Baja California Imagination review - long review

[Curleegirl]

Two friends and myself took the 3 night/4 day cruise to Ensenada. We departed on 3/30 and returned 4/1

 

The good: The staff and entertainment were the best part. I was on RCL a few years ago and the cabin steward had fewer people to attend to, but was almost never around and forgot about our requests. Viktor on CC had a lot of people to attend to but was always around and very responsive. Other passengers who cruised on this itinerary before were envious as they had a different steward.

 

We loved the Epic Rock show, the comedians and the last night party in the atrium.

 

One of my friends smokes so we hung out at the bar next to the casino. The bartender Christine was very gracious and fun. There is a stage for live music and all the band's were excellent. Christine added to the vibe. It was a nice hangout for the 40 + crowd. We also liked the smoking area on deck 11.

 

The food was acceptable. My friends weren't into the MDR, we had your time dining and it was very rushed. Cruising with other friends on RCL we would really look forward to the MDR. People have different cruise styles.

 

Guys was great and I liked my breakfast burrito at the Blue Iguana.

 

Ensenada was lovely. We got excursions off the ship and saved $$$. I spend a lot of vacations in Mexico so it was nice seeing a new area.

 

The bad: The decor!!!! It was dark, ugly and depressing. It made the difference between an okay cruise and a great one.

 

Pizza Pirate and lido buffet off hours: There were only one or two pizzas made at a given time. Being that the comedy club is right below pizza pirate you'd think they would make more pizzas. Also the hours at the lido buffet were odd. A friend got up late and missed the buffet. If she didn't like burgers she would have had to wait till dinner. She didn't want room service.

 

I would have liked to have used the hot tubs on the serenity deck, but unlike the monitoring of the chaise lounges the hot tubs were not monitored. People got in at 11:00 am and stayed. It was unseasonably cold and it would have been nice to soak for awhile. I am not a sauna person or I would have used the sauna.

 

Lastly, CC mislead me when I asked about spring break and notorious partying. I was informed that they don't book people under 25 unless they are with their parents. As I wandered around the ship there were lots of kids who were celebrating their 21st birthday and I didn't see their parents. I got into a few conversations with some younger passengers and most were in cabins with kids 20-23.

 

Overall, I had fun. A lot depends on who you go with. My friends will be rebooking, but I'd rather save my money for a longer cruise on a newer ship with less visually assaulting decor. I will try CC again. I don't think the Imagination is a good representation of CC.

[GradUT]

Interesing comments regarding the decor. I must admit that I actually got a hoot out of the decor when we were on the Imagination in August. Did you not see the rows of "perky" nude Egyptian goddesses? I just had to laugh when I saw them! Personally, decor is the last thing I think about on a cruise.

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[heffy2]

Nice review, thank you!

[bluebolt]

Two friends and myself took the 3 night/4 day cruise to Ensenada. We departed on 3/30 and returned 4/1

 

The good: The staff and entertainment were the best part. I was on RCL a few years ago and the cabin steward had fewer people to attend to, but was almost never around and forgot about our requests. Viktor on CC had a lot of people to attend to but was always around and very responsive. Other passengers who cruised on this itinerary before were envious as they had a different steward.

 

We loved the Epic Rock show, the comedians and the last night party in the atrium.

 

One of my friends smokes so we hung out at the bar next to the casino. The bartender Christine was very gracious and fun. There is a stage for live music and all the band's were excellent. Christine added to the vibe. It was a nice hangout for the 40 + crowd. We also liked the smoking area on deck 11.

 

The food was acceptable. My friends weren't into the MDR, we had your time dining and it was very rushed. Cruising with other friends on RCL we would really look forward to the MDR. People have different cruise styles.

 

Guys was great and I liked my breakfast burrito at the Blue Iguana.

 

Ensenada was lovely. We got excursions off the ship and saved $$$. I spend a lot of vacations in Mexico so it was nice seeing a new area.

 

The bad: The decor!!!! It was dark, ugly and depressing. It made the difference between an okay cruise and a great one.

 

Pizza Pirate and lido buffet off hours: There were only one or two pizzas made at a given time. Being that the comedy club is right below pizza pirate you'd think they would make more pizzas. Also the hours at the lido buffet were odd. A friend got up late and missed the buffet. If she didn't like burgers she would have had to wait till dinner. She didn't want room service.

 

I would have liked to have used the hot tubs on the serenity deck, but unlike the monitoring of the chaise lounges the hot tubs were not monitored. People got in at 11:00 am and stayed. It was unseasonably cold and it would have been nice to soak for awhile. I am not a sauna person or I would have used the sauna.

 

Lastly, CC mislead me when I asked about spring break and notorious partying. I was informed that they don't book people under 25 unless they are with their parents. As I wandered around the ship there were lots of kids who were celebrating their 21st birthday and I didn't see their parents. I got into a few conversations with some younger passengers and most were in cabins with kids 20-23.

 

Overall, I had fun. A lot depends on who you go with. My friends will be rebooking, but I'd rather save my money for a longer cruise on a newer ship with less visually assaulting decor. I will try CC again. I don't think the Imagination is a good representation of CC.

 

Thanks for the review! We're going on this next week. A group of us in our mid-30s. I've been on the 4-night/5-day Baja cruise (back when it was Paradise), and thought the same thing about the decor. I guess I'm not a huge fan of the Fantasy class. Oh well, I've set my expectations lower for this cruise, so it'll be fine.

 

In general how was the crowd? Rowdy, mellow? During the 4-nighter, we found the other passengers more subdued than I have seen on other cruises. The dance club was mostly empty at night and at times the ship felt like a ghost town. Maybe that is just because it was a weekday cruise. I mean, it was nice that there wasn't hoards of drunk 21 year old bros doing 4 shots in a row and throwing up in the hallways, but a few more people our age who like to dance past 9pm wouldn't be bad. ;p

[Curleegirl]

There were a lot of bachelor and bachelorette parties. On the positive side I think most of the spring breakers are done by now. The first night was out of hand, but the rest of the nights were fine. Everyone seemed to break into different area of the ship depending on age. We didn't come across too many rowdy people. The pool are was the noisiest area. People seemed to favor the anytime dining than the buffet.