Overall Score

BERLITZ'S RATING
	Possible	Achieved
Ship	500	297
Accommodation	200	138
Food	400	213
Service	400	262
Entertainment	100	73
Cruise	400	243

How this score is created

Carnival Imagination has an angular appearance typical of today’s space-creative designs. This is the fifth in a series of eight identically sized Carnival ships, but actually the ninth new ship for the company (others in the same series are Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Elation, Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Fascination, Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Paradise, and Carnival Sensation). Almost vibration-free service is provided by the diesel electric propulsion system. It has proven to be a successful design for this company that targets the standard (mainstream) market, and particularly the first-time passenger.

The ship has expansive open deck areas (sadly, there is no walk-around open promenade deck), but they quickly become inadequate when it is full and everyone wants to be out on deck (the aft decks tend to be less noisy, whereas all the activities are focused on the main swimming pool and hot tubs). There is a “banked” jogging track outdoors on the deck above a large, glass-enclosed health spa that is always busy.

Inside, the ship reflects the talents of interior designer Joe Farcus, whose philosophy is that the cruise ship environment should provide fantasy and an escape from routine with “entertainment architecture.” The general passenger flow is good, and the interior design is clever, functional, and extremely colorful. The lighting takes a little getting used to at first, and the decorative color combinations are quite vivid (think total sensory stimulation).

The theme of the interior decor is musical muses and classical mythology. The ethereal decor can be found throughout the public rooms, and composers and their compositions (many of the public rooms have musical names), and the colors, while bright, are less so than aboard some other ships in this series. There is also a $1 million art collection, with many items in public areas featuring some timeless mosaics. There are public entertainment lounges, bars and clubs galore, with something for everyone (except quiet space).

The public rooms, which are connected by a wide indoor boulevard, beat a colorful mix of classic and contemporary design elements that beg your indulgence. As in its sister ships, there is a dramatic six-deck-high atrium (whose balconied shape may remind you of some of the world’s great opera houses), appropriately dressed to impress, topped by a large glass dome, and featuring a fascinating, entertaining artistic centerpiece. The large casino has almost non-stop action, as one would expect aboard any Carnival Cruise Lines ship; an ATM machine is located outside it.

There is a nice-looking library and reading room, but few books. Ship buffs should enjoy six Stephen Card paintings of clipper ships, in the Grand Bar. The Victorian-style library is a curious room, with intentionally mismatched furnishings (it reminds one of Alice in Wonderland), fine oriental rugs, and even a few books.

Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2008