Carnival is facing even more problems, but this time it isn't due to a power failure. Several complaints have been made about the revamped Carnival Sunshine.
The Carnival Sunshine, which carries 3,006 passengers, set sail for the first time today after undergoing a two-and-a-half month, $155 million overhaul at a port. While the relaunch should have been something to celebrate, passengers already have several complaints about their cabins and some amenities being closed, like those on the top deck, as they're not yet complete.
According to USA Today, a Carnival spokeswoman, Jennifer de la Cruz said that the ship's new WaterWorks water park and SportsSquare recreational area are still not complete, so this and the ship's main pool, which is having technical issues, are closed even though the ship has set sail. It is on a 12-day Mediterranean cruise out of Venice, Italy, which ends in Barcelona on May 17.
However De La Cruz insisted that these problems are minor and there are still plenty of amenities for guests to enjoy on the 17-year-old ship.
"The (adults-only) Serenity pool, waterfall and adjacent whirlpools are open," she told USA Today, and "all dining venues, bars, lounges, entertainment, spa, youth areas, casino and other public areas of the vessel are operating normally."
The spokeswoman said that the current problems are things that typically occur on new and refurbished ships.
"As is sometimes the case with both new ships and major refurbishments, some minor issues are being reported with guest staterooms and those are being addressed on an individual basis," De la Cruz says.
Carnival Sunshine used to be the Carnival Destiny before the overhaul. The project was one of the biggest for an old ship. The company added a partial deck and expanded two other decks. They also added 182 new cabins and some new restaurants, lounges and top deck amenities.
This ship is a sister ship to the Carnival Triumph which had major issues when an engine room fire left the ship stranded in the Gulf of Mexico in February. Passengers were subject to horrendous conditions as there was no power and the ship had to be towed back to a port in Alabama in a trip that took several days.
Following this incident the overhaul of the Carnival Sunshine was extended so the cruise line could change the engine room and the fire suppression systems.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
