Sailing into Ensenada question

[cod]

Hi all,

 

We need to know about how long it takes to get to San Diego after we dock. I'm booking a flight home and having trouble with a schedule out that day. Is 1:30 pushing it?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!!

[leoandhugh]

How do you plan to get from Ensenada to San Diego? Because of the int'l border crossing at San Ysidro which is a major delay, there are no cabs and not rental cars. Most passengers avail themselves of the transfers offered by the cruise company. They run buses from the pier in Ensenada to San Diego airport. Of course, you have to stop at the border, get off the bus, and go through immigration (not sure where you go through US customs) then reboard the bus for the trip to the airport. How long it takes will depend on what time it leaves the pier; early in the mornings the delay time at the border can be considerable because of the sheer volume of border crossings, and it has become one of the "tightest" crossings in the US. Suggest you or your TA check with the cruise line to see what info they will provide re: cost and time elapsed.:)

[CC Help Michell]

Hi all,

 

We need to know about how long it takes to get to San Diego after we dock. I'm booking a flight home and having trouble with a schedule out that day. Is 1:30 pushing it?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!!

 

I have no experience with the west coast cruises, but with that disclaimer, I'd suggest you check out the West Coast Home Ports board here at CC (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=413) and if you don't find the info you seek via a search, post the question there. I wouldn't have replied, but you've had this out there several days without detailed info on your ship/line and the arrangements you can make, so I thought this might at least give an avenue for further questions. Have a marvelous cruise! :)

[carla748]

Ensenada is about 2 hours from San Diego accounting for no traffic problems by car. Thats not accounting for delays at the Border. I don't think 1:30pm is late enough to be safe. I'd give yourself lots of time to get to San Diego

[Bucky3]

Using the ship's transfer, we have done this three times, once from the Radiance of the Seas and twice from the Carnival Spirit. All three times we had to be up and ready to leave the ship about 6AM! All three times were in October on a Saturday morning as I remember. It was dark when we boarded the buses and one of those times it was so foggy you couldn't see a thing for about an hour of the drive. We had no problems crossing the border, but on one of our trips our luggage somehow got on the bus behind ours. That bus broke down, and we had to wait at the SD airport for about three hours until it finally arrived. We didn't have a flight to catch, but it was a long wait for luggage and many others missed their flights. However, this was a fluke, and all three times we were at the San Diego airport by about 9:30 AM. I don't know if the border is now taking more time to pass through with all the additional security there. I would call your cruiseline and ask their opinion or better yet plan a night in San Diego - it's a great place to visit! I wouldn't do this transfer independently. I'd stick with your ship's transfer in Mexico. We did have a great cruise all three times though this transfer is not fun! Now we do the RT from LA on Princess with no hassles!

Good Luck and have a wonderful cruise.

[cod]

Thank you all for your help. Your experiences have helped a lot.

 

We always get up at 0-dark-thirty anyway so I would welcome an early bus ride that might help assure that we get there in time. To fly home the same day, we had a choice of this 1:40 flight with a two hour lay-over in Dallas or a 2-something flight that would only give us 35 minutes to catch our second flight out Dallas (and from another terminal!) I hope I made the right choice.

 

Thanks again!!