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Our 25th Anniversary Adventure - Baja Mexico & Hawaii on the Inspiration & Splendor


Jamman54
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On 5/22/2019 at 6:45 PM, Jamman54 said:

Please forgive us if we don't post anything the next couple of days, as we are observing a rather somber anniversary. Those that have been following us for over five years would understand. We promise to ramp it up over the weekend again. Thanks! :classic_cool:

Take all the time you need. Prayers for you & Patti!

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Patti and I would like to thank our Cruise Critic family and friends for their patience, support, kind words, thoughts, prayers, and hugs these last few days. Words can’t express how much they were appreciated. Again, thank you all from the bottom of our hearts! ❤️❤️

 

Continuing on with the review. After we left he Catalina Casino we were dropped off in the center of town and this was the end of the tour. We really enjoyed it and would recommend it to everyone. The driver / guide was great and very informative. When we got out of the van we tipped her for a job well done, but noticed that she hadn’t received that many tips. This was probably because the large amount of “bluebees” on the van didn’t know that it was appropriate to do so, and she never solicited for tips in any way, unlike some of the tours we’ve been on.

 

For those that are more adventurous, you can rent golf carts and drive up to the top of the hills and around Avalon  yourself.  Not sure what the cost to rent them is, but I’m sure someone here knows and will chime in.

 

Now that we are in the center of town, Patti is ready to go shopping. There was a perfect Husband Daycare nearby called the Lobster Trap, so that’s where she left me…..

 

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Patti got these shots as she shopped and explored the downtown area…..

 

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To be continued……

Edited by Jamman54
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Patti continues to explore the downtown area…..

 

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After an hour or so, Patti rejoins me at the Lobster Trap…..

 

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We had a nice lunch there. Patti had a Caesar salad and crab cakes, while I had some coconut shrimp and bacon wrapped scallops. Everything was delish!

 

A little after 2 pm we walked over to catch a water shuttle back to the ship. There was no wait at all. Once back on board we went back to the cabin and found today’s towel animal and a little something for our anniversary…..

 

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For the rest of the day we just hung around the cabin and the rest of the ship. Around 7 pm we went up to the Lido for dinner. Afterwards, Patti went to pick up pictures, shop, and play bingo, while I went to play blackjack for a few hours, losing $100.

We were back in the cabin around 10:30 pm. Here is tonight’s turndown service and our VIFP gift, the blankets……

 

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Coming up next: Our first visit to Ensenada.

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The golf carts that we rented were $45 an hour but when we went there was a special 3 hrs for the price of 2 .. and a note it was cash only! We rented through Catalina golf cart company .. 

 

also so another great husband day care/old school bar is the marlin club!

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14 hours ago, hawaiissunshine1 said:

I'm looking forward to another great review! 

 

The Splendor will always have a special place in my heart because my fiance (VERY soon to be husband) and I got engaged on the Splendor in Long Beach last year after 12 years together! 

 

Thanks for following along! That's a great story. Congrats on your upcoming wedding! 🍷

 

14 hours ago, RobinCruiser said:

Loving this review! I'm doing the Baja Cruise this September and staying on the Queen Mary. Did the cruise in '95 so love getting to see what is new and what to do. 

 

 

Thanks for reading! Enjoy your cruise and your stay on the Queen Mary. Have lots of pictures of that classic ship which we will get to later.😎 

 

13 hours ago, fyree39 said:

I have another window open on my computer looking at Avalon hotels. 😜

 

Go for it Cindy! 😀

 

9 hours ago, Kjs2006 said:

The golf carts that we rented were $45 an hour but when we went there was a special 3 hrs for the price of 2 .. and a note it was cash only! We rented through Catalina golf cart company .. 

also so another great husband day care/old school bar is the marlin club!

 

Thanks for posting the golf cart information. I'll have to check out the Marlin Club next time! 👍👍

 

2 hours ago, pohlerbear said:

Thinking of you and your family 

 

Thank you so much!

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Day # 7   (April 24th)  -  Ensenada, Mexico  (8 am to 6 pm).

 

Here are today’s Fun Times…..

 

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We were up a 7 am just as we were pulling into Ensenada. It is cloudy and hazy now, but it is supposed to clear up later. Patti prepared two bags of laundry to send out today.

 

Had a bit of a scare this morning when the cabin power outlet lost power while Patti was drying her hair. We called Guest Services, who called maintenance, and they got power restored about twenty minutes later.

 

Patti didn’t want breakfast, but I went up to the Lido for some coffee and Danish.  Here is the tour we have planned for today.

 

La Bufadora Adventure

Starting At:

$39.99 / Adult (ages 13 and over)

$32.99 / Child (ages 4 - 12)

Infants less than 4 years don’t require tickets

*Prices may vary by sailing

 

EXCURSION DETAILS:

Depart from the harbor as your local certified guide explains some of the history behind Ensenada and its surrounding areas. Enjoy a close look at the picturesque Plaza Civica to view the magnificent statues of the famous Mexican heroes. See the elegant Riviera Del Pacifico, once a glamorous beach resort and casino. The Riviera was the place where the famous Margarita drink was invented. Here you can enjoy a guided tour inside the facilities and learn about the history of this famous destination. Discover painted ceilings, glamorous ballrooms and receive a free margarita sample.

 

Continue to the home of La Bufadora and visit the blow hole, the largest marine geyser in North America created by the waves entering a submerged marine cave and then pushed out with the force of the air that was trapped inside the cave. This underwater cave regularly sucks in sea water and spits it out, drenching visitors above. Guests will get to enjoy approximately 1.5 hours free time by visiting the open air market to shop for souvenirs, regional arts, handcrafts and Mexican eateries. Time permitting, visit Ensenada’s main shopping district or return directly back to the ship.

 

NOTES:

•Kids 5 years and under are free!

 

We are booked on the 9 am tour, so at 8:45 we depart the ship…..

 

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Here is the Carnival Inspiration docked in Ensenada…..

 

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We are looking for our tour sign…..

 

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I want to go on this tour!!! 😀😀😀

 

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We have found our sign…..

 

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To be continued…..

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Here are some Port of Call photo ops…..

 

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We are being led to our tour bus outside, but first this nice doggie will sniff your stuff to make sure you are not bringing any food into the country…..

 

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Once we are on the bus we meet our tour guide for the day Riga…..

 

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We are leaving the Carnival Inspiration behind……

 

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We are heading to La Bufadora (The Blowhole). It is about a forty five minute drive to get there…..

 

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We have arrived. Here is our bus driver. We forgot his name so we’ll just call him Pedro…..

 

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To be continued…..

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There are about 150 yards of shops on both sides before you get to the blowhole.

Many of the vendors here are pushy and aggressive, but many also give out free drink and food samples. I almost had a full meal just walking down to the blowhole. Just be prepared to run the gauntlet…..

 

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This is the Habana Banana. This place will serve as the Husband Daycare later on…..

 

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We are continuing on to the blowhole…..

 

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Riga shows us how they test the silver so you won’t get ripped off….

 

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Here is another photo op…..

 

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We have reached the blowhole……

 

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Because the tide was extremely low today, the blowhole was only a pop gun…..

 

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To be continued…..

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Patti takes in the views along the shoreline…..

 

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There are plenty of cacti …..

 

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We are making our way back to the Habana Banana…..

 

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To be continued…..

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We are back at the Habana Banana Bar……

 

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This is the way they open your beer there…..

 

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These are our drinks…..

 

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I am enjoying my beer…..

 

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Patti is enjoying her Pina Colada…..

 

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Patti goes upstairs to check out the second level…..

 

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To be continued…..

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There are some great views from up here…..

 

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This is the quick way downstairs…..

 

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It is time to leave La Bufadora…..

 

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We are heading back into town…..

 

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To be continued…..

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The circular things in the waters offshore are tuna pens…..

 

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The Mexican Federal Police are in front of us. Pretty scary to have a gun pointed in our general direction…..

 

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One thing that we noticed is that there are tamale stands everywhere…..

 

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Here are some more scenic views as we head back into town…..

 

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We have arrived at the Mexican Cultural Museum…..

 

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To be continued…..

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We are inside the Cultural Museum…..

 

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Finally, the part we’ve been waiting for. Riga makes us drinks…..

 

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Outside in the courtyard there is a little shopping area and places to relax and enjoy your drinks…..

 

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To be continued…..

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Patti is enjoying the shopping…..

 

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We are leaving the Cultural Museum. We enjoyed the tour, but for us it was once and done.…..

 

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In no time at all we are back at the Carnival Inspiration…..

 

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There is a little shopping area that Patti wants to check out…..

 

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There is a handy little bar set up so I get myself a beer…..

 

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We got back on the ship a little after 2 pm. Back at the cabin we found today’s towel animal…..

 

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We were hungry so we went up to the Deli to grab some lunch. Patti got herself a turkey wrap, while I got a couple of hot dogs with chili, cheese, and mustard. Boy, did those hit the spot!

 

I went back to the cabin for a power nap, while Patti stayed on the Lido and laid out in the sun. Around 5:30 pm, Patti got herself ready to head to the gym for a workout…..

 

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To be continued……

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The Inspiration sailed away from Ensenada right on time. I went all the way aft on Lido deck to watch from there and take pictures…..

 

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I got this picture of some seals hanging out on the rocks…..

 

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The Ensenada Pilot Boat…..

 

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Patti met me back here after her workout and took this picture of me as we sailed from Ensenada…..

 

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We decided to eat up here on the Lido again. Patti went through the buffet line, but I decided to just have some salad and pizza.

 

After we ate, Patti went to tonight’s bingo session (no luck), and I went to the casino to enter the blackjack tournament . Right off the bat I amassed 7,000 dollars to qualify for the finals. While waiting for the finals to begin, I played real blackjack and wound up losing another $100. Once the finals began, I wound up getting crappy cards, and wound up busting out after five hands. At least I got a free hat out of it!

 

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By now it was almost midnight, so as we made our way to the cabin we passed the casino bar where they were having a Music Fest starring Deep Blue Soul, Grant, and 2 Notes. They all looked like they were having a great time jamming…..

 

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Coming up next:  Our Last day on the Carnival Inspiration, or, can we jam any more kids into the hot tubs?

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Jeff...pictures are wonderful...love Ensenada....have stayed there several times and stopped several times on a cruise....I grew up in San Diego and brother now lives in Baja....so Patti's pictures just made my day!!   BTW....two good Mexican beers...Pacifico...and Carta Blanca!

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Great pics....the Inspiration looks amazing after her upgrade.

 

Please be sure and tell Patti she looks FABULOUS!  Not sure what she did or what her secret is but WOW and I like that she allows herself pina colada and other tempting treats!

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