Carnival Imagination Review
Detailed overview: Trip was fabulous; cruise to Ensenada only.
Rating by category
Additional details
This was my first cruise. Please see below for my review of each aspect of the cruise (cabin, service, food, etc.) We went on the Ensenada only cruise. I am a single 35 year old female and had an amazing time with my friend and my parents. We went on the cruise for the experience and I can say with much confidence that we all loved it. I went in early December so the evenings offered a chilly breeze, but the day time was perfect where I didn't even need a sweater, and I usually run on the cold side. The food was great quality and delicious. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of our cabin and bathroom. The customer service was outstanding and the embarkation and disembarkation process went smoothly with little to no inconvenience compared to what you might experience with airport travel.
Parking and Embarkation
It was easy to find the parking structure. Just head toward the Queen Mary and follow the signs. We arrived around 1:00 pm to the structure and there were very few other cars driving around the area. It is not congested like at an airport. Drive to where it says Luggage Drop Off if you have a lot of luggage. If you drop off your luggage, you will drive up to the curb, someone will take your bags for you. Be sure to tip this person. They take your bags and then you go find a parking spot in the structure and then go into the terminal. The next time that you see your bags will be when they are sitting outside of your cabin door in the hallway. This system made me a little nervous because your bags are out in the open in a busy public hallway. It is a good idea to not pack anything super valuable. Otherwise you can just park and roll your bags into the terminal. You are allowed to start embarking on the ship at 3 to 4 hours before the ship leaves. So I recommend that you arrive to Long Beach around the time that you are able to start embarking, to avoid lines. The process and having our bags screened and checking our passports was smooth. They don't let you take on bottled water, not even empty water bottles (This is a Customs policy, not a Carnival policy). But you can take up to 12 cans of soda. They take your picture and give you a Sign and Sale card that serves as your pass on and off the ship. It also serves as a credit card. With the exception of the casino, you pay for all of your purchases on the boat with your Sign and Sale card. Your balance then gets charged to your credit card on file at the end of the cruise. You wont be able to go straight to your room. We waited about 2 hours or less for our room, which was fine because we were enjoying lunch at the buffet. You know when your room is ready when your try to open it with your Sign and Sale card and the door opens.
Cabin Review
Ocean View
The cabin has plenty of space for 2 people. My room had 2 twin sized beds, that could convert into a queen if you ask your room steward that is assigned to your room. There are two mini night stands, a chair, a vanity with great lighting in the cabin. Plenty of closet space.The bathroom was a good size too. The sink and toilet were full sized. The shower was the best. The hot water came out hot really fast and you could even adjust the hot water to hotter if you prefer. The water pressure is great; really strong. I wish I had that here at home. The cabin was clean. They clean your room 2 times a day. There is one electrical outlet in the room. You can take a surge protector on the ship if you have multiple devices that you need to plug in. I took a surge protector to plug in my Flat Iron and charge my camera phone and regular camera at the same time. There is an AC but I did not see a heater. Fortunately, it did not get too cold in my Ocean View room. My room was at the very back of the ship and the view was spectacular. There was no complimentary water in my room. However, there was a 2 liter of water in my room with a purchase tag on it for 3.75. I wasn't going to pay for that so I called up for room service to bring me 2 glasses of ice water every night. Overall, I was very happy with the cabin.