Not what we are accustomed to.

Carnival Inspiration Cruise Review to Mexico

orionjib

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 35

Overall rating:

2 out of 5

Verified Review

Sail date: February 08, 2016

Ship: Carnival Inspiration

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: u45

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

Having been on a number of cruises, we have come to expect fairly decent service and a realistic degree of comfort. We purchased this cruise because we would be in the area, and it fit our schedule. We had never cruised on Carnival, and this was certainly inexpensive.

If this had been my first cruise, it may of been my last. It was crowded with many young intoxicated partiers and first timers. The music was all extremely loud and most not very good quality. I am a musician who appreciates a wide spectrum of music. I can speak with some authority.

The ship, while in good shape, was not very clean and house keeping was not up to our expected standards.

The food in the dining room was pretty decent, but orders were often mixed up, and many times you had to ask to things like butter, or condiments. Our first night, I opened up my menu after sitting down and the pages were blank. That should have been a giveaway of what was to come.

The buffet food quality wasn't as good and the hours of operation were quite limited. We missed a couple of meals expecting the buffet to be open when it was not.

Our home hot tub is out of commission and I had hoped to do some soaking, but every time we checked on the tubs they were filled to over capacity. It was not uncommon to see 12-15 people in a 6 person tub.

So, for seasoned cruisers, I'd say skip this cruise and save up for something better.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

Entertainment

1 out of 5

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

When we settled in I noticed something sticky on the cabinets and drawers. It appears they had been sprayed will champaign or soda and had never been cleaned off. You couldn't open a drawer without getting sticky icky on your fingers. Granted, we told our room steward and she took care of it promptly, but this was a big oversight. We could hear our aft neighbor's TV and his or her snoring all night, and I do mean all night. I assume they kept the TV on to try to cover up the snoring. Fortunately, we had a rather noisy heating/cooling system that I could keep running to drown out our neighbors noise. I all the cruises I've been on, I've never heard much from the cabins adjoining ours. One good thing.. The pillows were heavenly!

Ports of call

Long Beach (Los Angeles), California

5 out of 5

Catalina Island, California

5 out of 5

We rented electric bikes and had a blast; great way to see the place

Thumbs Up 4

Ensenada, Mexico

3 out of 5

Traveler Photos

Piloting a friends Electric Duffy on the canals i

12 Comments

cjm66 8 years ago

I second that statement

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inachoman 8 years ago

I suggest you go on Crystal Cruises next time and sit at the pool read your Wall Street Journal and call the nanny to check up on the kids you left behind :-( Do all of us a favor and stay away from Carnival we don't need anyone spoiling our Fun!

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BigDtheCruiser 8 years ago

I give the Inspiration ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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guerrero 8 years ago

I just got off this cruise a day ago. I thought the service was exceptional. There was always food and the food that I didn't like wasn't due to the quality of it. It was due to my own preferences. On parts of the ship, the music was indeed loud, however, I either made the best of it or walked to a different part of the ship. Attitude is key. House keeping went above and beyond! During the entire cruise I had amazing customer service. I absolutely had a fabulous cruise.

Thumbs Up 3

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sususuper 8 years ago

If you look for negative, that's what you get. I was on this cruise in December, and we had a blast. I enjoy the party atmosphere. Makes me feel young for a few days. Food was fine, service was good. You have to remember that these are short, very inexpensive cruises. For the money, I'll be taking one every year

Thumbs Up 5

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shawnowenscoxnet 8 years ago

Ha ha some people blow my mind

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CruizinNurse73 8 years ago

Blank pages on a menu was a major issue for you?? 🤔 No. Children starving, war, famine and disease are major issues. You had a minor glitch on vacation. Do us all a favor and fix your hot tub at home and stay there please.

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cruisin850 8 years ago

Orionjib, what cruise lines have you used previously?

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tishafi123 8 years ago

That is too bad you had a bad experience, we actually went on that cruise last May being our first cruise and it was our families first cruise as well and I absolutely loved it! The service and staff was impeccable! They treated us fantastic and addressed us by our names the entire cruise, I am not easily impressed by things but I love Carnival doing the Caribbean next week.

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faster2fun 8 years ago

We've been cruising carnival for the fast five years. Never had a bad experience old,refurbished or new ship. The staff is always friendly sometimes better than the passengers.

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debbmike 8 years ago

We love Carnival and everything has been great for us. Although ours has been on the bigger newer ships. I don't think I'd like the small older ones.

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cruising222 8 years ago

That guy down in the atrium was an amazing musician though. He had such a great vocal range! Sorry you didn't enjoy your vacation, and wish you happy cruising in the future :)

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