Carnival Imagination Detailed Review - 7/29/18 !!!! Pictures to Follow!

[katibug]

You had me at Matchbox Twenty.

 

 

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We're multiplying!

[lazydays2004]

Great review so far.

[SonoranDevil]

We just got home about 45 minutes ago. We had a really good time. I'll start the detailed review soon. I can address the question as to the appropriateness of bringing a child on this ship/itinerary...you have nothing to worry about, especially this time of year. There were far more families on this sailing than revelers of debauchery. There are PG activities all the way past 10PM each evening. As a former law enforcement officer, I saw nothing in Ensenada that would make me concerned for my family's safety while the ship is in port. I would have no issues bringing my 11 year old daughter along.

[grandmarnnurse]

We just got home about 45 minutes ago. We had a really good time. I'll start the detailed review soon. I can address the question as to the appropriateness of bringing a child on this ship/itinerary...you have nothing to worry about, especially this time of year. There were far more families on this sailing than revelers of debauchery. There are PG activities all the way past 10PM each evening. As a former law enforcement officer, I saw nothing in Ensenada that would make me concerned for my family's safety while the ship is in port. I would have no issues bringing my 11 year old daughter along.

Can’t wait to read the review!

[heffy2]

Great start, thank you!

[centralcalicruzer]

Fun review so far, looking forward to the rest of it. DH and I haven't cruised Carnival in a while, but looking at one of the short ones out of Long Beach for the same reasons - a quick, affordable getaway that doesn't require driving.

[Nevada Jen]

Thank you for the quick kid/safety review! Of course, now it's too late because school starts next week! Can't wait to hear the rest of the review!

[ShaniBell]

Thank you for the quick kid/safety review! Of course, now it's too late because school starts next week! Can't wait to hear the rest of the review!

 

While we didn't see anything that made us too uncomfortable about bringing the kiddo, I do wonder if it was because this was the four day, mid week itinerary and not the three day/long weekend booze cruise.

[SonoranDevil]

Embarkation Day

 

We had made it to our hotel without incident. We had stopped for a quick dinner at a Dickey's BBQ in Moreno Valley, before making it to the Hampton Inn at about 9PM. We settled in for the night, hoping to be well rested for our first day on the ship.

 

There are a lot of things that can be said of me. None of those things are related to me being a morning person. Well, this morning I couldn't make it past 6:30. The mattress was a little too firm for my liking. I've had five shoulder surgeries and I am definitely more comfortable with a softer mattress. Throw in the fact that I could smell the complementary breakfast in the lobby, and that was all she wrote. I may not be a morning person, but my stomach definitely is.

 

So we decided to grab a small breakfast and copious amounts of coffee and leisurely caffeinate ourselves to the point that we were functional human beings. We went back to the room, showered and repacked for the trip to the port. The Hampton Inn met expectations, even if I didn't sleep that well. It is near enough to Long Beach to be a pre-cruise hotel option if you plan on parking at the port.

 

We purchased Faster to the Fun and had a Noon check in time. We had read prior reviews that mentioned getting on earlier than your scheduled time was doable in Long Beach. We decided to get to the port at around 11.

 

Getting to the cruise terminal was easy enough. The 710 Freeway ends at the port. There was a lot of construction going on, and that perhaps would slow things down if you were traveling during the work week. We followed the signs for the Queen Mary. There was limited signage for the cruise terminal and nothing that mentions Carnival until you arrive at the parking structure. If you're unfamiliar with navigating the port, just focus on the Queen Mary signage.

 

The parking garage was easy to navigate and find an open spot. We parked on level 2, closest to the terminal and walked to the porters on level 1 of the garage. There were plenty of porters available. Luggage drop off was easy, we tipped our porter and started walking to the terminal. There were three queues at the entrance to the terminal ( too early/too late, FTTF/priority and on time). Nobody was standing in the outdoor queues. We went to the FTTF line and were immediately greeted and directed to a friendly staff member who checked our passports and boarding documents. In less than a minute, we were directed to the FTTF waiting area. It is right near the Captain's Lounge. There were a handful of cruisers already there.

 

Selfie Time!

 

Within ten minutes, they boarded about 10 Diamond/Platinum members and we were told we could head down the gangway! We were on board by 11:30.

[SonoranDevil]

Embarkation continued...

 

Once on board, we immediately wanted to drop off our carry on bag in the room. To me, this is one of the top benefits of having FTTF, to have your room available once you board. We were in room E75, right by the Guest Services desk, where you board the ship. We soon noticed that the hallway doors were all closed, preventing guests from heading to their cabins. A quick question to the first smiling face we encountered and we were told we can simply open the doors and access our room.

 

Cabin E75 is an Oceanview category. As previously mentioned, the Imagination only has balconies for their suites. We didn't feel a suite upgrade was worth the cost point for this cruise, so Oceanview it was! The cabin was indeed ready, with our room cards affixed to the cabin sign. The room is small of course, but had plenty of storage with three closets and four drawers attached to a small writing desk with mirror. There was even a small hair dryer in one of the drawers and a good 20 or so hangers. The room was clean, if not dated. We had a similar cabin for our 2013 sailing on the Imagination and it was just the same.

 

Cabin E75

 

 

 

Even though the room decor was basic and dated, the room was in decent condition. The chief complaint was a noticeable sewage smell in the bathroom. However, when the bathroom door was closed, it was not detectable in the rest of the room. The cabin is an adjoining cabin to E77, but this was not an issue as our aft neighbors were quiet. Our other neighbors are another story for a later post!

 

After dropping off our bags, we proceeded directly to the Lido deck for our first vacation beverages at the Red Frog Rum Bar. DW ordered a Ting Mojito and I ordered a Blue Hawaiian. The bartender asked if I had ever had a Twilight Zone. I had no clue but after he explained it to me, I was game for trying. It's basically a pina colada with blue curacao. The Ting Mojito was grapefruit vodka, simple syrup, Ting soda and fresh mint. My DW loved them...I thought it tasted like grapefruit juice with grass clippings. She thought mine was too sweet.

 

We found a few loungers by the pool and proceeded to people watch while enjoying our drinks. No sooner than our glasses were empty, a waiter stopped by to assist in locating us additional libations. His name was Camilo. Camilo soon became fast friends with us (read my DW...people just talk to her). Before he left with our order, Camilo said he loved us (read my DW...guys just love her) and insisted we ask for him as our waiter in the Pride Dining Room each evening. Much more on Camilo to come!

 

Nobody in the pool at Noon.

 

Twilight Zone and Ting Mojito

 

 

Camilo

[catyob308]

great review so far!

[SonoranDevil]

After enjoying a few drinks, we decided to grab a bite to eat. We first walked through the buffet, which was serving Italian inspired dishes. The buffet was predictably crowded. Nothing looked overly appealing and after a swing by the dessert selection, we fixed on burgers at Guy's. We did not eat at the buffet once this trip, so I can't offer too many words on the experience.

 

There was no line at Guy's and we walked right up to the counter and placed our orders. Within seconds, we had our burgers and fries and headed to the toppings bar. There was a decent selection of toppings available. I chose bacon, sauteed mushrooms and a smidge of ranch dressing while DW went with more traditional fixings. The mushrooms were an awesome addition! We found a shady spot and enjoyed the meal. I also over enjoyed the ketchup for my fries, and was wearing some on my shirt before I was done. Scientists should study me as I seem to have some magnetic tomato sauce properties that have to be useful to some scientific body.

 

My Burger

 

Ketchup Magnetism

 

The burgers were good. Several steps above McDonald's or Burger King and maybe just shy of Five Guys quality. It was right up my alley though! We never saw a huge line at Guy's the whole trip. They do a really good job of moving people through. This would be our only stop as we were off the ship the next two days at lunch time.

 

After eating, we swung by our cabin in hopes that our luggage had been delivered so I could change shirts. Our luggage was indeed waiting for us in the hallway, at around 1:30. We unpacked and I retrieved a fresh shirt. We took a few minutes to unwind and refresh ourselves before heading back out to explore.

 

We took a quick tour of the promenade deck and checked out Cherry on Top, the ship's candy store. This was new since our trip in 2013. The selection was limited given the small size of the shop, but it would surely be a hit with the younger crowd. We would pick up a package of gummy funnels for our daughter before we left the boat.

 

 

We also checked out the Alchemy Bar, which is a re-themeing of the prior Xanadu Lounge bar at the end of the promenade deck. It is a classy look, almost out of place on the ship. I would have enjoyed hanging out here one of the evenings, but the place was dead the entire cruise.

 

We proceeded through the Xanadu Lounge, home to Punchliner's Comedy Club at night. Out the back is one of two ways to access the Serenity Deck, reserved for guests 21 and older. The loungers have padded cushions and there were two additional hot tubs. When we arrived, there were only two other people out there. We decided to make this our home until it was time for the muster drill. It soon became busier and it was not quite serene by the time we left. Also, there is no bar in the Serenity area and servers were few and far between. Definitely bring a beverage with you.

 

The Queen Mary from the Serenity Deck

 

Soon it was time for our muster drill. We were muster station A, which meets in the Dynasty Lounge, the ships main theater. We were thankful that muster was inside, with comfortable seats and did not include marching up to our lifeboat station as it did in 2013. It was relatively painless and we were soon off on our merry way.

 

After the drill, we headed back to our cabin to freshen up prior to dinner. After refreshing, we headed up to Lido to catch the end of the sail away party. This is funny, because we wouldn't sail away until around 6:30. At 6:00, when we stopped by, the party was apparently over. So, we decided to head off to the dining room!

 

Next up...dinner

[philbob84]

this is the best itinerary. my dad ate those burgers every day... twice!

[blarko]

Do you happen to have a photo in your cabin of the “adjoining” door location? I inadvertently booked a connecting cabin on the Elation and am curious as to where exactly the adjoining part of the room is located and if it interferes with the setup of the room? Is any part of the room compromised due to the adjoining part (the rooms are small enough!)?

[ShaniBell]

Do you happen to have a photo in your cabin of the “adjoining” door location? I inadvertently booked a connecting cabin on the Elation and am curious as to where exactly the adjoining part of the room is located and if it interferes with the setup of the room? Is any part of the room compromised due to the adjoining part (the rooms are small enough!)?

 

In the picture posted that has the bed placement, the door is at the foot of the bed. The TV was mounted to the left of the door in the corner and there was a small table and chair placed in the corner to the right of the bed. I didn't find the door placement to cause any issues...however, if the door was opened, it would have blocked the television and the access to the right side of the king bed.

[BENHANDEL]

Loving this review!

 

Wondering about beds in your room...I will have an OV with my 3 kids in March. I am new to CCL and cannot figure out how they arrange beds for 4 people (without having to share). If you room had that option, do you have any photos?

[ShaniBell]

Loving this review!

 

Wondering about beds in your room...I will have an OV with my 3 kids in March. I am new to CCL and cannot figure out how they arrange beds for 4 people (without having to share). If you room had that option, do you have any photos?

 

Our room had a max occupancy of 2 guests. I believe the higher occupancy rooms have beds that can be converted to beds as well as a drop down bed.

 

I just did a mock booking on the Carnival and found this:

 

Two twin beds (convert to king) and one upper pullman. A trundle bed will be provided if a fourth guest is booked to this stateroom.

 

Given the size of these rooms, I can't for the life of me figture out where the trundle would even go!

[ShaniBell]

 

 

We found a few loungers by the pool and proceeded to people watch while enjoying our drinks. No sooner than our glasses were empty, a waiter stopped by to assist in locating us additional libations. His name was Camilo. Camilo soon became fast friends with us (read my DW...people just talk to her). Before he left with our order, Camilo said he loved us (read my DW...guys just love her) and insisted we ask for him as our waiter in the Pride Dining Room each evening.

Twilight Zone and Ting Mojito

 

 

Camilo

 

My dear husband wants to believe that random people just "talk to me" which, in some cases is true. In Camilo's case, I suspect we were more likely "profiled". A successfull server on any of these ships knows their audience. DH and I had a few tells that I'm sure Camilo picked up on pretty quickly.

 

First, we were onboard, with our S&S cards and ondeck drinking before the vast majority of other people on the cruise. That pretty obviously made us either elite members or people who were willing to pay for the privilege of being on board early. We also had a "Cheers" sticker on our S&S card. We were going to keep drinking and in all liklihood tipping as long as he kept bringing us drinks. Our S&S card also showed us as dining in his specific dining room. As we discovered later, he had cultivated himself a nice little group of regulars who dined in his area nightly. He took care of us and we took care of him in return.

 

Camilo was very nice and we enjoyed his service throughout the cruise. He greeted us by name every time he saw us. Knew what we wanted before we even sat down and told us fun little stories about his life and his travels. Camilo knows how to do his job and he does it well. I have no complaints about being "profiled" it served everyone involved very well. :D

[heids32]

Loving this review!

 

 

 

Wondering about beds in your room...I will have an OV with my 3 kids in March. I am new to CCL and cannot figure out how they arrange beds for 4 people (without having to share). If you room had that option, do you have any photos?

 

 

 

In the balcony rooms, the couch is converted into a bed and then upper bunk. Do OV’s have the couch?

 

 

 

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[SonoranDevil]

Do you happen to have a photo in your cabin of the “adjoining” door location? I inadvertently booked a connecting cabin on the Elation and am curious as to where exactly the adjoining part of the room is located and if it interferes with the setup of the room? Is any part of the room compromised due to the adjoining part (the rooms are small enough!)?

 

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture. In the picture that I did post of the cabin in an earlier post, the adjoining door is on the wall at the foot of the bed. It didn't interfere with our activities in the cabin, and we actually found the door frame useful. The cabin walls are not made of a heavy duty metal, but the door frames are. They worked perfectly for our magnetic hooks. Without the adjoining cabin door, you only have one metal door frame, and that is the bathroom door.

[SonoranDevil]

In the balcony rooms, the couch is converted into a bed and then upper bunk. Do OV’s have the couch?

 

 

 

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Our cabin did not have a couch.

[SonoranDevil]

great review so far!

 

Thank you!

[heffy2]

Great review so far, thank you so much!

[Mutumbojimbo]

Loving this review!

 

 

 

Wondering about beds in your room...I will have an OV with my 3 kids in March. I am new to CCL and cannot figure out how they arrange beds for 4 people (without having to share). If you room had that option, do you have any photos?

 

 

 

We’ve had 2 Pullman beds on the Fantasy class ships when we’ve sailed them, but YMMV. One is over our heads and the other overlaps part of the bottom of the bed. It’s tight when the beds are down, but doable.

 

 

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[SonoranDevil]

Embarkation Day Continued

 

Upon returning to our room to get ready for dinner, we noticed there were only 2 bath towels in the cabin. My DW uses 2 by herself with each shower, so we would need more each time the cabin was serviced. We had yet to meet our room steward, so I left a nice note asking for additional bath towels along side a $20 bill. We pre-paid gratuities as well, so I was hoping this would go a long way to ensure a happy cruise.

 

We left for the Pride Dining Room, the forward dining room used for YTD as well as the sea day brunch. We tend to dine early at home as well, with a school aged child and early bed times, so our arrival a few minutes past 6 PM worked out well for us. There was a very short line to check in. We quickly gave the hostess our room number and asked to be seated with Camilo. I humorously mentioned the he loves us, hoping to elicit a giggle from the hostess. She just shook her head at me, very clear that she one, did not find me funny or two, thought I was an idiot. My DW often responds the same way to my attempts at humor. Anyway, we were seated with Camilo who enthusiastically greeted us. He had a section of an 8 top, a 4 top and three 2 top tables. He and his team did not seem stretched too thin and were on top of everything service related the entire cruise.

 

We soon had wine, a large bottle of water as well as a bottle of Pellegrino. My DW enjoyed the Pellegrino each evening, an unsung perk of having the Cheers package. We were introduced to our Assistant Servers, Margo and Kadek. The whole team was awesome, but Margo immediately connected with us. Along with Camilo, Margo made our dining experience a highlight of the cruise, even when the food itself couldn't quite shine as bright as the service.

 

I chose the Navy Bean soup to start while DW went with the Tomato Soup for our appetizers. Both were pretty good and we both were eager to try the flat iron steaks we ordered. I also ordered the fried shrimp, sans the fried rice the entree came with. Margo was eager to take care of the request and we enjoyed our wine while we waited.

 

Navy Bean Soup

 

Creamy Tomato Soup

 

Our entrees arrived timely and we wasted no time digging in. Now, we are not food snobs by any stretch of the imagination. I would choose chicken fried steak just as often as I would order a prime filet. Well, the flat iron steak was a miss. The flavor was decent but the texture of the steak was rubbery. It wasn't inedible, but we didn't order it again. The fried shrimp on the other hand was good.

 

Flat Iron Steak with Fried Shrimp

 

We ordered the Melting Chocolate Cake and the Caramelized Phyllo with Caramel Cream for dessert. Both were pretty good with the Melting Chocolate Cake edging out as the winner. We ordered it for dessert each night with exception of the last night. All in all, it was pleasant experience. Camilo brought us each a glass of wine prior to heading out for the evening.

 

We returned to the the cabin briefly, to drop off the water bottle from dinner. It was nice to always have a bottle of water in the cabin. We then set off to see what was happening on board. We walked the promenade to check things out. Eating dinner early, a lot of ship activities hadn't kicked off yet. The Alchemy Bar was empty, so we settled in at the karaoke bar to check out the talent prior the the piano bar opening at 9:30.

 

The karaoke started off slow, being dominated by a handful of guests. There were a few talented folks. I believe they may have intimidated a few would be singers to start off. Well, it only took the first karaoke risk taker to get the party started. By 9:15, when we left, the venue was packed and the queue to sing was growing.

 

We left to check out the piano bar. The premise is for the crowd to sing along with the piano player to some all time piano bar classics. It was a lot of fun and the glasses of wine kept coming. E, the piano player, would invite those that could handle some solo singing up to the mic to help him out. Soon the crowd, and E, were exerting some peer pressure and we had a few people get up and sing along solo. By the end of the night, even my introverted DW was up there singing along to Brown Eyed Girl and 9 to 5. My wife is never more beautiful than when she is having unmitigated fun. We managed to last until midnight before heading back to the cabin to retire for the night.

 

Upon returning to the cabin, we were greeted with a turned down room, a towel animal and extra towels. Our steward, Benny, left his card but we still had not met him. We never would. We turned on our white noise app on my phone, set out the room service for hangar asking for morning coffee and fell asleep. Our excursion on Catalina the next morning wasn't starting until 11:45, so we requested the coffee between 8 and 8:30, allowing us to enjoy our coffee prior to heading to the dining room for a relaxed breakfast.

 

Next up...Catalina Island!