ABOARD THE CARNIVAL SUNRISE -- The Carnival Sunrise might be 20 years old this year, but it is a thoroughly modern cruise ship.
I should say it's the Sunrise, nee Triumph, because this ship debuted in 1999 as part of the Destiny class. But time goes by, new features are dreamed up and passenger preferences change, so the ship underwent a nearly $200 million "transformation," as Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy put it.
The transformation has extended to the entire Destiny class, which has been renamed the Sunshine class and includes the Carnival Sunshine (the former Destiny) and the Sunrise. The last of the trio, the Carnival Victory, will become the Carnival Radiance next year.
The Sunrise refurb brings many of the line's newer and most popular spaces onboard in a way that works relatively seamlessly.
In addition, the original design by Carnival's legendary architect Joe Farcus has given way to a simpler, more contemporary look, although there still are a few hints of the previous "worlds" theme here and there.
On this Bermuda sailing from New York, guests were lined up for lunch at Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse window; they were racing each other down the new waterpark slides; they were packing into the Caribbean-influenced RedFrog Bar at almost all hours; they were swinging from the ropes course.
The Triumph was constructed right before the age of "alternative dining," and for this redesign, several restaurants were added: steakhouse Fahrenheit 555, which is carved into the main, midship restaurant; Cucina del Capitano, located in the second level of the lido restaurant; the intimate Chef's Table; the Seafood Shack; and Bonsai Sushi.
Bonsai replaces the ship's internet cafe: In another sign of the times, with WiFi and mobile devices ubiquitous, what remains of the cafe has been downsized to two computers in the atrium.
The Pizzeria del Capitano did a brisk business, and we shared an elevator with a pizza-delivery man on his way to deliver pies ordered via the Carnival Hub app.
The lido cafe's new design scheme makes it a pleasant stop. Take into account poolside burgers and tacos, and there are plenty of places to nosh beyond the traditional main dining.
Casual dress is the byword. On the evening that the suggested dress code was "cruise elegant," many passengers dressed to the nines, but many opted to stay more casual.
The Sunrise on this four-day cruise was a high-energy ship, and there seemed to be something going on in every quarter.
In the refurb, Carnival opted to remove a rear show lounge, and it downsized the theater and renamed it the Liquid Lounge, which made it a more intimate, flexible space. So as far as evening hot spots go, guests moved between the productions in the Liquid Lounge, the Punchliner comedy shows and late-night dance parties in the Limelight Lounge on Deck 4, the RedFrog for a live band and a redone Piano Bar.
The Alchemy and Atrium bars served as the cocktail lounges and ultimate people-watching spots.
Beyond the interiors, another area of note on the Sunrise is the cheerful SportsSquare on the top deck aft, where a ropes course is suspended above billiards and foosball tables. The minigolf course was moved to just below the funnel, which makes for some awesome photos.
Forward, Carnival reconfigured the space to enhance the spa and the kids' clubs and also added a double-deck of the Serenity adults-only zone, which is where I retreated to survey the sea and ponder the changes that 20 years must naturally bring.