Staff was rude, and the no one seemed to care.
Carnival Inspiration Cruise Review to Mexico
4 Night Baja Mexico (Los Angeles Roundtrip)
Sail date: September 09, 2013
Ship: Carnival Inspiration
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: M116
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 11 years ago
Review summary
First I want to say, my family and I are regular cruisers. We go on at least one once a year. And it's usually back and forth between Mexico and Alaska. So, I know what to expect and what not to expect. I have been on 6 cruises through out my life so far, and out of those 6 I have been on Carnival 5 times. I'm currently a Gold Member on the cruise line, and think Carnival as a whole is a great cruise line. Very entertaining. This past week, my family and a family friend (who has never been on a cruise before) boarded the Carnival Inspiration in Long Beach ca. This was only a 4 day cruise, to Catalina and Ensenada. Normally, my family and I go on 8 - 10 day cruises. This was a shorter trip. This ship is an older ship and a lot smaller then the other Carnival ships I have been on. On the Lido deck (where the pool is), there is no top to cover the outside in case of rain, and I thought that was a little strange right from the beginning, because in Mexico, it is not always sunny. Luckily it did not rain on us this week. The other parts of the ship, were okay. Nothing super fancy, but the ship is well taken care of. The biggest complaint I had, which made me decision for this review, was the staff. They were very rude, and short with everyone. They seemed to not care. And probably because it was only a 4 day cruise, they didn't have to impress you. You're on and then off. The evening dinning staff just seemed to be very lazy, and didn't care. We would be sitting there waiting for 25 minutes, for them to bring you anything. I understand more then most there is 1,700 people on the ship as well, and they are doing their best, but 4 days in a row I was left unsatisfied with the way they handled things, and how they worked. On the elegant night, it took 30 minutes to get our Lobster, and the other guests at our table as well as the tables around us, were beginning to order dessert! When we asked, they said, "well, we serve over 3,000 lobsters it takes time"... No. Sorry, it' should not take 30 minutes if you know you serve over 3000 lobsters... they should be ready. A random server walked by us, and we asked if he could help us, and he straight up said, "No. I'm not your waiter, i can try and find him" and walked away. He never came back, nor did our server. I have never had a staff member on a cruise line tell me NO the way he did. It was bizarre. My friend who had never been on a cruise before, happened to be Vegetarian and so he ordered as a starter, Spring Rolls, he finished them, and they took their plate and he sat there for 20 minutes, until the main course came out. No one came up to him and asked if he wanted more, or filled up his water glass, asked him if he would like anything else, it was very strange to me. Because like I said, I have done this before, and I have never had this happen before. Again, I get there is a TON of people on any given cruise at a time, and the staff can't be everywhere at once, but it seemed to happen to us more then just once. All 4 days, this happened. The staff did not smile, and make you feel comfortable or accommodating. I'm 24 years old, so they had a lot of nightlife for people our age, the comedy clubs, as well as the dance clubs. They were all a lot of fun, and energetic. But, for people a little older, everything shuts down for them around 9pm, and the only thing open is the young adult club, kind of a let down if you are in your 30s or older. I would recommend them having more activities at night, for the older guests. But as far as entertainment, it was a decent experience. I don't recommend this ship to people. Luckily I have been on cruises before, had this been my first time cruising, I defiantly would not do Carnival again. I recommend for first time cruises, to try a different ship. The Carnival Inspiration is not a cruise to try first. Second. or Third.Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
I recommend doing the later dining. The food seemed to be running late, which meant they would be rushing you to eat. The pizza and Deli was by far, the best. As was the 24 hour ice cream bar.
Ports of call
Long Beach (Los Angeles), California