Back from the Imagination today. Lengthy review of the cruise and American Table

[JGB]

Absolutely wonderful post..should be reprinted from time to time

[xbatt8]

This will be our first time sailing from Long Beach. How is the parking? What time does check-in open, and boarding begin? (We don't have FTTF.) Thanks.

 

You can check in at the Queen Mary fairly early - as early as 10, and from some accounts earlier. However, you can't start boarding until the ship is cleared. That can range anywhere from 11am to after 1:30pm (I have been on both ends before). It all depends on how soon customs lets them start the debarkation process and how long it takes them to chase off the stragglers. :)

 

If you do not have priority boarding, then you will be given a zone number when you check in. You will be allowed to board when your zone number is called. Priority folks (weddings, diamond, platinum, FTTF et al) get to board first, then the zones - starting with the lowest numbers. Depending on how full the cruise is, it can be crowded or not.

 

On the cruise being reviewed here I was a little later getting to port than usual for me. I got there a few minutes after noon and walked right into the Captain's Lounge (this is where priority checks in). Then I walked right up to security and dropped my backpack on the conveyor belt. After that I walked right onto the ship and right to my cabin. There weren't 30 other people around the entrance as I was going through the process, and there were no lines anywhere. I got the impression that boarding started pretty early that day as there were quite a few others already on the ship when I sat down on the Lido to eat at 12:25.

 

However, I heard later that we sailed with 100+ empty cabins, so that may have had something to do with the lack of crowds.

 

You can always take your best shot and show up really early and hope for the best. The earlier you check in, the lower your zone number will be. BUT, you will also be sitting around waiting longer. You can always walk around and enjoy the views and the sea air while you wait, but you will likely wait nonetheless.

 

You might want to look into FTTF. If you are planning to go ashore in Catalina it really helps getting off the ship in a timely manner. I have read stories about people not being able to get off until noon due to the crowds, and since the last tender back is at 3:30, you may not get much time on the island. It also speeds up the process in Long Beach.

 

Just a few random thoughts... :)

 

Bob

[woody73]

 

Parking is very easy . . .

 

 

You can check in at the Queen Mary fairly early . . .

Thank you both for very helpful replies.

 

Woody

[Ready2SailAway]

No need to worry, everyone has different likes and dislikes, and your experience could be totally different.

 

Case in point, I was on the same cruise with Stockjock and had some similar and some different experiences.

 

First, you should remember that a large portion of the food he reviewed got a 7 or higher. As you are not going to Ruth's Chris for dinner, I would think that 7's and above should not be cause for concern. Would it be better if they were all 10's? Sure, but I don't think you would find that on any cruise.. anywhere. People's tastes are just different.

 

I, myself, agreed on many of his/her assessments, and disagreed on a few others. My alligator fritters were not mushy and they had a very good flavor. Very distinctive. I loved the chicken quesadilla. The cheese was mild, yes, but Mexican cheese is. Queso Fresco and Cotija cheese are just not that strong. But I thought the other flavors were excellent. I didn't try the salsa, so it might have been tasteless. :) My steak tacos were also very good. The seasoning was very Michoacán, and my tortillas were fresh. Proving once again that luck of the draw has much to do with a person's review of any given meal.

 

I also had YTD and got bad service only one night out of the 4. The last night my service was very slow, but on the other 3 nights it was quick and helpful. The wait staff was very friendly and took pains to make sure our experience was pleasant. Had I been in the last night's section earlier, I would have been sure to tell the Maitre 'd not to put me there again. But, it was the last night, so....

 

I really liked the entertainment. Divas was OK, but I LOVED Epic Rock. Maybe because I grew up with those anthems, but I found myself singing and rocking out during the show. If you like Queen, Journey, Aerosmith, etc, you will probably like this show. But yes, if you sit on the bottom floor, be prepared for the lights to hit you in the eyes a couple of times.

 

I also really enjoyed the piano singer. Yes, he is quirky, but you have to remember the piano bar on a ship is much like Howling at the Moon or Shout House. The idea is not to be serenaded - ala a piano concerto, but to sing along at the top of your voice and be entertained. They often change the words around and sing a bit differently to get you involved. They also sing bawdy songs that may offend some people. If you know this going in, you can make up your mind if that is the kind of thing that interests you. It's not for everyone, but I had a blast being in there. I am, however, not easily offended... :D

 

Finally, as I was in the nightclub all 4 nights til nearly closing, I can tell you it wasn't dead. With comedy shows, Deck parties, other musicians, and the stage shows going on til after midnight, the club doesn't really get cranked up until past midnight (sometimes closer to 1am). Also, I thought the DJs were good. However, that is also a matter of taste. While I am even older than Stockjock (I'm 59), Top 40 and Hip Hop are my musical preferences. Earlier in the night, Chef Sur will play more Top 40 and Latin sets (Pitbull, J-Lo, Macklemore, Flo Rida, Usher, David Guetta, etc). He really likes to play a lot of Pitbull. Later in the night, Kapricon will play more hip hip type music (2 Chainz, Big Sean, Kanye, Lil Wayne, etc). The dance floor was very busy on the first 3 nights, but on the last night it was not quite as crowded. People were calling it a night earlier because they had to get up and off the ship early. I, myself, left early (2:30AM) on the last night, but there was still a good sized crowd when I left.

 

So, the bottom line is that different tastes will have different reviews. Stockjock and I agreed on many things and we had different views on some other items. I think we both had a good time and felt that we got very good value for our cruising dollar.

 

SO, rather than being concerned, be excited to see where you will fall in the review. Every cruise (regardless of line) is a crap shoot. It may be the best cruise you have ever been on, but it may be the worst. Let us know where you fall on the scale when you get back. :)

 

Bob

 

Hi Bob! Ross & Karen here. We sure enjoyed sailing with you guys on the Carnival Splendor 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise back in Aug2012.

 

We'll be on the 4-day Inspiration cruise leaving Monday, and since you've done the same itinerary on the Imagination recently, we wanted to get your suggestions for the following:

 

1) Where's the best location to enjoy the Sail Away?

 

2) Where do you like to go for lunch in Avalon? (we're renting a golf cart)

[Ready2SailAway]

Sorry about the length, but I wanted to provide a comprehensive review.

 

...

 

You get what you pay for, right? Well, we paid $250 per person including tax and port charges and we found that to be a very strong value. Are there areas where Carnival could improve? Absolutely, and I’ve tried to address those concerns in my lengthy review. But overall, this was a fun time and a good deal. 4 stars based on UFPD (units of fun per dollar)!

 

We thoroughly enjoyed your detailed review, thanks!

 

We'll be on the Carnival Inspiration 4-day cruise this week, and look forward to comparing notes.

[trainplayer]

I have only cruised on Carnival and have enjoyed them very much. This cruise seemed to have a little problem with the food at the night time meal. I was in the Spirit dining room.

 

I did enjoy the comics and the piano bar. I am trying to located a girl who was in the piano bar wednesday night, 4/2/14. She is blonde and I think she said she lives in Anaheim. I would like to get to know her as a friend and a cruise buddy.

 

Richard

[Stockjock]

We thoroughly enjoyed your detailed review, thanks!

 

We'll be on the Carnival Inspiration 4-day cruise this week, and look forward to comparing notes.

 

You are more than welcome. Have fun!

[xbatt8]

Hi Bob! Ross & Karen here. We sure enjoyed sailing with you guys on the Carnival Splendor 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise back in Aug2012.

 

We'll be on the 4-day Inspiration cruise leaving Monday, and since you've done the same itinerary on the Imagination recently, we wanted to get your suggestions for the following:

 

1) Where's the best location to enjoy the Sail Away?

 

2) Where do you like to go for lunch in Avalon? (we're renting a golf cart)

 

Oops, It seems that this thread got away from me and I just didn't check it for some reason. Sorry about that.

 

Hope you found a good place for sail away. I tend to spend it at the Lido bar as that is where we usually have meet & greets. You can also hear the DJ playing the common dance tunes in case you want to boogie down a bit. :)

 

As for lunch, hope you found a good place to eat. When renting a cart, we will often stop at the Vons in town and pick up some bread, cheese, salami (or other meats), and drinks and just park the cart on one of the hills overlooking the water and have a picnic. Beautiful views while eating.

 

We used to like eating lunch on the water at Armstrong's, but they were forced out in 2012 (Santa Catalina Island Corp owns all the buildings and decides who gets leases) and a restaurant chain was brought in. We have not found the Blue Water Grill to be even close to Armstrong's in quality, so we no longer go there.

 

Of course, any of the restaurants along the boardwalk will provide great people watching experiences. El Galleon has a few nice daily specials and their patio is a great place to watch the ocean and the boardwalk.

 

Again, sorry I missed your post, but maybe this will help for next trip.

 

Bob

[hbsurfcitycruiser]

Stockjock, fantastic review!!

 

We board the Imagination this Sunday. May I ask which evening was the formal night?

 

Thanks!!!

[GROUCHPUSS]

Second

 

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[Maraprince]

Sorry about the length, but I wanted to provide a comprehensive review.

 

If you see any errors in content or grammar/spelling, or if there are areas that you feel should be covered that have not been, please let me know.

 

Just back from a 4 night cruise to Catalina and Ensenada aboard the Carnival Imagination, which departed on 3/2/14 and returned today, 3-6-14. This was the shortest cruise I’ve taken as well as the lowest price that I've paid. This was my 5th Carnival cruise so far and certainly not the last. Here are my impressions of the ship and overall experience.

 

The Food:

 

Let’s start with the food, since Carnival is testing its new American Table menu on the Imagination and has been for the last few weeks. Overall, I think that the concept will work and work well. However, the execution left a lot to be desired.

 

We felt that, while the cruise was a good overall value, the quality of the food was mediocre and uneven. Many of the sauces and flavors didn’t seem to mate well together. We joked a number of times that they had hired a chef who was insane and who was just slapping ingredients together and hoping for the best. Also, the ingredients were often not particularly fresh or of a high quality, in my view.

 

I mentioned value, so let us not lose sight of the fact that the sky is plainly not the limit when it comes to quality of ingredients. But my traveling companion and I both felt that Carnival could do a whole lot better. Let’s get specific. I’ll tell you about some things that I tried with brief comments and ratings on a 10 point scale.

 

Carnival American Table Wine: I’ll lead with this, since there’s a bottle on every table and not much is likely known about it. It’s a Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and I was not familiar with the company who makes it. But at $29 per bottle, it’s actually very decent and opens up quite a bit as it rests. While there are more expensive wines on the wine list, if you are looking for a red wine that’s tasty and a relatively solid value, I do recommend this. Rating 7.

 

Alligator Fritters: Ambitious. Mushy and not especially tasty. Glad I tried them. Wouldn’t try them again. Rating 4.

 

Frog’s legs: Another ambitious offering. Pretty decent. Tastes like chicken. Rating 7.

 

Escargot: Very good although the toasted bread that came with it was dry and a bit stale. Rating 9.

 

Caesar Salad: Sort of tasted like Caesar Salad. But not exactly. 2 bites and that was enough for me. Rating 3.

 

Mongolian Wok (tried beef, chicken & shrimp): Pretty good. Nice seasonings that, unlike many other offerings, work together. Rating 7.5.

 

Pizza: Bland and of mediocre quality. Rating a generous 5.

 

Beef tenderloin: Covered with a lousy, overpowering canned-tasting gravy. However, it was the best quality beef in the dining room. Rating 9 (beef only). Skip the gravy or order it on the side.

 

Lobster: Small but tasty. Perhaps a bit rubbery, but enjoyable still. Not sure if drawn butter was real. Rating 7.5.

 

Polenta served w/lobster: Lousy! How do you screw up polenta?! Rating 2.

 

Broccoli also served w/lobster: Way over-salted. Another hard to screw item that was screwed up. Rating 3 due to over-salting.

 

New York Steak: Slightly overcooked and pretty tough, but flavorful and not fatty. Rating 7.

 

Steak Tacos: Lousy non-authentic seasonings. Cold, fatty, chewy beef that leaves fat clinging to the roof of your mouth. Dry, stale tortillas. Spiceless, flavorless salsa made of mushy overripe tomatoes. Rating 3.

 

Pork Chop: Cooked properly. Basic but well-seasoned. Rating 8.

 

Veal Parmesan with Spaghetti: Dry veal. Tough. Way over-breaded. Sauce tasted canned. Rating 5.

 

Fried Calamari: I love Calamari, but I didn’t love this. Over-cooked, rubbery, poor-quality breading that separates. Sauce mediocre. Rating 5.

 

Duck Potstickers: Better than anticipated. I enjoyed these. Rating 7.5.

 

Flatbread: Overcooked, dry, almost burnt. Okay but not too tasty. Rating 6.5.

 

Shrimp Cocktail: Very fresh. Small shrimp but of a high quality. Cocktail sauce is nice, but not nearly enough of it. Rating 8.

 

Salmon Filet: Pretty good. Seemed very fresh. One of the few sauces/seasonings that made sense. Rating 8.

 

Tortilla Soup w/Braised Chicken: Not bad but needs more seasoning. Maybe add lime and serve the tortilla strips on the side so they stay crisp. Rating 7.

 

Chicken Quesadilla: Doesn’t taste like real cheese. Try sharper cheddar. Dry, overcooked, stale tortilla. Rating 4.

 

Prime Rib: I was going to order it but didn’t based on neighbor’s suggestion & meat's appearance. Looked bad. Third party rating 6.

 

Rosemary Lamb Shank: 2 neighbors said it was awful. Small portion way over-salted & they sent it back. Third party rating 3.

 

Tomato, Mozzarella: Nice Mozzarella, pretty good olive oil, not enough basil, almost no Balsamic Vinegar. Rating 7 but could easily be a 9.

 

French Fries w/Herb Garlic Butter: Cold, dry, overcooked, soggy, stale, very little garlic. Rating 2.

 

Spring Rolls: Tasty w/a good dipping sauce. Slightly overcooked but still good. Could be improved by serving w/lettuce wrap & mint. Rating 7.5.

 

Roasted Pumpkin Soup: Not bad. Could use more spice. Might be better served as a cold soup. Rating 7.

 

Seared Tuna Appetizer: Small portion but fresh with a nice flavor. Rating 7.5.

 

Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake: I love this stuff. Had it all 4 nights (oink). It was overcooked 1 night. Rating 10.

 

Tiramisu: Not the best I’ve had but pretty good. Rating 7.

 

Chocolate Panna Cotta: Not as good as the melting cake but still pretty good. Rating 7.

 

We ate other items in the buffet and main dining room. But I wanted to focus primarily on the new American Table menu items.

 

The Crew:

 

Generally, I thought that the crew seemed less happy than on most other ships I’ve visited. That’s not to say that some individuals weren’t very friendly and helpful. But candidly, there weren’t nearly enough smiles.

 

Most of the dinner service was slow and sloppy. Wait times to order once seated were ridiculous. Water was usually not poured and often not refilled. Same with the wine. I had to do almost all of the pouring and refilling myself.

 

If I asked for something, I usually had to ask for a 2nd, 3rd or even 4th time. Unacceptable. I’ve never had worse service on a cruise ship, although certainly it wasn’t all bad.

 

We did have strong service from Leo and Oswaldo, who were not only efficient, but were fun and friendly too. Also, special props to Deny, our cabin steward, who was always friendly and did a great job keeping the room clean and the ice stocked.

 

My Time Dining worked reasonably well and wait times to be seated were not excessive. However, on RCL’s version, service was much, much stronger and we somehow got the same wait staff assigned each time. Again, generally mediocre to poor wait staff service on this ship and you got assigned to different staff each time. Maybe it would improve things with respect to familiarity and accountability if they found a way to assign the same wait staff each and every time. If other cruise lines can do this, so can Carnival.

 

The Ship:

 

When I first walked on the Imagination, I was somewhat disappointed. I thought she looked a bit old, tired and dated. There was way too much neon going on! But in time, she grew on me and looked especially nice at night. This is not a new ship, but the old girl still has some life in her for sure! Maintenance is very solid and the ship, while older, is kept in very nice condition. Everything was clean and worked as it should. I didn’t see light bulbs out, stains, spills, etc. The ship is kept up well.

 

Our Room:

 

I had booked an Oceanview room and was initially not pleased to be assigned to Cabin M263, which is the absolute last stateroom on the aft starboard of the Main Deck (deck 4). I was concerned about this room for several reasons:

 

1. Being at the back of the ship was inconvenient & a very long walk to most things.

 

 

2. There’s more motion at the front and back of the ships.

 

 

3. Vibration and noise from the engines.

 

Turns out that most of my worries were mostly unfounded. Sure, it’s a long walk, but getting exercise is helpful with so much eating going on. Besides, it’s close to the buffet! Motion was minimal. Engine noise was also minimal, though there was some extra noise and shuddering when aligning with the pier in Ensenada. Overall though, being at the back of the ship was no big deal.

 

The Big Bust:

 

I tried to sneak on booze in my checked bag. I used “Rum Runners”, which I thought were invisible to the X-Ray machine. Wrong! Got a letter to go to the security room where I had to open my bag while they searched it. All of my booze was poured into a large bucket and presumably disposed of! Darn it, that one hurt! The security officer told me that the Rum Runner’s spouts show up on X-Ray. Who knew?!

 

Itinerary:

 

Catalina Island and Ensenada are not super-exotic or exciting ports of call, but we had fun. Carnival (think Mardi Gras, not the cruise line) was going on in Ensenada and the locals held a festive parade that was over 1 hour long. We sat at Papas and Beer watching the festivities and it was a lot of fun. Catalina is pretty but a bit boring. Tendering from Catalina was a nightmare with very long lines to get onto the tender ships. Show up very early or do FTTF if you care about this.

 

Because the ports are relatively close, the ship travels super slow and even goes in a circle sometimes to kill time.

 

Suggestion:

 

Resume cruises from San Diego. Not only is San Diego a much nicer port to embark from, but it opens up a better possibility to visit more interesting Mexican Ports like Cabo San Lucas. Get back to San Diego, Carnival!

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation:

 

Everything went very smoothly. Carnival agents were friendly, efficient and well ahead of schedule on the disembarkation. Customs agents were painfully slow, but that’s not Carnival’s fault.

 

Entertainment:

 

Mixed. The singers and dancers in Divas and (whatever the rock & roll show was called) were very good. Adult comedians were foul mouthed but more funny than not. Not great but not bad. Karaoke was okay. Disco was mostly dead. DJ so-so but I really missed the bands that played poolside. The disco dance class thing was kind of funny. Piano guy was not very good (not sure of his name). I hated the smoking areas with a burning passion (pardon the pun). I could periodically smell cigarette smoke in my stateroom as well. While most areas were not smoky, I wish that I didn’t have to smell it at all!

 

Passengers:

 

A mixed bag too. Lots of tattoos. Some younger, others older (I’m 52) but mostly on the younger side. But they were mostly polite and fun. There was a shouting match in the main dining room that almost came to blows, but that was an exception. Most passengers were very well-behaved.

 

Internet Access via Ship’s Cellular Tower:

 

Painfully slow and expensive. Recommend buying Verizon’s 100mb data package for $25/mo (or similar from your cellular carrier), then cancel on your return, as it's pro-rated. I used about 35mb of data over 4 days just checking Facebook and such. Be careful not to stream anything or watch videos. Don’t upload or download photos. Suggest using a free app like DataMonitor to keep track of usage. Use free Wi-Fi in ports, if possible and available. Turn off phone when not in use, if practical. Cell phone usage can get expensive in a hurry. Data can be over $20.50 per mb without a package. If you aren’t sure about all of this, skip calls and internet access altogether and leave the phone shut down completely.

 

Overall:

 

You get what you pay for, right? Well, we paid $250 per person including tax and port charges and we found that to be a very strong value. Are there areas where Carnival could improve? Absolutely, and I’ve tried to address those concerns in my lengthy review. But overall, this was a fun time and a good deal. 4 stars based on UFPD (units of fun per dollar)!

While these food items might have been new to this ship, we had these items on the Splendor back in December 2013 in the MDR. Some of the more exotic entries as allegator fritters were under the heading of "Did you Ever". You could have as many appetizers as you wished. More sauce can always be requested from the wait staff.

 

We rather liked the expanded choices in the MDR. Mongolian Wok always has a long line except for the day of boarding. Way too spicy for my taste. We had late, assigned seating. MTD might have added to some of what you disliked in both the service and food being left out before being served at your table.

 

MARAPRINCE

Edited April 9, 2014 by Maraprince

[hbsurfcitycruiser]

Second

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

Thanks GROUCHPUSS :) :)

[cruise_junki]

Great information, thanks for sharing! Husband and I will be sailing on her July 3 2014 for the 3 day to Ensenada. Have done this same cruise when RCCL was sailing the Baja/Mexican Riviera route. Looking forward to getting out on the ocean again.

 

~Karen

[mj]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the ship and particularly the new menu. Always love to hear people's thoughts about the new dining concept.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your very thoughtful review.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Thanks for the review. You gave a nice balanced review and all responding gave great additions as to their experiences. I am going on a 3-day with the only expectation of enjoying being out at sea. I will be watching for more reviews on the Imagination. I do know my DD (sailing w/o her DD) and I sailing without DH will be spending quite a bit of time in the Serenity location. If anyone is still reading this thread I would love to have personal opinions about this area.

[Ready2SailAway]

You are more than welcome. Have fun!

 

My wife & I recently returned from our April 7, 2014 4-day cruise on the Carnival Inspiration -sister ship to the Imagination with the same itinerary visiting Catalina Island & Ensenada. This was our 10th sailing on Carnival –overall we had a nice & relaxing cruise, and were very fortunate with calm seas and sunny & perfect weather: Upper 70s in Long Beach and Avalon, low 80s in Ensenada. Inspired (pun intended!) by Stockjock's comprehensive report, here is a review of our experience -but do keep in mind that every cruise is different so your results will vary. We’ll be glad to answer any questions…

 

EMBARKATION –and ALCOHOL: My wife & I drove up from South OC and arrived Long Beach Cruise Terminal at 12:30pm, parked in the enclosed parking structure next to the Cruise Terminal “Dome”, dropped off luggage with the porter. We purchased “Faster To The Fun” (FTTF) right after we booked our cruise –see more info on this below, so luggage tags were marked “F2F” for quick delivery to our stateroom. With the FTTF logo on our Boarding Pass, we got to use the far-right priority entrance at the dome, then priority screening. We brought two 750ml bottles of wine from home in our carryon bags, which is allowed by Carnival. Our water bottles, both loose as well as those in a plastic shrink-wrap 8-pack, were randomly pulled out and shaken then examined for leaks & foaming –ours passed inspection..! Then proceeded to priority check in –got pix for our Sail & Sign (S&S) cards, passed thru security check & photo, then onboard by 1:00pm. Went to our stateroom U230 –no FTTF luggage yet (you’ll find out why) so went to the Forward Dining Room to meet the Maître d' and check our table assignment, then to the Spa to find out about the special deals. The Inspiration overall appeared to be in good shape and well maintained, and there’s no mistaking you’re on Carnival with that infamous “entertainment architecture”.

 

Back to the stateroom –our luggage arrived, but the gallon Ziploc bag that I had filled with white wine then sealed in multiple Ziplocs was confiscated (NOTE: Stockjock reported that the security officer said the nozzles on Run Runners are detected by luggage scanners, so my exercise proved they are also checking for liquids in anything).

 

Hit the Mongolian Wok for lunch since the line would never be that short during the cruise –highly recommended. Hung out on the Serenity Deck till the Safety Briefing, which was first announced at 4:30pm, said was in progress at 4:40pm but didn’t formally begin until 5:00pm. TIP: Bring a jacket or sweater to the Safety Briefing, since part of the time you’ll be outside at your lifeboat station. We were assigned to Muster Station “E”, which is the Aft Lounge. 10min briefing in the lounge (FYI: you can bring food & drinks to the lounge, but cannot take to the lifeboats), then we were escorted out to our lifeboat station and waited there another 10min until the all clear signal. Went back to our stateroom and met our Cabin Steward for the first time –gave him $20 (these folks deserve it!) and we always had a fresh bucket of ice after cleaning our stateroom twice a day. Our ship set sail at about 6:00pm –Sail Away Party!

 

“CRUISE THE VINEYARDS” WINE PACKAGE: Carnival advised that only the 3-bottle wine package is available on this shorter cruise, but we were allowed to order 1pkg for each of us, so had 6 bottles. Ordered these ahead of time a few weeks before the cruise –FYI: the price is the same and 15% gratuity is added whether you order ahead of time or on the ship. Tax was not added when we preordered, but since drinks ordered onboard had gratuity PLUS 8% sales tax added (except at sea after the casino was open and while in Mexico), my guess is that sales tax will be added if you order the wine package when you arrive onboard at embarkation. We figured the package saved us about $5 per bottle –not the up to 25% as advertised, but for 6btls it saved us $30 –and since we prepaid, this didn’t add to our onboard Sail & Sign account. We also preordered a bottle of Chardonnay, and requested delivery to our stateroom for the first day. It was in our stateroom when we arrived, but warm –without a bucket of ice, wine glasses or corkscrew. So we went to the nearest bar and exchanged it for a cold bottle, then had room service bring us a bucket of ice, wine glasses –and a free souvenir Carnival corkscrew. We also had paperwork when we arrived in our stateroom confirming our 2ea 3-bottle wine packages, and then received a phone call that we could choose our wines each night at the MDR; otherwise we could make our selections and have them all delivered to our stateroom right then, or faster to just go down to the Special Occasions Desk on Promenade Deck 9 and pick them up ourselves –we did this.

 

STATEROOM U230: Aft Oceanview (6C) stateroom at the very back center of the ship, we found motion & engine noise were minimal, noting that seas were relatively calm on this trip and the captain was good about approaching ports very slowly with minimal stern thrust required. The only odd sounds were from the high-speed rope winches used to tie the ship at Ensenada –but these only lasted a few minutes. And it’s very convenient to the Serenity Deck and Lido Buffet. The bed was comfortable, and the shower was decent-sized with plenty of water pressure. The air conditioning is very efficient, controlled by airflow that you can vary from none to full blast. TIP: There were two warm comforters in plastic bags at the bottom of the closet to bundle in if it got too cold.

 

If you’re a geek like me and bring your GPS, please note that my Garmin nuvi was able to get a satellite fix while sitting on the windowsill in this stateroom –just set it for “Off Road” mode. I saved the location of the Cruise Terminal before we embarked, so besides knowing our current location, direction & speed, I could also find out how far we were from home port at any time.

 

Directly across the hall from this stateroom is a large “Crew-only” door. We accidentally discovered that this leads to a stairwell, because as we were leaving our stateroom for the Safety Briefing, a crewmember opened that door and led us up those stairs –a convenient shortcut to our Muster Station “E”, the Aft Lounge!

 

This stateroom appears longer on the deck plan so I measured and confirmed that it has 21¼ ceiling panels vs 18¼ ceiling panels in a standard Oceanview stateroom, which at about 1ft per panel = 3ft longer, so the bed does not have to be against the back wall and you can actually walk around it. Also unlike standard Oceanview staterooms, the window is in a 1½ft recessed well –so you can sit up in the window space to enjoy the wake view, or store stuff there (we used it for drinks and plates of food). See stateroom pictures at the bottom of this post...

 

TIP: There's only one (1) grounded 3-prong 110VAC/60Hz electrical outlet (and one 220VAC/50Hz outlet) in most staterooms, so we always bring a multiple outlet strip and extension cords, as well as a fan to help mask ship noises (also earplugs) –and cool the room after a steamy shower! We also bring a toiletries organizer that we hang from the clothes hook in the bathroom, since there isn't much bathroom shelf space in the staterooms.

 

FOOD: Please note that we are experienced cruisers with realistic expectations here, and that each cruise is different –as are your own tastes & preferences. Here is our feedback…

 

LIDO BUFFET: Had breakfast here once… Steam table with scrambled eggs, breakfast meats and potatoes, breads, fruit, etc –it was OK.

 

OMELET BAR: Had this once –it was good. Cooked to order with your choice of meat, veggies & cheese, prepared with eggs or egg whites (not sure if they offer egg substitute). TIP: Be ready to tell the chef everything you want at once, as I first asked for all the veggies and BAM! –that omelet moved down the line for another chef to cook it while I was asking for ham, so before I could stop him he started a second omelet with just ham.

 

MONGOLIAN WOK: This is very good and I always go for it if the line isn’t too long, as the line moves slowly. Fill your bowl with a nice selection of veggies and wheat or rice noodles, then chef woks it for you along with your choice of beef, chicken, and/or shrimp (mussels & clams were also offered while in Ensenada and on Sea Day) and sauces: Black Bean (mild), Thai BBQ (sweet & spicy medium), Szechuan (spicy hot). HOT TIP: Grab one of the large white oval plates from the buffet (they no longer have rectangular trays) BEFORE getting in line, as they aren’t provided at this station.

 

DELI: Great built-to-order sandwiches, but closes at 11pm so grab two –then you’ll have one on hand for the late evening if you get the munchies.

 

FRUIT & SALAD BAR: Decent selection.

 

PIZZA: Cooked fresh & hot and available 24/7. I’m not sure if Carnival changed the pizza dough recipe or lowered the oven temp, but the crust just isn’t as good as it used to be. :(

 

THE TASTE BAR: We enjoyed this –always a different selection of two tapas, and never a line (this used to be a sushi bar which often had long lines). On Promenade Deck 9, near the Casino.

 

MAIN DINING ROOM (MDR): We always choose Assigned Dining, Late (8:15pm). We were seated in the Aft Dining Room –convenient to our stateroom. The dinners overall were fine every night EXCEPT on the last day at sea –MDR was surprisingly empty, and we found out why. I had the Penne Mariscos –mussels & fish were cooked until they gave up, the red (“lobster cream”?) pasta sauce tasted like Campbell’s/Chef Boyardee. My wife had Salmon –again, way overcooked. She also asked for steamed veggies, which were not on the menu –imagine a frozen bag of mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans), served way over-steamed & watery.

 

The “American Table” is the new dinner theme in the MDR, with a new menu divided into Appetizers, Small Plates to Share, Entrées du Jour, Grill Selections w/choice of sauces, Sides, and Desserts. Service was good but a tad slow. Based on our experience during this cruise we prefer the old dinner theme, but assuming Carnival is still working out the kinks in this new dinner program it should improve with time:

 

The Good: Lobster Tail with large Shrimp (got 2 plates of this!), BBQ Pork Spareribs, Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes, Sautéed Green Beans w/Bacon, Calamari (good temp & coating, although a bit salty to me; “zesty tomato sauce” was good, but I thought the “lemon aioli” seemed odd –like plain mayo), Vegetable Spring Rolls (surprisingly good & piping hot), Flat Bread, Seared Tuna, Duck Potstickers (pre-dunked in too much “Orange Duck Glaze” –would have been better on the side), Caesar Salad (just a hint of anchovy paste), Cheese Plate, Ceviche, Tomato/Mozzarella, Ratatouille.

 

The Not So Good: Flat Iron steak w/Béarnaise sauce –I asked for rare and it was close to that near the center, but tough and not so good towards the outside. Seared Striped Bass, and Seared Tilapia (overcooked), Shrimp Cocktail (imagine a bag of store-brand frozen shrimp, simply thawed and placed on a plate with cocktail sauce), Island Crab Cake (fishy, could have been mistaken for a salmon cake –which was on the menu a different night but did not try), Charred Romaine Heart (charred way earlier in the day on a grill, then refrigerated while soaking in Green Goddess dressing –so arrived cold & soggy), Escargot Bourguignonne (I like escargot and hoped these would be good, but arrived lukewarm and tasted just OK), Greek Salad (soggy).

 

We celebrated our anniversary on Cruise Elegant Night (2nd night, Catalina) –received a small piece of Coconut Lime Cake with a candle and a round of wait staff singing “Happy Anniversary to You”.

 

Corkage: There’s normally a $10 corkage fee in the MDR for wine not purchased thru Carnival, but we were not charged this on the 2 nights when we brought our own bottle of wine to dinner (from home).

 

Sea Day Brunch: We enjoyed this –I had the Roasted Tomato Soup then Filet Mignon & Eggs, my wife had a Bagel with Lox. FYI: You now have to pay for espresso/cappuccino in the MDR.

 

FASTER TO THE FUN (“FTTF”, aka F2F): This is listed on the Carnival website as one of the Shore Excursions for the port of embarkation (in this case, Los Angeles). For this cruise, FTTP includes Priority boarding, luggage delivered quickly to the stateroom, no wait to hop on a tender to Catalina whenever you want, special phone number & separate counter at Guest Services, priority debarkation. We thought all this was worth the $49.95 (total per stateroom –not per person). TIP: Don’t wait to order this –as with any shore excursion, quantities are limited.

 

EXERCISE: We didn’t use the gym this time, but we did check it out and the exercise equipment looked almost new. I wore my Fitbit (google it) throughout the cruise, and with all of the walking (on ship & in port), dancing, and using the stairs most of the time, I logged a daily average of 22000 steps, 10½ miles, 86 flights of stairs, and 4000 calories burned –however, I did not monitor my caloric intake haha ;-)

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Everyone at Carnival, both at the cruise terminal and onboard, was pleasant & professional.

 

INTERNET: Stockjock noted in his post that you can purchase a Verizon data package and use that instead of paying for the Carnival internet package. Since I have an old no-contract Verizon 3G USB Modem that I rarely use, I contacted Verizon who told me there is Verizon service on Carnival cruises and that I could use my USB Modem onboard, and that Carnival would charge me for voice calls –but NO CHARGE FOR DATA-ONLY ACCESS. Cool! :cool: So I purchased a prepaid 7-day 300MB national data plan applicable for my device (plans vary by device) for $30, and activated it the day before departure. FYI: My Verizon USB Modem did NOT work at sea with Carnival’s WiFi :eek: –unless I would have also purchased a Carnival Internet Plan (around $65 for an hour of access time at S-L-O-W internet speeds) which I could have accessed via my notebook’s built-in WiFi so need for Verizon. The ONLY time my Verizon USB Modem worked was when I had land-based 3G access in port at Long Beach and Avalon –not at sea, and not in port at Ensenada.

 

CATALINA: We pre-reserved a 4-person gas-powered golf cart at $80 and got 3hrs for the price of 2hrs, with a pickup time at 10:00am thru catalinaislandgolfcart.com. For FTTF tendering, we went to Guest Services at 09:15am and an officer escorted us immediately to the front of the line for the next tender. The boat ride is only 10mins, so we had 30mins to walk around Avalon before picking up our golf cart (~3 blocks to the south as you step off the Green Pier where we tendered). Please note that you must pay a $40 cash deposit (there’s a US Bank ATM nearby), which is refunded when you return the cart. They provide a map & directions for a scenic 1hr drive that begins by driving south along the water, then turn right at the Edison power plant and up the hill to the Wrigley Mansion (Inn on Mt Ada), back down into Avalon then up past the golf course to the Wrigley Memorial Garden ($7pp), then around and up the hill past the Catalina Zipline, down past the Bell Tower and Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel, and around past the Casino to the Descanso Beach Club. We then drove around Avalon to enjoy all of the Had lunch at Luau Larry’s at the beach next to the Green Pier. I had the Seared Ahi Sandwich –nice brick of blackened ahi tuna seared very rare, and my wife had the Ahi Poke –served on white rice, all excellent. Headed back to the ship around 3:00pm; no wait for a tender.

 

ENSENADA: We’ve been here many times, so slept in, had a nice buffet breakfast, then headed into town around 11:30am. We always visit Fausto Polanco Hacienda Furniture faustopolanco.com.mx , a brown 2-story building that was originally a hotel at the very south end of Ave Adolfo López Mateos (“the tourist street”). We then headed back up that street and hit a couple of shops along the way, then over 2 blocks to the marina and checked out the excitement at the Mercado de Mariscos seafood market. We walked over to see the boats in the marina then strolled the nice walk along the water back to our ship. That evening after dinner we hit the Mexican Fiesta in the pool area on Lido Deck 10 –lots of fun dancing.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: The DJ Sail Away Party on Lido Deck 10 got us into vacation mode. We didn’t go to any of the shows this time –too busy doing other things! Dancing at the Dance Club was great but sometimes didn’t start until later in the evening. Didn’t matter to us if no one was dancing –we just got out there and tipped the DJ to play a favorite. We’re pretty lame dancers, but just having fun is contagious and soon the dance floor filled up. Get this party started! We hit one of the early “family” comedian acts –very funny. We always go to the Piano Bar –one night it was great, and the other night it was weird & surreal –almost somber. The difference? The audience –so go, find some new friends and make the fun happen! And don’t miss the Mexican Fiesta after Ensenada.

 

CASINO: The table dealers were all friendly and more than happy to take our money haha, but we both actually won at slots! FYI: The slots no longer accept coins, only bills –and of course S&S cards. TIP: If you put cash in a slot machine and later want to cash out, the ONLY WAY is to load the cash balance onto your S&S account. So FIRST be sure to stick your S&S card into the machine BEFORE putting any cash in, and verify that it can read your S&S card. If it displays a card read error, go to Guest Services and have them issue a new card to you. Both of our original S&S cards had read errors for some reason, but our replacements worked fine in the slots.

 

SERENITY DECK: Very nice, only adults 21+ allowed, and a Carnival crew member was always present to enforce the age requirement. Never crowded except on our Sea Day.

 

DEBARKATION: We chose to use self-assist and keep our luggage with us, rather than putting them out for baggage handling the night before. We woke up at 6:00am already docked in Long Beach, so we packed up and for self-assist with FTTF we were advised to meet in the Forward Main Lounge at 7:15am. As soon as the ship was cleared for debarkation at 7:30am, we were immediately escorted down one flight of stairs (carrying our luggage) and pretty much the first off the ship –so no wait to clear customs and head home. Parking was $68 total ($17/day X 4 days). FYI: Carnival no longer has paper surveys to complete & submit onboard -instead, you'll receive an email invitation to complete an online survey a few days after your cruise.

 

 

And now for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: Carnival offers plenty of activities throughout the day & evening BUT, should you find yourself with some free time and would like to go exploring, then do check out…

 

SECRET DECKS: The two "Secret Decks" are located at the very front of the ship and are accessed through a door located on either side of the ship all the way forward: The Secret Deck on Deck 8 is accessed by walking forward past either side of the stage in the Forward Main Lounge, and the Secret Deck on Deck 11 by walking forward to the end of either stateroom hall. Here's some info from another post: You will not find a sign on the access doors explaining where they lead. There will be two doors to go through in order to access these areas. Always close the first door before opening the second, because the ocean breeze combined with the ship movement will funnel wind through the doorway at a high rate of speed. The access doors to the "Secret Decks" may be locked at night and at times of high winds. If the doors are locked just try again at another time. It can be very windy & cool on these decks while the ship is cruising, for this reason some of the best times to experience the "Secret Decks" are while docked.

 

SECRET PENTHOUSE SUITES: There are two “secret” penthouse suites located on either side of Deck 12 Aft, on the opposite side from the Spa next to the Fire Stations on either side. The black entrance doors have polished brass nameplates labeled “PRIVATE 1” and “PRIVATE 2”. Here's some info from another post: They’re designated PH1 & PH2 but not listed on the deck plan and purportedly you can’t book them direct, but instead via an upsell call to pay for the privilege. Each suite is big. When you enter there is a fridge & bar area and a door to the balcony, then a small table with three chairs and a TV, then further in are sofa sleepers that convert to beds in the evening. Across from them is a built-in desk area, and a door to the bedroom. Big king bed. Dresser area under a big flat screen TV. Big bathroom. Double sinks. Vanity. Tons of towels. Big walk-in closet. Bathroom with toilet and huge tub. HOWEVER… the suite is dated. Purportedly it was renovated a few years ago, yet still has that 80’s feel –which is before the ship was even built! The sinks are pink. The tub is pink! Dark black marbled tile floor to ceiling. The living room is bare. The furniture was just placed in the room with no other decorating. There are blinds on the windows. Dated! On the plus side: Lots of space. The drapes & blinds do block out a lot of light. The balcony is really big. You do have a life boat just outside and below the balcony, where birds like to hang out when in port. The fridge is very cold. The bed is comfy. Water pressure is good. So overall great staterooms –if you can snag one!

 

 

 

 

Here's some pix of Stateroom U230, highlighting the additional 3ft length, and showing the depth of the windowsill:

Edited April 22, 2014 by Ready2SailAway

[Linda the Book Lover]

Thanks for the nice review.

[Stockjock]

Great review! I agreed with just about everything you wrote, although I did like the Escargot and didn't care for the calamari or Caesar Salad.

 

Didn't know about those "secret decks" and I don't think they had the small tastes thing on the Imagination.

 

Still think that judicious use of the Verizon 100mb data package ($30) is the way to go, and then accessing it through the ship's cellular tower.

 

Sorry to hear that they busted you too on the booze front. I would have thought that the Ziploc baggies would have made it through.

 

Not to be a downer, but yesterday, I found out that I lost a $1,000,000.00 account because they had problems while I was on my cruise and thus are transferring to another office (I've worked for a major Wall Street firm for 25 years). I had fun, but it turned out to be the most expensive $250 (after tax) cruise ever! Bummer.

 

But it was fun and I'd do it again. Welcome back to the real world!

Edited April 23, 2014 by Stockjock

[Inspire212]

I wanted to ask if there is a formal night on the short 3 night cruise? Leaving on the Imagination tomorrow

[Ready2SailAway]

I wanted to ask if there is a formal night on the short 3 night cruise? Leaving on the Imagination tomorrow

 

Yes, "Elegant Night" is on the second night. Have a great time -and enjoy this warm weather!

[SadieN]

The small tastes bar is on the Promenade deck across from the casino. On the other side of the wall from the Photographers' main booth.