Cruise Line: Carnival Cruises
Cruise Ship: Carnival Inspiration
Cruise Destination: Western Caribbean from Tampa Cruise Dates: December 10 - December 15, 2005
Guest Contributor: Winobob
I would like to share my comments and observations regarding our family's cruise aboard the Inspiration on 10 Dec from Tampa with you. Just for your information, I worked in the travel industry for nearly 15 years - beginning as a travel agent and later with my own tour company.
Food Service on the Inspiration: I was very impressed with the food service in the dining room during dinner. Our waiter, Nyoman, and his assistant, Rodel, were simply fantastic and deserve commendation. The quality of service in the dining room during breakfast and lunch was considerably lower and, at best, inconsistent - with the exception of the day our dinner waiter also served our breakfast. We thoroughly enjoyed the High Tea service although the waitstaff was somewhat rude.
Food Quality on the Inspiration: The quality of the food in the dining room far exceeded my expectations. I am truly impressed. The only exception here is the lobster served one nite for dinner. This was so bad that you would be better off just not even putting it on the menu. It does a disservice to the rest of the offerings. The quality of the food at the Buffet and Grill was what I expected, fair to so-so. The sushi bar was a disappointment. It would be very enjoyable if this were improved and expanded with better hours and a wider selection and with a staff that prepared the sushi a la carte.
One other thing I found disturbing was the constant nickel and diming over beverages. Why charge for sodas when I can order free juices and iced teas from room service to my heart's content? Why gouge on the price for sodas - it was like being in Disneyworld? The same goes for alcoholic beverages - even if they are not included, why not offer a card for them similar to the soda card?
Ports of Call on the Inspiration: The amount of time we were docked in ports was considerably less than the brochure advertised. In Cozumel, we were shorted approximately 4 hours (And subsequently had to return to port several hours after departure to pick up a number of passengers whose shore excursion did not return in time). In Grand Cayman we were only given approximately 4 hours in total. What's the point of visiting ports if we're given no time to enjoy them. The on board 'shopping expert' was a joke. She managed to guide passengers to every tourist trap where it seemed obvious that the cruise line was receiving a commission on each sale. When we asked real questions about getting to real stores (i.e. where the locals shop for every day goods), she turned blank and had no suggestions. The cost of the shore excursions was outrageous. For example, a tour of Grand Cayman purchased aboard ship sold for something like $40 per person. The same tour purchased on the dock was $20 per person. However, the public transport on the island, which goes to the same locations, costs only $1 per person and can be done in the 4 hours allotted.
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Cruise Ship: Carnival Inspiration
Cruise Destination: Western Caribbean from Tampa Cruise Dates: December 10 - December 15, 2005
Guest Contributor: Winobob
I would like to share my comments and observations regarding our family's cruise aboard the Inspiration on 10 Dec from Tampa with you. Just for your information, I worked in the travel industry for nearly 15 years - beginning as a travel agent and later with my own tour company.
Food Service on the Inspiration: I was very impressed with the food service in the dining room during dinner. Our waiter, Nyoman, and his assistant, Rodel, were simply fantastic and deserve commendation. The quality of service in the dining room during breakfast and lunch was considerably lower and, at best, inconsistent - with the exception of the day our dinner waiter also served our breakfast. We thoroughly enjoyed the High Tea service although the waitstaff was somewhat rude.
Food Quality on the Inspiration: The quality of the food in the dining room far exceeded my expectations. I am truly impressed. The only exception here is the lobster served one nite for dinner. This was so bad that you would be better off just not even putting it on the menu. It does a disservice to the rest of the offerings. The quality of the food at the Buffet and Grill was what I expected, fair to so-so. The sushi bar was a disappointment. It would be very enjoyable if this were improved and expanded with better hours and a wider selection and with a staff that prepared the sushi a la carte.
One other thing I found disturbing was the constant nickel and diming over beverages. Why charge for sodas when I can order free juices and iced teas from room service to my heart's content? Why gouge on the price for sodas - it was like being in Disneyworld? The same goes for alcoholic beverages - even if they are not included, why not offer a card for them similar to the soda card?
Ports of Call on the Inspiration: The amount of time we were docked in ports was considerably less than the brochure advertised. In Cozumel, we were shorted approximately 4 hours (And subsequently had to return to port several hours after departure to pick up a number of passengers whose shore excursion did not return in time). In Grand Cayman we were only given approximately 4 hours in total. What's the point of visiting ports if we're given no time to enjoy them. The on board 'shopping expert' was a joke. She managed to guide passengers to every tourist trap where it seemed obvious that the cruise line was receiving a commission on each sale. When we asked real questions about getting to real stores (i.e. where the locals shop for every day goods), she turned blank and had no suggestions. The cost of the shore excursions was outrageous. For example, a tour of Grand Cayman purchased aboard ship sold for something like $40 per person. The same tour purchased on the dock was $20 per person. However, the public transport on the island, which goes to the same locations, costs only $1 per person and can be done in the 4 hours allotted.
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