Carnival Cruise Ships

Passengers: 2044
Launched: 1996
Gross Tonnage: 70,367
Length: 855
Decks: 10
Registry: Panama
Nationality: Italian officers, international crew
CDC Score: 94

Itinerary: Seven-night Western Caribbean cruises from New Orleans with visits to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel. In early December 2002, the ship will move to Tampa to offer week-long cruises to Grand Cayman, Playa del Carmen and New Orleans.

Overview: Carnival Cruise Lines is the largest cruise line in the world carrying one-fifth of all cruise passengers. A good percentage return again. This is a great main stream cruising value for those that are looking to have a "FunShip" vacation with a party atmosphere. You will find excellent spa and fitness facilities, great programs for kids and some of the largest cabins in this price range. Onboard all Carnival ships, guests under 21 must be accompanied by a parent, relative or guardian 25 years of age or older. This cuts down on the "Spring Break" reputation Carnival is trying to beat.

Inspiration is the sixth Fantasy-class ship debuting in 1996 and is similar in all but the theme, the "arts", to her sister ships Ecstasy, Fantasy, Fascination, Imagination, Sensation, and Paradise.
Many first-timers get their initial taste of cruising on the Inspiration and are, for the most part, younger than passengers on other lines. However the days of T-shirt-clad crowds are gone; today's cruisers are honeymooners, young families, and singles as well as veteran travelers who like the Carnival ambiance. Dancing is a popular pastime for all, and late night adults-only comics bring out huge crowds.

Public Rooms: Inspiration's promenade strecthes the length of the ship and is lined with "noveau art" style violin stems, leather sofas, chairs and banquettes, and is the place to see and be seen nightly after dinner.

The $1 million art collection is displayed throughout the public areas but a rendition of Mona Lisa in Pablo's Lounge is a standout.

Two self-service laundry rooms are located for passenger usage, $1 to wash, $1 to dry and 50 cents for detergent.

Dining: The two main dining rooms, Mardi Gras and Carnivale, are not at all crowded and service is quite good from maitre d' to assistant waiters. Tables range from booths for four to tables of 10. Three meals a day are also available in Brasserie Bar & Grill on Lido Deck, through room service and a 24-hour pizzeria. The Brasserie Bar & Grill, with its various-sized tables, modern metallic chairs and ever-present neon overhead provides good service but passengers carry their own plates to the table and have to wiggle past the line to get drinks from another area. The same dinner menu that is offered in main dining rooms is available in Brasserie Bar & Grill with waiter service. A Nautica Spa menu provides calories and carbohydrate totals for some menu items and special diets are available with advance notice.

Room service comes on time, and is available 24 hours a day but offers a limited menu. Staggered serving times on Inspiration, as well as other Carnival ships, mean early sitting is at either 5:45 or 6:30 p.m. and late sittings at 8 or 8:45 p.m. Midnight buffets continue to be popular on Imagination where passengers, for the most part, party heartier and stay up later than on similar mass market cruise ships. Carnival's food service has been kicked up several notches and presentation and variety are superb.

Cabins: Standard cabins are 185 square feet and most cabins have twin beds that can be configured into a queen-size bed. Lighting is good with individual reading lights at each bed. Bathrobes are included in the amenities of all outside cabins. In-room safes, satellite television and standard amenities are offered ship-wide. Bring your own hair dryer. Only suites and demi-suites offer balconies/verandahs. Twenty cabins are equipped for physically challenged passengers. Six cabins on Verandah Deck offer partially obstructed views. Decor is simple and uncluttered. Drawer and closet space is more than adequate for two people sailing seven-day itineraries.

Entertainment: The Paris lounge, highlighted by "Moulin Rouge"-like lighting and colors features Carnival's popular Vegas-style revues nightly. This state-of-the-art theater boasts lasers lights, special effects and a sound system to rival any land-based show room. A word of warning -- be sure to get there early to get the best seats. Some of the seats have limited or obstructed views of the stage.

The Monte Carlo Casino is large and popular offering up an array of blackjack tables, roulette, craps and poker tables in addition to a variety of slots. Tournaments are scheduled almost every day.

One of the most popular places on the ship is Rhapsody in Blue, the sing-along piano bar. Get there early if you want a seat. Later in the evening, it was standing room only -- in the hallway! Passengers in the mood for a high-octane dance club will find the Rock and Roll Dance Club a satisfying alternative. The Avant-Garde Lounge takes its "Inspiration" from Picasso's cubist period complete with a chess-board dance floor and live music is on the bill most nights. The Teen Dance Club is a popular hide-out for the 18 and under crowd.

Fitness and Recreation: The large pool complex on the Lido Deck is the scene of live music and the signature blue sliding board gets plenty of use. Snorkeling equipment is for rent for the length of the cruise. A topless sunbathing area is situated aft on the Sun Deck. The Nautica Spa is more than large enough to accomodate passengers at 12,000 square feet including beauty salon. A fitness center offering pneumatic pressure machines, treadmills, stationary bikes, Stairmasters, and whirlpools get plenty of use. The spa is operated by Steiner, as on most cruise ships, but rates are pegged to the cruise passengers and are lower here than on the more upscale ships. There's a jogging track and a total of six whirlpools.

Fellow Passengers: Lots of young couples and families choose this ship, partly because of the complimentary Camp Carnival program and its Tampa home port. However, it also draws a complement of singles.

Children's Programs: Families are a major market for Carnival and the minimum passenger age is 4 months with no ship maximum on the number of children allowed on a particular sailing. Kids pay the flat rate for third/fourth guests in a cabin. Parents should pay “tips” on children aged three and up.

Camp Carnival is divided into four categories. Toddlers (2 - 5), Juniors (6 - 8) Intermediate (9 - 11) and Teens (12-15). There’s a playroom for under-3s. Operating on sea days from 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. On days-in-port, Camp Carnival offers supervised free-play from arrival until 2 p.m.; scheduled activities run from 2 - 10 p.m. Babysitting is available on sea days and port days; cost is $6 for first child, $4 apiece for additional children and babysitting is a group activity (available from 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. in the children’s play room. The dining room features a “daily junior special” each day plus a regular kids menu with the usual staples (chicken nuggets, hot dogs, pizza, pb&j). On formal nights, counselors host a kids-only dinner at the Lido buffet. Diapers are sold in the infirmary, and there’s a turndown service featuring fresh baked chocolate chip cookies at bed-time. Carnival also offers teen-only shore excursion outings and walkie-talkies available for rent onboard. A Fountain Fun Card ($9 - $23 depending on length of cruise) is available for the under-21 set.

Clothing: The Inspiration is a casual cruise. There are two formal nights, and most gentlemen opt for a suit and tie as opposed to a tuxedo. Most ladies wear a short cocktail dress or a dressy pants outfit on formal nights. Other nights are casual, with most gentlemen wearing a sport shirt and long slacks and most ladies wearing a casual dress or skirt and blouse or pants outfit. Shorts are not permitted in the dining rooms at dinner. The dress is very casual during the day, with swimsuits, shorts and t-shirts being the rule. Swimsuits are not allowed in the dining rooms, but you may opt for casual breakfast and lunch on the lido deck or around the pool.