Carnival Sunrise: A Bright & Shiny Onboard Experience

Last week I had the pleasure to cruise on Carnival Sunrise’s first sailing from her Fall/Winter homeport of Port Everglades, Florida. The 101,509 GRT ship underwent a $200 million transformation in early 2019 and the improvements are noticeable throughout. Originally launched in 1999 as the Carnival Triumph, the vessel spent two months in dry dock receiving upgrades to her dining, activities, entertainment and even the addition of 115 new staterooms and suites. Accommodations If you’re looking for something different than your typical stateroom, during the dry dock, Carnival added several new room categories. These include three Scenic Ocean View and two Scenic Grand Ocean View rooms each offering floor-to-ceiling panoramic forward-facing windows, two Captain’s Suites perched one deck above the port and starboard side bridge wings and featuring bedding for 5 guests, separate master bedroom, two bathrooms, living room with a wall of windows and massive balcony with forward, side and aft views. There are also brand-new Cloud 9 Spa staterooms that offer a special decor, Elemis bath amenities and access to the ships thermal suite. One thing that I really appreciate is that before the dry dock, while ship was still in service, Carnival took the opportunity to systematically refurbish every stateroom and suite onboard. I’m not talking just new carpet and curtains either, the accommodations look new from top to bottom and resemble rooms on Carnival’s newest ships with new LED lighting, 4 USB ports (2 on desk, 2 near bed), new furnishings and cabinetry, large flat screen television with a selection of free On-Demand movies, plus completely refurbished bathroom. Dining Carnival is known for having the most included dining options onboard their ships and the Sunrise does not disappoint. Even the most picky eaters will find something to enjoy from the daily menu selections in the main dining room and expansive lido marketplace buffet including The Deli and new addition Lucky Bowl, where you can get made-to-order bowls. Unfortunately, while the food is delicious, Carnival replaced one of my favorites spots, Mongolian Wok with this new offering. Other popular complimentary venues include Guy’s Burger Joint, with some of the best burgers at sea, BlueIguana Cantina, serving great burritos, huevos rancheros and arepas during breakfast and burritos and tacos for lunch, plus an awesome salsa bar, Pizzeria del Capitano with five varieties of pizza by the slice (or get a whole pizza delivered anywhere onboard for $5), and Pasta Bella Pasta Bar (located inside Cucina del Capitano), for made to order pasta dishes during lunch. Also not to miss is Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse, dishing up platefuls of down-home barbecue faves like pulled pork, bbq chicken, beef brisket and sides like baked beans, collard greens and mac and cheese. Take the time to enjoy a leisurely meal with offerings like steak and eggs, eggs benedict, burgers, pasta and many others at the SeaDay Brunch, served in the aft Sunshine Restaurant on sea days only of course. For something a little different, Carnival Sunrise has several specialty dining offerings. Bonsai Sushi (a la carte pricing) serves the freshest sushi, sashimi and bowls for lunch on sea days and dinner every evening. Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse ($38 pp), is an intimate spot to enjoy a variety of appetizers, USDA prime steaks, seafood and shareable sides, plus an extensive wine selection and great desserts. My recommendation is to experience the "Art at Your Table" dessert presentation. Cucina del Capitano ($15) serves classic regional Italian dishes with large portions and including favorites like chicken parmigiana, veal scaloppini, branzino, risotto and pastas along with appetizers and sides served family-style. Open daily for lunch, Seafood Shack (a la carte pricing) located near the aft pool, has a menu of the freshest seafood with casual choices like fried clams and shrimp, clam chowder, lobster rolls, crab cakes