EMBARKATION: Easy peasy. We got there around 2pm - carried on our luggage. No fuss, no lines. Went straight to our room. Unpacked a little, grabbed our Fun Times and toured the ship.

FOOD: Ate at the poolside grill - food was a huge improvement from the Carnival Paradise. I'm talking 200%. Granted my cruise experience is limited to Carnival but this was my 2nd cruise and the Paradise had awful food. The Inspiration had a huge assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables. I ate pretty healthy all weekend. Our dining assignment was the Mardi Gras room. We switched tables the 1st night and ended up with a great group. I skipped Elegant night in lieu of sleeping off a bad hangover. Ate all of our meals in the dining room, everything was fresh and carefully prepared. Service was professional and efficient. It was such a different cruising experience from our first cruise.

PASSENGERS: Since this was a Christmas cruise not everyone was here for Christmas. I'd say 80% of the passengers were Indian and Chinese. It made for a very pleasant time on board because many of the Indian women dressed so beautifully for Elegant night. Their saris and beaded dresses were exquisite. One thing I noticed is Indian and Chinese men do not step aside for women like American men. I found myself in an elevator with Indian or Chinese men and having a bit of an awkward tussle to get out of the doors first. Oh well, lesson learned. Again, lines were 4-5 people deep. The entire ship was decorated inside with festive wreaths and Christmas trees. Very tasteful. Nothing offensive. The Inspiration had a Channukah celebration too - there were quite a few Jewish families on board as well. Nice mix. Didn't see too many Americans but it worked out really good because there were so many families on board, the entire ship was asleep by like 9 am. Read more