REVIEW: VH1 Best Cruise Ever II – April 28, 2011 - Carnival Inspiration

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

 

Artists:

Lifehouse – Train – The Script – Colbie Caillat – Mat Kearney – Ryan Star – SAFETYSUIT – One eskimO – Thriving Ivory - Alpha Rev – Civil Twilight – The Daylights – Crowfield – Ben Rector – Hope – Matt Wertz – Nikki Jean – Trailer Park Ninjas – Yacht Rock Revue

 

One word sums up this music/cruise experience: IN-FREAKIN-CREDIBLE!!

 

This was a full ship charter through “Sixthman” and let’s just say that they know how to throw a party!! MANY aspects of the “normal” Carnival cruise experience were absent or altered. The first of which occurred in the terminal in Tampa, where we are somewhat conditioned to head straight to the VIP check-in area. This time the signs pointed us in a different direction – towards a separate line near the end of the regular check-in area. Passing by the “regular” VIP check-in area I asked the two women there at the desks “why the change”? I was told that, for this cruise, this is where the bands check-in. Makes perfect sense to me! The next realization (of many) was when we were issued our S&S cards. Printed on the card was “VH1 Best Cruise Ever 2011”…SWEET!

 

 

 

 

 

There were a couple of places on the ship (Club O2 and such) where there was no guest access – instead these areas were set aside for the bands. We saw tray after tray (Large) of treats heading into a few places. Platters of shrimp cocktail with QUARTS of cocktail sauce as an example.

 

We arrived a little later than normal (for us) and were on the ship in less than 10 minutes – at perhaps 1:15. That left us only 15 minutes to wait until the cabins were ready. We waited in the Atrium and were treated to the music of Trailer Park Ninjas. While they weren’t on my “not to be missed” list, it was good music – with fidelity far beyond that which occurs on any other Carnival ship… and that was just in the Atrium!!

 

(CONTINUED...)

 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Sixthman sent us, ahead of time, a couple of different pre-cruise packs including temporary tattoos, event specific sewn luggage tags, and a link to download music from all the bands. Onboard we were given a nice (card stock) daily event schedule. Many “Best Cruise Ever” banners and such could be found around the ship. Even all the napkins were geared for our sailing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For this sailing we opted for a mid-ship ocean view cabin on Empress deck (E133)- a rather good location, being only a few steps from the stairs and one deck below the rear entrance of the Mardi Gras dining room (two decks below the casino bar and Promenade band location). I could tell right away that some people down the hall were “OK” people… here was their door:

 

 

The lifeboat drill (Safety Briefing) occurred shortly after 4PM. Our Muster Station (B) was on Promenade deck right next to the casino – a favorite haunt of mine, but one where I would spend much less time than normal thanks to a great (if not too many choices) entertainment schedule. Most nights were Theme Nights – with Friday being the “Royal Wedding Formal Night”. Many women were spotted dressed to the nines and sporting tiaras and such. Of course, that did not mean that some people coming to dinner that evening were not in shorts, tank tops, and flip-flops. I really had ZERO problem with that, as the entire atmosphere of this sailing was an unspoken, but understood, “live and let live” feeling. Saturday’s theme was “VH1 Music Video Night” where people were encouraged to “break out your Devo Hats, put on your Lady Gaga glasses, or join a group of dancing Thriller zombies”!! The theme for Sunday was “Pajama Party Night”.

 

 

(CONTINUED...)

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

The ropes were tossed off during the last part of the Safety Briefing. Shortly afterwards we headed up to Lido deck where Lifehouse was playing for a sail-away to remember. To say that they drew a crowd would be an understatement!

 

 

With not a lot of time before our (self-imposed) 5:30 dining time, we cut out early and headed to the cabin. Our luggage had arrived during our absence so we quickly unpacked and broke out our small fan for a nice evaporative cooling session before changing into our dinner clothes. I am happy to report that Carnival did not see fit to plunder through our suitcases this time – as they have on the last several cruises! Earlier, upon first arriving at our stateroom we felt that it was a bit warm for our liking, the toilet was not working correctly, and the safe was still locked from the previous guests. I called Guest Relations to let them know, and within minutes people started arriving to tend to these issues. Throughout the remainder of our cruise, the AC was able to keep the cabin temperature at 72 during the day, and about 70 at night – though the humidity stayed in the (sticky) 60% range.

 

 

The toilet was repaired, and the safe opened (with nothing found inside). I found it interesting that the shower in this OV cabin was superior to the one we had the previous month on the Sensation in an extended balcony Grand Suite. Yes, in this one I could stand under the shower head (I am 6’ tall) and not have to hunch over. Even more elbow room was had thanks to the proper placement of the shower head compared to that botched remodeled shower in the GS on the Sensation! As would be expected though – counter, clothes hanging, and drawer space was comparatively limited – though we somehow managed!

 

There were special channels on the TV for this sailing. There was a Sixthman channel, running amusing “homemade” clips from their main office in Atlanta. Picture the kind of freestyle work environment that a few companies are known for (like Google and Apple). These people can even bring their dogs to work with them.. SUPER looking place… what a great gig! I am sure that they do have to work (occasionally, LOL), but the right impression was relayed. You owe it to yourself to watch at least a couple of these…

 

 

http://www.vimeo.com/21993778

 

http://www.vimeo.com/21992419

 

http://www.vimeo.com/21200932

 

http://www.vimeo.com/21988647

 

http://www.vimeo.com/20793616

 

 

End of cruise THANKS from the bands: http://www.vimeo.com/23152705

 

Another channel was devoted to the schedule for the cruise, breaking it down by the day, and by the group. There was an army of support people brought along to set up and break down the bands equipment, to work crowd control, and lastly to eagle eye all over the place to prevent people from taking video of the concerts in the lounges (or using cameras with flash or “detachable lenses”). I may have “accidentally” pressed the VIDEO button a few times on Cheryl’s camera… yikes!

 

Some of the “stills” posted on this channel gave a bit of demographic information which was of interest. I was surprised that only 15% of people on this sailing were on the last one. I REALLY would have thought a higher return rate would be in order! As a side note, they gave everyone Sixthman lanyards and most of the people placed their S&S cards in there to have on full display as they ventured about the ship. We were both amazed, and it became a running “point of interest” between us, that easily ¾ of the cards which we saw were BLUE S&S cards. Many a cruise newbie was aboard… I hope that they don’t expect any “regular” cruise to be ANYTHING like these 4 days!!

 

 

 

 

Lastly, they had a 24 hour VH1 channel running just videos from the groups onboard. The only downside to that was periodic “commercials” running for some of their own reality programming… like “Mob Wives” or something similar. Do people really watch that crap? !! Oh well, perhaps I am not really “with it” (nor apparently do I want to be)!

 

BOTH dining rooms were open seating for the entire cruise, which really makes sense, as having to choose between a particular band on any given night would be difficult with fixed times. This worked out very well for us, though it meant dining much earlier than we normally prefer to. The Mardi Gras dining room (off the Atrium) was open for seating from 5:30 to 8:30, and the aft dining room (Carnivale) was open from 6:00 to 9:00 each evening. Our S&S card indicated we were assigned to the Mardi Gras dining room, but there was no checking of the cards at dinner time. We arrived at the Mardi Gras dining room promptly when the doors opened at 5:30 where we requested a table for two and were seated at #169. There we found ourselves well taken care of by our Headwaiter Elvis! After “lucking” into this perfect table and waiter situation the first night, I did stop by and make a request of Dario (Maitre d’) to see if we could have that same table the rest of the cruise. “No problem” was his response… excellent!! We both opted for selections from the “Steakhouse Menu” ($18 surcharge) – Cheryl having the Surf-n-Turf, while I opted for the Filet… both very good meals!

 

 

I will say that they are a bit stingy with the asparagus which comes with all of those dishes. There were 4 pieces, which actually consisted of two pieces cut in half (giving you only two “tops”)! Talking with Dario a couple of times during the rest of the cruise I learned that these charters are pretty tough on (some of) the staff. Due to the altered hours and additional food preps/platters for some of the limited access (band) areas they had much less personal/down time compared to a normal sailing… where they don’t have a great deal to begin with!

 

(CONTINUED...)

 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

After dinner (now about 6:40) we headed to the casino bar, where they had set up a special area for the bands. I know that they typically have a soloist or other performers there on Fantasy class ships (regular sailings), but they (the bands, NOT Carnival) pulled out the stops with the amount of equipment they had there, and in all the venues. Ryan Star was slated there for 7 PM, so he was first on our list – and we managed a place right on the side of the stage area perhaps 5 feet from the action. Most of the artists/groups are fully in their prime, or early in their careers and it showed – full energy and great singing voices… unlike many concerts we have been to with bands from yesteryear! Ryan did not disappoint.

 

 

 

 

Off to the casino to make a small donation, then off to catch a seat in the (Main) Paris Lounge to see Train at 10 PM. There were two shows in there each evening, starting at 8 to 8:30. The doors opened (open seating) 30 minutes prior to the first act – with the first being the opening act for the “main event”. The floor was changed a bit for this cruise – no tables in front of the seating, and bright colored tape on the carpet denoting where each person could stand (allowing two people in each row).

 

 

 

In the upper level, where we preferred to be, it was seating as normal, with several areas in the middle reserved for friends/family members of the bands. We got there a bit late, so that earned us a “pole seat”! Train put on a great show, though for some reason we did not stay for the entire event... perhaps too many Grey Goose and Cranberry drinks – with the last one (a double) being the icing on the cake. Yes, that first night was fun… so much so that I decided to have a bit less of “that kind” of fun the next three nights! OHHH

 

 

The next day was a sea day (gotta love that)! We somehow managed to wake up for breakfast at 10 AM (dining room open until 10:30). Then right back to the room for a much needed nap! OHHH Awake again at 1 or so in time to head to the dining room again. Both of these meals were just “so-so”, but then again, I was not feeling my best. Events on Lido included a Men’s Wet T-Shirt Contest and a Bellyflop Contest. We passed on both, but I am sure with this crowd, it would have been a hoot! Dinner this night was one of my favorites: Prime Rib – armed with our own hot horseradish we entered the dining room at 5:30, feeling much better at this point.

 

 

 

Cheryl went for the Filet (which I had the previous night), and it came butterflied (as requested) and perfectly cooked. This time, she again had four pieces of asparagus, but they were ALL the bottom ends… no tops! !!!

 

Throughout the cruise we saw many more people out and about sporting Carnival name tags. With most of their entertainment staff sidelined for 4 days – what else were they to do? No bingo, no shore/sales talks, no piano bar, no dancers, no Lido deck band (duo ! They kept the bar at the casino open 24/7 (well, not actually 7, as this was a 4 night sailing)! EACH NIGHT they closed the casino between 6 and 7 AM! We were not up at that hour, but heard that the place was busy until late. The crowd, and indeed the whole pulse of this cruise, was something we have not witnessed previously. Two of our MOST FANTASTIC cruises have been just in the last couple of months: this one and our 2/26/11 NCL Epic cruise. Who knew that cruising could be THIS MUCH fun!! Having sailed many times we had become bored with the standard cruise product. I suppose after enough time, you can’t help but require a bit more stimulus (or perhaps just something new) to really catch your attention!

 

 

(CONTINUED...)

 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Wait… I recall something else… we did have a port of call on this sailing! Cozumel was our one stop and we found ourselves docked at the Carnival (Puerta Maya) pier, in spite of cozumelinsider.com showing us as heading to the downtown pier. I was VERY pleased to see that we were at Puerta Maya, as that is where our ONE destination was: Pancho’s Backyard for some salsa/chips/guacamole, and don’t forget their FANTASTIC Margaritas!!! In this photo you can see our VH1 Best Cruise Ever “6-pack cooler” we found waiting in our cabin when we boarded:

 

 

We listened in on several groups these four short days and thought there was a lot of talent onboard. I would have to say that Lifehouse and The Script were our favorite performances, with Ryan Star, Mat Kearney, SAFETYSUIT, and Thriving Ivory also packing a skilled punch. We caught up with One eskimO on the last night only to learn (after the first song) that they were missing their lead singer (visa problems). It was their bass player tackling most of the vocals. He didn’t do a bad job at all, I have to hand it to him. Additionally, during each of their songs they had different members of other groups pitching in to help. It was great to see that kind of team work, and it made for a unique experience!!

 

Being a Platinum guest brings with it certain perks. All were in place for this sailing, save one. Since Sixthman essentially gets to dictate all entertainment (and associated) activities for the full 4 days, the casino did not have any tournaments (BJ or Slots). Of course who could find the time for that anyway! Nonetheless, it was stated on the (Platinum) letter in our stateroom upon embarkation that a free entry was part of the deal. It was not until the last day of the cruise that I was finally able to learn that for our trip later this month on the Valor we would each be receiving TWO tournament entry cards. That works for me… perfectly! Also, there were ZERO announcements ship-wide for Bingo, Shore Shopping Talk, etc… what a breath of fresh air! As long as I am speaking of announcements… as far as I can recall the ONLY announcement we heard in our cabin was the calling of luggage tags on debarkation morning, and that was not until 9:15. Many of you who are familiar with Carnival probably realize that the “in your face” morning “wake-up call” is usually earlier than that – something like 7 to 8 AM… along with multiple calls for people to call Guest Relations (to settle their accounts no doubt)!

 

In the dining room (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) we enjoyed non-stop music which was fitting for the cruise, at a decent volume level as well! During a “normal” Carnival (or any) cruise I would be questioning the logic of this type of music in the MDR, but this just plain “fit”!! This reminded me (dining room wise) of something which I have not encountered (at least to this level) previously. On at least 4-5 occasions (mainly in the aft Carnivale dining room) we were plagued by a housefly. Not sure if it was the same one each time, but that was new to us! When we were in the dining room (all meals) there was A LOT of open tables, never before had we had this kind of elbow room. Of course, having only 1948 guests (including guests, bands, stage help, etc…) onboard didn’t hurt either. Perhaps this left the fly with less to choose from!

 

At dinner on the 3rd evening we told Elvis that, given the very tight schedule on the last night, we would not be in the dining room on the last night. We already had our tips ready for him and his assistant, as well as for Dario (Maitre d’) since he essentially assigned us to this table at our request. Dario also came by and was thanked and tipped. We mentioned the same to him and he then said “What if we could get you out in 30 minutes tomorrow”? He really wanted to accommodate us, thus we obliged, took a look at the menu for the next night and put in our order. As soon as we sat down at 5:30 the next evening, our starter was there, quickly followed by our main course. As promised we were out with plenty of time to spare… THANKS!

 

Still on the FOOD tangent… we saw that Sixthman also was able to alter the times and offerings at the late night Lido buffet. I recalled on our last sailing (Sensation) that they had burgers and such until about 1 AM at the buffet. On this sailing those hours were extended until 3 AM, and some additional items were added. They had some rather impressive tasting pulled pork sandwiches along with grilled ham and cheese pre-prepped and ready for the taking. We enjoyed a couple of late night snack fests as a result!!

 

 

 

I made mention in my last review (Sensation 3/31/11) that we were astonished that no one onboard made any mention of our Milestone card. To those who did not read that thread, please don’t assume that we require some type of “bow” from them in recognition, but it just seems like good business sense that the staff show at least some interest to Milestone guests since they are VERY good customers. At any rate, the management on the Inspiration must feel as we do, as there were no less than TEN occasions where the card was presented during a purchase and a conversation ensued – comments like “wow” or “how many cruises have you been on” or “I have never actually seen one of these” (starting with the woman giving us the cards at embarkation)! So, just right there, I feel that they run a tighter ship on the Inspiration than on the Sensation.

 

It was announced by Sixthman ahead of time that there would be a beer tasting on the last day of the cruise (hosted by One eskimO), and that we would need to go to the excursion desk to sign up ($20 pp). That was fun! Dario was entertaining as he gave us the tasting notes on all the brews, and proceeded to kick a few back!

 

 

 

 

 

(CONTINUED...)

 

 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

This cruise was Cheryl’s 51st Carnival cruise and we were taking advantage of her Milestone credit on this sailing – giving us 50% of her cruise fare back as OBC!! I was skeptical that a chartered sailing would qualify, but was pleasantly surprised when they applied the credit… nearly $600!!

 

 

 

Even though I said we did not spend as much time in the casino as usual, that does not mean I didn’t try my luck. After all, we were “up” $600 thanks to the OBC to begin with (and another $50 for shareholders credit)!!

 

There were several $10 tables newly fitted with BEST CRUISE EVER felt!!

 

 

I play blackjack at the $25 tables (helps to sift out a % of the “bad” players), so that meant that this cruise we would have some interesting table companions (band members). There were some I could not identify – like the fellow on the first sea day (with an entourage behind him) who had TWO trays of black chips in front of him. Each tray holds $10,000 in chips. In the short time I was there (he had them full initially) he went through his last tray... all the way to ZERO, playing two hands at a time at table max bet ($500 each)… OUCH!! Later this night Jason (Lifehouse lead/guitar) dropped by for a few minutes (LATE night)!

 

 

The last night I played for a couple of hours with Bryce (Lifehouse bass guitar). Both were very pleasant and friendly people – unlike some “celebs” I have encountered in the past. They were much more “level” players, betting smarter and not throwing big $’s around. It was a kick giving Bryce advice (solicited) and then going though the high-fives and all when things worked out. By the way, it was “Pajama Party Night”, and many were wandering about in bathrobes!

 

 

 

Great way to close the cruise! Cheryl came back from a bathroom break with news that Bin Laden was dead. That itself brought about much conversation – and some celebration by a few ... INTERESTING night!

 

A “last night” Towel Animal in our cabin with a “Well, THAT was fun!” notecard from Sixthman:

 

 

There was no debarkation talk the last sea day. Instead there was a looping video put together by Sixthman which was, true to form, FUNNY! On the last morning we headed off the ship and were greeted by Andy (Sixthman CEO). He was there as people were dinging off the ship thanking everyone for coming and wishing them a safe trip home. He seemed very sincere.

 

 

... whew ... well, I am already up WAY after my bedtime this evening, but I wanted to get this finished. By the way, we would DEFINITELY be interested in a "VH1 BCE 3" !!!!

 

Tom

 

[raylene5]

Very cool! Sounds like you had a really great time. Ok, I'm 33 and a stay-at-home mom so I admit that I am totally out of the music loop...but, I've never heard of any of these bands! I know, I'm a big dork. What kind of music is this and what is the target demographic? Younger? Older?

 

In any case, I know you've had some recent bad experiences on Carnival so I'm happy you enjoyed this one :)

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Very cool! Sounds like you had a really great time. Ok, I'm 33 and a stay-at-home mom so I admit that I am totally out of the music loop...but, I've never heard of any of these bands! I know, I'm a big dork. What kind of music is this and what is the target demographic? Younger? Older?

 

In any case, I know you've had some recent bad experiences on Carnival so I'm happy you enjoyed this one :)

 

LOL - I can understand that, there are many different music tastes out there! I had only heard of (listened to) about 10 of those bands previously.

 

Tom

[sandm]

WOW! Awesome review of what sounds like an Awesome cruise. I am jealous, Were you invited or can anyone go on this cruise?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

WOW! Awesome review of what sounds like an Awesome cruise. I am jealous, Were you invited or can anyone go on this cruise?

 

Anyone can book this - though you go through Sixthman (acting as a TA).

 

They have already had a few cruises (full ship charter) this year, though this one was more to our musical tastes!

 

LINK

 

The downside is that you can expect to pay about DOUBLE (or even a bit more) the normal cruise fare for any given category. Cat 1A's started at $599 per person for the 4 days. Our OV cabin was $1,200 pp before fees and taxes. :eek:

 

Tom

[sandm]

Thanks tom. Even paying double would be worth it. A cruise PLUS great music by great artists what could be better?

[Nezmo]

Awesome review Tom and the cruise sounds amazing. I'm a massive Lifehouse fan too. One of these cruises is in my future.

 

A lot of work in that review. Thank you.

[halos]

Tom, that review was freaking awesome!!!!!!

Glad you guys had such a great time :D

[Cruise, J.D.]

Thank you so much for the review Tom! Very interesting to read about such a different cruise experience. Looks fun.

[jimbo5544]

Very nice review (as all of yours always are!). BTW based uopn your rec, I tried the dry rub in the steakhouse on the ribeye....wow.!!!!

[DGP1111]

Fun!! :)

Fun!! :)

Fun!! :)

Thanks SO much for sharing this!! :D

.

.

[LHP]

If I am understanding this review correctly....you and Cheryl had a good time?

 

:D

 

Glad it was so much fun.....perhaps Carnival should hire the promotion company to "update" their training on "how it should be done"....

[mariemorgan]

Great Review! Looks like everyone was having a blast!

[PaulMedik]

Tom,

 

Great review and GREAT PICS!

[MissDiva1]

Nice review! Looove Train. Saw them twice in concert!

[Frank12]

Thanks for taking the time. Great review. We have been considering taking a music themed cruise. Now you have convinced me!

[TheTravelista]

Amazing review!! Glad you had such a good time. I've always been wary of charters but it seems like they know how to do it right. One of these may be in my future as well :)

[klmorg]

What an AWESOME cruise!! Thanks for the detailed review & pics...

[klmorg]

What an AWESOME cruise!! Thanks for the detailed review & pics...

[Julienatul]

Love your review! We have always wanted to try one of those sixthman chartered sailings but figured it would be too much of a "spring break" "party atmosphere" 24/7 so we have avoided them. Im happy to see its more tame than I imagined. More along the lines of a regular cruise with great entertainment.