Carnival Cruise Imagination to Ensenada

For Valentine's Day weekend, Daddy and I decided to go on a cruise. After much research, we went with Carnival Cruise to Ensenada. This cruise was our first ever, we had many questions. What do we pack? What is there to do on the ship? How can we enjoy this trip spending as little as possible? I will tell you our experience in hopes this helps you plan a wonderful cruise as we had.

What to Pack for a Cruise

When we started packing, we had no idea what to put in our suitcase. We packed the following:

Clothing for myself

• One dress for the nightclub, one dress for an elegant night

• Two pairs of leggings and one pair of jeans

• Two pair of shorts, or skirts

• Two short sleeve shirts, Two spaghetti straps shirt, two long sleeve shirts, one sweater, and one warm windbreaker

• underwear, bras, socks of course

• one large scarf that doubles as a small blanket

• Sun hat, for fun pictures, take a sailor hat

• one pair of pajamas

• sandals, dress heels, sneakers

• swimsuit, swim shorts, swimsuit cover

• hair straighter, brush, Hair mousse

• Jewelry

Clothing for Daddy

• Dress shirt for an elegant night

• Two pairs of Jeans, Jean shorts

• boxers, socks, two undershirts

• two sleeveless shirts,

• swim trunks

• Comb, hair gel

Basics for both of us

• Dramamine, Advil, Pepto chewable, Stool softener, Lip Balm

• Q-tips, Floss sticks, Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash

• Sunglasses, contacts, contact solution, birth control, Deodorant

• sunblock, Aloe Vera, Bug repellant

• Cell phone chargers with two ports in the power adapter

• Wristwatch, Two water bottles, portable charger

• one 750 ML of Champagne each person, cork opener

• Cash, passports, ID, copies of passports/ID, one credit card

• Boarding documents, Luggage Tags

• Two waterproof cases, I bought these on amazon

• Beach bag, Sand blanket

• I purchased a six-pack of water bottles from the fun shop

Boarding the Ship

Getting aboard was an adventure itself. Be sure to show up at least 20 minutes before your boarding check-in. Upon arrival, the workers were there to take our luggage to the cabins. You have the option to take the suitcases. The cabins are not available until 1:30 pm you will be carrying them everywhere. Once you head over to the Cruise terminal, you will have your passport scanned and given a boarding pass. Keep the boarding pass at hand as you will be showing it to several people. You will need to pass through a metal detector and have your carry on go through the X-ray machine. If you plan to take any champagne or wine, it must be in your carry on. You are allowed one 750ml bottle per person. Be prepared to smile because you will take plenty of pictures.

On-Board Activities

Daddy and I got on the carnival imagination early so we managed to explore the ship and take a look at all their rooms. Each day the activities change so be sure to grab the daily Fun Times to see what is in store for the day.

• Atrium Lobby- This is the first room you will go into when you first get on board. This is where you can find the customer service area, art gallery, a bar area, and acoustic Jams, and more. Depending on the day you can experience free champagne during a live art auction or in our case the world's largest vow renewal ceremony at sea.

• Lido Deck- This is where you want to go for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They have an all you can eat buffet with many options. My favorite was the Guy Fieri Burger station, you can customize any burger you want. The hours do change for each meal so keep the Fun Times Handy. The only area that is 24 hours is pizza. This area is where you can find the pool/ jacuzzi and multiple activities like a sail away dance party or just laying out on the chairs and the ship sails by.

• Xanadu Lounge- This is a sort of lounge area with multiple uses. They hosted comedy shows, movie nights, and much more entertainment. What we did not know until the last day was if you go through here to the back you can find the Serenity Room. What is the Serenity Room you ask? It is an adult-only deck with two jacuzzis!

• El Dorado Casino/ Dream Bar- This is where all the fun machines are, and the only area you can use cash to pay for play. This is a smoking area and 18 and over.

• The Warehouse Arcade- The arcade is fun for kids and teens, even drinking adults. We purchased a game and it gives you the option to buy one or four games. Do not make the same mistake we made, if you put four it is four games for that specific unit and it goes one after another. Let's say we won our son some pretty nice prizes playing.

• Illusions Night Club- This is a small nightclub but like any other one, it has a bar and a lot of dancing. Every night has a different music theme.

• Mirage Piano Bar- The piano bar is like a lounge with live music. You have your pianist taking a request for your favorite tunes. You can also go to the bar for some drinks.

• Dynasty Lounge- This is the ship's stage show where you will find much to do. They have a theater, game shows, shopping tips, and much more. Each day and every few hours something is going on here. Be sure to participate because you can take home some neat prizes.

• Pride Dining Room- We did not know until day two but you can have your dinner here instead of the buffet, and boy it did not disappoint. You get your appetizer, dinner, and dessert. Each day the menu changes. They have delicious food here, I highly recommend the Carnival Lava Cake. If you get a chance try breakfast as well, dinner attire is required.

• Camp Ocean- This is a day camp for kids ages 2 to 11. The staff does separate the kids in different age groups to do activities and they get their own custom menus for mealtime.

• Circle C- This is more of a lounge for kids 12 to 14. The teens can socialize, watch movies, play games, and have dance parties. Do not worry there are supervised by counselors at all time.

• Club 02- This hang out spot is aimed for the older kids ages 15 to 17. The kids play sports, listen to music, have karaoke sessions, and play video games. They even get their own Carnival Cruise Prom.

• The Fun Shops- If you love shopping then this is for you. The first day you do get a few additional specials and it is tax-free. You can buy some souvenirs or buy yourself some whiskey to take home. Keep in mind if you buy cigars or bottles you will have to pick them up once you go back to port in Long Beach.

• Spa Carnival - If you feel a need to get a haircut, manicure, pedicure, or any spa related services this is the go-to. It does cost additional.

• Miniature Golf/Jogging Track- The miniature golf course is open between certain hours and it is fun to have a game. The ship provides different size clubs and balls. ONce you are done please be sure to put them back for the next person. The jogging track is 24 hours so if you feel a need to run this is your spot.

• Curiosity Library- If you run out of things to do or just want a quiet place to read or work stop here. The ship provides many board games and they also have a good variety of books. Many people take their books and leave them behind for the next curious reader. This is a place to go if you run out of things to do with your teenager.

Ensenada

Ensenada was such a fun adventure. After a day of being at sea, it was great to step out on land. Do not forget to bring your room key with you because you will need that to get back on board. A big tip, Do not buy excursions through the Carnival Cruise! As soon as we got off the Ship there was a bus that charged us $4 a person round trip to take us to a small shopping center and give us options on many different excursions at half the price. They offer horseback riding, ziplining, and a tour of La Buffadora. You get off the ship at 8:00 am and you must be back by 5:00 pm so to be on the safe side we just did a tour of La Buffadora. Ensenada has the second largest geyser in the world and it is the hot spot to go. It was a 45-minute bus ride and our tour guide gave us wonderful information and facts about Ensenada. He took us through the flea market and gave us tips on where to buy legit silver, the best leather goods, and delicious almonds whiskey. We walked down and everyone offered free samples of churros, peanuts, and even tequila. YES, I said tequila! By the time we made it to the geyser, we were feeling pretty great. Did I mention our tour guide even managed to get us free shots of the Almond Tequila? If you start to ask for prices on items they do shoot up the prices so it is best to get souvenirs elsewhere or haggle the price. They had an amazing place called Habana Banana. It is a bar that also has a small exotic animal sanctuary. They get abandoned baby tigers and raise them until they are big enough to go to a zoo. You can play and take pictures with the cubs for a cost. La Bufadora was a nice walk and the shops have many great products. Keep in mind that you will go through customs on the way back on the ship. Any liquor you buy does have to be checked in and you will pick that up when you disembark. Daddy and I had an amazing time and made some new friends. When the bus took us back we walked through a small shopping center to walk back on the ship. We did stop for tacos and beers with our new friends and listened to live music. The ship leaves at a specific time so be sure you give yourself enough time to go through customs.

Disembarking the Ship

After you get back on the Ship, it heads straight back to Long Beach. You will be asleep most of the time so it goes by fast. Be sure to pack the night before to get off faster. They do serve breakfast but not lunch so get your last guilt-free meal while you can. You do get off by assigned numbers so always listen to the announcements. Unfortunately, you can not hear the announcements in the room so be sure to have your door open or hang out where you can hear. You will exit the way you boarded the first time and will have to go through customs one last time. They will ask you the basic questions and you are on your way home. You do have to do the long walk through the dome but to make things faster take your own luggage with you instead of having staff take them. You will be out a lot faster.

Daddy and I had a wonderful time onboard with many memories made. It was a special way to spend our Valentine's and 10yearanniversary. Yes, they both fall on the same month, bless daddy's heart. One of my favorite memories was on Valentine's day. The staff did the largest vow renewal at sea with everyone in the lobby reciting their vows. They gave everyone candy heart headpieces and light-up heart necklaces. I won't bore you with the minute to minute of our cruise but I highly recommend this getaway. I hope all this helps those first-time cruisers get an idea of what to expect. Happy Sailings!