Carnival Inspiration, September 2 sailing to Catalina and Ensenada (with pictures)

[LandlockedCruiser01]

1 hour ago, fyree39 said:

So glad to see your review continuing. I went to La Bufadora in I think 2005 or '06 on the Paradise. The gauntlet back then consisted of maybe 6 stalls. Boy, has it grown!

It started with only 6 stalls?  Oh wow!  When I walked through there, there appeared to be 40 or 50 stalls, with 10 of them being big enough to walk into, like a small shop.  And the vendors are very enthusiastic about persuading you to buy from them.  Many of them hand out food and drink samples, hoping to sweeten the deal.  (Their churros are really good.)  Walking past them definitely tests your assertiveness skills.  I did well, and only bought what I planned on buying.

 

Don't let it scare you.  They're high-pressure and they banter with you, but they respect boundaries and don't try to grab you.  (At least that was true for me.)  Just be firm, and keep repeating "gracias, pero no" (no, thanks) or "ya lo tengo" (I already have it) as much as you can stomach it.  Or at least until you see something you want to buy.  And the Bufadora at the end is totally worth it, considering how such a phenomenon is found in only a few places in the whole world.

 

One major caveat: the public restrooms are NOT free.  They charge you $0.50 to use it.  In other words, like in Europe.  Oh, and get a fish taco, either at Lidia's Tacos or somewhere else.  Unless you live in California, you won't get another chance to eat one this good for a long time.  Just go easy on the pickled onions. ☺️

Edited September 17, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[momof3cruisers]

You are doing a great job with this review. I’m really enjoying reading about your trip. I’ve been on several 4 and 3 day cruises out of Long Beach but it’s always nice reading someone else’s experiences. 

 

However, this CA girl did get a little chuckle that you consider the hills on Catalina to be mountains. 

[grima625]

Enjoying your review.  Will be on Inspiration next year.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

6 hours ago, momof3cruisers said:

However, this CA girl did get a little chuckle that you consider the hills on Catalina to be mountains. 

Hey, it's all relative.   Remember: my home region is very flat.  Most places I traveled too are flat as well.  Even the ski areas in Wisconsin don't look as "mountainous" as Catalina.  Although it might be the terrain: when the hillsides aren't covered by thick trees, they stand out more.

Edited September 17, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[RobinCruiser]

Thanks for this review! I'll be doing almost the same thing in 12 more days! Queen Mary pre-cruise night and then the Imagination for 4 nts. Do you know how much the Aqua Bus was to/from the Queen Mary? 

[beshears]

I had to smile while reading your review, when you said you picked up a few items, as well as a "refrigerator" magnet.  I actually have the same items on my refrigerator from all the ports/islands I have visited over the 19 years of my cruises.  When seeing them at times, they bring back GOOD memories! 🙂

[LandlockedCruiser01]

4 hours ago, RobinCruiser said:

Do you know how much the Aqua Bus was to/from the Queen Mary? 

There are actually two Aqua routes; both stop at the Queen Mary.

 

The longer AquaLink route costs $5; it runs between Queen Mary, downtown Long Beach, and Alamitos Bay, (a shopping, dining, and boating complex).  The shorter AquaBus route costs $1, and runs between Queen Mary and downtown Long Beach only.  You will most likely use the AquaBus, unless you want something at Alamitos Bay.  Fares must be exact change.

 

The ride was a lot of fun.  As I joked while talking to two young women sitting next to me, "almost as good as a real cruise".  (That was after everyone waved to the Imagination still docked in the Carnival terminal.)  You can also get to downtown Long Beach via a free Passport route, but it's a normal road bus, so it's not as fun.

 

Maps and schedules: https://ridelbt.com/aqualink/

Edited September 17, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[RobinCruiser]

29 minutes ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

There are actually two Aqua routes; both stop at the Queen Mary.

 

The longer AquaLink route costs $5; it runs between Queen Mary, downtown Long Beach, and Alamitos Bay, (a shopping, dining, and boating complex).  The shorter AquaBus route costs $1, and runs between Queen Mary and downtown Long Beach only.  You will most likely use the AquaBus, unless you want something at Alamitos Bay.  Fares must be exact change.

 

The ride was a lot of fun.  As I joked while talking to two young women sitting next to me, "almost as good as a real cruise".  (That was after everyone waved to the Imagination still docked in the Carnival terminal.)  You can also get to downtown Long Beach via a free Passport route, but it's a normal road bus, so it's not as fun.

 

Maps and schedules: https://ridelbt.com/aqualink/

Thank you for the info! I am sure we will try the Aqua Bus. I am a little worried about our Queen Mary stay.... It's booked for the 28th, which is the first night of Dark Harbor. They are not offering the Paranormal Walks, which we wanted to do and now, I'm worried we won't get any sleep due to the screams and noise of people enjoying Dark Harbor until the wee hours of the morning. At least I'll make sure we have warm jammies for the night so we aren't too cold like you were. 

[crewsweeper]

Great review.  Thanks for sharing.  When I lived in So Cal back last century, I went to Catalina many times.  Camped out around the Casino.  Saw Big Wednesday on that screen.  Also did the Catalina Marathon, and believe me those aren't "hills".   Have sailed in sail boat races and driven down to the BAJA many times, Wondering if that old party hangout "Husong's" is still around in Ensenada? 

 

Glad you had a great cruise and showed that even as a solo cruiser you don't have to be alone.

Edited September 17, 2019 by crewsweeper

[LandlockedCruiser01]

16 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

Wondering if that old party hangout "Husong's" is still around in Ensenada?

Yes, it is.  That's where the bus was going to drop people off, if they took the downtown option.  No one on my excursion did it, so I went back to the ship.  I was actually more inclined to try Papas and Beer, which is on the same block.  But Ensenada looked rough around the edges, so I didn't feel comfortable doing it by myself.

Edited September 17, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[crzndeb]

33 minutes ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Yes, it is.  That's where the bus was going to drop people off, if they took the downtown option.  No one on my excursion did it, so I went back to the ship.  I was actually more inclined to try Papas and Beer, which is on the same block.  But Ensenada looked rough around the edges, so I didn't feel comfortable doing it by myself.

I was living in San Diego in the early 70’s, and Tijuana, Rosarito Beach, and Ensenada were my hangouts, since I was still underage. Back then, there was nothing around La Bufadora. It was just a place the locals knew about and not the touristy place it is now. I can’t believe how it’s so build up now.

[SarahJeanneSays]

2 hours ago, RobinCruiser said:

Thank you for the info! I am sure we will try the Aqua Bus. I am a little worried about our Queen Mary stay.... It's booked for the 28th, which is the first night of Dark Harbor. They are not offering the Paranormal Walks, which we wanted to do and now, I'm worried we won't get any sleep due to the screams and noise of people enjoying Dark Harbor until the wee hours of the morning. At least I'll make sure we have warm jammies for the night so we aren't too cold like you were. 

I'll be at Dark Harbor on the 28th.  I'll try to keep the screams down!  LOL

[LandlockedCruiser01]

18 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Back then, there was nothing around La Bufadora. It was just a place the locals knew about and not the touristy place it is now. I can’t believe how it’s so build up now.

Wow, sounds a lot like the Niagara Falls: a unique natural feature surrounded by commercialism capitalizing on it.

[crzndeb]

2 hours ago, RobinCruiser said:

Thank you for the info! I am sure we will try the Aqua Bus. I am a little worried about our Queen Mary stay.... It's booked for the 28th, which is the first night of Dark Harbor. They are not offering the Paranormal Walks, which we wanted to do and now, I'm worried we won't get any sleep due to the screams and noise of people enjoying Dark Harbor until the wee hours of the morning. At least I'll make sure we have warm jammies for the night so we aren't too cold like you were. 

I will be staying at the Queen Mary on the 27th and boarding the Splendor on the 28th. My daughter and granddaughter are driving me up there from San Diego, and staying at the hotel for a night with me. My granddaughter (7) wants to look for ghosts. I was sorry to see they didn’t have the Paranormal Walks.

[RobinCruiser]

1 hour ago, crzndeb said:

I will be staying at the Queen Mary on the 27th and boarding the Splendor on the 28th. My daughter and granddaughter are driving me up there from San Diego, and staying at the hotel for a night with me. My granddaughter (7) wants to look for ghosts. I was sorry to see they didn’t have the Paranormal Walks.

Oh really, they don't have them on the 27th either? I called the QM and was told they weren't offering them on the 28th because it was the first day of Dark Harbor and it takes up a large portion of the parking lot so they didn't want to offer the walks and have people come with no where to park. I guess that would apply the night before as I'm sure they have to set up.

 

Have you stayed there before? We stayed at the QM in 2014 with our teen/pre-teen daughters. We did the Paranormal walk then and it was great. While we didn't see or experience any spirits, it was a pretty neat experience. 

[James4me]

1 hour ago, crzndeb said:

I will be staying at the Queen Mary on the 27th and boarding the Splendor on the 28th. My daughter and granddaughter are driving me up there from San Diego, and staying at the hotel for a night with me. My granddaughter (7) wants to look for ghosts. I was sorry to see they didn’t have the Paranormal Walks.

Don’t worry about not having the chance seeing any paranormal activity on this ship.  It is haunted.  When my husband and I were looking for a venue to get married we checked out the Queen Mary since our honeymoon was on the Elation.  We were taken to the Chapel, it still had its old charm.  Wooden benches, wooden everything.  It felt dark and depressing and both husband and I felt strange vibes.  The kind that you feel in your bones something is there.  We never booked the venue but were given free passes to explore the ship.  I still had the creepies with me the entire time.  Also, the room where the propeller is kept, under water, I refuse to even walk in there.  It’s really creepy.  

[crzndeb]

37 minutes ago, RobinCruiser said:

Oh really, they don't have them on the 27th either? I called the QM and was told they weren't offering them on the 28th because it was the first day of Dark Harbor and it takes up a large portion of the parking lot so they didn't want to offer the walks and have people come with no where to park. I guess that would apply the night before as I'm sure they have to set up.

 

Have you stayed there before? We stayed at the QM in 2014 with our teen/pre-teen daughters. We did the Paranormal walk then and it was great. While we didn't see or experience any spirits, it was a pretty neat experience. 

I have stayed there a couple of times. When I looked for the walk, it said unavailable. I was checking to see the age limit, since my granddaughter is 7. My daughter wants no part of ghost hunting. I hope we don’t have any issues with parking on Friday.

[crzndeb]

12 minutes ago, James4me said:

Don’t worry about not having the chance seeing any paranormal activity on this ship.  It is haunted.  When my husband and I were looking for a venue to get married we checked out the Queen Mary since our honeymoon was on the Elation.  We were taken to the Chapel, it still had its old charm.  Wooden benches, wooden everything.  It felt dark and depressing and both husband and I felt strange vibes.  The kind that you feel in your bones something is there.  We never booked the venue but were given free passes to explore the ship.  I still had the creepies with me the entire time.  Also, the room where the propeller is kept, under water, I refuse to even walk in there.  It’s really creepy.  

I’ve stayed there a couple of times, and never experienced anything. My granddaughter and I will do some checking. My daughter will just sit in the bar probably with a glass of wine, as she wants nothing to do with ghosts.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

37 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

I’ve stayed there a couple of times, and never experienced anything. My granddaughter and I will do some checking. My daughter will just sit in the bar probably with a glass of wine, as she wants nothing to do with ghosts.

I never felt anything paranormal, either.  Not even in the room with the flooded propeller.  Just the general down-to-earth comfort I always feel inside old places.  The only places I feel ill-at-ease in are those with what I call "acculumated misery".  (Like an abandoned insane asylum, where patients were mistreated or experimented on.)  And the Queen Mary definitely isn't one of them.  It was a very dignified place when it functioned as a ship.  Nobody mistreated the third-class passengers; they just had spartan accommodations.

Edited September 17, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[fabby50]

I was lucky and got to take my grandmother on a tour of the Queen Mary when I was about 20 - I'm 62 now.  It was fascinating hearing stories about WWII as we walked the ship.  I've been many times - even when Disney was trying to run it - that's when they put in all ghost stuff.  I like staying there because it gives you an opportunity to visit more of the ship.  Their Sunday brunch is great - been several times with my parent over the years and it always gives older people a chance to talk about "the war to end all wars".  I think they took the Russian sub off the property, but that was very interesting if they bring it back.  That thing was so tiny!  I can't imagine being down in that for months at a time.  I love art deco and they have a festival every year - another venue with all kinds of activities/events if you're in the area, the Scottish Festival is a hoot.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

25 minutes ago, fabby50 said:

I think they took the Russian sub off the property, but that was very interesting if they bring it back.  That thing was so tiny!  I can't imagine being down in that for months at a time.

They brought it back.  I saw it.  It was docked right next to Queen Mary, between the ship and the shoreline, forward of the gangway.  You can even see the faded-out Russian writing on its hull, if you look close.  I doubt you can go inside, though; it looks worn out beyond being safe.

 

Edited September 18, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[fabby50]

We did get to go inside the sub probably about 5 years ago.  You had to maneuver through the round openings which were very tiny and I can imagine people getting injured, especially if they were larger or not in very good shape.  Definitely meant for smaller, probably younger, submariners in it's day.  When we went, there wasn't a tour guide, you went through on  your own and we were the only ones on it at the time.  It was fascinating (both my husband and I work for the Navy).

[LandlockedCruiser01]

15 minutes ago, fabby50 said:

We did get to go inside the sub probably about 5 years ago.  You had to maneuver through the round openings which were very tiny and I can imagine people getting injured, especially if they were larger or not in very good shape.  Definitely meant for smaller, probably younger, submariners in it's day.  When we went, there wasn't a tour guide, you went through on  your own and we were the only ones on it at the time.  It was fascinating (both my husband and I work for the Navy).

Thank you for your service.

 

I know I couldn't go inside when I was there.  The gangway gates onshore were locked.  Perhaps now, it opens only for special tours, with liability waivers.  I think the sub should be moved into a military museum, before it deteriorates further.  Salt water and outdoor elements can't be good for it.

Edited September 18, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Previously on "Carnival Inspiration, September 2 sailing to Catalina and Ensenada (with pictures)"... post #30.

 

Day 4: Fun day at sea
This being a sea day, I slept in.  Which, by cruise standards, was until about 8:00 AM.  I went to the Lido buffet for a quick coffee and a pastry, to tide me over until the Seaday Brunch.  I found the Lido deck totally invaded by towel animals of all shapes and sizes; the crew members must have worked all night.  I went back to my cabin right after, to properly get ready for the day.  As skimmed over that day's Fun Times, something caught my attention: Savannah's Morning Show.  So I went, since I always missed its equivalent on my previous cruises.  It turned out to be an informal trivia contest.  The answer to the question Savannah asked happened to be in the Fun Times, which I read less than half hour earlier.  I answered it correctly, and won a ship on a stick for the first time ever!  It now sits proudly on my bookcase.

 

I took a quick walk along the Lido deck again, hoping to find my cruise friends and invite them to brunch with me, but that wasn't in the cards.  Oh well, I could always go to the piano bar that night.  Plus, I was starving.  So I went by myself, and ended up sharing a table with a very interesting couple about my age.  They lived near the West Coast their whole lives, so they liked my outsider's perspective on it.  I also finally tried the steak and eggs.  The steak, the fried potatoes, and the stewed vegetables were amazing.  The eggs were slightly undercooked, but that's just me.  For dessert, I had a banana cream pie; it was rich and creamy.  All washed down with a bloody Mary.  That's where Carnival falls flat.  It was basically vodka-laced tomato juice, a far cry from sharp, flavorful Bloody Mary I get in my home region.

 

The next few hours were a bit boring, although not lonely.  I went to my cabin to get ahead on the packing, putting away all souvenirs and all dirty clothes, leaving out only what I planned to wear the rest of the day, my debarkation clothes for the trip home, and toiletries.  (It's my last-day routine for every cruise.)  I watched the Groove for St. Jude dancers perform onstage, sat in the Serenity hot tubs for a while, and walked around the ship just because.

 

My day took a turn for the better when I went to the Love and Marriage Show.  As I looked for a seat, one of my cruise friends called me over and invited me to sit with the group.  The show consisted of three couples: newlyweds, mid-range, and long-timers.  The questions were PG-13 (veiled sexual references and innuendos), so I was pleased not to see kids in the audience.  There were some teens, though, which is fine.  The whole audience, including my group, applauded after every question.  I felt hungry again after the show, so I went to Tea Time for a snack, while my friends went straight to the pool.  I rejoined them less than half hour later.  

 

I don't have pictures from my time in the pool, but other than the piano bar and the excursions, the next few hours were the highlight of my cruise!  More people joined our group, who probably met each other while I was on my excursions.  We pretty much took over one end of the pool, and spent the next 3 hours hanging out nonstop without getting out, except only briefly.  I don't think I spent that much time in the water on any of my previous cruises.  The roving bartenders kept bringing us drinks.  We only parted ways when we had to get ready for our respective dinners, and made plans to reunite later, where else... in the piano bar.  

 

I took one last nighttime picture on the deck, then made a beeline to the MDR.  My table was again kind of empty, like the first night, but the couple that came was very talkative this time, and commented on how they saw me in every contest on the ship.  (Except the Love and Marriage Show, obviously.)  The dinner menu was the best one on the cruise.  It became hard to deny that debarkation was near, when the waiters stood in a row to sing "Leaving Our Fun Ship".  We wished each other a safe trip home, and I went straight to the final show.  I liked it a little better than the second night's show.  I went to my cabin again, changed into my debarkation clothes, and packed away almost everything, figuring I'd rather do it now when I'm alert, rather than in the morning when I'm tired and bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, thus risking forgetting something.

 

I stopped by Guest Services, to check my account and write a complimentary letter: about my steward, my MDR waiters, the cruise director, and the pianist.  I think I talked the poor girl's ear off about how much fun I had on the cruise.  I guess that's one pitfall of solo cruising: when you're having a great time, and need to "debrief", but have no travel companions with you, you take it out on the staff (in a good way, of course).

 

I made it to the good old piano bar slightly later than I planned, and found my group.  Like two nights before, we hung out, we sang, we pounded drinks, we enjoyed each other's company.  This time, however, the pianist was assertive about closing up shop by 1:00 AM.  But the night wasn't over for us.  No way!  We took ourselves to the nightclub to dance out the energy we still had left.  We stayed until it closed and the bright lights came on.  That's where we could no longer delay the inevitable.  So we exchanged contacts, took come group pictures in the empty promenade, said our goodbyes, and retired to our cabins.  From what I remember looking at my alarm clock before falling asleep, it was 2:30 AM.  But I didn't care!  I figured I'd nap on the plane, anyway.  I wanted to have a great cruise, and I did!

 

Towel animals invaded the Lido deck.  This is just one part of the invasion.

 

I won a ship on a stick!  Took me 3 cruises, but I did it!

 

Trying the Sea Day Brunch for the first time: steak, eggs, and hash browns.  

Not pictured: banana cream pie for dessert.

 

Toasting the contestants in the Love and Marriage Show

with a glass of Thirsty Frog Red.

 

Another towel animal stalking me.  It's gotta be a bulldog, a pug, or another

flat-faced, floppy-eared dog breed.

 

One last picture on the open deck at night.

 

Waiters doing the farewell dance and singing "Leaving Our Fun Ship".  I had

my best dinner that night: frog legs, roast beef, and apple cheesecake.

 

This is the "Motor City" show.  Despite what the "Playlist Productions" had

me believe, this show had real physical sets.  Video screens played only a

minimal role in the whole show.

 

Ah, the ubiquitous piano bar!  This is the pianist David Wiley, who brought

together a fun group, and inadvertently created an opportunity for me to

meet cool people.  His music skills were amazing.  If it wasn't for him, my

cruise would not be this fun.  (On my previous cruises, the piano bars were

fairly meh.)  I gave him a glowing review in Guest Services like he deserved.

 

And so, the cruise comes to an end.  The debarkation morning didn't really feel like it was part of the cruise, even though I was technically still on the ship.  But that part will be reviewed too.

Edited September 19, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Last but not least...

 

Debarkation day

I woke up bright and early at 6:00 AM, to a combination of my alarm clock and the roar of the bow thrusters.  Weirdly, I felt energetic and wide-awake.  It never happened to me on my past cruises; don't know if I'm just older, or if it was psychological.  Anyway, I packed the last of my stuff, and went to breakfast.  I debated whether to eat in the MDR or in the Lido buffet.  The buffet won out, because I'd be eating outside in the fresh sea air.  I got myself a breakfast burrito from Blue Iguana Cantina, watermelon, and the usual coffee.  The burrito was filling but nothing special, unlike the arepas and huevos rancheros I got two days ago; I'll remember it for next time.  Soon, my deck was called for debarkation.  I got my bags, checked my cabin for any stray forgotten items, and I made my way to the exit.  The debarkation line was long, but it moved quickly.

 

"Breezed through Customs" would be an understatement.  The guard borderline (no pun intended) ignored me!  Holding my passport next to my face was the limit of him screening me.  The grand total I spent in Customs was less than 15 seconds. (As opposed to nearly 40 minutes on my previous cruise, due to getting detained for being solo.)  I don't know why, but I'm not questioning my luck and/or the guard's decision.  Honestly, I had nothing to hide; I didn't even buy tequila in Ensenada.  The worker in charge of Carnival airport shuttles was very patient with my confusion about where to find my bus.  The TSA agents in LAX were nice too: they smiled and made small talk with me, which I haven't encountered before with TSA.  General friendliness, sure.  But nothing like this.

 

I didn't sleep on the plane like I planned to.  It was probably the coffee I drank with my breakfast.  At least, the screen in front of me had an Angry Birds game I occupied myself with.  I got home safely and uneventfully, save for minor hassles of catching an Uber back from ORD.  I slept for 10 hours that night.  Interestingly, I accidentally left one thing in my cabin: a pair of socks.  Yes, socks!  Not that I care, but I could have sworn I checked all nooks and crannies.  Oh well.  It could have been worse.

 

I had debarkation vertigo for a few days after the cruise, more formally known as "mal de debarquement".  You know, where you're sitting or standing still, but you feel swaying inside your head.  No big deal.  It was totally worth it.
 

 

Final photo on the ship, with Long Beach in the background.

 

The usual California heavy traffic on the way to LAX.

 

And so, the cruise REALLY comes to an end.  Some ruminations and musings will be posted shortly.

Edited September 20, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01