Imagination Review: Santa Catalina and Ensenada, Feb 2015

[bonnie&clydecruzers]

Great pictures! Love seeing all of the pictures. Thanks for the review.

 

What camera did you use?

Edited March 23, 2015 by bonnie&clydecruzers

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Thanks for answering about the Casino - I might be going on the 4 - day in a couple weeks, depending on price! I have been doing RCI and NCL, havent dont CCL in a long time and am worried I will not enjoy such an old ship! But this review is very good and I'm sure its good enough for a short cruise!

 

How were the shows, not including the Comedian? Can you compare to larger CCL ship shows or other lines?

 

I'm not a big casino person but I generally will drop in a couple times during a cruise to play a little. No more than $20 either and I was actually ahead for a while although I lost it all back at the end. Losing 20 bucks won't end the world and you might win a jackpot on your last spin. Never know. They have 25 cent machines and a few $1 or maybe even $2 slots also.

 

The cruise I went on was impossible to pass up as the total fare for each of us to have our own cabin was under $200 a person even with fees and taxes. I wanted something different from the usual Florida stuff and my buddy had never cruised before so it was a good first cruise for him and anyone who wants a few days away for a good price. Check out my review and compare to Kobiyashi's - it's in my signature. I didn't include as many pics in mine but I talked about the ports of call a little more. The two reviews compliment each other pretty well.

 

The ship, although old, still has plenty of amenities for a short sailing (I wouldn't do more than 4 or 5 days on any fantasy class ship) and is in very good condition. They maintain the ships well and there is entertainment for all tastes and ages onboard.

 

I can't comment on any of the stage shows as I have stopped going to them as they were lousy, repetitive and not worth the time when there is other stuff going on. They have a very good rock band that plays at night outside the casino and the comedian hour is always a lot of fun. Club is open late every night although I'm not huge into that and they have themed deck parties on every cruise at night.

 

The imagination is a nice ship. Obviously not in the same class as the Breeze or Dream in terms of amenities but just fine for the purpose it serves.

Edited March 23, 2015 by FlyingCruiserNJ

[aubreyc1988]

I'm not a big casino person but I generally will drop in a couple times during a cruise to play a little. No more than $20 either and I was actually ahead for a while although I lost it all back at the end. Losing 20 bucks won't end the world and you might win a jackpot on your last spin. Never know. They have 25 cent machines and a few $1 or maybe even $2 slots also.

 

The cruise I went on was impossible to pass up as the total fare for each of us to have our own cabin was under $200 a person even with fees and taxes. I wanted something different from the usual Florida stuff and my buddy had never cruised before so it was a good first cruise for him and anyone who wants a few days away for a good price. Check out my review and compare to Kobiyashi's - it's in my signature. I didn't include as many pics in mine but I talked about the ports of call a little more. The two reviews compliment each other pretty well.

 

The ship, although old, still has plenty of amenities for a short sailing (I wouldn't do more than 4 or 5 days on any fantasy class ship) and is in very good condition. They maintain the ships well and there is entertainment for all tastes and ages onboard.

 

I can't comment on any of the stage shows as I have stopped going to them as they were lousy, repetitive and not worth the time when there is other stuff going on. They have a very good rock band that plays at night outside the casino and the comedian hour is always a lot of fun. Club is open late every night although I'm not huge into that and they have themed deck parties on every cruise at night.

 

The imagination is a nice ship. Obviously not in the same class as the Breeze or Dream in terms of amenities but just fine for the purpose it serves.

 

On my last cruise on the NCL Jewel, I did 20.00 a day and did not win ONCE. Never came out ahead. Oh well, it's just money right - for this 4 day my budget would be much smaller! But good to know, some ships have better casinos than others, pay out wise. I play for the bonus game and for entertainment, and if i win even a little bit of money, Im happy....or if I break even haha

 

We were on the Ecstasy and the Triumph and were not impressed with the shows we saw in 2010 - RCI and NCL the shows were a lot better, but i bet you are right, not worth the time for the production shows.

 

Right now, it is 288 incl taxes pp for us to go. A little high, considering I just did a 7 day NCL with free drinks for 400pp. Maybe they will go down in price some closer to April, as I can book last minute

Edited March 23, 2015 by aubreyc1988

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

On my last cruise on the NCL Jewel, I did 20.00 a day and did not win ONCE. Never came out ahead. Oh well, it's just money right - for this 4 day my budget would be much smaller! But good to know, some ships have better casinos than others, pay out wise. I play for the bonus game and for entertainment, and if i win even a little bit of money, Im happy....or if I break even haha

 

We were on the Ecstasy and the Triumph and were not impressed with the shows we saw in 2010 - RCI and NCL the shows were a lot better, but i bet you are right, not worth the time for the production shows.

 

Right now, it is 288 incl taxes pp for us to go. A little high, considering I just did a 7 day NCL with free drinks for 400pp. Maybe they will go down in price some closer to April, as I can book last minute

 

That's how I feel about casinos on board. Never go into one expecting to win but you can have a few hours of fun playing on a little money if you do it right. I have Atlantic city and the casinos in Philly right down the street so casinos aren't a huge novelty but they can be fun. They don't have to pay out as much to players on slots as land-based casinos either due to less regulations.

 

I've been on the ecstasy but not the triumph but most Carnival shows suck equally these days. They did away with the live bands on most if not all ships and the quality and variety of the shows themselves are just bad now. The performers try their best but Broadway this ain't. I've only been on royal once but didn't care too much for it. I will actually be on the Jewel in May, headed to Alaska for the second time. My mom has sailed it and loves it. I will probably love it. I know you need tickets for stage shows on royal but not on carnival. Only thing you need tickets for are the carnival live concerts and if my experience is the norm, half of those tix end up being free as nobody would be willing to put out the $. Plenty of stuff to do in the evenings though, I forget the production shows are even going on most of the time.

 

I know great deals can be found on royal and ncl also but you can always get a really good last minute deal on carnival also. I usually book mine pretty close to sail date for short sailings. Different story for long cruises though.

[aubreyc1988]

That's how I feel about casinos on board. Never go into one expecting to win but you can have a few hours of fun playing on a little money if you do it right. I have Atlantic city and the casinos in Philly right down the street so casinos aren't a huge novelty but they can be fun. They don't have to pay out as much to players on slots as land-based casinos either due to less regulations.

 

I've been on the ecstasy but not the triumph but most Carnival shows suck equally these days. They did away with the live bands on most if not all ships and the quality and variety of the shows themselves are just bad now. The performers try their best but Broadway this ain't. I've only been on royal once but didn't care too much for it. I will actually be on the Jewel in May, headed to Alaska for the second time. My mom has sailed it and loves it. I will probably love it. I know you need tickets for stage shows on royal but not on carnival. Only thing you need tickets for are the carnival live concerts and if my experience is the norm, half of those tix end up being free as nobody would be willing to put out the $. Plenty of stuff to do in the evenings though, I forget the production shows are even going on most of the time.

 

I know great deals can be found on royal and ncl also but you can always get a really good last minute deal on carnival also. I usually book mine pretty close to sail date for short sailings. Different story for long cruises though.

 

 

Go to the RCI Quest show, you will like that for sure! Also the iceskating shows are good, ice skating takes real talent and I enjoy watching them.

 

I will try to call my CCL PCC when it gets closer to the date and see if he can work something out - hes always calling my husband, trying to get us back on CCL, so he might have something, who knows

[Kobayashi]

Wow, you are certainly more thorough than I am! I loved your review; so much detail! I also spied myself in one of your photos :) That was great! I'm so glad we are both doing them, I like your style! Very comprehensive review!

 

Thanks! I use these reviews as my travel journal. Looking forward to reading the rest of your review!

[Kobayashi]

Thanks for the review

 

some questions

 

 

How was the entertainment, maybe compared to an older NCL or RCI ship? like how were the shows at night?

 

 

Any 1c/1 min bet line penny machines?

 

How was the food? What were the for pay restaurants and how much were they

 

Thanks!

 

I don't play the slot machines so I'll have to defer to others that may know to answer your question.

 

Food tastes are subjective so I keep my reviews neutral. But to answer your question, IMHO the food was good and I often order two servings of several dishes, specifically the chilled soups and the salads. Also, this is a Fantasy Class ship so there are no specialty pay restaurants. You can order steakhouse items from the MDR menu for an additional $20.

 

I enjoyed the entertainment. Epic Rock plays hard rock anthem songs. Divas plays songs from female singers. I've seen these shows on previous sailings but I still attend them.

[Kobayashi]

Great great review, very much appreciated. Taking the imagination 2 April.

One question how come you didn't leave l.b. till 7 p.m.??

JGB

 

Thanks! I'm assuming you're referring to the embarkation Fun Times noting a 7:00 p.m. departure? If so, this was an error which there were a few in the Fun Times throughout the week. I can't recall the other errors at this time but regarding the departure we left at 5:00 - 5:30.

 

A big thanks to you! Loved the review.

 

Thank you!

[aubreyc1988]

Thanks!

 

I don't play the slot machines so I'll have to defer to others that may know to answer your question.

 

Food tastes are subjective so I keep my reviews neutral. But to answer your question, IMHO the food was good and I often order two servings of several dishes, specifically the chilled soups and the salads. Also, this is a Fantasy Class ship so there are no specialty pay restaurants. You can order steakhouse items from the MDR menu for an additional $20.

 

I enjoyed the entertainment. Epic Rock plays hard rock anthem songs. Divas plays songs from female singers. I've seen these shows on previous sailings but I still attend them.

 

you feel like the steaks were worth the extra 20.00, as opposed to the free steak?

[Kobayashi]

This review really rocks……

But anyway, thanks for posting, I enjoyed seeing someone else's perspective of that particular cruise route.

Thanks! It takes a lot of work to put together the type of review I prefer to write.

 

….. I might be going on the 4 - day in a couple weeks, depending on price! I have been doing RCI and NCL, havent dont CCL in a long time and am worried I will not enjoy such an old ship! But this review is very good and I'm sure its good enough for a short cruise!

Thanks. I write these types of reviews in the hope that others can benefit as well as having a journal from my cruise. Hope you can make the cruise. It’s definitely a great getaway. For me the prices are incredible and I’m local. It’s not the Dream or Oasis but if you go in knowing this, you’ll have a great time.

 

Great pictures! Love seeing all of the pictures. Thanks for the review.

What camera did you use?

 

Thank you! My camera is my Iphone 6 Plus. Cheers!

[Kobayashi]

you feel like the steaks were worth the extra 20.00, as opposed to the free steak?

 

I've never ordered from the steakhouse selection menu so I thought I would try it on this cruise. I ordered the surf and turf the day after elegant night which I had the flat iron steak and lobster. IMHO, the steakhouse selection taste's better than the flat iron steak but without the spice rub that's available at the actual steakhouse, I would pass next time. I did this to try once. My next sailing on the Inspiration in May I'll stick with the free steak and will pass on the steakhouse selection menu. Hope that helps.

[aubreyc1988]

I've never ordered from the steakhouse selection menu so I thought I would try it on this cruise. I ordered the surf and turf the day after elegant night which I had the flat iron steak and lobster. IMHO, the steakhouse selection taste's better than the flat iron steak but without the spice rub that's available at the actual steakhouse, I would pass next time. I did this to try once. My next sailing on the Inspiration in May I'll stick with the free steak and will pass on the steakhouse selection menu. Hope that helps.

 

yep, it does, thanks! Im on a budget, and I have done specialty dining at RCI and NCL, so was wondering HOW much better the steak was - I think i'll live with the freebie steak and spend my 20.00 elsewhere!

 

Fav place to get drinks on the ship?

[Kobayashi]

yep, it does, thanks! Im on a budget, and I have done specialty dining at RCI and NCL, so was wondering HOW much better the steak was - I think i'll live with the freebie steak and spend my 20.00 elsewhere!

 

Fav place to get drinks on the ship?

 

Favorite place for a drink? That's a tough one. I have favorite places to drink for certain activities.

 

Atrium Bar for sail away and the last night's show. The last night's show in this case was the Mardi Gras event. Both times the places are packed and I enjoy the energy from the crowd - you can view the video I posted.

 

The Dream Bar. This is on the promenade deck and where the live band plays. I enjoy having a drink here and listening to the live music. The only issue I have is this is next to the casino and one of the only places where smoking is allowed so the area does get smokey right by the casino.

[yamsi12]

Thanks for the review. My wife and I did the 3 day cruise on the Inspiration last October. The only thing I disliked about the whole thing was the sea day, where the ship wallowed in the ocean at a brisk 1.2 knots. The ship moving that slow really magnified the bobbing feeling, causing some to get sea sick.

[Kobayashi]

Thanks for the review. My wife and I did the 3 day cruise on the Inspiration last October. The only thing I disliked about the whole thing was the sea day, where the ship wallowed in the ocean at a brisk 1.2 knots. The ship moving that slow really magnified the bobbing feeling, causing some to get sea sick.

 

 

Thanks! I enjoy both the Inspiration and Imagination equally. Great for a nice getaway with great prices.

[mlipreston]

Great review. I've cruised her in the past but still loved looking at your pictures and reading you write-up. Thank you! :)

[seashell4274]

Thank you for your review. We are going on this cruise on Inspiration this summer. New internary for me. We will be flying in from Chicago.

 

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[Kobayashi]

Great review. I've cruised her in the past but still loved looking at your pictures and reading you write-up. Thank you! :)

 

 

Thanks! She's a great ship. Glad you enjoyed it!

[Kobayashi]

Thank you for your review. We are going on this cruise on Inspiration this summer. New internary for me. We will be flying in from Chicago.

 

 

Thanks! I'm sailing the four night Inspiration cruise in May and am considering writing another review with just the cruise documents - Fun Times and Fun Ashore - to help others. You can almost literally use the same pictures for the Inspiration as you can for the Imagination. The ships are very similar. Enjoy your cruise!

[wizfourfam]

Did they provide you with a paper statement in your cabin the final night? We could only see/print our charges on a kiosk. Last night of cruise, kiosks had long lines, froze up and printers went down. As you can imagine, lines at the main desk were snaked around the atrium. Not an ideal situation

[Kobayashi]

Did they provide you with a paper statement in your cabin the final night? We could only see/print our charges on a kiosk. Last night of cruise, kiosks had long lines, froze up and printers went down. As you can imagine, lines at the main desk were snaked around the atrium. Not an ideal situation

 

 

I printed a copy of my statement during the last day (sea day) in the mid afternoon. I didn't have any charges after that. A copy of my statement wasn't given to me on the final night. There is another kiosk on the promenade deck to print your statement and rarely has a line. There's also one by guest services on the empress deck but those lines are usually busy on the last day. Th

 

[Elaine2]

What a fantastic review ! You're hired, lol !!

 

 

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[aubreyc1988]

Just curious, were you able to get Cheers on the second day? or does it have to be the first

[Ranyw]

Thanks for taking the time to do this review. Honestly one of the BEST REVIEWS ON CC !!!! :):):)

[Kobayashi]

What a fantastic review ! You're hired, lol !!

 

 

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!