Carnival Sunrise

Carnival Sunrise cruise ship was built as "Carnival Triumph", with a maiden voyage on October 30, 1999. After a major refurbishment in 2013 (Fun Ship 2.0), the liner received a second emergency backup generator and top-notch fire detection technology. The Triumph was also re-decorated; with added new bars, lounges and entertainment options. As vessel class, Carnival Triumph is second of all three Destiny-class sisterships - together with Destiny-Sunshine and Victory-Radiance.

With inaugural cruise on April 29, 2019, Carnival Sunrise operates on 7-day roundtrips from Norfolk VA. Follow 4-5-day itineraries leaving roundtrip from homeport Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) to the Bahamas and the Western-Eastern Caribbean, plus 5-day voyages to Cuba.

History - construction and ownership

Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) is a US company, trademarked brand and subsidiary of Carnival Corporation (shipowner). CCL was founded in 1972 as an independent company by Ted Arison (1924-1999, co-founder of NCL Norwegian). Carnival Cruise Lines has Corporation's largest fleet as both a number of vessels and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities). CCL has over 1/5 of the cruise industry's worldwide market.

The 101,509-ton, 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph's theme was ”Great Cities of the World”. In 2019 (March-April) the ship entered drydock for ~USD 200 million refurbishment, after which it was renamed "Carnival Sunrise". The refitted liner was transformed into Sunshine-Class vessel - having the same facilities and amenities as the sistership Carnival Sunshine (former Carnival Destiny, refitted in 2013 for USD 155 million).

Cruise itinerary program

In 2019-2020, the renamed Carnival Sunrise ship starts a new itinerary program of 4- to 14-day roundtrips from the US homeports NYC New York, Fort Lauderdale Florida and Norfolk VA.

• From homeport NYC, are offered five 4-day Bermuda cruises (May 23, June 20, July 18, Aug 15, Sept 12), one 6-day Bermuda (Sept 16, 2019, overnight) and one 8-day Caribbean and Bermuda (June 24, with 2 overnights in Bermuda and visiting Grand Turk). The ship also has scheduled three 7-day Canada New England cruises (Sept 22, 29, Oct 6) plus two 8-day Caribbean (to Grand Turk, Puerto Rico and Amber Cove, departures July 2, 10, 30, Aug 7, 27, Sept 4), one 8-day roundtrip (to Puerto Rico, St Thomas USVI and Grand Turk (July 22, Aug 19), one 10-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary (June 10, to Puerto Rico, Tortola BVI, St Maarten, St Thomas USVI, Grand Turk), one 14-day "Carnival Journeys" (May 27, to Panama Canal / Colon, Grand Turk, Grand Cayman, Limon Costa Rica, Half Moon Cay Bahamas).
• From homeport Fort Lauderdale, the ship offers 4- and 5-day roundtrips (April 2019) and between November 2019 - April 2020). The 4-day Bahamas itineraries (Thursday departures) visit Nassau and Half Moon Cay Island (or Princess Cays). The 5-day Eastern Caribbean itineraries (Saturday departures) visit Grand Turk, Nassau, Half Moon Cay Island (or Princess Cays). The 5-day Eastern Caribbean itineraries (Monday departures) visit Ocho Rios Jamaica and Grand Cayman.
• In 2019, from homeport Norfolk VA, the ship cruises on 5- and 6-day Bahamas itineraries leaving roundtrip from Half Moone Cruise Center. Two 5-day Bahamas itineraries (May 12, 17) visit Nassau and Freeport. The 6-day itineraries (May 6, Oct 14, 20) visit Half Moon Cay Island, Nassau, Freeport.
• Starting mid-December 2019 and in 2020, the ship offers regular 5-day Bahamas and Cuba cruises from Fort Lauderdale to Half Moon Cay and Havana.

Carnival Triumph itinerary program is based on 4- and 5-day short Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston TX to Mexico. Feature port destinations include Cozumel and Progreso. Starting April 4, 2016 Triumph offered new itineraries from homeport NOLA New Orleans.

Cabins

Most Carnival Sunrise staterooms are 185-sq. foot insides (586), oceanview (342) and suite (55). Sunrise also has 89 Cloud 9 Spa cabins and 32 wheelchair accessible cabins. The number of ship's cabin categories is 34. Sunrise's Captain’s Suites are the largest cabins onboard (500 sq.feet) and can accommodate up to five passengers. They feature master bedroom, dressing area, large bathroom, separate living room, separate bathroom, fridge, and mini-bar. Suite guests benefit from VIP check-in.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Carnival Sunrise offers many of the Fun Ship 2.0 additions in terms of dining - Guy's Burger Joint, Cucina del Capitano, BlueIguana Cantina. The line made a few adjustments to the existing venues and also added the outstanding specialty restaurant, Chopsticks. There are two Main Dining Rooms onboard the Sunrise: Sunset, at the midship, and double-deck Sunrise located aft. The complimentary Punchliner Comedy Brunch, which is a sea day exclusive, features 5-minute teasers every hour on the hour from 9 am to 1:30 pm.

Follows the complete list of Carnival Sunrise restaurants and food bars.

• Sunset Restaurant (forward Main Dining Room, with two fixed dinner seatings, or “Your Time Dining”)
• Sunrise Restaurant (aft Main Dining Room, with two fixed dinner seatings; offers themed breakfasts - “Seuss At Sea”, for $5 cover charge; hosts Punchliner Comedy Brunch).
• Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse (alternative, reservations only restaurant, serving prime steaks and seafood at a surcharge; also hosts “Chef’s Table” VIP dining, $75 PP surcharge)
• Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ (offers pork sandwiches, complimentary lunch barbecue)
• Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse (fast food bar)
• BlueIguana Cantina (Mexican complimentary restaurant; offers house-made tortillas, burritos, tacos)
• Lido Marketplace buffet restaurant (complimentary self-service restaurant with various food stations; operates as a bistro in the evenings)
• Seafood Shack (open for lunch and dinner casual restaurant with indoor/outdoor seating)
• Cucina del Capitano (Italian reservations-only restaurant; offers a la carte dinner at a surcharge and complimentary lunch)
• Pizzeria del Capitano (complimentary, 24-hour, self-serve Pizzeria)
• Chopsticks Asian Kitchen (serves Chinese food, Mongolian Wok)
• Bonsai Sushi Bar (complimentary) and Bonsai Express (poolside food bar)
• JavaBlue Cafe
• On the Sunrise ship, Carnival in November 2019 introduced the Guy's Burger Joint breakfast menu.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Carnival made a heavy investment in lights and sound for its shows on Carnival Breeze and has taken a step further on Sunrise. An ultra-HD graphics package is beamed onto a vast screen and the performers use it as a backdrop of their show. A number of themed shows take place in ship's Liquid Lounge, which doubles as the 800-seat main Theater. Because the room was initially designed as a theater with two stories, it's impossible to feature an intimate atmosphere.

The Sunrise ship offers a complete list of activities and entertainment for each age group and taste - from ballroom scene dancing, classical music concerts, tea time and art auctions to a hairy chest and knobby knees contests, bingo, and karaoke.

In comparison to Carnival Sunshine, Sunrise has smaller-sized WaterWorks located midship (aft on Sunshine).

Sunrise also lacks SkyCourse (rope course adjacent to WaterWorks).

Follows the complete list of Carnival Sunrise lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Sunrise Atrium (9-deck high midship open area served by Lobby Bar)
• FunHub (24-hour Internet computers room)
• Liquid Lounge and Theater (800-seat, 2-level main show lounge and multi-purpose venue)
• Limelight Lounge is home to the Punchliner Comedy Club with a line-up of comics that later transforms into a night club
• Ocean Plaza (entertainment area; features live music and trivia)
• The Library Bar; Piano 88 Bar; Skybox Sports Bar; Java Blue Cafe; The Taste Bar; Alchemy Bar
• RedFrog Pub (English pub with live music; offers international beers selection and the private label Thirstyfrog/RedFrog beer)
• RedFrog Rum Bar (serves Caribbean rums selection and ThirstyFrog Red drought beer)
• BlueIguana Tequila Bar (offers Mexican beer, margaritas, drink specialties)
• Pixels Photo Gallery and Shop; Dreams Photo Studio; Cherry On Top (candy shop, offers the Fun Shops catalog, “Bon Voyage” store menu, souvenirs, watches, jewelry, logo merchandise, duty-free liquor, fashion boutiques)
• Circle C (kids' complimentary club lounge with movies, video games, parties, planned activities)
• 24-hour Warehouse Video Games Arcade; Club O2 teens' lounge for movies, karaoke, parties
• Sunrise Casino (served by Sunshine Casino Bar)
• Seaside Theatre (LED screen outdoor cinema)
• Serenity (fore-located) is an adults-only Sun Deck / sunbathing area with outdoor furniture (daybeds, hammocks, loungers, low tables) and waiter-service by Serenity Bar (drinks and refreshments - cocktails, beer/buckets, wine, frozens, smoothies, shakes, soda).
• Beach Pool area (with two Whirlpools); Carnival WaterWorks Aqua Park (with 2 slides; 1 Whirlpool, SplashZone for kids)
• Camp Carnival (kids' club lounge with a complimentary programme and play area)
• Cloud 9 Spa and Fitness complex (with Gym, Fitness Studio, Sauna, Steam Room, Thermal Suites, Beauty Salon, 15 Treatment Rooms; offers ZSpa teenagers program)
• SportSquare (Basketball/Volleyball Court, Jogging Track, Tennis Tables, 9-hole Mini Golf Course, Shuffleboard).

Triumph was Carnival's first-ever liner with mobile phone systems ("Cellular At Sea" by Wireless Maritime Services). This partnership (between AT&T and MTN Sat / Maritime Telecommunications Network) allowed passengers to use their cell phones at sea to call directly at any time.

The Triumph ship was christened by godmother Madeleine Arison - wife of Micky Arison (Carnival Corporation's Chairman). This is a Post-Panamax vessel (can't pass through Panama Canal), launched on July 1 and with inaugural cruise/maiden voyage on October 30, 1999. Ship's interior design theme is "Great Cities of the World". Fun Ship 2.0 upgrade was done in 2013.

Fun fact is that this Carnival ship had a namesake - the 2017-launched "MOL Triumph". The vessel is among world's largest container ships (capacity 20170 containers) and operated by MOL Shipping.

Sunrise ship's godmother is Kelly Arison - daughter of Micky Arison. Vessel's christening ceremony was on May 23, 2019, held at Manhattan Cruise Passenger Terminal in Port NYC New York. The naming ceremony featured a 4-ft (1,2-m) high champagne bottle sculpture (filled with confetti) which was custom-made by Romero Britto (1963-born Brazilian artist).

Sunrise ship's Captains are Bruno Palomba (during the drydock) and Isidoro Renda (after the launch). Captain Isidoro Renda (Italian, Naples-graduate) is with Carnival since 2010 (starting as Second Officer) and Captain since 2016. Its previous service was with TIRRENIA Ferries and MSC Cruises. Ship's other officers include Mauro Fabbrini (Chief Engineer), Nicola Tonelli (Chief Engineer), Caroline Bourke (Hotel Director).

Carnival Triumph-Sunrise conversion/refurbishment 2019 review

Following the 38-day long drydock refit in 2019 (February 26 - April 28, in Cadiz Spain), Carnival Triumph becomes "Carnival Sunrise". The new liner has 12 new bar and dining options, plus fleetwide facilities, among which are company's signature RedFrog Pub (Caribbean rums and beers, Carnival ThirstyFrog Red Ale), Chef’s Table (multi-course VIP dining), SportsSquare (ropes course, basketball court, jogging track, 9-hole minigolf course), Carnival Waterworks park with waterslides (203 ft / 62 m and 212 ft / 65 m long), Serenity Retreat (adult-only lounge), Video Gaming Arcade, Fun Shops, comedy club, new theater.

CCL Sunrise has 4 new suites - two Captain’s Suites (850 ft2 / 79 m2) and two Grand OceanView Suites (320 ft2 / 30 m2). All passenger staterooms were thoroughly updated. Captain’s Suites have max capacity 5 passengers and are located next to Navigation Bridge.

Next are compared "Triumph-Sunrise" ship's capacity changes as cabins and facilities:

• passengers - 2758-2984 (max capacity 3310-3730)
• crew/staff - 1040-1110
• Passengers space ratio - 31-27
• lounges/bars - 18-22
• swimming pools - 4-3
• cabin decks - 8-10
• staterooms - 1379-1492
• Captain Suite - 0-2
• Grand Suite - 8-10
• Ocean Suite - 40-41
• Junior Suite - 2-1
• Premium Balcony - 8-8
• Balconies - 464-494
• Scenic Oceanview - 0-6
• Oceanviews - 317-302
• Interior with Picture Window - 19-12
• Porthole - 6-6
• Inside cabins - 497-594
• Small Interior - 18-17

Carnival Triumph refurbishment 2013 review

The list of deck plan changes made during ship's 2013 drydock refurbishment included:

• new dining options (Lido Deck 9): Guy’s Burger, Bluelguana Cantina
• new bars: BlueIguana Tequila Bar (Deck 9), Alchemy Bar (Promenade Deck 5), EA SPORTS (Deck 5, replacing the Olympic Bar), RedFrog Rum Bar (Deck 5)
• Various technical enhancements were also implemented.

Follows the complete list of Carnival Triumph lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Triumph Atrium Capitol Lobby (9-deck high midship open area served by Capitol Lobby Bar)
• Internet Cafe (24-hour Internet computers room)
• Rome Theatre (1500-seat, 3-level main show lounge)
• Washington Library; Oxford Bar (153-seat cigar bar); Olympic Bar (55-seat sports bar); Vienna Cafe; Alchemy Bar; California Bar; The Big Easy Bar (100-seat piano bar); Venezia Lounge and Bar (jazz lounge) 
• RedFrog Rum Bar (serves Caribbean rums selection and ThirstyFrog Red drought beer)
• BlueIguana Tequila Bar (offers Mexican beer, margaritas, drink specialties)
• Club Rio Lounge (425-seat; hosts Punchliner Comedy Club/brunch)
• Photo Gallery and Shop; Photo Studio; The Fun Shops (“Bon Voyage” store menu, souvenirs, watches, jewelry, logo merchandise, duty-free liquor, fashion boutiques); Formalities Shop (tuxedo rentals; special occasion gifts)
• Circle C (kids' complimentary club lounge with movies, video games, parties, planned activities)
• 24-hour Underground Tokyo Video Games Arcade; Club O2 teens' lounge for movies, karaoke, parties
• Club Monaco Casino (184-seat, served by World’s Bar)
• Hollywood Disco and Nightclub (211-seat)
• Seaside Theatre (LED screen outdoor cinema)
• Serenity (adults only relaxation area with Serenity Pool, Serenity Bar, Spa Whirlpool, cascading waterfall, loungers, and hammocks)
• Continent Pool area (with two Whirlpools, two Continent Bars, stage for live performances); New World Pool area (with two Whirlpools, New World Bar, pizza and grill; has SkyDome glass roof); Aqua Park (Universe Pool area which is connected to Twister Waterslide; with one Whirlpool, splash pools, fountains)
• Camp Carnival (kids' club lounge with a complimentary program and play area)
• Spa Carnival complex (with Gym, Fitness Studio, Saunas, Steam Rooms, Beauty Salon, Treatment Rooms)
• SportSquare (Basketball/Volleyball Court, Jogging Track, Tennis Tables, 9-hole Mini Golf Course, Shuffleboard).

Follows the complete list of Carnival Triumph restaurants and food bars.

• London Restaurant (forward Main Dining Room, with two fixed dinner seatings, or “Your Time Dining”; offers themed breakfasts - “Seuss At Sea”, for $5 cover charge)
• Paris Restaurant (1114-seat aft Main Dining Room, with two fixed dinner seatings; open seating Breakfast and Lunch)
• Guy’s Burger Joint (fast food bar)
• BlueIguana Cantina (Mexican complimentary restaurant; offers house-made tortillas, burritos, tacos)
• South Beach Club Lido Buffet Restaurant (1252-seat, 2-level complimentary self-service restaurant with various food stations; operates as a bistro in the evenings).
• Sushi Bar (complimentary).