Day Two, first Sea Day- by Host Mach

Stephanie — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Despite my late evening I got up quite early to shower and dress. I was on a mission. I dug my camera tripod out of my case and sallied forth. Breakfast was obtained in the Brasserie and I went aft to the open deck area spreading smiles and ‘good morning’s as often as possible. It was my intention to enjoy my breakfast, attach my camera to the tripod and take some panoramic shots of both the Serenity Area and the amazing Water Works.

Few folks were out and about yet as the bars weren’t yet open and I had the entire aft end of the ship to myself. Taking these shots is a bit time consuming but I got them done. As it turned out, I wasn’t terribly impressed with the first go so I redid them the next morning when we were docked in Cozumel.

It was time to get to know the ship in more detail and depth.

The Inspiration is a soft ship. I don’t mean physically soft but visually soft. It’s difficult to find a straight line or a hard angle anywhere other than the Atrium which is awash with neon and sunlight. As I wandered, the curves of the wooden sconces, the graceful arc of an archway or the way a bar meanders through an area reinforced my opinion about her appearance. Everything rolls and dances, nothing looks static. I began to feel the talent of Joe Farcus draw me on, forcing me to peer into every space I happened across. Like the other ships that Farcus has designed, the continuity of the vessel only slowly dawns on you. One might wonder what Violins, Shakespeare, Rhapsody in Blue and Chopin have in common but they work together. When one recalls that the theme of this ship is Creative Spirits of the Arts it all starts to make sense… the curvaceous lines; the dramatic colors of the lighting; the sight and sounds of violins; the heavy, wooden, classic feel of the library all melt into the harmonious picture that becomes the Inspiration. As she’s a smaller vessel than the Conquest class ships there’s a bit less to explore but she’s no less dramatic.

The Brasserie is probably the most whimsical space on the ship. Purple tubes erupt from the deck and dart across the ceiling without regard for the patrons who often bump into objects as they pay a bit more attention to the décor than they do the direction they’re headed. At the aft end of the Brasserie, on both port and starboard sides, you’ll find my favorite haunt, the area where I had previously enjoyed cocktails and breakfast. Open areas situated above the Serenity area and below the water park beg a quiet moment and a cool drink. Watching the world slowly recede into the distance became my favorite pastime.

An Inspired Review- Part 1: By Host Mach

Stephanie — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:05:00 GMT

At almost exactly 4 PM the familiar vibration and rumble of the thrusters told me it was gonna get good now. With that amazing ghostly quiet we inched away from the dock and began the waltz that would point us to sea. Twisting as if on a giant, hidden pivot we filled the channel at Tampa and eventually pressed west. Heading to sea at three knots may not sound thrilling but it was for me. This vessel was off to do what she does best… run in deep blue open water.

As the Inspiration is just recently a recipient of the Evolutions of Fun modifications I made my way aft to see them for myself. Yep… this ship has it and has it well done. Seeing the waterpark requires a double take. The size of the slide makes one wonder if you’re really on a ship or have been transported to California. I suspect that one could build wedgie inducing speed as you rip down this amazing Tube O’ Fun. I’d like to meet the demonic individual that managed to pack all those twists and excitement into such a compact area. Smiles break out as dads and kids race each other on the parallel water slides. The deck is soaked with water tossed about from the silly fun that young ones of all ages are thrilling themselves with. I’d take a water park over a rock wall any day and it appears that a great many folks agree with me.

Carnival… The Fun Ships… That certainly is in evidence here.

Moving forward and down to the Lido Deck it was necessary to secure some variety of food before the string of drinks overtook me. Those amazing cheeseburgers and shoestring fries were calling. Just right with the perfect amount of juicy goodness that burger took almost fifteen minutes to finish. The requirement for a fair size stack of napkins provided evidence of amazing moistness of the thing. Glorious… if a burger can be glorious this one was.

Down off the Lido deck and to the cabin. I took a few minutes to explore the space as it has changed markedly since my last visit. Being a Category 12 it was large, invitingly large and open. Gone was the wall that had separated the sleeping area from the sitting area. It was now one large, bright space. I had left the door open as I had only intended to be there for a minute or two. One of my fellow travelers poked his head in and remarked ‘You could hold a dance in here!!’ That’s really a pretty accurate statement!

The bathroom is sparkling with a new, brilliant white Jacuzzi tub, equally brilliant pedestal sink and tan ceramic tile floor. Storage was more than abundant below the sink countertop with three levels available for all those things that normally inhabit bathroom shelves.

The walk in closet that is located directly across from the bathroom has all new cabinetry rife with space for anything that three or four people might want to bring along with them. Plenty of hanging space for suits, dresses and such and cavernous drawers for the remainder.

Written by: Host Mach

Splendid Things in Life : Carnival Inspiration

Day Two, first Sea Day- by Host Mach

An Inspired Review- Part 1: By Host Mach