Never Again Carnival Inspiration

[JC13]

Long time Princess cruiser here, but decided to do a 4 day CA to Ensenada cruise, which I am in Ensenada now.  I will sum it up by saying never again!  The plus, easy covered parking in structure, easy checkin based on pre scheduled times , easy boarding  and very friendly boarding staff.  Cabin was nice, inside, with a larger bathroom and shower than Princess.  Good pizza.  Now the down side. Requested king bed setup, got twins and had to wait for staff to make change when they had time   no frig in cabin, in cabin safe was not operational and required staff to come out to change the batteries.  The staff also failed to mention only the first cabin key used on the safe will work during the cruise.  There is no notes/documentation of this.  While the shower is larger  water goes everywhere in the bathroom. No in cabin lighting in closet area, over bed lights not useful for anything but a night light  the tv is the size of a computer monitor at about 18".  Air controls are in the ceiling, walls are not magnetic, and your cabin key is left on the cabin room sign when you first come in.  In cabin dining comes at a fee for certain items. Dining in general is a mess  1.5 hrs wait time for your time dining, lots of overly drunk passengers, the serenity area was dirty  seating areas unclean, lots of uncaring peronnel, eager to tell you policy but not open to "How can I help you?.  On the ship it is difficult to find a quiet area, it clearly is a party ship, but not in a good way.  Cabin next door had yelling and fighting all last night, had to call security.  But live and learn, stay with what you know, even if the product comes from the same corporation.  They clearly have different markets in mind. 

[ParrotRob]

18 minutes ago, JC13 said:

Long time Princess cruiser here, but decided to do a 4 day CA to Ensenada cruise, which I am in Ensenada now.  I will sum it up by saying never again!  The plus, easy covered parking in structure, easy checkin based on pre scheduled times , easy boarding  and very friendly boarding staff.  Cabin was nice, inside, with a larger bathroom and shower than Princess.  Good pizza.  Now the down side. Requested king bed setup, got twins and had to wait for staff to make change when they had time   no frig in cabin, in cabin safe was not operational and required staff to come out to change the batteries.  The staff also failed to mention only the first cabin key used on the safe will work during the cruise.  There is no notes/documentation of this.  While the shower is larger  water goes everywhere in the bathroom. No in cabin lighting in closet area, over bed lights not useful for anything but a night light  the tv is the size of a computer monitor at about 18".  Air controls are in the ceiling, walls are not magnetic, and your cabin key is left on the cabin room sign when you first come in.  In cabin dining comes at a fee for certain items. Dining in general is a mess  1.5 hrs wait time for your time dining, lots of overly drunk passengers, the serenity area was dirty  seating areas unclean, lots of uncaring peronnel, eager to tell you policy but not open to "How can I help you?.  On the ship it is difficult to find a quiet area, it clearly is a party ship, but not in a good way.  Cabin next door had yelling and fighting all last night, had to call security.  But live and learn, stay with what you know, even if the product comes from the same corporation.  They clearly have different markets in mind. 

 

Agree with many of your points, I'll grant you that.  But why is it a problem that your room key is left in your room mailbox?

 

[Silent Penguin]

9 minutes ago, JC13 said:

Long time Princess cruiser here, but decided to do a 4 day CA to Ensenada cruise......... But live and learn, stay with what you know, even if the product comes from the same corporation.  They clearly have different markets in mind. 

As soon as I saw 4-day CA to Ensenada, I had a feeling about where this review was going.   Are you saying you had no idea that short cruises tend to be rowdier?  

[jbethel11]

10 minutes ago, JC13 said:

Long time Princess cruiser here, but decided to do a 4 day CA to Ensenada cruise, which I am in Ensenada now.

Okay, so you cruise to Ensenada, then return to Long Beach, then travel to Ensenada again?

 

11 minutes ago, JC13 said:

Requested king bed setup, got twins and had to wait for staff to make change when they had time

I could definitely see how this could be frustrating. It appears the "standard setup" is in a king bed position.

 

14 minutes ago, JC13 said:

no frig in cabin

Older ships (Fantasy and Destiny class ships) lack refrigerators in the cabin. Weirdly, on the Valor, I noticed that one cabin had a fridge, while another cabin, didn't.

 

16 minutes ago, JC13 said:

and your cabin key is left on the cabin room sign when you first come in.

Some complain about this system, but cruise lines claim it reduces check in time (which I agree with).

 

18 minutes ago, JC13 said:

In cabin dining comes at a fee for certain items.

Be happy, Royal Caribbean charges a $7.95 delivery fee on top of the charges for select items!

 

18 minutes ago, JC13 said:

lots of overly drunk passengers

19 minutes ago, JC13 said:

it clearly is a party ship, but not in a good way.

Typically, on shorter 2-5 night cruises, you will find the atmosphere party-like, especially on mainstream cruise lines.

 

20 minutes ago, JC13 said:

But live and learn, stay with what you know, even if the product comes from the same corporation.

21 minutes ago, JC13 said:

They clearly have different markets in mind. 

This should be obvious, given the different price tags for similar itineraries, and not just with Carnival Corp.

 

 

[DramaQueen22]

Many of the issues you cite are, at best, inconveniences.  Would I let them ruin my whole cruise?  No.  As for dining, perhaps you decided to eat a peak times.  Your time doesn't mean you necessarily get a table the minute you show up.  It offers one the flexibility to dine when convenient for them.  

 

You said it.  Stay with Princess where you standards can be met.

[jbethel11]

1 minute ago, DramaQueen22 said:

It offers one the flexibility to dine when convenient for them.  

So, "Their Time Dining" then?

Edited September 1, 2019 by jbethel11
Accidental Edit

[DramaQueen22]

1 minute ago, jbethel11 said:

So, "Their Time Dining" then?

Ha!  😛 I honestly prefer the early seating myself.  Your Time Dining is really kind of misleading as it really is dependent upon how many tables are open when anyone shows up.  

[jbethel11]

Just now, DramaQueen22 said:

Ha!  😛 I honestly prefer the early seating myself.  Your Time Dining is really kind of misleading as it really is dependent upon how many tables are open when anyone shows up.  

At least you don't need to make a reservation to "guarantee" a table, which essentially defeats the purpose of My Time Dining on Royal. I know I am comparing to Royal a lot, but I am trying to express how spoiled we are! 😝

[DramaQueen22]

Just now, jbethel11 said:

At least you don't need to make a reservation to "guarantee" a table, which essentially defeats the purpose of My Time Dining on Royal. I know I am comparing to Royal a lot, but I am trying to express how spoiled we are! 😝

I was on the Navigator in May, and did the My Time Dining there.  We only ate in the MDR twice that cruise...son is a picky eater!

[jbethel11]

Just now, DramaQueen22 said:

I was on the Navigator in May, and did the My Time Dining there.  We only ate in the MDR twice that cruise...son is a picky eater!

On my recent Valor cruise, I had Your Time Dining, and felt the MDR had the best food in comparison to the other dining options, but to each their own.

[DramaQueen22]

1 minute ago, jbethel11 said:

On my recent Valor cruise, I had Your Time Dining, and felt the MDR had the best food in comparison to the other dining options, but to each their own.

I completely agree with you!  I was sad to miss some of the MDR offerings.  Cruising on the Horizon in 2 weeks with my other son.  He'll eat anything and enjoy it all!  In fact, I figure he will consume the value of his fare by day 3.

[evandbob]

If I would sail a short cruise on one of the oldest ships of ANY cruiseline, I'd probably have a negative experience as well.  I understand the OP completely.

 

To avoid this, I don't even think of booking a short cruise on one of the  oldest ships of ANY cruiseline.

[jbethel11]

1 minute ago, evandbob said:

If I would sail a short cruise on one of the oldest ships of ANY cruiseline, I'd probably have a negative experience as well.  I understand the OP completely.

 

To avoid this, I don't even think of booking a short cruise on one of the  oldest ships of ANY cruiseline.

I somewhat agree with you. Flagships that sail shorter cruises tend to also attract a party-goer crowd.

[DramaQueen22]

4 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

I'm guessing your other son is older than your picky eater? If I'm not wrong, I believe the oldest in (almost) every family is not that picky haha.

You got it!  Oldest is 27, youngest is 24.  

[sanmarcosman]

20 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

Okay, so you cruise to Ensenada, then return to Long Beach, then travel to Ensenada again?

 

No, the OP wrote this on the day they were in Ensenada.

Edited September 2, 2019 by sanmarcosman

[jbethel11]

Just now, sanmarcosman said:

No, wrote this on the day they were in Ensenada.

Oh okay, thought they said "the last night" they had to call security, my mistake.

[jimbo5544]

22 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

Okay, so you cruise to Ensenada, then return to Long Beach, then travel to Ensenada again?

 

I could definitely see how this could be frustrating. It appears the "standard setup" is in a king bed position.

 

Older ships (Fantasy and Destiny class ships) lack refrigerators in the cabin. Weirdly, on the Valor, I noticed that one cabin had a fridge, while another cabin, didn't.

 

Some complain about this system, but cruise lines claim it reduces check in time (which I agree with).

 

Be happy, Royal Caribbean charges a $7.95 delivery fee on top of the charges for select items!

 

Typically, on shorter 2-5 night cruises, you will find the atmosphere party-like, especially on mainstream cruise lines.

 

This should be obvious, given the different price tags for similar itineraries, and not just with Carnival Corp.

 

 

9 quotes in one post, fairly impressive.  Agree with your last three posts.  

[jimbo5544]

3 minutes ago, sanmarcosman said:

No, the OP wrote this on the day they were in Ensenada.

What is the draw to Ensenada?

[jbethel11]

3 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

9 quotes in one post, fairly impressive.  Agree with your last three posts.  

Haha, thanks! I am the type of person who texts in rapid succession, and not just in one huge text! 😂

[coevan]

55 minutes ago, DramaQueen22 said:

Ha!  😛 I honestly prefer the early seating myself.  Your Time Dining is really kind of misleading as it really is dependent upon how many tables are open when anyone shows up.  

 

 

No it's not, we always eat when we want, rarely waited, and never saw the DR full. I'm guessing you never did YTD.

 

36 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

What is the draw to Ensenada?

 

 

none whatsoever. 

[DramaQueen22]

16 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

No it's not, we always eat when we want, rarely waited, and never saw the DR full. I'm guessing you never did YTD.

 

Why is it that you always must refute what someone else posts?  Your experience IS NOT what another person experiences.  I have done YTD, and my experience was just fine thank you so much.  However, the OP had an issue with waiting 1.5 hours for a table.  Gee, perhaps they didn't understand the system, or just maybe, there were no tables available at them time they checked in.  

 

I don't appreciate the set down.

[ParrotRob]

22 minutes ago, DramaQueen22 said:

Why is it that you always must refute what someone else posts?  Your experience IS NOT what another person experiences.

 

I don't appreciate the set down.

 

So it's NOT just me!

[Chervil]

My and Cupcake's first cruise together was on Princess. 
I agree it is a different type of crowd, but that's also pretty common knowledge. Carnival is the "Fun Ship" after all.
You expect a bit of rowdiness, but I can see how it might be surprising if you are only used to the more subdued and genteel clientele that sails aboard the "Love Boat".
Sorry to hear about your neighbors, btw. Hopefully that got resolved promptly and you don't have any more issues.

We love Princess btw, but they no longer sail out of Galveston or New Orleans, which are our main ports of departure.

As someone else pointed out, most of these are minor inconveniences.
Many of your complaints are also easily known ahead of the cruise by taking the time to research the ship. (television size,fridge, safe, walls not magnetic, etc.)

We have done YTD on our last 2 cruises and never had to wait more than 10 minutes to be seated. Usually the line is moving very quickly. Fantastic option.

Our last cruise the batteries on the safe went out and it was a relatively quick fix. Waited about 15 minutes for maintenance to show up and presto, problem solved. Not a huge inconvenience.

 

Many cruise lines are actually charging for room service now, or at least a partial charge.
At least Carnival scuttled plans last year to start charging completely for room service, and still have some free options available.
Again, this is clearly stated on their website and a frequent topic of conversation here on the CC Carnival boards.

 

Was the shower flooding the bathroom a maintenance issue? Not draining fast enough? Or was it the shower head bouncing off the wall? 
Haven't had that issue before, but we have only sailed the Dream class and the Vista.

I'm surprised the walls not being magnetic is such a huge issue.

 

Only encountered rude staff once, and it was a girl working the Sweet Spot being upset we had to take a photo of her for the treasure hunt.
As far as cleanliness we fortunately haven't had those issues (or just didn't bother noticing them) and when we asked a steward to clean an area for us because of an inconsiderate guest in either the buffet area or Serenity, there were more than happy to do it.

Sorry you had this experience, but as others mentioned, don't completely count Carnival out.

 

 

[Illbcruzn4life]

5 hours ago, JC13 said:

 in cabin safe was not operational and required staff to come out to change the batteries.  The staff also failed to mention only the first cabin key used on the safe will work during the cruise.  There is no notes/documentation of this. 

 

It's better not to use your cruise card at all for the safe. Any key with a magnetic strip will work.

 

I usually use a grocery store card or maybe a casino card.

 

 

[momof3cruisers]

I'm sorry you were unprepared for the party that you found in your cruise. The 3 and 4 days out of CA tend to be pretty rowdy, sometimes more than others. I can imagine that over a three day weekend it would be extra crazy. I've done that itinerary several times but fortunately, the staff has always been great. 

 

It it sounds like you didn't do a lot of research about things like room service and refrigerators etc. Royal and NCL charge regardless of the items just as an FYI. Inspiration is a pretty old ship. Very different vibe than a five day or longer on a newer ship.

 

I have to to admit I can't figure out why the batteries in the safe going out or the walls not being metal would be that big of a deal. But it's good to know what works for your style.