More questions about the Inpsiration/Imagination

[lovevacadays]

How is the buffet? Is it easy to get around? Do you have any favorite dishes in the buffet, Main Dining Room, and any of the Specialty Restaurants?

 

Do these ships have anytime dining or just assigned seating? How is the specialty coffee bar and what types of pastries, etc. do they serve?

 

When you are at the back of the ship in the adult's sanctuary area can you hear much from the upper decks where the slides are? I was on Princess to Ensenada in January and the Carnival ship was by us. I could see the upper deck with the slide. Lots of kids having fun. I'm always happy to see kids having fun. However, when I go to an area where I want peace and quiet, that is what I am hoping to get.

 

Do these ships have any type of Movies Under the Stars/outside movie screen?

 

How is the storage in the cabin and bathroom?

 

Any particular things you like about these ships? I know they are the older Carnival ship so won't have some of the elaborate features newer ships have.

Perhaps some info on any particular lounges you like?

 

Is there a few good places to listen to music at night?

 

Anything else you want to add that would help someone cruises on these ships for the first time would be sincerely appreciated.:):)

[goduckies05]

No big screen on these ships. Love Serenity in the back. Very quiet! Buffet was plenty big and the food was good.

[The Phoenixx]

How is the buffet? Is it easy to get around? Do you have any favorite dishes in the buffet, Main Dining Room, and any of the Specialty Restaurants?

 

Do these ships have anytime dining or just assigned seating? How is the specialty coffee bar and what types of pastries, etc. do they serve?

 

When you are at the back of the ship in the adult's sanctuary area can you hear much from the upper decks where the slides are? I was on Princess to Ensenada in January and the Carnival ship was by us. I could see the upper deck with the slide. Lots of kids having fun. I'm always happy to see kids having fun. However, when I go to an area where I want peace and quiet, that is what I am hoping to get.

 

Do these ships have any type of Movies Under the Stars/outside movie screen?

 

How is the storage in the cabin and bathroom?

 

Any particular things you like about these ships? I know they are the older Carnival ship so won't have some of the elaborate features newer ships have.

Perhaps some info on any particular lounges you like?

 

Is there a few good places to listen to music at night?

 

Anything else you want to add that would help someone cruises on these ships for the first time would be sincerely appreciated.:):)

 

 

They have both anytime dining and assigned times and seating. I am pretty picky (and allergic) to some foods, so I stick to the basics. My girls love seafood and the lobster and shrimp were favorites of theirs. And when they found out they could get seconds was a plus for them. I am a chocolate fiend so the chocolate melting cake was a must for me. Every night. :cool:

We went to the specialty coffee shop and ordered the Starbucks type coffee (my girls did anyway). They had a six layer chocolate cake, carrot cake, chocolate covered strawberries, éclairs, I think. They were not the same desserts they would have on the buffet, which accounts for the cost.

 

We were on an inside cabin on the Riviera deck, and there was plenty of room for our luggage. There were three of us. The bathroom was small but served its purpose. The toilets flush loudly, not sure if that matters.

[mawvkysc]

The Serenity Deck was great because it faces aft. I did not hear much noise from above at all.

 

At the back of the buffet is the deli and pizza areas. They have hot sandwiches there. This can be a good place to eat the first day as most are in the main buffet line for embarkation lunch.

 

There are no specialty restaurants. I have only done anytime dining. Never had too much of a wait.

 

The steam room and sauna are free which is not true of all ships anymore. That is a plus for this older class of ships.

Edited February 16, 2015 by mawvkysc
Added to it

[SadieN]

I've sailed the Imagination in December, Inspiration in January & February, and B2B on the Golden Princess in November.

***

 

Bathroom vanity is a horrible redo. Whoever designed it should be made to use it for the rest of HIS life (I'm convinced a woman would never have designed such a thing)

 

On the plus side, shower is larger than the ones in the regular cabins on Princess. Same lousy shampoo and shower gel.

Need to request an underpowered hairdryer from the steward.

 

This class of ship has no coolers in the cabins. Need to request an ice bucket.

 

No speciality restaurant but there is the Chef's Table.

 

No MUTS.

 

What she does have is a very long seating area down the interior Promenade. Where Princess has four couches, Carnival has a hundred. An truthful 'exaggeration'.

 

Carnival's Piano Bar is usually very good. Not like Princess' at all.

 

The cakes at the coffee bar are very good. Love the carrot cake.

 

For breakfast there are several omelette stations inside and outside. No juice servers in the buffet. There is 24 hour soft serve ice cream and yogurt.

Edited February 16, 2015 by SadieN

[ccruisequeen]

chocolate covered strawberries from coffee shop. My favorites.

[SadieN]

The Mongolian Wok is quite good. It's located out by the pool.

 

 

The rotisserie is out there also. Between the grill and Mongolian Wok. Last few times they were carving lamb and chicken during lunch on the sea day.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

How is the buffet? Is it easy to get around? Do you have any favorite dishes in the buffet, Main Dining Room, and any of the Specialty Restaurants?

 

Do these ships have anytime dining or just assigned seating? How is the specialty coffee bar and what types of pastries, etc. do they serve?

 

When you are at the back of the ship in the adult's sanctuary area can you hear much from the upper decks where the slides are? I was on Princess to Ensenada in January and the Carnival ship was by us. I could see the upper deck with the slide. Lots of kids having fun. I'm always happy to see kids having fun. However, when I go to an area where I want peace and quiet, that is what I am hoping to get.

 

Do these ships have any type of Movies Under the Stars/outside movie screen?

 

How is the storage in the cabin and bathroom?

 

Any particular things you like about these ships? I know they are the older Carnival ship so won't have some of the elaborate features newer ships have.

Perhaps some info on any particular lounges you like?

 

Is there a few good places to listen to music at night?

 

Anything else you want to add that would help someone cruises on these ships for the first time would be sincerely appreciated.:):)

 

Imagination is a small Fantasy class ship, so if you have been on one, you have seen them all. Pretty easy to get around. No specialty restaurants onboard but there is a Mongolian Wok, a Rotisserie and a Deli, and room service and 24 hour pizza. Also a buffet and the main dining room has the American Table menu. It has been tweaked and updated and is actually pretty good now. Dining has anytime and assigned time seating options. Pick whatever one you like when you book.

 

Serenity does not get too much noise from the waterslide deck but the lido buffet above is quite noisy. Lots of grinding of chairs and tables and you can hear people above you quite loudly. Not a bad location overall though. You cannot hear lido music at all there though.

 

No outdoor tv screen or movies but there is a late night Mexican deck party on lido one night during each cruise. All the entertainment is indoors, on Promenade deck during the evenings.

 

The bathroom and closet space is good, plenty for two people although the closets seem to never have enough hangers for even one person. Ask for more and they would probably accomodate you. Bathrooms are fine, but no amenity baskets on embarkation day now. As a matter of fact, they have taken the amenity baskets away completely, so you don't see the eyesore of an empty metal basket next to the sink anymore.

 

This ship is old but it is a classic and for a short cruise, it is adequate if you just want to relax and hang out for a few days. Not a whole lot of new bells and whistles, but there is something to do for everyone for sure. I would say if you want to hear live music, there is a piano bar and a really good live cover band that plays on promenade at night. There is also a club open at night but it gets very loud in there. I think they also have music at the theater shows, but it isn't live anymore unfortunately.

 

I did a recent review on the 4-day Imagination cruise from Long Beach, to Ensenada and Catalina, it is in my signature, check it out.

[mawvkysc]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1325925

I found an old review of mine. Some of the info might be helpful. I mention the buffet quite a bit and Serenity Deck. The MDR menu might be different now if they have switched to American Table, not sure. Plus I sailed on Inspiration out of Tampa.

[lovevacadays]

Thank you everyone. A special thanks to those that posted links to their previous reviews.