Ensenada Bus to San Diego - Your Experiences

[MAXII]

Hoping you can all help me make a decision here.

 

Unfortunately our 2013 cruise finishes in Ensenada and we will need to bus it through the border to San Diego. I am leaning towards cancelling the cruise because the PVSA/Jones' Act means we cannot do a B2B and avoid the bus trip. Some of the posts I have seen on CC really put me off the whole idea, especially as we will be coming off one of the huge ships, the Solstice and I can only imagine how many coach loads there will be.

 

So, for those of you who have done this bus trip - What were your experiences? Were the buses in good shape? Did you feel safe on the journey and at the border crossing? Were there huge lineups at the border and what about washrooms at the border - adequate or not?

 

Please - give me the good, bad and ugly to help me make my decision.

[Nancyquilts]

Question - because I don't know.

If you are sailing to and from Ensenada, why is it a problem with the Jones Act? I thought it was just if you were sailing from a port in the US round trip.

[Taxguy77]

The first class busses in Mexico are as good as first class busses anywhere. From what I have read, the busses are escorted by soldiers so you should be safe and have an uneventful trip.

I don't have any idea what, if any, arrangements the cruise company has made to facilitate the crossing, but believe they go thrugh quickly as the pax are merely in transit in Mexico.

The US side may take quite a while to clear.

 

Do a couple of searches, There are some posts on the subject.

[Gonzo70]

Question - because I don't know.

If you are sailing to and from Ensenada, why is it a problem with the Jones Act? I thought it was just if you were sailing from a port in the US round trip.

 

If the cruise is taken as a back-to-back one starts the cruise in Hawaii and ends the cruise in Seattle (so you are being transported from one U.S. port to another with no distant foreign port in between). Hence the cruise cannot be taken as a back-to-back. If the cruise is taken as a single cruise rather than a back-to-back, the cruise ends in Ensenada, so one is bused to San Diego at the end of the cruise. FYI it is the PVSA, not the Jones Act. The Jones Act has to do with transportation of cargo, not people.

[kiwimum]

I recently took this particular cruise on the Century. All passengers and non-ships company were required to disembark in Ensenada, this included B2B passengers. The principles of the Jones Act are applied to this cruise, even though the coverage is under PVSA. (Basically it protects US flagged cruise ships and inter-island transport).

 

There were no armed guards on the buses or escorting the buses. Armed Mexican Army personnel were at the port in Ensenada.

 

The passengers on our bus were joined by a young Mexican lady who assisted with the completion of paperwork in addition to what was completed on board. She remained on the bus until we reached Otay Mesa port of entry.

 

Our bus was in good repair, relatively clean except for the bathroom which was a health hazard. The driver did offer to stop at one of the newer, cleaner rest areas on the toll road. We did not stop. The bus in front of us was pulled over by US Authorities after entering the US initially because of a cracked windshield. Other violations were found and a replacement bus was sent delaying transit to SD by about 2 hours.

 

We spent around 90 minutes in line at the border with a Celebrity rep giving updates every now and then. Once at the border we were required to take hand luggage and proceed through Immigration. Celebrity had made arrangements for us to transit through the SENTRI pedestrian lanes which made for relatively quick transit. Wheelchair passengers were processed on board the bus.

 

Would I take another cruise disembarking in Ensenada - Yes, at no time did I feel unsafe. Otay Mesa is a far better crossing than Tijuana.

[MAXII]

Wow, great info. already - thanks everyone. All I know is that the two pieces of legislation keep popping up for us cruisers. Nancyquilts, there are numerous posts about the two acts on cc but the explanations here from Gonzo70 and others are better than I could put together:confused:

 

Would I take another cruise disembarking in Ensenada - Yes, at no time did I feel unsafe. Otay Mesa is a far better crossing than Tijuana.

Super helpful and just what I am looking for. Great point about Tijuana - I did that crossing once which I had forgotten about, I am beginning to feel a little bit more reassured already.

[lizmit]

Check out the many comments from Kiwimum's roll call:

March 23, 2012 - Century - Honolulu to Ensenada.

There were quite a few people talking about their experiences.

It sounds like the best way to get through it is with lots of patience.

Happy sails!

~ Liz

[spencerdrivecruiser]

Went from SD to EN a few years back and never again.

 

Buses were old and seats hard but most of all the driver drove like a maniac.

 

We told him to SLOW DOWN a few times. It uses a windy road on the coast line and the bus is not a sports car but the driver didnt seem to think that.

 

Made a vow that once was enough in a life time.

 

With the added security risks in this day and age forget it.

[kiwimum]

Lizmit, thank you for suggesting the link to our cruise - meant to do it but lost the original post and had to resurrect everything.

 

The comfort of the coach seats was the same on our coach as with a decent US coach company. I have in my previous life rented many a coach for company events and these were comparable.

 

Patience is what is needed for this day. It is a long day, but if you get to cruise at a great price (which we did) and on a decent ship, you can put up with anything.

[cruise kitty]

We've done it & would do it again... if we wanted a Hawaii cruise, the buses were clean, with decent AC & seats, crossing the border was quick & easy, we pulled off to the side & there was a lady who may or may have worked for X who took care of paperwork that we had to fill out. It's not a long drive, & really not a big deal.

 

I should add, that when we did these trips, Mexico wasn't having the problems it is now, we didn't have an armed escort, & have no idea if they do this now.

[Nancyquilts]

Wow, great info. already - thanks everyone. All I know is that the two pieces of legislation keep popping up for us cruisers. Nancyquilts, there are numerous posts about the two acts on cc but the explanations here from Gonzo70 and others are better than I could put together:confused:

Yep. I knew someone here could straighten me out, even when I'm too lazy to do a search.:D

[Bestbubba]

Hello there:)

 

Sorry to put a bit of a dampener on this discussion but we have just returned (5 April) from an amazing B2B cruise on the Century that ended in Ensenada.

 

We had the misfortune to be on bus 47 with a driver that got lost constantly, meaning our journey from Ensenada to our hotel in San Diego took 8 hours:eek: At NO POINT after we left the ship did anyone from Celebrity enter our bus to facilitate the border crossing. In a FAQ delivered to our stateroom we had been assured that we would be guided through the border crossing by Celebrity personnel.

 

Unfortunately customs decided that our bus had to unload ALL luggage and with no assistance available, shlep it into the customs hall, through security and out the other end......out again on the street, no bus, no one to tell us where to go to find the bus. We asked a few local people and one was kind enough to tell us the bus was around the corner (up a slope of course:rolleyes:) and behind McDonalds. Many people on our bus were elderly and unable to carry their suitcases and carry-ons without help. After finding the bus and boarding, we were horrified when a pan-handler boarded and walked up and down demanding money ....no we didn't feel safe and secure and we have written to Mr Hanrahan to tell him so.

 

Our troubles didn't end there as our driver couldn't find the Sheraton Suites hotel in SD and drove round for 2 hours looking for it....Would we cruise Celebrity again? Of course, we have 3 more cruises booked and most of our problems were not down to the cruise-line....would we end a cruise in Ensenada? Not in a million years.

 

Ok I realise we were unlucky, friends on a different bus sailed through but who needs to rely on luck at the end of a cruise?

 

Just my 2 pennorth as we say over here;)

 

Sue

[Cindy]

I actually cancelled a Pacific Coastal cruise that ended in Ensenada and switched to a shorter, more expensive:rolleyes: sailing so I could disembark in San Diego. My husband and I felt that leaving the ship in Ensenada would make for a very long, frustrating travel day, to say nothing of the fact that I'm not a big bus fan!:)

[Kwenz]

Perhaps a silly question but here goes anyway. The cruise we are looking at stops in San Diego the day before it docks in Ensenada. We will already have been to a foreign port as it visits Victoria BC. What if we just choose to leave the ship in San Diego?

[Gonzo70]

Perhaps a silly question but here goes anyway. The cruise we are looking at stops in San Diego the day before it docks in Ensenada. We will already have been to a foreign port as it visits Victoria BC. What if we just choose to leave the ship in San Diego?

 

It would be illegal. The ship needs to have called upon a DISTANT foreign port, Victoria BC is not a distant port.

[whitshel]

Have done this twice, San to En and didn't have a problem either time. Buses were normal Coach USA buses so i'm not sure where the old broken down buses come from. Same type you would take an excursion with. yes you are driving right thru the middle of beautiful TJ but its only about 30 - 45 minutes and then your driving down the Pacific Coast. Again this is southbound, northbound I have never done but I would imagine it would be a little tougher.....:confused:

[rwr235]

Have done this twice, San to En and didn't have a problem either time. Buses were normal Coach USA buses so i'm not sure where the old broken down buses come from. Same type you would take an excursion with. yes you are driving right thru the middle of beautiful TJ but its only about 30 - 45 minutes and then your driving down the Pacific Coast. Again this is southbound, northbound I have never done but I would imagine it would be a little tougher.....:confused:

 

Doing this in October...so happy to read this...and I am not going to read any other reviews on this topic between now and then !!:D

 

Thanks

 

Woody

[Cindy]

Have done this twice, San to En and didn't have a problem either time. Buses were normal Coach USA buses so i'm not sure where the old broken down buses come from. Same type you would take an excursion with. yes you are driving right thru the middle of beautiful TJ but its only about 30 - 45 minutes and then your driving down the Pacific Coast. Again this is southbound, northbound I have never done but I would imagine it would be a little tougher.....:confused:

 

I've read several comments that the trip from San Diego to Ensenada is much easier and faster than the northbound trip.

[BILL-WI]

Perhaps a silly question but here goes anyway. The cruise we are looking at stops in San Diego the day before it docks in Ensenada. We will already have been to a foreign port as it visits Victoria BC. What if we just choose to leave the ship in San Diego?

 

If by chance you are looking at Solstice in September, 2013, take a look at Millennium (also September 2013) and you do not need to worry about Ensenada.

 

BILL

[robtulipe]

Have done this twice, San to En and didn't have a problem either time. Buses were normal Coach USA buses so i'm not sure where the old broken down buses come from. Same type you would take an excursion with. yes you are driving right thru the middle of beautiful TJ but its only about 30 - 45 minutes and then your driving down the Pacific Coast. Again this is southbound, northbound I have never done but I would imagine it would be a little tougher.....:confused:

I've done this transfer both ways and the south bound was much easier and quicker. On the southbound for our Radiance of the Seas one way cruise to Honolulu we crossed the border at Tijuana and didn't have to get off the bus as it was basically waved through after a short stop at Mexican customs to drop off paperwork. Total time was just under two hours.

After our recent X Century Hawaii to Ensenada cruise we crossed northbound at Otay, about 8 miles further inland as it is typically less congested there than at the Tijuana crossing and X had arranged for a dedicated line for their cruise passengers. It took about 90 minutes to get to the Otay crossing. Then we had about a 45 minute wait on the bus at the crossing before disembarking the bus with all of our carry on bags and going through US Customs and Border Protection. All of our checked bags stayed in the bus luggage compartment as these were sealed at the ship. Once though we had to wait about 20 minutes before our bus came through to us before going to the airport. Total time was about 3 1/2 hours. We were on one of the earlier buses and I read on our roll call that many of the later buses had problems. We were on a Mexican bus which had a cracked windshield but other than that it appeared to be in reasonably good condition. There were X personnel that boarded our bus at the crossing to inform us of the crossing procedure and a lady, who I believe was with the bus company, that went with us to the border and had us fill in some paperwork for the bus company.

[oceanbill457]

As someone who worked for cruise lines in San Diego for eight years, I can only say avoid going to and from Ensenada at all costs. If you leave from San Diego, you will probably stay at the terminal all afternoon and arrive to find the ship not there yet. If you arrive in Ensenada for debarkation, you may face the problems earlier posts have stated. I have observed occasions when the immigration authorities did not have enough agents, and guests waited long periods in the sun to cross the border. You might get lucky and have the same experiences some guests report. Why take the chance?

[DAllenTCY]

To answer a question asked earlier in this thread, there will be 78 busses needed to transport guests on May 6th, 2013 to/from Ensenada.

Just a few weeks ago when the Century disembarked there, the first of 45 busses arrived at the San Diego Airport at 8:50 am. The last four arrived at 1:35 pm. Needless to say a dozen or so missed their ourbound flights due to "rush hour" traffic which normally means a 1 1/2 to 2 hour wait at the border (northbound). At one point a group from a bus jumped the line, threw open a secured barrier, and crossed into the US on foot via a bus lane. Pandemonium resulted, and one person was accused of assaulting a US Customs agent. It took 14-15 agents awhile to restore order.

David

[ccletzgo]

UGH:( I just changed my mind about the Solstice 4/13 cruise.

[Gonzo70]

I am glad I wound up not taking a Hawaii cruise out of Ensenada last year (I switched it to a Holy Land cruise in part because my wife was concerned about the Endenada component). Looks like for some people things were smooth, but quote a few first hand reports of a rather unpleasant experience. I can see why that cruise was so inexpensive now!

[Cindy]

I am glad I wound up not taking a Hawaii cruise out of Ensenada last year (I switched it to a Holy Land cruise in part because my wife was concerned about the Endenada component). Looks like for some people things were smooth, but quote a few first hand reports of a rather unpleasant experience. I can see why that cruise was so inexpensive now!

 

It cost me $200 to switch to an older ship (Millenium vs. Solstice) and I lost one night in order to avoid the Ensenada end to the cruise. I think the pricing is probably an effort to draw people to the Solstice cruise despite the Ensenada debarkation.