Carnival Sunshine re-enters service following extensive refit in France

Carnival Sunshine has completed an extensive drydock at Chantier Naval de Marseille in France, returning to North America with enhancements to public areas and staterooms.

Now homeporting in Norfolk, Virginia, the ship has begun year-round operations with 6- and 8-night Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries.

Carnival Sunshine repositioned to France for the multi-week refurbishment in January. During the drydock, the 3,000-guest vessel underwent a series of upgrades, including new synthetic flooring across all open decks and motion-activated lighting in all staterooms.

Public spaces received significant updates as well. The water park, ropes course, mini golf, and jogging track were fully refurbished, while the Sunshine Casino was refreshed with an upgraded host desk on the promenade deck.

The fitness centre was also modernised with new cardio equipment.

“This, along with all the usual maintenance and upkeep of a drydock, means the Carnival Sunshine looks absolutely fabulous,” said John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador, announcing the completion of the project on social media.

Following the refit, Carnival Sunshine repositioned back across the Atlantic without guests to launch her new homeporting season from Norfolk, offering a range of itineraries calling at destinations such as Princess Cays, Grand Turk, Puerto Plata, Half Moon Cay, and San Juan.

Carnival Sunshine first entered service in 1996 as Carnival Destiny before undergoing a major transformation in 2013, when it was extensively renovated and re-named.

The recent drydock marks its most comprehensive refurbishment since that refit, which Carnival Cruise Line called a practical rebuilding of the vessel.

That major bow-to-stern overhaul and this most recent refurb ensures an upgraded onboard experience for guests, keeping the almost-30-year-old vessel on-par with newer ships in the Carnival fleet.

The vessel’s fleet mate Carnival Spirit is also undergoing a drydock at Chantier Naval de Marseille.

After completing its winter season in Mobile, the 2001-built vessel repositioned to Europe for a month-long shipyard stay. Carnival Spirit is set to re-enter service on March 16th, 2025, with a trans-Atlantic crossing from Barcelona before beginning a new deployment.

With these enhancements, Carnival continues to invest in its fleet, maintaining and modernising its ships to offer refreshed experiences for guests.