If you take one look at Carnival’s oldest and newest cruise ship, you can easily see how cruise ship design has evolved over the last few decades. While traditional ships were built to be smaller and offer a more simple onboard experience, modern-day vessels are massive, floating resorts.
Recently, I sailed on Carnival’s oldest ship in its fleet, Carnival Sunshine, on a quick weekend sailing from Charleston, South Carolina. Carnival Sunshine was first built in 1996, making her older than other Fantasy Class ships.
This wasn’t actually my first time on the cruise ship, either. My family sailed on Carnival Sunshine in 2010 when she was Carnival Destiny, which was her original name when she was built. The cruise was less-than-impressive with long lines and mediocre food, especially compared to Royal Caribbean.
A few years later, the ship underwent one of the cruise line’s biggest refits in history. The $155 million drydock refurbished the ship completely. Carnival Destiny was gutted down to her hull before reemerging as a like-new vessel with a new name: Carnival Sunshine. With new entertainment and dining options, along with refreshed staterooms and public spaces, Carnival Sunshine started her new life as a more modern vessel.
Earlier this year, I also sailed onboard Carnival Jubilee, which is the brand-new mega-ship in Carnival’s innovative Excel Class. The Texas-sized cruise ship is packed with state-of-the-art amenities and features. There’s nothing quite like sailing on a ship that was just built. Much like driving a new car, everything feels fresh, modern, and revolutionary.
I’ve sailed on many of the oldest and newest ships in the cruise industry, including vessels from Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line. After sailing on Carnival’s oldest and newest cruise ship, I was truly surprised by the stark differences between the two vessels.
Although there are expected obvious differences given Carnival Sunshine’s age, some aspects of the onboard experience were worse than I anticipated. Here are the most surprising differences between Carnival’s 27-year-old ship and its newest vessel, Carnival Jubilee.
Overview
Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Jubilee are more different than they are alike. While the fun atmosphere is embedded in both onboard experiences, many differences are striking. To start, the size between the two cruise ships is one of the most obvious differences; however, both are historic in their own way.
Carnival Sunshine - then Carnival Destiny - was the first cruise ship to exceed 100,000 gross tonnage, which was a groundbreaking achievement in 1996. No cruise ship had ever measured this tonnage before. At 101,000 gross tons, Carnival Destiny was the biggest passenger cruise ship in the world at the time. She held this coveted title for two years!
In fact, many would argue that Carnival Destiny set the tone for cruise lines to build larger ships with more modern amenities. The ship could hold 2,642 passengers, which was increased to 3,000 passengers after its 2013 refurbishment.
While Carnival Sunshine is the oldest ship in Carnival’s fleet, she's not the smallest. Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise, two of the last remaining Fantasy Class ships from the early 1990s, are currently the smallest vessels at approximately 71,000 gross tons.
On the flip side, Carnival Jubilee is currently one of the biggest ships in the world as the newest vessel in Carnival’s fleet. She is the third ship in the Excel Class, which is Carnival’s most modern and technologically advanced ship class to date.
It’s easy to see how much bigger Carnival Jubilee is compared to Carnival Sunshine. The ship is nearly double the size of Carnival Sunshine at 183,900 gross tons, towering 20 decks above the sea. Moreover, Carnival Jubilee has more than double the capacity of Carnival Sunshine, holding 6,631 passengers.
Carnival Jubilee is packed with restaurants, entertainment venues, onboard thrills, and activities. She was designed with six different zones like other Excel Class ships, each with distinct themes and experiences.
When it comes to cruise ship size, I can appreciate both small and large vessels. While smaller ships are intimate and easy to navigate, the mega ships have so much to offer for the onboard experience. You will have to deal with more people onboard the larger Carnival Jubilee, but you won’t find advanced amenities on Carnival Sunshine.
Design
Cruise ship design has certainly evolved over the last three decades to accommodate more passengers and include amplified features and amenities. Comparing two ships that are nearly 30 years apart in age is difficult; however, Carnival Sunshine is more advanced than other ships of the same age.
Because of Carnival Sunshine’s massive renovation, significant enhancements were made to the ship’s overall design and layout. The ship received a reconfigured layout to be more modern, along with expanded dining spaces and entertainment options. Decks were also expanded and a new partial deck was even added!
These changes to Carnival Sunshine have provided the ship with a new life over the last 11 years with a more contemporary design. The refreshed layout also included modernized decor and upgraded staterooms.
Although famed architect Joe Farcus spearheaded the original design of Carnival Destiny, the cruise line opted to tone down the flamboyant and bold design for Carnival Sunshine. Considering cruise ships have continued to move towards lighter tones and accents, the redesign aligns more with Carnival’s newer vessels.
Compared to the first time I sailed on Carnival Sunshine (back when she was Carnival Destiny), the refurbishment makes her almost unrecognizable. I remember cramped spaces, long lines, and limited dining options other than the dining room and buffet. The design already felt dated in 2010 when we sailed with dark, aged decor.
Now, the enhanced layout creates a better flow of passengers, particularly with more places to eat onboard—other than the previously small buffet. Staterooms received a much-needed refresh with contemporary artwork and updated facilities.
Comparatively, everything on Carnival Jubilee, along with her sister ships, is bigger and better than any prior vessel Carnival has built. When other cruise lines were progressing with ship design, Carnival Cruise Line played it safe for many years with stagnant ship design. This all changed with the inception of the Excel class, which was a significant leap in technology and advancement for the cruise line.
Carnival Jubilee showcases a stylish, more chic design with open spaces and designated zones. The sleek ambiance can be seen around the ship, such as the dazzling glass staircase in the Currents zone and the multi-story Grand Central atrium. Staterooms are also decorated with lighter woodwork and blue accents, creating a more spacious feel in the cozy cabins.
With a more contemporary design, Carnival Jubilee can accommodate double the number of guests onboard. The innovative layout mitigates crowds and lines, which is important with more than 6,000 guests onboard.
According to the cruise line, Carnival Jubilee was designed to celebrate the ocean. After all, the sea is Jubilee’s home! In addition, she was built exclusively to sail from Galveston, Texas. In this way, you can find touches of the Lone Star State across the ship. You can see Carnival Jubilee proudly adorn the star of Texas on her bow, along with Texas-themed activities and merchandise onboard.
Dining
When it comes to cruise food, I’d argue that Carnival has some of the tastiest dining options at sea. In particular, I appreciate how the cruise line offers many complimentary restaurants on all their cruise ships. You aren’t limited to just the buffet or Main Dining Room.
Even the oldest and smallest ships have the cruise line’s signature restaurants, such as Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina. Of course, the largest ships in the Excel class have the most restaurants - both complimentary and specialty. Regardless, I commend the effort to bring signature restaurants to the entire fleet, making Carnival's dining experience consistent.
Read more: Carnival Cruise Line Ultimate Food Guide
While sailing on Carnival Jubilee, I was blown away by the number of places to eat onboard. From sit-down restaurants to grab-and-go eateries, I nearly ran out of time to try all of the restaurants available, especially with a wide variety of specialty and complimentary options.
My favorite restaurant on Carnival Jubilee was Big Chicken, which serves homemade chicken tenders and sandwiches with in-house sauces. Another favorite is the classic Guy’s Burger Joint, which has an expansive space on Carnival Jubilee’s top deck. Further, Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse cooks some incredibly smoked meat.
That’s not all though, as you can find other classics like BlueIguana Cantina, JavaBlue Cafe, Cucina del Capitano, and ChiBang! You can also find more specialty dining restaurants than any other ship, such as Emeril’s Bistro 717, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi, and more. Truthfully, I didn’t have a bad meal on Carnival Jubilee.
Comparatively, our dining on Carnival Sunshine was more limited and slightly more inconsistent. Although Carnival Sunshine is smaller, she has an impressive selection of restaurants onboard. You can find staples like Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina on the pool deck, along with The Pasta Bar and Mongolian Wok in the nearby buffet area. Other Carnival classics are available as well onboard, such as the pizzeria and deli.
Both ships have a classic Lido Marketplace buffet, which serves meals throughout the day. On both Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Jubilee, I found the buffet to be lacking in variety and quality. I preferred the buffet on Carnival Jubilee - which offered freshly-made gelato each day - compared to Carnival Sunshine’s rancid-smelling buffet area.
Finally, you can find the Main Dining Room available on each ship as the traditional dinner option onboard. The dining room on Carnival Jubilee is quite expansive, although Carnival Sunshine’s is also fairly spacious for a ship of her age.
Three-course meals are served in the Main Dining Room for dinner, while the must-try SeaDay Brunch is available during sea days. During my time onboard both ships, I enjoyed the SeaDay Brunch on Carnival Jubilee more than the slower service and lackluster entrees on Carnival Sunshine.
Read more: 11 foods you must eat on a Carnival cruise
Entertainment
Older and smaller ships typically showcase smaller-scale shows while bigger and newer ships feature show-stopping, Broadway-style productions. Older ships might only have one headliner show each evening while bigger ships have multiple venues and options for entertainment.
Although Carnival Sunshine is the fleet’s oldest ship, I was impressed with the entertainment available onboard. The short cruise featured a better-than-expected Playlist Production called Epic Rock, which is Carnival’s in-house headliner show. I had never seen this show before, and the production quality and performance level was fantastic.
We also enjoyed nightly shows in the Punchliner Comedy Club, Carnival’s signature comedy venue. With comedy shows available each day, there is no shortage of laughs onboard. However, the comedy club shows were held in an especially small space on Carnival Sunshine, leading to long lines.
On the other hand, Carnival Jubilee has seemingly nonstop entertainment from the moment you get onboard. Entertainment features cutting-edge technology and immersive effects. Production shows, such as Rio Carnival, Dear Future Husband, and Celestial Strings, include floor-to-ceiling LED screens with aerialists, acrobats, singers, dancers, and other stunning performers. Comedy shows are plentiful in a dedicated Punchliner Comedy Club onboard as well.
While entertainment was different onboard these two ships, Carnival’s entertainment is fairly streamlined across its fleet. Comedy shows are a staple while in-house production shows take the main stage.
Game shows are also an integral part of Carnival’s entertainment offerings, with both ships relying heavily on shows for entertainment. This includes Deal or No Deal and Family Feud, which was played on both Carnival Jubilee and Carnival Sunshine.
Read more: How does Carnival Jubilee compare to Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras? A complete guide
Attractions and Thrills
Because Carnival Cruise Line caters to a family-friendly audience, all its “fun” ships feature plenty of onboard thrills for guests to enjoy.
Of course, the newest ships in the Excel Class will have the most attractions because the massive ships have more real estate to accommodate these kinds of thrills.
However, Carnival Sunshine might be one of the most impressive older ships I’ve sailed on when it comes to attractions. During Carnival Sunshine’s refurbishment, new attractions were added to the all-new top deck. This included the addition of a large water park with three slides, a sports deck, and a ropes course. Before her refurbishment, the ship only boasted one waterslide.
Comparatively, Carnival Jubilee features many top-of-the-line attractions onboard as one of the most advanced ships in the cruise line’s fleet.
The most impressive attraction is Bolt: The Ultimate Sea Coaster, which is one of the first roller coasters at sea. Although not complimentary, the coaster is an unparalleled cruising experience where you’ll soar around the ship’s top deck.
Other onboard attractions include a large ropes course, the thrilling Waterworks water park, a miniature golf course, and a sports court.
All of these can be found at Jubilee’s aft zone called the Ultimate Playground. Carnival Jubilee's thrills offer endless options for fun and excitement for kids and adults alike.
Staterooms
Perhaps one of the most obvious differences could be seen between staterooms. Carnival Sunshine may have received upgraded staterooms during her refurbishment, but the cabins haven’t received much attention since. Our interior cabin on Carnival Sunshine was, by far, the worst cabin I’ve ever cruised in.
Our interior stateroom on Carnival Sunshine was dated, noisy, smelly, and dysfunctional. Our cabin shared a wall with the elevator shaft, leading to clanking noises all day and night. I can’t imagine why the cruise line would place cabins directly next to an elevator like this, as it was extremely disruptive.
The bathroom shower also flooded the floor every time the shower ran, creating a small pool of water. We had to use all our towels each night to wipe up the residual water, which would not drain.
A bad smell from the bathroom also deterred us from wanting to step foot in there entirely. I contemplated asking guest services for a different room because of the noise and smells!
The cabin experience was quite the opposite of our time on Carnival Sunshine, as we booked a cove balcony onboard the brand-new ship.
We had never stayed in a balcony of this kind, which featured a cove-like enclosure. The cabin was modern and functional. We particularly enjoyed the spacious bathroom and large walk-in shower.
Our stateroom was on Deck 5, giving us excellent views of the sea as we sailed throughout the Caribbean. We appreciated the privacy of our cove balcony, which gave us a private space to take in the sea views, and I would absolutely book this stateroom again.
Along with the design, the cabin was very functional with multiple outlets for charging devices. An entire strip of outlets and USB plugs can be found on the vanity.
Because this was a balcony stateroom, we had a large couch for additional seating. The extra space made our cabin especially comfortable. It was hard to compare the two cabins, as they were completely different.
Read more: Carnival Cruise Line cabin guide
Atmosphere and Onboard Experience
Carnival’s onboard experience is consistent across its fleet with a heavy emphasis on fun. The casual atmosphere with a clientele looking to let loose and have fun was evident on both cruises. With plenty of families onboard both itineraries, the cruise ships were vibrant, lively, and crowded.
Of course, the 7-night cruise on Carnival Jubilee attracted a slightly different crowd, leading to a more subdued atmosphere aboard. Longer sailings tend to be more expensive, especially on newer ships.
We sailed during spring break, so the ship was packed with guests and sailing at nearly full capacity. Between the late-night deck parties, interactive gameshows, headliner productions, nonstop activities, and onboard thrills, the cruise was upbeat and a lot of fun.
Our time on Carnival Sunshine was also enjoyable, although the 4-night cruise attracted a rowdier clientele. This is typically the case on a shorter weekend cruise, which is often more of a party-vibe than longer itineraries. Considering we sailed in the summer as well, this meant many families with young kids were also on board.
Read more: Here's what a 7-night Carnival cruise should cost you
Comparatively, the onboard experience of Carnival Jubilee aligns better with my preferred cruising vibe. It was a lively cruise without getting out of control. On the other hand, two fights occurred during our cruise on Carnival Sunshine, which felt more like a booze cruise. I consider cruising to be a source of relaxation, so this cruise was not my favorite for this reason.
Allie Hubers
Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a tiny toddler. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. Allie's been on over 45 cruises all over the world. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents.
