Just returned from our third cruise, this time with kids on Carnival Inspiration. Here are the highlights:

Embarkation: Returned our Alamo rental to the Tampa airport and hopped on the free shuttle to the port. Arrived at the port at about 12:15 and were eating lunch on Lido by 1:00. The lifeboat drill was supposed to start at 3:30 but really never got underway until 4:00 which was supposed to be departure time. We ended up departing just after 4:30. Amazingly it takes about 2 1/2 hours to get across Tampa Bay and under the Sunshine Sky Bridge (try to get on the top deck when going under this).

Food: What I like best about eating on a cruise is that I can try things I'd never try in my normal life. That said, I felt the food on this cruise was okay to good. There were times when I got food on Lido deck that was so cold and hard it seemed like it had been there all night. Also, the lobster was rubbery and one of my steaks was more gristle than meat. However, overall I enjoyed eating. I usually ordered 2-3 appetizers and 2 entrees at dinner. I liked the different theme they had each day on Lido deck port side. The Indian food day was the best. The pizza was not bad but not as good as I'd hoped. The ice cream and yogurt machines were nice and we each had our share of cones each day. The desserts were pretty good too. We had the best table assignment I've ever had on this cruise, an 8-seater (for the 6 of us) right against a port-side window. Our waiter Jorge and assistant Marlon were awesome. Read more