carnival cruise ensenada reddit

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• Mexican Riviera

Ensenada - worth getting off the ship?

By Along for the Ride , April 16, 2015 in Mexican Riviera

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Along for the Ride

I'll be on the Imagination in a few weeks and I can't decide if it's really worth it to book an excursion in Ensenada or if I should attempt to do a spa day on the ship.

I've never been there, but the excursions don't sound too exciting to me. At the same time, I wasn't sure if I was missing out by not going ashore, because hey - I'll be in Mexico.

I'm trying just have a relaxing extended weekend. I wouldn't mind doing some shopping in town but I am worried about it being dangerous if I go on my own and I hear it's mostly pharmaceuticals and touristy souvenirs.

Can anyone give me an accurate idea of what is actually there and if the excursions are worth doing? I'd probably to the cheese or wine or cooking thing if anything. Thanks!

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Share on other sites, sweet dutch girl.

I have no love for Ensenada. Can't comment on the excursions because I've never wasted my money on any of them...its always a stay on board ship port for me.

We did the winery excursion through Carnival. We enjoyed it. Went to two different wineries, sampled wine and appetizers at both. Received one free bottle per person from one of the wineries. Learned about the wine making process and toured the facility at one winery. Price was reasonable.

Waiter: I recommend the Chateu Lafite-Rothschild '79 or the Haut-Brion '82.

Patron: Sounds nice, but I think an Ensenada-Baja 2014.

Spa day for sure. :D

Living on the east coast, We hadn't sailed to Ensenada in 16 years. We had an absolutely fantastic time when we went back last September. We booked the la Bufadora and City Tour excursion through the ship and it was well worth it. It's not the most picturesque town, but it was interesting and a departure from what I normally see on Caribbean and Bahamas cruises. Feel free to look at my pics and read a bit more about it (Golden Princess review in my signature).

Ensenada is to west coasters what Nassau is to east coasters. It's the port of choice on short itineraries, and after doing it a number of times, it sucks. But for a first timer who has never done it, it's actually a pretty interesting place, at least it was for us! Since its your first time there, I would plan some activity ashore so that YOU can experience it through your own eyes and not someone else's. [emoji41]

insidethepocket

I'd stay on the ship (and have). In my opinion Ensenada isn't very nice and a quiet day on the ship is much more appealing.

Martini Mom

I have been several times and while it's not the best port, we always have fun. Most of the time we just walk around town, grab some food, drinks, and cheap souvenirs.

We usually aren't big Carnival tour fans, but we did the winery tour through them once and it was really fun. The bus ride was informative, the wineries were nice, the sampling was fun, and the wine cellar "caves" were cool. Definitely worth it.

There is also a small winery in town (kinda), Santo Thomas Winery (pic included). That was a nice little stop for us on one of our trips there. Some of the other cruise lines have tours that go there.

Carnival also has a cheese tour.

Been to Ensenada too many times to count. 7 times since November, get off every time. Last month our biggest decision was what and where to eat-- Tacos, Birria, Molcajete, Gorditas, Paletas, Licuados......

Had the best helado rosa (rose ice cream) a few weeks ago in Big Head Plaza.

There are three museums in town- The old resort across from the dock, the Art Museum just south of it and the old Army Barracks/Jail in town.

Eventually the Aquarium will open.

Remember Ensenada is a Mexican city of 500,000 not a city built or refurbished for American tourists.

lovevacadays

I'll be on the Imagination in a few weeks and I can't decide if it's really worth it to book an excursion in Ensenada or if I should attempt to do a spa day on the ship.   I've never been there, but the excursions don't sound too exciting to me. At the same time, I wasn't sure if I was missing out by not going ashore, because hey - I'll be in Mexico.   I'm trying just have a relaxing extended weekend. I wouldn't mind doing some shopping in town but I am worried about it being dangerous if I go on my own and I hear it's mostly pharmaceuticals and touristy souvenirs.   Can anyone give me an accurate idea of what is actually there and if the excursions are worth doing? I'd probably to the cheese or wine or cooking thing if anything. Thanks!

I don't feel like it is dangerous. There are lots of cruisers walking down the main street with you. However, I think staying on the ship is great. You can do the spa, eat at leisure, grab a nice lounger at the back of the ship and watch the boats coming in and out of the harbor; all and all really a nice ship day.

The most dangerous thing about the tourist area of Ensenada are the sidewalks. Off of Lopez there are holes. Walk carefully.

The winery excursion is WELL worth it.

Do you want some information that is almost a couple of decades old?

Sure, you do.

Back when I was young and lived in southern California, Ensenada is where the cool kids went to party. We drove down. But the wait at the border and other issues cut down on that.

But back in the day, Avenida Lopez Mateos had a "Frat Row" atmosphere. That has been diminished, or so I understand.

I have to imagine that the horse back ride with the view of the ocean is still pretty much the same and that Santo Tomas and LA Cetto wine aren't that bad.

Carnival offers a kayak trip. I remember the water in the ocean near Ensenada being very rough. But maybe that was just my hangover.

OP, I have been to Ensenada many times, I have stayed on the ship and gotten off. This last time we went, we were looking for something different to do, and we did the Cheese Cellar and Countryside tour (something like that) through Carnival and we really enjoyed it. It was about an hour drive out to countryside, and we had a great guide who told us all about Enseneda on the way. The farm where they make the cheese was really cool, and very picturesque. Lunch was delicious! On the way back they gave people the option of being dropped off downtown to shop, or back to the ship. We opted to get dropped off downtown because we wanted to shop and have some cocktails. I highly recommend that tour.

Isn't everyday a Spa Day for you?:p:p:p

It was quite some time ago (actually our 1st cruise) and we did something completely different. At the end of the pier was a motor scooter rental and they had one that was a 250cc that would carry us both. We drove to La Bufadora and then stopped at a really nice resort on the way back. The resort was about half way back to the port. It was December and it was almost deserted so we had it pretty much to ourselves. (bar on the beach was open however) :)

Not sure I would recommend this as there were a couple of real hazards to consider.. First there were some potholes in the road almost as large as our scooter Second the rule of the road seemed to be that the largest thing had the most right of way so you can imagine where the scooter fell into that program.:eek:

In the end it was a very memorable day that was mostly fun and not expensive!:D

Hmmm - Ensenada is great area in my mind. I have spent most of my life within 2 hours of the city and perhaps my views might be different based upon it being in my "back yard". I definitely wouldn't just "stay on the ship"

Hussong's can be an interesting to visit for a look at a somewhat authentic cantina with decent Mariachis at least at night.

The Valle de Guadalupe is a great little wine region. Not only is the wine surprisingly good, they also have many fine restaurants. You can also visit a newer wine museum along with normal winery tours in both English and Spanish. Having lunch at

Bajamar, which is slightly north of town, has 27 holes of golf all spread out along the ocean. Very pretty course and the greens fees are reasonable.

This is just a few things to consider.

A warning for Ensenada: Avoid Hussong's. Their lemonade tastes funny. I'm pretty sure it was poisoned. I don't know the exact chemical they use, but I overheard one of the bartenders saying it's supposed "to kill ya."

Fortunately, I must have a miraculous constitution since I did survive. However, the poison did have an adverse effect on me.

All I know is that one minute I was listening to mariachis with my wife and friends, and the next minute I'm waking up in my stateroom, I have a bite mark on my shoulder, my wife isn't speaking to me and I've got nothing on but my boxers, my socks and a sombrero. Funny thing is I wasn't wearing socks earlier.

A warning for Ensenada: Avoid Hussong's. Their lemonade tastes funny. I'm pretty sure it was poisoned. I don't know the exact chemical they use, but I overheard one of the bartenders saying it's supposed "to kill ya."   Fortunately, I must have a miraculous constitution since I did survive. However, the poison did have an adverse effect on me.   All I know is that one minute I was listening to mariachis with my wife and friends, and the next minute I'm waking up in my stateroom, I have a bite mark on my shoulder, my wife isn't speaking to me and I've got nothing on but my boxers, my socks and a sombrero. Funny thing is I wasn't wearing socks earlier.   Beware   ;)

Don't you know only to drink beer/sodas out of bottles/cans opened in front of you? I guess you do now.

Good story however!

• 2 weeks later...

Will be there in Oct 2015. Where is the best place to get tacos & margaritas, without the risk of getting sick :confused:

pulledporky

I vote for margaritas at Hussong's, then tacos next door at Tacos Lindos.

Taqueiro Lindo makes a very good Margarita. $5

We were on a cruise that stopped in Ensenada earlier this month and went on a winery tour. My husband and I both enjoyed it. We booked it through our travel agent and there were only us and one family in the van on the tour. We rode about 30-40 minutes to the Calafia Valley where the wineries are. The scenery was nice and our tour guide did a good job providing information on the area. We had samples at both wineries along with fresh breads, cheese, and olives from the area.

The same can also apply in PV. Fair amount of uneven sidewalks and damage roadways.

Winterstale

On our last Inspiration sailing, we went for a massage at a local establishment that came highly recommended - it was great. I think it's called Massage and Facial Care. They were very reasonably priced! We then took a taxi out to Estero Beach Resort - took about 25 minutes to get there. It was lovely! Swim-up bar in the pool, lounge chairs, view of the ocean. We had a great day!

I'm looking into going to Las Rosas Resort on our August sailing. Not sure if they offer day passes or not.

If not, we might just go get a massage, have a margarita or two, and then get back on the ship to enjoy a (hopefully!) quieter day by the pool!

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Carnival Corp to fold P&O Cruises Australia brand into Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Corp. will fold P&O Cruises Australia into Carnival Cruise Line next year.

• Other Carnival Corp. brands include Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn.
• The change does not affect Carnival Corp.’s England-based P&O Cruises, which is a separate brand.

The cruise line operator will retire the P&O Cruises Australia brand in March 2025, the company announced Monday.

"Despite increasing Carnival Cruise Line's capacity by almost 25% since 2019 including transferring three ships from Costa Cruises, guest demand remains incredibly strong so we're leveraging our scale in an even more meaningful way by absorbing an entire brand into the world's most popular cruise line," Carnival Corp. CEO Josh Weinstein said in a news release .

Other Carnival Corp. brands include Holland America Line , Princess Cruises and Seabourn.

Carnival Cruise Line will constitute around 35% of the company’s worldwide capacity when the transition is finished, up from 29% in 2019. P&O’s Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure ships will sail for Carnival following a rebrand, while Pacific Explorer will leave the fleet in February.

"P&O Cruises Australia is a storied brand with an amazing team, and we are extremely proud of everything we have accomplished together in Australia and the broader region," Weinstein continued. "However, given the strategic reality of the South Pacific's small population and significantly higher operating and regulatory costs, we're adjusting our approach to give us the efficiencies we need to continue delivering an incredible cruise experience year-round to our guests in the region.”

A spokesperson for the company told USA TODAY the integration "will unfortunately result in some staffing reductions, and we are notifying employees," though they did not share specific numbers. "We also expect to have most members of the P&O Australia shipboard team redeployed to work for Carnival Cruise Line or our six other cruise lines operating in the region," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Following the change, Carnival will have four ships sailing in the market, including Carnival Splendor and Carnival Luminosa. The company said guests will be contacted “in the coming days” about any changes to future cruises because of the consolidation. Current itineraries will sail as scheduled.

Cruise booking tips: There's more to it than picking your travel dates

"We look forward to building on the history and heritage of P&O Cruises Australia by bringing some of our innovations to more cruise guests in the region," Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy added in the release. "While we plan to make some technology upgrades and other small changes to the two P&O Cruises Australia ships, they will continue to be geared to the unique Australian market with a familiar feel and much of the same experiences for P&O Cruises Australia guests.”

The change does not affect Carnival Corp.’s England-based P&O Cruises, which is a separate brand. The company also recently announced that Carnival Cruise Line will add two new Excel-class ships in 2027 and 2028.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

Carnival is known for ultra-cheap cruises. I sailed on its new ship — and I'm not sure that's completely true.

• Carnival Cruise Line is well known for its  relatively affordable fares .
• But my recent Carnival Firenze cruise was filled with enticing pay-to-play amenities.
• Even the complimentary venues had up-charged options, making it easy for travelers to blow past their budget.

If you aren't careful, your Carnival cruise could quickly become as expensive as an Oceania one.

Peruse any of the "US' most budget-friendly cruise lines" lists, and you're sure to find Carnival somewhere near the top. In 2024, its most affordable itinerary is $164 per person for a four-night sailing from Miami — more than $20 cheaper than Royal Caribbean and Norwegian's least expensive ones.

That's about $40 a day for food, accommodations, onboard entertainment, and the ability to see several destinations in one vacation.

Sounds like a steal, right?

Well, not quite.

You'll be met with a flurry of tempting up-charged amenities the moment you board Carnival's ships . So, if you're prone to giving into these little luxuries, you can kiss your budget goodbye.

I went on my first Carnival cruise in mid-May: a four-night sailing from Long Beach, California, on Carnival Firenze.

I paid $735 for a solo interior cabin, including optional gratuities.

If that sounds relatively expensive, you'd be right. Carnival Firenze is the company's latest vessel, and newer cruise ships generally command a pricing premium.

It's also worth noting that I had booked it less than 10 days before embarkation. Oops.

I thought I knew what to expect when it came to the cruise industry's 'pay-to-play' game.

Mass-market cruise lines have been increasingly slapping fees on on-board amenities and activities. I knew excesses like alcohol, WiFi, and specialty dining would cost extra, as is typical across the industry.

The only one I fell for was WiFi, of which the premium package cost me $85 for all four nights. I was there for work, after all.

Cocktails were generally about $13, while beers and seltzers were about $9 each. Specialty restaurants like teppanyaki and Italian cost about $40 per person, while the steakhouse was $49.

None of these were surprising. Even premium cruise lines charge extra for higher-end restaurants and beverages.

But on Carnival, it felt like almost everything beyond the bare minimum carried an additional fee.

Even complimentary dining venues dangled tempting dollar sign-afflicted dishes — including the buffet, where guests had to pay for chicken wings.

Want an empanada? The Empanadas and Pie kiosk sold them for $1.50 apiece.

Craving a lobster roll? The dinnertime Seafood Shack booth (which otherwise has free breakfast and lunch options) sells one for $18.

Looking for some pizza? You could grab a free pepperoni slice at the pizza stand — or pay $6 for the fancier Korean barbecue steak pie.

That darn dollar sign symbol tormented me morning to night, on and off the ship.

I had been craving a juice for breakfast. Too bad it was $5 (in the complimentary main dining room, no less).

I would've loved some popcorn during the evening movie showings. A bag costs $4.

During our second stop in Ensenada, Mexico, I briefly considered taking the shuttle from the port to downtown. However, that would've been another $4.

But the most egregious 'incident' came during afternoon tea.

The daily schedule denoted pay-to-play events with a small dollar sign symbol. "Tea Time" didn't have one, so off I scurried, excited for some free mid-afternoon caffeine and sweet treats.

You can probably guess where this story is headed.

After I took my seat, a waitperson arrived at my table with an organized box of tea bags, giving me just enough time to review my options before announcing they were $1.50 each. On principle, I declined.

A few minutes later, he returned to my table to let me know that he did, in fact, have some free options stashed behind the up-charged bags. They were the same as those available in the buffet: Lipton and Bigelow's green tea.

During breakfast, one of the servers joked that my croissant and Lipton tea would cost $20 each.

I knew he was kidding, but for a split second, I was worried he wasn't. At that point, I expected almost everything I wanted to come with a price tag.

Carnival, I get it. Get that bag, sis!

But not being immediately upfront about the $1.50 tea bag and otherwise free options felt unecessarily deceitful.

In the company's defense, not everything had a price tag. Fun activities like the mini-golf course, waterslides, and fear-of-height-inducing ropes course were complimentary and great for forgetting how annoyed I was about "tea gate."

Carnival is just following the industry trend.

There's a reason onboard spending has skyrocketed over the last year. Mass-market cruise lines have been increasingly adopting a model reminiscent of budget airlines: offer a low base fare and present a slew of irresistible amenities at an additional price.

Competitors like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean are repeat offenders, too.

On Norwegian Prima , mini-golf costs $10 per person, while the VR arcade sets guests back $29 for one hour.

On Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas , mini-golf is free! But walk slow if you decide to spend money on the ship's part-agility, part-ziplining course. It costs $49 to participate — and could be completed in a minute or so.

So yes, going on an ultra-cheap Carnival cruise is possible if you’re like me, stubbornly unwilling to spend extra.

But if you're a pushover who easily gives into temptation, be sure to develop a backbone before you cruise with Carnival .

If you don't, mai tais and movie popcorn costs could add up quicker than expected.

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