Carnival Inspiration Review

4.0 / 5.0
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Carnival Inspiration not up to par!

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Inspiration
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dr28326
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Nov 2007
Cabin: Interior
Traveled with children

Drove 10 hrs to Tampa. Valet parking was nice at the port of Tampa but they could use more signs. Checked in and waited till 11:30 to start boarding. Ship lobby was very nice looking with the glass elevators. Went to Lido deck for lunch buffet. The outside buffet at lunch always had hamburgers, hot dogs, etc and every breakfast was scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes. They could definitely use more variety there. Inside they had a buffet also which changed daily for lunch but it was mexican, caribbean, french and american....nothing really appetizing. The dining room dinner was not bad, nice variety. The lobster tail was small but very good. Had shrimp cocktail almost every night...yum. Of course I had to try the famous chocolate melting cake...wow was that rich! The food was not very hot except for the soup. Our waiter Ibraham and his assistant was very nice. He was from Jamaica. I had a handicapped cabin E120 and good thing I did not take my Rascal scooter as it would have never made it in the cabin. The doorway was wider than other cabins but the cabin size was exactly the same as the other inside cabins. The only difference was I had no lip into the bathroom. I took a wide wheelchair and had to collapse it to get it in and out the doorway. The hallways were always blocked with housekeeping carts. The room steward were always in the halls. I am used to not seeing them and having your cabin cleaned while out of the room. They did not clean ours until after noon and we were always out by 8-9am. The beds were hard as a rock! The sheets and blankets were nice but those beds are too hard. I asked the room steward to remove our cans of soda and bottled water and he said he would have to see if they had a place to put it. I never had that problem before either. He did remove everything but I was charged for the water...had to have them remove that. He said they probably put in the wrong cabin number. The water park is nice and my granddaughter had a great time. Camp Carnival was ok...she enjoyed it. The only complaint I had with that was my son put my name down as a person who could sign her in and out but they only allow the Parent to sign in the kids...doesn't make sense that I can pick her up but not sign her in. Because of this she missed the last night and their farewell party and group pictures. I took her to sign her in and they would not let her without her dad. The entertainment was average. Shout show was pretty good. The comedian and magician were average. I was carrying my drink and a plastic chair to try to sit out on the deck by the rails...two workers stood right there and never offered to help. There were alot of wheelchairs and scooters on board and I never saw any staff assisting them except a few that pushed the wheelchairs. I was spoiled on HAL when I had them carry my trays, get my food and drinks for me, etc....not on this ship. They lost my sons luggage and did not find it till about 9pm. They also did not charge his sail and sign card immediately for several things and he thought he had money left on his account...surprise....they posted several items on the last night so it put him over on his account. He was overcharged at one bar and fought for 2 days to get the overage removed...he had hassles from the time he got on until he debarked. The only good time he had was on a beach away from the ship. Calica.......what a rip off! Nothing but dirt roads and about 6 vendors set up outside the ship. They were charging everyone different prices for items and they were all overpriced in my opinion. The cabs were to be $13 each way to the beach. Well, they charged you $13 to get to the beach but people were being charged anywhere from $13 to $80 to get back to the ship. YES...my son met one couple complaining they were charged $80 to get back. I have never heard so many people complaining about service, food and excursion. They said 1/2 of our ship was repeat cruisers and 1/2 were 1st timers....think those 1st timers will be back? Well, we will wait and see what Carnival does as we have made complaints. MY son called them as soon as we got home and said I don't want you "shipboard credits" either as I never plan to sail Carnival again...he is awaiting some sort of refund.

Cabin Review

Interior

Cabin 4D
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