We love the size of this ship. I hate to see these smaller ships getting phased out for mega ships. It was a great experience for a first cruise. You'd have to go to Long Beach to sail on her now but I would make the trip. Hurry before you miss the opportunity to sail on her. She's for sale so time is ticking.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
This was my first cruise and there was a learning curve but for the most part it was good. This isn't my home port so I've only went out of Tampa once.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The dining room and LIDO buffet were awesome. I didn't venture into any of the restaurants so I can't tell you, but the food in the MDR and LIDO were always good.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
All of the activities were really crowded all the time so it was difficult to participate in them. I just skipped it and enjoyed the relaxation of being on the ocean.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Went to the comedy show and it was actually pretty good. Sometimes comedians are hit and miss but the ones on our cruise were pretty good. Don't take the kids!
Children's Programs
Didn't have any kids at the time.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The waiters, bar tenders, room stewards, just the entire crew we encountered were awesome. Our room steward was very attentive. Never experienced a problem the entire cruise.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
For an older ship she is in great shape. This was our first cruise so we were getting our bearings on this ship and on cruise ships in general. Having been on a few more since we understand the layouts a little better. But the Inspiration is great. Now that we've been on larger ships we prefer the ones a little bit smaller like this one. It seemed cozier and more relaxed that the mega ships.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The rooms were great for the two of us. Plenty of room and storage. The bathroom was a little small but really, how much time do you spend in there?! The beds were incredibly comfortable. I even priced them when we got home!
Ship tip
Take advantage of everything this ship has to offer. It won't be around much longer and that's sad.
Not very pretty to look at but it was a nice town. We did Stingray City and the Starfish snorkel. It was pretty neat. Definitely an experience you should try. It didn't give us much time to venture around the island so we ran to a couple of shops before we had to get back on board. I wish we could have spent more time taking in the sights.
A good place to shop and drink. We didn't do an excursion but the taxi ride itself was an adventure. We went to the shopping mall and then out to Carlos & Charlies. Unless you scuba, and we don't, I don't think there is much else to do there. I've heard the ruins are a letdown but haven't been. Be sure to get back to the ship early enough to watch the pier runners who are late getting back on the ship. That's the best part!
Just like embarkation, we were new and just getting a feel for the process but felt it went well. If you have suitcases, definitely use the assisted debarkation. Otherwise the hallways, elevators, open areas, etc. are just a mess. Your bags will be waiting in the terminal. Just make sure to mark them uniquely so someone else doesn't grab them and end up in Georgia before they realize they have the wrong bag!
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