The Kickball Cruise from Hell – Inspiration April 5-8, 2013.

So my family (husband and two daughters) and I are back from a weekend cruise on the Inspiration. My thread title is a little misleading because we had a decent time but this was definitely no ordinary cruise. I booked this last minute weekend getaway during the Friends and Family promotion. We have taken this same cruise several times before including during spring break so I can speak from experience that what we witnessed during this cruise was out of the ordinary. I expected a few drunken spring breakers but what we experienced was just well…

Unbeknownst to me, this particular cruise was also a group cruise for an area kickball association. Yes, kickball… the game that I haven’t played since elementary school. Who knew that kickball was an organized sport? Well my family and over 700 kickballers set sail on April 5, 2013 from Long Beach. Embarkation was a breeze. We arrived to the port at 11:00 and were on board having lunch by 11:30 a.m. We hung out on Lido until 1:30 and then headed down to our room. Everything seemed normal until the safety drill.

We were assigned to muster station E which was in one of the lounges where the comedy show is held. And this is where we encountered the most obnoxious group of people in my life – the kickballers. The poor crew member leading the safety drill had a hard time controlling the crowd. Several were already falling down drunk. They were constantly yelling and screaming despite repeated requests that they stay quiet because the safety drill could not begin until there was complete silence. Thirty minutes later (no exaggeration) the drill began. We later learned that our room was not the only room to have issues with the kickballers staying quiet.

From that moment on we encountered hoards of drunken kickballers. Carnival security was extremely busy this cruise. Even the comedian used them in his jokes and said that he hadn’t seen such behavior in his 12 years of working for carnival. We smelled marijuana on more than one occasion on lido deck. It really was a sight to behold. Just unbelievable.

So upon my return I immediately took to the internet to search out information on the kickballers and came across a facebook page regarding the cruise. This one post stood out to me:

THE NUMBERS SO FAR: 517 - the total # of people who successfully snuck alcohol on board, 5 - the number of hours it took for the first guy to be banned from drinking the rest of the weekend, 2 - the number of people arrested on the ship for narcotics, 4 - the number of failed attempts at the cruise group photo, 16 - the number of people total banned from drinking by Carnival, 26 - the number of times the "roaming flip cup crew" got forced to stop playing, and most importantly: 0 - the number of players left behind in Mexico.

(Search carnival kickball cruise to see the madness for yourselves).

In the end we had a decent time. We decided to stay on the ship while in Ensenada since we had been several times before and we were able to enjoy the pools and waterworks in peace.

I would hope that Carnival would ban this group from cruising in the future. I know that everyone we encountered that was not a part of this group was not happy and the guest services area was busy with complaints. If this were my first cruise, I’m not so sure that I would sail Carnival again. This cruise gave a whole new meaning to the phrase “booze cruise.”

 

We were assigned to muster station E which was in one of the lounges where the comedy show is held. And this is where we encountered the most obnoxious group of people in my life – the kickballers. The poor crew member leading the safety drill had a hard time controlling the crowd. Several were already falling down drunk. They were constantly yelling and screaming despite repeated requests that they stay quiet because the safety drill could not begin until there was complete silence. Thirty minutes later (no exaggeration) the drill began.

This must be the drunk and rowdy muster station.

When we were on the Inspiration a few weeks ago during Spring Break, there was 1 really rowdy and drunk group from a college. The girls of the group came into the lounge literally falling down drunk. Then, when we were up at the lifeboats, one of the girls had to relieve herself right there.:eek:

With such a large group, did they completely take over any area?

Wow--I went through the FB page for this group and am I glad I wasn't on this cruise. It is groups like this that give Carnival its bad name.

I didn't even know that your sail and sign card could be coded to revoke your alcohol buying privileges!

Wow--I went through the FB page for this group and am I glad I wasn't on this cruise. It is groups like this that give Carnival its bad name.

 

I didn't even know that your sail and sign card could be coded to revoke your alcohol buying privileges!

It was pure madness. But we made the best of it and used it as a learning experience for our girls about how NOT to act.

I really felt bad because there was also a dance group on this cruise and those parents were horrified!

These idiots were proud of their behavior!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100571096455038&set=oa.113166928846108&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf

(Search carnival kickball cruise to see the madness for yourselves).

 

This cruise gave a whole new meaning to the phrase “booze cruise.”

I went to the web site for this group's cruise and noticed a couple of things:

1. The group is WAKA (World Adult Kickball Association). It sounds like there were not too many "adults" in this group at all. They may have been of legal age but hardly adult.

2. At the bottom of the web page (and this is truly ironic, given the OP's experience) is a statement: "DRINK RESPONSIBILY. WAKA encourages everyone to drink responsibly and ensure you have a safe ride home."

What a joke.... I really hope Carnival bans this group from booking any future cruises. :mad:

This is repulsive,

The group leader for this group should be ashamed of him/herself.

How can they be proud of the stupidities they have done on this cruise. ::Shaking my damn head::

AHHHHH! So it wasn't just me?!?!??? I thought I smelled pot in the photo area...I asked one of the photo attendants and she had NO idea what I was talking about. I've NEVER smoked pot in my life and even I could smell it.

This was my third Ensenada trip and my 8th cruise overall and this was the worst! I, too, expected a little bit of spring break, drunken rowdiness, but this far exceeded any kind of AWFUL I could imagine. I'm 41 and I cruised with 4 of my friends between the ages of mid-20s and mid-40's and we are not perfect, but the level of vile, vulgar subject matter that was uttered in mixed company around children in the buffet and around other family friendly areas was enough to offend even us.

I'll post my own review, but I had to chime in here and reply. Hope you had a great time. We did!

Yikes...the lengths they went to sneak on booze was beyond anything I have ever seen on this board. I am very glad we weren't on this cruise, I am sure their parents must be proud :rolleyes:

My "favorite" part of the Carnival letter to these idiots is to assure them that "you are permitted to make all other transactions ..... or any other services".

Nice to know after you've publicly urinated or vomited, your ability to buy bingo tickets or gold by the inch isn't taken away.:eek:

It's all about the bottom line isn't it Mr Cahill .:mad:

Yikes...the lengths they went to sneak on booze was beyond anything I have ever seen on this board. I am very glad we weren't on this cruise, I am sure their parents must be proud :rolleyes:

I figure if they used just HALF of their smuggling ingenuity at their jobs, they could form a brain trust! Instead, they make their lives about killing as many brain cells as possible......

When you read some the posts that they make when they were sober........you don't need to have an imagination to figure out what they're like when they're drunk.

I'd have gotten off in Ensenada and HITCHHIKED home before I'd have spent any more time on that ship!

It would certainly merit some phone calls & letters to Carnival--naming names and pointing them to the FACEBOOK PHOTO PAGE............I doubt that corporate would find the gallons of smuggled booze very amusing.....

I hope things calm down in three weeks!

BTW our grown son in his mid 30's is very active in two kickball leagues and they are very responsible drinkers.

They are known to go to a bar after a game to hoist a few but have never been banned or asked to leave.

I'll never cruise on Spring Break.

At my DD(13) softball practices at our community park, the kickball thugs show up early waiting for the field and use the most foul language and just be generally obnoxious, in front of the girls.

Who are they trying to impress? :rolleyes:

Sorry you had to be exposed to this during your cruise but you have a great attitude about it.

My "favorite" part of the Carnival letter to these idiots is to assure them that "you are permitted to make all other transactions ..... or any other services".

Nice to know after you've publicly urinated or vomited, your ability to buy bingo tickets or gold by the inch isn't taken away.:eek:

 

It's all about the bottom line isn't it Mr Cahill .:mad:

You are so "right on the money" with this post!

I think they pulled this webpage over on facebook :)

You do know that the entire states of Washington and Colorado fully embrace legal marijuana smoking? The drug on board the ship that should concern you is alcohol. Far more destructive than pot could ever be.

Wow, that sux! Glad you were able to have a decent time anyway.

I have to say, the first thing that came to mind when I read "kickball team" was the movie "Dodgeball", LOL!

WAKA, like any other group, is full of all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. There are many who do not drink. There were probably even many on this cruise who did not drink, but people see what they want to see.

While I'm sure that there were some idiots, I'm also confident that people are exaggerating here. It's very easy to see some questionable behavior and paint a whole group with that brush.

I'm a proud WAKA player and while I did not go on this cruise, I know several people who did, and having done several cruises myself, there's NO WAY that WAKA-er's were the only folks acting like idiots on this Ensenada cruise. Hell, I don't remember an Ensenada cruise where there WEREN'T folks acting like idiots, though I am sure the sheer volume of waka-'er's would be daunting and intimidating. It sounds like a bachelor/bachelorette party on steroids, and while it's unfortunate that some people let this ruin their vacation, complaining that there are too many of "_____" group on the Lido deck is dumb. Everyone paid for the right to be there.

To suggest that they should be banned from future carnival cruises is absurd.

You do know that the entire states of Washington and Colorado fully embrace legal marijuana smoking? The drug on board the ship that should concern you is alcohol. Far more destructive than pot could ever be.

Actually, in washington it is legal to smoke pot at home. Not in public. And only legal to have a small amount in your possession, an ounce or less.

Sounds like these idiots ruined other people's cruise and they must have taxed an already overworked crew. I hope this group gets banned from future cruises.

Wow--I went through the FB page for this group and am I glad I wasn't on this cruise. It is groups like this that give Carnival its bad name.

 

I didn't even know that your sail and sign card could be coded to revoke your alcohol buying privileges!

Too bad they must have made the group not searchable.

As a kickballer I'm sorry if we ruined anyone's weekend. I really thought we stayed out of the way for the most part. We were off the boat all of Saturday and had separate private parties and dinner seatings. I was by the pool most of Sunday and thought most people were just relaxing (and recovering from their hangover). At our weekly games we do drink very responsibly. This was one of the few opportunities we get where no one had to be the designated driver.

However, maybe you should look at your choice of cruise line. Carnival encourages drinking in excess on their cruises. Sitting at the pool I was asked every 5 min if I wanted another drink. Maybe a weekend trip to Mexico on Carnival isn't the place to take your children.

Still, people should have been warned that our group would be on the cruise. We had this booked months in advance and Carnival knew we would be a rowdy group. In fact, Carnival had originally offered us an open bar party for every 50 cabins we booked. In the end we booked so many rooms that they rescinded their original offer and gave us one hour of open bar.

Gotta love this attempt at "un-ringing a bell"--how juvenile to pull down the FB page with all of the photos of the liquor smuggling and drunken comments--and they were sooooo proud of them wittle selves before the big, bad, responsible grown-ups pointed out their juvenile behaviors........I guess when they're sober they notice that people are LAUGHING AT THEM....

I guess someone thinks a few one-thread-wonder trolls can make a Carnival rep reading this think that the OP was just under the wrong impression about the cruise being FROM HELL.

Just more proof that they're really a thoughtful and considerate bunch.

I particularly liked the way that they were feasting on each other--one was willing to sell extra smuggled liquor for just $20 and another had boxes of hangover "cure" for cash sale only, although they might have considered a trade for beer...

WAKA, like any other group, is full of all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. There are many who do not drink. There were probably even many on this cruise who did not drink, but people see what they want to see.

 

While I'm sure that there were some idiots, I'm also confident that people are exaggerating here. It's very easy to see some questionable behavior and paint a whole group with that brush.

 

I'm a proud WAKA player and while I did not go on this cruise, I know several people who did, and having done several cruises myself, there's NO WAY that WAKA-er's were the only folks acting like idiots on this Ensenada cruise. Hell, I don't remember an Ensenada cruise where there WEREN'T folks acting like idiots, though I am sure the sheer volume of waka-'er's would be daunting and intimidating. It sounds like a bachelor/bachelorette party on steroids, and while it's unfortunate that some people let this ruin their vacation, complaining that there are too many of "_____" group on the Lido deck is dumb. Everyone paid for the right to be there.

 

 

 

 

To suggest that they should be banned from future carnival cruises is absurd.

I'm guessing that if you weren't on the cruise then you have nothing to offer about whether their actions ruined anyone's cruise or not. Maybe you could explain the quotes from the Facebook page. It would seem they were on a binge mission but hey, it is the age of entitlement. Who cares about anyone else?