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Decent but not fantastic. by
A Traveler from Tampa, FL Sailing date: Aug 2009The comedian the first 2 nights was just awful. Also, the bar service and general food service (lunch and breakfast) was mediocre at best. Our assigned waiter and cabin steward however were very good. Ship Quality
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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   Not bad.... by
A Traveler from atlanta Sailing date: Jul 2009Pros: Food better than expected. Cons: Small pool, evening entertainment Food I'd give a solid B- or B. That's pretty good coming from me. I'm pretty picky. The dining room service was OK. just OK. We brought wine in most nights but when we didn't, they didn't ask for a drink order. One night we ordered a baked potato and didn't even know they had a guy running around with toppings (sour cream, bacon...) until the next night. We never saw him when we ordered one.
Evening entertainment was kind of bad. 1 night peaked in and it was like a revival in the woods. One of the comedians was pretty funny (kenny ??? I think). The other nights were high school caliber. sorry guys.
The biggest disappointment was the pool. one small pool for 2000+ people. forget "swimming". just find a spot and stand there. there were 2 hot tubs but they were filled with 10yr olds. nice and relaxing, right? there may have been another hot tub somewhere, but I didn't see one.
kids liked the water slides, camp carnival was pretty good (although closed for meals a lot) and the ship itself was pretty clean.
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Cozumel, MexicoDon't Miss: tequila samples at the store right at the port George Town, Grand Caymanstingraysailing.com booked outside of carnival. great trip. cheaper and the guys did everything to make us have a good time. fantastic!!!!!!!
Don't Miss: stingraysailing.com!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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"A Disappointing Cruise!" by
Judy F from Arvada, CO Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: Cabin steward, Andrew Cons: Poor dining service Ship seemed old and not clean in some areas. Food in dining room and buffet was average at best. Guest relations dept. was not very helpful. Entertainment was below average. Ship Quality
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Stateroom QualityWe had to have a technician repair hot water valve in shower due to scolding. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & ActivitiesComedian the first night was awful. 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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"definitely a 'fun' trip, one of a kind" by
Eddie R from florida Sailing date: May 2009Pros: shows, entretainment, food,service Cons: getting from point a to point b greatly impressed with the ship, I would highly reccomend it. The staff is excellent. pool kinf of small, but the dock is very nice. plenty of food, and great shows. Ship Qualityto get from one point to the other was annoying sometimes, because you needed to go sometimes up then down to get to a certain spot. Dining/Foodgreat quality food, especially the desserts. Stateroom Qualitycomfortable rooms, had a problem in controlling the water temperature at first, but then got the idea. Ship Staff Qualitythis was very excellent. there was help whenever needed. the waiters are excellent and make the dinner very enjoyable, almost like a show of its own. Entertainment & Activitiesgreat shows, maybe could of had more shows at different times. 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Will never cruise again by
Patty B from Bloomington, IN Sailing date: Apr 2009Pros: Friendly staff Cons: Having to pay for all the extra's The ship itself, was clean and big. We did not like having to pay so much for every extra that you wanted, such as water, soda, and juice. We were not allowed to stop at Mexico, so had to spend most of the time on the ship, which after a while was expensive and boring. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodIf you like buffets, then the dining was fine. The evening dining was okay, but was crowded and you sit with the same people every night. Stateroom QualityThe stateroom was kept very clean. It was a little smaller than the picture on the website, but the bed was comfortable. Ship Staff QualityMost of the staff was very friendly and helpful. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe comedy show was usually scheduled late, so we did not get a chance to see it, as we would have liked
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George Town, Grand CaymanThe tour of Hell, Turtle farm, and Rum cake factory was okay. The swimming with the sting rays was cancelled after we were on the tour, which was very disappointing.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Simply a blast by
Tim S from ATL Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: Service was great, boat was nice Cons: Out of 2000 guests, 1000 kids 10 yrs and younger. Overall a great time. The ship was large, fast elevators for the older/lazy guests. Food was good, like any other cruise.
The service was good, although most of the bartenders seemed pissed off everyday. The huge amount of children getting a new soda every 5 minutes may have played a role in that. It seemed like the final night of the cruise that the staff stopped caring. Not refilling the juice or ice after asking several times, our room wasting cleaned or towels refreshed the final day at sea.
The drinks weren't overly expensive, but still weren't economical. It seemed like there were staff photographers at every corner, wanting you to buy the pictures they shot.
I would like to go on this ship again, and recommend it.
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Cozumel, MexicoPlaya Mia. $40 ticket gives you all you can drink from 10-6 pm. A really fun time, food is available, contests, nice pool, ocean has a trampoline and giant iceberg. The ice berg was a pretty far swim. By the time I got out there, it was very hard to climb up it.
Make sure to barter anytime you are buying something, especially cab rides or souvenirs
George Town, Grand CaymanMargaritaville was fun. They give out free tequila hosts every hour, the DJ leads dancing contests, best beer chugger contests, a fun time!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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A great trip by
A Traveler from North Jersey Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: Entertainment, ease of planning, food Cons: Spring Breakers As a first time cruiser, I was pleasently surprise with how long my trip felt. Not having to take time to plan activities or travel from place to place saves tons of time. Additionally, if you get bored with what you're doing, you can just go do something else without feeling like you wasted time or money.
Entertainment, food, etc -- everything was above my expectations. Ship Quality
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Cozumel, MexicoShopping is better here than at Grand Cayman if you're not looking to spend thousands. The jungle ATV tour was well wroth the money. Very very bumpy though.
George Town, Grand CaymanDo the shore snorkel. I give you a home base with a come and go as you please feel. Great reef too if you're a decent swimmer.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Hope you plan on gaining 10 lbs! :o) by
Amy from Charleston, SC Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: Ship, entertainment, food (of course), service, and the crew was awesome! Cons: SPRING BREAKERS!!!!!! I went on this trip with my old best friend. We were naive in thinking that the spring breakers wouldn't be vacationing so early in March. Boy oh boy were we wrong. *sigh* Everything was fabulous EXCEPT for them. They pretty much drove everyone insane from the yelling, drunken fiascos, etc. After the first day I learned where not to go, then all was peachy. :o)
There was always something to do during the day, from bean bag toss to cha cha class to ice sculpting. you have to keep an open mind and try the activities - you may surprise yourself and have fun doing something you wouldnt have done in a million years.
If anyone is going on the Inspiration within the next few weeks I'd love for you to do me a small favor. Just need to get an email address to a friend of mine on board! :o) Ship QualityVery clean, not too big, always someone to help you if you get lost on-board. :o) Dining/FoodThe food was great.... yes, the buffets were pretty much the same day in and day out, but if you're not picky then it's perfectly fine. The dinners and desserts were fantastic. the chocolate melting cake was ridiculously good and I had one of the best tiramisus that I've ever had... yum yum. Stateroom QualityClean, small, but only one outlet. Sad. Ship Staff QualityReally friendly folks on board. I feel sorry for them and some of the "angels" they have to put up with day in and day out... must be tiring. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe love and marriage show is a must-see, as well as the comedians. And, of course, go to the regular shows as well! Highly entertaining.
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Cozumel, MexicoSail, snorkel and beach safari. sooooooo much fun. like snorkeling in an aquarium!
George Town, Grand CaymanSnorkel! Shopping is far too expensive in this area!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Little more than basics. by
Sherry W from Ann Arbor, MI Sailing date: Feb 2009Pros: Fellow cruisers Cons: The food was mediocre and there were some service problems This ship was VERY clean, but it felt small/closed-in and had a VERY confusing layout. There were maps available, but we didn't find that out until the end of day 2! If this was my first cruise and had nothing to compare, however, I would think it was fine. Dinners were good, but overall the food was no better than you could get at a mid-priced restaurant at home. There were some service issues (see below), but overall the people were VERY nice. Check out "Barry" at the piano bar--HYSTERICAL!!!!! Ship QualityShip was VERY clean, but it felt small and the layout was VERY confusing, even for someone with a good sense of direction! Dining/FoodSit-down dinners were fine (especially the melting chocolate cake!), but the breakfast and lunch buffets were mediocre at best. Same choices day after day. Stateroom QualityWhat I expected. Ship Staff QualityOur dinner servers and room steward were great, but the service desk employees were not always helpful. Misplaced my camera and he only said, "Sorry." I had to ask him to take my room # in case it turned up, then another crew member recommended he check in the back--VOILA! There was my camera. When I tried to show him a picture of me at "formal dinner" to prove it was my camera, he said, "THAT'S YOU???" I was HIGHLY offended. Also, they were pushing the pictures and drinks WAY TOO HARD! Very overwhelming. Entertainment & ActivitiesI enjoyed the evening entertainment, but didn't find anything interesting for a 40-something to do during the day, so I napped or laid on the deck.
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Cozumel, MexicoAbsolutely BEAUTIFUL! The shopping district was full of sculptures, fountains, and flowers. I went to the adventure park for zip-lines, rock climbing towers, and various other "high wire" activities, then went snorkeling. Felt a little herded, but it all culminated in free drink (I chose a margarita and it was STRONG!).
Don't Miss: If you like a good strong drink, don't miss FAT TUESDAYS! But be warned, they are STRONG!!! George Town, Grand CaymanYou HAVE to go to Stingray City! I booked an excursion through Captain Bryan's and they were VERY professional, helpful, educated us about the stingrays, had a smaller sailboat (catamaran) that had fewer people than the cruise excursion "cattle boats," and provided food to feed them. They took pics of us holding the stingrays and kissing them for good luck. These little creatures are GREAT and very friendly!!!! We then went to two other snorkeling sites and had plenty of time at each. The best part: it cost only $39 instead of the $69 through the ship!!!
Don't Miss: STINGRAY CITY!!!! 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Helloooooo! A great trip by
Nancy J from West Hartford, Connecticut Sailing date: Feb 2009Pros: The itinerary was great Cons: The breakfast buffet wasn't anything great The ship is large but not overwhelming. There seemed to be enough room for all 2,500 guests. We never had problems finding a good spot on the deck, in the lounges, or for the shows. The ship's theme is the arts. It was nice to have beautiful pianos and a spectacular art gallery, however the decoration was dark. We would have preferred a lighter, more Caribbean feel. Ship QualityIt was definitely clean and kept clean; workers were constantly maintaining the inside and outside. It was easy to get around and most public places were on only a few floors. Dining/FoodMardi Gras dining was exceptional. We chose the second seating and definitely were glad we did. The buffets weren't spectacular. The pizza and desserts were fantastic. Stateroom QualityWe had plenty of room for two women who overpacked. The beds and linens were unbelievably comfortable. We chose an inside cabin on the Verandah deck and would repeat that choice. It was even with the upper Lido deck so very convenient for two sun worshippers. Our cabin steward kept our room in great shape. Ship Staff QualityThe staff we came in contact with were very friendly and caring. Our lead waiter, Fernando, was also funny. Entertainment & ActivitiesWe didn't do too much of the activities - not our plan. The shows and bands were very good. Most daytime activities were indoors; we were not!
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Cozumel, MexicoSnorkeling is a definite. However we also did the clear kayaking. The fish aren't really under your kayak as advertised. Paddles stir up the water causing the fish to flee.
George Town, Grand CaymanUnfortunately the weather prevented us from parasailing - our chosen excursion. We visited Seven Mile Beach which was beautiful. However we felt like we had too little time on the beach and had literally no time for anything else.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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