Just back from 1st cruise (inspiration)

[bamn]

Overall we had a really nice time but I am still somewhat on the fence as to if I would book another cruise. The first day I was quite worried because it all just seemed like a loud confusing mess and way too crowded! I wish they would have handed out maps as you entered the ship. I found a map later but it was not as detailed as I would have liked. But by the end of our trip we had kinda figured when to go where to keep away from the noise and crowds. I abosolutely loved the hours we spent sitting outside the lido rest. watching the water. We even saw a giant sea turtle swim right by the ship. I also loved the adult serenity area and we really liked our room even though our PVP assured us we would not hear engine noise on our floor and it was actually rather loud. We just turned the TV to a soothing music channel and ignored it. We ended up with late seating and was told we could not change it so that was a real bummer for us. We missed a few things in order to eat in the dining room and see the shows scheduled for our time. Some guy was trying to sell us liqueur and when I mentioned that I was worried about flying home with it he assured us over and over that they pack it really well in a box. Well when the nice sturdy box came we put it in our suitcase and packed stuff around it for extra cushing. Hubby goes to move the suitcase and we hear a loud clunck. He moves it again and another loud noise. We open up the suitcase, cut open the box with a key and check the bottles. Two bottles sitting in a box with no protection at all. There was room on all sides (3-4 in)for them to slide around and clunck together! There is no way they would have made it through a flight home. I was rather mad but luckly we noticed it and packed clothes all around them, closed the box back up and pack it in the suitcase with stuff all around it like bofore so it couldn't move and they made it home. And another thing that really kinda ticked me off, and I heard it more than once, is they were telling people that the water they were selling in the dining room was for our own protection due to the chemicals they put in the ships water. If that water were not safe they should have given us the bottled water! They need to word their sales pitch a little differently I think. Tell us there are chemicals in the water to make it safe but offer the bottled water if we don't like the taste of the treated water, don't try and make us think it's not safe. Standing in big long lines to eat was rather annoying but I know cannot be helped, we actually had a rather large( and belive me I am not small) couple behind us one day and she kept bumping into us and sighing really loudly. It was quite annoying. She would sigh so loud and was so close to us that my hair would actually move! We ate dinner in the dinning room every night except the day we got to go to cozumel because we stayed on land until nearly 9 pm. We did breakfast in the dining room once but all other breakfasts and lunches were from the lido. I can't say I loved the food in the lido rest. but it was good enough and sitting out on the deck to enjoy the sun and the view couldn't be beat! I did get the De Chivre pizza and absolutley loved that. I wish I had a recipie. I know a lot of people said they rarly felt the boat moving but I felt it to the point of almost tipping over the whole time and actually still keep feeling it and I have been off the boat for over 24 hrs now. I think there must be something wrong with my head, thank goodness it doesn't make me sick, it's just very annoying. Like I said overall we had a really nice time just relaxing and now that we have done it once and I know whats going on a little more I think it might even be better if we tried it again but I am just not sure I am cut out for crusing. I think I might prefer a quiet secluded beach somewhere. And the way it messes with my head is driving me nuts! When will this rocking feeling stop????:confused:

[w8ing2cruz]

I think cruising is really a personal preference - my kids first cruise was on the Inspiration and they are hooked :confused: . We loved going under the Sunshine Skyway. I'm surprised you couldn't change your dinner seating time - I was under the impression that the late seating that you had was prefered by most so switching to the early should have been okay. YOu know - sometimes it is something as simple as that that can make or break your first cruise. The crowd level is something you have to deal with but I think you'd get that at all inclusives to some extent too. As you have 45 posts it appears you did quite a bit of research which is excellent. So many people go into this blindly and have serious issues with things they could have learned beforehand. I hope you'll give cruising another chance - I believe it's the best bang for my buck - I unpack once and can explore several different destinations.

[w8ing2cruz]

I forgot the most important point. My whole family enjoys the water, that being said we ALWAYS take one a day bonine chewables on our cruises. I also keep taking them for a couple of days after as I experience the land leg thing too. I'm not sure if this would help you at this point if you didn't take it on the ship. If it persists too long I guess I would do an Ask a Nurse or something. Hopefully you'll feel better very soon.

[caribbean dreams]

The first day always seems packed with people to me but then everyone gets settled in and the crowds go away.

 

Sounds like you would enjoy a resort better and maybe have the quiet privacy you did not get on the ship.

 

If you do decide to cruise again, you will know right away where to go to relax and get out of the crowd.

 

Did you ask the Maidre'D to switch your dining times?

Usually if you ask they will get you switched.

[skuttduck]

When will this rocking feeling stop????:confused:

 

I took my first cruise on the inspiration, and I felt the rocking feeling for a couple of days when I got back. All of my future cruises I never had this problem. The first Europe Trip the Liberty was rocking so bad on the way to Barcelona they had to cancel the act for that night, and all of the elevators were offline. We had to remove our hangers in the closet because they kept making so much noise.

 

I'm telling you this because that movement was more than the Inspiration, and it did not affect me at all this time.

 

I wouldn't let that rocking feeling stop you from booking another cruise as I experienced the same as you did, but I didn't experience it on future cruises.

[sodsmom]

I took my first cruise on the inspiration, and I felt the rocking feeling for a couple of days when I got back.

I wouldn't let that rocking feeling stop you from booking another cruise as I experienced the same as you did, but I didn't experience it on future cruises.

 

I have had the rocking motion after the cruise before, I read that if you take benadryl it does help with it or seabands, anything for motion sickness seems to help. I did not get seasick but getting my land legs back was hard.

I just read this on the boards so have not had a chance to try it. Will let you know in December