Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
The Carnival Sunshine was built in 2013. It was renovated in 2025. The Sunshine was previously known as the Destiny from 1996 - 2013, but was renamed after it went through huge rennovations. It's 8 years newer than the Liberty, which was built in 2005.
The Sunshine is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 893 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Carnival Liberty, the Sunshine is 6% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Carnival Sunshine holds about the same number of passengers as the Liberty based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Sunshine has less space per person compared to the Liberty.
Carnival Sunshine | Carnival Liberty | |
---|---|---|
Class | Sunshine | Conquest |
Gross Tonnage | 102,853 | 110,000 |
Length | 893 | 952 |
Beam/Width | 125 | 116 |
Passenger Decks | 13 | 13 |
Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,002 | 2,974 |
Crew | 920 | 1,160 |
Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.3 | 2.6 |
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 34 | 37 |
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Sunshine has fourteen different dining options like Seafood Shack, JavaBlue Cafe, and The Chef's Table. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.
The Liberty has two fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Chef's Table, Blue Iguana Cantina, and Carnival Deli. thirteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sunshine might be a better choice. It has 17% more dining options than the Liberty.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Liberty might be a better choice then the Sunshine. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurant | Carnival Sunshine |
Carnival Liberty |
|
---|---|---|---|
Included | |||
Blue Iguana Cantina | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Carnival Deli | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Guy's Burger Joint | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Lido Buffet | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Mongolian Wok | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Pizza Pirate | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Pizzeria del Capitano | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Swirls | ✓ | ✓ | |
A la carte | |||
Bonsai Sushi | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Coffee Bar | ✗ | ✓ | |
JavaBlue Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Seafood Shack | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Flat fee | |||
Cucina Del Capitano | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
JiJi Asian Kitchen | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Steakhouse | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
The Chef's Table | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
The Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Liberty both have 13 bars to choose from during your sailing.
Carnival Sunshine | Carnival Liberty | |
---|---|---|
Alchemy Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Atrium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
BlueIguana Tequila Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Havana Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Hot & Cool Night Club | ✗ | ✓ |
Jardin Cafe | ✗ | ✓ |
Java Blue Cafe | ✓ | ✗ |
Limelight Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
Ocean Plaza Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Piano Bar 88 | ✓ | ✗ |
Piano Man Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
RedFrog Pub | ✓ | ✗ |
RedFrog Rum Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Shake Spot | ✓ | ✗ |
SkyBox Sports Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
The Cabinet Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
The Stage Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
Versailles Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
Victoria Aft Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Sunshine and the Liberty below.
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Carnival Sunshine has a total of 2 pools and 3 hot tubs.
The Carnival Liberty has the same number of pools as the Sunshine and more hot tubs.
Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Neither the Sunshine nor the Liberty has an adult-only pool but they do have adult-only hot tubs. The Serenity Area on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. They’re both located in the front of the ship.
Carnival Sunshine | Carnival Liberty | |
---|---|---|
Total Pools | 2 | 2 |
Pools - General Access | 1 | 1 |
Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 4 |
Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Carnival editions with featuring places Pizza Pirate and mini-golf.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Carnival Edition
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Carnival Edition
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On both ships, 73% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare.
Carnival Sunshine | Carnival Liberty | |
---|---|---|
Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✓ |
Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
Outdoor gym | ✓ | ✗ |
Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
Learn more | Learn more |
Carnival is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Carnival Sunshine will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Liberty.
The cost will also vary depending on the type of cabin you book. You can see the differences between the Carnival cabins and how to choose the best one here:
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Carnival ship.
Carnival | |
---|---|
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 |
Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
Soda Price | $3.00 |
Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus |
Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more |
Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day |
*Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. |
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Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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