Sailing from Ensenada?

[deepcman]

17 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

The point is the BORDER is closed to non-essential travel.  "I'm going to Puerto Vallarta to take a cruise."  isn't essential travel.

 

 

You must be mistaken cause every night on the news, I see hundreds of people crossing North into the US but not many headed south. 😇

[donaldsc]

16 hours ago, jennybenny said:

 

 

Let us remember that in the beginning of this Covid Pandemic the CDC claimed face masks were not required because they worried that people would buy up all the N95 masks. Then they changed their tune about masks.

 

Ir. 😞 

 

There was a good reason for it AT THE TIME.  There was a shortage of N95 masks because we did not stockpile them.  It was more important for health care workers who were dying because of a lack of PPE while they were caring for people who were sick w Covid than for masks to be available for people who did not have it.  Unpleasant decisions had to be made at the time and the professions did the best that they could considering the great help that they had from the knowledgeable people in the white house (sarcasm intended).  When more but still not enough PPE became available, they changed their suggestions.

 

DON

[jennybenny]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

 

There was a good reason for it AT THE TIME.  There was a shortage of N95 masks because we did not stockpile them.  It was more important for health care workers who were dying because of a lack of PPE while they were caring for people who were sick w Covid than for masks to be available for people who did not have it.  Unpleasant decisions had to be made at the time and the professions did the best that they could considering the great help that they had from the knowledgeable people in the white house (sarcasm intended).  When more but still not enough PPE became available, they changed their suggestions.

 

DON

Don,

I completely understand the reason why they did It. However, it doesn’t change the fact that the CDC purposely misspoke to protect the much needed PPE for the medical field-for the greater good.

I didn’t buy PPE to protect myself and keep it from people who needed it, but my friend made masks and we used them early on, before it was “recommended” because masks do help.

The CDC made us painfully aware that they would say things for “a greater good”, so what else will we be told “for the greater good” that is inaccurate? 
 

Please don’t take this as me not following CDC guidelines for Covid, I am. I’m just saying that in today’s climate there are both business and political ramifications to what is said and the CDC is being cautious, to protect themselves, with providing the next steps. Their direction has always been a recommendation and warning. It hasn’t kept people from actually being able to go to high risk destinations for travel in the past. However, these are different times. 

[Ombud]

6 hours ago, deepcman said:

You must be mistaken cause every night on the news, I see hundreds of people crossing North into the US but not many headed south. 😇

Legally??

[Bruin Steve]

I don't know about the rest of the US...and the world...but, here in California, I am VERY OPTIMISTIC about the light at the end of the Covid Tunnel.

 

Whereas, we have had over 3.5 million cases of Covid during the Pandemic and over 50,000 deaths, we are now down to under 2,500 new cases per day (from a high of 65,000 late last year):

 

Tracking COVID-19 in California - Coronavirus COVID-19 Response

 

And we have now administered over 17 million doses of Covid vaccine...and just a few days ago, Governor Newsom announced that we are opening up vaccine eligibility to ALL California adults over the age of 16 by April 15 (and we will have a sufficient supply to keep that promise).

 

My wife and I are both now fully vaccinated (as are one daughter and her boyfriend...and the other daughter and son-in-law--up in Portland--have appointments for their first dose on Sunday).  If we can get EVERYBODY onboard with vaccinations, we can get this thing kicked A LOT faster than some of the pessimists here on Cruise Critic may think.

 

Yes, I know there are many ignorant folks out there who refuse to get vaccinated...due to either misconceptions as to vaccine safety or misguided political ideologies or to just plain fear of medicine...and that will always be a problem.  But, eventually, getting enough people vaccinated WILL sound a death knell to the virus.  I would tell EVERYONE to go out an PUSH everyone they know to go get vaccinated.  At this point, that is the best way to get us all "back to normal".  In the meanwhile, WEAR A MASK, stay socially distanced and follow the advice of the experts in the field of epidemiology...

 

As for me, I expect to be cruising again this July (Celebrity has confirmed they will sail from Athens) and I expect to be on Majestic Princess to Mexico in October...

[DAllenTCY]

To get back on the original topic .....sailing from Ensenada, MX round trip.

 

It has been tried many times but not recently, with buses from San Diego.

 

Imagine trying to load 2,000 people on 53-54 buses.... first-come first-to-board, or most exclusive type of cabin, or reward status level?  Nobody is ever happy!   It takes hours!

 

On one occasion, everyone was checked in at the Hilton Hotel instead of the pier....in order to make it more comfortable and seat 1,400 or more.  It rained all day, and some coaches got stuck in the mud in the staging area and had to be towed out.  Long delays and running out of lunches happened.

 

Snacks and water (once in a while a boxed lunch) have been part of the experience southbound.  Most of the time is was a bottle of water and a bag of chips or crackers.

 

Issues have arisen including coaches with no working air conditioning, coaches with no working toilets, handicapped buses with no working lifts.  The last time it was tried, all of the disabled were kept until the last 2 buses which were exclusively set up for wheelchairs and scooters.  One of them never showed up.  

 

On the way south to Mexico, police escorts were required for 6-8 buses grouped at a time.

 

Luggage was separated and transferred by moving vans, and they had to pay 'ransoms' to get past several checkpoints....or so I'm told.

On at least one occasion, buses were dispatched from San Diego at noon.  The ship takes 4 1/2 hours to get to Ensenada and it departed at 10:45am.  The obvious result was that the first coaches had to wait at the pier in Mexico for more than 3 hours.  Prior to that we didn't dispatch the first few until 2pm.  Imagine arriving at 10 and waiting 4 hours for a 3 hour bus ride and another hour to board the ship.

 

Coming from Mexico to the US, everyone has to get off the coach and walk through immigration. 

 

At least 2 times the buses got lost and took as long as 6 hours to reach the San Diego Airport.

 

Other times transport delayed at the border due to broken windshields, non-working windshield wipers, and problems with tire treads.  Those coaches had to be replaced which took 2 hours to do.

 

So, please don't advise that Ensenada should be considered as an alternative port.

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bruin Steve]

I imagine that they had various issues doing it that way...but it doesn't mean it can't be done...and done better...

First, from the San Diego Cruise Terminal to the Port of Ensenada, per Google Maps, it's only 82 miles...and, except for whatever issues there may be crossing the border, the trip, even with that, should be able to be done in two hours...

As to "buses with nonworking AC", easy--find transportation providers with better buses...

Leaving handicapped people until the last two buses?  Easy, spread out buses with that capacity throughout the morning...

"Only providing a bottle of water and a bag of chips?"  Heck, it's a two hour ride and you can eat on the ship, but, easy, add some better snacks and drinks...

"Buses stuck in the mud?"  You really don't have to drive them into mud anywhere--it's mostly all freeway and even really good highway in Mexico...

"Buses getting LOST"?!?...They have really good GPS systems now...

 

IT CAN be done well...

 

Is it a little inconvenient?  Of course it is.  It's much nicer if you could just get on a ship in LA or San Diego.  Nobody relishes long bus rides...But, heck, I've been on many bus rides just as long arranged by the cruise lines.  Ever dock in Warnemunde and taken a shore excursion to Berlin?  Or LeHavre and taken a shore excursion to see Paris?  Those are LONGER bus rides...and they didn't even give you chips on the bus...

 

As to "priority"...Sure--do it by Captain's Circle standing...or by category of cabin booked...or by a reservation system...

 

But, if you don't like it, you DO have options.  You can drive yourself to Ensenada...or arrange your own transportation...or you can choose not to take the cruise at all...

[kiwimum]

David works at the cruise terminal in San Diego and has donefor

many years.  I have cruised several times out or into Ensenada.   It is not an easy transfer.   I have a friend who catered a box lunch at one of the downtown hotels and vowed he would never do it again due to the attitude of the entitled passengers.  
With regard to getting stuck in

mud, the baggage drop off was in a dirt parking lot next to the hotel where checkin was held and it had rained days before.  We drove and dropped off our luggage, went home and walked back to check in (lived in a downtown high rise one block from the B street pier).
Busses getting lost, have you ever driven into Tijuana at early rush hour and attempted to navigate the log jam.

Coming out of Ensenada the busses were from many parts of the southern US with Mexican drivers.  We were on a bus with nonfunctional bathroom, broken front door and failed inspection at the US border.  
Plus we were stopped by Federales on the toll road several times.

The cruise line had made arrangements with CBP to process the busses coming thru at Otay Mesa.  Took a couple of hours in line before getting off the bus and walking thru US immigration.   
Many passengers were concerned.

yes we have done the bus to Berlin and Paris.  Ensenada to San Diego is not in the same ball game.