Background Information: This was my 3rd cruise (I am 36yrs old), my one brother's 3rd cruise (he is 30), and my other brother's 1st cruise (he is 33). My previous Carnival cruises were: Legend 7-days Western Caribbean & Freedom 8-days Exotic Eastern Caribbean. I will say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the past cruises with Carnival. I have enjoyed the larger ships as they offer more things to do and more space to explore.
Embarkation: We live in SW Florida, so we drove to Miami. It was an easy drive, and we arrived at the cruise terminal around 12:00noon. Easy parking at the garage, $20 per day (prepaid). We walked to the terminal, gave our bags to the porters, and walked inside. This cruise terminal is BRAND NEW and built for Carnival. It is beautiful. No lines, walked right through security and into the terminal. We spent 5 minutes in line before getting to the counter, which took another 5 minutes. We walked right onto the ship, and were enjoying a "drink of the day" within moments. Overall it was a great embarkation compared to previous experiences.
Ship Info: The Imagination is older (1995) and smaller than some other ships. My first impressions were that the ship is kept up very well, but is a bit "dated". It has been updated (2008) with LED lights and flat panel tv's all over. Also with the Carnival Waterworks addition on the top deck, it added some enjoyment to both kids and adults. Overall we all enjoyed the ship and its amenities.