We just got back from my favorite vacation that the 4 of us have ever taken! We did an almost 2-week cruise through South America and the Caribbean on the Carnival Sunshine! I’m going to cover a lot on this post: what a normal at sea day looks like for us, food and entertainment on the ship, Carnival’s Camp Ocean, and 3 of the 6 ports we visited. I already shared about one of our ports, Bonaire here Blissful and Breathtaking Bonaire. I will share about another port in the future too as well as a post about my cruise tips/hacks.
We boarded the ship and immediately started unpacking and decorated our door. I’ve always loved how people decorate their stateroom doors. This cruise I decided to join in on the fun and I also thought it would be easier for the kids to find our door…it was. I bought these from StudioSeabyMe on Etsy and LOVE them! The owner is so sweet! We received many compliments. 🙂 I kept the decorations to use on future cruises too!
What a Normal Day at Sea Looks Like for Us
I have to admit before we had kids and had a lot more energy, days at sea weren’t always my favorite. However, in time I’ve learned how to appreciate these days! They make you relax because you can’t leave the ship. Now, I LOVE LOVE LOVE days at sea! A normal day at sea for us with the kids consists of room service for breakfast then we do an activity in the Sports Square like miniature golf or swimming in WaterWorks prior to Camp Ocean opening.
We drop the kiddos off at Camp Ocean (more to come on that) which they just adore!
Judd and I go to the pool or Serenity Retreat (3 story pool deck that’s adults only) to relax until lunch time!
One day we did the ropes course which was really fun!
We pick up the kiddos and eat lunch.
The kiddos and one of us (usually Judd, thanks babe) goes back to the room for a nap while I go back to hang out in the sun.
Once the kiddos are up, it’s time to get ready for the evening! About half the time we eat dinner together but honestly, the kids would rather eat with their friends at Camp Carnival, so Judd and I go to dinner and enjoy the evening entertainment on the ship (more to come on this too). Then it’s time for bed!
Camp Ocean
I really can’t write enough about Camp Ocean; we are so impressed! I did a LOT of research on Camp Ocean prior to booking this cruise because I am definitely over protective of my kids. I was impressed by everything: the activities, the set-up, the staff which has to be highly trained and goes through extensive background checks, and their policies.
They have a daily schedule that looks something like this!
It is filled with the sweetest staff that loved our kids! Everything was VERY clean, in fact they close down for a little bit on most days just to clean. We felt so safe leaving Camden and Ella there. They also give parents a phone and they will call with updates or you can even call! I didn’t take a ton of pictures because there were other kids in the area and I didn’t get their parents’ permission to post pictures. 🙂
They provide so much entertainment. My kids had way more fun with them compared to us, haha! They had dance parties, they did tons of crafts, they played games, watched movies, and had themed parties!
Look at all these crafts they made! This isn’t even all of them!
If you’re like me and research everything. I found this information very helpful: Camp Ocean, Youth Program, Penguins (group my kiddos were in), Night Owls (we didn’t use this but I heard great things), and meals (below is Camden and Ella eating with their friends and the Camp Ocean Staff).
We even got to go on two excursions by ourselves, they watched our kiddos!
Food
I am a foodie! One of my favorite things about cruising is the food. Carnival Sunshine really outdid themselves and should be really proud!
Breakfast
I’ll be honest, we’re not huge breakfast people so we get room service every morning. We love this because we can start the morning off just the four of us in our pajamas!
However, on the last at sea day, we went to the Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast and had a great time! It’s only $5 a person so to do this, so worth it!
Camden and Ella wore their Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes from Halloween.
The entire dining room was decorated for the event and it was ADORABLE!
The menu was super cute and the food was really tasty and was designed to go with the theme! We were really impressed! How cute are these dishes?
The characters even came out for a visit!
Lunch
For lunch, we either hit the Lido Marketplace (main buffet), Guy’s Burger Joint (my favorite), or Blue Iguana Cantina for tacos! They also have a create your own stir fry and pasta by the Havana Bar, we did that a few times!
I wish I had gotten a picture but Carnival has really stepped up on the desserts especially at lunch! They had an amazing cake section every day where a server would cut pieces for you, it was some of the best cake I’ve ever had!
Ella ate her weight in bread on this cruise. 😉 She kept telling us how good the bread was, haha!
Dinner
I was so impressed by the dinner options on Carnival Sunshine! You can eat the buffet (we never do for dinner), the main dining room, or pay a little extra and eat at Cucina del Capitano (Italian), JiJi Asian Kitchen, or Fahrenheit 555 (steakhouse). This is the first time we did anything other than the main dining room for dinner and we had a great experience!
In the main dining room, I usually get a Caesar salad, an appetizer, one of the main dishes, and then a dessert (LOVE the Melting Cake) and a cheese plate (you can also request to take this back to your room for a late snack)! Everything is always delicious!
Fahrenheit 555 is out of this world delicious! I’m pretty sure I could eat there every night, haha!
Cucina del Capitano made us feel like we were back in Italy! Everything was fresh and homemade! We loved this one too!
JiJi Asian Kitchen was Judd’s favorite! It was tasty and just really fun to try different dishes!
Behind the Scenes
I was invited to a Chef’s Tasting and a behind the scenes tour while I was there! The food was amazing and the information was very interesting! I learned so much about how the food is prepared, how everything is handled, and how the menu is selected. I was shocked by how much food these cruise ships hold and how much food is made every day! This cruise spent over $400,000 in food alone!
Entertainment
Another reason why I love Carnival so much is I love the entertainment they provide especially in the evenings! On a normal day, there are 4 different times to see a comedian at The Punchliner Comedy Club, there is always a movie playing that you watch under the stars with popcorn and blankets, they usually have one big show a night. On our cruise we were so lucky to see a hypnotist, the Love and Marriage Show, a mentalist, and a Christmas show (my kids were even in it!). We had an absolute blast!!
Watching movies under the stars with popcorn is my favorite!
Judd was pulled up on stage to be hypnotized.
Camden and Ella loved all the music on the ship and were constantly dancing!
My kiddos participated in the Dr. Seuss Parade and story time and many other Seuss at Sea activities!
This is from the Christmas show! Ella stole the show and sat on the Cruise Director Mikey’s lap for most of the show.
They finished the show by seeing Santa!
We sent letters to Santa one afternoon.
The ship also has an amazing spa and gym (if you’re crazy and like to work out on vacation ;-))
Staff
With this being a journey cruise (a longer cruise), we really got to know the staff. I have SOO much respect for the Carnival Sunshine crew. They were nice, hard working, and all around good people! I have to especially thank Camp Ocean (Claudia, Emma, Rebecca, Hazel, Mary Joy, Hanna, Marko, Dyna, Cassia, Joanna, Billy Jean, Maria, and Alejanadra) for taking such good care of my kiddos. My kiddos had the time of their life thanks to you! A huge thanks to our room steward, Budiarta and his sweet assistant! Dragana, our floor supervisor! They made sure we had everything we needed! The wait staff was incredible! A BIG thanks to our favorite server Ivan from Ukraine! He always told us the best dishes and made sure we got out in time for our evening entertainment. I should have taken more pictures of the staff but I completely forgot!
This is Miss Claudia and Miss Hazel! We adored both of them!!
St. Thomas
The first port that we stopped at is one of my favorites and one that we’ve been to several times, St. Thomas. You can find out about our first time going there here. This time we decided to go to Magens Bay which is rated one of the prettiest beaches in the world, year after year! I was told Oprah has a house here too! A taxi from the cruise port was $8 per person and then you pay $5 per person admission to the beach (kids are free). We rented 2 chairs and umbrellas from the Magens Bay Beach Bar and had a great experience! The staff was so friendly and they set up our umbrella and chairs for us!
It was a very relaxing day!
Turks and Caicos
Judd and I booked an excursion just the two of us to go snorkeling on this day! It was BEAUTIFUL! The water was so clear and there were beautiful fish and colorful coral everywhere.
We snorkeled at two different sites and then a boat dropped us off at the beach where we ate lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon.
Princess Cays
Our final port was Princess Cays. This was our first time here and it was great! This is a private island that is run by the cruise line! We rented a cabana and a float, and spent the day relaxing, eating and playing on the beach with the kids!
You can read about our time in Bonaire here! I will be writing about Aruba after Christmas.
Overall
I know I am forgetting a million things about this cruise! If I think of more, I will come back and add to this! Overall, we had the best family vacation and it was a great way to end 2019. Thanks for an amazing vacation, Carnival! If interested, you can find more about our ship, Carnival Sunshine here. If you’re considering a cruise with your kids, do it! I’m telling you, we all had so much fun together, the kids had an amazing time at Camp Ocean, and Judd and I had time just the two of us! So far, we’ve taken at least one cruise a year since we’ve gotten married and we don’t plan to stop! We will continue cruising through life one port at a time. 😉
Stephanie S.
This cruise looks like so much fun! It sounds like you all had an amazing time. I’ve never been on a cruise, so maybe I’ll look into going on one in the future with my family. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Brianna
It was a blast! I hope you get to experience one! Let me know if you have any questions!
Bill Sweeney
Our family loves going on cruises. We particularly like the Carnival cruises and the destinations they go to. The activities for the whole family are one of the many things we like.
Brianna
I agree! Carnival is always such a fun time!!
Audrey McClelland
I just love your photos of your family’s cruise experience! Going on a cruise is one our favorite ways to connect as a family and enjoy a host of fun activities
Brianna
It’s one of ours too! Thanks so much!
Jayne Wise
What an amazing trip! Perfect for parents with kids. Thank you for sharing!!!
Jayne Wise
What an amazing trip! Perfect for parents with kids. Hoping to do this someday ♥️ Thank you for sharing!!!
Brianna
Thanks so much, Jayne! It was a great trip!
Ntensibe Edgar Michael
My God….Brianna, you are now one of my favourite bloggers! That’s because of your deliberate choice of enjoying “enjoyment (life)” after enjoyment! It’s cruise after cruise and with the way you put, no one misses out on the fun. How do you even do it? I would definitely enjoy myself at this cruise….most especially, the rope-course.
Brianna
Aww that is so sweet, thank you so much!! We’re all about enjoying life to the fullest!
AscendingButterfly
I am still very much a Cruise virgin, I love to travel, but have always flown to my destinations. I experienced sea sickness once on a Whale Watching Excursion, and it has made me a bit nervous about trying out a full blown cruise. I am going to have to bring a suitcase full of Dramamine! I love the look on your daughter’s face going down the waterslide, priceless! 🙂
Brianna
I am the same way! I get really seasick but as long as I take Dramamine (I pack a lot), I am fine!
Stacie
We love to go on Cruises. We’ve been with almost all the major cruise lines, and while they all have great things to offer, our best experiences tend to have been with Carnival.
Brianna
Carnival does a great job! It’s always a fun time!
Rosey
I have always had mixed feelings about a cruise. I do think we will end up taking one though. The benefits seem to be huge.
Brianna
I think you will absolutely love it!
Colleen
Of all the traveling we do – and we do a lot – cruising always tends to be the most fun. We love watching the water, playing on the ship, and then hitting the excursions.
Brianna
I agree! It’s so fun waking up at a new port!
Jenna
This sounds like a wonderful trip! Looks like lots of memories were made!
Brianna
Thanks, Jenna!
jk
This looks like heaven – especially for the kids. I’d love to take a cruise.
Brianna
It was heaven for all of us, didn’t want to leave!
Matt Taylor
So jealous!! Someday I will get to go on a cruise. haha. Thanks for sharing so many awesome photos! It was as if I was there. 🙂
Brianna
I hope you get to go on one!!
melissa chapman
Looks like you had ana mazing trip on board and off. It is so good when you have that camp and get a little adult and kids time.
Brianna
I agree! Made the trip so much more relaxing!
Heather
It looks and sounds like you guys had a blast. This makes me want to go on another, longer cruise with my family!
Brianna
I hope you get too!! They are so much fun!
Amber Myers
How fun. I do hope I can go on a cruise one day. I know I will love it.
Brianna
I hope you can too! You will love it.
Mitch Chaitin
Wow, you l look like you made the most of this excellent cruise! I want to book a Carnival cruise right now, I love character pictures as well!
Brianna
It was a great cruise! I love Carnival!
Sarah Bailey
A cruise is something I would love to do one day. This looks like such a fun ship to go on as well for all the family.
Serena
Carnival knows how to teuly do it. Wonderful pictures and recap of the great time you all had.
Kathy
That looks like so much fun. I have always wanted to go on a cruise. I just know my family would love it. We are hoping a cruise is what we can do next.
Theresa
I have never been on a cruise, but my gosh it looks like such a blast! It’s nice to know that they offer up so many activities that the whole family can enjoy. And only $5 each for the Things breakfast? What a steal! I loved your pics. I felt like I was cruising along with you!
Lisa Favre
I have never been on a cruise before and didn’t realize how kid-friendly they could be! That’s really reassuring and now I totally want to go on one!
katrina Kroeplin
looks like you guys had a great time. i hope to get on a cruise this next year. my health didn’t let me this year.
Brandy
That looks like such a fun family vacation. There is so much to do and experience. Your schedule sounds pretty reasonable too, I love that you can trust Camp Ocean with your kids. I don’t know if I could do that. Sounds like you enjoyed your two-week cruise.
Ice Cream n Sticky Fingers DFW Parenting/LIfestyle
I’ve been on a cruise and I have always dreamed of going again. I’m hoping that I can take my kids one of these days. I cruised on Carnival out of Galveston and it was a blast.
Jenn @ EngineerMommy
I’m curious about going on a cruise. My cousins have been on so many but I’ve had mixed feelings about them. It does look like you all had fun!
Janelle M
OMG. Now THIS is what I call a vacation. Yay!! Looks soooooo amazing!! I always wanted to take my girls on a cruise.
Melanie Walsh
It looks like the perfect vacation! My kids would love to take advantage of the programs just for them. Knowing that they are entertained and having a blast makes it so much easier to relax. Hope to cruise again soon.
rika
I have never been on a cruise! It sounds like you had a great time with your family!
Elicitfolio
This looks like an amazing vacation! I love how the rooms were pre-decorated!
Beth
Oh wow, it looks like your family had so much fun! I’m glad to see that they have so many family-friendly activities. I bet no one ever says “I’m bored,” on one of those cruises.
Terri Steffes
How fun! I think it’s awesome that your kids had loads of fun during the cruise. Nothing like having them experience something like this.
Jona Shares
Oh woooow! Indeed such a great and memorable experience with your family! I am looking forward to have this with my future kids too!
Clarice
Happy to know that you had a wonderful trip. My husband and I are planning to go on a Caribbean cruise and would love to learn more about Carnival Sunshine. Thank you for sharing this post. Love the interiors especially Mr. Potato head. It looks so fun.
Jhentea
This looks so much fun! I was really hoping to experience this kind of trip! And this was perfect for the whole family. Love this blog.
WanderlustBeautyDreams
Looks like a great family trip and you guys had a blast. I never been on a cruise before!
writing-help.org/blog/personhood-and-personal-identity-ethics-essay
I think that it is a wonderful idea to start my first journey. And it will probably begin with this destination point. Awesome adventures described.
Marysa
It looks like you had an amazing vacation. I love how you decorated your door. I’ve never heard of that before, but it is such a neat idea, especially when you have younger kids.
Brianna
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to get back to cruising again!