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Imagination review 4/9/12-4/13/12

jackdis

By jackdis,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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jackdis

jackdis

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I am not sure how they are going to be with us going away. They just think we are going to be going to work for a longer time then normal. We went to Disney last year for a couple of days and talked to the grandparents about the girls and they never seemed to miss us or cared we were gone since they got away with murder they whole time.

 

LOL!!!! I think that is the universal role of grandparents!!! :)

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jackdis

jackdis

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We have gone with and without the kids. I do miss them when we are gone but it is nice to have just adult time to. Enjoying your review. Can't wait till we "get" to the first port! LOL

 

Thank you!!!!! Yes, the adult time is very nice. It's always nice to find out we still "like" each other and have things to talk about besides the kiddos!!

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jackdis

jackdis

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KEY WEST, Tuesday, April 10, 2012

 

We have been to Key West twice. This would be our third time there. We first went there in 2006, but not on a cruise. Loved it! We spent a few days there and a few days in South Beach. We did the Conch Train Tour, and I highly recommend this for any first time visit. It gives you a great overview of Key West in a relatively short amount of time. We then were there again last April, while on the Imagination. We were off the ship bright and early….before the shops (and some bars!!) were even open, but really enjoyed the quiet walk down Duval Street to the Southernmost Point. OK, it was a little long in the extreme heat of that day while wearing flip flops. Pedi cabbed it back to Sloppy Joe's. That ended up being fun!! Drinks, shopping, strolling around Mallory Square, and we went back to the ship by about noon.

 

Now, I must say, I really wish Key West was a longer stop than just approx. 7:30 -2:00 with back on board by 1:30. I must also say that I was very disappointed last year when I found out we were docking at the old naval pier and would need to take a trolley to Mallory Square. If you are reading this and feel the same way, DO NOT! It is not THAT bad. Of course I would love to dock right near Mallory Square and just walk on and off the ship (and be there for sunset!) but Carnival makes the trolley a very easy process. The trolleys are waiting for you as you get off. The spot where they drop you off in Mallory Square is where they pick you up as well. Last year, maybe because we were ready to get back on a little earlier, we walked right onto the trolley and it took us back to the ship with only a few passengers. This year, maybe because it was closer to the "must be back" time, we had to wait in line for a few minutes, but it was still easy.

 

Anyway, back to this year, Tuesday morning. We are in Key West! Yay! But that didn't stop us from sleeping in a little bit (Remember the 2:30 am wakeup yesterday for the delayed flight???) and eating a nice breakfast in the dining room. So we got off the ship a little later than planned….maybe 9:30?? My husband and I knew we wanted to try out one of these little electric cars. We were contemplated it last time and just didn't get to it, so this was our plan for 2012. The first place we stopped, closer to Mallory Square, was $90 for two hours. We walked about a block over on Duval Street and it was $80. We had to pay 20%, the guy in the booth called the company and they picked us up in a van and we paid the balance there. The place was only a few minutes away.

 

I must say, I didn't really enjoy it first!!! I am a nervous passenger to begin with, the husband is a city driver…just kidding….well, not really….and this little car has no side doors. Nothing to grab onto!!! Factor in the traffic of regular cars right near you, and lots of bike riders all over the road (some of which probably haven't been on a bike in 20+ years and feel the need to do so in Key West!!) and you can imagine my sense of panic. But it got better after the first half hour, or at least I got used to it. Yes, I was probably the only person in Key West that day wearing a seat belt in the little electric car!!!

 

We did an obligatory drive on Duval. Here's a tip: Simonton is much better. One block over. Less traffic. But as my dear husband pointed out, there's nothing there! Duval is where the action is! We drove around Key West. We drove by the Southernmost Point, Hemingway's House, and checked out the Reach Resort, where we stayed during our trip in 2006. We also made a stop at Kermit's Key Lime pie shop. Actually, parking was not easy. So I just got out and got us a slice to share while my husband waited in his little car.

 

For the record, the key lime pie was GREAT!!! Yum. We pulled over on a quieter street and enjoyed our little slice of heaven.

 

We drove around a little more and it was time to return the electric car. I must say, I am glad we did it. It was a fun way to get around the island and something that we always talked about doing!! I wanted to do a little souvenir shopping for the girls and all too quickly, it was time to get back to our ship.

 

Goodbye, Key West, at least for now. I really like it there and I can't wait to go back again someday!!

 

Up next…..What did we do the rest of that day on board???

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4lifeinnh

4lifeinnh

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Sooo glad to read a positive review of this ship! My DM & I are sailing on her 4/30 for the first time... only my second cruise. Thanks so much, I look forward to reading further. May I ask, what would you say is the best indoor location on the ship to sit, relax and enjoy the view? My DM is elderly and we may want to sit inside sometimes out of the hot sun.:) TU

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jackdis

jackdis

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Sooo glad to read a positive review of this ship! My DM & I are sailing on her 4/30 for the first time... only my second cruise. Thanks so much, I look forward to reading further. May I ask, what would you say is the best indoor location on the ship to sit, relax and enjoy the view? My DM is elderly and we may want to sit inside sometimes out of the hot sun.:) TU

 

Thank you for your kind words.

All along the Promenade, from the Atrium towards the back, there are tables and chairs near the window. You are inside, have a view, and can also people watch!! The Serenity area is outside, but also has a shaded/covered area that had nice breezes. Hope this helps!

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jackdis

jackdis

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[quote name='Bajan Keith']Nice Review. We sail her in August and I was wondering when I would see an Imagination Review. :)

Is this class like the conquest class/ I.e. do you have go through the promendade and then go up or down a deck to get to your Dining Room?

Thanks[/QUOTE]

Thank you! I've got a report from last April's cruise on the Imagination in my signature if you want to read another one.

We were in the Pride dining room. It was on Deck 8, one deck below the Promenade. The Spirit dining room is also on that Deck. Promenade is Deck 9.
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rexy69

rexy69

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I am really enjoying your review....we are sailing on the Imagination in a mere 2 days!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe the time is finally here!! And guess what cabin we have????.........U18!!!!!!!!!!! How weird is that??
We have docked in Key West before and absolutely loved it there. Can't wait to go again. I checked out the weather for next week and it looks like sun, sun and more sun!!
We're sooo excited....can't wait to go!!!! :)
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jackdis

jackdis

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[quote name='rexy69']I am really enjoying your review....we are sailing on the Imagination in a mere 2 days!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe the time is finally here!! And guess what cabin we have????.........U18!!!!!!!!!!! How weird is that??
We have docked in Key West before and absolutely loved it there. Can't wait to go again. I checked out the weather for next week and it looks like sun, sun and more sun!!
We're sooo excited....can't wait to go!!!! :)[/QUOTE]

Really?? It's a great cabin. Hope you like it as much as we did! If your cabin steward is Ida, I think, (pronounced E-da) you are in for a treat. He was great too!

Have a wonderful time!!! So glad you are going and that you have awesome weather in the forecast. What's your plan for Cozumel?
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rexy69

rexy69

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Thanks, we are excited about the porthole! It sounds like a great room. Did you hear any noises in that location? i.e. the anchor (or maybe it doesn't get used, since there's no tendering?)
We plan to go to the Money Bar and just snorkel, eat and drink. I read it's about a 7-10 minute cab ride from the pier. What did you do in Cozumel?
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cruisingbajan

cruisingbajan

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[quote name='jackdis']Thank you! I've got a report from last April's cruise on the Imagination in my signature if you want to read another one.

We were in the Pride dining room. It was on Deck 8, one deck below the Promenade. The Spirit dining room is also on that Deck. Promenade is Deck 9.[/quote]

So you can just go straight to deck 8 with no diversions?

Thanks will go read that other review right now!!:)
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jackdis

jackdis

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[quote name='rexy69']Thanks, we are excited about the porthole! It sounds like a great room. Did you hear any noises in that location? i.e. the anchor (or maybe it doesn't get used, since there's no tendering?)
We plan to go to the Money Bar and just snorkel, eat and drink. I read it's about a 7-10 minute cab ride from the pier. What did you do in Cozumel?[/QUOTE]

No noise at all!! The porthole windows are great!!!
We did the Money Bar last April. I wrote about it in last year's trip report. It's in my signature. We had a great day there. Awesome snorkelling!!! Yes, it's close to the pier. Might be listed on taxi chart as Dzul Ha. But taxi drivers know Money Bar also.

I'm just getting ready to write my Cozumel day's installment. This time, we went back to Paradise Beach and then went downtown to Senor Frog's. Great day!!!

Have a great trip!!!
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jackdis

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TUESDAY, continued…..

After lunch in the dining room, we walked around a bit and headed to Serenity to get some sun. The Serenity area on the Imagination is on the smaller side, so as always, finding a seat can be a problem. We were able to get some seats and enjoy the hot tub a little bit. The shaded area of Serenity is very nice, too. No rays, but a lot cooler, nice breezes, and a good spot to relax as well.

I must say, Jerome, who was handing out the Serenity towels, did a very good job watching the area. IF people noticed chairs with belongings on them that had been unattended for awhile and mentioned it to him, he quickly helped to relocate the "stuff" and find the people a spot. Officers were also there once or twice and politely asked people who were under the age guidelines of Serenity to go elsewhere. So it was nice to see some of the policies being enforced a bit more. Where there people there under 21 throughout the sailing? Yes, a few. Were there seat savers and chair hogs taking up spaces that they weren't using? Definitely!!!! (On one visit to Serenity, I thought one lady was getting up so I went over to her chair, only to have her tell me, "Honey, that is why I come out here early in the morning to save my seat.") Believe me, if I didn't find another seat of my own and saw hers unattended for awhile, I might have had above mentioned discussion with my new friend Jerome.

We were always lucky to find a spot, pull over a chair, watch like hawks for an empty spot in prime Serenity location - 2 loungers, table and umbrella - so all was good. I try not to let the annoying seat savers get to me anymore. The man still gets majorly worked up over this. Some people just have no consideration of others! But we definitely are not going to let some chair huggers ruin our day.

After relaxing and just taking our time to get to dinner. we had a nice evening. We made some new friends, had a few drinks, and just enjoyed the evening. I feel like I might be missing something, but this is it for today's installment.

Up next: COZUMEL - shopping, beach, drinks, and oh yeah, phone left in taxi cab!!!!!!!
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