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Carnival Imagination report by
Rick e from D.C. Sailing date: Sep 2008Pros: Excursions Cons: Night Club My first cruise, so I have no other lines to compare it to, but all said and done it was quite fun. Ship QualityPlenty of space to layout, eat, relax. I went in september, so I can't say how crowded it is for the high season of winter, but I had no trouble getting on and off the ship or finding seats and space. The Imagination is nice enough for the price I paid (250 for 4 nights) so I didn't expect a 5 star hotel room. Getting around was easy. Dining/FoodIt seemed that there were some people, and this probably goes for every cruise line, booked the trip so they could live at the buffet and have eating competitions with neighboring tables. The gluttony was disturbing. The food itself was ok. The pizzas and sandwiches were pretty good, as was dining hall, but for the most part it was something like you'd find at any cafeteria style buffet. Room service was free, but you had to tip upon delivery. I enjoyed taking my food outside and dining away from the crowds while watching the ocean. Sodas cost extra, but tea, coffee, juice was included. The alcohol was typical of any city bar. $5 beers and mixed drinks. No strong pours. I think the bartenders had to pour the booze into a 1.5 oz shot glass, then into your drink, so they were all uniform in strength. Pool service was quick and friendly. The mostly Filipino staff were nice and speedy. Stateroom QualityBeds and pillows were really comfortable. Me and my lady only found out 2 days in that they had pushed 2 twins together to create a king-size bed. Sleep came easy. It was quiet and no banging on the doors from cleaning people, who always knew when you were away and cleaned up without disturbing you. They did a good job with that. Ship Staff QualityFast, friendly and professional staff took good care of us. Everything went smooth.
Entertainment & ActivitiesThis 'fun ship' had a lot of activities, but most of the fun seemed cheesy and contrived, such as doing the wave, conga lines and silly dance offs and games. If you like that kinda thing, great, but I could have done without it. The night club played Latin and Hip-hop, which is not the kind of music I like. I didn't hear any electronica, but the people there seemed to get into the main steam stuff that was played. The shows were good. We saw 2 funny comedians and some good dance performances. The dance lessons were worth going to as well.
Booking an excursion was easy, just drop by the information desk and use the computer touch screen to figure out what you want to do, then book it with the desk agent. I chose the delux snorkle and beach party package for 57 bucks and it was well worth it. Free beer people! It was a lovely private beach that we stopped of at in Cozumel, but my only complaint was that it was too short 3.5 hours total.  
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Cozumel, MexicoGo snorkeling and hit the beach somewhere. I took a taxi downtown, but it was all tourist shops, so no big deal.
Don't Miss: White sand beaches. Horseback riding looked fun, but I didn't have time. Key West, FloridaI went parasailing. Not much to this little island. The shuttle bus driver was hilarious, but the island was sleepy. I'd rather have gone to another port.
15 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
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  A fun getaway at a great price by
Aaron M. from Pittsburgh, PA Sailing date: Jan 2011Pros: Great food, fun entertainment, good stateroom service. Cons: The Carnival Imagination ship looks a little tired. My overall impression was that for the price I paid, I got an excellent getaway with great food. If you are going on the cruise of a lifetime, I would skip this ship, as it is a little more dated and tired in terms of decor. However if you're looking for great value, a fun getaway, and a relaxing vacation - this is good value for money. Ship QualityCarnival Imagination was a clean ship. But the decor, with bright red and blue rope lighting in the grand lobby, the brass and gold accents everywhere, and the neon bubbles lighting the buffet dining room, the ship looks a little tired. Wall finishes and decorations show wear and tear from years of travelers. Perhaps high style in the early 90's? I noticed alot of lighting and fixtures were burned out. You can tell they've given up on the upkeep until this ship gets remodeled. Dining/FoodThe food was much better than I was expecting. We ate mostly at the buffets, were you will find 24 hour pizza and sandwiches, and a varietly of daily menu selections during dining hours. Expect better quality, more flavorful food than you would have at a chain buffet on land. Save room for dessert at each meal, the dessserts are top notch! Stateroom QualityClean, modern appointments as compared to other ships I have been on. Flat panel TV, plenty of storage for luggage, and comfortable bedding an pillows. However, only ONE electrical outlet per stateroom, so if you plan on charging phones, laptops and ipods, bring a power strip. Ship Staff QualityOur beds were made twice per day, clean fresh towels, and helpful smiling staff. I was pleased. Entertainment & ActivitiesDespite the genric titles of their shows, MAKE SURE you go to at least one musical or show on the ship. They put a lot of effort into them, and considering they are included at no extra charge, "Living in America' and "Showtime" were lively, entertaining memories.
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Cozumel, MexicoCozumel was great, there is so much to do, shopping, excursions, exploring - you'll want to come back again.
Don't Miss: If you like photography, and want to see beautiful historical myan ruins and ocean front, visit Tulum. Key West, FloridaKey west, was a fill in to make this a two port sailing. None the less, it's quaint and lively resort town.
Don't Miss: Save your excursion money and spend it at the other port. 13 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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A Memorable Vacation!! by
Erica C. from Dallas, TX Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: Always felt pampered and cared for.... Cons: It goes by too fast! The Ship was very nice, VERY clean and a very well layed out ship that had almost everything you can think of. From Laundry rooms, babysitting, to private cafe', to jog or walking track, Gym or Spa !!! and all the food and entertainment you can think of. For us a family of 4 it was Totally Awsome... Ship QualityNever had to go too far for lavatories and found stairs, elevators and many aleternate routes to make the ship very accessible.. Dining/FoodAlways a delight! Great food and Service. We were so impressed to see what a great meal and it's included!! Wow. Stateroom QualityI have to say, VERY nice. Always felt that our room was always tidied ( 2 times a day!!) and found cute towel decorations at night :) Ship Staff QualityGoing above and beyond is mild. These people work VERY hard to please as many as 900+ passengers with many that are hard to please, but you will always see a SMILE!! Entertainment & ActivitiesOkay, get ready to not be bored! This ship had something for everyone and a very neat daily schedule provided for you to be well prepared. Also, if you wanted to just relax Many quiet lounges to suite your mood. Nice Job! Children's ProgramsVery cleaver, having a 9 and 11 year old made it fun to enjoy evening parties and movies just for them! They were always secure and we found time to catch an evening show, or just enjoy a jacuzzi and drink. A mini-date on our Cruise!! Sweet deal....
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Key West, FloridaOur Favorite! After breakfast we went to port, did some shopping and then we went parasailing and had a Blast!! My 11yr. old had the "Best Vacation" ever!!! My nine year old could agree as he enjoyed the speed of the boat while we parasailed :)
Don't Miss: Seabago water sports!! Nassau, BahamasIt was nice, but it was too short as it rained a few hours after arriving. We did get to visit Atlantis. Do not miss this place. WOW!!!
Don't Miss: Atlantis Aquarium 7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Terrible Experience! Nothing for Kids! by
Andy K from Louisville KY Sailing date: Nov 2012Pros: Food Cons: Lies - No activities for 18 mo old. Worst cruise I have ever been on. Customer Service Organization is TERRIBLE!!! They totally misled us! I tried to resolve this with Carnival Customer Relations, but the only resolution I will get is to warn others about Carnival. I would NEVER take a cruise with them again (this was our 5th). They scammed me into bringing (and charging) for my 18mo daughter on this boat. They sold me on the pretext that Camp Carnival and the Pools/Water Areas would be available for her use. On our 3rd day of the cruise we were kicked out of the Water Works are because my daughter was too young. The crew that worked the ship did not even know the rules and had conflicting knowledge of the pool rules. NEVER AGAIN. There are no activities for Children with Carnival...take Disney, Royal Carribean, or NCL! WATCH OUT! I am a loyal customer and they treated me like this. NEVER AGAIN...I am warning others in every manner I can.
Ship QualityShip is small, but nice. Dining/FoodNot a lot of options and it is hit and miss. Desserts were good most of the other food was not. Stateroom QualityWe had a Suite and it was nice. Steward did a good job. Ship Staff QualityCustomer Relations = TERRIBLE, others were good. Entertainment & ActivitiesNothing for kids. Children's ProgramsGet serious....they had nothing to do and lied about what they did have. 10 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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wonderful cruise by
Dan W from NC Sailing date: Jan 2009Pros: ship was nice and all of the crew were great Cons: SENIOR FROG IN MEXICO DO NOT GO I had a wonderful time i am glad i gave carnival another change we went on victoria in October and i did not have a good time the crew were rude and not helpful however imagination was great. Ship Quality
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Cozumel, MexicoSenior FRogs is a total waste of time they double billed us
Don't Miss: Party boat with snorkeling was great Key West, Florida
9 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Deceptive: "All-Inclusive" by
Heather P. from Blacksburg, VA Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: physical ship Cons: nickel and diming The ship itself was absolutely beautiful and clean, and our stateroom was no exception. The cleaning staff came in at least twice a day to clean, pick up, and bring new towels. My husband and I were very impressed with the overall maintenance and cleanliness of the ship. Ship QualityThe decor was gorgeous, and the ship was clean. The layout was incredibly confusing, and they did not provide us with a map from the get-go. So, it took us two-three days of our four day cruise to figure out the layout (of course, we still didn't know where many things were). Dining/FoodThe dining options were very limited, aside from the seated dinner. I wasn't thrilled to find out that we were seated at a table of ten, with eight people we'd never met. So, my husband and I were never able to have a semi-private sit-down meal. A stranger or group thereof was always present. So, we opted to eat, many times, in the casual areas; but, the food there was always mundane and, oftentimes cold. The only exception was the salad bar, which was always very fresh and well-stocked. The hours of the casual dining areas were very confusing and oftentimes not accommodating to our schedules or to the shore excursion schedules. So, we ended up ordering room service a couple of times (which was included), except that you're expected to tip the person to brings it to your room. The room service food was overall very good, but it was a shame that, in order to get good food at a late hour or even just mid afternoon (b/c everything else was so crowded) we'd have to stay in our room. Stateroom QualityThe size of the stateroom on the Internet looked small, but its size was actually perfectly accommodating. The bathroom shower was the only thing that felt small, but it, too, was very clean and served its purpose. The location of our stateroom would be the only thing I'd complain about, as it was probably a five minute walk from the stateroom just to get to the elevator. That wasn't a huge deal, though, so there weren't any serious problems at all in that category. Ship Staff QualityThe only example of "going above and beyond" that I can think of was our evening waiter in the sit-down restaurant. He was fantastic. Otherwise, we felt that no one was overly willing to help us and oftentimes just tried to put us off on someone else. For instance, there were beach towels in the room that had a tag on them that said if you lost one, you'd be charged $22. Well, we definitely kept up with ours, but the housekeeper took one that was wet and dirty from the room and didn't replace it. So, we were afraid we'd be charged, so we called our steward. My husband explained the situation to him, he asked our room number, and just hung up. As of now, I still do not know if there is any resolution to this (by the way, that was the second contact we had with him--the first contact was a promise to come by our room to talk about it, which never happened, hence the call). Entertainment & ActivitiesThere were a lot of activities, but I felt that most of them were just ways to try to get you to spend money (like throwing "deck parties" where you had to buy any alcohol of even soda that you wanted). Another example of "entertainment" was a Bingo contest that my husband entered, where they charged $20 (!!!) just to play. But, just by putting it on the schedule, it makes them look good, even if it costs you money, because it looks like they are just providing complimentary entertainment.
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Cozumel, MexicoMy husband and I went on a tour to the ruins of Tulum. The tour, unfortunately, took all of our time in Cozumel, so we didn't go to the rest of the island; but, the tour was definitely worth the extra time and money, as we got to see Playa del Carmen and some of the mainland, in addition to great shopping opportunities in Tulum.
Don't Miss: Mayan Ruins and the beaches Key West, FloridaDuval Street was amazing. It was worth walking the entire length of the street just to see the beach there and the "Southernmost US Point."
Don't Miss: Duval Street 7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Excellent time!! by
Sarah R from Jacksonville, FL Sailing date: Dec 2011Pros: Very wide variety of things to do, great food (and vegetarian options always available), great customer service, quick getting on and off the ship. Everything was great!! Cons: The beds were too firm for me. We had so much fun on this ship. There was so much to do, at times it was difficult for us to fit everything in!! We got lucky at many games in the casino, the comedy acts were hilarious, the food was delectable, and there was something FUN to do for all ages. We also really loved Cozumel; very beautiful and neat. Ship Quality
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Stateroom QualityThe beds were just too firm for our liking, but we still slept ok. Ship Staff QualityStaff was pleasurable and accomodating 100% of the time Entertainment & Activities
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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The service was outstanding!!!! by
Maria from New York, NY Sailing date: Aug 2007Pros: Everything. Great. Dining/Food
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Grand Turk IslandBeautiful.
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Cruiseline Private Island)This island is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
BEAUTIFUL!
Nassau, Bahamas
7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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First-timer cruiser on Carnival Imagine by
Donna T. from Palm Coast, FL Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: Our spacious stateroom Cons: The high price of the photos they were taking on board. The service was great, the ship was in good shape and very clean. Food was quite good. The entire staff went out of their way to satisfy us. The people we met on board were loads of fun. Just had a great time and we highly reccommend a weekend cruise. Anything more we would have been bored. Different venues such as a jazz night club that you can get sexy with your man would have been cool. Also I would have enjoyed one of the nights to feature more old-school club music verses the latest in '09 hip-hop. Over-all we would do it again to a different port of call. Once you've seen Nassau, really no desire to go back. Ship QualityGet a big stateroom with a balcony. Well worth the price. Dining/FoodOpen dining is offers flexability. We liked that. Dinner in the dining room was OK. I would have enjoyed the opportunity to dine in a more intimate atmosphere however. Stateroom QualityThe upper stateroom is worth it. Ship Staff Quality
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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great family cruise by
A Traveler from Miami, Florida Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: very spacious cabin Cons: Dance music did not kick in until 11pm. The ship, although showing its age in decor, was very clean and had areas that had been updated. The cabin was much roomier than expected. The staff was very friendly. And the food definately surpassed any expectations I had. Ship Quality
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Stateroom QualityMuch more cabin space than on Royal Carribean Ship Staff Quality
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Children's ProgramsGood program for the kids. It kept my 4,6, and 8 year old entertained when they were there. 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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