This was my second cruise so stepping on to the Imagination I felt rather comfortable considering most ships layouts tend to be the same. My first cruise was on the Carnival Spirit which had a completely different feeling. I would suggest first time cruiser to cruise on a newer ship.
The Imagination was built in 1994 which doesn't seem that long ago, but in ship terms, it's almost ancient. The Imagination advantages was the staff and ports of call. The staff is rated number 2 of all 26 ships Carnival offers. Our room steward was exceptional! She cleaned the room twice a day and made the infamous towel animals daily.
We left Miami on Saturday (5/28/05) at around 4 p.m. I would suggest taking advantage of the skipper's club which made check in smooth and VERY expedient. Within minutes we were on board while most waited in line for around 45 mins to an hour.