I'll be the first one to admit I've become a little jaded with some of my cruises lately. It happens when you're fortunate enough to have both a mother and a husband work in the travel industry. The fact that our last few "shorter" cruises on Carnival weren't exactly ideal had me wondering what kind of experience we'd have on the Imagination...and boy was I pleasantly surprised.

We were fortunate enough to sail in the Owner's Suite and it was, no doubt, the nicest cabin we've had on any of our cruises :) The suite is a awfully largewith two bedrooms, a ridiculously comfortable king-size bed, a large walk-in closet and an incredibly spacious jacuzzi tub/shower combo bathroom. HOWEVER, the Owner's Suites are located on the spa/sports deck and are directly below the jogging track. Every morning, we'd awaken to the sound of jogger's running above us. Also, the fact that the balcony partially overlooks the pool area means it can get a little loud. It would probably be a little disappointing for a light sleeper. Even though the Imagination is one of the older, smaller ships in the Carnival fleet, I was completely impressed with everything from our cabin (the owner's suite), to the service, to the food and even the entertainment. I found our little getaway to be everything we wanted and neededrelaxing and fun. Being on a smaller ship means fewer passengers and I actually enjoyed thatwe rarely had to wait for food in the buffet or lido area and while yes, deck chairs are always at a premium, they weren't impossible to find. Both times we headed down to the Serenity area, we were able to find two side-by-side deck chairs. Same goes for the afternoon we spent out at the Carnival Waterworks area. (Which I pleasantly discovered had the ability to turn a pair of 30-year olds into little kids again. I guess water slides can work miracles sometimes!).Another pleasant surprise for us was the entertainment. Sometimes cruise ship shows can be over-the-top and cheesy. We didn't have that experience on the Imagination. Both production shows were fun and the comedian was classic. He pushed the limit a little in the "general" show, but it was enough to draw my husband and I to his midnight show later in the cruise. Turns out we weren't the only onesthe lounge was full, standing room only and everyone seemed to have a great time. If you're ever on a sailing with Allyn Ball, I'd definitely give him a recommendation. He was hilarious.We had one mishap with our cabinsomething happened with the toilet and it wouldn't stop making a sort of sucking sound. We made one call to the purser's desk the evening it happened and the plumber came while we were at dinner. Never had a problem again.Overall, we had a really great cruise; exactly what we needed on a little getaway and if given the option to cruise this same itinerary again on the same ship, I'd take itwithout a doubt. It may not be the biggest, grandest ship in the Carnival fleet, but with its recent makeover, we found the Imagination to be charming and fun.