Ensenada Shore Ex - Foxploration

[MrsBBuffalo]

We just returned from a 4-day Baja cruise on the Monarch of the Sea.

 

In Ensenada, we reserved the "Foxploration" Studio tour through the ship's Shore Excursions. This is the location where "Titanic" was filmed. The write-up told us there was a one hour drive each way ou of a 5 1/2 hour tour. Our tickets said to meet on the pier at 8:15 AM. We noticed the ticket brochure said the tour was at 9:30, but we figured the tickets were printed later and we should surely follow them. Wrong! Hurried our breakfast and off the ship by 8:10. No one with a sign for us. I finally found an Activities crew member to ask and was told we were to meet at 9:15. :mad: So we just sat out there on the pier for an hour.

 

It did take an hour to get to the Studio up the Mexican coast via Rosarita. But the "studio" was deserted except for our bus load. (Imagine something the size of Main Street in Disneyland, absolutely deserted.) We had two young women "tour guides" and the very first thing we saw, a video explaning how they built the water tanks and how they used them for filming the movie, was very interesting. But we could have watched that on the ship and learned as much. Then we walked around outside a bit. They had the fountain from "Hello Dolly" there and some "Master and Commander" cannons. I stood on a mock-up of the Titanic bow and did the "I'm the Queen of the World" moment for Tom to take a photo. Then they divided us into two groups and we did see a few interesting interiors from "Titanic." Just outside of that, we climbed a set of steps to look over a wall and see out across the water tanks toward the ocean, but nothing was going on.

 

Now it's about noon and we have been told we will leave at 1:15. They ushered us into a building that was supposed to be "interactive" but there were no employees in there, no signs of direction on what we could and could not touch. In addition, this was a large warehouse type building and on the day we visited (early April), it was freezing in there. We came right back outside and found a bench in the sun. Tom read a local newspaper, which was in English, and I quickly checked the Studio Shop. The products were typically priced I guess, but I really had no desire to buy anything that said "Foxploration" on it. There was also a place to buy Subway or Pizza with a plaza out front to sit and eat.

 

I think the word we would both have to use (besides waste of time and money) would be boring. It wasn't a bad experience, the people were nice enough, and they seemed to have an abundance of nice restrooms, but there just wasn't enough going on there to ride an hour each way. And I would never have wanted to try to entertain young children there. Maybe we are too spoiled by the likes of DisneyWorld/MGM Studios. And I will admit, I never even thought to look on here for a review of the excursion. :o

 

On previous trips to Ensenada, we have visited the Blowhole (Bufadora) and taken the Winery Tour. We really enjoyed the Winery Tour and just assumed the studio tour would be of the same quality. It was not. I wrote on our ship comment card that I felt the tour should no longer be offered.

 

Did we happen to visit at a bad time? Have others had a good visit there?

Beth

[cruiserbryce]

its too bad the tour didnt go as well as anticiapted...we have seen the blurb on this excursion for our Monarch cruises and never really thought it was the kind of thing to get excited about...

[funat55]

We signed up for this tour on our last Baja cruise but it got cancelled due to lack of interest. I'm glad now after reading this thread that we didn't have to waste our time.