My daughter and I flew with American Airlines from the UK. We stayed in an odd hotel on Ocean Drive for 2 nights before the cruise to allow us to get over any jetlag we may have.
The transfers booked by Carnival all went smoothly and when we got to the Port there was a small queue to get on the ship.
First impression of the inside of Imagination? Well it reminded me of a British holiday camp. The difference being the staff were VERY friendly and even when not on duty they were willing to help direct you to where you wanted to go. Our cabin was larger than I expected and always clean; I loved the toweling animals made each evening and looked forward to seeing what animal would be on my bed when I returned.