Supplement to Travel Trade
March 2002

Carnival Inspiration

Dazzles & Delights

The Inspiration is the sixth in the Fantasy-series of 70,000-ton vessels, but she's far from a carbon copy. While passengers who have sailed any of the Carnival's SuperLiners will feel at home and in familiar surroundings, the Inspiration has a different aura and ambiance.

She's a toned down version of her predecessors, but she's just as lively in design; just as exciting in atmosphere and just as dedicated to "fun" as other vessels in the fleet.

Carnival's interior designer and architect, Joe Farcus, said that his "inspiration" for the ship was the arts: music, letters, drama, fine arts, and architecture. He sees his designs as an artistic creation that pays tribute to the arts.

Every day on board is a day of discovery. A day in which a new artistic detail which had previously blended into the overall scene becomes an individual piece of art.

Farcus calls his art nouveau-inspired tribute to the arts, contemporary entertainment architecture at sea.

While some of the "inspirations" may not suit every passenger's profile, they make a statement; at times awesome, different, arty, colorful, imaginative, witty and amusing.

From embarkation into the atrium, through its many decks, the Inspiration is much like her predecessors in basic structure and configuration. But with a difference. There's less glitz and pizzazz and more elegance with softer lighting and more subtle colors accented with rich wood finishes, exquisite marbles and granites, brass and fine art works.

The Inspiration's gracious 7-story Grand Atrium greets guests with an art nouveau theme that carries throughout the vessel's public areas.

Scrolled shapes resembling the necks and heads of violins are repeated on the atrium's walls and incorporated into ceiling panels. The same gentle curves are found in the lacquered, dark gold and handmade-glass inserts in the railing of the elegant marble staircase.

Dominating the Grand Atrium is a massive free-form flowing sculpture by Leon Bronstein, called "Bird of Paradise."

The 50-foot gilded work utilizes long, curvilinear lines to convey the graceful elegance of a bird in flight with its wings rising to form the delicate petals of the flowering plant for which it is named.

Atrium walls are decorated with columns trimmed with brass moldings. As on her sister ships, strands of neon lights outline the various decks in the Grand Atrium. Each deck is edged in three horizontal strands of neon so that the amber, turquoise and lavender hues almost imperceptibly chase upwards through the seven levels, subtly altering the mood.

Large medallion-like mosaics are set into the granite floor in front of scenic glass elevators. The pattern is repeated throughout public areas and depicts four timeless icons: a musical lyre, an artist's palette, a classic architectural column and the age-old dramatic masks of comedy and tragedy, reinforcing the decorative themes inspired by the arts.

The Grand Atrium continues the tradition begun on the Fantasy and is the life center from which the rest of the vessel extends.

Access to other decks is via two glass elevators outlined in neon. An elegant double staircase winds upward from the atrium floor around the elevators, taking guests to the entrance of the Paris Lounge.

A wrought iron railing features scrollwork interspersed with handmade, decorative circles of transparent and colored glass. Marble stairs inset with small, half mosaics add elegant touches to this area of the atrium.

Wide open areas with expansive deck space were designed with guests in mind. For fun, activities and excitement, guests stroll Inspiration Boulevard on Promenade Deck, anchored forward by the main showroom, Paris Lounge, and aft by the Candlelight Lounge. Between them is a myriad of bars and lounges.

Inspiration Boulevard is an extension of the Grand Atrium and, as on other ships in the Carnival fleet, takes on a life of its own. The single promenade on the starboard side of the ship is almost double the width of a traditional shipboard promenade and becomes a continuous lounge, leading passengers from one active room to another.

Farcus considers Inspiration Boulevard the best example of musically inspired architecture. Design focuses on the violin and classical music.

Placed between windows and at intervals along the promenade, panels feature a faux cherry wood scroll, fashioned to resemble the neck of a violin. Fiddle heads are positioned on aluminum bases, painted in a dark-gray pearled paint and finished with a cherry base molding. Color-changing fiber optic lighting is mounted on the bases.

Additional fiddle-head elements are attached to the gold-colored ceiling and chandeliers composed of scroll-like armatures and iridescent globes which have white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet optic strings with pearl ends hanging from them lend a dramatic effect to the promenade.

More than just a thoroughfare for access to the many lounges along the way, much of the space is used for seating and entertainment.

Leather upholstered rounded benches serve as window seats for ocean viewing and are a great place to curl up with a book. Small tables along the way provide seating for the Wine Bar and what has become the traditional most popular bar on SuperLiners, the mid-ship bar on Promenade called Violins.

It's the place to see and be seen, but less-active passengers sometimes opt for a quieter area and can be found with a cappuccino in hand at Cafe des Artistes.

The 1,300-plus seat Paris Lounge is a multi-level concept which ascends from Atlantic Deck to Promenade Deck in five levels. There is a raised sixth level in the aft section, and the balcony is sloped along the sides.

Glass balustrades throughout the lounge allow for optimum viewing. The art nouveau mood is created through rounded edges, swirling designs and deep rich colors blending greens with shades of burgundy and black.

Seating in this main showroom is flexible with sofas and banquettes arranged in clusters. Some of the sofas do not face the stage and can be rotated for conversational groups.

The 69-foot-wide stage serves as both a showroom venue and ballroom dance floor. All of the latest theatrical technology is incorporated in the facility, from lighting to a revolving platform.

Aft on the Boulevard is my favorite, the Chopin Lounge and the grand Chopin Bar, which captures the gilded grandeur of Europe's romantic era. It is 18th-century French rococo style in rich colors and textures. It is also a room which Chopin might have chosen for a performance. This is probably the most sophisticated area on the vessel and is a popular venue for pre- and post-dinner gatherings by passengers preferring a more subdued atmosphere.

Seating is grouped for two, six or eight people. Molded, alabaster colored pilasters, flanked by scrolls and topped with gold leaf Corinthian capitals, frame the mahogany window boxes. Brocades and florals are accented with rich marbles and granite. A beautiful bar services the area.

The Chopin Lounge leads into the Candlelight Lounge, which is used for late shows and daytime events. As the name implies, candles are the featured decorative element. They are used in groups of 12 tall aluminum candlesticks with tiny lights in an iridescent finish. There are literally hundreds, maybe thousands, placed everywhere: between the windows, clustered among the banquettes and in circles hanging from the ceiling, almost like suspended birthday cakes.

Between these two main lounges are several other unique rooms, ranging from the outer limits of cubist art in a club called Avant-Garde, with statues and wall designs reminiscent of that contemporary art style to a sizzling disco, Rock and Roll, with its guitar-shaped dance floor.

In Avant-Garde, Farcus did a tongue-in-cheek impression of the Picasso era in dimensional sculptures.

In the disco, he outdid himself and created what is probably the best room of its type at sea. It's a room that looks just as good during the day as it does at night. The dance floor has been enlarged and the control room is in the center, which brings revelers in closer touch with the music.

For the first time on Carnival ships, video is an integral part of the disco and extends into the Promenade, thereby making passing passengers part of the action. The room is vibrant and alive. It is colorful and action-packed.

For the Monte Carlo Casino, one of the largest at sea, Farcus selected a rainbow effect which he said symbolizes good luck.

Handmade, distressed glass cylinders separated by stainless steel moldings are positioned vertically along the walls and across the ceiling. Each contains color-changing fiber optics programmed to randomly change to shimmering colors.

Dark green ceiling panels and slot machine bases contain a gold leaf angel and floral pattern which is repeated in the carpet design.

One deck down are more intimate public rooms like the atmospheric piano lounge patterned on George Gershwin's classic "Rhapsody in Blue" and the stately English library decorated with leaded-glass and Shakespearean quotations.

Art work is museum quality and includes murals, paintings and sculptures strategically placed around the vessel.

My favorites are Susanna Holt's intricate and imaginative glass murals located along the Atrium's bulkheads. The huge panels, some as large as seven feet high by 20 feet long, incorporate brilliant hues that explore the stunning effects of wind, rain, light and other forces of nature.

Holt is the artist who created Holland America's dolphin hallmark in pool areas of the company's series of new vessels.

There are two restaurants on board, nostalgically named for the first two "fun" ships, Mardi Gras and Carnivale. I'm hard pressed to name a favorite. Almost identical in configuration, seating is arranged in clusters of tables and banquettes.

The center area is raised to create more intimate dining areas, as well as to afford sea views for almost everyone in either restaurant.

Rich colors and fabrics contribute to the restaurant dining environment. Decor of the Mardi Gras is dominated by cherry wood panels, forming fluted columns between the windows. Polished rose-colored marble and mirror tiles complement wall decorations.

Colors are peach, copper and plum while in the Carnivale Restaurant colors tend to be lighter in keeping with a seashell motif.

Handmade Italian fan-shaped seashells of marigold and garnet glass are fitted beneath the capitals and in window frames.

As on sister vessels, special lighting effects are computer controlled and piano music accompanies dinner meals.

Probably the most talked about room on the ship is the Brasserie, Inspiration's Lido area. It's a huge room with two serving areas, a salad bar, hot stations, a 24-hour pizzeria and a bar.

The first impression is awesome and subject to interpretation by passengers.

Intricate complexes of curved and twisted pipes wind around seating areas and the ceiling. Octopus-like tendrils seems to define and envelop the room into smaller seating areas.

It was only after I spoke with Farcus that I could understand the intention which he defined "as sort of like Banyon trees with branches that sprout, bend and curve upward, where they bend and curve along the ceiling."

After the explanation, I realized that the "branches" formed what might be called an archway leading through the room.

The Brasserie offers so much. It's round-the-clock self-service with tables for two to eight. Tables are set with cloth napkins, and silverware, and waiters bring coffee and refill drinks.

Twenty-four hour service goes from full traditional breakfasts with a different daily breakfast specialty; a wide variety of lunch dishes, one of the very best salad bars (out of 20 on board) at sea, made-to-order pasta stations, self-serve stations offering ice cream and frozen yogurt throughout the day, and 24-hour pizza, crepes and Caesar salad.

Public rooms are mainly situated on the upper six decks, with cabins on the lower four decks.

Other public facilities or amenities which should be noted include a well-equipped children's playroom, and probably the largest fitness center at sea with every possible type of machine and a row of treadmills facing the ocean, a complete spa with whirlpools, an expansive pool and a sunning area with whirlpools, shops, a beauty shop, a drug store and a jogging track that encircles the ship.

Decor in cabins and suites has been changed and upgraded from those of its sisterships. Colors are lighter, carpeting is thick and the design is more contemporary and a lot warmer than the others.

The environment seems to say "vacation" and lifts the spirits. Carnival's newbuilds all have spacious cabins, averaging about 185-square feet. Beds convert to queen-size, and there is plenty of closet and storage space, personal safes, televisions, and large windows in outside accommodations.

The new decor is the same as what is being used on the upcoming 100,000-ton Carnival Destiny and Carnival chairman Micky Arison said that other vessels in the fleet will probably be outfitted with the same carpeting and fabrics.

The 28-Verandah Suites and 26-Demi Suites compare favorably with much higher priced vessels. Each has its own private verandah, as well as separate sitting and bedroom areas. Beautifully decorated with bluish-gray stringcloth wallpaper, each has a television with video, a refrigerator and a tub with showers.

Entertainment on board is non-stop. From a daily program filled with optional activities to the high-energy production shows, "fun" on Carnival ships comes in all forms for all age groups and lifestyles.

The key word is "optional." Select all of the activities and your clients will go from sun-up to sun-up. Select what interests them and they will be entertained to the limits of their wishes.

Every one-week cruise includes two spectacular original production shows. The Inspiration features two completely different revues with a cast of 14 dancers, an adagio team and two featured singers.

On my pre-inaugural cruise for the industry, they played to standing ovations. I think readers will agree, travel agents are a tough audience.

Shows are fast moving, exciting and showcase elaborate costuming. Scenery changes rival anything in Las Vegas or on Broadway, and talent and production is of a caliber rarely seen at sea.

Le Nuevo Caribe pulses with Caribbean and Latin passion and colorful costumes. Shout! is a fast-paced tour through the '50s and '60s that had the audience on its feet from the opening number.

There's entertainment every night and individual performers are showcased in the Candlelight Lounge for late-night adult audiences.

Like the cruise industry itself, Carnival has changed over the years to keep up with and anticipate contemporary trends. Entertainment is one area and the other is food. There is nothing in the sophisticated dining rooms to remind you of the Mardi Gras days, be it menu or service.

Menus offer an extensive variety including low calorie and vegetarian, as well as a choice of five entrees, multiple choices for every course and desserts to tempt the most determined calorie-watcher.

Quality is superb, pastas freshly made, salads crisp, meats tender and well prepared. The most difficult dish to prepare is fish and on the Inspiration, it was superb. It's a four-star restaurant experience and menus and recipes are always being enhanced and improved.

The Inspiration is currently sailing on one-week cruises from San Juan to the lower Caribbean. Carnival's Destiny, the largest cruise ship in the world, will inaugurate service in November 1996.