Inspiration, April 17, 2017 The Walmart of the Seas

[ryano]

Really sad to hear all the complaints about the food and they seem to be even more common today than they were when I was on Magic last year. I wasnt crazy about the MDR food either but I cant say any of it was just "bad". I never went to the buffet for dinner. Guys burgers and BBQ and the Blue Iguana were good I thought. Wish they were open longer. Carnivals pizza is GREAT! Especially when compared to Sorrentos on RC which is just terrible.

[Sitzmark]

Really sad to hear all the complaints about the food and they seem to be even more common today than they were when I was on Magic last year. I wasnt crazy about the MDR food either but I cant say any of it was just "bad". I never went to the buffet for dinner. Guys burgers and BBQ and the Blue Iguana were good I thought. Wish they were open longer. Carnivals pizza is GREAT! Especially when compared to Sorrentos on RC which is just terrible.

 

Guys burger was not good. I did try it, but I didn't finish it. The line at the bbq was ridiculous and it's only open for a couple hours of the day. The pizza is ok, certainly better than the Royal caribbean pizza but it doesn't compete with any pizza I've had on land. The buffet was poorly executed (no one does a single long line any more) and the options were few.

 

 

The worst thing they served though all week though was the popcorn at the evening movies. That stuff should be used as packing peanuts.

[crewsweeper]

"FAKE" Prime Rib? How do you "fake" prime rib? Was it an ersatz vegan "meat"?

 

Was it cooked too well done, too rare? That's not fake that bad cooking? Remember your meals are prepared individually. But in advance and many are left in warming ovens until ordered. So that could easily cause a lobster to be tough or a piece of thinner sliced meat to cook on through.

 

Those of you who have ever been on the banquet circuit for business, conventions, campaigns , etc. know full well that even in high end hotels, feeding 3-400 + "guests" at the same time does not necessarily mean you're dining high end. Rather you're dining on chickenbunnyporkbeef. Same time 10 for cruise ships.

 

And for those of yuou who think Lido buffet food is bad but Guys smashed grease patties are superb, you must eat all you burgers at Mikey D's or Burger King. Try a burger from a local burger place that uses fresh ground beef from time to time not the chain junk.

[ryano]

Guys burger was not good. I did try it, but I didn't finish it. The line at the bbq was ridiculous and it's only open for a couple hours of the day. The pizza is ok, certainly better than the Royal caribbean pizza but it doesn't compete with any pizza I've had on land. The buffet was poorly executed (no one does a single long line any more) and the options were few.

 

 

The worst thing they served though all week though was the popcorn at the evening movies. That stuff should be used as packing peanuts.

 

Just goes to show you how subjective food really is. The OP in this very thread writes and I quote "Guys was one of the best burgers I've ever had on, or off, a cruise (I wish it was open after 6 so I could have it for dinner as well)"

 

 

Now I wont say it was the best burger Ive ever had but certainly not the worse. Especially when comparing it to Royal Caribbean where you have to pay 7.95 to get a decent burger or be subjected to that awful mystery meat Windjammer burger that floats in that vat of grease in the Windjammer.

You hate cruising. You have stated it numerous times. You were miserable about the cruise months before it even happened and Im just wondering if that didnt play a big part in your opinion :) I trust you wont be going on anymore?

[Sitzmark]

Just goes to show you how subjective food really is. The OP in this very thread writes and I quote "Guys was one of the best burgers I've ever had on, or off, a cruise (I wish it was open after 6 so I could have it for dinner as well)"

 

 

Now I wont say it was the best burger Ive ever had but certainly not the worse. Especially when comparing it to Royal Caribbean where you have to pay 7.95 to get a decent burger or be subjected to that awful mystery meat Windjammer burger that floats in that vat of grease in the Windjammer.

You hate cruising. You have stated it numerous times. You were miserable about the cruise months before it even happened and Im just wondering if that didnt play a big part in your opinion :) I trust you wont be going on anymore?

 

Already booked next years vacation, I'm renting a house with a private pool and hot tub, costs a fraction of the price of a cruise and I can spread out and have any kind of hamburger I want, with strips of bacon instead of bacon bits if I want.

 

 

I am not a fan of cruises, but that has nothing to do with my impression of the food. For instance I was pleasantly surprised to find that the flat iron steak was actually a decent steak. The Stiltsville beer was alright, although the rest of the selection was pretty weak. Never said Guy's was the worst burger, but now that you mention it I do think that Johnny Rockets makes a better burger than Guy Ferry, although I've had more of those on land than on a boat too.

[IntrepidFromDC]

I will do a pros & cons review:

 

Pros:

-FTTF was great to have and we were on the ship by noon

-The staff was wonderful, polite, and helpful

-The rooms were adequate, with everything we needed in our Ocean View room

-The alcohol selection was great, with high end bourbon (Woodford Reserve, Gentleman Jack, and Buffalo Trace) and very good tequila (Patron Anejo), and plenty of beers to choose from, and the Alchemy Bar was outstanding

-Guys was one of the best burgers I've ever had on, or off, a cruise (I wish it was open after 6 so I could have it for dinner as well)

-My kids had fun with the waterslides and pool

-The comedians were great (only went to the PG versions because with all the drinks, I was asleep by 10:30)

-Catalina was cool

-Tacos and burritos were ok

-Pizza was adequate

-Self service soft serve ice cream was good

-The gym was nice, and well equipped (had to work off all the Guys burgers)

-Because it is the Walmart of the Seas, the people were normal (no snooty folks looking down at my kids for running and doing cannon balls in the pool)

-Less "in your face" sales pitches than Princess

 

Cons:

-MDR food was bad, very very bad (only the fake prime rib was decent)

-Buffet was worse

-They only had one barista

-Coffee shop didn't open until 7AM and whatever they serve and call "coffee" everywhere else is horrid

-Ensenada is a dump

-No chips for salsa bar (I brought my own though!)

 

Now, I knew perfectly well what I was buying and am happy with the value of this cruise. In fact, I would do it again. I am not putting Carnival down by calling it the Walmart of the Seas, I'm just (as my kids would say) "keeping it 100".

 

For a quick 4 night cruise, and under $2K out the door for a family of five and two connecting room cabins, I'm very satisfied. Could they have better MDR food? Sure. But then the price goes up. For anyone looking for a quick getaway for a pretty low price, go for it. If you're looking for food above Denny's quality (except Guys), don't do it (I've been on Crystal and know what good food can be like).

 

Thanks for the thorough review.

 

I wonder if the Guys burgers on the west coast are better because I've tried them on 3 east coast cruises and they are barely passable, and the toppings bar (except the mushrooms) is low quality produce IMO. The grilled onions? It's like they paid lower prices for bags of outer skins.

 

I've been on 8 Carnival cruises and the MDR has been the only rescue from the slop they serve on Lido with few exceptions (Tandoor, Mongolian Wok, etc.)

 

Gentleman Jack is not high-end bourbon. In fact, it's not even bourbon.

 

I think the prosciutto e arugula pizza at pizza pirate is very good pizza. I usually stumble out of the casino around 2am and devour one like a glutton and it's a marvelous experience. Where's my sail and sign card and where's my room?

[Ready 2 Go]

Wal-Mart sells the same products as Kroger, Albertsons Vons or most grocery stores...the difference is you're not paying for the song and dance the other stores charge extra for that doesn't make your cheese you just bought taste any better...lol

 

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[Pellaz]

Remember your meals are prepared individually. But in advance and many are left in warming ovens until ordered. So that could easily cause a lobster to be tough or a piece of thinner sliced meat to cook on through.

 

This is not correct. They are not allowed to use warming ovens or heat-racks after the food is prepared. [source: Behind the Fun tour, chef de cuisine]

If you get a cold entrée or something tougher than normal, it's due to other causes...most likely delays on the server side getting it out to you.

 

 

And for those of yuou who think Lido buffet food is bad but Guys smashed grease patties are superb, you must eat all you burgers at Mikey D's or Burger King. Try a burger from a local burger place that uses fresh ground beef from time to time not the chain junk.

Insult others' opinions much?

 

Now I wont say [Guy's] was the best burger Ive ever had but certainly not the worse. Especially when comparing it to Royal Caribbean where you have to pay 7.95 to get a decent burger or be subjected to that awful mystery meat Windjammer burger that floats in that vat of grease in the Windjammer.

 

I had one of those mystery pucks in the WJ on my last Royal cruise. Once. Worst burger I've had in many years, and I thought "Hmm, maybe since this is a charter and most people on board aren't regular cruisers they brought out some substandard burger patties?"....but apparently they're just THAT bad all the time.

 

Johnny Rockets makes a decent burger, but I note that their locations are getting harder and harder to find. The mall locations near me have all closed, and their location in Marina Village near Atlantis in the Bahamas closed down last year -- seriously, it's not like people couldn't afford their high prices there; they were cheap (ish) compared to Atlantis.

There's a Johnny Rockets at Six Flags here, still clinging to life...and charging $12 or $13 for a burger and fries. Seems like they've become more of a "niche" thing.

[Moviela]

They don't stop in Colombia very often (maybe 6 times between the end of this year and the end of 2019) and this is not how a fleet of 25 ships serving 60,000 people a week are provisioned.

 

I was trying to be funny, but actually mild Arabica coffee can be delivered to the ports of New Orleans, Houston, Miami, or New York. Today the NY price was less than $1.65 per pound delivered. Any number of high volume roasters can prepare the beans for use on board ship.

 

There are other less desirable beans at $1.33 per pound, and these appeal to the sharp pencil boys (accounts) in Miami.

[mistyinca]

I thought the dining room food on the Dream was just awful. Worst of 6 cruises. The exception was jerk pork loin the final night.

 

My grilled chicken the first night was CRUNCHY! Grilled chicken!!! I think it was raw in the inside.

 

 

I wonder what is going on.. dining room used to be perfectly acceptible/adequate/pleasant (I come from new orleans so nothing is ever going to match every day food in Nola).

 

I found the MDR on our Magic cruise to not only have lower quality food than before but the service was horrible, and for some reason our table was the last to be served anything. We'd just be getting appetizers when the rest were getting desserts.

 

The Imagination (Inspiration's sister ship) was the worst food I've had ever on a cruise. And the first night's service in the MDR was so bad we didn't go back to the MDR the rest of the cruise.

[louanne93]

Definitely comes down to expectations. We have different expectations for our 3day Carnival cruises than we do for our 9-15day cruises on Princess and Carnival. FWIW our last 3 day cruise in Princess was the wildest one we have ever sailed. You probably dislike the BCS ports for all the reasons we really like them.

Not saying you're wrong, just have different preferences.

 

 

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Agreed!!!

 

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[IntrepidFromDC]

I agree, it depends on what you expect, which is partially related to what you're used to. There are lots of cruisers who thing TGIF, Chili's and the like provide good food. I think it's just barely above crap, and comparable to the barely-above-crap MDR food. Of course that beats most of the slop served on Lido. I do think Mongolian Wok is good, except for the inferior cuts of meat, and the pizza con prosciutto e arugula is actually the best thing on the ship, outside of the Steakhouse food. We usually do the Steakhouse one night, and pay the extra $20 for Steakhouse food another two nights, when the MDR menu looks to be one of the weaker nights. Still, we need to supplement with quality lunches in port, and using TripAdvisor, we usually find good places with fresh fish. All of this is because it's what we're used to at home (e.g., our steaks come from Whole Foods or Fresh Market, never Safeway or Giant). But to cruisers who shop at Food Lion and Aldi, the meats may seem as good or better than groceries at home. Not to change the subject, but I miss the tablecloths.

[Pellaz]

The Imagination (Inspiration's sister ship) was the worst food I've had ever on a cruise. And the first night's service in the MDR was so bad we didn't go back to the MDR the rest of the cruise.

 

I think so much depends on the chef de cuisine and the imprimatur he (or she) puts on the ship's food service. I was on Imagination before she re-po'd to the West Coast, and the MDR dining service and food was great...about as good as my Royal cruise a few months before that.

Contrast that with my next cruise on Liberty, later the same year: terribly slow MDR service (desserts served to our table at 7:57...with late seating starting only 18 minutes later), lackluster food, etc. The chocolate-covered strawberries delivered to our stateroom as a Behind the Fun gift were....just some strawberries with chocolate dumped on them, no decorations, no frills. I had the impression the chef de cuisine, and the entire dining staff we interacted with, just didn't care. :confused:

[Thorncroft]

I think so much depends on the chef de cuisine and the imprimatur he (or she) puts on the ship's food service. I was on Imagination before she re-po'd to the West Coast, and the MDR dining service and food was great...about as good as my Royal cruise a few months before that.

Contrast that with my next cruise on Liberty, later the same year: terribly slow MDR service (desserts served to our table at 7:57...with late seating starting only 18 minutes later), lackluster food, etc. The chocolate-covered strawberries delivered to our stateroom as a Behind the Fun gift were....just some strawberries with chocolate dumped on them, no decorations, no frills. I had the impression the chef de cuisine, and the entire dining staff we interacted with, just didn't care. :confused:

 

You gotta pay for the little tuxedo clad berries now. JH's begging peeps became too overbearing and crashed the system.

[Pellaz]

You gotta pay for the little tuxedo clad berries now. JH's begging peeps became too overbearing and crashed the system.

 

....except that I've gotten those tuxedo-clad berries on EVERY Carnival cruise since then (2012).

 

It's clearly not a matter of money or time, it's a matter of pride in their work. On Liberty, and on that cruise, it was...lacking.

[Shipbound]

I just came back from the Glory I did not find the food bad in the MDR my complaint was the selection was terrible so I had fish every night which was OK. I eat a sodium diet at home but the

food on the cruise was loaded with salt especially the buffet so my ankles swelled. It is pretty hard to get away from this since you can't eat salad all week. All-in all the food was OK IMO.

 

Gary

Edited May 6, 2017 by Shipbound
wording

[Yvonne]

I thought the dining room food on the Dream was just awful. Worst of 6 cruises. The exception was jerk pork loin the final night.

 

My grilled chicken the first night was CRUNCHY! Grilled chicken!!! I think it was raw in the inside.

 

 

I wonder what is going on.. dining room used to be perfectly acceptible/adequate/pleasant (I come from new orleans so nothing is ever going to match every day food in Nola).

 

We think the food has gone downhill too. We were on the Dream in January and I actually lost 4 pounds on that cruise, instead of gaining a couple or more like I usually do! The MDR was okay, a few things I really liked, a few I didn't and most was just okay. The buffet was not good at all. One night we went there for dinner as nothing on the MDR menu looked appealing to us, all I could find on the buffet that I wanted was a baked potato and a little rice. :( So very disappointing. The food is one of the reasons we're giving up on Carnival. We have also cruised with Disney and Royal, but we want to branch out and try other lines, especially Princess and Celebrity.

 

Were you kidding you let kids do cannonballs in the pool?

 

Yeah, I kind of raised an eyebrow when I read that in the OP's post too. I can see letting your kids do it if they are the ONLY ones in the pool, but then again if they're doing cannonballs that might be why they'd be the only ones in the pool. :(

[tallnthensome]

Just off the new Vista last week. The MDR and lido buffet were not very good. I ordered two different dinners at every seating in order to get a good meal as usually one wasn't real good. It is no longer fine dining at all. Carnival better take notice of all the complaints as they continue to skimp on food quality to save money.

[FloridaMommyof3]

I can always find something on the menu that's decent, even if it is an appetizer and I order 2 for a dinner. The food on my first cruise in 2013 was much better then my last cruise (5th) over Thanksgiving.

 

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[evandbob]

Just off the new Vista last week. The MDR and lido buffet were not very good. I ordered two different dinners at every seating in order to get a good meal as usually one wasn't real good. It is no longer fine dining at all. Carnival better take notice of all the complaints as they continue to skimp on food quality to save money.

 

 

Unless I was eating in the Steakhouse, I never considered Carnival's cuisine as "fine dining". I guess my lower expectations and cruising experience has tempered my outlook on cruise food.

 

Also, as I cruised more, I stopped eating like a gavone and acted like I saw a menu and food before. I can now return from an active cruise with less pounds than when I left.

[Cornflake S. Pecially]

OP, your review was spot on. We're on the Inspiration right now.

 

Cabin steward just dropped by to ask whether we would prefer morning or evening cabin service.

 

What the??? My 6th cruise on Carnival and this is a first for me. He said it's because they've been given "many more" cabins to clean. Well, I don't want to be a jerk but why am I not charged less in tips?

I love Carnival. But we're booked on the Oasis of the Seas for next summer to see what, if anything, we're missing.

[riclop]

It's the worst.

[Thorncroft]

We were disappointed with the food on the Ruby Princess back in January. Princess is now doing an odd three day rotation in the buffet. Not ABCABC but AAABBBCCC.

 

 

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That's a college cafeteria trick. You never serve good food with crappy food or all the crappy food will be left over. You serve crap, crap and crap on the menu. Same the next day and the next. Then one day a week you have good, good, good. I know this because I worked in the kitchen for two years. I did get the real whipped butter though because I would get it out of the executive dining room.

[bingomamma19]

OP, your review was spot on. We're on the Inspiration right now.

 

Cabin steward just dropped by to ask whether we would prefer morning or evening cabin service.

 

What the??? My 6th cruise on Carnival and this is a first for me. He said it's because they've been given "many more" cabins to clean. Well, I don't want to be a jerk but why am I not charged less in tips?

I love Carnival. But we're booked on the Oasis of the Seas for next summer to see what, if anything, we're missing.

 

If the steward will only do 1 a day service when you want 2, then cut your tips in half for his part..easy. If he has "many" more, then he is still ahead in tips.

[TomAceEsq]

I'm going on my fifth cruise on either Inspiration or Imagination in a little less than two years in a couple days. I'm not disputing what other people are saying, but my wife and I have yet to be asked about turndown service and always receive it twice a day. Maybe we're just lucky.