Carnival Sunshine
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Sunshine is one of Carnival's 31 active ships and first entered service in 1996 with its most recent renovation in 2025. In terms of size, it comes in at 102,853 gross tons, 893 feet in length, and 13 passenger decks. On board, it supports up to 3,002 guests and approximately 1,150 crew members. The ship had an estimated build cost of $400 million and is flagged in Bahamas.
Carnival Sunshine
Ship Stats
Year Built
1996
Last Renovated
2025
Tonnage
102,853 GT
Length
893 ft
Capacity
3,002
Crew
1,150
Cost
$400 million
Decks
13
Sunshine Class
Sunshine Class groups ships with similar design and onboard features within Carnival. The first ship introduced in this class was Carnival Sunshine (1996), followed by Carnival Sunrise (1999) and Carnival Radiance (2000).
Carnival Sunshine Ship Age
Carnival Sunshine entered service in 1996. Across Carnival's active fleet, the average build year is 2009 and across all major active cruise lines the average ship launch year is 2011. Ranked newest-to-oldest, this ship is 31 of 31 (newest ship = rank 1).
Timeline order: newest to oldest
- Carnival Sunshine
Current ship
Carnival Sunshine Renovations
Latest recorded dry dock / major renovation date: 2025.
Renovation details
As the oldest ship in the fleet (originally Carnival Destiny), the Sunshine received a technical and cosmetic life-extension in February 2025. The project focused on maintaining its high number of staterooms and refreshing the JiJi Asian Kitchen and Cucina del Capitano venues.
Carnival Sunshine Ship Size
Length and tonnage across Carnival's fleet
Carnival Sunshine measures 893 feet (272 m) (vs Carnival fleet average of 992 ft) and has gross tonnage of 102,853 GT (vs fleet average of 121,145 GT). It ranks 29 of 31 by length and 22 of 31 by tonnage in Carnival's active fleet.
Passenger Capacity & Crew Size
Carnival Sunshine vs Carnival fleet averages
Carnival Sunshine carries 3,002 passengers (vs Carnival average of 4,085) and has 1,150 crew members onboard (vs fleet average of 1,226). That puts this ship at a passenger-to-staff ratio of 2.61:1 compared with Carnival's overall 3.33:1 average.
Passenger Capacity
3,002
passengers
Crew Members
1,150
staff members
Passenger to Crew Ratio
2.61 : 1
Carnival Avg
3.33 : 1
Carnival Sunshine
Venues & Experiences
Explore dining, bars, activities, and onboard experiences available on Sunshine.
Deck 9buffetLido Marketplace
Deck 5cafeJavablue Cafe
Decks 3 & 4main dining roomSunrise Restaurant
Deck 3main dining roomSunset Dining Room
Deck 9quick eatsBlue Iguana Cantina
Deck 9quick eatsGuy's Burger Joint
Deck 9quick eatsPizzeria del Capitano
Deck 5quick eatsShake Spot
Deck 9quick eatsThe Carnival Deli
Deck 4specialtyBonsai Sushi
Deck 9specialtyCucina del Capitano
Deck 4specialtyFahrenheit 555 Steakhouse
Deck 9specialtyJiJi Asian Kitchen
Deck 5sweetsCherry On Top
Deck Plans
The Carnival Sunshine has a total of 13 passenger decks. The lowest level available to guests is Deck 1. The highest passenger deck is Deck 14. Click below to access deck plans for the Carnival Sunshine. The resulting page will provide a floor plan and summary of all things to do offered on that level of the ship.
Cruise Director
On duty now · Sara Taskoski
The cruise director is the heartbeat of the ship... the person responsible for onboard entertainment, activities, and guest engagement from embarkation to farewell. Think emcee, social director, and morale officer rolled into one. Below you'll find the current cruise director's bio, followed by a full historical timeline of every director who has served aboard Carnival Sunshine.
Sara Taskoski
Sara Taskoski is a Carnival Cruise Line cruise director recognized for her friendly demeanor, enthusiasm, and strong connection with guests.
Sara Taskoski Full ProfileCruise Director Schedule
- Current
Cruise Director
- Upcoming
Cruise Director
Frequently Asked Questions
Carnival Sunshine quick answers covering size, capacity, deck plans, and what to expect onboard.
You will find the Carnival Sunshine Casino on Deck 5 of the ship.
You will find the Carnival Sunshine buffet on Deck 9 of the ship.
As the oldest ship in the fleet (originally Carnival Destiny), the Sunshine received a technical and cosmetic life-extension in February 2025. The project focused on maintaining its high number of staterooms and refreshing the JiJi Asian Kitchen and Cucina del Capitano venues.
The ship belongs to the Carnival class of ships known as the Sunshine class.
The ship features 15 restaurants, 10 bars, 32 activities, 0 shows and 5 other venues for your enjoyment. You can click on our ship deck plans or details pages for a full list of activities, sorted by feature type.
The Carnival Sunshine has a total of 13 passenger decks. The lowest deck is Level 1. The upper most passenger deck is Level 14.
We're often asked how many passengers are on the Carnival Sunshine. The ship's capacity is 3,002. When comparing the occupancy to the average Carnival passenger capacity, you'll find that the average ship in the fleet holds 4,158 guests. Feel free to look at our graph above to see where this ship falls in line with all other live Carnival ships.
The Carnival Sunshine was built in 1996. Carnival includes 31 active ships. The oldest in the fleet was built in 1996 while the newest ship was built in 2028. The average Carnival ship is 17 years old and the median build date for all active ships is 2007
Each of Carnival's ships offers a unique layout with features and activities catered to all. Whether the Carnival Sunshine is right for you will depend on your individual preferences. Do you prefer a larger or smaller ship with many or fewer guests? Are you hoping for many family activities or entertainment options for an older clientele. Our deck maps layout and activities list provide a helpful guide to what you'll find on board. Feel free to explore the see if this ship is suited towards your preferences.
From end to end, the Carnival Sunshine length equals 893 feet (272 meters). Compare that to the average ship length of all 31 active vessels in Carnival fleet, measuring 992 feet (302 meters). Please see our size comparison chart above to see how this ship falls in line with all other active ships in the fleet.