Guests embarking Carnival Sunshine for an 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Sunday, February 16, 2025 will not be setting sail as they’d hoped – though their cruise is still starting on time.

Carnival Cruise Line reached out to guests the day before embarkation to advise them of the change due to incoming poor weather.

“Our Fleet Operations Center is actively monitoring a cold front that is set to impact the Norfolk area Sunday afternoon, into early Monday morning,” the notification explained. “Strong winds and high waves will make it unsafe to depart as previously scheduled.”

This means Carnival Sunshine will instead remained docked in Norfolk until the rough weather subsides enough for the ship to safely set sail. This is anticipated at approximately 6 a.m. on Monday, February 17.

This is only Carnival Sunshine‘s second departure from Norfolk following arriving at her new homeport. Her first cruise from the Old Dominion was a 5-night Bahamas cruise from February 11-16.

Guests will still be embarking Carnival Sunshine as expected on Sunday and able to enjoy most of the ship’s facilities.

“Related to embarkation for tomorrow, Sunday, February 16, there are no changes,” the email confirmed. “All guests should arrive within their pre-selected Terminal Arrival Appointment. Embarkation will close by the final boarding time indicated on the boarding pass.”

To be clear, the embarkation day plans are not impacted by the weather delay (be sure to grab a slice of the famous Funfetti cheesecake!). Only the ship’s departure is now delayed. This does impact some onboard activities, however.

“While we are docked in Norfolk, all activities and events will continue as planned, but the casino and shops must remain closed,” the email said.

It is normal for ships to be required to have the onboard casino and Fun Shops closed while docked in ports of call, due to local restrictions on such retail operations. Once the vessel reaches international waters, however, they will be able to open.

Itinerary Change Due to Delay

The significant delay – more than 12 hours – means Carnival Sunshine will be unable to maintain her original itinerary. The visit to Princess Cays, which had been planned for Friday, February 21, must now be cancelled.

Fortunately, the two other ports of call are being extended to permit guests extra time ashore.

The call to Amber Cove was originally planned for Wednesday, February 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Now, the ship will not be in Amber Cove until Friday, February 21, but will be docked from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – an extra hour of shore time.

The call to Grand Turk had originally been planned for Thursday, February 20 from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Now, the ship will be in port from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., an extra two-and-a-half hours. The date of the visit has not changed.

Any pre-paid tours guests purchased through Carnival Cruise Line for Princess Cays will be refunded to travelers’ Sail and Sign accounts, along with the taxes and fees for that now-cancelled port visit. Similarly, tours for Amber Cove will be adjusted to the new schedule.

“We were looking forward to delivering the itinerary we had planned and share your disappointment for this weather-related change but trust you will understand that your safety is a priority,” the email explained.

It is not unusual for ships to make last-minute itinerary changes due to weather. Ports of call are often modified, changed, or even cancelled altogether if necessary.

Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather

It is more uncommon, however, for a ship to remain at her homeport while waiting for the weather to improve.

As of noon on embarkation day, winds just outside the Port of Norfolk at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay were reported as high as 36 knots (41 miles per hour).

While cruise ships can sail in high winds, the direction of the winds, any resulting swells and waves, and navigation challenges are all factored into safety decisions. In these cases, it is best for the ship to stay firmly docked for the safety and comfort of everyone aboard.

The 103,881-gross-ton Carnival Sunshine can welcome 2,642 guests aboard. The ship is also home to 1,150 international crew members who strive to ensure every guest has a wonderful cruise vacation, whether the sun is shining or not.

Carnival has a very loyal following and is widely known as America’s Cruise Line – but not everyone is a fan.

Indeed, the Fun Ships can be divisive – with some going so far as to describe Carnival sailings as “ghetto,” “cheap,” or as YouTuber Jack Pembrook reports, “the world’s worst cruise” or “the cruise from Hell.”

Curious to find out if Carnival sailings were truly as terrible as some would insist, Pembrook headed to Florida’s PortMiami to embark on a $50 sailing onboard Carnival Conquest.

The ship is currently offering 3 and 4-night getaway sailings to the Bahamas, though it’s unclear which itinerary the influencer selected or when he was actually onboard.

Along the way, he rated Carnival on four key criteria that he saw come up the most in bad reviews: food, rooms, activities, and vibes – and found that the 2002-launched ship performed better than he expected. 

Starting with the cruise cabins, Pembrook was pleasantly surprised by his interior stateroom – noting that his room could still fit a big bed and that the bathroom was “spacious” and smelled “really good.”

“Yes, I did find some hairs and some stains on the bed, as well as plenty of signs of wear around the room. But for the reputation these rooms have online, honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Pembrook said during a stateroom tour.

Moving onto the food, the vlogger sampled many of the selections onboard, including the Lido Marketplace buffet, Guy’s Burger Joint, and specialty dining at the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. 

The Steakhouse meal ultimately sealed the deal for Pembrook, who enjoyed his steak so much he shut his eyes as he savored a bite. 

And even after saying the 110,000-gross ton ship reminded him of a Cheesecake Factory Restaurant and trying the night club as someone who doesn’t normally enjoy them, Pembrook said both the activities and the vibes were up to par.

“Before I got on this ship, I really didn’t even want to step foot on this thing. But by the end of my trip, I’m surprisingly sad to leave,” Pembrook said.

“No, it’s not super luxurious or perfect in any way, but for me, I just come on a cruise to have fun, eat good food, and like my boy Steven said, meet cool people,” he continued, inserting a clip with another guest who is presumably Steven.

Watch Pembrook’s YouTube video, which has been viewed more than 545,000 times since it was posted on February 13, 2025, below:

Does Carnival Deserve a Bad Reputation? 

Over the years, things have gone wrong on Carnival ships that have led to its less than stellar reputation.

Likely not helping matters, Carnival Conquest has already made headlines this year due to malfunctions onboard. 

The 2,980-guest ship experienced engine trouble that limited her speed and delayed her return to Miami, Florida, on January 6, 2025 – with multiple Carnival cruise ships also suffering from propulsion issues in the past year.

Additionally, there’s no denying that mishaps across the fleet have left a bad impression for some. For example, Carnival Freedom losing her funnel to fires on more than one occasion (in 2022 and 2024) still feel top-of-mind. 

That said, things can go wrong on all cruise lines – even the most luxurious brands. Cruise ships operate on a 24/7 basis, and although the cruise lines work hard to maintain their ships, malfunctions are sometimes inevitable. 

Read Also: From Mishaps to Maydays – Cruise Ship Accidents

In response to Pembrook’s YouTube video, many of his subscribers were also quick to defend Carnival in the comments. 

“Honestly Carnival gave me one of the best experiences of my life and I will never forget the memories and people I met,” one person shared.

“After 30 cruises, of which Conquest was my 2nd cruise, I really had fun. As long as you know what you are getting with Carnival, you can’t go wrong,” another cruiser chimed in. 

Indeed, a lot of the experience does come down to mindset and what guests are hoping to get from their sailing. 

Someone looking for a luxury experience might not love Carnival, but someone looking for a budget-friendly option can certainly have a blast.

Who doesn’t love a Hallmark Holiday? Well, Carnival Cruise Line sure loves Valentine’s Day!

The cruise line has a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Lunch hosted at its onboard specialty dining restaurant Steakhouse, featuring a special menu.

John Heald, a brand ambassador, shared the menu online, allowing fellow passengers and cruise fanatics to see the options.

“It really is a brilliant lunch, served as always by the wonderful Steakhouse crew,” said Heald.

It was also noted that the actual date of the lunch varied between February 13th and Valentine’s Day, as Heald added that the “special lunch which is booked and paid for on board and will be served today or on the 14th depending if the ship has a sea day or port day.”

Steakhouse is only open from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM daily, so this lunch is a rare option for mid-day fine dining.

Carnival’s popular Steakhouse is an upscaled dining experience, so it comes with no surprise that the ‘Valentine’s Lunch’ menu is impressive.

Staters include either Crab Cakes in a Cajun lobster butter cream sauce, or Bisque Our Way with garnishes such as crisped brioche and garlic chips.

The only salad options is Beet and Petit Greens, which includes peaches and toasted sunflower, topped with an oregano-caramelized shallot vinaigrette.

There are four stunning entrées, including Chilean Sea Bass, Surf and Turf, Grilled Filet Mignon, and Eggplant Schnitzel.

The Chilean Sea Bass features a sweet potato croissant, white asparagus, and a mushroom beurre blanc (which is a rich butter sauce).

Surf and Turf, a classic, comes with Maine lobster tail and beef sirloin.

The Grilled Filet Mignon is served with a roasted butternut puree and petit carrots, topped with béarnaise and red wine sauce.

Finally, the Eggplant Schnitzel, which is breaded and pan-fried and topped with a cherry tomato sauce, comes with tempura cauliflower, plantain chips, and tzatziki.

But wait, there’s more! The menu also has four sides to choose from, including Glazed Mushrooms, Grilled Asparagus, Potato Wedges, and a Macaroni, Bacon, and Pecorino Bake.

The Glazed Mushrooms are cooked in a pepper jus with herbs, and the Potato Wedges are served with crispy onions and a garlic-chive aioli.

The first dessert option is a Raspberry Velvet made with cream cheese, micro sponge, and a chocolate heart. The second option is Fresh Fruit, which is actually berries and mango sorbet.

Read Also: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options You’ll Want to Know (With Menus!)

58,507 passengers had the chance to attend this lunch between the two dates available.

This lunch is available on any Carnival Cruise Line ship with a Steakhouse, and lucky for passengers, only 2 of the cruise line’s fleet of 27 ships do not have one.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Steakhouses

While all of Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet have multiple dining options on board, only 25 have the Steakhouse restaurant.

The two ships that do not have Steakhouse include the Carnival Elation and the Carnival Paradise, which are currently the second and third oldest ships in the fleet.

Carnival Paradise does have the option for passengers to order Steakhouse selections in the main dining room, making Carnival Elation the only ship with no Steakhouse dining options.

The oldest ship in the fleet, the Carnival Sunshine, does have a Steakhouse. So why do Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise not have a dedicated Steakhouse restaurant?

Both ships are the cruise line’s only Fantasy-class ships that are still operating. These ships are the smallest active ships in the fleet, and neither were built to accommodate an additional dining location.

Most Carnival Cruise Line ship’s Steakhouse is called Fahrenheit 555, however some of the ships have a more generic Steakhouse, all offering the same menu.

The Steakhouse restaurants encourage reservations in advance, but it is possible to book while onboard. Since it is fine dining, there is a set cost of $52 per adult, not including drinks. Walk-ins are accepted based on availability.