Expert: Curtis Thorsen - 2/24/2008

Question
QUESTION: Taking our first cruise on June 21st out of Miami. Its a Carnival 5 day Caribbean Western to grand Cayman, Ocho Rios and back. The ship is the Imagination. An older ship, but looks nice, its our first, so what do we know. Concern is with the cabin. I have 2 adults and 2 kids, 11 and 14. I heard that i should book a "guaranteed cabin" and maybe i will get a complimentary upgrade, maybe. Do you know what the chances are of an upgrade? I fear that we will get stuffed like sardines in a tiny cabin. Thank you

ANSWER: Welcome to the world of cruising !!! I have sailed the Imagination and have fond it to be a wonderful ship within the Fantasy Class of vessels.....easy to navigate around and plenty to do for passengers of all ages !

As a travel agent I would never suggest a guarantee stateroom as you must realize that you may end up in a less than desirable location, i.e. under a noisy public area, kitchen area, etc.....There is always a chance that you ill receive a complimentary upgrade, but it will only be usually from inside to inside or oceavie to Oceania. Upgrades rarely occur from inside to oceanview or oceanview to suite. If an upgrade is provided, it will only be to a higher deck.
Your travel agent should have advised you that regardless of what stateroom type you book on this ship will be approx. 186 sq. ft and ith or without a window. The only exception to this could be if you booked a suite.

I would encourage you to book a specific stateroom as mid ship as possible unless there as a major price difference, but sailing at peak season, those rates should be similar.

Good luck and have a great cruise !

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for the reply. I do have more for you on the Imagination. I read some reviews about how crowded these Carnival cruises get. Do you know if June 21st is a busy time for cruising? I ask because I notice the closer to the date you get, the cheaper the cruise is. Also, I really want to book a suite. Whats the major difference between the penthouse with balcony, and just the suite with balcony? I know the balcony is bigger in the penthouse suite, but what else? Thank you so much

Answer
June is PEAK SEASON for any cruise.... kids are out of school and a family cruise continues to grow in POPULARITY for vacation time !
If you are seeing cruise fares lower and you have already booked, please contact whomever you booked with and see if they can get you a rate reduction (if final payment has not yet been made) or some type of ship board credit in lieu of the lower fares. This can be dine up to the day of sailing, BUT do not expect your travel professional to monitor your rates for you on a daily basis as they can change hourly w/out notice ! If you are seeing lower fares I am actually surprised.....but it does happen if a ship is not sailing full (WHICH IS NOT THE NORM!). If you choose to book a suite on this class of ship, you would want a Category 12 and the room is approx. 360 sq. ft. plus balcony. They can accommodate up to 5 passengers (if the coast guard has not already that maximum allowed on any particuliar sailing date). The Cat. 11 suite is smaller at approx. 210 sq.ft. and a smaller balcony and can only hold up to 4 passengers. They are on the upper decks and be careful as there are rooms with obstructed views. The Category 12 is a wonderful stateroom.... mini bar, jacuzzi tub.... and just a pleasure to stay in as I can contest to from personal experiences on this ship in particuliar !

Best of luck.....Safe Travels