Quick Review of Inspiration 15 Dec 4 Nighter

[trigold]

Just got off the ship (almost literally - 7 hours ago). I do not want to get into a discussion of good and bad with many of you, so be aware, I just want to provide our thoughts (2 adults, 2 children) on the cruise, the ship and the port (Cozumel). WARNING: This cruise was for my daughter as a gift. Therefore the opinions of the adults have been censored to ensure we kept that issue in mind. In other words, if this cruise had been for the adults, the opinions expressed below would have been more critical/pointed

 

Reservations: Handled through Carnival and were simple and very professional.

 

Embarkation: Valet and since we reside in the Tampa area, we were in no rush to get to the Port. Once there, after paying the $58 Valet fee, we got through the lines pretty quickly. Once on board, we ran into our first meeting with the crew. You know the saying that first impressions are important.....Well... theirs was not inspiring to say the least. We had two uniformed officers waiting for people to ask questions rather than be proactive and ask if we needed assistance. While you may debate the pros and cons of this, I will not so I am moving on.

 

Stateroom: Main Deck - Aft section. We were about 5-6 rooms away from the aft elevators, so it was close enough to get to quickly without the noise. Highly recommend.

 

Room Steward: Nice but not overbearing. Handled requests if repeated but if only told once, then it was hit and miss. Tipped early to help speed service, but did not seem to make too much of a difference.

 

Food: Again, I do not plan on getting into a debate on this issue. Food likes and dislikes are subjective to each person. The adults found the food to be pleasant and what was expected. It was not grand nor bland. The kids (2 13 year old girls) thought they had died and gone to heaven with the variety on the Lido deck and the quantity.

 

Entertainment: Activities were varied and while we did not take in a show in the Paris lounge, heard some good things about them. Casino was always hopping. Tried the Trivia contest once and had a great time. One issue that has been addressed by other posts - smoking in the piano bar and other venues tended to keep us away. While not commenting on the smoking issue, it would have been nice to have one bar devoted to entertainment that was non-smoking.

 

Cozumel: We tried Playa Mia - again since the trip was primarily for my daughter. My definition of a deluxe beach resort and what we got was not even close. The water and activities were great for the kids, but would not recommend for adults only. Also, this excursion was billed as "All Inclusive" except for motorized sports like jet skis, but it turned out that snorkel equipment carried a rental fee, as well. That was a disappointment to the girls.

 

Disembarkation: Self assist was our way to go. We departed the staterooms at 7:45AM and were in our car heading home by 8:20. No complaints there. Only issue was the valet booth was not easily identified when you depart the ship, so look carefully.

 

Hope this hit the main points for those looking for info.