Hawaii cruise; must I get off to visit Mexico?

[jebbs]

Hi all,

Looking at a West Coast to Hawaii round trip cruise.  I realize ship must go to Mexico.  My question is, must I get off?

It looks like an afternoon, evening port, we arrive to home port the next morning.  I’d prefer a leisurely day on board, nice dinner 

and packing.  We would fly back to the East Coast upon disembarking.

Thanks!

[skynight]

4 minutes ago, jebbs said:

Hi all,

Looking at a West Coast to Hawaii round trip cruise.  I realize ship must go to Mexico.  My question is, must I get off?

It looks like an afternoon, evening port, we arrive to home port the next morning.  I’d prefer a leisurely day on board, nice dinner 

and packing.  We would fly back to the East Coast upon disembarking.

Thanks!

No you do not have to disembark in Ensenada. Many passengers remain on board.

[Ronnieslady]

5 minutes ago, skynight said:

No you do not have to disembark in Ensenada. Many passengers remain on board.

It’s always my packing day 😀

[jennybenny]

Not a lot of people get off in Ensenada. You will definitely have company on the ship.

 

it used to be one of our least liked stops, but after doing a food tour there, we love the stop in Ensenada. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by jennybenny

[jebbs]

Thank you all😎😎😎

[Thrak]

Last time we were there we walked to Hussong's and had margaritas. Two margaritas each and a double shot of Cazadores - $15. The margaritas aren't huge but they were really good. Hussong's is nothing special but we had never been there.

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by Thrak

[mtnesterz]

5 hours ago, jebbs said:

My question is, must I get off?

No, but you'll want to. Remember that you will have spent 5 sea days sailing back from Hawaii.  And it's not like you're just beginning your cruise, filled with anticipation and getting used to the ship. Let's just say you'll have time to pack. Like many west coasters, we've done this cruise several times. Consider taking the Casino, winery and shopping excursion, offered through Princess.

 

[Sillyjilly]

Stopped getting off in Ensenada a long time ago.

[wesport]

I would get off . Stretch you legs. Then, get back on the ship. They do make good marguaritas. 

[CCFC]

Our cruise director said that Ensenada was Mexican for "Stay on the ship"

Edited March 4, 2021 by CCFC
Grammar

[StrawberryHill]

I have yet to get off in Ensenada   My wife  will get off and shop in the building next to the cruise ship.  Mostly looking for vanilla,  its cheaper there than in CA

[GonzoWCS]

No you do not have to get off.

 

Cheers

[ontheweb]

Just to make it clear you never have to get off in a port except for final debarkation.

 

I even once observed a gentleman on a Baltic cruise we took asking where he could watch passengers disembark as he was not getting off the ship. Why someone would take a Baltic cruise with the intention of staying on the ship in St. Petersburg is something I will never understand.

Edited March 4, 2021 by ontheweb
added second paragraph

[greenie082756]

No you do not have to get off in Mexico.

 

We have done this cruise twice. The first one we did not get off.

The second one we did and we were shocked by how much fun we had. We had nothing planned. We thought we would just walk around and stretch our legs.

Well we got on a "free" bus that went into town and the guy mentioned that for a few $$ we could go to the Blowhole. Well we thought lets give it a try!  Even though the ride was bumpy, this spontaneous trip was a lot of fun. So would we do it again? Maybe or maybe not.

[skynight]

41 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Just to make it clear you never have to get off in a port except for final debarkation.

 

I even once observed a gentleman on a Baltic cruise we took asking where he could watch passengers disembark as he was not getting off the ship. Why someone would take a Baltic cruise with the intention of staying on the ship in St. Petersburg is something I will never understand.

I can think of lots of reasons. Here are just six. Been there many times. Can't handle the long days. Medical issues. Wife wanted to go on this cruise and tour St.P, but he did not. Enjoyed the other ports, but not St.P. Does not enjoy museums, but that is where the other half want to go. If we ever go back to the Baltic very doubtful we would get off in St.P. Didn't enjoy it the first time. Did enjoy the other stops.

[memoak]

When in Ensenada one option is a private winery/lunch tour in the nearby valley. We avoid the ships tour as it only goes to “corporate” type winery’s where most of the local ones go to small excellent winery’s. You will have to walk out to the end of the walkway to get picked up they cannot come up to where the ship is

[trbarton]

On 3/3/2021 at 1:33 PM, jebbs said:

Hi all,

Looking at a West Coast to Hawaii round trip cruise.  I realize ship must go to Mexico.  My question is, must I get off?

It looks like an afternoon, evening port, we arrive to home port the next morning.  I’d prefer a leisurely day on board, nice dinner 

and packing.  We would fly back to the East Coast upon disembarking.

Thanks!

Been there many times. This port like any port I’ve been to you’re never required to get off. Enjoy your time on the ship. 
 

Tom😀

[mtnesterz]

On 3/4/2021 at 4:10 AM, CCFC said:

Our cruise director said that Ensenada was Mexican for "Stay on the ship"

I sincerely hope that your excursion adventure in Mexico was not missed due to the CD's thoughtless comment. It would be interesting to know the context. For example, in context that a woman walking alone off the ship might feel intimidated.

You spent a lot of time and money to travel halfway around the world from England and (on some itineraries) make only one stop in Mexico, a rich experience of language, history and culture. Ensenada was a playground of John Wayne and Al Capone, also the birthplace of the Margarita.

[waltd]

20 hours ago, memoak said:

When in Ensenada one option is a private winery/lunch tour in the nearby valley. We avoid the ships tour as it only goes to “corporate” type winery’s where most of the local ones go to small excellent winery’s. You will have to walk out to the end of the walkway to get picked up they cannot come up to where the ship is

Do they have a website for this type of tour?

Thanks

[CCFC]

1 hour ago, mtnesterz said:

I sincerely hope that your excursion adventure in Mexico was not missed due to the CD's thoughtless comment. It would be interesting to know the context. For example, in context that a woman walking alone off the ship might feel intimidated.

You spent a lot of time and money to travel halfway around the world from England and (on some itineraries) make only one stop in Mexico, a rich experience of language, history and culture. Ensenada was a playground of John Wayne and Al Capone, also the birthplace of the Margarita.

Oh we got off and wandered around the town,. We both felt intimidated around the town, it is full of souvenir shops and restaurants trying to drag you in. I kept saying its free on the ship but they wouldn't have it. The place was not somewhere I would go to for a break. Stay on the ship.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, waltd said:

Do they have a website for this type of tour?

Thanks

I have always used valley girl wine tours but I am sure that there are many others you can find by googling Ensenada wine tours. If you go to the valle de Guadalupe make sure you head back to the ship in plenty of time    It is a bit of a drive 

 

 

[cr8tiv1]

If it is your first trip to Ensenada, there's plenty to do.  Walk to the fish market.  Take a wine tour by Princess.  Nice way to see the country side and you got a free bottle of wine at the end with lots of free tastings.  Skip the blow hole (tourist attraction.  You can see it on Oahu and Kauai).  It was safe to walk the town.   Not sure of that today.  Free wi-fi from the "town bridge".  As with many seasoned cruisers...it was a pack day.  

[Curtzilla]

You can buy some Cuban goods there also.

[brisalta]

9 hours ago, CCFC said:

Oh we got off and wandered around the town,. We both felt intimidated around the town, it is full of souvenir shops and restaurants trying to drag you in. I kept saying its free on the ship but they wouldn't have it. The place was not somewhere I would go to for a break. Stay on the ship.

 

You missed some good food if you did not bother to eat a meal there.

[RSS from SF]

WE are *fans* of Ensenada, and YES Ensenada is one of our FAVORITE ports.

 

We have been on more than 40 cruises around the world, in addition to numerous land trips.  My spouse is a retired food professional and for the business we actually have traveled in search of the best foods/dishes/flavors/ingredients to incorporate in our offerings.  We have enjoyed some inspired food experiences in Ensenada.

 

IF you are Good Food Aficonado
AND if you are interested in experiencing some of the best local food in all of cruising, please consider getting off the ship in Ensenada to have some of the food there.

 

At the very least, if you like truly fresh seafood, stroll over to the nearby Mercado Negro de Mariscos { TripAdvisor / Yelp / MexBound / TripHobo } and visit one of the food stalls to enjoy a seafood cocktail or fish taco.  Ensenada's seafood cocktails are the best we have found anywhere in Mexico -- including elsewhere in Baja, the Mexican Riviera, the east coast (Veracruz & Yucatan), and Mexico City (one of my favorite international food cities and where my spouse lived for many years).

 

For the best birria (some say best in Baja), walk over to Birreria La Guadalajara { TripAdvisor / Yelp }.

• [See attached image #1 for Google Maps screengrab of the front of Birreria La Guadalajara.]

 

TIP [previously our secret]:

• If it's Sunday, we will go to Sunday Brunch at BC Bistro & Cava, in the Hotel Coral Y Marina.  This is a Mexican buffet attended by hotel guests and very popular with locals [there's a wait to be seated]; we have not seen other cruisers there, other than us.  Exemplary buffet items you won't see at other places would include Cabrito (kid goat spit-roasted over an open fire) and Menudo Blanco (white menudo -- in addition to their red menudo).  This brunch also features all the fresh local seafood you can eat.
  
  [See attached image #2 for photos from Sunday Brunch at BC Bistro & Cava, Hotel Coral y Marina.]

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For more Ensenada food tips, I would recommend viewing some of the Ensenada episodes of "Mexico One Plate At A Time" (chef Rick Bayless) and "Pati's Mexican Table" (chef Pati Jinich).  Rick Bayless' Season 8 "Astonishing Baja" features a few episodes including Ensenada.

 

Three Ensenada episodes are:

• Pati's Mexican Table - "Ensenada’s Epic Seafood"  [Preview Only]
   
• Mexico: One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless - Episode 809 “Extraordinarily Delicious Ensenada”
   
• Mexico: One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless - Episode 811 “Sustainable Aquaculture in Ensenada”

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Edited March 6, 2021 by RSS from SF