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Carnival Sunshine vs MSC World America
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 renovations. It's 12 years older than the World America, which was built in 2025. The World America was built specifically for the American market with customized venues like MSC's first sports bars and an onboard brewery. The ship is split into seven districts that provide unique restaurants, bars, and attractions; helping to reduce crowding.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
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 MSC World America, the Sunshine is 52% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Sunshine holds 56% fewer passengers than the World America based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Sunshine has more space per person compared to the World America. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The World America uses a district layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Sunshine | MSC World America | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Sunshine | World |
| Gross Tonnage | 102,853 | 215,863 |
| Length | 893 | 1,092 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 155 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,002 | 6,762 |
| Crew | 920 | 2,138 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 34 | 32 |
Food and Restaurants
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, JiJi Asian Kitchen, and JavaBlue Cafe. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.
The World America has four more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Luna Park Pizza & Burger, Kaito Teppanyaki, and HOLA! Tacos & Cantina. Twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other twelve have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the World America might be a better choice. It has 29% more dining options than the Sunshine.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Sunshine might be a better choice then the World America. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Sunshine | MSC World America | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 18 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 7 | 12 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 33% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Sunshine and the World America below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
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.
MSC World America has more pools than the Sunshine and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the World America. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Sunshine.| Carnival Sunshine | MSC World America | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 7 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 4 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 13 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 3 |
Ship Features and Activities
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 the Sunshine, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the World America, only 55% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Sunshine | MSC World America | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bumper Cars | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cliffhanger | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dueling Pianos | ✗ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor gym | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Production Shows | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| VR Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival and MSC are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. 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 cheaper than on MSC World America.
Onboard Costs
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 compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Carnival Sunshine | MSC World America | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.25 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $9.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | $46 - $85 |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day | $17 - $27 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
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