It's been a while since I've been on a cruise and was excited for this trip, although I didn't have very high expectations. Overall, it was a fun time, but we were very happy to disembark.
Pros: The staff and crew were all very friendly and helpful. Our interior cabin was a decent size and cleaned twice a day. The workout center is well equipped and very nice (I was a little annoyed when I went to check it out on Day 1, and was taken on a tour of the entire spa as they went through all of their services). I really enjoyed Catalina and Ensenada. We did a bus tour and lunch in Avalon and I highly recommend the kayak trip to La Bufadora. The guides are wonderful and this was the highlight of our trip. Ensenada can be a tourist trap, so it was nice to learn more about the city.
Cons: The food! I always hear how the buffets and food are so wonderful on cruises. The food on the Imagination, both buffet and dining room, was barely edible. On the first night, I ordered the Mahi Mahi and the fish smell as the plate was being delivered was horrendous. I took one bite and was afraid to continue because I thought I might get sick. Our waiter offered to switch the meal, but I opted to leave and grab a slice of pizza. Not great. How can you go wrong with pizza? The buffet food was sub par... especially the breakfast. One bite of the scrambled eggs and I was done (the french toast was decent). On another night, I ordered beef medium rare (you had 2 choices.. med rare or med well), and it was SO rare that, again, I could only take one bite. This time I did switch my meal for something else and it was okay. One morning we waited 30 minutes for breakfast that we couldn't eat because of a spa appointment. Speaking of the spa appointment, my massage was VERY nice... until I could hear the full conversation on the other side of the sliding partition.
Fun 50-minute bus tour of Avalon. Great sights and very informational. Our tour guide, Cindy, was fantastic.
Guides were excellent and it was nice to learn a little bit about Ensenada on the 45-minute bus ride. Highlight of the trip for us.