Swine-flu hosed me out of my dream of debauchery in Mexico. The Imagination went to Nassau, instead, which is not much of a place to visit. I can go to sketchy places without leaving home. But for my purpose here, I will put the lost destination aside and focus on the cruise and on the ship.The Imagination does not offer elegance unless your idea of that includes golds, reds, purples and lots of neon. The common areas are garish. At the end of your sit-down 4-course dinner, the wait staff dances and sings while the lights flash.On the other hand, for the price of an inexpensive hotel room, you get to cruise to two destinations gorge yourself on a variety of foods in setting from fast food to formal. And if you don't want to sit by the pool with rum drinks, you can find a quiet spot to read on deck while the ship plows through the sea. You can see the show (prancing dancers and corny cruise director) or you can go to the casino, find a bar with music, play Bing, do Karaoke, watch TV in your stateroom, take a sauna or eat sushi....If you can't find something that you'd like to do, it is not because you don't have options. I enjoyed my four day cruise even though I would avoid about 80% of the offered 'activities'. The food was better than I expected it to be, though not gourmet fare. It was plentiful. The downside of the cruise is that there is so much to eat and none of requires any effort. My first meal on board was stir fry-prepared to order, iced tea, a cheeseburger, and two pieces of cake. Yet there were many that had more on their trays. The evening formal dinner was fine, the service was excellent. The breakfast and lunch are buffet style. I didn't like sitting in the interior dining rooms, they felt like carpeted cafeterias and were often crowded. Better to eat on deck, weather permitting.I won $60 in the Casino. Always nice to be in the black in that situation even if only slightly.The room was fine, well designed, and the beds were comfortable. Good shower and the room was cleaned each day.I booked the 4 day cruise for $312. By the time I got off the boat, the total cruise including a moderate amount of extras (wine, a few drinks, Internet connection and gratuities) came to about $550 or about $135 a day. Certainly more than reasonable for a comfortable room, good food in GREAT quantity, attentive service and the opportunity to visit a couple of Caribbean ports.Be aware that most things beyond the room and the food are extra. I spent about $50 for an Internet connection that was limited. Drinks, other than iced tea, milk, coffee, tea and lemonade are extra. Mixed drinks cost between $6 and $8.Carnival uses a card for all on board expenses and for their sponsored excursions. It is easy to spend money when all you have to do is tell someone what you want and hand them a  piece of plastic. The problem with the ship-sponsored excursions is that the conditions for an activity may not be ideal on a given day. Often there are local alternatives that can be had without the need to reserve in advance. I had wanted to do a snorkeling trip but both shore days were too windyI did go to the spa to take a sauna and that was a real pleasure which, surprisingly, didn't cost a dime.Parking at the Port of Miami is $20 a day-pre-paid.Getting on and off the ship was unexpectedly easy. Pretty much a 20 minute process each way.In summary, I had a great time and the cost (extras included) was more than reasonable. The pleasure of the cruise is that for its length, you simply get to choose to do what you want, show up for meals and (hopefully) briefly explore a couple of ports. Relax on the deck or enter the hairy-chest contest....Go to the faux "Art" auction or watch the sun set. Play Bingo or take a nap. Watch the show or roll the dice. Use the waterslide or jog on the upper deck. The Carnival passengers are not what you would call high-tone but everyone seems to find a way to have fun even when the definition of that varies, as it does, widely.