Although it originally launched back in 1996, Carnival Sunshine essentially started over in 2013 as a new cruise ship.  Formerly known as Carnival Destiny, the ship was the beneficiary of $155 million worth of renovations.  The top-to-bottom transformation included 182 new cabins that increased the ship capacity from 2,642 to 3,006 passengers and the addition of Carnival’s most comprehensive set of “Fun Ship 2.0 enhancements” to date.

The variety of dining available on Sunshine is pretty amazing.  Among the new offerings are “JiJi” (Carnival’s first Asian-themed restaurant); the steakhouse Fahrenheit 555; Cucino del Capitano (you can probably guess the type of food on the menu); and a Guy Fieri Burger bar.  The BlueIguana is a Mexican cantina offering freshly made tacos and burritos.  Plus a pizzeria, Mongolian Wok, the JavaBlue Cafe, the Shake Spot, hot dogs at SeaDogs and more.  And you can always choose from the room service menu, available 24 hours a day.

You shouldn’t have any problem keeping yourself hydrated on Carnival Sunshine.  The options for liquid refreshments range from the RedFrog Rum Bar, the BlueIguana Tequila Bar and the RedFrog Pub (serving up Carnival’s own RedFrog beers) to the EA Sports Bar where you can grab a drink, watch some sports or play the latest EA Sports video games.  Other indoor fun can be had in the casino – slot machines, all the usual table games and poker.

The focus of water-based fun on the top deck is the brand new Carnival WaterWorks, with several great water slides including the paired Speedway Splash slides that let you take on all comers in a race to the pool waaaay down below. SportSquare is the fitness area up top, with a jogging track and the SkyCourse ropes course.

The kids can spend time having fun with kids their own age in the Camp Carnival, Circle C and Club O2.  Relaxation for adults is available in the Cloud 9 Spa and the Serenity retreat.  Serenity is an adults-only spot located in the new deck added to the front of the ship as part of the renovation.

Looking to save a little money – and not really expecting to spend much time in your room?  Then an interior stateroom might be just the thing for you.  But that’s just the starting point for the many stateroom options on Carnival Sunshine.  There are exterior rooms with portholes and others with full-sized picture windows.  There are rooms with balconies and aft-facing rooms with expanded balconies for great views of where you’ve been.  And then there are the suites: Grand Suites and Ocean Suites and Cloud 9 Spa Suites.

TheCruiseNexus has the full current schedule of Carnival Sunshine cruises, including departures from New Orleans, Barcelona and Venice.