Inspiration 6/16-6/21

[coboo]

Hello everyone! Mom and I got back from our cruise yesterday afternoon. Here is the first couple of days of reviews. I am in the process of uploading our pictures to Photobucket. I will add links as I get them loaded.

 

Host Mach-I told Risa you said "Hi". She said to tell you "Hi" back. Also, Filipe expressed how much he enjoyed meeting you and the mascots.

 

Felipe was a great Assistand CD! Everyone who cruises the Inspiration should really enjoy both him and the Social Host, Smitty.

 

Day 1: Mom and I left home (just south of Tallahassee) about 7:30 Monday morning to drive to Tampa for our 5 day Inspiration cruise. This was to be my first time on Carnival. Of course, being summer in Florida, it rained almost the entire way there. After making a couple of stops along the way, we arrived at the port around 1:00. By 2:00 we had deposited our bags in our cabin (Ocean View # E244) and met our cabin steward Jose. We then went to the Lido deck for cheeseburgers and a Fun Ship Special. It was pouring rain, but it didn’t stop us from sitting on the deck under the covering.

 

After lunch we walked around the ship to get “the lay of the land”. Then it was time for our muster drill in the Candlelight Lounge. It was very painless and completed within 15 minutes. Finally it was time for sail-away. We made our way back to the Lido deck, but because of the rain there wasn’t a lot going on. We walked around the observation deck and checked out the Evolutions of Fun area. The kids didn’t mind the rain (no lightning) and were taking full advantage of both the large slide and the racing slides.

Our luggage was waiting for us when we returned to the room and we had just enough time to unpack.

 

Finally it was time for dinner, we made our way to the Carnivale dining room where George the Greek is the Maître-D (there was a big conversation about this before I left). Our waitress was named Chu and her assistant was Wah, both from Indonesia. They were absolutely a delight, bringing anything we asked for. We were a little disappointed to find we were sitting at a table for two, but by the end of the night we had made friends with the family at the next table. George had offered to find us another table, but were glad he didn’t. We ended up having a great time with our neighbors, ever sitting together at the shows.

 

After dinner we went to the Paris Lounge for Twisted Trivia and the Game Show with Felipe and Smitty. We also played our first game of bingo and suffered the first of many losses. We stayed for the Welcome Aboard show which we thoroughly enjoyed. It had been a long day, so we made our way back to the cabin to settle down for a good night’s rest. On the turned sown bed was our first towel animal –a seal. Very cute. We did find a slight vibration by having an aft cabin, but it wasn’t a problem. I actually kind of liked the slight rocking to help put me to sleep.

 

Day 2: First sea day. We got up around 8:30, got ready and ate breakfast on the Lido deck. We then looked around the shops then went to the Shore Talk. We actually ended up not doing any shopping in port, but Jo’s talk was rather interesting. We went up to the Lido deck to try to find a seat and found a table that became our spot for the afternoon’s festivities. I ran back down to the room and retrieved our books, intending to spend the afternoon reading. We found watching all of the happenings-ice carving, hairy chest competition and just basic people watching-was more fascinating.

 

At breakfast, we sat with a lady from Ohio whose granddaughter was going to be performing with her dance troupe. At 2:30, we made our way to the Paris Lounge to watch this performance. It was quite good. Next up was the second losing round of Bingo. I got within one number on every game, but it was never called. Oh well, it was fun anyway.

 

That night was the Captain’s Gala and Elegant night. Mom and I decided to go have a few drinks. Everyone will be happy to know that most everyone was dressed very nicely. We saw quite a few formal gowns and tuxedos. Dinner was great. I had the lobster and Mom had the prime rib, which melted in your mouth. For dessert, we had bitter and blanc. It is as wonderful as everyone says.

 

After dinner, we went back to the Paris Lounge to see the night’s show “Shout”. Mom and I are theater goers and found this to rival many Broadway style reviews. The “aerobic dancers” were the highlight of the show, doing their acrobatic moves to “Age of Aquarius”. The entire show was so entertaining that even though I am not a big county music fan, I still found myself “yeehawing” along with everyone else during that set. We wanted to stay up to get pictures of the Gala Buffet, so we were going to hang out in the Piano Bar or the Disco, but both were so smokey we were unable to stay. Instead we went up to the Violin Bar on Inspiration Avenue and listen to Robbin who does an oldies show. Mom knew every song and had a blast. After taking pictures of the buffet, we went back to the cabin to rest up for our early morning port in Grand Cayman. Our towel animal of the day was a dog wearing my sunglasses.

 

http://s282.photobucket.com/albums/kk264/coboo25/Food%20Inspiration/

http://s282.photobucket.com/albums/kk264/coboo25/Towel%20Animals/

[krissy72]

Thanks for the review. My DH and I will be sailing on her Feb. 14th.

[cruzerchik]

Great review and glad to hear that the rain did not interrupt your cruise! Also, love the pics of the food....too funny, you are quite thorough.

I will be sailing with my 20 year old son the 13th of Sept.

Can you tell me anything about the ports? Any must see or do's or perhaps what to stay away from.

Any info is much appreciated!

[coboo]

Great review and glad to hear that the rain did not interrupt your cruise! Also, love the pics of the food....too funny, you are quite thorough.

I will be sailing with my 20 year old son the 13th of Sept.

Can you tell me anything about the ports? Any must see or do's or perhaps what to stay away from.

Any info is much appreciated!

 

Luckily, it only rained in Tampa and for a few minutes in Cozumel. I will post the rest of the days with port info as soon as I can get it typed. We booked both excursions through Carnival-The Best of Cayman tour and Playa Mia in Cozumel. We enjoyed both. We really didn't do much else in the ports due to time restraints in Cayman and being tired after hanging out at the beach all day in Cozumel. You will both enjoy this cruise. We did!

[coboo]

Day 3: Grand Cayman. We ate breakfast in the dining room which was very quick and relaxing. We had booked the ”Best of Grand Cayman” tour through Carnival. Because of this, we were told to meet in the Paris Lounge and were escorted to the tender. It took us about 15 minutes to clear the ship and tender into Grand Cayman. There we were met by the tour group operated, led to bus #1 and given over to our driver/guide Owen. We proceeded out of town toward 7 Mile Beach. We passed the Governor’s House and the resort where the Queen stays when she comes to the Cayman Islands. After taking time to walk on the beach, we were taken to the turtle farm. Seeing all of the turtle and hearing about their breeding program was neat, but let me tell you-IT WAS HOT!!! Thank God for sun block, but silly me I forgot to put it on my chest. I still have a slight red tint there. Our next stop was Hell. The rock formations for which the town is named were absolutely amazing! Our final stop was the Tortuga Rum and Cake store. I tried several different flavors of rum and loved the mango (Mom’s not much of a drinker and wasn’t terribly impressed with any of them). I bought a bottle to take home. It was delivered to the ship and in our stateroom on the last night.

After standing in line for about 15 minutes we caught the tender back to the ship. We made it to the dining room to eat lunch minutes before the dining room was closed. After lunch we went back to the room and took our only nap of the entire trip. The ship was suppose to leave port at 3:00. I awoke at 3:30 to find we were still there. Shortly after, Risa made an announcement that a passenger had to be taken off to receive medical treatment. We later found out that a woman was got in a glass door and broke her hip. We hope she had travel insurance.

Dinner that evening included a conga line with the wait staff. I know some people dislike this, but we thought it was fun. The show was Magic and Illusion with Mark Miller and Comedy with Tony Espisito. Both were very entertaining. Time yet again for bed. That night’s towel animal was a sting ray.

http://s282.photobucket.com/albums/kk264/coboo25/Grand%20Cayman/

Day 4: Cozumel. Since breakfast was so easy the previous morning in the dining room, we decided to eat there again. We didn’t dock in Cozumel until 10:25, so it was after 10:40 when we cleared customs. It took about 40 minutes to get off the ship and walk to the end of the pier to meet our tour. We went on the Playa Mia Deluxe Beach Break. The drive to the beach took about 15 minutes. The skies were overcast and it had rained the night before. We hoped we wouldn’t spend all day dodging rain showers and only had one short 5 minute shower. It was funny to see all of the already wet people run for cover. Mom and I sat under our umbrella and waited it out. We were treated to beautifully jade green water and an almost black sky on the horizon. Even though there wasn’t much to see, we snorkeled and saw some small fish. The water was heavenly. I thought it would be warm, but it was actually a little chilly.

Our waiter was very attentive and brought me several very tasty margaritas and mom bottled water. We ate a lunch buffet of salads, chips and salsa, chicken and pork tacos. There were also chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. The beach area has been remodeled since the last posting of pictures. There are now regular lounge chairs and a large open patio buffet area. We were able to shower and change into dry clothes before returning the bus. As soon as I get the pictures back from developing, I will post them.

We made it back to the ship just in time to change for dinner. This was the only dinner I didn’t like. The Maryland Corn Chowder tasted too much like bell peppers, Chu brought me a Caesar salad which was very good. The Chateaubriand was tough and didn’t have a lot of flavor. Mom had the Cream Bing Cherry Soup and BBQ Cornish Game Hen which she said were both fabulous. I guess I just didn’t make good choices. The Grand Marnier Soufflé was rather tasty.

Since there wasn’t a show, we went up to the Lido deck were I had a Corona (I had to have one while we were still in Cozumel) and read until after we left port. We walked around Inspiration Boulevard and played 2¢ slots in the casino for about 45 minutes. We spent all of $4.00 and had a great time. The smoke started getting to Mom so we went back to the room to get ready for bead. Tonight’s towel animal extraordinaire was an elephant.

http://s282.photobucket.com/albums/kk264/coboo25/Inpiration%20Pics/

[PINEVIEW01]

Thanks for the review! Same shows that I've seen a few times. The Inspiration is a nice ship.

[jrmende63]

thanks for the review...we were on the Inspiration in Feb. We loved her.

[DublinLass]

Hi Coboo

really enjoying the review, thank you. Can you tell me where the sockets were located, are they under the desk where the mirror is?

[alwaysmomof1]

Love your review! Will be on same cruise in 103 days!:D

[cjkumbaya]

It looks as though you both had a really great cruise - can't wait to see more. Thanks!:D

[ilovefishsticks4]

nice review, sounded nice :)

[prttygirlmss]

I love the review! We will be sailing her in Sept and can not wait.:)

[cherun]

Good review and good pics, thanks for taking the time to post. What time (ships time) were you actually at Grand Cayman and Cozumel. I know what is posted as to be our time table, but have heard several cruises where they have been in port at a different time then the times posted (Caymans 7a-2p) and Cozumel (9a-6p). Trying to book excursions not through Carnival and don't want to do something wrong. Thanks

[missymac]

Nice review! Sounds like you had a wonderful time. :)

[KNowme1st]

thanks for the review...we were on the Inspiration in Feb. We loved her.

Hi, We are taking our cruise on 1/12 on the Inspiration. what was the weather like in feb? Shouldnt be too much differant. Thank you for any info

[marktac]

Hi Coboo

really enjoying the review, thank you. Can you tell me where the sockets were located, are they under the desk where the mirror is?

 

They are under the mirror, and if you have a large plug on any kind of adapter it will not fit into the small area they give for it. I had to plug my battery charger into the bathroom outlet.

 

Mark T

[coboo]

Hi Coboo

really enjoying the review, thank you. Can you tell me where the sockets were located, are they under the desk where the mirror is?

 

It was under the mirror and there is only one for US current. I took a power strip and boy was I glad I did. The plug on my blow drier is rather big and it would not fit:eek: . My hair is very thick and it would have taken forever for it to dry naturally. Also, I hate going out with wet hair !

[coboo]

Good review and good pics, thanks for taking the time to post. What time (ships time) were you actually at Grand Cayman and Cozumel. I know what is posted as to be our time table, but have heard several cruises where they have been in port at a different time then the times posted (Caymans 7a-2p) and Cozumel (9a-6p). Trying to book excursions not through Carnival and don't want to do something wrong. Thanks

 

As we boarded, we received a letter informing us she was still having propulsion problems. Because of that we were rescheduled to 8-3 for Grand Cayman and 10:30-9:00 for Cozumel. But in both ports it took quite a while to get off the ship. In Grand Caymen, the people with Carnival booked excursions were allowed off the ship to the tenders first. I did hear someone say they had booked an independent excursion and the company was still waiting for them when they got off the ship. Hope that helps some.

[EydieG]

I am loving your review. We are surprising my mom with a cruise on the Inspiration in October and I am making a folder for her of everything I can find about the ship. This will be her first cruise, so anything you can tell us about this ship will be great.

Thanks.

[coboo]

Day 5: Last day, sea day. We ate breakfast on the Lido deck planning to go to the towel animal demonstration. As we were finishing eating, Jovana the hostess from the Marti Gras dining room approached us to ask how breakfast was and asked if she could get us anything. We ended up having a nice conversation with her where she told us her dream was to open a Starbucks in her native Bosnia. We were late for the demo, but enjoyed speaking with her. We decide to play bingo and (finally) MOM WON:D !! She had to split the pot with another winner so her take was $50. We put it in the gas take on the way home. Since we had not been to the spa, we rode the glass elevator up to the top deck. We decided to make appointments for that afternoon.

We went back down to the Lido deck to read. The entire time we could smell the chickens on the rotisserie and decided to have that for lunch. It was fabulous. I would highly recommend everyone give it a try. After lunch, we went back to the cabin to put together tip envelopes. We felt our wonderful service warranted more than the $10 a day tip. Then it was time for our spa services. I had a scalp massage (heavenly), a facial and a hand and arm massage. Because my hair was so dry, Nicolette gave me a deep hair conditioning treatment while she massaged my scalp. My hair felt wonderful afterwards. Then we went on the galley tour. Something else I would recommend. The galley is massive and very efficient. We also got a preview of that night’s fare.

Knowing we would go straight from dinner to bingo and the show, we went back to the room to pack. Dinner was great that night. I had the Herb Roasted Spring Chicken that fell off the bone. And for dessert we had one more Warm Melting Cake. Mom also had the Amoretto Cake. As the week went on we found ourselves ordering more appetizers and desserts to share. Chu never even batted and eye at our requests, just simply asked if we wanted more. The show that night was a Latin themed show. I can’t remember the name and am too lazy to get up and lookJ. After saying our goodbyes to the family we had made friends with, we took one last walk down Inspiration Boulevard. We went back to the room to put out our suitcases. The last towel animal was another dog, this one laying down.

Disembarkation Day: We got up and went to the Lido deck. Since we were driving, we took our time and ate hot food them some pastries. About 15 minutes after they called our zone, we went back to the cabin to retrieve our carryon bags. It took us less than 15 minutes to get off the ship, find our luggage, clear customs and walk to the parking garage. It was all so easy. We had valet parked, so our car was waiting when we stepped off the elevator and the valet put our luggage in our car for us.

Unfortunately, our trip ended on a sour note. About two hours into our drive home, we were hit by a hit and run driver. Neither one of us was hurt, but there was some damage to my car. Tomorrow it goes to the body shop for repairs. I gave the highway patrolman the best description possible of the car, but was unable to get a license plate number.

But we are not allowing this little hiccup to mar our experience. We had a wonderful cruise. My best friend and I are going on a 3 day to Nassau in November and Mom and her best friend are going to cruise Greece next summer.

Thanks again to all of my fellow Cruise Critic members for arming me with all of the great information needed to help make this a most fabulous vacation!

[coboo]

Here are the last of the photos. This is Playa Mia in Cozumel. The pics aren't great because I was using an inexpensive underwater disposible camera. I didn't realize how addicted I have become to my digital camera until I used this one. If you are bored, you can play "find the little fishes" in the underwater pictures. I promise, they are there.

 

http://s282.photobucket.com/albums/kk264/coboo25/Cozumel/

[dos equis]

So sorry to hear about the car accident, but I'm glad you and your mother are both okay. Thanks for the great review, I'll be on the same ship in 2 months. :)

[burnsie]

Thanks for the great review! It sounds like you had a great time. I'm sorry about your car but glad you are both ok.

 

We are sailing the Inspiration on Oct. 2nd it will be a Girls Only Cruise. I am looking forward to just relaxing and going to Paradise Beach in Cozumel. It will be short but sweet.

 

Burnsie

[DublinLass]

Thanks Coboo and Marctac, can you tell me if the european socket is easier to get at, I have a large double socket to plug in and wonder if it will fit. Thanks again

[cyberfilly]

Great review! We're planning on the same ship and same itinerary next year.

 

A few questions:

 

1) I'll be taking my two kids (11 and 14) and they will FLIP over the new Waterworks slides. Were there certain hours the slides were open? I've heard that some Carnival pool slides have really limited slide hours.

 

2) How much smoking did you notice? I ask because my son has asthma and is allergic to smoke (and cats and dogs, but I don't think that will be a problem on a cruise!!)

 

3) Were there many kids (teens, tweens) on the cruise?

 

Thanks a lot!