Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine has just recently entered dry dock in Marseille, France for regular maintenance and refurbishment. The ship’s current cruise director, James Love, is offering fans an insider’s look at what that really means for the ship and the remaining crew onboard.
First off, dry dock really is dry – the ship is brought into a construction bay and the seawater is drained away. This gives engineers, technicians, and shipyard workers safer and easier access to the ship’s hull, thrusters, and propellors.
Loose paint, barnacles, and rust is scraped away, and the ship will receive a fresh and beautiful new coat of paint on her red, white, and blue livery, which she first received in 2021. A close-up view of the ship’s hull at this time really shows how much that new paint is needed!
Such paint is more than just aesthetic, though. It helps keep marine life, such as barnacles and algae, from growing on the hull and helps reduce friction for more efficient fuel usage.
Love does describe the type of refurbishment the ship is receiving for her onboard systems, and what this means for how the ship will appear after the work is finished.
“The ship is going to dry dock for general maintenance not a complete refurbishment,” he explained.
“Think of it like getting your car detailed, oil change, getting the inspection sticker, it’s still the same car just freshened up. The Sunshine has seen the salt air and ocean for years. Every few years, ships need to get a check up. That’s what we are doing.”
Sometimes, a cruise ship might receive much more extensive updates during a dry dock, such as removing or adding venues or even completely renovating the entire vessel. This is not the case with Carnival Sunshine‘s current dry dock, however, as the updates are more about refreshment and maintenance.
“She will still be the Sunshine that you know and love,” Love said.
Of course, guests who love the 103,881-gross-ton vessel may have cause to be concerned about how much the ship will change. There was a time in the past when the ship entered dry dock and left 49 days later as a completely new cruise ship – so new, she got a new name!
The former Carnival Destiny was the first vessel in the Carnival fleet to receive all the Funship 2.0 amenities, and so extensive was that 2013 renovation that she was renamed Carnival Sunshine.
The project cost a staggering $155 million and included adding more than 180 cabins to the ship as well as a number of new venues and restaurants.
Carnival Sunshine has become a very popular ship in the fleet, and her current dry dock will make her truly shine once more with general maintenance and refreshment updates.
What About Crew Members Onboard?
During a dry dock – and Carnival Sunshine will be at the shipyard for approximately 3 weeks – many crew members leave and either report to other vessels or return home for a vacation at the end of their planned contracts.
Love shared details about the entertainment team, which normally includes a full team of singers and dancers, multiple talented musicians, and the full Fun Squad that is responsible for onboard activities.
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“The only entertainment team we have onboard right now is myself (currently on vacation on the ship), the entertainment director, 1 Fun Squad, and 1 musician,” Love explained.
Carnival Sunshine Undergoing Dry Dock (Photo Credit: James Love)
The rest of the team will return to the ship at the end of January in preparation for her return to service.
“We will have a set schedule as to what will be happening,” Love said. “We have a rough schedule right now but are awaiting answers before it is finalized.”
Each cruise ship’s entertainment director, cruise director, and hotel director collaborate to plan out activity schedules. This includes when top tier production shows or other entertainment options, such as the ever-popular “Love and Marriage Show” or onboard game shows are scheduled.
Carnival Sunshine will return to service on Sunday, February 16, 2025, with her first departure from Norfolk, Virginia – an 8-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary to Amber Cove, Grand Turk, and Princess Cays.
The ship will also be offering Bermuda and Bahamas itineraries. In September 2026, Carnival Sunshine will also offer Canada/New England autumn sailings from Norfolk, and exciting new itinerary option guests are eager to try.
The ship will not be returning to Charleston, South Carolina as a homeport, as the agreement with the South Carolina Ports Authority has not been extended at this time. Future port development, however, may support Carnival Cruise Line’s return to the charming southern port in the years to come.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com