Just off Imagination if you have quetions

[victory2020]

Hi All,

Just got off the Imagination 4 day to Ensenada. I'm not the type to post a review or take pictures but if you have questions I will do my best to answer them. We were in M15, porthole cabin. They still had old menus, but it looked like they were having a meeting regarding new ones.

[artisto]

I'm sailing on the Imagination this Sunday.

 

First time sailing out of Long Beach and first time on Carnival.

 

What time did you board? What do you think is the earliest time to arrive?

 

How was the tender at Catalina? How long a wait to board them to get back to the ship?

 

Was curious about the change in menu, I guess I'll report if they've changed your when I return.

 

Was there anything exceptually good or bad about the ship out cruise to be aware of?

 

Thanks

[SadieN]

We were on the first sailing of the Imagination.

 

How was the Lido food? We found it less than desireable.

and How was the ATD line? For us it wrapped all the way to the elevators, sometimes past them to the Library.

Edited February 6, 2014 by SadieN

[huneymoonerz]

Yikes, that's a long line for ATD. I am doing a 3-day with my 5 yo next week. It'll be her 4th Carnival cruise. We have ATD due to booking so late. Any recommendations to avoid the ATD line?

[GROUCHPUSS]

I was on the same cruise and boarding started very late like at 1:15pm normally starts around 11-11:30am

 

No blow dryers in rooms and only one electric outlet.

 

Have to push both sides of elevators to call for both side.

 

Serenity deck accessed through back showroom or staircase just outside pizza and back bar. Hot tub on right was very hot.

 

We thought the food was better than other recent cruises.

 

Single level dining rooms.

 

ATD room too small, always a line unless you go as soon as it opens or just before closing.

 

Piano Bar was Great but hard to find.

[JGB]

I would be interested in casino data..specifically the video poker...the various games, payouts,progressives etc etc. also do they have the table game "ultimate hold em"

jgb

[victory2020]

Getting on was delayed but we are Platinum & were off by 7:20, through customs by 7:40. Lines for anytime were always long, even when they first opened. We had set dining, first seating & had excellent service. Food was hit & miss. Didn't really do the buffet - lines for Mongolian Wok were always long. I love their calzones at the pizza but they were either not cooked or burnt on the outside. Lines for the brunch were long.

Played a little bit of slots but they were not paying at all. Don't know about the tables. Casino & bar were very smoky.

They were doing a lot of maintenance on the ship & we kept hearing big thuds in the middle of the night. Don't know if they were related.

Comedian weren't that good. Didn't do shows but could hear the music all the way down to our room on Main deck.

[JGB]

Also curious if there is a sports bar and if so does it have table top slots

[kkaren]

We booked this cruise 2 weeks before the sailing date. Received an upsell call 8 days before sailing and went to a Grand Suite. It was my 20th cruise with Carnival.

 

Boarding was slow. Even though we were one of the first on the ship it was still 1.30 before we were sitting down and eating at the buffet.

 

I enjoyed the Epic Rock show. No live orchestra band but the 8 dancers/singers were very high energy.

 

Didn't think the Hasbro show was very entertaining. Left before it ended.

 

Enjoyed the piano bar.

 

I didn't go on any Carnival excursions in the ports but went to the spa and had the Ionithermie treatment.

 

We had 6pm dining. The waiters did an excellent job even though some of our table mates were always late. It was gone 7pm one evening before they arrived.

 

For debarkation we put our luggage outside the room the night before. We went to the Xanadu Lounge the next morning as we were told to be there before 8.15 and a Carnival Team Member would escort us to the gangway. Well this didn't happen. The first we knew we could leave the ship was when we heard an announcement for zones 1-5. So now we are at the back of the ship, 2 floors up from where we are supposed to leave the ship and now behind non-platinum guests. When are you going to get this simple thing right Carnival? It certainly doesn't want to make us sail with you for the Platinum perks.

 

Overall it was a good cruise but I think I prefer the longer ones.

[john91498]

I'm thinking of booking the semi sub in Catalina. Does the tender drop off at the same pier as the sub?

 

Thanks in advance

[SadieN]

I'm thinking of booking the semi sub in Catalina. Does the tender drop off at the same pier as the sub?

 

Thanks in advance

 

The SemiSub loads from the Green Pier. That is usually the tender pier, though every once in a while we end up on the Grey Pier, a 5 minute walk away.

 

**

Hijacking your review with my own :)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=41552406

Edited February 6, 2014 by SadieN

[wingedpeople]

Hey there!

 

Do you still have the Fun Times? Are you able to upload it?

 

Also, was the ATD line so bad that you would recommend I try to change it? I'm leaving on the Imagination on Sunday and am curious. Haven't been on a Carnival ship in many years.

 

Thanks!

[SadieN]

Hey there!

 

Do you still have the Fun Times? Are you able to upload it?

 

Also, was the ATD line so bad that you would recommend I try to change it? I'm leaving on the Imagination on Sunday and am curious. Haven't been on a Carnival ship in many years.

 

Thanks!

 

If it was as bad as what we had on the 1/26 cruise I would change it. The ATD was the whole of the MDR off of the Atrium The aft MDR was for assigned dining.

[GROUCHPUSS]

Hey there!

 

Do you still have the Fun Times? Are you able to upload it?

 

Also, was the ATD line so bad that you would recommend I try to change it? I'm leaving on the Imagination on Sunday and am curious. Haven't been on a Carnival ship in many years.

 

Thanks!

 

ATD always had a long line. Most said that it took long to eat by the time they spent 45min get through the line to get a buzzer then waiting for it to go off for 20min they could have been almost done with a set time dinning.

[GROUCHPUSS]

I have the funtimes but they are most likely going to change a little with the 2 CD changes over the next few weeks. If you send me an email I will send them to you.

[GROUCHPUSS]

Make sure you find Marty Gast in the Piano Bar! He is in the Mirage lounge.

[victory2020]

Looking at the lines for ATD I would change. we were booked anytime & I went to the maitre'd to ask for a table for 2 in early. There was no one waiting for him a few minutes after they opened for dining changes. So glad we switched.

[JGB]

Appears not too many gamblers went on this cruise...good for you, I find that I spend too much time(money) in the casino.

JGB

[idlenote]

Excuse me for butting in but we were on the repositioning cruise and we saw the same problem at the ATD dining room every night. There was an initial rush when the dining room opened, then there was another about 7. We got round this by going up about 6.30 or 6.40 and getting a pager, then retreating to the lobby bar till called. Worked well all but one night.

 

When you get to the desk ask to be seated on the left side in the middle, if you can get in Joseph's section or the lady right behind him you will not be disappointed.

Edited February 8, 2014 by idlenote
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