Carnival Imagination Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We've been watching this ship from our balcony for 4 years, and we finally got onboard. Myself, my husband, and our 13-year-old daughter. The best thing about the cruise was that for us here in Long Beach it was just such a chill, stress-free, vacation. No LAX, no driving - just Uber to the cruise terminal and start the vacation. We did not pay for the "Faster to the Fun" and the boarding was not terrible. If you've already had an ordeal like driving or flying, maybe go ahead and do that - don't be a hero.
The highlights of this cruise for us were the food and the service. Breakfast and dinner are cafeteria-style, but the range of choices is amazing. Dinner is a very lovely experience, great service, good choices, quality ingredients. The crew really make an effort to remember your name and make you feel special. Also you can order room service whenever you want, but the menu is not so wide-ranging.
We did pay the extra to have a window in our cabin, and I really recommend it. Even when you're just out to sea, the water is endlessly entertaining.
Cabin Review
Ocean View
Right on top of the holes where they put up the gang-way for Ensenada and where they provision the ship with the fork lifts (noisy!) It was convenient to be half-way between the fore and mid-ship bank of elevators. Really comfortable beds!
Port Reviews
Catalina Island (California)
We walked over to Descanso Beach. I'm not a fan of rocky beaches, but the water on Catalina is such a gorgeous blue color. We got a table and had some cocktails while our teen daughter did some snorkeling. Low-key and relaxing.
Ensenada
We've been before, so we just explored the main drag. I highly recommend "Mile Marker 101" wine bar and tasting room. There are some very good, dirt cheap wines from Valle Guadalupe, and you can do a tasting here instead of paying for the excursion. There wasn't really anything in town for our teen daughter to enjoy.