CARNIVAL SUNSHINE

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Latest news

ruise ship received an inspection score of 89 during a routine health check

The 'Carnival Sunshine' received an inspection score of 89 during a routine health check conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on March 8 as part of the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), flagged 26 violations. Among the most serious were reports of a food service employee continuing to work while experiencing symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, insects found in food service areas, and refrigeration failures that compromised safe food storage. The CDC noted cockroaches and fruit flies in multiple galleys and food preparation areas, including sightings beneath equipment and near dishwashing stations. In a detailed inspection report, the CDC cited several equipment issues, including malfunctioning refrigeration units that allowed potentially hazardous foods—like sandwiches and raw meatballs—to rise above safe temperature thresholds. Additional problems included worn gaskets on ice machines, leaking water lines, damaged flooring, and disrepair of food-contact surfaces. While the ship did pass the inspection, it still must submit a corrective action plan to the CDC.

Cruise ship delayed due to poor weather

The 'Carnival Sunshine' had to slow down on her return to Charleston, South Carolina, at the end of her current 5-night sailing due to poor weather. Strong winds and waves made it difficult for the ship to sail at full speed and maintain optimal safety and comfort. This has had a knock on effect on embarkation fort the departure on Feb 8, 2024,, which was delayed by several hours. Incoming guests have been alerted to the change and advised to push back their arrival time to accommodate the delay. Travelers were asked to delay their terminal arrival appointment by three hours. All guests, however, had to be onboard no later than 5:30 p.m. for the ship to depart. Originally, the 'Carnival Sunshine'‘s planned departure was 4 p.m., but this has been pushed back as much as possible to permit adequate time for both debarkation and embarkation. The ship’s next sailing was a 4-night Bahamas cruise, with a day at sea first, followed by a full day in Nassau and another day at sea before returning to Charleston on Feb 12. At this time, there was no change to that itinerary.

FBI investigating suspicious death on board

The FBI started investigating a suspicious death that happened aboard the 'Carnival Sunshine'. The crew was made aware of an unresponsive woman on Feb. 27, 2023. The staff attempted life-saving measures, but the woman was pronounced dead on the ship. Once the ship berthed in Charleston on March 4, members of the FBI Evidence Response Team responded in the morning to conduct an investigation into the death. Both the deceased and her husband were debarked in Nassau, and Bahamian authorities have already investigated the circumstances and were conducting an autopsy, while Carnival was fully cooperating. The authorities were continuing to investigate the incident.