Casino noise below, late into the night |
| 6258–6270 (even), 6283–6295 (odd) | Midship-aft | Middle elevators; JavaBlue Café and Shake Spot | Convenient; daytime traffic |
| 6272–6306 (even), 6297–6333 (odd) | Aft-midship | Ocean Plaza (dance floor and live music), RedFrog Pub, Alchemy Bar | Live-music and bar noise below, into the night |
| 6308–6378 (even), 6335–6379 (odd) (aft rows and aft-facing) | Aft | Cabins (5302–5347) | Quiet below; aft, so some vibration |
| 6308, 6310, 6312, 6335, 6337 | Aft | Beside the elevators; cabins (5302–5347) | Hallway traffic by the elevators; quiet below; aft, so some vibration |
Deck 7: over deck 6, under deck 8
| Cabins | Where | What's above, below and beside | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7101–7106 | Very forward | Cabins below; the front cabins look out over the bow | The most pitching |
| 7107–7163 | Forward | Cabins above and below | Quiet; forward, so some pitching |
| 7164–7165 | Forward | Beside the forward elevators; cabins above and below | Hallway traffic by the elevators; quiet; forward, so some pitching |
| 7166–7171 | Forward | Beside the forward elevators and the top of the Sunshine Atrium | Hallway traffic; some atrium sound |
| 7174–7233 | Midship | Cabins above and below | Quiet; the steadiest part of the ship |
| 7172–7173 | Midship | Beside the forward elevators; cabins above and below | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 7234–7243 | Midship | Beside the middle elevators | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 7244, 7246–7285, 7287 | Aft-midship | Cabins above and below | Quiet |
| 7245, 7286 | Aft-midship | Beside the elevators; cabins above and below | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 7288–7297 | Aft | Beside the aft elevators | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 7298–7321 | Aft | Cabins above and below | Quiet; some engine vibration this far aft |
| 7322–7331 | Very aft | The stern; the aft-facing cabins look over the wake | Wake views; vibration |
Deck 8: under Lido deck 9
| Cabins | Where | What's above (deck 9) and around | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8101–8153, 8168–8191 | Forward to midship | Cabins (9101–9221) | Quiet above |
| 8154–8167 | Forward to midship | Beside the forward elevators; cabins (9101–9221) | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 8192–8222 (even), 8193–8225 (odd) and inside 8194–8225 | Midship | Beach Pool deck, BlueIguana Tequila Bar (port), RedFrog Rum Bar (starboard) | Pool-deck noise by day, chairs at dawn; best midship spot for motion |
| 8224–8248 (even), 8227–8251 (odd) and inside 8226–8245 | Midship | BlueIguana Cantina (port), Guy's Burger Joint (starboard); middle elevators | Food-counter noise at meal times |
| 8250–8296 (even), 8253–8299 (odd) and inside 8266–8297 | Midship-aft | Lido Marketplace (the buffet), Pizzeria del Capitano, The Deli | Early-morning setup noise and meal-time bustle |
| 8250, 8253, 8296, 8299 | Midship-aft | Beside the elevators; lido Marketplace (the buffet), Pizzeria del Capitano, The Deli | Hallway traffic by the elevators; early-morning setup noise and meal-time bustle |
| 8298–8337 (aft rows and aft-facing) | Aft | Cucina del Capitano, Asian Kitchen and Havana Bar | Dining and bar noise above, into the night; some vibration |
| 8298–8303, 8307 | Aft | Beside the aft elevators; cucina del Capitano, Asian Kitchen and Havana Bar | Hallway traffic by the elevators; dining and bar noise above, into the night; some vibration |
Deck 9 (Lido): forward cabins
| Cabins | Where | What's above, below and beside | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9101–9135 | Very forward | Cabins below; nothing above on the plan | Front views; the most pitching |
| 9136–9187 | Forward | Cabins (deck 10) above and below | Quiet; forward, so some pitching |
| 9188–9193 | Forward | Beside the forward elevators | Convenient; hallway traffic |
| 9194–9221 | Forward-midship | The Beach Pool, BlueIguana Tequila Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar just aft | Pool and bar noise by day into the evening |
Deck 10 (Spa): Cloud 9 Spa cabins
| Cabins | Where | What's above, below and beside | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10101–10113, 10115, 10117–10128, 10130 | Forward | Cloud 9 Spa, thermal suites and salon beside; the Fitness Center just forward | Quiet; some early gym traffic |
| 10114, 10116, 10129, 10131 | Forward | Beside the forward elevators; Cloud 9 Spa, thermal suites and salon beside; the Fitness Center just forward | Hallway traffic by the elevators; quiet; some early gym traffic |
| 10132–10139 | Forward-midship | Beside the elevators; the Carnival Seaside Theater big screen and WaterWorks just aft | Hallway traffic; outdoor-movie and water-park noise |
Deck 11 (Serenity & SportSquare): forward cabins
| Cabins | Where | What's above, below and beside | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11001–11019, 11021, 11026, 11028–11030, 11032–11035 | Forward | The Serenity adults-only pool deck just aft on this deck; spa cabins below | Daytime lounger and pool noise nearby; high and forward, so more motion |
| 11020, 11022–11025, 11027, 11031 | Forward | Beside the elevators; the Serenity adults-only pool deck just aft on this deck; spa cabins below | Hallway traffic by the elevators; daytime lounger and pool noise nearby; high and forward, so more motion |
Deck 12: forward cabins
| Cabins | Where | What's above, below and beside | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12001–12027 | Forward | The upper Serenity deck just aft; cabins below | Daytime lounger noise nearby; high and forward, so more motion |
General tips for any ship
- For the least motion, choose a cabin low and in the middle of the ship (midship), near the central elevators.
- For quiet, avoid cabins directly under the pool deck, buffet, theater or nightclub, and right beside the elevators or service areas.
- Cabins at the very front feel the most pitching in rough seas; cabins at the very back can feel some vibration from the engines.
- Some balcony cabins have partly blocked views (lifeboats, for example); the deck plan marks them, so check before you book.
For the exact layout, see the official deck plan for Carnival Sunshine on Carnival's website ↗.
Sister ships
Built to the same design (Sunshine Class), so they feel very similar on board:
Ship facts from our research, checked 2026-09-14. Spot something out of date? Let us know and we'll fix it.