4 Night Catalina & Baja Mexico (Los Angeles Roundtrip)
Sail date: October 30, 2017
Ship:
Carnival Inspiration
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: U63
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Review summary
This is a very inexpensive vacation that provides hotel rooms, bar venues, several restaurant choices, dance shows, entertainment shows, bingo, gambling, comedy and sun worshiping. What more could you ask for? We love this cruise and will continue to do it as often as possible.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We had FTTF and we were onboard with a drink in hand by 11 AM.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The buffet food is just ok, Guys burgers were delicious and we had minimal lines every time, Blue Iguana breakfast burritos were very good, MDR we ate at once and had the upgraded surf & turf - the filet was tiny but good and the lobster tail was good. We had Cheers! and were very pleased with drink pours and service at bars and on lido.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I played bingo for the first time and didn't win but it was fun. My husband won $5 on the pull ticket things. I played less than $100 in slots and it went fast with no ups and downs - just downs! Weather was cool so we didn't use hot tubs or pool, they were not crowded at all.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We caught the Studio VIP show which was fun. We watched Jase do the love & marriage show and it was hilarious! I don't know if he is that quick with comebacks or if the answers are scripted but we laughed A LOT! Live music seemed to be everywhere! Halloween night was a hoot and my husband won a certificate along with 20 others.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Every single staff member we interacted with had a smile on their face and a genuine interest in making our vacation excellent! Sometimes you run across staff members that you can sense are ready for a break but that didn't happen a single time on this trip. Good job to the management of this ship!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Inspiration is an older and smaller ship. She is great for what she is. Atrium elevators were not working for our cruise. Common areas were kept clean. Windows need a good cleaning to get salt deposits off.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I loved the location of this cabin, it is at the beginning of the hallway after the stairs/elevators there are only a few cabins in this little section of hallway so there is minimal hallway traffic. Very convenient with no disturbing noises. I normally sleep awful on a cruise but on this one it was the best I have slept on a cruise. The windows could use a good cleaning.
Ship tip
Inspiration is an older ship it is also a small ship. Casino & Violins bar smell like cigarette smoke all the time. I would say read the reviews and know what you're getting into when you book this cruise so you're not disappointed. I had a fantastic time and will definitely keep booking these 4 day cruises on these older ships.
I love Long Beach and always have fun at the restaurants/bars along the marina before our cruise. Parking in the garage is easy and currently costs $19 per day, we were off the ship at about 7 AM and for some reason were not charged for parking at all when we left...bonus!
I love Catalina Island, it is so cute and easy to walk around in without an excursion. I recommend trying Buffalo Milk at one of the many bars, it is a alcohol drink that tastes like ice cream! We go to El Galleon every time to get our Buffalo Milk fix!
Ensenada is not the greatest port town. We sometimes stay on the ship and sometimes just wander through the tourist shops. This time we did the deep sea fishing excursion through Carnival with Sergio's and it was excellent! We caught tellowtail and bonita then took some fish to one of the food stalls at the fish market and they made us fresh fish tacos. They were fantastic! We will definitely do this again.
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