4 Night Catalina & Baja Mexico (Los Angeles Roundtrip)
Sail date: September 02, 2018
Ship:
Carnival Imagination
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: E196
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
Not sure I will travel on carnival again. It was ok for what it was, but I was hoping for more.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
In our few days on board, we tried the buffet, burger and Mexican place on Deck, and the restaurant. The buffet was largely a waste of time with less than desirable food, with the exception of fresh pizza. The burger place was worthwhile, and we had several delicious meals in the dining room.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Entertainment
2 out of 5
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
We had great experiences with many the staff members. Orlando, Vincente, Victor, and Ralph were wonderful. However, we had several issues during our trip, and never received a single apology from management or the staff member dealing with the issue. First, we purchased what we were told was a "refillable" cup for blended alcoholic drinks, meaning the refills were discounted. The first time I refilled the cup, I tried to have the bill corrected, only to be told that I "bought the wrong cup" - the one a bartender told me was refillable. Second, or room steward left a dirty sponge on top of our toothbrushes (see photos). I spoke to a manager and a staff member who came to collect the sponge and toothbrushes, and received no type of apology. We were given replacement toothbrushes only after I demanded them. Apparently, we were expected to keep using the originals covered in geger from who knows where. Third, when we received our bill at the end of the trip, there were charged we didn't recognize. When I went to the service desk to ask about them, I was told they were for bingo cards. We never played bingo, and we certainly didn't spend almost $100 on bingo cards .The staff person told me I would have to wait while the bingo manager "went thru the receipts" to verify we never played. It took them 30 minutes to do this while we sat in the lobby witnessing the shitshow that was disembarkation. After giving us a hard time they finally took the charges of the bill. There were many more run ins, but those were the most obnoxious.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
See photos of the sponge left on our toothbrushes.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was actually roomier than I expected. The bed and pillows, shockingly, were some of the most comfortable I've ever slept on. There was plenty of closercloset and hangers, and we even got our two very large suitcases in the closets as well. I did appreciate having a safe in the closet for valuables and passports.
We did the "submarine" which was actually a halfsub, according to the "captain." Total water off time. They took us around a corner, threw Chum into the water so fish would swarm, and we went back to the dock. We saw 3 types of greyish black fish.
The bet aand tequila experience was different. The description was inaccurate, as we did take a bus. The brewery was ok, nothing exceptional or innately "Mexican". Felt more like a California brewery. Nothing wrong with that, but we were looking to experience more of the culture. The tequila experience was AMAZING. A great little bit of history and education about agave and the process, and a really fun experience tasting. Our guide was fantastic and the yequila was sooooo delicious. If you have time, go to Hussong's. We were told it's the oldest bar in Ensenada. Also, the owner of the souvenir shop we stopped at was awesome. From the tequila tasting, walk out and up the street away from the ship. Past the adult shop (yes, adult shop lol) and restaurant, and cross the first Street you come to. Great guy.
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