SonoranDevil

Descanso Beach on the other side of the Casino Building has chairs etc for rent. Pebble Beach is rift off the Green Pier and is pebbly.

 

Shorts are fine for regular nights on the Imagination. Hubby wears Khakis and a Hawaiian shirt every night of these cruises.

 

 

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I will also be completely cruise casual on the Imagination starting Sunday. I will don khakis with a resort style button down shirt for Elegant Night.

Pre Cruise Continued

4 Days Out

We are inching towards our sail date. I wanted to lay out a few other details related to the cruise. As my DW has pointed out, she is the vacation planner for the family. And, she is damned good at it too! There is a twisted excitement she experiences when she creates a spreadsheet to map all of the details out for each trip. I would cry if I was required to complete such detailed planning. On the flip side, I have been known to forget to pack various important items. The polarity is one of the things that that makes "us" work.

On Saturday morning, we will be loading the child, two cats (heading to their own feline vacation) and all of our luggage in the car and head out on our trek. After dropping off the four legged family members, we'll head to the airport to ship the offspring off to Massachusetts. As soon as she's in the air, we will beeline to the car for the drive to Long Beach.

Originally, we planned on waking up early on Sunday for the drive to Long Beach. It's a six hour drive to Long Beach and we want to board as soon as possible. Well, waking up that early on the first day of vacation doesn't sound fun at all . Time to find a place near the port to stay Saturday night!

After quite bit of research by my DW, we settled on the Hampton Inn in nearby Seal Beach. We planned on parking at the port anyway and none of the stay and parks could beat the deal she found for the Hampton Inn. It is a 30 minute drive to Long Beach at the most, so that will work just fine.

I have included a couple of pictures. The first is shot of the two of us from our 2014 cruise to Alaska on the Disney Wonder. The second is a picture of the sail away party with Matchbox Twenty the last time we were on the Imagination in 2013. Much more to come soon!

Hola! We'll be in Ensenada a week from today on the Carnival Imagination. Any recommendations for good carne asada tacos while there? I know fish tacos are the Baja specialty, but I'm craving some good carne asada.

Thanks for such a detailed review. We've booked a Havana Aft Balcony for the Panorama in 2020 and love all of the information you're including!

I’ll be on the imagination in September so looking forward to reading your review!

How exciting! I hope the review helps you plan and prepare in some way!

LOL awesome! Great review so far, and I look forward to more. I like how you adjusted your expectations, that is a great idea when you have been on a newer ship, or bigger, and are going on an older, smaller one. I have been on the Imagination several times, and have always had a great time!

 

 

I also have the Panorama booked for 2020! Living here in San Diego it is going to be awesome to have a brand new ship home ported so close! :D

I have found that having a great time doing anything is largely up to me. I think you'll probably pick up on that slant as the review continues on.

2013 on the Jubilee the same thing happened. I think we hit one port and then Ensenada. Free drinks for an hour for the hassle and booking it at warp speed to out run a hurricane. Barf bags up and down the stairways! I was only about 14 or 15, and, in the hustle and bustle of free drink hour, was served the "real deal" in the bars! I go back on the Imagination in January. (Was on her in 2015 as well) Looking forward to reading more.

We were given the same 1 hour period of free drinks and offered a credit for our next cruise as well. At the time, I believe it was for half of what we paid for the 1995 sailing. Being brand new to cruising, I was naively mad at Carnival for the whole situation. I mean, it wasn't their fault there was a hurricane. Again, a healthy dose of maturation has been good for me :). Hope you have a blast on the Imagination when you sail!

Agreed! Best cruise ever! We were group B - still mad about missing the "last show" in the theater. :) Went to both PHX and Tuscon shows last summer. Are you in any of the Facebook groups for matchbox/Rob? My bestie Tina and I have been following the guys since 2003, so we've probably crossed paths at least once. :)

 

(Sorry for totally hijacking your DH's thread!)

Here's our group meeting the guys on the cruise. DW and I are directly next to Pookie. I'm sure we crossed paths on the cruise, especially being in the same group!

Who We Are and WhyThis Cruise:

My DW and I are in our mid to late 40s and live in Phoenix,AZ. We have one child, a DD who is 11. She is not joining us on this cruise because she’s leaving the day before departure to spend a week on Cape Cod with her grandmother. Which brings us to the purpose behind choosing this cruise. We had a little over a week of child free time and the ability for both of us to take time off of work. DD has been eager to take a solo trip to the Cape and this was the year she was ready. So, on the Saturday before the cruise, we will drive her to the airport for her first unaccompanied flight, and immediately head for Long Beach. I will admit, it took a long while to become comfortable with putting our only child on a plane by herself for a cross country flight. Anyway, I wanted to provide a detailed review for ship that just doesn’t receive much attention on her any longer. So, here we are!

When my DW and I were discussing what to do with our newfound freedom, we kicked around a few different ideas. Being in Phoenix, both Rocky Point, Mexico and San Diego are viable beach drives. We’ve done both in the past. Rocky Point is an extremely affordable and relatively safe alternative to the crowds and high prices associated with San Diego beaches. We quickly ruled out San Diego due to a short booking window available. This left Rocky Point and we started researching and pricing out some options.

During the planning, my DW brought up a great point. Once in Rocky Point, there’s just not much to do, especially in the main resort area of Sandy Beach. Sure, you can find some great food and sit on the beach, but entertainment can be hit or miss. DW had a spark of an idea…what about a cruise? The preliminary research was promising. For roughly the same price for a 3-4 night stay in Rocky Point, we could catch the 4 night Carnival Imagination sailing for that week. We would scratch the beach in favor for deck chairs (fair trade for me as sand ranks as one of the most annoying substances on earth, right behind glitter, in my estimation) and gain a lot more entertainment options. Long Beach is only an hour longer of a drive from Phoenix than Rocky Point, so no problem there.

So, we booked the cruise just over 30 days out from the sailing! This will be our fourth cruise together and the fifth overall for each of us. Neither of us had great first cruise experiences. I sailed first in 1995 on the Carnival Jubilee to the Mexican Riviera…well, that was before Hurricane Flossie decided to visit the same area. I ended up with 6 days at sea and a stop in Ensenada. My early 20s self had determined that cruising just wasn’t for me. My DW had a general dislike of what seemed like the cattle herd mentality on a Royal Caribbean cruise during the same time frame.

Fast forward to 2013. We both enjoy the bands Matchbox Twenty and the Goo Goo Dolls and learned that they would both be performing on a private cruise out of Miami in December of 2013 on…the Carnival Imagination. We both figured it would be a low risk/high reward trip to catch two of our favorite bands in a rather intimate surrounding. Well, we had a blast. Talk about the entertainment factor! The Imagination was already an older ship,but it was certainly serviceable for the purposes of the trip. We left making new friends, a $500 bar bill and a more open mind on the concept of cruising. It’s amazing what nearly 20 years of maturity and perspective does for a person.

The next few years saw two more cruises. The first, a 2014 family cruise to Alaska with our DD and my DW’s mother on the Disney Wonder. WOW! This was a great experience and we both started to realize that there was more to cruising than we once thought. It’s really what you want to make of it. If you want to drink a bucket of beer by the pool, you can. If you want a quieter, more family like experience, you can. Just do your research and choose the right cruise for you! In 2016, we sailed without the DD on Norwegian’s Pride of American in Hawaii for our 10th wedding anniversary. WOW! Both were absolutely amazing experiences. As vacations were being planned, we threw around the possibility of a British Isles cruise and a Western Caribbean cruise. Each were put aside for other travel opportunities, but cruising remained a viable option that we knew we would return to eventually.

So, watch out Carnival Imagination, we’re heading back! This time, with the Cheers package! We knew she received the Funship 2.0 upgrade since we sailed in 2013 and we are excited to see her afterwards. We next performed what, to us, is a critical step in planning any trip or vacation…level setting expectations. Specific to this trip, since sailing on the Imagination in 2013 we had sailed 1. On a Disney ship and 2. In a suite on the Pride of America with an extra-large balcony, butler and a slew of suite perks. We sailed to Alaska and Hawaii, arguably two of the world’s most beautiful destinations. This 4 day cruise on the Imagination was…well,not that.

We had done our research and knew that this cruise offered a different experience. It was a rare chance to be a couple for a few days, perhaps even feel like a younger couple while we were at it. It was shorter and neither of the ports necessarily elicited much excitement. The Imagination has only 3% of its cabins with balconies, all of them suites. While the service reviews are impressive,there would be no butler or separate dining for suite guests. There aren’t even any specialty dining venues. But that was part of the beauty of this cruise. It’s about as close to all-inclusive as you can find in today’s cruising world. We ran it by our checklist: 1. Are we working? Nope. Good start. 2. Does DW have to prepare any meals? Nope! 3. Do I have to clean the galley? Negative. 4. Will there be a moody pre-teen, imp following us around that we are compelled to take care of? Again…it’s checking the boxes. 5. Do we have to use a year’s worth of our daughter’s college tuition to take the trip? No, this is extremely affordable. We have booked an Oceanview cabin because of the lack of balcony options, but we certainly were not caught by surprise with this tidbit. Consider our expectations level set.

One Week Out:

Since booking 30 days or so out, the cruising spark has been ignited to a point we have not experienced before. While doing our research for the upcoming sailing, we joined roll calls on various cruise related forums, looked at everysingle picture of the ship as well as re-familiarizing ourselves with the deck plans of our old friend. One curious nugget of information, Carnival was building the brand new Panorama, set for a 2019 delivery and she would sail full time out of Long Beach. As one of the only ports within driving distance for us Phoenicians, that’s great news. Well, it wasn’t long before the DW decided she wanted to celebrate her 50th birthday on the Panorama in 2020. But, of course that wasn’t enough. We wanted to be on the inaugural sailing in December 2019. Booked and booked. Major kudos to our PVP Nicholas for his patience during the whole process.

The weekend before the cruise, we ran our errands in preparation. A few new items of cruise wear, a power strip without surge protection, a travel sized Downey Wrinkle Release and a few other necessities. Not much else to note other than on the Sunday before the sailing (last night), our air conditioner went out late at night, heading into one of the hottest weeks of the Phoenix summer so far. So, we are lucky enough to have a company who will respond within hours (usually, it takes days to have someone repair your air conditioner in the dead of summer). After a long night, we have it repaired at 4:30 in the morning. We’re using this as validation that there will indeed be NO all-nighters on the upcoming cruise. This cruise couldn’t come at a better time (other than leaving right now!). This can also explain any spelling or grammatical mistakes in this portion of the review! The upcoming days will be spent wrapping things up at work enough to leave the country for a week, copious amounts of laundry and making sure that the family is all set for two separate trips ons Saturday. Much more to come!

I'll offer some advice that is a little different from what has been offered. Relax. And I mean that in a good way. Do not put too much pressure on yourself to make the experience enjoyable for your companion. If you enjoy yourself, and she enjoys you...she's bound to have an excellent time.

That said, a massage never hurt! I hope you both have a wonderful time!

Thanks. I'm already on the roll call, it's just that there is only 1 other aside from my DW signed up for it.

My DW and I will be setting sail on Imagination on 7/29 and are very excited to have some adult get away time together! We sailed on the Imagination in December 2013 for a Matchbox Twenty/Goo Goo Dolls concert sailing. We are eager to see her after the refurb and 2.0 makeover! Since roll calls don't seem to be as popular as they used to be, anyone else joining us at the end of the month?

Thank you everyone for your input! You have certainly answered my DW's (the OP) question. We really do appreciate everyone's diverse opinions. We have a game plan now!

Since I haven't worn a suit for work in 3 years, I (not to mention my belt and my waistband) am relieved to know that business casual will suffice for the night! Thank you everyone!

We sailed October/November 2016 in a port side Penthouse suite. Port side would be the way I would go when we do it again. You will get the most exposure to the NaPali coastline. We simply viewed the lava flow from a public deck on the starboard side. It was a late sail by and the duration was only about 20 minutes. Either way, it's Hawaii and you are going to have a fabulous time.

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions! It will definitely be cheaper for us to hire a car service for the evening than it will be to actually stay the night in Kapalua.

Has anyone had any experience with Christopher Luxury Sedan service?

Perhaps doing lunch at the Plantation House would indeed be best. You will have a view then. Also, we do remember that the restaurant has changed hands several times since you were there (their former Executive Chef, Alex Stanislaw, is now at the Napili Kai, which is right next to Kapalua), and things may not be as they were unless you are just going to see the restaurant itself again and not the staff.

Thank you Silver Sweethearts! We've definitely decided on dinner there as we have other activities planned on Maui during each of the days we are there. As for why the Plantation House, I couldn't tell you the name of any of the staff we had the pleasure of meeting that night. We are returning to revisit the scene of the crime.

Hello everyone! My wife and I will be sailing on POA in October for our 10th Anniversary. We were married on Maui on November 2, 2006 during one of the worst storms they had seen in quite a while. I only mention this because our planned beach wedding was a total wash but in true Aloha spirit, The Plantation House in Kapalua stepped in and saved the day, allowing us to use their facility for FREE!

We made a promise to each other that we would return to the Plantation House on our 10th Anniversary and celebrate! Since we have an overnight on Maui, the cruise works out, though it does present a few logistical details that have to be worked out.

We've debated renting a car and driving to Kapalua the evening we're there (the most economical option for sure) but we would REALLY like to enjoy a bottle of wine (ok..maybe a bottle plus) with our dinner. Of course, this would would be problematic for the drive back to the ship.

We're now kicking around the possibility of hiring a car service for our evening there, from the port to Kapalua and back. Obviously, this isn't an economical option, but some things are worth it, right? My question is two fold. First, has anyone hired a car service on Maui or have recommendations of a reputable company. Secondly, am I overlooking any other possible solutions here? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Great info but disappointed to know coverage didnt extend to the cabin bathroom. Thats where I need it most.

Some of my most inspirational writing has come from the bathroom!

Thank you tempus137!

The balcony was not cramped at all. Plenty of room for the 2 chairs and the 2 loungers. We probably could have even fit a 3rd lounger.

Thank you! This makes me happy!

You just reminded me - when we got of the ship in Maui and got into the building where there were a couple of local vendors set up... Right in the center was an honor system bottles of water display. Only $1. Same size as the ship was selling for more.

This is also good to know! I'm not sure we'll go through an entire case when there is so much wine to drink :).

We did the POA cruise 12/5 - 12/12/2015 in cabin 9522, right next door.

 

The large balcony is super. When we boarded it only had 2 chairs and a table. We asked our steward, Stefon, for loungers & he had them brought in while we were ashore the first day on Maui. The cabin itself is a little on the small side, but room in the closet & drawers for everything. Our luggage fit under the bed.

 

We booked all except 1 of our excursions through Roberts Hawaii. They have package discounts (either 3 or 5) that really brings the cost down. The 1 other excursion that we did was the Road to Hana, through Valley Isle Excursions. They can be booked through adventuremaui dot com.

 

The cruise itself was great, except we had a late sailaway from Kauai, so we didn't see that much of the Na Pali coast, since it was very close to sunset. October should be better.

 

If you are getting to Honolulu early, I suggest going into a local supermarket & getting a case of bottled water. It's a lot cheaper than buying the bottled water package on the ship, or even individual bottles on board. We had an extra luggage tag printed on full sheet label paper, then trimmed it down & stuck it right on the shrink wrap on the case. The porters took it with the rest of our luggage and it was delivered to the cabin.

That is great to know! How cramped did the loungers make the bacony feel? I'm really glad we went with the larger balcony! And what a clever idea about the luggage tag on the case of water. I'll have to file that one away!

This is wonderful to read! Thank you so much for the time and effort you're putting into this! We sail October 29, 2016 and this is just adding to the excitement!

Thank you so much for the information Spirit Rev! We are really looking forward to this. It will be our first extended trip away from our kiddo! We are still mostly up in the air on what we want to do with the exception of our evening in Maui.

We were set to get married on Canoe Beach in Maui on November 2, 2006 when the island saw one of the worst winter storms it had seen in many years. There were even water spouts spotted just off shore. It rained all day and the beach wedding was a total wash. Our wedding officiant was unable to make it to the west side due to washed out roads and we were having no luck finding an alternate venue until our planner contacted the Plantation House in Kapalua. In the true Aloha spirit, they agreed to let us use their facility at the last minute if we agreed to dine there that evening. Seriously, they didn't charge us a penny. My wife and I agreed there and then that we wanted to come back for our 10th Anniversary and visit the Plantation House once again. So we will be driving to Kapalua for dinner our night there.

We've seen quite a bit of Maui, so we're not sure what we'll do there with the rest of our time. We have not had the opportunity to visit the other islands, which is why we chose the cruise to sample what each have to offer. I'm pretty sure we'll want to see what we can of the volcano when we stop in Hilo and that we'll want to see Waimea Canyon when we visit Kauai. We'll be spending the day before embarkation on Oahu and I'm pretty sure we'll visit Pearl Harbor that morning. Everything else is up in the air. We'll be renting a car in Maui but we're unsure whether to replicate that on the other islands or to take organized excursions.

I'd love to hear other cruisers' experiences as well!