Embarking in Ensenada

[NancyM]

Hi!

 

We are considering a cruise next spring that Embarks in Ensenada. Can anyone give me some hints or clues as to what the best way to make the experience go smoothly? We're coming from St. Louis so we're rather green about the area. Should we fly into San Diego and take a taxi? Or is there a better way?

 

Thanks so much for your help.

-Nancy

[suziehmkr]

NancyM - Is this a Hawaii cruise on RCCL? If so, check with them. I believe that even though the cruise embarks in Ensenada, you actually fly to San Diego and RCCL then busses you to Ensenada. We spoke to some people on our recent cruise about this.

 

There is a law that says something about not arriving in Hawaii unless you have stopped in another country, which is why many of the Hawaii cruises start in Vancouver or Ensenada.

[Desertbelle]

We did the Ensenada to Hawaii cruise in December.....had a wonderful time!

 

We flew into San Diego where RCCL had busses to transfer us to Ensenada. It was a very pleasant experience overall. We arrived at the airport very early so we had a few hours to kill before loading onto the buses. We just sat around and waited....some people went to the main terminal and ate, shopped, etc.

 

Once the buses arrived we were boarded. Our lugguge went on a different bus and we didn't see it until later that evening. There was a very nice boxed lunch with a bottle of water on each seat. It took some time to get rolling, but soon we were on the road to Ensenada. The trip took a little more than a hour. The last half hour or so we actually saw the Legend on it's way to Ensenada also.

 

We stopped at a hotel in Ensenada where we checked in for the cruise. This line was very fast. They gave you a coupon for a soda and we loaded back into the buses for the final leg of the trip. We arrived to the pier just as they were tying the Legend up to the dock. We had about a 30 minute wait while they prepared her for boarding.

 

Since our ship wasn't to leave for several hours we were told we could disembark and go into town to look around, but it was an overcast, drizzling day and we were happy to just be onboard.

 

I have heard of some people who choose to fly directly to Ensenada or who arranged their own transportation to Ensenada from L.A./San Diego, but the easiest way seems to get the transfers from RCI.

 

If you are taking the cruise to Hawaii you will be having a wonderful time, it was our best cruise so far!!

[Splinter]

Don't understand why RCCL can't do their Hawaii cruises like HAL does...San Diego to Hawaii and back without having to mess with Ensenada. They stop in Ensenada for 1 hour the night before arriving in San Diego to satisfy the Jones Act requirements. It is so much nicer! While RCCL does provide bus transporation, it takes at least 2 hours to go the 90 miles, much less the time to load/unload the buses, and causes problems for those who need a later flight on departure and an earlier flight going home.

[NancyM]

All,

Thanks for all the info. We'll probably do the RCI transfers. However, we aren't doing Hawaii. We are doing the Panama Canal in April. We're certainly stopping in other country's ports, so I don't know why we are embarking in Ensenada rather than San Diego, unless it is just the pure logistics of open berths..

 

Anyway, thank you all so very much for the help.

-Nancy

[andreadan]

. . . .does anyone have any suggestions on getting from Ensenda to L.A. after we disembark in Ensenda?