Carnival Sunshine was the ship for my very first cruise. Until now, going on a cruise for a vacation hasn’t been something that has interested me. Sure, I know a lot of people that have been on them and sing their praises. But, it just didn’t fit my vacation style. I usually fly (or reluctantly drive) somewhere, spend time there, and go home. That has worked for me; It’s what I’m used to. So, I decided to try something different – a cruise.
We flew to Charleston, South Carolina and met up with family members that had driven. Fortunately, they had been on cruises before. So, they gave us some tips on what to expect. I also had a friend that gave me some pointers. But, their tips couldn’t truly prepare me for what I experienced. Whew!! Firstly, we were dealing with the heat and humidity of Charleston in August. Secondly, there were just so many people – all with the same plan… getting out of the humidity and onto the ship.
We managed to survive the initial chaos of the check-in process. When we got out of the Lyft car, we didn’t see the luggage drop-off. So, I’m trying to maneuver the madness with luggage and now two cases of soda. Before we got on the bus to go to the ship, I had to run across the parking lot (in the heat) to the luggage drop-off point. I made it back, and we took the bus to the dock, and there was the Carnival Sunshine. It still shocks me how something that big can float.
I was little more relieved now. And, after a trip through customs we were on the ship. The ship was overwhelming (and this wasn’t a big ship from what I’m told). By now, it’s afternoon and like everyone else… I’m hungry. Until the staterooms were ready, there was nothing to do but eat (and nowhere to go). As you can guess, there were a lot of people in the food area…
Finally, our room was ready, and I could get some peace of mind for the first time since arriving at the port.
