SonoranDevil

Day 3 - Ensenada, Mexico

Today we woke up, docked in Ensenada. Our excursion today was a trip to wine country, 45 minutes Northeast of the city, another Carnival arranged tour. Check in time was 11:15, so we had another morning of sleeping in and not being rushed. This morning, the alarm was set for 8:30 and coffee was requested between 8:30 and 9:00. Of course, the knock on the door came at 8:15. Hey, at least it was a consistent strike zone (My obligatory baseball reference).

Today, we would grab breakfast burritos from Blue Iguana. There was no line and we settled in at a nice, shady table on the Lido Deck with a view of Ensenada. It had been 23 years since I had seen Ensenada and I have to say the city has definitely grown! Ensenada is an industrial port and at first glance, maybe not the most scenic of stops. But, the surface is often misleading.

After our burritos, which were certainly worthy of a positive review, we headed back to the cabin to freshen up prior to heading off the ship to check in for the excursion. Once off the ship, we quickly located our guide for the day, Irma. Irma instructed us to wait in some nearby shade until the other cruisers checked in. Irma informed us that we would be small group of six today, as most people chose the earlier excursion time to beat the heat. We're from Phoenix, so heat be damned!

Soon Irma led us to a full sized tour bus for the trek to Valle de Guadalupe, the heart of Ensenada's wine country. We were introduced to our driver, Felix, and we were off. Heading through the city, I was definitely impressed with how thriving the community appeared compared to my last visit. Irma kept us engaged the entire trip and was a real delight. Again, it was abundantly clear how proud Irma was of her home. Irma made us feel like we belonged there in that moment, and that's a good sign of great host.

On the bus and ready for some wine!

Our gracious host, Irma

We returned to our cabin with the intention taking of a little nap before getting ready for the cruise's only elegant night. This afternoon is when we learned exactly how thin the cabin walls are. The cruisers in the cabin next to ours on the stern side returned to their cabin shortly after we did. As we were just drifting off to sleep, we could here their amorous activities begin. We learned far more about our neighbors that afternoon than we ever wanted to know. Just when we thought they were finished, round 2 commenced. The bought lasted 3 rounds, ending in what we assume was the young man succumbing to a TKO. We managed to grab a few minutes of rest none the less.

We got ready for dinner and headed to the Pride Dining Room once again, this time around 6:30. We didn't dress up for dinner really. DW wore a flowing floor length casual dress and looked stunning of course. I went with khakis and a nice, black resort style shirt. Neither of us wanted to bring semi-formal wear on this short trip, though we've certainly done so on longer, more formal cruises. There was a little line this evening but we waited no more than 5 minutes to check in with the hostess. We were easily accommodated and sat in Camilo's section once again.

Both of us were not quite hungry this evening, but we knew we needed to eat something or we would be miserable later in the night. I failed to grab pictures of tonight's menu. I ordered the clam chowder as my appetizer and DW had the pasta fagioli. My chowder, while good, certainly did not stand up to the chowder I sampled at Bluewater earlier in the day. I still ate it all. The fagioli was decent, though my DW was pretty sure it was derived from the prior night's navy been soup.

We both ordered the prime rib for dinner. The slices were pretty thin, but we were both good with this since neither of us were starving. The flavor was ok but it certainly was not the best prime rib we have had. We finished the meal with another round of the melting chocolate cake. The service from Camilo and Margo was once again the highlight of the evening.

After dinner, we again walked the promenade to see if anywhere was buzzing with activity. We ended at the Xanadu Lounge just after 8PM and decided to find a comfortable seat for the 8:30 comedy show. This show would feature Stanley Ullman's PG material. We actually sat next to the mother and son from our earlier excursion, so we had a nice conversation meeting the rest of their family.

The show was ok. He relied heavily on participation from several children in the audience. The children were the highlight of the show. I got the idea that Stanley was funnier than what he gave us that evening, but he kind of lost us with some comments about how moms should not work, instead staying at home and raising children. He was not trying to be funny at the time. I thought I would have to restrain my accomplished, working wife who is the best mom a guy could ever wish his wife to be, but she showed exquisite restraint.

After the comedy show, we headed back to the piano bar for another night of sing along fun. The night started off a little slower but by the time we were done, the place was packed and loud! We made it to about 11:30 This night before heading off to bed. It was another great day all in all. Tomorrow we would be in Mexico and have another great day to talk about.

We love the Imagination, and Catalina Island! In fact next August we are renewing our vows on the beach on Catalina for our 25th anniversary. All of our grown kids will be there and we are bringing our own Minister! Can't wait!

 

Love your review!! Glad you are having a great time!

Thank you! And congratulations on your upcoming 25th Anniversary!

Crescent Street Fountain

The Imagination in the Distance, From Crescent Street

Maggie's Blue Rose - Chicken Enchilada With Creamy Poblano Sauce and Grilled Achiote Marinated Skirt Steak. Notice a bite missing?

Day 2 - Catalina Island Continued...

Four eateries down, two to go. Our next stop was for some seafood at Bluewater Avalon, oceanfront on Crescent Street. The atmosphere was just as you would expect from a seaside seafood restaurant. Pictures of some of the storied big fish catches adorned the walls. Here we were served a clam chowder and a fresh prawn with a cocktail sauce. DW grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household and therefore never acquired a taste for shellfish. Instead, they served her a beautiful grilled artichoke. The clam chowder was some of the best I've ever tried and I've spent some significant time in New England, with some great chowders! The prawn was ok, though I'm not a fan of cold shellfish. No shrimp cocktail for me. DW really enjoyed the artichoke, the first she had ever tried. We were also served 4 oz pour of an Italian Pinot Grigio. DW and I don't drink a whole lot of white wine, but this extremely affordable wine had just enough sweetness to make it not obnoxiously sweet like a riesling or other dessert wine.

Our final stop was at the eatery downstairs from Steve's Steakhouse, Maggie's Blue Rose. Maggie's is a tad bit more upscale Mexican food restaurant, different from Coyote Joe's more casual atmosphere. I knew from a little research on Catalina Island that Maggie was in fact, Steve's wife. He runs the upstairs, she runs the downstairs. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by non other than Maggie herself! Great first impressions for both Steve's and Maggie's. We were soon seated at a table and brought a smoked chicken enchilada covered in a creamy poblano sauce as well as a grilled achiote marinated skirt steak and a sample of a coconut margarita (think pina colada made with tequila). It was excellent! The skirt steak had one of the best beef flavors I've ever come across. I made sure to have Lili tell Maggie that her skirt steak (though undoubtedly sourced from the same buyer) kicked her steakhouse husband's around the block a time or two (they were both great, really). For me, Maggie's skirt steak was the highlight of the tour.

By the time tour ended, our stomach's were completely satisfied. We were really happy we chose this excursion and we would unabashedly recommend this tour to others. I truly believe that food is Catalina's fine art. We visited six establishments, but there were a myriad more that looked equally satisfying. The food we had was interesting yet familiar and prepared very well! I was unsure what to think about Catalina before visiting, but I'm now a believer. It was now a little after 3PM and the tender line to get back to the Imagination was looking pretty long. For those familiar, the tenders docked at pier 5, closest to town. The line at a little after 3PM was all the way back to the basketball courts as you enter the main part of town. The last tender was scheduled for 3:45 for a 4:30 sail away. But, the line moved really quickly and at around the half way point, we were in the shade. Back to the boat for our second night of fun!

TBC...

Distracted by Taffy

Lloyd's of Avalon

Crescent (Front) Street

Fountain on Crescent Street with Original Catalina Tiles

Our next stop was Lloyd's of Avalon, a tour brochure ready candy shop just down Crescent Street from Steve's. Seriously, imagine a seaside candy store with freshly pulled taffy and Lloyd's is what will come to mind. Lili let us know that we would be trying some freshly pulled taffy, pulled right in front of us, as well as an apple pie candied apple. Sure enough, one of Lloyd's staff members pulled a fresh glob of taffy right in front of our eyes...one by one. This batch was peppermint and was still warm. It was decadently delicious. We were then given two large slices of the candied apple and we walked to a shady spot on the waterfront to enjoy the treat. We were each given a bottle of water as well, which was a much needed refreshment as it was beginning to get a little bit warm. The apple was also very good and tasted very similar to a slice of apple pie. Of interest, a young, married brunette taffy puller from Lloyd's named Norma Jean Dougherty was noticed by a Southern California photographer in 1944. Shortly after, Marilyn Monroe would take the nation by storm.

Our next stop was the Catalina Island Coffee & Cookie Company. We were each given a sample of their dark chocolate pistachio cluster, as well as a sugar free cinnamon iced tea. The chocolate, while a small sample, was as excellent. A perfect combination of sweet, bitter and salty in each bite. The tea, while being sugar free, was a great balance of sweet and spicy, tasting similar to a red hots candy. I would assume the tea was sweetened with stevia, as it certainly had a sweet flavor, but wasn't overpowering at all. I don't usually enjoy such beverages, but I really enjoyed this. Another winner!

Our next stop was Coyote Joe's, a Mexican restaurant set back slightly on a side street from Crescent Street. I've lived in Arizona my entire life and have eaten more tacos than I could ever count. We have some of the best Sonoran Mexican food in the world, outside of Sonora, Mexico. I like tacos. I eat a lot of tacos. I've never had a potato taco until stepping into Coyote Joe's. I admit, I was skeptical at first. However, after the first bite into this crunchy/creamy deliciousness, I was hooked. This will be replicated in our home! The creamy mashed potatoes inside the crunchy, fried corn tortilla is absolutely genius! We also were given our first alcoholic beverage of the tour, a John Daly (tea, lemonade and vodka). Those who did not drink were given the non-alcoholic version, an Arnold Palmer. I've never had a John Daly before, but it was also delicious while still refreshing. In other words, it was dangerous! We're 4 for 4 so far!

Avalon Harbor

My Harbor Master

Steve's Steakhouse - Curry Tomato Soup, Fried Shrimp on a Spicy Thai Sauce, and Polynesian Marinated Skirt Steak

Day 2 - Catalina Island

We had set an alarm for 8AM. This would allow me time to partially wake up, dress and be ready for the room service server when they arrived between 8:00 and 8:30 with our coffee. I like to be dressed prior to their arrival so I don't waste their time, standing in the hallway, while I stumble across the room in some frantic scavenger hunt for appropriate clothing to open the door. Without context, this could be mistaken for some sort of an attempt at interpretive dance on my part.

At 7:45, I heard the knocking on the cabin door and proceeded to scramble around the room in various stages of dress in order to answer the door. It really must be a sight to see, if it's anything like how I feel. I probably managed to mumble a few coherent words to the server, but I'm entirely unsure about this. Oh well, nothing a good cup of coffee can't fix.

After enjoying our coffee, we showered and headed back to the Pride Dining Room to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the menu, but it appears to be identical to all Carnival breakfast menus. I ordered the Port Day Express while my DW ordered the Broken Egg Sandwich. My breakfast was prepared well and was on par with you standard breakfast joint's fare. DW really enjoyed the Broken Egg Sandwich. After eating, we returned to the room briefly to freshen up prior to making our way to the tender to the pier in Avalon.

We booked our excursion through Carnival and received our excursion tickets in our cabin the night before. The tickets instructed to head directly to Deck 3 for our priority tender, instead of the normal Deck 4 for standard tendering passengers. This was a definite benefit as there was still a considerable tender line at 10:45 AM. We boarded the tender, and took the quick trip into the pier. We didn't need to check in for our tour until 11:30, so we had about 20 minutes to walk around town and soak up the atmosphere prior to the excursion.

Avalon is a quaint little seaside community and it definitely has an artisan tint (though not necessarily on the surface...more to come). The harbor was full of boats this time of year, from small sail boats to a couple of large, luxury yachts. There is a man made beach right along Crescent (or Front) Street, the main street through town. This tiny sliver of shipped in sand was full of families enjoying the Mediterranean type weather. We were both impressed with how charming Avalon was.

We made our way back to the excursion check in and waited for our other tour members to arrive. We chose the Catalina Food Tour, offered through the ship. We would spend three hours eating our way through 6 different establishments. We learned that there would be only two others joining us for the tour and informed this was really good as we could take a more relaxed approach to the tour. The other two passengers were a mother and teenage son from the Bay area. They were very nice and we were soon led into town to meet out guide, Lili.

It was apparent very quickly that Lili took her job very seriously. She informed us that between eats, she would tell us about Catalina's rich history. It was clear she was proud of her community and was well studied on the history of the island. As a history buff, I could definitely appreciate this.

Our first stop of the day was at Steve's Steakhouse, a quaint venue upstairs from another eatery (which would be our last stop of the day). Upon ascending the stairs, we were met by none other that Steve himself. Lili gave us the story of Steve's family on the island and outlined his philanthropic work as a leader in his community. We were quickly sat at a table and informed of what we would be sampling: Curry Tomato Soup, Fried Shrimp on a Bed of Spicy Thai Sauce, and a Polynesian Marinated Prime Skirt Steak.

It was all simply delicious. The soup had just enough curry to give it a noticeable bite without overpowering the creamy tomato flavor. The shrimp was a generous butterflied portion, fried to perfection and the skirt steak had been marinating in the sweet Polynesian sauce for 24 hours. We were off to a great start!

Thank you for this wonderful review! I don't see many good reviews on the little ships and yours is stellar. I don't know when we'll be on the Imagination again, but it's one of my favorites.

Thank you! I try to be an informed traveler and noticed that there were not many detailed reviews of the Imagination. I hope the information will be helpful to someone else thinking about this cruise.

Night 1 Appetizers

Night 1 Mains

Night 1 Port of Call

Night 1 Desserts

Do you have any pictures of fun time ? Or menu?

Thank you.

My wife was smart enough to bring all if the Fun Times home with us. We have to scan them still. I only grabbed photos of the dinner menu on the first night and for the sea day brunch. They are not the best photos, but I will post them.

Thank you....would it be easier to have 3 girls on the "king"? (44, 15,but taller than me, & 12)? The 17 y.o. boy will get a single bed...

I think you will experience challenges with sleeping 3 on the king bed configuration. It is 2, twin beds pushed together to make the king bed. As such, there is a noticeable gap in the middle of the bed that would be uncomfortable to attempt to sleep on. I would imagine you would be better off using both bulkhead bunks.

Embarkation Day Continued

Upon returning to our room to get ready for dinner, we noticed there were only 2 bath towels in the cabin. My DW uses 2 by herself with each shower, so we would need more each time the cabin was serviced. We had yet to meet our room steward, so I left a nice note asking for additional bath towels along side a $20 bill. We pre-paid gratuities as well, so I was hoping this would go a long way to ensure a happy cruise.

We left for the Pride Dining Room, the forward dining room used for YTD as well as the sea day brunch. We tend to dine early at home as well, with a school aged child and early bed times, so our arrival a few minutes past 6 PM worked out well for us. There was a very short line to check in. We quickly gave the hostess our room number and asked to be seated with Camilo. I humorously mentioned the he loves us, hoping to elicit a giggle from the hostess. She just shook her head at me, very clear that she one, did not find me funny or two, thought I was an idiot. My DW often responds the same way to my attempts at humor. Anyway, we were seated with Camilo who enthusiastically greeted us. He had a section of an 8 top, a 4 top and three 2 top tables. He and his team did not seem stretched too thin and were on top of everything service related the entire cruise.

We soon had wine, a large bottle of water as well as a bottle of Pellegrino. My DW enjoyed the Pellegrino each evening, an unsung perk of having the Cheers package. We were introduced to our Assistant Servers, Margo and Kadek. The whole team was awesome, but Margo immediately connected with us. Along with Camilo, Margo made our dining experience a highlight of the cruise, even when the food itself couldn't quite shine as bright as the service.

I chose the Navy Bean soup to start while DW went with the Tomato Soup for our appetizers. Both were pretty good and we both were eager to try the flat iron steaks we ordered. I also ordered the fried shrimp, sans the fried rice the entree came with. Margo was eager to take care of the request and we enjoyed our wine while we waited.

Navy Bean Soup

Creamy Tomato Soup

Our entrees arrived timely and we wasted no time digging in. Now, we are not food snobs by any stretch of the imagination. I would choose chicken fried steak just as often as I would order a prime filet. Well, the flat iron steak was a miss. The flavor was decent but the texture of the steak was rubbery. It wasn't inedible, but we didn't order it again. The fried shrimp on the other hand was good.

Flat Iron Steak with Fried Shrimp

We ordered the Melting Chocolate Cake and the Caramelized Phyllo with Caramel Cream for dessert. Both were pretty good with the Melting Chocolate Cake edging out as the winner. We ordered it for dessert each night with exception of the last night. All in all, it was pleasant experience. Camilo brought us each a glass of wine prior to heading out for the evening.

We returned to the the cabin briefly, to drop off the water bottle from dinner. It was nice to always have a bottle of water in the cabin. We then set off to see what was happening on board. We walked the promenade to check things out. Eating dinner early, a lot of ship activities hadn't kicked off yet. The Alchemy Bar was empty, so we settled in at the karaoke bar to check out the talent prior the the piano bar opening at 9:30.

The karaoke started off slow, being dominated by a handful of guests. There were a few talented folks. I believe they may have intimidated a few would be singers to start off. Well, it only took the first karaoke risk taker to get the party started. By 9:15, when we left, the venue was packed and the queue to sing was growing.

We left to check out the piano bar. The premise is for the crowd to sing along with the piano player to some all time piano bar classics. It was a lot of fun and the glasses of wine kept coming. E, the piano player, would invite those that could handle some solo singing up to the mic to help him out. Soon the crowd, and E, were exerting some peer pressure and we had a few people get up and sing along solo. By the end of the night, even my introverted DW was up there singing along to Brown Eyed Girl and 9 to 5. My wife is never more beautiful than when she is having unmitigated fun. We managed to last until midnight before heading back to the cabin to retire for the night.

Upon returning to the cabin, we were greeted with a turned down room, a towel animal and extra towels. Our steward, Benny, left his card but we still had not met him. We never would. We turned on our white noise app on my phone, set out the room service for hangar asking for morning coffee and fell asleep. Our excursion on Catalina the next morning wasn't starting until 11:45, so we requested the coffee between 8 and 8:30, allowing us to enjoy our coffee prior to heading to the dining room for a relaxed breakfast.

Next up...Catalina Island!

great review so far!

Thank you!

In the balcony rooms, the couch is converted into a bed and then upper bunk. Do OV’s have the couch?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Our cabin did not have a couch.

Do you happen to have a photo in your cabin of the “adjoining” door location? I inadvertently booked a connecting cabin on the Elation and am curious as to where exactly the adjoining part of the room is located and if it interferes with the setup of the room? Is any part of the room compromised due to the adjoining part (the rooms are small enough!)?

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture. In the picture that I did post of the cabin in an earlier post, the adjoining door is on the wall at the foot of the bed. It didn't interfere with our activities in the cabin, and we actually found the door frame useful. The cabin walls are not made of a heavy duty metal, but the door frames are. They worked perfectly for our magnetic hooks. Without the adjoining cabin door, you only have one metal door frame, and that is the bathroom door.

After enjoying a few drinks, we decided to grab a bite to eat. We first walked through the buffet, which was serving Italian inspired dishes. The buffet was predictably crowded. Nothing looked overly appealing and after a swing by the dessert selection, we fixed on burgers at Guy's. We did not eat at the buffet once this trip, so I can't offer too many words on the experience.

There was no line at Guy's and we walked right up to the counter and placed our orders. Within seconds, we had our burgers and fries and headed to the toppings bar. There was a decent selection of toppings available. I chose bacon, sauteed mushrooms and a smidge of ranch dressing while DW went with more traditional fixings. The mushrooms were an awesome addition! We found a shady spot and enjoyed the meal. I also over enjoyed the ketchup for my fries, and was wearing some on my shirt before I was done. Scientists should study me as I seem to have some magnetic tomato sauce properties that have to be useful to some scientific body.

My Burger

Ketchup Magnetism

The burgers were good. Several steps above McDonald's or Burger King and maybe just shy of Five Guys quality. It was right up my alley though! We never saw a huge line at Guy's the whole trip. They do a really good job of moving people through. This would be our only stop as we were off the ship the next two days at lunch time.

After eating, we swung by our cabin in hopes that our luggage had been delivered so I could change shirts. Our luggage was indeed waiting for us in the hallway, at around 1:30. We unpacked and I retrieved a fresh shirt. We took a few minutes to unwind and refresh ourselves before heading back out to explore.

We took a quick tour of the promenade deck and checked out Cherry on Top, the ship's candy store. This was new since our trip in 2013. The selection was limited given the small size of the shop, but it would surely be a hit with the younger crowd. We would pick up a package of gummy funnels for our daughter before we left the boat.

We also checked out the Alchemy Bar, which is a re-themeing of the prior Xanadu Lounge bar at the end of the promenade deck. It is a classy look, almost out of place on the ship. I would have enjoyed hanging out here one of the evenings, but the place was dead the entire cruise.

We proceeded through the Xanadu Lounge, home to Punchliner's Comedy Club at night. Out the back is one of two ways to access the Serenity Deck, reserved for guests 21 and older. The loungers have padded cushions and there were two additional hot tubs. When we arrived, there were only two other people out there. We decided to make this our home until it was time for the muster drill. It soon became busier and it was not quite serene by the time we left. Also, there is no bar in the Serenity area and servers were few and far between. Definitely bring a beverage with you.

The Queen Mary from the Serenity Deck

Soon it was time for our muster drill. We were muster station A, which meets in the Dynasty Lounge, the ships main theater. We were thankful that muster was inside, with comfortable seats and did not include marching up to our lifeboat station as it did in 2013. It was relatively painless and we were soon off on our merry way.

After the drill, we headed back to our cabin to freshen up prior to dinner. After refreshing, we headed up to Lido to catch the end of the sail away party. This is funny, because we wouldn't sail away until around 6:30. At 6:00, when we stopped by, the party was apparently over. So, we decided to head off to the dining room!

Next up...dinner

Embarkation continued...

Once on board, we immediately wanted to drop off our carry on bag in the room. To me, this is one of the top benefits of having FTTF, to have your room available once you board. We were in room E75, right by the Guest Services desk, where you board the ship. We soon noticed that the hallway doors were all closed, preventing guests from heading to their cabins. A quick question to the first smiling face we encountered and we were told we can simply open the doors and access our room.

Cabin E75 is an Oceanview category. As previously mentioned, the Imagination only has balconies for their suites. We didn't feel a suite upgrade was worth the cost point for this cruise, so Oceanview it was! The cabin was indeed ready, with our room cards affixed to the cabin sign. The room is small of course, but had plenty of storage with three closets and four drawers attached to a small writing desk with mirror. There was even a small hair dryer in one of the drawers and a good 20 or so hangers. The room was clean, if not dated. We had a similar cabin for our 2013 sailing on the Imagination and it was just the same.

Cabin E75

Even though the room decor was basic and dated, the room was in decent condition. The chief complaint was a noticeable sewage smell in the bathroom. However, when the bathroom door was closed, it was not detectable in the rest of the room. The cabin is an adjoining cabin to E77, but this was not an issue as our aft neighbors were quiet. Our other neighbors are another story for a later post!

After dropping off our bags, we proceeded directly to the Lido deck for our first vacation beverages at the Red Frog Rum Bar. DW ordered a Ting Mojito and I ordered a Blue Hawaiian. The bartender asked if I had ever had a Twilight Zone. I had no clue but after he explained it to me, I was game for trying. It's basically a pina colada with blue curacao. The Ting Mojito was grapefruit vodka, simple syrup, Ting soda and fresh mint. My DW loved them...I thought it tasted like grapefruit juice with grass clippings. She thought mine was too sweet.

We found a few loungers by the pool and proceeded to people watch while enjoying our drinks. No sooner than our glasses were empty, a waiter stopped by to assist in locating us additional libations. His name was Camilo. Camilo soon became fast friends with us (read my DW...people just talk to her). Before he left with our order, Camilo said he loved us (read my DW...guys just love her) and insisted we ask for him as our waiter in the Pride Dining Room each evening. Much more on Camilo to come!

Nobody in the pool at Noon.

Twilight Zone and Ting Mojito

Camilo

Embarkation Day

We had made it to our hotel without incident. We had stopped for a quick dinner at a Dickey's BBQ in Moreno Valley, before making it to the Hampton Inn at about 9PM. We settled in for the night, hoping to be well rested for our first day on the ship.

There are a lot of things that can be said of me. None of those things are related to me being a morning person. Well, this morning I couldn't make it past 6:30. The mattress was a little too firm for my liking. I've had five shoulder surgeries and I am definitely more comfortable with a softer mattress. Throw in the fact that I could smell the complementary breakfast in the lobby, and that was all she wrote. I may not be a morning person, but my stomach definitely is.

So we decided to grab a small breakfast and copious amounts of coffee and leisurely caffeinate ourselves to the point that we were functional human beings. We went back to the room, showered and repacked for the trip to the port. The Hampton Inn met expectations, even if I didn't sleep that well. It is near enough to Long Beach to be a pre-cruise hotel option if you plan on parking at the port.

We purchased Faster to the Fun and had a Noon check in time. We had read prior reviews that mentioned getting on earlier than your scheduled time was doable in Long Beach. We decided to get to the port at around 11.

Getting to the cruise terminal was easy enough. The 710 Freeway ends at the port. There was a lot of construction going on, and that perhaps would slow things down if you were traveling during the work week. We followed the signs for the Queen Mary. There was limited signage for the cruise terminal and nothing that mentions Carnival until you arrive at the parking structure. If you're unfamiliar with navigating the port, just focus on the Queen Mary signage.

The parking garage was easy to navigate and find an open spot. We parked on level 2, closest to the terminal and walked to the porters on level 1 of the garage. There were plenty of porters available. Luggage drop off was easy, we tipped our porter and started walking to the terminal. There were three queues at the entrance to the terminal ( too early/too late, FTTF/priority and on time). Nobody was standing in the outdoor queues. We went to the FTTF line and were immediately greeted and directed to a friendly staff member who checked our passports and boarding documents. In less than a minute, we were directed to the FTTF waiting area. It is right near the Captain's Lounge. There were a handful of cruisers already there.

Selfie Time!

Within ten minutes, they boarded about 10 Diamond/Platinum members and we were told we could head down the gangway! We were on board by 11:30.

We just got home about 45 minutes ago. We had a really good time. I'll start the detailed review soon. I can address the question as to the appropriateness of bringing a child on this ship/itinerary...you have nothing to worry about, especially this time of year. There were far more families on this sailing than revelers of debauchery. There are PG activities all the way past 10PM each evening. As a former law enforcement officer, I saw nothing in Ensenada that would make me concerned for my family's safety while the ship is in port. I would have no issues bringing my 11 year old daughter along.

Well, we are on board! Embarkation was a breeze! I'll provide the actual review once we return. For now, here are a couple of shots from today. Adios amigos!

Inside the newly remodeled terminal

People watching on the Lido is always fun!

Day Before Embarkation

Today was put the offspring on a plane by herself day. I have to admit, I'm extremely proud of the kiddo. I was waiting for her to get to the gate and chicken out. But, she handled it much better than Mom and Dad did.

She marched right down the jetway, confidently turning for a wave goodbye!

After her plane was in the air, we high tailed it to the garage to make our way to Seal Beach, where we would be staying the night.

For those who have never made the drive from Phoenix to the L.A. area, it is perhaps the ugliest road trip any person could take. You won't find this stretch of I-10 on any postcards, that's for sure. But we made the trek with no incident.

As previously mentioned, we chose to stay at the Hampton Inn in Seal Beach. The hotel mainly serves as a temporary home for those visiting either the Naval Weapons Base or nearby Leisure World. So far it seems fairly safe, clean and quiet. Hampton Inns are part of the Hilton brand, and usually deliver on a quality, budget friendly experience.

This location has decent nearby food options, from steakhouses to a Subway right across the parking lot. Target is just down the road a mile or so.

It has been a long day and we're excited for sail away day tomorrow. It's an early to best night. Next up, embarkation!

Today is our last day of preparation! All of the laundry is done and it's time to stuff everything in our luggage. We're checked in, boarding documents are printed and passports are ready to go.

Even though we have the Cheers package, we're carrying on a bottle of wine each. Just in case we find ourselves in the cabin, not wanting to venture out to a bar. If we don't open them, we will just bring them back home with us.

The Lozen is a red blend from a local Arizona winery, Arizona Stronghold. Their wines can be found in some stores, mostly regional, but this blend can only be purchased at their winery. So, if you ever find yourself in Cottonwood, AZ and you enjoy wine, pick up a bottle (or case). You won't be disappointed. The If You See Kay (sound it out) is one of our go to house wines. It's also a red blend. My wife and I enjoy wine.

More updates tomorrow as we set out for Sky Harbor Airport, I-10 and sunny Southern California!

Cute couple! Looking forward to the rest of your review!

She definitely shoulders the responsibility for all of the "cute" in the couple. I simply bring a solid bug killing and jar opening skill set to the union.

2 More Days!!!!!