Design Details Unveiled For Carnival Sunshine

As we reported earlier this year (Carnival Destiny, You Are My Sunshine), Carnival Cruise Lines is investing $155 million dollars on a makeover that will transform Carnival Destiny into Carnival Sunshine.

The line has now revealed more details about the transformation that will take place from February to April 2013 during a 49-day dry dock at Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard. The ship will re-enter service with all of the dining, bar, and entertainment elements of the line’s Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancement program, along with several all-new features. Among the new highlights are a new racing-themed water park featuring Carnival’s longest water slide (pictured above), the tropical-themed Havana Bar, a full-service Asian restaurant, and more.

Here’s a look at the unique features only available on Carnival Sunshine:

·· Havana Bar, located aft within Lido Marketplace, which by day serves as a casual gathering spot for relaxing with friends and enjoying Cuban coffee and Cuban finger foods such as pastelitos and croquetas, while at night transforms into a Cuban-inspired courtyard with a cool Latin vibe featuring live music and classic Cuban cocktails.
·· WaterWorks, an all-new water park where the young–and the young at heart–can zip down five different slides and have a splash-tastic time with 40 different interactive water features, including a 300-gallon drenching bucket that will serve as the signature element of the SplashZone kids’ water play area..
·· A full-service Asian restaurant that will feature favorites from the Far East, enhanced by a serene décor of prayer rolls, wood-beamed ceilings and other design elements (lunch is complimentary; $12 charge for dinner).
·· Shake Spot, the ideal place to “chill” and enjoy hand-crafted milkshakes while taking a break from all the fun in the sun.
·· Located adjacent to Shake Spot on Promenade Deck is JavaBlue Café, the place to connect, meet up and savor sweet and frothy cappuccinos, lattes, espressos and other caffeinated favorites, as well as coffees made with liqueurs, along with decadent confections.
·· For those who crave delicious, hand-tossed, artisanal-style pizza anytime of the day or night, there’s Pizzeria del Capitano, an expansion of the line’s popular Cucina del Capitano family-style Italian restaurant–free of charge. 24 hours a day with pizza baked in a traditional pizza oven.

Carnival Sunshine will also offer all the elements that make up the line’s $500 million Fun Ship 2.0 enhancement program. These include dining options like Guy’s Burger Joint, developed with Food Network personality Guy Fieri, and BlueIguana Cantina, a complimentary Mexican eatery offering authentic burritos and tacos, along with innovative bar concepts such as the Caribbean-themed RedFrog Pub; the poolside RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar; EA SPORTS Bar, a partnership with the leading sports video game company; and the Alchemy Bar, featuring a vintage cocktail “pharmacy” theme.

Top-deck amenities will include a three-level Serenity adults-only retreat (pictured here)–the largest in the Carnival fleet offering a pool, waterfall, a full bar, whirlpool, and, of course, magnificent sea views–as well as SportSquare featuring a ropes course, including an exciting new zip line feature, an array of deck and table games, a basketball court, jogging track, and a two-level miniature golf course.

A variety of entertainment choices–from the family-friendly Hasbro, The Game Show, featuring larger-than-life adaptations of the company’s iconic games to high-tech Playlist Productions, which combine live performances with spectacular staging and special effects–will be offered, as well.

Following its dry dock, Carnival Sunshine will debut with a series of Mediterranean cruises beginning with a 14-day voyage from Venice to Barcelona April 12-16, 2013, followed by 9- and 12-day Mediterranean cruises either round-trip from Barcelona or sailing between Barcelona and Venice through Oct 20, 2013. Carnival Sunshine will then sail on a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Barcelona to New Orleans Nov 1-17, 2013, positioning the vessel for year-round 7-day Caribbean cruises from the Big Easy.

Carnival fans who want to get a sneak peek at these and a variety of other fantastic features of the ship can visit Carnival.com/Sunshine, which showcases a number of interior and exterior renderings and details the ship’s inaugural European and Caribbean itineraries.

Images Courtesy Carnival Cruise Lines