This was my family's (Hubby, Son, age 7 and daughter age 3) second cruise, the first one being on the Carnival Fascination. I don't know if this time we knew more of what to expect, our tastes had changed, or a combination of them both. We weren't particularly impressed with the Fascination, but we loved the Imagination.

Imagination was ported in Miami for our 4 day Western Caribbean. We flew straight into the Miami airport and took a cab ride--$16 for all 4 of us (much cheaper than the Carnival transfer, and we didn't have to wait on a group or arrive at the same time as a large group, a real plus!) We got at the pier at about 12:00 p.m., there were NO lines at this time and made for a SUPER easy embarkation. We were onboard and dining on the Lido deck by 12:30.

Our room was one of the 20-something Penthouse Suites on this ship. My new philosophy is that if we can't afford a suite, we just can't go. This stateroom was the same size as a standard hotel room--and with 2 kids, room to move about the cabin is a must! The bathroom also included a bathtub--yeah, it had jacuzzi jets in it, but the tub was still so narrow that when you turned on the jets, it blew water all over the bathroom. If you want a jacuzzi, sit in the ones by the pool. The private balcony is an added bonus--you can watch the ocean pass by in your PJs if you like. Read more