2018 Catalina & Ensenada

Carnival Imagination Cruise Review to Mexico

jeffeva

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 26

Overall rating:

3.9 out of 5

4 Night Catalina & Baja Mexico (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 02, 2018

Ship: Carnival Imagination

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: U215

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

This was our first cruise, but will not be the last. Enjoyed meeting new friends and seeing new places.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Our boarding time was 2 pm, but we arrived early (about 12:30) and was cleared to board by 1 pm. Everyone was very courteous and efficient. It was a smooth and quick process.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Lido buffet was plentiful, fresh and tasty, but not spectacular. Spirit dining room dinners were great. Pizza and deli served tasty food selections but slow due to only one staff person for counter, prep, cook and server.... understaffed for the demand. We had breakfast in the Pride dining room once and while the food selections were good and prepared well, the service was slow and disorganized.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Our room steward, Mudita, was GREAT! He was personable, attentive and thorough. He came to introduce himself as soon as he saw us in the room and greeted us by name every time he saw us anywhere during the trip. We felt like there was a cleaning fairy, as every time we returned to the room it was impeccable with fresh ice in the bucket. ‘Mud’ is a great asset to Carnival!!!

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

The Imagination is an older ship and is showing its age - definitely needs a deep clean and facelift.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

The cabin was a basic ocean view, but there was a funny smell throughout. The light switch above the bed was poorly placed and easily bumped, making the overhead lights come on. The carpet was worn and there were a couple of large dings in the walls.

Ship tip

Always check the ship map, as there as some elevators that only go to certain decks and there are decks that are impassable (you cannot go from one end of ship to the other).

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Long Beach (Los Angeles), California

4 out of 5

We flew from GA to Lax and took the Super Shuttle to Long Beach, then spent the night at Hotel Maya. The hotel was decent but you pay for the location. The on-site restaurant was great, but our room selection was changed last minute, the room was small, and the bathroom door was broken. Our third floor room overlooked a courtyard that held an evening wedding and kept us awake until after midnight. When we left the room to check out the elevator was broken so we had to drag our bags down the steps. We took an aqua bus across the bay and enjoyed an evening walk in the park -very nice and only $1/person one way!

Thumbs Up 6

Catalina Island, California

5 out of 5

We rented a golf cart and toured the island - $90/two hrs. Beautiful views! Cute shops and decent prices

Thumbs Up 5

Ensenada, Mexico

5 out of 5

We did the tour out to La Bufadora and hit the jackpot with Jackie Kennedy as our tour guide. That young lady was a proud resident of Ensenada and had a wealth of knowledge about the history, politics and economy of the area. She was personable, well spoken and informative. Carnival is fortunate to have access to her!!!

Thumbs Up 5