I got to judge the hairy chest contest! Inspiration review: 2/26/11.

[gapearl]

Good morning! Sorry to have taken a break from my review, but it's been a busy weekend. I'm still on day 3, after making it back to the ship from Grand Cayman.

 

After getting back on the ship, I was very hungry. I hadn’t eaten anything but two croissants for breakfast, spent all day out in the sun, and was getting cranky because I was starving. The buffet featured Jamaican food today. Golly, my eyes were much bigger than my stomach. I piled my plate high with jerk chicken, macaroni & cheese from the rotisserie grill, salad, cake, and cheesecake (which was not good, btw). I sat in my favorite spot to eat, a front row lounge chair by the pool. I was eating as we left, and the fun patrol guys were at it again with another fun sailaway party, but no one came on stage when they tried to get the dancing started. What do you think I did? Duh! I ran up there! I was the first and only passenger on stage as we started dancing. We did the cupid shuffle and the cha cha slide. About 30 seconds into the cupid shuffle, the stage was packed. Leave it to me to have to get the party started! Then one of the fun patrol guys said we were going to learn a new dance called the wobble. I couldn’t resist a loud “WOOOOOOOO!!!” I love the wobble. I learned it on my Imagination cruise. The FP guy asked me if I knew it. Sure do! I had to help him demonstrate how to do it. We did it too after everyone got a crash course.

 

I went back to my chair, finished eating, dipped in the pool a few times to cool off, and then I fell asleep on my stomach for I don’t know how long. All I know is despite wearing spf 50, I got burned and the my skin on my shoulders and back is white, flaky, and still peeling 2 weeks later. Anyways, I left the pool, went to the sauna, then back to my room for a shower and nap before dinner. I missed the past guest party with free drinks. Darnit!

 

At dinner, I had the fried mozzarella cheese with marinara and a salad for my appetizers, grilled chicken breast with red potatoes and veggies for my entrée, and the wcmc with 2 ice creams for dessert. Our servers danced to “Low” tonight. The maitre’d told all the ladies to stand because the men did the work at dinner the night before and it was now our turn to entertain. You don’t really think I stayed sitting down, do you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we ate, my dinner companions and I went to the serenity deck for mojitos under the stars or something like that. We sat out, talked, enjoyed our drinks, and enjoyed the clear sky and relaxing sounds of the ocean. Lots of people came out for this. They had a menu of about 10 different kinds of mojitos you could choose from. I don’t like mint that much. I’m more of a fruity umbrella drink kind of girl, so I love the funship special. Here’s another tip for newbies: They normally bring it to you in a souvenir glass you can keep, and it’s about $9.50 with automatic 15% tip. If you order it in a regular glass, it’s about $5.50 with tip. If you drink enough of them, that $4 adds up fast!

 

 

 

 

Next up for the night was karaoke again. I was such a superstar! I sang Britney Spears, Beyonce, and Rihanna. There was a good size crowd there but no one was singing, so I sang my songs pretty close to one another. I could never be a professional singer. I was tired by the time I finished the last song. Even though I was happy with my song choices, they didn’t have the song I REALLY wanted to sing. This was the third cruise where I’ve done karaoke and neither the Fantasy, Imagination, or Inspiration have Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”. To The Carnival Cruise Line’s Executive Vice President of Karaoke: PLEASE add Single Ladies to the karaoke library on all of your ships! I promise your passengers will get great entertainment if I’m on stage singing that song. That is all. Thanks, Kim.

 

Next stop was the Rock & Roll Disco. It was 12ish and DEAD. I went up to get some ice cream and ended up hanging out with some other ladies up there for a while, just talking. They did have some late night food out for anyone hungry- burgers, hot dogs, fries, fruit, and a few more things. I went back to the disco at 1 am when it was busier and stayed until about 2:30 am. Even when I left, a lot of people were still there to keep it going.

 

 

 

Next up: Cozumel!

[Cruisin Christi]

Can't wait for Cozumel!

[navybaby1113]

Did you happen to go to the So You Think You Can Dance on the first night? They learned to dance to Single Ladies. It was hilarious!

[gapearl]

Can't wait for Cozumel!

 

Coming now! Thanks for following! :)

 

 

Did you happen to go to the So You Think You Can Dance on the first night? They learned to dance to Single Ladies. It was hilarious!

 

I didn't go, but would have if I had known they were going to teach the Single Ladies dance. There was a girl one night at the disco who did the whole dance. It was funny! I may need to study the video and learn it for the next cruise! :D

[MamaTene]

Coming now! Thanks for following! :)

 

 

 

 

I didn't go, but would have if I had known they were going to teach the Single Ladies dance. There was a girl one night at the disco who did the whole dance. It was funny! I may need to study the video and learn it for the next cruise! :D

 

I would LOVE to be on a cruise with you GAPearl! Be sure to let us all know when you will cruise again! I for one along with my other girlfriend will join in the fun with you for sure!

[gapearl]

DAY 4/ COZUMEL

 

We weren’t due in until 11 am. I was planning to workout. Really, I did have good intentions, but I didn’t. I slept in until 9. As I was getting dressed, I watched the news and got to see who would be on the new cast of Dancing With The Stars (gonna be a good season!). CD Stephanie was still making announcements about booking Cozumel shore excursions at 9:45. They still had 4 spots open for the behind the fun tour the next day. I went up to the lido for a couple of croissants and to watch as we approached Mexico. It was then I realized that I had lost my sunscreen, so I bolted to the gift shop to buy some more. It was $14! :eek: Highway robbery! I wish I had waited until getting off the ship to buy some, but my excursion required us to take a ferry and I didn’t want to be late and risk missing it. Turns out, I would have had time after all. Oh well.

 

I booked the caverns by jeep and beach combo for $90. This excursion and the Mayan ruins of Tulum were the only two that required a ferry to Playa del Carmen. Both groups met in the Candlelight Lounge and we were given instructions on where to go. While in there, we got to watch as we docked next to the Elation. The Navigator OTS followed us here from Grand Cayman. One more ship was there, either another RC or Celebrity, can't remember. We got to be the first ones off the ship because we had to hurry and catch the ferry. They actually held people up at the stairs until all of us had debarked.

 

 

 

The ferry was a short walk down the pier from the ship, right by Fat Tuesdays. They had a minibar with sodas and snacks. You could get a beer and a tequila shot combo for $6. I got a green margarita for $5 and a bag of chips for $1.50. The margarita was a little weak, so he hooked me up with a little extra tequila. This is what I call breakfast!

 

 

The ferry left at 11:30 and the ride to the mainland was about 30 minutes. There was a safety video shown. I’m a flight attendant and got a real kick out of this. The girl pointed with two fingers and all. LOL

 

 

The ferry is equipped with restrooms. The guy who took care of my margarita for me took me up to see where the captain was driving the boat. I sat in his chair and took a picture with him. Unfortunately, my camera was dying this entire trip (time for a trip to Best Buy for a new one) and somehow that picture vanished into thin air. I went back to my seat and passed the rest of the time thanks to 5 levels of Angry Birds.

 

The ferry in Playa del Carmen.

 

[gapearl]

We arrived to another beautiful, sunny, 80 something degree day. The beaches of Playa del Carmen were packed. As I watched the hundred or so people head to see the ruins, I was again happy to be a part of a small group. There were 8 other people on my excursion plus our guide, Rafael. No drinking was allowed on this tour because it required driving. OOPS! I already had a drink! The jeeps were all stick shift and I can’t drive a stick, so I wouldn't be driving anyways. You do have to have a valid driver’s license if you want to drive, but they didn’t check them. I rode in a jeep with a couple from Canada.

 

The resort area of Playa del Carmen.

 

 

 

 

[gapearl]

It was a 10 minute ride to the caverns. Lockers were available for $3. All we needed for this part of our excursion was a towel and snorkel equipment. They don’t want any potentially harmful or outside substances to make it in the water here. For this reason, after using the bathroom, they don’t want you to flush your tissue down the toilet, but instead you have to put it in the trash can. No sunscreen was allowed. Also, we had to wear hard hats when walking in case of falling rocks.

 

Rafael was very knowledgeable when explaining the cenotes, their history, and lots of geological information. We were educated on how the stalagmites formed and that they were made up of limestone. Also, it’s pronounced ce-note-a, not cee-note, as it looks. We put on our snorkeling equipment and mandatory life jackets and got in the water. You could either jump in or go in on the ladder. The water was so cold! The caverns were very dark. The little light we had was from where we entered and the flashlight Rafael had. Bats were in there and we did get to see a few flying around. We could see the calcium in the water floating on the surface. It kind of looked like oil. I could understand why they didn’t want us wearing sunscreen. We got to stay in the water about 30-45 minutes. Soda and water were offered when we were done. This was really cool and a lot of fun! Rafael said he's had groups as big as 40 people for this tour. I can't imagine having that many people. This excursion really is best with a small group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gapearl]

A few more pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

This was the water at the entrance, not the area where we swam. You can see the calcium deposits floating at the top of the water.

 

 

Pictures were taken of us in our jeeps as we arrived and we each got an individual shot in the water. They were put in a souvenir cover that we could buy for $20. I didn’t really like either picture so I passed. One guy said he bought one picture for $15. We went back to our lockers, had a quick restroom break, then loaded up the jeeps again to head to the beach!

[Cruisin Christi]

That cavern excursion looked scary to me. I was looking into it, but when I saw others pics I changed my mind. Looks like you had a good time tho.

[gapearl]

We were wayyyyy out of the tourist areas. The roads were very bumpy. We passed lots of (literally) shacks that were people’s homes. Seeing others live like that makes you very grateful and appreciative of what you have. We made it to the beach club. It was practically empty, not at all crowded like the ones we saw when we first got to Playa. The Carnival description of this excursion said a Mexican buffet was included. It was NOT a buffet. I was given the option of about 4 different feature entrees to choose from plus one soda or bottle of water. The only meat I eat is chicken, so I had no choice but to go with the chicken fajitas, the only chicken dish offered. First, my server brought a basket of chips and salsa and a side of some other sauce (not queso like I was hoping for) for dipping. The chips and salsa were delicious! Then he brought a plate of guacamole, followed by a salad. The fajitas were accompanied with black beans and rice. I’m glad my belly got full with the chips and salsa because honestly, I didn’t think the food was that good. The tortillas were very, very bland, so I didn’t even bother eating a second one. I just ate the chicken with the onions and peppers. Well the chicken was a little rough and tasted kind of “funny”. You know how when you’re at the food court at mall and pass some of those “cajun grill” places that keep offering you honey chicken samples when you pass, and the chicken doesn’t really taste like chicken? That’s what it was like. The rice was good, and I didn’t try the black beans (don’t really like them). I don't think I ate more than 1/3 of my plate.

 

Part of our jeep caravan. Our group was a total of 4 jeeps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was the view I had while eating lunch!

 

[Julienatul]

Loving your review, feel like Im right there with you. Loved your formal dress also where did you find it?

[gapearl]

More pictures from the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

The gift shop is on the left, and there's a bar on the right by the swings.

 

 

[mebecindi]

I love the pictures from the Horse ride on the beach. That sure looked like alot of fun. Can't wait to read more.

[gapearl]

After eating, I spent some time in the water and enjoyed the sand and beautiful weather. The beach cub had hammocks, a gift shop, and massages and jet skis were available for an extra charge. We spent about 2, maybe 2 1/2 hours at the beach. The drive back to the ferry was 40 minutes. I tipped our awesome guide $5. It was truly a fun and exciting day! We met back up with the people from the Mayan ruins tour at the ferry and got back to Cozumel at 7 pm. All aboard was at 7:30 pm for an 8 pm departure, so I had a little time left to buy some duty free tequila. All the gift shops were still open, and we were the only ship still in port.

 

 

That's the Navigator OTS leaving in the background.

 

 

 

I was back on the ship at 7:20. I dropped my bags off in my room, and then headed up to the lido to watch for runners. They shut off ALL the lights down the pier and by the gift shops and bars as a hint to those still out to get your @#% on the ship! I didn’t hear them page anyone as I've read they sometimes will do, but I did see some of the ships officers standing out by the gangway door, watching and waiting. We were obviously missing people. I had to get dressed for dinner, so I only waited until 7:45. When I left, I saw a few people walking towards the ship and the officers still watching and waiting for others. Why on earth would you cut it that close?

 

A new towel animal was already waiting for me.

 

 

Ok, that's it for now. More of night 4 coming later. There's still a lot more to tell plus day 5!

[gapearl]

I would LOVE to be on a cruise with you GAPearl! Be sure to let us all know when you will cruise again! I for one along with my other girlfriend will join in the fun with you for sure!

 

Thanks a lot! You would definitely be in on the fun!

[gapearl]

That cavern excursion looked scary to me. I was looking into it, but when I saw others pics I changed my mind. Looks like you had a good time tho.

 

It was fun, not scary at all! I'd definitely say try it if you're going to Cozumel again anytime soon. Hopefully Rafael will be your tour guide. We talked about what it takes to have that job. It's months of studying and training, but he sure made me want to move to Mexico and put in an application! When I got back to the ship, everyone talked about how they went to the ruins or went snorkeling. I got to talk about how I went swimming in an underground river through bat filled caverns. It was an awesome day and something out of the ordinary.

[gapearl]

Loving your review, feel like Im right there with you. Loved your formal dress also where did you find it?

 

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it. I got my dress at Macy's, on sale. ;)

 

I love the pictures from the Horse ride on the beach. That sure looked like alot of fun. Can't wait to read more.

 

Thanks! The horse swim was so much fun! Stay tuned for more later!

[Lakers1041]

Wonderful review. I too did the Jeep by caverns tour and loved it. Just for the record you are beautiful.:D;)

 

Secondly, Is it wierd go by urself? I am going solo for the first time in May.

[gapearl]

Wonderful review. I too did the Jeep by caverns tour and loved it. Just for the record you are beautiful.:D;)

 

Secondly, Is it wierd go by urself? I am going solo for the first time in May.

 

Thanks for the compliment. ;) For me, it's not weird to go anywhere by myself. I'm an only child and grew up playing with Barbie dolls by myself. In college, I went to the movies by myself. Now as an adult, I have no problem traveling by myself. If I'm working with a crew of other flight attendants that don't want to go out into whatever city we're in, I'll go out by myself then too. I spent an entire day exploring NYC solo. You're going to have a good time. Just be social and make it a point to talk to people.

[allicat06]

I'm really enjoying your review so far! I noticed you have been on other Carnival ships in addition to the Inspiration. I've seen some reviews of the Inspiration where its been said the Inspiration is not as nice as some of the other Carnival boats. Just wondering what your opinion is about the ship!

[Lovharvey]

Traveling on this sailing were myself, 30, and, well that’s it, just me. This was my 5th cruise, all on Carnival, and my third time cruising solo. My last cruise was just 5 months ago on the Imagination. This will likely be my last solo Carnival cruise thanks to their recent 200% solo supplement. My 6 day cruise on the Freedom a year and a half ago, including cruise fare, taxes, port charges, and gratuities, was cheaper than the cruise fare alone for this 5 day cruise! :eek: Also my next few cruises will include family on one and friends on the others. If I do cruise solo again in the future, it will likely be on Royal Caribbean. I hear they’re giving solos much better deals than Carnival.

 

 

I am a recent widow and took my first solo cruise last month. As much as I missed my husband being with me, it was nice to be able to do what I wanted, when I wanted and for as long as I wanted. My husband didn't really care for the beach & I was able to spend some time on the beach in Progresso. We always spent a lot of time on the lake and never went to the beach that much. Even though I paid double for a balcony, it still comes out cheaper than flying to a port, even though I do want to take another cruise to Alaska. I am doing another solo on the Conquest before she moves to NO. Can't wait for the rest of your review. I also have to agree with you about having plenty of room in the closet.

[Lovharvey]

Thanks for the compliment. ;) For me, it's not weird to go anywhere by myself. I'm an only child and grew up playing with Barbie dolls by myself. In college, I went to the movies by myself. Now as an adult, I have no problem traveling by myself. If I'm working with a crew of other flight attendants that don't want to go out into whatever city we're in, I'll go out by myself then too. I spent an entire day exploring NYC solo. You're going to have a good time. Just be social and make it a point to talk to people.

 

What airline do you work for? My sister is a flight attendant and her husband is a pilot for Continental. I am really enjoying your review. Will look for more later.

[gapearl]

I'm really enjoying your review so far! I noticed you have been on other Carnival ships in addition to the Inspiration. I've seen some reviews of the Inspiration where its been said the Inspiration is not as nice as some of the other Carnival boats. Just wondering what your opinion is about the ship!

 

Thanks for the feedback! I definitely think the Inspiration is a lot darker than other ships I've been on, especially in the atrium/lobby. The Fantasy, which is the oldest Carnival ship in operation right now, has decor that is very outdated. The Freedom, which is the newest ship I have sailed, is much more modern. For the most part, they all have more or less the same amenities. The Fantasy class ships are smaller and don't have as many eateries. In my opinion, the ship was clean and in good shape, so I have nothing bad to say.

 

I am a recent widow and took my first solo cruise last month. As much as I missed my husband being with me, it was nice to be able to do what I wanted, when I wanted and for as long as I wanted. My husband didn't really care for the beach & I was able to spend some time on the beach in Progresso. We always spent a lot of time on the lake and never went to the beach that much. Even though I paid double for a balcony, it still comes out cheaper than flying to a port, even though I do want to take another cruise to Alaska. I am doing another solo on the Conquest before she moves to NO. Can't wait for the rest of your review. I also have to agree with you about having plenty of room in the closet.

 

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. I'm sure it was quite an adjustment from cruising with your love to cruising solo. You stated such a good point about getting to do what you want when you want. So many people are scared to cruise solo, and when I explain that to them, I think I catch their attention. Good for you for sailing anyways. I hope you make it back to Alaska soon!

 

What airline do you work for? My sister is a flight attendant and her husband is a pilot for Continental. I am really enjoying your review. Will look for more later.

 

Thanks a lot! More is coming very soon. I've been very tight lipped about the company I work for. Being that this is a travel site, I think it's best. I don't want flames thrown at me because someone had a bad experience. It's not Continental though. ;)

[cdamion]

Who did you get to take all the pics of you? When I went solo last time while I did meet plenty of nice people, I was shy about getting them to take pics of me. In 7 days, I got exactly 4 pics taken of me - this is out of about 2000 pictures I took.