Shiver me timbers we’re going on a cruise! OK, so it’s far from a pirate’s ship in the Caribbean but we were bound for the Western Caribbean onboard Carnival’s 855-foot Imagination vessel.

“Welcome aboard,” said a ship-mate as we entered the vessel from the cruise terminal feeling a bit frazzled from the long lines and completion of forms and security checks. “Welcome to the Atlantic deck in the grand atrium” he continued as we finally got to see the ship.

They say always try and make a good first impressions but this was truly overwhelming. Gazing upwards there were at least 5 visible decks with not one but two glass elevators and a split ballroom curved staircase enhanced with golden rails to whisk you away to your cabin.

At the top of the atrium was a skylight that literally beamed sunshine down into the main area which houses the information desk, Internet café, photography place, a place to hang-out and the excursion shop.

We later learned that are actually 10 decks, starting from the top the Sun deck, Sports, Verandah, Lido, Promenade, Atlantic, Empress, Upper, Main and the Rivera deck. That’s right me mateys not a Poop deck in sight!