Embarkment-This was a fairly decent process. We did not have to wait in a long line. We arrived at the port about 10:30-11:00 once all of our family members were together they checked our ID and along we went to talk with the people at the embarkment desk, which she asked for our birth certificates for us and the kids and match them with our ID, and off we went to wait in the blue chairs until your row is called to board the ship. We were on the ship by 12:00 pm.
CruiseShip-The first thing we did was went to our room to drop off our bags, Celio our cabin steward was still cleaning our room but he let us drop our bags off and we tol him we woud come back later. He was very nice our whole cruise and he accomodate us very well.
After droping our bags off we went to the Lido deck and of course ate, the hamburgers on this cruise was the bomb. Allthough after a while we got tired of them but they were really good. My husband ate the hotdogs and he said they were beef hotdogs and really good also. After that we cruise around the ship and just familarizing ourself to it. We were kind of waiting around for the Muster drill which happen around 4:00. It was not bad I heard so many people talk about how hot it it during this process and YES, it was hot Ernesto was on his way but did not affect our cruise at all but I was surprise that our muster drill was inside in air condition, and some other people who I talked with saud that theirs was inside as well, so I do not know if their were any people outside in the hot weather during the muster drill or not. Even though we were inside it was a tedious process with those life jackests on so I just wanted it to be over. Not soon after that we were sailing off, do not know where I was at when we started to sail, but I know I wanted to be somewhere watching and I was not at all until a little after we were a ways out so I am upset that I did not see the true sail off, although my husband was exactly where I wanted to be when I watch the video back and was like I wonder what the heck I was doing. We took our 10 year old son with us and alot of my relax time was spent watching him in the pool.
So all in all the trip is going good cruise the ship some more ate some more and got ready for our 1st dinner which we had a 6:15 dinner time.
Dinner- We stayed in our same casul clothes for dinner this night out travel agent said it was laid back even though by the time I went back up to our room everyone luggage was there and we could have changed, but since no else changed we didn't. Dinner was nice each night our waiter seemed new and she got our food mixed up quite a few nights in a row, but by the 3rd night she had it together. The dining room food is alright it is all about the presentation. You receive very small portions and YES you can ask for another dish but to me they have already moved on to the next thing after your big meal and you seemed rushed before the next meal of what ever you aksed for seconds come out. You received your second entree and they are coming around with the desert menu. So all in all the dining room experience is nice to go to each night, it was one night we did not go because I just did not feel like dressing up, although a skort and top would have been okay for me to wear in the dining area that night I was just being lazy. What I wanted to say is that the entree is not much so later on you are hungry so no wonder food is avilable to you at anytime just my opinion on that.
Roomservice- My 10 year old son loved room service and would always want to go back to the room about 10:00 and order 2 turkey sandwiches with desert (loved the chocolate chip cookies) each night.
I know I am runing on and on in my review but it has been about 5 days since we got off the ship and just trying to write some generals things about the cruise if anyone have any questions I will be glad to answer them.
Back to the review each day we were at sea I was mostly taking my son to the pool. He did Camp Carnival maybe two or three days but was not really into it all day. He would rather hang out with us and like I said he loved going to the pool and they did not just take the kids to the pool they did a lot of scheduled activities with them which was nice and I wish he would have done Camp Carnival more then it could have freed me up more to relax and do what I wanted to do but oh well, I wanted everyone to have a share of having a nice time my kids included. My youngest son was 10 and my oldest son was 16 turned 17 on the ship. Unfortunately for him the other kids around his age (18&19) were able to get into the adult clubs and casino and do things but at 17 he could not so they hung out with him just walking around the ship not doing to much of anything because they did not want to leave him out. I thing the clubs for teenagers should at least be 17-21, because at 17 they are almost at that age where they can have some freedom to do things they are to old for the 15-17 crowd which had a club for them until 10:30 before they got ready for the adults, so that part I think I would want them to change the age difference to 17-21, not 15-17. All in all he did say he had a nice time but would like to go back when he was at an age to do more.
Grand Cayman. Me and my 10 year old did the stingray tour it was nice but I think I would have ready just went to the beach and chilled. The stingray tour was long and it took up all the time we had in the Grand Cayman, the boat ride out was about 30 minutes, we spent about 30 minutes with the stingrays and it also took a group to snorkel which I do not swim so I just sat on the boat, the tour guides were really nice my youngest son is just leasrning to swim and they took him out to look at the fish jsut so he could experince he like it but I did not want to be just sitting on a boat while everyone else snorkel then another 30 minute ride back to the shore, took up too much time to do just that little bit of pettting the stingrays. I like petting the stingrays I think because the whole time before the cruise I kept saying I wanted to do it so I guess I can chalk it up to saying at least you did what you said you were going to do, so I have to be content with that, but next go around I would not want to go see the stingray tour. I would rather chill on the beach for some relax time.
Ocho Rio-This was by far the best day I had out of all the days the Party boat booked thru carnival going to the Dunns River Falls was the BEST, it was so much fun climbing that fall. The party boat jammed all the way their and all the way back it was the best. That excursion was well worthi it not a dull minute by far and climbing the falls is a must. After climbing the falls and getting back to the pier we still had time to go shopping and looking around in Ocho Rio. We were not hasseled at all with the locals. It was nice. We walked to a small flea market village where everyone had a hut selling almost the same thing and it was fun to see my husband bargain with each local.
I will end my review by saying each dining experince was night of course by far the best dinner night is the lobster and prime rib night. The lobster and prime rib were really good and my son and husband each were able to get as many as they want as long as they let them know right when they brought the entree out becuase they were moving on and they said at a certain time the kitchen was closed off for the entree to prepre for the next sitting to get you out of the dinning area for the next seating which I think was 8:15 which is what I stated earlier they kind of rush you thru the meal.
All in all the cruie was nice the food was good Breakfast was nice the cooked to order eggs in the mornign are worth the wait. I did the dining room experience just to say I ate breakfast in the dinning area one of the things I wanted to do. I had my Eggs Benedict and my Mimosa and it was good. It takes a while for them to serve but when you go on the deck you still have to wait in line for the cook to order eggs. The dinning room closed early I think at 10:00 so that is why I went to the Lido deck to eat breakfast when I did eat breakfast. I did not go to the casino at all but I spent all my extra money buying pictures I spent a small fortune buying pictures from carnival but for me it was worth it. I did not have any family portraits with my family nor any portraits with my huband and me so carnival know they take a lot of picture. My teenager did not even play basketball even though the court was pack at all times he said it was too hot, he was too busy being cool on the ship and he did not want to sweat his nice clothes out that he wore every day for the young ladies that he smoozed everyday at the teen club
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So please feel free to ask any questions for anything that I did not cover that you may want to know. I can not wait for my next carnival Cruise. The imagination is a well kept ship for as long as it has been running and it is very easy to maneauver.
Disembarkment-This is the only thing I would say was a nightmare. They call all the floor to disembark at the same time after they get finish with the self assist which I think may be the best bet. The line is long to try to get thru custom and with all them people it did not move for a good 30 minutes as you wait to go thru. Then you get thru custom and you go try to find your bags another nightmare and wait for hopefully a porter or someone to come nad help you carry all the bags that they took from you at the port yet we had t go find someone to help us carry our bags to the car once we find someone to assist you it goes okay because they take rigth to the custom people and on your way you go. If you are stuck in the luggage area then that is a nightmare trying to get out thru customs with all your luggage.
Everyones information help me out so much on my 1st cruise it was a few things I missed like the departure but from your tip you just gave me I will know the next cruise. I can not wait to go on another cruie if I could financially afford to go every year I would, I loved the Imgaination ship it was a really nice ship as they say for first timers. It was very easy to learn your way. My travel agent already know that we are ready to book our next cruise which will be in 08 aboard the new ship Freedom of the Seas. When that ship first came out in June I was in awe of it and wanted to sail on it, so I will cruise again on it in 08 God willing.
