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"When's the Next One" by
Val F. from Largo, FL Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: The staff, service, food, entertainment, the staff, the food etc. everything. Cons: Seas were a little tippsy but that's Mother Nature, not Carnival This was our 6th time aboard the Inspiration. My hubby knows the ship well and is very comfortable there. The staff have always been tremendous! I work in the hospitality industry at a top of the line resort and I'd hire the people we were in contact with in a heartbeat! Not too large, so that you get lost all the time and plenty of things to do if you wish. Ship QualityI judge any public establishment by the washrooms - those on the Inspiration were always clean, sanitary and handicap accessible. None of those awful "scented things" in the bathrooms. Just a nice, naturally clean aroma. Dining/FoodI'm one of those fortunate people who is trying to "gain weight". I had so many options to choose from that I truely ate much more than I planned. Great choices, excellent preparation and pampered service made it all the better. Stateroom QualityI love those pillows. Not too big and very hugable. Going to order a couple online. Haven't had a balcony/suite yet, but looking forward to it. Very comfortable in our oceanview and lots of room. Ship Staff Quality"Above and Beyond" should be their motto. On 6 cruises (Inspiration) we've only met 1 person that I personally would not hire in a heartbeat. Superb service and attitude by all the staff. Entertainment & ActivitiesNeed to know something? Just ask ANYONE. If the server doesn't know (most likely will), then they'll find you a staff member who does. Children's ProgramsWe do not have young children, but have to comment here - 511 children under age 12 on our last cruise. Where were they??? The staff really kept them busy. Means they had a good time and so did their parents Nice.  0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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  Better than I expected! by
Michael E. from Marianna, FL Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: Loved the waterworks! Cons: Seasickness!! I loved that the ship was clean. If I left my stateroom for and hour I could come back it would be clean. The crew members enjoyed their jobs and wanted to be of service whenever you needed them. If you go on this cruise ship expecting a huge pool don't, the ship is small so you cannot have an emormous pool, and the waterworks area was excellent, not a long wait for either slide. Ship Quality
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Stateroom QualityThe rooms were much cleaner and up to date than I anticipated. Ship Staff Quality
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Children's ProgramsMy daughter actually wanted to go to camp carnival. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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5 stars to the Inspiration! by
Lori WD from Kalamazoo MI Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: service, food & entertainment Cons: having my photo taken @ dinner Two friends & I just returned this wkend from a 5 day cruise & can NOT say enough good about the Inspiration! The ship was spotless, the staff went out of their way to cater to our every whim & the food was to die for. We ran into many "professional" cruisers who have cruised all lines to all ports & said this was, by far, their best experience. We even had someone at our table who has cruised 87 times & 68 of those on Carnival. She says the Inspiration is her favorite & she cruises it every couple of months. It was obvious other guests were having a great time because I didn't see one other passenger who wasn't smiling & meeting new people. The entertainment was on par with anything you'd find in any big city & the staff was so friendly that we often got to chat with them even when they weren't working. I am ready to book again & WILL! We are all well-rested & missing it already! Ship QualityEverything was very very clean & there was always someone visible who was shining, polishing or cleaning something! Staff were always willing to direct us if we became lost & maps were very clear & helpful Dining/FoodThe variety was amazing & the quality was mouth-watering. Staff went out of their way to meet our every desire & would remember our favorite choices each night to ask if that is what we wanted. One evening our waiter brought each person at our table one of EVERY dessert because we could not decide which to order. There is something for everyone...the hard part is choosing which one because all dishes we had were mouth-watering! Stateroom QualityThe beds were fabulous...we never woke once during the night & couldn't feel the other person moving at all. Our steward & the housekeeping staff worked the cleaning around our schedule & the room was always spotless! Ship Staff QualityThe staff were so friendly & I appreciated that they are permitted to speak to guests even when not working...we ran into staff on their breaks on the sundecks & such & they were so open & friendly. It felt like a big floating family all week! If we were lost, they would take us to where we needed to go rather than simply point to the general area. I never saw a staff member who didn't smile & give a greeting during the entire cruise! Entertainment & ActivitiesThere was something going on all the time & enough to please all tastes. Comedy shows were hilarious & dance reviews were exceptional. There is so much talent on board! No one could complain of being bored. I would encourage cruisers to get involved in as many options as possible because it was such a great way to meet people. Children's ProgramsI didn't have my kids with me this trip but cannot wait to take them aboard as I checked out all the kids' activities & the staff were eager to answer any questions I had. They were very friendly & the kids seemed to have a great time. Seemed to be something going on all the time. 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Great Cruise! by
A Traveler from Rome, GA Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: The service is absolutely outstading; I have been on several cruises before, and Carnival hospitality is unmatched. Cons: too short... My fiance and I left for the cruise expecting a relaxing break from the nonstop work we've been stuck with lately- what we got exceeded all our expectations. The level of hospitality is outstanding. I can't think of anything the service team could improve to make the vacation more enjoyable. The ship blends relaxtion with activity very well. There is always something to do, but it's just as easy to relax and appreciate your vacation. The activities cater to a variety of people and age groups; you can fit an art auction, hairy chest competition, and award winning show all into one day- which we did. The food is plentiful and outstanding, and there is literally always something to eat onboard. When day 5 finally arrived, we left the ship reluctantly but restored. Great experience that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this type of vacation. The only downside is the short duration of shore excursions; if you want to explore your destinations more thoroughly, then a cruise is probably not the best approach. Ship QualityAgain, nothing to complain about. Dining/FoodOne night, I couldn't decide between two dinners, so our waiter brought out both... Stateroom QualityThe cabin stewards are amazing- and they make great towel animals. Ship Staff QualityAlways friendly and ready to help. If you're in a public area, you won't go more than an hour without someone checking on you. Entertainment & ActivitiesLove the variety, and the quality of entertainment was consistently impressive. 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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Enjoyable cruise on Carnival Inspiration by
Giles L from West Central Florida Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: Room on the ship and shore excursions Cons: Free style dining We enjoyed our 5-day cruise on the Carnival Inspiration. We had an inside cabin on the Verandah deck which was superb. (Second deck from the top and not many people on this deck.) Ports of call were great---Grand Cayman and Cozumel. We did the Parasailing on Grand Cayman and the Zip Line in Cozumel. Both were great fun.
We were wait-listed for the early seating for dinner, but ended up with the free-style (which I do not care for). My recommendation would be to go for the late seating, as your days are pretty full. I think the fun of a cruise is getting to meet 6-8 other couples over the course of the cruise at dinner. This really didn't happen this trip. (Dinner is the only meal where early/late seating and free-style applied.)
Amazingly there were a lot of kids on this cruise (over 400). I figured with school in session, there wouldn't be many kids. Only problem, fall break. (Never happened when I was in school.)
Overall though, a fun-filled five days which went by very quickly. Bottom line, I would do it again for the cost-effective cruise. Ship QualityCabin stewards were responsive and staff was always cleaning the ship Dining/FoodSome entrees were offered multiple evenings.
No lack of food anytime time of day.
Thumbs down to this freestyle dining. Stateroom QualityWe had an inside cabin which was roomer than I had anticipated. Ship Staff QualityI think most cruisers have high expectations regarding their cruise and the folks on this ship met that expectation. Entertainment & ActivitiesLas Vegas style show was okay. Commedians average. (Tough doing a show in a crowd that includes kids under 18.) 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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First timers become life timers by
Kimberly Q from Tampa, FL Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: relaxation and food Cons: some of the shows were a little corny This was 1/2 of my parties first cruise and the other 1/2 had cruised at least once before. My experience was wonderful! I enjoyed the serenity deck where my adult family members relaxed in the hot tub while deporting, many days and nights of the cruise and the last night on board enjoying some refreshments. I enjoyed the ping pong, minature golf and shuffleboard as well as the pool entertainment. I have to say the food was absolutely fabulous but did enjoy the dining room more than the outside service. I felt sick at night after dinner so next time I will definitely bring some more aids to help in that but the couple of nights that I did go exploring ran into some interesting characters. My favorite being the lady comedian and the jungle dancers. Although I am from Tampa and do visit Busch Gardens and Disney quite a bit I did not think that the dancers were that great! They were ok, but for being in such a mecca of entertainment, especially pulling out from Tampa I guess I expected more. The entertainment in my dining room "Mardi Gras" was absolutely wonderful! I loved George the Greek and would recommend requesting that dining room if available. The embarking and debarking was absolutely flawless with the crew and they really kept you informed of what to do. Ship QualityI thought that overall the ships layout was great and the only thing I would improve on is having a directory set up with times and functions and a map of the ship, a little more clearer then the ones at elevators as to what is on each floor. Dining/FoodAwesome, WOW! Great! What more can you say. We knew where we were going, what time to be there and who would be waiting on us. Perfect! Stateroom QualityI loved the size, of course you could always use a little more room however, it was much better than I had anticipated being my first cruise. The cleanliness was priority and the stewards for the cabins were friendly and accommodating. Ship Staff QualityI found that the stewards for the cabins and the dining staff were exceptional. Some of the other crew not so friendly but that is ok, they were probably on their way to a job or something. Entertainment & ActivitiesI was not impressed with much of the quality of shows. I liked the two comedians, especially the lady and I also like the jungle act with the man and woman. The game shows were ok, a little corny and the dancers although they had nice outfits and were good singers the dances were ok. With the port of call being Tampa I just thought that they would be up to par with Disney or Busch Gardens but didn't feel it. I really liked Skip the cruise director! He was great and informative. Oh, and Renee gave really good tips for shopping, I did actually buy the polorized sunglasses at Del Sol and the changing colors t-shirt for my husband. Nice! 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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Carnivale Inspiration by
Celeste B from Orlando, FL Sailing date: Sep 2009Pros: Food, excursions, service Cons: The show the first night was sort of silly, but they were better as the week went on. As always excellent service, great food, and fantastic excursions. The beaches in Cozumel were like a Corona commercial, and the snorkeling was superb. Although the food on the Lido deck was great, you can't beat the dining room experience. My only complaint was the cost of drinks, and that I never win at bingo (or any of their contests for that matter). Ship Quality
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A nice place to get away from it all by
A Traveler from Whitmore Lake , MI Sailing date: Sep 2009Pros: the shows were great, good food and service Cons: The slot machines did not pay out well :( The ship was clean..full of activities to do..the staff went out of their way to accommadate passengers and were very friendly. Ship QualityThe pool was a bit small Dining/FoodThe wait staff was great and entertaining Stateroom QualityThe bed was quite comfortable...I think we needed more than one outlet in the room though. Ship Staff QualityEveryone was friendly and helpful Entertainment & ActivitiesThere were great options of entertainment....The piano bar was fun with Jason...the Disco was also fun to go dancing at night..the comedy shows were also great 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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a mixed review by
Dave V from Sarasota, FL Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: exellent dancers and singers ... big surprise for Carnival Cons: day to day activities were unchanged for last 20 years .... We chose this cruise becase it was and inexpensive way to get to two great dive sites: Grand Caymen & Cozumel. Ship Quality
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Stateroom Qualityclean and efficient Entertainment & Activities
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Cozumel, Mexicotwo great dives (two-tank) ... excellent local Dive Shop: Sand Dollar
George Town, Grand Caymantwo great dives (two-tank) ... excellent local Dive Shop: Don Foster's
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Great Curise with a waterpark! by
Mo M. from Flowery Branch, GA Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: Good Activities, Service was Great! And adults only area. Cons: Lido deck got too crowded and lines for food were long We thought the ship was very nice and had a lot of activities on board. The layout of the ship was a little complicated. It took us couple days to figure out where all the elevators led, and what hallways to take and which ones dead-end. Ship QualityShip was clean. Dining/FoodFood was great! better than our last cruise. A lot of variety, 24/hr pizza, all day sandwich stand. And Plenty of desserts and pastries :) Stateroom QualityWe stayed in a indoor stateroom. It was a nice size room with plenty of closet space. Service was Great! Our room was cleaned 3times a day! Ship Staff Quality
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Cozumel, MexicoDon't Miss: Shopping George Town, Grand CaymanSting ray city in Grand Cayman is a must visit! You actually get to swim and snorkel with sting rays aswell as pet them!
Don't Miss: Sting Ray City 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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