We are back! So happy to get a chance to get away with Wayne. We celebrated our 22nd anniversary while we were at sea. We ‘cruised” on Carnival Imagination based out of Long Beach, Ca.
We left on Thursday to board the ship. Since our departure sailing time was at 5:30 pm, we drove down early to Long Beach to enjoy the afternoon on the ship. Skies were bright blue and we had a comfortable temperature while in Long Beach (it was 110 degrees when we left our home!) . Boarding the ship was an easy, hassle-free process. A porter took our bag (we only packed one) and we boarded the ship and headed for our room. We chose an interior stateroom. Not seeing out the port hole window was fine for us. We only spent a little time here each day and didn’t need a window.
We enjoyed a lot of time by the pool which was centrally located on the ship. The first night was LOUD! A lot of music, a lot of people, a lot of drinking. Not really our vibe, but I love music and it put everyone in a festive mood. It goes without saying that the drinks are expensive! Wayne ordered a beer and the waiter told him it was cheaper to order a bucket of four. My hubby has never drank four beers in a weekend in his life, but we ordered the bucket. (He ended up bringing one beer home!) The cool sea air was VERY relaxing.
We decided to just enjoy every single minute of being alone together and away from our business. Each night a schedule of events for the day is laid on your bed. This particular cruise docked in Ensenada. Mexico for the day on Friday. Because we have been several times to Ensenada, we opted to stay on board ship. Boy are we glad we did. A lot of passengers took the port excursions which left the ship a lot less crowded. We were able to sit in the hot tub and lounge by the pool without noise and loud music and kids screaming. Wayne surprised me with an appointment for a couple’s massage in the spa on Friday. Hands down one of the best experiences. Very pricey, but worth trying at least once. I was glad to spend the day with him reading books, taking a coffee break by the water, napping and sitting in the hot tub.
Each night there was a different show playing. Its a live entertainment show. The 8 cast mates who performed did an outstanding job! There were three shows (one each night), but the show on Saturday night was inappropriate for kids. We actually chose to leave and go back to the room early. The lounge is very dated, but very clean and the shows were worth it!
I thought it was very thoughtful each night when we went back to the room that we had our beds turned down for us. In fact, they made the cute towel animals for us each night.
All the wait staff and room butlers were the most friendliest and service oriented I have encountered. They took time to learn our names and greeted us each time we would see them.
(I just had to take a picture of the cute hallway carpet. Wayne said it made him dizzy. :))
If I had any complaints it would be the food. The dinners in the dining room were alright. The buffets were very bland and boring (?). A lot of food gets rotated through the ship and I commend the staff who cook it all, but the food actually bordered on making me sick to my stomach. There were salad bars and sandwich stands and pizza. A person never goes hungry on board, but the quality of the food just wasn’t the greatest.
So there you have it….
Service A
Activities A
Cost A
Food D
Time Away Priceless
I think it is important for everyone to take a vacation. I can’t express to you enough what it means to take your mind somewhere else and give your body time to rest and have fun. We don’t regret it although it was a very short vacation. I definitely feel refreshed and ready to tackle life again.
What about you? Going on vacation or a stay-cation? Either one will transport you to much needed relaxation!
Have a vacation story you’d like to share? I’d love to hear about it!
