Review of Inspiration 11/03 sailing

[CruiznWithHubby]

Thank you so much for taking the time to review -- sounds great! We are about to book this same cruise!! Can't wait to sail under the bridge!! A couple of questions - What did you think about the size of your cabin? What deck were you on? I assume you it wasn't too noisy or anything or you would have mentioned it! Also, did you check out the serenity area for adults - were are going during the holidays and there will probably be a lot more kids, so we probably will spend some time in this area! And... did you notice if they had a cappuccino/espresso machine at the buffets? Thanks again for the extremely helpful info!

 

 

The size of most shipboard cabins is small :) But Carnival has some of the largest in the industry,,so if you're concerned about size, you picked the right cruise line,,it was more than adequate for us 2 (empty luggage stores right under the bed, plenty of room),,,,would have been OK for 3,,,,,,but I seriously wouldn't have wanted to do it for 4,,,we had a 6A on Riviera deck,,,,Cabin R229, in the back of the ship,,,we DID hear some engine noise,,,,more like a hum with some minor vibration we quickly got used to,,,I had brought ear plugs, but they are unopened, so obviously it wasn't bad, but if youre VERY sensitive to noise, you may want to bring some,,,

 

I did check out the Serenity area, with it's INCREDIBLE views,,,,it's gorgeous,,,but often full,,,,very nice and quiet though,,,,but we preferred the entertainment on the Lido, so didn't really USE it.

 

There was no cappuccino machine on the lido,,,,coffee yes, hot chocolate, yes,,,juice, and tea yes,,,,but no cappuccino,,,,they have a coffee bar, but that costs money, or you can get free cappuccino after dinner in the dining room.

 

Holly

[CruiznWithHubby]

Hey there Holly!

 

So glad you had a great time! And give Katie a hug for me....she is quite the kid!

 

Glad you liked Playa Mia...we loved it too.

 

Great review!!!!

 

Hiya!!!! Did u see my post earlier?:D

 

didja mean this one?? Sorry,,, missed it :) Hug will be given :) And thankyou,,,,she makes me very proud :) I could brag for hours,,,she's been through alot, and is an INCREDIBLE human being,,,,,,Holly

[CruiznWithHubby]

Great review. Too funny that you had to drill down to dipping sauce for a "complaint".

 

I KNOW,,,,lol,,,I felt RIDICULOUS even SAYING it:eek: But I honestly DID look for SOMETHING because NO vacation is perfect,,,,LOL,,,Holly

[calicruise74]

didja mean this one?? Sorry,,, missed it :) Hug will be given :) And thankyou,,,,she makes me very proud :) I could brag for hours,,,she's been through alot, and is an INCREDIBLE human being,,,,,,Holly

 

No worries....Glad you had a nice time and cant wait to see the pics!!!!:D

[Buddyboysie]

Thanks for the reply!!! One more question... is there a difference between the mardi gras and carnivale dining rooms or do they serve the same menu?

 

thanks again!! (That was some story about your bag! Glad you got it back!)

[Annabell7178]

I loved your review and the story of your daughters surprise. It sounds like you had a really, really great time. When you asked the other poster about Webshots I was right with you. I've heard of it but have no clue how to use it. I hope you figure it out so we can see your pictures. :)

[Chigirlcruzin]

Thanks for the reply!!! One more question... is there a difference between the mardi gras and carnivale dining rooms or do they serve the same menu?

 

thanks again!! (That was some story about your bag! Glad you got it back!)

 

 

Exactly the same. Only difference is location on the ship. Mardi Gras is forward and Carnivale is aft. And room location doesn't matter. I was all the way aft on both the 10/30 and 11/3 cruises, and I was assigned the Mardi Gras. Longer walk to help me burn off more of the calories consumed:)

[Buddyboysie]

haha -- We're mid ship right by the elevators, so no burning of extra calories for us! This will be our first time on Carnival, so we appreciate all of the advice. OK, one MORE question -- we're trying to get a sense of all of the meal options -- sounds like there's the formal dining room (s), the brasserie, plus the lido for breakfast and lunch (or does it serve dinner, too?) Am I missing any dining choices or do you have any other meal recommendations? You can see what our priorities are!! thanks again........

[calicruise74]

You can get Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at the Lido buffet.

 

Dont forget the 24-hour pizza station and room service! The pizza station also does a nice fresh tossed ceasar salad and calzone! :D

[Buddyboysie]

Yum, pizza station sounds great. So what's the difference between the brasserie and lido buffets? And did I see that there's also a sushi bar, or is that part of the lido/brasserie buffets? :)

[*Mach*]

Yum, pizza station sounds great. So what's the difference between the brasserie and lido buffets? And did I see that there's also a sushi bar, or is that part of the lido/brasserie buffets? :)

 

 

The Sushi bar is available from 5 PM to 8:30 PM every day. You'll find it on the Promenade Deck.

The Brasserie is the name of the restuarant on the Lido Deck. You can have breakfast, lunch and dinner there should you chose.

[calicruise74]

You got the buffet (indoors, casual seating area) that does entree style items, side dishes salad bar and the like. Outdoors, they have the grill area with burgers, hot dogs, chicken strips, some ships have minute steak sandwiches...then also self-serve fries, onion rings, chili, cheese sauce and grilled onions and mushrooms.

 

AGH, forgot to mention the Deli! Hot and cold made to order sandwiches....in the indoor buffet area. The hot pastrami w/swiss on rye is excellent!

 

The sushi bar is near the casino...its like a small cart and I believe open from 5-7:30pm or so. Its free and offers 3-4 varieties a night.

[Chigirlcruzin]

Yum, pizza station sounds great. So what's the difference between the brasserie and lido buffets? And did I see that there's also a sushi bar, or is that part of the lido/brasserie buffets? :)

 

 

They're the same. Brasserie is just the name of the Lido restaurant. There's the grill on the outside port (left) side of the ship that serves burgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, fries, onion rings, etc. In the middle is a rotisserie chicken station with cornbread, mac and cheese, desserts, etc. Further down on the outside starboard (right) is the buffet offering. This is the same as what is offered inside on the port side. Inside on the starboard side is the Taste of Nations buffet featuring a different nation's cuisine each day. Boarding day is Italian, final sea day is American.

 

Further back is the ice cream/yogurt station and salad bar. Immediately behind the salad bar is the deli. Desserts are on either side of the salad bar. Pizza is in the very aft of the ship on the starboard side.

 

Sushi is on Promenade deck and is available from 5 to 8.

 

Buffet/Grill area is open for all 3 meals. The buffet closes at 3 to prepare for dinner, but the grill stays open so you can grab a bite when getting back to port later (came in from both GC and Cozumel after 3...my excursion was delayed in GC!).